The Black Dog

For more than five years I've kept this story to myself. I grew up in a small town called Union County, South Carolina. I had the day off due to the snow and was across the street wasting time with my neighbor.

A little after midnight, I grew tired and decided to walk back to my house. As I approached the gravel road and began to cross, something long and black came creeping out from underneath the street lamp on the other side directly across from me. I froze instantly and the second I stopped it stood up on its hind legs.

It was roughly 5 or 6 feet tall with long black course hair, and fiery redish-orange eyes. Its body was sickly looking as if it hadn't eaten in months, but the shoulders were broad with big ears that stood straight up on top of a massive head. It was definitely the shape of a dog with wolf-like features, but was all disfigured and oversized.

When fear struck me all my adrenaline kicked in and I raced for my house. The front porch was a good fifty yards or so... And I felt as if it breathed down the back of my neck the whole way. I was surprised I made it in and slammed the front door behind me. I peered out the window for hours never seeing any movement. It was the scariest I have been so far in my life.

When the sun came up, I went out early before the snow could melt to see if there were any paw prints through the yard or behind the street lamp. I found only a few feet that trailed into the woods from where it came out and then they were gone. That was all, just a few feet.

I was sure it had breathed down my neck the whole way through the yard. To this day I'm still skittish outside after dark and I wonder what the purpose of the dog's presence was. Mystery unexplained.