If you’re reading this late at night, with only the soft glow of your screen lighting the room, I should warn you—this story is not for the faint of heart. It’s the kind of tale that stays with you long after the last word, creeping into your thoughts when the darkness grows too quiet. Carl Higdon never expected his hunting trip to descend into the uncanny. After hearing his account, you may find yourself looking over your shoulder the next time you’re alone in the woods. Or maybe even in your own home.
It was October 25, 1974—a crisp, golden afternoon in Wyoming's Medicine Bow Forest. Carl Higdon, a forty-year-old oil driller, was hoping for a productive hunt. The quiet rustle of leaves in the cool air was interrupted by his breath quickening as he spotted them: a magnificent bull elk surrounded by four females. Carl raised his rifle, took aim, and fired. But instead of the expected crack of the bullet finding its mark, he witnessed something impossible.
The bullet froze mid-air, suspended as if time itself had faltered. Then, as if releasing a breath, it plummeted weakly to the ground just fifty feet ahead. Confused and unnerved, Carl walked cautiously forward to retrieve the bullet. That’s when he saw it—or him.
A figure emerged from the shadows, standing in the tree line. Carl would later describe the being as vaguely humanoid, though there was something about its presence that defied explanation. Its name, as Carl would learn, was Ausso. It didn’t ask for Carl’s permission; it didn’t have to. With an unsettling authority, Ausso handed him a packet of capsules. Whether through shock, fear, or some otherworldly compulsion, Carl swallowed one without hesitation.
That’s when things took a turn from strange to surreal. With a single gesture from Ausso, Carl found himself transported into a transparent cube-shaped vessel. He didn’t remember walking inside—one moment he was in the forest; the next, he was seated next to Ausso, five caged elk eerily quiet behind them. The cube began to move, and as Carl glanced outside, his heart seized. The Earth—the only home he’d ever known—was shrinking rapidly into the distance, swallowed by the vastness of space.
He could hardly process what was happening before the vessel came to rest on a desolate, alien surface. The dark landscape felt oppressive, the air thick with gray fog. A massive tower loomed nearby, pulsating with blinding, almost unbearable light. It was a realm so foreign, so unfathomable, that Carl’s very sense of reality began to fray.
In the eerie glow of the tower, five human figures stood talking among themselves. They didn’t acknowledge Carl; they didn’t even seem to notice him. The scene was deeply unsettling, but Carl had no time to dwell on it. Ausso led him swiftly into the tower, where a cold, clinical examination awaited.
Inside, Carl was instructed to stand as Ausso scanned his body with a large, shield-like device. There was no pain, but the moment felt excruciatingly invasive, as though his very essence was being scrutinized. Ausso’s verdict came swiftly: “You’re not any good for what we need.”
Carl later speculated the rejection was due to his vasectomy—a detail that felt almost comically mundane given the circumstances. But there was nothing funny about what had just transpired. Rejected, discarded, Carl was brought back to the cube. The next thing he knew, he was back in the Medicine Bow Forest, standing alone beneath the same trees. Two hours had passed since he’d fired his gun, but nothing would ever feel the same again.
What do you think of Carl’s story? Do you believe it’s a warning, a hoax, or perhaps a glimpse into a reality we’re not ready to face? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear what you think. If this story gave you chills, a little support goes a long way in keeping the eerie tales alive. Let’s keep the campfire burning for the stories that make the dark just a little darker.
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