Past Encounters

Let's say I was born into a small family in a tiny village in middle of the mountains. It was pretty much surrounded by hills and forests from all sides. Two rivers hugged it from the West and South. In the North part of the village started one of the country's national parks. To the east runs a road to the closest town.

I could barely walk, but my father would take me hiking into the forest and mountains on his back. I loved it since I was a little brat. Patting him on the head and having a good time and view from the height of his shoulders.

The first time I saw those beasts was when I was five. I went with my father alone into the forest to collect some mushrooms. That is pretty common around here, where I come from. We didn’t find many, because the season just started. ...It happened on the way back home.

My father was walking ahead of me with six steps. A pretty small field road stretched between tall trees and I suddenly heard some noise. I stopped and glared back the way we already had passed. I saw some hairy creatures, which were peacefully crossing the road.

I ran towards my father and shook his sleeve wildly. He stopped and turned to me with a questioning face. I just pointed with my tiny finger in the direction behind us. My father got a little serious face, but then just looked back at me, smiled, and said: “Those are just few bears.”

I was five,... I of course believed him and just continued on our merry way home. Now, when I look back and picturing those “bears” I know that, they were these werewolf-like creatures. Also now I know my father knew, what they were and he just wanted to protect me and gave me a white lie answer, so I don’t ask more questions.

He taught me to never fear the forest,... always to bow down before entering to show my respect to the forest spirits, who lived there. I always did and still do it to this day, even when I went there today. Maybe that was the reason he didn’t instantly kill me and was just lurking around.

This was my first ever encounter with them I can recall. Years have passed and everything changed in my life. The second time happened, when I was just sixteen or seventeen years old. I had a little black and white puppy. I loved him so much. I often took him out for walkies into the forest.

I knew right away something was odd. He started to act out, but I thought he was doing it, because he was still my small crybaby and a big wimp. So I just brushed his behavior off and continued slowly deeper into the forest. His tail was between his legs and he would constantly turn around like he was looking for someone.

I didn’t hear any birds and that started to scare me a little. Maybe it wasn’t the greatest idea to come here. Maybe the little wimp was right and I had to pay more attention towards his whining. I took few breaths and tried to calm myself down.

I wanted to distract myself from those bad thoughts, so I took out my phone to take a photo of my little furbaby. I made him sit and called his name to look at me. He did, but he started to shake like crazy. He was scared and in all his right. I would know several seconds later.

Suddenly a loud rustling in the leaves and then a dull thump sound behind my back. Like something huge fell down on the road. My dog's facial expression told me it was something dangerous. He was shaking and his ears perked up in alert. I didn’t turn at first... out of fear.

I had a flip phone so I only tilted it a little so I could see what was behind me and... I... was... shocked. An upright furry creature was standing there in the middle of the road we just walked through. It tilted his head from side to side, like he was trying to figure out what we were.

I dared to turn, but by the time I did, I just could catch a glimpse of his hind legs and bushy tail running up the hill into the thick bushes. This was the second time I met one of those "things".

Honestly, I didn’t feel in danger from such distance, at least until then. The third encounter was the scariest and at the same time most awkward. I was around twenty-one and I went on a date with one guy, who I had known since elementary school.

We were classmates, so… you know. He took me for a ride in his car into a forested part, where we could be “alone”. It was located few kilometers, miles ...whatever... from our village. Just to... make out.

We stopped on a small forest road where the lumberjacks were preparing the lumber for export. We crawled on the backseat to ...kiss. After we just started, I saw something outside of the window. There were logs piled up and I have seen something furry moving behind them.

For a bit I froze, but then just slowly continued. Even when I was "busy", I didn’t let that place out of my sight. Then I saw it again. I saw a "werewolf". This time it looked pissed. It had one of its paws on the logs and its lips curled back, I could see its teeth and it looked like it was growling at us.

It came time for me, to stop with making out and I just wanted to get out of there. My date asked me what was wrong and I hesitated. I couldn’t tell him there was a werewolf outside waiting for its dinner. He would think I am crazy or he would want to go and take a look.
“I think I saw a BEAR over there. We should rather go away.”

He looked at me with surprise. He reached for the door and just wanted to go outside. I rolled my eyes at his stupidity. I pulled him back.
“Not a really good idea right now... to go out there.” but I couldn’t stop him.

He just went outside. I followed him, because I kind of wanted to protect him, not sure how, but I did. If something would jump from behind the lumber, I would try my best. He walked around the car, still watching the logs. He entered the vehicle on the driver's side. I jumped back inside and we just drove away. We were lucky that day. That one encounter was mentally exhausting.

The last one before today happened on my 24th birthday. I felt lonely so I took a walk in the forest near my house. The same forest as today, just a little different location. I had my camera with me and I was just walking and taking photos of the nearby flora.

Something moved on my left. I saw them. I think there were three of those wolf-men. Well, two and a half. A small curious cub and two adults maybe. I wanted to take a picture, but when they noticed, what I had in my hands, they pulled the little one behind a tree as fast as they could.

I guess it was too late to make a video. I saw them and maybe I got a photo of them too. They were peaceful, so I just left them and rather turned back to the village. I didn’t go any further into the forest for my safety. These didn’t scare me.