I recently received the following account:

Hello, I live in Towamensing Trails subdivision (near Albrightsville), Penn Forest Township, PA in the Poconos. I sleep lightly and usually take Dyphenhydramine to sleep, but didn't tonight. I was dozing just now in my room on the 1st floor with the window open when some sense of alarm woke me up. My brain telling me, that sound outside isn't normal! I've laid here a few minutes trying to think of an accurate way to describe the sound.

It sounded like someone or something with drum cymbals (but tied almost together or secured so they never reach the high reverberations part of the sound they make. Just the initial sound of two or more of them banging together) attached to them, and a loud breathing sound that I can only associate with a horse. I am inclined to say walking since that is the means of moving that I'm used to attributing to someone moving around. But as the sound moved, it was erratic and spaced too far apart to be a human walking, yet it had a distinct walking rhythm to it. However, I heard no leaves crunching since it is in the woods. It seemed at first to be on the street which would explain no leaf sounds but it seemed to double back and then go behind my house, past my garage and to left of my room, which is the woods.

The weirdest part is although it had a walking-like feel to the sound it made when moving, it didn't sound like it had 2 legs. It was like walking or whatever it was doing, crossing very large areas at a time I would say that a person could cross in 5 or 6 steps, but I never heard the 2nd leg come down. It was always just one step and them the next step was quite further on.

There was no scent that I noticed. I went to wake my husband when I heard it double back and I was standing by him saying 'honey...hey babe' when it went to the side of the house and I heard it disappear back into the woods. So I just let him sleep since the sound was gone and nothing to corroborate now. But I know it really happened and wasn't a dream because I stayed awake until his alarm went off at 5.30am and he strangely decided to call out of work. It's strange because he doesn't even take his allotted vacation days. He goes to work no matter what. Then we both went back to sleep and just now got up. I was alarmed and queasy feeling while I lay awake alone but felt better knowing he was staying.

I don't begin to know what to make of it. SH

NOTE: This is quite an unusual scenario of movement and sound. I will attest that the Poconos area has had an uptick of Bigfoot reports over the past few years. The specific subdivision is surrounded by State Game Lands and heavily forested. I will note that there is a fairly benign legend of a 'phantom white stallion' in the Poconos. As for the basis of the story, I have no information. Several of the old abandoned lodge and resort areas are also said to be haunted. Lon