White Eyes

White Eyes is a scary campfire story about a group of miners who were trapped underground.

Have you heard the story of the white eyes? It’s a tale that some say is too terrible to tell, but pull your seat closer to the campfire and I will reveal the terrifying legend.

The San Bernardino Mountains contain a lot of wilderness regions which saw substantial activity about 100 years ago. Here, miners and loggers worked to bring materials down to the Los Angeles basin. But, like most industries of that time, there was a high profit motive, and workers lives were not as important as they were now.

One day, a mine tunnel collapsed, trapping a number of men within. They were able to survive, after a fashion, by drinking water which seeped into the tunnels, eating rats, mushrooms, and their dead co-workers. They worked from within to dig themselves out, confident that on the other side, others were digging from the outside in. But the mining company was not known for remembering missing miners.

Well, it took them a while, but they finally managed to dig themselves out. Then, the formerly trapped miners found two surprises. First, since they had lived in darkness for a long period of time, they could no longer stand the sunlight, and their eyes were pure white – no color except for their pupils, which were dilated. Second, the mining company had not bothered to try and dig them out.

They then made a pact, these men, to take revenge on those who had abandoned them.

Police called to the mine found the owner and all the managers of the mining company dead. Soon after, the mining company went out of business: No one was willing to work in those mountains, and even groups of men at night were at risk. Rumor had it that the White-Eyes were out for blood.

Mysterious instances of men being killed in the mountains occurred. These men were usually found mauled, bloody and torn. Close examination showed teeth marks all over the bodies. One man was even beated by his arm which had been torn off at the shoulder.

Now, since this happened about 100 years ago, and since only men were working in the mines, there should be no more White-Eyes around. So, we’re safe – or are we? Several years ago, a hiker was found mauled to death on the trail, and the coroner said the teeth marks he found on the body looked human…