I believe most of us are familiar with urban legends and folklore. From Bloody Mary to Slender Man, we’ve all heard tales of ghouls that haunt the night. Of course the creepiest of all of them are the ones involving children. Ever heard of The Black Eyed Children? Also known as the BEK (Black Eyed Kids). The Black Eyed Children may be a myth, but for countless others they are all too real. I’ll let you decide that for yourself. If you’re wondering what a typical reported BEK encounter is like, allow me to explain:

1. It starts off with a simple knock on your front door (Although there are cases such as Brian Bethel’s where it isn’t your house, it’s your car. Either way, it happens about the same way.)

2. When you answer the door there is one or more children at the door (typically seen in pairs, never usually alone). The child will have an inability to make eye contact, they will face their head towards the floor, or have a hat/hood that covers their eyes. (The children seem to be anywhere from 6 to 16 years old)

3. If there are two or more children present, only one speaks. I like to call this one the leader. The tone of voice and smoothness of the “leader” is years beyond their perceived age. They seem too mature for a child. Something is off.

4. They will ask to come inside your house. Whether it’s because they need to use the phone, the bathroom, or are just lost. If you ask them questions back, they’ll keep asking.

5. If you deny them entry (I pray for your sake you do), they become agitated and aggressive, their tone changes from soft and compelling to angry and forceful. If keep denying them they will get mad and blow their cover. At this point it’s been reported that they make eye contact, and what you see will haunt you forever. Pitch black eyes. Once they know that you know, your best bet is to get away.

6. When you have shut the door or drove off, you will notice that they’ve disappeared if you look out the window or the rear view mirror. Nowhere to be seen, it seems impossible how quickly they left.

Those were an explanation of the average encounter, of course coming face to face with a BEK is not a normal thing. Another thing that is reported after many sightings is a feeling of dread, fear, and helplessness when they ask to come in. Not everyone who meets them feels this, but in many cases they have said yes they felt very scared and helpless but they weren’t sure why. Another thing reported is the unknowingly helping the children, some think the kids have powers of compulsion or hypnosis.

The stories have been around for a while, and with tons of stories posted all over the Internet, they've earned their title as a "Creepy Pasta", but the first real case ever to be reported was in 1998 in the town of Abilene, Texas. This encounter was Brian Bethel’s experience, a reporter from Abilene. He claimed two young boys came up to his car window when he was sitting in a parking lot. They asked for money, to get inside his car, and for a ride. After he denied them they became agitated and aggressive. Bethel drove off, when he did he checked his rear view mirror and they were gone. I left a link to the to the episode of Monsters & Mysteries in America that Mr. Bethel was on at the bottom of the page, in the episode he recalls in vivid detail everything he felt during his short but scary encounter.

Another report comes from my hometown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A new couple had purchased their first home together, the husband answered a knock at the front door to see a child. Everything I mentioned above occurred, except one strange thing. When the husband shut the door on the child, his wife ran in saying that a small child with jet black eyes was knocking on her bedroom window. Very strange. (Link also below)

But, my favorite and probably the only known case where a couple actually let the children into their house! I left the link to the full article at the bottom of this one, but I will sum it up for you. A couple in rural Vermont allowed a pair of kids to come into their house, and everything in their life has fallen apart since then (I don’t want to spoil the spooky encounter completely!).

In addition to these encounters, YouTube celebrity Shane Dawson made a video about the legend, and about his own possible experience. (Link below, viewer discretion advised due to adult language.)

All in all, the theories are out there. Are they real or fake? If they’re real, what are they? Ghosts, Monsters, Demons, Vampires, Aliens, etc. what do you think they are? There are many things that can be questioned about the encounters, and many people are skeptical of their very existence. I won't be letting any strange children in my house, who knows what they’re truly capable of.