On her page, TikToker Savana (@itssavanadarling) shares scary stories from Appalachia. Someone named Ashley sent in a story about the horrors she experienced while hiking.
Eight years ago, Ashley and her husband went on a hike to enjoy the beautiful fall weather. They loaded up their gear into the car and brought their golden retriever, Bella, along with them. They drove 30 minutes to their favorite trail access point.
They walked into the forest and were all having a great time, just taking in the scenery. About 45 minutes into the hike, they heard a scream slice through the air. It sounded like something was trying to imitate a human.
Growing up in the Appalachian Mountains, Ashley knew there were certain rules you needed to follow to ensure your safety. The biggest rule was that if you ever saw or heard something, you must pretend that you didn’t notice anything at all.
However, her husband did not grow up in Appalachia. So, as soon as he heard the scream, he darted off into the woods to help. Ashley yelled out for him to stop, but he didn’t listen. She tried to run after him, but Bella was terrified and refused to follow.
She was forced to scoop Bella up and run after her husband. When she finally caught up to him, she grabbed his arm and recited the rules to him.
The creature screamed one more time, causing her husband to realize that the sound was not from a human. She led him back to the trail.
Bella started to growl as they slowly backed onto the trail. Just then, they heard a few voices behind them. A couple was walking rapidly back to the parking lot at the beginning of the access point.
The woman asked them if they had heard a scream that didn’t sound human. They told her that they had heard the same thing, and they all needed to get out of there immediately.
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They got back in their cars and headed home. Since then, Ashley and her husband have not gone hiking.
Several TikTok users shared realistic theories on what could have caused the screams in the comments section.
“My parents have mountain lions and bobcats by their place, and they all sound like screaming humans. And don’t get me started on the cackling coyotes at 4 a.m.,” commented one user.
“Mountain lions, aka the puma or cougars, can scream very human-like. I’m from Canada, and I’ve personally heard it before. It’s blood-chilling. And you definitely would still want to run. You won’t see them until it’s too late,” added another.
“At that moment, I would have come to terms with the fact I would be a widow because ain’t no way I’m running after my husband who didn’t listen to my warnings,” chimed in a third.
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
