The Courthouse Figure

This is the old Courthouse, now a Presbyterian Church but still known locally as 'The Courthouse'.

I don't know exactly what it was I saw that night. I'd rather not think about it, but it never leaves my mind, always in my train of thought.

It was early in the year (2012). It was a cold night; frost caressed the rooftops of the houses and the air was sharp and unforgiving. I however, was cooped up inside my bedroom, watching a film or playing a video game. I can't really remember, but that's besides the point. Bored with whatever I was doing, and sniffing back a taps-running headcold, I decided to lean out my bedroom window in the hopes of salvaging some fresh air for my blocked and stuffed nose.

Just as I reached the window, I looked out at the rooftops across from me. They were silhouetted against the dark blue sky, their glazed surfaces twinking. Behind them was the town, awash with light that flared in the darkness. I decided to grab my binoculars and survey the various buildings.

Observing the 'Walls' (the Derry Walls), I scanned along them, not seeing much except faint images of its sixteenth-century cannon remnants and trees. However, it was when I pulled the binocular's sights towards the old Courthouse that I saw it.

Within seconds of resting the view on the Courthouse, something tall and abnormally thin leapt from a nearby building (Orange Hall - Derry) and landed on top of the Courthouse. At first I thought it was my fever making me hallucinate, but after blinking several times, I could confirm that whatever it was, it was alive and humanoid.

The figure, tall and spindly in stature, stopped after it landed and seemed to turn. Its arms must have been several feet long, and they flapped feebly against its twig-like legs, its hands a few inches past its knees. My hand began trembling slightly, not sure what I was seeing. But whatever it was it unsettled me greatly. I kept as steady as I could and observed on.

The figure, who I have named 'Limbs' for its long, thin limbs and twig-like figure, stood for a few more seconds. In this time, I managed to see its features through the night-vision on the binoculars. It looked anorexic, its ribs protruding against dark, brownish-looking skin. The skin itself looked leathery and had a slight glint to it, possibly from perspiration or slime. I could see no face on the creature, but it did seem to have eyes; two of them that looked like small, black-marble beads.

What happened next haunts me to this day.

Every now and again, two large searchlights move around the skies of the town. They shine from the river bank, and when they start up, they always tilt upwards, setting their beams running over the street establishments around my area for a brief moment as they get into position. It was in this moment that the light ran right over my bedroom window. Immediately, the creature snapped its duck-like neck to face the binoculars. Why did it do this? My guess is that it was because of the bright light flare that was emitted by the light beams from the searchlight hitting the tinted glass on the binoculars.

Just as I shook in fear as the creature stared, the bottom half of its face seemed to develop a rough, uneven gash that formed into some twisted and demented grin. It was staring right at me, its beady, black eyes unmoving.

I froze, not moving. Was the creature attracted to bright light? Did it see me? Did it know I was watching it? I didn't know and I really didn't want to know either. I just wanted to slam the window shut and run downstairs.

Despite only lasting for one or two seconds, it felt as though Limbs stared at me for hours - I was locked in the creature's horrifying grin. But luckily, it turned its head away and jumped off of the courthouse roof, into the darkness of the cobbled streets below.

And that was the last time I saw it, thankfully.

The Walls by day.

Asking around, no one else saw anything that night. The Walls are always populated with tourists or late-night drinkers, but nothing was ever reported on it, so I can only come to two conclusions:

A - I was hallucinating, helped in part by my fever, or...

B - The creature left for wherever it came from, knowing it was spotted. I've been stupid enough to check the Walls at night, but so far, I've found nothing.

Perhaps it was a trick of the light?