Original subtitles

THE STORY GOES THAT MOTHER LEEDS HAD 12 CHILDREN,

AND WHEN SHE FOUND SHE WAS TO HAVE A 13th,

SHE SAID, "LET IT BE A DEVIL."

AND SURE ENOUGH,

SHE GAVE BIRTH TO A TERRIFYING CREATURE.

THE JERSEY DEVIL IS A DRAGONLIKE CREATURE

THAT, TO THIS DAY,

IS SAID TO HAUNT THE PINE BARRENS OF NEW JERSEY.

AND THERE WERE REALLY A SURPRISING NUMBER OF ATTACKS

IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

THE SCARIEST THING IS ITS APPEARANCE AND ITS SIZE.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SINGULAR CREATURE

THAT IS THERE TO ROAM ABOUT THAT LAND.

THIS LEGEND LIVES ON IN LEEDS POINT.

THERE ARE CREATURES SCIENCE REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE.

BUT NEW TECHNOLOGY MAKES US QUESTION WHAT IS REAL.

BACK AWAY FROM THE GIRL!

ENTER A REALM WHERE FACT MEETS FICTION...

IT'S REAL! I SAW IT!

...SCIENCE MEETS LEGEND.

SHOOT IT!

AAH!

Shh.

HI, MOM, HI, DAD.

HEY!

THERE YOU GO.

GET SET! GO!

WHOO!

IN THE SUMMER OF 2006,

GREG AND WENDY STARK TOOK THEIR TWO DAUGHTERS,

CHRISTINA, AGE 15, AND JOEY, AGE 11,

FOR A DAY TRIP TO THE JERSEY SHORE.

THE EXCURSION TOOK PLACE JUST WEEKS BEFORE WENDY WAS DUE

TO WELCOME THE NEWEST MEMBER INTO THEIR FAMILY.

A LAST-MINUTE DECISION TO TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE HOME

WOULD FORCE THEM INTO AN UNEXPECTED DETOUR--

ONE THAT WOULD BRING THEM INTO CONTACT

WITH AN ENTITY LONG RUMORED TO HAUNT THE DENSE PINE BARRENS

OF SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY.

IT WAS AN ENCOUNTER THAT WOULD CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER.

OKAY, I WANT EVERYBODY TO RAISE THEIR HANDS

IF THEY HAD AN AWESOME TIME AT THE BEACH TODAY.

WHOO!

VACATION! YEAH!

OH, YEAH.

MM-HMM.

OOH, PRETTY.

SHUT THE CAMERA OFF, OKAY? JUST SHUT IT OFF.

NO, IT'S MINE!

I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT WITH MY CAMERA.

STOP IT!

LADIES, LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER RIGHT NOW!

GIRLS!

DAD, LOOK OUT!

YOU GIRLS OKAY?

WE'RE OKAY.

I THINK I SAW A DOG ON THE ROAD.

NO, I SAW SOMETHING RUN OUT IN THE ROAD,

BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY NOT A DOG.

OKAY.

OKAY, THIS THING IS PROBABLY STILL ALIVE,

SO I'M GONNA GO OUT AND HAVE A LOOK, OKAY?

YOU GUYS STAY IN THE CAR, OKAY?

I WANT TO GO, TOO.

JOEY, STAY IN THE CAR, PLEASE.

COOPER, WAIT! COME BACK HERE!

COOPER!

COOPER!

OKAY, LISTEN. COOPER'S GONNA BE JUST FINE.

LISTEN, HE'S GONE.

I'M GONNA HAVE TO GO IN AND GET HIM.

SO, JUST GIVE ME TWO MINUTES, AND I'LL BE RIGHT BACK, OKAY?

I LOVE YOU GUYS.

TWO MINUTES, HONEY, OKAY?

COOPER!

WHERE IS YOUR FATHER?

GREG?!

OKAY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE SHOULD DO.

OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT?

ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO LOOK FOR YOUR DAD.

SO GET YOUR STUFF.

GET WHAT YOU NEED OUT OF THE CAR, AND LET'S JUST GO, OKAY?

I THINK I HAVE EVERYTHING.

ALL RIGHT. I'M JUST GRABBING THE PHONE. LET'S GO.

JOEY, AND I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING YOU-- STAY WITH YOUR SISTER.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?

OKAY.

GREG!

THE JERSEY DEVIL IS A DRAGONLIKE CREATURE

THAT, TO THIS DAY,

IS SAID TO HAUNT THE PINE BARRENS OF NEW JERSEY.

THE GENERAL AREA IS CALLED THE PINE BARRENS,

AND IT IS, AS ITS NAME IMPLIES,

A FORLORN, BARREN WILDERNESS AREA

FROM LEEDS POINT MOVING WESTWARD

INTO SOUTH-CENTRAL NEW JERSEY.

THERE WERE LEGENDS AMONG SOME IMMIGRANTS,

AND THERE WERE NATIVE-AMERICAN STORIES, REPORTEDLY,

OF A MYTHICAL CREATURE.

THE LENAPE INDIAN TRIBE THAT LIVED THERE--

THEY HAD A TERM FOR IT CALLED POPUESSING,

BASICALLY SAYING, "PLACE OF THE DRAGON."

AND SOME OF THE EARLY SETTLERS

BASICALLY CALLED IT DRAKE KILL, MEANING "A DRAGON RIVER."

FARMERS HAD TROUBLE GROWING CROPS,

AND THEREFORE, SETTLEMENTS DIDN'T FLOURISH VERY WELL,

AND EVENTUALLY, THE PINE BARRENS BECAME A SORT OF REFUGE

FOR VARIOUS CRIMINAL TYPES AND OUTCASTS,

AND SO THAT ADDED TO ITS REPUTATION

OF BEING A DEVILISH PLACE.

LARGE PARTS OF THE PINE BARRENS ARE A STATE PARK,

SO IT'S PRETTY PROTECTED FROM DEVELOPMENT

THAT WOULD HAVE FLUSHED A CREATURE LIKE THE JERSEY DEVIL

OUT OF HIDING.

AND IT HAS THOSE REALLY SPOOKY CEDAR SWAMPS

SO YOU CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW A CREATURE COULD LIVE THERE.

MOM, ARE WE LOST?

NO, SWEETIE, WE'RE NOT LOST.

I'M TIRED.

I KNOW, BABY. I'M TIRED, TOO.

GREG?!

I'M SO THIRSTY.

I KNOW. YOU'RE BOTH THIRSTY.

WE'RE ALL THIRSTY, OKAY?

WE'RE GONNA GET SOME WATER AND WE'RE GONNA FIND YOUR DAD

AND WE'RE GONNA GET OUT OF HERE, OKAY?

OKAY.

WHY IS DAD'S HAT HERE?

THERE'S BLOOD ON IT. IS DAD OKAY?

I'M SURE HE JUST SCRATCHED HIMSELF, GIRLS.

IT'S GONNA BE JUST FINE.

MOM?

YOU GUYS, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON.

I'M SCARED! RUN!

GREG!

WHY IS DAD'S HAT HERE?

THERE'S BLOOD ON IT. IS DAD OKAY?

I'M SURE HE JUST SCRATCHED HIMSELF, GIRLS, OKAY?

IT'S GONNA BE JUST FINE.

MOM, WHAT WAS THAT? MOM?!

ALL RIGHT, YOU GUYS, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON.

I'M SCARED! RUN!

GREG!

IS THAT AN ANIMAL?

YOU GUYS BE CAREFUL. RUN! RUN!

STAY CLOSE, GIRLS.

STAY CLOSE.

STAY WITH ME!

GREG!!

WAIT.

IN 1735, MY ANCESTOR, MOTHER LEEDS,

WAS PREGNANT WITH HER 13th CHILD.

AND IT'S SAID UNDER THE PAIN OF BIRTH, OF LABOR,

SHE CRIED OUT, "LET IT BE THE DEVIL,"

AND SO IT WAS.

THE CREATURE-- THE BABY WAS BORN NORMALLY AT FIRST,

BUT THEN METAMORPHOSED INTO THIS DRAGONLIKE CREATURE.

IN SOME ACCOUNTS, YOU KNOW,

THE CREATURE SORT OF THRASHES EVERYONE IN THE ROOM.

IN OTHER ACCOUNTS,

IT KILLS THE WOMEN WHO ARE ATTENDING THE BIRTH.

AND THEN IT FLIES AROUND THE ROOM

AND OUT THE CHIMNEY AND INTO THE NIGHT.

AND THAT, MANY SAY,

IS THE EARLIEST STORY OF THE JERSEY DEVIL.

CHILDREN BORN IN THAT TIME

WITH A GENETIC DEFECT--

BORN ALIVE OR DEAD, BUT OF NATURE GONE AWRY--

AND SUCH A MONSTROSITY

AS IT WAS SOMETIMES CALLED--

OR EVEN "MONSTER"--

WOULD OFTEN BE THOUGHT TO BE A SIGN

OF SOME SORT OR EVIDENCE

OF SOME KIND OF SATANIC ACTIVITY OR WITCHCRAFT.

AFTER HEARING OMINOUS SOUNDS IN THE WOODS,

WENDY AND HER DAUGHTERS SOUGHT REFUGE IN AN ABANDONED HOUSE.

BE CAREFUL, MOM.

MOM, I'M SCARED.

IT'S OKAY, SWEETIE.

HELLO?

IS ANYONE HOME?

WHAT DO YOU SEE, MOM?

IT'S SAFE. COME ON.

COME ON, GUYS. JUST DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING.

JOEY, CHRISTINA, COME ON.

WHOA, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.

WHOA.

OH, MY GOD.

JOEY! JOEY, COME HERE.

PLEASE COME HERE, OKAY, SWEETIE?

MOM, WHAT IS THIS PLACE?

I DON'T KNOW, HONEY.

IT'S OKAY. LET'S GO LOOK THROUGH THE HOUSE.

I'M SCARED.

IT'S OKAY. IT'S OKAY.

LEGENDS LIKE THE JERSEY DEVIL

HAVE PERPETUATED A CONDITION KNOWN AS TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA.

THIS PHOBIA AFFECTS AS MANY AS 21 MILLION AMERICANS EACH YEAR.

BUT WHAT EXACTLY DO THESE MILLIONS FEAR?

THE COMPELLING ANSWER, WHEN "LOST TAPES" RETURNS."

A TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIC FEARS THE NUMBER 13--

A PHOBIA EXPLOITED BY HORROR FILMS AND LITERATURE.

SOME CLAIM THIS FEAR ORIGINATED

WITH THE STORY OF THE LAST SUPPER,

WHERE 13 PEOPLE WERE SEATED AT THE TABLE,

INCLUDING THE TRAITOROUS DISCIPLE, JUDAS.

IN MORE MODERN TIMES,

PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT

FEARED DINING IN A GROUP OF 13,

AND AUTO MOGUL HENRY FORD

REFUSED TO CONDUCT BUSINESS ON FRIDAY THE 13th.

TODAY, THE AGE-OLD FEAR OF FRIDAY 13th

COSTS AMERICAN BUSINESSES MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EACH YEAR

IN CANCELLATIONS AND NO-SHOWS.

IT'S JUST ME.

OH, GREG. OH, MY GOD, ARE YOU OKAY?

OH, MY GOD, ARE YOU OKAY? GIRLS, LISTEN.

I NEED YOU TO GO OVER HERE AND GIVE ME AND YOUR MOM SOME--

OH, MY GOD. GREG!

GO HIDE. GO, GO!

WHICH WAY DO WE GO?

NO WAY.

GO, GO.

NOT HERE.

NO, WAIT A SECOND. THIS WAY.

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.

THERE'S NO DOOR. THERE'S NO DOOR.

IN HERE.

GO, GO, GO!

THE JERSEY DEVIL OR THE LEEDS DEVIL,

AS IT IS SOMETIMES CALLED, IS A CRYPTID ANIMAL

THAT'S MOSTLY DESCRIBED AS A FLYING BIPEDAL CREATURE,

MEANING THAT IT STANDS UPRIGHT.

THERE ARE VARIATIONS ON THIS

THAT HAS THE BODY OF A GAUNT HORSE.

THE FOUR LEGS ARE SHORTER.

THE HIND LEGS ARE ACTUALLY SKINNY BUT HOOFED.

THEIR WINGS THAT-- DEPENDING ON REPORTS--

VARY FROM 2 FEET OUTSTRETCHED TO 4 TO 6 TO 8 EVEN.

IT HAS A TAIL WHICH IS CONSIDERED A SPIKE OR FORKED

AS PART OF ITS DEMONIC OR SUPERNATURAL ORIGIN.

IT FRIGHTENS PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN,

AND IT KILLS LIVESTOCK

AND WREAKS HAVOC ON SOCIAL ORDER.

AND THERE WERE REALLY A SURPRISING NUMBER OF ATTACKS

IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

FROM LITERALLY THE 1700s,

WE GO FROM 1951 TO 1960

WHEN A $10,000 REWARD WAS OFFERED IN 1991

ONTO 2007, 2008, AND SIGHTINGS THERE.

THE SCARIEST THING ABOUT THE JERSEY DEVIL

IS ITS APPEARANCE AND ITS SIZE, YOU KNOW?

IT'S THIS MAN-SIZED OR LARGER-THAN-MAN-SIZED DRAGON.

I MEAN, IF I SAW THAT COMING TOWARD ME,

I'D CERTAINLY RUN THE OTHER WAY, TOO.

WHOA!

WAIT.

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

WAIT. LISTEN. LISTEN.

IT'S COOPER! COOPER!

COME ON, GET HIM, BOY! GET HIM!

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.

OH, GOD.

JUST STAY QUIET. WE'LL BE OKAY.

Shh!

MOM!

GIRLS, DON'T MOVE!

I SCARED HIM AWAY.

WE'RE SAFE.

Shh.

THE BABY!

MOM?! OH, CONTRACTIONS.

HONEY, IT'S GONNA BE OKAY.

I'M NOT HAVING OUR BABY IN THIS HOUSE!

OKAY, LET'S GO.

THE EARLIEST VERTEBRATES TO FLY WEREN'T BIRDS.

THEY WEREN'T BATS.

BUT THEY WERE A GROUP OF ANIMALS NOW EXTINCT

THAT WERE CALLED PTEROSAURS.

DURING THEIR HEYDAY, THEY RULED THE SKIES.

IF YOU HAD A CREATURE THAT WAS LIKE A PTERODACTYL,

IT WOULD PROBABLY MATCH THE DESCRIPTION PRETTY CLOSELY.

IT WOULD ALSO EXPLAIN WHY THE NATIVE AMERICANS

HAD THEIR LEGENDS ABOUT THESE FLYING DRAGONS.

YOU KNOW, THERE ARE BIRDS LIKE SANDHILL CRANES

THAT STAND, OH, FOUR TO FIVE FEET TALL

THAT IF YOU WERE SEEING IT IN BAD LIGHT,

YOU MIGHT MISTAKENLY BELIEVE THAT YOU WERE LOOKING

AT SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT A REAL CREATURE AT ALL,

THAT WAS SOMETHING NOT KNOWN TO EXIST.

THE PERSISTENCE OF THE NEW JERSEY DEVIL LEGEND

HAS BEEN ONE THAT HAS DEFIED SCIENCE.

WHEN YOU PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER,

YOU COULD SEE WHERE THE JERSEY DEVIL

WOULD BE AN AMALGAM OF LITERALLY DIFFERENT KINDS OF ANIMALS.

AND IT WOULD TAKE SOMETHING

MORE SUPERNATURAL THAN IN NATURAL SELECTION

TO CREATE SUCH A CREATURE.

OKAY.

HERE WE GO. OKAY.

YOU OKAY? YEAH.

I'M READY. OKAY?

OKAY. OKAY.

HONEY, COME ON. LET'S GO.

WE'RE GONNA BE OKAY, BABY. I PROMISE. OKAY?

RUN, RUN, RUN!

GO, GO!

JOEY, COME ON! HURRY UP!

I'M COMING! I'M COMING!

RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN!

STAY DOWN! STAY DOWN! STAY DOWN!

DAD, STOP! WE'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY.

NO, IT'S THIS WAY, CHRISTINA. COME ON!

AAAH!

RUN!

AAAH! RUN! RUN!

AAAH!

GET DOWN. GET DOWN.

JOEY.

IT'S ON THE GROUND AGAIN.

IT'S OKAY, BABY.

I'M SCARED.

DAD, LOOK HOW CLOSE WE ARE! COME ON, LET'S GO!

OKAY. LISTEN CAREFULLY.

WHEN I SAY GO, YOU DROP EVERYTHING,

AND YOU RUN STRAIGHT FOR THE CAR, OKAY?

WE STICK TOGETHER, GOT IT?

OKAY.

GO! GO!

GO ON!

GIRLS, RUN!

JOEY, GET IN THE CAR!

THE STARK FAMILY DROVE THEMSELVES TO A NEARBY HOSPITAL.

WENDY GAVE BIRTH TO A HEALTHY BABY BOY,

AND GREG RECEIVED STITCHES FOR MINOR INJURIES.

THEY REPORTED THE ENCOUNTER TO POLICE,

BUT INVESTIGATORS FOUND NO SIGN OF A CREATURE,

NOR COULD THEY LOCATE THE FAMILY DOG.

THE MYSTERY OF THE JERSEY DEVIL REMAINS UNSOLVED,

AND LIKE MOST MYSTERIES,

IT SURVIVES PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THE QUESTIONS IT RAISES.

DO ENTITIES LIKE THESE

LIVE ONLY IN THE MINDS OF THE EYEWITNESSES,

OR DO THEY LIVE AMONG US?

- Captions by VITAC-- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS