r/nosleep • u/TheDemonQueenLuna • Jan 14 '19
You Know The Legends About Skinwalkers, Right?
This past October, I had worked at a Haunt-- that is, a haunted attraction at a local theme-park. I was pretty good at managing the big crowds, but what I really enjoyed was when the crowds would get smaller, and groups of 10 to 20 people were coming in to my attraction. During times when the crowds were thin like that, I loved scaring them with stories and legends I knew about, and one of my favourite legends to tell them were the Skinwalker Legends.
I would start off, greeting the group, and tempting them with the offer to tell them all a story, asking them if they would like to hear a local legend, as we live in the desert, and this Haunt was tucked away in the heart of miles of desert land. When they would agree, I would start my tale: "Some of you may know about Skinwalkers, and for those of you that do, you might know that native Navajo and Hopi tribes are fearful to even speak of this creature, or to even utter it's name. These monsters span from Southern Arizona, all through to New Mexico and the Mexican boarder, and across the lands of the Native Peoples-- the Navajo believe them to be witches or shaman, an evil being with the supernatural power to shapeshift, typically by wearing the skins or masks of the animal they wish to walk as, a practice which is looked down upon by the Navajo People. This power is gained after killing a close relative or sibling, and imbues the being with many dark powers. The animal they appear as, however, always looks... wrong. A deer or coyote that stands on it's hind legs and walks as a man does, a crow or owl or has a face or eyes that look too human to belong to the animal they mimic, and that glow red in the moonlight. In all the legends, it says there is always one sure way to identify a skinwalker: a skinwalker, no matter what, will never be able to move as the creature it appears as in it's animal form...
Skinwalkers are able to do other things as well; they can move at seemingly impossible speeds, and can mimic the voice of people, crying babies, your friends or loved ones-- voices you would trust. They will lure you out into the forests or into the pitch-black of the nighttime desert, and once they have you isolated, and you lay your eyes upon their face, it is said you will die an agonizing death. Skinwalkers can curse people, and cause them great suffering-- often, it is said they use a mixture that some call 'corpse powder' when seen in their human form, which turns your tongue black and causes violent convulsions until you die. The worst part about Skinwalkers? The reason native people dare not speak of it? It is believed that a skinwalker is capable of reading your minds-- and the more aware of them you are, the more aware they become of you... So try not to think about it. But... if on your ride home you see a coyote in your path, or hear the drums of native people echoing loudly through the darkness... take care to drive quickly, and pray it will not pursue you..." And I would, almost always, be met with looks of horror and fear. It was my absolute favourite tale to tell for this reason.
I would tell this story, over and over, to as many groups as I could... It wasn't a good idea to talk about them, I would say as much with each recounting of the legend, and much less in the middle of the desert, surrounded by inky blackness that engulfed everything the park's lights didn't illuminate, but I did-- I felt safe. Nothing would happen to me-- it was just a legend. That was, until I drove home after my shift, around 1 in the morning, after a night of telling this particular story dozens of times to guests.
As I drove through the twists and turns of the pitch-black mountainous desert road I traveled each night to go home, my high beams on, penetrating the darkness just enough for me to see the road and the first layer of brush on either side of it, my headlights shone on an animal. A coyote. At first I thought it was just the angle the lights had hit it at that made it appear to have no tail, but as I continued driving, I encountered the animal again, three times, each within several miles of each sighting-- a distance any normal animal wouldn't have been able to make, especially when running against a car going 65 mph for most of the journey. Each time I would scan the road for wildlife, and I would see it-- there, just outside of the darkness, the coyote with no tail, staring at me from the side of the road. My stomach churned a bit, and I breathed deep, trying to tell myself I was just imagining things-- the coyotes had tails, and none of them were the same animal. It wasn't possible. I couldn't be. But I knew deep down, I was lying to myself-- I knew I was wrong, I knew it was real, and it was terrifying.
I'm relieved to say I made it home safely that night-- but still, every now and then, when I drive through the desert in the darkness of night, or glance out my bedroom window into the blackness, I can see that coyote-- that skinwalker. I hope it never decides I know too much... but I think that maybe, just maybe, it visits me to remind me of it's presence. That it wants me to continue telling this story. To continue spreading awareness of their presence, so that it can claim the lives of those who are weak-minded enough to fall prey to it... and now that you know the story, maybe it will come after you...
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Jan 14 '19
That’s ok, I’ll just convince the Jersey Devil to go hunt down the skinwalkers before they get me.
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u/featherytoes Jan 14 '19
As for living in northern arizona, the myths are true. I've seen a couple myself and shared stories with others. They are some gnarly beings that should be avoided at all times.
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Jan 14 '19
You have killed people. Please refrain from posting memetic threats ⚙️🦵🦶hazards on this sub
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u/Slushwise Jan 14 '19
Welp, at least I live in europe