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< Back The Flannan Isles Lighthouse Keepers Ever heard of the 3 lighthouse keepers that vanished on an island? The Flannan Isles, also known as the Seven Hunters is a group of uninhabited rocky islands off the western coast of Scotland. The mysterious islands allegedly had a profound effect on sheep and shepherds would sail their flocks to the islands to graze. Sheep who dined on the grasses of the Flannan Isles were said to give birth to twins or recover from illness. Despite its positive effect on sheep, a legend of a spirit haunting the islands kept any shepherd from staying overnight. Nevertheless, in 1896, the Board of Trade sanctioned the construction of a lighthouse on the largest of the Flannan Isles, Eilean Mor. Eilean Mor is also home to some bothies, a Scottish term for a small hut that now sits in ruin as well as the Chapel St. Flannan, the namesake for the islands. In December of 1899, the lighthouse was completed and lit for the first time. Four lightkeepers were assigned to the lighthouse, each of whom would work a staggered rotation of six weeks on, two weeks off. This meant there were always three men on the island tending the lighthouse at one time. In mid-December 1900, one year after the lighthouse was first put in service, the three men stationed on the island were James Ducat, the 43-year-old principal keeper with a wife, four children, and 20 years of experience, Donald MacArthur, the married 40-year-old occasional keeper who was covering for the first assistant keeper who was on sick leave and Thomas Marshall, the youngest of the trio at 28 and the second assistant keeper. The fourth keeper, Joseph Moore, wasn't on the island as it was his two weeks off. Around midnight on December 15th, the steamship Archtor passed near the Flannan Isles. Captain Holman noted that he could not see the light, though the conditions should have allowed him to. When the Archtor arrived in port, it reported the absence of the light, though this was never communicated to the Northern Lighthouse Board. On December 26th, the lighthouse tender ship Hesperus made a routine visit to Eilean Mor. When nearing the island, Captain James Harvey found it odd that there was no flag on the flag pole. The Hesperus sounded her horn to try to get the attention of the three lighthouse keepers but there was no response. They then attempted firing a flare, again, no reply. Joseph Moore, the fourth lighthouse keeper, was onboard the Hesperus. With no signal coming from the island, Moore was sent ashore. Upon arriving at the Eilean Mor's east landing, nothing appeared amiss. Everything was where it had been when Moore had last been on the island. Moore made his way up to the island where he found the entrance gate, the entrance door, and the door after that all closed. The kitchen door was found open however and the fireplace had not been lit for several days. All of the clocks were stopped. According to Moore, quote, "I then entered the rooms in succession, found the beds empty just as they left them in the early morning," end quote. With no sign of anyone, Moore realized something was seriously wrong and returned to the Hesperus to get more men to help him investigate. They found the lamp of the lighthouse to be in working order and fully prepped but there was no clue as to what happened to the three missing men. Moore and three others were left on the island to operate the lighthouse while the Hesperus sailed back to telegraph the Northern Lighthouse Board of the disappearances. The next day, Moore and the others set about the island searching for more clues. While the east boat landing where Moore had arrived the previous day was in perfect order, it was a different story at the west boat landing. The west boat landing was damaged and a box that had held tackle and mooring ropes was gone. The ropes were found strewn on the rocks and the iron railings around the area had been broken, with some completely missing. That damage however was already detailed in the keeper's log, implying it was not directly related to the disappearance. Most notably missing upon further investigation was a lifebuoy for emergencies which had been kept among the railings approximately 110 feet above sea level. The ropes holding the buoy in place however had not been removed by man, implying that the sea had ripped the buoy from its spot. Back at the lighthouse, by taking inventory of the clothes left behind, Moore was also able to determine exactly what his coworkers had been wearing when they disappeared. MacArthur in particular has left behind the only coat he was known to wear, implying he had disappeared into the cold of a December in coastal Scotland without a coat. They also discovered the logs from the keepers' final days. The last entry was from December 13th but a slate had details from December 14th and 15th, including the time the light was extinguished on the morning of the 15th as well as atmospheric readings as late as 9:00 a.m. The log noted morale had been low amongst the keepers. Peculiarly, it also made note of recent strong storms and winds, though there had been no reports of storms in the area. So either the turbulent weather had been extremely localized over their islands or the men had hallucinated or fictionalized the storms. One source reports the discovery of additional logs made by the 28-year-old Thomas Marshall. Within, the second assistant keeper detailed how the storms had been so frightening, they had caused the men to pray even though their location atop a 150-foot cliff in a building that was only a year old practically guaranteed their safety. Marshall describes Ducat as being "very quiet in recent days." And the gruff MacArthur had been seen crying. The final entry read, quote, "Storm ended, sea calm. God is overall," What happened to the three lighthouse keepers that vanished into thin air? Previous Next

< Back Black Eyed Children Should you trust children? Black-eyed children is an American contemporary legend of paranormal creatures that resemble children between ages 6 and 16, with pale skin and black eyes, who are reportedly seen hitchhiking or begging or are encountered on doorsteps of residential homes. This paranormal phenomenon has also inspired some movies and books, however very few are reported. These children do not look threatening. They would want to get in your house or your car. Suddenly, someone will notice something is not right about these children, and reality will hit them once they show their eyes. A dozen of stories keep circulating, all following a very similar pattern. Kids with eyes completely blacked out appear at people's homes or vehicles, knock on the door, and then insist on getting inside to wait for family. Anyone who encountered them has almost immediately felt an overwhelming sense of dread. Besides blacked-out eyes, these children typically appear normal. Sometimes, their attire seems outdated. Some people claim that these children have existed since the 1980s; however, most sources say that the legend originated in 1996 in posts written by a Texas reporter named Brian Bethel where he wrote about two alleged encounters with the black-eyed children. People aren't sure how or why these spirits appear. Demonologists believe they are children of the devil himself and if you let them in, you are allowing the devil to enter your life. They want to enter your home to call their parents, however, upon making eye contact, it seems like there is a much more sinister plot to the story. They have been some stories, such as one from New England. One of the stories goes like this; in the snowy town, within the middle of nowhere of Vermont, an elderly couple heard the sound of three loud knocks on their door. They opened the door and saw two children, a boy and a girl. "Parents will be here soon, may we come in?" The children did not make eye contact and just stood there in the doorway. The elderly couple were hesitant but after a while, they let the boy and girl inside. The kids settled on the couch while the wife made some hot cocoa and the husband asked them questions that went unanswered. The wife returned and noticed that her cat was scared and angry with the children. "May we please use the restroom?" The wife looked at the kids and she finally saw them. The children's eyes were as black as a starless universe. She directed them to the bathroom and returned to her husband who was covering his face with his hand. "Did you see their eyes?" the husband then show her his hand full of blood from a nosebleed. The power suddenly went out and the house turned as dark as the kids' eyes. The wife headed to the restroom and was confronted by the voice of the kids at the end of the hall uttering, "Our parents are here." The kids then exited the house leaving the door wide open. The wife then noticed that there were two men at the end of the driveway. The men were very tall and slender; the wife waved but did not receive the same friendly gesture. The two men and children then drove away together in one car. After people encountered the children, many issues have been enabled such as incurable diseases and lifelong problems. Just because something seems innocent, doesn’t mean it is. Previous Next

< Back Boy In The Box Ever heard of America's Unknown Child? In the Ivy Hill Cemetery in Cedarbrook, Philadelphia, there sits a large plot, kept almost entirely covered in stuffed animals, donated by local families and visitors. The headstone reads “America’s Unknown Child,” a permanent reminder of the child who lies beneath it. The case of the boy in the box was one of Philadelphia’s most baffling murder cases, stumping police for over 60 years, and still, today, leaving hundreds of unanswered questions. On February 25th, 1957 the body of a boy was found in a box in an illegal dumping ground near Bury Road in Philadelphia. The boy was estimated to be around 4 to 6 years old with 30 pounds and stood 3 feet 3 inches. He was found naked but wrapped in a blanket the boy's hair was cut and his body was recently washed. There were small scars in several places including his chin groin and left ankle some of which suggested he underwent a medical procedure, head injuries were determined to be the cause of death and there were no witnesses. The body was first found by a young man who was walking through the abandoned lot, strangely this man waited a full day before tipping off the police. And even stranger it turns out that a second man had previously found the boy's body but had not contacted the police because he claimed he did not want to get involved. With the cold weather at the time of year and the delayed phone call from the person who found the body, it wasn't possible to accurately estimate when the boy had passed away in hopes of finding his identity the police kept the boy at the morgue while visitors from over 10 different states tried to identify the boy by looking for any significant marks to no avail. Police sent out 400 thousand fliers of images of the boy to police stations post offices and courthouses all over the country even the American Medical Association sent out a description of the boy but it led nowhere. The police compared the child's footprints to hospital records in the area fingerprints were taken of the boy but no record was found to prove the boy ever existed… The police weren’t sure what to do, but there were a few key clues left at the scene of the crime. One promising clue came from the actual box itself. The box contained a serial number which allowed investigators to pinpoint the shipment and were able to trace it back to a JC Penney store 15 miles away. Eerily before the boy, the box was used to ship a bassinet the store had shipped 12 of these boxes of bats and nets. However, all of the purchasers paid in cash leaving no record. Eight purchasers ended up contacting the police when they read about the story in newspapers, to go on record that they either still had the boxes or had put the boxes out for trash collection. Though the police were able to determine that the box was shipped to Upper Darby Pennsylvania. Another potential clue was the blanket the boy was wrapped in. It was examined by the Philadelphia textile Institute which believed the blanket was made either in Granby Quebec in Canada or Swannanoa, North Carolina; but there was no way to tell where this particular blanket was purchased since thousands were made and sold, ultimately the blanket lead was a dead end. Another propitious clue was a hat found 15 feet near the box a blue corduroy Ivy League style cap size 7 and 1/8, it was labeled Eagle hat and company. and it was made by the small company owner, Mrs. Hannah Robbins in South Philadelphia. Mrs. Robbins remembered the man who purchased the Hat because she had customized it for him. The man who was described as blond between the ages of 26 and 30 requested that a leather strap and buckle be added to the Hat he paid in cash and she never saw him again. Detectives visited over 100 stores within the area but nobody recognized the Hat nor the boy. There were also strands of hair found on the boy's body suggesting a hasty haircut and one forensic artist named Frank bender believes the boy was possibly raised as a girl. In fact, Bill Kelley, an original investigator of the case recounts that in 1957 and 1958 a West Coast artist did circulate a rendition of the child as a girl but it never produced any leads. There were countless dead ends and plenty of theories but this case soon went cold, for there is no substantial evidence or identification of the boy. His grave is marked as America's unknown child at the Ivy Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, and to this day people, are mystified as to why nobody had come to claim him. Perhaps someday we will learn who this boy was and what happened to him. Previous Next

< Back The Lalaurie Mansion Let's explore one of the most haunted locations in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1832, Dr. Louis LaLaurie and his wife Delphine moved into their beautiful mansion at 1140 Royal Street. The house was made for extravagant parties and elite social gatherings. Madame LaLaurie was considered one of the most intelligent and beautiful women in the entire city. Every woman wanted to be her. But as beautiful as she was on the outside, people were beginning to suspect that something ugly was going on behind closed doors. Like most wealthy families during that time, the LaLaurie's owned slaves. They prepared the meals and made the fancy parties possible. But rumors began to sir. "Madame's slaves seem to come and go quite often, don't you think?” "What do you mean?” "Look around, do any of these workers look familiar to you? It seems like she changes them so often.” "Huh, I wonder why that is." Suspicions had been rising, but with no proof to back any of them up. Until one day, when a neighbor was climbing her stairs, she heard a scream coming from the LaLaurie House and looked over to see Madame chasing a little girl with a whip. There was nothing she could do but watch in horror as the little girl climbed to the rooftop with Madame following close behind. With nowhere to go, the little girl jumped. Even though slaves were barely considered human back in those times, there were still laws that prohibited exceptionally cruel treatment. So the neighbor called the authorities who had the LaLaurie slaves impounded and sold at an auction. But Madame already had a plan. She arranged for her relatives to buy her workers and sell them back to her. After that incident, Madame's reputation began to change. People were no longer eager to attend the parties at their house, nor even interact with the family. And in 1834, things would only get worse. The Madame kept her cook chained to the kitchen by her ankle. For whatever reason, Madame had threatened to take her to the upstairs room. This terrified the cook. Whenever anyone went up to that room, they never came back. The cook decided she would rather die by her own hand than suffer by Madame LaLaurie's. So she set the kitchen on fire. It spread throughout the entire house, and not a part of the mansion was left unscathed. Neighbors came rushing over to help fight the flames. But after the smoke had cleared, they made a horrific discovery in the attic. The fire had burned down the door to reveal the upstairs room filled with dozens of naked slaves. Some were strapped to what looked like an operating table. A few were chained to the wall. Others were crouched in small cages. One woman had her stomach slit open, and her intestines wrapped around her waist like a cruel corset. Another woman's mouth was sewn shut, after first having been filled with animal feces. A man had a hole drilled into his head with a stick inserted, presumably used to stir his brain. Most of them had been dead for a long time. And some were unfortunately not. Madame and her husband were both doctors, and some theorized that they were practicing risky medical operations on their slaves. But based on the inhumane condition that they were in, suggests that their reasons were less medical, and purely sadistic. After the news of the LaLaurie's torture room spread across the city, a mob ransacked their mansion and destroyed every last bit of property they owned. They even tore up the backyard where they discovered dozens of buried skeletons, including that of a small child, presumably, the young slave who jumped off the roof. The mob chased the LaLaurie's out of town and that was the last anyone had ever seen of them. Ever since that day, that house has had trouble getting tenants to stay. Residents claim to hear constant sounds of wailing. Children said they were chased by a woman with a whip. Year after year the house would be bought just to be resold again. The LaLaurie Mansion is privately owned by an oil tycoon from Texas. He has made it quite clear since moving into the house in 2013 that he doesn’t plan to allow anyone from the public inside. Its probably for the best. Previous Next

< Back The Bunny Man What happens when you mix a psychopath and a bridge? There’s a tale that has been verified as true multiple times by government sources and has spread across the internet as a result this is the legend of the bunny man. After the civil war, Fairfax Virginia became a much more populated place which eventually required them to build an institution for the criminally insane. back then the people in those kinds of places could often be pretty dangerous so most of the people in the surrounding town didn't really want to live nearby due to public outrage. The institution was closed soon after all the patients were then transferred to another institution. In 1904 during this transfer, some of the patients escaped and hid in the surrounding forests. it's not really clear how they got away but I would have to assume that was a pretty terrifying time for the town. Over the next several months most of the patients were found except for Marcus Loster and Douglas Griffin. one day while searching through a very remote part of the forest, local authorities discovered a trail of half-eaten mutilated bunnies hanging under a bridge. As the officers progressed further they also discovered Marcus hanging from the bridge's entrance with a handwritten note attached to his foot it just simply said “you'll never find me no matter how hard you try” signed the bunny man, this has been known as bunnyman bridge ever since According to legend if you go down into the tunnel around midnight, the bunnyman will hang you from the entrance just like he did to marcus mysterious deaths and supernatural phenomena have often been connected with bunnyman bridge. There was a guy from Clifton, Virginia who came upon the bridge while traveling. When he returned home, out of nowhere, he murdered his parents and dragged their bodies into the woods. On Easter morning the next day to hang them from the bridge before killing himself. Then there was the event in 1943 where three young kids were found dead dangling from the bridge as well their bodies were slashed open and all of them had notes attached to their feet they all said you'll never catch the bunny man. As recently as 2001 six local students and a guide explored the area only to find mutilated bunny parts throughout the woods there then they left very quickly after hearing noises and catching a glimpse of a figure out in the forest. A police report filed in the 1970s in which air force cadet, Robert Bennett, and his fiancee were driving near Colchester bridge and had to slam on their brakes when they came across a man in a full-body grey suit with something that looked like bunny. He also had a hatchet in his hand the man in the suit then proceeded to yell at them claiming they were trespassing on his land before he threw the hatchet at their windshield and ran off into the woods. Though neither Bennett nor his fiancee were hurt they were shaken by the incident. Two weeks later the now nicknamed Bunnyman by local newspapers was seen at a construction site by a security guard. the guard was checking on new housing development and caught the bunny man smashing the roof supports of new houses being built with his hatchet. Upon seeing the guard he began chopping at a porch post saying “you're trespassing if you come any closer, i'll chop off your head.” After the newspaper ran the story the bunny man himself contacted local authorities and said that he did not want these new housing complexes spreading into his woods and warning that there'd be consequences. The story about this call sparked a media uproar, stories about the bunny man started being reported around the country, and teens from all over Virginia began to make the trek to Colchester bridge to investigate the bunny man. There were over 50 bunnyman sightings from all over the country that year, bodies have apparently turned up around that bridge almost every year. Many have also speculated that there's a supernatural element to the bunny man as which was brought about when the police ended up finding him in the woods they chased after him, that is until he ended up at the bridge then he proceeded to get up onto the track above and attempt to escape but was hit by a passing train before the cops could apprehend him. Although his death was ruled an accident the police that were there claimed that they heard the bunny man laughing as the train hit him and some say even afterward. So whether you think the bunny man is a person or a spirit or just copycats inspired by the countless legends about the place the end result is still the same there. Previous Next

< Back Krampus Let’s talk about Germany’s Christmas Demon. Twas the night before Christmas and deep in our bunker. My mom, dad, sister, and I did hunker. The street lights were dark, no carolers sang, not even the blessings of old church bells rang. And beneath our beds, we all huddled tight and hoped he would pass by our house tonight. Everyone knows of jolly St. Nick and the gifts that he brings on his single-night trip. And the presents and bobbles and candy and toys that he brings every Christmas to good girls and boys. But it wasn't the man with the red suit and white beard who's annual Christmas visit we feared. Outside in the snow we heard a loud howl, the crunching of ice and an animal growl. I heard it sniff by our window pane then a deep throaty laugh and saw red eyes like flame. My sister and I both stared horrified and prayed that the creature could not get inside. But a moment later a thundering pound turned our door to splinters all over the ground. I screamed as the creature into our home came this horrible beast Vom Krampus by name. He was massively tall at least seven feet from the points of his horns to his hoof's shodden feet. Across his back what I mistook for a coat was the shaggy long hair of a filthy dead goat. And I cried and I swallowed my terrified pangs at the sight of his wickedly razor-sharp fangs. His claw-fingered hands looked ready for pain in one was a bullwhip the other a chain. He growled and he sneered and laughed for a while then he pointed at us and said “Naughty.” with a smile. My sister and I both shook with fear What terrible things had we done this year? We tried to be good and thought we succeeded, we minded our manners and no punishment was needed. We both got good grades. We neither lied or cheated or stole, we had nothing to hide. But Krampus still came with his evil heart black to steal us away and stuff us in his sack. To take us away to his punishment cave were all the bad children forever his slaves. We turned to our parents behind them to hide but they both shook their heads and sadly stepped aside. “You must face the music” my father lamented Vom Krampus then laughed his expression demented. My sister and I hugged each other tight and prayed that someone could save us that night. And just when we gave up and all hope was gone there came a loud clatter from out on the lawn. With a tinkle of bells our spirits did lift, Vom Krampus snarled the air he did sniff. On the wind came the scent of holly and pine, gingerbread cookies, and holiday wine. In the doorway, he stood in his bright suit of red. St. Nicholas came and we cried out and said. Save us St. Nicholas there's been a mistake, we've been good all year we can't let them take. Hold on not so fast he raised his great hand, there is something happening you don't understand. Vom Krampus did come that much is true but the demon of Christmas did not come for you. At the demon, we stared both of us confused. He had to be here for somebody but who? Then I started to think and all became clear, who'd been the naughtiest of all that year? The more that I thought the more I understood. We children were fine, but the parents, no good. “But Krampus takes children!” my father protested, and Santa's face twisted toward the man he detested. Christmas time is for children and gifts to be given, you took their innocence and that can't be forgiven. You scared them into silence, their souls you did twist and to top it off told them I didn't exist. For your life-long naughtiness, the piper must be paid and set Krampus upon them with a dismissive wave. The adults screamed as they went into his sack and we cried until Santa patted my back. “What's wrong?” asked St. Nicholas I thought you'd be happy, to be rid of those people who treated you crappy. We are I sniffed sincere as could be, but what is to become of my sister and me? St. Nicholas smiled and laughed loud and deep. As did Krampus, a sound that still haunts my sleep. Why you'll come with me he said with great joy. I have great use for a good girl and boy. You'll come to my workshop and work with my elves, I promise that you will enjoy yourselves. I'll teach you my secrets, my toy-making ways and then you'll take over when I've ended my days. “But”, said my sister, “what about him? Won't Krampus be lonely?” she scratched his chin. “I wish to thank him and I know the way. I will go with him and be his protege.” And so from Kris Kringle, I learned to make toys, and my sister to torture naughty girls and boys. And every evening from that point thereafter my dreams were full of parents' screams and my sister's laughter. And so this ends our happy Christmas story, if you're nice and not naughty you've no need to worry. But if your heart's full of coal and you're an evil mister, try to hide but you'll soon meet Krampus and my sister. Story by Scott A. Johnson Previous Next

< Back Collar Bomb Robbery A deadly quest for someone's life On August 28th, 2003, a phone call is made during lunchtime rush to Mama Mia's Pizza, located at 5154 Peach Street. Tony Ditmo, the owner of Mama Mia's takes an order for two large sausage and pepperoni pizzas. Tony cannot understand the customer telling him the address, so he hands the phone over to his employee, Brian Wells. Wells is about 5'3", age 46 and balding on top. Wells takes down the address, 8631 Peach Street and heads out south on Peach Street, for what seems to be an ordinary delivery, and yet roughly two hours later, Brian Wells is on live TV for robbing a bank. He is handcuffed and surrounded by state troopers in the parking lot of Eyeglass World with a bomb strapped to his neck. After about 30 minutes of gently trying to communicate his plight, Wells says to the police, “Why is it nobody’s trying to get this thing off me? I don’t have a lot of time… its going to go off, i’m not lying. Did you call my boss?” At about 3:18 P.M. the collar starts emitting a loud and rapid beeping noise, and then the bomb detonates and Wells falls backwards, slowly dying while medics and police are baffled in the background. Wells dies on the pavement. Two minutes later the bomb squad finally arrives. Collar bombs have only been known to be used by Colombian drug lords in turf wars, making the use of one in Erie, Pennsylvania especially strange. Even more odd, police found several pages of instructions, telling Wells how to rob the bank, and remove his explosive collar. The notes were addressed to the "bomb hostage". The instructions were hand-written with illustrations. This case seemed pretty cut and dry, but as more details arose, it appeared that Wells, may not have entirely been a victim. Admittedly, none of his behavior seems to scream high profile bank thief. Wells's landlady and neighbor, Linda Payne, stated that he was a perfect tenant. Wells lived alone with 3 cats and was a dedicated employee at Mama Mia’s Pizzeria. The phone call to the pizzeria was made around 1:47 P.M. Wells would've arrived at 8631 Peach Street at about 2 P.M During investigation, it was found that the delivery location was not a home, but a TV transmission tower site in a wooded area off of Peach Street. It was only reachable by a dirt road. The area was swept and they found footprints that matched Wells' footwear, and the tire tracks of his Geo Metro. But one thing is clear, it's during this time, that Wells was outfitted with the collar bomb. 20 minutes later, at roughly 2:20 P.M., Wells walked into the PNC Bank wearing the collar bomb. The bank was about two miles back up Peach Street. And Wells was wearing a T-Shirt with the word Guess across the chest. A shirt that relatives say was not his. Wells was instructed to "go to the bank quietly. "Enter with the weapon you were given. Avoid panicking the tellers or customers. Use the weapon if anyone does not cooperate or attempts to leave the bank." Jon Sekel, a witness at the bank robbery The bomb was already around Wells's neck at this point. Wells gave a bank teller a white envelope, and spoke in a low voice. Wells's note to the bank teller said He then lifted his shirt and showed the teller his bomb, which the note confirmed. At one point the teller yelled "Audrey!", the code for a robbery. One teller whispered to a customer to leave and a group of people began to exit the building. The teller told Wells that there was no way to enter the vault at that time, and was only able to hand over $8,702. Sekel said that Wells didn’t appear scared or cocky, he was actually calm. Wells then left a sealed note for the police, along with his drivers license with the teller, as he was told to do. A woman with a cell phone called 911, and about three minutes later Wells walked out of the bank sucking on a Dum-Dum he took from the bank counter. Police would later find pages of instructions in Wells's car. The first note read: “exit the bank with the money and go to the McDonalds restaurant. Get out of the car and go to the small sign that says Drive Thru/Open 24 hr. In the flower bed by the sign is a rock with a note taped to the bottom. It has your next instructions.” At the McDonalds, Wells collected a two page note that directed him to go up Peach Street, to a wooded area several miles away. Shortly after, Wells was stopped by state troopers and handcuffed while he told them about the bomb. The troopers left him sitting on the ground, shouting for help. They called the bomb squad as soon as they visually confirmed the device around his neck. And the rest is history. The notes directing towards wells stated: “This powerful, booby trapped bomb can be removed only by following our instructions. Act now, think later, or you will die.” If Wells did as he was instructed, which included driving around the city to gather passwords, clues and keys that would disarm the bomb, Wells would end up with the combination to free himself from the bomb, however it seemed based of the instructions that Brian Wells never stood a chance. Cops tried completing the hunt themselves, hours after Wells had died. Bouncing from clue to clue until eventually one of the clue locations came up empty. It seemed that whoever was executing this plan had called it off once the police interfered. One thing to note is that the instructions contained words like "we" and "us", making it appear that there were multiple conspirators. Previous Next

< Back La Llorona Never approach a woman who sobs in Mexico. A long time ago, in a rural village in Mexico lived a young woman named "Maria". She came from an impoverished family, but was known throughout the village for her beauty. One day, a wealthy nobleman was riding through the village and stopped in his tracks. He had traveled all over the world but had never seen anyone quite like Maria. He knew he had to win her over. Maria was easily charmed by the smooth-talking man and accepted his immediate proposal of marriage. Maria's family was thrilled that she'd be marrying such a wealthy man, but the nobleman's arrogant father would not be so excited about this arrangement. So the nobleman built Maria a house in the village where they could be together without his father's knowledge, she eventually gave birth to two twin boys. The noblemen traveled a lot and left Maria in the house with the boys most of the time. At first, he brought many gifts back from his trips and was a devoted husband. But every time he left and came back, he grew colder and more distant from Maria, to the point where he would only give the boys his attention. Maria began to suspect that he was falling out of love with her since she was getting older and was not as beautiful as she used to be. Years later, her husband stopped returning home. Maria was devastated. She really did love him. Rumors began to spread around the village and Maria's reputation was tainted. Even more years have passed, Maria was walking with her children along the river when a familiar horse-drawn carriage pulled up beside them. It was her ex-husband, but sitting next to him was a beautiful young woman wearing very expensive clothing. The nobleman greeted the children and made it very obvious that he was intentionally ignoring Maria. It was clear to her now, why he had left. He had found a younger wealthier woman, one that his father would be proud of. They rode away leaving Maria and complete shock. She was angry and humiliated and brokenhearted all at once. Without thinking she hurled her young boys into the raging water. It wasn't until she saw their floating bodies downriver that she realized what she had done. Distraught she threw herself, in hopes that she could be reunited with them in the afterlife. However, that was not the case. Maria had committed the ultimate sins; murder and suicide. So now she is forced to roam the earth between the physical and spiritual worlds forever searching in vain for her children. She Is called La Llorona, the weeping woman. To this day, people claim to see her by the river at night. When you hear her cries, take it as a warning and run if she approaches you she will bring you bad luck and misfortune Children must be extra careful, she might confuse you for one of her own and when she realizes that you are not her son she will throw you into the river. Be aware of the cries and rivers. Previous Next

< Back Hope Diamond A beautiful diamond and a dark history. According to the legend, a curse attends the owner of the Hope diamond. Whether or not you believe in curses, the Hope diamond has intrigued people for centuries. The history of the stone which was eventually named the Hope Diamond began when the French merchant traveler, Jean Baptiste Tavernier, purchased a 112 3/16-carat diamond from India. This beautiful diamond was even worn by kings, such as King Louis XIV and Louis XV. after Louis XV died, the crown jewels (including the blue diamond) were taken from the royal. Though most of the crown jewels were soon recovered, the blue diamond was not, and it disappeared. The large (44 carat) blue diamond resurfaced in London by 1813. Although the gemstone has been around for many years, it’s beauty is the only advantage. Throughout the years, whoever owned the diamond ended up dying in some form, weither its murder, suicide or natural causes. The Hope Diamond has witness blood, torture, and any other type of death. However, interestingly the diamond seemed to only affect the owners who were men. There has been female owners, but nothing ever happened to them, the ones who died from it were men. Some of the females even used the hope diamond as a good luck charm. Although a female owner isn’t harmed by it, doesn’t mean that female friends or family members of the owner won't get harmed. One case being Evalyn McLean. Her firstborn son, Vinson, died in a car crash when he was only nine. McLean suffered another major loss when her daughter committed suicide at age 25. In addition to all this, McLean's husband was declared insane and confined to a mental institution until his death in 1941. Though Evalyn McLean had wanted her jewelry to go to her grandchildren when they were older, her jewelry was put up for sale in 1949, two years after her death, in order to settle debts from the estate. The Hope diamond is currently on display as part of the National Gem and Mineral Collection in the National Museum of Natural History for all to see. In fact, it was the first supernatural thing I saw in person. Previous Next

Urban Legends Duende Learn about little elf-like creatures that can possess and inflict bad luck. Read More Hachishakusama We’ve heard of Slenderman, but have you heard about the tall, slender woman? Read More Krampus Let’s talk about Germany’s Christmas Demon. Read More Russian Sleep Experiment Ever wondered what would happen if you haven't slept for over a month? Read More Skinwalkers Be careful with what you see, it's not what it seems. Read More Tale of Owia A Tale of Love and Blood Read More The Bunny Man What happens when you mix a psychopath and a bridge? Read More The Slit Mouthed Woman Am I Pretty? Read More Wendigo Never go in the woods alone. Read More

< Back Skinwalkers Be careful with what you see, it's not what it seems. There are some creatures so powerful and malicious that even speaking about them will make you their target. That's why so little is known about the Skinwalkers. The legendary creatures of the Navajo Nation. Yee Naaldlooshii, another name for the Skinwalkers, translates to he who walks on all fours. They are said to be witches who have gained the power to shapeshift. They will wear the skin of the animal they wish to take the form of, and once the transformation is complete they will have the strengths and powers of that animal. They’re harmful and have the ability to turn into, possess, or disguise themselves as an animal. They intentionally cause harm to others and are never associated with healers. But this isn't done just for the fun of it. The intent of the Skinwalkers is pure evil. They can use mind control on their victims to make them hurt others and themselves. One of their initiation rituals is to murder a family member. It is also said that if you make eye contact with a Skinwalker, it will absorb your soul and even steal your body. This may seem like another urban legend, but to the Navajo, it is very real. In 1878, about 40 people were purged by tribe members who accused them of practicing malevolent witchcraft. And then, there was the curious case of Sarah Saganitso. In June of 1987, Sarah was working the night shift at the Flagstaff Medical Center in Arizona. It was her first time working the late shift and her family became worried when she didn't come home. They went to the medical center the following morning, that's when they found the body of a woman whose face was so bruised, she was almost unrecognizable. But they knew that it was Sarah. Her torso had numerous stab wounds. And her left breast appeared to have been bitten off. There was also a broken stick oddly left on her neck, as well as a clump of grass from a graveyard in the distance found near her car. Who, or what would've done such a thing? The police believed it was George Abney. A former professor at Northern Arizona University. He had apparently been telling his friends about strange dreams he had been having where he was witnessing Sarah's murder. I was receiving prophecies from God, he said. But his defense lawyers had another theory. “That broken stick, the clump of grass? This is the work of a Skinwalker.” Nobody was buying this defense and George was found guilty. However, a year later, his case was reopened by Sarah's family. They believed he was truly innocent, and George was acquitted of all charges. He apparently even became a close family friend to the Saganitsos. So did George take advantage of the Navajo's belief in the Skinwalkers to get away with murder? Or, was he in fact innocent? Until there is definitive proof, I guess this will just be another unexplainable event. If these creatures are indeed real… be careful, you might be drawing their attention to you. Previous Next

< Back Crying Boy Paintings Untouched by fire. The Crying Boy is a mass-produced print of a painting by Italian painter Giovanni Bragolin. It was widely distributed from the 1950s onwards. There are numerous alternative versions, all portraits of tearful young boys or girls. There have been many owners with similar paintings who all experienced the same thing. In one story, during the middle of the night in Thatcher-era England, a home in South Yorkshire succumbed to a fire. The lounge room was charred black, drapes and furniture reduced to ash. The owners of the home, Ron and May Hall, lost nearly everything to the blaze, except one item: a painting of a crying boy, his wide eyes looking out from the wreckage, not even blackened by smoke. This wasn’t the first time a crying painting led to a fire. There have been many people with paintings and those same paintings turned up mysteriously unscathed in fires across the U.K., all of which started spontaneously. It was well-known; he would never think of owning this cursed painting himself. If the fact that paintings of crying kids were hung in the living rooms of multiple households is already strange enough, but it's interesting how a painting of a child, something is seen as innocent, can have bad intentions. From then on, wherever the boy went, a fire always followed. Previous Next