Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign welcome, campers, counselors, and founders. I am so happy to have you. You already know, but this is the show where we gather around the campfire to hear our fellow campers scariest experiences. So whether you're new or returning, I'm happy to have you. Tonight we're headed to Florida, the state I currently call home, to hear a story from someone who wishes to remain anonymous. So let's call him Jackson. Now, without further ado, do you want to hear a ghost story?
[00:00:38] I'm not sure how to explain what happened that night, but I'll try my best.
[00:00:42] You've heard the stories of the skunk ape, right? Florida's version of Bigfoot, only smellier and a whole lot meaner. I always thought it was a joke, something us locals made up to scare the tourists or keep kids out of the Everglades after dark. But I'm telling you now, it's real. I know because I saw it, and I don't think I'll ever forget the stench.
[00:01:08] It was late July, the kind of hot that sticks to your skin and makes the air feel heavy. Thick. My buddy Kyle and I decided to head into the Everglades to go do some night fishing. Not the smartest decision, but we were bored, and we thought catching something under the star sounded like a good way to pass the time. We had a little john boat, some beer, and an old lantern that flickered more than it should have. We set out just as the sun dipped below the horizon ahead, painting the sky in purples and oranges. The swamp at night is quiet at first, just the occasional splash of an alligator or the chirp of cicadas. It was peaceful in a way, even with the thick cloud of mosquitoes that swarmed around us every time the breeze died down. We found a decent spot by some mangroves and decided to cast our lines, settling in for what we hoped would be a quiet but fun night. It must have been close to midnight when the smell hit us. It was sudden, like a wall of rot and sewage. I gagged, covering my nose. Kyle looked at me with wide eyes, his face scrunched up in disgust.
[00:02:25] What the hell is that? He said, his voice muffled through his shirt, which he had pulled up over his nose. I shook my head, scanning the dark waters around us. The smell was getting worse, like something dead was baking out in the sun. It was so strong it made my eyes water. I was about to suggest we move when. When we heard it, a low, guttural growl coming from beyond the trees.
[00:02:55] Kyle and I both froze our eyes Locked on the dark line of trees, the lantern flickering, casting shaky shadows across the water. I could see something moving within the trees, a shape that didn't fit with the trunks and branches. It was tall, much taller than any person, and it moved with a strange, swaying gait.
[00:03:20] Is that someone out there? Kyle whispered to me. I didn't answer. I couldn't. I felt a cold sweat prickling down the back of my neck. The shape moved closer, stepping out from behind the trees. And that's when we saw it. A hulking figure covered in matted dark hair, its eyes reflecting the dim light of our lantern. It looked almost human, but there was something off about it. The way its shoulders hunched, the way its arms hung low, almost touching the ground or swamp. And the smell. Oh, that smell coming from the creature. Rancid, putrid stench that made my stomach churn. It took another step into the water towards us, its eyes locked on us. I swear I could feel its gaze, like it was sizing us up.
[00:04:15] Kyle fumbled with the oars, his hand shaking. We need to get out of here, man, he said to me. He didn't have to tell me twice. I grabbed the other oar from him and we started paddling, the boat rocking as we struggled to put some distance between us and whatever that was. The creature let out another growl, louder this time, a deep rumbling sound that seemed to vibrate through the entire swamp. I glanced back and saw it step into the water, wading after us, its eyes never leaving the boat. The water barely seemed to slow it down. I could see the ripples spreading around its legs as it moved closer. I don't think I've ever paddled that hard in my life, my arms burning. The boat was rocking so much I thought we might flip over when the lantern went out, plunging us into darkness. And all I could hear was the splashing of our oars and the heavy breathing of whatever was following us. Somehow we made it back to the dock, scrambled out of the boat, nearly tripping over each other as we rushed on to solid ground. We didn't stop running until we were back at Kyle's truck, slamming the doors and locking them, even though we both knew that wouldn't do much, if anything, if that thing wanted to get to us.
[00:05:31] We sat there for a long time, not saying anything, just staring out at the dark swamp. The smell had long faded, but I could still feel it clinging to my clothes, to my skin, to my nose. Even I knew what we had seen. I now knew that it wasn't just some scary story we told the tourists I knew the skunk ape was real and it was out there somewhere in those dark, twisted swamps. Every time I drive past the Everglades at night, I roll up my windows and hold my breath just in case I catch a whiff of that stench. A Again, thank you, Jackson. Well, thank you for allowing me to share your story. You know who you are. The skunk ape mythos is one of the interesting ones to me because it has just a very clear pattern of what happens. The smell, the way it looks, the way it kind of chases after you and growls. All the skunk ape stories line up very well for me. Whether that's because the mythos of it's all ingrained in us or as I choose to believe and as Jackson is adamant, because the skunk ape is real. I will leave you here for the night. Thank you so much to all the campers, counselors and founders for supporting the show. I genuinely wouldn't be here without you. Until next time.
