Mothman

Region: Appalachia
Location:Point Pleasant, West Virginia

The Mothman legend began in November 1966, when two young couples driving near an abandoned TNT factory outside Point Pleasant reported seeing a tall, winged figure with glowing red eyes following their car. They described it as humanoid, but with wings folded against its back like a giant insect or a man in a dark coat. Once the story hit local papers, similar sightings poured in—some swearing it stood in the road watching them, others claiming it shrieked like a mechanical howl. These weren’t just frightened travelers; policemen, volunteer firefighters, and lifelong residents claimed something strange was stalking the river towns at night.
  What sets Mothman apart from most cryptids is the **pattern of dread** that followed him. Residents insisted the creature appeared during moments of intense community stress—missing pets, livestock deaths, electrical disruptions, and the strange feeling that “someone was watching.” The sightings created a mix of panic and fascination, turning late-night drives into impromptu stakeouts. Rumors spread quickly: Mothman was a mutant birthed by wartime chemicals; a bird no one had catalogued; a spirit of the land warning people of something coming. Eyewitnesses, however, remained consistent on one detail—the eyes. Red, bright, reflecting no light, staring through people rather than at them.
  Everything changed on December 15, 1967, when the Silver Bridge collapsed during rush hour, killing forty-six people. In the chaos and heartbreak, some locals connected the tragedy to the sightings. Whether Mothman was a harbinger, a coincidence, or a phantom imagined during a tense era became the center of debate. After the collapse, the sightings stopped almost entirely. Over time, Mothman transformed from a figure of fear into a local symbol—equal parts omen, mystery, and cultural identity for Point Pleasant, whose annual Mothman Festival now welcomes thousands hungry for unexplained history.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

The spark is human. The polish is digital.

 

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