Cryptids with Claws: Monsters of the American South
It was around 7 PM, and I was crouched in the middle of a remote country back road, forming a natural bridge between two haves of a brackish pond in a swamp outside Great Falls, South Carolina.
Timber rattlers and Water Moccasins are prevalent in the area during late spring and summer, particularly here in swampy bottoms around the fall line. I’m carrying a walking stick made from tough, dried pine, flexible enough to scoot even a large snake off to the side without harming it… but capable of dealing a death blow in the event that any of my scaly new friends refuse to share the road.
My curiosity brought me here–if not the notion of another kind of scaly critter said to be living in these parts. A subject of interest to those who might gather around nighttime bonfires in the neighboring counties, I’m skeptical of its existence… likely just rooted in local folklore and urban legends. However, I’m not one to take any chances either; across my left shoulder is a pump-action Remington 870 Magnum 12 gauge. The barrel has a full-choke built in, and although this gun is favored by turkey hunters in hunt clubs throughout the region, this evening it’s serving as my designated insurance policy. Wild hogs would be less intimidated by my walking staff than the snakes… but then again, there’s a chance there’s something even scarier than a charging hog lurking out here.
