'I don't know quite what to make of it'

 NASA Confirms ISS Debris Crashed Into HomeAn object that crashed from the sky into an American man's home was a hunk of debris ejected from the International Space Station‚ NASA confirmed Monday.The strange tale came to light last month when Alejandro Otero of Naples‚ Florida posted on X that a metallic item &;quot;tore through the roof and went (through) 2 floors&;quot; of his house‚ almost striking his son‚ on March 8.It occurred at a time and location that closely matched official predictions for the atmospheric burn-up of a cargo pallet fragment carrying old batteries that were jettisoned from the orbital outpost in 2021‚ making it a likely match‚ according to space watchers. Continue reading at NASA confirms space station debris hit Florida man's home-----PANTHER Recorded in Worcester‚ UK&;#63;Video footage shows a motorist’s alleged sighting of a ‘panther-like’ big cat in the UK.Geoff Thompson‚ 37‚ had pulled over in a layby on a country lane to take photographs of his beloved classic car‚ a Renault 10 when he noticed something in the distance.Geoff says he saw a large feline shape lurking in a field behind the car on April 14 and then found its prints. Geoff‚ of Worcester‚ said: “I just went out for a sunny drive - I noticed it as I started photographing my car. I think it was a panther.” Continue reading at Mysterious feline caught on camera roaming through field - could it be a panther in England&;#63;-----TAROT READING Predicted $500‚000 Lottery PrizeA Michigan woman said a tarot card reading correctly predicted she would win a $500‚000 lottery prize later that same day.The 59-year-old Genesee County woman told Michigan Lottery officials she was on her way to the tarot card reading when she stopped at the BP gas station on West Thompson Road in Fenton to buy some scratch-off tickets.&;quot;During my tarot reading‚ I was told money would be coming into my life very soon. I tried to think of ways this might happen‚ but I didn't even think about the lottery tickets in my purse‚&;quot; the player recalled. Continue reading at Tarot card reading predicts Michigan woman's $500‚000 lottery winTODAY'S TOP LINKSFirst Official Loch Ness Monster Sighting of 2024 Recorded‘Vampire’ Kills Man and Terrorizes Mentally Handicap Teen Insanity Defense Offered in Oklahoma 'Sasquatch Summoning' Murder TrialParanormal encounters may prove beneficial for grieving pet ownersWEIRDEST OF THE WEIRD&;#33; | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Wolfman #DeerMan #BigfootLISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS REPORTS &; CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE‚ LIKE &; SHAREPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonHAVE A COMMENT&;#63; GO TO OUR SUBREDDIT AND POST YOUR THOUGHTSJOIN AMAZON PRIME - Unlimited Movie/TV Streaming&; FREE 2-Day ShippingRegister a SNAP EBT CardTry Audible PlusPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LIST----------Access Phantoms &; Monsters Posts on Twitter 'X'-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED&;#33; THANKS-----WENDIGO MYTHOLOGY - WHAT ARE THEY&;#63; | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Wendigo #CannibalThe wendigo has been misappropriated from its original context in Algonquin folklore. The word &;quot;Wendigo&;quot; roughly means “The Evil Spirit Who Devours Mankind.” Originally it was depicted as a cannibal ice giant and cautionary tale relevant to the realities of Algonquin life. Euro-American popular culture mutilated it into what may only be described as a &;quot;zombie-were-deer.&;quot;First‚ the Algonquin monster has relevance to their traditional way of life. Their culture was reliant on teamwork‚ so selfishness is a deadly sin to them‚ and the wendigo is the ultimate embodiment of that.Secondly‚ wendigo psychosis is a real mental illness and was historically used as a justification to destroy the Algonquin culture. There are written accounts in the last two centuries of people suffering from this illness being murdered by their peers.So then‚ how was the Wendigo tale altered&;#63; This goes back over a century to Algernon Blackwood's story &;quot;The Wendigo.&;quot; The story does not depict a Wendigo but seems to get it confused with the Inuit (not Algonquin) creature Ijiraq and possibly the Tariaksuq. In the story‚ the monster burns away a victim's feet with friction‚ while in myth the Ijiraq is sometimes described as stripping the flesh off its victim's shins and if it survives then it becomes a faster runner. The Ijiraq is otherwise described as a trickster who kidnaps children or lures hunters by pretending to be caribou. So‚ it is easy to assume Blackwood read about the Ijiraq and then twisted the details for his own story.Now Euro-American popular culture takes the name of an Algonquin cannibal ice giant and applies it to a zombie-were-deer; it has been utterly stripped of its original context and symbolism. I doubt there will ever be much push-back against the zombie-wear-deer version since it has been burned into popular culture at this point.Now‚ that being stated‚ I'm going to present several modern-day accounts that some of the witnesses described as the ‘Wendigo.' Then you can determine what the creature in the report is. Is it an original folktale of the cannibal ice giant or something a bit more contemporary&;#63;-----ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONProject Threshold: Finale-----Your financial support of Phantoms &; Monsters and our other pursuits is much appreciated. Please click the banner above. Thanks.Have you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonContact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Also available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs‚CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.The Dark Arts of MISTER SAM SHEARON - Original Prints &; MerchandiseThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms &; Monsters - All Rights Reserved

A girl uses the bathroom at night but soon realizes that a shadow being is watching her. Terrified‚ she feels the entity pulling at her blanket as she remains underneath it.The following account was forwarded to me by my friends &; colleagues Kyle &; Cam at Expanded Perspectives:&;quot;I have wanted to share my story for a while‚ and finally am. I will tell this story at my dad’s house‚ as my parents are divorced. It was around 4 am‚ and I had woken up to use the restroom. For some context‚ I was sharing a room with my sister and stepbrother. My sister and I were using a bunk bed‚ and I had the top bunk‚ and our beds were straight across from the door. Anyway‚ I climbed down and walked down the hall to the restroom. Now I admit‚ I was scared as I had been watching quite a few scary movies‚ which many people tell me is why I saw what I saw‚ but I assure you‚ this was real‚ and I wasn’t imagining it.So I use the restroom and wash my hands. I was a bit scared to flush the toilet‚ so I brushed my hair. I then flush the toilet and exit the bathroom. Now‚ the way the house is set up is that the right side of the hall sticks out longer than the left. On the left side‚ the shorter wall has the kitchen‚ the first thing being the fridge. Then‚ on the right side‚ it sticks out longer because the bathroom is right there. At the time‚ my room was the first door on the right down the hall. From the hall’s view‚ you can see the living room‚ where one lamp was lit‚ and there was no other light.So anyway‚ I flush the toilet and walk out‚ but no one is there. No one was even awake; my dad and stepmom were asleep in their room‚ and my other siblings were asleep. So I turn and start walking down the hall. I suddenly felt this overwhelming fear‚ and I don’t know what made me want to turn around. So I stop in the hallways and slowly turn my head back. I saw a very tall and large black figure peering from behind the left side of the wall. The living room lamp lit the living room up quite a bit‚ so it was nowhere near dark. But this black figure was distinct and watching me from behind the wall. I could see the shape of its head and shoulders‚ more one shoulder than the other. It had no hair or face; it was just a black void with a profile. It was the most fear I have ever felt in my life. I immediately ran to my room. Now‚ at the time‚ I wasn’t thinking it was a shadow figure or anything of the sort; I was more thinking it was an intruder.So I ran into my room and desperately tried to get onto my bed‚ but I couldn’t find the ladder to get up. I finally found it and climbed as fast as I could‚ and I got under my blanket. I remember my exact position. I was slanted‚ and my feet were crossed. I had my hand‚ which was holding the blanket up to the top of my forehead. I remember praying and asking for protection over everyone. The odd thing was I remember saying it‚ never he‚ even though I thought it was an intruder. My blanket was tucked in on every corner‚ and the left side of my bed was against the wall. But I know for a fact my blanket was tucked in.But as I’m lying there and praying‚ my heart pounding out of my chest‚ I feel a tug at the very bottom right corner of my blanket. My heart stopped; I literally froze and completely stopped breathing. All the logical thoughts then rushed in‚ “It’s just me moving or me breathing.” So‚ to test it‚ I hold my breath and am as still as possible. A tug happens again‚ only this time higher. I then start to panic and have so many thoughts at once. Time was passing so slowly that it felt like 30 minutes had gone by when‚ in reality‚ it had only been a couple of minutes at most. My blanket got tugged 4 or 5 times‚ each higher than the last. I remember thinking about whether I should call my sister or not. I thought‚ “It would know I’m here if I call for her‚” then thinking‚ “Well‚ it already knows I’m here.” I thought this repeatedly‚ and it was like my thoughts were getting louder and louder. I decided to do it. I started calling her name in a shallow whisper and gradually started screaming her name. I was petrified of this thing I saw in the hall‚ and it was now pulling at my bed sheets. She runs and turns on the light. I didn’t even move; all I did was stick my hand out and cry as she held my hand.When I finally looked‚ there was no one there. I told everyone what happened‚ but no one believed me; even now‚ only some do. Something even more odd to add was that there was a handprint of a left hand on the right side of the fridge door‚ which is how someone would be standing to peek out into the hall. It was too small for anyone in the house’s handprint‚ which was weird considering how tall and large the figure looked. The image of the figure is burned into my mind. I will forever remember that moment‚ and it was that moment that led me to believe in the paranormal. Thank you‚ guys‚ for reading my story‚ and I hope you have a great rest of your day.&;quot;WEIRDEST OF THE WEIRD&;#33; | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Wolfman #DeerMan #BigfootLISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS REPORTS &; CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE‚ LIKE &; SHAREPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonHAVE A COMMENT&;#63; GO TO OUR SUBREDDIT AND POST YOUR THOUGHTSJOIN AMAZON PRIME - Unlimited Movie/TV Streaming&; FREE 2-Day ShippingRegister a SNAP EBT CardTry Audible PlusPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LIST----------Access Phantoms &; Monsters Posts on Twitter 'X'-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED&;#33; THANKS-----WENDIGO MYTHOLOGY - WHAT ARE THEY&;#63; | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Wendigo #CannibalThe wendigo has been misappropriated from its original context in Algonquin folklore. The word &;quot;Wendigo&;quot; roughly means “The Evil Spirit Who Devours Mankind.” Originally it was depicted as a cannibal ice giant and cautionary tale relevant to the realities of Algonquin life. Euro-American popular culture mutilated it into what may only be described as a &;quot;zombie-were-deer.&;quot;First‚ the Algonquin monster has relevance to their traditional way of life. Their culture was reliant on teamwork‚ so selfishness is a deadly sin to them‚ and the wendigo is the ultimate embodiment of that.Secondly‚ wendigo psychosis is a real mental illness and was historically used as a justification to destroy the Algonquin culture. There are written accounts in the last two centuries of people suffering from this illness being murdered by their peers.So then‚ how was the Wendigo tale altered&;#63; This goes back over a century to Algernon Blackwood's story &;quot;The Wendigo.&;quot; The story does not depict a Wendigo but seems to get it confused with the Inuit (not Algonquin) creature Ijiraq and possibly the Tariaksuq. In the story‚ the monster burns away a victim's feet with friction‚ while in myth the Ijiraq is sometimes described as stripping the flesh off its victim's shins and if it survives then it becomes a faster runner. The Ijiraq is otherwise described as a trickster who kidnaps children or lures hunters by pretending to be caribou. So‚ it is easy to assume Blackwood read about the Ijiraq and then twisted the details for his own story.Now Euro-American popular culture takes the name of an Algonquin cannibal ice giant and applies it to a zombie-were-deer; it has been utterly stripped of its original context and symbolism. I doubt there will ever be much push-back against the zombie-wear-deer version since it has been burned into popular culture at this point.Now‚ that being stated‚ I'm going to present several modern-day accounts that some of the witnesses described as the ‘Wendigo.' Then you can determine what the creature in the report is. Is it an original folktale of the cannibal ice giant or something a bit more contemporary&;#63;-----ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONProject Threshold: Finale-----Your financial support of Phantoms &; Monsters and our other pursuits is much appreciated. Please click the banner above. Thanks.Have you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonContact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Also available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs‚CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.The Dark Arts of MISTER SAM SHEARON - Original Prints &; MerchandiseThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms &; Monsters - All Rights Reserved

A Brazilian boy and his family are on vacation at the beach. One night‚ the child makes his way to another beach looking for his mother. What he finds is beyond belief&;#33;The following account was forwarded to me:&;quot;It was the third day of February 2012‚ in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande. My sisters‚ my mother‚ and I went to have some fun on a beach very far from our home. Our mother had rented the house of a friend for a few days which we used while going to and coming back from the beach.It was one of those very dirty beaches where trash was dumped all around and not that many people were going to it‚ but for us‚ it was very fun. I even remember joking with my sister that there are probably sharks on this beach. It was pretty hot too‚ and I have the skin of a vampire‚ so after the first day on the beach‚ I was looking like Mr. Crabs and I had to stay in that house while they went to have fun‚ which for me was ok. I’m kind of introverted anyway…One day‚ my mother and my sisters except for the youngest one‚ all had to go to some specific place. One went to color their nails‚ the other went to have a massage‚ two decided to back to the beach and my mom was going to go to a club with her friends. My young sis went to sleep and basically‚ it was just me in this two-floor house which was way bigger than the home I was raised in. The place was kinda creepy and it did not help that the moon that night was full.I was a young and stupid child who was scared by the creepy night and also full of energy. So I jumped over the fence of our house by climbing over it. My thoughts at the time were stupid‚ I was going to look for my mom. I did that without thinking about stuff like the possibility of me getting kidnapped or killed by some robber. This was Brazil‚ after all‚ street crime is high as hell here.Anyway‚ I walked a little bit around the town but then realized I was lost. I was utterly overwhelmed by the same modern buildings and I had no idea of where I was. I also had no idea where my mom was. I knew where she went but I did not know where that was.After the fear of being lost fully took over‚ I decided to give up and go back to the house. But I didn't know where the house was so I walked around. There were very few people at night and I was just too anxiety-filled to ask any who I saw for directions. Eventually‚ the road mixed with this path of dirt. It sort of looked like the path in front of the house‚ so I thought I was in the right direction.So I walked and I found a beach. Not the beach where I went with my sisters but a beach‚ but little me did not know that. So I ran to the beach because I thought that I could find two of my sisters there and they could bring me back home.However‚ they were not on the beach but something else was.This beach had those rocks leading up to outside the water‚ you know those spiked rocks that normally sink ships. One of them was all the way into the sand‚ I kept seeing something moving beside it from the corner of my vision‚ so I just looked at the rock. Then something came out from beside the rock. This thing seemed to be the size of an adult man to me. it stood straight‚ it had legs and feet‚ but it wasn’t human and the biggest proof was the left arm.You know centipedes‚ those black things with a thousand legs&;#63; His left arm was like it‚ the thing extended to the ground and it moved like it had a life of its own. I could see all the little legs moving. The whole body was weird‚ not just the centipede arm. You know that green guy from 'Nightmare Before Christmas&;#63;' This man was kind of like that but made of skin and with an egg-shaped head.I don’t know what the ‘man’ did after he saw me because after seeing him in the clear moonlight with the ocean backdrop‚ I was absolutely terrified and I just straight up bolted. I ran away as far as I could from that beach‚ without looking back.Eventually‚ while running in the path of dirt‚ one of my sisters found me; it looked like they had been looking for me for a while. Once we got to the house‚ I got scolded by my mother who was angry as a devil with me for running away. She thought I would get kidnapped or something.I did tell this story to my sisters. Obviously‚ they found it to be unbelievable. In fact‚ the only one that believes in it is the youngest but she also believes in all that witchcraft stuff‚ so I guess her belief is already wonky.To be clear with you‚ I don’t believe in the supernatural‚ like Werewolves‚ Bigfoot‚ Greys‚ and all that. I think all of it is a conspiracy theory and stupid beliefs based on zero proof‚ but to this day I believe that man-thing to be real.The memory still is very vivid in my mind.&;quot; LWEIRDEST OF THE WEIRD&;#33; | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Wolfman #DeerMan #BigfootLISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS REPORTS &; CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE‚ LIKE &; SHAREPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonHAVE A COMMENT&;#63; GO TO OUR SUBREDDIT AND POST YOUR THOUGHTSJOIN AMAZON PRIME - Unlimited Movie/TV Streaming&; FREE 2-Day ShippingRegister a SNAP EBT CardTry Audible PlusPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LIST----------Access Phantoms &; Monsters Posts on Twitter 'X'-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED&;#33; THANKS-----WENDIGO MYTHOLOGY - WHAT ARE THEY&;#63; | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Wendigo #CannibalThe wendigo has been misappropriated from its original context in Algonquin folklore. The word &;quot;Wendigo&;quot; roughly means “The Evil Spirit Who Devours Mankind.” Originally it was depicted as a cannibal ice giant and cautionary tale relevant to the realities of Algonquin life. Euro-American popular culture mutilated it into what may only be described as a &;quot;zombie-were-deer.&;quot;First‚ the Algonquin monster has relevance to their traditional way of life. Their culture was reliant on teamwork‚ so selfishness is a deadly sin to them‚ and the wendigo is the ultimate embodiment of that.Secondly‚ wendigo psychosis is a real mental illness and was historically used as a justification to destroy the Algonquin culture. There are written accounts in the last two centuries of people suffering from this illness being murdered by their peers.So then‚ how was the Wendigo tale altered&;#63; This goes back over a century to Algernon Blackwood's story &;quot;The Wendigo.&;quot; The story does not depict a Wendigo but seems to get it confused with the Inuit (not Algonquin) creature Ijiraq and possibly the Tariaksuq. In the story‚ the monster burns away a victim's feet with friction‚ while in myth the Ijiraq is sometimes described as stripping the flesh off its victim's shins and if it survives then it becomes a faster runner. The Ijiraq is otherwise described as a trickster who kidnaps children or lures hunters by pretending to be caribou. So‚ it is easy to assume Blackwood read about the Ijiraq and then twisted the details for his own story.Now Euro-American popular culture takes the name of an Algonquin cannibal ice giant and applies it to a zombie-were-deer; it has been utterly stripped of its original context and symbolism. I doubt there will ever be much push-back against the zombie-wear-deer version since it has been burned into popular culture at this point.Now‚ that being stated‚ I'm going to present several modern-day accounts that some of the witnesses described as the ‘Wendigo.' Then you can determine what the creature in the report is. Is it an original folktale of the cannibal ice giant or something a bit more contemporary&;#63;-----ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONProject Threshold: Finale-----Your financial support of Phantoms &; Monsters and our other pursuits is much appreciated. Please click the banner above. Thanks.Have you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonContact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Also available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs‚CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.The Dark Arts of MISTER SAM SHEARON - Original Prints &; MerchandiseThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms &; Monsters - All Rights Reserved

A group of friends at a retreat camp in northern Wisconsin encounter a tall‚ pale humanoid while walking back to their cabin. Apparently‚ other campers and staff saw the being as well.I received the following account:&;quot;Hello. On the last day of my camp retreat in northern Wisconsin in Taylor County‚ me and my friend were walking up to our cabin to get our sweatshirts because it was chilly. My cabin is in the middle of two other cabins next to the woods. It is a public campsite and people come and go as they please. The woods we are next to go on for miles and miles and no people are living in there as far as anyone knows.So me and my friends proceed to the cabin while the rest of the campers and staff are walking back from night games. When we reach the top of the hill we take our flashlights out to see where our cabin is. When I reach for the handle of our door‚ my friend says &;quot;Hey&;#33; That looks like a guy...&;quot; while pointing to the woods. I turned to see that there indeed was something that looked like a person. We chuckle‚ thinking it's part of a tree‚ but we start to notice that it is a humanoid figure watching us. Its height was abnormal‚ maybe 6 or 7 feet tall‚ it had long human-like arms‚ its body was greyish‚ and its neck was white.We look at each other‚ shocked‚ and start to back up slowly while still shining the flashlight on the creature. The creature slowly raised its arm and moved toward us and that's when we booked it down the hill.Later on that night‚ the staff patrolled to make sure nothing else happened around the campus. They came back to our cabin while I was calming down my friend and told us that they saw some movement near our cabins‚ but he couldn't tell what it was.That night still haunts me to this day. Before the retreat‚ my brother noticed something peeking through the main cabin window‚ but before he could get a good look at it‚ it backed into the darkness. He only got to see its eyes and they were far from human. My brother's close friend even heard something trying to mimic the bullfrogs while he was in the porta-potty‚ and when it showed up‚ all the birds and frogs went silent.On the first day of our retreat‚ me and my brother also heard a loud dog-like growl. No one on this earth can make a sound as real as what we heard and no dogs to be seen anywhere. I indeed am a Christian so it could be a demon‚ but I'm still wondering what this thing is.&;quot; JWEIRDEST OF THE WEIRD&;#33; | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Wolfman #DeerMan #BigfootLISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS REPORTS &; CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE‚ LIKE &; SHAREPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonHAVE A COMMENT&;#63; GO TO OUR SUBREDDIT AND POST YOUR THOUGHTSJOIN AMAZON PRIME - Unlimited Movie/TV Streaming&; FREE 2-Day ShippingRegister a SNAP EBT CardTry Audible PlusPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LIST----------Access Phantoms &; Monsters Posts on Twitter 'X'-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED&;#33; THANKS-----WENDIGO MYTHOLOGY - WHAT ARE THEY&;#63; | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Wendigo #CannibalThe wendigo has been misappropriated from its original context in Algonquin folklore. The word &;quot;Wendigo&;quot; roughly means “The Evil Spirit Who Devours Mankind.” Originally it was depicted as a cannibal ice giant and cautionary tale relevant to the realities of Algonquin life. Euro-American popular culture mutilated it into what may only be described as a &;quot;zombie-were-deer.&;quot;First‚ the Algonquin monster has relevance to their traditional way of life. Their culture was reliant on teamwork‚ so selfishness is a deadly sin to them‚ and the wendigo is the ultimate embodiment of that.Secondly‚ wendigo psychosis is a real mental illness and was historically used as a justification to destroy the Algonquin culture. There are written accounts in the last two centuries of people suffering from this illness being murdered by their peers.So then‚ how was the Wendigo tale altered&;#63; This goes back over a century to Algernon Blackwood's story &;quot;The Wendigo.&;quot; The story does not depict a Wendigo but seems to get it confused with the Inuit (not Algonquin) creature Ijiraq and possibly the Tariaksuq. In the story‚ the monster burns away a victim's feet with friction‚ while in myth the Ijiraq is sometimes described as stripping the flesh off its victim's shins and if it survives then it becomes a faster runner. The Ijiraq is otherwise described as a trickster who kidnaps children or lures hunters by pretending to be caribou. So‚ it is easy to assume Blackwood read about the Ijiraq and then twisted the details for his own story.Now Euro-American popular culture takes the name of an Algonquin cannibal ice giant and applies it to a zombie-were-deer; it has been utterly stripped of its original context and symbolism. I doubt there will ever be much push-back against the zombie-wear-deer version since it has been burned into popular culture at this point.Now‚ that being stated‚ I'm going to present several modern-day accounts that some of the witnesses described as the ‘Wendigo.' Then you can determine what the creature in the report is. Is it an original folktale of the cannibal ice giant or something a bit more contemporary&;#63;-----ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONProject Threshold: Finale-----Your financial support of Phantoms &; Monsters and our other pursuits is much appreciated. Please click the banner above. Thanks.Have you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonContact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Also available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs‚CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.The Dark Arts of MISTER SAM SHEARON - Original Prints &; MerchandiseThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms &; Monsters - All Rights Reserved

An Indigenous Australian woman recalls her encounter with a Yowie while walking with friends. The creature transformed into a smaller upright being‚ and then it soon vanished.I received the following account:&;quot;G'day. I’m an Indigenous Australian‚ female‚ and 38 years old. Due to colonisation I’m obviously not what one would consider a ‘full blood’‚ but nevertheless I identify as Indigenous. I grew up hearing stories about Yowies and Hairy Men. Yowies are small Meerkat-type creatures and Hairy Men are what would be considered a Sasquatch-type creature.When I was 17 years old my cousins‚ of similar ages‚ and I would go and spend holidays with family in a town with a large population of Indigenous people. Not gonna lie‚ we were there for the boys.This one particular Summer night we had decided to walk into town. Where our family lived was maybe 2-3 kilometres out of town‚ but the road was a highway that was lit all the way and had a cemented path all the way from town which ran alongside a cleared field. The grass wasn’t mowed but it wasn’t what you would say was overgrown. Just at that in-between stage of being mowed a few weeks back.So we started our trek home at about midnight that night. There were four of us girls. Two in front and two in back. We got about 100 metres out of town when my cousin (the front pair) looked up and noticed what looked like a large man with a long black coat and hat‚ walking towards us about 150 metres ahead. Now the path like I said was a straight shot with street lights the whole way along. We hadn’t been drinking or smoking anything.We paused and were like “Who’s that&;#63;” We stood there debating whether or not to continue. The whole time I didn’t take my eyes off this ‘person.’ As my cousins glanced back and forth during the debate‚ we all stopped talking once we noticed that this ‘man’ had all of a sudden turned into a type of haze/fog. Picture it like someone blurring out a person in a photograph‚ like it was out of focus but everything around was clear as day. All of a sudden this ‘man’ was now a little creature‚ it was hard to estimate its size but I thought it was similar to a meerkat or a large rabbit up on its hind legs. It was looking straight in our direction‚ then after 5-10 seconds it hazed over again and completely disappeared.We all saw it. And we all still talk about it to this day. I’m pretty confident that it was a Yowie/Little Hairy Man. There are different theories in the Indigenous community about them. Some believe they live under river beds‚ and some think they live inside cattle. Some people say they lure little kids away into the bush.It should also be said that I’m a fairly pessimistic type of person. Up until this point I had never really had anything like this happen to me before.&;quot; HWEIRDEST OF THE WEIRD&;#33; | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Wolfman #DeerMan #BigfootLISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS REPORTS &; CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE‚ LIKE &; SHAREPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonHAVE A COMMENT&;#63; GO TO OUR SUBREDDIT AND POST YOUR THOUGHTSJOIN AMAZON PRIME - Unlimited Movie/TV Streaming&; FREE 2-Day ShippingRegister a SNAP EBT CardTry Audible PlusPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LIST----------Access Phantoms &; Monsters Posts on Twitter 'X'-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED&;#33; THANKS-----WENDIGO MYTHOLOGY - WHAT ARE THEY&;#63; | Join Us For LIVE CHAT | Questions &; Answers #Wendigo #CannibalThe wendigo has been misappropriated from its original context in Algonquin folklore. The word &;quot;Wendigo&;quot; roughly means “The Evil Spirit Who Devours Mankind.” Originally it was depicted as a cannibal ice giant and cautionary tale relevant to the realities of Algonquin life. Euro-American popular culture mutilated it into what may only be described as a &;quot;zombie-were-deer.&;quot;First‚ the Algonquin monster has relevance to their traditional way of life. Their culture was reliant on teamwork‚ so selfishness is a deadly sin to them‚ and the wendigo is the ultimate embodiment of that.Secondly‚ wendigo psychosis is a real mental illness and was historically used as a justification to destroy the Algonquin culture. There are written accounts in the last two centuries of people suffering from this illness being murdered by their peers.So then‚ how was the Wendigo tale altered&;#63; This goes back over a century to Algernon Blackwood's story &;quot;The Wendigo.&;quot; The story does not depict a Wendigo but seems to get it confused with the Inuit (not Algonquin) creature Ijiraq and possibly the Tariaksuq. In the story‚ the monster burns away a victim's feet with friction‚ while in myth the Ijiraq is sometimes described as stripping the flesh off its victim's shins and if it survives then it becomes a faster runner. The Ijiraq is otherwise described as a trickster who kidnaps children or lures hunters by pretending to be caribou. So‚ it is easy to assume Blackwood read about the Ijiraq and then twisted the details for his own story.Now Euro-American popular culture takes the name of an Algonquin cannibal ice giant and applies it to a zombie-were-deer; it has been utterly stripped of its original context and symbolism. I doubt there will ever be much push-back against the zombie-wear-deer version since it has been burned into popular culture at this point.Now‚ that being stated‚ I'm going to present several modern-day accounts that some of the witnesses described as the ‘Wendigo.' Then you can determine what the creature in the report is. Is it an original folktale of the cannibal ice giant or something a bit more contemporary&;#63;-----ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONProject Threshold: Finale-----Your financial support of Phantoms &; Monsters and our other pursuits is much appreciated. Please click the banner above. Thanks.Have you had a sighting or encounter&;#63;Contact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonContact us by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Also available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs‚CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.The Dark Arts of MISTER SAM SHEARON - Original Prints &; MerchandiseThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2024 Phantoms &; Monsters - All Rights Reserved

News Sweet Tooth Sweet Tooth Season 3 Trailer Heads to Alaska and Will Make You Cry (Probably) The last season promises to be darker than the first two By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on April 17‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share All roads lead to Alaska in the new trailer for the third and final season of Sweet Tooth‚ and it looks like things might get pretty dark for at least part of the upcoming episodes.   “Sweet Tooth showed me you got nothing to live for‚ until you got something to die for‚” Jeppard says in the trailer. I’m sure that means that everything will be fine and nothing that makes you cry will happen. Here’s the third season’s official synopsis: Having defeated General Abbot in the battle at Pubba’s Cabin‚ Gus (Christian Convery)‚ Jepperd (Nonso Anozie)‚ Becky (Stefania LaVie Owen)‚ and Wendy (Naledi Murray) embark on a journey to Alaska in search of Gus’s mother‚ Birdie (Amy Seimetz)‚ who has been working to uncover the mysterious origins of the deadly Sick. Along the way‚ they are joined by Dr. Singh (Adeel Akhtar)‚ who may have his own dangerous beliefs about Gus and his role in reversing the virus. Meanwhile‚ a new threat emerges in the form of Helen Zhang (Rosalind Chao)‚ her daughter Rosie (Kelly Marie Tran)‚ and the ferocious Wolf Boys‚ who seek to restart human birth and view Gus as the solution to their plans. As they navigate through perilous terrain‚ Gus and his group of friends find refuge at the Outpost in Alaska‚ where they meet a new ensemble of characters including Siana (Cara Gee) and her hybrid daughter Nuka (Ayazhan Dalabayeva). With the clock to find answers running out‚ alliances are tested and destinies intertwine‚ all leading to a thrilling climax that will determine the fate of humanity and hybrids. “[It’s] another road trip story like Season One‚ but in a very different way‚” showrunner Jim Mickle told Netflix’s website‚ Tudum. “Season Three is an Arctic story with exciting new adventures and what we hope will be a satisfying conclusion to this epic tale. Gus is going to see a side of the world and humanity that he didn’t see in Season One or Two.” Tudum also confirmed that season three will be darker‚ and Mickle added that “in Season 3‚ everybody is dealing with some kind of wound or emotional loss‚ whether that was somebody in their life or a part of themselves. Everybody is looking inward and looking to move on and ultimately learning that life doesn’t stop. You have to keep putting one foot in front of another.” The third season of Sweet Tooth premieres on Netflix on June 6‚ 2024‚ which gives you plenty of time to stock up on tissues. Check out the trailer below. [end-mark] The post Sweet Tooth Season 3 Trailer Heads to Alaska and Will Make You Cry (Probably) appeared first on Reactor.

News Longlegs Longlegs Wants You to Follow Some Spooky Clues Leading Up to Its Release See if you can solve the enigmatic marketing puzzle By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on April 17‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share Neon‚ the distributor of the upcoming horror film Longlegs‚ is going all in on enigmatic marketing for the movie. Today‚ the company sent out a press release that was purposefully confusing and undoubtedly holds some secret code or something for people more motivated and/or clever than me to figure out. Below is exactly what was shared in that email. Make of it what you will&;#33; First‚ they shared this poster‚ titled “Sweet Part One”: Then‚ they shared this teaser video‚ titled “Sweet Part Two”: The clip is short‚ full of spooky scare vibes‚ and has a voiceover of a woman saying she never said her prayers because she was afraid to. There’s more there‚ of course‚ including some enigmatic phrases that I’m sure Mean Something and I invite you to watch it yourself and take notes. Lastly‚ the email had the following “checklist”: What does this mean&;#63; I have no idea&;#33; It seems like it’s a list for those who want to join or be recruited into… something&;#63; What that something is I have no idea‚ but I bet it’s spooky af. Here’s what I do know about Longlegs. It stars Maika Monroe (It Follows) and features Nicolas Cage in an unknown role. It comes from writer-director Osgood Perkins‚ who is also the person behind the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s short story‚ “The Monkey.” The film will hit theaters on July 12‚ 2024. Hopefully (probably) we’ll get more disturbing clues before then&;#33; [end-mark] The post Longlegs Wants You to Follow Some Spooky Clues Leading Up to Its Release appeared first on Reactor.

News Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps Trailer Gives Us the Fantasy Romcom We Apparently Need With a supporting cast that includes Christopher Lloyd‚ Shohreh Aghdashloo‚ Eddie Izzard‚ and Sean Astin‚ we’ll undoubtedly have fun watching this one By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on April 17‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share The trailer for Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps suggests that the film is a fun fantasy romp‚ where a man goes to a witch to ask her to give him a wife‚ and the witch gives him three impossible tasks to do before she grants him his wish (which‚ I’m guessing‚ is that the two get together). Here’s the official synopsis: Tami Stronach‚ the iconic Childlike Empress in The NeverEnding Story (celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year)‚ makes her long-awaited return to the big screen in the new fantasy film Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps. When a lonely goatherd discovers that he has been cursed at birth to never take a wife‚ he makes a bargain with a reclusive witch to reverse the spell‚ only to find that if he can’t complete her three impossible tasks‚ he will never find true love.  In addition to Stronach‚ Man and Witch stars her real-life husband Greg Steinbruner as her co-lead‚ as well as Sean Astin‚ Christopher Lloyd‚ Eddie Izzard‚ Jennifer Saunders‚ Shohreh Aghdashloo‚ Michael Emerson‚ Bill Bailey‚ Daniel Portman‚ Stuart Bowman‚ and Martha West. It’s directed by Michael Hines and written by Steinbruner. That’s quite an A-list supporting cast&;#33; The film will be in theaters nationally only for a short time‚ on July 28 and July 30‚ 2024. You can learn more about the movie by heading to ManAndWitch.com. Check out the trailer below. [end-mark] The post Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps Trailer Gives Us the Fantasy Romcom We Apparently Need appeared first on Reactor.

Excerpts Young Adult Read an Excerpt From S.K. Ali’s Fledgling The start of a new dystopian duology by S.K. Ali‚ set in a fractured world on the brink of either enlightenment or war. By S.K. Ali | Published on April 17‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from Fledgling by S.K. Ali‚ the start of a new dystopian young adult duology—out from Kokila on October 8th. Would you trade love for peace&;#63;Raisa of Upper Earth has only lived a life of privilege and acquiescence. Ever dutiful‚ she accepts her father’s arrangement of her marriage to Lein‚ Crown Prince of the corrupt‚ volatile lands of Lower Earth. Though Lein is a stranger‚ Raisa knows the wedding will unite their vastly different worlds in a pact of peace: an infusion of Upper Earth technology will usher in the final age of enlightenment‚ ending war between humans forever. Or is justice more urgent&;#63;Newly released from imprisonment‚ Nada of Lower Earth has found her own calling: disrupting the royal wedding. Convinced her cousin Lein’s alliance with Upper Earth will launch an invasive‚ terrifying form of tyranny‚ Nada sets out undercover to light the spark of revolution. When Raisa goes missing a week before the wedding‚ all eyes turn to the rebels‚ including Nayf‚ Nada’s twin brother‚ a fugitive on the run. In Nayf and Raisa meeting‚ the long-simmering animosity between their worlds slowly burns away into something unexpected.But the Crown Prince wants his bride—and future—back. And he will go to the ends of the earths to reclaim them. For the future of our world‚ he has to fall in love with me. But at the party Papa orchestrated for this to occur‚ Lein has yet to glance my way. Lein didn’t even look at me when we were first introduced‚ pride swelling Papa’s voice. “My daughter‚ Raisa. Raisa‚ may I present to you Crown Prince Lein‚ soon to be a guardian representing Lower Earth.” With his hand firmly clasped in my father’s‚ Lein merely nodded at Papa’s announcement and then moved on—to shake hands with the other men in the receiving line‚ to lift the hands of the other women to his bent forehead‚ ever a model of perfect Upper Earth customs despite his Lower Earth breeding. For the rest of the evening‚ my eyes trail him. I can’t help it. Papa prepped me for this introduction for months: I read the dossiers on Lein transferred by Alet‚ Papa’s assistant; I practiced the scripts Alet composed‚ full of warmth and wit‚ in attempts to win Lein over‚ in attempts to overcome my supposed aloofness when meeting new people. The latter task was hard work‚ to be truthful. For ALIGN’s sake‚ I even deigned to dress in his favorite color. But I’m left nursing an unsipped drink‚ wearing what Dame Kizuwanda assured me was a gorgeous dark emerald dress‚ standing at the outskirts of the party alongside whoever makes their way to me‚ my eyes darting to find him again and again as he flits about the hall‚ laughing with some‚ speaking low and serious‚ head bent‚ with others. I locate him easily whenever he pauses to scan the room before moving on with purposeful long strides to work another corner of the Visionaries Ballroom‚ built in the stuffy baroque style of centuries past. Never‚ in any of those sweeping scans‚ does his gaze register my presence in the slightest. “Raisa‚ you’re not listening.” Suzume tilts her head—I can’t tell if it’s to check the left side of my forehead‚ to see whether my link is activated‚ or if it’s in judgment. “It’s a scalplink-off event.” “I’m not knitted.” I keep the unease from my voice—access to the information a scalplink provides would make this event easier to navigate. But our social events are increasingly scalplink-free to encourage stronger connections between us. I don’t bother to tilt my own head to prove to Suzume that my link is idle. She holds back a laugh. “I was hardly suggesting you were.” “You were talking about pomegranates.” “Did you notice the lack&;#63; No trace of pom in our drinks‚ no pom molasses dip for the amuse-bouche. How can this be the status at the Autumn’s Eve Gala&;#63; All the guardians are here‚ and not just the Uppers.” She leans over to whisper‚ the long trails of tiny diamonds on her scalplink falling over one eye like shimmery bangs. “Even the new guardian of Lower Earth is here. If the council itself and their guests cannot be provided with offerings from the best of the harvest‚ what does that mean for the rest of us.” She ends in her typical way of speaking‚ a question uttered flatly‚ unquestioningly. Buy the Book Fledgling S.K. Ali Buy Book Fledgling S.K. Ali Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget I nod‚ keeping my opinions to myself. Suzume is my closest companion—I would never say confidante—and she knows better than to ask such questions with any note of inquiry. She knows that as I’m the chief guardian’s daughter‚ I likely know the reasons behind every decision made for this gathering‚ or any others organized by the guardians. Perhaps she’s waiting for me to slip and reveal a small kernel of truth. But I only reveal what my father tells me to‚ intentionally planted seeds of information—or misinformation—that strategically spread from Suzume through the upper echelons of our society. I absolutely know that our carefully managed Upper Earth existence will only last at the most twenty more years‚ that the future of the Bridge‚ the land mass on Lower Earth that we’re connected to‚ is projected to be even shorter—perhaps another decade. That all the years of working to establish peace and safety on the remnants of our planet after the Great Catastrophe are being undone by this latest agitation by the brutes of Lower Earth‚ growing in severity and violence in the last ten years. Our food security is under the greatest threat at the moment as the brutes double their efforts to disrupt the flow of goods from Lower Earth farms to the Bridge processing plants and launch sites‚ gleefully seizing on this horrendous way to hurt us. Crown Prince Lein’s father‚ Amir Gauis‚ not at the gala‚ governs Lower Earth but with increasing ineffectiveness. After a short period of iron-fisted rule when the agricultural and mining operations were in full swing‚ he gradually lost hold of the small towns and villages of Lower Earth. Forget about the mission to track and control the brutes—that fell to us in Upper Earth and the Bridge‚ to our commissaries‚ our experts‚ our spies. A drunkard and womanizer‚ the dossier on the palace revealed‚ Amir Gauis lives in a constant state of stupor‚ only revived by the periodic smuggling of new women into the palace or his excursions to visit the bride markets. His rulership‚ once seen as a hopeful replacement of the previous leader‚ is now a security threat to ALIGN. Resources and support must be shifted to his son Lein‚ who‚ by all accounts‚ is more sophisticated in both lifestyle choices and world views. The sophisticated Lein is now laughing at something Moineau just shared‚ her porcelain-smooth face upturned to his own olive-tinted one. He appears taken by her‚ which isn’t surprising. She’s a tiny thing‚ aptly named sparrow in French‚ one of the three languages of Upper Earth. She tells everyone she meets everything in her brain‚ which are often quite fanciful observations connecting the happenings around her with something she just read. She reads a lot. I wonder if her scalplink‚ dressed up tonight via stems of gold reaching to the center of her forehead‚ is idle now‚ or whether it’s offering facts to share with a rapt-faced Lein. I recall what I read this morning: Lein has great respect for the accruement of knowledge. He believes in access to information for all. He is committed to the importance of knitting the population of Lower Earth into the streams of civilizational scholarship ALIGN has preserved. He believes in the immediate implementation of the Enlightenment Project. “He doesn’t appear to have Lower Earth ways‚ that’s certain.” Suzume is also observing Lein now‚ as he continues to bestow Moineau with amused attention. “I would have sworn he grew up here with us. His manners are beyond reproach.” We watch Lein’s face—dark eyes under dark groomed eyebrows‚ a straight nose‚ and a wide mouth‚ one that bursts into smiles just as easily as it closes into a thoughtful line‚ framed by an impeccable jawline and a high brow—transform as he leans closer to Moineau. She puts a hand on his arm and says something into his ear earnestly‚ at which he draws away to indulge her in a beautiful smile. Even from across the room‚ I can read what his lips say in response. “I’ll keep your secret‚ not to worry.” Moineau is also wearing green; but hers is a short‚ sleeveless‚ simple sheath that emphasizes her ingenuousness. It’s not like the long fulsome gown I wear on my tall frame. The dossier suggested Lower Earth men prefer outward modesty. Moineau may beg to differ with the dossier. I suddenly feel stuffy. The gown I’m wearing at first felt elegant and now feels overdone. A gaudy ornament hung among refined jewels. The familiar fear washes over me again: I am a pretender in this world. I leave the cheery sounds of tinkling glasses being lifted from or set back on serving trays‚ lilting laughter‚ buoyant conversations‚ the full orchestra providing a symphonic background to it all‚ and find my way to the Hall of History‚ quiet and dead. Unknitted‚ I feel the panic coming on: I’m failing at Papa’s assignment‚ failing at securing our future. Simply failing‚ like I always seem to do. * * * From my earliest memory‚ I knew I was different‚ and those differences were shortcomings on Upper Earth. Though I tried to mimic the other kids as much as possible‚ my efforts were to no avail. I couldn’t ever achieve their sunny‚ even-keeled dispositions. I couldn’t ever accept the losses that came my way without throwing a tantrum‚ without bursting into tears and descending into depressive episodes‚ without acting out my frustrations. I cannot lie and say my peers rejected me; that wasn’t true. They loved me through my maladjustments—but not because they were saints‚ nor because I was lovable. It was because of my mother. She was the first pre-centenarian term death recorded in Upper Earth files‚ having died at thirty-three‚ when I was nine years old. No one else here has had anyone die so early in their families. I sit now on the sole bench‚ a round orange one‚ in the middle of the Hall of History and activate my scalplink with three rapid blinks. The bare gray walls come to life‚ and I flick my fingers in the air to find the beginnings of recent history. I zoom in on the part of Earth called the Bridge‚ the inhabitants of which joined an alliance with Upper Earth ten years ago. When I was nine and my mother was thirty-three. I watch the explosion with morbid and philosophical fascination—how can anyone extinguish human life without a second thought&;#63; My mother was killed by the brutes who took the air carrier she was in hostage‚ as a way to disrupt the merger of the Bridge and Upper Earth‚ to prevent ALIGN from growing. I’d already gone up to Upper Earth with Papa‚ while my mother had stayed behind to help with the process of knitting Bridge residents into our systems. They blew her up on her way to join us. My scalplink‚ attuned to my bewilderment on this topic‚ feeds me background by providing the brutes’ ethos: The brutes despise our way of life. They detest our freedoms. They fear the equality of men and women‚ and they reject the fraternity of all people. They despise ALIGN. I wonder if this is where the seed of my disturbance was planted: in the story of my mother’s death. Papa said the brutes were angry because they believed my mother was a traitor: Since she was born into a family on Lower Earth‚ her work to increase the scope of ALIGN was a betrayal. I also wonder if my temperament is because I’m not purely of Upper Earth‚ like Papa is‚ like most everyone around me is. Because I am of Lower Earth too. Because working extra hard to show up with the “natural elegance” expected of me is exhausting‚ and sometimes I just can’t do it any longer. But those wonderings are surface ones. I turn off my scalplink and slide it off my head completely‚ feeling my jaw slacken as the probe loosens its connection to my left temple. Cradled in my hands‚ the green jewels Dame Kizuwanda clipped onto my link for the event sparkle in the recessed lights running along the edges of the ceiling. The truth is something I can reflect on only with my scalplink off‚ in case Papa sees the extent of my anguish. He often checks in on my emotional state if I’m knitted. He can’t know. He might not trust me again with the tasks he assigns me‚ tasks that affirm his belief in me‚ that he doesn’t hold me responsible in any way for— I’m a mess inside because my mother died because of me. She was meant to stay longer‚ finish her mission on the Bridge‚ wait to board a heavily fortified carrier from the Council of Guardians‚ but because I’d cried every passing day‚ begging for her to join us in Upper Earth‚ which was then a strange new world for me‚ she left earlier. She died in compliance of my yearning for her. She no longer lives‚ because I couldn’t live without her. * * * But I must remember I still have Papa. And Papa has a plan: Once Lein agrees to a strategic marriage with myself‚ Raisa‚ daughter of Aeon‚ the chief guardian of the Council of Guardians of ALIGN‚ a child of both Earths‚ we will tour Lower Earth to celebrate our wedding and to usher in Enlightenment‚ the process of transferring the knowledge streams into the inhabitants below via scalplinks. The final hope for peace: the rest of humanity knitted into the ALIGN system willingly. Since my mother’s death‚ this has become my primary fascination‚ the focus of my life: I want to finish my mother’s work for peace—the work I cut short with my cries for her. The first step toward my goal is through Lein’s heart. Birdsong floats from the Visionaries Ballroom‚ announcing dinner. Recorded birdsong‚ as‚ while many bird species survived the Great Catastrophe‚ there are none that could live so high on Upper Earth—though many attempts were and are still made to bring them up here. People buy them in cages from the Grand Market on Lower Earth‚ in hopes they’ll be the lucky ones to keep them alive. But they all end up dying eventually. And our scientists have never been able to breed them in the atmosphere artificially engineered to sustain us and our other pets. Birds flying free are the only things we miss in Upper Earth‚ and so everything avian is highly prized. As the chirps from the ballroom die down‚ I slide my scalplink on and activate it‚ a momentary but necessary rebellion‚ and brace myself for the zing of conduction‚ the probe rejoining my mind. It always takes a few seconds to get used to the linking pressure‚ but as soon as it happens‚ my spirit lifts as it reconnects me to the world. Back on‚ I quickly switch my scalplink to mirrormode and look at myself on the wall across from me in the Hall of History‚ while knitting into the palace dossier to prepare myself to be in Lein’s vicinity again at dinner. Lein likes petite and fair women. His last love interest‚ Clure‚ had blond hair and blue eyes‚ a small nose‚ and a rosebud mouth. He would have made her his partner if it weren’t for the fact she was a castoff from one of his father’s bride-market purchases. He understands the peril this brings‚ to introduce instability into his bloodline‚ as his constituents in Lower Earth would see it. He is aware of the need for a propitious match. My skin is brown; my mouth is full; my nose is long; my stature is tall and healthy. I look like my mother‚ and I won’t apologize for it. I straighten and blink thrice to flick my scalplink idle before making my way to dinner. * * * I sit across from the eldest Upper Earth guardian on the council‚ Wilfred‚ 120 years old. On the way in‚ I saw a switch had taken place—instead of my nameplate‚ the charming Moineau’s now sits across from Lein’s spot. I can’t imagine poised Moineau doing such a thing—it must have been him‚ completely besotted by her—so I ponder taking a moment to turn my scalplink to thinkmode to record the failure to secure this evening’s goal. Perhaps if Papa knows the loss of this opportunity early‚ we can try some sort of intervention before dessert. I glance to the head of the lengthy table‚ where Papa presides‚ with the head guardian of the Bridge at his right arm‚ and after him the other Bridge guardians are seated in order of importance. Papa’s hair whitened when my mother died‚ and now it hangs neatly combed back from his head‚ falling slightly wavy to his shoulder. His beard‚ similarly white‚ is trim and edged precisely. He sees me and smiles encouragingly‚ blue eyes crinkling at the edges like they always do the moment they land on me. I smile back but look away quickly‚ afraid to reveal too much in front of guests. Maybe I should have saved my thoughts; the way I broke Papa’s gaze just now‚ he’s sure to check my thinkmode stream immediately to see what I’m upset about. He can’t stand to see me hurt. He often reminds me‚ Always record your feelings in thinkmode‚ so you can be helped to feel optimally at all times. We don’t need to waste time on unproductive emotions. Lein is standing‚ tucking in his dining chair. He makes his way behind the line of diners sitting‚ chatting‚ preparing themselves happily—flicking out napkins‚ straightening cutlery—for the arrival of the first course. I don’t care that I’m staring keenly. Maybe even shamelessly. I might make a bad spy‚ but I will never lose sight of someone I’m trailing. He stops behind Wilfred’s chair. He bends and whispers a few words into the old man’s ears. Wilfred gets up from his seat‚ holding his nameplate. Lein sets his nameplate down. Across from mine. Then he finally looks me right in the eyes. Smiles a smile I haven’t seen yet at this party. “At long last‚ I get to have some time with you‚” he says‚ his voice thrillingly low and smooth‚ superb‚ a tone it seems made only for me. “I’ve been waiting for this moment all night‚ Raisa.” Excerpted from Fledgling‚ copyright © 2024 by S.K. Ali. The post Read an Excerpt From S.K. Ali’s Fledgling appeared first on Reactor.