Читать книгу The Monster Book - Nick Redfern - Страница 21

In 2007, I penned an article for my There’s Something in the Woods blog. The article was titled “Do Werewolves Roam the Woods of England?” It was an article that focused on a strange wave of sightings of hairy, upright bipedal creatures that looked like hair-covered humans and which were seen in the heart of England’s Cannock Chase woods. But there was one big difference: the heads of the terrible beasts closely resembled those of wolves. No wonder, then, that word very quickly got out that a pack of deadly werewolves was on the loose in the area. Such is the strength with which the old traditions and folklore still prevail in the U.K.; even the local newspaper, the Chase Post, gave the reports significant coverage. And they did so in serious, rather than fun-poking, tones. That the vast majority of the encounters occurred in the vicinity of an old cemetery only served to increase the anxiety that quickly spread throughout the local villages and hamlets.

When my article appeared online, it quickly provoked numerous comments. One of those comments came from a former member of the U.S. military who, in 1970, was stationed at a certain British Royal Air Force facility in the U.K. Using the name of “Wes,” he related the following:

“I encountered a werewolf (lack of better description) in England in 1970, I was 20 yrs. old when I was stationed at RAF Alconbury. I was in a secure weapons storage area when I encountered it. It seemed shocked and surprised to been caught off guard and I froze in total fright. I was armed with a .38 and never once considered using it. There was no aggression on its part. I could not comprehend what I was seeing.

“I was in a secure weapons storage area when I encountered it. It seemed shocked and surprised to been caught off guard and I froze in total fright.”

“It is not human. It has a flat snout and large eyes. Its height is approx. 5 ft. and weight approx. 200 lbs. It is very muscular and thin. It wore no clothing and was only moderately hairy. It ran away on its hind legs and scurried over a chain link fence and ran deep into the dense wooded area adjacent to the base.

It’s a chilling thought that werewolves are not merely the product of horror writers, Hollywood, and ancient folklore and mythology.

“I was extremely frightened but the fear developed into a total commitment of trying to contact it again. I was obsessed with it. I was able to see it again a few weeks later at a distance in the wooded area. I watched it for about 30 seconds slowly moving throughout the woods and I will never forget my good fortune to encounter it … and to know this ‘creature’ truly does lives among us.”

As incredible as it may sound, and taking into consideration the bizarre events of 2007 in the mysterious woods of the Cannock Chase, Wes is undeniably correct in his stance that such infernal monsters are “among us.” It’s a chilling thought that werewolves are not merely the product of horror writers, Hollywood, and ancient folklore and mythology. It would be wise to remember that if, late one night, you find yourself walking through dense and ancient woodland, or taking a short-cut through a creepy, old graveyard, and particularly so on a night when the moon shines brightly and full, pray you don’t hear a loud, animalistic howl.