HARD
TO EXPLAIN TALES 25
Barghest
This
took place between 1985-86. I was about 4 or 5 years old.
*short
history*
My
parents were high school sweethearts that got married my mother's senior year.
9 months later I showed up! For a brief time we lived in an apartment complex
before my parents purchased a trailer and moved behind my grandmothers old house
in Calhoun Georgia. Calhoun is a town approximately 60 miles north of Atlanta.
Dad and
Mom purchased a decent sized trailer with one end being a huge glass window.
This end faced the back of grandmother's house and the road. I had a cat that
was solid white. It was explained to me that these were genetically deaf.
apparently tests had been run, but basically mine was
one of the solid whites that were definitely deaf. This one couldn't hear a gun
go off!
The
following is an account of a strange event that occurred
within the span of approximately 2 minutes.
As I was
in the living room (about to go to bed) I saw my cat sitting in the large glass
window that was to the front of the trailer. I thought it was odd that it was
just staring out, and even stranger when it started emitting a low growl. I
walked over to see what the housecat was looking at, when all of a sudden it
arched its back and started hissing and spitting in the loudest fuss I have even
heard. Being the little guy I was, It took a minute to pull back the curtain
but as soon I as I caught a glimpse of the thing my cat saw I froze.
A huge
dog/thing was slowly (very slowly) making its way around the side of my
grandmother's house. I say "thing" because this looked like a dog, but it
didn't appear to have fur. It had incandescent eyes that seemed to glow in
reflected light. It was jet black like a panther, but had a dog-like snout. It
cocked its head almost mockingly, and walked around the side of the trailer. I
looked back at the cat who appeared to be spasming and urinating on itself (yes
it urinated, I remember that distinctly because mom had to clean it up.)
I was
told it could have been a mountain lion, though mountain lions or puma's are not
that common here. Bobcats are, but not mountain lions; and bobcats are not that
big.
Not
only that, but mountain lions are not black, they are large, and they do not
have dog-heads. The snout of the thing was large, but not pointed like a wolf or
coyote. It was hyena-like. The creature looked very muscular.
I am
titling this "Barghest" after the goblin in English folklore that took the form
of a wolf or large evil dog.
My
mother and father argued frequently over various things; they divorced 3 or so
years later. I still remember this vividly today.
Thanks,
-Roderick
Shaun Brehm.
