Episode 158: Shadow Ranch Park

[00:00:00] Odd Trails is a true paranormal podcast. If you have a story to share, send it to stories at oddtrails.com. Enjoy the show.

[00:00:10] Forget facts. Forget logic. Forget everything that seems real. Just trust. Believe.

[00:00:58] Apologies for the late episode between my allergies and almost dying in a car accident today.

[00:01:05] Yeah, things. Okay, whatever. Yeah, my voice isn't 100%. But everybody on the odd trails discord

[00:01:11] seemed to think it sounded great with the rasp. So I'm taking your word for it. I hope you're

[00:01:16] just not impatient. All right, here we go. Amanda is angry by Ash Abraxas.

[00:01:27] When I was in elementary school, I'm almost 20 now, I spent months begging for an American

[00:01:34] girl doll for Christmas. I wanted one so badly. And when Christmas finally came, my parents got

[00:01:42] me a lookalike version. I was thrilled. In my eight-year-old brain, it made perfect sense

[00:01:50] to name her Amanda, because my name also starts with an A. Everything was great for a while.

[00:01:57] Amanda and I were inseparable. But then Halloween came around the next year, and everything changed.

[00:02:06] I was watching R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour on TV, and the episode playing was about a homicidal

[00:02:14] lookalike doll. As you can imagine, it planted some ideas in my head. And suddenly, Amanda didn't feel

[00:02:22] so innocent anymore. I couldn't shake the unease. I stopped playing with her and shoved her into my

[00:02:30] closet. That's when things got weird. A few nights after Amanda was exiled to the closet,

[00:02:38] I woke up in the middle of the night. There was this electric, shooting pain in my left leg,

[00:02:47] sharp enough to jolt me awake. I sat up, confused, and that's when I saw her. Amanda was standing at

[00:02:58] the foot of my bed, staring at me. The closet door was open, just enough to make me realize she'd come

[00:03:07] from inside. I wanted to move, to get up, run to my parents' room. But I couldn't. My whole body was

[00:03:17] frozen, paralyzed, no matter how hard I tried to force myself to move. I was terrified. So I did what

[00:03:27] any kid would do. I flung myself back down, pulling the blanket over my head like it was a shield.

[00:03:35] I stayed like that, my heart pounding, until I somehow fell asleep after trying every grounding

[00:03:43] exercise my little brain could come up with. When morning came, I forced myself to look.

[00:03:51] Amanda wasn't at the foot of my bed anymore. She was lying on the floor, sprawled out like a discarded

[00:03:59] toy. I picked her up. I can't remember if it was by her arm or her hair, and shoved her back into the

[00:04:07] closet, slamming the door shut. As soon as I could, I confronted my siblings.

[00:04:14] Did you guys move Amanda last night to mess with me? I asked. But their reactions made my blood run cold.

[00:04:24] Ew, no, one of them said. We're scared of her. We don't want to touch that thing.

[00:04:32] After that, I told my parents. They dismissed it as sleep paralysis or just a nightmare brought on by

[00:04:40] watching too much TV. But I knew what I saw. I couldn't keep Amanda in the house after that,

[00:04:47] so eventually we sold her to another family. And honestly, good luck to them. She's their problem

[00:04:55] now. Even now, over ten years later, I think about that night. Was it just a nightmare? A trick of my

[00:05:04] mind? Or was there something truly sinister going on? For my own sanity, I tell myself I'm not crazy.

[00:05:14] That it was the house I lived in. A place where other strange things happened that was haunted.

[00:05:21] That's the only explanation I'm willing to believe. But Amanda? She's not welcome back in my life.

[00:05:29] Ever. Something's knocking on our bedroom door at night by Lemons Bombs.

[00:06:00] This happened just a few nights ago. My fiancé and I were heading to bed at around 10 or 11 p.m.

[00:06:07] Our bedroom is in the basement and our roommate lives upstairs. His schedule is opposite of ours,

[00:06:14] so we've become accustomed to him knocking on our door later at night if he needs anything.

[00:06:21] We were having our final conversations before drifting off when we heard a familiar knock at the door.

[00:06:28] Come in, I said, since we were all pretty close. And he knows that he's welcome.

[00:06:35] No one stepped through the door, so I said again,

[00:06:38] Come in.

[00:06:40] Still nothing.

[00:06:42] We called his name, and when there was no response, I got up to open the door.

[00:06:47] There was nobody there.

[00:06:49] Huh, I said, as we joked briefly about how it must have been the ghost.

[00:06:55] Now for context, we've had some other weird experiences in this old house,

[00:07:00] but nothing as strange as what happened that night.

[00:07:04] After laughing it off, we went to bed.

[00:07:07] My fiancé fell asleep quickly, but I started to drift off more slowly.

[00:07:13] As I was falling asleep, I heard another knock.

[00:07:17] This time, it didn't wake my fiancé, so I didn't say anything.

[00:07:21] Instead, I got up to investigate the basement.

[00:07:24] Maybe the cat was being mischievous, or perhaps it was something settling.

[00:07:30] The knock sounded similar in tempo to the first time,

[00:07:34] so I wondered if it could be the pipes adjusting to the winter temperatures.

[00:07:38] That thought comforted me for just a moment,

[00:07:41] but I couldn't shake the feeling that the noise was the distinct sound of knuckles

[00:07:46] wrapping against our door.

[00:07:49] I know what creeping pipes sound like.

[00:07:52] It wasn't that.

[00:07:53] Nor had the pipes ever made noises like this during previous winters.

[00:07:58] Still, I decided it wasn't a big deal, and I went back to bed.

[00:08:03] This time, I managed to fall asleep,

[00:08:05] and about 30 minutes later, the knocking started again.

[00:08:10] Three knocks.

[00:08:11] It was the same unmistakable sound of knuckles on the wood coming from our door.

[00:08:18] The pattern, the tempo, and the hollow sound of the door were all too familiar.

[00:08:23] It wasn't coming from the walls,

[00:08:26] it wasn't coming from the ceiling,

[00:08:27] and I know that it was not coming from the laundry room.

[00:08:31] Our door is so thick that we never hear any sounds from out there.

[00:08:37] I tried to convince myself it was nothing,

[00:08:39] and went back to sleep.

[00:08:41] But every 30 minutes to an hour,

[00:08:44] the knocking came back.

[00:08:47] Each time the knocking pattern changed, though.

[00:08:50] Sometimes it was a deliberate two knocks.

[00:08:53] Other times, it was rapid knocking.

[00:08:56] Once, it even mimicked the rhythm of shave and a haircut.

[00:09:00] I tried ignoring it,

[00:09:02] but just as I'd start to fall asleep again,

[00:09:05] the knocks would jostle me awake.

[00:09:09] I lost track of time until I was jolted awake by a knock

[00:09:13] followed by a male voice saying,

[00:09:16] Hey!

[00:09:18] This time, I was sure it had to be our roommate,

[00:09:21] so I got up and opened the door.

[00:09:24] Once again, nobody was there.

[00:09:27] I thought that he might be messing with us,

[00:09:29] so I put on some clothes,

[00:09:31] and I walked upstairs to find him.

[00:09:34] The house was pitch black,

[00:09:36] and our roommate wasn't even home.

[00:09:39] He was still at work.

[00:09:41] That realization sent chills down my spine.

[00:09:43] I checked the front door to see if someone had been knocking there,

[00:09:47] but it was all silent.

[00:09:49] The dog hadn't even reacted at all.

[00:09:52] If there had been someone outside,

[00:09:53] that dog would be barking like crazy.

[00:09:57] I was officially creeped out.

[00:09:59] I forced myself to go back to bed,

[00:10:02] trying to rationalize that maybe the pipes

[00:10:04] weren't just knocking,

[00:10:06] but somehow creaking in a way that sounded like a voice.

[00:10:10] The knocking continued throughout the night,

[00:10:12] but eventually I got used to it

[00:10:14] and managed to get a few hours of sleep.

[00:10:18] At around 7 a.m.,

[00:10:20] my fiancé and I both leapt out of bed

[00:10:22] after hearing another unmistakable

[00:10:24] Hey!

[00:10:25] from outside the room.

[00:10:28] This time, she woke up too.

[00:10:31] I opened the door again and found nothing.

[00:10:35] I explained to her that

[00:10:36] I had been dealing with the knocking all night long,

[00:10:40] and we both agreed this was unsettling.

[00:10:44] Later that day when our roommate came home,

[00:10:46] we asked him if he had been trying to talk to us the previous night.

[00:10:50] He confirmed that he hadn't come home at all

[00:10:53] and had stayed at a friend's house.

[00:10:56] I told him about what happened,

[00:10:58] and he was as baffled as we were.

[00:11:01] As I mentioned earlier,

[00:11:02] we waited a few more nights to see if the noises would return.

[00:11:06] Even as the house warmed and cooled with the changing temperatures,

[00:11:11] there have been no strange sounds since.

[00:11:14] In general,

[00:11:15] we're fans of paranormal stories,

[00:11:18] but I always err on the side of skepticism.

[00:11:21] This, however,

[00:11:23] was the weirdest thing to happen in this house,

[00:11:25] and I still can't figure out what it could have been,

[00:11:28] if not some genuine high strangeness.

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[00:13:25] Shadow Ranch Park,

[00:13:26] by Kay.

[00:13:29] When my mother was still in my life,

[00:13:32] she would often recount strange things

[00:13:34] that surrounded me as a child.

[00:13:36] She would often say that she thinks

[00:13:38] that I am what is referred to as a conductor,

[00:13:41] someone who can,

[00:13:43] in whatever odd ways,

[00:13:45] encourage spirits to come forth

[00:13:47] from their shadowy corners and dwellings.

[00:13:51] My grandma,

[00:13:52] on my mother's side,

[00:13:54] would often tell the family

[00:13:55] that I have the gift.

[00:13:57] To this day,

[00:13:59] I am still unsure

[00:14:00] what any of these things mean,

[00:14:02] but throughout my life,

[00:14:04] I have had a number of

[00:14:06] odd,

[00:14:07] creepy,

[00:14:08] eerie experiences

[00:14:09] that I simply

[00:14:10] can't explain.

[00:14:13] This first story

[00:14:14] is secondhand from my mother.

[00:14:16] It's a story she would tell

[00:14:18] to prove her point.

[00:14:20] We used to live near a small park

[00:14:23] that,

[00:14:23] at one point,

[00:14:24] had been a farm and ranch

[00:14:26] for the local neighborhood.

[00:14:28] It was built in 1869

[00:14:30] and functioned as a ranch

[00:14:32] until the early 60s.

[00:14:34] By the 70s,

[00:14:36] the ranch was transitioned

[00:14:37] into the neighborhood park

[00:14:39] it is today.

[00:14:40] Because the plot of land

[00:14:42] has been around for so long,

[00:14:43] it obviously comes with

[00:14:45] some baggage.

[00:14:47] My mother,

[00:14:48] sister,

[00:14:49] and I

[00:14:49] would frequent this park

[00:14:50] when I was very young.

[00:14:53] One day,

[00:14:54] I was playing in the field

[00:14:55] when a man approached me

[00:14:57] and tried to take me.

[00:15:00] My mother and sister

[00:15:01] saw this from afar

[00:15:02] and ran to get me

[00:15:04] before anything bad

[00:15:05] could happen.

[00:15:07] Before they got there,

[00:15:08] they saw a woman

[00:15:10] in a long brown dress

[00:15:12] grab me,

[00:15:13] pick me up,

[00:15:14] and walk me toward them

[00:15:15] as they ran.

[00:15:17] She sat me down

[00:15:18] on a nearby bench

[00:15:19] as they were approaching

[00:15:20] and then vanished

[00:15:22] before their eyes.

[00:15:24] I was three years old

[00:15:26] at the time,

[00:15:27] so I don't remember

[00:15:28] any of this.

[00:15:29] However,

[00:15:30] it would not be

[00:15:31] the last time

[00:15:32] I would see this woman

[00:15:33] in the many years

[00:15:34] I spent frequenting

[00:15:35] that park.

[00:15:37] Fast forward

[00:15:38] to when I was

[00:15:39] ten or eleven.

[00:15:40] I was walking home

[00:15:42] from school.

[00:15:43] We had just moved,

[00:15:44] and I absolutely

[00:15:46] should not have been

[00:15:47] walking alone

[00:15:48] at that time.

[00:15:49] But this is what happens

[00:15:51] when you're a latchkey kid.

[00:15:53] Naturally,

[00:15:54] I got lost.

[00:15:57] I knew where the park was,

[00:15:58] so I headed there

[00:16:00] in what I now recognize

[00:16:01] as an attempt

[00:16:02] to get my bearings.

[00:16:04] It was a hot day.

[00:16:06] I remember that

[00:16:07] very clearly.

[00:16:10] I stopped in the shade

[00:16:11] of the house

[00:16:12] at the park,

[00:16:13] drank some water

[00:16:14] from the fountains,

[00:16:15] and sat down,

[00:16:16] leaning against the house.

[00:16:18] The park was

[00:16:20] eerily quiet that day.

[00:16:22] As I sat there,

[00:16:23] trying to figure out

[00:16:25] how to get

[00:16:25] to our new apartment,

[00:16:27] a woman

[00:16:27] in a long,

[00:16:29] older-style

[00:16:29] brown dress

[00:16:30] approached me

[00:16:31] and asked if I was

[00:16:32] okay.

[00:16:34] I nodded silently.

[00:16:36] She asked me

[00:16:37] if I was lost.

[00:16:38] Again,

[00:16:39] I nodded.

[00:16:42] She took my hand.

[00:16:44] Her hand

[00:16:45] was impossibly cold.

[00:16:47] She led me

[00:16:48] to the other side

[00:16:49] of the house

[00:16:50] and pointed toward

[00:16:51] the street

[00:16:52] I needed to head down.

[00:16:54] Do you see

[00:16:55] that street there?

[00:16:56] Head toward it

[00:16:57] and make a right

[00:16:58] at the first major stop,

[00:17:00] and you'll be

[00:17:01] on your way home.

[00:17:03] I squeaked out

[00:17:04] a thank you

[00:17:05] and scooted along.

[00:17:07] She had indeed

[00:17:08] pointed me

[00:17:09] in the direction

[00:17:10] of where we had

[00:17:11] just moved.

[00:17:12] When I told

[00:17:13] my mother and sister

[00:17:14] about this

[00:17:15] later that day,

[00:17:16] my mother

[00:17:17] went pale.

[00:17:19] She wouldn't

[00:17:19] speak of it again

[00:17:20] for years.

[00:17:22] Fast forward

[00:17:23] a few more years,

[00:17:25] and I met this park

[00:17:26] at the age of 17

[00:17:27] with some friends.

[00:17:28] friends.

[00:17:30] My friends

[00:17:30] J, N, and R

[00:17:32] were all there

[00:17:33] with me.

[00:17:34] R was a believer,

[00:17:36] while J and N

[00:17:38] were not so much.

[00:17:41] It was late at night,

[00:17:42] and we were just

[00:17:43] hanging out

[00:17:44] like teenagers do.

[00:17:47] I mentioned to my friends

[00:17:48] that this park

[00:17:49] was haunted

[00:17:50] and told them

[00:17:51] that there was

[00:17:52] a woman's ghost

[00:17:53] who lived there.

[00:17:53] I recounted the story

[00:17:56] from when I was

[00:17:56] around 11 years old.

[00:17:59] Being the snarky

[00:18:00] teens that we were,

[00:18:02] J and R

[00:18:02] walked up to the house

[00:18:04] and started calling

[00:18:05] for the lady

[00:18:06] of the house

[00:18:07] to come out

[00:18:08] and show herself.

[00:18:10] I chided them

[00:18:12] for being rude,

[00:18:13] and as I did so,

[00:18:15] the lights

[00:18:16] in the upstairs

[00:18:16] of the house

[00:18:17] turned on,

[00:18:18] and the outer shutters

[00:18:20] started slamming shut

[00:18:22] over and over again.

[00:18:25] There was no possible way

[00:18:27] those shutters

[00:18:27] could have been

[00:18:28] controlled by anything.

[00:18:30] They were on the second floor,

[00:18:32] and the building

[00:18:33] was from the 1800s.

[00:18:36] I told them

[00:18:37] to apologize immediately,

[00:18:39] and they did.

[00:18:41] I looked up at the house

[00:18:43] and apologized as well.

[00:18:45] That's when we all saw it,

[00:18:48] clear as crystal,

[00:18:50] a woman's silhouette

[00:18:51] in the window.

[00:18:54] There she was,

[00:18:56] standing there,

[00:18:57] watching us.

[00:18:59] Then,

[00:19:00] the lights went out,

[00:19:02] not just in the house,

[00:19:04] but in the entire park.

[00:19:07] We all left the park quickly.

[00:19:10] As we did,

[00:19:12] I told them

[00:19:12] that their behavior

[00:19:13] was uncalled for.

[00:19:15] They muttered apologies

[00:19:17] and started comparing notes.

[00:19:20] I don't talk to any

[00:19:21] of these people anymore,

[00:19:23] but this story

[00:19:24] would continue

[00:19:24] to get brought up

[00:19:25] in our friend group

[00:19:26] for years.

[00:19:44] I drove through

[00:19:45] a glitch in the matrix

[00:19:46] by usernamechecksout.

[00:19:50] About four months ago,

[00:19:52] my mom had

[00:19:53] knee replacement surgery,

[00:19:54] and they sent her home

[00:19:56] the next day.

[00:19:57] After three days,

[00:19:59] her leg became red

[00:20:00] and significantly

[00:20:01] more swollen.

[00:20:02] She had a fever,

[00:20:04] so we decided

[00:20:05] to head back

[00:20:05] to the hospital.

[00:20:06] It was around 10pm

[00:20:08] and it was dark.

[00:20:10] I was driving,

[00:20:11] my mom was in

[00:20:12] the passenger seat,

[00:20:13] and my 12-year-old daughter

[00:20:14] was sitting in the middle seat

[00:20:16] in the back.

[00:20:17] We live in a rural area,

[00:20:19] and after driving

[00:20:20] about 10 miles,

[00:20:21] we hadn't passed

[00:20:22] a single other vehicle.

[00:20:24] Yeah,

[00:20:25] it's that rural.

[00:20:27] There's a stretch

[00:20:28] of highway near us

[00:20:29] with a few

[00:20:30] really tight curves

[00:20:31] marked with a 30mph

[00:20:33] reduced speed limit sign.

[00:20:35] It's a yellow

[00:20:36] metal sign,

[00:20:38] no flashing lights

[00:20:39] and no other warnings.

[00:20:41] The area has a creek

[00:20:43] on one side

[00:20:43] and a steep cliff

[00:20:45] on the other,

[00:20:46] so there's no shoulder,

[00:20:48] no driveways,

[00:20:49] and nowhere

[00:20:49] for another car to be

[00:20:51] except on the road.

[00:20:53] After the first curve,

[00:20:55] all of a sudden,

[00:20:56] a bright blue light

[00:20:57] flashed through the car.

[00:21:00] I saw the light reflected

[00:21:02] on the trees

[00:21:02] in front of me

[00:21:03] and the door mirror

[00:21:04] when I glanced back.

[00:21:07] Then it was gone.

[00:21:09] It looked kind of like

[00:21:10] cop lights,

[00:21:11] but there was no red

[00:21:12] and there were no

[00:21:13] headlights behind us.

[00:21:15] The flash lasted

[00:21:17] for just one second

[00:21:18] and there was no sound.

[00:21:21] There were no other cars

[00:21:22] ahead of us

[00:21:22] or behind us

[00:21:23] and we were only going

[00:21:24] 30 miles per hour.

[00:21:26] All three of us

[00:21:27] saw the same exact thing.

[00:21:29] It really freaked me out

[00:21:31] because I'm a very

[00:21:32] logical,

[00:21:33] rational person.

[00:21:34] This is the only experience

[00:21:36] I've had in my whole life

[00:21:37] that I can't explain.

[00:21:39] To add another layer

[00:21:41] of eeriness,

[00:21:42] there are two wooden crosses

[00:21:44] beside the road

[00:21:45] at that spot.

[00:21:46] They mark the location

[00:21:48] of a tragic accident

[00:21:49] where a tractor trailer

[00:21:51] crashed,

[00:21:52] killing two people.

[00:21:52] I remember that accident

[00:21:55] clearly because

[00:21:55] it tore up the highway

[00:21:57] when the semi

[00:21:58] jackknifed

[00:21:59] and the section

[00:22:01] had to be repaved.

[00:22:02] I don't believe in ghosts,

[00:22:04] aliens,

[00:22:05] or anything paranormal.

[00:22:06] If my mom and daughter

[00:22:07] hadn't also seen this,

[00:22:08] I would have been convinced

[00:22:10] that I was imagining things

[00:22:11] or probably never

[00:22:13] mentioned it to anyone,

[00:22:14] but they both saw it too

[00:22:15] and their reactions

[00:22:16] mirrored mine.

[00:22:17] So here's my theory.

[00:22:18] We drove through some kind

[00:22:20] of glitch in the matrix

[00:22:21] and saw the emergency lights

[00:22:23] from that accident

[00:22:23] years ago.

[00:22:25] As crazy as that seems,

[00:22:27] it makes just as much sense

[00:22:28] as anything else

[00:22:29] that I can think of.

[00:22:30] What do you guys think?

[00:22:32] Has this happened

[00:22:33] to anyone else?

[00:22:54] Spider Story

[00:22:55] by Christian

[00:22:59] This story begins

[00:23:00] with a coincidence,

[00:23:02] or at least

[00:23:03] that's how it felt

[00:23:04] at the time.

[00:23:06] It was the summer of 2017,

[00:23:08] and I ran into

[00:23:09] a close family friend

[00:23:11] on a busy street

[00:23:12] in Baltimore.

[00:23:13] After catching up,

[00:23:15] he mentioned

[00:23:15] an upcoming trip

[00:23:16] to Jamaica,

[00:23:17] an annual getaway

[00:23:19] our families

[00:23:20] and mutual friends took.

[00:23:22] He said a friend of his

[00:23:23] had canceled

[00:23:24] and invited me to join.

[00:23:26] Naturally,

[00:23:27] I jumped at the chance.

[00:23:30] Two days before the trip,

[00:23:32] I had a strange dream.

[00:23:33] I was flying over

[00:23:35] unfamiliar land

[00:23:36] with wings made of ice,

[00:23:39] which melted

[00:23:40] as I landed

[00:23:41] on a large white building.

[00:23:44] Inside,

[00:23:45] there was a fancy

[00:23:46] dinner party.

[00:23:47] Guests were dressed

[00:23:48] to the nines,

[00:23:49] sipping cocktails

[00:23:50] and being served

[00:23:52] by staff

[00:23:53] dressed in stark

[00:23:54] white uniforms,

[00:23:55] moving silently.

[00:23:57] It was unsettling.

[00:24:00] I left the building

[00:24:02] and found myself

[00:24:03] on a beach

[00:24:04] with a giant,

[00:24:05] life-sized chessboard.

[00:24:07] The dream ended

[00:24:08] shortly after.

[00:24:11] I told my girlfriend

[00:24:12] about it,

[00:24:13] but I didn't think

[00:24:13] much of it.

[00:24:15] Soon after,

[00:24:16] I headed back

[00:24:17] to Baltimore

[00:24:17] and flew to Jamaica.

[00:24:20] That's when

[00:24:21] things got weird.

[00:24:23] When we arrived,

[00:24:24] we were taken

[00:24:25] to a vacation villa,

[00:24:27] complete with

[00:24:28] tennis courts,

[00:24:29] a golf course,

[00:24:30] and a life-size

[00:24:32] chessboard

[00:24:33] on the beach.

[00:24:35] The moment I saw it,

[00:24:37] something clicked.

[00:24:39] I remember

[00:24:40] riding by it

[00:24:41] in a cart,

[00:24:42] thinking,

[00:24:43] huh,

[00:24:44] that's strange.

[00:24:46] The villa itself

[00:24:48] was a large,

[00:24:49] open,

[00:24:49] colonial-style

[00:24:50] building,

[00:24:51] stark white,

[00:24:53] almost exactly

[00:24:54] like the one

[00:24:55] in my dream.

[00:24:57] Before the trip,

[00:24:58] we'd filled out

[00:24:59] preference sheets,

[00:25:01] favorite snacks,

[00:25:02] drinks,

[00:25:03] music,

[00:25:03] and any allergies.

[00:25:05] That's ironic.

[00:25:07] What I didn't know

[00:25:08] was that this information

[00:25:10] was given

[00:25:10] to an all-Jamaican

[00:25:12] staff who worked

[00:25:13] on site.

[00:25:14] They wore

[00:25:15] all-white uniforms,

[00:25:17] just like the staff

[00:25:18] in my dream.

[00:25:20] At first,

[00:25:21] I brushed it off.

[00:25:23] The villa

[00:25:24] was beautiful,

[00:25:25] the staff

[00:25:26] were welcoming,

[00:25:27] and the food

[00:25:28] and drinks

[00:25:28] were incredible.

[00:25:30] I figured

[00:25:31] the similarities

[00:25:32] were a coincidence,

[00:25:33] but as the trip

[00:25:35] went on,

[00:25:36] I couldn't shake

[00:25:37] the feeling

[00:25:37] that something

[00:25:38] was off.

[00:25:40] The week flew by,

[00:25:42] and soon,

[00:25:43] it was the last

[00:25:45] night of the trip.

[00:25:46] That's when

[00:25:47] my experience

[00:25:48] took a turn

[00:25:49] into the

[00:25:50] unexplainable.

[00:25:52] Around 2 a.m.,

[00:25:54] I was getting

[00:25:55] ready for bed

[00:25:56] when I decided

[00:25:57] to grab

[00:25:57] one last drink.

[00:26:00] The dining room

[00:26:01] was an indoor-outdoor space

[00:26:03] with a central table

[00:26:05] and a few side tables

[00:26:06] for drinks.

[00:26:08] The house

[00:26:09] was stark white,

[00:26:10] and with no light

[00:26:11] pollution,

[00:26:12] the moonlight

[00:26:13] poured in,

[00:26:14] illuminating

[00:26:15] the open space.

[00:26:17] As I poured

[00:26:18] myself a glass

[00:26:19] of punch,

[00:26:20] I turned

[00:26:21] to leave

[00:26:21] and caught

[00:26:23] something out

[00:26:23] of the corner

[00:26:24] of my eye.

[00:26:26] On the ceiling,

[00:26:27] there was a silhouette,

[00:26:29] a massive spider.

[00:26:31] It was about

[00:26:33] four feet across,

[00:26:35] its shape

[00:26:36] resembling a

[00:26:37] jumping spider

[00:26:38] or tarantula,

[00:26:39] but without

[00:26:40] the long legs

[00:26:41] or fuzzy hair.

[00:26:43] I froze,

[00:26:45] staring at it

[00:26:46] for what

[00:26:46] felt like

[00:26:47] an eternity,

[00:26:48] though it

[00:26:49] couldn't have been

[00:26:50] more than

[00:26:50] a few seconds.

[00:26:52] And here's

[00:26:53] the strangest part.

[00:26:55] Instead of

[00:26:55] panicking,

[00:26:56] I felt an

[00:26:57] overwhelming

[00:26:58] sense of calm,

[00:27:00] like something

[00:27:01] was telling me,

[00:27:02] keep walking,

[00:27:03] don't react.

[00:27:05] I listened.

[00:27:07] I walked

[00:27:08] out of the

[00:27:08] dining room,

[00:27:09] as though

[00:27:10] nothing bad

[00:27:10] had happened.

[00:27:12] But the

[00:27:13] moment I

[00:27:14] got back

[00:27:14] to my room,

[00:27:15] I locked

[00:27:16] the doors

[00:27:17] and windows,

[00:27:17] shoved a

[00:27:18] towel under

[00:27:19] the doorframe,

[00:27:20] and didn't

[00:27:20] sleep for

[00:27:21] the rest

[00:27:22] of the night.

[00:27:24] The next

[00:27:25] morning,

[00:27:25] I went

[00:27:26] straight to

[00:27:27] the dining

[00:27:27] area.

[00:27:28] The ceiling

[00:27:29] was completely

[00:27:30] bare.

[00:27:31] There was

[00:27:32] no sign

[00:27:32] of the spider

[00:27:33] or whatever

[00:27:34] I saw.

[00:27:36] I didn't

[00:27:36] mention it

[00:27:37] to anyone

[00:27:37] except my

[00:27:38] girlfriend,

[00:27:39] who reminded

[00:27:40] me of the

[00:27:41] dream I

[00:27:41] told her

[00:27:41] about before

[00:27:42] the trip.

[00:27:44] The whole

[00:27:45] thing felt like

[00:27:46] something out

[00:27:46] of a Twilight

[00:27:47] Zone episode.

[00:27:48] If you have

[00:27:49] seen the one

[00:27:50] called A

[00:27:50] Traveler,

[00:27:51] there's a

[00:27:52] moment where

[00:27:52] someone catches

[00:27:53] a glimpse of

[00:27:54] an alien's

[00:27:55] true form and

[00:27:56] simply walks

[00:27:57] away.

[00:27:58] It was like

[00:27:59] that,

[00:28:00] calm,

[00:28:01] but deeply

[00:28:02] unsettling.

[00:28:05] Over the

[00:28:05] years,

[00:28:06] I've told this

[00:28:07] story to close

[00:28:08] friends and my

[00:28:08] partner,

[00:28:09] spider,

[00:28:10] but no one

[00:28:10] can fully

[00:28:11] wrap their

[00:28:11] head around

[00:28:12] it.

[00:28:13] I've searched

[00:28:14] for any

[00:28:15] explanation,

[00:28:16] looking up

[00:28:17] the largest

[00:28:17] spiders in

[00:28:18] the world,

[00:28:19] in the

[00:28:19] Caribbean,

[00:28:20] even in

[00:28:21] folklore,

[00:28:22] but nothing

[00:28:23] compares to

[00:28:24] what I saw.

[00:28:25] In the end,

[00:28:27] I've convinced

[00:28:28] myself of

[00:28:28] one thing.

[00:28:30] I caught it

[00:28:31] either sneaking

[00:28:31] in or

[00:28:32] sneaking out,

[00:28:33] and it was

[00:28:35] just as

[00:28:35] surprised to

[00:28:36] see me

[00:28:36] as I was

[00:28:38] to see

[00:28:38] it.

[00:28:40] But the

[00:28:40] more I

[00:28:41] think about

[00:28:41] it,

[00:28:42] the strangest

[00:28:43] part isn't

[00:28:43] the spider,

[00:28:44] it's the

[00:28:45] dream.

[00:28:46] How did I

[00:28:47] dream about

[00:28:48] this place,

[00:28:49] a place I'd

[00:28:50] never been

[00:28:51] before ever

[00:28:52] arriving?

[00:28:53] That's the

[00:28:54] part that

[00:28:55] keeps me

[00:28:55] wondering if

[00:28:56] it was all

[00:28:56] just a

[00:28:57] coincidence,

[00:28:58] or something

[00:28:59] more.

[00:29:18] I fell

[00:29:19] in love

[00:29:19] in a

[00:29:20] dream by

[00:29:20] Fearlessly

[00:29:21] Silly.

[00:29:23] I tend

[00:29:24] to have

[00:29:24] very vivid

[00:29:25] dreams that

[00:29:26] feel like

[00:29:26] they go on

[00:29:27] for quite a

[00:29:28] while in

[00:29:28] real time.

[00:29:29] Sometimes I

[00:29:30] wake up

[00:29:31] feeling whatever

[00:29:32] feeling I

[00:29:33] was experiencing

[00:29:33] in the

[00:29:34] dream,

[00:29:34] and it's

[00:29:35] palpable.

[00:29:36] I've even

[00:29:37] woke up

[00:29:38] screaming,

[00:29:38] crying,

[00:29:39] laughing,

[00:29:40] panicking,

[00:29:40] or in

[00:29:41] complete

[00:29:41] bliss.

[00:29:43] The emotions

[00:29:44] are so

[00:29:44] intense that

[00:29:45] they linger

[00:29:46] even after

[00:29:46] waking.

[00:29:51] sometimes

[00:29:52] they affect

[00:29:52] me throughout

[00:29:53] the day.

[00:29:54] However,

[00:29:55] most of

[00:29:55] the time,

[00:29:55] I forget

[00:29:57] what the

[00:29:57] dream was

[00:29:57] even about.

[00:29:59] However,

[00:29:59] a few

[00:30:00] nights ago,

[00:30:01] I had a

[00:30:01] dream that

[00:30:02] left me

[00:30:02] completely

[00:30:03] shaken.

[00:30:04] In the

[00:30:04] dream,

[00:30:05] I fell

[00:30:06] in love

[00:30:06] with someone

[00:30:06] that I

[00:30:07] had never

[00:30:07] seen before.

[00:30:08] The whole

[00:30:09] dream took

[00:30:10] place in a

[00:30:10] massive house

[00:30:11] that felt

[00:30:12] more like

[00:30:12] a shop

[00:30:13] than any

[00:30:14] kind of

[00:30:14] lived-in

[00:30:15] home.

[00:30:16] It was

[00:30:17] old but

[00:30:17] brightly colored

[00:30:18] with books,

[00:30:19] candles,

[00:30:20] tchotchkes,

[00:30:20] and other

[00:30:21] various items

[00:30:22] that gave

[00:30:23] it the vibe

[00:30:23] of a

[00:30:24] new-age

[00:30:24] store.

[00:30:25] There was

[00:30:26] a huge

[00:30:27] backyard and

[00:30:28] I vividly

[00:30:28] remember

[00:30:29] watching my

[00:30:29] dogs run

[00:30:30] around outside.

[00:30:31] The setting

[00:30:32] is etched

[00:30:33] into my

[00:30:33] memory with

[00:30:34] such clarity.

[00:30:36] I can't

[00:30:36] recall the

[00:30:37] specific details

[00:30:38] of the

[00:30:38] people in

[00:30:39] the dream,

[00:30:40] but I do

[00:30:40] remember the

[00:30:41] feelings vividly.

[00:30:43] There was a

[00:30:44] woman there

[00:30:44] who I was

[00:30:45] deeply drawn

[00:30:46] to and a

[00:30:47] man who

[00:30:48] was interested

[00:30:48] in me,

[00:30:49] but I

[00:30:50] didn't feel

[00:30:50] the same

[00:30:50] way about

[00:30:51] him.

[00:30:52] I remember

[00:30:53] the woman

[00:30:53] mistakenly

[00:30:54] assuming that

[00:30:54] I was

[00:30:55] interested in

[00:30:55] the man.

[00:30:56] She seemed

[00:30:57] disappointed

[00:30:57] but kind

[00:30:58] about it,

[00:30:59] and then

[00:31:00] she left.

[00:31:01] I ran

[00:31:02] after her

[00:31:02] and told

[00:31:03] her that

[00:31:03] she was

[00:31:03] the one

[00:31:04] I wanted

[00:31:04] to be

[00:31:04] with.

[00:31:05] She smiled

[00:31:06] and said

[00:31:07] that she

[00:31:07] wanted the

[00:31:08] same.

[00:31:08] The story

[00:31:09] details are

[00:31:10] fuzzy,

[00:31:11] but it felt

[00:31:11] like a

[00:31:12] lifetime

[00:31:12] unfolded

[00:31:13] in that

[00:31:13] dream.

[00:31:14] I experienced

[00:31:15] this deep

[00:31:16] overwhelming

[00:31:17] love for

[00:31:17] her.

[00:31:18] When I

[00:31:19] woke up,

[00:31:19] I felt

[00:31:20] desperate

[00:31:20] to return

[00:31:21] to that

[00:31:21] dream,

[00:31:22] to return

[00:31:23] to her.

[00:31:24] I had

[00:31:25] this deep

[00:31:25] ache in

[00:31:26] my chest

[00:31:27] and almost

[00:31:28] unbearable

[00:31:29] longing,

[00:31:29] but the

[00:31:30] strangest

[00:31:30] thing is

[00:31:31] that I

[00:31:32] can't even

[00:31:32] remember what

[00:31:33] she looked

[00:31:33] like.

[00:31:34] While certain

[00:31:35] details of

[00:31:36] the dream

[00:31:37] are clear

[00:31:38] to me,

[00:31:39] her appearance

[00:31:39] is a

[00:31:40] complete

[00:31:40] blank,

[00:31:41] all I can

[00:31:42] remember

[00:31:42] is how we

[00:31:43] felt about

[00:31:44] each other

[00:31:44] and how those

[00:31:45] feelings still

[00:31:46] linger strongly.

[00:31:48] I've had

[00:31:49] many dreams

[00:31:50] in my

[00:31:50] life that

[00:31:51] involve romantic

[00:31:51] and even

[00:31:52] sexual feelings,

[00:31:53] usually with

[00:31:54] someone I

[00:31:55] know,

[00:31:55] but sometimes

[00:31:56] with strangers,

[00:31:57] yet I can't

[00:31:58] think of

[00:31:59] another time

[00:32:00] when a

[00:32:01] dream left

[00:32:01] such an

[00:32:02] emotional

[00:32:02] impact.

[00:32:04] Days have

[00:32:05] passed and

[00:32:06] I still find

[00:32:06] myself thinking

[00:32:07] about her and

[00:32:08] missing someone

[00:32:08] that I don't

[00:32:09] even know.

[00:32:10] Maybe I do

[00:32:11] know her.

[00:32:12] Somewhere else?

[00:32:14] Is that even

[00:32:14] possible?

[00:32:40] So that

[00:32:40] story by

[00:32:41] Kay with

[00:32:41] the woman

[00:32:42] in the

[00:32:42] brown dress,

[00:32:43] that was

[00:32:44] just wild.

[00:32:45] I know,

[00:32:46] lots of

[00:32:46] hallmarks of

[00:32:47] a good spooky

[00:32:48] story.

[00:32:48] I'm sure

[00:32:49] some people

[00:32:49] will say

[00:32:50] that it

[00:32:50] was fake,

[00:32:50] but I

[00:32:51] don't know,

[00:32:51] it just

[00:32:52] checked a lot

[00:32:52] of boxes.

[00:32:53] I still think

[00:32:53] it was

[00:32:54] legitimate.

[00:32:55] Yeah,

[00:32:55] I get

[00:32:55] that.

[00:32:56] The language

[00:32:56] didn't come

[00:32:57] off as too

[00:32:57] fiction-y to

[00:32:58] me,

[00:32:58] at least.

[00:33:00] Right,

[00:33:00] and nothing

[00:33:01] I could find

[00:33:01] indicates that

[00:33:02] it was a

[00:33:03] blatant urban

[00:33:03] legend,

[00:33:04] so I'm giving

[00:33:05] it the benefit

[00:33:05] of the doubt.

[00:33:06] Yeah,

[00:33:07] I just really

[00:33:07] want some

[00:33:08] backstory about

[00:33:08] that park.

[00:33:09] Is it actually

[00:33:10] called Shadow

[00:33:11] Ranch Park,

[00:33:12] you know?

[00:33:13] So yeah,

[00:33:14] during my

[00:33:14] brief little

[00:33:15] dig,

[00:33:16] I found that

[00:33:16] it's around

[00:33:17] the LA area

[00:33:18] and people do

[00:33:19] talk about it

[00:33:20] being haunted.

[00:33:21] At least one

[00:33:22] person mentioned

[00:33:22] seeing a little

[00:33:23] boy that roams

[00:33:24] around or

[00:33:25] something like

[00:33:25] that.

[00:33:26] Maybe the

[00:33:26] woman in the

[00:33:27] brown dress

[00:33:27] is his mother.

[00:33:28] Oh yeah,

[00:33:30] could explain why

[00:33:30] she was so

[00:33:31] protective over

[00:33:32] Kay.

[00:33:33] Yeah,

[00:33:34] yeah,

[00:33:34] I was thinking

[00:33:35] that she could

[00:33:35] have been her

[00:33:36] personal guardian

[00:33:37] angel or

[00:33:38] something like

[00:33:38] that,

[00:33:39] but knowing

[00:33:40] that the

[00:33:40] park has

[00:33:41] some history,

[00:33:42] maybe she's

[00:33:43] just tied to

[00:33:44] the park,

[00:33:44] but still

[00:33:45] acted like

[00:33:45] as a

[00:33:46] guardian.

[00:33:47] Yeah,

[00:33:47] yeah,

[00:33:48] it's definitely

[00:33:48] plausible.

[00:33:49] And the whole

[00:33:50] conductor thing

[00:33:51] and having a

[00:33:51] gift,

[00:33:52] maybe she was

[00:33:53] a magnet

[00:33:53] for the

[00:33:54] woman in

[00:33:54] the brown

[00:33:54] dress to

[00:33:55] make an

[00:33:56] appearance.

[00:33:56] Yeah,

[00:33:57] yeah,

[00:33:57] I like the

[00:33:57] conductor idea.

[00:33:59] Like,

[00:33:59] she's the

[00:34:00] head of

[00:34:01] some ghost

[00:34:01] orchestra.

[00:34:02] Yeah,

[00:34:03] apparently they

[00:34:04] show up to

[00:34:04] open mic night

[00:34:05] too,

[00:34:06] because she

[00:34:07] did say that

[00:34:07] she has more

[00:34:08] stories.

[00:34:09] I'm anxiously

[00:34:10] awaiting more,

[00:34:11] but we shall

[00:34:12] see.

[00:34:12] Yeah.

[00:34:13] That is super

[00:34:14] cool though,

[00:34:14] how the woman

[00:34:15] practically saved

[00:34:16] her life twice.

[00:34:17] Yeah,

[00:34:18] and that's what

[00:34:18] gets me.

[00:34:19] She wasn't just

[00:34:20] a spooky

[00:34:20] background

[00:34:21] character,

[00:34:21] she was

[00:34:22] helpful.

[00:34:23] Exactly.

[00:34:24] You know,

[00:34:25] the imagery

[00:34:26] made me think

[00:34:27] of our cover

[00:34:27] art.

[00:34:28] If you look

[00:34:28] closely,

[00:34:28] there's a

[00:34:29] woman in

[00:34:29] the window

[00:34:30] of the

[00:34:31] haunted

[00:34:31] house.

[00:34:32] Oh,

[00:34:32] yeah,

[00:34:33] that's

[00:34:33] right,

[00:34:33] huh?

[00:34:34] Mm-hmm.

[00:34:35] But yeah,

[00:34:36] of all places

[00:34:36] to haunt,

[00:34:37] the woman

[00:34:38] in the

[00:34:38] brown dress

[00:34:39] picks a

[00:34:39] park.

[00:34:40] Or she's

[00:34:41] stuck there

[00:34:41] like some

[00:34:42] kind of

[00:34:42] spectral

[00:34:42] park

[00:34:43] ranger.

[00:34:45] Don't

[00:34:45] litter and

[00:34:46] don't provoke

[00:34:46] the ghosts.

[00:34:47] Is there a

[00:34:48] smoky equivalent

[00:34:49] for littering?

[00:34:50] I guess

[00:34:51] maybe

[00:34:52] Captain

[00:34:53] Planet.

[00:34:53] Oh,

[00:34:54] yeah,

[00:34:54] that's true.

[00:34:55] Oh,

[00:34:56] and Woodsy

[00:34:57] Owl?

[00:34:57] Yeah.

[00:34:57] Give a hoot,

[00:34:58] don't pollute,

[00:34:59] or something

[00:35:00] like that.

[00:35:01] Anyway,

[00:35:01] back to the

[00:35:02] story.

[00:35:02] Yeah,

[00:35:03] yeah.

[00:35:03] I was just

[00:35:04] thinking about

[00:35:04] how typical

[00:35:05] it was of

[00:35:06] those teenagers

[00:35:07] to disrespect

[00:35:08] that house.

[00:35:09] Just,

[00:35:09] you know,

[00:35:10] asking for

[00:35:11] trouble.

[00:35:11] Imagine taunting

[00:35:12] a ghost and

[00:35:13] then the entire

[00:35:13] park just

[00:35:14] goes dark.

[00:35:15] Yeah,

[00:35:16] no,

[00:35:16] that's a total

[00:35:17] nope moment.

[00:35:18] They got what

[00:35:18] they had coming

[00:35:19] to him at least.

[00:35:19] It makes me

[00:35:20] wonder though,

[00:35:21] was she pissed

[00:35:22] off or just

[00:35:22] trying to prove

[00:35:23] she's still in

[00:35:24] charge or maybe

[00:35:25] like a light

[00:35:26] warning?

[00:35:27] Yeah,

[00:35:27] probably all

[00:35:28] of the above.

[00:35:29] I'd be mad too

[00:35:29] if a bunch of

[00:35:30] snarky kids

[00:35:31] were yelling

[00:35:31] at my house.

[00:35:32] You know,

[00:35:33] that's probably

[00:35:34] her turf.

[00:35:35] Mm-hmm.

[00:35:36] Oh,

[00:35:36] you know whose

[00:35:37] turf it used

[00:35:37] to be?

[00:35:38] One of the

[00:35:38] writers of

[00:35:39] the Wizard of

[00:35:40] Oz movie.

[00:35:41] Oh,

[00:35:41] that's actually

[00:35:42] pretty cool.

[00:35:42] I've been

[00:35:43] wanting to

[00:35:43] rewatch

[00:35:44] Return to Oz.

[00:35:45] Do you remember

[00:35:45] that one?

[00:35:46] Yeah,

[00:35:47] yeah,

[00:35:47] I finally

[00:35:47] watched that

[00:35:48] like for the

[00:35:49] first time

[00:35:49] last year.

[00:35:50] It was cool.

[00:35:51] Yeah,

[00:35:51] really good.

[00:35:52] Um,

[00:35:53] not as cool

[00:35:53] as driving

[00:35:54] through Saskatchewan

[00:35:55] at midnight

[00:35:55] though.

[00:35:57] Yeah,

[00:35:57] yeah,

[00:35:58] the story

[00:35:58] from Charger

[00:35:59] Pool.

[00:35:59] I mean,

[00:36:00] nothing good

[00:36:00] ever happens

[00:36:01] on a deserted

[00:36:01] road in the

[00:36:02] middle of nowhere

[00:36:02] at midnight.

[00:36:04] You're either

[00:36:04] running into

[00:36:05] ghosts,

[00:36:06] UFOs,

[00:36:07] or in this

[00:36:07] case,

[00:36:08] random flashes

[00:36:08] of light.

[00:36:09] Yeah,

[00:36:10] I'm still

[00:36:11] trying to wrap

[00:36:11] my head

[00:36:11] around it.

[00:36:12] They describe

[00:36:13] it as

[00:36:13] five seconds

[00:36:14] of high

[00:36:14] noon

[00:36:15] brightness.

[00:36:15] What do

[00:36:16] you think

[00:36:16] it could

[00:36:17] have been?

[00:36:18] Uh,

[00:36:19] maybe,

[00:36:20] maybe an

[00:36:21] alien craft

[00:36:22] flipping on

[00:36:22] their high

[00:36:23] beams.

[00:36:24] Whoops,

[00:36:25] wrong button.

[00:36:26] Yeah.

[00:36:27] Maybe a

[00:36:28] meteor

[00:36:28] burning up

[00:36:29] the atmosphere

[00:36:29] or something.

[00:36:30] I'd even say

[00:36:31] some kind of

[00:36:32] military testing

[00:36:33] perhaps.

[00:36:33] Yeah.

[00:36:34] Regardless,

[00:36:34] it seems

[00:36:35] pretty real

[00:36:36] because more

[00:36:36] than one

[00:36:37] person

[00:36:37] witnessed it.

[00:36:38] Corroborated

[00:36:39] stuff never

[00:36:39] fails to get

[00:36:40] me all

[00:36:40] excited.

[00:36:41] Yeah.

[00:36:42] To me,

[00:36:42] it just means

[00:36:43] that it

[00:36:43] couldn't have

[00:36:44] been just

[00:36:44] some kind

[00:36:45] of medical

[00:36:45] or neurological

[00:36:46] issue.

[00:36:47] Yeah,

[00:36:48] it's like

[00:36:48] getting off

[00:36:49] of Pirates

[00:36:49] of the

[00:36:49] Caribbean

[00:36:50] and walking

[00:36:51] out of the

[00:36:51] ride on a

[00:36:52] sunny day.

[00:36:54] Yeah,

[00:36:54] they do such

[00:36:55] a good job

[00:36:55] of making you

[00:36:56] think it's

[00:36:56] nighttime.

[00:36:56] I also want

[00:36:57] to figure out

[00:36:58] how they get

[00:36:59] it to smell

[00:36:59] the way

[00:37:00] that it does.

[00:37:01] Yeah,

[00:37:01] it's so

[00:37:02] nostalgic.

[00:37:03] I guess we

[00:37:04] can add this

[00:37:04] to our long

[00:37:05] list of

[00:37:05] strange events

[00:37:05] that we'll

[00:37:06] probably never

[00:37:07] understand on

[00:37:08] Hot Trails.

[00:37:09] Exactly.

[00:37:10] Allowed it

[00:37:10] to the glitch

[00:37:11] in the matrix

[00:37:11] pool.

[00:37:12] Yeah,

[00:37:13] yeah,

[00:37:13] just like our

[00:37:13] driving story

[00:37:14] from username

[00:37:15] checks out.

[00:37:17] At first,

[00:37:17] I thought they

[00:37:18] were experiencing

[00:37:19] ball lightning,

[00:37:20] but it didn't

[00:37:20] fit the bill.

[00:37:21] Yeah,

[00:37:22] it wasn't

[00:37:22] spherical and

[00:37:23] it didn't

[00:37:24] really linger

[00:37:24] around.

[00:37:25] It was just

[00:37:25] a quick flash.

[00:37:27] It is kind

[00:37:27] of cool how

[00:37:28] two of your

[00:37:28] stories ended

[00:37:29] up connected

[00:37:30] by this weird

[00:37:31] flash of light.

[00:37:32] Yeah,

[00:37:33] that wasn't

[00:37:33] planned.

[00:37:34] They just

[00:37:34] happened to

[00:37:34] be two

[00:37:35] stories that

[00:37:35] I picked

[00:37:35] off of the

[00:37:36] list and

[00:37:36] I immediately

[00:37:37] liked them.

[00:37:38] I still like

[00:37:39] the theory

[00:37:39] of it being

[00:37:40] some kind

[00:37:40] of residual

[00:37:41] energy from

[00:37:42] that accident

[00:37:43] that happened

[00:37:43] on the

[00:37:43] road.

[00:37:44] Yeah,

[00:37:45] yeah,

[00:37:45] like some

[00:37:45] kind of

[00:37:45] time loop

[00:37:46] and they

[00:37:47] caught a

[00:37:47] glimpse of

[00:37:49] emergency

[00:37:49] lights from

[00:37:50] a crashed

[00:37:51] vehicle from

[00:37:51] years ago.

[00:37:52] Yeah,

[00:37:53] well,

[00:37:53] we'll do

[00:37:53] what we

[00:37:54] do best

[00:37:54] and go

[00:37:55] with the

[00:37:55] explanation

[00:37:55] that's

[00:37:56] most

[00:37:56] interesting,

[00:37:57] so let's

[00:37:57] stick with

[00:37:57] that.

[00:37:58] Yeah,

[00:37:59] fair enough.

[00:37:59] In a

[00:38:00] lemon sex

[00:38:01] bomb story,

[00:38:02] I couldn't

[00:38:03] help but

[00:38:04] chuckle when

[00:38:05] they referenced

[00:38:05] shaving a

[00:38:06] haircut.

[00:38:07] I haven't

[00:38:07] thought of

[00:38:08] the actual

[00:38:08] name of

[00:38:09] that tune

[00:38:09] since I

[00:38:10] watched

[00:38:10] Roger

[00:38:10] Rabbit.

[00:38:11] Okay,

[00:38:12] okay,

[00:38:12] so there's

[00:38:13] a lot to

[00:38:13] unpack here,

[00:38:14] but we have

[00:38:14] to wait a

[00:38:14] minute.

[00:38:15] We'll get

[00:38:16] back to

[00:38:16] the Roger

[00:38:16] Rabbit

[00:38:17] thing,

[00:38:17] but I

[00:38:17] have to

[00:38:17] stand up

[00:38:18] and testify

[00:38:18] for a

[00:38:19] minute.

[00:38:19] I did

[00:38:20] not get

[00:38:20] the play

[00:38:21] on words

[00:38:21] with that

[00:38:22] username.

[00:38:23] I just

[00:38:23] thought that

[00:38:24] the X

[00:38:25] was to

[00:38:25] separate the

[00:38:26] words lemons

[00:38:26] and bombs.

[00:38:28] You know,

[00:38:29] without the

[00:38:29] E in

[00:38:29] sex,

[00:38:30] I just

[00:38:31] thought that

[00:38:31] it was

[00:38:31] lemons

[00:38:31] bombs.

[00:38:33] Oh,

[00:38:33] yeah,

[00:38:34] or like

[00:38:34] how hardcore

[00:38:35] bands would

[00:38:36] do like

[00:38:37] X,

[00:38:37] Snake Eyes,

[00:38:38] X,

[00:38:39] which is a

[00:38:39] real band

[00:38:40] in Salt Lake

[00:38:40] City,

[00:38:41] shout out,

[00:38:41] but it

[00:38:42] is kind

[00:38:42] of funny,

[00:38:42] the whole

[00:38:42] X thing.

[00:38:44] A lot

[00:38:45] of these

[00:38:45] usernames are

[00:38:46] pretty clever

[00:38:46] and funny.

[00:38:47] I'll admit

[00:38:47] I've definitely

[00:38:48] overlooked some

[00:38:49] of them as

[00:38:49] well.

[00:38:50] Ah,

[00:38:50] man,

[00:38:51] yeah,

[00:38:51] when I

[00:38:51] introduced

[00:38:52] the story,

[00:38:52] I didn't

[00:38:53] even say

[00:38:53] it right,

[00:38:54] so I'm

[00:38:54] sorry,

[00:38:55] lemon sex

[00:38:55] bomb,

[00:38:56] but to

[00:38:56] be fair,

[00:38:57] if I did

[00:38:57] pronounce it

[00:38:58] right,

[00:38:58] I probably

[00:38:59] would have

[00:38:59] laughed

[00:38:59] during the

[00:39:00] recording.

[00:39:01] Yeah,

[00:39:02] I like

[00:39:02] announcing

[00:39:03] the author

[00:39:03] and title

[00:39:04] of the

[00:39:04] story at

[00:39:04] the top

[00:39:05] of the

[00:39:05] stories,

[00:39:05] but it's

[00:39:06] sometimes

[00:39:06] hard not

[00:39:07] to laugh.

[00:39:07] It kind

[00:39:07] of sets

[00:39:08] a precedence

[00:39:08] and it's

[00:39:09] hard to

[00:39:09] take some

[00:39:09] of them

[00:39:10] seriously,

[00:39:11] but once

[00:39:11] you really

[00:39:11] get into

[00:39:12] the groove,

[00:39:13] it's easy

[00:39:13] to mature

[00:39:14] and,

[00:39:14] you know,

[00:39:15] like when

[00:39:15] you know

[00:39:15] somebody

[00:39:15] that has

[00:39:16] like a

[00:39:16] really weird

[00:39:17] last name,

[00:39:17] you try

[00:39:18] to take

[00:39:18] them seriously,

[00:39:19] but not

[00:39:20] always the

[00:39:20] case.

[00:39:22] Yeah,

[00:39:22] yeah.

[00:39:23] I often

[00:39:23] can't hold

[00:39:24] it in when

[00:39:24] I do

[00:39:25] the Let's

[00:39:25] Not Meet

[00:39:26] episodes,

[00:39:26] but I

[00:39:27] run through

[00:39:28] those at

[00:39:28] the end

[00:39:28] of the

[00:39:29] episodes

[00:39:29] like we

[00:39:29] used to

[00:39:30] do

[00:39:30] on

[00:39:30] Odd

[00:39:30] Trails.

[00:39:31] So,

[00:39:32] anyways,

[00:39:33] let's get

[00:39:33] back to

[00:39:33] it.

[00:39:34] Shave and

[00:39:34] haircut.

[00:39:35] Boop,

[00:39:35] yes,

[00:39:36] I love

[00:39:37] that.

[00:39:37] And for

[00:39:38] those who

[00:39:38] aren't

[00:39:38] familiar,

[00:39:39] it's this

[00:39:40] scene from

[00:39:40] Roger Rabbit

[00:39:41] where Judge

[00:39:41] Doom comes

[00:39:42] into the

[00:39:42] bar where

[00:39:43] Roger Rabbit

[00:39:43] is hiding

[00:39:44] and he

[00:39:45] starts knocking

[00:39:45] that shave

[00:39:46] and a

[00:39:47] haircut

[00:39:47] on the

[00:39:48] walls,

[00:39:48] like that

[00:39:49] knowing that

[00:39:51] tunes can't

[00:39:52] resist the

[00:39:52] punchline.

[00:39:53] And obviously

[00:39:54] he's right

[00:39:54] because Roger

[00:39:55] Rabbit bursts

[00:39:56] through the

[00:39:57] walls and

[00:39:57] sings two

[00:39:58] bits.

[00:40:00] I actually

[00:40:01] didn't know

[00:40:01] the name of

[00:40:02] that knocking

[00:40:02] pattern until

[00:40:03] I was like

[00:40:04] way older.

[00:40:05] Like I'm

[00:40:05] talking a few

[00:40:06] years ago

[00:40:06] because it's

[00:40:07] hard to

[00:40:07] look that up.

[00:40:08] Either you

[00:40:08] ask somebody

[00:40:09] in person

[00:40:09] who is just

[00:40:10] like,

[00:40:10] oh yeah,

[00:40:11] shave and

[00:40:11] a haircut.

[00:40:12] You can't

[00:40:12] exactly

[00:40:12] Google that.

[00:40:15] But yeah,

[00:40:16] kind of funny.

[00:40:17] Yeah,

[00:40:17] yeah.

[00:40:17] I guess the

[00:40:18] earliest known

[00:40:18] origin of

[00:40:19] that pattern

[00:40:20] because I

[00:40:21] also looked

[00:40:21] it up is

[00:40:22] this song

[00:40:23] from the

[00:40:24] 1890s and

[00:40:25] you know,

[00:40:25] it's obviously

[00:40:25] been replicated

[00:40:26] in music as

[00:40:27] well as comedy

[00:40:28] routines fairly

[00:40:29] often since then.

[00:40:31] Yeah,

[00:40:31] yeah,

[00:40:32] I remember it

[00:40:32] from a lot of

[00:40:33] the old

[00:40:33] Looney Tunes

[00:40:34] cartoons.

[00:40:35] Yeah,

[00:40:36] yeah,

[00:40:36] it fit in

[00:40:36] perfect with

[00:40:37] Roger Rabbit.

[00:40:38] It's kind of

[00:40:38] crazy that we

[00:40:40] lived through a

[00:40:40] time when

[00:40:41] Amblin,

[00:40:42] and I

[00:40:42] think Touchstone

[00:40:43] and Disney,

[00:40:44] they all came

[00:40:45] together to

[00:40:45] make a film

[00:40:46] noir that

[00:40:47] was also a

[00:40:48] comedy and

[00:40:48] also featured

[00:40:49] characters from

[00:40:50] both Warner

[00:40:50] Brothers and

[00:40:51] Disney and

[00:40:52] it ended up

[00:40:52] being really

[00:40:53] good.

[00:40:53] Yeah,

[00:40:54] I love it

[00:40:54] when mashups

[00:40:55] like that work

[00:40:56] out and you

[00:40:56] don't expect

[00:40:56] it like Ninja

[00:40:57] Turtles and

[00:40:58] Batman.

[00:40:58] Like what?

[00:40:59] That's so cool.

[00:41:00] It was so good.

[00:41:01] I loved that

[00:41:02] one too.

[00:41:03] Oh yeah,

[00:41:03] they hit it

[00:41:04] out of the

[00:41:04] park.

[00:41:05] Yeah,

[00:41:05] it's a shame

[00:41:05] that it involved

[00:41:06] so many different

[00:41:07] companies and

[00:41:07] trademarks because

[00:41:08] the licensing

[00:41:09] for Roger

[00:41:09] Rabbit's character

[00:41:10] just ended up

[00:41:11] being kind of

[00:41:11] in purgatory where

[00:41:13] neither Disney or

[00:41:15] Warner Brothers were

[00:41:16] able to do much

[00:41:16] with him after the

[00:41:17] movie due to

[00:41:17] legal reasons.

[00:41:19] Goldeneye on the

[00:41:20] Nintendo 64 suffered

[00:41:21] a similar fate for

[00:41:22] a really long time,

[00:41:23] but that's a story

[00:41:25] for another time,

[00:41:26] as they say.

[00:41:28] But it makes sense.

[00:41:30] They'd basically need

[00:41:31] agreements from each

[00:41:32] of the entities

[00:41:32] involved to create

[00:41:33] a new project with

[00:41:34] the characters.

[00:41:35] Such a headache and

[00:41:36] of course,

[00:41:37] nobody,

[00:41:38] there's always going

[00:41:38] to be that one

[00:41:38] person who doesn't

[00:41:39] want to play nice.

[00:41:40] Yeah,

[00:41:41] exactly,

[00:41:41] but it does remain

[00:41:42] one of my top 10

[00:41:43] movies of all time.

[00:41:44] The ever-changing

[00:41:45] list?

[00:41:46] Yeah,

[00:41:47] it all depends on

[00:41:47] my mood.

[00:41:48] Yeah,

[00:41:49] mine too.

[00:41:49] Yeah,

[00:41:50] I don't think it's

[00:41:51] fair to ever have

[00:41:51] like a solid,

[00:41:53] a dynamic,

[00:41:54] was it dynamic

[00:41:55] or static?

[00:41:55] Which one?

[00:41:56] Whatever.

[00:41:56] You know what I mean?

[00:41:57] I think static.

[00:41:58] Yeah,

[00:41:58] yeah,

[00:41:58] dynamic I guess

[00:41:59] would be a changing

[00:42:00] one.

[00:42:01] Correct,

[00:42:01] correct.

[00:42:02] Yeah,

[00:42:03] anyway,

[00:42:03] sorry for trailing off

[00:42:04] everyone,

[00:42:04] but you know that

[00:42:05] old Disney stuff is

[00:42:06] my bread and butter.

[00:42:07] Hey,

[00:42:08] don't be sorry.

[00:42:09] The disclaimer's in

[00:42:10] the name itself.

[00:42:10] It's odd trails for

[00:42:12] more than one reason.

[00:42:13] Yeah,

[00:42:14] that's true.

[00:42:15] Anyway,

[00:42:16] hearing a ghostly

[00:42:18] knock at your door,

[00:42:19] let's move on.

[00:42:20] That's creepy enough,

[00:42:21] but when it starts

[00:42:22] mimicking

[00:42:23] shave and haircut,

[00:42:25] that's somehow

[00:42:26] a completely different

[00:42:27] level of disturbing.

[00:42:28] Yeah,

[00:42:29] because it changes

[00:42:29] from being creepy

[00:42:31] and ominous

[00:42:31] and becoming

[00:42:32] more aware

[00:42:33] and almost sentient.

[00:42:35] It isn't just

[00:42:36] a disembodied sound.

[00:42:37] It's an entity

[00:42:38] that's almost

[00:42:38] mocking them.

[00:42:39] Yeah,

[00:42:40] that sums it up

[00:42:41] perfectly,

[00:42:41] actually.

[00:42:42] I know we talk

[00:42:44] about the phenomena

[00:42:44] of being lulled

[00:42:47] back to sleep

[00:42:47] when something scary

[00:42:48] happens,

[00:42:49] and it's probably

[00:42:50] a defense mechanism

[00:42:52] in our brains

[00:42:52] to protect us

[00:42:53] from supernatural

[00:42:54] forces,

[00:42:55] which is just

[00:42:55] my theory,

[00:42:56] but I don't think

[00:42:58] I could fall back

[00:42:59] to sleep

[00:42:59] after such a

[00:43:01] deliberate knocking

[00:43:01] pattern,

[00:43:02] especially when

[00:43:03] it's right

[00:43:03] at my door.

[00:43:05] Yeah,

[00:43:06] the knocking

[00:43:06] of a door

[00:43:06] has such

[00:43:07] a distinct

[00:43:08] sound in comparison

[00:43:09] to knocking

[00:43:09] on a wall

[00:43:10] or the sound

[00:43:11] of pipes

[00:43:11] in the winter.

[00:43:13] Pipes also

[00:43:13] don't say

[00:43:14] hey or not

[00:43:15] to the tune

[00:43:16] of a century-old

[00:43:16] song.

[00:43:18] Yeah,

[00:43:19] yeah,

[00:43:19] I think the best

[00:43:20] thing to do

[00:43:20] in that situation

[00:43:21] would be to

[00:43:21] knock back,

[00:43:22] assert dominance.

[00:43:24] Indeed,

[00:43:24] indeed.

[00:43:25] Well,

[00:43:26] that's a wrap

[00:43:27] on this week's

[00:43:27] episode of

[00:43:28] Odd Trails.

[00:43:28] If you have

[00:43:29] a creepy story

[00:43:30] you want to share,

[00:43:31] send it to

[00:43:32] stories at

[00:43:32] oddtrails.com

[00:43:33] and sign up

[00:43:33] for our Patreon

[00:43:34] at patreon.com

[00:43:35] forward slash

[00:43:36] oddtrails

[00:43:37] if you want to

[00:43:37] get ad-free

[00:43:38] versions of

[00:43:38] all of our

[00:43:39] episodes

[00:43:39] at a higher

[00:43:40] bitrate.

[00:43:41] And make sure

[00:43:41] to check out

[00:43:42] the new episodes

[00:43:42] of my other

[00:43:43] podcasts like

[00:43:43] Let's Not Meet,

[00:43:44] Cryptic Encounters,

[00:43:45] and the Old Time

[00:43:46] Radio Cast,

[00:43:46] wherever you get

[00:43:47] your podcasts.

[00:43:48] We'll see you all

[00:43:49] next week,

[00:43:49] everybody.

[00:43:49] Stay safe.

[00:43:50] Peace out.

[00:44:03] Peace out.