5 NEW Real Skinwalker Sightings 2024

[Music] I'm excited to finally announce the freaky folklore compendium Carmen Carion and I are working with Corto publishing to put together a terrifying beautifully Illustrated encyclopedia which explains the history and lore of your favorite folkore monsters along with creepy short stories about what might happen if you were to encounter such creatures pre-order the book today on Amazon Barnes & Noble or your favorite bookstore plus the first 100 folks who pre-order will get a free exclusive folklore freak t-shirt and a crypted card game dual set prototype you can't even get crypted anywhere else at the moment search for freaky folklore a compendium of the world's most frightening monsters Cryptids and beasts or use the links in the description please see the links below for rules information and how to redeem your pre-order bonus go to east.com sreak to pre-order and to fill out your pre-order verification if you're ever driving through the reservation outskirts and you see a man on the road wanting a ride take a real good look at him first if you see any fur on his skin or his skin is too loose on his bones like it's attached and not part of him it might be a good idea to just keep driving welcome back to unexplained encounters I'm your host Darkness prevails and you should follow me on X at dark prevails where we talk about things like the best preserved dinosaur fossil ever which apparently still had food in its stomach today's episode is another volume in the skinwalker sightings catalog each of these stories features an encounter with a skinwalker or something like one enjoy and send me your scary stories of The Unexplained so I can narrate them at dark stories.org I'm looking for scary stories from the Alps and outdoor stories we can feed on alone in the woods if you're feeling nice please leave unexplained encounters a rating on Spotify and apple podcasts to help us grow now let's begin Barn creature from night Andale even now decades later I can still vividly recall that terrifying summer night when I was only 10 years old it was during my annual visit to my grandparents Ranch in rural New Mexico I always looked forward to those trips the Wide Open Spaces helping grandpa with the animals and listening to Grandma's stories by the fireplace but that particular visit in the summer of 1979 is seared into my memory for a very different reason my grandparents Ranch was isolated surrounded by vast stretches of rugged Wilderness the nearest town was an hour's Drive Away out there it felt like we were in our own little world but even as a kid I could sense an undercurrent of something strange and unsettling in that lonely landscape Grandpa and Grandma often spoke in hushed tones About odd happenings in the area but one evening as we sat around the dinner table Grandpa cleared his throat and said you know over the past few months several of our sheep and cattle have disappeared Without a Trace Grandma nodded her face grave it's the strangest thing no signs of animal attacks or rustlers they're just gone I looked up from my plate my curiosity peaked what do you think happened to the Grandpa he shook his head the frown etched into his weathered features I wish I knew kiddo I've been ranching these parts for over 50 years and I ain't ever seen anything like it Grandma leaned in her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper and that's not all on moonless nights when the ranch is Pitch Black and Silent as a tomb sometimes I hear these eerie almost manlike cries and Whispers coming from the woods that border the pasturel land really what do they sound like she shuttered it's hard to describe they're not quite animal but not quite human either it's like they're speaking in some strange Twisted language and the sounds well they seem to carry on the Wind coming from everywhere and nowhere at once it's to make your blood run cold Grandpa chimed in I've heard him too and then there are the tracks tracks I asked a few weeks back I was out mending a fence on the edge of the property as I was walking the line I came across these bizarre footprints in the dirt they were vaguely human but there is something off about him the toes were too long almost like Claws and the space in was all wrong like whatever made them walked like they were neither man nor animal oh I remember that day you came back to the house as wide as a sheet yep I followed those tracks for a ways they LED straight off into the Wilderness they got fainter and fainter till they just vanished without a trace it was like whatever made him just disappeared a heavy silence fell over the table table I felt Goosebumps Rising on my arms despite the warmth of the kitchen and I was wondering why my grandparents were trying to scare me like this or were they trying to warn me he turned to me you be careful out there you hear stick close to the house after dark and if you see or hear anything strange you come right back and tell us okay I nodded a lump in my throat beginning to form I was beginning to realize they really weren't trying to scare me they feared something was out here on this land and wanted me to know about it you often hear stories like this where the adults know something the kids don't and instead of explaining what it might be and warning them to stay clear they simply say be careful or steer clear of such and such place with no explanation well you know what a kid's going to do when they hear that they're not going to take the warning seriously I think that added scary explanation to their warning really made me listen that night and it all came to a head on a sweltering evening in Late July the sun had just slipped below the hills and the first stars were blinking into existence Grandpa was working on a busted tractor and asked me to fetch a wrench from the barn I didn't want to go alone in the dark but but I didn't want to look like a scaredy cat in front of Grandpa so I reluctantly agreed plus it was just the barn it wasn't terribly far away from the house surely nothing bad could happen that close and yet somehow the walk to the barn seemed to take forever an eerie silence hung over the ranch broken only by the distant Lo of cattle and the crunch of my sneakers on the dirt path as I approached the weathered Wen structure a sense of unease prickled at the back of my neck I stepped into the barn fumbling for the light switch until I finally flicked it on the Bare Bulb sputtered to life casting Long Shadows across the cluttered interior then I heard it a faint scuffing sound like something shifted in the dark at the back of the barn I quickly brushed this off as a rat or one of the barn cats but as I started rumaging through Grandpa's disorganized tool chest I distinctly heard what sounded like a low raspy whisper I spun towards the sound heart pounding there crouched in the shadows of the far corner of the barn was a shape it looked human but there was something unnatural about the way it folded in on itself in the feeble light I caught a glimpse of matted fur over long limbs tipped with claws and eyes that glinted a feral yellow Sheen the thing was hunched over what looked like the GW carcass of a rabbit or maybe chicken working the meat with its teeth suddenly it twisted Ed its head in my direction as if noticing my presence for the first time I'll never forget the sight of that thing's face the features were hideously contorted caught somewhere between man and animal the creature uttered a string of guttural inhuman noises like no language I'd ever heard and Terror exploded through my veins I dropped the flashlight and ran behind me I heard a snarl and the skittering of claws on wood I didn't dare look back I just ran faster than I ever had in my life hardly feeling my feet on the ground the night air burned in my lungs as I flew down the path to the safety of the ranch house maybe 50 yard away I was certain that thing was right on my heels drawn by the screams Grandpa came running from the tractor he was working on and Grandma ran out onto the porch it was then I made it to the bottom step of the porch my legs gave out and I collapsed there babbling incoherently about the thing in the barn Grandma knelt beside me her arms encircling my trembling frame it's okay you're safe now we've got you I looked over Grandpa's face was etched with concern as he looked out over the dark landscape towards the barn then he looked at me what happened son what' you see out there I struggled to catch my breath the words basically jumbled out in the barn there was this thing it wasn't human Grandpa it was like an animal but but it wasn't and it was eating something it looked right at me with those horrible yellow eyes and Grandma's grip tightened around me she looked up at Grandpa A Silent Communication passing between them he ran past us and reached for his rifle which always stood propped up by the front door stay here boy Mary I'm going to go check it out Grandma tried to protest John be careful if it's what we think it is he nodded grimly I know but I have to make sure I won't be long with that he stroe away the beam of his flashlight bobing across the yard Grandma held me close whispering reassurances but I could feel the tension in her body carefully she brought me inside the minutes crawled by each one feeling like an eternity then just when I thought I couldn't bear waiting any longer we heard Grandpa's footsteps on the porch stairs Grandma helped me to my feet and we both turned to face him as he entered the pole of Light by the door he came back Ash and faced and Grim the rifle hung slack in his grip and his eyes held a haunted look I'd never seen before Grandma hurried to his side laying a hand on his arm what is it John what'd you find out there Grandpa shook his head slowly there is no sign of the creature but in the back of the barn right where the boy said he saw it he swallowed hard there were tfts of course dark fur caught on some of the crates spatters of blood too still fresh looked like something had been gwn on something else just like he described Grandma's hand flew to her mouth dear Lord above Grandpa met her gaze and a look of understanding passed between them tinged with a fear that sent a fresh shiver down my spine he turned to me placing a heavy hand on my shoulder you did good son real good coming straight back to the house like that his voice was steady but I could see the unease in his eyes that terrified me more than anything else that happened that night to see him as scared as I was Grandma wrapped an arm around my shoulder guiding Me Gently towards the Kitchen come on then I'll fix you some hot cocoa and we can forget all about it talk about got something else as we crossed over into the warmth and light of the kitchen I glanced back over my shoulder towards the front door Grandpa stood there staring out the nearby window into the darkness his rifle clenched tight in his hands I swear I saw a flicker of something in his face it wasn't fear it was like a grim kind of recognition they didn't press me for further details that night Grandma fussed over me wrapping me in a quilt and pressing a steaming mug into my hands Grandpa sat in his rocking chair his expression distant and thoughtful it was like they both knew something I didn't a secret knowledge that hung heavy in the air with us but over the next few days as the shock lessened up my grandparents opened up more it started one morning over breakfast Grandma was frying eggs the sizzle of the pan mingling in with the soft crackle of the radio in the background Grandpa sat at the table cradling a mug of coffee in his weathered old hands he cleared his throat catching my attention son he began his voice gra what you saw out there in the barn it's not the first time something like that's happened around these parts he exchanged a brief glance with Grandma there are stories old stories about beings that can walk between the worlds of man and Beast you see you're part Navajo from my side I'm half Navajo and grew up on the reservation the elders would warn us about him said they could take on the form of any creature they chose Grandma slid a plate of eggs in front of me her hand lingering on my shoulder they're called Skin Walkers witches who use dark magic to change shape I felt a chiller run through me despite the warmth of the kitchen skinwalkers like in those stories y'all used to tell me Grandpa nodded the very same never used to put much stock in those tals thought they were just Superstition and fancy but after what's been happening around the ranch and now with what you saw he trailed off his gaze distant Grandma picked up the thread they say Skin Walkers are drawn to pain or suffering they feed off it like some kind of Twisted sustenance and those things so chaos everywhere they go turning man against man against the land itself I pushed my eggs around my plate my appetite gone but why here why is it bothering us grandpa sighed I don't truthfully know son maybe it's the drought or the sudden sickness taking the cattle times a hard ship like this brings out the darkness in the world and sometimes that Darkness takes on a life of its own over the next few days in snatches of conversation and Quiet Moments they shared more grandma told me about some early interactions with my grandpa's mother a wise woman who knew the old ways and could see things others couldn't a woman who had been more open with Outsiders than others in the reservation she she used to say that there's a thin veil between our world and the other world Grandma recounted as we shelled Peas on the back porch and sometimes things can slip through from the other side things don't belong here then Grandpa spoke of his own encounter years back with something he couldn't explain he'd been out in the far pasture repairing a fence when he'd heard a whisper on the wind a voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once it was calling my name he said his voice low and haunted I looked up and there on the hilltop I uh I saw something looked like a man but it moved wrong all jerky and twisted and its eyes they were like pits blacker than the darkest knot I ran back to the house and didn't go out again till Daybreak as the days turned into weeks I start started to piece together a picture of the world I had never known existed a world where lines between myth and reality blurred where ancient things still hid away in the lonely places of the earth Grandpa later taught me signs to look for and ways to protect myself sage and Cedar hung over doorways and burned in smudge sticks prayers and chants passed down through generations showed me how to make offerings bundles of tobacco and cornmeal to honor the spirits of the land these things whether we like it or not they're part of who we are he explained as we tied little pouches with strips of colored cloth part of the story of our people and now part of your story too admittedly this terrifying experience turned into a very heartwarming one really getting to know Grandpa and Grandma more learning a lot about my Navajo background but the shadow of that night never did quite leave me it was always there lurking at the edges of my thought sometimes resurfacing in my dreams on occasion I'd wake up in the night my heart pounding certain I'd heard that awful Whispering just outside my window a whisper that sounded like my name a few years after I think Grandpa noticed I had changed somewhat one evening on one of my other annual visits as the sun dipped low over the hills he found me sitting on the back steps I was staring out at the Gathering dusk you know it's okay to be afraid he said lowering himself down beside me with the grunt you're thinking about it again ain't you I nodded sometimes I just can't stop thinking about it Grandpa wondering if it's still out there wondering if I might see it again I know I know but you got to remember you're not alone here you've got your grandma and me your mom and dad and all the strength of our people behind you that thing whatever it is it's strange scary even powerful but it's nothing compared to the love and light we carry with us I smiled and he did too do you think it'll ever come back grandpa that uh Skinwalker he was quiet for a moment I don't know but if it does we'll be ready I promise you that that evening we watched the sunset together and in that moment I felt less fear than I'd felt since I saw that thing in the barn Skin Walkers in the city from frell bumblebee I want to preface this by saying I live in a heavily populated city in New England near Wampanoag land here's my two encounters with what I believed to be a skinwalker number one on one of my health kicks I decided to go for a run at 3:00 a.m. it was a week night so there was no vehicle traffic and I didn't see a single other Soul as I started my run I made it three blocks before something felt off it felt like I was being stalked I wasn't wearing headphones because I'm dumb but I'm not an idiot if someone was coming up behind me I would want to know about it I came up to the fourth block it was Pitch Black out due to a lack of street lights there before I could go any further my gut straight up Twisted In Fear And I did a complete about face and started power walking back the way I came after half a block I heard this horrible howl it was like multiple throats howling at the same time and the sound was all distorted I've only heard that sound a few times in my life and only when I was outside after dark I wanted to run as fast as I could but something told me that would only excite what was making that noise like when they say not to run from a dog because it triggers their hunting Instinct I forced myself to stay at a brisk walk the entire time and I could feel it right at my back following my Pace once I hit my driveway I finally broke into a run I struggled to unlock my door for a moment I had my house key on a chain around my neck I made it inside just as I felt the thing come around the corner of the house but I was too terrified to look at what it was but I could feel it watching me number two I drove my mom to her gun club for a chapter meeting one night it was sat way back in the woods their gun range is outdoors and there's only one narrow Trail in if two vehicles try using the trail one has to pull over in the woods to let the other pass my mom asked if I wanted to come in and I said absolutely not I put on my headphones and sat back to take a nap it was dark and the only sounds were my music crickets and the Very faint voices in the club out of seemingly nowhere I heard what sounded like chanting I paused my music and took my headphones off I didn't hear anything like it from the club so I Shrugged it off and put my music back on but then I heard the chanting again much closer than before this time I turned my music off and tossed my headphones in the back seat the chanting then turned into footsteps on the gravel around my car I checked all my mirrors and windows but I couldn't make out anything in the darkness I turned my headlights on to check and I saw yellow glowing eyes about 8 ft off the ground staring at me from the trees Darkness pressed in around the car as I stared at the thing whatever it was it looked teed off I felt Terror in the pit of my stomach and then my mom and a few others came out of the clubhouse to go home when I looked back at the tree line the yellow eyes were gone encounter in the woods with something from Farmers Wife 4955 I live in a small town a village actually in Ontario Canada it's a small farming kaying and Hunting Community I've lived here my entire 21 years and I've always been comfortable here I've always had forest and woods around my home and I'm no stranger to Wildlife later on in life I ended up marrying a farmer so obviously I've never had an issue with animals I also had a run in with a mountain lion on my grandparents property when I was a kid and took off on a two week hunt with my grandfather to hunt the thing down in order to keep my young siblings safe during that hunt this mountain lion found us before we found it and it followed us a good 15 km so I know what it feels like to be stalked by a mountain lion my grandparents are indigenous and therefore Very Superstitious words like Skinwalker and windigo were strictly forbidden however they would tell me stories still about them and how to know that you were in the presence of one my grandfather especially he would take me outside build a fire at dusk sit down in his favorite lawn chair with his 22 shooting the birds and squirrels that tried to Feast on my grandmother's Garden he would put Sage leaves into the fire sprinkle tobacco which he got by unraveling his cigarettes that had a permanent place in his shirt pocket and sprinkle it in and around the fire in between puffs of his cigarettes and shots from his gun he would tell me stories about these bad spirits he would never say their names at the time sadly my grandfather passed away 10 years ago and I missed that man dearly now on to my story when I started High School I took on that rebellious angsty teenager phase that most go through I started to smoke along with my best friend who will call Alex for the sake of the story Alex and I were inseparable during our high school years she basically lived at my house with me as it was easier for us to sneak around with our booze and cigarettes out in the woods rather than in the city where her house was we often filled up water bottles with booze filled up ziplock baggies with stolen cigarettes and loaded them up in my four-wheeler taking off into the woods to drink and smoke without our parents knowing we had been doing this consistently for about 2 years before that day it was late June about a week after school had gotten out for the summer as per usual we packed up our things and headed out it was a beautiful sunny summer day we headed toward our favorite Trail where we usually stopped at the small Creek in the middle to smoke and drink on that day the second my tires hit the dirt on the trail I began to feel uneasy at first I could just brush it off because I'm an anxious person but the farther we went the bigger and Tighter the knot in my stomach became I felt nauseous my hair was standing up I felt like there were eyes on me and something was in Hot Pursuit Of Us I wanted so badly to stop and ask a if she felt anything but stopping felt like certain death I felt her tap me on the shoulder and even over the loud engine I could hear her say something's wrong this sent even more chills down my spine than I already had my eyes were darting around our surroundings like crazy but I couldn't see a thing and yet something was definitely watching us hot on our heels I knew it and she knew it this Trail was extremely narrow so we had no choice but to keep going until we got to the creek and were able to turn around as we continued down the trail Alex grabbed my arm and pointed up ahead I followed her finger and watched in horror as the tops of the huge pine trees lining the trail moved left to right one by one only about 1 kilometer in front of us I didn't know what to do at this point there were eyes drilling into my back and something that I couldn't see was shaking the trees in front of us as I kept going thinking about what in the world I was going to do to get us out of the situation the smell of decomposition hit my nose it was so strong it was as if I was standing directly over that fox that had been hit by a car left baking in the August Sun for 2 weeks before I decided to scrape it off the road I looked around even more looking for a dead animal that might explain the smell but I found none my skin immediately prickled with goosebumps as the memories of my grandfather and I sitting around that fire flooded into my head at first I thought perhaps there was a mountain lion who had caught our Trail because the feeling of being stalked felt eerily similar to that but there was a certain difference about it this felt darker than that more evil as soon as these memories flooded my brain I remembered the conversation that Alex and I were having in my backyard right before before we left we'd been sitting on my back deck watching the farmer bail his hay in the field behind my house talking about paranormal experiences and such then she began to talk about skinwalkers repeatedly saying their name I even said the name numerous times as if my childhood had vanished from my memory as if my grandfather had not told me time and time again to not say that name as I came to this realization I knew we had to leave fast this thing did not want us here or maybe it did maybe it wanted a fresh writhing warm meal either way we needed to get out and fast I scanned the edges of the trail looking for anywhere that was slightly wide enough that I could turn us around and get the heck out of Dodge up ahead I saw a slight opening in the trail and a little bit of a clearing in the trees I sped up and as I did we heard a scream it sounded like a mix between a mountain lion a fox and a coyote Allin one but something was wrong with it it had a deep and guttural tone mixed with the scream if you asked me to tell you what I thought pure evil sounded like it would be that sound as the scream died out the trees began to move again fast this time I made it to the clearing jamming on the brakes and whipping the bike around I turned us around and pushed that four-wheeler to its limits tearing out of there the entire way out of the woods and to the road that screaming was erupting all around us in every direction when we heard it in front of us I swear I heard it laugh at us I felt Alex's Nails digging into my arm but we had no choice but to keep going as soon as we turned onto the main road the smell disappeared the feeling of being watched disappeared and the sounds of nature returned we stopped smack dab in the middle of the dirt road and lit up a cigarette the moment the cigarette touched my lips we heard that same scream but fainter followed by a loud crack into thud I hesitantly took a few steps back to look down the trail what I saw was a giant Pine tree at least 4T in diameter laying down across the trail maybe 700 ft in we quickly finished our smokes put our helmets back on and high tailed it home we steered clear of that trail for a very long time that was about 5 years ago and I've only recently started to use that trail again I'll never forget the feeling of the trail that day and I'll never speak the name Skinwalker or windigo out loud again I can't say for sure which it was that day and if my grandfather were here I would ask him unfortunately I can't Alex and I are still friends we've spoken about this a few times since but we've made sure not to use any names especially since I've now told her the stories my grandpa told me whatever happened that day I don't ever want to be in that situation again if my grandfather was right we narrowly escaped death that night if I ever get that kind of feeling I'll be immediately noping out a quick note about the following story it does not take place in North America but I'm adding it to this episode as it sounds eerily similar to Skinwalker encounters heard in the US and other cultures do have Shape Shifter folklore I've always thought Skin Walkers here may simply be a different name for something also found elsewhere true camping Horror in Switzerland from climber 04 I'm an 18-year-old girl working in an indoor climbing Hall it's basically a large Warehouse with a bunch of different walls to climb and it's my job to make sure all of the guests are strapped into their harnesses correctly this is where I met my boyfriend he two other colleagues and I decided to take a week off work going to Switzerland to do some climbing and wild camping since we live in Southeastern Germany it was a 6-hour drive to where we would start our Trek we had a bunch of camping and climbing gear that we distributed evenly though the two guys in our group ended up carrying most of our stuff we had a great couple of days hiking climbing late night Bond fire discussions and some of the most beautiful landscapes you'll ever see the Alps are truly Majestic and Beautiful on one of our last nights there like at every proper bonfire we started talking about Legends myths monsters we'd heard of the other girl Laura wanted to change the subject she's Wiccan and did not want to attract anything eerie but we didn't listen and retro ECT we probably should have we talked about Legends of European monsters since we have a bunch of them in Germany alone we ended up laughing them off in the end deciding to go back to our tents when it started to get too cold for Comfort we had two tents separated by couples as I heard Laura and her boyfriend giggling and probably getting a little frisky in the other tent I cuddled up with my boyfriend who was already half asleep mumbling about how he didn't get any coffee all day eventually I went to sleep in the warm embrace of my sleeping bag I awoke only a few hours later just as I was about to groggy look at my phone to check the time I felt my boyfriend's grip on me tighten I froze looking up at him he was wide awake staring at the ceiling of our tent with a horrified look on his face I heard quiet whimpering in the Silence of the night and at the same time I noticed how quiet it really was around us no chirping of crickets not even the annoyingly loud owls I usually heard at night I felt anxious and Confused suddenly wide awake I kept staring at my boyfriend who slowly turned to face me and mouthed some words I was eventually able to make out what he was trying to say quiet machete I glanced at the bag next to my head slowly starting to open it as quietly as I could as soon as I was about to grab the machete I heard a loud grunt then there was something that sounded like a low whistle my eyes grew wide and in my head I was screaming every prayer I knew I prayed to Mary God Jesus the archangels to anyone that could help us I didn't know what that thing was outside a man a boar a cow maybe there was nothing else it could be in this region of Europe the most dangerous animals had been chased away or killed off long ago I heard heavy footsteps outside the tent walking towards the tent my friends were in I wanted to do something but I couldn't my my boyfriend was gripping me so tightly I ended up having bruises on my arm later I held my breath and then I heard something rip Laura screamed my boyfriend jumped up grabbed the machete and stumbled out of the tent Laura's boyfriend was screaming now too I managed to crawl out of the tent just in time to see a huge dark silhouette bolt back into the woods it was humanlike but featur like its Limbs and head were off the other tent was almost ripped to shreds and our climbing gear lay strewn around our campsite Laura was shaking and I ran over to her hugging her tightly making sure she was okay the boys stood next to us still on high alert all of us were in shock the guys ended up lighting the bonfire again none of us slept another wink all night we sat around the campfire wrapped in our sleeping bags not saying a word I flinched at every sound I heard Laura was sitting upright on the ground with her eyes closed trying to breathe properly again my boyfriend held my hand with one of his and the machete with the other the other guy was just staring into the fire as soon as the sun showed we packed our things and made our way back to the car luckily we were scheduled to go back the next day so it wasn't too far on the car ride home Laura told us all about how the region we stayed in used to be a sort of breeding ground for witches who would hold ceremonies to keep away demons the natives of the land would make sacrifices to the gods way back when it's said that in the weeks around the summer solstice demons would roam the land I do believe there are such things as demons I have no idea if this was one though the world is crazy and even hundreds of kilometers away from things like Skin Walkers campers still aren't safe from forest entities terrifying night under the stars from HT glorious [Music] I want to tell you about this crazy thing that happened to me when I was a kid I'm in my 30s now but this one experience from childhood still freaks me out whenever I think about it back when I was 13 my class went on this trip to a Navajo reservation it was supposed to be some sort of cultural learning experience you know to teach us about Navajo history and traditions to be honest I was just excited to get out of the classroom for a bit we all piled into this big old bus and started the long drive to the reservation it was me three of my best friends the rest of our class and a few adults which included the school counselor and a couple of parents who volunteered to chaperon the drive felt like it took forever but we kept ourselves entertained hey do you think we'll see any wild animals out there my friend Jack asked I hope so Sarah chimed in I want to see a coyote or something so long as there's no snakes Mike grumbled I hate snakes we laughed and joked around speculating about what the reservation might be like none of us had ever been to one before we were city kids when we finally arrived I remember being struck by how vast and empty everything seemed the reservation was huge with all these wide open spaces and rugged Landscapes it was so different from the city we were used to wa look at those mountains out there Jack pointed out the window those aren't Mountains they're Mesa Sarah corrected him she was the smarter one and knew it turning her into quite the know-it-all sometimes as we stepped off the bus I felt a sudden sense of isolation we really were out in the middle of nowhere far away from anything familiar but I was with my friends so I didn't feel too nervous the school counselor Miss Johnson gathered us all together all right everyone listen up we're going to be learning a lot about Navajo culture this afternoon I want you all to be respectful and pay attention to our hosts we all nodded but I could tell we were itching to explore the first thing on our agenda was a meeting with some of the Navajo Elders they greeted us warmly leading us to this big open space where we all sat in a circle the elders began to share stories about Navajo history and traditions at first I was kind of bored I mean I was 13 listening to people way older than me talking about history and that wasn't exactly my idea of fun but then one of the elders started to talk about Navajo folklore and legends I perked up a bit I wasn't the only one either because Jack always the Curious one raised his hand do you have any scary stories like about monsters or ghosts a couple of the elders exchanged glances there was an uncomfortable silence for a moment finally one of them spoke up there are many stories in Navajo culture culture but some are not meant to be shared with Outsiders it's best we focus on the stories that teach us important lessons about our way of life that just piqued our interest even more the idea that there were certain stories that Outsiders like us weren't even allowed to hear sadly the subject was changed quickly they told us more about Navajo art and music even taught us a few words in their language as the day went on we explored more of the reservation we saw some traditional Navajo homes called Hogans and even got to try some authentic Navajo food it was really cool after a few hours it was finally time to head back to the bus I sat with my friends as usual we began to talk about all the things we'd seen and learned as everyone else climbed aboard and the adults were checking things before leaving settling into our seats Jack turned to us with a frustrated look on his face can you believe those Elders wouldn't tell us the scary stories he complained I mean what's the point of learning about Navajo culture if we don't get to hear about the cool stuff Sarah rolled her eyes maybe they just didn't want to scare us we're just kids come on Jack scoffed we can handle it did you see the way they reacted when I asked about monsters and ghosts they're definitely hiding something what do you think they're hiding Jack I asked he leaned closer lowering his voice I've heard stories about these things called Skin Walkers they're like evil shape shifters or something I bet the elders know all about them but they just don't want to talk about it Skin Walkers Mike repeated his eyes wide just the name sounds creepy yep and apparent they can turn into animals and stuff and they're supposed to be really dangerous Jack said clearly enjoying the effect his words were having on us especially Mike Sarah shook her head jack that's just a bunch of superstition there's not actually such thing as skinwalkers Legends like that just serve as cautionary tales you don't know that Jack argued the Navajo have all sorts of Legends and stuff just because the elders didn't want to talk about it doesn't mean it's not real I shifted uncomfortably in my seat I didn't know what to believe but the idea of Skin Walkers was definitely interesting and unsettling maybe we shouldn't talk about it Mike suggested the elders probably had a good reason for not wanting to share those stories don't be such a baby Jack teased it's just a story what's the worst that could happen as if on Q the bus suddenly lurched to a stop the engine sputtered and died and we all looked around in confusion what's going on Mike asked peering out the window Miss Johnson stood up at the front of the bus well looks like we're having some mechanical issues she said trying to sound calm everyone just sit tight while we figure this out she and the other chaperon got off the bus to take a look at the engine we all waited anxiously wondering what was going to happen after a while miss Johnson came back onto the bus with a worried look on her face I'm afraid the bus isn't going to start she said we're going to have to call your parents to come pick you up we'll also get a hold of someone to come fix the bus a murmur of concern went through the bus we were stranded in the middle of of nowhere Miss Johnson and the other chaperon started making phone calls trying to reach out to parents to come pick us up however some of them were unreachable or unable to come till morning my group of friends and I happened to meet that criteria too my parents didn't even pick up while Mike Jack and Sarah's parents were apparently busy till tomorrow I know for a fact Jack's parents were out of town but I wasn't sure about Sarah and miks I remember feeling a growing sense of dread as the reality of our situation sank in were we going to have to spend the night out here on the reservation I could ask the other kids parents for a ride but I didn't really know them it was after this that thing started to get really weird Jack's words about Skin Walkers kept echoing in my head as we sat there on the bus waiting for someone to come fix it I tried to push the thoughts away but the more I tried the more they seemed to take hold over the next few hours the other kids parents began to show up and a couple of hours after that as we were all waiting outside with bottles of water the last of the parents came to pick up the last of the children that would go home that night for us stragglers Miss Johnson came up to us and said I've got some good news your parents will be here in the morning including you HT she pointed at me I finally managed to get a hold of him however we're not going anywhere tonight until tomorrow we'll be staying in the bus one of the other straggler kids spoke up can't we stay in one of the buildings on the reservation Miss Johnson sighed no unfortunately there's limited indoor space available then Jack spoke up there's no room to sleep on that bus can we camp outside instead enjoy the scenery and the star Sarah chimed in with him yeah that sounds like fun Miss Johnson stood there for a moment thinking about it well we did pack blankets on the bus just in case tell you what if you all want to camp out here next to the bus you can do that but I'm going to be out here with you and anyone who wants to sleep in the bus can do so a mixture of excitement and fear rippled through me camping outside on this reservation after everything Jack said about Skin Walkers Sarah nudged me this is going to be awesome like a real Adventure Jack agreed Mike seemed to be the only one with reservations about staying on the reservation and despite my feelings about the situation I eventually found myself getting caught up in the enthusiasm I mean it did sound cool camping out under the stars Miss Johnson continued everyone needs to stay together and follow instructions whether you're on the bus or just outside I'm going to ask the elders if they have anything that might help out we began to go back into the bus grabbing the aformentioned blankets and anything else that would help out with our camp Miss Johnson came back with one of the elders apparently they did have some tents we could borrow and some spare pillows heck they even brought us out some snacks the Elder and Miss Johnson helped to set up a small fire after that the Elder B us good night and left Miss Johnson and my friend and I gathered around the fire we could feel the night getting colder on our backs as the others talked about school or gossip and even homework I felt more and more uneasy it started with small things like the way the Shadows seem to Flicker and dance at the edge of the fire light or the way the wind whistled through the trees nearby sounding almost like Whispers I glanced at my friends wondering if they felt weird too but they seemed oblivious caught up in conversation as the fire began to die down a bit Miss Johnson stood up and stretched all right kids bedtime we've got a long day tomorrow we all grumbled a bit but we began to pile into our tents anyway doors and window flaps kept open so we could see and talk to each other even as I laid down sleep just wouldn't come every time I closed my eyes the creepy thoughts of monsters from Navajo folklore came to mind especially the skinwalker at some point in the night I heard a twig snap somewhere in the dark beyond our campsite I sat up my heart pounding did you hear that I whispered to Sarah who I was sharing my tent with she mumbled something incoherent and rolled over already asleep apparently I strained my ear ears listening for any other sounds at the moment all I could hear was the wind and the occasional pop from the low dying fire I was about to lie back down but then I caught sight of something a pair of eyes glowing eyes staring out at me from the Shadows I froze my breath catching in my throat the eyes blinked once twice then disappeared I rubbed my eyes wondering if I had imagined it or if something was stuck in them but then I heard another twig snap it was closer this time I nudged Sarah feeling much more urgent than before Sarah wake up there's someone out there she sat up blinking sleepily what what are you talking about I pointed to the Shadows where I'd seen the eyes I saw something eyes glowing in the dark she frowned peering out into the night I don't see anything probably just a nocturnal animal or something I suddenly heard someone sit up in the other tent apparently Jack was awake did you say eyes like glowing animal eyes I nodded my heart still pounding Jack scrambled to his feet grabbing a flashlight and crawling out of his tent I'm going to go check it out Jack no Sarah hissed Miss Johnson said we have to stay by the bus together but Jack was already heading towards the edge of the campsite the beam of his flashlight cutting through the dark I glanced at Sarah then to the other tent seeing Mike now awake looking just as scared as I felt we couldn't just let Jack go off on his own so we went after him footsteps crunching on the dry ground Jack wait up I called trying to keep my voice low but Jack would not slow down he kept going his flashlight sweeping back and forth across the landscape then we heard something a low growl the kind of sound that instantly sends shivers down your spine fine all of us froze including Jack whose flashlight beam now pointed towards the sound there in the light we saw a creature which could only come from a nightmare it was huge easily the size of a wolf but it looked very very wrong its fur was patchy and mangy and its face wasn't that of a wolf it was flat humanlike snout the creature stared at us with glowing yellow eyes lips pulled back in a snarl what is that Sarah whispered her voice trembling Skinwalker Jack breathed his face pale the creature suddenly looked extremely mad even more so than before its claws digging into the Earth as it took a step towards us we St stumbled Back Jack's flashlight shaking about in his hands then from behind us we heard Miss Johnson's Voice Kids what are you doing over there we spun around the beam now landed on Miss Johnson's face then all four of us turned back around where the creature had been it was no longer there Miss Johnson hurried over to us her face etched with worry what's going on why aren't you in your tent sleeping we all started to talk at once voices high and panicked we told her about the eyes we saw in the dark about that monster we'd seen Miss Johnson's face grew even more concerned she hustled us back to the campsite where some of the other kids were now looking out from the windows of the bus Miss Johnson alone searched the area around the campsite we were terrified watching her out there one wondering if that thing was going to drag her away thankfully she saw no sign of the creature Miss Johnson tried to convince us it had probably been a coyote or another animal but I knew what we'd seen we all knew we grabbed our blankets abandoned our tents and slept crapped in the bus that night Miss Johnson kept the door shut and the windows down to circulate some cooler air so every snap of a twig every rustle of leaves I heard out there sent fresh waves of Terror through me that night seemed to go on forever I don't think I slept at all when the Sun finally came up it felt like a miracle our parents showed up at record time thankfully and I was more than eager to get off this reservation and get back home Miss Johnson before we left tried to ask us more questions about the night before but we didn't want to talk about it anymore we didn't even want to think about it as I climbed into my parents' car and slowly pulled away I caught a glimpse of something in our rearview mirror a lone figure standing at the edge of the reservation watching us leave I blinked and I swear it was gone just like that honestly I think that trip changed me changed all my friends like it opened up a door that shouldn't have been opened one that's impossible to close a door that told us that there are monsters out there and if that bit of folklore happened to be true what other folklore was real we live in a world filled with things that defy explanation when it comes to Skin Walkers it's best left to the elders thank you for listening to unexplained encounters if you enjoy this show think about supporting us there's several ways you can search for Eerie cast on your favorite podcast app and follow our other scary shows especially the other two I host Tales from the breakroom and camping Horrors leave unexplained encounters a rating on Spotify and a review on Apple podcasts the more we get the higher we climb in the charts get some cool merch at Eerie cast. store or unlock tons of cool extras like exclusive audiobooks and music tracks add free access to all our shows and a huge 20% discount on all our merch all for less than three bucks a month by signing up for eercast Plus at east.com plusus thank you until next time send me your scariest stories of The Unexplained at dark stories.org so I can narrate them in a future episode and follow me on X formerly Twitter @ dark prevails for plenty of Screams and memes stay safe out there and stay creepy because this world is a strange [Music] one [Music]

Channel: Darkness Prevails

Views: 75,420

Keywords: skinwalker stories, skinwalker caught, skinwalker video, real skinwalker, skinwalkers, true scary stories, creepy true stories, true horror stories, darkness prevails, eeriecast, unexplained encounters, deep woods stories, scary deep woods stories, deep woods horror stories, skinwalker sighting, skinwalker found, camping stories, scary camping stories, camping horror stories, haunted forest, haunted forest stories, real haunted forest, hiking stories, scary hiking stories

Id: KfBmMcQPip0

Length: 62min 35sec (3755 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 16 2024