Episode Transcript
[00:00:06] Good evening, I'm Ben and welcome to the show where you and I gather around this campfire to hear some of our fellow campers scariest experiences. Whether you're a new or returning camper, I'm happy to have you. Tonight we are headed to Iowa to hear a story sent in by Alex Mercer about the night he spent at Matzel Bridge. As always, before we begin the show, if you would like to check out our camp's bonus episodes, head over to patreon.com do you want to hear a ghost story? You'll also gain early access to ad free episodes, get a shout out at the end of one and much more. Now without further ado, do you want to hear a ghost story?
[00:00:49] Alright, let me take you to the middle of nowhere, also known as Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Now, Cedar Rapids is a lovely town, don't get me wrong, but it's got this underlying spookiness to it. The kind you only get being miles and miles away from any semblance of anything even remotely exciting.
[00:01:09] I suppose that's how I ended up at Massel Bridge last fall. I was looking for excitement where there was none to be found. Except maybe in the paranormal.
[00:01:21] It was a Thursday night, the kind where you're stuck between wanting to do something interesting and feeling that heavy pull of just giving in to another Netflix binge or mindlessly scrolling TikTok. But something about that night felt different. I wanted to do something. Something real, Something thrilling. So I grabbed my keys, got in the car, I headed out into that dark, familiar Iowa countryside.
[00:01:50] The Matzel Bridge had been on my mind for some time now. I'd heard stories growing up, the ones about people seeing apparitions, hearing strange whispers, and even feeling the presence of something they couldn't quite explain. But recently I saw a video during one of my aforementioned TikTok scrolls where I was reacquainted with the legend. I figured if I was ever going to see a ghost, it might as well be tonight. It was just me, my nerves, and a whole lot of that rural emptiness.
[00:02:21] I headed out, the roads winding and twisting, dark shadows stretching across the pavement, my headlights being the only source of light for miles.
[00:02:30] Finally, I reached the bridge, turned off my engine, letting the silence swallow me whole.
[00:02:37] It was the kind of silence that you only get out in the country, the type of silence where your mind is allowed to wander.
[00:02:45] I stepped out of the car, my breath misting in the chilly night air. I walked slowly towards the bridge. I could already feel it, that heavy atmosphere people had talked about, the kind that makes you feel like you're not alone. Even when you know you are.
[00:03:01] The asphalt crunched under my feet as I stepped onto the bridge, each footfall echoing in the stillness. I took a deep breath and called out, my voice shaking but determined. Is anyone there?
[00:03:15] I tried to laugh it off, to make myself feel a little less foolish for talking into the darkness, but the laugh died in my throat before I could fully get it out. There was something about the way my voice disappeared into the night that felt wrong. Like the air was absorbing it, taking it in and refusing to let it go.
[00:03:36] I stood there for a moment, just listening.
[00:03:39] Nothing. Just the distant murmur of the stream below. I was about to turn back, call it a failed experiment, when I heard a soft sound like the rustling of fabric.
[00:03:53] I turned and squinted into the darkness down the bridge. The sound seemed to be getting closer, a soft, rhythmic swish, like someone dragging their feet across the bridge. My rational mind clicked in to explain it away. It was just the wind, an animal, something, anything that made sense when I saw a faint, flickering light moving along the far end of the bridge. It was small, like a candle, and it was moving steadily towards me.
[00:04:24] I blinked, trying to make sense of it. There couldn't be anyone else out here. There were no cars, no houses nearby. Just me in this strange, impossible light. As it got closer, I could see it wasn't just a light. It was a figure. A woman, her dress flowing around her, almost glowing in the darkness. She moved with this strange gliding back and forth motion, like she was on ice skates.
[00:04:55] I wanted to move, to run back to my car, but I couldn't. Like the ice she appeared to be gliding on. I was frozen. My eyes locked on her as she came closer and closer. She stopped a few feet away from me, her face obscured by shadows. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my breath coming short.
[00:05:18] She didn't say anything, didn't make a sound. Now she just stood there, looking at me.
[00:05:26] And in that moment, I felt an overwhelming sadness, a sense of loss that seemed to radiate from her directly into me. It was like she was trying to tell me something, share something with me. But the words were just out of reach, lost in that void between us. I don't know how long I stood there staring at her. But eventually something in me snapped. My fight or flight instinct kicked in. I turned, ran back to my car as fast as I could, fumbling with my keys as I finally got the door open and slammed it shut behind me. I started the engine, my headlights cutting through the darkness and I looked back at the bridge. The bridge was empty. She was gone.
[00:06:13] It was just as it was when I first arrived. But the feeling lingered. That sadness. It stayed with me all the way home.
[00:06:22] Like a shadow I couldn't shake.
[00:06:25] Since that night, I haven't gone back to Matzel Bridge. I tell myself it's because I've already been there. I've already seen what is there to be seen. But deep down, I'm scared. I'm scared not of what I saw, but of what I felt.
[00:06:42] Scared that if I go back, she'll be there waiting for me with all her sadness. I don't think I could handle it another time.
[00:06:52] But if you're ever in Cedar Rapids and you're looking for a thrill, why don't you go to Matzel Bridge?
[00:06:58] If you can stand on that old creaky bridge and call into the darkness, remember that whatever you call to might be better left alone. Or maybe you're better equips to hear her. Please.
[00:07:13] So if you do go and see her, I hope that you receive her better than me.
[00:07:18] Thank you Alex for allowing me to share your story. You know, I've never heard of Mantle Bridge before and honestly I don't know if I've ever been to Iowa. But this story is intriguing. So you know what? Maybe I'll make the trip out to Iowa one day and do what you did. Call out into the dark on Mansell Bridge. If I do, I'll let you know. I don't have anything for show announcements this week, so I'll leave you here for the night. If you want early access to ad free episodes, a shout out at the end of one, check out patreon.com dwantohearagostory and as always I would like to thank you all because I am so glad to have you all as campers on this journey. Please keep sharing the show with anyone you think might like these stories or someone you are trying to scare. If you're enjoying it, go ahead and leave a review. I would love to hear from you. And don't forget about the story between I haven't forgot about it, just a little busy so keep a keen ear on the show. Until next time.
