The Bogie Man

My real name's not important but I go by as Jon. I work at a very lucrative job. Recently due to this job, thanks to some informants who will not be disclosed, I am able to share with you some things that the public deserve to know.

There are particular things in this world to which we cannot give up with simple ease. What exactly drives us to quit something completely? Would be out of of one's accord? Perhaps to feel and be better? For our loved ones? To open new paths?

It was February, 2000, when the first documentation was made. While 2011 being the last reporting. There were eleven to our knowledge, but the arrangement between these items in terms of time, were unclear. These files didn't get far in the non equipped branches of authority. All evidence leading to this were all almost wiped out.

For the sake of protecting the identities of real life individuals this will not refer to anyone by their real name. Nor shall this give the names of the locations of each incident. More on that it can be said that this had often occurred in rural areas. A pattern that seemed to have no sense to it at first. This will only share the accounts of those who've made it out without disappearing. However all accounts stopped after 2011.

Before we dive into the accounts of each situation it would be best to explain what a 'Bogie' is. A bogie is a slang term for a cigarette. A harmful stimulant that could take years to warn off, a very powerful ailment. With the effects being connected to lack of stamina, shortness of breath, can kill brain cells, lowers life expectancy, can cause cancer, and plethora of other ailments.

Jenny - Jenny was a simple farm girl. She enjoyed long walks in the woods, be it night or day. She said she was living her best life. However according to her there was one problem. "Cigarettes". She couldn't quit no matter how hard she tried. Initially she had failed to quit cigarettes again. She had fallen so gloomy she had traversed herself into the middle of the woods. She needed to have another cigarette before bed.

Until she smelt the tempting smell of cigarettes not from anywhere in particular. She sensed something was deeply wrong at this, more than natural. She headed home. She had done so urgently as the trees swayed from the mighty wind. She however smoked a cigarette on her way home.

As the days went by she noticed nothing unusual. Except that occurrence at the woods still bothered her... She would think of it every now and then, not understanding what had transpired. What had crept into her so anxious inducing. Eventually she had forgotten about it. She continued wanting to quit cigarettes.

Another night she continued smoking cigarettes. While telling her friends she was thinking of quitting. Sure, she'd just have five a day, maybe an extra, maybe six, maybe ten. She had already lit her cigarette, and smelled an even far more stench of a smell from behind following her. She frowned, what the hell was going on? How could she smell cigarette smoke this strong after smoking several before? Was someone stalking her? She turned to tell the person to 'fuck off'. When she did she had no will to speak those words. In front of her was a blocky being with red eyes. From that day forward she quit cigarettes.

Frank - Frank had seen the creature at night in the woods as well. He mentioned how he would have nightmares about the shadow still there. He stated it was a familiar presence to which he had no idea why. In his nightmares he couldn't move, let alone scream, instead he'd be poisoned worse than any cigarette by an anxiety that wasn't his own.

During his day life he experienced numerous changes. Unable to breath without a tickling sensation like coming back from the beach but worse. As time went by he had an irking feeling that if he told anyone at the time thing's would get worse. Mood swings occurred, he lost his girlfriend do to this. As well as paranoia about spotting the creature again.

Sooner than later he found himself smoking yet another cigarette at the woods. According to him each time he wanted to quit but was unable to the nightmares would worsen. This spiraled him into a loop that he couldn't handle anymore. He smelled the same smell and immediately bolted out of there leaving the cigarette behind. "No more" he told himself after that.

Jim - He was a traveler who was looking to afford a new life. He hadn't had a home for two weeks. One thing pained him cigarettes. He needed one. He got a job and was able to buy cigarettes, yet this guilt tripped him hard. Skipping ahead in his dire case he felt the effects Frank had. His encounters span over a year.

He saw the creature again and again. Sometimes it followed him and he'd have trouble running with even worse stamina than he'd normally have elsewhere. His mental health deteriorated slowly, like rusty knife used to give one a permanent mental scar of a tattoo. Sometimes he'd even smell the scent of the being and would sharply turn to find nothing there. He felt as though he recognized the being.

Every time he'd have a cigarette he'd feel his heart move unnaturally in his chest. It got to the point where when he felt a strong craving while quitting he'd just cry as he went back to them.

One day he saw the being outside of pitch darkness, however still shrouded in shadow. It only took much longer for him to realize this. He was at a family's picnic. The being never showed itself at day time, nor around others. So he enjoyed himself, he thought one cigarette couldn't hurt. Little did he know a friend was snapping a picture of him as a joke to point out he still smokes after swearing he'd quit. That friend gave him the photograph.

Jim would get urges to go to the woods whenever he'd smoke a cigarette, or at least be near the woods. He had a dream where he was smoking at the picnic and feeling he was being watched. He awoke in his home dreading the idea of going back to sleep, or being awake to await real entities. He ran to the light switch and flipped it. He ran over to his drawer filled with misc like items. He skimmed through it and looked at the photo. It took time. It took more than a minute. More than ten. But he saw it. After that day he checked himself into rehab.

Summary - Not much is known about this creature. Or if it's even still out there. Perhaps the creature was trying to help these people quit. Or was it something far worse? Perhaps it was punishing them for not quitting when they wanted to. All victim's reported being horrified of the thought of ever smoking a cigarette ever again. No one could really blame them.