Beneath the Veil of Shadow

It appeared just after sunset, as darkness began to permeate the woods around my family’s hunting cabin. I wouldn’t have seen it in time if it weren’t for the silver beams emanating from the full moon, which streamed into the clearing around the cabin and bathed the ground in their pale brilliance.

I had finally arrived at the cabin. Dusk had given way to the night so that darkness could reign. I was exhausted from a full day of work and the long drive, trying my best to relax, when I realized that I had forgotten to bring my rifle in with me. I groaned, irritated with myself, then forced myself to get out of the old ’70s floral print armchair and dragged myself to the door.

I groggily stepped out into the moonlight, leaving the door wide open. I was immediately overtaken by the urge to yawn & stretch as far as I could, to the point that I nearly lost my balance. It wasn’t until I regained my composure and began to walk over to my pickup truck that I became aware of how eerily calm & quiet the woods around me had become… and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched. I knew from experience that this was never a good combination when one was in the mountains by themself, so I upped my pace.

I closed the rest of the distance as quickly and as quietly as I could. My eyes searched the edge of the woods for any movement or any sign that something may be there. Upon reaching my truck I stood still for a moment, then looked around and listened intently before I pulled the passenger side door open. Believing that the coast was clear, I stepped up onto the sidebar and reached into the back seat for my gun case. I then felt a piercing gaze fall upon my back and grabbed onto the seat before I slowly turned myself around…

That’s when I saw it.

Peeking around from the back corner of the cabin was what appeared to be the head of some sort of canine. The only feature that I could make out for certain at that moment was its shimmering red eyes, locked onto mine. I froze in place, unblinking, and felt a wave of tension & anxiety wash over me. I didn’t dare move lest it would approach. It looked over toward the trees, then back at me before it slowly came out from behind the cabin and moved out into the clearing, perpendicular to my position.

Now that it was out in the open, I could see that this was in fact a dog… but it was no ordinary dog. It was massive, and even in the light it was still completely encompassed by shadow, as if it were made of the darkness that surrounded us. Its body emitted what could only be likened to an “aura” of blackness, animated with fluttering tufts that vaguely resembled flames. I’d never seen anything like it, and the sight sent such intense shivers down my spine that it caused me to arch my back slightly out of reflex.

I knew exactly what it was doing; sizing me up. I slowly reached my hand down to my hip where I usually keep my sidearm, realizing much to my dismay that I had left it on the coffee table inside the cabin… along with the backpack containing my rifle ammunition. I watched as it turned its head toward the treeline, then proceeded to throw its head back and let loose an unearthly, ominous howl before it lowered its gaze back to me. I took in a deep breath and held it as I witnessed it lower its stance, knowing all too well what was about to transpire.

It launched from its position at an incredible speed, which caused me to throw myself backward into the truck and scramble to get the passenger side door shut. A split second later it slammed into the door, which caused the inside panel to come loose and reveal the massive dent that it had just left. The dog then jumped up and put its paws on the window, looked in, and barked at me before it attempted to pull the handle with its teeth. Bewildered, I reached forward and slammed the locking pin down, which caused the shadow dog to cock its head, almost as if in confusion.

It began to make its way around to the other side of my truck. I immediately knew that it was about to try to open the driver’s side door, so I hurried and slammed the pin down on it as well. It began to pull at the handle with its teeth, then barked in frustration. The dog then made its way around to the rear of my truck, jumped up into the bed, backed itself up against the tailgate, and lowered its stance.

It threw itself against the back slider, which caused the glass to spiderweb and buckle. I placed my back against the dash and braced the glass with my feet in a last-ditch effort to prevent it from breaking through. The shadow dog backed up to the tailgate once again as it prepared itself for another attack, then launched itself against the glass. The force from the blow sent a wave of jarring pain up my legs that made me wail in agony. It backed up once more in preparation for another assault, then rocketed forward… only this time it veered to the side, and met the glass to the right of my legs.

It made it through.

The backglass behind the driver’s seat gave way. The shadow dog promptly stuck its massive head through the opening and began to thrash about, widening the hole. It grabbed a hold of my pants leg and began to drag me out of the truck through the gaping space. I fought as hard as I could; I grabbed onto the steering wheel, then onto the back of the seat in an attempt to save myself… but its strength completely overwhelmed me.

It dragged me out of the truck, over the side rails of the bed, and then began to drag me toward the cabin. I thought for sure that I was done for… but it came to a complete stop, snapped its head to the tree line, and proceeded to growl. It took one quick look back at me before it sprinted off into the woods.

I knew that this may be my only chance at escape, so I collected myself from the ground and retrieved my rifle from the truck as swiftly as I could manage. The dog was nowhere to be seen, but I could faintly hear it barking and growling in the distance. The pain in my legs was nearly unbearable, but I forced myself to shamble toward the safety of the cabin. I had reached the halfway point between my truck to the door when I heard the rustling of brush. I spun around and reeled in terror as the dog re-emerged from the woods.

It locked eyes with me, then proceeded to bark and trotted towards me. I pushed through the fear, through the pain, and made my way to the cabin as quickly as I could, rifle case in hand. Although my rifle wasn’t loaded, in the worst-case scenario, I could at least strike the dog with it in self-defense. Thankfully, the shadow dog moved toward me at a much slower pace than it initially had when I was in the truck, so I was able to reach the open door of the cabin safely. I darted inside and immediately slammed the door, locking it behind me. I fully expected the dog to slam into it in an attempt to smash through… but it didn’t.

I placed the rifle case by the door and forced myself to look out the window to see what it was doing. The dog paced back & forth in front of the narrow porch, switching its gaze back & forth between myself and the tree line… “Wut’s it doin’?” I asked myself. It had been trying its damnedest to get to me in the truck, but now it was just pacing, watching. It didn’t rush the door, nor did it try to break through a window… it didn’t even make a sound. It just marched, watching intently.

I kept my eyes fixated on it through the window as best I could whilst retrieving my sidearm from the table and the rifle ammunition from my backpack. I placed my magnum on my hip and loaded the rifle to make sure that I was ready for the next assault. The shadow dog paced several more times before it made its way around the corner to the backside of the cabin. I made my way toward the back wall and watched for it through the window for some time, but it was nowhere to be seen… then I heard a knock at the front door.

A knock? A dog would scratch at a door, maybe even whine or bark… but knock? Although the chances were astronomically low, this could be a person lost in the woods who sought refuge. If it was, I had to get to them before the dog did. “Hello, who’s there?” I called out as I made my way across the cabin, but there was no response; I was met with only another series of knocks.

Upon reaching the door I called again, “Hello?”
“…Help me…” a faint, steady voice finally answered, “I’m lost and tired… and hungry. Please let me in… there’s some sort of strange animal out here, it’s after me…”
I unlocked the door and began to push it open. I managed a gap of only a few inches before something slammed against it, which sent me flailing backward onto the floor.

I then heard the familiar growling & barking, followed by the sounds of tearing flesh and a bloodcurdling screech; the dog had gotten to them first. The sounds began to retreat from my door. I assumed that the dog must be dragging them away into the woods, so I grabbed my rifle in hopes that I might be able to save them. I threw open the door, only to find the shadow dog outside alone, staring off into the trees. It turned back and looked at me, then began to bark wildly.

Although I was bemused to find it alone with no sign of the other person, I wasted no time in pulling the door shut, then quickly slammed the bolt back into place. Again, I fully expected the dog to slam into the door after me… but it didn’t. It only barked at me a few more times before it resumed pacing in front of the porch. It continued this behavior for a while, then came up onto the porch and laid down. It fixed its gaze outward onto the treeline and began to emit a low, unsettling growl. I couldn’t believe it, its behavior was completely different from what it had initially displayed while I was outside.

Still, I didn’t trust this creature. It had attempted to harm me once before, and it very well may try to do so again. I was armed and ready, though I wasn’t sure if firearms would affect it whatsoever. I watched it through the window for nearly the entire night, waiting for any change in its behavior. The shadow dog eventually stood up and paced again, fixated on the tree line. It stopped and looked back at me through the window, locked its eyes onto mine for a brief moment, and then made its way toward the woods, barking the entire way.

I watched and waited, wondering if it was gone for good. It had been a few hours since the dog disappeared into the woods, and I hadn’t heard so much as a peep after the barking faded into the distance. It was eerily silent once again… until a set of red eyes appeared just inside the treeline, watching me. Admittedly, I was not only terrified, but also aggravated beyond all reason about my current situation, and inconceivably tired. I was accustomed to being the hunter, not the prey, and I wasn’t about to let that change; I refused to be stalked by this mutt.

The sun would be rising any minute. I picked up my rifle and threw open the front door in anger, stepped outside, and called arrogantly into the waning night, “I’ve had enuff!” As I aimed my rifle toward the glowing eyes, I was met with the most sinister & horrific screeching sound imaginable, as if a thousand banshees were wailing all at once. Ice ran through my veins and my hands trembled so intensely that I nearly dropped my firearm as a new monstrosity emerged from the treeline.

It stood on two legs and was about the size of a person, bearing a gaunt form. It was hunched over, its long arms dangled toward the ground, ending in clawed hands. Its pale skin, dotted with deep teeth marks and gashes that seemed freshly healed, clung to its toned musculature. The sight sent a rush of disgust into my deepest bowels. It had piercing red eyes like the dog, but its presence was altogether different. It screeched once again, pulling back its pointed ears as it revealed its long, sharp fangs, and flared its flat, upturned nostrils.

It was at this moment I accepted, no matter how much I initially detested the thought, that I was the prey in this situation.

I knew that I looked like a seven-course meal to this abomination. It lowered its stance and raised its arms out to the side with its claws spread wide. I readied my rifle, prepared to place as many shots as I could into it in an attempt to take it out, or at the very least slow it down so that I could retreat within the cabin. It began to close the distance between us at a blinding speed.

I backpedaled slowly as I repeatedly fired & cocked my rifle as fast as I could. My shots seemed to be ineffective; they caused no real damage and failed to slow it down. The magazine in my rifle quickly became empty, so I threw it towards the creature. I drew my magnum from its holster and kept firing as I continued to move backward until the worst possible thing happened…

I tripped.

It had nearly reached me when all of a sudden the shadow dog appeared out of the darkness. It slammed into the foul creature full force, sending it spinning and bouncing across the ground until it managed to slam a clawed hand into the dirt and skid to a stop. The abomination screeched at the shadow dog and bared its fangs, but it didn’t attempt to strike back at the dog whatsoever; it tried to come for me once again instead. I readied my magnum, but was met with a dull *click* when I attempted to fire; it was empty.

The dog struck once again, but this time it found a firm hold upon the creature and refused to let go. They rolled around on the ground, each trying to get the upper hand on the other until the dog finally pinned it down. The sun then began to rise. The blinding rays caused the skin of the creature to boil & sizzle as it shrieked in pain, and it tried to escape the clutches of the shadow dog to no avail. Overwhelmed by the brilliance of the sun, the abomination’s flesh gave way to bone before erupting in flames, and burned until nothing remained of the creature but ash. The dog howled in triumph as the sun began to unravel the shadows that consumed it, revealing a much smaller, less threatening, form.

I could now see the true form of the dog underneath; it was my best friend who had been killed trying to protect me many years ago.

I couldn’t believe my eyes, “Oh my god, that you, boy? I’m so happy to see ya!” I called to him. I was not only dumbfounded but also elated to behold such a sight. He threw his body against mine and began to lick my face. Tears streamed down my cheeks, “I never thought I’d see ya again!” My dog then proceeded to run away, disappearing around the back corner of the cabin. I sprang to my feet and followed him, but he had already vanished before I could catch up.

I made my way over to the grave where my friend had been laid to rest all those years ago, “Not only once, but twice now ya’ve saved me from certain death…” I spoke before kneeling at his headstone, recalling the time he had saved me from an angry black bear. I had gotten too close to her cub and she charged me, but he threw himself between us in order to buy me enough time to escape. “Ya gave yer life fer me once, and came back ta save me again… you really are the bestest boy in the entire world.” Tears continued to pour down my face as I spoke to him, “I really cain’t thank you enuff, for everythang… You deserved a much better, longer life.”

The wind picked up and blew the fallen leaves around, “yer life may have been cut short, but that didn’t stop ya from watchin’ out fer me, did it? Ya’ve always been here, and in my heart. I’ll never forget ya, long as I live. I have no idea what woulda happened if that creature had gotten hold of me,” I wept, “but you weren’t about ta let that happen, were ya? I love ya, boy.”

Afterward, I became obsessed with researching the incident, soaking up every last piece of information that I could find. The closest thing that I could come up with in regards to the abomination was that it was some sort of “vampire.” According to old folklore, they cannot come inside of your home without permission, they must be invited in… or wait for you to venture out into the darkness on your own. The longer they go without feeding, the more feral & grotesque they become, which explains its appearance.

I fully understand what my old canine companion was trying to do; ensure my safety by forcing me inside of the cabin, and prevent that creature from reaching me. I know that he was fully aware of the danger that awaited me just outside the door… but what I still don’t understand is how he managed to return (in such a terrifying, brooding form, no less). I couldn’t find anything to help shed some light on the phenomenon, not a single account where this had happened before. Still & yet, he somehow returned from the grave to protect me. Perhaps the bond of friendship has simply proved itself stronger than even the grip of death.

I’ve never been more thankful for anything in my entire life. Not only did my best friend save my life once again, but I also got to see him one last time. What more could you possibly ask for?

Credit: Caleb M. Foster

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