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<v Speaker 1>My encounter isn't a bigfoot story. It's a dog man's story.

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<v Speaker 1>It happened here in my hometown of San Angelo, Texas.

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<v Speaker 1>It was about twenty four or twenty five years ago,

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<v Speaker 1>and my oldest daughter was about a year old at

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<v Speaker 1>the time. Her dad and I weren't together, and on

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<v Speaker 1>Sunday afternoons he'd come pick her up. A friend of

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<v Speaker 1>mine and I would usually hang out and go to movies, swimming,

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<v Speaker 1>and sometimes we'd go to a nature path outside of town.

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<v Speaker 1>On this Sunday, we decided to go to the nature path.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a really nice day. It was sunny but

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<v Speaker 1>not too hot. The path would go straight through a

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<v Speaker 1>clearing from the parking area towards some big bushes and

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<v Speaker 1>trees on either side. It would go up and incline slightly,

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<v Speaker 1>and then through a clearing again. Then it would head

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<v Speaker 1>into the woods for quite a while. On warm days,

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<v Speaker 1>when the bushes and wildflowers were bloomed out, there would

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<v Speaker 1>be tons of butterflies everywhere. It was a beautiful place

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<v Speaker 1>to relax and enjoy nature. It was all so very

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<v Speaker 1>quiet and peaceful. We rarely saw other people when we

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<v Speaker 1>were there. When you walk down the path, it would

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<v Speaker 1>go for about twenty or so minutes through the trees.

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<v Speaker 1>To the left would be another path that went over

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<v Speaker 1>a small bridge and a dried up river bed. We

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<v Speaker 1>always went over the bridge and would hang out there

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<v Speaker 1>for a while in the shade of the trees. We'd

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<v Speaker 1>usually see some animals, rabbits, maybe a skunk, a deer,

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<v Speaker 1>and I think one time we even saw a mountain

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<v Speaker 1>lion in the distance. This particular day, we were standing

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<v Speaker 1>on the bridge, my friend towards the middle and me

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<v Speaker 1>by the opposite side from the path. The bridge wasn't big,

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<v Speaker 1>about twenty or so feet. We were standing there, talking

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<v Speaker 1>and enjoying the day, and I started to hear what

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<v Speaker 1>sounded like someone walking through the trees. I could hear

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<v Speaker 1>the leaves and twigs on the ground crunching under something's

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<v Speaker 1>feet as they walked towards where we were. I looked

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<v Speaker 1>over and saw what looked like a very large person

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<v Speaker 1>wearing all black, just a short distance from us. I

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<v Speaker 1>said to my friend, do you see that. She glanced

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<v Speaker 1>over and said, yeah, I see them. They just stood

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<v Speaker 1>there for a while, and I started to think maybe

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<v Speaker 1>it was a crazy person or a murderer coming for us.

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<v Speaker 1>Then suddenly the head turned towards us, and I saw

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<v Speaker 1>what looked like long hair on the head and body

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<v Speaker 1>blowing in the wind, and a long dog looking snout

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<v Speaker 1>turn our way with pointed ears, similar to a German shepherd.

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<v Speaker 1>I saw what looked like bright yellow eyes staring towards us.

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<v Speaker 1>I honestly thought I was losing my marbles. I'd never

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<v Speaker 1>heard of a dog man at the time. My first

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<v Speaker 1>thought was a werewolf, and I thought that didn't exist

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<v Speaker 1>except in movies. Suddenly it turned its head the opposite

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<v Speaker 1>direction again to look the other way. I grabbed the

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<v Speaker 1>back of my friend's shirt and duck down behind her.

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<v Speaker 1>My friend is over six feet tall and around three

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<v Speaker 1>hundred pounds at the time. I then saw its head

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<v Speaker 1>swing towards us again as it looked at us another time.

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<v Speaker 1>I just kept thinking that this cannot be real. Those

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<v Speaker 1>things don't exist. I started to cry, and I thought

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going to die right here and never see my

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<v Speaker 1>daughter again. Will anyone even find our bodies? It then

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<v Speaker 1>swung its head the other way to look over its

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<v Speaker 1>other shoulder. It was standing kind of sundays towards us,

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<v Speaker 1>and it looked from side to side over and over.

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<v Speaker 1>It kept doing that for what seemed like an eternity.

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<v Speaker 1>After looking the opposite way again and then back at us,

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<v Speaker 1>it walked back the way it came. We could hear

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<v Speaker 1>the same crunching sound again, and it slowly faded, and

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<v Speaker 1>then we didn't hear it. I really didn't know what

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<v Speaker 1>to do. My friend suggested we go, but I was

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<v Speaker 1>afraid to move, like it might be waiting for us

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<v Speaker 1>to do some We stood there for a little while

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<v Speaker 1>longer and slowly made our way off the bridge down

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<v Speaker 1>the path towards the car. As we got to the

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<v Speaker 1>part of the path with the big bushes on either side,

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<v Speaker 1>I was afraid to go by them because you can't

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<v Speaker 1>see the other side of the bushes. We slowly went

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<v Speaker 1>to them and then quickly around, and we're relieved that

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<v Speaker 1>there was nothing there. After that, we hurried to my car.

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<v Speaker 1>Somewhere along the way, I picked up a really long

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<v Speaker 1>tree branch. She made me drop it. I got the

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<v Speaker 1>car keys out of my pocket, unlocked the doors, and

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<v Speaker 1>we jumped in and tore off out of there. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't think I ever drove so fast in my life,

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<v Speaker 1>and we never went back to that place again. I

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<v Speaker 1>considered us lucky to get away because something else must

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<v Speaker 1>have been on the other side that was more interesting

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<v Speaker 1>that led it away from us. I never told anyone

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<v Speaker 1>until just a few years ago when I heard of

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<v Speaker 1>the dog Man, and I thought that that must be

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<v Speaker 1>what I saw that day. Thank you for letting me

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<v Speaker 1>share my story. It actually feels good to get it

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<v Speaker 1>out there and not have it on my mind so much.

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<v Speaker 1>My story is from nineteen fifty eight, when I was

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<v Speaker 1>a farm kid in central Illinois. My grandfather was a

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<v Speaker 1>large acreage farmer. He and his brother farmed over three

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<v Speaker 1>thousand acres around Warrensburg, ill which had been in the

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<v Speaker 1>family from the seventeen hundreds. My grandfather was a larger

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<v Speaker 1>than life man, president of the Farm Bureau and Lions Club.

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<v Speaker 1>He was Illinois skeet shooting champion, a pilot, with his

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<v Speaker 1>own plane, boats, and all the newest farm equipment. He

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<v Speaker 1>bought a new pink Cadillac every two years. I think

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<v Speaker 1>he liked being larger than life. I was his oldest

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<v Speaker 1>grandson and he took me everywhere with him. When we

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<v Speaker 1>crash landed his Cessna in a field rolling into a creek,

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<v Speaker 1>he made me swear I would never tell my grandmother,

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<v Speaker 1>and I never did. To say he was a serious,

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<v Speaker 1>no nonsense man would be understating his nature. Warrensburg, Illinois,

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<v Speaker 1>in nineteen fifty eight was a small farm town, the

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<v Speaker 1>center of a farming area, Like so many Midwest farm towns,

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<v Speaker 1>tractor suppliers, farm supply lies, a general store, and school

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<v Speaker 1>or two. With a population of fifty nine, it lays

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<v Speaker 1>twenty nine miles northeast of Blue Mound, Illinois, with its

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<v Speaker 1>history of curses and mysterious doom that permeated the area

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<v Speaker 1>for hundreds of miles around over hundreds of years. Today,

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<v Speaker 1>I looked it up on the Internet to find not

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<v Speaker 1>a mention of that past other than the storied up

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<v Speaker 1>crop failures that ruined farmers for over one hundred years

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<v Speaker 1>in Blue Mound. Blue Mound is an ancient American Indian

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<v Speaker 1>burial ground. My maternal grandmother was a full blood Cherokee Indian.

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<v Speaker 1>She wouldn't go near Blue Mound. We were told the

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<v Speaker 1>Indians buried not their dead, but the bodies of their

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<v Speaker 1>wicked enemies, the giants they warred with for many years.

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<v Speaker 1>There's an oddly high ground in the middle of the

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<v Speaker 1>flat plains where no one was allowed to form or

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<v Speaker 1>excavate by law for nearly one hundred years. The ill

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<v Speaker 1>fated stories of those who dared to dig in Blue

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<v Speaker 1>Mound are many. Legend has it due to a curse

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<v Speaker 1>by the Indian medicine man placed on the dead buried there.

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<v Speaker 1>I can tell you my one trip through there as

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<v Speaker 1>a child, even before I knew the legends, was unsettling,

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<v Speaker 1>to say the least. One sunny fall day, my grandfather,

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<v Speaker 1>my uncle, and I were out in a field by

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<v Speaker 1>our creek bird hunting. I was a kid with my

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<v Speaker 1>eye in the sky most of the time. I loved birds, planes,

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<v Speaker 1>and all things that flew. I still do. It's no

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<v Speaker 1>wonder I ended up a private pilot. As I was

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<v Speaker 1>watching the crows fight and fly in and out of

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<v Speaker 1>the large elm tree by the creek, I noticed a

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<v Speaker 1>plane in the distance. I began watching it as it

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<v Speaker 1>approached on a path that would take it directly overhead.

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<v Speaker 1>It would be a video image burned in my brain

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<v Speaker 1>for all my life. When it was about a mile away,

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<v Speaker 1>judging by its proximity to the north hundred acres fence line,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought I was seeing things. This plane flapped its

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<v Speaker 1>wings like a bird. I yelled at my grandad, look

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<v Speaker 1>at the plane. It's flapping its wings. As he turned

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<v Speaker 1>and said, planes don't flap their wings, son, you know

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<v Speaker 1>that with you know that fading in volume as he

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<v Speaker 1>saw the plane flap its wings. Suddenly it dawned on

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<v Speaker 1>me that this was a bird. It was a huge bird.

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<v Speaker 1>It was probably at around five hundred feet altitude, I

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<v Speaker 1>realized today, Having been a pilot. My grandfather had a

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<v Speaker 1>Cessna and flew over the farm regularly at about the

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<v Speaker 1>same altitude. The wingspan of this bird was at least

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<v Speaker 1>double that of his cesna. The body was twice as

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<v Speaker 1>long and three times as wide as the cessna's fuselage.

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<v Speaker 1>The sun was at the perfect angle to see it

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<v Speaker 1>was feathered with a huge beak, almost appearing as a

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<v Speaker 1>huge eagle. We stood in awe as it approached, rapidly,

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<v Speaker 1>flapping its huge wings every now and then. Suddenly, my

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<v Speaker 1>dim wet uncle, known for his poor Honting etiquette, aims

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<v Speaker 1>his shotgun at this huge bird. My grandfather grabs his barrel,

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<v Speaker 1>shoving it into the dirt as it fires. My grandfather

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<v Speaker 1>was in a rage, I think partially because of uncle

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<v Speaker 1>dim went and partly from fear, because he was a

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<v Speaker 1>man that didn't scare. I had never seen a look

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<v Speaker 1>of fear on his face until that moment. I knew

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<v Speaker 1>well his look of anger, as he had a short

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<v Speaker 1>temper and little tolerance for stupidity. He yanked me under

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<v Speaker 1>his arm and fell to the ground, telling my uncle

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<v Speaker 1>to get down. The bird gave a head turn, noticed

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<v Speaker 1>to the gun fire, and then continued on. When the

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<v Speaker 1>bird had gone about a mile past, my grandfather let

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<v Speaker 1>me up and lit into my uncle's Are you out

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<v Speaker 1>of your effing mind? Do you know what that is?

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<v Speaker 1>I still have one hundred head of cattle and pigs

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<v Speaker 1>and sheep and your wife's horses. My uncle was wisely silent,

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<v Speaker 1>as he well knew setting off my granddad and earned

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<v Speaker 1>him more than one punch in the face. Grandpa's rage

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<v Speaker 1>was different than this. He was really upset over my

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<v Speaker 1>uncle's attempt to shoot this bird. Upset and scared. To

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<v Speaker 1>this day, I think he knew far more about the

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<v Speaker 1>giant bird and its actions than he ever told me.

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<v Speaker 1>He was truly worried about his livestock. We never discussed

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<v Speaker 1>it after that day. Sadly, my hero died of cancer.

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<v Speaker 1>Four years after this incident, just before my twelfth birthday.

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<v Speaker 1>But on this day, as he cooled, I waited for

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<v Speaker 1>a minute, and then I asked, what was that, Grandpa.

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<v Speaker 1>He turned and helped me my shoulders, looking me in

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<v Speaker 1>the eye. You can't ever tell anyone what I'm about

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<v Speaker 1>to tell you because they will think you're crazy. Promise

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<v Speaker 1>me that you want and I agreed. He began, You

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<v Speaker 1>know that bird was flying toward Blue Mound, right, Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>I replied. We have forever heard the tales of the

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<v Speaker 1>giant bird the Indians called the thunderbird. I thought it

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<v Speaker 1>was just a story about the eagle the Indians worship.

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<v Speaker 1>He said, today, I know the thunderbird is real. I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't tell him, but my maternal Jerokee grandmother had told

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<v Speaker 1>me about the thunderbird. According to legend, thunderbird would fly

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<v Speaker 1>over Blue Mound to see if someone had disturbed it.

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<v Speaker 1>True or not, I don't know. What I do know

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<v Speaker 1>is at the time Blue Mound and its lore were

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<v Speaker 1>much respected. I spent years looking into the sky to

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<v Speaker 1>hopefully see the thunderbird again, but I never did. Later,

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<v Speaker 1>I would read about the thunderbird and have no doubt

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<v Speaker 1>I have been very fortunate in life to see it.

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<v Speaker 1>I love the encounters about dog man and bigfoot that

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<v Speaker 1>you share, which I firmly believe in, as my father, uncle,

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<v Speaker 1>and grandfather who hunted the southern State suddenly and mysteriously

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<v Speaker 1>stopped going to those places after their last trip. My

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<v Speaker 1>dad told me stories of the big cats that would

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<v Speaker 1>scream and sound just like a woman, and he warned

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<v Speaker 1>me to never go to help out if I was

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<v Speaker 1>in the woods and heard those sounds, because the people

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<v Speaker 1>that went in to help seldom returned. He, like my grandfather,

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't afraid of anything, but he warned me to stay

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<v Speaker 1>out of the forest and run if I was ever

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<v Speaker 1>in them and heard the big cat screaming like a woman.

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<v Speaker 1>I decided long ago that he knew it wasn't big cats,

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<v Speaker 1>but didn't want to freak out his six year old son.

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<v Speaker 1>As a footnote, the only person besides my wife I

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<v Speaker 1>ever told his story to was my friend Watuka rock Igola,

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<v Speaker 1>a full blooded Navajo Indian. He mentioned Thunderbird one day

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<v Speaker 1>and I was just floored. He not only believed me,

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<v Speaker 1>he said my grandfather was a wise man to heed

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<v Speaker 1>the warnings that he had heard. Thank you so much

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<v Speaker 1>for your show, and I'd rather not be identified if

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<v Speaker 1>you don't mind.

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<v Speaker 2>This bigfoot story comes from a gentleman refers to remain anonymous,

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<v Speaker 2>and who says it's true. I would like to share

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<v Speaker 2>with you and your audience a citing I had on

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<v Speaker 2>the Appalachian Trail a few years back. I'm fifty years

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<v Speaker 2>old now, but I was thirty nine when this event unfolded.

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<v Speaker 2>My friend and I had made plans to walk the

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<v Speaker 2>Appalachian Trail during summer vacation. We planned to do a

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<v Speaker 2>different section each vacation until we completed it. We decided

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<v Speaker 2>to start at Springer Mountain in Georgia. We were outfitted

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<v Speaker 2>with all new packs, sleeping bags, and all the things

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<v Speaker 2>we needed to complete our hike. We both loved the outdoors,

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<v Speaker 2>so we were excited about the upcoming two weeks. The

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<v Speaker 2>first day, we hiked five hours and not knowing if

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<v Speaker 2>we would have time to make it to the next one,

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<v Speaker 2>decided to stop at the sleeping shelter we came to

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<v Speaker 2>at around three that afternoon. We hung around and took

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<v Speaker 2>in the beauty of the place. Being outdoors in the

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<v Speaker 2>smoky mountains with my friend was wonderful. We talked with

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<v Speaker 2>other hikers and sat around and prepared our evening meal.

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<v Speaker 2>Everyone there was exhausted, so we all turned in for

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<v Speaker 2>the night. My friend and I slept like rocks that night.

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<v Speaker 2>The next morning, we were sore from the first day,

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<v Speaker 2>so we took our time packing up and getting started.

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<v Speaker 2>As we were going along and enjoying the sights, we

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<v Speaker 2>passed a couple of ladies who seemed like they were

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<v Speaker 2>in a hurry. It was if they were speed walking

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<v Speaker 2>and not interested in conversation. Later, we stopped so my

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<v Speaker 2>friend could use the restroom. There was a game trail

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<v Speaker 2>about five yards downhill from us, so we stepped down

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<v Speaker 2>to it so she could do her business. It was

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<v Speaker 2>quite a steep incline to come back up, and I

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<v Speaker 2>noticed the game trail ran parallel to the main trail,

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<v Speaker 2>so I suggested we follow it for a while and

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<v Speaker 2>maybe we'd find an easier place to get back up

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<v Speaker 2>to the main trail further down. As we walked down

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<v Speaker 2>the game trail, I kept hearing voices and laughing. I

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<v Speaker 2>thought a big group must be coming down the trail.

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<v Speaker 2>My friend, who was leaning abruptly stopped and I knew

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<v Speaker 2>she'd seen something. I asked what it was, but she

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<v Speaker 2>didn't say a word. She only pointed. I followed her

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<v Speaker 2>finger to the source and was shaken by what I saw.

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<v Speaker 2>I pulled her back and we both squatted down as

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<v Speaker 2>I whispered, is that real? Did we just see that?

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<v Speaker 2>She nodded her eyes wide with shock. I pulled my

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<v Speaker 2>binoculars from my pack and eased forward, looking around the

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<v Speaker 2>bush we'd duck behind. Sitting thirty yards from us and

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<v Speaker 2>maybe fifteen or so yards downhill was a juvenile booger, skunkate, bigfoot,

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<v Speaker 2>whatever you want to call it. It was intent on

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<v Speaker 2>watching something, so I followed its gaze and found the

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<v Speaker 2>source of the laughter. A group of about six young people,

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<v Speaker 2>two young men and four young ladies had found a

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<v Speaker 2>waterfall and were having fun cooling themselves off. I leaned

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<v Speaker 2>back and handed the binoculars off to my friend, who

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<v Speaker 2>then took her turn. After a minute, she leaned back

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<v Speaker 2>quickly and flashed a puzzled half grin. I mouthed the

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<v Speaker 2>words what is it? But she just shook her head

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<v Speaker 2>and handed me the binoculars. I looked down the hill

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<v Speaker 2>at the swimmers first, then back to where the creature

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<v Speaker 2>was sitting. I thought it was just sitting there. Then

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<v Speaker 2>I realized what she'd seen. It looked like it was massing.

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<v Speaker 2>I lean back and tried not to laugh. We sat

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<v Speaker 2>there for a minute more before I suggested we backtrack,

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<v Speaker 2>but my friend thought we should let the young people

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<v Speaker 2>know they were being watched, So we went to a

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<v Speaker 2>spot about forty yards back down the trail where we

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<v Speaker 2>could easily climb down to where they were. The place

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<v Speaker 2>was a sort of a wash out that afforded us

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<v Speaker 2>some cover for quite a way before we risked being

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<v Speaker 2>exposed to the creature. As we were climbing down, we

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<v Speaker 2>heard a high pitched whistle from somewhere above us. The

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<v Speaker 2>juvenile jumped up and looked around, just as my friend's

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<v Speaker 2>foot dislodged a rock, sending it tumbling down the hill. Run,

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<v Speaker 2>I said, and she did. I looked over and realized

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<v Speaker 2>the juvenile was also running. He was heading at an

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<v Speaker 2>angle that was going to intersect my friend's path. Without

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<v Speaker 2>a second thought, I took two steps up onto a

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<v Speaker 2>rock and catapulted myself across the wash, which put me

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<v Speaker 2>on a trajectory straight for the juvenile. I thought at

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<v Speaker 2>that moment, I was probably a dead man, but I

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<v Speaker 2>was trying to give my friend a chance. This thing

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<v Speaker 2>stopped in midstride and stared with a mix of disbelief

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<v Speaker 2>and hatred at the crazy flying human. It was about

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<v Speaker 2>six feet tall, and from the look on its face,

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<v Speaker 2>there was no doubt it was going to kill me.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm six foot four and I weigh two hundred and

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<v Speaker 2>twenty five pounds, but this thing was easily three hundred

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<v Speaker 2>and fifty pounds of pure muscle and anger. I never stopped.

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<v Speaker 2>I doubt I could have, and his expression changed from

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<v Speaker 2>one of surprise to one of fear. At least that's

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<v Speaker 2>what I was telling myself. As I was barreling at

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<v Speaker 2>him from out of nowhere. I felt a sudden, sharp

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<v Speaker 2>blow to my back, and now I was tumbling down

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<v Speaker 2>the hill, trying to get my breath and stop my fall.

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<v Speaker 2>When I finally came to rest, I saw the creature

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<v Speaker 2>jump up and down, whooping and pounding the ground. Then

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<v Speaker 2>I heard a scream and chattering that sounded almost like

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<v Speaker 2>some kind of language. The juvenile creature looked down defeated.

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<v Speaker 2>It dropped all fours and bolted up the mountain at

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<v Speaker 2>an unbelievable speed. I watched as it disappeared up the

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<v Speaker 2>mountain before my eye was drawn to another sight. Not

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<v Speaker 2>thirty feet behind me was a massive eight foot taller

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<v Speaker 2>better seven to eight hundred pound female. She looked right

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<v Speaker 2>at me, and I swear I saw empathy in her eyes.

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<v Speaker 2>She seemed to communicate with me. In my head. It

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<v Speaker 2>was so strange, but I clearly heard her say she

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<v Speaker 2>was sorry that she hit me with the rock, and

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<v Speaker 2>that her child was chasing after us. She said that

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<v Speaker 2>he was getting too unruly and would be dealt with.

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<v Speaker 2>Then she turned and dashed up the hill with more

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<v Speaker 2>grace and speed than the juvenile. I knew then what

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<v Speaker 2>had made him afraid. It wasn't me, it was mama.

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<v Speaker 2>A minute later, the two young men from the waterfall

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<v Speaker 2>were asking me if I was okay. I said I was,

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<v Speaker 2>and they helped me down to the pool of water,

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<v Speaker 2>where I sat for what seemed like hours in total disbelief.

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<v Speaker 2>My friends sat with me, answering their questions. The rocks

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<v Speaker 2>she dislodged had alerted them, and they'd all looked up

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<v Speaker 2>the hill in time to see the entire event. Apparently,

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<v Speaker 2>my friend had screamed when I said run, but I

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<v Speaker 2>hadn't heard anything but silence. It felt like I was

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<v Speaker 2>in a time warp, with everything slowed down and out

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<v Speaker 2>of proportion. What seemed like hours had taken place in

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<v Speaker 2>a matter of seconds. The young people were students at

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<v Speaker 2>a nearby college who often came to this spot to

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<v Speaker 2>swim and hang out. They were nice and couldn't believe

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<v Speaker 2>what they'd seen. They kept talking about how brave I was.

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<v Speaker 2>The truth is I was stupid to them and my

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<v Speaker 2>friend though I was a hero. Now we left with

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<v Speaker 2>them and they gave us a ride to where our

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<v Speaker 2>car was parked. That ended our hiking for good. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>if I'm hiking, it's with a large group armed with

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<v Speaker 2>automatic weapons. Well that's our story, and we don't care

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<v Speaker 2>if anyone believes it or not. We know the truth.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks very much for allowing us to share and keep

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<v Speaker 2>the stories coming