Red Eyes and Bloody Bones

Living in the South, on can always expect to encounter an urban legend or two. The one I remember the most is about “Red eyes and bloody bones”. We live on a farm out in the middle of the woods. Growing up, I guess you could say we were not the best example of good kids. Actually we were unusually bad. We would wreak havoc on anything and everything that came within ten feet of our little hands. Our parents use to tell us of a story about a monster who roamed the woods. He was nothing more than skeletal remains with dark beady red eyes and blood soaked bones. We called him red eyes and bloody bones. And for the most part, the primary job of Old Red Eyes was to search out disobedient children and eat them. True or not, it scared the hell out of me and I did not even tempt to evoke the wrath of old Red Eyes. Even today, my older brother, who is 26, still has a hard time walking in the backyard after dark.

Now that I am a teacher, I have heard of some interesting urban legends from my students. When I taught in Coffee County, I had a group of boys who experienced the Cogdell Lights. Cogdell consists of an unincorporated community on a small stretch or road father out on the middle of no where than where I live. The kids say you can take your car to Cogdell and park it in the ditch late at night, and if you watch and wait a bright light will start circling your car and will then disappear. My student affirmed that it was true by saying that he and his buddy had only had six beers and they saw it. But then I thought after six beers it’s a wonder the light did not ask them for a ride.

Urban legends to me are interesting. Not only can they serve as great way to end a fun night of camping, but also a wonderful way to make sure your children stop sneaking out of the house at night. It stopped me.