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On June 17, 2009, an urban explorer named Brandon Reid went missing while exploring an abandoned church near the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in eastern Idaho. He was known to record his explorations and post them to video hosting sites. The video has yet to be released to the public, however, a transcript has been made available. The following is that transcript.
Brandon: Uh, Hi everyone, I’m still…uh… still in my car. I wanted to do some, like, shoutouts before the rest of my videos, to like, interact with my audience more. But, um, before I do that, y’know, like the video and subscribe. So, uh, to get started we have a shout-out to CandyPantzzz, XxSpawn_DelphixX, and Skihtols, thanks for watching, and let's get the video started.
(The video cuts to the channel’s intro, a short slideshow of pictures of Brandon taken from his videos while “Boom Boom Pow” by The Black Eyed Peas plays. The screen fades to black and the channel's logo slides into frame as the music fades out.)
(The video cuts back to Brandon, this time hiking through a moderately dense forest)
Brandon: So today I’m gonna be looking around this church that’s supposed to be haunted or something according to the guy who gave me this location.
(Brandon turns the camera around, showing a leaf covered hiking trail and a few scattered sticks)
Brandon: This church is supposed to be at the end of this trail, but I'm not actually sure what it's supposed to look like, so I'm really hoping I don't accidentally pass it because it's so hidden or whatever.
(Brandon continues down the path, this part of the video is sped up while royalty free music plays)
Brandon: I think- I think that I can see the building behind that tree over there, it looks a lot newer than I thought it would. Like, it looks like it's mostly brick and I can’t see anything that looks like it’s falling apart.
(Brandon passes a tree and the camera shows a clearing with a red brick church in the center. It does not appear to have decayed at all, despite the amount of plant growth surrounding and leading into the building)
Brandon: Well, this is it. I can’t tell how old the building is, so i’m not really sure what to expect inside
(Brandon walk towards the front steps of the church)
Brandon: I do want t-
(Brandon stops talking and turns around. The camera points towards the trail he had just hiked on. A deer steps into view, turning its head towards Brandon before prancing away)
Brandon: Fuck, i thought i heard something, scared the shit outta me, jeez.
(Brandon turns back to the church and begins to walk around to it’s right side)
Brandon: Uh, back to what i was saying, I wanted to look around the outside of the church, to see if I could see anything through the windows before I go in, just to make sure I actually want to go in and explore
(Brandon walk around the building until he comes across it’s first window)
Brandon: Okay let's get the camera up there and see what it's able to pick up
(Brandon lifts the camera to the window. The window is yellowed with age, but the camera is able to show the rows of pews inside. A few papers are scattered on the ground mixed with various plants that have grown in through the floorboards.)
Brandon: It doesn't look like there's anything super special in there, just normal church stuff
(Brandon turns and continues walking down the side of the building, stopping at the second window)
Brandon: Alright, what's behind door number two?
(Brandon lifts the camera to the window again, this time showing the front most row of pews and the altar. The altar has an aged lace tablecloth covering it, with various small objects scattered on and around it)
Brandon: Are those like candles? I can't really tell, they look out of place, but i guess i wouldn't really know what an altar is supposed to look like
(One of the objects shifts towards the window before Brandon brings the camera down, Brandon does not acknowledge this. Brandon rounds the corner of the building)
Brandon: Okay, so, we’re at the back now, nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. I think there's like, a cellar door in the middle. It’s probably locked but i might as well try
(Brandon walks to the cellar doors. There is a large padlock around the handles, which is very rusted. There is a roughly hammer sized hole in the left door)
Brandon: Well I was going to try and get the doors open but I dont really want to touch that lock, im not risking getting tetanus or whatever. Hold on, lets see can I-
(Brandon brings the camera down to the hole in the door, pushing the lens as far in as he can)
Brandon: Give me a second… lemme just-
(The cameras flash is turned on and the camera is able to get footage of the cellar stairway)
Brandon: Okay so, nothing unusual, that's kinda disappointing
(The camera lingers on the stairwell for a few seconds before Brandon lifts it out of the hole)
Brandon: I guess I should probably go look inside, before any other deer decide to give me a heart attack
(Brandon laughs to himself before heading forward and turning left. He passes by the windows on this side of the church without looking in. He arrives back in front of the church and walks up the steps, stopping at the door)
Brandon: Ready? Ready.
(Brandon answers himself before pulling on the door. The door does not open, but sheds a layer of dust as it jerks slightly open)
Brandon: Damn, okay, uh, give just me a second
(Brandon puts the camera down on the steps and proceeds to keep pulling on the doors. After a few tries the doors open)
Brandon: Alright, finally
(Brandon picks up the camera and turns around, panning across the forest behind him before stepping into the building)
Brandon: Woah, that’s insane, how did I miss this from the windows?
(Brandon angles the camera to the ceiling. An abstract mural covers the entirety of the ceiling. It depicts a spiraling black mass sprawling over layers of deep red paint. The black mass twists down the walls of the church, the tendrils creating an archway into the building)
Brandon: Like, seriously, this is crazy. It looks too old to be just graffiti, but who else would paint all this?
(The camera spins while still focusing on the mural. Brandon flowers the camera, pointing it back towards the altar)
Brandon: Do you think this building belonged to some offshoot of the church or like a weird sect? I mean, I dont know too much about bible stories and whatnot, but that painting doesnt seem to relate to any things that I do know.
(Brandon walks slowly past the first few pews, scanning the camera up and down them as he goes)
Brandon: I want to see if i ca-
(Brandon turned around at the sound of a soft creaking)
Brandon: Shit, I can't catch a break in this place
(One of the doors was moving slowly, closing with a soft click after a few seconds)
Brandon: God, okay, i'm just going to look around the altar then leave before I get any more paranoid
(Brandon continued forward at a slow pace, a few papers rustling under his feet)
Brandon: I dont- I dont think that those things are candles, they look like little statues.
(Brandon picks up one of the objects, holding it to the camera. It looks like a small homemade idol, carved in a humanoid shape fitted with thick horns. Seven notches adorn its wooden body)
Brandon: Okay, so, this place definitely had some sort of cult here, like, one of the freaky demon worshiping ones
(Brandon sets the statue down on its side, turning the camera to look at the rest of them. The other idols all depict the same figure in various sizes and with various amounts of black and red paint)
Brandon: Yeah, I think i'm done here, I don't want to find anything creepier
(Brandon pans over the many statues on and around the altar before turning towards the doors again)
Brandon: Fuck, I didnt hear the other door close, I gotta get out of here
(Brandon stops halfway to the door as a high pitched scratching sound begins, followed by faint music)
Brandon: was- was that a record? Is someone in here?
Unknown: she dont know that shes a lucky girl…
(A voice behind Brandon sings along with the song. Brandon turns around quickly, facing the altar again)
Brandon: Is- Is someone there?
(The music and singing continue as Brandon backs away, still turned toward the altar)
Unknown: got the boy i wish was mine, but…
(There is a long slow creaking again)
Brandon: oh my god, oh my god. Look, whoevers there, i’ll leave right now, I didnt mean to get in your way or move anything around, just ignore me and i’ll go
(Brandon turns around to face the doors again, this time the right door is wide open. Before he can take a step the unknown voice speaks from directly behind Brandon)
Unknown: she has his love, but treats him cruel…
(Brandon screams and falls, dropping the camera in front of him)
Brandon: Im sorry, Im sorry! Im just trying to leave
(The camera settles and refocuses, showing in frame Brandon, the Altar, and a person)
Unknown: with a boy like that, its such a sin…
(The figure bends over Brandon, revealing their face. Dark brown hair frames their face, which appears to have a cross carved across their entire face, a seemingly recent wound. The sclera of their eyes was an unnatural red shade, and their eyes did not appear to have any pupils)
Brandon: I’m sorry for touching your statues, i didnt mean to bother you, i just want to leave
(Brandon is covering his face with his arms as the unknown person leans in close to him)
Unknown: shes a fool, oooooh shes a fool, ooooooh
(The figure reached out a hand towards Brandon’s head. Each arm was discoulored, the hands being a deep shade of black, with black veins reaching up into the vibrant red forearms and biceps, which faded into their regular shade of skin around the shoulder)
Unknown: he will tell her, “girl be on your way”...
(The figure grabs both of Brandons arms harshly, pulling them away from his face.)
Unknown: maybe then he’ll turn to me…
Brandon: Please I’m sorry, I just want to leave
(The figure pulls hard, forcing Brandon forward onto his stomach, his arms still in the grip of the individual)
Unknown: Then how happy I will be that-
(The person begins to drag Brandon towards the center of the church.)
Brandon: Let me go, I swear…unintelligible
Unknown: She’s a fool, she’s a fool
(The unknown individual throws Brandon against the altar, knocking down the carved figures.)
Brandon: F-fuck! Let me go you piece of shit!
Unknown: She has his love….
Brandon: Shut up! Stop singing!
Unknown: But-
(The person reaches for something behind the altar while Brandon regains his footing and stand up)
Brandon: Fuck this! Fuck you! I’m getting th-
(Brandon stops suddenly and begins to gag. Falling to his knees he grabs at his throat, a thick substance beginning to leak from his nose. The figure walks back to the front of the altar, holding an object is front of Brandon’s face)
Unknown: She. Treats. Him…
(Brandon continues to choke, his strangles shouts growing louder as the person begins to carve. The sound of skin and muscle tearing is louder than Brandon’s cries.)
Unknown: Cruel…
(Brandon stops screaming as a cracking echoes throughout the chapel. The person is aggressively ripping at Brandon’s mutilated face, throwing chunks of discolored meat to the floor)
(The figure steps away, walking to an area obscured by the pews. Brandon’s body can be seen in full. His face had been ripped open in four sections, revealing what was left of his cracked and broken skull. What remained of his flesh was leaking the thick substance along with his own blood.)
(The music stops as the unknown person walks back into frame, bending down to collect the wooden figures that had been knocked over in the struggle. They arrange them on the alter once again, taking one away from the rest and situating it in the open cavity in Brandon’s skull. A faint clicking sound is caught by the camera before the figure outstretches its arms and drops a lighter.)
(The wooden carving was set alight inside of Brandon’s face, causing the blood and flesh to boil and bubble. The person stands up and pats the dust off of their pants before turning to face the camera. They walk over slowly, placing each step unnaturally far to the sides of the aisle. Once they reach the camera they reach down before the camera clicks off and the recording ends)
Four days after this incident was filmed, Brandon’s sister filed a missing persons report. The police began their investigation on June 29th.
Brandon’s car was located on the road in front of an unmarked trail on the 30th.
The trail was followed by a search party consisting of locals, family, a K-9 unit, and the officers assigned to the case.
The Church Brandon had explored was found shortly after the search entered the trail.
No body was discovered within the church, the only evidence found was a chunk of charred wood laying in front of the altar and Brandon’s camera, placed on the first pew closest to the altar.
No remains have been found, and there have been no reports of the unknown figure seen.
If you have any information regarding this case please contact your local authorities