![](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/incoming\/article31309135.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/1_Teens-terrifying-encounter-with-Cannock-Chases-black-eyed-child.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOne village has reported sightings of a ghostly \u201cblack-eyed child\u201d which has been seen by residents for decades.<\/p>\n
Cannock Chase in Staffordshire has reportedly had several sightings of the eerie figure, which was first recorded in the 1980s. Reports are sometimes dismissed by some villagers, but others believe that the ghost is the soul of a young girl who was murdered in the area in the 1960s.<\/p>\n
Some people claim this is even an alien or demon that haunts the area. In the summer of 2021, Kylie and Ben said they saw the figure at Birches Valley. The two teenagers – whose names have been changed to protect their identity – had been separated due to the Covid pandemic, so decided to camp illegally together in the middle of the forest, reports the Mirror. <\/p>\n
READ MORE:<\/b>'I talk to ghosts for a living \u2013 one even asked me to marry him'<\/p>\n
Check out more real life stories here <\/i> <\/b><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The youngsters, who were 17 at the time, recounted their ordeal to supernatural investigator and author Lee Brickley. Their tale is featured in his new book 'Haunted Cannock Chase: True ghost stories from the UK's spookiest location\u2019.<\/p>\n
It was around midnight when the teens heard something moving around outside their tent. Thinking it could be a deer, they remained still and quiet, not wishing to spook it. But when they realised they could hear footsteps, they unzipped the tent to take a peek.<\/p>\n
Both campers heard the sound of a small child giggling so they turned on their torches, lighting up the dark woodland to try and find the source. Ben spotted it first – running from tree to tree, hiding itself behind the trunks and occasionally peering out towards the couple before finally stepping out into the clearing in front of them.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/incoming\/article31309133.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/1_Teens-terrifying-encounter-with-Cannock-Chases-black-eyed-child.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Kylie said: "I was absolutely terrified. I'd read the stories in the news about the black-eyed child, but it wasn't until the thing stood right in front of me that I could quite believe them. <\/p>\n
"I knew instantly that we were dealing with the real thing because it moved in ways humans simply can\u2019t move. It was like it could teleport from one place to another when it was moving around and hiding behind the trees.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben added: "I was shining my torch right at her and she just stood there staring at us with her head slightly dipped. That's when the giggling started to get louder and louder. It really sounded like it was coming from all around us even though I could see she was right in front of us.<\/p>\n
"It was really disorientating for a few seconds. Then she bent down for a moment as if adjusting her shoes, stood back up, and ran off down a nearby path through a dense section of trees." The frightened pair huddled together in their tent, waiting for the sun to rise. When they came outdoors at 7am, they found piles of stones evenly spaced around the perimeter of their tent and strange stick formations hanging from the trees, which looked like dreamcatchers.<\/p>\n
Author Lee has been looking into the spooky goings-on at Cannock Chase for the last decade and has released four books about his findings. He believes he had his own encounter with the black-eyed child in Birches Valley back in April 2018. Lee said: "She appeared about a hundred metres in front of me. She stared right at me for about thirty seconds, then vanished without a trace."<\/p>\n
To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters <\/i><\/b>here<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n