Chronicles & Chill #6

My parents vs. The Evil Dog

This happened in the late 90s to my dad and step-mom, and let me tell you, it shook my dad to his core. My dad was a musician back then—he’s a little old man now, but in his day, he was the man. He played the keys and was well-known in our town. Summers were packed with weddings, baptisms, and first communions—my dad was the entertainment at the big parties. Sometimes the parties meant driving an hour away, which wasn’t too bad… until it was 3 a.m. and you were dead tired. One night, he took a bar gig (not his usual style), and on the way home, he was exhausted. He called my step-mom, as he often did, so she could talk to him and keep him awake. While they’re chatting, my dad spots something in the road up ahead.

Now, these were agricultural field roads. Empty. Just endless fields and total darkness. My mom thought it was probably a coyote. My dad said maybe a bear, because it looked tall. But as he got closer, he realized this was no animal he’d ever seen. “It’s not a dog or a bear,” he told her. “It has long arms… with hands!” My dad, who is not the type to scare easily, was absolutely terrified. He started praying out loud for protection. He talked about that thing for days afterward, and not in a bragging way either. It shook him so badly he even said he was going to change his ways like he was Ebenezer Scrooge or some shit. Eventually, the fear faded—until he saw it again.

Once again, he was on the phone with my mom, driving down those same dark roads, when he spotted it. “It’s here again! Dear Lord, protect me,” he said. My mom didn’t even hesitate: “RUN IT OVER,” she shouted into the phone, LOL!!!! My dad, panicked, said he’d try to hit it with the side of the van instead of swerving, but when he got close, there was nothing. No impact. No thump. He checked the rearview mirror and saw darkness. My mom tried to reassure him that maybe it moved and he missed it, but my dad was shaken all over again. He vowed never to take gigs out in the fields again. That thing was hunting out there, and he wasn’t about to be prey.

A few weeks later, my dad asked my mom to come with him to a gig nearby. It was close to home and it was people she knew, so she agreed. After the party was over, he was too tired to drive, so my stepmom took the wheel. They were almost home when they reached the bridge near Page Street on the east side—and there it was. The long-armed, human-handed beast, just standing in the middle of the bridge. And this time, it was smiling and looking right at them. My mom cursed under her breath, “Shit the dog thing!” My dad was in shock: “How did it get out here? Be careful!” But my mom, with all the instruments loaded in the heavy van, didn’t flinch. “I can’t swerve,” she said. “I’m going to hit it head-on, or we are going to end up flying off the bridge.” And then the crazy woman hit the gas.

My step-mom shouted, “Brace yourself!” Then… nothing. No impact. No thump. She slowed down, made the turn on Page, and neither of them said a word for a few seconds. My dad finally broke the silence: “How is that possible?” My step-mom said, “I think we went through it.” My dad had no explanation. If it had gone under the van, they would’ve heard something; what was happening was just not possible. It didn’t move out of the way my dad said he kept his eyes on it despite the terror that ran through him. It just stood there, staring at them with an unsettling smile.

I don’t know if it showed up again after I moved out at 18, but those were the two sightings they told me about while I still lived in Porterville. I’ve heard so many stories of crazy paranormal phenomena in the valley. Visalia, Tulare, Terra Bella, and that 65 drive from Porterville to Bakersfield? It’s filled with witches, aliens, wolves, ghosts, duendes, and giant bats. Think Jeepers Creepers. The San Joaquin Valley is very spooky because it’s very old. Long before California even joined the United States, it already had that energy. The valley used to be a massive lake, so all these fields were once the bottom of an ancient lake. Now we have roads built through them and wonder why it’s spooky. UMMM, HELLO!

I think they saw a Chupacabra.