Episode 532: Listener Tales 82
Dive into the mysterious and the unexplained with "Morbid" as hosts Ash Kelley and Alaina Urquhart bring to light listener-submitted tales that toe the fine line between reality and the uncanny. This episode, skipping the predictable plotlines of ghost stories and UFO legends, provides a series of real-life experiences that blur the boundaries between the natural and the supernatural.
From a terrifying camping incident in the Canadian wilderness to a bizarre break-in by a man claiming divinity, the episode uncovers the kind of chilling narratives that can't be easily dismissed. Join Kelley and Urquhart as they explore reports ranging from hauntings in a 1920s Massachusetts apartment to eerie UFO sightings in Michigan's nocturnal landscape. These personal anecdotes invite listeners into a world where the strange and inexplicable are just around the corner, leaving the community to marvel and speculate long after the events have passed.
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1-Page Summary
A scary camping experience for two sisters and their friends in 1999
Alaina and Kat Urquhart, along with two friends, endured a frightening experience while camping overnight in Ontario, Canada, in 1999. The girls, aged under 12, chose to embark on an adventurous campout in a familiar field by the woods. They secured their tent zipper with a diary lock, seeking a makeshift feeling of security.
However, the night took a harrowing turn when an unidentified man approached their tent. The man started to terrorize them by shaking the tent, thrusting a knife under the rain cover, and beckoning them with a "Here, kitty, kitty" taunt. After enduring his torment for an agonizing 10 to 15 minutes, the opportunity arose for the sisters and their friends to escape to safety. The man's actions, though non-injurious, left the group in fear, and they decided against disclosing the ordeal to prevent being prohibited from future camping.
A break-in where the intruder claims to be Jesus
In a peculiar and unsettling break-in incident, Ash Kelley recalls a man claiming to be Jesus entering her family home. The encounter began with the self-proclaimed Jesus tapping on her window in the night, imploring Kelley to follow him. The intruder managed to enter the home, compelling Kelley to quickly wake her parents for help. Her father, in a state of semi-undress, used a broom handle to remove the intruder from their house.
The disturbance continued when the man broke into a neighbor's home, resulting in them fortifying their residence and arming themselves in response. It was later uncovered that the intruder had arrived at Kelley's home after a dispute at a meth lab. His escapade concluded with police taking him into custody, where Ash's father identified him as the man from their unwanted encounter.
A haunted apartment in Somerville, MA in the late 1990s
The ominous recollections of a haunted apartment in Somerville, MA, from the late 1990s, emerge from Amy's account, which features multiple roommates experiencing inexplicable events. The apartment, characterized by its quintessential 1920s features, soon became known as a 'spooky nightmare' by its inhabitants.
Unusual occurrences began to mount within the apartment, such as self-moving objects, peculiar odors, and unexplained technical malfunctions. Two incidents particularly stood out—one involving a medicine cabinet door opening and closing on its own and another featuring a toilet paper roll unfolding and refolding as though by an invisible hand.
Alaina Urquhart, a roommate at the time, recalled setting firm boundaries with the presumed ghost residing within the apartment concerning her toilet paper, after which the paranormal activity ceased. The following summer, Amy chose to leave the apartment, which has since been renovated into condominiums, hopefully with less mysterious residents.
UFO sightings above rural Michigan barns and cornfields in 1995
In rural Michigan in the summer of 1995, multiple residents, including the father and uncle of a witness, reported seeing unidentifiable flying objects with triangular light formations. These UFOs, described as three school buses in size, were characterized by their silence and darkness, seemingly absorbing the night around them.
Throughout the two to three weeks following the initial sighting, the neighborhood experienced a series of electrical disturbances and telephone static, coupled with livestock and pets exhibiting unusual behaviors. Sightings of silently hovering or traversing lights continued, with reports of these incidents causing both fascination and concern among the observers.
To this day, the UFO events of that summer remain a subject of curiosity and apprehension among the witnesses, the memories of the mysterious lights indelibly imprinted in their minds.
1-Page Summary
Additional Materials
Clarifications
- Alaina Urquhart setting boundaries with a presumed ghost in the haunted apartment:
Alaina Urquhart, a roommate in the haunted apartment, established clear limits or rules verbally or mentally with the presumed ghost to communicate her expectations and assert her space. This practice is based on the belief that setting boundaries can help manage interactions with spirits or entities in a shared living environment. By doing so, Alaina aimed to create a sense of control and potentially reduce any unsettling or disruptive paranormal activities within the apartment.
- The comparison of UFOs to three school buses is a way to describe the large size of the unidentified flying objects witnessed in rural Michigan in 1995. This comparison helps convey the significant scale of the UFOs, emphasizing their size and potential impact on observers. It suggests that the UFOs were notably larger than typical objects, making them stand out in the sky. The use of familiar objects like school buses helps provide a relatable visual reference for readers to imagine the size of the UFOs.
- The UFO sightings in rural Michigan in 1995 were accompanied by reports of unusual behaviors in livestock and pets, such as increased agitation, restlessness, and vocalizations. Witnesses observed that animals seemed to react to the presence of the unidentified flying objects with fear and confusion. These reactions added to the overall mysterious and unsettling nature of the sightings for the residents in the area. The incidents left a lasting impression on the community, with the impact on the animals contributing to the sense of unease and intrigue surrounding the UFO events.
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A scary camping experience for two sisters and their friends in 1999
During the summer before Alaina Urquhart turned 8 and her sister Kat turned 12, they decided to camp overnight in a tent they set up in a field by the woods near their home in Ontario, Canada.
The sisters and friends camp overnight in a tent in a field
Alaina recounts how she and Kat often played in a green belt area unsupervised, spending much time building forts in the field. That summer, they took to the adventure of camping and were joined by two friends of similar age. They even locked the tent zipper with a small diary lock for a sense of safety.
A man terrorizes them by shaking the tent, threatening them with a knife, and telling them to follow him
The campout quickly turned into a terrifying ordeal when the sisters and friends heard movement outside their tent. They kept silent, pretending to sleep. Suddenly, a man began to terrorize them; he made ripping sounds just outside their tent and slipped a butcher knife under the rain cover, revealing his intentions through the shadows. He shook the tent violently, pulled out the tent poles until the structure collapsed onto them, and then, in a mena ...
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A scary camping experience for two sisters and their friends in 1999
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Clarifications
- A green belt area is a zone of undeveloped land typically surrounding urban areas, serving to protect natural environments, provide recreational opportunities, and maintain the rural character of communities. It can include green spaces, parks, and wildlife habitats, offering a buffer between urban development and nature. Green belts are designated to prevent urban sprawl, promote sustainable land use, and enhance the quality of life for residents living near cities.
- A rain cover is a protective layer designed to shield a tent from rain and moisture. It is typically made of waterproof material and is placed over the tent to prevent water from seeping through the fabric during rainy conditions. The rain cover acts as a barrier to keep the interior of the tent dry and comfortable, enhancing the overall camping experience.
- A diary lock is a small lock t ...
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A break-in where the intruder claims to be Jesus
Ash Kelley recounts an unusual and unsettling encounter when a self-proclaimed Jesus entered her home, leading to a bizarre intrusion and subsequent events.
The "intruder Jesus" enters a house, tells the residents to follow him, and is forcibly removed by the homeowner
Kelley describes the chilling experience of being woken up by tapping on the glass and finding a man outside claiming to be Jesus and insisting she follow him. This "terrifying mountain man" entered her house after Kelley realized the front door was unlocked. In a panic, she attempted to alert her parents. Both her mother and father, half-dressed, came to help her. Despite the man's insistent claims of being Jesus, Kelley's father used a broom handle to firmly guide the intruder out of their house and told him to follow his own path. Kelley's sister, also present during the incident, emerged wrapped in a sheet and yelled at the man to leave.
Ultimately, the intruder, referred to as "Jesus," was forcibly removed from the Kelley home by Ash's father. After the confrontation, her father, described as resembling a "naked hippie," stood outside pantless at 2 am.
Following this home intrusion, the man, still agitated, broke into the neighbor's home, causing them to barricade themselves inside and arm thems ...
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A break-in where the intruder claims to be Jesus
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Clarifications
- Ash Kelley's father being described as a "naked hippie" suggests that he may have appeared unconventional or free-spirited in his appearance or behavior during the incident. The term "hippie" typically connotes a countercultural lifestyle associated with peace, love, and unconventional beliefs. ...
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A haunted apartment in Somerville, MA in the late 1990s
Amy, a former resident of a haunted apartment in Somerville, Massachusetts, recounts her eerie experiences from the late 1990s, intrigued by a series of incidents shared among multiple roommates.
The apartment had multiple roommates experiencing unexplained phenomena
Amy's story begins with her decision to revisit past events after being unexpectedly reminded of her former residence while diverted through Medford and Somerville due to traffic.
The apartment was typical of the area, housed in a triple-decker and featuring a 1920s pink-tiled bathroom, a kitchen with a freestanding oven, a fridge, and a vintage butler's pantry adorned with yellow and green tiles. Despite being in an up-and-coming neighborhood with affordable rents, the apartment was unanimously described as a 'spooky nightmare.'
Initial strange feelings were dismissed by the occupants, blamed on past traumas or the disorienting decor. However, incidents that could not be explained began to unfold. Roommates reported various unexplained phenomena, such as objects moving on their own, strange smells, and technological glitches.
One incident that stood out was when a roommate woke to a scream as Jamie's college roommate witnessed the medicine cabinet door mysteriously opening and closing by itself. On another occasion, the toilet paper roll unfurled on its own, falling to the floor and seemingly folding itself accordion-style without any human intervention.
Incidents included obj ...
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A haunted apartment in Somerville, MA in the late 1990s
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Clarifications
- Somerville, MA is a city located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, just northwest of Boston. It is known for its diverse community, vibrant arts scene, and historic neighborhoods. Somerville is often described as a lively and progressive city with a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial areas.
- A triple-decker apartment is a style of housing common in certain regions, typically featuring three separate residential units stacked on top of each other within a single building. Each unit usually has its own entrance and living space, making it a popular choice for multi-family living arrangements. Triple-deckers are known for their distinctive architecture and are often found in cities like Boston and its surrounding areas.
- Alaina Urquhart is the narrator recounting an assertive moment in the haunted apartment story. She interacted with the entity by setting a boundary concerning her toilet paper, which seemed to affect the supernatural occurrences in the apartment. Her firm declaration appeared to have an impact on the ghostly activities, leading to a decrease in spooky events.
- The term "entity" in the text is used to suggest a presence or being that is not physically visible or easily explained. In this context, the mention of the entity as a ghost implies a supernatural or paranormal explanation for the unexplained phenomena experienced in the apartment. The belief in the entity being a ghost is based on the assumption that it was responsible for the strange occurrences like objects moving on their own and other eerie incidents reported by the roommates.
- In the context of the haunted apartment story, laying down a boundary about toilet paper was a symbolic act by one of the roommates to assert control and set limits with the presumed ghostly entity. By establishing this boundary, the roommate aimed to communicate assertiveness and potentially deter further unsettling occurrences. This action was a way for the roommate to express authority and establish a sense of personal space within the shared living environment, potentially influencing the perceived paranormal activity in the apartment.
- The conversion of a triple-decker ...
Counterarguments
- The experiences of unexplained phenomena could be attributed to psychological factors such as suggestibility, where one person's report of a strange event could influence others to perceive anomalies where there might be none.
- Describing the apartment as a 'spooky nightmare' is subjective and could be influenced by the power of suggestion or a predisposition towards believing in the supernatural.
- Objects moving on their own, strange smells, and technological glitches could have practical explanations such as drafts, plumbing issues, or electrical faults rather than paranormal activity.
- The incident with the medicine cabinet could be explained by mechanical issues or air pressure changes rather than supernatural causes.
- The toilet paper roll incident might be attributed to a combination of natural forces or even a prank, rather than paranormal activity.
- Alaina Urquhart's belief that she interacted with a ghost is a personal interpretation and could be challenged by the lack of empirical evidence supporting the existence of ghosts.
- The cessation of spooky events after Alaina's declaration could be coincidental or due to a psychological effect where the roommates' belief in the boundary reduced their perception of unexplained ...
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UFO sightings above rural Michigan barns and cornfields in 1995
During the summer of 1995, residents in a rural Michigan neighborhood experienced a series of unsettling UFO sightings that left them questioning the nature of the events.
Multiple neighbors independently witnessed triangle-shaped lights hovering silently above barns and cornfields
Ash Kelley presents a listener's account named "Listener Tale, Neighborhood UFO, Summer of 1995," detailing the circumstances when residents observed anomalous activities. The story revolves around an occurrence where the father and uncle of the storyteller witnessed an unusually large, triangular object with lights. This object was so dark it appeared even darker than the surrounding night sky, roughly the size of three yellow school buses arranged in a triangular formation.
Some reported electrical issues and animals acting strangely during the period of sightings
Later that night following the sighting, the neighborhood was plagued by peculiar electrical disturbances. Residents experienced anomalies such as lights unexpectedly brightening and then dimming, and televisions turning off and on by themselves. Ash Kelley mentions that the storyteller's aunt and uncle encountered loud static on their phone line, a disruption that was echoed across the locality.
The eerie phenomena persisted over the following two to three weeks, with multiple neighbors independently reporting the sight of lights traveling across the sky or hovering silently over the area. Kelley's cousin, who was 19 years old at the time, saw the unusual lights drift across a fi ...
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UFO sightings above rural Michigan barns and cornfields in 1995
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Clarifications
- Ash Kelley is a presenter who shared a listener's account about UFO sightings in rural Michigan in 1995. They detailed the experiences of residents who witnessed strange lights and phenomena during that time. Kelley's role was to narrate the events and provide a platform for sharing these intriguing stories with the audience.
- The comparison of the UFO's size to three yellow school buses is a way to provide a visual reference for readers to understand the scale of the object. It helps convey the enormity of the triangular UFO witnessed by the individuals in the rural Michigan neighborhood in 1995. The description aims to emphasize the unusual and significant size of the object in relation to familiar, everyday objects like school buses. This comparison adds a vivid and relatable dimension to the account of the UFO sighting, making it easier for readers to imagine the scene.
- The anomalous activities, such as electrical disturbances and strange animal behavior, were observed to coincide with the appearance of the mysterious lights in the rural Michigan neighborhood. Residents reported experiencing disruptions like lights flickering and televisions turning on and off alongside sightings of lights in the sky. The correlation between these phenomena suggested a potential link between the UFO sightings and the disturbances witnessed by the community. The presence of the lights seemed to trigger a series of unusual events, creating a sense of unease and intrigue among the witnesses.
- The reported electrical disturbances, such as lights flickering and televisions turning on and off, were significant as they occurred concurrently with the UFO sightings. These anomalies added a layer of mystery and unease to the events, suggesting a potential connection between the sightings and the disruptions in the neighborhood. The disturbances, including loud static on phone lines, mirrored the timing of the sightings, hinting at a possible correlat ...
Counterarguments
- The sightings of triangle-shaped lights could be misidentified human-made aircraft, such as military planes or drones, which are often tested in remote areas and can have unconventional lighting patterns.
- Electrical disturbances in rural areas can be due to aging infrastructure or environmental factors, and may not necessarily be related to UFO sightings.
- The persistence of sightings over two to three weeks could be indicative of a recurring, explainable event, such as scheduled military exercises or atmospheric phenomena like ball lightning.
- Animal behavior is highly variable and can be influenced by numerous factors, including environmental changes, weather, or illness, which may not be related to UFO activity.
- The feelings of intrigue and unease exper ...
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