WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.960 --> 00:00:09.279 There's a McDonald's that is four stories tall where I 2 00:00:09.320 --> 00:00:12.679 grew up. It was pretty big news when it was built, 3 00:00:12.919 --> 00:00:16.160 and the tall slides were a local landmark for a while. 4 00:00:17.239 --> 00:00:20.280 Our middle school went there for field trips and our 5 00:00:20.359 --> 00:00:24.160 track team would run to the tower and back for practice. 6 00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:26.519 It was at the center of a square used for 7 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:31.359 car shows and pep rallies. The four story playground was 8 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:36.439 paradise for children and teenagers. The ballpit, the rope bridge, 9 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:40.640 the N sixty four games kept everyone entertained, while the 10 00:00:40.679 --> 00:00:44.840 slides were the main attraction. It was quite the climb up, 11 00:00:45.119 --> 00:00:48.600 but the payoff was sure worth it. The giant slide 12 00:00:48.679 --> 00:00:52.119 was equivalent to the top thrilled dragster at Cedar Point. 13 00:00:52.840 --> 00:00:56.920 It was a thrill ride, especially with our modification. We 14 00:00:56.960 --> 00:00:59.560 would sneak the food trays up with us and Bob's 15 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:03.039 led them down the slide at super high speeds. We 16 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:05.400 were thrown out and chased out a couple of times 17 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:09.319 after some trays were broken. The evil Knievel stunts were 18 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:12.120 a blast, but there were nothing compared to what happened 19 00:01:12.280 --> 00:01:17.640 one innocent summer morning. We walked from Southwick to the 20 00:01:17.719 --> 00:01:21.640 McDonald's for some breakfast. I had hot cakes and sausage 21 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:25.359 with water. The boys ordered their meals and met me 22 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:28.319 in the back to eat. We played Madden on the 23 00:01:28.359 --> 00:01:32.680 consoles and I enjoyed free refills or parade with their cups. 24 00:01:33.400 --> 00:01:36.280 The place was fairly busy, but we pretty much had 25 00:01:36.280 --> 00:01:39.400 free roama the entire back area, and that was our 26 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:43.879 hangout spot. It came time to watch them play and 27 00:01:43.959 --> 00:01:47.200 I figured I would burn some time, and I started 28 00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:51.920 wandering around looking for coins and dropped knickknacks. I was 29 00:01:51.959 --> 00:01:55.400 inspecting around under a table when a kid tapped me 30 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:57.920 on the shoulder and said someone was looking for me. 31 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:02.239 I figured it was one of my buddies. I was confused, 32 00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:04.879 but I climbed into the jungle gym and I began 33 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:08.560 crawling to the top. I didn't know what to expect. 34 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:11.599 Was one of my friends from school hanging out at 35 00:02:11.639 --> 00:02:14.599 the top and watching us play all along? Was it 36 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:18.439 a girl that I knew? I moved slowly, checking every 37 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:21.719 corner as I sprawled through the cushion and wrote. There 38 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:24.039 was a strange feeling in the tube and I could 39 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:28.039 tell that something was up here with me. I arrived 40 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:30.719 at the top and I didn't see anyone, and I 41 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:34.159 retraced my steps and I felt something cold in the 42 00:02:34.199 --> 00:02:39.960 center of the facility. I creeped closer, slowly, expecting someone 43 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.080 to jump out and scare me. And I heard some movement, 44 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:45.319 and I turned to the corner to a new section 45 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:49.280 of the playground that I never entered before. I must 46 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:54.159 have been oblivious to this bonus compartment all along. The 47 00:02:54.199 --> 00:02:57.840 air was crisp, and it felt like I was outside. 48 00:02:57.919 --> 00:03:00.080 I was in a new world, and I crawled on 49 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:02.919 my hands and knees and it opened up into a 50 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:06.560 larger chamber. I didn't know where I was, and I 51 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:09.039 rubbed my eyes to make sure that I wasn't dreaming. 52 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:12.280 And then I was startled when I heard a voice. 53 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:17.199 It was familiar, but I couldn't recognize the source. I 54 00:03:17.240 --> 00:03:21.240 turned around, and to my surprise was my childhood friend Max. 55 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:24.919 I hadn't seen him in a decade when his family 56 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:28.719 moved away. He looked like he had an aged since 57 00:03:28.759 --> 00:03:32.520 the day he moved. I asked him what was up, 58 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:35.520 what was going on? He just smiled and said that 59 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:38.039 he had fun at my birthday party and that he 60 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:42.599 missed playing soccer at recess together. I told him that 61 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:44.759 I hope he was doing well and that I tried 62 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:48.400 looking him up, and he breathed slow and softly said 63 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:51.719 that he was in a better place, and I gasped 64 00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:56.400 and I connected the dots. Max smiled and said they 65 00:03:56.439 --> 00:03:59.800 finally built the playground that we'd been calling for, the 66 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:04.280 slights that touched the sky. He laughed in replied that 67 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:07.360 we thought we had it good at Burger King. That 68 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:10.919 playground on Boston was the birthday party he was referencing. 69 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:14.759 I was excited to tell him about the tray trick 70 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:17.879 that we were using to get up speed. He said 71 00:04:17.879 --> 00:04:20.399 he knew exactly what I was talking about, that he 72 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:23.639 had been watching. I told him to meet me up 73 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:26.000 at the top and I'd be right back. And I 74 00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:29.600 crawled back down to reality and the light blinded my eyes, 75 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:32.519 and I snuck quickly and grabbed a tray, and I 76 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:35.639 scurried back up and was surprised when he was nowhere 77 00:04:35.639 --> 00:04:39.319 to be found. I searched for a few minutes, but 78 00:04:39.399 --> 00:04:41.879 I could feel that he was with me, and I 79 00:04:41.959 --> 00:04:45.319 set up a tray and took off full throttle. Max 80 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:47.839 was with me the whole way. I could feel this 81 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:51.079 grip on my shoulders and we twisted and turned and laughed. 82 00:04:52.360 --> 00:04:55.120 When I reached the end of the tunnel, Max's blanket 83 00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:58.680 of energy was gone, but I was not sad we 84 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:02.399 completed our mission. I knew he was waiting for that moment, 85 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:05.839 and somewhere in my spirit I was too. Max was 86 00:05:05.879 --> 00:05:08.800 my best friend. But in the days before cell phones, 87 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:11.680 when a friend moved away, you just wish you had 88 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:15.879 a chance to say goodbye. I had had my last chance. 89 00:05:16.920 --> 00:05:20.720 What a great, heartwarming story. That's all I can say 90 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:23.959 about that. I'm kind of awe struck and at how 91 00:05:23.959 --> 00:05:26.959 sweet this story was. Thank you to the writer for 92 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:30.120 sending it. I really really enjoyed it and appreciate them 93 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:32.879 sending it to me and for everyone to hear. Thank 94 00:05:32.920 --> 00:05:39.800 you very much. I recently discovered your Dixie Crypti channel 95 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:43.000 on YouTube, and I have enjoyed it immensely ever since. 96 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:45.800 But I can't tell you how relieved I was when 97 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:48.439 I found out that you actually let people tell about 98 00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:52.160 their squatch experiences. And boy, have I got a story 99 00:05:52.199 --> 00:05:55.839 for you since you live right down the road for me. 100 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:58.839 I'm sure you've heard the rumors about all the squatch 101 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:03.959 sightings in South recently, Soaltillo is a little community just 102 00:06:04.120 --> 00:06:08.040 north of Tupelo here in North Mississippi, right up on 103 00:06:08.279 --> 00:06:11.439 forty five Highway. He didn't write that. I'm just telling 104 00:06:11.480 --> 00:06:15.800 you that several residents in the more rural areas of 105 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:19.560 Saltillo have been giving the mayor pure hell about some large, 106 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:23.279 shaggy hoboes that had been seen raiding their gardens at 107 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:26.839 night and eating up all their corn and okra and tomatoes. 108 00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:31.120 A Miss Bobby Gene Campbell was the last one to report, 109 00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:35.160 during a city hall town meeting two tuesdays ago, that 110 00:06:35.319 --> 00:06:38.480 she wanted more police to patrol her neighborhood at night 111 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:41.319 so they could run off those dirty hobos to keep 112 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:46.560 stealing vegetables from her garden. Well. In typical political fashion, 113 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:49.800 the mayor assured her that the police would be doing 114 00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:53.319 extra patrols in her area and that she had nothing 115 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:56.959 to worry about, and then swiftly moved on to the 116 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:00.639 matter of giving himself a raise at the taxpayer's expense 117 00:07:01.160 --> 00:07:04.839 and speaking no more about her problem. There's a saying 118 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:09.720 that comes to mind about Bobby Jean's problem, misery loves company. 119 00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:13.639 After doing a little digging of my own, I found 120 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:16.920 out that multiple families are up in arms because something 121 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:21.279 similar was happening at their homes. More and more husbands, 122 00:07:21.319 --> 00:07:24.839 wives and children were calling the local police and county 123 00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:29.519 sheriff about large, hairy teenagers trespassing on their property and 124 00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:34.199 stealing the vegetables. Seeing as I had only just moved 125 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:37.079 to South till Oh and started working in IT at 126 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:40.920 a local bank, I just dismissed the ramblings of over 127 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:44.439 excitable moonshiners that tried too much of their own product. 128 00:07:45.160 --> 00:07:47.800 But I can't tell you how wrong I was. Camp. 129 00:07:49.240 --> 00:07:52.720 I have four apple trees in my backyard, each a 130 00:07:52.759 --> 00:07:55.759 different variety, but all of them are sweet and crunchy. 131 00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:59.639 I was looking forward to enjoying the harvest this summer 132 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:04.199 and making all my favorite desserts. Every tree was heavy 133 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:06.480 with apples, and I had made up my mind to 134 00:08:06.519 --> 00:08:10.160 start picking them that Friday night, about two weekends ago. 135 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:14.279 I had just closed my eyes. Friday night. I was 136 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:17.439 about to get some well deserved rest, because working for 137 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:20.560 a bank in the IT department is not a walk 138 00:08:20.600 --> 00:08:23.839 in the park. And that's when I heard something shuffling 139 00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:27.800 around my backyard that woke me up well. I leaned 140 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:29.920 over the drapes and pulled them over a little so 141 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:32.559 I could peek out the window, and that's when I 142 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:37.759 saw them, Cam, I actually saw them. At first, I 143 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:40.639 only saw two of them abusing the tree closest to 144 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:43.000 the house, pulling on the base of the tree and 145 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:46.480 letting it snap back to its erect position. But then 146 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:49.720 I started seeing more become visible as each of the 147 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:53.279 remaining three started making their way into the light of 148 00:08:53.320 --> 00:08:57.279 my yard after crossing through the yards of my neighbors. 149 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:01.200 Now I know for a fact that of my neighbors 150 00:09:01.240 --> 00:09:04.120 have dogs that loved to bark at the slightest noise 151 00:09:04.200 --> 00:09:07.399 or movement. But for some reason, they all took a 152 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:10.600 vote and decided they would remain silent for the night 153 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:14.320 while those squatches beat my apples trees like they owed 154 00:09:14.360 --> 00:09:18.360 them money. Now, I'm not a cowardly man, Cam, but 155 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:21.600 the idea of charging out there to confront those things 156 00:09:21.639 --> 00:09:25.799 in hand to hand combat made my stomach turn. Now 157 00:09:25.799 --> 00:09:28.159 I own a few guns, but nothing in a caliber 158 00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:30.879 that would do more than piss those things off. So 159 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:33.600 I picked up the phone and called the Saltillo Police 160 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:37.759 Department for help. The phone rang for a good five 161 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:40.399 minutes before I gave up and called the Lee County 162 00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:45.559 Sheriff's department. They actually answered the phone, and I told 163 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:48.039 the nice woman that answered about what I was seeing, 164 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:50.600 and I asked her to send help as soon as possible. 165 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:55.399 She replied that I was the seventh call she received 166 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:58.639 about this, and that the reason the police department hadn't 167 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:01.879 answered my call it was because they were all out 168 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:04.360 on patrol looking for the young men they thought were 169 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:09.360 doing these vegetable raids. I explained to her what I saw, 170 00:10:09.720 --> 00:10:12.919 and it didn't look like teenagers, but it was dark outside, 171 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:16.840 so maybe it was a trick of the moonlight. She 172 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:19.879 took down my dress in the neighborhood behind the big 173 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:23.879 blue water tower that says Welcome to Saltillo, and begged 174 00:10:23.879 --> 00:10:27.120 her to send someone in a hurry, and she said 175 00:10:27.159 --> 00:10:29.879 someone would be there shortly and that I should remain 176 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:33.399 inside my home and I followed her instructions and I 177 00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:37.440 hung up the phone. About that time, I heard what 178 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:40.360 sounded like a small war breaking out in my tiny 179 00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:43.879 neighborhood and immediately dropped to the floor to avoid getting 180 00:10:43.960 --> 00:10:47.879 hit by any stray gunfire. But just as fast as 181 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:51.639 it started it was over. I pulled the curtain to 182 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:54.360 the side again to get a peek at what was happening, 183 00:10:54.759 --> 00:10:57.840 and I saw two men in my backyard chopping off 184 00:10:57.879 --> 00:11:01.720 the heads of those young squatches and loudly boasting about 185 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:05.919 getting paid. I found the whole situation beyond strange, but 186 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:09.320 I was happy to see that law enforcement finally got 187 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:14.200 those things. It wasn't until the next morning, when I 188 00:11:14.279 --> 00:11:17.679 drove to the Saltillo Police Department to see if there 189 00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:21.480 was any paperworker sworn affidavits that I needed to sign 190 00:11:22.120 --> 00:11:24.679 that I found out from one of the officers that 191 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:28.279 he had no idea what I was talking about, and 192 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:31.720 that no one from the police department or Sheriff's office 193 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:35.840 had been deployed to my house the last night. I 194 00:11:35.879 --> 00:11:38.840 asked the officer, if it wasn't them or the Sheriff's men, 195 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:42.279 then who were those men and where did the bodies go? 196 00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:46.600 I still haven't got an answer for that question. Camp 197 00:11:47.320 --> 00:11:53.159 yours truly a Steve Lilly fan. What a great email, 198 00:11:53.399 --> 00:11:55.480 What a great email. I could wait to share that 199 00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:58.559 with y'all. Kind of a surprise ending there, So I 200 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:00.639 guess you can all guess who owed up in his 201 00:12:00.759 --> 00:12:04.960 backyard and killed those squatches and took their heads. Maybe 202 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:07.759 you know, maybe you don't. I'll put up an end 203 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:10.720 screen for a hint. How about that. I'll put up 204 00:12:10.759 --> 00:12:12.679 an end screen at the end of this video, and 205 00:12:12.759 --> 00:12:15.840 you can take a guess who showed up in Saltillo 206 00:12:15.960 --> 00:12:21.799 in this man's backyard. My name is Bob, and this 207 00:12:21.879 --> 00:12:25.720 is something that I witnessed forty seven years ago near Dallas, Texas. 208 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:30.039 I was living in Richardson and working at Texas Instruments 209 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:33.200 at the time. That day, when I got off work, 210 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:35.559 I picked up my wife and my two kids, and 211 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:39.559 I headed off to Allan, north of Plaino to visit relatives. 212 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:42.799 As we were driving along, I looked up in the 213 00:12:42.840 --> 00:12:45.559 sky and I noticed a passenger plane that was coming 214 00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:48.919 in really low. I thought that was odd because we 215 00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:53.240 were nowhere near love feel. My wife wondered what I 216 00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:55.759 was looking at, and I pointed it out to her 217 00:12:56.240 --> 00:13:00.559 and I said, this thing doesn't have wings. She looked 218 00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:04.039 it over and agreed. I slowed the car way down 219 00:13:04.120 --> 00:13:07.120 and was mainly just watching this object with my wife 220 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:10.919 and daughter, who was about five at the time. I 221 00:13:10.960 --> 00:13:13.440 finally stopped the car completely and I got out to 222 00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:17.360 have a better look. My wife and daughter weren't very 223 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:20.440 happy about that, but I needed to try and figure 224 00:13:20.440 --> 00:13:24.519 out what I was seeing. It came right up over us, 225 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:27.559 one hundred feet off the ground and maybe two hundred 226 00:13:27.559 --> 00:13:30.600 feet out to the west of us. It had no 227 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:34.360 wings at all and made almost no sound. It just 228 00:13:34.440 --> 00:13:37.559 hovered there for a little while. It was probably only 229 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:41.600 a few seconds, but it seemed longer. My wife and 230 00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:43.679 daughter were both yelling for me to get back in 231 00:13:43.720 --> 00:13:46.639 the car, and so I did, and they just wanted 232 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:50.000 us to get out of there, but the car wouldn't start. 233 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:53.480 I tried several times, and I knew I was going 234 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:55.360 to have to check under the hood to see what 235 00:13:55.519 --> 00:13:59.120 was wrong. As I stepped back out of the car, 236 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:03.200 the object turned two hundred and seventy degrees, lifted up, 237 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:07.600 and it moved off to the west toward Addison. In 238 00:14:07.639 --> 00:14:10.279 a matter of seconds, it was completely out of sight. 239 00:14:11.080 --> 00:14:14.759 It scared the heck out of us. I got back 240 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:17.240 in the car, and this time it started right up 241 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:20.879 with no problem. At this point, we really just wanted 242 00:14:20.919 --> 00:14:24.159 to go home, but our relatives were expecting us, so 243 00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:28.799 we went on. We saw another one before we got there. 244 00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:32.360 This one was round and flat. It was more like 245 00:14:32.440 --> 00:14:37.200 the classic Saucers shape. I stopped again, and even though 246 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:39.440 my wife and daughter were crying for me to stay 247 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:43.200 in the car, I got out again. This time, though 248 00:14:43.240 --> 00:14:47.360 I left the car running. This one came up over us, 249 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:50.840 just like the other one, but a lot closer. There 250 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:53.360 were houses along the road that we were on, and 251 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:55.799 people were out in their yards doing things, but no 252 00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:59.919 one seemed to see this thing. After a minute, it 253 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:03.360 lifted up like the other one and left, going southwest. 254 00:15:04.039 --> 00:15:06.399 Just like the other one, it was gone in seconds. 255 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:10.960 I remember this one making a little more noise. It 256 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:13.960 was an odd sound, like nothing I'd ever heard before. 257 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:18.919 Forty six years later, I've never seen nor heard another one, 258 00:15:19.399 --> 00:15:23.519 and thank God for that. My wife and daughter wouldn't 259 00:15:23.559 --> 00:15:27.039 talk about them at all for a long time. Even 260 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:30.799 now they don't like to. That night at home, we 261 00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:33.360 watched the ten o'clock news to see if anyone had 262 00:15:33.399 --> 00:15:38.080 reported anything. We didn't, but there were hundreds of sightings 263 00:15:38.120 --> 00:15:42.799 reported all around the area. Chase planes were even sent 264 00:15:42.840 --> 00:15:45.320 out three times because they were picked up on the 265 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:50.840 radar at love Field. Since that date, in November of 266 00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:54.440 nineteen seventy three, I have told a few people what 267 00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:59.080 we saw. Mostly they've reacted just like you might expect. 268 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:02.840 I probably should have followed my wife's advice and never 269 00:16:02.919 --> 00:16:06.320 spoke of it again. But your program is a good thing. 270 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:09.279 I decided to send this because there are a lot 271 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:11.799 of things people are not aware of in this world, 272 00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:15.080 and I believe all the governments are keeping them from us. 273 00:16:15.159 --> 00:16:21.000 Thank you for your work. I hope this message finds 274 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:23.600 you well. I have a story I'd like to share. 275 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:27.320 It's an old story from my childhood that new information 276 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:31.279 was recently brought to light. This is the true account 277 00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:34.240 of that event. You may share my story, and you 278 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:37.919 may use my name. My name is Jamie. She gives 279 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:39.720 her last name, but I'm not going to put that 280 00:16:39.799 --> 00:16:44.919 out there. In southeast Ohio, there is an abandoned girl 281 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:48.600 scout camp deep in the forest, miles from nowhere, special 282 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:51.559 with just cornfields and cows as far as the eye 283 00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:56.039 can see. Very few people know it's there, and even 284 00:16:56.120 --> 00:17:00.440 less know what happened to cause the permanent closure. Why 285 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:05.680 Because I was there. I was a scrawny, little scrap 286 00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:09.599 of a girl in the summer of nineteen seventy eight. Now, 287 00:17:09.640 --> 00:17:12.240 don't get the mental picture of a sweet, innocent little 288 00:17:12.279 --> 00:17:16.039 girl in pink ribbons, because that wasn't me. I was 289 00:17:16.119 --> 00:17:19.000 wild and dirty, with hair that hadn't been brushed in 290 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:21.880 way too long, and I was covered in bruises and 291 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:25.400 scrapes from head to toe. I spent all my time 292 00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:28.480 running the backwoods, and at this point I hadn't known 293 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:32.880 fear of anything. It was time for another Girl Scout 294 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:36.119 camping trip out to the falls, and this turned out 295 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:39.119 to be the last camping trip there. It was a 296 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:43.200 bit like boot camp. Our dedicated leader, Patty, was committed 297 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:46.440 to our education of the wiles and growing to be strong, 298 00:17:46.599 --> 00:17:50.960 independent young ladies. I was always grateful for this. When 299 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:54.359 I got older and Patty insisted that we carry our 300 00:17:54.359 --> 00:17:57.799 own gear to the campsite our selves from the parking field. 301 00:17:58.839 --> 00:18:01.559 This was her rule from the very first camping trip, 302 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:04.440 and I swear she did this to weed out any 303 00:18:04.519 --> 00:18:08.200 girly girls from ever coming back. Well it worked, and 304 00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:11.799 many girls did not return for any other camping trips. 305 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:15.319 It was only two miles, but as a forty five 306 00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:18.880 pound kid, it felt like forever. There was a hill 307 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:21.680 in the trail that went straight up for half the journey, 308 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:25.960 and I took this hill as my own personal challenge. 309 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:28.359 I was going to make it without a break ahead 310 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:31.480 of everyone else, even if it killed me. The other 311 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:34.039 girls whine and complained and had to set down their 312 00:18:34.119 --> 00:18:37.960 packs for breaks. Several times. We were all supposed to 313 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:41.400 stop and wait if one stopped, but I refused. I 314 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:44.519 just kept walking. I was determined to conquer the hill. 315 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:48.720 As I reached the top, I saw a snake cross 316 00:18:48.839 --> 00:18:51.480 the trail, and I sat down my pack and I 317 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:54.440 caught my breath, and I tiptoed up to the snake 318 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:56.920 and I grabbed them behind the head, the way I 319 00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:59.839 had done one hundred times before, and I sat down 320 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:02.319 on a huge rock to wait for the other girls. 321 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:05.759 I could hear them still whining and trying to make 322 00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:09.400 their way up the hill. I stroked and admired the 323 00:19:09.400 --> 00:19:12.680 beautiful snake in my hands while tuning out the noise 324 00:19:12.759 --> 00:19:17.119 of my friends. As they became visible, it struck me 325 00:19:17.240 --> 00:19:19.359 how funny it would be if I scared them all 326 00:19:19.400 --> 00:19:23.359 back down the hill using the snake. I smiled at 327 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:26.000 the thought of them having to climb the dreaded hill twice. 328 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:30.599 So that's exactly what I did. My best friend Tracy 329 00:19:30.920 --> 00:19:32.960 was the first of this bunch of girls to clear 330 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:35.400 the top. I held the snake up to her, and 331 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:38.160 she just rolled her eyes and said, you're gonna get bit. 332 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:42.160 The other girls did not disappoint and I ran up 333 00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:44.599 to them with the snake out stretched in my hands, 334 00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:49.920 and they took off like a shot back down the hill, screaming, copperhead, copperhead. 335 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:53.680 I've never seen Patty so mad with her cheeks blazing red, 336 00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:58.319 and sure enough it was a copperhead snake. I didn't 337 00:19:58.359 --> 00:20:01.200 get bit, neither did any some one else, but I 338 00:20:01.240 --> 00:20:04.960 did get in trouble. Once we got back to camp 339 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:07.839 and some of the color had left Patty's face, she 340 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:12.519 handed down my punishment. First I had to clean the outhouses. 341 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:15.279 Then I had to dig the trenches around the tents. 342 00:20:16.279 --> 00:20:19.039 These tents didn't have floors in them, they were just 343 00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:23.319 canvas a framed tents. If we didn't dig the trenches, 344 00:20:23.480 --> 00:20:27.039 the tents would flood if it rained. We slept on 345 00:20:27.119 --> 00:20:30.759 the dirt and I started digging the first trench. I 346 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:33.519 got about three feet in before I decided that I 347 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:37.440 would rather go swimming at the falls instead. They were 348 00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:40.160 located a mile or so from where the campsite was. 349 00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:43.559 When I was sure nobody was looking, I snuck off 350 00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:48.559 by myself. I knew exactly where the falls were. I'd 351 00:20:48.599 --> 00:20:52.359 been there many times before. I took off my shoes 352 00:20:52.359 --> 00:20:55.880 and socks and waded in, just past my knees. I 353 00:20:55.960 --> 00:20:59.640 was unsuccessfully trying to master the art of skipping stones, 354 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:02.839 and that was when I heard a large splash behind me. 355 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:06.680 I jerked around to see, but there was nothing there. 356 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:11.519 I stayed quiet and still, and I listened. I really 357 00:21:11.559 --> 00:21:14.319 thought that I had got caught sneaking off and somebody 358 00:21:14.359 --> 00:21:18.000 had found me. There was another splash right beside me, 359 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:21.559 bigger than the last, and someone was throwing rocks at me. 360 00:21:22.359 --> 00:21:25.319 I remember that I was afraid. It was the first 361 00:21:25.319 --> 00:21:28.319 time I ever felt like that, and my head got 362 00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:31.480 that prickly feeling and I began to sweat. I was 363 00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:35.640 frozen in one spot. I knew something or someone was 364 00:21:35.720 --> 00:21:39.240 watching me, just out of sight. My eyes darted around, 365 00:21:39.240 --> 00:21:42.799 searching for movement. I saw nothing and I heard nothing. 366 00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:47.480 Everything was completely silent, and once my legs caught up 367 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:50.799 to my brain and would move, I ran out, almost 368 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:54.519 forgetting my shoes and leaving my socks behind. I ran 369 00:21:54.599 --> 00:21:57.400 all the way back to the camp. I didn't bother 370 00:21:57.519 --> 00:22:01.319 to be sneaky coming back in my absence wasn't noticed. 371 00:22:02.599 --> 00:22:05.880 I couldn't say anything about what happened without getting myself 372 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:09.240 in trouble, and the rest of the day passed without issue, 373 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:13.519 Thank goodness. There was just that tense sense of being 374 00:22:13.640 --> 00:22:18.480 watched that lingered. The girls were all packed in tents 375 00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:22.359 like sardines. There were five girls in my tent, and 376 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:24.759 my best friend was sleeping in a different tent with 377 00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:28.640 her mom since she came as an extra chaperone. I 378 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:32.359 wasn't welcome in that tent because well, Tracy's mom knew 379 00:22:32.359 --> 00:22:35.599 that I was a demon child and she was having 380 00:22:35.640 --> 00:22:38.079 none of it. Well, I was okay with it since 381 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:40.720 there was no chaperone in my tent and I could 382 00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:45.359 get up to born mischief. I told crazy ghost stories 383 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:48.160 and tried to scare the other girls, thinking it was funny, 384 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:50.960 and at some point we all fell asleep to the 385 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:55.839 rumble of thunder in the distance. I was woken by 386 00:22:55.880 --> 00:23:00.519 something pressing on my throat and bumping my chin. I 387 00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:03.559 was disoriented as I reached up with my hands, but 388 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:07.720 I couldn't touch my neck or face. I was frantically 389 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:10.119 trying to figure out where I was and why I 390 00:23:10.119 --> 00:23:13.680 couldn't get through whatever was blocking my hands, and then 391 00:23:13.720 --> 00:23:18.079 I realized that I was freezing and soaking wet. My 392 00:23:18.200 --> 00:23:20.559 mind caught up enough for me to understand that it 393 00:23:20.599 --> 00:23:24.960 was raining. No, it was storming like a hurricane. It 394 00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:27.880 was pitch black, and my head was stuck inside something, 395 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:30.920 and my body was wet, but my head was dry. 396 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:34.359 It took a few moments for me to comprehend what 397 00:23:34.519 --> 00:23:38.039 was going on. My fingers found purchase under the edge 398 00:23:38.079 --> 00:23:40.680 of the tent and I wiggled my way back inside 399 00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:45.640 where my head was. Somehow I was pulled out of 400 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:48.599 the tent feet first, and my head was too big 401 00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:52.519