Speaker 1: For decades, people have disappeared in the woods without a trace.
Speaker 1: Some blame wild animals, others whisper of creatures the world
Speaker 1: refuses to believe in. But those who have survived they
Speaker 1: know the truth. Welcome to Backwoods Bigfoot Stories, where we
Speaker 1: share real encounters with the things lurking in the darkness Bigfoot,
Speaker 1: dog man, UFOs, and creatures that defy explanation. Some make
Speaker 1: it out, others aren't so lucky. Are you ready, because
Speaker 1: once you hear these stories, you'll never walk in the
Speaker 1: woods alone again. So grab your flashlight, stay close, and
Speaker 1: remember some things in the woods don't want to be found.
Speaker 1: Hit that follow or subscribe button, turn on auto downloads,
Speaker 1: and let's head off into the woods.
Speaker 2: If you dare, welcome back.
Speaker 1: You've already stood in that clearing with me and watched
Speaker 1: the talking turn to teeth. You watched Koboda walk into
Speaker 1: the dog men's camp with his hands open and his
Speaker 1: warriors behind him, hoping words might be enough. And you
Speaker 1: watched Vorn answer the only way a starving pack knows how.
Speaker 1: First blood has been spilled on both sides now, and
Speaker 1: whatever chance there was for peace bled out into the
Speaker 1: forest floor along with it. That's where we left Coda,
Speaker 1: a young Sasquatch caught between a father who counsels patience
Speaker 1: and a whole clan that can taste war on the wind.
Speaker 1: He's fifteen years old, carrying the memory of everything the
Speaker 1: last three years took from him, and he's beginning to
Speaker 1: understand that the quiet he grew up trusting was only
Speaker 1: ever borrowed. I love where this next stretch goes, and
Speaker 1: I'll admit it's the part of the book that kept
Speaker 1: me up at night while I was writing it, because
Speaker 1: this is where the waiting ends and the consequences begin.
Speaker 1: The pack has learned from that first fight, and so
Speaker 1: have the clans, and both of them are about to
Speaker 1: discover that the humans building something out at the edge
Speaker 1: of the trees have plans of their own, plans that
Speaker 1: don't care which side wins. The war drums are starting,
Speaker 1: and this is part two, Chapter ten, War Drums. Caboda
Speaker 1: and his envoy returned to the caves as heroes, despite
Speaker 1: the fighting ending in a stalemate. They had faced the
Speaker 1: dog men and lived. They had drawn blood and sent
Speaker 1: the pack running. For many of the younger Sasquatch, this
Speaker 1: felt like a victory. But Kaboda knew better. They'll be back.
Speaker 1: He told the assembled clans that evening, and next time
Speaker 1: they'll be ready for us. They'll have learned from today,
Speaker 1: so will we, Garic said, still riding the high of battle,
Speaker 1: despite the bandages wrapped around his ribs. We bloodied them,
Speaker 1: Koboda sent them running with their tails between their legs.
Speaker 1: They know we're not easy prey. They also know we're
Speaker 1: serious about defending our territory.
Speaker 2: Naja added. That has value.
Speaker 1: It does, Omachi agreed, but it also means negotiations are
Speaker 1: no longer possible. We tried for peace, offered them a
Speaker 1: chance to avoid bloodshed. They chose violence. Now we must
Speaker 1: be prepared for war. The word hung in the air,
Speaker 1: heavy and ominous war. It wasn't a concept the Sasquatch
Speaker 1: took lightly. They were peaceful by nature, preferring to avoid
Speaker 1: conflict when possible, But they were also fiercely protective of
Speaker 1: their home, their families. We need to prepare defenses, Laura said,
Speaker 1: her voice carrying the weight of experience. Fortify the cave entrances,
Speaker 1: establish warning systems. If the dog men attack in force,
Speaker 1: we need to be able to retreat to defensible positions,
Speaker 1: and we need more warriors. Brand added, every able bodied
Speaker 1: Sasquatch should be trained to fight, even the younger ones.
Speaker 1: Coda felt eyes turn toward him and his friends. They
Speaker 1: were young, barely passed adolescence, but they were strong.
Speaker 2: In a war, they would be needed.
Speaker 1: I'll fight, Coda found himself, saying, whatever you need me
Speaker 1: to do, and me, Mira echoed beside him. Others joined in,
Speaker 1: young Sasquatch volunteering their strength, their courage. Caboda looked at
Speaker 1: them with a mixture of pride and sadness. I hope
Speaker 1: it doesn't come to that, he said quietly. I hope
Speaker 1: the dog men see reason retreat to other territories. But
Speaker 1: if they don't, then yes, we'll need every one of you.
Speaker 1: The next several days were a flurry of activity. Warriors
Speaker 1: trained the younger Sasquatch in combat techniques, how to grapple,
Speaker 1: how to strike, how to use the forest itself as
Speaker 1: a weapon. Scouts ranged out in groups of four or more,
Speaker 1: watching for signs of dog men incursions. The clans organized
Speaker 1: shifts to guard the cave entrances day and night. Coda
Speaker 1: threw himself into the training with an intensity that surprised
Speaker 1: even himself. He practiced fighting with Paka and Rayla, learning
Speaker 1: how to use his rich advantage, how to anticipate attacks.
Speaker 1: Nada took a particular interest in his training, perhaps seeing
Speaker 1: potential in him. You're quick, she told him after one
Speaker 1: particularly brutal sparring session, Quicker than your father, though not
Speaker 1: as strong. Use that get inside their guard before they
Speaker 1: can bring their power to bear. Coda nodded, filing away
Speaker 1: every piece of advice. He remembered the dog men he'd
Speaker 1: seen from hiding, remembered their speed and ferocity. If he
Speaker 1: had to face one of them, he wanted to be ready.
Speaker 1: But despite all the preparation, all the training, the dog
Speaker 1: men didn't attack. Days turned into a week, then two.
Speaker 1: The scouts reported occasional sightings, a scent trail here, disturbed
Speaker 1: ground there, but no direct confrontations. It was as if
Speaker 1: the pack had vanished into the forest. They're planning something,
Speaker 1: Dask said, his voice worried. This isn't like them to
Speaker 1: be so quiet after a fight. Maybe they left, Reyla suggested, hopefully,
Speaker 1: Maybe they decided we were too much trouble. But Coda
Speaker 1: didn't believe that, and from the looks.
Speaker 2: On the elder's faces. Neither did they.
Speaker 1: On the twentieth day after the skirmish, the waiting finally ended.
Speaker 1: Coda was on patrol with Mira, Paka, and two older
Speaker 1: warriors when they found the first body. It was Jakara,
Speaker 1: a scout from the River Bend Klan. He'd been killed quickly, efficiently,
Speaker 1: his throat torn out before he'd had a chance to
Speaker 1: cry for help. The dog men sent was fresh, maybe
Speaker 1: only an hour old. They're hunting us, Paka said, his
Speaker 1: voice tight with anger and fear, picking us off one
Speaker 1: by one. We need to get back to the caves,
Speaker 1: one of the older warriors said, warn the others, But
Speaker 1: before they could move, a house split the air, then another,
Speaker 1: and another, until it seemed like the entire forest was
Speaker 1: filled with the sound of dog men voices. They're surrounding us,
Speaker 1: Mira breathed, and then from the trees and the undergrowth
Speaker 1: the dog men came. There were more than five this time,
Speaker 1: at least ten, maybe fifteen, appearing from every direction. Coda
Speaker 1: recognized Vorn, the massive alpha, but there were others he'd
Speaker 1: never seen before, smaller dog men, younger ones, all of
Speaker 1: them with the same hungry look in their eyes. They
Speaker 1: called in reinforcements. The older warrior realized this isn't just
Speaker 1: the pack we fought, this is multiple packs working together.
Speaker 1: Born stepped forward, his amber eyes fixed on the Sasquatch patrol.
Speaker 1: Run back to your caves, he growled. Tell your elders
Speaker 1: that the forest belonged to the dog men. Now tell
Speaker 1: them that any sasquatch caught outside the safety.
Speaker 2: Of stone will die like this one. He gestured to
Speaker 2: Jaikara's body with one clawed hand.
Speaker 1: You're making a mistake, Coda heard himself say, stepping forward
Speaker 1: despite his fear. There are more of us than you
Speaker 1: can ever defeat. All you're doing is insuring your own destruction.
Speaker 1: Varn's gaze swung to him, and Coda felt the weight
Speaker 1: of that predatory stare. Brave words from such a young one.
Speaker 1: The dog man said, what's your name? Pup Coda, son
Speaker 1: of Caboda. Something like surprise flickered across Vorn's face. Caboda's son,
Speaker 1: I see the resemblance. He tilted his head, considering, your
Speaker 1: father fought well, gave me this, he indicated, the still
Speaker 1: healing wound on his shoulder. But even he can't protect
Speaker 1: you out here, not anymore. We don't need protection from
Speaker 1: the likes of you, Mirah snarled, stepping up beside Coda.
Speaker 1: Vorn laughed, a harsh sound that made Coda's hair stand
Speaker 1: on end. Such spirit, I almost admire it. Then his
Speaker 1: expression hardened. But spirit doesn't stop teeth and claws. Remember
Speaker 1: that when you're running for your lives. He turned away,
Speaker 1: and the other dog men melted back into the forest
Speaker 1: as quickly as they'd appeared. Within seconds, the patrol was
Speaker 1: alone again, with only Jakiara's body as proof of what
Speaker 1: had happened. We need to move, the older warrior said.
Speaker 1: Now they ran, carrying Jakara's body between them, pushing through
Speaker 1: exhaustion and fear. By the time they reached the caves,
Speaker 1: Coda's lungs were burning, his legs shaking. The news of
Speaker 1: Jakara's death and the dog men's ultimatum spread through the
Speaker 1: clans like wildfire. Where there had been determination before, now
Speaker 1: there was genuine fear. The dog Men weren't just fighting them,
Speaker 1: they were hunting them, terrorizing them. Caboda called another council,
Speaker 1: this time including more of the younger warriors. They want
Speaker 1: us afraid, he said, his voice steady despite the gravity
Speaker 1: of the situation. They want us cowering in these caves,
Speaker 1: too scared to hunt, to gather food to live. We
Speaker 1: can't let them do that. What choice do we have.
Speaker 1: Someone called out, they're picking us off whenever we leave.
Speaker 1: Then we don't leave alone, Garic said, standing beside Caboda.
Speaker 1: We move in large groups, heavily armed. We show them
Speaker 1: that every kill they make will cost them dearly, and
Speaker 1: we take the fight to them. Naja added, find their camps,
Speaker 1: their dens, make them feel the fear they're trying to
Speaker 1: inflict on us.
Speaker 2: An eye for an eye.
Speaker 1: Brandt muttered, blood for blood. Omaki shook her head. That
Speaker 1: path leads only to more death. We need to think strategically,
Speaker 1: not emotionally. I agree with Omaki, Tyrek said, his ancient
Speaker 1: voice cutting through the rising tensions. But I also agree
Speaker 1: with Naja. We cannot simply wait here for them to
Speaker 1: destroy us. We must act. Caboda nodded slowly. Here's what
Speaker 1: we're going to do. We organize into three groups. The
Speaker 1: first group defends the caves and protects the young and elderly.
Speaker 1: The second group hunt and gathers, but in large well
Speaker 1: defended parties and the third group. He paused, his eyes
Speaker 1: sweeping across the assembled warriors. The third group hunts the hunters.
Speaker 1: We track down these dog men packs and we end
Speaker 1: this threat once and for all. The chamber irerupted in voices,
Speaker 1: some supporting the plan, others arguing against it. But Coda
Speaker 1: could see the determination on his father's face the set
Speaker 1: of his jaw. Caboda had made his decision and nothing
Speaker 1: was going to change his mind. I volunteer for the
Speaker 1: hunting party, Garrick said, immediately, as do I. Naja added.
Speaker 1: More voices joined in, experienced warriors stepping forward, and then,
Speaker 1: to his own surprise, Coda heard his own voice. I
Speaker 1: volunteer too. Every head in the chamber turned to look
Speaker 1: at him. His mother's face went pale. Coda no Asha said,
Speaker 1: I have to, mom, Coda replied, meeting her eyes. I've
Speaker 1: seen them up close. I know how they move, how
Speaker 1: they think, and I'm fast, fast enough to keep up
Speaker 1: to be useful. He's right, Naja said, and Koda felt
Speaker 1: a surge of gratitude. The younger ones have advantages. We
Speaker 1: older warriors don't. Speed, flexibility, and Coda has proven himself
Speaker 1: in training. Caboda looked at his son for a long moment,
Speaker 1: and Koda saw the conflict in his father's eyes, Pride
Speaker 1: warring with fear, duty battling with paternal instinct. Finally, Koboda nodded,
Speaker 1: Coda will go, but not alone. Mira, Paca, Rayla, if
Speaker 1: you're willing, you'll accompany him, and you'll all follow orders
Speaker 1: from the senior warriors. No heroics, no risks understood. They
Speaker 1: all nodded, though Coda could see the fear in Rayla's
Speaker 1: eyes the excitement in Paca's. Then it's decided, Caboda said.
Speaker 1: We have three days to prepare. On the fourth day,
Speaker 1: we begin the hunt. As the council broke up, Coda's
Speaker 1: mother pulled him aside. Promise me you'll be careful, she said,
Speaker 1: her hands gripping his arms. Promise me you'll come back.
Speaker 1: Coda wanted to make that promise, wanted to ease her fears,
Speaker 1: but he'd been taught from a young age never to
Speaker 1: make promises he might not be able to keep. I'll
Speaker 1: do everything I can, he said, Instead, I promise you that.
Speaker 1: It wasn't the reassurance she wanted, but it was the
Speaker 1: only one he could give, and as He looked into
Speaker 1: her eyes, seeing the fear and pride and love there,
Speaker 1: Coda felt the weight of what was coming settle over him.
Speaker 1: In three days he would be hunting creatures that haunted nightmares.
Speaker 1: In three days, he might die, but he would die
Speaker 1: protecting his family, his clan, his home, and that at
Speaker 1: least was worth something. Chapter eleven. Blood and Territory. The
Speaker 1: first death came three weeks later. A young Sasquatch name Tarik,
Speaker 1: had wandered too far east during a foraging expedition. He
Speaker 1: was barely an adult, still learning the boundaries, still believing
Speaker 1: that youth made him invincible. The dog men found him
Speaker 1: at the edge of the neutral zone. There was no
Speaker 1: way to know whether he had crossed the invisible line
Speaker 1: or whether the dog men had simply seen an opportunity.
Speaker 1: The result was the same. They found his body the
Speaker 1: next morning, torn and bloodied, left where the Sasquatch patrols
Speaker 1: would discover it. The message was clear. The dog Men
Speaker 1: would not tolerate incursion into their territory, real or perceived.
Speaker 1: Coda stood with the recovery party as they wrapped Tarak's
Speaker 1: remains in cedar bark for the journey home. He had
Speaker 1: known Tarik, had trained alongside him, had shared meals and
Speaker 1: jokes and the ordinary moments of clan life. Now his
Speaker 1: friend was dead, and Koda felt something cold and hard
Speaker 1: forming in his chest. This is what they are, Tyrek said,
Speaker 1: his voice thick with rage. This is what they do,
Speaker 1: killers monsters, and still Koboda Council's patients stay tuned for
Speaker 1: more backwoods Bigfoot stories. We'll be back after these messages,
Speaker 1: because patience keeps us alive, Omachi replied, though even she
Speaker 1: looked shaken. Tarrek's death is a tragedy, but a war
Speaker 1: would mean many more deaths. We cannot let grief drive
Speaker 1: us to destruction, so we do nothing. Let them murder
Speaker 1: our young with impunity. We mourn, we learn, we become
Speaker 1: more careful. Omaki turned to face the group, And we
Speaker 1: remember that every choice has consequences. The dog men killed
Speaker 1: one of ours. If we retaliate, they will kill more.
Speaker 1: If they kill more, we will retaliate again. Where does
Speaker 1: that cycle end? It ends when they're all dead, Tyrek snarled,
Speaker 1: or when we are The argument continued, but Coda had
Speaker 1: stopped listening. He was staring at Tarik's at the brutal
Speaker 1: efficiency of the wounds, and wondering if peace was really
Speaker 1: possible with creatures capable of such violence. That night, Coda
Speaker 1: sought out Mirah. She found him at the cave entrance,
Speaker 1: staring out at the forest with unseeing eyes. Without a word,
Speaker 1: she settled beside him and waited. I knew him, Coda said, finally, Tark.
Speaker 1: We used to race each other through the southern meadows.
Speaker 1: He always won. He was faster than anyone. I'm sorry
Speaker 1: the dog men killed him, tore him apart like he
Speaker 1: was nothing. And everyone talks about patience, about understanding, about
Speaker 1: not letting a motion drive decisions, But all I feel
Speaker 1: is rage. Mira was quiet for a long moment. Then
Speaker 1: she said, my mother died when I was young. Disease
Speaker 1: took her slowly while we all watched. I felt that
Speaker 1: same rage, then, rage at the unfairness, rage at my
Speaker 1: own helplessness.
Speaker 2: What did you do? I survived.
Speaker 1: I let the rage burn through me, and then I
Speaker 1: let it go, not because I forgave the universe for
Speaker 1: taking her, but because holding onto it was destroying me
Speaker 1: from inside. How do you let go of something like that?
Speaker 1: You don't, not really, You just learned to carry it differently,
Speaker 1: to honor the memory without being consumed by the pain.
Speaker 1: She reached out and took his hand. Tarek deserves to
Speaker 1: be mourned, but he wouldn't want his death to be
Speaker 1: the reason for more deaths, would he. Coda thought about
Speaker 1: his friend, about the joy Terrek had taken in simple
Speaker 1: things like running and climbing and exploring. He had been
Speaker 1: curious about the world, eager to experience everything it had
Speaker 1: to offer. He wouldn't have wanted vengeance. He would have
Speaker 1: wanted his friends to go on living, to experience the
Speaker 1: things he never would No, Coda admitted he wouldn't then
Speaker 1: honor him by living by building the better world you
Speaker 1: keep talking about out, not by becoming.
Speaker 2: The thing you hate.
Speaker 1: It wasn't easy advice, but Codin knew it was right.
Speaker 1: The Sasquatch responded to Terek's death, not with immediate retaliation,
Speaker 1: but with careful pressure. Patrols increased, the boundary was marked
Speaker 1: more clearly, and Koboda sent a message to the dog
Speaker 1: Men through traditional channels. The neutral zone would be enforced
Speaker 1: by both sides, or it would mean war. Varn received
Speaker 1: the message with mixed feelings. They're not attacking, Oshka observed,
Speaker 1: after what we did, I expected them to come howling
Speaker 1: for blood. Caboda is smarter than that. He knows what
Speaker 1: we want and what do we want? Varn turned to
Speaker 1: face his mate. Honestly, I don't know anymore. We killed
Speaker 1: that young one because the pack was hungry and angry
Speaker 1: and needed to feel like we were doing something. But
Speaker 1: all we've done is make our situation worse. The pack
Speaker 1: needed to see strength, The pack needed food and security.
Speaker 1: Killing a Sasquatch child gives them neither. Varn began to
Speaker 1: pace a habit he fell into when troubled. We're trapped, Ashka.
Speaker 1: We can't win a war with the Sasquatch, but we
Speaker 1: can't appear weak either. Every choice leads to more conflict.
Speaker 1: Perhaps Oshka hesitated, Perhaps there's another way. What do you
Speaker 1: mean the young Sasquatch, the one who befriended the human.
Speaker 1: I've watched him from a distance. He's different from the others,
Speaker 1: more curious, less afraid. If anyone among them might consider
Speaker 1: an alternative to endless warfare. You want me to negotiate
Speaker 1: with Sasquatch. I want you to consider every option, even
Speaker 1: the ones that seem impossible, Varn stopped pacing. In all
Speaker 1: their years together, Ashka had never steered him wrong. She
Speaker 1: saw things he missed, considered angles he overlooked. If she
Speaker 1: thought negotiation was worth considering, I'll think about it, he said,
Speaker 1: But I make no promises. Thinking is all I ask.
Speaker 1: Chapter twelve, Asha's perspective. While Kabodah dealt with the politics
Speaker 1: of leadership, his mate Asha managed the quieter work of
Speaker 1: holding a family together. She had watched her son grow
Speaker 1: from an impulsive child into something she didn't have a
Speaker 1: name for, not quite adult, not quite the Sasquatch she
Speaker 1: had expected. Coda was becoming his own creation, shaped by
Speaker 1: experiences no other Sasquatch had shared. You worry about him,
Speaker 1: Milwaukee observed one afternoon, finding Asha alone at the cave entrance.
Speaker 1: I worry about everything. It's what mothers do, true, But
Speaker 1: Coda occupies a special place in your concerns.
Speaker 2: Osha sighed.
Speaker 1: He's building something unprecedented, relationships with humans, influence with the
Speaker 1: dog men, ideas that challenge everything our people believe. I'm
Speaker 1: proud of him, but I'm also terrified that he'll fail,
Speaker 1: that he'll see seed, that the world he's creating will
Speaker 1: be so different that I won't recognize it, that my
Speaker 1: son will become someone I don't understand. Omaki settled beside
Speaker 1: her joints, protesting slightly. Every generation remakes the world. My
Speaker 1: grandmother barely recognized the world I grew up in, and
Speaker 1: I barely recognize the world the young ones navigate now.
Speaker 1: Change is the only constant that's supposed to be comforting.
Speaker 1: It's supposed to be true. Comfort is something you find
Speaker 1: within yourself, not in the way the world behaves. Asha
Speaker 1: was quiet for a long moment. Then she said, when
Speaker 1: Coda was born, I had such specific dreams for his future.
Speaker 1: I imagined him becoming a hunter like his father, finding
Speaker 1: a mate from our clan, raising children who would carry
Speaker 1: on our traditions, simple dreams, achievable dreams. And now now
Speaker 1: I don't know what to dream. His future is unwritten, unpredictable,
Speaker 1: change everything or change nothing. He might live to old
Speaker 1: age or die young in some conflict. I can't prevent
Speaker 1: her voice caught. I can't protect him anymore. All I
Speaker 1: can do is watch and hope and love him. Omachi added,
Speaker 1: whatever happens, whatever he becomes, you can love him. That
Speaker 1: matters more than protection, more than dreams, more than anything
Speaker 1: else you could offer.
Speaker 2: Is it enough?
Speaker 1: It's everything? The rest is just details. Chapter thirteen, The
Speaker 1: Battle of Broken Ridge. Three days felt like three hours.
Speaker 1: Coda barely slept, spending every waking moment training, preparing, trying
Speaker 1: to quiet the fear that gnaweded his stomach. Mira stayed close,
Speaker 1: and they found comfort in each other's presence, though neither
Speaker 1: spoke much about what was coming. On the morning of
Speaker 1: the fourth day, twenty Sasquatch warriors assembled at the cave entrance.
Speaker 1: They were the strongest, the fastest, the most experienperienced fighters.
Speaker 1: The clans had. Caboda and Garic led them with Nada
Speaker 1: and Brandt as seconds. The younger warriors, Coda, Mira, Paka,
Speaker 1: and Rayla brought up the rear, each carrying simple clubs
Speaker 1: fashioned from sturdy oak branches. Our scouts have located the
Speaker 1: main dog men camp. Kiboda told them his voice low,
Speaker 1: it's in a ravine about five miles northeast of here,
Speaker 1: near what we call Broken Ridge. The terrain is rough,
Speaker 1: full of loose rock and deadfall, good for ambushes, but
Speaker 1: that works both ways. How many Garic asked?
Speaker 2: Fifteen?
Speaker 1: Maybe twenty three different packs have joined forces. Someone whistled low.
Speaker 1: Those were bad odds even with their numbers. The plan
Speaker 1: is simple, Kaboda continued. We surround the ravine, cut off
Speaker 1: their escape routes. Then we drive them out into the
Speaker 1: open where we can use our strength advantage. Vorn is
Speaker 1: the key. He's the one holding the alliance together. If
Speaker 1: we can take him down, the other packs will scatter.
Speaker 1: And if they don't scatter, Naja asked, then we kill
Speaker 1: them all. Kboda said flatly. This ends today, one way
Speaker 1: or another. They moved out in formation, staying quiet, using
Speaker 1: hand signals to communicate. Coda's heart hammered in his chest,
Speaker 1: but his hands were steady. He'd been training for this,
Speaker 1: preparing he could do this. The forest seemed to hold
Speaker 1: its breath as they traveled. The usual bird calls and
Speaker 1: insects sounds muted. It was as if the trees themselves
Speaker 1: knew what was coming. After two hours of careful movement,
Speaker 1: they reached Broken Ridge. It was exactly as Caboda had described,
Speaker 1: a deep ravine with steep, rocky sides and a narrow
Speaker 1: floor littered with boulders and fallen trees. Perfect ambush territory.
Speaker 1: Kboda split them into four groups, sending each to cover
Speaker 1: a different approach to the ravine. Coda's group included Mira,
Speaker 1: Naja and two other warriors. They positioned themselves on the
Speaker 1: w western edge, hidden among the rocks and scrub brush. Remember,
Speaker 1: Nadja whispered, don't engage until you hear Kboda's signal, and
Speaker 1: stay together. These dog men are dangerous when isolated, deadly
Speaker 1: in packs. Coda nodded, gripping his club tighter. Below, in
Speaker 1: the ravine, he could see movement dog men, at least
Speaker 1: a dozen of them, milling about what looked like a
Speaker 1: temporary camp. Some were sleeping, others eating or grooming. They
Speaker 1: looked almost relaxed, unaware of the trap closing around them.
Speaker 2: Then Coda spotted Vorn.
Speaker 1: The massive alpha, sat apart from the others, his gray
Speaker 1: and black fur distinctive even from this distance. He looked thoughtful,
Speaker 1: almost contemplative, his amber eyes scanning the ravine walls periodically.
Speaker 1: Could he sense them? Did he know they were here?
Speaker 1: The answer came seconds later. Varn's head snapped up, his
Speaker 1: nostrils flaring. He let out a sharp bark, and suddenly
Speaker 1: all the dog men were on their feet, weapons appearing
Speaker 1: in hands, bodies tensing for battle. They know, Naja hissed Caboda,
Speaker 1: they know. But Koboda's answering roar was already echoing through
Speaker 1: the ravine, and the Sasquatch attack began. Twenty warriors charged
Speaker 1: down the slopes from four directions, roaring challenges, clubs raised.
Speaker 1: The dog men scrambled to meet them, their surprise giving
Speaker 1: way to fierce determination.
Speaker 2: The two forces collided with a sound like thunder.
Speaker 1: Codas slid down the rocky slope, his feet finding purchase
Speaker 1: on loose stones, his body moving on instinct and training.
Speaker 1: A young dog man appeared in front of him, Teeth bared,
Speaker 1: and Codas swung his club without thinking. It connected with
Speaker 1: the creature's shoulder, sending him sprawling. But the dog man
Speaker 1: was up again in seconds, faster than Coda had expected.
Speaker 1: Claws raked across his chest, drawing blood, and Coda stumbled back.
Speaker 1: Mira was there instantly, her own club crashing down on
Speaker 1: the dog man's back. He went down hard, and this
Speaker 1: time he stayed down. Stay close, Mira shouted, and Coda nodded,
Speaker 1: adrenaline drowning out the pain of his wounds. The ravine
Speaker 1: had become a nightmare of violence. Everywhere Coda looked sasquatch
Speaker 1: and dog men were locked in combat. He saw Garret
Speaker 1: grappling with Braun, the two giants trading blows that would
Speaker 1: have killed lesser creatures. Paca was fighting alongside two other
Speaker 1: warriors against Dask, the steel gray dog man, fighting with
Speaker 1: calculated precision that kept all three at bay. And in
Speaker 1: the center of it all, Caboda faced Vorn. The two
Speaker 1: alphas circled each other, both massive, both battle scarred and experienced.
Speaker 1: Varn moved with predatory grace despite his size, while Caboda
Speaker 1: was solid as stone, immovable. It didn't have to be
Speaker 1: this way, Caboda said, his voice carrying even over the
Speaker 1: sounds of battle. Yes it did, Varn replied, from the
Speaker 1: moment your kind claimed these forests as yours alone, this
Speaker 1: was inevitable. Then let's end it. They came together like
Speaker 1: colliding mountains. Vorn was faster, his claws finding flesh again
Speaker 1: and again, but Caboda's blows were devastating.
Speaker 2: When they landed.
Speaker 1: The dog man Alpha reeled from a punch that caught
Speaker 1: him square in the jaw. Blood sprang from his mouth,
Speaker 1: but Varn recovered quickly, driving his shoulder into Caboda's midsection,
Speaker 1: using his speed to get inside the Sasquatch's guard. His
Speaker 1: teeth found Caboda's shoulder tearing deep, and the Sasquatch patriarch
Speaker 1: roared in pain and fury. Coda wanted to help his father,
Speaker 1: but he had his own battles to fight. A dog
Speaker 1: man he didn't recognize came at him from the side,
Speaker 1: and Coda barely got his club up in time to
Speaker 1: block a vicious swipe. The force of the blow sent
Speaker 1: pain shooting up his arms, but he held firm, pushing back.
Speaker 1: Finding his footing training took over. Coda remembered Naya's words
Speaker 1: quick get inside their guard. He ducked under the next
Speaker 1: attack and brought his club up hard, catching the dog
Speaker 1: man under the chin. The creature's head snapped back, and
Speaker 1: Coda followed up with another strike to the ribs, then
Speaker 1: another to the knee. The dog man went down, and
Speaker 1: Coda hit him twice more to make sure he stayed
Speaker 1: down around him. The tide of battle was shifting. The
Speaker 1: Sasquatch were winning through sheer numbers and strength, but the
Speaker 1: cost was high. Coda saw Rail go down, clutching a
Speaker 1: wound in her side, saw one of the older warriors
Speaker 1: being torn apart by two dog men working in concert.
Speaker 1: Saw blood, so much blood staining the rocks and earth.
Speaker 1: Then he heard Ashka's scream. Coda turned to see the
Speaker 1: silver white dog Man female fighting desperately against Nada and Brandt.
Speaker 1: She was fast, incredibly fast, but she couldn't match two
Speaker 1: experienced warriors. Stay tuned for more Backwoods big Foot stories.
Speaker 2: We'll be back after these messages.
Speaker 1: Brandt caught her with a blow that sent her crashing
Speaker 1: into the ravine wall, and she slumped to the ground.
Speaker 2: Dazed.
Speaker 1: Vaarn heard his mate's cry. For just a second, his
Speaker 1: attention wavered his eyes, finding Ashka across the battlefield. That
Speaker 1: second was all Koboda needed. The Sasquatch Patriarch's massive fist
Speaker 1: connected with Vorn's temple with the force of a falling tree.
Speaker 1: The dog Man Alpha's legs buckled and he dropped to
Speaker 1: one knee. Caboda didn't give him a chance to recover.
Speaker 1: Another blow, this one to the ribs, and Coda heard
Speaker 1: bones crack even from where he stood. Varn tried to rise,
Speaker 1: tried to defend himself, but he was hurt badly. His
Speaker 1: movement slow and uncoordinated. Caboda grabbed the dog man by
Speaker 1: the throat, lifting him off the ground, and Vaughan's eyes
Speaker 1: met his. There was no fear there, Coda realized, only
Speaker 1: defiance and a strange kind of acceptance. This is Jakara,
Speaker 1: Caboda said, and for all the others you've taken from us.
Speaker 1: His other hand closed into a fist, and with one
Speaker 1: final devastating blow, he ended Vaoran's life. The effect on
Speaker 1: the battlefield was immediate. The remaining dog men saw their
Speaker 1: alpha fall and panic set in. Raskal let out a
Speaker 1: grief stricken howl and charged toward Koboda, but Garic intercepted him,
Speaker 1: bearing the young dog man to the ground. Bron and
Speaker 1: Dask fought their way to where Ashka had fallen, helping
Speaker 1: her to her feet.
Speaker 2: Retreat.
Speaker 1: Dask shouted, retreat now. The surviving dog men broke and ran,
Speaker 1: scrambling up the ravine walls, disappearing into the forest. The
Speaker 1: Sasquatch gave chase for a few hundred yards, but Koboda
Speaker 1: called them back. Let them go, he ordered his voice, horse,
Speaker 1: We've won that's enough. The warriors regrouped at the bottom
Speaker 1: of the ravine, taking stock. Of the twenty who had
Speaker 1: entered the battle, three were dead, and at least half
Speaker 1: of the survivors were in to some degree. Rayla was
Speaker 1: bleeding badly from her side wound, and two of the
Speaker 1: older warriors could barely stand.
Speaker 2: But they had won.
Speaker 1: The dog Men were scattered, their Alpha dead. Coda stood
Speaker 1: over one of the fallen dog Men, looking down at
Speaker 1: the creature's face. In death, he looked almost peaceful, the
Speaker 1: aggression and wildness gone from his features. He was young,
Speaker 1: Coda realized, maybe even younger than Coda himself. Come on,
Speaker 1: Mira said, pulling at his arm. We need to help
Speaker 1: the wounded. They spent the next hour tending to injuries
Speaker 1: as best they could, fashioning bandages from strips of bark
Speaker 1: and moss, using pressure to stop bleeding. It was grim work,
Speaker 1: and Coda's hands were shaking by the time they were done.
Speaker 1: Koboda stood apart, looking down at Vorn's body. The dog
Speaker 1: man Alpha lay where he'd fallen, his amber eyes staring
Speaker 1: sightlessly at the sky. Should we bury him? Garic asked,
Speaker 1: coming to stand beside the patriarch, Kboda shook his head. No,
Speaker 1: let his pack come back for him if they choose,
Speaker 1: or let the forest take him. Either way, he's beyond
Speaker 1: our concern. Now do you think they'll come back, Naja asked,
Speaker 1: Try for revenge, maybe, Caboda said, but I don't think so.
Speaker 1: They've lost their leader, taken heavy casualties. They'll scatter back
Speaker 1: to their original territories, try to survive. The alliance is broken.
Speaker 1: He turned to face the assembled warriors, his expression grave.
Speaker 1: We won today, but it was costly and the danger
Speaker 1: isn't completely gone. We need to remain vigilant, keep our
Speaker 1: defenses strong, but I think the worst is over. As
Speaker 1: they made their way back to the caves, Coda walked
Speaker 1: beside his father. Caboda moved stiffly, his wounds clearly painting him,
Speaker 1: but he held his head high. You fought well today,
Speaker 1: Caboda said, You made me proud. I was terrified the
Speaker 1: whole time. Coda admitted good. His father replied, Fear keeps
Speaker 1: you sharp, keeps you from making stupid mistakes. The day
Speaker 1: you stop being afraid is the day you die.
Speaker 2: They walked in.
Speaker 1: Silence for a while before Coda worked up the courage
Speaker 1: to ask the question that had been nagging at him.
Speaker 1: Did it have to end this way with Vorn dead?
Speaker 1: Caboda sighed, I don't know. Maybe if we'd found a
Speaker 1: way to communicate earlier, to establish boundaries before desperation drove
Speaker 1: them to violence, Or maybe not. Maybe some conflicts are inevitable.
Speaker 1: He looked at his son. What matters is that we
Speaker 1: protected our home, our families. That's what leaders do. When
Speaker 1: they reached the caves, they were greeted as heroes. The
Speaker 1: clans celebrated, relieved that the threat was ended, grateful that
Speaker 1: most of their warriors had returned alive. But Coda couldn't
Speaker 1: fully share in the joy. He kept thinking about the
Speaker 1: young dog man he'd killed, about the look in Varn's
Speaker 1: eyes at the end. War wasn't glorious or noble. It
Speaker 1: was bruce and sad, and left scars that went deeper
Speaker 1: than any physical wound. As the celebrations continued around him,
Speaker 1: Coda slipped away to a quiet corner of the caves.
Speaker 1: Mira found him there an hour later. You okay, she asked,
Speaker 1: sitting beside him. I killed someone today, Coda said, quietly,
Speaker 1: maybe more than one. I can't remember exactly they were
Speaker 1: trying to kill us. Myra pointed out, you didn't have
Speaker 1: a choice. I know, but it doesn't make it feel
Speaker 1: any better. She took his hand, squeezing it gently. That's
Speaker 1: what makes you different from them. You feel it, you
Speaker 1: understand the cost. That's what will make you a good leader.
Speaker 2: Someday.
Speaker 1: Coda wanted to believe her, but right now all he
Speaker 1: felt was tired and sad and grateful to be alive.
Speaker 1: Tomorrow they would start rebuilding, start healing. Tomorrow they would
Speaker 1: figure out how to move forward. But tonight, Coda just
Speaker 1: wanted to sit here with Mira and not think about
Speaker 1: death and violence and the terrible choices that war demanded.
Speaker 1: Outside the caves, night fell over the forest, and far
Speaker 1: to the north, the surviving dog men licked their wounds
Speaker 1: and mourned their fall in Alpha, uncertain of what the
Speaker 1: future held for their fractured packs. Chapter fourteen, The battle's aftermath.
Speaker 1: The Battle of Broken Ridge had ended, but its consequences
Speaker 1: were just beginning. In the Sasquatch Caves, heelers worked through
Speaker 1: the night to tend the wounded. The sound of groaning
Speaker 1: and quiet weeping filled the chambers. Families gathered around injured
Speaker 1: loved ones, offering comfort that seemed inadequate to the trauma
Speaker 1: they had suffered. Koda moved through the chaos, helping where
Speaker 1: he could. He carried water to the thirsty, held hands
Speaker 1: with the frightened, listened to those who needed to talk
Speaker 1: through what they had witnessed. You fought well today, his
Speaker 1: father said, finding him near midnight. I was terrified. Good
Speaker 1: anyone who isn't terrified and is either lying or insane.
Speaker 1: Caboda lowered himself onto a stone ledge, exhaustion evident in
Speaker 1: every line of his body.
Speaker 2: We won. The dog men.
Speaker 1: Retreated, but victory feels hollow when so many of our
Speaker 1: people are bleeding. Will they attack again?
Speaker 2: I don't know.
Speaker 1: They took heavy losses too. They may decide we're too
Speaker 1: costly to fight. Caboda was quiet for a moment. Or
Speaker 1: they may decide they have nothing left to lose. What
Speaker 1: do we do if that happens? We fight again and
Speaker 1: again until one side is destroyed, or both sides realize
Speaker 1: there has to be another way. You think there's another way,
Speaker 1: Caboda looked at his son with something like hope. I
Speaker 1: have to believe there is otherwise? What are we fighting for?
Speaker 1: In the dog men den Grief hung heavy as morning missed.
Speaker 1: Vorn was dead. The Alpha, who had led them through
Speaker 1: lean winters and territorial disputes, who had held the fractured
Speaker 1: packs together through sheer force of will, had fallen to
Speaker 1: a sasquatch's fist. His body lay where the pack had
Speaker 1: carried it, wrapped in ferns and forest moss, waiting for
Speaker 1: the traditional burial rights. Oshka sat beside her mate's body,
Speaker 1: silent and still as stone. She had not spoken since
Speaker 1: they'd fled the battlefield, since she'd watched Vorn fall and
Speaker 1: known there was nothing she could do to save him.
Speaker 1: Dask stood apart from the others, his mind already working
Speaker 1: through the implications of their loss. Three of their pack
Speaker 1: were dead, including their alpha. Another five were wounded too seriously.
Speaker 1: The survivors were demoralized, their confidence shattered. What do we
Speaker 1: do now, Braun asked, voicing the question everyone was thinking.
Speaker 1: The pack turned to look at Dask. He was the oldest,
Speaker 1: the most experienced, after Vorn, the strategist, the thinker. If
Speaker 1: anyone could lead them through this crisis, it was him.
Speaker 1: Ask felt the weight of their expectation settle on his shoulders.
Speaker 1: He had never wanted to be alpha. That had been
Speaker 1: Vorn's role, Vaorn's burden. But Vaorn was gone and the
Speaker 1: pack needed leadership. We mourn are dead, Dask said. Finally
Speaker 1: we heal our wounded, and then we decide what comes next. Revenge,
Speaker 1: Ras growled. The young dog man's eyes burned with fury.
Speaker 1: We go back and finish what we started, make them
Speaker 1: pay for what they did to Vorn, and die alongside him.
Speaker 1: Dask's voice was sharp. We barely escaped with our lives.
Speaker 1: Going back now would be suicide, so we do nothing.
Speaker 2: We let them win.
Speaker 1: We survive. Deask moved to stand at the center of
Speaker 1: the pack, claiming the position that had been Vorn's. That's
Speaker 1: what Vaughn would have wanted. He didn't lead us all
Speaker 1: these years just to watch us throw our lives away
Speaker 1: in a revenge that couldn't succeed. Oshka finally spoke, her voice,
Speaker 1: rough with grief. He's right, Varn always said, the pack's
Speaker 1: survival mattered more than any individual, more than pride, more
Speaker 1: than revenge. The words carried weight coming from Vorn's mate.
Speaker 1: Rasks subsided, though the anger still smoldered in his eyes.
Speaker 1: We wait, Das continued, We heal, we watch. The Sasquatch
Speaker 1: have proven they can defend themselves, but situations change, alliances shift.
Speaker 1: We look for opportunities that don't require us to sacrifice ourselves.
Speaker 1: And if those opportunities never come, braun asked, then we
Speaker 1: find new territory. Elsewhere the forest is vast, there are
Speaker 1: places the Sasquatch haven't claimed, places where we can build
Speaker 1: a life.
Speaker 2: Without constant warfare.
Speaker 1: It wasn't the answer anyone wanted to hear, but it
Speaker 1: was the answer that might keep them alive.
Speaker 2: As the pack.
Speaker 1: Dispersed to their tasks, Dask allowed himself a moment of
Speaker 1: private doubt. He wasn't born. He didn't have Vaughn's charisma,
Speaker 1: his natural authority, his ability to inspire. But he had
Speaker 1: something born had lacked. Patience, the willingness to wait, to think,
Speaker 1: to find solutions that didn't require brute force. Maybe that
Speaker 1: would be enough, Maybe it would have to be. Chapter fifteen,
Speaker 1: The cost of Battle. The Battle of Broken Ridge had
Speaker 1: been won, but victory felt hollow in its aftermath. Twenty
Speaker 1: three Sasquatch had been wounded, some seriously.
Speaker 2: Two had died.
Speaker 1: A young male named Brandt and an elderly female named Sarah,
Speaker 1: who had been a healer all her life and had
Speaker 1: died trying to treat others, even as dog men closed
Speaker 1: in on her position. The clans mourned them in the
Speaker 1: traditional way, gathering at dawn to share stories of their lives,
Speaker 1: to cry out their grief to the uncaring sky. Codis
Speaker 1: stood with his family, feeling the weight of loss, even
Speaker 1: though he hadn't known either of the dead. Well, this
Speaker 1: is what war costs, Caboda said quietly, blood, but pieces
Speaker 1: of ourselves. Every death diminishes us all. Was it worth
Speaker 1: it defending the territory? Ask me in a year, in
Speaker 1: ten years, in a generation? Caboda's voice was heavy. Right now,
Speaker 1: all I know is that good beings died and more
Speaker 1: might follow. Whether that's worth any piece of ground, I
Speaker 1: honestly don't know. The memorial lasted until noon. Then life
Speaker 1: resumed as it always did. The wounded needed tending, the
Speaker 1: territory needed patrolling. The children needed reassurance that the world
Speaker 1: hadn't ended, even if it felt like it had. Coda
Speaker 1: sat with Brandt's younger brother, a juvenile named Tarik, who
Speaker 1: hadn't spoken since hearing the news. Of his brother's death.
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, Coda said, knowing the words were inadequate. Tark
Speaker 1: didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on some distant point,
Speaker 1: seeing nothing. I know it doesn't help. I know nothing
Speaker 1: helps right now. But someday, maybe you'll remember the good things,
Speaker 1: the way he laughed, the stories he told, the things
Speaker 1: that made him brant instead of just another sasquatch. Still
Speaker 1: no response. Coda sat with him anyway, offering presents, if
Speaker 1: not comfort. Eventually, Tarrek spoke. He wanted to see the ocean.
Speaker 1: What the ocean? He heard stories about it when he
Speaker 1: was young, water stretching to the horizon, waves bigger than trees.
Speaker 1: He always said, someday he would make the journey see
Speaker 1: it for himself. Terrek's voice was hollow. He'll never see
Speaker 1: it now. Coda didn't know what to say. What could
Speaker 1: anyone say in the face of such loss. Someday, he said, finally,
Speaker 1: I'll see it for him, and I'll tell the ocean
Speaker 1: about Brandt, about the sasquatch who wanted to stand on
Speaker 1: its shore. It won't bring him back, but maybe it
Speaker 1: will mean something. Terrek looked at him for the first time, surprise,
Speaker 1: breaking through the grief, you would do that. Yes, I
Speaker 1: don't know when or how, but yes. It was a
Speaker 1: strange promise, and Coda wasn't sure he could keep it,
Speaker 1: but in that moment, it was all he had to offer.
Speaker 1: Part two, Human Contact, Chapter sixteen, The Ranger. Two weeks
Speaker 1: after the battle, life in the Sasquatch clans had begun
Speaker 1: to return to something like normal. Patrols still went out daily,
Speaker 1: but they reported no dog men's sidings. The wounded were healing,
Speaker 1: the dead had been mourned, the forest was peaceful again.
Speaker 1: It was in this relative calm that Eli made a
Speaker 1: discovery that would change everything. He'd been exploring the forest
Speaker 1: behind his family's homestead, following a game trail he'd hike
Speaker 1: dozens of times before, but this time something was different.
Speaker 1: Tree branches had been broken, high above the normal reach
Speaker 1: of any animal. The break's fresh and violent looking, and
Speaker 1: there were footprints in the soft earth, massive footprints easily
Speaker 1: twice the size of his father's boots. Stay tuned for
Speaker 1: more Backwoods Bigfoot stories. We'll be back after these messages.
Speaker 1: Sasquatch prints Coda's prints, maybe, or one of his clan,
Speaker 1: but there were other prints too, strange ones, with claw
Speaker 1: marks and a different gait pattern.
Speaker 2: And there was blood on.
Speaker 1: The rocks, old and dried, but definitely there. Something had
Speaker 1: happened here, something violent. Eli knelt down to examine the
Speaker 1: prints more closely, his mind racing the sasquatch had been here,
Speaker 1: that was certain, But what had they been fighting? What
Speaker 1: could leave claw marks like that? He pulled out his
Speaker 1: phone to take pictures documenting everything. His parents wouldn't believe
Speaker 1: him without proof, and even then they might not. Hey, there, son,
Speaker 1: what are you doing? Eli nearly jumped out of his skin.
Speaker 1: He spun around to find a man in a ranger's
Speaker 1: uniform standing behind him, one hand resting casually on his belt,
Speaker 1: the other holding a notebook. I was just Eli stammered,
Speaker 1: his mind going blank looking at these tracks. The ranger finished,
Speaker 1: his eyes shrewd. He stepped closer, examining the prince Eli
Speaker 1: had been photographing. Interesting, aren't they. We've been getting reports
Speaker 1: of unusual activity in this area for the past few weeks.
Speaker 1: What kind of reports, Eli asked, trying to sound casual. Oh,
Speaker 1: hikers seeing strange bipedal creatures. Tree damage like this, he
Speaker 1: gestured to the broken branches. Strange sounds at night, howls, roars,
Speaker 1: things that don't match any known wildlife. The ranger looked
Speaker 1: at Eli directly. You live nearby, don't you? The Miller Homestead,
Speaker 1: right Thompson, Eli corrected, My family bought the place last year,
Speaker 1: right the Thompson's. I'm ranger Marcus Whitley. He extended his
Speaker 1: hand and Eli shook it, feeling the man's calloused palm.
Speaker 1: You haven't noticed anything unusual around your property? Sound, smells,
Speaker 1: missing livestock. Eli hesitated. Should he tell the truth or
Speaker 1: would that put Coda and his clan in danger. I
Speaker 1: mean we hear coyotes sometimes, he said, carefully, and my
Speaker 1: dad thought he saw a bear once, but nothing too weird.
Speaker 1: Ranger Whitley studied him for a long moment, and Eli
Speaker 1: had the uncomfortable feeling the man could see right through
Speaker 1: his lie. Here's the thing, Eli, Is it okay if
Speaker 1: I call you Eli? The ranger waited for Eli's nod
Speaker 1: before continuing, I've been a ranger in these forests for
Speaker 1: twenty years. I've seen bears, cougars, wolves, every kind of
Speaker 1: wildlife you can imagine. But these tracks, he pointed to
Speaker 1: the massive prints, these aren't from any animal I've ever seen,
Speaker 1: and the tree damage, the blood patterns, the reports from hikers,
Speaker 1: all of it points to something unusual, something we need
Speaker 1: to understand why, Eli asked, I mean, even if there
Speaker 1: is something out there, why does it matter? The forest
Speaker 1: is huge. Can't people and whatever just stay out of
Speaker 1: each other's way? I wish it were that simple, Whitley said,
Speaker 1: But we've got logging companies pushing deeper into these woods
Speaker 1: every year, hiking trails being extended, new roads being planned.
Speaker 1: If there's something out here, some undiscovered species, we need
Speaker 1: to know about it, to protect it if we can,
Speaker 1: or to protect people from it if it turns out
Speaker 1: to be dangerous. That last part sent a chill down
Speaker 1: Eli's spine. He thought about Coda, about the gentle way
Speaker 1: the young Sasquatch had accepted his gifts, the curiosity and
Speaker 1: intelligence in his eyes. What if it's not dangerous, Eli asked,
Speaker 1: What if it just wants to be left alone? Ranger
Speaker 1: Whitley smiled, but it was a sad smile. Then I
Speaker 1: hope we can make that happen, but I can't guarantee it.
Speaker 1: Once word gets out, once people start really believing there's
Speaker 1: something out here, well, let's just say humans don't have
Speaker 1: a great track record with things they don't understand. He
Speaker 1: pulled out a business card and handed it to Eli.
Speaker 1: If you see anything, hear anything, I want you to
Speaker 1: call me. Okay, not because I want to cause trouble,
Speaker 1: but because I might be able to help, might be
Speaker 1: able to keep whatever's out here save from the people
Speaker 1: who would turn this into a circus. Eli took the card,
Speaker 1: reading the name and number printed on it, Ranger Marcus Whitley,
Speaker 1: National Forest Service. There was an official seal and everything.
Speaker 1: I'll I'll keep that in mind, Eli.
Speaker 2: Said, you do that.
Speaker 1: Whitley tipped his hat and Eli, be careful out here.
Speaker 1: Whatever made these tracks is big and strong enough to
Speaker 1: snap trees like twigs. I don't want you getting hurt.
Speaker 1: The ranger headed back down the trail, leaving Eli alone
Speaker 1: with his thoughts and his secrets. He looked down at
Speaker 1: the card in his hand, then at the tracks in
Speaker 1: the earth. Coda's world and his war world were colliding,
Speaker 1: and Eli wasn't sure how to stop it. He needed
Speaker 1: to warn Coda, needed to tell him about the ranger,
Speaker 1: about the danger, but how it had been over a
Speaker 1: week since their last meeting, and Eli didn't know how
Speaker 1: to find the Sasquatch when Coda didn't want to be found.
Speaker 1: All Eli could do was wait and hope that Coda
Speaker 1: would come to him soon, because time was running out
Speaker 1: and the secret that had protected the Sasquatch for generations
Speaker 1: was starting to unravel. Chapter seventeen, Questions. Ranger Whitley's visit
Speaker 1: didn't end at the forest trail. That evening, just as
Speaker 1: the Thompson family was sitting down to dinner, there was
Speaker 1: a knock at the door. Thomas answered it to find
Speaker 1: the ranger standing on their porch, hat in hand, looking
Speaker 1: apologetic but determined. Evening, mister Thompson, I'm Ranger Marcus Whitley
Speaker 1: with the Forest Service. Sorry to disturb your dinner, but
Speaker 1: I was wondering if I could ask you and your
Speaker 1: family a few questions. Thomas looked back at Sarah, who
Speaker 1: had appeared in the hallway, curiosity and concern on our face.
Speaker 1: Eli tensed this was bad. This was very bad, of course,
Speaker 1: Thomas said, stepping aside, Come on in. They all gathered
Speaker 1: in the living room, Whitley taking a seat in the
Speaker 1: armchair while the family settled on the couch. Eli tried
Speaker 1: to keep his expression neutral, tried not to look as
Speaker 1: guilty as he felt. I'll get straight to the point,
Speaker 1: Whitley began. We've been receiving reports of unusual activity in
Speaker 1: this area for the past several weeks. Strange sounds, tree damage,
Speaker 1: large footprints. I encountered your son Eli out on the
Speaker 1: trail today and I wanted to follow up with the
Speaker 1: whole family. What kind of unusual activity, Sarah asked, Well,
Speaker 1: that's what we're trying to determine. Whitley replied, have you
Speaker 1: folks noticed anything odd around your property, any strange sounds
Speaker 1: at night, missing livestock, or damage to your property. Thomas
Speaker 1: and Sarah exchanged glances. Eli held his breath. Actually, Thomas
Speaker 1: said slowly, now that you mention it, we have heard
Speaker 1: some strange sounds, howls sometimes that don't sound quite like
Speaker 1: coyotes or wolves. And there was that one night, what
Speaker 1: was it three weeks ago when we heard something that
Speaker 1: sounded almost like, I don't know how to describe it,
Speaker 1: like a fight. Maybe could you be more specific, Whitley asked,
Speaker 1: pulling out his notebook. Sarah spoke up. It was late,
Speaker 1: probably around midnight we heard these roars, really deep and
Speaker 1: loud and howling, but different from any animal I've heard before.
Speaker 1: It went on for maybe twenty minutes, then just stopped.
Speaker 1: Eli remembered that night it must have been the battle
Speaker 1: between the Sasquatch and the dog men. He'd been terrified
Speaker 1: lying in bed listening to the sounds of violence echoing
Speaker 1: through the forest. And you didn't report this, Whitley asked,
Speaker 1: Thomas shrugged. We're new out here. We figured it was
Speaker 1: just forest sounds we weren't used to yet. Bears maybe,
Speaker 1: or mountain lions. As Eli mentioned seeing anything unusual, three
Speaker 1: pairs of eyes turned to Eli. He felt sweat forming
Speaker 1: on his palms. I no, not really, he managed. I
Speaker 1: mean I've seen deer and stuff, normal forest animals.
Speaker 2: Whitley studied him for.
Speaker 1: A moment, and Eli was certain the ranger knew he
Speaker 1: was lying, but instead of calling him out, Whitley just
Speaker 1: nodded and made a note in his book. The reason
Speaker 1: I'm asking, the ranger said, addressing the whole family now,
Speaker 1: is that we've had multiple hikers reports seeing a large, bipedal,
Speaker 1: hairy creature in this area. Some have described it as
Speaker 1: being seven or eight feet tall, walking upright like a human.
Speaker 1: The descriptions are consistent enough that we're taking them seriously.
Speaker 1: You're talking about bigfoot, Thomas said a slight smile, tugging
Speaker 1: at his lips. Sasquatch, I'm talking about an unidentified species
Speaker 1: that might be living in these.
Speaker 2: Forests, Whitley corrected.
Speaker 1: Whether it's what people call bigfoot or something else entirely,
Speaker 1: I don't know, but something is out there and it's
Speaker 1: been active lately. Sarah's expression had grown serious. Is it dangerous?
Speaker 1: Should we be worried about Eli going into the forest alone?
Speaker 1: I don't have enough information to answer that, Whitley admitted.
Speaker 1: We haven't had any reports of attacks on humans. But
Speaker 1: whatever it is, it's strong enough to break tree limbs
Speaker 1: ten feet off the ground and leave footprints that suggest
Speaker 1: something weighing five hundred pounds or more. I'd recommend caution
Speaker 1: until we know more. He stood, handing Thomas's business card.
Speaker 1: If you see anything, hear anything, please call me and
Speaker 1: I'd appreciate it if you'd keep Eli out of the
Speaker 1: deep forest for now, at least until we have a
Speaker 1: better understanding of what we're dealing with. After Whitley left,
Speaker 1: the family sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment. Then
Speaker 1: Thomas turned to Eli. Okay, spill it.
Speaker 2: What do you know? Dad? Don't lie to me. Eli.
Speaker 1: You've been acting strange for years, sneaking out to the forest,
Speaker 1: coming back with that look on your face like you've
Speaker 1: seen something incredible, and just now with the ranger, you
Speaker 1: were nervous as hell.
Speaker 2: What's going on?
Speaker 1: Eli looked at his parents, saw the concern and confusion
Speaker 1: in their faces, and felt the weight of his secret pressing.
Speaker 2: Down on him.
Speaker 1: He'd known this moment would come eventually, He just hoped
Speaker 1: he'd have more time to figure out what to say.
Speaker 2: Aye, he took a deep breath.
Speaker 1: I need to tell you something, but you have to
Speaker 1: promise not to freak out, and you have to promise
Speaker 1: not to tell anyone else. Eli, you're scaring me, Sarah said, promise,
Speaker 1: Eli insisted. Thomas and Sarah looked at each other, then
Speaker 1: back at their son. We promised, Thomas said, Now tell
Speaker 1: us what's going on. Eli stood up and walked to
Speaker 1: the window, looking out at the darkening forest. Then he
Speaker 1: turned back to face his parents. They're real, he said, quietly, Sasquatch,
Speaker 1: they're real, and they live in the forest behind our house,
Speaker 1: and I, he paused, trying to find the right words,
Speaker 1: I've been meeting with one of them. His name is Coda.
Speaker 1: The silence that followed was deafening. Thomas and Sarah stared
Speaker 1: at their son as if he'd just announced he was
Speaker 1: from Mars Eli. Sarah finally said, her voice careful, are
Speaker 1: you feeling okay? Maybe we should I'm not making it up,
Speaker 1: Eli said urgently, I'm not crazy. I'm not imagining things.
Speaker 1: I've met him dozens of times over the past year.
Speaker 1: We've become friends, kind of. I leave him gifts, shiny stones,
Speaker 1: carved wood, stuff like that, and he leaves me things too, feathers,
Speaker 1: interesting rocks, once a piece of deer antler. Thomas stood up,
Speaker 1: pacing to the window Eli's son. I want to believe you,
Speaker 1: but you're asking us to accept that an entire species
Speaker 1: of eight foot tall eighte men has been hiding in
Speaker 1: these forests and you just happen.
Speaker 2: To befriend one.
Speaker 1: It's not just one, Eli continued, gaining confidence as the
Speaker 1: words spilled out. There's a whole clan, maybe multiple clans.
Speaker 1: Coda lives with his parents. His father's name is Kaboda,
Speaker 1: He's like their leader, and there are dozens of them.
Speaker 1: They have their own society, their own language, their intelligent dad,
Speaker 1: not just smart like a monkey is smart. They think,
Speaker 1: they plan, they have emotions and relationships. Sarah had gone, pale, Eli,
Speaker 1: if this is some kind of joke, it's not. Eli
Speaker 1: pulled out his phone, scrolling through his photos. Look, I
Speaker 1: took these a few months ago from far away. You
Speaker 1: can barely see them, but look. He handed the phone
Speaker 1: to his parents. The images were blurry, shot from a
Speaker 1: distance through trees, but there was definitely something there. Large
Speaker 1: shapes that could have been bears, except bears didn't stand
Speaker 1: upright like that, didn't have that distinctive human like gait.
Speaker 1: These could be anything, Thomas said, but his voice had
Speaker 1: lost some of its certainty. That night, you heard the fighting,
Speaker 1: Eli pressed on. That wasn't bears or mountain lions. That
Speaker 1: was the Sasquatch fighting against these creatures called dog men.
Speaker 1: They're like imagine a werewolf, but real. They've been trying
Speaker 1: to take over the Sasquatch territory. There was a big
Speaker 1: battle a couple weeks ago. The Sasquatch won, but Sasquatch died.
Speaker 1: Dog Men two dog men now too, Sarah said, her
Speaker 1: voice rising Eli, this is insane.
Speaker 2: This is true.
Speaker 1: Eli finished, I know how it sounds, mom, I know
Speaker 1: you don't want to believe it, but it's all true.
Speaker 1: And that ranger he's getting close to finding them. If
Speaker 1: he does, if people find out about Coda and his clan,
Speaker 1: I don't know what will happen, but I don't think
Speaker 1: it will be good. Thomas sat back down, rubbing his
Speaker 1: face with his hands. Okay, let's say, just for argument's sake,
Speaker 1: that we believe you. Why are you only telling us now?
Speaker 1: Why keep this secret for so long? Because I promised,
Speaker 1: Eli said simply. I promised Coda I wouldn't tell anyone.
Speaker 1: The Sasquatch have stayed hidden for hundreds, maybe thousands of years.
Speaker 1: They trust me. I couldn't betray that trust. But you're
Speaker 1: betraying it now, Sarah pointed out. The room fell silent
Speaker 1: again as Thomas and Sarah absorbed all of this. Eli
Speaker 1: watched them, saw the conflict playing out on their faces.
Speaker 1: Part of them wanted to believe their son wasn't crazy
Speaker 1: or lying, but another part was fighting against accepting something
Speaker 1: that upended their entire understanding of the world. Finally, Thomas spoke,
Speaker 1: if this is real, and I'm still not saying I'm convinced,
Speaker 1: but if it's real, we need proof, real proof, not
Speaker 1: blurry photos. Can you arrange a meeting? Can we see
Speaker 1: this coda for ourselves? Eli's heart sank.
Speaker 2: I don't know.
Speaker 1: I don't control when he shows up. He comes to me,
Speaker 1: when he feels safe, when he thinks no one else
Speaker 1: is around. Then make him feel safe, Thomas said, because
Speaker 1: Sarah and I need to see this with our own
Speaker 1: eyes before we can even begin to process what you're
Speaker 1: telling us.
Speaker 2: I'll try, Eli.
Speaker 1: Promised, but I can't guarantee anything, and you have to
Speaker 1: promise me, both of you, that if he does show up,
Speaker 1: you won't freak out. You won't try to call anyone
Speaker 1: or tell anyone. You'll just talk to him, get to
Speaker 1: know him like I have. Sarah reached out and took
Speaker 1: Eli's hand. Sweetie, we love you and we want to
Speaker 1: support you, but you're asking us to believe in something
Speaker 1: that science says doesn't exist. That's a lot, I know, mom,
Speaker 1: but just keep an open mind.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker 1: They agreed, though Eli could see the doubt still lingering
Speaker 1: in their eyes that night, as he lay in bed,
Speaker 1: Eli stared at the ceiling and wondered how he was
Speaker 1: going to make this work. How is he supposed to
Speaker 1: arrange a meeting between his family and a Sasquatch who
Speaker 1: had every reason to stay hidden. The next morning, Eli
Speaker 1: woke early and headed into the forest. He went to
Speaker 1: the usual meeting spot, the clearing where he'd left gifts
Speaker 1: for Coda so many times before. He added something new
Speaker 1: to the collection, a handwritten note Coda. It read, I
Speaker 1: need to talk to you. It's important. My parents know
Speaker 1: about you now the forest ranger knows something is out here.
Speaker 1: I think we need to meet all of us. I
Speaker 1: know it's scary, but I trust my parents. They won't
Speaker 1: hurt you or tell anyone. Please tomorrow night, if you can,
Speaker 1: I'll be waiting here at sunset. Bring your parents if
Speaker 1: you want. This is bigger than just us. Now we
Speaker 1: need help.
Speaker 2: Eli.
Speaker 1: He left the note weighted down with a smooth riverstone,
Speaker 1: and headed back home, not knowing if Coda would even
Speaker 1: find it, much less agree to the meeting. All he
Speaker 1: could do was wait and hope.