H. P. Albarelli, Jr.: New Update on The Awful: Was Lovecraft Influenced by It?

The Awful - a creature sighted near Richford, Vermont since the early 1900's may have led Lovecraft to some of his unusually imaginative creatures in his stories. Albarelli has vigorously pursued the creature and Lovecraft's possible connection for some time. (*)

Thursday, 30 November 2006 his latest report in the County Courier article wonders if a strange winged beast is still in the area. Several, including Lisa Maskell told "When I was about 10 or 11, we saw this thing sitting in a tree near the Trout River … it was huge with large wings and a long, strange beak … We threw rocks at it, but it didn't move. We stood looking at it for at least five to 10 minutes. I didn't really know what it was until a couple years later I saw pictures of a pterodactyl. It looked like that. Big, scary, and fascinating."

Another Franklin County resident, said that the Awful has been "seen off and on around here for the past 25 years or so."

Albarelli has uncovered a legend : the Gibou area was dubbed "forbidden" or "spirit haunted" by Native Americans. Lovecraft adored folklore and native American stories - though he usually ridiculed them through parody.

Albarelli uncovered that animals have disappeared, when one person said, "Let's just say a few animals have been lost to that thing. ... Taken away … consumed, I guess. I don't know, and I really don't want to."

Edith Green, was loacted and she told him "The Steven's Mill area is one well known locally for its anomalies. "

Albarelli states that the isolated Slide Road area has been the site of reports about strange objects and the summers of 1975 and 1999 produced a proliferation of reports of assumed UFO activity in the area. Then in 2002 and 2004, there were several reports of "glowing orange and yellow orbs" moving and "zigzagging" low-to-the-ground and across open fields and roadways.

Last week, a longtime resident of East Richford and a fifth generation Vermonter reported on the Awful "You can usually hear the damn thing before you see it. It makes a pretty weird sound, like a low scream … when it gets closer, you can hear its wings, which sound like fat blankets being shook out."

Albarelli has now obtained an artifact - a jawbone with teeth - and a biologist is examining it.

H.P. Albarelli Jr. is an investigative reporter and writer whose articles have been published in books, magazines, and newspapers across the country, and on the Internet. He has written several television scripts for NBC, ABC, BBC, and A&E. Peredur Publishing, Ltd., London, published his novel, "The Heap," last year. Albarelli lives in Richford and is at work on a non-fiction book entitled "Green Mountain Gothic."

(*) Private correspondence used with permission. This article is summarized from H. P. Albarelli's copywrited article.
Thursday, 30 November 2006, County Courier.