Over 20 years ago, when TikToker @nomadsanimalencounter was just a kid, he experienced one of the scariest events that ever happened to him.
He grew up in Appalachia, specifically in Jackson County, Tennessee. Back then, he and all his cousins would get together at their grandparents’ house and have a big sleepover.
The house was in the middle of nowhere. They would often play hide-and-seek in the dark of the basement. The basement was semi-furnished with a kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom area, and a small office space.
It was built into a hillside, which allowed moonlight to filter in through the windows. If there was moonlight, they could just barely make out the outlines of furniture.
“We used to love getting together and getting scared and playing hide-and-go-seek in the dark late at night after all the parents had gone to sleep,” said @nomadsanimalencounter.
“We were all between the ages of 10 and 13, except for our youngest cousin, and he was probably seven or eight at the time, and we were making him be the seeker.”
The seeker was required to stand next to the light switch, close their eyes, and count to 60 while everyone hid with the lights on. Then, the seeker had to turn off the light before opening their eyes and slowly navigating through the darkness.
One time, @nomadsanimalencounter lay on the couch and covered himself with pillows. His other cousin had wedged himself behind the freezer. They were about 10 feet away from each other and had both seen the other hide.
They saw their little cousin Kyle’s silhouette walk past. He stopped and stood there for 10 to 15 seconds, staring at something. Then, he walked into the back office.
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As soon as he did, the lights turned back on. TikToker @nomadsanimalencounter peeked into the back office, but Kyle wasn’t there.
He was still standing at the light switch because he was too afraid to venture into the dark.
TikToker @nomadsanimalencounter and his other cousin proceeded to freak out and tell the others about what they witnessed. They all walked into the back office together and immediately felt a chilling sense of dread.
That night, they slept with the lights on. He thinks that a little boy just wanted to play with them, but it was still creepy.
The property also has ties to Native American culture. When the house was excavated many years later, pieces of clay pottery, arrowheads, and other artifacts, including a totem pole, were found. The totem pole was actually taken to a museum. That area of East Tennessee is generally riddled with Cherokee artifacts.
So, it’s possible that the little boy was a Native American who had lived there many, many years ago.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
