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This page is for Urban Legends and Myths other then the Buck Myth, since I have come across several, they deserved
there own page.
Item:
Prospect
Mid to Late 1800's
I have been recently made aware of an Urban Legend, one not 10 minutes from my house, across the river from Bucksport,
called Haunted Hollow. It never fails to amaze me as the older generation
dies off, just how many quaint little tales like this one, are lost to time being barely written down, and mostly spoken of
around campfires and cook stoves.
Every town had its traveling salesman, or in this case peddler. This
peddler, a little more excentric than most, sold pots, pans and sharpened knives and axes. He'd sell his goods, and do his work during the day, then travel on to the next town.
The area that the haunted hollow is supposed to encompass, is on the hilly road from the suspension bridge,
part way towards the actual town of Prospect, down a roller coaster ride of hills and small valley's known as Route 174.
The Peddler after making his rounds in the bustling metropolis of Prospect, actually it still
was at this point, before the Granite bottom fell out of the Quarry industry, made his way up the steep hill, towards either
the ferry crossing to Bucksport (the suspension bridge hadn't been built yet) or
the even more bustling town of Stockton Springs. He never made his destination, in fact he was never seen again.
His wagon and horse was found the next day, with all the peddler's wares, but there wasn't
any mention of money found, because he must have had it on him. The towns people feeling he might have fallen from the
wagon, or come to some other accidental harm, quickly set out to find him. They formed search parties and spiraled out
from the horse and wagon, covering the road, to both towns and the surrounding woods. Nothing was ever found of him,
no sign, no blood trail, nothing.
The towns-people exhausting their options, gave up and went back to their daily lives.
The hollow that the horse and wagon was found in, began to get a bad reputation. Most younger
people of the day, walked to town or to visit neighbors, and would use the short cut through the hollow to shorten their trips.
People started reporting, a howling, moaning wail, even on windless nights, the cries of someone in
pain, or danger, could be heard in the hollow. That and the sound of echoeing footsteps.
With so many strange things being reported from the Hollow, it became known as the Haunted
Hollow. Even to the point of being written down in the history of Prospect.
This report is ongoing, I am waiting on an interview with
an actual Eye witness, along with a verifying account from the current owner of the hollow.
Item: LEACHES POINT DEVIL Early to Mid 1970's
The Leaches Point Devil Early to Mid 1970's It
was a story from my childhood. Taken as gospel and dwelt upon many a sleepless night. Not just a tale told by older siblings,
to scare and shock their younger brother. It was a unwritten but often retold story of a strange encounter with a force unknown.
I will retell the tale as told to me and then I will break it down to the facts. The story goes: two Nuns, on sabbatical or retreat, were walking at night along a road sparsely lit by the
occasional street light, more then well spaced apart. The
Summer day had been hot, and being out on the point, the ocean air had served to cool and move in a fog, once the sun had
gone down. It was more then blinding, it served to envelope
many of the night creatures and there sounds as they scurried to secure their meals, while trying not to become others meals.
It was a peaceful walk, the two friends enjoyed the pleasantness of the night air, and the brief conversation, avoiding the
thoughts of returning to their full time jobs, in the big city at some southern commune or mission. In a nights fog, you can always see at least some light, from the far ahead street light,
one that serves to add a eerie glow to the surrounding and swirling fog. One of the nun's always carried a flashlight
just in case and swung it to the outside of the two as they walked, in case a passing car might swerve too close and not see
them in time in the fog. The Nun on the inside, suddenly
paused in her stroll, and the other nun seeing this halted her own walk. The Inside Nun, since no names were mentioned, we'll
call her Nun one made a quick shooshing sound, quieting the question about to be asked by Nun two. "What had she heard?
Why had she stopped?" Before Nun one could whisper, the
sound came again, a kind of low guttural growl followed by a metallic sounding scrape, as if something sharp had just been
scratched across a field stone. Some creature, possible a rabid coyote or some other night predator was close and not as usual
to be scared off, like most night creatures, seemed to be following along with them, almost stalking them. The two instinctively quickened their pace, moving rapidly towards the next street
light, some 100 yards away in the fog. Branches and brush along the woods next to the road, began to crack and move quickly
along side of the two now fleeing women. Just beyond the street lamp, probably 200 yards was the nuns retreat. If they ran, they could make it. They both, being fit, quickened there pace,
and moved first for the light, and then towards the house. As they reached the street light, Nun two stumbled on a loose piece
of gravel, and went down. The flashlight in her hand skittering into the ditch, and going out on impact. Nun one seeing her companion go down, stopped and turned to help her up, and
she shouldered her as Nun two limped towards the street light abandoning the flashlight. The pursuit noises had stopped since the fall and no longer branches or noise from the woods met them through
the swirling fog. Nun one let Nun two lean against the light post and catch her breath, while she quickly examined her bleeding
and scraped knee. Whatever had been in pursuit had seemed to have given up the chase. After a minute Nun one said, "We can make it to the house, where we can take a better look at the knee,
and maybe ice it." With that she draped Nun two's arm over her shoulder, and began to lead her towards the house.
Nun two stopped at the edge of the street lamps circle of light, and pointed in the direction of the house. A dark shape was now charging towards them out of the fog. They could see clear
enough the glowing red eyes, and that it was no coyote, since it came at them on two legs. Nun two fell back and from a sitting position, crawled back and rested against the street
lamp. Nun one moved back into the light and seeing her friend down and not moving, had no options, except to abandon her and
run, or stay and try and protect her, with no weapon in hand. The
creature, for in fact it was a creature, stopped suddenly as it almost passed over the circle edge of light. It made the same
growling noise, and both nuns couldn't quite make out what it was. Only that it was dark and larger then a man around
seven feet, or more. Nun one fell to her knees and began to
recite the lords prayer, and Nun two joined in and together they prayed, to keep the creature from entering the light. They
knew that it was no bear, or escaped circus animal, what was out there circling the barrier of light was an unknown. Neither would admit to it being a devil, or mention bigfoot or some other such
mythical creature, they just knew that if it came into the light they were dead. The creature, with the glowing red eyes, continued to circle, looking for a weakness in the light barrier.
At times, it would disappear, only to reappear in another direction, as if it was daring one of them to run for shelter. The two Nuns prayed the rest of the night, and at first light, around 5 a.m.
the creature had vanished. Still the two would not leave the safety of the circle of light. At a preset time, the street light
went out, and both Nun's ran for the house. Not stopping to rest, they quickly packed and left the point, never to return.
Now for the facts. Sure I added a few of the weather conditions, and happenings, to make the
story more life-like. If I had just written, 2 Nuns were chased by an unknown creature with glowing red eyes, and took
shelter in the light of a street lamp. It would make for a good headline but not much of a Urban Legend.
For the most part, that is the way the story was told and retold to me by more then members of my
family, by neighbors, teachers, school kids and overheard as one walked down the street at the time of the attack.
The only way to verify any of the account, would be to interview the Nuns. Now it is 30
or more years later, and I'm sure it would be impossible to interview the nuns. But I can verify that nuns do come
up on retreat to the Orland, Leach's Point area. This is a fact.
Since Nuns are in the area, and the story was told, if by Nuns then impeccable sources. Something
attacked them, with glowing red eyes. I'd be willing to except the account as fact, even today. But as in all
Urban Legends, nailing down a source is almost impossible. They are stories told and retold by a guy who heard it from
this girl he was dating's mother, and so on and so on.
I just remember, as a kid, those who told it believe it, and just because it wasn't on the news or
in a paper doesn't mean it didn't happen.
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