Black Eyed Kids

The first account of the Black Eyed Kids first hit the internet on January 16th, 1998, when journalist, Brian Bethel, describe his encounter with two strange pre-teens.  The two teens approached his vehicle, wanting a ride.  The two boys, who were otherwise dressed normally and appeared normal, gave off a sense of danger, and dread.  As Bethel refused to give the boys a ride, they became more and more insistent, and Bethel was able to distinguish that they both had jet-black eyes...no pupils, no iris, just the entire eye black.

And thus, the legend of the Black Eyed Kids was born.

Although still largely attributed to being an urban legend, scores of "sightings" have since been reported to various paranormal websites and forums.  Each of these experiences, as far fetched as they may be, report very similar elements.

In each case, the kid, or kids (they often travel in pairs) appears to be between the ages of 12-18.   In each case, the BEK approached the witness either at the witness's home or vehicle, asking for entry.  When entry is denied, they grow increasingly persistent, while the witness is growing increasingly afraid.  In all cases, these kids are described as being very intelligent, articulate, confident and, well...creepy.  These kids are said to almost exude a sense of foreboding, fear, and anxiety.  They appear to be dressed in normal, contemporary clothing, but the eyes are always described as being completely black.  Allegedly, Portland, Oregon had several reports from run-ins with the BEKs and the Creepy Cleveland has reported a sighting in Northern Ohio.

No one knows who or what the BEKs are, or where they came from, but Rosemary Ellen Guiley has recently put forth a theory that these beings are the offspring of a djinn and human parent.  The insistence to enter a witness's home or car, however, is reminiscent of vampire lore, and some even believe the BEKs to be some type of alien or alien hybrid.  Legend goes that anyone who does admit the children into his/her car or home will surely wind up dead,  but apparently no one has ever fallen to the BEKs' requests...or at least, no one ALIVE has!

I've never had a personal encounter with a BEK, and honestly, when the phenomena was first reported, it seemed like the ONLY reports were coming in from one man's personal experiences, and I just thought that it was a fictional creation or a misidentification.  I still don't know exactly what to believe, and thought that the BEKs follow a similar story line as the Slender Man.  We KNOW Slenderman started as a fictional character, but afterwards reports started coming in from all over and from fairly honest people that hey had actually seen this entity!  The same started happening with the BEKs, and years after those initial reports, it seems like the BEKs have recently found a new generation to terrorize.  Therefore, I think as time goes on, we're gonna start seeing a LOT more of these stories popping up in paranormal circles.

Whatever these black eyed kids may turn out to be, its interesting to point out that there are several disorders that give the appearance of a black eye, or lack of a colored iris.  The cause of these can be anything from genetic, to induced by injury:

Mydriasis is otherwise known as a blown pupil and is where the pupil stays fully dilated, giving it the look of drowning out the iris.  Head injury, eye injury, and even sexual arousal can all cause varying forms of mydriasis.

Aniridia is an absence of the iris usually caused by a genetic defect, but can also occur due to injury.  Again, the lack of an iris give the eye a black look as the pupil is the more prominent feature.

Scleral Melanocytosis affects mainly Asian children, and includes black or gray spots in the sclera.  Similarly, Nevus of Ota is almost like a birthmark that can affect the sclera, causing a small spot, or a nearly full darkening of the white of the eye and everything in between (see picture).  There are some other pigmentation disorders, including melanoma, that can have a similar affect, but these seem to be the more popular issues.

Nevus of Ota

Here is a list of other diseases and disorders affecting the sclera, some of which can cause a blackish appearance in extreme cases, but its important to note that most eye doctors swear that they've never seen a case where the actual sclera (the white part of the eye) has turned completely black, especially in the case of an otherwise healthy, "unmarked" child.  They are, however, quick to point out that this look is easily achieved through the use of widely available contact lenses, as seen below:

Black contacts-Source

 



BEKs

Top Photo property of Barry Napier