Bogleech.com's 2018 Horror Write-off:

Chicken Yard Sinkholes

Submitted by Justin Best (email)

My grandpa Nathan who lived in Twin Falls Idaho passed away a couple of years ago at the age of 90. Before we
moved to Texas, I used to visit him and my Grandma Ellen every weekend, and I would help him on his farm, and he would tell me stories about how life was
before I was born. A lot of them were sad, others were happy, but one to this very day still terrifies me.

My parents told me my grandpa was making it up to scare me but I’m still not sure. He said it started back either
in the late 50’s or early 60’s when my dad Allen was a little kid. My grandpa, and my grandma had decided to start raising chickens for eggs, and meat on
their farm.

So, they bought some lumber, and some fencing, and after a few weeks had made chicken house with a fence surrounding
a small area around the chicken house. They bought some chicken food, some hay, and some baskets, and they bought six chickens: Loraine, Mitzi, Sharon,
Barbara, Carla, and Julie.

At first everything was okay but then one day while working in the chicken yard my dad, and my grandpa saw what
looked like holes in the ground off in the distance. My dad asked, “What do you think made them Pa?” “Eh probably just gophers” my grandpa shrugged. But my
grandma was skeptical “At this time of the year?”. My grandpa assured her “Well we’ll put up some traps just in case”.

Over the next few weeks however they started noticing that the holes were getting closer in a strange spiral pattern
around the farm, and the holes that already existed started getting bigger. So, my grandpa started buying chemicals, and repellents, and sprayed them in the
area between the holes but the holes kept getting closer.

Then one night my dad started complaining about hearing strange chirping noises and seeing strange lights
outside. My grandpa thought maybe it was just fireflies, and crickets but when he went out to look for them, he didn’t see a thing but that didn’t stop him
from buying some bug zappers just in case.

A few days later though that’s when it really got weird, we heard one of the chickens clucking for help at the top
of its lungs. So, my Grandpa got his shotgun, and ran to the chicken house as fast as he could but when he got there it was too late, and Mitzi had already
been eaten. Worse whatever did it was thorough leaving behind only the bones, some blood, and some feathers.

My grandparents, and my dad held a makeshift grave for her, and after a makeshift funeral my dad, and my grandpa
stayed up all night after dinner to watch for whatever ate Mitzi, some time between
10, and 11:30 they heard the chirps, and ran to the chicken house.

When they got there my dad, andmy grandpa couldn’t believe what they were seeing. They weren’t sure what it
was other than it was green, flat, seemed to have a segmented body with round marble like purple eyes around its body, and had either tentacles or vines sticking out.

They weren’t sure what it was if it was supposed to be a plant or an animal. All they knew right now was that
right now it was trying to eat Loraine. Well eat wasn’t exactly the right word. It was more like the thing was melting Loraine and trying to suck up he slop
through its tentacles.

My grandpa tried to fight of the strange creature but wrapped one its tentacles around his leg. My grandpa let out
a scream of pain and fired his shotgun at the thing causing it to let go of him
and run back down it’s hole.

When they got back inside my dad asked, “What do you think that thing was Pa”. “Hell, if I know” my grandpa replied “something
mutated by those a-bomb test, maybe a Martian, or maybe something that was always there but just now came to surface for whatever reason but all I do know
is we gotta do something about that thing before it eats our chicken, and who knows what else.

Just then they started hearing the chirps again, but this time they got louder, and to my father, and
grandfather’s horror they looked outside, and saw a whole pack of the strange
creatures burrowing out of the ground and heading towards the house.

My dad, and grandad ran upstairs as fast as they could to wake up my Grandma. “What in God’s name is going on?” My
grandma complained. “No time to explain just get the hell out of here “ my grandpa
retorted, and the three of ran back down the stars to the back door.

To their horror the pack of strange beings was closing in on them as they backed away into the kitchen.
Just then my grandma accidentally knocked into a cupboard and knocked off a jar of vinegar. when the vinegar dropped on one of the creatures it shrieked in pain
and looked like it was being melted by acid.

My dad, and my grandparents saw this, and grabbed the remaining jars of vinegar, and threw them at the things
scaring off each last one of them away. When the strange animals or plants went away my grandma asked, “What do we do now?”. My grandpa shrugged “I don’t know
we can’t just tell the cops they’d never believe this”.

They next morning my dad, and mygrandparents bought as much vinegar as they could afford. They even sold some
of the things they had bought earlier to get some more. Then they started pouring down the holes, and my dad and grandparents never heard or saw of those
strange lifeforms ever again.

I want to say that was the end ofall of this but after looking into this story for myself I found stories of
farms either having animals go missing or turn up dead with strange holes
around their farms, and houses.