Swamp Creature

Over the years I have seen and heard some awfully strange things in the Dismal Swamps. Old timers down here talk about seeing 'Swamp Creatures'. The creatures are also called 'Skunk Men', because they smell so bad. You may be walking through the swamps about dusk and catch a movement out of the corner of your eye. Or you may be in an especially thick area and hear heavy movement nearby, or if the wind is just right catch a whiff of a musky rotten odor. Sometimes when deer hunting, you will see the underbrush sway from the movement of a large body passing through. The 'Swamp Creatures' blend into the underbrush so well, that if they ain't moving, it is impossible to see them. 

Nowadays, most of the people who see them, catch them in their headlights on lonely roads late at night. More often, you will just see huge footprints, from their passing. It is especially disturbing to see several different size footprints in your garden and half your cabbage and turnips missing. We have pretty much gotten used to them and don't go out of our way to bother them. They are usually pretty shy and will avoid mankind. However, one night a couple of weeks ago, Mr. Eli Whaley and his wife, Edna, were greatly disturbed while resting in their cabin. This is the story they related.

"We had been hearing screeching and moaning coming out of the woods near the swamps for the last several nights. One of the voices was especially deep and moans mournful enough to raise the hair on the back of your head and would go on for up to an hour. Our garden had been raided to the point that it looked like someone had been plowing it up. Not much at all left there. Then, last night, we could hear footsteps out by the barn and heavy breathing. Pa grabbed his shotgun, but before he could get out the door, someone or something was beating on the side of our cabin. The walls were shaking on 3 sides and pots and pans were clattering on the floor. My best picture of Ma was knocked down and shattered. The stench coming from outside was enough to make you sick. Pa was trying to look 3 ways at once, but he didn't try to go outside anymore. Through the window, I could see this huge manlike thing in the moonlight. It had its arms upraised, as it beat upon the walls. It looked like it was 8 feet tall. Suddenly, the door crashed in and one of the Swamp Creatures was standing there. It was smaller than the one by the window and Pa fired his 12 gauge. It ran off towards the woods and we could see 2 others loping away also. They moaned and cried all night long, but got quiet at daybreak. When we went outside, things were kind of torn up, but no serious damage. Pa walked off in the direction they had gone and suddenly started yelling. I thought he was a goner, but then saw him waving for me to come a-running.. I did, and there, just at the woods, lay one of them. It was the smaller one Pa had shot and it was dead as a door nail."

That is the story as relayed to myself and others. I was disbelieving until I saw the creature. After some negotiation I managed to secure the creature's head, but Mr. Whaley skinned the rest of him out, to nail on his barn. If you doubt this story, I have the head sitting on my mantle and if you email me at the above address, I will send you a picture of the head. I promise that it is an actual, unretouched photo of an animal (put SWAMP CREATURE in the subject line). Don't ask me what animal it is. I'm waiting for someone to tell me what it is. 

The skin was torn off Mr. Whaley's barn wall the next night after the creature was killed. None of the other creatures have been seen since, but the Whaley's have been hearing some heavy noises out by the barn the last three nights.

- Bob Gurkin