Month: March 2021

Maribelle woke with a start. A nightmare, already fading in the morning light. Something about yellow eyes in the darkness and claws and teeth. Maribelle let it go. It wasn’t something she cared to remember. Blame it on Judi’s bedtime stories, she said to herself. She sat up on her blanket, pulled aside the gauzy…

I should tell you all right up front that the starring werewolf of the film never fully transforms. This was due both to the film’s miniscule budget—they couldn’t afford the FX to achieve the “wolfing out”—and time constraints. I know this because I watched the making-of feature that came as an extra on the DVD…

Maribelle closed her eyes. They burned behind the lids. Trying to read the printout by the weak light of the electric lantern, putting too much strain on her eyes. She would have to turn off the lantern soon, anyway. It was drawing every bug in Africa. The DEET seemed to be keeping the mosquitoes off…

I have a friend now. I am not all alone in this world. My friend tells me his name is Joseph. He says that he is not afraid of me, but I can tell that he is lying, sometimes. But I would not harm this man, Joseph, unless I were very hungry or he attacked…

Also known as the Pope Lick Monster, named after the Pope Lick Creek near Louisville, Kentucky that it (he?) calls home, the Goatman might be a form of Sheepsquatch, a particular type of Cryptid known for being furry and having horns (sorta like the Wampa in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK). Or it might be a…

“Has science solved one of history’s greatest adventure mysteries?” So asks the headline for this linked article. (The word “Science” ought to be capitalized here, and I would expect a source as credited as National Geographic to know that.) I can answer that question for them: no. No, Science, capital S, has not solved it.…

I don’t want to be misunderstood. I think skepticism is a good thing. A person should be skeptical by nature. But as with everything, the extremists have given skepticism a bad name. Taken to the extreme, a person can be skeptical to a fault, to the point that the person becomes closedminded. And more often…

What started out as something good—political correctness, which really was just another way of saying show respect—metastasized. Cancers tend to do that. Nowadays it has become its own brand of fascism. Taken to its extreme, it foments division and fuels Alt-Right angst, cheapening true issues of racism and discrimination in favor of sensationalistic, casuistic virtue-signaling.…

“This animal was killed by something with hands,” Judith said. “Something that kills the way a man would kill.” “The hybrid,” Maribelle said. “He wrung its neck,” Hamm said. “Then he tore into it.” “See the claw marks?” Judith pointed. “The way the skin is torn? Five even lines, like a human hand.” “With a…

Then the grass opened up. Maribelle recognized their path as a wide game trail. Made by elephants, maybe? They followed the trail to the left. “So how many times have you come to Africa, Mr. Hamm?” Maribelle asked. “This is my fourth extended visit,” Hamm answered. “It’s where the money is. The company’s always got…