The Wayland Tree Monster

June 20th 1985, Wayland Mas.

Barry Simmons 

Bower town corrections officer (Ret.)

6:52 a.m.

We were escorting a bus full of felons, mostly bank robbers and bail jumpers, nothing to big just hoods who made bad choices in life. Some of them were good with their behavior while on the outside, others like John Collins were just aching to bolt, even at the slightest chance.

At 7:15 a.m. Collins took the opportunity to slip away while we stopped to address a tire issue, the rookie watching him got distracted and Collins bolted. No hate on the rookie I've done bigger mistakes in his shoes, I instructed him to watch the others while my other back up and my self went after Collins.

Before I go any further a quick back story on the area we were stopped at. The place has a reputation for something deemed as high strangeness. you get your usual reports of shadows, ghostly figures and horrible sound and the like. Easy to overlook if your not part of the area, even easier to get lost in all the flora surrounding the area. Swamps that hide various amounts of critters and the like lurked every  where you went, easier to avoid if you were just a civilian. But...Alas we are officers of the law and sworn to uphold our duty.

Well suffice to say that this day our oaths, mental health , hell our sanity were taxed to the very limits of understandable tolerance.

As god as my witness I can never unsee or explain what I witnessed that day. I have heard of the legendary cryptids that lurked in the area Bigfoot, Dogman, Lizard man all accounted to be true around here, I even saw the photo of a Sasquatch chasing a back packer down a hill near valley point.

But this.. thing...this nightmare I witnessed..no words can describe it, no feeling can express it enough to convey the terror I felt on this day.

I reached Collins after a while, felt like I was running in a swamp bog forever , was really pleased to see he was already on his knees giving himself up... or so i thought. He was Looking up ... I followed where he was looking too... it was huge, it just looked a big giant mouth with teeth, misshapen arms and that's it a giant freakin mouth with sharp teeth, drooling maw and gangly arms. The noise it made...a breathy whistling sound with a sort of growl but gaging at the same time. No eyes but oh my lord I could feel this thing looking at us.... it was staring us down, studying us...seeing who was the better target...I am ashamed that to this day I failed in my duty as a correction officer and well...….I ran... I left Collins behind...and I ran. I had a 3.57 magnum in my hand and I completely forgot how to use it.. when I got out of the swamp I told everyone Collins got away in the swamp, and we all agreed he was gator food or something.

I did not tell them of the terror in Collins eyes, the loud rush of leaves and water as Collins didn't even have time to scream, just a loud wet crunch and flesh and bone being chewed...I messed my self and blamed it on the swamp being so dirty and gross. I explained my frightened appearance as fear of getting lost and seeing some big ole gator, cause if i told the truth, it would not go over well with the D.A.

 I retired that month told them i caught some virus that wreaked my immune system. I will not get over the guilt of leaving Collins, but seeing the Wayland Tree Monster up close.. I cant  sleep normally any more...the sound...it wont leave my memory...ill carry this for the rest of my life.