Black-eyed children

[[File:Black eyes by megamoto85 (cropped).jpg|right|thumb|165px|He's coming to getcha!]]
{{folklore}} 
The story of '''black-eyed children''' is an [[urban legend]] about, well, black eyed [[children]].<ref>Sharon Hill, [https://web.randi.org/swift/behind-black-eyes-reports-of-spooky-black-eyed-kids Behind black eyes: Reports of spooky black-eyed kids]. James Randi Educational Foundation, 29 September 2014.</ref><ref>Sam Clench, [https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/black-eyed-children-real-or-just-a-creepy-myth/news-story/988409b3f5a67b3592a09159e1b31ba0 Black eyed children: Real, or just a creepy myth?] news.com,au, 19 November 2013.</ref> Said children knock on people’s doors and ask to be let in for some reason, such as to use the phone, to use the restroom or some other reason entirely. The person first believes they are really children in need of help, but then they realize that something is suspicious about the children. They notice that the children’s eyes are completely black. Feeling that these children are up to no good, they then refuse to let the children in.<ref>David Mikkelson, [https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/black-eyed-children/ Black-Eyed Children]. [[Snopes]], 29 April 2013.</ref>

The children apparently then leave to find someone more gullible to let them into their house. 

Like many good horror stories, this tale gets a lot of its suspense from what we don’t know about the monsters: What are the black-eyed children? Are they [[demons]]? [[Aliens]], whether from another dimension or another planet? Prankster spirits with wacky contact lenses? Some other type of [[cryptid]] entirely? Their apparent need to get invited into a house instead of just breaking in brings to mind the “must be invited” aspect of some [[vampire]] stories, but it’s not clear if there is any other connection to vampires. 

Also, what do the children want to do once they’ve been let in? We’re supposed to assume that they’re up to no good, but hey, for all we know, maybe they really do need to use the phone to call their Ma and don’t mean us any harm. Maybe we shouldn’t jump to conclusions about children based on the color of their eyes. 

==Alleged sightings==

There are alleged earlier sightings of the black-eyed kids, such as one in Aisne, [[France]] in the 1970s, but the legend only really began in earnest in 1998, when a man named Brian Bethel posted the now-familiar story on a message board.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050213181819/http://www.pinn.net/~royaloak/Stories/black_eyed.htm Those Darned Black-Eyed Kids]. Archived from pinn.net/~royaloak/. Original post dated 16 January 1998.</ref> Bethel would repeat his story years later to the Abilene Reporter News.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151208221117/http://www.reporternews.com/news/columnists/brian-bethel/brian-bethel-recounts-his-possible-paranormal-encounter-with-beks-ep-384772497-348207271.html Brian Bethel, Brian Bethel recounts his possible paranormal encounter with 'BEKs', Abilene Reporter News, April 13, 2013]</ref>

An unnamed US Marine allegedly saw some in Camp Lejeune, [[Fun:North Carolina|North Carolina]] in November, 2009. 

Some black-eyed teens for a change were allegedly seen in [[Fun:Ohio|Ohio]] in 2010.<ref>[https://from-the-shadows.blogspot.com/2010/08/black-eyed-kids-in-ohio.html?m=1 Jason Offutt, Black Eyed Kids in Ohio, From the Shadows, April 22, 2010]</ref>

The kids were allegedly seen in September 2014 in Cannock Chase, Stradfordshire, [[England]].<ref>[https://www.dailyedge.ie/black-eyed-ghost-children-1703721-Oct2014/ Michael Freeman, Here's the actual story behind the 'black-eyed ghost children, The Daily Edge, October 3, 2014]</ref>

A few accounts were broadcast on Darkness Radio in September 2015.<ref>[https://www.phantomsandmonsters.com/2015/12/black-eyed-children-adult-encounters.html?m=1 Lon Strickler, Black Eyed Children/ Adult Encounters, Phantoms and Monsters, December 22, 2015]</ref>

In January 2016, someone sent a 
creepypasta
 e-mail to Week in Weird, claiming that they let black-eyed children into their house.<ref>[http://weekinweird.com/2016/01/28/witness-report-i-let-the-black-eyed-children-into-my-home-and-now-im-slowly-dying/ Greg Newkirk, Witness Report: “I Let the Black Eyed Children Into My Home, and Now I’m Slowly Dying”, Week in Weird, January 28, 2018]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Child abuse]], for a different type of black eyed children
*[[Vampire]]
*[[Men in Black]]
*[[Slenderman]]
*[[Gray aliens]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}
[[Category:Horror]]

Categories: Horror