It’s after five on Christmas evening. If I don’t get this story out I’m gonna miss what I believe is significant about it. Hello World, my name is Allen Masterson. I was a Journalist for a big publication in New York City and have been retired for about seven years. I have friends in the business that would have placed this piece in a number of papers throughout the literary region, but I just finished compiling my notes just over an hour ago. I am not really sure if this story qualifies as a Christmas Miracle or another testimony of the American Cryptid phenomenon. I guess I will let the readers decide. I would like to extend one big thank you to my good friend Mark Damon, for allowing me to use the Biblical Constitution blog site for this unusual Christmas tale.

My Wife and I were on our way to Kentucky to visit some relatives for the Holidays. My buddy Tommy Martin lives near a good portion of my relatives. Since I have not seen Tom for about four years, I thought I would stop by and surprise him. It was I who was in for the surprise. Tom’s Wife Aubrey, met me at the door. The look on her face was one of disbelief. She looked at me for a moment and started spilling an incredible story into my lap. She began the story at her local Church, where the pastor preached a message: “They are hiding the meaning of Christmas”. I am sure you have heard that certain people throughout America are trying to exclude any mention of Christ, God or related subjects within any Government or related public forum?

Well anyway, Aubrey began to tell me about the sermon and how she thought it had tied into the events that would soon follow. My buddy Tom works in construction. In Tom’s spare time he is a Cryptids researcher. For those of you unfamiliar with that term, that’s someone who investigates the possibilities of Bigfoot, the Chupacabra or just animals that are hidden or undiscovered. Aubrey, did not intrigue me with the Attack on Christmas. It was what she called the tie in, that blew me away.

Apparently, Tom decided to pursue his hobby on Christmas Eve. He received an anonymous call on Christmas Eve morning about a Big Foot sighting in a large Kentucky Forest. For the purposes of this story, I will have to go with that description. Aubrey could not remember exactly which of Kentucky’s rich Forests Tom had ventured to, she just remembered Tom had said it was vast. Aubrey handed me a large notebook of scribbled notes as she told me the following story. She told me if I wanted the story that I would have to get it from her. You see Tom was out cold, Aubrey found him on the porch before daylight asleep. Tom began his story to Aubrey with a foggy notion that he must have been dropped off by someone who picked him up near the road of the forest, but he could not remember. Tom than told Aubrey a story so wild, so crazy, so vivid that she thought he was delusional. Tom told her that although he had made it through the night and that he was alright, he was insistent that he had to go to sleep, but before he did he told Aubrey the following account of events.

Tom Martin, and two fellow researchers entered the forest just before dark. Dave Garland is one of Tom’s best friends and Leslie Baker is Dave’s girlfriend. All three of them are Bigfoot crazy! Tom had told Aubrey that they had set up their Bigfoot monitoring equipment, and built a fire and started telling stories about former adventures they had experienced. Just when Tom was near a Bigfoot punchline, all of their eyes became massive saucers, when they all heard an unearthly scream. That’s Bigfoot!, screamed Tom, said Aubrey to me. Aubrey told me that they began to run toward the sound with flashlights and both Dave and Leslie fell and were both injured. Dave screwed up his knee and Leslie received a nasty cut on her hand. Despite their injuries, they looked for over an hour but could not see anything, and heard not so much as an owl for the next two hours.

Tom told Aubrey that for the next three hours they sat around the campfire pondering what they had heard. They were mixing Christmas tales with those of Crypto magic. Aubrey said Tom told her that Dave started to complain about his knee, because after awhile it started throbbing in pain, and that since it was Christmas Eve anyway, Dave thought he would head home and pick this adventure up with Tom on another night in the near future. Tom told Dave and Leslie that he would stay a bit longer to see if he could hear anything, since the campsite would be quiet with no human bantering. Dave and Leslie both urged Tom to come with them but Tom was adamant about staying a bit longer.

Aubrey said that Tom told her that about an hour had passed since Dave and Leslie had left and that he was about to fall asleep in front of that warm, delicious fire when he heard a low growl. Tom told Aubrey that it sounded more like a dog than Bigfoot and that he was a bit unnerved. He looked around the campfire for a big stick and luckily found one that fit the protective bill. Aubrey said that after about five minutes Tom decided that it was time to extinguish the fire and head home to his Christmas sweetheart. Bigfoot, he thought, would wait,  after all, as he spoke aloud, he’s been waiting for would-be adventurers like me for countless years!

Aubrey said Tom was about to walk toward his pick-up when he heard another scream. Aubrey said this time it sent chills through Tom’s spine and it was very close. Tom’s first inclination was to sprint toward the truck but his curiosity and whole crypto profession flashed before his eyes. Tom grabbed his flashlight out of his pocket as super adrenaline shot through his veins. Aubrey said that the scream continued but Tom could not see anything. Aubrey told me that Tom decided to walk toward the scream.

Aubrey said that Tom told her that he walked what must have been at least several hundred feet and he heard the previous dog like growl again. Aubrey said that Tom had said that enough was enough, that he was alone and the risk was too great. Aubrey said what happened next was one of the weirdest stories I have ever heard. Aubrey said Tom tuned to get out of the woods, slipped, and fell several feet down a steep hill. Tom told Aubrey that he hit his head at the bottom of the hill but was not knocked unconscious. The fall had caused him dizziness, but he still had all his faculties, or as he told Aubrey, “maybe I had all my faculties and maybe I didn’t”.

Aubrey said that as Tom was trying to focus on the direction of the truck he heard the low growl again. He told Aubrey that he tried to walk away from the sound but it followed him as he walked. Tom told Aubrey within a few minutes he knew that he was then lost. Tom could not smell the previously extinguished fire and the fall had broken his flashlight. Aubrey said Tom then realized that he had become an unwilling member of the LOST adventurers club. Aubrey told me that Tom begin to panic a bit, and started walking briskly in an attempt to get out of the woods and get to his truck.

Aubrey said that after a few minutes of walking Tom passed out.

This is where the story gets weird children of Christmas, so hold on and enjoy the dream, the fantasy or as some of you will swear, the reality. Tom told Aubrey that he awoke in front of a roaring campfire, and that it was not his previous campsite. He told Aubrey that the first thing he noticed as he rubbed his eyes in disbelief, was the largest black overcoat he had ever seen hanging from a tall branch on a massive tree. Tom told Aubrey it looked as if a large cave was just several feet behind the massive tree. The following part of this story is where this former big time progressive journalist gets a little touched by the Christmas spirit.

Tom told Aubrey that above the trees he saw the brightest star he had ever seen in his life! Then Tom told Aubrey something that gave me chills when she told me, the same type of chills I am getting as I transcribe her notes. Tom told Aubrey, that a mountain of a man, maybe Bigfoot, he could not tell, (he was having trouble focusing on details, due to the rap on his head) stood up off of a massive log and looked directly at Tom. This man or Bigfoot himself, pointed to an old pack just laying behind Tom. Aubrey said this large man either would not, or could not talk. He motioned for Tom to open the pack. Aubrey said Tom did exactly as he thought the big man wanted, because he was almost scared to death!

Aubrey said that Tom told her that the pack was full of the following: Tom told Aubrey that the pack contained a picture of a very large man with a snow white beard (No it did not strike Tom as Santa Claus, I asked Aubrey, and she had asked him!). Tom told Aubrey that the man in the picture looked big and was wearing what looked like early American clothing, also the man was holding a very long rifle. Tom told Aubrey the rifle “looked ancient”. Tom also noticed what looked like the same overcoat that was hanging just over the large branch only a few feet from him. In this picture it was hanging over the top of a large wood pile. In the pack Tom found an old notebook. It had the name Daniel in the front. Inside the notebook were several Biblical quotes from various Founding Fathers. Aubrey told me Tom remembered one of the quotes: “Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other”. Aubrey said Tom quoted the writing as best he could, I interpreted what Tom had read by looking it up. The preceding quote came from John Adams. Tom told his Wife Aubrey that the notebook contained the text from the book of Luke (the Bible for those unaware) and that someone had written extensive notes about the birth of Christ, Christ as Savior and Peace on Earth.

Tom told Aubrey that the only other item in the packet was what looked like an old pair of reading glasses.

Aubrey said after Tom had examined the pack, the Monster of a man said something in a very low voice. Tom was not even sure it was actual speech. He said the man then pointed at the star and motioned for Tom to follow it. Tom reluctantly, got to his feet and started walking in the direction of the star. Aubrey said he looked back to thank the man but he was not there. Aubrey said although he had followed the star into an open field and he felt a sense of peace falling upon him, he fell to his knees when he became very dizzy. Tom told Aubrey, following his dizzy spell, that he could not get up. He told Aubrey that what happened next was what he thought had to be a dream. Aubrey said Tom looked up and saw the largest Raptor he had ever seen. The wings went on forever and it was huge. He told Aubrey that even though he was dizzy, he could make out some detail. He said the bird was similar to an eagle but stood taller than a man. (Aubrey said she stopped Tom at this point because she thought he needed to go to the hospital, that he was delusional, but Tom convinced her he was telling the truth). Tom told Aubrey that the bird landed in front of him and looked skyward as if awaiting a command.Suddenly, the large raptor bolted high into the air, swiftly dived toward Tom and lifted him high into the air above the trees. Top said this event caused him to pass out.

Tom told Aubrey that when he woke up, he was laying against a tree next to a creek. Aubrey said that Tom told her that it was still very dark when he awoke and he could barely see the creek. He looked for the star again, but it must have been in a different position by then, he thought. He told Aubrey he started to follow the creek but it was so dark and he was injured, that it was difficult to see. What Aubrey told me next touched this journalist. She said Tom started crying and telling her that he was still not sure if Bigfoot existed, but he now knew that GOD was real and Jesus was born so that we could find life! Tom then proceeded to tell her something that I’ve never heard of. Tom told her that these giant creatures lit up all within the creek. Tom said Aubrey!, I could see the all the way to the truck! I was out! He said these creatures looked like giant glowing crawdads!

Tom told Aubrey he passed out again reaching for the truck handle. Tom was about to fall asleep before he said two last things to Aubrey. He told her that he guessed either the Police or Game warden brought him home and he proceeding to say this last comment before he fell asleep. “You know Aubrey, they can remove GOD from the American discourse, but they will never remove his word”.  Aubrey gave me something interesting before I left here earlier tonight. She gave me a piece of what looked like the overcoat that Tom had described, but she did not tell me that Tom had ever touched the coat. She asked Tom about it, but Tom was so in to his story that he never even pondered why it was on the front porch.

I think I know where a piece of the overcoat came from, but I haven’t called Aubrey yet to tell her. You see, I discovered three things when I left Aubrey’s home. A neighbor must have seen my car in their driveway as I was getting this story from Aubrey. He approached me and proceeded to tell me this story: He said that early this Christmas Eve morning, he saw a very large man in an overcoat, gently lay Tom upon the front porch. He said he saw him do something like he was almost pawing at the door, and then he quickly ran off. He said moments later, Aubrey came to the door but the man had already vanished into a small clump of woods. He approached me because he wanted to know if Tom and Aubrey were alright, he also asked me what had happened. I said it would be best to get the story from them. The neighbor nodded and went back inside.

When I was leaving Tom and Aubrey’s home, a piece of jagged iron railing snagged my coat as I was leaving. When I got home I called Law enforcement to see if anyone had brought Tom Martin home, or if anyone had reported the preceding incident. They told me that nothing like that had been reported anywhere locally, as far as they knew.

I am still a progressive, but if I wake up in the morning with these incidents heavy on my mind, I may have to question where I stand. I want to wish everyone, everywhere on earth a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Again, Thanks to Mark Damon for allowing me the use of his blog, The Biblical Constitution. I have to go now, I’ve gotta call Aubrey, and tell her the rest of the story, that I just told you, and I think I’m going to follow that up with a big hug to my Wife and all of my relatives!

Journalist Allen Masterson,

Out of Retirement!

The preceding fictitious story was written by Mark Damon, publisher of the Biblical Constitution. Any similarity to any living person with similar names is completely coincidental. It originates from my love of the unknown and my love for this Country and the God that created the Universe. As we celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ, let us all concentrate on the deep meaning of Christmas. Love, charity, forgiveness and thankfulness for what GOD did for all of us at the cross. Like my fictitious friend, I wish everyone, everywhere on earth a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!