Awesome or Off-Putting is a weekly delve into cryptozoology, ufology, aliens, medical marvels, scientific wonders, secret societies, government conspiracies, cults, ghosts, EVPs, myths, ancient artifacts, religion, strange facts, odd sightings or just the plain unexplainable.

On the one hand you’ve got the Bermuda Triangle – a place renowned the world over for swallowing up WWII flying squadrons of one sort or the other, and never spitting them back out. On the other hand you have the Bennington Triangle - a similar place that will steal away entire populations – one person at a time.

At least that’s what it’s history seems to suggest.

To serve as a brief intro – here’s how Wikipedia sums up the Bennington Triangle:

“The Bennington Triangle is the colloquial term for an area of southwestern Vermont surrounding Glastenbury Mountain which is said by some to be a “window” area for paranormal phenomena.”

Like we said – the Vermont triangle is kind of like it’s Bermudan counterpart in that it is the home of several mysterious disappearances. When referred to in this paranormal light it seems most people cling to a specific disappearance-riddled time period for the cause of this great alarm. Most incidents happened from 1945 – 1950, and although some of them sound like they could just be sad tales of a teenage runaway, others are bona fide perplexing.

And what’s more – legend has it the place has an Indian curse on it or something. UnsolvedMysteries.com can give a tad more specifics on that:

“The Native Americans avoided the area completely, using it only for a burial ground, for they believed the land to be cursed, because all four winds met there. Too, there were legends of a mysteriously enchanted stone, said to literally swallow anything that steps on it. Whatever the cause, no one can deny that people have vanished within the boundaries of the Triangle, and only one has ever been found again.”

Well lets not be too hasty, Indian curse, because one person was seen again – dead. Her name was Frieda Langer - she disappeared and was missing for seven months. That sounds more sad than mysterious until her decomposed body one day turned up in a field that had already been meticulously searched multiple times in a vain effort to find her.

The only victim with her own Wikipedia page is Paula Jean Welden. She was a college student who headed out for a hike alone, and was seen by lots of people en-route – and then she disappeared. A reward was offered, her classmates launched tons of searches and her picture was printed in newspapers the nation-over – but to no avail. She was just gone.

Now we know what you’re thinking – both of those cases are sad, but not overly paranormal, right? Luckily we have this strange one to tide you over until next week. It’s also from UnsolvedMysteries.com:

“Three years to the day after Paula Welden’s disappearance, James E. Tetford vanished in circumstances that defy the laws of physics. Tetford boarded a bus in nearby St. Albans after visiting relatives, intending to return to the Bennington Soldier’s Home where he lived. His presence on the bus was confirmed at the stop before Bennington city, but he was not on the bus when it reached the following stop, Bennington Soldier’s Home! None of the passengers, including the driver, had any idea what happened to him. He literally vanished!”

Those aren’t the only three cases mind you, just three commonly cited ones. And if all of this undeniable mystery terrifies you to the point that you’re thinking about blotting Vermont off of all your globes, maps and cell phone plans – you’re sweating it too much. The strangeness seems to have died out in 1950.

Still – where was everybody going? We can’t help but compare it all to the Cumpstons - the elderly couple we told you about a few years back who were snoozing nicely in their vacation hotel room when a gaping, black vortex opened up in the floor and tried to suck them into a different dimension. Oh that’s right, you read that right.

If you are interested in reading more on the Bennington disappearances, might we suggest you do so here. If you’re still spooked, you should maybe comfort yourself by only walking places while firmly tethered to something of a solid or permanent nature.

Like a house, or your wife.

You! Follow hecklerspray on Twitter!