Having lived in the area for more than four years, I had become accustomed to and familiar with driving my ATV (Honda 450 Foreman) in and around the Daniel Boone National Forest. I was 22 years of age and was dating a local girl who had lived in the county her entire life. We will call her Pam. We left my house one October night, traveled to the end of my ridge road which is gravel, then continued on the dirt logging road (no longer in use at the time) which is privately owned.

This road, of course was wide enough to have at one time accommodated trucks and machinery used for logging. This old road goes on for maybe a mile to a mile and a half eastward before splitting into three separate roads, each having several arteries branching from them. We stayed on the eastward path that runs into Daniel Boone National Forest. From this point there is an old horse trail that the locals use for their equine excursions. We had traveled the entire horse trail and all the logging roads many times and I felt intimately familiar with every nook and cranny these paths offered.

Pam and I motored down the horse trail at leisurely pace due to the narrowness of the trail among the thick forest trees. This, coupled with the many twists and turns of the horse trail, one could rarely exceed 8-10 mph. I know this because the ATV had a Digital MPH readout that was backlit for night travel. After 200-300 yards we came upon a small pond that sits on the south side of the trail. This was a favorite spot of mine. Many times I would travel to this spot at night, turn off my lights and engine, and just sit and gaze at the stars and take in all the smells and sounds this Forest offers. I saw my first shooting star while gazing up into the fall sky the year before in this very spot.

The small circular pond sits in a very tiny clearing of the forest just off the horse trail, with the tree line only about 20 feet from the waters edge all the way around. I pulled around to the side of the pond opposite the trail. Under a clear and (half) moonlit sky I turned off the engine and lights. I was oblivious that we had just parked near an Entity that did not want us there.

Fortunately, BEFORE we could even lift our butts off the seat to get off the ATV there was a tremendous roar that came from the tree line directly behind us and probably no more than 40-50 yards away. I was instantly terrified as this was a sound I had never heard. It was LOUD and NEAR. Pam screamed as I started up the ATV and headed back down the trail toward home.

Luckily the trail back out of there lay right in front of us. Holding onto me from behind, Pam remained silent as we made our escape. As quickly as I could, and without hitting any trees, we made our way back to the logging road a few hundred yards away. I never remember turning my body to look BACK but I looked from side to side many times. (This model ATV has three headlights. Two are in a fixed position on the four wheelers front and the Third is attached to the handlebars and, thus, turned from side to side several dozen times as we made our way back to the logging road.)

From the pond to the logging road I saw nothing unusual on either side of the tree line, neither directly nor in my peripheral...but remember...the horse trail is on Forest property and the trees are much more densely populated. Even with the ATV's lights and the half moon my vision would have been severely limited. Neither of us shouted/spoke to one another during the retreat on the horse trail. During this time I remember telling my self over and over that it must be some kind of animal or even bird that had made that awful noise. Finally, after what had seemed like an eternity we reached the logging road. It greeted us with a straighter/wider path and sparsely populated trees. Now comes the recollection that haunts my dreams to this day.

Having reached the logging road without seeing/hearing any signs that we were being pursued, and not wanting to wreck of course, I only moderately quickened our pace. Now, on the south side of the trail something caught my eyes. I saw a dark figure running parallel to the road directly to my left about 30 yards. This thing was running on two legs. It looked like a very tall and large human form. I looked directly at it for a few seconds...turned back to look at the road...then turned and looked in its direction once more to discover it was still there keeping pace with us. During the Second and Final glance at this being (which also just lasted a couple of seconds) it was one of those moments in life when you wander if what you are experiencing is real or just a dream. I looked down at my Large...Digital...Backlit...Speedometer…..22 MPH.

Finally a moderately sharp bend to the south in the trail... I had to slow a little... as the road straightened again I floored it and, for the first time, turned my body to look to the left and a little behind to see if this curve to the left had allowed the creature an advantage in case it was upon me or even in front of me. Nothing. It was not in close proximity to my left or rear. I even scanned the trees to my right...nothing.

I cocked my head to the side and yelled over the sound of the engine..."Pam, did you see it?!" These being the first words we had spoken since the encounter. She must have thought my abrupt acceleration was due to the fact that beyond the sharp turn in the trail we'd just passed, the road did become more straight and smooth. Her response in my ear was "I didn't see anything, did you see something?!" I said "Nope", with intentions of telling her everything once we reached my house.

I slowed my pace and within minutes we on the gravel road which led home. We went over the experience again and again that night, but I never told her what I saw. I sold my 4 wheeler and moved to the city in the summer of 1999. I purchased another ATV in 2000. I bought a trailer and would pull my ATV to the 49 exit off I-75 and do my riding in Laurel and Rockcastle Counties. I hauled my ATV back to the area I saw the creature on a summer day in 2001. I was alone. It went to the pond and stood on the bank for a few minutes. I skipped a few rocks then left. It was a beautiful day.

Friday, January 16, 2009 1:30 AM

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