Chances are that if you are reading this, you've had some interest in the otherworldly for quite some time. That being said, you've likely heard of the Mothman: a huge, winged creature that has been frightening residents of West Virginia for decades now. Today, I bring you a case very similar, but that has been taking place in the Lake Michigan region for about just as long. Today, we learn of the Owlman.
So, what is the Owlman? Similar to the Mothman, it's described as a large, winged humanoid creature with glowing red eyes. As of this date, there have been over sixty recorded sightings of this being starting all the way back in the 1960s. Most encounters seem to happen during the night, where witnesses claim to see this huge beast flying over them, occassionally swooping low enough to skim over cars. Yet, there have been some very real testimonies that speak of nearly face-to-face contact with the Owlman.
A very compelling account of this was recorded in Occtober of 2019 outside of Rosemont, Illinois. A woman, whose name has been removed for privacy's sake, is quoted as saying this about her experience,
"I’m very hesitant to write to you with what I saw but the more I think about it, the more I have to tell someone about it. My name is (REDACTED) and I live in Rosemont, Illinois, on (REDACTED). I have been living in Rosemont most of my adult life and I work in a nearby suburb as an (REDACTED). One of the perks of living where I live is that there is a (REDACTED) nearby and I can take walks to the park, sit down and escape for a little while. I enjoy taking walks at night when I am usually alone and can lose myself in my thoughts.
This particular night, I could not sleep and decided to take a walk and sit for a few minutes in the cold and maybe that would bring about the urge to sleep and I could come back and get ready for bed. I put on my jacket and step outside and (REDACTED). As I step across (REDACTED), I notice that the area seemed strangely quiet, even with two expressways nearby. Mind you, I did not expect to hear crickets and such with the cold but the whole vibe seemed a bit...off.
I sat at the usual place and I had not been there for more than five minutes when I saw the strangest thing. It looked like a very tall man standing by the (REDACTED) but the man was unusually tall and very thin. The man was standing next to what looked like a smaller man who seemed also very frail and thin but whose head was disproportionate to his body. They seemed to be conversing but I could not hear anything from where I was sitting. As I watched them, a pair of women walked up and just stood there, almost as if they were in a daze. The tall person then did something that just shook me to my core and it was then that I realized that I should not have been there at that particular moment. The tall gentleman unfurled what looked like huge wings and stretched them out and then tucked them back in as the women approached. The smaller man then turned to the two women and that is when the area was bathed in bright (blue) light. The light only lasted at the very most one to two seconds and then only the tall winged being remained. The being then unfurled his wings and walked away from the waterfall, took a step or two while flapping his wings and took off. I watched it fly away and it reminded me how a goose would fly, low and steadily gaining speed. I remained where I was and it was almost a full minute before I took a breath and tried to wrap my head around what I had just seen. To tell you the truth I was almost afraid to leave that (REDACTED) and make the walk back home, but when I did leave I almost sprinted back home and only felt secure when I shut the main door behind me and made my way upstairs to my apartment.
I do not know what I saw. I have no explanation for what I witnessed and there is no way I can describe it to anyone. I am certain that I was at the wrong place at the wrong time and I pray to God that I was not noticed. Whatever the result of this report, I had to get it off of my chest and tell someone about what I saw that night and hope that someone will believe me and not think that my cheese has slipped off of my cracker."
The witness continues to go on and explain her further encounters with lucid dreams and a strange man claiming to be an investigater approaching her. You can read the full interview with Lon Strickler of Phantoms and Monsters here.
As of December 2019, there have still been further sightings of this mysterious Owlman just outside of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Check out this list of sightings and let me know what you think. Is there something paranormal looming around the Lake Michigan area? Or have we just not yet discovered a new species of bat or bird?
(image courtesy of Tiko: http://pixdaus.com/owl-by-tiko-animals-birds-fauna-owl/items/view/188453/)
