Decemystery (2023) 28: The Vampire of Ward End

 

Hello, dear reader! Let me tell you about something: I’m prone to wanting to write about things if they piqued my curiosity enough. That means I’ll abandon plans to cover a story if I stumble across something that catches my eye. This write-up right here is an example of that; I found it by complete accident and was like, “I want to write about this.”

I’ve already discussed vampires once this month, and it’s not the last time we’ll be covering them (no, the finale comes tomorrow in spectacularly weird fashion). So come along; this is the story of The Vampire of Ward End!

Decemystery (2023) 27: The Tajikistan Cloud Monster

 

Just a quick FYI: That image has nothing to do with today’s story, directly anyway. I simply went with it because I didn’t want to use my S-tier Microsoft Paint skills today.

Anyways, greetings! Welcome back to my blog, the little place where I ramble on for thousands of words about something weird I found on the Internet and share with you! Given that this is one of two ongoing Decemysterys, that means I’ve been posting daily. That also means I’ve been sitting on my bed for months now, typing and subsequently making my carpal tunnel worse. Ah, but that’s beside the point; no, you’re likely here to read about something strange.

Lucky for you, I have a never-ending supply of weird stories. After all, I spend most of my time reading about strange happenings from around the world; it’s one of the few things I do day in and day out. So, for today’s serving of Fortean goodness, I present to you the story of The Tajikistan Cloud Monster! Come along, dear reader; it’s time to dive into the world of alien sightings once more!

Decemystery (2022.3) 27: That Time Someone Saw Mickey Mouse

 

Growing up, I was a big fan of Disney. Mickey Mouse was one of my favorite things, as were Mickey’s friends. I also adored Winnie-the-Pooh; I still do to this day. The Hundred Acre Wood is easily my favorite place in the entire world of Disney.

So color me surprised when I saw a story featuring ol’ Mickey Mouse in real life. This was a story I didn’t intend to cover this month, but I simply couldn’t wait. So let’s take an impromptu trip to Disney World. This is the magical story of That Time Someone Saw Mickey Mouse! Yeah, it’s gonna be one of those stories.

Decemystery (2023) 25: “It will come over the hill when it comes.”

I debated on how I should introduce this story. You see, I’m really bad at starting up stories (I’ve said that before), but I’m especially bad when the story is in quotes. I’ve done it only once, and that was three years ago. So, when it came time to kickstart this write-up, I was left wondering how to do that.

Ultimately, I decided to just jump into it; this is the story of something known as “It will come over the hill when it comes.” This is going to be a really weird one, dear reader!

Decemystery (2023) 24: The Television Demon

Hello, dear reader! I hope your Christmas Eve morning is a fantastic one; if you aren’t reading this on Christmas Eve, then I hope your day is still amazing. Anyway, welcome back to my blog; it’s time for another round of Decemystery fun. This story is one that caught my eye for a multitude of reasons, not the least being its title.

When I was a wee lad, I remember two horror movies very fondly: The Ring and The Grudge. If you weren’t alive back then (2002 and 2004, respectively), they were American remakes of two Japanese horror films: Ringu and Ju-On. Their success led to an abundance of Asian horror films being remade here in the United States. Most of them were absolute trash. In fact, I think the aforementioned two films were the only ones that were deemed good in some capacity.

Anyway, those two movies had a huge influence on me. The Grudge scared the living daylights out of me as a kid; that croaking will forever haunt my nightmares. Meanwhile, The Ring always stuck with me for the visual of a ghost crawling out of a television. It’s equal parts surreal and terrifying; I absolutely adore it and wish more horror movies did more creative things like that.

That brings us to today’s story. When I was searching for things to write about, I stumbled across an account that reminded me a lot of The Ring. I knew right away that I had to cover it; there was no way I was passing up the opportunity to cover something like that. So come along, let’s take a look at The Television Demon!

Decemystery (2022.3) 15: The 20-foot-tall Monster in Montana

Montana is a state that I feel is sorely overlooked when it comes to beauty and mysteries. There are a surprising number of cryptids, ranging from Bigfoot and Wendigo sightings, UFO reports, unsolved murders and disappearances, and the folkloric “Shunka Warak’in,” a hyena-like quadruped whose name translates to “carries off dogs.”

Indeed, there’s a lot that Montana holds; God willing, I’ll cover a few of those stories next year. Until then, today’s story is one of the more fantastical cases from The Treasure State—not to mention one that is more “out there.” I call it The 20-foot-tall Monster in Montana because there’s no other way to put it. So come along, dear reader, let’s explore Big Sky Country together!

Decemystery (2022.3) 12: The Groves Kurt Incident

 

Snow: it’s that thing I remember loving when I was a kid. Then, as I got older, I began to hate it since it was a herald of unbearably cold weather and, more often than not, ice. Still, as a child, I remember going outside and pretending I was Godzilla and the snow was a city. I’d also make snowballs and throw them like they were bombs. Yeah, I can’t say I was a very imaginative youngling, but it provided a bit of entertainment until I’d go inside and pass out from a hard day’s work (see: being a child).

Despite all of that fun, I can’t say I recall ever being involved in a snowball fight. I was a loner of sorts when I was young (not that things are much different than nowadays). The kids who lived near me were into sports and other athletic activities, while I was more of a bookworm and loved video games. Sure, they enjoyed the latter, too, but they still liked sports games. Even when they played things that weren’t throwing balls around like candy, they still liked throwing balls around in the digital world. Eh, to each their own.

My point is I do wish I got to partake in a large-scale snowball fight like I always saw in the cartoons I watched. It always seemed like a bunch of fun—though I would definitely hope it didn’t involve some snot-nosed brat putting ice or rock into one of the snowballs. I sure as heck wouldn’t have wanted to get stitches for a gash on my face—or worse, end up like one of the folks in today’s story.

Two years ago, I covered a story called The Elevator Riddle, a story that I sent to Jason Carpenter, the host of Dead Rabbit Radio. In that write-up, I mentioned another story: The Groves Kurt Incident. When I had Decemystery 2022 planned, I was going to cover that story, but we all know how that went. Lucky for me, I have two brain cells that aren’t fighting for third place in a marathon, so today, we’ll be covering that story for Decemystery 2022.3! So come along, get your snow gear on, and let’s take a trip over to Illinois; it’s time to investigate the story of killer snowballs! No, seriously.

Decemystery (2023) 8: The Creepy Clown in the Bedroom

 

Coulrophobia is the fear of clowns. Like arachnophobia and agoraphobia (and many others), it’s one of the most common phobias in the world. Personally, I was never afraid of clowns. Many of my friends and family members, however, are, and I get it. They have permanent smiles along with zany makeup and are generally uncanny to look at. Not to mention, some of the most iconic villains are clowns: The Joker and Pennywise are two examples. Couple that with a serial killer like John Wayne Gacy—who worked as Pogo the Clown—and you have a happy-go-lucky image that can easily be warped into nothing less than a monster.

Of course, phobias are irrational fears; clowns aren’t all interdimensional beings, murderous psychopaths who like to screw with a billionaire who dresses up as bats, or unspeakable human trash like John Wayne Gacy. Despite that, phobias can be exceedingly difficult to deal with, and Coulrophobia is no different. That, to me, is what makes stories of creepy clowns so interesting; I’m not someone who’s acutely fearful of them, but I know many who see someone in scary clown makeup and react like I do when I see a spider or any other creepy crawler.

That brings me to today’s Decemystery entry. It’s a very simple tale: no aliens, no cryptids, nothing but a scary sight in the bedroom. So, come along; it’s time to dive into the story of The Creepy Clown in the Bedroom. Look, I couldn’t think of anything snazzier; I’m running on fumes over here.

Decemystery (2022.3) 8: The Aztec Giant Insect

 

Ah, I remember this story; I mentioned it a few days ago when we talked about the giant beetle outside the airplane window. It’s been a few months since I wrote that story, and I remember at the time, I had no intention of covering this story. In fact, I originally planned to cover it next year.

However, as time went on, I thought more and more about the story and figured that I might as well cover it. Sure, it’s really short, but I think I deserve to be given some slack; I’m effectively writing all of these without anything resembling a reasonable break. So come along, dear reader, and pack your bug spray! This is the story of The Aztec Giant Insect; off to New Mexico, we go!

Decemystery (2023) 6: The Fragosa Jelly Man

You know, I sometimes like to go back and skim through my old writing. I do this because it’s interesting to see how far I’ve come as a writer; for example, I was able to write introductions without feeling like I was slamming my head against a wall of jagged rocks and diamonds. I hope my insurance covers that because, by the time I finish every write-up for this month, I’m gonna look like ground beef mixed with Freddy Krueger!

So anyway, now that I’m done bemoaning my problems, let’s talk about today’s story. It’s one that actually forced my hand on something I’ve needed to do for a while on this blog: redo the tags. While I don’t think I’ll have done it by the time this article goes up (it’ll depend on if I want to dedicate the time to it), I know that a lot of topics I focus on aren’t tagged properly.

Allow me to clarify by using today’s central focus, The Fragosa Jelly Man, as an example. Humanoid encounters are something we talk about a lot on this blog, yet it wasn’t until this write-up that I finally made a tag—aptly named “Humanoid Encounter”—for it. The reason I did this is, as wild as it may sound, this story doesn’t fit any other category. So come along, dear reader; it’s time to dive-bomb into the gelatinous tale of Spain’s very own Jelly Man!

Decemystery (2022.3) 6: Richard Curle’s Nighttime Visitor

 

Before I even get into the introduction, the image source is from Anomalous Illustrations, which is a part of Thack! Pow! Productions. Really great art; I wish I had any level of artistic skill. Unfortunately, I have the drawing capabilities of a kindergartener.

Hello, dear reader; welcome back to my humble little blog. Here, we (or rather I) talk about anything and everything Fortean; if you want the strangest stuff imaginable, just visit here. Yeah, I’m not the best at advertising, but it’s a work in progress. The point is, it’s time for another bout of Decemystery goodness!

Today’s story, in my eyes, exemplifies that evolution as it’s classifiable as quintessential weirdness in its purest form. People claiming to have seen something strange is by no means remarkable on its own, but I believe that changes when it’s from someone of higher status. Richard Curle was a Scottish traveler, author, and critic; when he was but a young lad, he saw something truly bizarre; it was a creature most unexplainable. So come along, dear reader; it’s time to dive into the story of Richard Curle’s Nighttime Visitor.

Valentine's Day Special: I Love You, COVID-19 (A "Review")

Oh hi there, dear reader. Welcome to my deep cleaned domain—one which has been approved by the CDC, FDA, WHO, and even by Doctor Fauci. As you can tell: this is the yearly Valentine’s Day special. It’s also one which I slapped together because I’m still recovering from having the Coronavirus.

Well, I’ve technically gotten over the bloody thing. However, its lingering effects have caused a great deal of discomfort and frustration for me. Namely, a cough which has made it next to impossible for me to talk to anyone, let alone find solace in existing. Most of my days are spent with me coughing like I’m choking on a vitamin. It’s honestly one of the most unbearable things I’ve had to endure in recent memory.

Anyways, for this Valentine’s Day special, we’ll be reviewing COVID-19 in a completely tongue-in-cheek manner. I say that because I know there is someone out there who will take something entitled I Love You, COVID-19 seriously. So come along, I’m going to spend about 2,000 words being an utter clown talking about my life.

Also, I’ll probably whine about not being able to live my normal life. Anyways, tallyho!

A Kinda-Sorta "Plan" for 2022 (I Make No Promises Edition)

 

Happy new year! I honestly wanted to have this up on New Year’s Day, but I didn’t do it because I was lazy and really wanted some time to just relax because Decemystery 2021 really wore me out. However, I’m only a few days late, so all is well.

Anyways, this isn’t really going to be a “plan” so much as just me talking about stuff I want to do, plus addressing some little things that I hope to also do during the year. So if you’re interested in seeing what that stuff and those things are, click the “read more” button. Otherwise… don’t. Though I will be mentioning when I’ll begin to post content again!

Decemystery (2021) 21: Las noches del Hombre Lobo (AKA: Nights of the Werewolf)

It’s the first day of winter! Woo-hoo; time to celebrate with… another story.

Sometime last year, I was talking to one of the owners of the YouTube channel “Debunk File”. I’m decently close to him and send him ideas on videos to make—typically ones that I have no interest in doing, or simply think are better suited for his channel. Those stories tend to be Internet mysteries and unsolved crimes which I don’t believe I can do justice to.

Alas, not every story that I pick ends up becoming a video. That’s the case with the mysterious lost film Las noches del Hombre Lobo (AKA: Nights of the Werewolf). I had proposed this to Jif—who edits and writes for Debunk File (and more or less serves as the face of the channel)—and he took quite a liking to it. However, he ultimately turned it down as he couldn’t find enough information on it.

As such, I had contemplated writing about it for last year’s Decemystery, but I myself decided to forego it in favor of writing about London After Midnight, which is widely regarded as the Holy Grail of lost films. I primarily did this since I wanted to see if I could add to Debunk File’s own video on the movie. I’m personally happy with how my own write-up came out and because of that, it motivated me to cover Nights of the Werewolf. So let’s get to it!

Decemystery (2021) 20: The Arboreal Abomination

 

I would be lying like a snake oil salesman if I said I didn’t pick this story partly because its name sounds really cool. Admittedly, that’s also probably really dumb of me because that means I’m going in completely blind and hoping that the story is interesting enough to work with. Lucky for me, the only prerequisite for a vast majority of the stories I cover is that they end up being at least 1,000 words long, so it all works out in the end.

Known as the Arboreal Abomination, today’s story is one that takes us down to the nation of Peru. It’s also one of the more obscure and lesser known stories involving an extraterrestrial. So come along, it’s time to talk about our friends from the stars once more.

Decemystery (2021) 15: The Money in Matt and Wendy Jameson's Backyard

Amidst a sea of really absurd and depressing mysteries, it’s sometimes hard to remember that there are stories out there which are more uplifting or light-hearted in nature. Today, I want to take a moment to bring attention to one. It’s short and doesn’t involve anything more than a strange event which began as quickly as it ended. This is the story of the Money in Matt and Wendy Jameson’s Backyard.

Decemystery (2021) 14: Gargantuan Globulous

 

Ayy, I’ve been wanting to cover this story ever since I found it. Rather than waste time on setting up any sort of atmosphere/tone, I wanna just dive right in. This is the Gargantuan Globulous. Man, I adore that name!

The Story

There are two main sources for this story: the ObscUrban Legend Wiki and Cryptopia. The former has a much shorter version of events, while the latter goes into more detail, so for the most part, I’ll be citing from that one. Still, I wanted to make mention of both since the former is where I initially found this story (which can be said for the vast majority of this month).

Our story begins on October 4, 1965, in northern Argentina. Three kids—Luis Ramirez, Maria Abela Cabana, and Rosa Carbajal—were outside, enjoying the lovely autumn day. At one point, they decided to go get some water. While on their way there, they saw something.

That something, according to the kids—who later told their encounter to some journalists from a Buenos Aires’ newspaper named “La Cronica Matutina”—was a very large, spherical creature. The color if it isn’t specified, nor are any possible details as to what it may have looked like (e.g., if it appeared to be jelly-like, sponge-like, or gooey). There’s no information on if it had eyes, a mouth, or anything inside of it (which leads me to believe this wasn’t a transparent or translucent creature).

As for what they saw when they encountered it, that’s a real head turner (in my eyes anyways). The trio said that it was rolling on the ground—and very quickly at that. As it did so, it kicked up a large amount of dust and dirt, creating a cloud around it. After some time, the creature simply vanished. At no point did any of them attempt to approach it or throw anything at it. They simply watched in disbelief as this giant glob spun around on the ground.

That’s where the story ends unfortunately. Although the trio had their encounter publicized, no one else ever encountered the creature themselves; it appears that the creature known as the Gargantuan Globulous disappeared as mysteriously as it arrived. That isn’t to say there aren’t theories though, just that it came and went like time. So let’s get onto the theories.

Decemystery (2021) 13: Ina Jane Doe

 

I’m not going to lie, I have no idea how to do an introduction for this story. I’ve sat here trying out various things, but I always come up thinking it isn’t very attention grabbing. No, I think the only thing that would grab one’s attention is the reconstruction of the woman known as Ina Jane Doe. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t drawn to the story primarily because of said reconstruction, but I digress. Let’s just jump in, because this is a really delightful story. That’s sarcasm by the way.

Decemystery (2021) 11: The Long Prairie Cans

 

Why hello there, dear reader. Welcome back to Decemystery. As always, I am your host: Vertigo. Today, for our 250th blog post, we’re gonna go ahead and explore a story most unusual.

The realm of UFOs and aliens is one ripe with ridiculously strange tales. We’ve seen that already with the story of the Ririe Carjackers (which we covered in 2019’s Decemystery), the aliens who decided to try and sell a random man on their delectable pancakes (which we covered last year), and the Dade City flower alien encounter (which we also covered last year).

Those three stories were all quite bizarre in their own unique way (though I think the Ririe Carjacker story is the weirdest of the bunch). So for this year, I decided to try and find one that could rival such a story. Needless to say, it was actually quite hard—and it’s not because there weren’t any stories that rivaled it. No, it’s actually because there are an insanely large amount of them, so picking just one was incredibly difficult.

Lucky for me though, I managed to come to find one, but I decided I would save it for the tail-end of this month. For now, though, I think we should talk about the Long Prairie Cans. Grab a beer (if you’re old enough to drink) too, because it may just be an alien!

Decemystery (2021) 8: The Bashkortostan Creature

Russia’s a hotbed for sightings of mysterious creatures. Dire wolves, mammoths, and aliens are but a few of the enigmas that have been seen over there. Though above all else, the nation is known for a ton of sightings of hairy hominids. Many of them come from Siberia, though Russia as a whole is no stranger to seeing the infamous Yeti. Sure, the Yeti itself may be from Himalayan folklore officially, but the name is used to describe more or less any snowy mountain-dwelling Bigfoot.

Anyways, for today’s story, we’re headed over to Russia to investigate something known as the Bashkortostan Creature. This is something you might be familiar with if you’re a bit fan of mystery-centric YouTube channels or happen to watch the Travel Channel show “Paranormal Caught On Camera”. It’s a rather famous video from the mid-2010s that managed to make the news. So come along, dear reader! It’s time to put on our winter clothes and investigate a Yeti!