1 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: I've spent most of my life in the western North 2 00:00:10,519 --> 00:00:15,720 Carolina Mountains. My encounter happened in the early nineteen nineties. 3 00:00:16,679 --> 00:00:19,719 My kids and I would spend our weekends and evenings 4 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:23,600 hunting the North Carolina Mountains for Gensen. It's a beautiful 5 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,359 plant that grows in the hollers in our local area. 6 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:31,239 The children enjoyed this activity, searching the forest floor for 7 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:35,079 the distinct five leaf plant that gave proof the gen 8 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,520 seen route would be found in the rich, dark soil below. 9 00:00:40,039 --> 00:00:43,759 We did this every September in October. Digging and searching, 10 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,479 we could earn several thousand dollars once the roots were 11 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,840 dried and sold. A lot of mountain folks would make 12 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,000 extra money this way, the children would get to keep 13 00:00:54,039 --> 00:00:56,640 any money they made for their efforts. That was a 14 00:00:56,759 --> 00:01:02,600 huge motivation. Particular year, we found a real honey hole 15 00:01:02,719 --> 00:01:06,879 in a place called Greenville Watershed. It is a restricted 16 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:11,799 nineteen thousand acre reserve. A highway passes through the area 17 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,760 with signs visible all along that warned you not to trespass. 18 00:01:16,719 --> 00:01:19,640 Looking back, I have to ask myself why on earth 19 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,319 we went in there, because we could have gotten in 20 00:01:22,359 --> 00:01:25,439 a lot of trouble. If we had been caught. This 21 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:29,319 forest was completely untouched by humans and it was isolated. 22 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:34,959 Needless to say, there was an abundant plant life. One evening, 23 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,519 after my husband got off work, we went to our 24 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:41,719 honey hole to dig. The fall evening was perfect, The 25 00:01:41,799 --> 00:01:44,680 air was crisp, and the sky was blue, and we 26 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,959 had been blessed with our diggings. In fact, we were 27 00:01:47,959 --> 00:01:51,400 so successful that we went further into the forest than usual. 28 00:01:53,079 --> 00:01:55,719 The day had gotten away from us and darkness was 29 00:01:55,719 --> 00:01:59,159 setting in Under the tree canopy, we made our way 30 00:01:59,159 --> 00:02:02,439 back toward our which was parked in a discreete area 31 00:02:02,519 --> 00:02:06,280 along a narrow road. We were still in the darkness 32 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,560 of the woods, but we could see the last of 33 00:02:08,599 --> 00:02:11,719 the day's light where the trees were cleared along the road. 34 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:14,719 My husband was in front and our kids were in 35 00:02:14,759 --> 00:02:18,120 the middle, and I was bringing up the rear. We 36 00:02:18,159 --> 00:02:22,080 approached the light, we heard a huge noise. At first, 37 00:02:22,199 --> 00:02:24,639 I thought it was rocks falling from the high peak 38 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,879 of the adjacent mountain, and I looked up in that direction, 39 00:02:28,039 --> 00:02:32,039 thinking I would see a commotion. When we all stopped 40 00:02:32,039 --> 00:02:35,960 and listened, I realized it wasn't rocks crashing. It was 41 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:41,360 a huge, growling breath way too close to us. We froze. 42 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,919 No one spoke for several seconds. The children started to 43 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,199 whimper as the reality of what we heard set in. 44 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,439 When we took a step forward, the creature released another long, 45 00:02:54,719 --> 00:02:58,439 rolling growl. It was so loud and long that it 46 00:02:58,479 --> 00:03:01,520 shook my insides, and I knew then that it was 47 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:05,159 watching us. We had no choice but to walk forward 48 00:03:05,199 --> 00:03:08,840 toward the car and out of the dark woods. I 49 00:03:08,879 --> 00:03:11,280 did not want the children to start running, so I 50 00:03:11,319 --> 00:03:14,960 held my youngest hand and instructed the other two not 51 00:03:15,039 --> 00:03:18,439 to run, but to walk slowly and steadily to the car. 52 00:03:19,479 --> 00:03:22,800 We took several more steps forward, and the creature once 53 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:27,159 again released that warning breath, sending tremors of fear through 54 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:31,599 my body, but we didn't stop. We all held steady 55 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,199 and made it to our vehicle, and as soon as 56 00:03:34,199 --> 00:03:37,039 we were in the car, we took off, the children 57 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,280 crying and all of us questioning what on earth was 58 00:03:40,319 --> 00:03:43,479 in the woods with us. We never went back to 59 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:47,840 that area again. We still retell that event, and we 60 00:03:47,919 --> 00:03:50,479 all agreed that the creature that warned us away that 61 00:03:50,639 --> 00:03:53,759 day was a big one. I now live in a 62 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,280 small town in the area known as Forest City. We 63 00:03:57,360 --> 00:03:59,919 bought a sixty eight acre piece of property that is 64 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:04,639 partially pasture and part forest. I have seen evidence that 65 00:04:04,719 --> 00:04:09,479 Bigfoot passes through occasionally. I see twisted off trees and 66 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,319 it leaves a horrible odor. It calls and makes tree 67 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,360 knocks too. Now I haven't seen it, and I'm not 68 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,519 looking for it. I'm satisfied to know that they are 69 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:27,839 living peacefully nearby, and that's enough for me. Okay, here's 70 00:04:27,879 --> 00:04:32,319 a fun little piece of Steve Lily fan fiction. I 71 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,319 told people that you're feel free to write Steve Lily's 72 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,560 stories and I would put them on the podcast. I 73 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,839 don't know the name of this writer. I think it's 74 00:04:41,879 --> 00:04:46,680 a woman from Charleston, South Carolina. This is really good. 75 00:04:48,079 --> 00:04:50,839 I live at the trailer park. It ain't a bad 76 00:04:50,879 --> 00:04:53,879 place if you learn who to avoid and who to ignore, 77 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,240 and mind your business. One of my favorite things to 78 00:04:57,319 --> 00:05:00,439 do is people watch from my little deck just to 79 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:02,639 the right of the front door, and it gets the 80 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,399 best son. Our trailer backs up to the woods and 81 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,480 all the trails and forts that the park kids built. 82 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:12,160 I know all the kids here and I try to 83 00:05:12,199 --> 00:05:14,800 watch out for them. There's a lot of them that 84 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:18,720 are latch key kids with working parents. Well there I 85 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,839 was one afternoon on my porch, laying low in minding 86 00:05:21,959 --> 00:05:24,639 my business, when I heard the kids coming up from 87 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:29,160 the woods at the back of the trailer park talking excitedly. Hey, 88 00:05:29,199 --> 00:05:31,680 it's not my fault. One of them said, it's not 89 00:05:31,759 --> 00:05:35,199 my fault either, said another one. Well, she's your sister. 90 00:05:35,759 --> 00:05:39,480 Which one of you was playing with her? Was it? Me? On? 91 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,839 These kids went bickering at each other, and I tune 92 00:05:42,879 --> 00:05:45,199 most of it out until I heard something that piqued 93 00:05:45,199 --> 00:05:48,959 my interest. I'm hiding out over at your house. One 94 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,600 of the kids said, my mom is gonna whoop my 95 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:55,240 butt good if she don't show up. I told her 96 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:58,399 not to go running after the baby monkey. Another said, 97 00:05:58,959 --> 00:06:02,639 there's no monkeys Mississippi, dummy. It wasn't that, And you 98 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:07,360 know it what I thought to myself, realizing they left 99 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:11,560 someone's little sister out in the woods chasing monkeys. I 100 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:13,639 took off to the back of the trailer and set 101 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,680 off in the woods. It wouldn't be long before dark, 102 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:20,199 and luckily I knew those woods better than anyone, having 103 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:23,759 lived there most of my life. The kid's trail was 104 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,879 easy to follow on the sandy path. There were lots 105 00:06:26,879 --> 00:06:30,920 of footprints and broken sticks and leaves. So far, so good, 106 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,240 I thought, though I had to go deeper into the 107 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:37,720 woods than usual. I finally veered off the path and 108 00:06:37,759 --> 00:06:42,399 I saw two sets of small, barefoot tracks. Those idiot 109 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,439 kids let the little sister out here with no shoes on, 110 00:06:45,879 --> 00:06:49,959 I thought. I shook my head. Then I saw another 111 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:53,959 small set of tracks, which was a bit suspicious. Was 112 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,480 I looking for one lost kid or two? Well? On 113 00:06:57,639 --> 00:07:00,480 I went for over an hour, knowing that this little 114 00:07:00,519 --> 00:07:04,519 girl was certainly lost by now, and then I smelled something. 115 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:08,439 Oh oh, I thought, it's a pole cat. It's gone. 116 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,519 What on earth was making that god awful smell. I 117 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,240 got closer and it got stronger and stronger. There was 118 00:07:16,279 --> 00:07:21,120 something familiar about it. I had smelled it before, and 119 00:07:21,199 --> 00:07:25,279 then it hit me, sisquatch. It had to be. Is 120 00:07:25,319 --> 00:07:28,959 that what that little girl was chasing? A baby? Sisquatch? 121 00:07:29,759 --> 00:07:32,639 This wasn't looking good. I knew I had to hurry 122 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:36,439 up and find her before mama squatched it. Well. Not 123 00:07:36,519 --> 00:07:40,600 long after that, I heard pitiful crying sounds. Thank goodness, 124 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:43,920 I thought, I found the girl and I spread it 125 00:07:43,959 --> 00:07:46,680 in the direction of the sound, I stopped to look around, 126 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:50,360 and in an instant I got the scare of my lifetime. 127 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,120 Something fell on top of me and wrapped its hairy 128 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:59,040 little arms around my neck. Oh dear, I thought, realizing 129 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:01,959 a baby sasque watch had wrapped her body around me 130 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,519 like a monkey on a tree. I knew Mama would 131 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,560 be looking for her, and she would be mad. What 132 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,160 was I going to do? Now? I needed to return 133 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,680 this thing and find the little girl. With the baby 134 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:17,240 wrapped around my neck, I started going back the way 135 00:08:17,279 --> 00:08:20,639 I came. I followed my steps to the main trail 136 00:08:20,759 --> 00:08:23,639 and looked right and left, knowing Mama was gonna come 137 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,519 any second and find me. And then I heard a 138 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:31,040 growl from somewhere in the bushes. I backed up, knowing 139 00:08:31,079 --> 00:08:34,279 that running would have been a bad idea. I heard 140 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,279 another growl behind me, and another one off to the side. 141 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:41,799 The baby clumbed to my neck even tighter, afraid of 142 00:08:41,919 --> 00:08:45,840 whatever was in the bushes watching us. One of them 143 00:08:45,919 --> 00:08:49,200 darted between the trees and I got a glimpse of it. 144 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,039 It was a pack of coyotes. To hell with this, 145 00:08:52,159 --> 00:08:56,159 I thought, feet don't fail me now with the pursuit 146 00:08:56,279 --> 00:08:59,639 on the coyotes yodled and yep. I ran as fast 147 00:08:59,639 --> 00:09:02,600 as I could, and the pack ran with me, more 148 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:05,159 of them seeming to join in the faster I went. 149 00:09:06,279 --> 00:09:08,320 I had made a big mistake, and now I had 150 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:11,600 no idea where I was. The woods had become so 151 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:15,600 thick to see through, and I had become winded. I 152 00:09:15,639 --> 00:09:18,120 backed up against the large pine tree and coaxed the 153 00:09:18,159 --> 00:09:21,240 baby onto the nearest branch, knowing at least she would 154 00:09:21,279 --> 00:09:26,000 be safe. Climb on up, Baby, climb, I whispered. I 155 00:09:26,039 --> 00:09:28,320 watched her climb the tree, and I heard the dogs 156 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,759 come to a sliding halt behind me. I knew then 157 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,120 that I would not be going home tonight. When the 158 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:38,200 first coyote lunged at me, I raised my arms over 159 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:42,399 my head in a pitiful attempt to shield myself. Then 160 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:46,320 a miracle happened. I heard it being launched into the 161 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,679 side of the tree. When I heard a second one jump, 162 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:52,440 I heard a smash into the tree too, and I 163 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,480 heard them yipping and lunging, but none of them touched me. 164 00:09:56,759 --> 00:09:58,759 I got brave enough to take a look, and that's 165 00:09:58,799 --> 00:10:02,679 when I saw Mama Squatch. To say she was mad 166 00:10:02,759 --> 00:10:06,559 would have been an understatement. She was eight feet tall, 167 00:10:06,879 --> 00:10:09,399 no doubt. As she made her way to me, she 168 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:13,120 snatched codies up by the tail and swung them headfirst 169 00:10:13,159 --> 00:10:16,919 into the nearest tree. Her eyes never lost my face. 170 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:20,600 Her teeth were grimacing, and out came her tongue, and 171 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:26,360 she inhaled deeply and screamed, bloody murder. The sound hit 172 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:28,799 me like a bag of rocks and rang through me 173 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:33,960 like a jackhammer. My chest hurt from the vibration. She 174 00:10:34,039 --> 00:10:38,559 inhaled again and screamed louder, probably having smelled her baby 175 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,039 on me and letting me know that she was furious 176 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:45,799 about it. The surviving codies ran in every direction, and 177 00:10:45,879 --> 00:10:49,919 as she approached me, she raised her large ham sized 178 00:10:50,039 --> 00:10:54,200 fist in the air. I closed my eyes. This wasn't 179 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:59,399 the death I had figured earlier. Thump. The baby squatch 180 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:03,519 landed on me again and wrapped her arms around my neck. 181 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:06,440 She put her face next to mine and looked at 182 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:10,240 her mama, who stopped in her tracks. I saw her 183 00:11:10,279 --> 00:11:13,080 face soften as she reached her long arms out to 184 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:17,600 take her baby. After their touching reunion, the mama reached 185 00:11:17,639 --> 00:11:21,000 out and stroked my hair. It was a strange sort 186 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,279 of thing. But knowing she wasn't going to kill me, 187 00:11:23,759 --> 00:11:27,159 I could at least breathe again. If only she had 188 00:11:27,159 --> 00:11:31,639 the neighbor's girl and we could swap, I thought, as 189 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:34,080 if she had read my mind. She looked deep into 190 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:38,879 my eyes and she softly whooped. Somehow I understood her. 191 00:11:39,639 --> 00:11:45,399 She wanted me to follow. As in all unbelievable happy endings, 192 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:49,080 Mama Squatch led me to a makeshift nest, and when 193 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:51,399 I looked over the edge of the sticks and the twigs, 194 00:11:51,799 --> 00:11:54,279 I saw the little girl I had been looking for. 195 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,960 She was sound asleep. Mama Squatch had probably looked out 196 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,440 for her so the coo wouldn't get her. Mama looked 197 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,279 behind her nervously, like there was something out there that 198 00:12:05,519 --> 00:12:10,080 still worried her. I had heard about sasquatch hunters and worse, 199 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:13,480 and knowing this Mama had enough on her plate, I 200 00:12:13,519 --> 00:12:15,799 woke up the little girl and we got out of there. 201 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,000 We ran a few paces, and then I stopped, wanting 202 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:23,360 to thank the Mama Squatch, but when I turned around, 203 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:27,200 her and the baby were gone. I let the little 204 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:29,799 girl down the path through the woods, and when we 205 00:12:29,879 --> 00:12:32,960 came out from behind my trailer, she ran straight for home. 206 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:37,639 Ahead of me, I saw my man home from work 207 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:40,480 getting out of his car, and when he saw me, 208 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:44,320 he waved his hand in front of his face, laughing. Phew, 209 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:47,679 what you been doing girl, chasing skunks? He asked me. 210 00:12:48,679 --> 00:12:52,120 Lewis hurriedly walked over. Steve, don't you fuss at her. 211 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:55,159 The neighbor's girl just told me that Lily found her 212 00:12:55,159 --> 00:12:58,559 in the woods and brought her home. She deserves a steak. 213 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:04,759 Steve Lily nodded and shrugged. Now this was Steve Lily 214 00:13:05,279 --> 00:13:08,919 quote fan fiction, and it wasn't. It wasn't the normal 215 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:13,120 circumstance that Steve Lily would be in. But he's in 216 00:13:13,159 --> 00:13:16,200 the story. So I want to tell this writer how 217 00:13:16,279 --> 00:13:19,600 much I appreciate them thinking enough of my Steve Lily 218 00:13:19,799 --> 00:13:22,279 stories that you would take the time to write a 219 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:26,120 great story like this. This was really good. It was 220 00:13:26,159 --> 00:13:30,919 written almost in you know, the mint Southern vernaculars. Easy 221 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,200 for me to read because I kind of got it. 222 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:38,360 The woman who wrote it is from Charleston, South Carolina, Carolina. 223 00:13:38,399 --> 00:13:42,600 Apparently we talked pretty close. Charleston, South Carolina is one 224 00:13:42,639 --> 00:13:46,320 of my favorite places. It's one of the nicest, nicest 225 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,159 people in the world on the east coast of South 226 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:53,799 Carolina and North Carolina. Wilmington's that way, Outer Banks is 227 00:13:53,799 --> 00:13:55,879 that way. I love the East Coast. I'd love to 228 00:13:55,919 --> 00:13:59,159 live out there someday. Anyway, all that said, thank you 229 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:02,519 for writing this, and that'll wind up this podcast. I've 230 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:05,720 got quite a bit of work going on. It's hopefully 231 00:14:05,759 --> 00:14:08,879 it's my last job I'm gonna do for the year. 232 00:14:09,399 --> 00:14:12,879 When i'm done, i'll finish up Steve Lilly Number nineteen 233 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,519 and it'll be published. And just be patient. Everybody's asking 234 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:20,200 for Steve Lily. I'm not done writing Steve Lily. I've 235 00:14:20,279 --> 00:14:24,279 just hitting a I've just hit a phase where I 236 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:26,879 don't know, I can't do two things at one time. 237 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:30,440 I've been working so hard on this podcast for you know, 238 00:14:30,559 --> 00:14:33,960 about six or seven years, and I'm just backing away 239 00:14:34,039 --> 00:14:37,720 and I'm not working twelve fourteen hours a day. I'm 240 00:14:37,799 --> 00:14:41,279 just working maybe ten hours a day, and I'm skipping 241 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:44,799 the podcast part. I come out about every third day 242 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,039 early in the morning, and I record a couple of 243 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,919 stories and I'm gonna be putting those out. But just 244 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,159 hang on, I'm not done with this. I'm having so 245 00:14:52,279 --> 00:14:55,159 much fun with it. This next Steve Lily should be 246 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:57,960 a ringer. It's pretty good. I think it's a good 247 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:01,679 idea for a story. Hang on, thanks for listening to 248 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:04,519 this podcast and I certainly do appreciate you, and we'll 249 00:15:04,559 --> 00:15:05,519 see you on the next week.