Decemystery (2021) 31: Charles Jevington, the Man Who Befriended Aliens

 

This was originally intended to be the capstone entry for last year. However, when it became apparent that my depression was getting increasingly worse, and my desire to write was hitting rock bottom, I scrapped it and replaced it with what would become N.U.G.E.T.. In hindsight, I did like the story since it was really unusual and, in my eyes, is more than worthy of being a capstone entry. At the same time though, it annoys me that I broke my promise to not do any conspiracy theories for that year’s Decemystery.

Granted, I did make up for that with this year’s outing, but at the cost of having a lot of the same topics. I covered a ton of cryptids (which isn’t necessarily abnormal), unexplained events, and a fair few UFO/alien stories. I blame this mostly on me getting a very late start on writing Decemystery; the medication I started taking in October ended up causing me to stop writing for a solid month, so what should have started in August and ended by the end of September or middle of October ended up being dragged out from early November into December. So the statement in the T-Rex write-up about me spending time with the family wasn’t at all true.

Still, in spite of all of that, I still consider this year’s Decemystery to be the best I’ve done. It isn’t perfect, and there are a lot of stories I wish I had the time to do, but I still view it as something I’m truly proud of. It’s more or less what I had wanted last year’s Decemystery to have been. It featured a bunch of stories that I found truly intriguing, and it had me feeling extremely happy with each and every story.

At the same time though, I feel I definitely overused the ObscUrban Legend Wiki for stories. Because of that, if anyone thought that it was lazy of me to simply poach stories from there, I’m truly sorry. I put my heart and soul into each write-up, and I did everything I could to add to those stories, so I wasn’t simply parroting what was written there and calling it a day. I hope I didn’t upset anyone by not trying to find stories from other sources (be it a book, forum, or elsewhere).

So with all of that out of the way, let’s get into today’s story. It’s without a shadow of a doubt one of my favorite unsolved mysteries ever. I precisely remember where I first heard it, but I think it might have been when I was reading an article on Mysterious Universe. If it wasn’t there, it might’ve been something on a website like Listverse.

I digress though. The story in question is that of a man named Charles Jevington. His story is one of the most fantastical to ever be told. It’s a story of a mysterious disappearance, an equally mysterious return, friendship, extraterrestrials, astronomical revelations, and ridicule. So, to end off this year, let’s dive into the story of a man who befriended aliens.

Decemystery (2021) 30: Los Angeles John & Jane Doe (1921–1951)

 

Let’s be honest for a moment: teenagers do some really stupid things. There is absolutely no denying that—it’s kind of a part of being a teen (in my eyes at least). I mean, I did some stupid things. I rebelled against my parents, I acted like I knew everything there was to know, and I thought I could do and say anything I desired without consequences.

That, naturally, backfired, and I learned a lot of harsh lessons.

Lucky for me though, I’ve since learned my lesson (for the most part) and have become a better person. Well, I’ve at least attempted to become a better one. I sure as heck am not perfect by any stretch of the imagination and am still a deeply flawed human being, but I no longer try to pick fights with hornets and light fires inside my own home.

Yes, I actually did the latter one. Admittedly, I did that as a pre-teen, but I thought that fire wouldn’t burn as fast as it actually does.

Err, well, anyways: all of that brings us to today’s story. Teenage tomfoolery/stupidity is the name of the game for today. You see, the Los Angeles John & Jane Doe both made a big oopsy daisy and now have remained unidentified for upwards of a century. Let’s find out why.

Decemystery (2021) 29: The Giant Space Brains of Palos Verdes

Remember when we talked about the Long Prairie Cans? Remember how I said that there were two stories—one of which was the one about the cans—and how I picked both? This was the other one. In hindsight, I should have covered this one before I posted the Gargantuan Globulous, Kinnula Humanoid and Arboreal Abomination write-ups. The only reason I didn’t was I thought this was perfect for one of the final stories. Oh well, no harm, no foul.

Anyways, today’s story is known as the Giant Space Brains of Palos Verdes. With a name like that, it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that it’s not only the craziest extraterrestrial story I’ve come across, but it’s also truly one of the most insane stories I’ve ever come across, period. So come along, it’s finally time we talk about these… things.

Decemystery (2021) 28: The Red Devil-Bat of Chester

Bats are not exactly the most appealing creatures on the planet—in my opinion at least. They’re prone to carrying diseases, they look really creepy, and one once got stuck in my chimney and made a racket because it couldn’t get out. Though hey, some folks like them. To each their own, right? Right.

Anyways, let’s get right down to business. Today’s story will bring us a new kind of bat. It’s called the Red Devil-Bat of Chester (heck of a name), and it lives up to its name. Besides being a devilish creature that scared the bejeezus out of those who saw it, it was also red and from Chester. So let’s get this hellish story on the road!

Decemystery (2021) 27: Octosquatch

Ever look outside and just wonder to yourself, “man, I wonder what lurks out there”? I know I have, but that’s because I have nothing else to really think about outside of whether or not Skull & Bones will ever release.

Seriously, I doubt that game will ever see the light of day.

Back on topic though: I’ve always thought about the forests and oceans of the world and what secrets they hide. Whether they be the Pale Crawlers of the land or the sea serpents of the waters, I’m adamant that there are creatures we don’t know about, that are far more fantastical than just some random hairless bear or log floating around.

Though what about the weirder ones? I mean, Pale Crawlers are already weird, but there are things like El Chupacabra. The bipedal version of it has spikes running down its back and can release a screech that is able to make you fall asleep; it’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard of. Then there are Fleshgaits, which can shapeshift. Indeed, the realm of cryptids can be really outlandish when you move beyond your standard hairy hominids and even hairless humanoids.

Point is: there are some really bizarre cryptids out there, and today’s story is no exception. Known as Octosquatch, this fiend has only been seen once, but the impression it’s left on me is massive. So come along, it’s time for more mysterious goodness!

Decemystery (2021) 26: Peggy and the Giant Talking Cockroach

 

Cockroaches are… not exactly the most appealing insects out there. I’ve only ever seen one in my life and it was outside of a hospital in New York City. It took a moment for me to register what it was since it was out of the corner of my eye, but when I saw it fully, I remember shuddering and thinking it was the ugliest thing I’d ever seen. Thankfully, it was dead (I’m guessing the staff had sprayed it with RAID or it froze to death since I believe this was in autumn/winter).

Of course, that’s just my own little experience with them. I hope I never see one again—and if I’m unfortunate enough to see one, I hope it’s dead. Though I mean, that’s just me; I’m terrified of insects (let alone any creepy-crawly). You, on the other hand, may really like them.

One thing I think we can agree on though is that giant insects aren’t exactly the most pleasant thing to think about. Besides being something straight out of an old-timey B-movie, they’d also likely see us as food. It’s because of that that I’m sorry to say that today’s story, which I call Peggy and the Giant Talking Cockroach, deals with precisely that. This is gonna make my skin crawl.

Decemystery (2021) Bonus Entry: Who Bought the One Opening Weekend Ticket to See “The Worst Movie Ever!”?

 

Merry Christmas, dear reader! If you don’t celebrate Christmas, fear not! I shall raise a glass of eggnog in your honor.

When I was trying to pick out a bonus entry for today, I was honestly quite stumped. I had a few really, really great ideas, but I couldn’t pick one. They all felt a bit too “mainline entry” for me; I prefer to have the bonus entries be something “out there” and obtuse than worth talking about.

It wasn’t until I was reading about the biggest box office bombs in history that I found a story that I thought fit the bill perfectly. Back in 2011, a film was released called “The Worst Movie Ever!”. It ultimately grossed $25,000 against a budget of $1,100. While technically not a flop by any stretch of the imagination, the film was mentioned because it beat out Zyzzyx Road for the record for “Worst Opening Weekend Ever”.

You see, this movie grossed a meager $11 on its opening weekend; one ticket was sold on the Saturday it premiered. Zyzzyx Road, meanwhile, grossed $30 (though some say it was $20). While that may not seem mysterious, nobody knows who the sole single ticket buyer is (or was). So today, we’re going to ask one simple question and attempt to answer it: Who Bought the One Opening Weekend Ticket to See “The Worst Movie Ever!”?

Decemystery (2021) 25: Eliza Battle

 

Each year, I always do a story involving a ship of some sort. This year, however, I came very close to not doing so. I was feeling really unmotivated and most of the mysterious ships I could find were either over done (The Kaz II and Sarah Joe for example), or simply weren’t interesting (like the MV Kairali). Luckily, at the last minute, I came across one: the Eliza Battle. I’d actually heard of this story a few years back, but totally forgotten about it. When I was skimming through the Wikipedia page on it, my eyes lit up; it was perfect. So come along, board the S.S. Vertigo once more and enjoy the beautiful, crystal-clear ocean once again. It’s time to head on over to Alabama and cover a ghost ship on fire!

Decemystery (2021) 24: The Campfire Creature/Louisiana Swamp Monster/Arizona Camp Monster

The ObscUrban Legend Wiki is home to a lot of stories (you needn’t look further than how many times I’ve mentioned it this month), and it’s where I found today’s story. However, swear that I’ve seen it before; it was likely on a scary video compilation on YouTube. I just can’t pin down which channel included it. Oh well, no use in trying to remember something that isn’t important. Sit around the campfire, dear reader. This is the story of the Campfire Creature… or the Louisiana Swamp Monster… or the Arizona Camp Monster… I’ll explain in a bit.

Decemystery (2021) 23: The Signal of Isla Han Samar

Today’s story is yet another one from the Forteana Map. It, much like the story of the “Elevator Riddle”, has virtually nothing on it. However, I opted to still cover it for two reasons. The first is that I wanted something else that was rather easy to cover (I stand by the excuse I gave when talking about the Elevator Riddle: I’ve had a rough year, please cut me a break). The second is that it doesn’t appear that anyone—not even Dead Rabbit Radio—has talked about this story. So, I figured it could be fun to be the first person to cover it.

At least, I believe I’m the first person to have covered it. If I’m not, I feel silly for missing whoever did. They didn’t appear in either Google or Bing’s search results, no matter how many times I tried to look up information on this story.

Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start from the beginning. This is the story of the Signal of Isla Han Samar.

Decemystery (2021) 22: Pale Crawlers

 

Hm… I don’t really know how to properly construct an introduction to today’s story. Call it laziness, call it brain fog, but I find it hard to properly introduce something like Pale Crawlers to someone. A lot of younger folks—or people from my generation—would likely immediately recognize them based on their appearance since they resemble the creepypasta character “The Rake”. However, truth is, the two aren’t anything alike—as far as we know at least. Though I’m getting ahead of myself. Rather than sit here and dilly-dally, I want to jump right into the story because these creatures are some of my favorites to talk about with my friends. So let’s get started… NOW!

Decemystery (2021) 21: Las noches del Hombre Lobo (AKA: Nights of the Werewolf)

It’s the first day of winter! Woo-hoo; time to celebrate with… another story.

Sometime last year, I was talking to one of the owners of the YouTube channel “Debunk File”. I’m decently close to him and send him ideas on videos to make—typically ones that I have no interest in doing, or simply think are better suited for his channel. Those stories tend to be Internet mysteries and unsolved crimes which I don’t believe I can do justice to.

Alas, not every story that I pick ends up becoming a video. That’s the case with the mysterious lost film Las noches del Hombre Lobo (AKA: Nights of the Werewolf). I had proposed this to Jif—who edits and writes for Debunk File (and more or less serves as the face of the channel)—and he took quite a liking to it. However, he ultimately turned it down as he couldn’t find enough information on it.

As such, I had contemplated writing about it for last year’s Decemystery, but I myself decided to forego it in favor of writing about London After Midnight, which is widely regarded as the Holy Grail of lost films. I primarily did this since I wanted to see if I could add to Debunk File’s own video on the movie. I’m personally happy with how my own write-up came out and because of that, it motivated me to cover Nights of the Werewolf. So let’s get to it!

Decemystery (2021) 20: The Arboreal Abomination

 

I would be lying like a snake oil salesman if I said I didn’t pick this story partly because its name sounds really cool. Admittedly, that’s also probably really dumb of me because that means I’m going in completely blind and hoping that the story is interesting enough to work with. Lucky for me, the only prerequisite for a vast majority of the stories I cover is that they end up being at least 1,000 words long, so it all works out in the end.

Known as the Arboreal Abomination, today’s story is one that takes us down to the nation of Peru. It’s also one of the more obscure and lesser known stories involving an extraterrestrial. So come along, it’s time to talk about our friends from the stars once more.

Decemystery (2021) 19: Shirtwood Forest

Forests, to me, have a very creepy air to them. You’re potentially miles from civilization and you have to be on the lookout for wildlife that may not take too kindly to strangers in their territory. That, coupled with the many legends that surround forests (be it shapeshifting creatures, demonic bipeds, or regular old Bigfoot-type creatures), and you’ve got yourself a place that can make you become really paranoid. Though even if we’re to ignore all of that, there’s something about forests that can be really eerie. I think it’s the fact that they’re generally very quiet. That always puts some folks (myself included) on edge.

There’s more to forests than just legends though. A great many killers have used them to dispose of their victims, treasures can be buried there, and the Blair Witch calls one her home. Though for today, we aren’t here to discuss any of that. No, today, we’re here to talk about something a lot more innocuous, yet simultaneously unsettling—in my opinion at least. I found the story on the ObscUrban Legend Wiki (because I apparently can’t find stories anywhere else) and the High-Strangeness Wiki. It’s known as Shirtwood Forest, and it’s a really bizarre… thing. So come along, it’s time to go clothes shopping.

Decemystery (2021) 18: The Saviors of Doris Smith

I added and removed this story from this year’s schedule so many times, it was like I was playing hot potato with it. It’s not like it’s a controversial or bleak story—quite the opposite in fact. It’s an extremely upbeat and quite fascinating one.

No, the only reason I contemplated not doing it was because I’m an indecisive person who can’t settle on anything until after he’s done writing it. This story just so happened to be at the receiving end of me repeatedly trying to find a replacement story. Alas, I couldn’t think of any and in hindsight, it’s kind of silly of me because it was one of the very first stories I picked out for this year’s Decemystery back in January.

Anyways, just like the mysterious money in Matt and Wendy Jameson’s backyard, today’s story will make us all feel really happy (at least, I think it will). This is the story of the Saviors of Doris Smith.

Decemystery (2021) 17: The Kinnula Humanoid

First things first: here’s a random fun fact for you. This is the last intro I’m writing—and it’s on December 12th, not long before this story goes up. Really good job on my part for doing these stories out of order, but that isn’t even the best part.

No, the best part is I have no idea where I originally found this story. I was scrolling through my list of mysteries that I have, and I noticed the name. It caught my eye because stories that involve the word “humanoid” always intrigue me, so I had to know. When I looked up the name, I was greeted with results from the ObscUrban Legend Wiki, the Cryptidz Wiki, and the It’s Something Wiki. That kind of answered where I found it, but which one it specifically was from is beyond me. For the sake of keeping in with the fact I’ve found nearly every story from the ObscUrban Legend WIki this month, we’ll say that that’s where I found it.

Anyways, the thing that brought back memories of what this story was about was when I saw this image, plus the one you can see as the header. It was the image that I hyperlinked that reminded me of what the story was, and why I picked it. It was a good old alien sighting, and I live for them!

Still, that wasn’t the biggest reason I picked it. No, that reason goes to the fact that I have a friend from Finland. Last year, I’d had her pick out a story that I was going to cover for that year’s Decemystery, but I didn’t. Then, I had thought about doing it this year, but I didn’t because it would’ve taken too much time to do. So I scrapped it and have no idea when I’ll get around to covering it (especially since I have some plans for next year). So, I opted to do this story for her.

So come along, dear reader. It’s time to talk about the green scuba suit extraterrestrial known as the Kinnula Humanoid. And to my dear friend: I hope you enjoy this.

Decemystery (2021) 16: The Dog That Jumped Out of the Wall

Dogs: they’re called man’s best friend. They’re loyal, loving, can be hunting partners, and will protect their owner to the death. Sure, not every dog is a saint (some are closer to Cujo), but by and large, dogs are great animals and are fantastic with people of all ages. Well, so long as they aren’t pit bulls.

That said, dogs have a lot of superstition and enigmas around them. Whether they be the infamous Black Shuck or the fantastically named “Snake-Headed Dog”, you can count on there being something strange involving our furry-friends if you look long enough into anything cryptozoological or paranormal/supernatural.

Today’s story has to do with the latter; this is a supernatural story through and through. I call it the Dog That Jumped Out of the Wall. What drew me to it? Well, the name; you can sell me on nearly anything if the name is crazy enough. Now that you know that one of my friends will send me the craziest possible story and say, “please write about this”. Ah well, whatever; let’s begin!

Decemystery (2021) 15: The Money in Matt and Wendy Jameson's Backyard

Amidst a sea of really absurd and depressing mysteries, it’s sometimes hard to remember that there are stories out there which are more uplifting or light-hearted in nature. Today, I want to take a moment to bring attention to one. It’s short and doesn’t involve anything more than a strange event which began as quickly as it ended. This is the story of the Money in Matt and Wendy Jameson’s Backyard.

Decemystery (2021) 14: Gargantuan Globulous

 

Ayy, I’ve been wanting to cover this story ever since I found it. Rather than waste time on setting up any sort of atmosphere/tone, I wanna just dive right in. This is the Gargantuan Globulous. Man, I adore that name!

The Story

There are two main sources for this story: the ObscUrban Legend Wiki and Cryptopia. The former has a much shorter version of events, while the latter goes into more detail, so for the most part, I’ll be citing from that one. Still, I wanted to make mention of both since the former is where I initially found this story (which can be said for the vast majority of this month).

Our story begins on October 4, 1965, in northern Argentina. Three kids—Luis Ramirez, Maria Abela Cabana, and Rosa Carbajal—were outside, enjoying the lovely autumn day. At one point, they decided to go get some water. While on their way there, they saw something.

That something, according to the kids—who later told their encounter to some journalists from a Buenos Aires’ newspaper named “La Cronica Matutina”—was a very large, spherical creature. The color if it isn’t specified, nor are any possible details as to what it may have looked like (e.g., if it appeared to be jelly-like, sponge-like, or gooey). There’s no information on if it had eyes, a mouth, or anything inside of it (which leads me to believe this wasn’t a transparent or translucent creature).

As for what they saw when they encountered it, that’s a real head turner (in my eyes anyways). The trio said that it was rolling on the ground—and very quickly at that. As it did so, it kicked up a large amount of dust and dirt, creating a cloud around it. After some time, the creature simply vanished. At no point did any of them attempt to approach it or throw anything at it. They simply watched in disbelief as this giant glob spun around on the ground.

That’s where the story ends unfortunately. Although the trio had their encounter publicized, no one else ever encountered the creature themselves; it appears that the creature known as the Gargantuan Globulous disappeared as mysteriously as it arrived. That isn’t to say there aren’t theories though, just that it came and went like time. So let’s get onto the theories.

Decemystery (2021) 13: Ina Jane Doe

 

I’m not going to lie, I have no idea how to do an introduction for this story. I’ve sat here trying out various things, but I always come up thinking it isn’t very attention grabbing. No, I think the only thing that would grab one’s attention is the reconstruction of the woman known as Ina Jane Doe. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t drawn to the story primarily because of said reconstruction, but I digress. Let’s just jump in, because this is a really delightful story. That’s sarcasm by the way.

Decemystery (2021) 12: The Elevator Riddle

Obscurity is something that I believe has gotten me the most microscopic level of fame. Sometimes, when I look up certain stories I’ve written about, I notice that my blog is either the top search result, or on the first page. It always fills me with happiness. However, at the same time, I feel kind of weird about it. I tend to not think of myself as anyone special, and I often just parrot a lot of what I see written on other websites.

Still, the level of joy outweighs that thought—and it’s a very, very, very minor reason why I wanted to cover today’s tale. Known as the Elevator Riddle, this is a story that… honestly doesn’t really feel like it can be properly described in any meaningful way. So let’s just jump right into it.

Decemystery (2021) 11: The Long Prairie Cans

 

Why hello there, dear reader. Welcome back to Decemystery. As always, I am your host: Vertigo. Today, for our 250th blog post, we’re gonna go ahead and explore a story most unusual.

The realm of UFOs and aliens is one ripe with ridiculously strange tales. We’ve seen that already with the story of the Ririe Carjackers (which we covered in 2019’s Decemystery), the aliens who decided to try and sell a random man on their delectable pancakes (which we covered last year), and the Dade City flower alien encounter (which we also covered last year).

Those three stories were all quite bizarre in their own unique way (though I think the Ririe Carjacker story is the weirdest of the bunch). So for this year, I decided to try and find one that could rival such a story. Needless to say, it was actually quite hard—and it’s not because there weren’t any stories that rivaled it. No, it’s actually because there are an insanely large amount of them, so picking just one was incredibly difficult.

Lucky for me though, I managed to come to find one, but I decided I would save it for the tail-end of this month. For now, though, I think we should talk about the Long Prairie Cans. Grab a beer (if you’re old enough to drink) too, because it may just be an alien!

Decemystery (2021) 10: The Enfield Horror

 

At the time of this writing, I want to just say that I’ve been reading a lot on TVTropes. Great site if you’ve never visited it; lots and lots of fun. Though I guess that’s not the point of today’s story. No, the point of today’s story is a cryptid—one of the most fascinating and confounding.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that throughout the world, there are reports of weird creatures. A lot can be explained away as misidentifications of known animals; someone sees, say, a bear or wild dog, but because it’s night: they mistake it for Bigfoot or some sort of hellhound (or El Chupacabra). Though every now and then, there’s a creature which is reported that is a bit too… odd; one that’s so bizarre in its appearance, along with the circumstances that surround its initial sighting, that you can’t help but tilt your head in confusion.

That’s where the Enfield Horror comes in. If I were to make a top ten list for “most bizarre looking cryptids”, this would be in the top five. Though there are plenty of folks out there who say that it’s all perfectly explainable and can be rationalized. Is that truly the case? Well, let’s find out; it’s time to head on over to Illinois and talk about a story that’s been on my radar since 2019!

Decemystery (2021) 9: The Flying Mist Mattress

Every now and then, I find it really fun to pick something out that’s really weird to cover. I’m pretty sure I’ve said that before, but I don’t care: it’s good to always remind people (and to tell newcomers to this blog). So for today, I want to cover something I found that’s called the Flying Mist Mattress. No real introduction needed; I think the name speaks for itself.

Decemystery (2021) 8: The Bashkortostan Creature

Russia’s a hotbed for sightings of mysterious creatures. Dire wolves, mammoths, and aliens are but a few of the enigmas that have been seen over there. Though above all else, the nation is known for a ton of sightings of hairy hominids. Many of them come from Siberia, though Russia as a whole is no stranger to seeing the infamous Yeti. Sure, the Yeti itself may be from Himalayan folklore officially, but the name is used to describe more or less any snowy mountain-dwelling Bigfoot.

Anyways, for today’s story, we’re headed over to Russia to investigate something known as the Bashkortostan Creature. This is something you might be familiar with if you’re a bit fan of mystery-centric YouTube channels or happen to watch the Travel Channel show “Paranormal Caught On Camera”. It’s a rather famous video from the mid-2010s that managed to make the news. So come along, dear reader! It’s time to put on our winter clothes and investigate a Yeti!

Decemystery (2021) 7: The Jetpack Men of Kazakhstan and Los Angeles

Jetpacks are really fun to think about. You strap ‘em on and with the press of a button, you can take off into the sky and fly around. It’s almost like you’ve got wings, except you need not flap them to keep soaring. Nay, you just hold that button down and rise up. Finally, short people can reach the top shelf at the local Wal-Mart!

In real life, jetpacks do exist, but their usage is rather limited and as far as I’m aware, they aren’t something you can easily purchase. A quick Google search yields that a JB10 Jetpack, made by the Jetpack Aviation Company, costs a staggering $290,000 over here in the United States. Meanwhile, their JB11 Jetpack has a starting price of #340,000. So I guess if you’re filthy rich, you could buy one, but I doubt it’ll come in much use in your day-to-day life.

With that said, jetpacks would have quite a bit of use in the military and certain other fields. After all, having an aerial advantage over your land-restricted enemy would be amazing. Though again, I don’t believe there’s ever been a scenario where a jetpack unit has been deployed into a warzone. Hopefully one day, I can hear about how Delta Force defeated some bad guys while dabbing through the air.

I digress; let’s get to the point. While jetpacks are a reality, but not to the full extent that your favorite piece of entertainment media may showcase, there have been some weird encounters with folks using jetpacks. In fact, there are two stories from two areas—at two separate times in history—involving “Jetpack Men”. So come along, let’s talk about the Jetpack Men of Kazakhstan and Los Angeles.

Decemystery (2021) 6: The Clown in the Woods

Today’s story was one which I really hadn’t planned on doing. You see, unlike the past three years, I wrote this Decemystery completely out of order; I just went with whatever I wanted, picked a date in December, and slapped decided that that was when that story would be posted. So when I got around to this story, it was towards the end of November. Nothing really special there, except for one little thing: the website Snopes had recently done an article on this picture. So I wasn’t entirely sure if I should cover it since, well, I didn’t want to seem like I was hopping on some sort of bandwagon.

Though the more I read over the articles Snopes had done, the more it became apparent that their piece on the topic was very inconclusive. There were a lot of lingering questions on my mind and I decided that I would look into the story for myself. To my surprise, there were some things that they omitted that no other website had talked about. That’s because nearly every other website that had an article on today’s story—which is typically referred to as The Clown in the Woods—didn’t add anything new. Instead, they simply copied and pasted the Snopes article and posted it.

Because of this, I decided that I’d take it upon myself to do some snooping around to see if I could come to any definitive conclusion. Yeah, that’s kind of arrogant of me given that I’m anything but a good researcher—let alone a detective—but I thought that this story could use a more analytical look (especially since it seems that there’s never been anything of that sort done outside of, well, Snopes). So come along, dear reader, it’s time we put on our Sherlock Holmes cap and get to work. This is the story that I like to call “The Clown Who Was Clowning Around in the Woods”.

Decemystery (2021) 5: The Disappearance of Ellen Patricia Bresch

 

Author's Note: a family member of Ellen's left a comment on February 4, 2024, regarding her husband's death. In the write-up, I said that his cause of death was unknown; as it turns out, he passed away due to diabetes. I thought I would clear that up here, rather than leave it unaddressed, unless you read the comments.

Ah, true crime. It’s my favorite thing—at least next to consuming product and getting excited for next products. It’s a really fascinating world to dive into, especially when you find something really obscure. Coincidentally, that’s exactly what today’s story is: something obscure and, as far as I can tell, not really talked about anywhere big. It’s about a woman named Ellen Patricia Bresch. A seemingly ordinary woman who made one really unordinary move prior to disappearing. So come along, dear reader, it’s time for us to take a trip to Kentucky and see what happened on one fateful night.

Decemystery (2021) 4: The Spectral Moose of Maine

 

Welcome back to my blog! Today, we’re taking a trip to Maine, the home state of United States Senator Susan Collins and horror icon Stephen King. Fun fact: they live on the same street and, amusingly, King absolutely loathes Collins. Now that that fun fact is out of the way, let’s just get straight to the point.

Two years ago, I covered the story of the “Ghost Mammoth”. Last year, I had thought about covering another ghostly animal, but real life hindered that. This year, however, I shall redeem myself by covering the Spectral Moose of Maine. Also, let’s just pretend that the header image above is of a ghostly moose and not just a regular one. Sorry, I didn’t feel like poaching an image from one of today’s sources. Anywhoozle: let us begin!