"The Consequences of Meeting an Urban Legend" | ClancyPasta PRESENTS

[00:00:01] ClancyPasta presents The Consequences of Meeting an Urban Legend by Quasique24 and you're listening to ClancyPasta. Do you remember when you became aware of your existence?

[00:00:29] Are you able to pinpoint the exact moment your brain switched off of its autopilot and your consciousness officially entered into reality? My moment of clarity was when I was seven, playing by the small creek in the woods behind our house. I grew up as a come-back-when-the-street-lights-turn-on kind of kid, which was much different than the rest of my generation.

[00:00:55] But my parents were older and I was their fifth child, so there was little concern coming from them about my whereabouts. Despite this glaring inconsistency with my daily safety, they often referred to me as their miracle baby. The woods were my favorite place during the scorching Midwest summers.

[00:01:19] A thick canopy of leaves blocked out the sun and, in turn, provided my playground oasis with a gentle breeze. Deep in the gently swaying canopy was a shallow creek, maybe about two or so feet deep. There were seemingly endless activities to be done, splashing around in that small sliver of cool water.

[00:01:44] On my day of clarity, I was wading around, attempting to catch crawdads with my nubby little hands. This was my go-to pastime after a long and sweaty day of working my imagination on its endless twelve-hour shifts. The familiar monotony of the woods was broken by the low humming of a tune echoing throughout them.

[00:02:08] It grabbed hold of my attention, as it resembled a slow rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. My childhood brain was beyond intrigued, so I scanned the tree line for whoever it could be emitting from. There was nothing but trees and wildlife surrounding me. The humming tune echoed out from beyond my creek once again.

[00:02:38] That's when I found myself following it deeper into the canopy. It should be said that, out beyond the border of my creek, the canopy blocked out the sun almost completely. Just a permanent effect of night stretching as far as I could see. I never attempted to explore it out of fear alone, but something about the low, familiar tune brought me comfort and peace to explore it once again.

[00:03:12] Maybe about thirty feet into the darkness was a large boulder illuminated by the only noticeable patch of sunlight. From behind it came the humming. Hello? My little voice croaked out. The humming stopped abruptly and was soon replaced by the sound of rustling.

[00:03:36] I watched as a small, black, circular hat rose from behind the stone. Then long arms clad in torn flannel pulled the figure into the sunlight. Out from behind the boulder came a tall and lanky man with a rough, light brown face that I now recognize as aged burlap.

[00:04:03] His face consisted of a stitched on smile and sewn on black buttons for eyes. Straw stuck out from under his hat, then cascaded down his head, resembling long blonde hair. His button eyes landed on me. Then he removed his hat in a humorous sort of curtsy with his arms flailing around him. Hello, little one.

[00:04:29] There was no fear at the sight of him. Only amazement, as his long legs clad in stained overalls emerged from behind the boulder. He was familiar. Truthfully, I already knew who he was exactly. This was the Straw Man. An urban legend dating back to the late seventies.

[00:04:57] A few kids in the town back then first met him with fear-inducing events, soon following that first encounter. This presence was always used as a story in order to keep kids like myself in line, but soon turned into a local mythology as the original discoverers seemed to move on from him.

[00:05:22] Effigies of him were used as morbid decorations around the town, as the story was the only thing to even put us on the map. Our very own Mothman, Jersey Devil, etc. Hell, even the high school mascot became the Straw Man. What stood in front of me, though, was no sort of mascot or costume.

[00:05:47] His body was so thin that it was almost skeletal, and he stood at almost eight feet tall. I must have stood there for maybe a moment too long without answering because he lowered himself to one knee in front of me. I take it that you know me. His voice was quiet, but the tone was deep and hollow.

[00:06:17] The smell of decay and rotting eggs wafted off of him as he fell back into an exasperated sitting position. Those stories of me? He took a moment. They aren't true, little one.

[00:06:38] The sun reflected off of his button eyes, and I saw a drop of a sap-like material push its way through his fabric face. Was he crying? I heard you're humming, I managed to say. It sounded sad. He wiped the tear of sap away from his button eye.

[00:07:07] It smeared and stuck to his burlap skin. Then he stuck his hand out in a formal greeting. Nice to meet you, little one. I shook his hand. My name is Mark. M-M-Mark. The straw man tested the sound of my name with his low voice. That's a good name.

[00:07:38] Even though his face was a static print, I saw creases around his eyes that indicated he was smiling. And his button gaze shifted up through the canopy. You shouldn't be out so late, little Mark. I looked up through the canopy's singular opening. The sky reflected down colorful streaks of pink and violet reminiscent of a summer sunset,

[00:08:07] even though it was the early afternoon when I remained in the border of my creek. There was a rush of air mixed with the straw man's nauseating smell. My eyes tilted down to see that he was mere inches away from my little face. I'll see you again soon. He then placed a large burlap hand over my face.

[00:08:37] The stench of rot wafted through the fabric, and my feet fell out from under me. Where I was expecting a crash against the ground, came an unexpected splash in step. I was lying flat on my back in the babbling creek, alone and confused. Did that really happen?

[00:09:04] Or had I just fallen asleep playing again? I had been known to do that a few times in the past. For a moment, I wrote off my first encounter with the straw man as some kind of dream. But that was until the familiar stench of rot wafted against the gentle evening air. So, what do you think I did next?

[00:09:33] Would you expect me to force this experience deep in my subconscious? Would you expect me to accept that I had experienced something strange before forcing it down? Never think about it until much later, whenever the realization of immediate danger became ever-present? How would you expect this story to end? Unfortunately, it doesn't end in any way you would want.

[00:10:00] My young mind needed to know more about him as the mystery of his existence allured me greatly. My dreams that night were packed full of his visage, and my mind raced with the grasping of knowledge for what his words meant early. So, the next day, I went back.

[00:10:26] Much to my disappointment, the clearing was empty. No giant made of burlap and straw. Just an endless maze of trees and darkness. So, I began to make my way back to the safety of my creek. About halfway back to my refuge, the present feeling of unease settled within me.

[00:10:53] I could sense that I had walked into the eyesight of some kind of presence deep within the woods. Hello? I questioned towards the woods. Nothing but the dragging wind through rustling leaves responded. I stepped closer and dropped my voice to a soft whisper. Are you there?

[00:11:24] This time, the soft humming answered back to me. It somehow sounded both distant and impossibly close. I came to realize that was due to my own throat unconsciously disobeying me, but repeating every note. I forced myself to stop, in hopes to hear the original melody clearly to be able to judge the distance of where it came.

[00:11:52] The woods were, unfortunately, silent again. Disappointment washed over me again. Thoughts of barely understood madness to move through the folds of my mind until a small object flew from the woods and smacked lightly against my forehead. I flinched to the sudden sensation and barely caught the details of the item as it fell to the ground.

[00:12:22] It was a... Button. A black button with amber sap dried along its edge. A small creep along my face as I bent to pick it up from the dirt. Humming emitted from my throat as I began to walk back to my creek. My own border of safety.

[00:12:50] What I know to see is the border between what was and what will be. The bruised coloring of night streaked across the sky once I made my way through the trees. Twirling the sap-stained button between my fingers. I emerged from the basin of my creek to a world filled with rushing anxiety as I laid eyes upon my home.

[00:13:19] It was a two-story townhouse. A building reminiscent of the dwindling American dream. That evening, it closer resembled a nightmare. My home was covered in police searching every inch. We had a sliding glass door on the back. It was knocked out of its frame with its glass shattered.

[00:13:46] Before I could get closer, an officer appeared in the kitchen, then turned in my direction. His face lit up with relief before he quickly spoke into the radio strapped to his shoulder. He began to saunter over to me. I quickly shoved the button in my pocket, mainly in fear of being accused of stealing it. Don't judge me.

[00:14:11] I was a kid with no real grasp on the world being presented with a very stressed-looking cop. Mark Finley? He asked with hope in his voice. I nodded. He dropped down to look at me, placing a hand on my shoulder. Where the hell have you been, son? He attempted to speak gently while keeping the authoritative tone in his voice.

[00:14:39] Your parents have been worried sick. The officer had kind eyes, a mix of grays and blues that cut through the intimidation caused by his burly frame. I allowed him to take my hand and led me around to the front of the house where my mom sat just a few feet away on the porch, wiping tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater.

[00:15:10] It was a summer evening, but an unusual chill had settled over the town that night. She glanced over at the same moment I emerged with the burly officer. I don't know how she didn't knock everyone over with how fast she sprang from the porch to get to me. Air graced the bottom of my shoes as she scooped me up in a cry of relief. Through her tears, she questioned me. Oh my god!

[00:15:39] Her voice cracked between sobs. Honey, where have you been? Just playing in the woods! I managed to squeak out in between the air being squeezed out of me. Telling her the truth was something I couldn't manage to say, out of fear of the consequences of it. My dad ran over to us and broke down sobbing as well.

[00:16:08] They stood there for what felt like a millennium, just repeating how relieved they were along with repeating statements of just how much they loved me. My parents and I were then taken to the police station where officers began questioning me. My story remained the same as I could only admit to playing in the woods like I always did. Then they asked why I was out for so long.

[00:16:38] Lost track of time? I responded, keeping the truth completely to myself. My sense of confusion must have been palpable in the air. With my parents' permission, they reluctantly told me what had happened. It was the late afternoon, and my mom was working in the first floor office like she always did.

[00:17:05] She told them that she could have sworn that she heard me come into the house before she started to hear a soft slamming against the sliding door. There came a thwump, thwump crash that echoed from the kitchen. She jumped from her chair before she heard movement in the sounds of someone searching through the kitchen.

[00:17:31] That's when she used the office landline to call 911 for a home invasion. Then the house grew eerie with silence. Mom went to go check the damage whenever she saw muddy footprints leading from the kitchen directly to my bedroom.

[00:17:54] To this day, she claims to barely remember dashing through the yard and into my usual spot in the woods. She only remembers the swelling panic in her chest when she came upon my creek. What scared her more was just how quiet and empty it was. As if I hadn't been near it all day. That's when she called the police.

[00:18:27] With the events that played out that day, they didn't feel comfortable taking me back home. So they called my brother Daryl. That's the thing about being your parents' late in life miracle baby. I never had grandparents growing up. Whenever they needed someone to watch me, they usually called up whatever sibling they could. Daryl was my favorite to stay with.

[00:18:52] He was 27 and had left the guest room in his house specifically catered to me. He left it filled with my favorite toys and a PS2 stocked with games. So, little to say that I was happy that he was picking me up. But, I just wanted to go home. Time passed.

[00:19:19] And I found myself lying in my bed while Daryl sat in the room with me. I'm pretty sure our parents gave him special instructions to wait to leave until he was sure I was asleep. Sleep negated as I stared out of the bedroom window aimed directly towards the woods. Why can't I go home?

[00:19:48] Daryl sniffed like I had woken him up. Hmm? He rubbed sleep from his eyes. What was that buddy? Why can't I go home yet? I sat up and asked again. Daryl sighed deep from his chest. They want to make sure it's safe buddy. How could it not be safe?

[00:20:16] He was quiet for a minute. Then sighed again. They'll kill me if they know I said this so. Can you keep a secret? I crossed my heart with hopes to die. Always. You've heard of the straw man, right? Who hasn't? I replied.

[00:20:49] They're scared that someone's pretending to be him again. He took a breath. The police claimed that they found bundles of straw mixed with a broken glass. After hearing that, all I could do was lay back down. Every ounce of myself wanted to tell him, but I couldn't.

[00:21:15] It was like my mind had sworn secrecy to the straw man. The button in my pocket began to feel warm. I closed my eyes and forced my brain to accept the inevitable sleep. Hours later, I stirred awake. Groggy and confused about where I was, I lay facing the bedroom door. And my brother was gone.

[00:21:47] Behind me came a soft sound. Something soft hit the bedroom window in a rhythmic thwomp, thwomp, thwomp. My little mind was able to make out the unmistakable pattern of twinkle, twinkle, little star.

[00:22:12] Fear caused my chest to tighten, and I attempted to force myself back to sleep, but the sound only got louder. Scared of it causing my brother to wake up, I turned to the window. The man of straw was crouching with his face pressed against the glass. The burlap mask now missing a single button eye. He stopped the hitting and gave me a gentle wave.

[00:22:42] When I didn't reciprocate, he stopped, then reached under his face. I could see his hand rummaging beneath the fabric, slowly searching for something to grasp. Then he stopped. Out from under the fabric was a round, spiky object. It looked drenched in a stocky resin.

[00:23:11] In the dark made it hard to tell what it was. He slammed it hard against the window, causing it to light up. I recognized it as a ball. One my dad had won me in a claw machine years ago. That was one of my favorite toys. Now covered in the vile creature's sap,

[00:23:39] the man dragged his finger in the liquid, then seemed to be wiping it across the window. Finally, he stood up and began retreating back into the windows behind him. What was left was a message. Something of mine. For something of yours.

[00:24:10] I stared at that message until exhaustion took hold of me. Most likely from the rising fear inside of me. When the protection of sunlight finally stirred my consciousness, I leapt out of the bed. His words were gone, cleaned by a patchy morning rain. Beyond the window were glints of sunlight reflecting off the ground.

[00:24:38] I squinted hard to make out hundreds of glass shards leading back towards the woods. My kids were gone, chaos and sampai by a cloud with Unex removed from the难 andpla Credit. Well done, I chili use fire in my todavía kitty. The way home is done. And only where home lives right now. I really want to make out council seb Напр Simvenel Boyleасс