The Man in Yellow
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-Transcript-
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The incident occurred in a quaint suburban town called Princeton. Located in central Illinois with a population of 7,603 as of a 2019 census, it’s an idyllic slice of small-town America. The houses are tidy and uniform. Its stores family owned and operated. Everyone knows each other and kids play out in the streets without the tight leash a parent would have over them in the city.
Drive too far in any one direction and the litany of small bungalows and white picket fences quickly turn to fields of corn. The town itself a reprieve from the boring flatlands of the prairie state. An oasis among the miles of agriculture, secluded enough to be the type of town you’re born, raised, and die in.
Agents Westward and January were dispatched to Princeton April 7th of 2015. This was after numerous reports were filed to child protective services requesting a wellness check on one seventeen-year-old Annie Wilenet. The complaints were sent by concerned schoolteachers and counselors whom Annie had frequented. One such complaint had garnered the Blackridge Society’s attention. It reads as followed:
“Annie has become increasingly distressed about a delusion she calls the man in yellow. Supposedly a tall and burly man whose skin is painted brightly yellow stalks her throughout the day. She claims he can be found staring at her regardless of where she may be. On the way to school, he can be found leering from across the street. In class, she spots him outside the window. She expresses a constant panic of him appearing nearer and nearing with each visit. No one has ever spotted anyone by that description, and on two occasions when he was pointed out the other party couldn’t see them. Another claim is the sight of the man has been inducing nauseous, an excuse she’s been using to frequently skip class. According to the nurse, not only do Annie’s symptoms not coincide with normal bugs passed around a school but after every visit new yellowed bruises blotch her arms and shoulders. Parents react to any inquiries in a hostile manner. We believe Annie to be acting out due to severe abuse at home. Please investigate as soon as possible”
Under the guise of a CPS worker, Agent January conducted extensive interviews with parents, teachers, and counselors regarding the mental state of Annie Wilenet. Besides some worries about her recent change in behavior, the general consensus was that Annie had been a great student with a passion for arts and sports. She frequently made honors, tutored on her free time, and was even part of the student council. This pleasant disposition seemed to be a direct reflection of her upbringing as neighbors claimed Mr. and Mrs. Wilenet were also outstanding pillars of the community. Known for their charity work and frequent backyard barbeques.
Through extensive investigation agent January concluded Annie Wilenet was not the victim of abuse, nor was she suffering from an undiagnosed mental disability. Furthermore, in her report, Agent January stated that since the yellow man’s appearance, Annie had become bitterly jealous of everyone. Despite always being reserved and patient, recently she’d fall into uncharacteristic fits of rage whenever denied one of her whims. The longer Annie’s parents held out, the more uncontrollable she’d become until finally, they’d succumb to her tantrum for a moment’s peace.
While Agent January had been conducting interviews, Agent Westward had been tasked with reconnaissance. He spent the course of a week following Annie’s movements, reporting never witnessing any suspicious individuals trailing her. Oddly, he has noted several instances in which Annie seemed to stop what she was doing and stare off blankly. During this hypnotic state, her complexion would get noticeably pale, and her expression would contort to one of fear and disgust. She’d start to tremble and turn green in the face until finally, she’d snap out of it and run away. Whenever Agent Westward attempted to match Annie’s point of focus, he reported his eyesight beginning to blur and the onset of a headache. Though ultimately, he says, whatever she was staring at was not visible to him.
One day while scanning police airwaves, Agent Westward picked up a distress call announcing the local Highschool was on lockdown. Someone had reported a large man in the stalls of the women’s bathroom. With the help of the Princeton Police Department, Agent Westward was present for the victim’s interview. Predictably it was Annie, though surprisingly her close friend Jessica had also been a witness. Annie was mute from shock, but Jessica’s statement went as followed:
“It was gym period when we went to go use the bathroom. As I was washing my hands, I noticed Annie standing stiff as a board, her eyes rolled upwards, foaming at the mouth. I thought maybe she was having a seizure. Then in the mirror, I caught a glimpse of someone staring at us from one of the stalls. Through the space between the partitions, I could make out a sickly bloodshot yellow eye. I instantly froze. I tried to yell but couldn’t. As more features came into focus, I could see it was some creepy old man. He was like two feet taller than me, the tips of his hair peaked out over the bathroom door. I thought to myself… if he ran out, there’s no way I could fight him off. He was built like a construction worker, wearing these big rubber boots, and his skin… his skin was bright yellow like a highlighter.”
A thorough search of the school yielded no results, and security camera footage showed no signs of a man ever entering or leaving the building. Though, police did note the presence of large muddy boot prints all over the final stall of the women’s restroom, and a single yellow handprint on the backside of the door. That along with a strong lingering smell of sulfur, and the spout of unearthly nausea that blanketed over everyone in the school, was reason enough for case escalation.
Shortly after The Blackridge Society attempted to query help from mediums and occult consultants but was met with similar answers across the board. This was not a haunting nor any sort of creature of legend or lore they knew of. Whatever it was, there was no protocol in place for how to deal with it.
Additional help was queried, but unfortunately, the man in yellow worked faster than the agency had anticipated. During a nightly stake-out, the agents were alerted by a blood-curdling scream coming from the Wilenets home. They rushed to action, calling the authorities before forcing into the home themselves.
The following is an excerpt from Agent Westwards report:
“By the time we managed to reach Annie’s bedroom, she had vanished. Mrs. Wilenet was unconscious on the floor while Mr. Wilenet was hunched over the bathroom sink sick and unresponsive. The walls of the room were covered in a think foul-smelling yellow film, and where Annie slept in bed, an outline of her figure in the same disgusting substance. When Mrs. Wilenet came to, she stated she’d been roused from sleep by panicked yells. She ran to help but was stopped cold at the sight of a large man hovering over her sleeping daughter. He was cupping Annie’s face with his enormous hands, the yellow slime trickling off his forearm down onto her like paint. Where the ooze touched, it would grow over her skin like mold. Mr. Wilenet barged into the room with a shotgun and fired a round into the yellow man’s back. The intruder immediately collapsed to the floor, dissolving to a puddle before their eyes. However, it was too late, the damage was done. Zombie-like, Annie stood motionless at the foot of the bed. Her demeanor changed; her skin was bright yellow. The sight of Annie made them nauseous, and at the lightest touch, the nausea was so overwhelming it incapacitated both Mr. and Mrs. Wilenet. By the time we reached the bedroom, she was nowhere to be seen.”
Despite our best efforts, Annie was never found again. Samples were collected from the scene, but its analysis proved inconclusive. The substance is not of any composition known in the periodic table. If anyone listening happens to come across a girl, with bright yellow skin. Do NOT interact with them. Remain at a distance. And please contact the black ridge society immediately.
Time is of the essence.