I’m a late with this post, but have another historical Mothman sighting to share. I’ve already posted two sightings from the night of November 15, 1966—the first reported by four eye-witnesses, the second by one.
On the night of November 16, 1966, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Wamsley, along with Mrs. Marcella Bennett and her baby daughter Teena were on their way to visit Ralph and Virginia Thomas. The Thomas family lived near the TNT, an abandoned WWII munitions site located outside of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. It was on TNT grounds that Roger Scarberry, his wife, and friends were chased by a giant winged creature the night before.
When the Wamsley’s and Marcella Bennett arrived at the Thomas home, they discovered Ralph and Virginia were out for the evening. They stayed a short time, chatting with the Thomas’ three children, Rickie, Connie and Vicki, then headed back to their car.
Before they could reach the vehicle, a figure slowly rose behind it. Marcella Bennett described the thing as being big and gray, larger than a man, “with terrible glowing red eyes.” She was so terrified by the creature she dropped her daughter and froze, hypnotized by what appeared to be a winged, headless being. Raymond Wamsley scooped up the little girl (who was not hurt), snared Marcella and, along with his wife, raced back into the house. They quickly secured and bolted the door.
Within seconds, they heard a noise on the porch. Two red eyes appeared in the window, staring through the glass. The women and children broke into a panic, and Wamsley frantically called the police. By the time the authorities arrived, the creature was gone. It would not, however, be the last time it was seen. Between 1966 and 1967, there were over 100 Mothman sightings.
I had the Wamsley/Bennett sighting in the back of my mind when spinning a plot thread involving one of my main characters in A Thousand Yesteryears. A house by the TNT, red eyes staring through the windows…they both play into a tragic occurrence that drastically changes Caden Flynn.
To meet Caden, and the other characters who populate my Point Pleasant, I hope you’ll give A Thousand Yesteryears a try. And hey, admit it—you might just be a little curious about that title, too! 🙂
BLURB:
Behind a legend lies the truth…
As a child, Eve Parrish lost her father and her best friend, Maggie Flynn, in a tragic bridge collapse. Fifteen years later, she returns to Point Pleasant to settle her deceased aunt’s estate. Though much has changed about the once thriving river community, the ghost of tragedy still weighs heavily on the town, as do rumors and sightings of the Mothman, a local legend. When Eve uncovers startling information about her aunt’s death, that legend is in danger of becoming all too real…
Caden Flynn is one of the few lucky survivors of the bridge collapse, but blames himself for coercing his younger sister out that night. He’s carried that guilt for fifteen years, unaware of darker currents haunting the town. It isn’t long before Eve’s arrival unravels an old secret—one that places her and Caden in the crosshairs of a deadly killer…
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From the Pen of Mae Clair 
Creepy…brr…it really was the perfect title. 🙂
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Thanks, Sue. I had that title kicking around for a while. Putting my own spin on the Mothman legend made it ideal to use.And creepy definitely explains that encounter!
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Sharing this across social media. It’s a wonderful book.
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Wow, thanks again. You’re awesome, Craig! 😀
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If I ran into the creature, it would definitely have my attention! I loved what you did with the legend/myth/reality of the mothman in A Thousand Yesteryears. Although be forewarned, after reading the book multitudes of people just might try to search him (her?) out once again and after disturbing his peace, he may come and hunt (haunt) you for causing the rucus… just sayin’ 😀
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LOL! You know I never thought of that, Debbie. I think I need an attack cat for protection. Now I have another reason in convincing my husband why we need a furry feline 😀
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What a scary night for the poor people it was.
There are so many weird creatures haunting the human world.
And you fit the Mothman perfectly into the plot. I liked the twist.
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There are a lot of strange creatures out there, aren’t there Carmen? I’m already eyeing up another legend for a novel after I complete this series. I really like the idea of drawing on those “scary nights.” And thank you for your compliments on the book! 🙂
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Yes, do it. Do it as long as the muse is by your side. I am sure you’ll spin as great a story as A Thousand Yesteryears.
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Reading about this winged creature following the car just made me think of the monster in Jeepers Creepers. The Mothman could have been the inspiration perhaps.
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I remember that movie. And wasn’t there a sequel, too? Being chased by a winged creature with red eyes would be terrifying!
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Man, that’s scary. Reminds me of testimonials for Bigfoot, or Yeti, or alien sightings. What fun just to do research on them, though (as long as one is safely out of range). So, Mae, are you going to camp out at the TNT to try to see for yourself? 🙂
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Camp at the TNT? No way! I got spooked by that place during the day. There’s no way I’d hang out there at night, LOL.
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You really did the legend justice, Mae. Great job on the novel.
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Thanks so much, Staci. I’m almost ready to begin writing book 3 🙂
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I am looking forward to a long weekend soon to read your book. I know I won’t be able to put it down. I did not realize there were so many sightings of the mothman, over a hundred. Wow. I can see how the family would be frozen and terrified. Marcella was my sister’s name. You don’t hear it very often.
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I hope the story will keep you entertained through your long weekend, Flossie. It’s amazing how many Mothman sightings there were, many of them detailed and investigated. I’m sure I would have been terrified had I been there that night.
Marcella is lovely name, which I’m sure was fitting for your sister 🙂
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I remember some years ago coming across a site that referred to a theory that the Mothman and the Jersey Devil were one in the same creature.
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I’ve heard that one before, too. Often when I see posts about the Mothman, the Jersey Devil is mentioned or vice versa. Jersey isn’t that far from me. Maybe I need to write a book about that one next 🙂
Thanks for visiting and commenting!
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