 Ads heard before, during, or after the podcast are not endorsed by Paranormality Magazine or myself unless voiced by me personally. All other ads are pre-recorded, inserted by ad agencies and are not under our control. Welcome to Paranormality Magazine. Each week, Paranormality Magazine explores all 40 subjects, from phantoms to UFOs, and every cryptid creature in between. Each week, you're treated to a collection of well-researched and investigated stories, interviews, and reports on cutting-edge paranormal projects and topics they know you crave. And here in the podcast, I share stories from the magazine to give you just a taste of what you receive in every issue. I'm Darren Marlar and this is Paranormality Magazine. The elevator game, also known as the elevator ritual or elevator to another world, has become an iconic urban legend in recent years. This ritual, which supposedly allows a person to travel to another dimension or world, has spread widely online and captures the imagination of those seeking thrills or supernatural encounters. But is this so-called game based in any truth or reality? Or is it nothing more than a creepy story that has taken on a life of its own? Let's examine the details and origins of the elevator game ritual and explore whether there could be any factual basis behind such claims. The elevator game ritual rose to prominence in the early 2010s as stories and reports of it began circulating on blogs, message boards, Reddit, and other internet forums. The ritual itself is relatively simple, in theory, at least. At night, go to a building with at least 10 floors that has an elevator. This building should be near where you live and largely deserted at night, such as an office building. Make sure you are alone when you enter the building. Bring nothing with you except the clothes on your back, although some variations suggest bringing a small survival kit. Enter the elevator on the first floor. Press the button for the fourth floor. When the elevator reaches the fourth floor, do not get out. Instead, press the button for the second floor. On the way down to the second floor, do not get out. Let the elevator descend back down and press the button for the sixth floor. Continue this pattern of going up a set number of floors, then down a set number, then up, then down, without getting out on any floor until floor number 10. When the elevator reaches the tenth floor, it supposedly will open not onto the tenth floor, but onto another dimension or different world entirely different from the one you just left. If successful, those who complete the ritual often report encountering strange creatures and entities, an alien world filled with unusual sights and sounds, or a dimension that resembles our world but seems abandoned, run down, or permeated with an overwhelming sense of dread and despair. Accounts sometimes speak of ghostly figures, madmen, or cult members occupying this other world. But the elevator game ritual comes with an abundance of danger and warnings as well. Those who fail to complete the steps properly may disappear, never to return, become trapped between worlds, or meet an untimely end at the hands of the questionable entities said to dwell within this alternate realm. Even those who complete the ritual face the risk of becoming stranded in another world or dimension with potentially no way to return home. While versions of the elevator game are a similar type of dimensional elevator ritual have been reported in many countries, the origins of this particular urban legend appear to come from Japanese internet forums and threads in the late 2000s. Two common elements found in early Japanese elevator game rituals that persist in current descriptions are the requirement to ride the elevator late at night and the stipulation that you must ride alone. Both factors help set the quiet, isolated, eerie stage necessary to conduct such a creepy ritual. The specific instructions, riding up a set number of floors, then down and so on in a set sequence but never getting out until the end, also bear a striking similarity to rituals documented in older Japanese legends. These types of rituals are often referred to as kairoku, meaning uncanny space. Going back centuries, Japanese folklore contains stories of people stumbling upon or deliberately entering mysterious, liminal spaces that do not obey normal physical rules and feature paranormal entities or glimpses of the afterlife. Modern Japanese urban legends reimagine these uncanny ritual spaces for today's world. Elevators lend themselves well to such paranormal rituals and liminal spaces because they already operate as confined, windowless rooms disconnected from their immediate environment, essentially a space between one world or one floor and another. The repeated opening and closing of the elevator doors builds suspension and deception. Will the next door open onto the same world or another realm entirely? Thus, the elevator game took inspiration from ancient folk beliefs and updated the idea of a mystical, perilous ritual space for the modern tech world. Despite endless anecdotal claims on creepy websites and stories of friends of friends undertaking the elevator game with terrifying results, no definitive firsthand accounts from participants who successfully completed the ritual exist. Plenty of individuals may believe they played the game properly only to experience a series of coincidences and psychological episodes fueled by suggestion in their own imagination rather than a true portal to another world. Without concrete video or documented evidence that the elevator game truly works as described, reasonable skepticism remains warranted. Researchers of folklore and urban legends point out that while ghost stories and paranormal beliefs have existed across human cultures for millennia, the advancement of photography, film, and now the internet should result in far more tangible evidence than exists if any of these phenomena were based in reality. The lack of such evidence regarding the elevator game ritual only lends more credence to the theory that it is nothing more than an unsettling fictional legend deeply rooted in ancient folklore and reimagined for a tech-savvy 21st century internet audience constantly seeking out the creepy and bizarre corners of humanity. The current cultural obsession with the elevator game ritual speaks volumes regarding humanity's inherent need to believe in forces larger than ourselves and possibilities beyond the mundane day-to-day of reality. These rituals and urban legends tap into our desire to peel back the restrictions and limitations placed upon the human experience, to glimpse realities beyond our own or at least imagine such an escape as possible. The elevator game legend plays upon common modern anxieties as well. The inherent isolation and unease we often feel crowded into an elevator car or ascending hundreds of feet in a confined metal box lends itself well to overlaying further paranormal phenomena in that setting. Similarly, late-night expanses of empty office buildings contrast sharply with the hustle and bustle that animates them during the day. The stillness and shadows of such settings at night give rise to unsettled feelings within us even before we populate the space with imaginary sinister entities. Combining eerie modern spaces and technologies like elevators with ancient folkloric rituals offers the perfect blend to craft compelling new urban myths and legends that spread like wildfire in our highly connected online world. The elevator game succeeds so well because even if a small part of our rational mind knows better, the story preys upon our irrational vulnerabilities so effectively that doubt creeps back in no matter how ridiculous the premise may be. And so, legends and ceremonies like the elevator game endure, unlikely to be eradicated anytime soon despite a lack of evidence. In the end, a thorough examination of the elevator game ritual and the paranormal claims surrounding it reveals no substantiated incidents and no concrete video evidence showing the ritual even working as described. Quite plausibly, the game's spread online points to nothing more than a brilliant and highly shareable new urban legend updated for our modern world, but still just a legend nonetheless. Yet ultimately it provides such engaging storytelling fodder that the game proves likely to fascinate and attract new players for years to come, despite its dubious and unproven underlying claims. For those tempted to test the game themselves, skeptics warn against attempting the ritual at all due to a complete lack of evidence supporting its validity coupled with inherent psychological and physical dangers. The likelihood for self-delusion or being carried away by suggestive thinking remains quite high. Meanwhile, lurking alone in deserted buildings at night clearly exposes anyone to a risk of assault, accident, or even just basic trespassing charges. As such, the smartest course remains appreciating the elevator game as nothing more than a deliciously chilling and imaginative story, but otherwise leaving this ritual firmly between the pages of urban legend books rather than trying to bring it to life. There are certain individuals in this world who possess uncanny talents and abilities that even experts struggle to explain. They accomplish feats of superhuman strength, memory, endurance, and more that leave scientists scratching their heads. First is Daniel Browning Smith, a 44-year-old contortionist and performer from the United States. Thanks to a condition called hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which gives him unusually flexible joints and stretchy skin, Smith holds seven Guinness World Records. His uncanny elasticity allowed him to accomplish incredible stunts like squeezing his entire body through a tiny tennis racket. However, the condition also causes chronic pain and easy dislocations, forcing Smith to give up performing. Then there is Natasha Demkina, a 37-year-old Russian woman who claims to possess X-ray vision that lets her see inside other people's bodies. In several controlled tests, she was able to correctly identify strangers' various medical conditions at a rate that seems unbelievably high. However, her predictions are not always accurate, so some believe she is simply an incredibly gifted guesser. Negoc Tai, an 81-year-old Vietnamese farmer, states that he has not slept a single night since 1962. His family and neighbors insist they have never once caught him sleeping. Tai says he draws boundless energy, not from sleep, but rather daily consumption of green tea and rice wine. Of course, going even a few days without sleep should be deadly, so his supposed superpower is likely more of a curse. In stark contrast, 49-year-old British artist Stephen Wiltshire possesses the gift of perfect visual memory and artistic ability. After briefly glancing at a complex cityscape just once, Wiltshire can perfectly sketch the entire detailed landscape from memory, completely accurate, down to each building. Finally, there is Dutch Iceman Wim Hof, who set Guinness records for incredible feats like the farthest swim underneath Arctic ice. He credits special breathing techniques and cold exposure for granting him superhuman endurance against freezing temperatures that should cause hypothermia in others. While several experts argue that his unique abilities have scientific merit, other researchers remain highly skeptical. Incredibly, all five of these real-life superhumans walk among average people that possess no such special talents. Their bewildering gifts showcase the remarkable potential and mystery locked within the human body and mind. Such miraculous abilities push the boundaries of what we perceive possible for our species to achieve. Though not superheroes in the traditional comic sense, they certainly embody heroic qualities of overcoming physical limitations through sheer willpower and determination. As medical mysteries, they may never be fully explained by science, keeping a shred of magical mystique forever. Paranormality Magazine is a collaborative endeavor featuring works from people like you who have a passion for all things mysterious and unexplained. Our goal is the pursuit of knowledge, gathering captivating stories from our own team of writers, researchers and investigators, as well as from writers such as yourself. Each monthly issue also includes a list of paranormal, horror, UFO and cryptozoology events around the country, incredible paranormal themed artwork, articles and writing sent in from our readers, suggested books and podcasts to consume and more. Visit ParanormalityMag.com and subscribe today for as little as 3.99 a month. That's ParanormalityMag.com ParanormalityMag.com The Jazz of the Dead from Paranormality Magazine followed St. John's River out of the sprawling mess of highways that make up Jacksonville, Florida. As he went, the strip malls and homes changed into shipping yards and naval facilities. As those began to get sparse as well, he took a turn to head into the interior of Fort George Island. He passed a set of stone ruins and came to a fork in the road. The GPS marker ended here, but this was clearly not the destination. The place he was looking for had been described as Castle-like more than once, and while it was abandoned, he was sure it had not degraded to the point of just a few stones and pillars like the ruins that he had just passed. He decided to take the left path, which was a bad choice as it was unpaved, and he learned filled with potholes. He followed it to the end of the island where sits Kingsley Plantation. He and his friends drove past a half-ring of stone ruins that looked similar to the ones at the start of the island and up to the plantation house. A beautiful structure that houses a free museum and tells the story familiar to many places throughout the South. The ruins were slave houses, but this was not the structure that they were looking for either. They asked the Park Ranger stationed at the plantation if she knew where they could find the Neff House. She mistakenly gave them directions to another historic house that started with a letter N, but this wasn't it either. It was clearly lived in. They spent the entire afternoon driving up and down the street, looking for the house that day, but never found it. The island itself had a tangible strangeness that seemed to entrap them while they were there. While defeated, they would not easily forget that search, the island, the house, or least of all, the strange story behind it. That castle-like home was built in the 1920s by Jacksonville's most prominent architect, Mellon Clark Greeley. He called the Tudor Revival style home his most unique building. He built it as a vacation home for a Chicago businessman named Nettleton Neff, who oversaw the construction. Unfortunately, tragedy would prevent his family from getting to use their home. The fire killed Mrs. Neff in 1926. A few years later, their son would take his life while attending Harvard. In 1931, Nettleton Neff followed suit, shooting himself in his Chicago office. The home sat vacant for some years before another family purchased it as a vacation home. This seems to be when the house began to build its reputation as being haunted. Despite the Neff family tragedies occurring out of state, people felt that the spooky tower structure may have become the home of these spirits. Indeed, ghosts had been seen on the island long before the house was built, but its strange architecture and remoteness became a focal point for the stories. But this is not a ghost story. The ghosts and tragedy are just one aspect of what is one of the strangest paranormal cases of all time. In 1967, the Betts family purchased the property and were the first and last people to live there full-time. Jerry Betts was a prominent businesswoman in the area, having started and ran a successful trucking line and a real estate development company. In fact, she had significant holdings in and around the island, which was the reason for the move. All of this was done in the 50s and 60s while being a mother to six children. She was truly an industrious woman who helped shape the city. She lived at the home with her second husband and two of their children. One of their kids, 21-year-old Terry Betts, was walking around Fort George Island when he noticed something strange. Sitting inside a ring of dead trees was a large metallic ball. Terry picked up the worn bowling ball-sized sphere and took it home, thinking it may be a cannonball or other artifact. The ball sat in the home for a while until Terry played the guitar near it, and the ball seemingly reacted. From this point forward, the ball began to display strange behavior. It would ring out in a metallic hum on its own. It would roll around and follow people around the house on its own accord. The Betts family began showing the ball to family friends, and soon the story reached a local radio show host who did a show about paranormal subjects. He went to the house and saw the ball's abilities for himself. The ball rolled on its own over a flat glass table, stopping precisely on the edge of the table in a way that defied gravity. After he did his show on the sphere, the rest of the local media caught on, and soon national papers were talking about the strange sphere found in Florida. Jerry became the family's spokesperson in all sphere-related matters, as more and more reporters began showing up at their wooded castle home. Soon the Navy took notice as their facilities were near the island and a growing theory was that it was some piece of their tech that had been misplaced. Jerry, being as always an elegant and clever businesswoman, drew up a contract for the Navy design, stating that they would return the sphere if it was found that it did not belong to them. The Navy conducted a variety of tests on the sphere, including an x-ray that showed three smaller spheres inside the object, one of which seemed to have a little antenna. He was decided that it was certainly not theirs and the object was returned to the Betts family. But, according to the family, the officer who dropped off the sphere received a phone call at the house instructing him to take the sphere back. Jerry refused and kept hold of the sphere, more convinced than ever that they had something strange in their possession. The Navy subsequently released a statement declaring that the sphere was nothing special and that the rolling was simply because of a chip in the surface of the otherwise perfectly weighted ball. But this did not stop other groups from showing interest in the sphere. The National Enquirer had convened a panel of five scientists in New Orleans to investigate the UFO phenomenon. Leading the panel was famed astrophysicist and pioneering ufologist J. Allen Heineck. The panel flew out Terry Betts and the sphere to investigate it. From here various stories have come from sources in and around the family, most of them pointing an accusatory finger at the panel. One story states that while in New Orleans the panel received a call stating that there was an emergency back home in Jacksonville and that Terry needed to return immediately. He was flown back by the panel without the ball, only to find his mother confused as no emergency had occurred. Another story states that sometime after the panel saw the ball, J. Allen Heineck visited the home and spent the night with the ball. He either was caught inspecting it in the night or actually slept with it in his room overnight. Whichever story is true, it became clear that Jerry felt that the panel had altered the ball somehow or perhaps swapped it out with a fake one. She felt this way because its bizarre behavior, the humming and the moving, had seemed to stop. She took it for a follow-up x-ray and found that the three internal pieces appeared altered. The panel also released their statement that they concluded with the skeptics of the time the ball was simply an improperly disposed of industrial ball valve. This was right around the fever pitch of the story and Jerry and her family were already exhausted. Self-proclaimed ufologists kept showing up at her home and the phone would ring at all hours day and night. In one of the very last interviews she gave, she stated that she was fine with the public thinking it was nothing special and that she just wanted the circus to stop. She refused to speak about the ball publicly and eventually the Betzes moved out of their castle. It fell into the hands of the state and then into a state of disrepair. And this was seemingly the end of the story. But not quite. While Chaz and his friends failed to find the house on their trip, a local journalist had succeeded and she also succeeded in bringing the case back to life. Lindsay Kilbride worked with WJCT Public Radio in Jacksonville to produce a five-part series entitled Oddball that covered the story and brought new information and life to the case. Her tremendous effort has resulted in a show that compels you to binge listen as new theories, stories and sources come forward. Her skills as a journalist truly provide a new perspective on high strangeness in a case that most of the paranormal world has forgotten. From finding new information, from Heineck's sons, panel psychologist Dr. Leo Sprinkle, experts from around the area, and even getting in touch with the Betze family who has not spoken publicly about the case in decades. We had an opportunity to have a brief chat with Lindsay about the case and asked her about some of these breakthroughs. Did she have a personal belief in what theory was the most likely? Her answer was honestly no. She'd gone back and forth and didn't believe the mystery could be solved without investigating the sphere today. We asked if there was any other information or theories that had come up since the show came out. She said, I've definitely had many people reach out to me with their own theories, but I haven't received any new groundbreaking information. Are there any plans to release an update on the case in the future? That's to be determined. Is there anything that she'd like our readers and listeners to know about the case or the show? She answered, The podcast was a huge endeavor for me. I had never made a serialized narrative podcast before, and I worked with very few resources. I really appreciate anyone who has listened. I hope people hear the story and maybe think twice about judging someone who has had an out of the ordinary experience like this. And I encourage everyone to donate to their local public radio stations. We also asked her about some of her contacts and about some of the information that they provided. An elegant professional, Lindsay assured me that she would not have put information in the podcast without independently getting confirmation. And she has continued to respect witnesses' requests for privacy, patiently waiting for them to provide the information on their terms. She really is a shining example of what a researcher should strive to be. And as a result, her project, Oddball, is certainly the definitive source of information on the Betts case. You might want to add that to your podcast rotation. The Blue Anchor Pub at 804 East Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, Florida is known as the most haunted pub in West Palm Beach County, and possibly one of the most haunted pubs in the United States. The legend of how the Blue Anchor Pub came to be haunted has a few variations. But the most common story told takes us back to the mid-19th century London. At the time, the Blue Anchor Pub stood on Chantry Lane. A young woman named Bertha Starkey and her husband were tenants of an apartment above the pub. Bertha's husband was frequently away at sea, leaving her alone and quite lonely for long periods of time. As such, Bertha began having affairs with other men, especially patrons of the pub, and was caught one night by her jealous husband when he unexpectedly returned early from one of his long voyages. Enraged, he stabbed Bertha and her lover to death. The original Blue Anchor was torn down in the late 1800s, but its facade and wooden interior were disassembled, set aside, and placed in storage. In 1996, the first owner of the American iteration of the pub, Lee Harrison, brought the parts down to Delray Beach and opened the new Blue Anchor, complete with its original facade, wooden interior, and the ghost of Bertha. Harrison sold the pub to current owners Mark and Peggy Snyder in 2017. Employees and guests witnessed a range of exciting and spooky paranormal phenomena at the pub, including candles, lighting, and extinguishing on their own, heavy items flying off the walls, loud footsteps after closing time, pots and pans banging around by themselves, and most notably the eerie, mournful sound of Bertha's ghost wailing away into the night. Bertha is most often heard moaning or otherwise making a ruckus around 10 p.m., as this is when the murders are thought to have occurred, a continent away, and almost two centuries ago. A decades-long tradition includes ringing the ship's bell, a bell located behind the bar at 10 p.m. each night, to appease and pay tribute to Bertha. Other notable features of the pub include its hand-drawn cask-conditioned beer taps, meaning there is no use of carbon dioxide, but rather the beer is pumped directly by hand into each glass. Aside from theme parks in Orlando, no other Florida pub utilizes this technique. The pub was featured on travel channels Booze Traveler in 2017 and continues to attract a dynamic crowd of soccer, that's football fans, paranormal enthusiasts, and beer lovers from around the state and beyond. English expats seem to especially enjoy the atmosphere, which feels like home, and the pub pours 20-ounce imperial pints for its thirsty guests daily. Employees and guests seem to embrace the ghost of Bertha. Bertha, for her part, still seems to be mourning her untimely death and the death of her lover against the backdrop of a lively local pub and a spectacular, haunting view of the sea. Everybody loves a mystery, but maybe not a mystery that will likely be the death of you. Here are some terrifying beasts of the Appalachian mountain range that you've probably never heard of. White Thang White Thang, that's Thang with a Th, they live deep inside the Alabama woods. Most recorded sightings are said to have happened within the triangle area of Morgan, Edoa, and Jefferson counties. This is a beast that is best to avoid. The white Thang stands seven to eight feet tall, exhibits bright red eye shine, and is covered in thick white hair. It is said to resemble a lion crossed with a kangaroo and has the head of a cat. The terrifying creature is agile and can move at lightning speed, strategically luring its prey with the sound of a screaming woman. The bizarre monster is said to spend time lurking in the area of wakes and funerals. To see one of these creatures is to bring bad luck. They are harbingers of death, bad omens. Sightings of these deadly creatures have been recorded for over 100 years and are still seen today. Ol Sloughfoot Ol Sloughfoot is a force not to be reckoned with. Sightings of the massive three-footed black bear began many years ago, and some believe he's still prowling deep inside the woods, the Appalachian mountains today. He weighs over 600 pounds and has no predators other than man. Some of the last known places he is said to have been roaming is in the North Carolina Mountains, Mount Pisca, and the Balsam Range. Legend has it that Ol Sloughfoot had once been caught in a trap. To wrestle himself free, the bear sustained permanent damage to his foot, leaving him to hobble around on his three remaining legs. That is not a tall order for such a legendary bear. Outdoorsmen are often baffled by the creature's ability to thwart hunters. Masterfully employing his cunning skills, the massive bear survives each passing season. Local hunters naturally garnered much respect for the high-ranking skills of the man-eating monster, giving him the nickname Honest John. The only evidence of his passing through is what he's left behind, his signature track, the unmistakable mark of his sliding front foot. Listen carefully around the campfire at night. You can hear the hunters reverently declare he was more than just a bear. No one ever claimed to have killed the elusive beast. Ol Sloughfoot continues to be pursued to this day, the Albatwitch or Appalsnitch. The Albatwitch is a terrifying creature that closely resembles the Sasquatch, though slightly smaller. Standing at just four feet tall, the Albatwitch is commonly seen lurking along the woodlands of Columbia, Pennsylvania, specifically the banks of the Susquehanna River. The strange beast is covered from head to toe in reddish-brown hair. Those lucky or unlucky enough to have seen the shortish beast say that he resembles a man. The Albatwitch is named for its bizarre behavior for throwing apples at people passing by. When the short hairy man is not sitting in trees and spying on people, he's collecting apples to throw at unsuspecting hikers. The Albatwitch has been a part of local Appalachian mountain lore for over a hundred years. Shilling tales and strange stories have been handed down through generations. A typical encounter would include hearing what some have described as the sound of a cracking whip. One boy told of seeing his brother pinned against a tree by the apple-throwing beast. The brother's horrified screams startled the creature enough that he set the boy free at once. The Appalsnitch is said to have lived at the base of Chickies Rock, a substantial outcropping of quartz-like rock, a natural rock formation that towers over a hundred feet above Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River, an area that was also home at one time to the Susquehanna Giant Indians. The Appalachian Chupacabra The Appalachian Chupacabra has a long body, is four feet tall at the shoulder. This terrifying creature has a broad shape with spikes running along its back. He has a pig-like snout and large fangs within his mouth. The Mountain Chupacabra's oversized paws have talons more prominent than a hawk, fiendishly spread out over only three toes. The hideous freaking natures covered in quills and was first spotted to the 1900s. They say the creature migrated to the U.S. from Puerto Rico. The beast has been seen roaming the woods within West Virginia. Its thick, matted fur, massive fangs and large glowing eyes make him something that nightmares are made of. The beast relies on its pack to stalk and hunt its prey, collectively using their keen ability to confuse their victims. He is known to use the shrill scream of a woman's voice to draw in its dupable meal. Scurrying the night for bears, deer, pets and wolves, the Appalachian Chupacabra dons a frighteningly aggressive nature, moving at the speed of light. Maxing out at 240 pounds, this mountain beast is one to be feared. The Raven Mocker The Raven Mocker first revealed itself in Cherokee mythology. Feared by witches, he is known as the Angel of Death. He is an evil being who robs the sick and dying of their lives. When the Raven Mocker meets his mark, he appears as a withered old man or woman. The beast's essence swells into the air, stalking its victim before bursting into a fiery flame. He then rises on a gust of wind and descends upon the victim's head. The beast is so clever, it is able to eat the heart without leaving a mark on its victim's body. The Raven Mocker victoriously adds a year to his own existence by stealing the life of another. If you hear the screech of the deadly creature, you know that death is near. The only member of the tribe who is able to thwart the beast is the Medicine Man. Coming to one's rescue, the Medicine Man will stand over the dying in an attempt to keep the vicious animal from stealing the villagers' heart. Invisible when feeding, this deadly Raven Mocker is feared by all, but envied by witches. The Smoke Wolf The wolf is arguably the cleverest of all the forest creatures, but there is one more cunning than even the wolf. The Smoke Wolf is an animal that legends are made of. This enigmatic creature seems to have stalked the forests since the beginning of time, scaring settlers throughout the centuries. A smoke wolf is born through death. Once the settler's family dog dies, he is promptly buried. The spirit of the dog is then called a Grim. His spirit morphs into a spiritual black dog with fiery red eyes. He stalks the night, protecting the graveyard from grave robbers, thieves, witches, and warlocks. After a time, the Grim then becomes a Smoke Wolf, howling like a wolf and screaming like a demon. The fearsome wolf is said to have been around for over the last four billion years. Give or take. Smoke wolves live in small packs and don't kill for food. Smoke wolves kill for fun. They're said to roam the forests of Tigard Valley, West Virginia, an area known to locals as No Man's Land. The Smoke Wolf appears out of a smoky fog, hence the name, and stalks its prey in the most remote parts of the forest. No place is safe from this deadly creature. The Wampus Cat The Wampus Cat appears to be a hit when choosing a high school mascot. Many high schools across the country have adopted the Wampus Cat's likeness to help facilitate fear among their rivals. The Wampus Cat, also referred to as the Galley Wampus or Whistling Wampus, is a terrifying cross between a cat and a human. The fearsome cat's sharp elongated claws and razor sharp teeth are just as alarming as its piercing yellow glowing eyes. He skillfully lurks along the lesser traveled paths within the Appalachian region looking for his next meal. The Cherokee people have shared horrifying stories about the shape-shifting beast for centuries. Some claim to have seen a yellow cougar with a spiked ball on its tail, yet others have said that they've encountered a six-legged mountain lion, four legs for running at the speed of light, and two for fighting with all its might. There have also been reports of the creature being a spiritual green-eyed cat with occult powers. Tribal members talk of the Wampus Cat as being the embodiment of a female cursed by the elders for hiding underneath a blanket secretly watching a sacred ceremony. Still others speculate the one who embodies the terrifying cat was cursed because of disobedience or for practicing witchcraft. In December 1918, the Wampus Cat was recorded in the Greenville Sun newspaper as having roamed the big ridge in the area of Gethsemane. The paper noted its dark matted fur and long sinuous tail. The paper also stated that the strange alluring cat was a shape-shifter with the ability to become invisible. Other newspapers said that stories of the Wampus Cat have stretched on for generations, terrifying villagers and tribesmen, and killing livestock from North Carolina to Georgia. And then there's the Snallygaster, a half-bird, half-reptile beast that has been described as a dragon-like animal living in the South Mountain Cave. The Snallygaster's name translates to Quick Spirit or Fast Ghost. Frederick County marks the area where the beast is said to frequent most. Stories about the strange creature started circulating in 1909. It's also been described as a lion with the head of a goat protruding from its back and having a long tail with the head of a snake. An Ohio man described the horrible beast as having two enormous wings and a large horny head with a tail that was 20 feet long. Seen as far away as New Jersey, one man said it was roosting on his barn and laid an egg the size of a whiskey barrel. The terrifying creature has the shrill scream of a locomotive whistle. In 1909, the beast was seen by three men outside of a railway station in Frederick County, Maryland. Upon encountering the terrifying beast, the men bravely fought the creature for one and a half hours before eventually chasing it into the woods. This would be the last time the Snallygaster was seen for over 23 years, until another appeared once again in the area of Frederick County. This prompted the assumption that it must have been the offspring of the original beast. The most gruesome and terrifying story has direct ties to the Smithsonian. The story tells of a man who had been seized by the creature and killed. The Snallygaster pierced the man's neck and swiftly sucked all the blood from his body before dropping him back on a hill. Middletown, Maryland's register carried the horrifying story prompting the Smithsonian to offer a prize for its hide. President Theodore Roosevelt reportedly considered the challenge before eventually thinking better of it. The fertile flying creature is said to have had a chilling reputation for being everywhere, all the time, all at once. So before you go for a nature walk within the forests of the Appalachian Mountains range, don't leave home without some essential protection. Sage, holy water, and definitely a Bible. We might feature you in our next issue. If you have a paranormal podcast, you can add it to our website so our readers can find your show. And artists, if you'd like your work to be featured in our magazine or on our back cover, contact us. Again, our website is ParanormalityMag.com. I'm Darren Marlar and I'll have more Paranormal for you next time from Paranormality Magazine.