I am posting this story on behalf of my friend, Maria. I don’t have a shadow of a doubt that the story she tells is true.
I remember hearing a tapping on my window; three rapid taps to be exact. My light was turned out and it was dark in my room so I used my phone light to find my way to my window. I looked outside and only saw darkness. Nothing was there. I went back to bed and crawled under my covers. TAP TAP TAP. There it was again, only louder this time. I pulled the covers over my head and shut my eyes tight, willing the insistent noise to go away. For a moment there was only the sound of my breathing.
As I began to fall asleep I heard it again. TAP TAP TAP! My eyes shot open and my heart rate quickened its pace. The rapping on my window pane was much louder this time and by then I knew I wasn’t imagining things. I ignored the tapping but I was sure whoever or whatever was tapping on my window could hear my heart beating out of my chest. I plugged in my headphones, played some music, and shut my eyes tight. Eventually, sleep overtook me.
BANG BANG BANG! I awoke with a start at the sound of aggressive banging at my window loud enough to shake the glass in its frame. I looked at my alarm clock. It read 3:26 AM. I started to sweat and my heartbeat grew louder and louder. I was sure my heart was going to beat straight out of my chest. I got out of bed shakily and wrapped my blanket around my shoulders. I left my room and walked down the hall to the living room. I laid down on the couch and got comfortable under the blanket.
Right as I lay down I heard it. The howl was low and deep. It lasted for about thirty seconds and then stopped but I could’ve sworn I was still hearing it, echoing in my mind. I sat up and peeked through the window behind my couch. I quickly covered my mouth to hold in my scream. There, standing in my backyard, was just about the biggest wolf I have ever seen. Its fur was pitch black and dense, appearing almost like a silk-wrapped shadow. The eyes of the wolf seemed to stare into my soul, gazing into the furthest reaches of my mind. The wolf’s irises were golden in color and glowed in the moonlight. I didn’t dare break eye contact for fear of it jumping through my window and mauling me where I sat.
The more I stared into the wolf’s eyes, the more I became entranced by its intimidating gaze. I could feel the wolf clawing at my mind, digging away at the surface of my skull. It seemed as though the black wolf was trying to break through my skull to feast on my sanity. The moon was suddenly covered by clouds, darkening my backyard. Just like that, the black wolf was gone…
When the clouds left their place over the moon there wasn’t a trace of the wolf. It was as if it had just disappeared, fading away with the darkness. I can’t remember when I fell asleep after that but I do know nothing else happened until the next morning. I asked my mom if she heard the howling to which she replied “No sweetie, I didn’t hear anything last night, I slept like a baby.”
The day went along normally. I went to school as I would on any weekday and it was uneventful, to say the least. It was later that night while I was in bed that I heard the howling outside my window. It seemed to go on for hours before I finally fell asleep. The next day was the same; uneventful. The only strange occurrence was a sketch of a black wolf on the next blank page of my biology journal. I knew it couldn’t have been any of my friends and considering my parents’ lack of artistic skill it couldn’t have been them either. I know I didn’t draw the wolf so how did it get there?
My classes that day went by slowly. It was during lunch that things started getting a little strange. I was sitting in the courtyard with a few friends. I was telling them about the bizarre and frightening things that were going on when I took my lunch out of my bag. I unwrapped the sandwich from its packaging and took a bite. It tasted God-awful and I instantly felt a squirming sensation in my mouth. I looked down at my sandwich and I became horrified at the sight. Between the two slices of bread wasn’t lunch meat like I thought. Raw meat with a rancid smell that told me it was obviously rotten filled my nose. That wasn’t all. In my rotten raw meat sandwich were squirming, fat maggots. I got up and ran to the trash can, throwing up the contents of my stomach and spitting out the rotten flesh and maggots. I could still feel the repulsive, slimy residue coating the entire inside of my mouth. I could still taste the mixed recipe of vomit, rancid flesh, and greasy maggots on my tongue.
I ran back inside the school, ignoring my friends calling to me. I burst through the door of the girl’s restroom and hunched myself over the sink, crying like a baby. I must have washed my mouth out with soapy water a thousand times before my school’s assistant principal walked into the restroom and put her hand on my shoulder. “Maria… Are you ok sweetie?” She asked with a calming yet concerned tone. I shook my head frantically and felt ready to throw up again. The assistant principal led me out of the girls’ restroom and I noticed my friends standing outside with worried looks on their faces. I walked with her all the way to her office, still crying.
Once I stepped inside her office I sat down in the chair across from her desk and slowly the tears stopped running down my cheeks. The assistant principal sat across from me and began to speak. “Maria, dear, do you want to talk about what happened at lunch?” I sniffled and rubbed my eye, staying silent. “Your friends showed me what was in your sandwich. Do you have any idea how that happened?” I shook my head slowly and she continued. “You do understand I’m going to have to make a report of this to child protective services, don’t you?” I looked up at her. She had a look of concern and sympathy on her face. “No don’t! It wasn’t my parents’ fault!” The realization hit me. It was that… thing. That thing that was tapping on my windows did this. It must’ve also gotten ahold of my journal and drew that wolf. The sickening realization that it must have broken into my house the night before hit me like a freight train.
“Maria, sweetie?” My assistant principal tried getting my attention. I snapped out of my daze and she continued. “You have to realize how this looks…” she said quietly. Reading her face I knew what she was thinking. “My parents didn’t do this. It isn’t their fault!” I snapped. She looked surprised and went on “Who’s fault is it, Maria?” She asked, clasping her hands together on the desk in front of her. I bit my lip and sat forward in the chair. “There’s something after me. It’s been tapping and banging on my window. It drew this picture of a wolf in my journal and I saw…” I paused for a moment. “I saw this huge black wolf in my backyard and it just disappeared!” I burst out, beginning to tap my foot nervously.
“Maria… Do you want to talk to the counselor about this? I think she can help you with-” I cut her off with a sharp tone in my voice. “I’m not crazy!” By then I’d grown angry. I was having none of what she was saying. She simply sighed “I’m not saying you’re crazy. All I’m saying is I think Mrs. Judy can help you with this better than I can…” I crossed my arms as she started writing a slip to the counselor’s office. My assistant principal handed it to me and I stormed out of her office in a huff.
My appointment with the counselor was at 3:20 PM so I went through another class, barely listening to anything my teacher said. When it was time to see the school counselor it went along just as you’d expect. I was accused of making up the events that were occurring. According to the counselor, I was “making up fantasies” to cope with what was happening in my “home life”. Nothing was going on at home other than all the shit this person or this thing has been doing to me. The next few days were the same. The tapping and banging on my window at night, keeping me from sleeping. The constant fear of being watched… Followed. Checking everything I ate and drank for unwanted, wriggling, flesh-eating visitors. Though new things began happening. I would hear the howling at night, every night; angry, vicious, deep howls that seemed to get closer and closer until they sounded like they were coming from right outside my window. The howling wouldn’t stop. It was driving me bat-shit insane.
These strange symbols began appearing on my window, drawn in what looked to be blood. Another drawing appeared in my journal. I was losing my mind… The sleep deprivation and mental torture were getting to me… I started skipping school and hiding in my room all day and night. There was a morning that I heard the doorbell ring. My parents weren’t home so I got up, left my room, and answered the door. I saw the FedEx delivery truck driving away, releasing black smoke from the exhaust. I looked down and saw a medium-sized package with my name and address on the shipping label. There was no return address. I took the box inside and set it on my bed, grabbing a pair of scissors. I crawled onto my bed and examined the box. Nothing seemed unordinary about it until I cut the tape and looked inside.
A folded square of stationary paper was placed on top of a black trash bag that seemed to have something in it. I unfolded the note and saw that it read, “To Maria B.” Then below those words was the delicate handwriting that read “Enjoy, little pig.” Signed, The Black Wolf… I set the note aside and opened the trash bag. I almost screamed at the sight of what lay inside. The decaying, stinking head of a pig stared me dead in the eye. I covered my mouth with my hand as the stench caused my eyes to water. I felt like throwing up. The pig’s mouth was hanging wide open, exposing its dried-up pale tongue which lolled out of its mouth. The eyes of the pig were gray and sunken in, leaking the fluids of rot, like the tears of death himself. The smell was too much. I grabbed the box, almost gagging, opened my window, and threw the box outside. The pig’s head rolled out of the box and flopped onto the grass. I slammed my window shut and sat in the corner of my room, crying and shaking. I rocked back and forth, hugging my knees for what seemed like hours.
It became dark outside by the time I realized how long I’d been huddled in the corner, crying like a nut case. I remembered my parents had gone out of town for a few days on a business trip. I was all alone… Midnight rolled by and I was sitting in my room, checking the notifications on my phone. As I scrolled through messages I heard a knock at the door, three subtle knocks. I got up, wondering who could be at my door this late at night. I walked out of my room and approached the front door. As I reached for the doorknob I was stopped dead in my tracks.
BANG BANG BANG! The stranger outside knocked again, aggressively this time. My heart started pounding and I checked to make sure the door was locked. I heard laughing from the other side of the door “Little pig, little pig! Let me in!” I gasped at the sound and felt frozen in place. BANG BANG BANG! I heard the banging on the door again then all was quiet. I backed up a few steps, my heart pounding out of my chest. Suddenly the door burst open. They kicked the door open… ‘Oh my God, I’m going to die…’ I thought to myself. I couldn’t make a sound. I fell back on my ass and stared wide-eyed at the figure that stood looming in the doorway.