Today's story is one of my favorites, so get ready.
I give you- the black-eyed kids or BEKs for short.
(Source: Texas Hill County)
BEKs are children from the ages of 6-16 and often travel in pairs. They have pale skin and solid black eyes. Some stories even say that they have talons. They are also typically seen hitchhiking and will ask for rides. The last similarity that these unearthly creates share is that they are slightly outdated; they will use obsolete terms, like requesting to use one's telegraph instead of asking to use a phone/ having a cellphone.
The first sighting of the BEKs was back in the 1980s in Abilene, Texas, by the reporter, Brian Bethel. Bethel was chilling in a dark parking lot, writing a check-you know, as you do. He was parked between the movie theatre and the service station, where he had planned to pay his bill on January 16, 1998. It was about 9:30 at night when two boys knocked on his car window. Bethel reported that they were from the ages of 10-14. The older boy, who was taller, wore a hoodie and jeans, with curly hair. He had a confident demeanor as he spoke to Bethel, asking for a ride back to there house. They wanted to see the movie, Mortal Combat, and had forgotten their money. The younger boy appeared nervous and wore a green hoodie, and had red hair and freckles. Bethel became transfixed by them, he felt an overwhelming feeling of fear, yet his hand was reaching for the door handle. That's when it hit him- it was 9:30, and the movie was almost ready. He further inspected the children from the safety of his car, and that was when he noticed that their eyes were solid black.
As if they knew, the oldest boy grew angry, demanding that Bethel let them in. He said things like, "C'mon mister. We're just two little boys" and "We won't hurt you. You have to let us in. We don't have a gun". It was like they knew that Bethel was terrified; he stated that he had to rip himself away from them, like they were holding him there, wearing him down until he opened the door.
Bethel survived, and this encounter fueled a new found obsession with the BEKs.
(Source: ThoughtCateloge)
Since the 1998s, stories have circulated like crazy about BEKs; in that same year, sightings of BEKs were frequent in Portland, Oregan. In 2014 a British newspaper claimed that BEKs had been seen all over the world that that point.
One individual reported a pair of BEKs sneaking around their house at night. They awoke to their dog, Lucy, barking, but they were barking like they were scared. It was about 3 am, which is never a good sign. They then saw two girls standing on the from porch-they were dressed in the same clothes and carried the same stuffed animal as the individual's deceased daughter had. Through the door, one of them asked if they could use the phone because their mother was worried.
BEKs often refer to their mother, which I find to be interesting. Are they using "mother" to play on people's emotions because they take the form of little kids? Does "Mother" stand for something else?
I have to admit, I watched the movie, Sunshinegirl and the Hunt for Black-Eyed Kids, and it seems possible that "mother" could be something darker. The film is on Amazon Prime, and it wasn't half back; I'd check it out if I were you.
Okay, one more story about an encounter with a BEK before I give you my outlook on the BEKs.
This one is about a security guard who encountered a BEK on a bus late at night. This wasn't a child, though, it was an adult with black eyes. The man had a briefcase and was wearing a suit. The strange thing was he was chewing on a cigar. I mentioned that these beings often get things wrong slightly, asking for your telegraph, and so on- this was one of those moments. When the man noticed the security guard watching him, he smiled at him, tobacco in his teeth.
Though these could be Creepypastas, I still wanted to share them, and Bethel swears that his encounter was legit.
No one knows their origin; some say they are vampires or aliens, and some think they are demonic of some kind.
What do I think makes the most sense?
Otkon.
Otkon is an Iroquois legend, a spirit that takes over children. They are also referred to as the 'evil one' and would mate with women to create BEKs. Tribes would then burn those children after birth to ensure that they couldn't reincarnate.
Otkons could also possess children who went wandering in the woods. After the children returned, they would be BEKs. BEKs made this way were said to be nervous and caught in an endless time loop.
This made me think of Bethel's story. The younger boy was noted to be nervous; was he created by the older boy? That would explain why he was nervous, and the older boy was so confident.
The legend of the Otkon also says that its purpose is to infect all and to bring destruction. Maybe this is why they chose the form of a child; to seem innocent.
I also think that these creatures could be a product of our minds. I'm not saying that Bethel is lying but that maybe he saw a BEK and all the attention his story has brought towards the BEKs, they can manifest easier. In other words, our obsession with them has created them.
Regardless of what these beings are, everyone who has met them describes them with black eyes and feeling terrified during the encounter.
The last thing that all the stories share is that no one knows what will happen if you let them in. I was unable to find any disappearances related to BEKs, but I am going to keep an eye out. If you know of any stories about someone who let a BEK into their house, please leave a comment.
My guess is no one has let them in-yet.
This makes me want to know even more. Do those victims become adult-BEKs? Do they die?
Anyway, that's all I have on BEKs for now. As always, if I find any updates, I'll make a part 2, and if you have anything to add, please do.
-Tye
Always Cite Those Sources:
“Black-Eyed Children.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Jan. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-eyed_children.
Gill, Moriah. “The Haunting Legend Behind The ‘Black-Eyed Children.’” Rare, Rare, 9 Sept. 2019, rare.us/rare-life/black-eyed-children/.
Hedges, Anna. “Black-Eyed Kids: The Chilling Legend That Began in Abilene.”Texas Hill Country, 12 July 2019, texashillcountry.com/black-eyed-kids-legend-abilene/.
Stockton, Chrissy, and Chrissy. “16 Terrifying Encounters With 'The Black Eyed Kids'.” Thought Catalog, 19 Sept. 2019, thoughtcatalog.com/christine-stockton/2013/11/16-peoples-terrifying-encounters-with-the-black-eyed-kids/.
“The Black Eyed Kids of The Iroquois Legends.” The Black Eyed Kids of The Iroquois Legends Otkon vs. Orenda | I Never Sausage A Place, ineversausageaplace.com/2013/03/the-black-eyed-kids-of-the-iroquois-legends/.
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