Aung's Hat

Introduction

If you walk the long and winding Betona Trail through the dense New Jersey Pine Barrens, you'll eventually stumble upon a small abandoned hamlet, or rather, a hut called Aung's Hat. Countless random hikers still show up there every year, entranced and obsessed by the stories about this place and searching for a mysterious gateway to another dimension. Today, nestled amongst a 1.1 million-acre forest, Aung's Hat is little more than the abandoned ruins of a shed. But in the 1860s, it was a lively village with a reputation for bootleg alcohol and prize-fighting, making it a fascinating place to explore. Aung's Hat's nomenclature is just as much an enigma as its dark and unsettling history, which I'm about to share with you in just a moment.

Chapter 1: The Legend of Aung's Hat

According to local legends, the name "Aung's Hat" comes from an early settler in the Pine Barrens named Jacob Ung. Ung was a flamboyant man who loved to impress the local ladies with his fabulous clothes, particularly his prized possession, a silk hat. However, one night, a jealous lover ripped the hat off his head and stomped on it, leaving it lodged in a nearby tree. Distressed at seeing his beloved hat abused, Ung threw a fit and the hat, stuck in the branches, ultimately became a marker for the village.

Chapter 2: The Mysterious Pamphlet

In the late 1980s, rumors began circulating about Aung's Hat after a mysterious photocopied pamphlet surfaced in various locations all around New Jersey. The pamphlet, titled "Aung's Hat: Gateway to the Dimensions," was supposedly published by the Institute of Chaos Studies and Moorish Science Ashram. It described bizarre experiments involving a device called "the Egg" and claimed that Aung's Hat was a hub for interdimensional travel.

Chapter 3: The Moorish Science Ashram

The pamphlet mentioned the Moorish Science Ashram, a commune founded in 1978 by Wally Fard, a seeker of spiritual enlightenment and an international carpet salesman. Fard and his converts indulged in various spiritual practices, and the commune's presence added an air of mysticism to the story.

Chapter 4: The Institute of Chaos Studies

Coinciding with the Ashram's presence in the Pine Barrens, the Institute of Chaos Studies, run by twin scientists Frank and Althea Dobbs, also made its home in nearby Aung's Hat. The institute was interested in unconventional research involving chaos theory, quantum mechanics, and alchemy.

Chapter 5: The Egg and Interdimensional Travel

Fard and the Dobbs twins combined their research programs and constructed a mysterious device called "the Egg." The purpose of the Egg was to shrink the researcher to atomic size and explore the quantum level, but during the first test, the Egg disappeared and returned seven minutes later with its passenger claiming to have visited an alternate dimension where human life had never developed.

Chapter 6: The Internet Phenomenon

By the late 1990s, Aung's Hat had become an internet sensation. Joseph Mafini, the real creator of the hoax, had orchestrated a viral alternate reality game (ARG) that captivated the minds of millions. The game blurred the lines between reality and fiction, and a community of believers, called "Eggheads," formed to decipher the mysteries of Aung's Hat.

Chapter 7: Unraveling the Truth

In 2001, Joseph Mafini revealed that Aung's Hat was a hoax, but the fervent believers couldn't accept the truth and continued to speculate on government conspiracies and alternate realities. The legacy of Aung's Hat lives on, and to this day, people explore the Pine Barrens, hoping to uncover the mysteries of the enigmatic hut and the elusive Egg.

Conclusion

Aung's Hat may be a fictional tale, but its impact as the internet's first viral hoax and alternate reality game cannot be denied. It highlights the power of storytelling and human fascination with the unknown. As the internet continues to blur the lines between fact and fiction, we must remain vigilant in our pursuit of the truth and our ability to discern between real mysteries and imaginative tales. While the legend of Aung's Hat may not be grounded in reality, it will forever serve as a reminder of the captivating allure of mystery and the adventures that await those who dare to explore the unknown.