For decades, drivers on a quiet rural road outside Elkhorn, Wisconsin have reported seeing something they can’t explain.

Tall.
Upright.
Wolf-like.

Known as The Beast of Bray Road, this eerie figure has been described by multiple eyewitnesses since the late 1980s. Journalists documented the accounts, but no physical evidence was ever found.

In this episode of The Dark Folio, we explore:
• The earliest folklore tied to Bray Road
• The 1989 sighting that brought the legend into the public eye
• Eyewitness descriptions investigated by journalist Linda S. Godfrey
• Scientific explanations — and why some reports don’t fit neatly
• The line between documented accounts and enduring legend

This episode is spooky but family-friendly — no gore, no graphic content.

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Whether the Beast of Bray Road is misidentified wildlife, folklore, or something stranger… the legend refuses to fade.

Step aboard one of the most haunted ships in the world—the RMS Queen Mary. Once a glamorous ocean liner and later a WWII “Grey Ghost,” this legendary vessel now rests in Long Beach… but many say something on board never found rest.

In this episode, May takes you deep inside the ship’s chilling history:
• The tragic death behind Door 13
• The infamous Room B340 and its decades‑long closure
• The mysterious little girl named Jackie
• Staff encounters, shadow figures, phantom footsteps, and icy cold spots

Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, the Queen Mary holds secrets that refuse to stay buried. Step aboard—if you dare.

Follow the show, leave a review, and join the Kindred Spirits community on Facebook for photos, behind‑the‑scenes content, and more eerie tales.

Five men leave a basketball game on a cold February night in 1978. They have plans for the next morning. Families waiting. Lives carefully mapped out.

But they never make it home.

What follows becomes one of the strangest unsolved mysteries in American history — a case involving a snowbound mountain road, a mysterious abandoned car, and questions that still haunt investigators decades later.

In this episode of The Dark Folio, host May explores the chilling story of The Yuba County Five, a case often called “The American Dyatlov Pass.”

We’ll examine the timeline, the strange discoveries, the unanswered questions, and the theories that refuse to stay buried.

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Some mysteries don’t fade with time.

They wait.

In November 2007, a Fresno homeowner captured something impossible on security footage—two legless creatures walking through his yard. No arms. No bodies. Just pants... that walked. This is the true story of the Fresno Nightcrawlers, the cryptid that went from terrifying one man so badly he wouldn't leave his house, to becoming the internet's most beloved monster. We investigate the original footage, the Yosemite park ranger sighting, and why these strange beings have captured our imagination unlike any other cryptid.

music by zapsplat

Step inside one of Arizona’s most haunted hotels in this chilling episode of The Dark Folio. We travel to historic Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff, nestled on Route 66, where guests and staff report eerie encounters, unexplained knocks, phantom footsteps, and lingering spirits from the past. From the infamous Room 220 “Meat Man” and the rocking chair ghost in Room 305, to the tragic murders in Room 306, we explore the history, mystery, and lingering energy that make this grand hotel a paranormal destination. Tune in if you’re brave enough to discover why some visitors never quite check out.

• Official Hotel Monte Vista History & Ghost Stories – includes mentions of ghost tales like the Meat Man and rocking chair ghost. Hotel Monte Vista – About & Ghosts (official site)

• Paranormal encounters overview – details murder legends, rocking chair stories, and more haunting lore. The Historic Hotel Monte Vista – Paranormal Encounters (TheHorrorHouse)
• Ghosts & unexplained activity near the hotel – lobby noises, flickering lights, and phantom figures. Downtown Flagstaff Haunted Locations (Downtown Flagstaff)
• Ghost of Room 306 & haunting reports – focused look at the prostitution-era legend and haunting sensations. Ghost of Hotel Monte Vista Room 306 (TheHauntedPlaces)
• Route 66 haunted hotel summaries – puts Monte Vista in the context of other haunted roadside inns. Haunted Hotels on Route 66 (Curious Roads)

Historical & Background Info👻 Paranormal Encounters & Legendsmusic from zapsplat

#HotelMonteVista #HauntedHotel #FlagstaffGhosts #Route66History #ParanormalStorie #GhostPodcast #TrueGhostTales #ArizonaHauntings #HistoricHauntedPlaces
#SpookyTravel #DarkFolioPodcast

There's a moment every year where time feels thin—and for centuries, people believed what you did in that moment could shape everything that followed.

In this episode of The Dark Folio, we explore New Year's folklore from around the world: the dangerous midnight hour, why you should never clean on New Year's Day, the eerie tradition of First-Footing, and why people ate specific foods to survive the year ahead.

But we also explore something warmer—the personal New Year's traditions passed down through Kentucky hollers and river towns, where black-eyed peas, cabbage and family gatherings marked the turn of the year.

• Eating black-eyed peas (often with pork, cornbread) for good luck and prosperity — southern U.S. custom tied to symbolism of coins, gold, and forward motion with pork: Why Eating Black‑Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day Is a Tradition for Good Luck (Vogue) Vogue

• Black-eyed peas, greens (including cabbage), pork, and cornbread together symbolizing good fortune — includes how these foods are interpreted in Appalachian and Southern tradition: From Holler to Hearth, New Year Folklore in Appalachia (Echoes of Appalachia) Echoes of Appalachia

• Black-eyed peas, collard greens, cornbread, and pork in New Year meals with symbolic meanings — explains peas as wealth, greens as money, pork for progress, etc.: Southern New Year’s Day Meal — Peas, Greens & Good Luck (Hillbilly Slang) Hillbilly Slang

• Black-eyed peas and southern New Year tradition history (symbolism and practice) — adds context on long history of these foods in U.S. tradition: New Year’s Food Traditions Around the World (Wikipedia) Wikipedia

• Regional Kentucky tradition of eating black-eyed peas with cabbage/cornbread for good fortune: Old Time Kentucky: For good fortune in the New Year (NKyTribune) NKyTribune

  • Don’t wash clothes on New Year’s Day to avoid “washing away” luck or someone in your family — traditional superstition: New Year’s Superstitions | Snopes Snopes

  • Not doing laundry on New Year’s Day as a bad-luck / risk tradition: New Year’s Day Superstitions (WSOC TV) WSOC TV

  • General New Year eve/day superstitions from multiple cultures (e.g., avoiding laundry, payback of debts, not taking out trash, etc.): New Year Traditions & Superstitions (North County Daily Star) North County Daily Star

  • New Year’s practices about noise to ward off spirits, eating particular foods, and not washing (broader folkloric list): New Year Superstitions & Traditions (Meredith Plays) Meredith Plays

  Music and sounds from Zapsplat

Not every visitor of the season wears red.
Some wear horns… and carry bells through the winter night.

Full Description:

Step into the snow-covered shadows of Christmas as The Dark Folio explores the true folklore of Krampus, the horned figure who walks beside Saint Nicholas in Alpine legend.

In this winter episode, host May unravels the ancient origins of Krampus, from pagan winter spirits to Krampusnacht, the Night of the Bells. Far from the violent monster of modern pop culture, the folklore Krampus is a symbol of balance — a reminder that light and shadow have always walked together during the darkest season of the year.

This is a family-friendly, atmospheric journey through European folklore, winter traditions, and the quiet wisdom hidden beneath Christmas’s brightest lights.

If you enjoy folklore, mythology, eerie history, and cozy-dark storytelling, follow The Dark Folio for weekly tales drawn from the quiet spaces between belief and imagination.

Follow • Rate • Share
And I’ll see you next time… in the dark.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING — KRAMPUS

Encyclopaedia Britannica — Krampus
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Krampus
A concise, authoritative overview of Krampus, his origins, and his role alongside Saint Nicholas.

Smithsonian Magazine — The History of Krampus
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-history-of-krampus-180957438/
Excellent cultural context explaining Krampus’s evolution, symbolism, and modern misunderstandings.

National Geographic — Krampus, the Christmas Devil
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/krampus-christmas-devil
Accessible folklore history with emphasis on Alpine traditions and Krampusnacht.

History.com — Krampus: The Mythical Anti-Santa
https://www.history.com/news/krampus-christmas-legend-origin
Strong overview of pre-Christian roots, Saint Nicholas traditions, and winter folklore.

Atlas Obscura — Krampusnacht
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/krampusnacht
Great explanation of Krampusnacht as ritual, community event, and cultural tradition.

Austrian National Tourist Office — Krampus & Perchten
https://www.austria.info/en/things-to-do/skiing-and-winter/krampus
Insight into modern celebrations and historical roots from a regional perspective.

Folklore Society (UK) — Winter Spirits & Folk Customs
https://folklore-society.com/folklore-of-winter/
Broader context for winter folklore and why darker stories emerge during the season.

The Sodder Children disappearance is one of America’s most disturbing unsolved mysteries.

On Christmas Eve 1945, a house fire destroyed the Sodder family home in Fayetteville, West Virginia. When the ashes cooled, five of the Sodder children were missing—and no remains were ever found.

In this episode of The Dark Folio, host May explores the eerie details of the Sodder Children case:• The fire that shouldn’t have burned that hot• The missing bones that never appeared• The strange sightings reported years later• The haunting photograph that reopened the mystery

Was it a tragic accident? A kidnapping? Or something far more sinister?

This episode dives into the true crime history, unexplained evidence, and lingering questions surrounding the Sodder Children disappearance—an unsolved American mystery that still haunts investigators and listeners alike.

🎧 Follow, rate, and review The Dark Folio for more unsolved mysteries, paranormal legends, and forgotten cases from history.

This episode is part of the Dark Folio series, exploring America's most compelling unsolved mysteries with respect, research, and a commitment to truth. All information presented has been thoroughly researched and fact-checked against multiple sources.

Sources & Further Reading:
(For listeners who want to dig deeper into the Sodder Children mystery)

Smithsonian Magazine
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-children-who-went-up-in-smoke-172429802/
A well-researched historical overview of the case, including the fire, missing remains, and later theories.

FBI Vault – Sodder Children Case File
https://vault.fbi.gov/sodder-children
Original FBI documents related to the investigation, perfect for listeners who want primary sources.

West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture & History
https://wvculture.org/history/wv-history-the-sodder-children/
A regional historical account with local context and timeline details.

The Charley Project (Missing Persons Archive)
https://charleyproject.org/case/sodder-children
A respected missing persons database summarizing the disappearance and investigative findings.

The Independent – Historical Mystery Feature
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/sodder-children-mystery-disappearance-b2010933.html
A modern journalistic look at why the case still fascinates investigators and historians.

Snopes Fact Check: The Sodder Children
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-sodder-children/
Clarifies common myths, exaggerations, and confirmed facts surrounding the case.

#SodderChildren#UnsolvedMystery#TrueCrimePodcast#DarkHistory#ColdCase#MissingChildren#UnexplainedMysteries#TheDarkFolio

Mercy Brown: The Last Vampire of New England | The Dark Folio Ghost File

In 1892, a Rhode Island community exhumed 19-year-old Mercy Brown, believing she was a vampire feeding on her family from beyond the grave. What they found in her coffin sparked international scandal and may have reached the desk of Bram Stoker as he wrote Dracula. Tonight on The Dark Folio, we uncover the true story of tuberculosis, superstition, and the last vampire panic in American history—a tale where fear turned a dying girl into a legend that still haunts us today.

CITED SOURCES

https://www.rihs.org/have-mercy/

(RIHS documentation with excerpts)"Vampires and Death in New England, 1784 to 1892" https://www.yorku.ca/kdenning/+++2150%202007-8/BellVampiresandDeath.pdf

Tucker, Abigail. "The Great New England Vampire Panic"

• Smithsonian Magazine, October 2012

• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-new-england-vampire-panic-36482878/

Rhode Island Historical Society - "Have Mercy..." Article

• Comprehensive timeline with newspaper excerpts

• https://www.rihs.org/have-mercy/

Yankee Magazine - "Vampire Mercy Brown"

• Historical documentation and analysis

• https://newengland.com/yankee/history/vampire-mercy-brown-rhode-island/

Your AAA Network - "The Story of Rhode Island's 'Real' Vampire"

• Modern overview with cemetery details

• https://magazine.northeast.aaa.com/daily/life/fall-fest/the-story-of-rhode-islands-real-vampire-mercy-brown/

Wikipedia - Mercy Brown Vampire Incident

• Well-sourced overview with citations

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercy_Brown_vampire_incident

Mental Floss - "On the Twisted Trail of Bram Stoker's Notes for 'Dracula'"

• Overview of Stoker's research process

• https://www.mentalfloss.com/literature/authors/bram-stoker-dracula-notes

Content Warning: This episode discusses death, disease, exhumation, and historical rituals that some listeners may find disturbing.#MercyBrown #TrueCrime #HistoryPodcast #VampireLegend #NewEnglandHistory #RhodeIsland #Dracula #BramStoker #GothicHistory #VictorianEra #Tuberculosis #Folklore #AmericanHistory #DarkHistory #TrueVampireStory

Music credit goes to Zapsplat. https://www.zapsplat.com/music/horror-music-box-ghostly-haunted-musical-tune-version-2/

Step into the shadowed beginnings of American Spiritualism as May opens the Dark Ledger on the Fox Sisters, the teenage girls whose mysterious “spirit knocks” ignited a nationwide movement. From the haunted Hydesville farmhouse to their sold-out séance demonstrations, the sisters reshaped how a generation thought about ghosts, grief, and the great beyond.

Were the Fox Sisters gifted mediums? Clever performers? Or young women trapped inside a phenomenon too big to control?

This Dark Ledger File dives deep into the history, controversy, and lingering enigmas behind the sisters who convinced the world the dead could speak.

Perfect for listeners who love: ghost history, Spiritualism, folklore, cryptic mysteries, Victorian-era strangeness, and atmospheric storytelling.

Follow, rate, and share to help The Dark Folio reach more curious kindred spirits!

#Spiritualism #FoxSisters #HauntedHistory #GhostStories #VictorianMysteries #TrueGhostStory #TheDarkFolio #ParanormalPodcast #HauntedAmerica #LilyDale #Hydesville #SarahWinchester #SéanceHistory

SOURCES & FURTHER READING

Want to learn more about the Fox Sisters and the Spiritualism movement? Here are some excellent resources:

• How a Hoax by Two Sisters Helped Spark the Spiritualism Craze - HISTORY
• The Fox Sisters and the Rap on Spiritualism - Smithsonian Magazine
• Margaret Fox and Catherine Fox - Encyclopedia Britannica
• The Fox Sisters: Spiritualism's Unlikely Founders - HistoryNet
• How the Fox Sisters' Hoax Gave Birth to Spiritualism - The Paris Review

• Lily Dale Spiritualist Community - Official Site
• Lily Dale on Atlas Obscura
• Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp - Official Site
• Cassadaga: America's Oldest Spiritualist Community - Smithsonian Magazine

• The Fox Sisters and the "Great American Hoax" - A New York Minute in History Podcast

• Talking to the Dead: Kate and Maggie Fox and the Rise of Spiritualism by Barbara Weisberg
• The Reluctant Spiritualist: The Life of Maggie Fox by Nancy Rubin Stuart
• Spiritualism's Place: Reformers, Seekers, and Séances in Lily Dale by Averill Earls, Sarah Handley-Cousins, Elizabeth Garner Masarik, and Marissa C. Rhodes

• Fox Sisters Hydesville Memorial Park - Newark, NY