I live in the Outer Banks, down in North Carolina. Frequently I’ve visited the historical site of the Lost Colony, amazed by the artifacts and the intricate lore and history behind the place, alongside the folklore and fairy tales of what happened. I personally believe this is what led me to my job.
I’m an archaeologist. I’ve done digs in India, Iran, even Eswatini. You name it, I’ve probably done work there. Recently, the state of North Carolina hired me out to check out Roanoke and visit the site, alongside a small team. I remember now being glad, as I could finally work near my home and be able to see my family inbetween workdays. If only it were that simple.
It started pleasantly, our team was cohesive, well rounded, and extremely quick with our workload. We would be inspecting and digging around the remnants of a few shelters and some nearby Native ruins, nothing too unusual for a site like Roanoke. I used to personally believe that the settlers of Roanoke simply joined the Croatan tribes, likely struggling in the New World and taken in by natives, which was uncommon but certainly not unheard of. We would each be given a tent near the site, and there were 2 campers we could use to drive in and out of the sites with our gear and to sleep if the weather got bad. Overall, the first few nights went well, and I’ve done much worse. I’d only have to stay for 2 weeks, get paid, and then return home.
It started on the 4th night, 8 days out from the end of our dig. Branches crumpled around my tent, and I thought it was just one of my crew going out late to take a piss. However, they didn’t have a flashlight and they seemed… Thin. Unnaturally so. And tall, the figure seemed to be 6’5 or 6’6 if I had to guess. We had some pretty tall members on our team, but this person just felt unfamiliar. I went to give them my flashlight, as walking alone at night in the middle of a forest without light could be dangerous, but they were gone before I could unzip my tent. I heard more branches crack, footsteps, and then nothing. I went back to sleep, figuring that they probably knew their way anyways.
Nobody else from the team knew what I was talked about as I detailed my experience the night before over breakfast, except for David. David was a bit of a loner, rarely talking except when needed. However, he had a steady hand and was well-liked among my team, proving to be an invaluable member.
“It wasn’t human, that’s for sure. I saw it too, you know. I opened the tent for just a moment and saw it. It was bony and thin, towering over everyone. It was also as pale as a sheet, with a nose but no mouth. Its eyes were sunken and black, restless,” David stated, trailing off and staring into the distance.
“Stop fucking around, David,” I said, which caused a laugh from the crew. Inside however, I had a feeling he was right. It wasn’t human.
The 5th night was when I saw it. I camped out in the camper, using back pains as an excuse. In reality, I wanted to see if I could see it again. I blacked out the windows, turned on the heaters, had a handgun ready, turned on the dashcam, and got out a pair of binoculars. I was prepared. I caught a glimpse of it next to a tent at around 1:51 AM first, staring directly at a sleeping camper. The scariest part? It made no sounds. Without a mouth, it just stared blankly. Every time that thing took a breath, you could see its ribs. It showed no expression. No lust, no ambition, no anger, no pain, no happiness. Nothing.
Its head began to drop, and a hole began to form around where its mouth would be. What the fuck? I shit you not, in an instant, it grabbed one of the tent poles and crushed it with its hand. The poor soul who was trapped inside of the tent let out a scream before the entire tent was thrown into a tree, silencing it instantly. The creature then tore a hole in the tent and swallowed my crew member whole. All of this happened seemingly instantaneously. But then, like clockwork, others began to appear. However, the thirst and hunger of the creature had not been quenched. The abomination visited each tent one by one. I attempted to start the car, only to see that mud had formed around the tires and that it wouldn’t be able to move. Fuck. Hearing the noise of the car starting, the creature ran towards me, shattering the windows as it attempted to grapple me. I shot blindly and wildly, shooting it in one of its eyes. It covered its eye and ran off into the forest, bleeding profusely. As it turned, I saw 7 letters carved into it’s back. CROATAN.
As I type this, I am driving to the police and then to my family. David and another, a heavy drinker who rarely actually showed up to the digs, managed to stay safe and hid, as the drunk stayed in the camper near an unhealthy amount of beer cans and a mini fridge, and David had hid after seeing the beast the night before, refusing to sleep and then sneaking off to where I was staking the area out when he first saw it again.