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<v Speaker 1>On Christmas Eve in nineteen seventy four, I was nine

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<v Speaker 1>years old. I was the smallest of all my brothers

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<v Speaker 1>and cousins. My dad lived on a creeksburg just off

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<v Speaker 1>of West Cash Creek in Cotton County, Oklahoma. His home

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<v Speaker 1>was on a dead end road a quarter mile from

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<v Speaker 1>our grandparents' house. We were at our grandparents celebrating with them,

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<v Speaker 1>but had gotten bored, so our dad let us walk home.

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<v Speaker 1>We walked a short distance to our house, but when

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<v Speaker 1>we got there, we found it was locked. My dad

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<v Speaker 1>never locked the house, but I guess because it was

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<v Speaker 1>Christmas he had locked it. We didn't want to walk

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<v Speaker 1>back to our grandparents, so we climbed into our red

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen fifty Model F one. We call that thing the

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<v Speaker 1>red Wing. We were sitting there talking for a while

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<v Speaker 1>when we went quiet and we were just looking around.

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<v Speaker 1>We could see pretty well because of the full moon

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<v Speaker 1>at night, and we had heard a bunch of leaves

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<v Speaker 1>for us ling like someone was taking steps through the woods.

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<v Speaker 1>We figured it was an armadillo, so we didn't think

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<v Speaker 1>anything about it. And then I noticed something moving in

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<v Speaker 1>the tree line. What is that? I asked my brothers.

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<v Speaker 1>We all looked, and though it was a clear night

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<v Speaker 1>with a full moon, we couldn't make it out clearly.

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<v Speaker 1>The only thing that we could come up with was

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<v Speaker 1>that it was someone in a gilly suit sneaking through

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<v Speaker 1>the trees, trying to take our Christmas away from us.

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<v Speaker 1>But we looked at each other and we nodded. We

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<v Speaker 1>had to defend the house. We didn't have any time

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<v Speaker 1>to come up with a plan, because this big guy

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<v Speaker 1>walked up to the fence my dad had put him

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<v Speaker 1>around the house, and he stepped right over it. We

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<v Speaker 1>knew right then it wasn't a man in a gilly suit.

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<v Speaker 1>That fence was four and a half feet tall, and

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<v Speaker 1>this thing stepped over it. It was nothing. We jumped

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<v Speaker 1>from the truck and ran as fast as we could

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<v Speaker 1>back to our grandparents' house, and we fell through the door,

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<v Speaker 1>and all of us started telling our story. Well none

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<v Speaker 1>of them believed us. After all the laughings stopped, my

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<v Speaker 1>dad and grandparents called it at night, and life continued

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<v Speaker 1>on as usual, and Christmas was not stolen. It was

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<v Speaker 1>a month later and my dad was in town at

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<v Speaker 1>the local coffee shop, and he was telling this story

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<v Speaker 1>to a few of his former friends. One of our

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<v Speaker 1>neighbors had told my dad that he had seen something

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<v Speaker 1>strange about a week before Christmas at the edge of

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<v Speaker 1>his property. My dad may have claimed he didn't believe us,

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<v Speaker 1>but we were never allowed to go to the creek

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<v Speaker 1>without a side arm after that, and the next Christmas

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<v Speaker 1>we all got brand new thirty thirty rifles. To this day,

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<v Speaker 1>all of my brothers but one denied this ever happened.

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<v Speaker 1>Always tell them to quit lying, and I remind them

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<v Speaker 1>that they were running just as fast as I was.

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<v Speaker 1>I never saw that thing again, and that's fine by me.

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<v Speaker 1>We live right next to the Daniel Bou National Forest.

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<v Speaker 1>My family enjoyed walking the forest trails. Being deep in

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<v Speaker 1>the national forest is usually very peaceful, but things like

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<v Speaker 1>bears and pigs can make it uncomfortable. The stories from

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<v Speaker 1>the locals were taken with a grain of salt because

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<v Speaker 1>they loved to put one over on outsiders. And then

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<v Speaker 1>the day comes when the forest around you becomes completely silent,

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<v Speaker 1>no birds or bugs, or wind or even leaves making

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<v Speaker 1>any noise. That depth of silence can become oppressive. In

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twelve, my son was in the forest when everything

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<v Speaker 1>went eerily silent. He was frozen in place, too afraid

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<v Speaker 1>to move because he knew he was being watched. He

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<v Speaker 1>finally ran to the visitor center and he mentioned the

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<v Speaker 1>experience to a state and federal employee. He has always

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<v Speaker 1>been interested in cryptids, and he asked one of the

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<v Speaker 1>guys if he thought it could have been bigfoot. To

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<v Speaker 1>his surprise, they both nodded yes. One of the officials

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<v Speaker 1>turned and walked away, while the other stood quietly for

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<v Speaker 1>a moment, and when he replied, he spoke in soft tones.

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<v Speaker 1>The government has no comment on such matters, he said,

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<v Speaker 1>but there are things in that forest that we can explain.

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<v Speaker 1>I've seen them. Everyone in our line of work has

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<v Speaker 1>seen them. But saying anything official could cost us our job. Well.

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<v Speaker 1>That ended the conversation, and it led to a much

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<v Speaker 1>more interesting revelation. On Thanksgiving that year, we were invited

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<v Speaker 1>to a friend's home since we could not travel to

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<v Speaker 1>be with our family. My friend lived several miles away

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<v Speaker 1>on the south side of a beautiful valley which had

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<v Speaker 1>a mixture of small farms and homes. The view from

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<v Speaker 1>the porch was wonderful, especially at sunset, and after we

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<v Speaker 1>had eaten too much, the conversation wound its way to

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<v Speaker 1>what my son had asked the folks at the National

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<v Speaker 1>Forest after his standard you may think I'm crazy, but

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<v Speaker 1>I believe, and this is what happened. Opening my son

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<v Speaker 1>told his story, and when he finished, my friend smiled

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<v Speaker 1>and he said, let me tell you what happened to me.

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<v Speaker 1>One night. He said that he and his wife were

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<v Speaker 1>sitting on the front porch with a smoke and a

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<v Speaker 1>cup of coffee. It wasn't quite full dark, but it

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<v Speaker 1>was getting close. It was a beautiful night with just

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<v Speaker 1>a hint of wind, and a chill was starting to

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<v Speaker 1>set in. Across the valley. Up on the ridge toward

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<v Speaker 1>the west, a pack of coat he started howling. They

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<v Speaker 1>were making all sorts of racket. A few minutes later,

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<v Speaker 1>another pack started up directly across the valley, and after

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<v Speaker 1>that it seemed like every dog in the valley started

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<v Speaker 1>up too, answering or joining in, they really couldn't tell.

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<v Speaker 1>He and his wife looked at each other as the

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<v Speaker 1>mood of the peaceful valley turned uneasy, and then a

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<v Speaker 1>third coyote pack joined in, only it sounded like they

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<v Speaker 1>were in panic. The mood was becoming uncomfortable, and they

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<v Speaker 1>knew it was time to go inside, and as they

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<v Speaker 1>stood up to go in, an unearthly scream came from

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<v Speaker 1>the head of the valley. It was long and loud

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<v Speaker 1>and deep. Every single coyote and dog in the area

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<v Speaker 1>shut up immediately. One second they were barking and howling

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<v Speaker 1>like crazy, and then it went dead silent. His wife

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<v Speaker 1>headed for the door to get inside, but he stepped

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<v Speaker 1>off the porch long enough to grab his gun from

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<v Speaker 1>his truck. Inside, he and his wife still felt uneasy.

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<v Speaker 1>Even the cat was acting. This cat was usually completely

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<v Speaker 1>independent and didn't need anybody, but that night she found

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<v Speaker 1>his wife's lap and stayed in it. After a few

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<v Speaker 1>minutes of complete silence, the normal night sound started up again,

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<v Speaker 1>and the tension began to ease. But for the rest

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<v Speaker 1>of the night, not a single dog or coyote made

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<v Speaker 1>another sound. On a summer night back in nineteen seventy six,

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<v Speaker 1>my brother Mike, Harold, and I decided to take a

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<v Speaker 1>long hike on Old William Penn Highway. Back then, it

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<v Speaker 1>was a forest road with woods on both sides. We

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<v Speaker 1>walked from Harold's apartment down a long hill all the

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<v Speaker 1>way to Garden City, Monroeville Garden City was known in

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<v Speaker 1>those days to be full of girls who went to

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<v Speaker 1>the Gateway High School, and we wanted to meet up

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<v Speaker 1>with some of them. On the way there, at the

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<v Speaker 1>bottom of the long hill, we ran into an awful smell.

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<v Speaker 1>We thought it might be a dead animal. It was

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<v Speaker 1>like scat mixed with rotten meat, and the smell made

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<v Speaker 1>all of us uneasy, and I suggested that we run.

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<v Speaker 1>We soon reached Garden City, about three miles further. We

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<v Speaker 1>met up with the girls and forgot about all that.

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<v Speaker 1>It was around near midnight and their mothers made them

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<v Speaker 1>come home, so my brothers and I left and we

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<v Speaker 1>headed back down Old William Penn. About a half mile

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<v Speaker 1>into the trip, we got that same uneasy feeling again,

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<v Speaker 1>only this time it felt like we were being watched.

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<v Speaker 1>We walked down this pitch black road with the forest

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<v Speaker 1>on the slope above us. Twenty yards up the hill,

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<v Speaker 1>we noticed the trees and the thick bushes had started

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<v Speaker 1>to sway and part like something huge was walking through

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<v Speaker 1>them as easily as we walked through air. It paralleled

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<v Speaker 1>us for a mile or so before it took a

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<v Speaker 1>sharp turn toward us. That's when we panicked. We ran

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<v Speaker 1>five hundred yards before we slowed down. I was on

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<v Speaker 1>the high school track team, so I took off. Mike

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<v Speaker 1>kept up with me, but Harold he was slow. We

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<v Speaker 1>waited for him to catch up, and when he did,

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<v Speaker 1>whatever was chasing us had caught up too, and it

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<v Speaker 1>stayed with us for another half mile, and then it

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<v Speaker 1>shot ahead of us, moving through the thick brush like

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<v Speaker 1>it was nothing at all. At that point, we realized

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<v Speaker 1>we needed a plan. I was going to watch the

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<v Speaker 1>left side of the road and ahead of us, and

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<v Speaker 1>Mike was going to watch the right side, and Harold

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<v Speaker 1>would watch the back. We proceeded like this for another mile.

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<v Speaker 1>We were scared to death, and that's when Mike let

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<v Speaker 1>out a blood curdling scream. I immediately started running again.

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<v Speaker 1>This time I was alone. I ran another five hundred

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<v Speaker 1>yards before I realized there was no one with me

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<v Speaker 1>and I had to go back and get my brothers.

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<v Speaker 1>I ran and I was yelling and pleading with them

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<v Speaker 1>to come with me, but there was no response. And

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<v Speaker 1>when I got back to my brothers, I saw they

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<v Speaker 1>were both in shock. I had to corral them up

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<v Speaker 1>the hill, dragging and pushing the whole time, expecting to

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<v Speaker 1>be killed at any moment. I finally got them to

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<v Speaker 1>the car, but we were in such bad shape that

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<v Speaker 1>we couldn't drive more than twenty miles an hour. Mike

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<v Speaker 1>was crying, tears streamed down his face, and he said,

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<v Speaker 1>I saw it. It was right beside the road. It

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<v Speaker 1>was waiting for us, crouching down on its haunches and

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<v Speaker 1>hiding even on its knees. It was taller than me.

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't know how to process this. Mike was six

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<v Speaker 1>foot four inches tall. He said. It was covered in

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<v Speaker 1>hair from its head to its toes, and it was

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<v Speaker 1>only five feet away. It didn't seem to want to

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<v Speaker 1>hurt us. It was just curious or maybe playing around

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<v Speaker 1>with us. We've never gone hiking in those woods again

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<v Speaker 1>at night. I never even go fishing without a fire

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<v Speaker 1>or more at least a pistol. I never want to

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<v Speaker 1>be that frightened or helpless ever again. I live in Bozeman, Montana,

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<v Speaker 1>and I have had two encounters with something strange. The

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<v Speaker 1>first one was when I lived in Pony, Montana. It's

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<v Speaker 1>a tiny town tucked into the mountains. In twenty twelve,

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<v Speaker 1>my friend and I went to a hot spring that

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<v Speaker 1>our good friend was a caretaker of the owners were

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<v Speaker 1>a rich couple that were never there, especially in the

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<v Speaker 1>harsh winters. Well, being Montana girls, we were never afraid

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<v Speaker 1>to grab some beard and throw the car in four

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<v Speaker 1>wheel drive and sneak up to these hot springs, even

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<v Speaker 1>in wiste deep snow. The pools were tucked into a

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<v Speaker 1>ravine that was surrounded by steep mountains and large rocks.

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<v Speaker 1>It really was a beautiful and peaceful place. There was

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<v Speaker 1>a gate with a key that we had access to

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<v Speaker 1>thanks to our friend. We probably abused our privileges, but

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<v Speaker 1>either way, we were having fun. Young single girls who

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<v Speaker 1>would rather ask for forgiveness rather than ask for permission.

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<v Speaker 1>We would often sit in the sauna above the pools.

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<v Speaker 1>Had to start a fire in the stove and pour

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<v Speaker 1>water over the rocks that sat on the top of it,

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<v Speaker 1>and this created the heat. This was our little heaven

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<v Speaker 1>and this must have been the hundred time we had

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<v Speaker 1>been up there. Around eleven PM, we left the sauna

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<v Speaker 1>and we jumped in the pool and we swam to

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<v Speaker 1>the far end and talked and drank our beer. And

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<v Speaker 1>it wasn't long until both of us got an eerie

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<v Speaker 1>feeling that we were being watched. We had felt that

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<v Speaker 1>feeling before, but nothing like this. There was a mountain

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<v Speaker 1>lion known to be in the area on previous visits

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<v Speaker 1>to the property, we always assumed that that was what

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<v Speaker 1>it was. This time, though, it was different. It was

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<v Speaker 1>almost gut wrenching. We heard a rock come crashing down

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<v Speaker 1>from the mountain, hitting several times and then landing in

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<v Speaker 1>the dirt outside of the pool, and then it rolled

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<v Speaker 1>toward us. My friend asked me if I thought it

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<v Speaker 1>was Bill, the caretaker, but I asked her how he

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<v Speaker 1>could have gotten up there on the incline. Knowing Bill,

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<v Speaker 1>he would have made his presence known to us. He

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<v Speaker 1>would have come to say hi and bum some beer

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<v Speaker 1>and cigarettes too. We sat there in silence, and the

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<v Speaker 1>hair on our neck started to stand up. There in

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<v Speaker 1>that hot pool. I felt chills all over my body.

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<v Speaker 1>It was almost painful. Every fiber of my being was

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<v Speaker 1>telling me to go go as fast as we could.

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<v Speaker 1>And when I turned to my friend, I saw her

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<v Speaker 1>face was white as a sheet. Something doesn't want us

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<v Speaker 1>here tonight. I think we should leave, I whispered. We

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<v Speaker 1>swam to the other end of the pool and got

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<v Speaker 1>our clothes and beer, and then half walked and half

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<v Speaker 1>around the eight hundred feet down the main road to

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<v Speaker 1>our car. Even inside the car, we felt this empty,

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<v Speaker 1>evil presence all around us. We drove a mile to

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<v Speaker 1>the locked gate, and when my friend got out to

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<v Speaker 1>open it, she was so scared she dropped the key

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<v Speaker 1>in the snow. I got out of the car to

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<v Speaker 1>help her, and I saw a pair of large tracks

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<v Speaker 1>to the right of the gate. I didn't follow them

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<v Speaker 1>to see how far they went up, but there were

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<v Speaker 1>no other tire tracks in the snow other than from

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<v Speaker 1>our friend's vehicle, and they were far enough from our

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<v Speaker 1>footprints to know that we hadn't made them. They were

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<v Speaker 1>far too big to be from our boots. I locked

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<v Speaker 1>the gate and I told my friend to get the

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<v Speaker 1>hell out of there. We stayed up all night talking

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<v Speaker 1>about it. It was unexplainable. The feeling was something neither

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<v Speaker 1>of us had ever felt before. Ten years later and

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<v Speaker 1>I was married and I had three beautiful children. My

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<v Speaker 1>husband and our farmers and bozemen a long time, and

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<v Speaker 1>date nights are few and far between. One night during

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<v Speaker 1>the winter we were able to have a kid free night.

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<v Speaker 1>We decided to go out for dinner and then drive

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<v Speaker 1>up to the lake for a little adventure. We knew

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<v Speaker 1>the roads would be sketchy with the snow and the

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<v Speaker 1>windy road up to the lake that is surrounded by

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<v Speaker 1>a forest. His truck barely made it in that deep snow,

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<v Speaker 1>but we parked by the lake and we sat on

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<v Speaker 1>the tailgate facing the mountains. We were the only car

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<v Speaker 1>up there, and no one came in behind us. That

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<v Speaker 1>was clear because there were no other tracks in the

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<v Speaker 1>snow besides the one we left. It was snowing and

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<v Speaker 1>pretty warm that night, so we bundled up and grabbed

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<v Speaker 1>our drinks and we talked on the tailgate. Right as

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<v Speaker 1>I was about to tell my husband that I was

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<v Speaker 1>getting cold, that feeling of dread and terror came over

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<v Speaker 1>me again. I was quickly reminded of mine my friend's

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<v Speaker 1>creepy experience that night when we were younger. What is it?

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<v Speaker 1>Asked my husband. Right there, the rock flew out of

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<v Speaker 1>the darkness and it hit the ground three feet in

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<v Speaker 1>front of us, and it rolled to the rear tire.

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<v Speaker 1>The look on my husband's face told me that he

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<v Speaker 1>had the same gut wrenching feeling as I did. We

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<v Speaker 1>got back in the pickup truck, and my husband asked

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<v Speaker 1>what the hell was that. He said that right before

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<v Speaker 1>the rock had hit the ground, he got an icky,

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<v Speaker 1>sick feeling. I told him that I did too, and

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<v Speaker 1>he turned the truck around and shined the lights toward

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<v Speaker 1>the trees where the rock came from. There was not

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<v Speaker 1>a soul, not a car, or anything to be seen

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<v Speaker 1>on the way down the mountain. I told my husband

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<v Speaker 1>about my friend and our experience in the Hot Springs

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<v Speaker 1>all those years ago. Well, we decided to tell my father,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's when he told us about your podcast. Even

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<v Speaker 1>though I did not see anything, I can relate to

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<v Speaker 1>many others in their stories. Deep down, I have always

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<v Speaker 1>thought it was something like Bigfoot from fear of being

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<v Speaker 1>deemed a crackpot. Though I never let myself truly believe,

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<v Speaker 1>and certainly never told anyone, I think it's safe to

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<v Speaker 1>say that I believe now