The Dark Wraith

Most of the information known about these spirits is unsurprisingly dubious at best, as the survivors have often been paranoid to the extent of insanity. From what I have seen, the commonalities of past victims include staying within the light, becoming terrified of any unexpected noise, and jumping at merely the flicker of a candle. The worst of which is their fear of shadows, even their own. If they are unavoidably forced into darkness, they will enter a state of hysteria.

However, I once met a man who had claimed to have survived one of these creatures and yet still be in a reasonable state of mind. While most fear for their lives, this man had a peculiar peace about him. He was old and worn; and despite his grim experiences, he had a sort of gentle kindness about him. Herein I have recounted the details that he has described to me:

At being a fair distance from these creatures, only slight anomalies occur. These are notably characteristics which correspond to the paranoia of the survivors: unnatural flickering of candles, and occasionally the slight movement of a shadow. He hesitated to proclaim any area “safe,” but he stated this was most likely the safest distance one could be from them.

At about a mid-range distance from the creature, the anomalies become more significant and exaggerated. He made certain to point out that this spirit did not seem to desire to actually be noticed, but its murderous intent was all but obvious upon being within proximity to it. He stated that, if someone must come this close, then they should not advance without multiple sources of light. Naturally, torches should also be used instead of lanterns or candles, as the spirit was capable of extinguishing dim light within this vicinity. The easiest way to distinguish between this range and the prior is that the movements of shadows become more frequent and dramatic in nature. This man has also described the shadows as morphing into the silhouette of a woman, and generally only the shadows that were within the peripheral vision were prone to movement.

And finally, the man described to me the signs of being within close proximity to the spirit. Shadows begin to dance wildly, often leaping from one to another, dispelling any previous subtlety. All light sources are under constant assault by slow-moving yet unnaturally cold air, which consequently exaggerates the movement of shadows. He said it was important to never stay still while at this range, as the shadows would quickly begin to engulf any immobile person.

The spirits’ method of killing was naturally unknown, but upon being completely immersed in darkness, victims are known to often emit screams prior to being cut off entirely, shortly followed thereafter by the “joyous” laughter of a woman which quickly warps into an inhuman voice. Yet if darkness does entirely encompass someone, the man said it was still not necessarily a guarantor of death. He called this spirit a “patient hunter,” and she would only kill when she had the perfect opportunity and had not recently attained any prey. He attributed the reason that he was able to survive to this fact, and at this time I noticed that he wore a pained expression; thus I thanked him for the sharing of his account and excused him.

CREDIT: Anonymous