There exists a nameless town in the valley somewhere in the most southwestern part of California. If you were to go look for it during the day, you wouldn’t have any luck in finding it. Only under the dark shroud of nightfall does this accursed settlement reveal itself to those unfortunate souls who chance upon its dread-strewn road.

  I grew up listening to the tales woven by those who claimed to have been there. Their narratives recounted encounters with apparitions, cryptic beings, and strange celestial phenomena that defied the limits of known human ingenuity. While these stories enthralled me, even occasionally giving me nightmares, the passage of time wore away their prominence, and they slipped into the recesses of my mind, forgotten.

  That is until I was assigned to patrol the area. It was early morning when I started my shift. In the first hour, nothing much happened. The place was quiet and boring, and the summer heat made it even worse. But then, things took an interesting turn when I spotted a man wandering along the road that led to the valley.

  At that moment, I pulled over and interrogated him. His clothes were disheveled and torn. He appeared bewildered and was sunburned, showing signs of dehydration, and he had a few scratches on his face and arms.

  With a voice trembling in fear and desperation, all he said was, “Get me away from here! Far, far, far away!”

  I escorted him into my patrol car and drove to the station. There, I got him some water while the nurse attended to his minor wounds. Once he had calmed down and seemed more willing to talk, I went ahead and questioned him again. I took out a recorder and asked him to give me details of the previous day’s events.

  First, he gave me the basic information about himself. His name was Arthur, and he flew down from Sacramento to San Diego for a conference.

  What he shared with me brought back those tales about the mysterious town I’ve heard in my childhood. This time, instead of finding excitement in the story, I felt a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. I couldn’t help but suspect that he was pulling my leg! The fear etched on his face, however, told me that he was dead serious.

  His story was just one of the many crazy stories I would hear during my time on the force. I recorded the interviews and transcribed them to be posted online. Although I want others to learn about these phenomena, I honestly don’t know what good it does to tell anyone when most people will mark you as a fool, a “tinfoil nut job” or worse, a conspiracy theorist. A part of me hopes there’s someone out there who believes. I suppose it’s pointless, as well, to keep it all to yourself, letting it gradually drive you into madness.

  Arthur: After the conference, I decided to rent a car and take a short trip to Tijuana for a day before flying back home.

  Officer M: Oh, yeah? What did you do there?

  Arthur: Oh, you know, I drank a couple of beers and ate enough tacos to fill an elephant’s stomach. What else do you need in life, am I right? I ended up staying in the city the whole day, and by the time I got to the US border, the sun was already going down. I think it was probably about 7:30 in the evening.

  Once I passed the checkpoint, I started to drive my way up to Chula Vista where I was staying at a friend’s house. But I guess I must’ve taken a wrong turn on the way. I continued driving on the road for quite some time—I don’t know how long, but it felt like more than twenty minutes. Eventually, I realized that I was the only one on that road. There was no traffic, and I don’t remember seeing another driver pass by.

  My phone couldn’t pick up any reception, not even a Wi-Fi signal. The night was pitch-black, and the car’s headlights couldn’t light more than a couple of feet ahead. And then, I saw lights in the distance.

  Officer M: Lights?

  Arthur: Yeah, lights. As I drove closer, I saw that they were lights of a neon sign belonging to a two-story bar called The Three Sisters.

  Officer M: The Three Sisters, huh. You know, I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve never heard of a bar with that name. In fact, there aren’t any businesses or people living in that area.

  Arthur: I’m telling you that it exists. I was there.

  Officer M: Okay, okay, go on with your story.

  Arthur: The bar had two stories, like I mentioned. The second story was dark, but the first floor looked pretty lively from the outside. There were several cars parked in its lot. I felt very relieved at that moment. Finally, a sign of life! As I pulled up front and got out of the car, I could hear loud music and people talking. I went in to ask if I could use a phone and let him know my whereabouts.

  But the moment I stepped inside, the music and the chatting came to a dead stop. I felt likeI was a lamb that had stupidly wandered into a lion’s den. My instincts told me to leave, and so I quickly returned to the car and stepped on the gas. But, after a few minutes of speeding on the road, I saw the bar again!

  Officer M: Are you sure it was the same bar?

  Arthur: I’m very sure of it! It was the exact same one! Same music, same sign, and the same cars parked in the lot. I got the courage to go back into that bar again, this time asking for a phone. Oh boy, I could feel their stares just burning right into the back of my neck.

  Officer M: Tell me more about the people you saw there. Did anyone try to get in your face? Verbally or physically harass you?

  Arthur: No, but the atmosphere was, you know, heavy. It felt like the room was full of hungry animals. I noticed that the majority of the patrons were men, except for the bartender. She was the only one who welcomed me as I entered. She was a young lady, perhaps in her mid to late 20s, with long, straight black hair and a kind smile.

  Her name was Marie. She let me use the landline phone. What’s even more strange is that it was a rotary phone. Now, that’s an antique. I attempted to call my friend, but the call wouldn’t fully connect. It would ring a few times, and then I would hear nothing but static on the other end of the line.

  I asked her if I could use her phone to look up my location because mine wasn’t receiving any signal. She appeared confused and didn’t seem to understand what I was saying. Instead, she insisted that I stay and have a drink, suggesting that it was late, and it would be better to wait until morning to figure things out. Reluctantly, I took a seat at the bar, thinking what I should do, while she poured me a shot of gin.

  “On the house,” she said and then asked me if I was hungry. She mentioned that her sister, Linda, was the cook in the kitchen and could whip up a juicy burger in no time. But I wasn’t hungry at all. My appetite was gone because of the stress caused by the unusual situation. Her other sister, Sarah, worked as a waitress. As it turned out, all three of them ran the bar, or rather, as they clarified, it was a tavern because the second floor served as lodging for travelers.

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  Officer M: How long were you at the bar? Did you end up staying overnight?

  Arthur: Yeah, I did. It was pretty late, almost midnight, I believe. Since I had several drinks, driving wasn’t an option. Marie kindly offered me a room, assuring me that I didn’t need to worry about the bill.

  “On the house,” she said again, though I wouldn't be the only one she would be extending the offer to. Another guy, who had also stumbled into the bar and seemed lost like me, was offered the same hospitality. He had been driving aimlessly on the same road until he spotted the bar. Marie gave him a drink and mentioned that she could provide him with a room for the night as well.

  Officer M: Free shots and a room. That’s really kind of her. Too kind, to be honest. Why do you think you were offered drinks and a place to sleep, all for free? Isn’t that suspicious, don’t you think? I would assume she’d want something in return.

  Arthur: She did. Her and her sisters.

  Officer M: What did they want?

  Arthur: Food, meaning us.

  Officer M: Cannibals?

  Arthur: I think they’re something else.

  Officer M: Like what?

  Arthur: I don’t know exactly. But I know that they’re not human. Sarah escorted us to our rooms. As we made our way up the stairs, she kept sniffing us, trying to get close to our necks and inhaling deeply. I could see her salivate, and her eyes had an indescribable hunger in them.

  I thanked her for her and her sister’s hospitality and went into my room, shutting the door behind me and ensuring it was locked. I ended up passing out on the bed. Later, a loud noise in the next room abruptly woke me up. It sounded like a struggle—someone fighting for their life. It was brief, followed by a loud cry, and then absolute silence.

  Sleep and drunkenness left me. I was wide awake. Sober. My heart was beating out of my chest so hard, blood roared in my ears. I heard my neighbor’s door creak open. There was the sound of footsteps and what sounded like something heavy being dragged across the floor. It paused at my door for a moment, sniffing, and then continued down the hall, dragging that heavy thing behind it, though I had this gut feeling it was that other poor guy...

  Officer M: Did you see what it was that took the man?

  Arthur: Hell no! I held my breath and waited for it to pass by. I wanted to get the fuck out of there right away, but I didn’t want to attract the sisters’ attention. I tried the window. They had nailed it shut! I snuck out of the room. There was a trail of blood from the room next to mine, going all the way down the steps.

  I checked the window at the end of the hall. They had nailed it shut, too. It dawned on me that there was no way out but through the front door downstairs. As I went down the steps, there was an aroma in the air. The door leading to the kitchen was partially open and I saw the sisters standing by the stove. What made me sick, almost blacking out from shock, was the body on the kitchen counter.

  I heard them talking about me. They were planning to take me next. I was about to reach the front door when I accidentally stumbled into a chair and knocked over a table. I didn’t look back to see if they were behind me. I already knew they were. I bolted out of there, got into my car, and started to reverse when one of the sisters suddenly appeared on the hood.

  It was Marie, and she started changing into some kind of creature... It looked like a humanoid bat!

  Officer M: A humanoid bat?

  Arthur: I know it sounds absolutely insane.

  Officer M: Yup, you’re right, it’s really insane. I think we’re done here.

  Arthur: But I‘m telling you what I saw was real! It’s the truth!

  Officer M: Cannibalistic murderers I can believe, but someone transforming into a bat like Dracula? Seriously, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

  Arthur: I swear I saw it. It had enormous wings that sprouted from her back, stretching out about ten feet wide!

  Officer M: Stop.

  Arthur: Her eyes glowed red, pulsating in their sockets, and they had a power that drew me in.

  Officer M: Sir, I’ve heard enough.

  Arthur: But let me finish my story. I need someone to just listen to me. So, please, let me finish my story. You need to hear me out. You need to know what’s out there. Your life may depend on it.

  Officer M: Alright, fine. Get on with it!

  Arthur: Okay, where was I? Oh, yes, Marie had transformed into a large bat. Then, without moving her lips, she spoke to me, her voice loud inside my head, urging me to turn off the engine and go back into the tavern. It was difficult to resist. I felt a force pulling my hand, inching it closer to the ignition and shutting off the car.

  But then, an instinct, as primal as it was powerful, jolted me back to reality. I stomped on the gas and drove off. The creature clung to the hood with relentless determination. I swerved the car from side to side, trying to throw off the creature. I ended up rolling into a ditch.

  The car! I can take you there. I’ll show you! I know it’s still there.

  *****

  Here, at this point in the interview, I switched off the recorder and drove us to the spot where Arthur had crashed. On the way there, I kept telling myself that it was likely Arthur was experiencing delusions. I figured he suffered from a head injury from the car incident and being stranded in the middle of nowhere for hours without food or water.

  Deep inside, however, there was a feeling of awful dread that he was telling the truth. The tales I had heard and the nightmares I had endured as a child were indeed real. The inexplicable nature of it all was undeniably terrifying.

  Arthur's excitement nearly caused him to leap up as he pointed to a distant metal lump. As I drove us closer, the lump transformed into a more distinct shape—a white car with its windshield completely shattered and the front hood crumpled, as if something heavy had sat upon it.

  I turned back on the recorder.

  *****

  Officer M: Okay, explain what happened here.

  Arthur: When I drove into the ditch, the creature was still on top of the hood, and it started to hammer the windshield with its fists. It finally broke through the glass, the only thing that had been protecting me, and grabbed me by the front of my shirt.

  I managed to break free—you can see here; my shirt is ripped—and I crawled out of the car. I started running. I didn’t know where I was going. The darkness seemed to seep into my bones, clouding my judgment.

  And then I heard its wail and the flapping of its wings. Loud and thunderous. My god, it was the most terrifying sound I’ve ever heard. It sounded like the screams of tortured souls echoing from the bowels of hell. I didn’t look behind me. I kept running until I came across a small town, and there were people walking on the streets.

  Officer M: A town? There’s no town here. As you can see, it’s all empty. Just grassy fields for miles.

  Arthur: What I saw was real. The people there weren’t...

  Officer M: Weren’t what?

  Arthur: They weren’t human, not by any stretch of the imagination. Their red eyes pierced through the darkness, giving off an unholy, sinister glow. Just pure evil. But it was their teeth that really terrified me.

  Their mouths held razor-sharp fangs. Their tongues slithered from their mouths, elongated and forked like snakes in the grass. Each flick of their tongues seemed to taste the very air, seeking out something unseen. And then I felt their eyes on me. They looked at me with that same hunger I’d seen in the tavern from the patrons. That’s when I realized that some of them were the ones from the tavern.

  Officer M: And somehow you survived the night? How did that happen?

  Arthur: Dawn. The sun started coming up. The town and the creatures all just evaporated into thin air. The only evidence of what happened is the wrecked car and me. Believe me or not. I don’t care.

  I know what happened, and I’ll be forever haunted by it.

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