Four years ago, my girlfriend and I were studying in the quiet town of Whitby, North Yorkshire. One evening, around half past ten, we set off to visit a friend for supper. Her house was just a short stroll from my girlfriend’s flat, so we decided to walk. The night was ordinary at first—we chatted amiably as we ambled along the cobbled lane. To reach our destination, we had to turn left at the next corner.
We were nearly there when, mid-conversation, my girlfriend gripped my arm and whispered, *What’s that up ahead?* I glanced sideways and spotted a figure shuffling toward us, still a fair distance away. It was unnaturally tall, broad-shouldered, and moved sideways with a hunched, almost broken posture. Though the street was dimly lit, the thing advanced with startling speed, as if it were hurrying to meet us.
We brushed it off, assuming it was just a local—perhaps a rough sleeper. We rounded the corner and had only a few houses left when my girlfriend squeezed my hand so hard it ached. Her voice trembled as she asked if I’d seen what was behind us. I spun around, and there it was—looming at the very corner we’d just passed.
It made no sense. The figure had been much farther back mere moments ago. Cold fear slithered through us as it lurched forward again, moving with a terrible, strained urgency, closing the gap between us far too quickly.
We bolted without a word, scarcely breathing until we pounded on our friend’s door. She answered at once, startled by our wild-eyed panic. Inside, her little terrier erupted into frantic barks, snarling at the street as though something waited just beyond the threshold.
Our friend assumed we’d been mugged, but once we caught our breath, we told her the truth. She and her parents ventured outside, searching the lane—yet found nothing. The night was still, the pavement empty.
We didn’t dare return to the flat that night. Instead, we stayed, hearts drumming long after the lamplights flickered out. To this day, neither of us knows what followed us that evening. But we agree on one thing: whatever it was, it wasn’t human.
