Decemystery (2024) 31: The Boy Who Lost His Memory of October

 

It’s New Year’s Eve. That time of the year when you can plan your New Year’s Resolution, only to abandon it a few days later because, let’s face it, old habits die hard. That’s why my resolution for 2025 is not to plan a single thing for this blog; I’ll just play it by ear.

But that’s for tomorrow. Today is the last day of Decemystery 2024, and I’d say we’ve had quite a unique ride. We’ve talked about tall aliens, a mummy, a talking cat, the Easter Bunny, and headless aliens!

And I can’t say I remember writing any of it.

No, that isn’t hyperbole. Just like last year, the fact I went from story to story without a real break in between means that everything feels like a blur at best. At worst, I straight-up can’t recall writing the article because I did it in a frenzied state where I was exhausted.

That’s what makes today’s case so interesting to me. It was one that I came across by pure chance, but it fits that feeling so well. In a way, it embodies what 2024 has been for me: A year that I cannot remember.

Serving as the capstone entry for Decemystery 2024 is the story of The Boy Who Lost His Memory of October. Where did the rest of the intro go? I lost it, along with my memory of 2024. Now, come along; let’s wrap this up so I can go back to playing Granblue Fantasy Relink.

Decemystery (2024) 30: The Singularity Tape

 

At the start of this month, I said I wanted to find five of the weirdest conspiracies possible to outdo the ones I covered last year. I wanted maximum strangeness across the board, and I think I achieved that quite well.

On December 8, I covered “The McDonald’s Blob,” which I think ended up being one of this month’s best write-ups. It was brisk fun, and I had an absurdly good time covering it. Also, I got to cover some of the urban legends surrounding a fast-food chain, which is something I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do.

On December 16, I covered “bubbles.avi,” which was also a “purge survivor,” as I mentioned when I covered “We’re Gonna Be a Family Again Soon.” I only now realized that. I’ve been working on Decemystery 2024 since August, and I only now realized that there was a crossover between those two. 

Anyway, on December 22, I covered “The Day the Earth Screamed,” which I think was one of the weakest write-ups this month. I know that a lot of my friends and family members tell me not to be so hard on myself, but I was suffering from severe burnout at that time, and I had practically no motivation. Oh well, that’s in the past; there’s no point in lingering on what can’t be undone.

Well, until I inevitably rewrite the story to give it the treatment it deserves.

The fourth and most recent case was “Apollo 11 Landed on the Wrong Moon,” which was planned to be the capstone write-up for this year. However, as is the case with me, plans change. Sometimes, they change so much that the entire capstone is swapped out.

Those four stories are all absolutely bonkers in their own right, especially the one about Apollo 11. I’d say it’s the weirdest of the five, but that doesn’t diminish today’s story by any stretch of the imagination. No, today’s write-up is fantastical fun in its own right.

Known as The Singularity Tape, this is a short tale that I wanted to cover because it’s the second Conspiracy Iceberg story to center around found footage; the first was last year’s “VCR Wife.” Also, I have covered shockingly few mysteries featuring found footage. I really need to change that.

Anyway, come along, dear reader; Decemystery 2024’s penultimate write-up serves as the Conspiracy Iceberg’s swan song for this year. Let’s leap into Michigan’s singularity together and learn the truth about a videotape that defies space and time all at once…

Ah, nuts, I just realized I have to discuss the Michigan Blue Hell now. Granblue Fantasy Relinked is going to have to wait.

Decemystery (2024) 29: The Red-Furred... Thing

Some of you may be wondering what’s up with that header image. Well, allow me to explain it to you, dear reader.

I want everyone to know that I am writing this roughly 14 hours after the previous write-up. If you didn’t read that unhinged diatribe of mayhem and joy, I spent 15 hours on the road yesterday and wrote the article over the span of a mere 3 hours.

I thought that I would pass out the second I was second. I was wrong. I was awake until 1:30 in the morning; I was up for 23 and a half hours because I was riding a bipolar-induced high from the frenetic writing I did (which I mentioned in the conclusion of the write-up).

Thankfully, melatonin was there to save the day—albeit less than I usually take. That’s likely why I went to bed later than I should have, but oh well. It took a while, but I did sleep for nine hours. It was nice and comfy underneath my blanket. It was less nice and comfy in my borderline fever-dream-infested mind.

It was even less nice when I woke up.

Holy crap, I woke up with the worst headache imaginable. It felt like a gorilla was using my head as a punching bag. I have no idea if I caught something over the holidays or if it’s just the lack of proper sleep, but it feels like Death took a holiday in my skull.

Normally, that would be grounds for not writing and instead resting so I get better. However, as my friends will tell you, I do not understand the concept of “getting proper rest” when I am sick. Why is that? Because I get highly irritable and restless when I am not doing something.

That means it’s time for “Physically Unwell Storytime with Vertigo,” presented by a bottle of Tylenol. So, what’s today’s story? What do I, a man who feels like utter trash, have in store for you, dear reader?

Something that gives me a headache on its own.

This case was on the cusp of being axed because I simply wasn’t sure if I felt like covering another cryptid case. But then I realized that might be a good way to exert the frustration I’m feeling from the headache. So, come along; take a seat outside of my plastic bubble while I tell you about The Red-Furred… Thing.

What, is that an abrupt lead-in to the write-up? So is a rapid-onset of post-Christmas sickness.

Decemystery (2024) 28: The Head-scratching Encounter with Headless Aliens

 

So, yesterday, I said I had scrapped two stories. One of them was an absolutely wild and crazy story involving extraterrestrials. In truth, I could have covered it, but I’d prefer it if I had a few days to work on it. As it stands, I’m writing these articles the day before they go up.

However, I did want to somehow keep my word by providing one final whacky foray into the realm of aliens—even if it wasn’t the story I’d planned to cover. Lucky for me, I had no shortage of stories to pick from!

While most think of Greys when they think of extraterrestrials, the truth is that there are numerous types of aliens in ufology. Don’t believe me? Go look at the “UFO/Aliens” tag on this blog. Alternatively, go look at the intro to “The 8-foot-tall Alien of Fort Wayne,” where I listed out a bunch of cases I’ve covered.

When deciding on which case to go with, I considered going to the database of the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) to poach a story that sounded odd.

However, I quickly opted against that when I was browsing through my Google documents. Yes, just like the other day with “The Ghost Who Took a Pair of Socks,” my own archive came to the rescue. How quaint.

Just like the story mentioned earlier, this one was planned for last year’s Decemystery duology and even briefly on the schedule for this year—I think. It might’ve been one that got added and subsequently removed about a dozen times because I can be woefully indecisive.

Today, dear reader, we’ll be taking a look at… well, just read the title of the write-up. Despite the lack of a head, it speaks for itself. If you’re unable to hear its voice, it’s known as the case of The Head-scratching Encounter with Headless Aliens! Now, strap in, dear reader, because this is going to get oh-so-delightfully weird—and absolutely ridiculous.

Decemystery (2024) 27: The Bent Key

 

Well, this is disappointing. Today’s story was intended to be about something that I had teased in the inaugural write-up for this month. It was the story of a mother and son (or daughter; I’m pretty sure I got the details wrong) who shared the same dream. I was quite eager to cover the story until I realized I had 27 pages of material I needed to comb through.

The story I had planned for today originates from the Forteana Forums. I cannot—by any stretch of the imagination—write the entire thing in one go without sacrificing my physical and mental well-being. I may be willing to push myself past my limits, but this would’ve required me to stay up for over 24 hours if I wanted to put a dent in the story. As such, I’ve opted to put it—along with an absolutely bonkers UFO case—on the back burner until next year.

To say that I’m disappointed would be an understatement; I hate that I teased not one but two write-ups and had to yank them at the last second because I didn’t think to cover them sooner. But, hey, it’s not the first time that I’ve had to make schedule changes. I know it won’t be the last, either.

So, how does that tie into today’s write-up? Well, initially, I had no real worthwhile replacement. Given I had to make this change at the very last moment (I’m serious; I was at a Christmas get-together when I made the change), I had no idea what I’d do.

Ultimately, I decided I’d grab a random story from About—my favorite go-to source for random stuff to cover and call it a day—and hope that the apology I gave would be good enough. Yeah, I know that isn’t the best look, but I’m stressed beyond belief, and my brain isn’t exactly “all there.”

However, everything changed when I stumbled across one case: The Bent Key. At first glance, that title is about as uninteresting, lame, and innocuous as can be. In fact, it sounds like it doesn’t belong on a website like About, which has hosted such baffling cases as “The 20-foot-tall Monster in Montana” and “One Man’s Conversation with a Cat.”

To a degree, that assessment would be correct. This story isn’t as wild or outlandish as the other stories I’ve covered from there. However, it has one thing every other case lacks. What is that thing? Well, why should I spoil it? Come along, dear reader; let’s dive into the case of one man’s bent key and see what makes this special.

Decemystery (2024) 26: The Ghost Who Took a Pair of Socks

 

Here’s an odd story: I was looking through my Google documents to see if there would be an easy case to cover. As I’ve made explicitly clear a multitude of times throughout this month, I’ve been strapped for time—and this has been no more apparent than right now. I’m writing this on Christmas Eve; it’ll likely be finished tomorrow, the day before it goes up.

Anyway, while looking through old documents, I came across this one. I barely remembered, and I can’t even recall why it wasn’t deleted.

I’m serious; I have no recollection of this story outside of it briefly being considered for last year’s Decemystery duology. It isn’t on sustained_disgust’s Obscure Unsolved Mysteries Iceberg. I don’t recall telling any of my friends about it. It’s just here, in a document, with one sentence that was written on November 30, 2023. It reads as follows:

Okay, so I had no plans to cover another story from “It Happened To Me,” but I found one mere minutes ago that was way too good to pass up.

Well, a year later, I guess the story wasn’t as good as my younger self thought it to be.

Or maybe it is, and I didn’t give it a fair chance. Today, I want to find out with you, dear reader. This month has been filled with a lot of twists and turns, but none will be more unique than exploring a remnant from last year’s Decemystery duology that even I, the writer of these articles, forgot the origin of.

So, I invite you to accompany me over to the United Kingdom as we investigate a weird ghost story that sounds closer to a comedy short. This is the case of The Ghost Who Took a Pair of Socks. I’d tell you to hold onto your socks, but I don’t want to attract the specter we’re looking into.

Hey, where’d my socks go?

Decemystery (2024): Bonus Entry: Apollo 11 Landed on the Wrong Moon

 

This write-up is dedicated to my friends, family, and to you, dear reader. Thank you all for your patience, understanding, and unwavering support. I hope I can one day make it up to you all.

Hello, dear reader! Merry Christmas! If you don’t celebrate Christmas, then happy holidays! Regardless of how you celebrate today, I hope your day has been fantastic. My day has been great, if exhausting.

Anyway, it’s Christmas Day, which means it’s time for us to go ahead and start up this year’s Decemystery Bonus Entry. For those who are new to this blog, the “Bonus Entry” is what I consider a “Christmas gift” from me to you, dear reader! 

Now, originally, I had a much different story picked out. However, it was way too big to cover in such a time timeframe. In fact, I’m amazed I even considered the original tale. I’ll hopefully get around to it next year because I’m a huge fan of it and the various mysteries that surround it.

After that, I considered another Conspiracy Iceberg entry, which would’ve brought the total number of stories from there up to six instead of the promised five. However, I quickly scrapped it because I didn’t feel confident enough in my abilities to finish it in time. Again, I’ll hopefully cover it next year. But it isn’t a top priority of mine.

That left me in a bit of a bind because as the deadline for Decemystery 2024 looms over my head like an executioner’s axe, I needed a story—and I needed it now. I didn’t want to pick any old story since Bonus Entries are often something special to me; they’re meant to be cases that I think are extra special and unique.

Unfortunately, most of the stories I have left didn’t fit the criteria in question. The keyword there is “most” because two of them did. One of them is one I’ve teased a couple of times this month. The other was the capstone entry for this month.

I went with the latter.

Yes, that’s right. Today’s story was intended to be the final entry for Decemystery 2024. However, I’ve opted to shift it to the Bonus Entry spot. To be honest, I think it fits both perfectly well. It’s got all of the requirements: It’s zany, baffling, outlandish, and just plain silly. I love it, baby!

So, for Decemystery 2024’s Bonus Entry, I invite you, dear reader, to come along and take a trip with me to the Moon! It’s up there where our penultimate journey to the Conspiracy Iceberg shall occur; it’s time to discuss the idea that Apollo 11 Landed on the Wrong Moon!

Decemystery (2024) 25: “We’re Gonna Be a Family Again Soon.”

 

When I made Decemystery 2024’s schedule, the plan was to have it be the biggest and best one ever, complete with stories that would leave you absolutely floored. This didn’t happen for reasons I’ve made abundantly clear throughout this month; I’ve bemoaned my mental health enough to where I’m sick of seeing the words get typed. Despite that, I still type them. Why? Don’t ask questions I can’t provide answers to, dear reader.

As a result of those issues, I uprooted the entire schedule but kept five of the original stories. The first was “The Triangle Creature,” which I only kept because of the name. Seriously, that name is amazing.

The second was “The Man From the Box,” which I was so close to not covering. Funnily enough, I also think it’s one of the main reasons why I fell behind schedule. It took a while to write, and while it was fun in hindsight, it also screwed me over badly.

Anyway, the third story was “bubbles.avi,” and I just now realized that I missed the opportunity to make a Bubble Buddy joke in the write-up. You know, the character from that one episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. I mentioned SpongeBob in the meme theory, but I failed to make the most obvious joke! This is what happens when you’re racing against the clock.

The fourth and most recent “purge survivor,” as I’ve called these write-ups, is “The Hawaiian Chupacabra,” which I think is one of the best articles I’ve ever done. I’m still so happy with it, even if I did digress quite a lot when discussing the Chupacabra itself.

Those four stories are the ones that survived the “purge.” Now, at long last, it’s time for the fifth one…

Which was actually scrapped because I fell behind schedule. Well, the original story was.

Yes, in a year filled with schedule changes, the original fifth survivor was taken out behind the shed and Old Yeller’d with some buckshot. I then had to dig up the corpse of another story to take its place—and that wording was not intended, given what you’re going to read later. My subconscious is screwing with me, and it’s only 2:36 in the afternoon.

Anyway, the story I opted to dredge up is from 4chan. Yes, we’ll be revisiting the site that I had no plans to revisit after I wrote about “A 4channer’s Disturbing VHS Discovery.” Why? Because I refuse to lose to the concept of time. I am far too arrogant to lose to clocks and calendars, dang it!

So, how do I intend to celebrate Christmas Day with you before we get to the Bonus Entry tonight? Well, you see, this isn’t any ordinary scary story. This is one that I said I didn’t think I could do justice to due to the time constraints. However, I’m feeling motivated, energized, and, above all else, eager to share something truly horrifying with you.

This is a story that does not bear a title. It does not bear any images. It does not bear anything other than one truly unsettling phrase; it’s a phrase that never fails to send a shiver down my spine.

“We’re Gonna Be a Family Again Soon.”

Decemystery (2024) 24: The Hopping Creature of Gardnerville

 

It’s Christmas Eve, the night before the happiest, jolliest, most wondrous time of the year. I wonder what I’ll be doing that day. I hope it’s nothing stressful!

Anyway, if you read the write-up on “The Day the Earth Screamed” the other day, you’d know that I said that I had “easier stories” to fall back on if I needed to switch up the schedule for this month if it came to that. Lo and behold, yes, it did; today’s story wasn’t intended to be covered. I had another alien account in mind, but I’m at the point where I want to be done with writing so I can stop treating clocks and calendars with the same level of fear that I’d treat being cornered by a pit bull.

Because I want simple stuff, I went over to About, my favorite defunct online repertoire of stories; the despair I feel whenever I’m reminded of that is enough to turn me into a Sock and Buskin mask. God, I need to find more websites like it.

Oh well, I can do that when I’m not racing against the clock. So, what’s today’s impromptu tale of strangeness? Well, honestly, I don’t really know. It’s one that I picked out at pure random and went with because the title was interesting to me.

No, really, that was why I went with it. I’ve mentioned in the past—but I don’t think recently—that I’ve covered some stories because of their name. Even if I haven’t read the case, I’ve gone ahead and said, “I want to cover that,” to myself. This has backfired on more than several occasions, but since when have I ever learned my lesson? I’ve done Decemystery since 2018 (2022 doesn’t count) and have yet to learn how to temper my workload.

I digress, though; today’s mystery takes us over to Nevada, a state that—strangely enough—has yet to be featured on this blog outside of a write-up from 2019 where I (haphazardly) covered the theories surrounding Stephen Paddock, the man who perpetrated the 2017 Las Vegas Massacre.

However, when it comes to cryptids or UFOs, Nevada has been noticeably absent. It’s been mentioned numerous times, thanks to Area 51, but it’s somehow slipped through the cracks otherwise.

No longer, though! Today, we’ll be discussing something that I call The Hopping Creature of Gardnerville. Come along, dear reader; it’s time for us to head on over to one of the United States’ most culturally notorious states, a place that has become synonymous with gold, gambling, and oh-so-many more salacious things. Strap in because the land of Sin City is finally getting the spotlight shone on it!

Decemystery (2024) 23: The 2006 Fort Pierce Alien Abduction

 

Once upon a time, there lived a doe-eyed lad who enjoyed UFOs and all things associated with them. He’d go to the library and borrow tons of books related to UFO sightings, the Roswell Incident, and Area 51. He’d read them over and over and would watch all sorts of specials on UFOs and the fantastical theories surrounding them.

As time went on, the lad came to love the stories so much that he would tell his friends and family about them. His friends weren’t as interested in the topics; they were more interested in sports. The lad’s family, meanwhile, liked that he’d found something he enjoyed oh so much.

That lad was me, Vertigo, the fellow who operates this blog. After growing up loving anything and everything related to the unknown and mysterious, I am now living my dream of writing about it. Well, I’m living it when my mental health isn’t restricting me to staring at my Android screen while time ticks by.

Ah, but I’m not here to dwell on my personal struggles; I’ve done that more than enough throughout this month. No, I’m here, once again, to mention just how much I love the topics that I write about. I’ve made it no secret that I relished reading and watching everything I could about cryptids, ghosts, UFOs, and more. While the topic of ghosts has become one of my lesser favorites as time has gone on, the others have remained at the forefront of my mind.

The subject of UFOs is probably the one that I enjoy thinking about the most. The idea that we’re alone in the universe is as terrifying as it is bizarre. It’s also fascinating to wonder what they may think of our humble blue planet. Too bad they won’t respond to our calls. Someone’s got to be home! Right?

Oh well, the topic of extraterrestrial life deserves its own write-up one day—preferably when I have a year or two to write it and finely craft it from the ground up. For now, I’ve got individual reports from people who have seen UFOs and aliens—and in some cases, reports where they’ve even made contact with the extraterrestrials!

That said, I’m not missing anything, am I? Nah, that’s crazy. How could I possibly forget anything? It’s not like I haven’t repeated myself nonstop about how human memory is fallible and unreliable.

Oh, wait, I’m wrong on both fronts. My memory sucks. Also, I’m forgetting alien abductions.

Indeed, while I may be rather outspoken about my doubts regarding alien abductions as an adult, I was fascinated by them as a child. I’m not sure if this contradicts what my past self said, but I’ll gladly correct the record. There was a part of me that was intrigued by the story of Betty and Barney Hill as a child. I always wondered what happened to them and if they were truly the victims of an alien abduction.

I don’t remember when my views on the subject changed. If I had to guess, I’d say that it was a few years back. The seeds of doubt were always there, but something finally reaped them, and I’ve become increasingly doubtful of the legitimacy of most abduction claims.

I digress, though. What does this have to do with today’s write-up? Well, if you’ve been keeping up with Decemystery 2024, you’ll remember that last Tuesday, I said that I’d be covering two cases related to alien abductions. Today, we’ll be discussing the second one. Like last time, I want to see if this story can throw me for a loop and make me wonder if maybe, just maybe, my stance on alien abductions isn’t correct.

I don’t see any reason to delay any further, so come along, dear reader; let’s take a trip down to Florida and investigate The 2006 Fort Pierce Alien Abduction. I really need to think of better names for alien abduction stories. Eh, maybe next year. For now, I want to focus on seeing if this will be the alien abduction case that changes my outlook on the matter at hand.

Decemystery (2024) 22: The Day the Earth Screamed

 

Okay, let’s see. I’ve got Queen playing. It’s a quarter after noon. I’ve barely eaten. I have a bit of chocolate milk and Pepsi…

And it’s the first day of December.

For the sixth time around—five if you wish to count the Decemystery duology as one entity (as I’ve said in the past: I don’t)—writing Decemystery has dragged into December. This series has siphoned my love for the final month of the year because of how often I find myself looking at the clock while cursing my brain for being as metaphorically blended as a milkshake.

Lucky for you and me, dear reader, I happen to love writing, so I’m not upset. I’m only deeply pissed off on a very personal level that I don’t wish to discuss because that anger is between me and something that was outside of my control. All I’ll say is that it’s like being mad at the weather—if the weather were controlled by the biggest jerk you knew.

Anyway, what does that have to do with today’s write-up? Well, oddly enough, quite a lot. When I began working on Decemystery 2024 back in mid-August, I knew that it was going to carry into December. The only way it wouldn’t is if I approached it half-heartedly. That wasn’t something I intended to do. I did that in 2020, and it remains one of my greatest regrets because I think the quality of most of the write-ups is horrendous.

However, I had a contingency plan for this year, and it was similar to the one I had for last year. That was to make the final stretch of stories simple; they’re ones that I knew I could cover without much trouble. If anything had to be changed, I had even easier ones to fall back on (which, as of writing, I may have to do, albeit begrudgingly).

That brings us to today’s write-up. I consider it a part of that contingency plan. It’s simple, straightforward, and hails from the Conspiracy Iceberg. It’s also one that I don’t believe was ever considered for last year. If it was, I have no way to find out since I deleted the finalized schedules for both Decemysterys. How fitting that the plans I had for a blog dedicated to mysteries are becoming mysteries themselves.

Oh well, I digress. It’s time for the fourth Conspiracy Iceberg entry to be examined, and it’s one of the best-named out there. It’s known as The Day the Earth Screamed, and it’s appropriately named because all I want to do right now is scream. God, please, let 2025 be the year I can spend this month in peace.

Decemystery (2024) 21: A 4channer’s Disturbing VHS Discovery

 

Something I’ve expressed a great deal of interest in doing is covering more stories from 4chan. Primarily cases from the site’s paranormal board, /x/, though I’m open to writing about tales from just about any board if it’s adequately strange enough.

Now, I have a feeling there are more than a few of you who find that idea rather silly. After all, 4chan is notorious for hoaxes and pranks; as such, covering the innumerable Fleshgait, UFO, cryptid, and ghost stories will result in me labeling the case a hoax more often than not.

However, the reason I want to start writing about the stories isn’t because I care about their veracity. Instead, it’s because I think the stories are just outright interesting; I find them creepy, and I’d like to share many of my favorite greentext horror stories with you. They’ve provided me with a lot of enjoyment throughout the years, and I think it could be fun to dedicate write-ups to them.

Last year, I covered a story called “The Screaming Stars,” which—aside from the numerous Conspiracy Iceberg cases that I’ve covered—remains the only greentext story I’ve covered on this blog. For those unaware, greentexts are the stories that utilize the > symbol prior to a sentence.

Now, originally, I’d planned to make Decemystery 2024 the year that I’d begin this trend. I had three stories picked out that I was eager to cover. However, they were all scrapped because I wasn’t confident I could do them justice. In hindsight, I’m sure I could’ve covered one of them and brought it to life in spades, but I digress. There’s always next year.

Despite wiping those three choices from the schedule, I still wanted to cover one spooky story from 4chan. So, I went looking for one. My options were plentiful, but one stood out to me. It’s a case that doesn’t feature anything I mentioned earlier; we’re not going into the realm of the paranormal or supernatural today, dear reader. No, today, we’re tackling something that falls into a rather unique category. It’s a creepy tale that leaves me feeling uncomfortable.

Hailing from /x/, this is a story that I called A 4channer’s Disturbing VHS Discovery. It’s one that I’m pretty sure I heard a great many years ago. And now, at long last, I’ll finally begin what I hope will become a tradition like with the Conspiracy Iceberg. Come along, dear reader; it’s time for us to journey to the Internet’s most infamous image board and see what terrifying tale awaits us in its archives this time!