The World of Mysteries - The Mothman

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The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead - his eyes are closed.
Albert Einstein

A dark, powerful, winged creature swoops down from the skies as it stalks a terrified passer-by, closing in for the kill.

No, it isn't a scene from Batman film. It is just one of many encounters with flying humanoids reportedly experienced by stunned eyewitnesses across the globe.
Are they fallen angels, malevolent spirits, "pterodactyl" dinosaurs, or even UFOs?
Reports of these creatures are still coming in thick and fast and they are horrifying!
Ask a child to draw a picture of a "monster" and he or she might come up with a beast similar to that seen in sleepy Point Pleasant, West Virginia, USA, in the late 1960s. They grey figure stood over 2 metres tall, had wings and in its low-slung head sat two giant eyes, glowing blood red.

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The "Mothman" was not friendly.

It appeared to be stalking human prey and chased cars at 160 km/h. The entity is also blamed by many for the deaths of 46 people, so it is no surprise the creature is still feared, having inspired a 2002 film, The Mothman Prophecies.

Events began to unfold on a cold November night in 1966, in a wood which once served as a storage facility for explosives and hazardous chemicals during World War II.
In a car making its way through the creepy landscape sat two young couples, Roger and Linda Scarberry and Steve and Mary Mallette. Linda and Mary recoiled in horror as they spotted a huge figure standing in the shadows.
As this thing shuffled into view, it became apparent it had no arms - just two folded wings tucked up on its back. As the driver Roger put pedal to metal, the creature gave chase, taking flight like a demonic helicopter. The being glided less than one metre above them, making a sickening sound.
Eventually, to their relief, the Mothman disappeared but the group raced to Mason County Court to file a report with deputy sheriff Millard Halstead. This veteran police officer was dubious, even though he knew everyone involved.
When he went back to the scene of their encounter, he too saw odd dust clouds, as if something had taken off, and heard weird noises reverberating around the buildings.
The next morning sheriff George Johnson even held a press conference to warn citizens. Meanwhile, Linda (who passed away in 2011) was in hospital in shock.
The newsflash had the residents of Point Pleasant on edge. Some searched the streets looking to photograph the monster, while others sought refuge with friends. One of the latter was Marcella Bennet and three-year-old Tina. They, along with Marcella's younger brother Ray Wamsley were driving to visit Ralph Thomas, cutting through the location where the Mothman was seen. Upon realising the Thomases were not in, Marcella, Tina and Ray walked back to their car. As Marcella reached for the door handle, she spotted something unhuman. There was Mothman, standing a metre away, right in front of her.
Marcella collapsed on top of Tina, before the group barged their way into Thomases' house and barricaded the door. They watched as the Mothman peered through the windows but by the time police arrived it had disappeared.

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The sightings continued.

A week later Connie Jo Carpenter spotted "horrible" bird.
Another report from Faye DeWitt-Leport tells how a member of her group hurled rocks at Mothman before they fled screaming when it violently hissed at them.
And then tragedy struck.
Many reports saw him swooping over the Ohio River that ran through town. A year after the first encounter, the Silver Bridge spanning that water collapsed, sending 46 victims to a watery grave.
A suspension chain had given way. Two bodies have never been found. Photos seem to support rumours the Mothman was glimpsed on the bridge just before the structure gave way.

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So what is Mothman?

Dr Robert Smith from West Virginia University reckons that most people were seeing a bird called sandhill crane - an animal that stands around one metre tall and has two metre wingspan.
Others aren't convinced. Author John Keel suggested an extraterrestrial origin. Others argue the poor people of Point Pleasant were victims in a US military mind control experiment.
Meanwhile critics also point to the toxic World War II storage bunkers, suggesting that a grotesque mutation may have taken place. Of all the explanations, this is the most intriguing. In 1981 a survey by the McClintic Wildlife Management Area confirmed that the water supply was hazardous because of pollution.
In 2010 the entire woodland area was sealed off after one of the bunkers exploded. The spot remains on the Environmental Protection Agency's National Priority List - you will need to force your way through a huge metal barrier to visit the area now.

Sources that helped to write this article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothman http://themothman.wikia.com/wiki/TheMothman_Wiki