“ALIENS AMONG US” and More Creepy But True Stories! #WeirdDarkness

Listen to ““ALIENS AMONG US” and More Creepy But True Stories! #WeirdDarkness” on Spreaker.

IN THIS EPISODE: Have you ever felt like something was off about someone you met? What if the truth was more bizarre than you could imagine – that aliens walk secretly among us, perfectly disguised? (Mimic In The Mirror) *** The short story “Eight O’Clock In The Morning” by Ray Nelson – the inspiration for the movie “They Live!” *** Left-handedness: once a mark of the devil, now a unique trait celebrated across the globe. From the Salem Witch Trials to modern-day challenges with spiral notebooks, left-handers have been forced to navigate a world designed for righties, despite the historical stigmas, surprising advantages, and the evolving recognition of left-handers in combat, culture, and commerce. (Left-Handers Are In League With The Devil) *** In the shadow of Switzerland’s majestic Eiger mountain, 29-year-old Aidan Roche vanished without a trace during a solo hiking trip. Despite an unlocked campervan and one last eerie messages sent from the trail, his disappearance remained shrouded in mystery. Months later, a grim discovery brought more questions than answers. (The Disappearance of Aidan Roche) *** In the summer of 1948, a series of inexplicable fires ravaged the Willey farm near Macomb, Illinois, destroying the family’s home and barns. Despite the efforts of local authorities and the U.S. Air Force, no logical explanation could be found for the hundreds of mysterious blazes that seemed to start spontaneously. At the center of this baffling case was 13-year-old Wanet McNeil, whose alleged confession to arson left many unconvinced. Was Wanet truly responsible? Could she have been starting the fires with her mind? (The Macomb Firestarter) *** In 1991, 63-year-old Vasile Gorgos left his home in Romania to visit a cattle market and never returned, leaving his family to believe he had met a tragic fate. But 30 years later, Vasile shocked everyone when he mysteriously reappeared, wearing the same clothes as the day he vanished and carrying an unused train ticket from 1991 in his pocket. With no memory of where he’d been for three decades, Vasile’s strange case has left people wondering if his disappearance could be tied to supernatural phenomena like portals, alien abduction, or shifts in time and space itself. (The Mysterious Vanishing of Vasile Gorgos)

SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“Eight O’Clock In The Morning” by Ray Nelson: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mu7tmynm
“Mimic In The Mirror” source: Sean Casteel at Spectral Vision: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckjpyz8
BOOK: “Mimics – The Others Among Us” by Sean Casteel and Tim R. Swartz: https://amzn.to/3Ws07IJ
BOOK: “Sky Crash Throughout Time (A Cosmic Conspiracy)” by Philip Kinsella and Brenda Butler: https://amzn.to/3WlE2v2
“Left-Handers Are In League With The Devil” source: Baiily Benningfield at Ranker’s Graveyard Shift:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8acbdh
“The Disappearance of Aidan Roche” source: Strange Outdoors: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mrxvj87r
“The Macomb Firestarter” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5n7dbzmh (used with permission)

“The Mysterious Vanishing of Vasile Gorgos” source: Marcus Lowth at UFO Insight:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/jxztu8nd
Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library.
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“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” — John 12:46
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.
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Originally aired: April 30, 2024

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT:

DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.

INTRODUCTION STORY: EIGHT O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING by Ray Nelson=====

At the end of the show the hypnotist told his subjects, “Awake.” Something unusual happened.

One of the subjects awoke all the way. This had never happened before. His name was George Nada and he blinked out at the sea of faces in the theatre, at first unaware of anything out of the ordinary. Then he noticed, spotted here and there in the crowd, the non-human faces, the faces of the Fascinators. They had been there all along, of course, but only George was really awake, so only George recognized them for what they were. He understood everything in a flash, including the fact that if he were to give any outward sign, the Fascinators would instantly command him to return to his former state, and he would obey.

He left the theatre, pushing out into the neon night, carefully avoiding any indication that he saw the green, reptilian flesh or the multiple yellow eyes of the rulers of the earth. One of them asked him, “Got a light buddy?” George gave him a light, then moved on.

At intervals along the street George saw the posters hanging with photographs of the Fascinators’ multiple eyes and various commands printed under them, such as, “Work eight hours, play eight hours, slept eight hours,” and “Marry and Reproduce.” A TV set in the window of a store caught George’s eye, but he looked away in the nick of time. When he didn’t look at the Fascinator in the screen, he could resist the command, “Stay tuned to this station.”

George lived alone in a little sleeping room, and as soon as he got home, the first thing he did was to disconnect the TV set. In other rooms he could hear the TV sets of his neighbors, though. Most of the time the voices were human, but now and then he heard the arrogant, strangely bird-like croaks of the aliens. “Obey the government,” said one croak. “We are the government, ” said another. “We are your friends, you’d do anything for a friend, wouldn’t you?”

“Obey!”
“Work!”
Suddenly the phone rang.

George picked it up. It was one of the Fascinators.

“Hello,” it squawked. “This is your control, Chief of Police Robinson. You are an old man, George Nada. Tomorrow morning at eight o’clock, your heart will stop. Please repeat.”

“I am an old man,” said George. “Tomorrow morning at eight o’clock, my heart will stop.” The control hung up

“No, it won’t,” whispered George. He wondered why they wanted him dead. Did they suspect that he was awake? Probably. Someone might have spotted him, noticed that he didn’t respond the way the others did. If George were alive at one minute after eight tomorrow morning, then they would be sure.

“No use waiting here for the end,” he thought.

He went out again. The posters, the TV, the occasional commands from passing aliens did not seem to have absolute power over him, though he still felt strongly tempted to obey, to see things the way his master wanted him to see them. He passed an alley and stopped. One of the aliens was alone there, leaning against the wall. George walked up to him.

“Move on,” grunted the thing, focusing his deadly eyes on George.

George felt his grasp on awareness waver. For a moment the reptilian head dissolved into the face of a lovable old drunk. Of course the drunk would be lovable. George picked up a brick and smashed it down on the old drunk’s head with all his strength. For a moment the image blurred, then the blue-green blood oozed out of the face and the lizard fell, twitching and writhing. After a moment it was dead.

George dragged the body into the shadows and searched it. There was a tiny radio in its pocket and a curiously shaped knife and fork in another. The tiny radio said something in an incomprehensible language. George put it down beside the body, but kept the eating utensils.

“I can’t possibly escape,” thought George. “Why fight them?” But maybe he could.
What if he could awaken others? That might be worth a try.

He walked twelve blocks to the apartment of his girl friend, Lil, and knocked on her door. She came to the door in her bathrobe.

“I want you to wake up,” he said

“I’m awake,” she said. “Come on in.”

He went in. The TV was playing. He turned it off.

“No,” he said. “I mean really wake up.” She looked at him without comprehension, so he snapped his fingers and shouted, “Wake up! The master’s command that you wake up!”

“Are you off your rocker, George?” she asked suspiciously. “You sure are acting funny.” He slapped her face. “Cut that out!” she cried, “What the hell are you up to anyway?”

“Nothing,” said George, defeated. “I was just kidding around.” “Slapping my face wasn’t just kidding around!” she cried. There was a knock at the door.
George opened it.

It was one of the aliens.
“Can’t you keep the noise down to a dull roar?” it said.

The eyes and reptilian flesh faded a little and George saw the flickering image of a fat middle-aged man in shirtsleeves. It was still a man when George slashed its throat with the eating knife, but it was an alien before it hit the floor. He dragged it into the apartment and kicked the door shut. “What do you see there?” he asked Lil, pointing to the many-eyed snake thing on the floor.

“Mister…Mister Coney,” she whispered, her eyes wide with horror. “You…just killed him, like it was nothing at all.”

“Don’t scream,” warned George, advancing on her.

“I won’t George. I swear I won’t, only please, for the love of God, put down that knife.” She backed away until she had her shoulder blades pressed to the wall.

George saw that it was no use.
“I’m going to tie you up,” said George. “First tell me which room Mister Coney lived in.”

“The first door on your left as you go toward the stairs,” she said. “Georgie…Georgie. Don’t torture me. If you’re going to kill me, do it clean. Please, Georgie, please.”

He tied her up with bedsheets and gagged her, then searched the body of the Fascinator. There was another one of the little radios that talked a foreign language, another set of eating utensils, and nothing else.

George went next door.

When he knocked, one of the snake-things answered, “Who is it?”

“Friend of Mister Coney. I wanna see him,” said George.

“He went out for a second, but he’ll be right back.” The door opened a crack, and four yellow eyes peeped out. “You wanna come in and wait?”

“Okay,” said George, not looking at the eyes.

“You alone here?” he asked as it closed the door, its back to George.

“Yeah, why?”

He slit its throat from behind, then searched the apartment.

He found human bones and skulls, a half-eaten hand.

He found tanks with huge fat slugs floating in them.

“The children,” he thought, and killed them all.

There were guns too, of a sort he had never seen before. He discharged one by accident, but fortunately it was noiseless. It seemed to fire little poisoned darts.

He pocketed the gun and as many boxes of darts he could and went back to Lil’s place. When she saw him she writhed in helpless terror.

“Relax, honey” he said, opening her purse, “I just want to borrow your car keys.” He took the keys and went downstairs to the street.

Her care was still parked in the same general area in which she always parked it. He recognized it by the dent in the right fender. He got in, started it, and began driving aimlessly. He drove for hours, thinking–desperately searching for some way out. He turned on the car radio to see

if he could get some music, but there was nothing but news and it was all about him, George Nada, the homicidal maniac. The announcer was one of the masters, but he sounded a little scared. Why should he be? What could one man do?

George wasn’t surprised when he saw the road block, and he turned off on a side street before he reached it. No little trip to the country for you, Georgie boy, he thought to himself.

They had just discovered what he had done back at Lil’s place, so they would probably be looking for Lil’s car. He parked it in an alley and took the subway. There were no aliens on the subway, for some reason. Maybe they were too good for such things, or maybe it was just because it was so late at night.

When one finally did get on, George got off.

He went up to the street and went into a bar. One of the Fascinators was on the TV, saying over and over again, “We are your friends. We are your friends. We are your friends.” The stupid lizard sounded scared. Why? What could one man do against all of them?

George ordered a beer, the it suddenly struck him that the Fascinator on the TV no longer seemed to have any power over him. He looked at it again and thought, “It has to believe it can master me to do it. The slightest hint of fear on its part and the power to hypnotize is lost.” They flashed George’s picture on the TV screen and George retreated to the phone booth. He called his control, the Chief of Police.

“Hello, Robinson?” he asked.
“Speaking.”
“This is George Nada. I’ve figured out how to wake people up.”
“What? George, hang on. Where are you?” Robinson sounded almost hysterical. He hung up and paid and left the bar. They would probably trace his call.
He caught another subway and went downtown.

It was dawn when he entered the building housing the biggest of the city’s TV studios. He consulted the building director and then went up in the elevator. The cop in front of the studio recognized him. “Why, you’re Nada!” he gasped.

George didn’t like to shoot him with the poison dart gun, but he had to.

He had to kill several more before he got into the studio itself, including all the engineers on duty. There were a lot of police sirens outside, excited shouts, and running footsteps on the stairs. The alien was sitting before the the TV camera saying, “We are your friends. We are your friends,” and didn’t see George come in. When George shot him with the needle gun he simply stopped in mid-sentence and sat there, dead. George stood near him and said, imitating the alien croak, “Wake up. Wake up. See us as we are and kill us!”

It was George’s voice the city heard that morning, but it was the Fascinator’s image, and the city did awake for the very first time and the war began.

George did not live to see the victory that finally came. He died of a heart attack at exactly eight o’clock.

SHOW OPEN=====

Welcome, Weirdos – (I’m Darren Marlar and) this is Weird Darkness. Here you’ll find stories of the paranormal, supernatural, legends, lore, the strange and bizarre, crime, conspiracy, mysterious, macabre, unsolved and unexplained.

Coming up in this episode…

Left-handedness: once a mark of the devil, now a unique trait celebrated across the globe. From the Salem Witch Trials to modern-day challenges with spiral notebooks, left-handers have been forced to navigate a world designed for righties, despite the historical stigmas, surprising advantages, and the evolving recognition of left-handers in combat, culture, and commerce. (Left-Handers Are In League With The Devil)

In the shadow of Switzerland’s majestic Eiger mountain, 29-year-old Aidan Roche vanished without a trace during a solo hiking trip. Despite an unlocked campervan and one last eerie messages sent from the trail, his disappearance remained shrouded in mystery. Months later, a grim discovery brought more questions than answers. (The Disappearance of Aidan Roche)

In the summer of 1948, a series of inexplicable fires ravaged the Willey farm near Macomb, Illinois, destroying the family’s home and barns. Despite the efforts of local authorities and the U.S. Air Force, no logical explanation could be found for the hundreds of mysterious blazes that seemed to start spontaneously. At the center of this baffling case was 13-year-old Wanet McNeil, whose alleged confession to arson left many unconvinced. Was Wanet truly responsible? Could she have been starting the fires with her mind? (The Macomb Firestarter)

In 1991, 63-year-old Vasile Gorgos left his home in Romania to visit a cattle market and never returned, leaving his family to believe he had met a tragic fate. But 30 years later, Vasile shocked everyone when he mysteriously reappeared, wearing the same clothes as the day he vanished and carrying an unused train ticket from 1991 in his pocket. With no memory of where he’d been for three decades, Vasile’s strange case has left people wondering if his disappearance could be tied to supernatural phenomena like portals, alien abduction, or shifts in time and space itself. (The Mysterious Vanishing of Vasile Gorgos)

But first up after the break… have you ever felt like something was off about someone you met? What if the truth was more bizarre than you could imagine – that aliens walk secretly among us, perfectly disguised? (Mimic In The Mirror)

If you’re new here, welcome to the show! While you’re listening, be sure to check out WeirdDarkness.com for merchandise, to visit sponsors you hear about during the show, sign up for my newsletter, enter contests, connect with me on social media, hear my other podcasts including “Church of the Undead” and a sci-fi podcast called “Auditory Anthology,” listen to FREE audiobooks I’ve narrated, plus, you can visit the Hope in the Darkness page if you’re struggling with depression, dark thoughts, or addiction. You can find all of that and more at WeirdDarkness.com.

Now.. bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights, and come with me into the Weird Darkness!

BREAK=====

STORY: MIMIC IN THE MIRROR=====

The story I began this episode with, “Eight O’Clock in the Morning,” was written by Ray Nelson, first published in 1963. The protagonist, George Nada wakes up one morning with a strange feeling that something is not quite right with the world. As George goes about his daily routine, he suddenly realizes that many people around him are actually aliens in disguise. These aliens, who appear to be controlling Earth, are revealed to him through a hypnotic suggestion triggered by a secret phrase he reads in a magazine: “Obey the posters. Obey the posters. Obey the posters.” George becomes aware that the aliens are manipulating humanity through subliminal messages in advertising and mass media. He tries to convince others of this truth, but most people think he’s crazy. Determined to resist the alien influence, George begins a one-man guerrilla war against the extraterrestrial invaders, tearing down posters and defacing billboards that contain their hidden commands. The story ends with George being shot by the alien police but feeling a sense of victory, as he believes that his actions may have inspired others to question the world around them and resist the alien control. “Eight O’Clock in the Morning” served as the inspiration for John Carpenter’s 1988 film “They Live,” which expanded upon the central concept of the story while adding new characters and plot elements. But what if we were to discover that Ray Nelson’s story – and John Carpenter’s film – have more truth than we’ve been led to believe? That aliens truly are walking among us – and we just don’t know it?

A 2023 book called “Mimics: The Others Among Us” dives deep into this intriguing and frightening possibility.

Throughout history, people have described encounters with mysterious human-looking beings, calling them by many names – gods, angels, demons, fairies, shapeshifters, and extraterrestrials. The authors of “Mimics” make a convincing case that the idea of aliens disguising themselves as humans is not just science fiction, but could be a real phenomenon. By examining evidence and accounts from modern UFO reports as well as ancient stories from religion and folklore, they try to uncover clues about these mysterious “Others” that may be living secretly in our midst.

One chapter in the book tells the incredible story of a woman named Brenda Butler, who co-wrote a book about the famous Rendlesham Forest UFO incident that involved American military personnel. In 1984, four years after the UFO sighting, Brenda received a panicked call from her friend and co-author, Dot. Dot claimed that a strange man had appeared at her door looking for Brenda, then vanished into thin air and reappeared inside the house! Brenda was shocked but agreed to go to Dot’s house to meet this mysterious visitor.

When Brenda arrived, she was stunned by the man’s appearance. He was tall, slim, and extremely handsome, with striking blue eyes and unusually long fingers. He introduced himself as David Daniels and made an outrageous claim – that he was an alien from the Pleiades star cluster who had come to Earth in a spacecraft. Although this sounded unbelievable, Brenda felt strangely drawn to him. Dot, however, reacted with uncharacteristic anger and hostility toward David, but still allowed him to stay at her house.

Over the next few days, David displayed some very odd behavior. He ate only vegetables and sweets and would appear and disappear around the house, terrifying Dot. She became convinced he was dangerous. After a while, he decided to reveal his true self to Brenda. She watched in shock as his body began to shake and the veins in his hands, neck and head bulged out. Then his skin transformed before her eyes, becoming scaly like a reptile’s. He spoke in an unknown language, then changed back to looking human. After witnessing this startling transformation, Brenda no longer doubted he was an alien posing as a human.

Another fascinating chapter in “Mimics” describes the author Chris Holly’s memories of an unusual albino family that lived in her neighborhood when she was a teenager. They made quite an impression – two tall adults and three children, all with pure white hair, pale skin, and striking light blue eyes. They had high cheekbones and graceful, almost regal features. The family looked very alike and stood out in a crowd wherever they went.

Years later, Holly’s mother brought up the albino family in conversation, commenting on how beautiful and remarkable they were. As an adult looking back, Holly began to question how likely it would be for two albino adults with such similar distinctive looks to somehow meet each other, get married, and have three albino children. Her research found that most human albinos have vision problems and pinkish or reddish eyes, not blue eyes. Could this family have actually been aliens rather than human albinos?

Holly came across information about an extraterrestrial species called the “Tall Whites” that sounded remarkably like the neighbors she remembered, with their large blue eyes, white hair and tall stature. Drawings of the Tall Whites looked just like the albino family. Despite searching, Holly never found any other explanation for the mysterious family that had long since moved away, perhaps back to the stars they came from!

The book “Mimics” also explores the eerie phenomenon of “living ghosts” – apparitions of people who are still alive appearing to haunt their own homes or those of others. In one strange case, a couple repeatedly saw visions of a man and woman arguing in their home at the same time each night. The woman was later shocked to see photos of the same couple at a neighborhood block party and pointed them out to the party’s host. He told her that the couple was very much alive but now divorced, and no longer lived in the house. The terrifying visions seemed to be a recording of the couple’s past negative energy imprinted on their former home.

Similarly, there are chilling stories of “doppelgangers” – exact doubles of living people that seem to haunt them or their families and friends. One account of a poltergeist disturbance tormenting a family in the 1970s included sightings by family members of the teenage daughter’s double in places she couldn’t actually be, like watching her sleep. The entity causing the poltergeist activity was thought to be a “mimic” taking on the daughter’s appearance.

So if these various types of doubles, apparitions and shapeshifting entities are real, what could they actually be? Are they extraterrestrials imitating humans? Reflections of people from parallel realities or dimensions? Trickster spirits taking on disguises? Troubling questions like these have haunted humans for centuries.

As the thought-provoking introduction to “Mimics” states, throughout history humans have always tried to understand and define these mysterious, often hidden forces that take on different guises – sometimes appearing as teachers or protectors, other times as tricksters and adversaries attempting to deceive us. From early 1950s UFO contactee reports of benevolent-seeming aliens supposedly infiltrating major corporations and governments to modern accounts collected by researchers of more sinister creatures pretending to be human, “Mimics” examines the many puzzling and terrifying forms these “Others” may take.

So the next time you pass a stranger on the street who almost seems too perfect to be real, or catch an odd look in someone’s eyes that makes you shiver, just remember – they may be more than they appear! As you walk through your day, the people all around you might not be exactly what they seem.

The unnerving accounts in this book will make you wonder if you can always tell who is truly human and who might be something else entirely, simply imitating us for their own mysterious reasons. As bizarre and disturbing as it sounds, the “Mimics” may be among us even now, walking in our world while hiding their true identities behind a human mask, as they may have been doing for centuries or longer.

Once you read the eerie stories and reports compiled in “Mimics,” you might find yourself looking over your shoulder more often, questioning the true nature of the people you encounter every day. Are they who they appear to be on the surface, or are you brushing shoulders with the “Others” – extraterrestrial shapeshifters, interdimensional beings, or something even stranger? It’s a chilling question to ponder.

While we may never know the full truth of this mystery, “Mimics: The Others Among Us” provides a fascinating, in-depth look at the possibility that there are indeed hidden beings that can imitate humans living among us. Whoever or whatever they may be, they are no doubt watching us just as we are wondering about them. The truth of their existence and their ultimate motives remains unknown, but after reading this book, you’ll find the world around you starts to feel a little stranger, and the lingering question of “are we alone?” will haunt you in a whole new way.

STORY: LEFT HANDERS ARE IN LEAGUE WITH THE DEVIL=====

Being left-handed can feel like you’re living in a world that isn’t made for you. From the struggle of using scissors that just won’t cut properly to the challenge of writing in spiral notebooks that poke and prod, life as a leftie comes with its quirks. But the journey of left-handers isn’t just about inconvenient tools; it’s woven with a rich and complex history that includes stigma, superstition, and eventual recognition of their unique advantages.

Historically, being left-handed was seen as suspect or even sinister. For example, during the infamous Salem Witch Trials, preferring your left hand was enough to get you accused of witchcraft. Over time, being a leftie has been associated with all sorts of negative qualities, from dishonesty to being under the devil’s influence. This negative bias isn’t just a relic from the distant past; as recently as the 1970s, some schools and institutions still tried to force left-handed children to use their right hands.

The Bible itself seems to prefer the right hand over the left. In the Book of Matthew, Jesus is described as separating the righteous from the cursed using a simple method: the good on the right, the bad on the left. Similar sentiments can be found in various religious texts, where the right side often symbolizes strength and moral uprightness, while the left signifies the opposite.

Despite these challenges, there have been times and cultures that recognized and valued the advantages of being left-handed. The ancient Celts, for instance, celebrated left-handed warriors, noting how they had a strategic advantage in battle. This appreciation was echoed by the Kerr family in Scotland, who even designed their castle to benefit left-handers, following the successful military exploits of Sir Andrew Kerr.

In other parts of the ancient world, left-handedness had its place of honor. In Rome, for instance, omens observed on the left side were considered favorable, in direct opposition to the Greek interpretation, where omens from the right were preferred. Similarly, the Incas saw left-handedness as a sign of good deeds, with one of their chiefs, Lloque Yupanqui, being admired for his left-handedness and associated virtues.

However, not all societies were as appreciative. In many African cultures, left-handedness was heavily stigmatized. The Zulu, for example, went as far as punishing left-handed children by scalding their left hand to prevent its use. In other communities along the Niger River, using the left hand for cooking could lead to accusations of witchcraft.

In the realm of education and social norms, left-handers often faced harsh treatments aimed at conforming them to right-handed standards. Teachers, particularly in more religious settings, would sometimes punish students for using their left hand, associating it with moral or political deviance. This stigma persisted in various forms across different societies and time periods.

Interestingly, the perception of left-handedness as a disadvantage began to change in the mid-20th century. Psychologists like Abram Blau and Cyril Burt speculated on the psychological traits of left-handers, often painting them in a less than flattering light. Yet, despite these challenges, the left-handed community began to see a shift in how they were viewed, thanks in part to increased awareness and the realization of the unique skills and perspectives they bring.

This change was mirrored in the marketplace as well. By the late 1960s, entrepreneurs recognized the untapped market of left-handed individuals. William Gruby opened Anything Left-Handed, Ltd., which specialized in products designed specifically for left-handers, from kitchen tools to watches. This not only provided practical solutions but also a sense of inclusion for left-handers, acknowledging their needs in a predominantly right-handed world.

Today, the narrative around left-handedness is more balanced. While historical stigmas and challenges remain a part of the collective memory, there’s a growing appreciation for the diversity and richness that left-handers bring to the table. Whether it’s in the subtle advantages in sports and creativity or the simple need for left-handed scissors, the journey of left-handers continues to evolve, reflecting broader changes in our understanding of difference and diversity. This evolving story highlights how societies can move from misunderstanding and bias to appreciation and accommodation, creating a more inclusive world where being left-handed is no longer seen as a mark of the devil, but as a unique trait to be celebrated.

BREAK=====
Coming up… In the shadow of Switzerland’s majestic Eiger mountain, 29-year-old Aidan Roche vanished without a trace during a solo hiking trip. Despite an unlocked campervan and one last eerie messages sent from the trail, his disappearance remained shrouded in mystery. Months later, a grim discovery brought more questions than answers.

Plus… in the summer of 1948, a series of inexplicable fires ravaged the Willey farm near Macomb, Illinois, destroying the family’s home and barns. Despite the efforts of local authorities and the U.S. Air Force, no logical explanation could be found for the hundreds of mysterious blazes that seemed to start spontaneously. At the center of this baffling case was 13-year-old Wanet McNeil, whose alleged confession to arson left many unconvinced. Was Wanet truly responsible? Could she have been starting the fires with her mind? These stories and more when Weird Darkness returns!

STORY: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF AIDAN ROCHE=====
Aidan Roche, a 29-year-old offshore chemical engineer from Middlesbrough, U.K., embarked on a two-week journey across Europe, which turned mysterious after he disappeared on June 22, 2023. He had been sending regular updates to his family and friends until that day, from the Eiger trail in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, an area famous for its scenic hikes and daunting peaks. That final message marked the last communication anyone would receive from him, initiating a perplexing and heartbreaking search.

Aidan’s journey had taken him to various European locales, but it was in the serene yet imposing shadow of the Eiger mountain that his trail went cold. His campervan, which served as his mobile base for this trip, was discovered in an unusual state—unlocked and abandoned near the trailhead. Inside, everything appeared intact except for the absence of Aidan himself. Despite the popular nature of the trail and the benign weather conditions, Aidan had inexplicably vanished, leaving no trace behind.

The Eiger Trail, where Aidan was last known to be hiking, is rated as moderately challenging by hiking standards. According to the hiking resource AllTrails, it is a well-frequented path, particularly during the peak months of June through September, which made Aidan’s disappearance all the more baffling. The trail, while bustling with hikers, had never been notorious for missing person cases, which added an eerie layer to the unfolding mystery.

The turning point in this distressing saga came on September 24, 2023, when Aidan’s older brother, Connor Roche, confirmed that the police had found Aidan’s body near the trail he had set out to conquer. Connor expressed his deep gratitude towards the community and the donors who supported the search, highlighting the immense love and regard people had for Aidan. Despite this tragic outcome, many questions lingered, primarily concerning the circumstances of Aidan’s death. Was it an accident? Could he have gotten lost or fallen, or was there a possibility of suicide? Swiss authorities, up to mid-October 2023, had yet to release any details regarding the state of Aidan’s body or the cause of his death, leaving the family and community in a painful limbo.

Growing up in the Longlands neighborhood of central Middlesbrough, Aidan was no stranger to outdoor adventures. From a young age, he had been an avid hiker, a passion he shared with his family. He had conquered peaks like Ben Nevis and Snowden numerous times, always well-prepared with essentials like a survival blanket, a whistle, and his Garmin fitness tracker watch. Even as he pursued his career in Leeds, his love for the mountains remained a significant part of his life, a testament to his character and zest for life.

When Aidan was reported missing in late June, the response was swift and extensive. The Swiss authorities initiated a search operation that included police, mountain rescue teams, dogs, and drones. The operation lasted five days, covering extensive ground but yielding no clues to Aidan’s whereabouts. Not deterred, Aidan’s brothers, Connor and Niall Roche, continued the search. They managed to raise over £30,000 to fund an official search, which included helicopter surveillance. Despite their best efforts and about 15 days scouring the area, they found nothing that could lead them to Aidan.

In a desperate move to gather any possible leads, the family took to publicizing Aidan’s disappearance across Switzerland. They placed screen advertisements in twenty-four locations, including petrol stations, shops, and shopping centers. They also released the last known videos and text messages from Aidan, hoping someone would recognize a clue or remember seeing something that could lead to his discovery. In one of his last messages sent to a friend, Aidan wrote, “Hello, hello. I should be in Grindelwald in about two hours,” followed by a picture of the scenic trail and his final message: “I’m still pretty high. I’ll see you back at camp.”

As July wore on, the family returned to Switzerland to continue the search, focusing on the areas where the last pictures and videos were taken. The Swiss police and mountain rescue teams eventually concluded their efforts, having exhausted all options, which forced the family to continue the search on their own. The unknown weighed heavily on them, as Connor shared the emotional toll of not knowing Aidan’s fate. He spoke of the hope that Aidan might have wandered off or suffered amnesia, but also acknowledged the grim possibility of never finding out what truly happened.

Niall detailed their thorough search efforts, noting the absence of any of Aidan’s belongings or any trace along the trail and surrounding areas. The lack of evidence was puzzling given the well-trodden nature of the Eiger Trail and the clear conditions on the day Aidan went missing.

Aidan’s close friend, Beth Taylor, expressed the collective grief and frustration of his friends and family, emphasizing how out of character it was for Aidan to disappear without a trace. His daily interactions with friends and family, often sharing pictures and videos, highlighted his connectedness and the void his absence created.

The Eiger, alongside its neighboring peaks Mönch and Jungfrau, dominates the landscape of the Bernese Oberland. Known for its challenging north face, nicknamed “Mordwand” (death wall), the Eiger has a storied history of climbing expeditions. Despite the modern popularity of these routes, the dangers are ever-present, as there are increasingly unstable conditions on the mountain.

As the mystery of Aidan Roche’s disappearance and death continues to unfold, the questions surrounding his final days on the Eiger Trail linger, haunting those who knew him and the broader community of hikers and adventurers who traverse these beautiful but sometimes perilous terrains.

STORY: THE MACOMB FIRESTARTER=====

On August 14, 1948, a barn burned to the ground on the farmer of Charles Willey, who lived outside of Macomb, Illinois. Such an event would not seem to be much cause for alarm except for the fact that the source of the fire has never truly been explained – plus, it was just one of hundreds of fires that broke out on his property in the summer of 1948. The only person connected to each of those fires seemed to be his niece, a teenager named Wanet, who may have been starting them with her mind!

Following her parents’ bitter divorce, Wanet and her father moved to the Willey farm. Wanet was unhappy and disturbed and emotions were running high that summer, which may have been the reason for the mysterious fires. They began on August 7. At the time, the residents of the farm included Willey, his wife, his brother-in-law and Wanet’s father, Arthur McNeil and McNeil’s two children, Arthur Jr., 8, and Wanet, who had recently turned 13.

The first fire began, not as a blaze, but as a small brown spot that appeared on the wallpaper in the living room of the Willey farm house. That first spot was followed by another and then another. The spots would appear, spread out several inches as they smoldered and then, when they became hot enough, the spots burst into flames. The brown spots occurred day after day, leaving the family confused and befuddled. Willey called on several of his neighbors to investigate but they were as mystified as he was. However, many of them stayed on the property, crowding into the house and even sleeping on the floor in an attempt to help keep watch over the situation. Pans and buckets were filled with water and placed all over the house and each time one of the small fires broke out, it was quickly dowsed. Regardless, the fires kept popping up in front of the startled witnesses. As word spread, friends and neighbors came to help but could find no cause for them. Macomb’s Fire Chief, Fred Wilson, was just as confused as everyone else.

In the days that followed, fires also appeared outside of the house on the front porch. Curtains were ignited in several of the rooms, an ironing board burst into flame and a cloth that was lying on a bed burned so hot that it turned into ash. Chief Wilson had never seen anything like it before. Charles Willey contacted his insurance company and their investigators were just as confused. Deputy State Fire Marshal, John Burgard, was contacted by Chief Wilson and he too came to the Willey farm. He was also confused by the strange events. “Nobody has ever heard anything like this,” he announced to the press, “but I saw it with my own eyes”.

In the week that followed, more than 200 fires broke out at the house, an average of nearly 20 each day. Finally, on Saturday, August 14, one of the blazes raged out of control and before the Macomb fire department could be summoned with trucks, the entire Willey farm house was consumed. Charles Willey drove posts into the ground and made a tent shelter for he and his wife, while McNeil and the children moved into the garage. The next day, while the Willey’s were milking cows in the barnyard, the barn burst into flames and destroyed the building.

Two days later, on Tuesday, several fires broke out on the walls of the milk house, which was being used as a kitchen and dining room for the family. On Thursday morning, there were two more fires and a box that was filled with newspapers was found burning in the chicken house. A few minutes later, Mrs. Willey opened a cupboard door in the milk house and discovered more newspapers smoldering on a shelf inside. There had been no one else in the building and the cabinet had not been opened. There was no logical reason for the newspapers to have caught fire.

Later that day, at about 6:00 p.m., the farm’s second barn caught fire. The blaze burned so hot that the entire building was destroyed in less than a half hour. Firefighters who arrived on the scene were unable to get close to the inferno.

Only six small outhouses remained on the farm, so the family escaped to a nearby vacant house. Regardless, the fires continued. The United States Air Force even got involved in the mystery. They suggested that the fires could be caused by some sort of directed radiation, presumably from the Russians, but could offer no further assistance.

By the end of the following week, the farm was swarming with spectators, curiosity-seekers, official and self-appointed investigators, and reporters. Over 1,000 people came to the farm on August 22 alone. Theorists and curiosity-seekers posed their own theories and explanations. They ran the gamut from fly spray to radio waves, underground gas pockets, flying saucers and more. The authorities had a more down-to-earth explanation in mind. They suspected arson. They realized that they could not solve the riddle as to how fires could appear before the eyes of reliable witnesses, but things were getting out of hand on the Willey farm. An explanation needed to be discovered, and quickly.

On August 30, the mystery was publicly announced “solved”. The arsonist, according to officials, was Wanet McNeil, the slight, red-haired niece of Charles Willey. They claimed that she was starting the fires with kitchen matches when no one was looking, ignoring the witness reports of fires that sprang up from nowhere, including on the ceiling. Apparently, this little girl possessed some pretty amazing skills, along with a seemingly endless supply of matches – even though she was never witnessed holding any matches. After hours of “intense questioning,” she allegedly confessed. She stated that she was unhappy, didn’t like the farm, wanted to see her mother and most telling, that she didn’t have pretty clothes. The mystery was solved! This was in spite of the fact that witnesses to the fires had seen them appear on walls, floors and furniture, all when Wanet was not even in the room.

This explanation pleased the authorities but not all of the reporters who were present seemed convinced. The hundreds of paranormal investigators who have examined the case over the years have not been reassured either. One columnist from a Peoria newspaper, who had covered the case from the beginning, stated quite frankly that he did not believe the so-called “confession”. Neither did noted researcher of the unexplained Vincent Gaddis, who wrote about the case. He was convinced the case was a perfect example of poltergeist phenomena.

What really happened on the Willey Farm? We will probably never know because the story just went away after that. Wanet was taken to Chicago for examination at the Illinois Juvenile Hospital but was found to be mentally normal by Dr. Sophie Schroeder, a psychiatrist. “She’s a nice little kid caught in the middle of a broken home,” she reported. She was later turned over to her grandmother and spent the rest of her teenage years untroubled by mysterious brown spots that appeared, spread and burst into flames.

The insurance company paid Willey for the damage done to his home and farm and the farm house was later rebuilt. Arthur McNeil and his son moved back in with the Willey’s for a time before eventually moving out of state.

Fire officials abandoned the case after the “confession” cleared up the mystery for them but privately, many of those involved continued to question what really occurred on the Willey farm for years afterward. Fire Chief Fred Wilson talked about the case for quite some time and later retired from his position convinced that something unexplainable had taken place.

The reporters who descended on the Willey farm all received closure for the stories, whether they believed the conclusion or not, and the general public was given a solution that could not have possibly been the truth. Not surprisingly, the case is still listed as “unexplained” today.

BREAK=====

Up next on Weird Darkness… In 1991, 63-year-old Vasile Gorgos left his home in Romania to visit a cattle market and never returned, leaving his family to believe he had met a tragic fate. But 30 years later, Vasile shocked everyone when he mysteriously reappeared, wearing the same clothes as the day he vanished and carrying an unused train ticket from 1991 in his pocket. With no memory of where he’d been for three decades, Vasile’s strange case has left people wondering if his disappearance could be tied to supernatural phenomena like portals, alien abduction, or shifts in time and space itself.

STORY: THE MYSTERIOUS VANISHING OF VASILE GORGOS=====
Have you ever heard a story that was so strange and puzzling that it left you with more questions than answers? Well, the case of Vasile Gorgos is definitely one of those stories!

Vasile was a 63-year-old man who lived in Bacau, Romania. He made a living by buying and selling cattle, and he often had to travel to different markets to do business. One day in 1991, Vasile packed his suitcase and told his wife he was going to a trade market. He said he would be back in two or three days, which was normal for his trips. He headed off to catch a train, but little did his family know, they wouldn’t see Vasile again for 30 years!

When several days passed and Vasile still hadn’t come home, his wife started to worry that something bad had happened to him. She contacted the police, who launched a big search. They looked all over their hometown, the areas nearby, and the places close to the markets where Vasile said he was going. But after a long time searching, the police couldn’t find any sign of him anywhere. It was like he had vanished into thin air!

Vasile’s family thought maybe he had been robbed and killed, and the police considered this possibility too. But just like with the search, there were no clues or leads to suggest this had happened. There was simply no trace of Vasile Gorgos.

His family sadly came to believe that Vasile must have died. They held a ceremony for him and tried to move on, thinking they would never see him again. But 30 years later, they got the shock of their lives.

On a Sunday afternoon in August 2021, a mysterious car pulled up outside Vasile’s old house. When the door opened, out stepped Vasile Gorgos! He was 30 years older, but he was wearing the exact same clothes he had on the day he disappeared. In his pocket, his family found the unused train ticket from 1991 and an old identity card with an address from another part of Romania.

Vasile’s family was overjoyed to see him, but they were so confused. Where had he been for all those years? When they asked Vasile, he simply said “at home”, which made no sense.

Doctors examined Vasile and found that he was actually in pretty good health for a 93-year-old man. He could remember everything clearly from 30 years ago, but he had no memory of anything that happened after he left for the market that day in 1991. It was like the last 30 years of his life were erased from his mind.

Another very odd detail was the car that had dropped Vasile off. As soon as he got out, it drove away before anyone could see who was driving or get the license plate number. So the person who brought Vasile back home is a total mystery too.

So what could have happened to Vasile Gorgos? How could a man go missing for 30 years and then suddenly reappear with no memory of where he’d been? People have come up with a lot of theories, but the truth is, no one really knows for sure.

One possibility is that maybe Vasile chose to disappear on purpose. Some people think he might have run off to start a secret second life and family. But if that was true, why would he come back 30 years later? And how could he forget three whole decades?

Others have suggested maybe Vasile had a health issue, like dementia, a stroke, or a rare condition where people suddenly forget who they are, travel somewhere else, and start a whole new life. Maybe something like that happened to him.

But a lot of people think there could be an even stranger explanation – something paranormal or supernatural! Is it possible Vasile accidentally fell into some kind of portal to another dimension or world? Could he have been abducted by aliens and taken away in a UFO? Might he have stumbled into a time warp and jumped forward 30 years? These ideas might sound crazy, but with such a bizarre case, people start to wonder if anything is possible!

After all, there have been other stories of people vanishing in very weird circumstances. Some have even returned years later in the same mysterious way as Vasile, with no memory of where they’d been.

One thing that really makes people suspect Vasile’s disappearance wasn’t planned is the fact that he had a farm with cattle. If he meant to run away and start over, he probably would have sold his cows or taken them with him. To leave them behind doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Some wonder if Vasile could have been taken to a hidden world inside the earth by strange creatures unknown to science. Or if he got caught up in some weird glitch in time and space that transported him to a whole other existence! It might sound far-fetched, but experts today are starting to seriously study ideas like portals and other dimensions. So who knows?

There’s even a theory that maybe Vasile was an unknowing test subject in some top-secret experiments, possibly involving portals or gateways to other realms. Could shady scientists be snatching random people to use in their trials? We don’t have any proof of this, but when you have a mystery this strange, you start to consider every possibility, no matter how outlandish!

The really sad thing is, unless Vasile suddenly remembers what happened to him, we may never find out the truth. His family must have so many questions. What if the trauma of wherever he went is so awful, his mind hid those memories from him as a way to protect him? It’s heartbreaking to think about.

What makes Vasile’s case stand out from some other missing persons situations is how long he was gone. 30 years is basically a whole lifetime! It’s amazing that he was able to come back at all. You have to wonder, if there really are portals or ways to cross into other planes of existence, maybe Vasile was one of the very few people who was actually able to find his way home again, even if it was a complete accident.

When you think about the hundreds of thousands of people who go missing every year without a trace, never to be seen again, it really makes you consider some mind-blowing possibilities. Are they all still out there somewhere? Trapped in another dimension? Held captive by extraterrestrials? Living a whole other life they can’t remember? We just don’t know.

The disappearance of Vasile Gorgos is one of the most baffling mysteries in recent memory. Maybe someday he’ll recover more details that could shed light on what really happened to him. But for now, all we can do is wonder. The unbelievable story of the Romanian cattle farmer who vanished for 30 years and then came back the same as he left will no doubt continue to puzzle people for a very long time. It’s a true real-life Twilight Zone tale that reminds us there’s still so much about our world and the universe we don’t understand. Perhaps the answers are out there somewhere, if only we knew where to look.

SHOW CLOSE=====

Thanks for listening! If you like the show, please share it with someone you know who loves the paranormal or strange stories, true crime, monsters, or unsolved mysteries like you do! You can email me and follow me on social media through the Weird Darkness website. WeirdDarkness.com is also where you can find information on sponsors you heard during the show, listen to FREE audiobooks I’ve narrated, get the email newsletter, find my other podcasts including “Church of the Undead” and a sci-fi podcast “Auditory Anthology”. Also on the site you can visit the store for Weird Darkness tee-shirts, mugs, and other merchandise… plus, it’s where you can find the Hope in the Darkness page if you or someone you know is struggling with depression, addiction, or thoughts of harming yourself or others. And if you have a true paranormal or creepy tale to tell of your own, you can click on TELL YOUR STORY. You can find all of that and more at WeirdDarkness.com.

All stories on Weird Darkness are purported to be true unless stated otherwise, and you can find links to the stories, authors, and sources I used in the episode notes.

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Now that we’re coming out of the dark, I’ll leave you with a little light… John 11:25, “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.’”

And a final thought… “The meaning of life is discovering your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” (Unknown)

I’m Darren Marlar. Thanks for joining me in the Weird Darkness.