1
00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:10,600
[Music]

2
00:00:17,830 --> 00:00:12,890
[Applause]

3
00:00:21,990 --> 00:00:19,670
welcome to the best of first person

4
00:00:24,870 --> 00:00:22,000
episodes of phantoms and monsters

5
00:00:25,429 --> 00:00:24,880
please like subscribe and hit the bell

6
00:00:28,830 --> 00:00:25,439
icon

7
00:00:31,990 --> 00:00:28,840
so you'll be notified of all future

8
00:00:36,470 --> 00:00:35,110
my experiences with gnomes when i was

9
00:00:38,709 --> 00:00:36,480
about 10 years old

10
00:00:40,630 --> 00:00:38,719
i went on a drive with my parents into

11
00:00:41,030 --> 00:00:40,640
the english countryside to a place

12
00:00:43,510 --> 00:00:41,040
called

13
00:00:44,790 --> 00:00:43,520
camely in surrey we were going to lunch

14
00:00:47,029 --> 00:00:44,800
with mum's longtime

15
00:00:48,709 --> 00:00:47,039
friend jill and husband harry and we met

16
00:00:50,470 --> 00:00:48,719
them on the way at a country pub for

17
00:00:52,389 --> 00:00:50,480
pre-lunch drinks

18
00:00:54,549 --> 00:00:52,399
as children my brother and i were

19
00:00:56,869 --> 00:00:54,559
allowed to go around to the back garden

20
00:00:58,069 --> 00:00:56,879
and we sipped lemonade and dead crisps

21
00:01:00,790 --> 00:00:58,079
then the adults brought

22
00:01:02,630 --> 00:01:00,800
their drinks outside the garden of this

23
00:01:05,030 --> 00:01:02,640
pub had a row of handmade miniature

24
00:01:07,590 --> 00:01:05,040
houses at the bottom of the garden

25
00:01:08,390 --> 00:01:07,600
each one had its own pathway gate and

26
00:01:10,630 --> 00:01:08,400
door

27
00:01:12,469 --> 00:01:10,640
i wandered over to take a closer look

28
00:01:14,630 --> 00:01:12,479
and to my utmost surprise

29
00:01:17,109 --> 00:01:14,640
the doors of these tiny houses opened

30
00:01:20,310 --> 00:01:17,119
and a small nome exited from each one

31
00:01:21,990 --> 00:01:20,320
and came to talk to me one in a red hat

32
00:01:23,350 --> 00:01:22,000
was leaning on his garden rake

33
00:01:25,429 --> 00:01:23,360
chattering away

34
00:01:27,510 --> 00:01:25,439
i can't remember what they spoke to me

35
00:01:28,550 --> 00:01:27,520
about but the vision of them has never

36
00:01:30,630 --> 00:01:28,560
left me

37
00:01:32,710 --> 00:01:30,640
of course when i walked back to tell my

38
00:01:33,190 --> 00:01:32,720
parents i just received a pat on the

39
00:01:36,230 --> 00:01:33,200
head

40
00:01:38,230 --> 00:01:36,240
and my mom said that's nice dear i had

41
00:01:40,950 --> 00:01:38,240
another experience when i came to

42
00:01:43,109 --> 00:01:40,960
australia in the early 1980s

43
00:01:45,190 --> 00:01:43,119
my partner and i visited a tea room

44
00:01:47,590 --> 00:01:45,200
during winter in the mountains

45
00:01:48,630 --> 00:01:47,600
they had a lovely garden but no flowers

46
00:01:51,030 --> 00:01:48,640
were out anywhere

47
00:01:53,429 --> 00:01:51,040
and the wind was quite cold all of a

48
00:01:56,069 --> 00:01:53,439
sudden i saw a small gnome with my inner

49
00:01:58,550 --> 00:01:56,079
vision and he started talking to me

50
00:01:59,510 --> 00:01:58,560
let me show you my flowers i look after

51
00:02:01,749 --> 00:01:59,520
he said

52
00:02:04,069 --> 00:02:01,759
again looking around i could see only

53
00:02:06,630 --> 00:02:04,079
stalks and barrows bushes

54
00:02:08,550 --> 00:02:06,640
anyway i followed him along a pathway

55
00:02:10,790 --> 00:02:08,560
and then he turned a corner

56
00:02:12,630 --> 00:02:10,800
there just around the bed was a small

57
00:02:13,430 --> 00:02:12,640
bush with beautiful white perfumed

58
00:02:15,910 --> 00:02:13,440
flowers on

59
00:02:17,990 --> 00:02:15,920
and no other flowers in sight he was

60
00:02:19,990 --> 00:02:18,000
very proud of his flowers and bush

61
00:02:22,869 --> 00:02:20,000
and thanked me for allowing him to show

62
00:02:24,309 --> 00:02:22,879
me we also had a gnome called tom in our

63
00:02:26,390 --> 00:02:24,319
backyard in sydney

64
00:02:29,270 --> 00:02:26,400
who used to pop up now and again giving

65
00:02:32,150 --> 00:02:29,280
suggestions to help different plants

66
00:02:33,030 --> 00:02:32,160
so that is my experiences with gnomes

67
00:02:41,110 --> 00:02:33,040
and they are just

68
00:02:45,270 --> 00:02:42,869
possible witcher elf encountered by

69
00:02:47,270 --> 00:02:45,280
swiss soldier this happened while i was

70
00:02:48,229 --> 00:02:47,280
doing my army service in switzerland in

71
00:02:49,990 --> 00:02:48,239
the alps

72
00:02:51,750 --> 00:02:50,000
i am not allowed to talk about what we

73
00:02:52,470 --> 00:02:51,760
were doing but i'll try to keep things

74
00:02:54,790 --> 00:02:52,480
clear

75
00:02:56,790 --> 00:02:54,800
my company had installed a huge antenna

76
00:02:57,830 --> 00:02:56,800
and it had to be guarded by two soldiers

77
00:02:59,750 --> 00:02:57,840
day and night

78
00:03:02,149 --> 00:02:59,760
we were on the top of a hill far away

79
00:03:05,190 --> 00:03:02,159
from any city and near a huge force

80
00:03:07,830 --> 00:03:05,200
it was 18h00 and i had just started my

81
00:03:09,430 --> 00:03:07,840
watch of six hours with another soldier

82
00:03:11,589 --> 00:03:09,440
everything went fine we smoked

83
00:03:13,589 --> 00:03:11,599
cigarettes and kept ourselves occupied

84
00:03:15,270 --> 00:03:13,599
until our watch ended at midnight

85
00:03:17,270 --> 00:03:15,280
then we received a call from our

86
00:03:19,030 --> 00:03:17,280
superior and he told us that one of the

87
00:03:20,149 --> 00:03:19,040
soldiers that was supposed to take the

88
00:03:21,990 --> 00:03:20,159
watch couldn't come

89
00:03:23,509 --> 00:03:22,000
and one of us had to stay for another

90
00:03:25,270 --> 00:03:23,519
watch of six hours

91
00:03:27,110 --> 00:03:25,280
we tossed a coin to know who will stay

92
00:03:29,430 --> 00:03:27,120
from midnight to six in the morning

93
00:03:30,309 --> 00:03:29,440
with temperatures of minus 20 celsius

94
00:03:32,229 --> 00:03:30,319
decrease

95
00:03:33,990 --> 00:03:32,239
of course i lost and i had to wait for

96
00:03:35,270 --> 00:03:34,000
the other soldier to come and join me

97
00:03:37,110 --> 00:03:35,280
for the night watch

98
00:03:38,869 --> 00:03:37,120
they sent another soldier but not the

99
00:03:40,630 --> 00:03:38,879
best because i knew he would sleep all

100
00:03:42,070 --> 00:03:40,640
night when i saw him climbing the hill

101
00:03:44,149 --> 00:03:42,080
with his sleeping bag

102
00:03:46,470 --> 00:03:44,159
and that's what he did he immediately

103
00:03:48,309 --> 00:03:46,480
took place in the tent and fell asleep

104
00:03:50,630 --> 00:03:48,319
it was the coldest and longest night of

105
00:03:52,710 --> 00:03:50,640
my life but nothing special about it

106
00:03:54,309 --> 00:03:52,720
the weird part happened in the morning

107
00:03:56,470 --> 00:03:54,319
we received another call from our

108
00:03:58,149 --> 00:03:56,480
superior and he told us that we had an

109
00:03:59,910 --> 00:03:58,159
nbc exercise

110
00:04:01,509 --> 00:03:59,920
it means that we have to wear all day

111
00:04:03,509 --> 00:04:01,519
long or anti-chemical suit

112
00:04:05,429 --> 00:04:03,519
i don't know the english word for it the

113
00:04:06,470 --> 00:04:05,439
one with gas masks and everything that

114
00:04:08,630 --> 00:04:06,480
goes with it

115
00:04:10,470 --> 00:04:08,640
i was really upset and exhausted because

116
00:04:12,789 --> 00:04:10,480
i wasn't able to sleep with that thing

117
00:04:14,229 --> 00:04:12,799
on and sleep was my only reward for that

118
00:04:16,310 --> 00:04:14,239
12 hour watch

119
00:04:18,229 --> 00:04:16,320
well i got out of the tent and this is

120
00:04:19,430 --> 00:04:18,239
where i saw something that still scares

121
00:04:21,189 --> 00:04:19,440
me to this day

122
00:04:23,270 --> 00:04:21,199
there was a woman standing next to the

123
00:04:25,430 --> 00:04:23,280
antenna and she wasn't moving

124
00:04:26,469 --> 00:04:25,440
she was just standing there five meters

125
00:04:28,310 --> 00:04:26,479
from the tent

126
00:04:30,469 --> 00:04:28,320
i couldn't see her face because of the

127
00:04:32,230 --> 00:04:30,479
sun starting to rise behind her

128
00:04:34,469 --> 00:04:32,240
i knew she was a woman because she had

129
00:04:35,909 --> 00:04:34,479
really long hair and she had curves

130
00:04:37,990 --> 00:04:35,919
remember that we were in the middle of

131
00:04:40,629 --> 00:04:38,000
nowhere and this lady was standing there

132
00:04:42,469 --> 00:04:40,639
not moving like she was frozen i started

133
00:04:44,469 --> 00:04:42,479
to freak out and i called the other guy

134
00:04:46,390 --> 00:04:44,479
to show him what i was looking at

135
00:04:48,390 --> 00:04:46,400
i don't know why but he wasn't scared at

136
00:04:49,670 --> 00:04:48,400
all and he told her to leave because she

137
00:04:51,749 --> 00:04:49,680
wasn't allowed there

138
00:04:53,030 --> 00:04:51,759
but she didn't make a move she just

139
00:04:55,350 --> 00:04:53,040
stood there looking at us

140
00:04:56,070 --> 00:04:55,360
or at least in our direction i was so

141
00:04:57,830 --> 00:04:56,080
confused

142
00:04:59,990 --> 00:04:57,840
how women could ignore two soldiers

143
00:05:02,230 --> 00:05:00,000
telling her to leave a forbidden area

144
00:05:04,230 --> 00:05:02,240
i mean we are in switzerland the army is

145
00:05:06,469 --> 00:05:04,240
not that impressive i know but people

146
00:05:08,150 --> 00:05:06,479
usually don't do this kind of things

147
00:05:10,150 --> 00:05:08,160
they would just move away especially

148
00:05:11,990 --> 00:05:10,160
when it's six in the morning and what

149
00:05:13,830 --> 00:05:12,000
was she doing in the middle of nowhere

150
00:05:15,990 --> 00:05:13,840
obviously not dressed for this cold

151
00:05:17,670 --> 00:05:16,000
weather how long was she standing there

152
00:05:20,150 --> 00:05:17,680
and how did she end up here

153
00:05:21,830 --> 00:05:20,160
i didn't hear any footsteps so many

154
00:05:22,629 --> 00:05:21,840
questions went through my mind at that

155
00:05:24,710 --> 00:05:22,639
moment

156
00:05:26,390 --> 00:05:24,720
the other soldier didn't think twice and

157
00:05:28,390 --> 00:05:26,400
started walking towards her

158
00:05:29,909 --> 00:05:28,400
when he almost reached her she started

159
00:05:32,390 --> 00:05:29,919
running very fast

160
00:05:34,230 --> 00:05:32,400
she ran directly into the forest i saw

161
00:05:36,070 --> 00:05:34,240
her getting deep down in the forest and

162
00:05:38,310 --> 00:05:36,080
she disappeared from her sight

163
00:05:39,590 --> 00:05:38,320
i'm really a rational thinker i question

164
00:05:41,189 --> 00:05:39,600
everything and think that there is

165
00:05:43,029 --> 00:05:41,199
always an explanation

166
00:05:44,950 --> 00:05:43,039
for me the explanation is that she was

167
00:05:46,310 --> 00:05:44,960
simply a jogger because of the way she

168
00:05:48,070 --> 00:05:46,320
ran to the forest

169
00:05:49,830 --> 00:05:48,080
but almost three minutes had passed

170
00:05:52,150 --> 00:05:49,840
between the first time i saw her

171
00:05:53,909 --> 00:05:52,160
and the moment she started running away

172
00:05:55,670 --> 00:05:53,919
three minutes of not moving at all

173
00:05:57,909 --> 00:05:55,680
looking at me dressed with something

174
00:06:00,070 --> 00:05:57,919
really tight with minus 20 degrees

175
00:06:01,830 --> 00:06:00,080
and in the middle of nowhere thank god

176
00:06:03,110 --> 00:06:01,840
there was someone with me because nobody

177
00:06:10,710 --> 00:06:03,120
would have believed me

178
00:06:14,390 --> 00:06:12,710
bigfoot carries injured man home in

179
00:06:16,390 --> 00:06:14,400
smith county virginia

180
00:06:18,309 --> 00:06:16,400
i've got a story that may be hard to

181
00:06:19,749 --> 00:06:18,319
believe but i vow to you that it is

182
00:06:21,590 --> 00:06:19,759
completely true

183
00:06:22,870 --> 00:06:21,600
i have lived on the same property in

184
00:06:25,590 --> 00:06:22,880
smith county

185
00:06:27,029 --> 00:06:25,600
virginia all my 68 years and i have seen

186
00:06:29,270 --> 00:06:27,039
a lot of strange things

187
00:06:31,110 --> 00:06:29,280
though i believe all were natural but

188
00:06:33,270 --> 00:06:31,120
there is one thing in my woods that i

189
00:06:36,309 --> 00:06:33,280
have never been able to explain

190
00:06:37,749 --> 00:06:36,319
the first time i saw it i was 16 or so

191
00:06:38,790 --> 00:06:37,759
in squirrel hunting in the late

192
00:06:41,029 --> 00:06:38,800
afternoon

193
00:06:43,029 --> 00:06:41,039
i was sitting on a large rock watching a

194
00:06:44,950 --> 00:06:43,039
den hole in a large hickory tree

195
00:06:46,309 --> 00:06:44,960
when i noticed a hairy man running in

196
00:06:48,390 --> 00:06:46,319
the hollow below me

197
00:06:49,830 --> 00:06:48,400
it was covered top to bottom with short

198
00:06:51,909 --> 00:06:49,840
reddish brown hair

199
00:06:55,270 --> 00:06:51,919
the hair on its head and face was very

200
00:06:57,029 --> 00:06:55,280
long i think it was around six feet tall

201
00:06:58,950 --> 00:06:57,039
it made a hell of a racket moving

202
00:07:00,550 --> 00:06:58,960
through brush crashing branches and

203
00:07:02,550 --> 00:07:00,560
grunting up a storm

204
00:07:04,230 --> 00:07:02,560
it then turned around and did the same

205
00:07:06,790 --> 00:07:04,240
thing on its way back

206
00:07:08,950 --> 00:07:06,800
i stood up and quickly made my way home

207
00:07:10,070 --> 00:07:08,960
i never said anything to my folks about

208
00:07:12,150 --> 00:07:10,080
what i saw

209
00:07:14,070 --> 00:07:12,160
that's the last i had seen of this thing

210
00:07:16,309 --> 00:07:14,080
until this past october

211
00:07:18,070 --> 00:07:16,319
i was dragging old tree branches down

212
00:07:18,950 --> 00:07:18,080
into the woods when i stumbled on a

213
00:07:21,029 --> 00:07:18,960
treerd

214
00:07:22,150 --> 00:07:21,039
i twisted my knee badly and couldn't

215
00:07:24,469 --> 00:07:22,160
stand on it

216
00:07:26,710 --> 00:07:24,479
i lay on the ground in pain trying to

217
00:07:29,029 --> 00:07:26,720
figure out what i was going to do

218
00:07:30,230 --> 00:07:29,039
then all of a sudden i wake up on the

219
00:07:32,950 --> 00:07:30,240
porch bench

220
00:07:34,309 --> 00:07:32,960
it's totally dark i reach over and turn

221
00:07:36,950 --> 00:07:34,319
on the porch light

222
00:07:39,350 --> 00:07:36,960
how did i get here then i noticed mud on

223
00:07:41,430 --> 00:07:39,360
my clothes and mud on the porch floor

224
00:07:43,589 --> 00:07:41,440
there was also a pile of hand-sized

225
00:07:45,510 --> 00:07:43,599
creek pebbles on the porch table

226
00:07:47,350 --> 00:07:45,520
i had seen these piles of pebbles

227
00:07:48,550 --> 00:07:47,360
throughout the woods for as long as i

228
00:07:50,309 --> 00:07:48,560
could remember

229
00:07:52,070 --> 00:07:50,319
that's when i realized that the hairy

230
00:07:52,790 --> 00:07:52,080
man in the woods must have brought me

231
00:07:54,869 --> 00:07:52,800
home

232
00:07:56,710 --> 00:07:54,879
i wondered if it was the same hairy man

233
00:07:58,869 --> 00:07:56,720
i saw when i was a boy

234
00:07:59,909 --> 00:07:58,879
that's the only explanation i can come

235
00:08:01,749 --> 00:07:59,919
up with up

236
00:08:03,189 --> 00:08:01,759
i don't have any neighbors since i'm

237
00:08:12,469 --> 00:08:03,199
living on the ridge

238
00:08:14,629 --> 00:08:12,479
maybe i'll see it again one day f

239
00:08:17,510 --> 00:08:14,639
possible pukuji confronted in maine

240
00:08:18,710 --> 00:08:17,520
woods i was living in fairfield maine on

241
00:08:21,189 --> 00:08:18,720
cottage street

242
00:08:23,670 --> 00:08:21,199
up the street from mine were some woods

243
00:08:25,430 --> 00:08:23,680
i used to take my dog morbid up there to

244
00:08:27,589 --> 00:08:25,440
burn some energy off

245
00:08:29,589 --> 00:08:27,599
her most favorite time to go up in the

246
00:08:30,869 --> 00:08:29,599
woods was when we'd just gotten a good

247
00:08:33,589 --> 00:08:30,879
snow storm

248
00:08:34,870 --> 00:08:33,599
well one time after a storm morbid came

249
00:08:37,670 --> 00:08:34,880
and woke me up

250
00:08:39,670 --> 00:08:37,680
she always did this after a storm it was

251
00:08:42,070 --> 00:08:39,680
around two or three am

252
00:08:43,430 --> 00:08:42,080
so i got up and got dressed to take her

253
00:08:45,750 --> 00:08:43,440
up into the woods

254
00:08:47,750 --> 00:08:45,760
my daughter had a friend staying with us

255
00:08:48,790 --> 00:08:47,760
and she happened to be up and came along

256
00:08:50,630 --> 00:08:48,800
with us

257
00:08:52,710 --> 00:08:50,640
we got up there and were walking on the

258
00:08:54,790 --> 00:08:52,720
trail to get to the tree line

259
00:08:57,670 --> 00:08:54,800
as we were walking towards the trees on

260
00:08:59,829 --> 00:08:57,680
both sides of the small trail as a swamp

261
00:09:02,389 --> 00:08:59,839
i saw some moose prints that were really

262
00:09:03,430 --> 00:09:02,399
fresh so i asked victoria to hold my

263
00:09:05,990 --> 00:09:03,440
dog's leash

264
00:09:08,230 --> 00:09:06,000
because i wanted to check out the prince

265
00:09:09,750 --> 00:09:08,240
well i took three steps on to the swamp

266
00:09:12,550 --> 00:09:09,760
eyes and fell through waist

267
00:09:14,470 --> 00:09:12,560
deep vic was laughing hysterically as i

268
00:09:16,470 --> 00:09:14,480
was struggling to get out of the muck at

269
00:09:19,190 --> 00:09:16,480
the bottom of the swamp water

270
00:09:21,509 --> 00:09:19,200
anyways i finally got myself out of it

271
00:09:23,430 --> 00:09:21,519
and continued on to the tree line

272
00:09:24,949 --> 00:09:23,440
now once you get into the woods there a

273
00:09:27,110 --> 00:09:24,959
little side trail

274
00:09:29,110 --> 00:09:27,120
i happened to see a gnarly looking tree

275
00:09:31,509 --> 00:09:29,120
down the little side trail that looked

276
00:09:33,910 --> 00:09:31,519
really cool with all that snow on it

277
00:09:34,790 --> 00:09:33,920
i told vic to stay there and is be right

278
00:09:37,269 --> 00:09:34,800
back

279
00:09:39,269 --> 00:09:37,279
well i took my dog morbid with me and as

280
00:09:40,230 --> 00:09:39,279
we approached the gnarly tree my dog

281
00:09:42,790 --> 00:09:40,240
dead dogged me

282
00:09:44,710 --> 00:09:42,800
and i hated that so i turned to scold

283
00:09:46,070 --> 00:09:44,720
her when i saw that she was staring at

284
00:09:47,910 --> 00:09:46,080
this birch tree

285
00:09:50,230 --> 00:09:47,920
suddenly this thing stepped out from

286
00:09:51,910 --> 00:09:50,240
behind the tree and it looked towards us

287
00:09:54,630 --> 00:09:51,920
and i could feel it was just as

288
00:09:56,949 --> 00:09:54,640
surprised to see us as we were to see it

289
00:09:58,070 --> 00:09:56,959
now it was completely black had an

290
00:10:00,710 --> 00:09:58,080
oversized head

291
00:10:01,509 --> 00:10:00,720
a swollen belly but it had no fingers or

292
00:10:03,670 --> 00:10:01,519
eyes

293
00:10:05,110 --> 00:10:03,680
it was way too wide to fit behind that

294
00:10:07,110 --> 00:10:05,120
skinny little birch tree

295
00:10:09,269 --> 00:10:07,120
but it did it was like it was

296
00:10:11,269 --> 00:10:09,279
communicating telepathically

297
00:10:13,110 --> 00:10:11,279
like when it turned towards us it had no

298
00:10:15,350 --> 00:10:13,120
eyes yet i knew that it was just as

299
00:10:17,430 --> 00:10:15,360
surprised as morbid and i were

300
00:10:19,269 --> 00:10:17,440
it was also like it was two-dimensional

301
00:10:21,430 --> 00:10:19,279
or something because it looked like a

302
00:10:23,509 --> 00:10:21,440
cardboard cut out or something

303
00:10:25,590 --> 00:10:23,519
after it disappeared behind that tree

304
00:10:27,910 --> 00:10:25,600
suddenly the wind started to pick up

305
00:10:29,350 --> 00:10:27,920
and a snow nado began to chase us back

306
00:10:31,430 --> 00:10:29,360
to the main trail

307
00:10:33,509 --> 00:10:31,440
it stopped the second both of us had all

308
00:10:35,910 --> 00:10:33,519
of our feet on the main trail

309
00:10:38,710 --> 00:10:35,920
i tested this two more times and each

310
00:10:40,870 --> 00:10:38,720
time i was chased back by a snow nado

311
00:10:43,030 --> 00:10:40,880
i immediately went home and drew what i

312
00:10:44,870 --> 00:10:43,040
saw step out from behind that tree

313
00:10:46,389 --> 00:10:44,880
as well as took pics of the tree it

314
00:10:52,470 --> 00:10:46,399
stepped out from

315
00:10:55,910 --> 00:10:55,030
this is lon strickler if you like this

316
00:10:57,670 --> 00:10:55,920
program

317
00:10:58,949 --> 00:10:57,680
it would help us if you would give it a

318
00:11:01,829 --> 00:10:58,959
thumbs up

319
00:11:02,310 --> 00:11:01,839
then subscribe and click the bell icon

320
00:11:04,710 --> 00:11:02,320
so you

321
00:11:06,790 --> 00:11:04,720
get notification when we upload new

322
00:11:09,910 --> 00:11:06,800
first person encounters

323
00:11:10,630 --> 00:11:09,920
we have many more to come very soon and

324
00:11:12,710 --> 00:11:10,640
by the way

325
00:11:14,389 --> 00:11:12,720
if you have a suggestion or an