S2 Ep1: Whistles, mirrors & Ghost At The MALL

A new name can sharpen a mission. We trade “Exploring the Unknown” for Something’s Watching From The Dark and step straight into what matters most: honest, unnerving stories from ordinary places. This chapter opens with the thrill of a rebrand, then drops into three listener calls that test how we think, what we fear, and why certain moments stick for years.

First, a mall lounge becomes a stage for a figure that shouldn’t be there: a pale girl in white, unmoving, lips sealed in a too-still smile. One sibling sees her; the other doesn’t. We unpack harbingers, women in white, and the way pop culture primes our fear to recognize certain faces. Could it have been a person who simply slipped away, or a perception glitch in a busy space? The details argue back, and we sit with the discomfort of not knowing.

Next, a Bristol guest house with a spiral staircase lined in mirrors turns reflective curiosity into dread. A child looks into the glass and finds a boy over her shoulder where no one could stand. We dig into mirror geometry, the lure of portal lore, and why doppelgangers rattle us so deeply. It’s a conversation about optics and identity: when is a reflection just physics, and when does it feel like someone else is looking out from your face?

Finally, the woods go silent, a camper whistles, and something whistles back. We weigh prank, echo, and friend against old warnings about calling in what listens after dark. From Native folklore to practical backcountry safety, we separate superstition from survival strategy and ask whether belief opens you up or leads you astray. Along the way, a live knock in the hallway adds a little meta-jolt to the recording.

If you’re drawn to real encounters, careful skepticism, and folklore that refuses to stay on the page, you’ll feel right at home here. Press play, send us your stories by call or text, and help us map the shadows with clear eyes. If you enjoy the show, follow, share with a friend who loves the eerie, and leave a quick review—what moment chilled you most?

Have you had an encounter with the paranormal? Have you seen Bigfoot!? Call our Hotline 

GhostStop
GhostStop: Trusted for 15+ years. Leading the way in investigation technology worldwide

Transcript

A New Name Takes Shape

SPEAKER_03 0:01

Welcome to another episode of Exploring Now. Just kidding. This is our new podcast that we're naming Something's Watching from the Dark. We are redoing the podcast name in the logo. So if you guys are watching, it will be on the new logo by the time this uploads. In the new name. I'm excited for the new uh rework of the podcast.

SPEAKER_05 0:31

I am too. I am too. I don't know what else to say about it because we've we really put our all. Well, I wouldn't say we put our all because you know, life and whatnot, but we we did. We tried we tried really hard with with doing the exploring the unknown thing for the last couple of years.

SPEAKER_03 0:52

Yeah, it's wondering of a name it's not sticking off.

SPEAKER_05 0:57

Right. But not only that, I feel like I don't know. Telling the stories is kind of what we is what got us started in this, like listening to people's encounters and stuff like that. I feel like something's watching from the dark kind of encapsulates that a little bit better because it's always you know that it has that creep. I'm not I'm not saying that exploring the unknown didn't have that creep factor, but it there's something about something watching, there's something watching from the dark that's just like like that's my fear, you know. That like you ever get that feeling coming up the steps as a little kid that's like I know as soon as I shut the lights off, like something's gonna like be following me up the steps or whatever. Something's watching from the dark. So yeah, I'm kind of I'm excited for that. And we got are we gonna use that logo that we that kind of came up with? Yeah, we'll use that logo. Okay, well, we have a couple of different versions of it, so I'm just curious as to which we can use both, you know. Um because I'm sure we were playing with that embroidery thing earlier. I think that would be kind of cool to have on a shirt. But yeah, you guys, this is the this is the beginning of a new chapter for the podcast. Me too. So what are we doing?

SPEAKER_03 2:21

What is so we got some anonymous calls? So we're gonna play some anonymous calls, and um, we're just gonna play them then after each one. We're just gonna talk about it and see, just discuss it and see where things go from there.

SPEAKER_05 2:39

Yeah. Here's the first one. I'm gonna mute my mic that way we can all because I know I have some background noise.

Why Stories Beat “Exploring The Unknown”

SPEAKER_06 2:46

Oh, hi.

Anonymous Call 1: The Mall Apparition

SPEAKER_01 2:55

Yeah, so this is my story about whenever I you became a fool believer in the paranormal. So it happened on an ordinary day at the mall with my mom and my sister. We were walking through making when my mom stopped to look at makeup, and and my sister and I we continued on towards cleaning. I was suddenly overwhelmed by the unmistakable feeling of being weak. So easy for the girl sitting in the lounge. And she was jumped over the shoulder of an orange instead of the case. But the longer you look, the more wrong you can feel. The girl was unnaturally pale. So she can almost feel like another small light, and she wore a plain white dress. Her hair was dark and hung forward, kind of flaming her face, and the water reminded me of something out of a horror movie. And she was smiling, but she never parted her lips. She just stared at me completely still, like she knew I had noticed her. My stomach rust. I finally broke eye contact with her, and I used my sister. She saw the girl staring at me, and she looked at me kind of confused and pointed to the couch, and the girl was gone. I scanned the entire lounge area and nothing. The woman had been the woman that she had been touching, she didn't read. She didn't look around, didn't seem to notice anything missing at all, as if no one had ever been there. And it was that moment that has never left me, and it is the reason I believe the paranormal is very real. So yeah, uh, love the show. Thanks, guys.

unknown 4:59

Bye.

SPEAKER_05 5:04

No, so the first what's the first thing that comes to mind when you when you hear that?

SPEAKER_03 5:09

Uh the first thing that comes to mind is a grudge. Yeah. Or like a harvinger of doom or something like that. What'd you say? Like a harvinger of doom, like something that happened to that lady. Okay, I see what you like the Grim Reaper type thing. Yeah, but maybe some female, like we'll have to maybe look into and see if there's any female, like harvinger of deaths, something like that. I don't know. That's what gets that one like makes me think of it as like a harvinger of death, because she's the only one who's seen it. If like, why didn't the other girl see it? Unless she's not sensitive enough to that, like paranormal. But like, I don't know, just something makes me think harbinger of death.

Harbingers, Pop Culture, And Fear

SPEAKER_05 5:59

But you don't think that like you don't think that it could have been somebody sitting there and then whenever she like looked away that that person got up and moved?

SPEAKER_03 6:10

By the day, the way she described her now, I don't think so. I mean, there are some pale people out there, but like the way she described the person just doesn't seem natural to me, like she said.

SPEAKER_05 6:28

I know. I mean, I've seen some pale people, but but why is it the first thing that we think of is the grudge though? Like, is there no other pop culture reference that we can compare that to? I'm not saying that that's not terrifying because that's absolutely terrifying. That just the thought of you know what the grudge looks like. That's uh you did your mind ever like play tricks on you when you go outside and it's like telling you like there's things around the corner or in the dark that that you can't see, and then it like gives you a mental image of what it is.

SPEAKER_03 7:05

It's always that that or like the maybe from the ring. I've never seen the ring. Yeah, they're bare they're similar though, aren't they?

SPEAKER_05 7:16

Uh-huh. Very similar. But the grudge, the grudge makes the noise through that.

unknown 7:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:26

I can imagine seeing something like that just over somebody's shoulder and then disappear.

SPEAKER_05 7:34

Alright. So you ready for this next one?

SPEAKER_03 7:38

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 7:40

Okay.

Anonymous Call 2: The Mirror Boy

SPEAKER_00 7:45

Hello. So when I was about six, I went to Bristol with my grandparents, and we stayed in a hotel for a few nights. There was a spiral staircase that we walked down to get to breakfast, and all down the halls of the stairs were mirrors, one after the other until you reached the bottom of the stairs. I stopped to look in one of them as we were walking down one day, and just over my right shoulder was a boy about my age, staring into the mirror behind me. He had a blank expression, short brown hair, and was wearing a blue knitted jumper. I obviously turned around immediately and there was nothing there except the pillar in the middle of the stairs, and a drop to the ground floor, so there was no way anyone could have been there. I looked back into the mirror and he was gone. He didn't make me feel scared, and I was just, you know, kind of confused and startled. But I I told my nana, who was a few steps in front of me that I just seen a boy in the mirror and she brushed it off like any adult would. But this happened back in 2014, and it's stuck with me ever since. It was at the Brooks Guest House Hotel in Bristol. But I really loved the show, and yeah. Bye.

SPEAKER_05 9:11

Where is that? I don't think that we've ever talked about that place. We don't think we have. We'll have to look more into that and see if anybody because there's some of them ghost shows that do the international traveling.

SPEAKER_03 9:27

I'm guessing, I guess. Yeah. Um, the first thing that comes to my mind when I I this hear the story is wonder if it's mirrors on both sides of the world.

SPEAKER_06 9:44

I never even thought about that.

SPEAKER_03 9:48

Well, I guess I mean if that's possible, because she did say spiral staircase. So when I think of spiral now thinking about when I think of spiral staircase, I think of something like a uh lighthouse, where there's only a wall on one side. Yeah now, is it possible there could be a spiral staircase with the walls on each side? Now, if that's the case and there's meals on both sides, why if it's like a portal?

SPEAKER_05 10:24

Oh, yeah, I guess it could be, definitely, because I've definitely have heard things about spiral staircases as well being some sort of gateway or portal entrance or something like that. But I'm I th I thought you meant my my logical mind went to she was seeing herself in the mirror on the other side of the room or on the other wall, and then when she would turn to look, she wouldn't see the same thing because the back of you know, maybe the back of her clothing was a different color than the front, so I don't know.

Mirrors, Portals, And Doubles

SPEAKER_03 11:01

Yeah, but maybe it's hard to say because she used to describe the boy what she was wearing. Yeah, and if she knew what color she was wearing, then she might be able to detect and maybe that's me from a different angle. Maybe but I would have I wouldn't need to see the staircase so I know what the um what it looks like, and if there are mirrors on both sides, or if it's just one giant ball coming down, like right.

SPEAKER_05 11:35

Have you ever caught yourself in the mirror at a weird angle or something and freak your yourself out?

SPEAKER_03 11:42

Um I don't think I have now.

SPEAKER_05 11:45

Oh, dude, I have. Oh yeah, 100%. But it's in the same breath, I'm gonna say mirrors freak me out, even you know, if I'm just standing there looking at it, you know, if I'm like, you know, focusing on it, because I don't know, maybe it's because I don't like what I see.

SPEAKER_03 12:05

Mirrors freak me out too. After watching the movie Mirrors, whenever I was younger, I'm not sure if you ever seen that movie.

SPEAKER_05 12:14

I feel like I probably have.

SPEAKER_03 12:22

Well, yeah, that's what I mean. Like I feel like terrifying to me. Looking in the mirror and seeing my reflection maybe do something I didn't do, or even looking at a mirror and seeing something behind me like that girl did. Yeah. Um, he just got out of the shower and he seen a lady with uh um like long black hair covering her face, like walking towards him. And I'll have to ask him about it if he remembers it, but he always used to tell us that story. Then he looked away, then he looked back, and she got closer. Then he looked away, looked back, she got closer. So that freaks me out just realizing like if there's someone standing behind me, am I gonna look in this mirror? No, that doesn't scare me.

SPEAKER_05 13:28

Well, maybe it does, maybe a little bit, but like the top thing that freaks me out about mirrors is that I can see myself and what I what I and I think it's because what I envision I look like and you know, things like that doesn't align with what I see. So whenever I look in the mirror, what I'm seeing is kind of foreign to me and it seems strange, so it seems like it's somebody else, and I think that's why I'm so afraid of like the idea of doppelgangers because I know what my reflection is, I know what I look like, but because I don't believe that, I think that it's out there and it's gonna get me.

SPEAKER_03 14:07

Yeah, that makes sense. I mean, I'd be afraid to see myself as a bobble thing or two.

SPEAKER_05 14:12

That's what scares me about going outside at night sometimes, is that like I'm gonna run into myself and he's he's mad, he ain't happy. He is. Uh, you want to get on to the next one? Yeah, this is the last one that we have. All right, guys, here we go.

Anonymous Call 3: Whistling In The Dark

SPEAKER_02 15:16

Hi, yeah. So last spring I went camping with some friends. It was late at night, and I was tidying up the camp, and I was just kind of whistling while doing so. The mountains were dead silent. So when I heard whistling back a few minutes later, I just assumed that it was one of my friends joining me. So you know, what is it about whistling in the dark? Can something so simple really be you know sinister? All right, thanks guys.

SPEAKER_05 16:28

Whistling in the dark.

SPEAKER_03 16:33

Oh yeah. When we heard the whistle.

SPEAKER_05 16:37

See, I uh that is an odd experience, but I do think it was one of us. There's a part of me that there's a part of me, there's a part of me that doesn't think that it was something you know paranormal or anything like that. I think that it was one of us. I don't know. If if any if you're listening to this, go back to our shorts and and listen to the the whistle and tell us what you think. Because I think it was I think it was you, Luke.

SPEAKER_03 17:08

I think you I don't think it wasn't me.

SPEAKER_05 17:11

I don't I don't whistle if you didn't whistle, that is nuts. I don't know that is insane. What do you think about this?

Folklore, Logic, And Woodslore

SPEAKER_03 17:29

This this guy's story confused, right? Um I think West Thing in the Woods is something I don't think it's anything sinister, like he said. I mean, maybe some things are, but I don't think all things are sinister. I mean maybe if you hear your voice in the woods or something more, like someone calling your name, mocking somebody, I can see that being maybe a little bit more sinister and trying to hone me, but whistling in the woods, I don't think whistling at night I don't think causes anything. Maybe you just might hear whistle back.

SPEAKER_05 18:19

Well, even still hearing a whistle back if you're not expecting to. My thing is this is something that's like wove into like Native American folklore and stuff, is it not?

SPEAKER_03 18:33

Yeah, don't whistle at night, don't whistle in the dark.

SPEAKER_05 18:37

Do you think that it is more so to not like make yourself vulnerable? Not you know, don't give away your location type type thing, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:50

Because I mean I mean they say the skinwalkers, if you whistle and they'll call us skinwalkers, but I don't necessarily believe all that. Hold on, I want to look it up.

SPEAKER_05 19:01

I want to look it up. Why shouldn't you whistle in the woods? Okay. The first thing is whistling carries your location. Predators, humans, bears, coyotes can hear you from far away. So the folklore and superstition is that whistling can summon spirits, witches, and wandering souls. Whistling is said to attract unseen watchers. That's just for danger. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:44

But then again, Bigfoot could be I I can see more leaning towards Bigfoot as something else along the line saying something like evil or something like that. Yeah, it just makes more sense to me. Or even yummy. Go ahead. There might be someone out there, and I hear you whistle, so you're gonna whistle back.

SPEAKER_05 20:17

I ain't whistling back. What? No, no, I'm gonna follow my instincts, I'm gonna stay quiet. Yeah, yeah. It sucks though, at the same time, because I know what it feels like to be able to play in that mindset of what if it's hard for me to stay there because I am logical about things a lot of the time anymore.

SPEAKER_03 20:47

I've had a spirit whistle before.

SPEAKER_05 20:53

When it was at my withdrawal when I worked for the courthouse. Oh, when you worked at the courthouse? How do you know it wasn't just somebody else?

Skeptical Belief And Personal Boundaries

SPEAKER_03 21:04

Because everyone else was with us.

SPEAKER_05 21:07

It was your it was all the group was in one location.

SPEAKER_03 21:14

Four out of the five people were, yes.

SPEAKER_05 21:19

Where was that fifth person?

SPEAKER_03 21:23

I don't know, but he never whistled whenever he was working. How do you know?

SPEAKER_05 21:31

Oh, wait, hold on. So this wasn't a paranormal investigation. No, it was this was while you were at work, that's right.

SPEAKER_03 21:37

So so the story with the Westland was my neighbor used to whistle when he was outside. And he always whistled when he was doing something, and he was a warden at the jail at a time when it was a jail.

SPEAKER_05 21:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:59

So we were, I mentioned I brought him up because they have a museum at a jail in the court in the uh courthouse or whatever place, I guess. And we were walking through the museum at night, like maybe 9 30. So the place was closed down, so no one else was there besides the workers. And I brought his name up. I was like, my neighbor, Mr. Robinson, used to work down here. And I pulled up a picture of him on my phone, or there was a picture of him there. And I said that was him. And shortly after I heard all three of us heard it, four of us, how many were ever there? We all heard the whistle. But they didn't know that.

SPEAKER_05 23:01

I do remember you telling me that story. I didn't mean to laugh like I was making fun of you. Like it just it threw me off whenever you were like, I've heard a spirit whistle. I was like, what? Okay. See, it's hard for me to believe somebody else's story whenever I wasn't there. And I'm sure that there's other people out there that you know can take somebody for the word. And I'm not telling I'm not saying that you're a liar. Don't you know, don't you know, don't take my words and twist them. Because everybody experiences things in their own way. And that's what's very unique about the paranormal. And that's why I go looking for these answers because I've not experienced something like that. And if you're telling you if I'm believing you, I'm trusting that you're telling me it's out there, but I can't fully you know say it is one way or the other until I experience it for myself.

SPEAKER_03 23:59

Yeah, you're not a hundred percent believer. Right.

Live Knock, Call-In Invite, Closing

SPEAKER_05 24:02

And you're a skeptical believer. Yeah, I'm a skeptical believer. And then at the same time, it kind of makes me mad because they say they say that you can't, you know, experience those kinds of things unless you're fully open-minded. And maybe I'm too closed-minded to experience anything, so I'm just out here chasing the wind. Everybody else is in pretend land having fun. And I'm like, I don't get it. It's like if I could insert a clip from SpongeBob, it'd be that it'd be from that episode whenever Spongebob and Patrick have the box and they're using their imagination and sp and Squidward just cannot figure it out. Uh guys, I want to play with the box too. I just can can you teach me how to use it. I don't have any more. That was it. That's awesome, though. If you have had an experience and would like to share it with us, here is a number that you can call. You can even text it. You can text it in, and Luke and I will read it on the podcast. Yes. I just heard a knock in the hallway that sounded more up high than it did down low. And it's just me and the two little ones. That's interesting. Have you ever go ahead? Never mind. No, I was it was like I could feel the vibration in the wall almost. It was it was like it was either two or three dogs, like. Who knows? Who knows?

SPEAKER_04 25:45

I'm playing the game, I'm doing it. I'm doing it, Luke. I'm really doing it.

SPEAKER_05 25:53

Sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 26:00

No, I think that wraps up for this episode.

SPEAKER_05 26:08

Thank you guys for listening.

SPEAKER_03 26:10

Yeah, uh, well post stuff about the new upcoming uh details with this new podcast and what we all can take and what the plans are for it.

SPEAKER_05 26:25

Yeah. It'll grow and develop as we you know progress with it. Just like exploring the unknown. It's not like it's a new podcast, it's it's the same old podcast, it's just got a new a new look to it.

SPEAKER_03 26:39

Yeah, you can find us and on all the social medias. And everything's gonna be the same besides the name and Lego.

unknown 26:51

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 26:54

Alright, guys. See ya. See you later. And remember, there's something watching from the dark. See ya. See ya