Screaming or howling in Moultrie County, Illinois

The following personal interview was conducted by Stan Courtney. The first name of the witness has been changed. Jennie - We lived out in the country on a farm. Some of it was hunting ground and some of it was left not hunting, like you weren't allowed to hunt on it. I would always walk through the non-hunting area. I would ride my four-wheeler part way and then walk across this area to go to a pond where I feed my fish. I drove my four-wheeler, parked it along the little dirt path, that was all in woods. I then walked out of the woods and onto the field that was like a corn field that had been cut down. Then, something screamed at me, like it was trying to scare me. I got so scared that I ducked down for a half hour and I thought, "who is messing with me?" I always wore camo, it wasn't hunting season at that point so I wasn't afraid to go on hunting ground. And the trees started shaking, like in a straight path. The tops of the trees were barely shaking but the middle of the trees were moving like something was slapping them or pushing against them. It just didn't make any sense that an animal would walk through and slap things. Stan - And how old were you? Jennie - I was nine years old and I was freaking out. I stood back up and walked to the fish ponds. Stan - And what time of day was this? Jennie - That was probably right before it got dark out. Because I went twice a day, right before it got light out in the morning and just before dark at night. And I carried a coffee can with me full of fish food. And I would shake it every time. It was like a rattle, and it was like someone knew I did that, but we didn't have neighbors. And nobody went out there unless they told us. I just remember getting yelled at, it was very high pitched, like a bunch of girls or a bunch of guys playing with me, it was like screaming from in the woods at me. And the tops of the trees were barely shaking but I was far enough out into the field to see the path that whatever or whoever it was I could see the trees moving as it passed through the woods. It was like "I scared her now I am going to move on." Stan - Did you have the impression it was hitting the trees? Jennie - I knew something was going through the trees, I assumed walking because the sound was coming from lower like it was screaming out and I couldn't explain it. It was so fast moving through the trees. All I know is that there were several trees in our woods and they were all moving one right after another. The leaves were moving on the very top of each tree and there was no wind and you could see it was a path. If it were a large animal it had to have its arms wrapped around the tree and shaking it, that is what I imagined. Stan - Anything else unusual happen at that same time? Jennie - Yes, I was at the pond, and I was looking at some fox holes along the embankment above the pond. I was climbing up the bank and was covered in mud. A big rock, larger than a bowling ball, just tumbled on the ground right next to me. And now that I think about it we've had other rocks thrown at us while at that embankment. Both of my sisters were with me, we were always getting rocks thrown at us at that embankment. Stan - And which direction did it come from? Jennie - Beyond the embankment, it landed right next to me, higher ground to lower ground. Stan - How much of the time did you think something else was out there? Jennie - Not every time I was out there but sometimes I thought something was following me or watching me.