I remember hearing a tapping on my window; three rapid taps to be exact. My light was turned out and it was dark in my room so I used my phone light to find my way to my window. I looked outside and only saw darkness. Nothing was there. I went back to bed and crawled under my covers. TAP TAP TAP.

There it was again, only louder this time. I pulled the covers over my head and shut my eyes tight, willing the insistent noise to go away. For a moment there was only the sound of my breathing. As I began to fall asleep I heard it again. TAP TAP TAP! My eyes shot open and my heart rate quickened its pace. The rapping on my window pane was much louder this time and by then I knew I wasn’t imagining things. I ignored the tapping but I was sure whoever or whatever was tapping on my window could hear my heart beating out of my chest.

I plugged in my headphones, played some music and shut my eyes tight. Eventually, sleep overtook me. BANG BANG BANG! I awoke with a start at the sound of aggressive banging at my window loud enough to shake the glass in its frame. I looked at my alarm clock. It read 3:26 AM. I started to sweat and my heartbeat grew louder and louder. I was sure my heart was going to beat straight out of my chest.

I got out of bed shakily and wrapped my blanket around my shoulders. I left my room and walked down the hall to the living room. I laid down on the couch and got comfortable under the blanket. Right as I laid down I heard it. The howl was low and deep. It lasted for about thirty seconds then stopped but I could’ve sworn I was still hearing it, echoing in my mind. I sat up and peeked through the window behind my couch. I quickly covered my mouth to hold in my scream.

There, standing in my backyard, was just about the biggest wolf I have ever seen. Its fur was pitch black and dense, appearing almost like a silk wrapped shadow. The eyes of the wolf seemed to stare into my soul, gazing into the furthest reaches of my mind. The wolf’s irises were golden in color and glowed in the moonlight. I didn’t dare break eye contact for fear of it jumping through my window and mauling me where I sat. The more I stared into the wolf’s eyes, the more I became entranced in it’s intimidating gaze. I could feel the wolf clawing at my mind, digging away at the surface of my skull. It seemed as though the black wolf was trying to break through my skull to feast on my sanity.

The moon was suddenly covered by the clouds, darkening my backyard. Just like that, the black wolf was gone… When the clouds left their place over the moon there wasn’t a trace of the wolf. It was as if it had just disappeared, fading away with the darkness. I can’t remember when I fell asleep after that but I do know nothing else happened until the next morning. I asked my mom if she heard the howling to which she replied “No sweetie, I didn’t hear anything last night, I slept like a baby.”

The day went along normally. I went to school as I would on any weekday and it was uneventful to say the least. It was later that night while I was in bed that I heard the howling outside my window. It seemed to go on for hours before I finally fell asleep. The next day was the same; uneventful. The only strange occurrence was a sketch of a black wolf on the next blank page of my biology journal. I knew it couldn’t have been any of my friends and considering my parents’ lack of artistic skill it couldn’t have been them either. I know I didn’t draw the wolf so how did it get there?

My classes that day went by slowly. It was during lunch that things started getting a little strange. I was sitting in the courtyard with a few friends. I was telling them about the bizarre and frightening things that were going on when I took my lunch out of my bag. I unwrapped the sandwich from it’s packaging and took a bite. It tasted God-awful and I instantly felt a squirming sensation in my mouth.

I looked down at my sandwich and I became horrified at the sight. Between the two slices of bread wasn’t lunch meat like I thought. Raw meat with a rancid smell that told me it was obviously rotten filled my nose. That wasn’t all. In my rotten raw meat sandwich were squirming, fat maggots. I got up and ran to the trash can, throwing up the contents of my stomach and spitting out the rotten flesh and maggots. I could still feel the repulsive, slimy residue coating the entire inside of my mouth. I could still taste the mixed recipe of vomit, rancid flesh and greasy maggots on my tongue.

I ran back inside the school, ignoring my friends calling to me. I burst through the door of the girl’s restroom and hunched myself over the sink, crying like a baby. I must have washed my mouth out with soapy water a thousand times before my school’s assistant principal walked in the restroom and put her hand on my shoulder. “Maria… Are you ok sweetie?” She asked with a calming yet concerned tone. I shook my head frantically and felt ready to throw up again. The assistant principal led me out of the girls’ restroom and I noticed my friends standing outside with worried looks on their faces.

I walked with her all the way to her office, still crying. Once I stepped inside her office I sat down in the chair across from her desk and slowly the tears stopped running down my cheeks. The assistant principal sat across from me and began to speak. “Maria, dear, do you want to talk about what happened at lunch?” I sniffled and rubbed my eye, staying silent. “Your friends showed me what was in your sandwich. Do you have any idea how that happened?” I shook my head slowly and she continued. “You do understand I’m going to have to make a report of this to child protective services, don’t you?” I looked up at her. She had a look of concern and sympathy on her face.

“No don’t! It wasn’t my parents’ fault!” The realization hit me. It was that… thing. That thing that was tapping on my windows did this. It must’ve also gotten ahold of my journal and drew that wolf. The sickening realization that it must have broken into my house the night before hit me like a freight train.

“Maria, sweetie?” My assistant principal tried getting my attention. I snapped out of my daze and she continued. “You have to realize how this looks…” she said quietly. Reading her face I knew what she was thinking.

“My parents didn’t do this. It isn’t their fault!” I snapped.

She looked surprised and went on “Who’s fault is it, Maria?” She asked, clasping her hands together on the desk in front of her. I bit my lip and sat forward in the chair.

“There’s something after me. It’s been tapping and banging on my window. It drew this picture of a wolf in my journal and I saw…” I paused for a moment. “I saw this huge black wolf in my backyard and it just disappeared!” I burst out, beginning to tap my foot nervously.

”Maria… Do you want to talk to the counselor about this? I think she can help you with-”

I cut her off with a sharp tone in my voice. “I’m not crazy!” By then I’d grown angry. I was having none of what she was saying.

She simply sighed “I’m not saying you’re crazy. All I’m saying is I think Mrs. Judy can help you with this better than I can…” I crossed my arms as she started writing a slip to the counselor’s office. My assistant principal handed it to me and I stormed out of her office in a huff.

My appointment with the counselor was at 3:20 PM so I went through another class, barely listening to anything my teacher said. When it was time to see the school counselor it went along just as you’d expect. I was accused of making up the events that were occurring. According to the counselor, I was “making up fantasies” to cope with what was happening in my “home life”. Nothing was going on at home other than all the shit this person or this thing has been doing to me.

The next few days were the same. The tapping and banging on my window at night, keeping me from sleeping. The constant fear of being watched… Followed. Checking everything I ate and drank for unwanted, wriggling, flesh eating visitors. Though new things began happening. I would hear the howling at night, every night; angry, vicious, deep howls that seemed to get closer and closer until they sounded like they were coming from right outside my window. The howling wouldn’t stop. It was driving me bat-shit insane. These strange symbols began appearing on my window, drawn in what looked to be blood. Another drawing appeared in my journal. I was losing my mind… The sleep deprivation and mental torture were getting to me… I started skipping school and hiding in my room all day and night.

There was a morning that I heard the doorbell ring. My parents weren’t home so I got up, left my room and answered the door. I saw the FedEx delivery truck driving away, releasing black smoke from the exhaust. I looked down and saw a medium sized package with my name and address on the shipping label. There was no return address. I took the box inside and set it on my bed, grabbing a pair of scissors. I crawled onto my bed and examined the box.

Nothing seemed unordinary about it until I cut the tape and looked inside. A folded square of stationary paper was placed on top of a black trash bag that seemed to have something in it. I unfolded the note and saw that it read, “To Maria B.” Then below those words was the delicate handwriting that read “Enjoy, little pig.” Signed, The Black Wolf… I set the note aside and opened the trash bag. I almost screamed at the sight of what lay inside. The decaying, stinking head of a pig stared me dead in the eye. I covered my mouth with my hand as the stench caused my eyes to water. I felt like throwing up. The pig’s mouth was hanging wide open, exposing it’s dried up pale tongue which lolled out of its mouth. The eyes of the pig were gray and sunken in, leaking the fluids of rot, like the tears of death himself. The smell was too much.

I grabbed the box, almost gagging, opened my window and threw the box outside. The pig’s head rolled out of the box and flopped onto the grass. I slammed my window shut and sat in the corner of my room, crying and shaking. I rocked back and forth, hugging my knees for what seemed like hours. It became dark outside by the time I realized how long I’d been huddled in the corner, crying like a nut case. I remembered my parents had gone out of town for a few days on a business trip. I was all alone…

Midnight rolled by and I was sitting in my room, checking the notifications on my phone. As I scrolled through messages I heard a knock at the door, three subtle knocks. I got up, wondering who could be at my door this late at night. I walked out of my room and approached the front door. As I reached for the doorknob I was stopped dead in my tracks. BANG BANG BANG! The stranger outside knocked again, aggressively this time. My heart started pounding and I checked to make sure the door was locked. I heard laughing from the other side of the door “Little pig, little pig! Let me in!” I gasped at the sound and felt frozen in place. BANG BANG BANG! I heard the banging on the door again then all was quiet.

I backed up a few steps, my heart pounding out of my chest. Suddenly the door burst open. They kicked the door open… ‘Oh my God I’m going to die…’ I thought to myself. I couldn’t make a sound. I fell back on my ass and stared wide eyed at the figure that stood looming in the doorway. They… It was like a living shadow. It stood still for a moment then, quick as lightning it lunged forward, slamming the door shut behind it. I tried to scream but no sound came out. It grabbed me by my hair and started to drag me down the hall to the basement door. I kicked and fought but it didn’t seem to affect anything.

It opened the door and dragged me down the stairs to the basement. I felt myself being held down and I felt pressure around my wrists and ankles. I tried to scream but a rag forced itself into my mouth, secured by duct tape. I thrashed and struggled in my bindings to no prevail. The basement light flickered to life at the click of the switch and my eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light. My attacker stepped forward into the light and I screamed, only to be muffled by the gag in my mouth. It wasn’t a monster at all. It was a man, or at least I thought it was a man…

He looked to be in his late teens or early twenties. He wore a black leather mask in the shape of a wolf’s face, snarling and angry. I could see the man’s eyes behind the mask. The skin around his eyes was painted black. His scleras were pitch black and his irises a glowing golden color. Just like those of the wolf I saw… He was dressed in complete black, decked out with heavy military combat boots, a tight fitting black hoodie with a tan skull on the back and black jeans. He unzipped his hoodie and tossed it to the ground.

I could see the scarred, exposed skin of his slim torso. His muscles rippled as he stretched. “Little pig… Tell me, are you scared of me? The big bad Wolf?” His voice was deep and had a slight rumble to it like a wolf’s growl. He seemed cocky and bold. I was crying again by then and shaking uncontrollably. I whimpered behind the gag. “Ha ha! You should be…” he laughed sadistically and stepped closer to me. “You don’t remember me, do you?” He asked, stepping even closer until his tall figure loomed over me. He looked to at least be six foot. I shook my head no. “Tsk. Figures a pig like you wouldn’t remember. Like a sheep in the flock… This isn’t personal or anything of the sort. You simply endangered my research so I’m endangering your life.” My eyes widened and I pulled at the ropes. They only tightened more around my wrists and ankles. “You’re a disgusting little pig. You need to learn your lesson.” I whimpered at the menacing tone in his voice.

The man in the black wolf mask lunged forward and grabbed my wrist that was tied to the arm of the chair. I tried to call for help to no prevail. “‘This little piggy went to the woods…” he grabbed my pointer finger and snapped it. I saw a flash of white and pain shot up my arm. He gripped my middle finger “This little piggy stayed home…” I heard my finger break as he snapped the bone. My screams and pleas sounded like a wailing, injured animal, blocked by the gag. He moved on to the next finger. “This little piggy had rotten meat…” POP! Then my pinky finger was next. “This little piggy had none…” SNAP! He moved to my thumb. I shook my head rapidly, desperately trying to beg for him to stop. He removed the duct tape and rag from my mouth. I gasped for air and before I could say anything he chimed in with a sweet, sadistic tone to his deep voice. “And this little piggy cried wee, wee, wee!” CRACK! I screamed and the sound echoed through the basement.

In a flash, he shoved the gag back in my mouth and sealed my lips with the duct tape. “Ah, what a wondrous sound!” He took in a deep breath through his nose and straightened up, tilting his head back to the ceiling as if my scream was a drug flowing through his veins like liquid fire. I saw a portion of his face just beneath the mask. His smile widened, revealing sharp, pointed canines. I noticed then that his hair was shaved on one side and black in color. His ears were pointed like that of a wolf’s.

”To this day I still have vivid memories of this self-centered son of a bitch showing the entire class my research journal, even reading some of it out loud as well, word for fucking word. I looked like a fool, it was only the second day of freshman year, everybody thought I was a freak… She thinks I would forget about that? She ruined all three years of my fucking high school experience. Oh but of course that little snickering pig would’ve forgotten, she had it easy, so fucking easy... The bitch is lucky I dropped out. If I hadn’t, she would’ve never heard the end of it the minute the bell rings on the last day of senior year.. Not like it matters now, all of her bones will be broken soon enough anyways...” The masked madman was deep in thought...

I was hyperventilating, nearly struggling to breathe as I felt the duct tape on my lips tighten each time I inhaled. ‘He has to get caught…He will…HE. HAS. TO. GET. CAUGHT.’ I continuously tried to convince myself that everything would be okay. My thoughts were running faster than wolves chasing after their next meal. My eyes began to pace around the room, I didn’t know where to look anymore. ‘He’s going to get caught, right? No way he can get away with this...Ah- err- fingerprints! He’d leave fingerprints behind!’ I suddenly gained a bit of hope, until I glanced over at the man.. ‘GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!’ I noticed he was wearing black military gloves...

He walked towards me slowly, I could hear the footsteps of his combat boots getting closer. I squinted my eyes, eventually shutting them completely to avoid taking one more look at that mask, that damn mask. “Frightened so soon, little pig? The fun is just beginning.” I whined quietly but my cries were muffled by the tape. There was no use in yelling any longer, no one heard me… At this point, they never will... He stepped forward and stood right in front of me... I tried to squirm... I couldn’t take it... Just fucking looking at him...

He pushed the chair down and I fell to the concrete floor. My knees burned like hell. I felt warm tears run down my face as I immediately heard a thump and my chair was suddenly pushed back to its original position. “Oh, little pig… YOU LITTLE FUCKING PIG!” He yelled, grabbing something from his back pocket. I felt my heartbeat racing... My chest felt heavy... My cheeks felt so hot, I could swear it felt like hot irons being pressed on my face. I could feel the fear, physically and mentally. He pulled out a lighter. This was it… My final moments... He sparked the lighter and the light of the flame reflected on his dark leather mask. He brought it closer to me as I began to close my eyes tightly again. I felt a sharp pain on my forearm and I whimpered in agony.

I suddenly felt the ropes around my left ankle loosen and rip. I kicked out and the tip of my foot hit his chin. He let out a loud sigh, unfazed as I heard him spark the lighter again. ‘Fuck.’ I thought to myself. “Did you think; YOU, YOURSELF Would get away from ME? The Black Wolf?” He laughed, louder than anytime he’d laughed before. I felt the heavy heat of the flame touch the tip of my toes as I attempted to squirm, failing miserably. Tears ran down my face quickly. My eyes opened slowly. I saw him stand up and grab something off the nearest shelf. He was pacing around.

“My my….Is little piggy scared? Boohoo! Too bad you can’t squeal for help.” He began to chuckle. “Little pig, little pig… Let’s begin.” I noticed that he’d gotten a switch blade from the shelf. I didn’t want to die like this. I never thought I would die like this. I began remembering all those childhood memories of mine, until it came to me... I know who this person is... Or rather who they were. I remember him. I remember what I did freshman year of High School. The rush of guilt was heavier than the weight of anxiety I got every time I looked at this guy’s mask. The guy who’d been abused by his mom his whole life or something...

I was so… lost in thought. I finally snapped out of it by the painful feeling. I was being cut in the arm, it felt like the knife just cut through every bit of flesh like butter which then lead to the inevitable bleeding. I’ve never seen so much blood before. I passed out cold... I was awoken by a door slamming. I was untied from the chair. I was no longer restrained. I ran over to my cell phone and called my parents. They rushed home and when they came, they called the cops. They didn’t believe me. This couldn’t be happening. They thought, they actually thought I did all that to myself. ‘No. No no no no no. He can’t get away with this, how did he cover his tracks so well? What even?’ I felt like I was going to snap. I went through so much of this, just to be told it was SELF INJURY. I snapped. “YOU FUCKING MORONS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME IF YOU THINK I’D DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO MYSELF!”

The officers restrained me and walked me to the car. “Don’t worry ma’am, we are going to put you somewhere where you can get better okay?” I kicked. I squirmed. I couldn’t handle this anymore. Before I knew it, I was sitting in the back seat of a cop car, on my way to some awful place for crazy people. I tried to look outside the window. It was too foggy to see anything until I blinked and saw the faint markings on the car window. It had words drawn onto it with a finger. The crystal clear lettering stood out prominently on the foggy glass. It read,

‘The girl that cried “Wolf”’