08-12-2024 - On This Day in Insane History

On August 12th, year of our Lord 1822, the town of Northampton, Virginia was turned upside down by the appearance of a most peculiar visitor.

It was a mild summer morn when Farmer John rushed into town center, out of breath and near hysterics, waving his arms and hollering about some sort of monster in his cornfield. Little did the good people of Northampton know their quiet morning was about to take a most bizarre turn.

The whole township followed the farmer back to his land, expecting some manner of prank or fanciful tale. But what they saw defied all reason: perched atop the tallest stalk was a creature the likes of which had never before been witnessed - a fearsome thing with skin of scales and wings like a bat. The beast let out an unearthly screech that curdled the blood of even the bravest folk.

Panic ensued, of course. Some claimed it a demon straight from Hades while others thought the end of days was upon them. The parish priest was summoned posthaste, armed with Bible and holy water. But just as he began to recite exorcism rites, the strange visitor took flight, soaring over treetops with a leathery flapping that echoed through the forest for miles.

It was seen no more that day, leaving the people of Northampton with neither answers nor assurance. What manner of creature was this? With its departure, the monster mania subsided but the tale was retold for years, keeping residents guessing at the true nature of Virginia's most intriguing visitor. To this day, no explanation has been agreed upon for the baffling case of the cornfield cryptid.