Like Cats Eyes

Like Cats’ Eyes is a creepy story about a woman who is nursing her sick husband when she has a frightening encounter with a group of men driving a hearse. It is based on an anecdote told by Augustus Hare in his book, The Story of My Life. A version of this tale appeared in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

One night, a man lay dying in his sick bed. His wife left him with a nurse and went into the next room to take a rest. She sat in the dark, staring out the window into the night. Suddenly the woman saw bright headlights speeding up the driveway of their house.

“Oh no!” she thought. “I don’t want visitors now, not now.”

But it wasn’t a car bringing a visitor. It was an old hearse with maybe a half dozen strange little men hanging from the sides. At least, that’s what it looked like.

The hearse screeched to a stop. The men jumped off and stared up at her, their eyes glowing with a soft yellow light, like cats’ eyes. She watched with horror as they disappeared into the house.

An instant later they were back, lifting something into the hearse. Then, they drove off at high speed, wheels squealing, sending the gravel in the driveway flying in all directions.

At that very moment, the nurse came into the room. Her face was pale and she laid her hand gently on the woman’s shoulder and told her that her husband had just died…