I’m sure you have all heard of the Appalachian Rules:
If you see something, no you didn’t.
If you hear something, no you didn’t.
If something whistles at you, you don’t whistle back.

But what happens if you ignore the rules? What will happen if you whistle back or interact with the so-called “wildlife” in the Appalachian Mountains? This is a firsthand encounter of a UFO, located in Swords Creek, Virginia.

In 1989, two young campers claimed to spot a UFO. In their own backyard, these young boys laid eyes on one of the most famous and controversial phenomena to date. Expecting to have a normal evening, roughing it in the woods like “real men.” Laying by the fire, enjoying the cool night air, one of the campers saw something: an unknown object flying through the sky. It was noiseless, its motions quick and precise, unlike any other natural or man-made object.

As the young boy looked up, his eyes began to focus, the night sky becoming even brighter. Not from the stars, but from a giant, floating object, glowing and hovering over him. The object was described as blue and noiseless. The only obvious sign it was even there was the lights coming off, swirling around the ground, scanning for something? The young camper reportedly just sat and watched the object, following its subtle movements, laying low in order to not be seen by who or what may have been on the ship.

After sitting in awe, the boy went to alert his friend, who had been sleeping in their tent, desperate for someone else to bear witness. In typical childlike manner, the other camper did not believe his friend, deeming his “UFO” sighting as nothing more than a potential misinterpreted plane, bird, or oddly bright star. As the boy was distracted, trying to get his friend to believe him, he saw the object zip through the sky, disappearing once and for all. First, it was there, hovering and illuminating the sky, and then, it was gone. The sky had gone black, no one the wiser aside from the young camper.

The most interesting part of this story is the lack of noise made by the object. Typically, planes, helicopters, and even birds make a sound as they fly against the wind. This, however, was silent, and so was the forest around it. Based on Appalachian superstition, it is said that when the forest goes quiet, no crickets chirping or squirrels clicking, there is something malevolent around that has scared off the wildlife. It’s Appalachia’s version of a fifteen-second head start, a secret warning to get out before whatever it is gets you.

So, while these young campers lived to tell the tale, be warned, my dear readers: you may not be as lucky. As fast as it appeared, a UFO may disappear too, only taking you along with it, and at the speed of light, you too may be gone, with only the mountains as your witness.

Edited and Reviewed by Brie Goss