Demon Creature: Another True Spooky Story

In honor of the First Day of Halloween (as far as I'm concerned, Halloween is a month-long holiday!) I'm posting one of my dad's stories.  I was probably around 11 years old or so the first time he told it, and it raised the hairs up on the back of my neck. Dad swore that this tale is true...but you will of course have to judge for yourself.

Dad grew up in Madison, Indiana, a beautiful and historic little town on the Ohio River. Madison has a reputation of being haunted, of course. It has a rich history dating back to the Civil War and beyond. This story would have taken place in the mid-1940's, probably within a few years after WWII ended. Dad was about 9 years old.

They lived in an old shot-gun style house in the poor section of town. It was a tiny home, housing my dad and a whole bunch of brothers. Normally the house was full of people and noise but on this day, my dad had a chance for five minutes peace, while his brothers were out playing, and his mom and dad were working.

He decided to stay in his room and read a book, a real luxury for him. They couldn't really afford books, so it was a real treat to get his hands on one.

It was broad daylight, in the afternoon. He was sitting on his bed, reading, when he heard a thump in the hallway. He thought it was one of his brothers coming in the house, but after a moment or two of silence, he realized he was still alone.  He continued reading.

He heard another thump, quite a bit louder. He looked over at the open bedroom door, and saw something that scared the hell out of him.

Standing right in the middle of the doorway was a creature. Not an animal, and not a human...it was about three feet tall, and had shiny, coal black skin that hung in folds on it's oddly misshapen body. It wore no clothing of any kind. It's face was inhuman, and it had frightening bright yellow eyes. It didn't do anything other stare at my dad, but gave off an unmistakable air of evil.

Terrified, my dad said he screamed, "GET OUT OF HERE!" at the creature. Instead of leaving, it grinned at him, and simply leaned against the doorjamb, as if it planned to stay awhile.

Dad grabbed the only thing he could lay his hands on, a mason jar full of water he was drinking, and hurled it at the thing. The jar struck the doorjamb right beside the creature, and *poof*, the thing vanished into thin air.

He said that was one of the most terrifying things that ever happened to him in his life, and to the day he died, he had no explanation for it. He knows he wasn't sleeping, because it was daylight, and he was wide awake reading...and also he managed to dump the water in the jar all over himself when he went to throw it at the creature.

That was the one and only time he saw it.  He made sure to never be alone in the house again.

What was it? I don't know. Dad thought it was some kind of little demon or other-worldly monster.

 All I do know, is that I hope to never see it myself...