Possible stalking on mountain outside Troy witnessed in Pike County, Alabama

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I had noted on my Limestone, Alabama Spring 1978 sighting report that I would eventually submit other sightings that involved myself, others I know or did know or had learned from talking with others. I did not know it would be this long to submit them, but I have since married, had a child, lived in three different locations, had five different jobs among other things since I last submitted that Limestone, Alabama sighting. This sighting/encounter below involved myself, and two freinds, it unexpectdly and without intent being my second. The event I relate here happened to me and two friends in April of 1994 while I was attending Troy State University, Troy. I was undertaking graduate studies at the time. I lived in a campus dorm and had become friends with several people in the dorm and about campus. One of these friends stayed in a room a few doors down. He dated a young woman that stayed in the International House across campus. I had been studying on that paticular night I write of and had become bored with it. My friend knocked on the door and came in. I for the most part had an "open door policy". The door may be open, but knock before you enter so I'll know you are there. As Kevin and I talked we agreed to go pick up his girlfriend, Donna and go to "Lookout Mountain". I had been out to the place once before during the day about a month earlier so I offered to drive. We left campus around 11 pm or so. We headed up Hyw. 231 north. About 8 miles from the Campus we turned west/northwest (left) onto Co. Rd. 17 As we got closer to the so-called Lookout Mountian we noticed fewer and fewer houses. After about 15 minutes of driving we had found it and proceeded to park just off the road. We got out of my vehicle and then walked up to the top of this large hill. The hill is about 100 feet high from what I remember. It is supposedly the highest point in Pike County. The place seemed to be a well known and well used spot with open areas about the path to the top, besides one could see for several miles to the west, south and east from atop this hill. I recall seeing the rotating beacon that night at the Troy Airport several miles to the south. I knew we were not the first people to walk to the top and hang out nor were we going to be the last. Everything seemed cool. After about 15 to 20 minutes we three decided to head downhill toward the car and find something else to get into. I think we had decided we were going to go to Subway for a late night snack. Now here is where it got weird. Just after we started downhill I began getting a funny feeling and the hairs started to rise on the back of my neck, like something was there and we were being watched. Seeing how we were out at night in the country plus having a lady with us, Kevin and I had decided not to be foolish. We had both brought along weapons. I had a Colt .38 stuffed in the back of my pants in its holster and a few extra rounds in my pocket plus a good sharp replica Samurai sword. (Yes, a sword). My friend had a Glock 9mm and an extra magazine of rounds. My friend was in the National Guard at the time. I pulled out the .38 before we got even midway downhill. I had looked over to where Kevin and Donna were to my right. He had already taken out his 9mm so I knew he also sensed something by then as well. It was also about this time that we started hearing rather heavy footsteps. As we moved along I notcied the steps were on both sides of us. By the time we had arrived midway downhill we were aware that there were five maybe six...somebodys or somethings out not far from us. I recall that there were two and I'm pretty sure a third distinct grouping of footfalls to my left and two off to my right. Kevin was closest to the ones on my right so I'm sure he had heard them much better. Also by this time our Donna had become almost hysterical. I'm sure her few screams did not help matters much. Kevin said that it might be some other people messing with us like Frat boys. We stopped breifly. He shouted a few warnings that whomever was there had better leave us alone or speak up, he was ready to open fire. No answers. Nothing. I remained quiet, listening. Now any person in their right mind (perhaps even in a drunken state of mind) would have said something in order to keep from being shot at, I would think, yet there were no answers, no response of any sort. Just slience. We then continued to move downhill toward my vehicle but whatever they were kept back a bit and out of our sight and also to our sides yet they kept moving down along with us, not trying to hide their footfalls. As we approached the bottom of the hill we ran for it, got into the my car as fast as we could, cranked it up quickly, backed up, and took off back the way we had came. I am not sure if whatever they were moved out into the dirt road behind us or not as we drove off. I looked back but, it was really too dark to tell. Aside from that the road was narrow and had trees along each side of it and I was being as careful as I possibly could so as not to run off this road. I don't recommend under such cirmstances trying to drive out of such a place and look back at the same time. It took several minutes after we got back onto Hwy. 231 for Donna to calm down. I was shaken up but not too bad. I suppose the driving had something to do with it. I'm not sure how Kevin felt. I assume that his military training had taken over for a time back on that hill. We never saw what they were. Except for the footsteps they were otherwise quiet. At first I was not sure what they may have been however after considering the strange activites I felt they could very well have been bigfoots. I still feel that is what they were though I can never be 100% sure. Even so, what they did while we were on Lookout Mountain would seem much like reported and researched bigfoot behavior. After a few months and leaving Grad school I eventually lost contact with those two friends. I've not been back to Lookout Mountain since even though I have traveled up and down that part of 231 near there many times. I'm sure with a little driving about those dirt roads off Co. Rd. 17 I can find that hill again. I'm just not too sure I'd want to find it once again at night.