Unforgettable Paranormal Experience - True Story

Good afternoon oyate, my name is Bill, i live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Been here since i was a kid, a great place to live. Its also a good place to experience the paranormal but in my mind, it happens so much here that its normal. We all take it in stride when something happens, we talk about it and in turn reminds us of something happening in the past. Which is why I am posting this story.

The majority of my stories are second hand, meaning that i spoke to the one that experienced it directly and retold the story to the best of my ability. I try to keep that way so that nothing gets lost in the retelling of the story.

This afternoons story takes places in the area known as the Badlands, in Lakota its known as Makoce Sica. The Badlands runs all across the reservation and serves as the northern border of the reservation. The Badlands is an area of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires blended with the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie. Its a very barren place, needless to say water is scarce in the badlands. The White River runs through the Badlands however by mid summer the water flow is low to non existent. Its a beautiful place, i can’t describe it enough.

I cant remember exactly when this story was told to me but I remember that this story takes place in the early fall during the first few weeks of November. A friend of mine told me this story, she was in high school at the time it happened in the late 1970s. As many of you reading this, you know that most reservations are out in the boonies. Towns, stores and housing is scarce for many of us but imagine if you are a teacher at a reservation school. Most of the time, as a teacher you are lucky if the school where you are working has housing for you. If you are lucky, then you will have a place to stay during the school week otherwise you will have to commute from local border towns that do have housing.

That was the situation for a biology teacher that I will call Steve, my friend told me his real name but I can’t remember it now. He was hired to be a biology teacher for Little Wound High School during the late 70s to early 80s. Steve was a great teacher, the kids liked him and loved going to his class. Since the school did not have housing for him for the fall semester, he made the daily 100 plus mile commute from Rapid City to Kyle. Monday through Friday, he would leave Rapid City before sunrise to get to the school by 7:30 every day. Getting to school on time was rarely a problem, his ride at the time was a late 70s cadillac, the big boat with the 500 motor. He was rarely late driving that to work everyday. The school promised to have an apartment ready by the spring semester so he enjoyed the daily commute.

It was a Monday afternoon as he made his way home. The sun was already setting as he was leaving Kyle than it was on to Sharps Corner, as he made his way north to Rockyford. Approaching Rockyford signified the beginning of his drive through the Badlands. It’s about a 20 minute drive from Rockyford to Scenic on a good day. He loved the drive through the Badlands but as the sun was setting earlier, he missed seeing his favorite sights along the way. In the rear view mirror he could see the dark outline of Coffin butte in his rear view mirror as he drove north, he could see Sheep Mountain coming up. 

He knew he was almost to the reservation line then another 40 minutes and he would be home. Just ahead of him was XU hill, as he was driving up XU hill, he knew the reservation line was just on the other side. Steve came down XU hill and was now right in the middle of the Badlands. As he drove across the mile and half straight before the rez line, he was lost in thought about the days classes, it was a good day. As he made the turn at the end of the straight away, the reservation line was upon him. He drove across and knew he would soon be home.?

As he left the reservation line, the road made a slow curve about a 1/4 mile from the line, it offered a view of Sheep Mountain to the left and more Badlands to his right. He had just passed the curve and was making his way to a bridge that covered a dry run off creek. In the dark just after twilight, he could make out someone standing on the right side of the road. Knowing traffic was almost non existent during the week days, he started to slow down as he approached the figure along side the road. Soon as he started to slow down, the figure quickly stepped down into the ditch and started walking quickly off into the badlands. Steve came to a stop, opened his car door and got out. 

He yelled at the figure, “ Hey!!!! Do you want a ride?!!” The figure kept walking and when Steve yelled, he broke out into a run. Steve yelled once more but the figure was soon disappeared into the dry run off creek and soon was lost to his sight. Steve just shook his head and got back into his car.

Tuesday afternoon, Steve got off work and once again was making his way home, it was uneventful like yesterday’s drive but he thought about the guy standing along the side of the road just passed the reservation line. He was coming up to the reservation line once again as he came around the curve just passed the reservation line. Once again he noticed the figure standing along the side of the road just before he got to the bridge over the dry run off creek. He slowed down, as his headlights shone on the figure, it stood there for a bit before he stepped down into the ditch. Steve noticed that this time the figure had what looked like a hiking stick as he ran down into the ditch and disappeared into the run off creek. Once again he stopped and yelled out, asking if he needed a ride but got no response. Steve just shook his head again and left the figure behind.?

Wednesday afternoon, he asked around to his students if they knew or heard of anyone seeing a man walking around the reservation line. No one answered him but a few gave him strange but knowing looks. He was disappointed that no one responded to his questions. Soon it was time to clock out and once again make the drive home. As he left Kyle, his mind was on the figure by the reservation line, wondering to himself if he would see him again this evening. 

The drive through the badlands went fast because of his anticipation of seeing the figure again tonight. He drove past the reservation line and once more he could see the figure standing by the bridge but as he got closer, in the dark he could see two more figures but they were down in the ditch. The two in the ditch were already walking towards the run off creek area when he started to slow down. Steve got closer than he had in the past 2 days as the figure by the bridge waited there. Something made his arm hairs rise up as did the hairs on his neck. Trusting his instinct, he stepped on the gas and drove by the figure by the bridge. As he got closer, the figure took off into the ditch area, as he drove past, in the brief moments that his headlights were on the figure. 

He could finally take a quick glance at him as he drove by. He couldn’t believe what he saw as he drove past. The figure was covered in what looked like long, dark but somewhat stringy and matted hair. The figure stepped down into the ditch but as he passed, Steve could see his arm draw back, throw a stick as he drove passed. Steve could hear the stick hit the side of his car just below the passenger side window, it bounced off the door. The adrenaline kicked in as he drove onward into Scenic, his heart was racing, he was breathing fast as he pulled into Scenic. 

He stopped in front of the bar on the other side of the street to calm himself. He drove the rest of the way home, when he got home he debated with himself if he should go to work in the morning. He decided to stay home from work and called the principal, telling him that he would not be in on Thursday.

Friday morning, Steve woke up and got ready for work. He was a bit sorry that he didn’t go to work and regretted letting the events from Wednesday evening keep him from going to work yesterday. He made his way out of town, heading to the reservation as sun was slowly rising in the east. He drove through Scenic and his heart stated to race just a bit as he came closer to the bridge. As he approached the bridge, he was relieved to see that no one was near the bridge, he slowed down and got out of the car near the spot where the figure was standing Wednesday evening. 

He felt a bit foolish as he looked around, finding no evidence of what happened on Wednesday. He got back in his car as he started to leave, he thought he see seen a head peek over the dry run off creek. Steve just thought it was the early morning shadows.

The school day went by quickly because it was Friday and there was afternoon football game going on. Steve took the opportunity to leave early while the sun was still up in the sky but it would be setting within the hour. He hoped to be home by the time the sun had set in the west, he didn’t want to drive through the badlands in the dark after what happened the last week. 

The drive home was uneventful but as he left Rockyford and drove into the Badlands, his heart began to beat a little faster as he drove north. As he approached the reservation line in the fading sunlight, as he drove past the reservation and on towards the bridge.?Steve noticed debris on the road, there was rocks, dead branches across the road as he got closer to the bridge. He slowed down as he came up to the debris. 

Steve’s head was on a swivel as he looked at the debris and the surrounding badlands. In the sunlight, he couldn’t see any sign of the figures he had seen on Wednesday evening. Steve debated about turning around and going back to XU hill and wait for another car to go by, if one did he would follow it into Scenic. He sat there for about 10 minutes thinking about turning around and he felt foolish about waiting so he got out of his car.

Steve walked over to the debris spread out on the road and started to throw the rocks off into the ditch and drag the branches off to the side of the road. As he was dragging a branch off the road, he heard footsteps towards the dry run off creek. Steve looked up in time to see the dark hairy figure pop up over the top of the creek bank and start to run towards him. He dropped the branch and took off running towards his car, he made it to his car before the figure could cross over the fence and climb up the roadside.

It stood about 7 feet tall as he looked it up and down, he was right when he thought it was covered in long, black, matted hair as it stood on the road looking at him. The look gave him chills as it started walking towards his car, he locked the doors and started up his car. It looked at him as it stood in front of his car, looking at him over the hood of his car. It kept looking at him when it lifted up its head and looked towards the dry creek bed. Steve noticed the other 2 figures pop over the top and start walking towards his car. He didn’t notice the first one had walked to the side of his car and was pulling on the door handles, each time it pulled, the car rocked back and forth. 

Steve turned to look at the figure on the driver side, it had an ugly face to it, somewhere between a man and an ape. The hair covered one side of its face as it kept pulling on the door handle, it stopped and looked up. Steve looked in the direction of the dry creek bed and the other two figures were almost to his car. Steve threw it into reverse and quickly backed up, the one on the driver side let go and was dragged for a bit before it lost its grip and went rolling off into the west side of the ditch.

Steve decided to turn around but his cadillac was too big for the narrow road as he was backing up. He stopped about 250 yards away from where the other two were standing by the road. Steve threw it into to drive and stepped on the gas, he spun out as he took off at full speed. He thought in his head that if he drove fast enough that he would go through the debris on the road, taking a chance that it might damage his car, he hoped that he could make it to Scenic before his car gave out. 

As he sped down the road towards the bridge, the two figures by the side of the road jumped back into the ditch as he drove by, he heard a thud on the trunk as he went flying by them. As Steve looked in the rear view mirror, the one that was by the driver side door and come come out of the ditch and was throwing rocks at him as he drove away. Steve hit the debris and bounced over it with no problem, the big cadillac drove on, as he watched the figures run off into the ditch. The one that had came up to his car door was still running after him as he drove down the road. He soon lost sight of it as he made the turn towards Sheep Mountain turn off.

He made it to Scenic and when he got out of his car, he checked for damage but only found two dents from where his car was hit on Wednesday evening and one on the truck from today. Steve sat there for a good half hour, when another car came up to him and slowed down. They asked him if he was alright, Steve said he was ok, they asked him if he had seen all the crap on the road by the reservation line. Steve just shook his head and looked at his car. They got the hint and asked if there was any damage to his car and if he needed ride, Steve told them no. They left and Steve followed them back into Rapid City. He came to work on Monday and finished out the semester but never drove back to Rapid City. The school gave him an apartment for the rest of the year. He never drove through the badlands after sunset for the rest of that spring.?

Source: Bill LoneHill

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