Betrayal (Identity Theft)

Claudia stared into the darkness after she answered her phone and a stranger asked her how she was doing. The strange man thanked her for a wonderful evening and wanted to know if he could come to her apartment to spend the rest of the night with her.

            “Who are you and why are you calling me at this hour?” asked Claudia.  It was 2:00 a.m. and Claudia was sound asleep when he called, her calculus textbook fell on the floor when she answered her phone. She fell asleep with the book on her chest.

            “Are you playing hard to get? We spent the evening together. We ate dinner at the Ritz and then we went dancing and now you pretend to not know me. I don’t get it,” said the strange man.

            “Who are you?” asked Claudia.

            “My name is Jeremy.”

            “Jeremy? I don’t know anyone by that name and how did you get my phone number?” asked Claudia.

            “You gave it to me.”

            “I have been home all evening. I have not left the house.”

            “I can’t believe you are denying that you know me after the night we spent. Your name is Claudia Banks and I loved dancing with you and spending time with you. I thought you felt the same way about me.”

            “I am sorry to hurt your feelings but I have never met you before.” Claudia was shocked that he knew her name. She was not going to tell him that he got her name right.

            “You have the wrong number. Please do not call this number again.”

            Claudia was trying to maintain her composure. She did not know how this man knew her name and phone number.

            She hung up on Jeremy and lay awake wondering how a strange man could have known her name and phone number. She opened her purse to see if the contents were still in place. She had her driver’s license and she saw all other important things were still in her purse.  Nothing was missing. She got up and checked the locks on her apartment door and checked the windows. They were all locked.

            Claudia went back to bed and tried to fall asleep. Finally, an hour later she dozed off.

            Claudia went to work the next morning. To make ends meet, she had to work as a phlebotomist at a local hospital while she was going to school. She was working towards becoming a medical technologist. Drawing blood would help her get her foot in the door at the hospital she wished to be employed by when she graduated. It was a busy job and she usually ended up working in the Emergency Room.  She enjoyed working with the patients and staff.

            She looked around at all the staff when she was eating her lunch in the breakroom wondering if any of the staff could have pulled the prank of pretending to be her the night before. Everything seemed to be normal.

            “You look tired.  You didn’t sleep well? Were you up too late studying? I know it’s finals week.” inquired Marissa, another phlebotomist.

            “A strange man called me in the middle of the night and said he knew me and spent the night with me. He told me a person by my name gave him my phone number.  He used my exact name, first and last.”

            “It sounds like someone is playing a mean trick on you. Don’t they realize how busy you are with going to school and working.”

            “It’s creepy,” responded Claudia.

            “I will keep my eyes open to see if anyone is acting suspicious,” said Marissa.

            Claudia was called to one of the rooms to draw a patient who just arrived at the hospital. The person was in a car accident.  She had to draw the patient’s blood so blood could be ordered for a transfusion. Claudia was taken aback because the person looked like a friend she knew in high school. She looked at the emitting paperwork and discovered that it was her friend. She was devastated and hid in the closet where cleaning supplies were stored to hide her tears from everyone.

            “George, are you studying for the calculus exam tonight?” asked Claudia. She called George because she wanted some company.  She was afraid to be alone.

            “Yes, do you want me to come over?” asked George.

            “Could I spend the night at your house tonight?” asked Claudia.

            “That would be fine. Is there something wrong? I can tell by your voice that you seem a little shaken,” said George.

George and Claudia have been friends for at least five years. They started dating when they were in high school but decided they preferred to be friends and not have a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. The chemistry was not there but they still had a lot in common. 

“I received an unsettling phone call last night.”

“You don’t have to tell me anymore. Come right over and pack an overnight bag my friend. I will keep you safe tonight.”

Claudia was happy that George was her friend. They have been there for each on so many occasions.

            They ordered pizza and drank diet sodas until their eyes were too droopy and they could not think anymore.

            “I think we know this stuff well enough,” said Claudia.

            “I can’t study anymore. I just want to sleep.”

            They curled up together in the same bed and fell fast asleep within minutes.

            “We received a phone call from the university. A Claudia Banks, fitting your description, has been selling illegal drugs,” said Claudia’s supervisor, Sue.

            “I have not been doing anything illegal,” stammered Claudia.

            “The person looks like you and has given the police a driver’s license with your name and address on it.”

            Claudia sat down heavily on the chair in front of Sue’s desk. “My identity has been stolen.”

            “It appears that’s the case,” said Sue.

            “This can be really serious,” said Claudia.

            “We like you, Claudia and want to help you.  You have been an excellent employee,” said Sue.

            “What do you suggest I do?” asked Claudia. Claudia looked pale and distraught.

            Claudia added, “I received a phone call from a strange man the other night and he said he spent the evening with me and had a good time. I was home studying all night by myself. I stayed at a friend’s home last night because I was afraid to be alone.”

            “I suggest you stay at your friend’s home until this problem is fixed,” said Sue.

           

********

Henry was always at the top of his game when it came to his vacations with his wife, Samantha.   He ordered the best wine from room service to go along with shrimp cocktails.  The unsuspecting George DeLong was none the wiser that he was footing the bill for all the luxurious extravagances. Samantha met Henry a couple of months ago and they fell madly in love. He has treated her to a diamond ring and other expensive jewelry. He’s taken her shopping for clothes at top of the line establishments. Samantha felt like she finally met the sugar daddy of her dreams. All these luxurious accommodations had been paid for by stolen credit and debit cards.

His home was filled with expensive furniture and he drove a Mercedes. Samantha thought he was off to his job as a hedge fund broker but what he was actually doing was stealing from other unsuspecting victims. He embezzled from the company he quit working for a few years ago. He managed their accounts and while doing so he established bogus companies that only he had access to. He left the company in good terms after draining the phony accounts. He’s been living on the stolen money he embezzled for five years along with all the stolen credit and debit cards.

Henry decided to investigate and find out who George DeLong is and possibly use his name to set up a GOFUNDME account to add to his savings account. He did a little research and learned that George was an upstanding person who worked for an accounting firm in southern California. Exploring further he discovered that George had a penchant for animals. He lost a dog to a rare form of cancer. The wheels in Henry’s head were spinning wildly.  He thought he could set up an account to fund research for a cure for the rare cancer George’s dog died from.

“What are you doing, hon?” asked Samantha.

“Before I met you, I had a dog that died from a rare form of cancer and I was thinking I may create a GOFUNDME account to help with finding a cure for the cancer. I was devastated.”

“Aw, that’s too bad. Good luck,” said Samantha. She hugged Henry and then left his study.

Henry was going to use George’s name, but Samantha would not be the wiser. He went into the sight to set up an account. He was surprised about how much information they were requiring. Henry felt fortunate that he had George’s Social Security number.

            Henry set up a bank account for the money to be funneled to. That was the easy part of the entire transaction. He used George’s Social Security number and credit card number for the bank account.

            Meanwhile, George noticed charges on his credit card statement that he did not make.  He contacted the credit card company.

            “I have never traveled to Reno, Nevada,” George told the person at the credit card company.

            Shirley from customer service asked, “Are you sure? You signed for the charges.”

            “I have not left the state. You can contact my supervisor to verify,” said George. George’s home office was in Los Angeles.  George was starting to become impatient. He asked if his card number could be changed immediately. Shirley agreed to change his card number and told George that his new card would arrive in the mail in approximately two weeks. George thanked Shirley and cut up his old card.

            “Can you remove the charges from my card balance?” asked George.

            “We will contact your supervisor and once that is done and things prove to be on the up and up, we will remove the charges.”

            “How can I prevent someone from hacking into my account and doing this to me again?” asked George.

            “People who steal this information are hard to track. I would pay attention to your statements and make sure your card is not being used by someone else. I wish I could give you more reassurance.”

            “Thanks for your help,” said George. He knew he had to rely on his debit card until his credit card situation was straightened out.

           

            “Why are you handcuffing me?” asked George.

            “You set up a phony GOFUNDME account and we tracked the account back to you. There is no program set up that matches where the funds were going.”

            “I don’t understand. I never set up a GOFUNDME account,” stammered George.

            “Is this your Social Security number?” asked Jared, the officer.

            “Yes, it is,” replied a stunned George.

            “First someone stole my credit card information and now this. What is going on?” asked George. He struggled to straighten his posture after his arms were cuffed.

            “Your credit card was stolen?” asked Pete, the other officer.

            “Yes, I am waiting for a new credit card after the number was changed,” replied George.

            “We are going down to the station to check this out further. Your identity may have been stolen,” said Pete, the other officer.

            “Uncuff him. I think he’s a victim,” said Pete.

            “We have checked your bank statements and looked into your credit card situation and it looks like someone was having fun in Reno with your card. The same person probably set up a GOFUNDME account under your name,” said Jared.

            “We have our computer techs looking into who may have set up the account. They will track the IP address to see if they can find a lead to who may have stolen your identity,” said Pete. Henry was on the top of his game concerning hacking into accounts and stealing identities. He usually moved on before he was caught in the act. Henry was never caught.

            “Henry, if you don’t stop spoiling me, I am never going to leave you. You treat me so well. I love the gifts and places you take me too,” said Samantha. She was sunbathing on a beach in Hawaii.  Henry discovered that George’s credit number was changed. As soon as he learned about the credit card number being changed, he drained the GOFUNDME account and left for Hawaii with Samantha.  Unsuspecting good citizens, who wanted to find a cure for the rare cancer in dogs, donated over two hundred thousand dollars. Henry felt that was enough to pad his personal bank account and travel to Hawaii.

           

********

Dark forces prepared for a large hack upon the register system of a Michael’s store, a craft store.  Many people rely on debit and credit cards to pay for things. It was no different with the women who shopped for their craft supplies. The criminals picked a busy Saturday to hack the store’s system, a day when many women were going to be shopping.

Mildred picked up her sister, Cynthia, and they headed to Michaels. The holidays were approaching and they learned how to make braided wreaths and wreaths made from Christmas ornaments. They were elated to hear that some of the people in their social circle were very interested in receiving some of their homemade crafts. Mildred had won awards at county fairs for her homemade crafts.

            “Hi, Sue. What are you shopping for?” asked Mildred.  Sue and Mildred became friends when they participated in a knitting group that meets weekly at a local coffee shop.

            “I finished the top to a quilt and I need to get the backing and fiber liner,” replied Sue.

            “I will stop by to see your quilt after you finish it,” said Mildred. Mildred often became inspired when she saw her friends’ finished craft projects.

            “I will call you when I finish it. We can catch up over a cup of coffee.”

            “I look forward to having coffee with you.”

            Cynthia called out to Mildred. “Mildred come check out this fabric.” Cynthia held up some colorful fabric with hollies and Christmas trees on it. She pointed to the other fabrics with Christmas prints on them. She had a glint in her eye. Mildred started picking up some of the bolts of fabric and had a glint in her eye, also.

            Mildred and Cynthia brought their selected bolts of fabric to the cutting table.

            The lines were long in front of each register.  Elated customers buying craft supplies to make their Christmas crafts. Women chatted and talked about holiday plans. The store was decorated in festive holiday decorations and many brightly colored holiday supplies lined the aisles which matched the moods of the holiday shoppers.

            “We have been hacked. Everyone who shopped at our store last Saturday and used debit and credit cards have had their account numbers stolen. The hackers probably picked up the four-digit codes associated with the debit cards, also. This is horrible.  We have to make this public. Those poor shoppers. I have just completely changed every account and the passwords associated with our register system. Future customers are protected. I don’t know if we will reach all the customers who shopped here last Saturday. That was one of our busiest days,” said Herald.

           

            “Did you see the article in the paper yesterday?” asked Mildred.

            “Yes, I did,” replied Cynthia.

            “I contacted my credit card company and had my number changed,” reported Mildred.

            “I contacted my bank to have my account information changed for my debit card. What a pain,” retorted Cynthia. Cynthia did not use a computer and she did not have a smart phone because she heard they could be used to spy on her and now her bank account was compromised by shopping for craft supplies. She decided she was going to start carrying more cash.

            “We hit the mother load the other day when we hacked the register system at that Michael’s Store. I sold a lot of the account information to our customers. They were happy to have new accounts to use. I made a killing,” said Ralph, a skilled hacker.

            “I would like to see if we could hack into Walmart’s system,” said Earnest.

            “We could make a killing if we figured out how to do that,” said Ralph.

********

           

Elenore and Gregory were about to get the surprise of their lives when Gregory applied for a new job after they moved from their hometown to another city. They were leaving behind a lot of unhappy memories. They were both born in raised in St. Mary. They lost their son in a car accident. He was killed by a drunk driver and he was their only child. Elenore and Gregory were looking to start fresh with new jobs and a new place to live. Gregory was a lawyer for a small law firm and Elenore was a Certified Public Accountant and worked for the same law firm, handling their accounting needs. Both had a nest egg saved up so they could take their time securing employment.

            “I want to talk to you, Gregory,” said Peter Hasley.

            “I’m all ears,” retorted Gregory.

            “Someone with your name, credentials and social security number works in St. Louis, Missouri.

            “What?” asked Gregory.

            “Are you trying to pull a fast one?” asked Peter.

            “What do you mean?” asked Gregory.

            “I repeat. Someone with your name, credentials and social security number works in St. Louis, Missouri.

            “That can’t be possible. I have never been to that city.” Gregory sat down hard on the chair he was standing next to when he answered the phone. His face was pale. He thought things like this only happened to other people.

            Elenore entered the room and when she saw her husband who looked like he just learned about the death of someone, she became very concerned. “What’s wrong?”

            Gregory motioned for her to sit down.

            “What can I do to fix this problem?” asked Gregory.

            “I don’t know what to say. Is there anyone who can vouch for who you say you are?”

            “We are new to this community. We really don’t know anyone.”

            “That’s too bad.

            “Can we have some people from the firm I worked at in St. Mary  verify who I am?”

            “You could get people to lie for you. I don’t know how to fix this.”

            “It looks like my hands are tied. I am going to have to go back to my hometown and have the police look into who has stolen my identity in St. Louis. This is too bad. I was really looking forward to working for your firm. We moved from our hometown because we lost our son a year ago and there were so many memories of him.  We wanted to start anew with a new life. I know that doesn’t sound good for us, but it’s the truth.”

            “Our firm will help you rectify this problem. You had an honest face and I was looking forward to working with you.”

            “Let’s start with fingerprints. My fingerprints are on file at the McGregor Law Firm and the court house in St. Mary. I am willing to have my fingerprints taken again and compare them to the ones held at St. Mary. My fingerprints have been on file with the two places I mentioned for at least 20 years. That should prove who I am.”

            “Good thinking. Why don’t you come in right now and we will collect your fingerprints?.”

           

            Leroy and Henrietta were happily bringing home large paychecks from the jobs they secured at a St. Louis law firm.  They were lounging on their sofa watching soap operas that they recorded when they were at work. Leroy barely graduated from a community college with a Criminal Justice two-year degree.  Henrietta did not attend a college and only possessed a high school education.  She took accounting and bookkeeping classes in high school and felt she was more than qualified to take on the role as a CPA for an accounting company. Leroy hasn’t won a case for the firm he was employed in the five years he was at the firm. Neither were good employees and both were going to be fired soon. Their high level of narcissism led them to believe they were at the top in their fields. They were surprised when two police officers were at their door asking them to come with them downtown.

            “We need to take your fingerprints,” said one of the officers.

            “Why?” asked Leroy, who was posing as Gregory Lefeile.

           

“Put your thumb print here,” said the officer as he pointed to the fingerprint sheet.

            Henrietta had to give her fingerprints, also.

            They were booked and locked up in the city jail, pending sentencing.

            “The authorities located the two culprits who were posing as us in St. Louis,” said Gregory to Peter. Gregory was sitting in Peter’s office.

            “I am so sorry about the mix up,” said Peter.

            “I am glad things worked out the way they did. People’s identities are stolen every day and I feel we were one of the lucky ones the way things ended up,” said Gregory.

            “Welcome to the firm,” said Peter as he extended his hand.

            “I am so glad to be here,” replied Gregory.

           

********

           

            The year was 2010 and my professional signature was used to request money from all my friends, family and business associates listed on my email account. The culprits sought money for an emergency and made it sound like I was stranded in another country. I was appalled and felt violated. Most people are unaware of having their identity stolen unless it hits them in the face like it did for me. How are these people able to hack into and take over our internet accounts? Snowden, when he revealed what the government national security program was up to, delineated how easy it was for the agency to spy on private citizens. Currently, busy bodies are hacking into personal facebook accounts. We live in a country where Russian operatives hacked into our social media accounts to sway a presidential election.

            I thought it was a good idea to list my professional accolades in a signature that was a part of all the emails I sent to my friend, family and business associates. I listed my LLC, and that I was an author and professor at a local college. Why wouldn’t anyone send me money if I was stranded in another country? How could they do that to me or anyone else? They violate our rights to privacy to seek money from the unsuspecting. My email account was compromised so a friend of mine offered to contact as many people as possible to let them know what happened to me. Many ways exist in which our social media accounts can be hacked into.

            How many people fell prey to these unscrupulous characters? Did anyone fall for the plea and send money to the accounts listed? My professional signature was stolen and used to coerce people I know to give the crooks money by hacking into my email account. For a while my world was turned upside down.  Meanwhile, the lives of the culprits do not change unless they realize a payday. I grew up during a time when none of this crazy stuff happened. My family had a party line and everyone who shared the line was respectful of others who were using the same line. Cellphones did not exist and some how we managed to get ahold of our friends. Technology has improved our lives in some ways and has been destructive in many other ways.

Identity theft was written about because it is performed by individuals who prey on others and they are definitely watchers. They watch and steal from unsuspecting victims. The culprits invade people’s privacy by researching who would give them the payoffs they seek.  Many are not caught due to many reasons. They usually excel at many forms of technology and can hack into social media systems. Self-serving motives serve as their motivation.

************************************

Facts + Statistics: Identity Theft and Cybercrime

The scope of identity theft

According to 2018 Identity Fraud: Fraud Enters a New Era of Complexity from Javelin Strategy & Research, in 2017, there were 16.7 million victims of identity fraud, a record high that followed a previous record the year before. Criminals are engaging in complex identity fraud schemes that are leaving record numbers of victims in their wake. The amount stolen hit $16.8 billion last year as 30 percent of U.S. consumers were notified exposure to a data breach last year, an increase of 12 percent from 2016. For the first time, more Social Security numbers were exposed than credit card numbers.

Following the introduction of microchip equipped credit cards in 2015 in the United States, which make the cards difficult to counterfeit, criminals focused on new account fraud. New account fraud occurs when a thief opens a credit card or other financial account using a victim’s name and other stolen personal information. According to the Javelin study, account takeovers tripled in 2017 from 2016, and losses totaled $5.1 billion.

Identity theft and fraud complaints

The Consumer Sentinel Network, maintained by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), tracks consumer fraud and identity theft complaints that have been filed with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and private organizations. Of the 2.7 million identity theft and fraud reports received in 2017, 1.1 million were fraud-related, costing consumers almost $905 million. The median amount consumers paid in these cases was $429. Within the fraud category, imposter scams were the most reported and ranked first among the top 10 fraud categories identified by the FTC. They accounted for $328 million in losses. In 2017, 14 percent of all complaints were related to identity theft. Identity theft complaints were the third most reported to the FTC and had increased almost 70 percent from 2013 to 2015 but fell about 24 percent from 2015 to 2017. Credit card fraud was the most reported incident to the Consumer Sentinel Network, with 133,000 reports.

Source: https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-identity-theft-and-cybercrime

My Secret Admirer

One day I opened my locker and found a valentine with a pack of gum taped to it. The note on the valentine said “from your secret admirer.” I was thrilled and puzzled at the same time. Who could it be I wondered. For two weeks about every other day, I received things like chocolate, gum and a bracelet with a heart on it. For something like this to happen to me was a shock. I wasn’t quite a wall flower, but I wasn’t one of the popular girls either. I was in between if you know what I mean. I had some teenage boys show an interest in me but it usually didn’t go to far. I was felt I was destined to hang out with my girlfriends instead of having someone steady to call my own.

I started imagining who could have left me those special little gifts. I wanted it to be Tom, a football jock who smiled at me on occasion. Tom had the kindest eyes and those broad shoulders. I envisioned myself curled up with him at a movie. Having him pick me out in the stands when he was playing football.

Then I imagined what it would be like to be going with one of the most popular boys in high school. He was one year older than me. I was a sophomore and he was a junior. He could have any girl he wanted. I sat in study hall day dreaming about what it would be like to be going steady with Tom. I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t notice a boy sit next to me.

“Sharon, did you take notes in world history today?” asked Simon. Simon and I did homework together on occasion.  Simon had an orthodontic appointment and had to miss the first part of the school day.

“Yes, here they are,” I said. I handed him the notes. His hand brushed my hand and he looked into my eyes.  I didn’t think anything of it. I have known Simon has had a crush on me for quite some time, but I told him we were just going to be friends.

“How did your appointment go today?” I asked.

“I don’t have to wear the night gear anymore,” replied Simon.

The bell rang and we went our separate ways.

Another note was slid into the slot at the top of my locker. My secret admirer told me he was going to meet me after school by my locker when the last bell rang for the day. My heart did a little gleeful beat in anticipation of finally finding out. I so hoped it was going to be Tom. I had two more classes before the reveal of my secret admirer. I had trouble concentrating all afternoon. I was dreamily hoping it would be Tom.

It was finally the end of the day. The time to find out who he was. I stood by my locker and a boy approached me. I was not exactly sure who he was until he told me his name. It was Ted. He told me he was in my Spanish class.

Why don’t I know him, I asked myself.  I told him I liked receiving the nice notes and gifts. He smiled at me shyly. I have to let him down easy, I said to myself.

“Hey, I do remember you. I told him. (I lied.) I really don’t know you so how about we hang out sometime and get to know each other.” He told me he would like that. I rode the bus home from school disheartened that it wasn’t Tom, but felt that perhaps Ted would end up being a good friend.

Black Eyed Children

A loud knock and then a plea could be heard from the other side of the door. “Can I use your phone to call home?” asked the small voice. Elenore opened the door and then slammed the door in the child’s face, when she saw the black eyes on the little girl. Chills ran up and down Elenore’s back, she has never seen anything so eerie in her life. The little girl knocked on the door again and said “Don’t be afraid. I only want to use you for a while.” Elenore called the police and no sign of the girl could not be found. Thousands of people of all ages have vanished. Could this be the result of the black eyed children?

            What are the black eyed children? It has been speculated that they may be alien hybrids, demons, vampires or ghosts and they are soulless, scary and evil. They leave a long-lasting impression filled with fear of seeing more of these children to actually thinking they are seeing them in various locations. The earliest sighting of one of these eerie children was reported by Brian Bethel, a journalist, in 1996 (Stockman, 2013). Science can explain bats that fly around during the evening, but cannot explain what goes bump in the night when it comes to phenomenon such as the black eyed children.

They usually range from six to 16 years of age, wear hoodies and otherwise normal clothing such as jeans. These strange children appear out of nowhere and use various excuses to gain access to homes and vehicles. Vampires and demons need to seek permission to enter someone’s home unless they were already at the residence before the arrival of the new homeowners.

Black eyed children will appear to be normal kids except for the black eyes. Being in the vicinity of these beings has caused a feeling of unease and some have reported feelings of terror. Some people have reported that the children had talons for feet and other demonic features. They always ask for something, usually to gain entry into your home or vehicle. There are no reported stories about when you invite one of the black eyed children into your home or vehicle. In 2014, a British newspaper reported that more and more black eyed children have been seen all over the world. Various theories exist that explain the strange phenomenon (Stockman, 2013).

A rare disease called alkaptonuria has been known to cause black eyes, skin and bones. This disease was more prominent in Slavakia. The fear these beings cause to the ones they appear to, tells a different story. It is also believed that these scary beings appear when people have lost their innocence and may be entering a darker part of their lives. Their appearance may represent the darker sides of people, the darker energy that is in all people.

The following are ten of the 16 episodes in which people reported being terrified when they saw the Black Eyed Kids which were taken from Instagram Quotes about Submissions collected by Christine Stockton in 2013 and compiled by Thought Catalog.

“1. Midnight caller.

It almost felt like a dream. I woke up to my dog, Lucy, barking. She was upright on the bed where my husband and I were sleeping with our 22-month-old daughter, staring at our door like an unknown stranger was out there rummaging around. I thought she was just freaking out over a house noise. We’d only had her for 3 months and she was still a puppy. It could have been anything- our roommate, a creak from the house settling, the awnings moving outside in the breeze- I wasn’t too concerned initially.

I decided the best bet would be to open the door and show her nothing was there. It sounds a bit silly, but it’s what we do with our daughter when she gets scared, and I figured it should work with a puppy, too. I opened the door and she raced to the front door. She stood there, snarling at the door. It was an angry, violent growl, one I had never heard her make before. I looked groggily at her and opened the baby gate blocking the doorway, planning to open the door and show her everything was OK.

The second my hand reached for the deadbolt, Lucy went wild. She started barking and jumped toward me, and when I touched the metal, she suddenly changed her temper. She whimpered, almost like she was afraid and backing down. As her mannerism changed, so did mine- I wasn’t calm anymore. My heart was racing and sinking at the same time. I had been flooded with a mixture of fear and dread. I looked through the peephole. I can’t explain why I looked, but I did. Outside were two kids.   

One was just a smidgen shorter than me, and didn’t look much younger. I’m 21, and she looked to be 16 or 17. She was slender and pale. Her hair was a light shade of honey blonde, and she wore it long, about mid-back, with long, thin, blunt bangs in the front that covered most of her eyes. She wore jeans, a light-wash that’s popular right now, and a thin-looking olive colored pullover style hoodie. She held the hand of a small girl, who looked to be around 3 or 4, in the same style jeans and a button-down ivory cardigan. The smaller one looked at the floor shyly, but had the same shade of hair, tied back in a ponytail. She held a stuffed toy under her free arm, and it was identical to one my daughter has- as was their style of dress. Had it not been for the feeling of overwhelming dread and fear, I probably would have asked these children in and given them some tea or hot chocolate to get them out of the bitter cold. Something about them seemed off. At this point, I hadn’t made any noise- I hadn’t shushed the dog or grumbled, nothing- I hadn’t turned on any lights, these kids had no indicators I was at the door. The older one spoke.

She had a voice that was mature, confidant, strong, and accentless. She held her head tilted downward, and I couldn’t see her eyes. She said ‘We have to use your phone.’ I stood frozen in fear. How did she know I was there? She raised her head to face me directly, and that was when I saw her eyes. There was a reason I couldn’t see them through her bangs before- they were black, or midnight blue, or a dark, dark purple- they were otherworldly. she said. ‘Our mother is worried.’

As someone who has always been interested in creepy stories, I knew what she was the second she looked at me through the door. I have never been one to believe in these things- as a staunch Atheist and skeptic when it comes to the paranormal, I had written off many a ghost story from friends and family members eager to tell their tale. I didn’t believe it. Still, I couldn’t rationalize my way out of this- I was standing with nothing but a thin wooden door between me and a Black Eyed Kid. There was no questioning what was right in front of me.

I did not answer her. Slowly and silently, I backed away from the door, Lucy still cowering at my ankles. She kept talking. ‘Just let us in to use your phone.’ I took another step back, and with that step, the tone changed. At first, she seemed polite. When I took that second step back, she became commanding, almost hostile. We’re not going to hurt you. If we wanted to do that, we would have broken in. I’ll ask again. May we come in and use your phone?” Lucy snarled at the door, and I inched backward, though something inside me seemed to be slowly pulling me back toward the door. It wasn’t a physical pulling so much as a subconscious need to go back and let them in.

I got to my room, covered up the window, locked the door, and sat there in the dim light of the nightlight. I heard her call me back to the door once more, and then quiet. I didn’t go back to sleep that night, and I haven’t slept right since. I know from reading about them that BEK’s can’t just come in without permission. I know they haven’t hurt anyone, but I still fear I’ll be the exception. When I told my husband, he said it was just a dream. He keeps telling me to forget it, but this lingering feeling of sadness, this dread when the house is silent at night, this fear of a knock at the door… this tells me otherwise.

2. Bus encounter.

I was riding the bus back home after work, it was about 1 am, I’m a security guard and often work odd hours. So I’m sitting there, and this guy gets on, sits across from me. He was wearing a suit, had a briefcase, regular looking guy in his 20s. What struck me about him at first was that he was chewing a cigar, not smoking it, you can’t smoke on the bus. So I was just looking at him while he stared out the window and chewed his cigar, and all of a sudden he turned and looked at me. His eyes were pitch black, just as you described.

My heart started beating like a mad motherfucker, and I felt my gorge rising. I was starting to panic and I had no idea why, I was just pants-shittingly terrified of this guy. Then he grinned at me, and his teeth were all covered in tobacco bits and brown juice, the cigar clamped between them. I almost screamed, but instead I had the presence of mind to just get up and take the seat right behind the driver. I calmed down a bit after that, but I kept an eye on the guy. He ended up chatting with some girl that got on, and they were still talking when I got off. I later convinced myself he was just trolling me, having fun with a pair of contacts… now I wonder.

3. Halloween

This is so funny. I’d never hear of Black Eyed Kids (BEK’s) before my incident so I come on here to post my story and the first story I see is about a BEK. Weird.

Let me preface this by saying I’m by no means a writer, just a “domestic engineer” living in north Texas. Also, I don’t believe in the paranormal – ghosts, demons, aliens, whatever. However, I did have an event happen to me this Halloween I have to admit has me has me scratching my head…

So it had been a slow trick-or-treat night in our neighborhood that evening, which is pretty odd in itself. We usually have kids from different areas ‘dropped off’ in ours and have a constant parade at our door. That night I’d say we’d had no more than 8 or 10 groups of kids come the entire night. It was about 9:30 pm. and my husband and I were sitting in our family room watching some of those ghost shows based on (supposedly) actual events. Like I said, I don’t believe in that stuff but I do like a good ghost story now and then and it was Halloweeen and all.

We hadn’t had any activity at the door in over half an hour and it was getting late so we decided to turn the porch light off and let our dog Chloe out of her crate. Chole is an American Bulldog and is very docile. We only put her in her crate because we were afraid she’d try and get out to ‘play’ with all the kids and I didn’t want to have to chase after her down the street. Also, we didn’t want her to scare any of the kids because she would look a little intimidating to the young kids.

So, I turned the outside light off. let Chloe out and she followed me back to the couch and lay down at my feet. It was getting close to 10:00pm when my husband decided he’d had enough fun for the night and was going to go upstairs, take a shower and get ready for bed. After all, it was Thursday and he still had to get up early the next day. My teenaged son was out with his friends at a local haunted house and wasn’t expected back for another hour or so, so that left me alone on the couch with Chloe.

Now, just because I don’t believe doesn’t mean those shows don’t freak me out a bit, and being alone now watching I’d have to say was kind of “on edge”, as it were. It wasn’t long after I heard the upstairs water for the shower turn on when there came a light “knock – knock – knock” at the front door. My initial reaction was “what the hell, really? It’s almost 10:00 go home…” but soon an uneasy feeling came over me. Why the knock? Our doorbell glows and in the dark and without the porch light it would be extra obvious to anyone there.

I paused. I couldn’t really just ignore it, our front door has a big beveled glass panel and anybody right at the door could see in enough to see someone was in the family room watching TV. It would be pretty rude for me to just sit there and not answer it. “Knock – knock – knock”, again from the door. I glance down at Chloe and she was gone. My gazed followed her usual path to the front door expecting her to be on her way there as she normally does. Nothing, she wasn’t there.

I stood up to look around the room better and found her, crouching by the back door like she was wanting out. However, she never asks to go out like that. She always comes and licks my hand or puts her head on my knee. This was totally out of character for her, and I have to say heightened my anxiety. ‘Chloe, crate!” I said. She just turned back to look at me like “hell no lady, ain’t movin..’

I yelled up to my husband, but if he was already in the shower I knew there was no chance of him hearing me. “Knock – knock – knock.” About that time a car drove down our street and cast just enough light on the door to where I could see the silhouettes of two small children thru the glass. I instantly felt relief. It was just some kids, probably a couple of my neighbors on their way back home that wanted to stop by and show me their costume or something. I headed to the door and looked back to make sure Chloe wasn’t going to follow, what a great watchdog I thought to myself as she just sat there.

I turned on the porch light when I got to the door and sure enough, I could see thru the glass that it was a couple of pretty small kids. A little late for such young ones I thought and I began to wonder about what kind of parents would let their kids run the streets that late at night. I only opened the door enough to where I could block Chloe’s escape if she decided to grow some balls, which was only about two feet. What struck me immediately as odd was the kids weren’t wearing any costumes; they were in normal street clothes. Also, no customary “Trick-or-treat!” either. I began to feel very uneasy again.

It was a girl and boy. The girl, to my left, was older – I’d say about 11 or 12. I could tell she was blond, but I couldn’t make out any distinct features as our lights are from high above and on columns at the front of the porch so most of the light was coming from behind them. I had not opened the door wide enough for any light from inside to hit them directly. The boy was younger and about a foot shorter, I’d say 8 or 9 and looked to have light brown hair.

The girl very politely spoke up, “Ma’am, can we please come inside and use your phone to call our mom?” As she spoke something in the pit of my stomach was telling me something was wrong. What kid, even at that age doesn’t have a cell phone of their own these days? I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had anybody asked to use my home phone. “Um… hun, don’t you have a phone of your own you can call your mom on?” I asked. This was things really got weird. Both kids turned to look at one another like they were going to say something to one another, but neither ever spoke. They both turned back to me and the girl said, ‘Ma’am, my cell phone battery doesn’t have any charge left in it. Can we please come inside and call our mother. We’re alone out here and my brother is scared.’

I have to admit there were two competing feelings going on inside me. The first, that of a mother’s heart that wanted to help these two small children get to their mom. The other, a sinking fear in my gut that was keeping the other feeling at bay. It was then I noticed that during the short conversation I’d already opened the door a few extra inches which I was completely unaware of doing. I stopped. “Honey, why don’t you give me your mother’s number and I can call her myself.” Another pause and they again looked at one another. After a short moment, they turned back to me and the girl said, “Ma’am, my little brother has to use your bathroom. Can we please come inside while you call our mom?” And with that last statement the little girl moved closer toward the door like she was going just walk on in by me.

As she did, she stepped into the light coming from inside the house and I got my first real good look at her. Solid, jet black eyes – that’s all I could see. That motherly instinct was gone and replaced by terror I don’t think I’ve ever felt in my life. I could feel every hair on my arms and back of my neck standing at attention. I closed the door to where just my face was able to stick out. The little girl stopped and again pleaded, “Please Ma’am we’re really scared and alone out here. We HAVE to come inside. Please help us!” Then, like on cue, both kids began to whimper and cry.

That’s when the fear took over and I shut and locked the door. “I’ll call your mom if you give me the number,” I shouted thru the door, “but I’m not letting you in my house!” I could still see them stand there on the porch, just staring at me thru the beveled glass pane. Part of me wanted to run upstairs to my husband, but the bigger part didn’t want to lose track of where they were. That would have freaked me out even more to not know where they were.

After what seemed like forever, but probably only a few seconds, I decided I’d call my neighbor that lives across the street. As I made my way to the side table by our couch to my phone, I glanced at the back door – Chloe was nowhere to be found. We later found her in the guest room under the bed. When I got to my phone and started to look for his contact info, it was only then the kids stepped away from the door and began to walk to the street.

As they did, I walked to the door to get a better look to see where they went, still not calling my neighbor. If you get close enough to the glass you can see out enough to make out peep hole shapes, but you can see much detail. Of course, standing that close to the door would make you pretty obvious to anyone outside looking in. From the door, I could see that the kids were still standing under the streetlamp nearest my house, staring at me. As I lifted the phone to my ear after calling, only then did the kids start walking down our street. I met my neighbor out under the lamp once he was out there, but the kids were nowhere to be seen.

Like I said, I don’t believe in any of this stuff and had never even heard about black eyed kids before talking to my friend. What I really think (what I have to think) is these kids were just out yanking people’s chains on Halloween night. But I will say this for them, they were good. Really good at it. They scared the s out of me AND my dog!

4. “You must let me in.”

On March 17, 2008 I had my one and only encounter with a black eyed kid. Before my experience I had never heard of anything having to do with the black eyed kids. I was 12. I was sitting outside of a hairdresser’s salon in an old Chevy pickup waiting for my mom to get her hair cut. About 15 minutes had passed and I saw some kid walking back and forth along the sidewalk in front of my parked car. At first, I thought I recognized him as one of my friends from school so I banged on the front windshield until he looked my way. It was not anyone I knew. At this point I was not scared at all. Not yet. The boy walked over to the side of my car and just stares. I think to let me get a good look at his eyes. To freak me out. Let me tell you.

If you have never seen a black eyed kid.. you have no idea what to imagine. Pupils black as the night sky. The boy whispers “You must let me in” and then I locked the car doors and ducked down into the space below the seats. Five minutes later he was gone. When my mother got into the car she told me a boy with black eyes had come into the hairdressers and insisted for my mother to give him the keys to the car. She refused……thank God she did.

Are Black Eyed Kids real???

There is good reason to suspect black eyed children are a real phenomena. The original sighting in 1996 was by a newspaper reporter whose interest in telling the story of what he experienced was more out of curiosity than fame-seeking. To this day he maintains that the story happened the way he originally told it.

There are also many, many independent eyewitness accounts spread out through multiple countries who have described similar experiences. They corroborate each other with the same M.O. the children have: pale appearance with all black eyes, appearing in twos or threes, clothing style out of date, needing to gain access to the witness’ vehicle or home.

It’s also important to keep in mind that the black eyed kids story isn’t *that* phenomenal. If someone were making up a story, they might try harder to make it more interesting or fantastical. The situations described seem creepy — but not like the plot of a horror movie. Just an everyday situation with some kids in it that seem strange.

5. They just stared.

This one time (early 2010) I was walking home from work & found myself escorting a young lady to her car. She asked me to escort her &, hoping I’d talk her into a drink or two (I had already had a few myself), I’d get a number or (possibly) get laid that night. I’m not going to lie, she was kinda hot. No shit though, she looked scared.

I kept walking with her & was trying to at least coax out of her what she was so worried about. She would only comment about some really ‘creepy looking kids’ who were following her. Being we were in the Downtown Seattle area, this could amount to anything.

So, we kept walking & talking, I kept looking behind us to see if the little fuckers were in tow (nothing popped up out of the ordinary). Then she grabs my arm really hard & whispered ‘That’s them.’ They were about 1/2 a block in front of us just standing there & looking at her.

So, I do the prudent thing to do, which was cross the street. I make sure I lock eyes with the big one & I keep in mind once I get the lady to her car that I’d give them an ear full about being a couple of little shits for scaring a lone woman in a metropolitan area.
I didn’t get scared or anything but did notice something strange: they didn’t break eye contact with me.

Mind you, I don’t look like the kind of guy you want to fuck with. Honestly, it’s an unconscious front since I’m a bit shy. My “look” reminds people of either a Skin Head or Club Bouncer. The Black Tanker Boots & Van Dike mixed with the above don’t make me look like a people person either. People break eye contact with me constantly… these two kids didn’t. That was a Red Flag for me.

I finally got this woman to her car. She said thanks, I made sure to tell her where the local police station is at (The Seattle PD West Precinct was only about 5 blocks from where we were at.

6. Trick or treat?

This really freaked me out… Yesterday I noticed my neighbor hadn’t put out all his Halloween decorations/lights/etc. The past two years I’ve lived next to him he’s gone all out for Halloween. I don’t know him well, he’s younger, single, but I know he likes kids (not in a creepy way). His brother and sister-in-law and their kids are always visiting him and he plays with his three young nieces and nephews out in the yard. So anyway, I got home from work and was walking up my driveway and I saw him outside and said something like ‘Hey man, you better get your Halloween stuff up or that house up the street is going to beat you for best decorations.’ He kind of smiles sheepishly and says that he’s actually going to keep his house dark this year and just put candy out. I asked if he was going out of town, but he said no, something happened last year that really scared him.

Now I was concerned for my own safety if some weirdos were coming around our neighborhood (which is a pretty safe neighborhood with tons of young families living here), so I asked him what happened. He said last year he had his brother’s family over so they could trick-or-treat in the neighborhood since they live in an apartment complex that doesn’t do much for Halloween. He had a bunch of kids come to the door like always. His family took off around 10:30 and there were only a few older trick-or-treaters, but by 11:30 they were pretty much done. So, he was inside, watching TV and the doorbell rings. He grabs the candy bowl and heads over, noticing that it’s a little past midnight and that’s pretty rude for trick-or-treaters to still be out, but then notices he hasn’t turned off all his decoration lights yet, so his house is still a beacon. He swings the door open and is about to yell ‘BOO!’ or something to freak them out, but stops dead when he sees the kids at the door.

He said one was probably around 13-14 and the other around 16-17 (both boys). They weren’t dressed up, but he remembers the older one was wearing a flannel checkered shirt. He was immediately overcome with uneasiness, like opening the door was a huge mistake. They just stared at him and he noticed they had really big irises and dilated pupils. He couldn’t even see the whites of their eyes, so he figured they were contact lenses. He was frozen there holding the candy bowl, like he couldn’t slam the door in their face as much as he wanted to. So, he nervously tried to smile at them hoping they would ‘break character’ and ask for candy or something. The younger one said they had gotten lost and needed to come in and use his phone. That was when he closed the door more than halfway on them and said ‘No, sorry’ and the older one said something like ‘Can we just wait in your house until our parents come get us?’ but by then he was convinced that his life was in danger and these kids must be high on something or intending to rob him and he just kept mumbling ‘No, sorry, goodnight’ as he inched the door closed and locked it.

He told me he was so fucking scared at that point that they were going to try to break in through one of his windows or something, but he looked through the peephole and they had turned to leave. He watched TV with the volume really low so he could hear any sounds at all and he said he stayed up till like 5 am because he was too scared to go to bed and drop his guard. The whole time he’s telling me this I’m thinking oh my god, this sounds so familiar, just like the Black-eyed kids urban legend. Then I thought hey, maybe this dude is trying to scare me because after all, he does have the Halloween spirit…so I’m looking at him incredulously but trying not to seem too gullible. So, I’m like ‘Man, that is really crazy, sounds like the Black-eye kids.’ He just looks at me blankly, ‘The what, is that a movie or something?’ and I said no, but told him to go look it up online.    

Like an hour later I get a knock on my door (and admittedly, almost jump out of my skin thinking it’s a demon child). It was my neighbor and his eyes were freaking huge. He swears to me up and down that he had never heard of the BEKs before and it’s so similar to what happened to him. So, we talked awhile longer and I told him that quite a few people probably know about that urban legend and it’s possible it was just teenagers with black scleral contacts trying to freak people out on Halloween (which would be genius, by the way). But he said the fear he felt was so primal and came over him the second he opened the door for them.

7. Every story I’ve read about them is from someone who already knew about them.

Last night was like any other night, I was switching between listening to music and watching youtube videos with one headphone in so I can hear my infant daughter if she cries, that way my wife can get a full nights sleep (she works at 4am at the hospital every day). When I decide to go lay down in the spare bed in the babies room.

Just as I dosed off I heard a thumping coming from the front porch, startled at first I open my eyes wide and scan the room. Realizing it was most likely my cat scratching himself on the front porch I dose back off. Then again, the thumping. “Damn cat” I got out of bed to run him off the porch only to see he wasn’t there any more, now that I was up again I wasn’t the least bit tired. I figured I’ll just get some tea and check Facebook while I’m up, maybe finish the web series I was watching on youtube and a few minutes into the video I felt the sudden urge to look up at the kitchen window, there they were, the tops of two short statured peoples’ heads cresting the stairs just above my window frame. The people were just short enough to not see in the window but I could see out. I heard no footsteps on my porch as my stomach turned, but the knock, the knock was a steady hollow thump. The very same thump I had just blamed on my cat. Deciding it was best not to answer I shut my laptop and crept by the door back to the babies room.

I assumed it was some of the people from the low-income housing across the road from me that were high or hiding from the cops or maybe looking for my cousin who stays with me often and has many friends over there. The last thing I needed was to try to explain to two stoners that I was trying to sleep even though it was 2am.

It wasn’t until I got to my daughters room that the creepiness set in. The thump had moved from the kitchen to the bedroom windows.. both windows, a room apart thumping in perfect time. These stoners were going to wake up my daughter if I didn’t run them off now. Pissed off I went out to the kitchen, unlocked and opened the door ready to run around to the side of the house and kick some little idiots’ ass.

It happened then, standing there looking up at me were two 10 or 11- year-old boys. The feeling of dread and the smell of mold almost made me vomit. The smaller of the two then spoke “May we use your telegraph?” Huh? I just stared blankly at these boys, horrified of what I then realized. Their eyes were pitch black. He asked again to use my ‘telegraph.’

There wasn’t a sound to be heard no crickets chirping, no dogs barking, no cars driving by. Nothing. I tried to play it cool and ignore the fact that he didn’t say telephone, or phone, or cell. Anything that would have made any sense of the situation and calmly replied “I don’t have service at my house sorry.” The expressions on their faces turned to rage as I finished my sentence. Swiftly I shut the door and locked it as quickly as I could, then stumbled back to protect my daughter. I picked her up from her crib and held her close, the fact that she didn’t wake up freaked me out the most but I managed to gather my senses enough to make sure she was still breathing and warm, everything seemed okay with her.

The thumping on the windows was back, I dropped to the floor as close to the wall as I could and held my little girl in my arms and wept like a child. I felt helpless and afraid. I lay there for what felt like hours and hours crying and shaking until I heard it, my wife’s alarm clock. The thumping stopped the instant the alarm went off and I crept into the master bedroom with the baby. ‘What’s wrong with you?’ My wife asked… ‘I just had a bad dream’ Is all I could mutter out. ‘okay well give me the baby so I can feed her before work.’ I handed my wife the baby and she fed her like any normal day. I turned on every light in the house and made coffee for her. For some reason just having her awake calmed my nerves enough to pretend like nothing happened. I walked her out to the car nervously with the baby in my arms. I asked her not to leave until I walked back in the house. She was put off by the request but did so to humor me. Once I was safely in the house, I locked the door again, and in the house. I sat horrified until she got home. I insisted we go to the next town over and stay the weekend at my brother’s house… and here I sit horrified while she sleeps in the guest room with my daughter. Wondering why they stopped when the alarm went off. I think I know the answer. I was aware of BEKs she wasn’t. Every story I’ve read about them is from someone who already knew about them. Maybe, Just maybe knowledge of them existing is the only reason they visit.

8. ‘No. You won’t be calling anybody.’

The incident took place about 13 years ago. I had just moved to a new city with my wife. We were small town newlyweds from the Midwest. We moved cross country to one of the biggest cities in the Southwest so I could attend graduate school. Being naive and new to city living, I habitually answered the door without a second thought. Never again after this.         

The first thing that should have tipped me off to the peculiarity of this situation was the fact that someone was knocking at 6:00 in the morning. The second thing that should have dawned on me is this kid had to reach over a rather tall patio gate to unlatch and open it.

The knock at the door was startling. My wife and I were getting ready for work, a pretty normal routine. The moment I opened the door, I was overtaken with an inexplicable sense of fear. To this day, I can picture him. Teenager, average height, average build, knee length black leather coat, short black hair and sunglasses. The sunglasses at 6:00 a.m. struck me as odd and even more odd, he was eating an apple. He was very polite and asked if he could come in and warm up. I said, “No”, closed the door and slid the security chain in to place. A moment later, another knock. I opened the now chained door, and before I could speak, he asked again if he could come in and warm up.’NO!’ I reply and attempted to close the door. Before the door could shut, he put his hand out stopping the door on its hinges. He looked directly in to my eyes, still wearing his sunglasses, and said, ‘Can I at least get some ketchup for my apple?’ ‘Fuck that!’ I reply, albeit a little confused. ‘Get the hell outta here! My wife is calling the police!’ He takes a moment to let this information sink in, lowers his glasses, revealing eyes as black as obsidian and says, ‘No. You won’t be calling anybody.’ At that moment I force the door closed, lock it, and call out to my wife, she is scared shitless hiding in the bedroom. All jacked up on adrenalin, I rip the curtains back to look out the window next to the door. He’s gone. Absolutely no trace of him. I go out on the patio and check the gate, it’s still latched from the inside. That was fucked up, I think to myself and as I turn to enter the house. I notice a half-eaten apple lying on the ground.

9. I was having a visceral experience all over my body.

I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t know about Black Eyed Kids before this happened to me, late summer last year. I definitely did. Now, in the moment, that idea never crossed my mind. But afterward? Hell yes. And the thought lead to all kinds of regret I realize is stupid, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Let me tell you about my neighborhood. I live in a poor part of town. A bit ghetto, a bit of the barrio, a bit of the lower economic class of a cross-section of races. It’s L.A. The apartment complex spans a short block, it’s dusty brown like the desert we live in. It’s got two pools, lots of little Mexican children and, for the most part, a pretty friendly population.

I am a destitute writer trying to make it in Hollywood, so I spend my free time writing. When this happened I was working mostly in the mornings and afternoons. I would get home, hit the gym and then settle in for an evening in front of the computer.

It’s pretty common for the evenings in the summer to be chaotic around our apartment complex. Kids playing in the pool, the ice-cream man pushing his cart up and down the sidewalk, women talking outside the laundry-room (hey, I do my own laundry, but I am pretty much the only guy I see here doing it). You know. Nice. Low-income but pleasant. Like a mixed-race 21st Century version of a Fifties Sitcom.        

And people will knock on your door. Sometimes to borrow something. I cook, so neighbors pop by to find out the origins of the great aromas wafting from my kitchen window.

Sometimes for a little help working on a broken-down car. But mostly it’s kids selling candy bars or Christmas wrapping paper. Or jittery tweakers selling magazine subscriptions. Or old Mexican men selling bootleg DVD’s. LOTS of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Because it’s hot out I leave my windows open (A.C. Isn’t cheap and I’ve got no money, remember?) hoping for the cross breeze. That means, though I can’t see anyone from where I sit and work, I can hear them very clearly as they walk up to my door.

When I hear someone knock, I answer it. Besides buying the occasional candy bar, I smile, politely decline, wish them a nice day and send them off. No big deal.

That evening it was quiet. Which was strange in and of itself. I should at least have been able to hear the distant sound of Ranchero music. I heard a couple of people walk up to my door. I am not the first apartment in my courtyard, so usually I hear the salespeople as they knock on my neighbors doors and work their way around to me. Not this time. Whoever it was walked right up to my door and knocked.

I got up to answer it, reaching for the door handle when a chill went through my body like I have never experienced. A cold tightness in my chest. I halted my hand movement towards the door handle and placed it flat on the door as if I was feeling for heat from a fire.
I have a peephole on my door, but it never crossed my mind to use it. I stood there with my hand flat on the door and listened. They knocked again.

I don’t scare easy. And I wasn’t exactly afraid, but I was having a visceral experience all over my body. A base, fear reaction. Just like I could hear them, they had heard me move to the door. They knew I was inside.

‘Yes?’ I said, “Who is it?” A boy’s voice answered. ‘We need to use your phone.’ ‘Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.’ I started laughing. I stress laugh, when I am in pain or under pressure. They heard me laughing. And neither of us moved for about a minute or two. A really, really, long minute or two.

Finally, they walked away. Not to any of the other of the eight doorways within fifteen feet. Not to ask anyone else. Before they could have gone more than a dozen yards, curiosity reasserted itself and I yanked the door open, running after them to see who it was and where they were headed. The courtyard of my complex was completely empty.          

Afterwards, I thought the experience fit the stories about Black Eyed Kids and I kicked myself for not opening the door. Coming face-to-face with Black Eyed Kids? How cool would that have been? But then I remember that feeling, my skin crawling and the certain knowledge in me at that moment, there was no way in hell I was opening that door at the time.

10. He told me to never agree to help them.

It was a cold October evening, not too far off from Halloween. I remember sitting in my room, playing the original suikoden. The evening was slowly creeping by so I decided to go to the corner store. It was only 3 blocks, shouldn’t be much trouble right.

During my walk I see the normal. The occasional person putting up Halloween decorations and kids playing in their yards, but this story is about something far more sinister. I remember seeing two teens about age 14, knocking on a door asking to use the phone, which of course I thought was weird because most teens these days have phones. As I kept walking, they stopped and stared at me for a short moment. I felt the blood in veins chill. I felt so creeped out I hurried to the next block. The next block seemed fine, until I looked behind me and saw the two teens were following me. I took off sprinting to the store at this point.           

I saw the sign for the store, and relief washed over me. I opened the door, and I told the cashier about what happened on the way here. He looked at me slightly creeped out, and told me a story about this happening to him in his hometown and how they found him the day he left, and asked for his help, in an emotionless voice, and he told me to never agree to help.

He told me another story, but at that point I was no longer paying attention because they were standing at the door asking to be let in. The cashier freaked out, and locked the door.

The teens never seem to waver or leave. They wouldn’t step away from the door. It had been an hour. The cashier and I were ready to fight our way out, but instead he took me out the back. The one teen came around the back just as the door shut behind us.       

Can you help me is all he could say. He was closing in on us, and his eyes. They were black as a starless night. They were peering right into my soul. I couldn’t help but gaze into his eyes. The terror, I can’t remember too much of what happened next, but I do recall the sounds of struggle.

When I came too, the cashier was struggling with both teens. He was calling out to me for help. I ran towards them, grabbed him by his collar and pulled him between the two, and knocking them over in the process. I didn’t look back until I was near my house, the cashier was gone but the teens were still following behind. I ran into my house, closed all the blinds, and turned the music up.

I got lucky that day, but I’m not sure how long I can keep out of their grasp. I tried to find and thank the cashier for saving my life that day, but he didn’t show up to work after that. I asked his boss, and he told me he called over the phone and quit. He said he was moving.

To this very day I sometimes feel the fear of those eyes watching me as I drive to work. I sometimes will look out my window and swear I see them watching my house from a couple blocks away. Waiting for their next chance.”

Other reports of terrifying episodes involved a man’s life being saved by his girlfriend when she showed up and kicked out the black eyed kids.  He said it felt like his soul was being sucked out of his body. Another report involved the black eyed kids standing on someone’s balcony. Guiley and Paul in Haunted Hills and Hollows: What Lucks in Greene County, Pennsylvania report various episodes in which people have seen black eyed children and actually adults. Two were in a car behind a man named Justin and when he looked in the rearview mirror, the woman with black holes for eyes was pointing. Justin also experienced seeing a man with black holes in his face holding a phone box and he also saw a black eyed child. Guiley and Paul featured a book cover of a book written by David Weatherly and the title of his book was Black Eyed Children: They reside on the fringes of the paranormal: Are They a Diabolical Threat or They an Urban Legend? Many reports have existed associated with seeing this strange phenomenon.

They usually travelled in pairs or three and their ages ranged from 6 to 16. They have been known to have worn hoodies and most of the time their clothes appear to be outdated.  Some people have reported seeing black eyed adults, also. Most circumstances involved children. The black eyed children will ask for entry into vehicles or homes pleading that they need assistance such as a ride or use your phone to contact their mothers. They will say it will only take a little while. People, who have actually let them in, may have gone missing entirely. Enough reports exist and many credible to question their existence.