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~~~~~The Legend of Mothman~~~~~
Mysterious times burdened the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia during the mid-1960s. On November 15, 1966, it was a chilly night when two young couples were driving through the outskirts of town, taking a trip through the TNT Area (see "The TNT Area" after reading "The Legend of Mothman"). The driver caught sight of an unnatural creature standing near one of the abandoned buildings and stopped the vehicle to have a more detailed look at it. Witnesses described the figure to be a man-like monster with wings, gray skin, and glowing red eyes. However, they could not see its face, or if it even had a head due to its hypnotizing eyes. The thing eventually started shuffling towards their car, and the couples drove off in fear while the creature followed them by flying on its sturdy wings. It landed on their car several times, even scratching some paint off of it, which caused the driver to go faster. They reached 100mph but the creature had little trouble keeping up with them. Before the frightened couples reached Point Pleasant, they saw a dead German Shepherd lying on the side of the road, therefore scaring them further. One of the female witnesses said that it screeched like a big mouse and they all noticed that it did not need to flap its wings when in flight. As they reached town, the thing returned to the TNT Area while the witnesses reported what they had seen to the police department. Officers ridiculed them and made them draw a picture of what they had seen:
The day after their encounter, news of the red-eyed wonder reached the Point Pleasant Register, the towns local newspaper. During this time, the Batman comic book series was popular, and one of the reporters dubbed the bizarre visitor Mothman after a villain in the comic. Townsfolk were quite cautious after word of Mothman had been out. Parents would not allow their children to play outside at night in fear of the thing grabbing them and flying away. People would also watch their surroundings when driving past the TNT Area with hopes of spotting Mothman. UFOs and MIB (Men In Black) were even encountered by the citizens of Point Pleasant. Black-suited men with transparent skin and odd postures in movement made their presence known. They warned Mary Hyre - a writer for the Point Pleasant Register - to stop adding the sightings in the newspaper. With these things in mind, you can tell that this small town was getting a lot of attention from paranormal fanatics. Skeptics believe that Mothman was just a bird like a common owl or sand hill crane. Mothman, UFOs, and Men In Black were a nightmarish combination..but the worst of all had yet to come.
December 15, 1967: It was a cold, snowy day. Christmas shopping was hectic, and rush hour occurred. The Silver Bridge over the Ohio River held many vehicles on that day. But unfortunately the bridge collapsed due to the eyebar, resulting in over 40 deaths and some missing bodies, making it the worst bridge disaster in America's history. After the remains of the fallen structure were cleaned up, people suddenly stopped experiencing paranormal phenomena. The Lowe Hotel still claims to have ghosts in the building, but Mothman sightings and the extraterrestrial activity ceased. The winged creature is being seen in different parts of the world, having been in Point Pleasant thirteen months since the first reported sighting. Over 100 reports were filed and the people of Point Pleasant profit from their hometown monster. The Mothman Festival takes place annually in mid-September for one weekend. A Mothman Statue made of stainless steel was placed in Point Pleasant in honor of the mystery. It remains unsolved to this very day..
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~~~~~The TNT Area~~~~~
The old and abandoned buildings which were among the site of the Mothman sightings were once used as ammunition storage facilities during World War II. All of the structures were left behind in 1945 when the war ended, leaving the buildings as if they were empty shells. There were two large power plants in the north and south regions in the TNT Area that were ideal nesting places for a monster like Mothman because the inside of these plants were dark and gloomy. Before the Mothman was seen in this area, teenagers would party and commune with others and would sometimes drag-race for a thrill. Unfortunately, the north and south power plants were falling apart and needed to be demolished. They were soon stripped from the land in the early 1990s, and left traces in the ground from where they had previously stood.
Only the igloos and some other structures are still there. Tourists who arrive at Point Pleasant for the Mothman Festival can take a hayride through the TNT Area at night or go on their own..but at their own risk.
~~~~~Similar Monsters~~~~~
If one were to look through history, tales of Thunderbirds and winged weirdies would reveal that Mothman is not unique. The monsters description can even be recognized in certain figures in some religions. Some monsters bear chilling similarities to that of Mothman and have greatly sparked possibilities for researchers. Here are some of them:
The Headless Birdman of Kent -- A man-like figure with wings and red eyes was reported on November 16, 1963 in Kent, England. It was claimed to have come from a strange bright light which had landed in a field and coincidentally didnt have a head.
The Freiburg Shrieker -- Winged man that was seen standing in the entrance of a coal mine at Freiburg, Germany in 1978. The mine would later explode, killing some of the miners.
Owlman -- First seen April 17, 1976 in Mawnan, Cornwall by two teenage girls and was claimed to have been hovering over the steeple of a church. The monster would be seen again by another woman and was described as a winged man with gray skin, red eyes, and darkly-colored claws. The last sighting was reported in 1995 by yet another young woman; it had been seen near the same church once again, but has not been seen since.
Houston Batman -- Bat-winged humanoid seen by a woman and a teenage girl on July 18, 1953 in Houston, Texas. It was six and a half feet tall and was colored gray or black. It landed in a pecan tree and glowed ominously. No red eyes were reported.
The Haymarket Horror -- Dark man with wings and "red-orange eyeballs" which stood by a tree. Was seen by four adults and the sighting took place near Haymarket, Virginia.
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