Found the site referred to in my previous post:
www.freewebs.com... Dog at the Crossroads...
Story One, from the above site:
' Before I got married, I used to live in a groundfloor flat in Triq il-Gdida (New Street), Luqa, together with my parents and my younger brother who
is 3 years my junior. This story takes us back to when I was still 19 years old, back in 1991. Back then I still did not have a car of my own, and I
still made use of minivans or other transport to come back home from Malta's nightlife area...Paceville in St. Julians.
It was around 1230am when me and my friend Patrick had just arrived in Luqa from Paceville. I remember Patrick used to live in the area behind Luqa
Government Primary School on St. Andrew Street, and I had the option of the van dropping him off there then dropping me off closer to my home further
up down the road.
However, I opted to be dropped off at his stop and just chat a bit and smoke another cigarette together before making my way off home (which was only
a matter of 3 minutes walk). We spent another 15 minutes talking and enjoying the gentle summernight's breeze, then said our farewells and I
proceeded down my street.
Now to give you a brief description of the area, I was walking down New Street and lived close to the petrol station and football club on the same
street, meaning I had to cross an intersection where to my left St Paul Street leads up to the main village square, and to my right Misrah iz-Zghazagh
led on to Luqa Playing Field.
Just a few paces before crossing the intersection, I could hear one of the strangest sounds that I have ever heard in my whole life. Even the mere
fact of remembering what it sounded like, and what I went through on that night, still sends shivers sown my whole body up to this day. It was the
sound of a howling dog, yet intermixed and twingled with each howl there was also the sound of a baby's cries. A spine-chilling sound, each time the
howl came, came also the cry.
I stopped in my steps and tried to figure out where the sound was emanating from, and I could easily say it was coming from to my right somewhere from
near the swings/playing field. I then carried on, and started to cross the intersection, whilst I could still hear the horrible gut-wrenching
sound.
My brain (or fear) told me to look forward and just keep on crossing, yet my heart and conscience (or my curiosity) told me to stop and look to my
right. And that is what I did....
As soon as I got to the other side of the road, meaning I was standing on New Street corner with Misrah iz-Zaghzagh, I looked to my right...
What I saw there and then still baffles (scares the # out of) me up to this day. Right in the middle of the playing field I could see a large black
dog, jet black, with pointed ears and resembling a Great Dane in shape....however with a pointed muzzle and much much bigger than a Great Dane in
size.
It was in the sitting position, at a 90 degree angle to me, meaning that I could see its right flank. It had its head pointing up to the sky and then
it....howled! With the howl I could hear the nerve-twisting sound of a baby's cry again....and again, while it howled again.
I stood transfixed there in my position, for a whole duration of 30 seconds or so, during which it howled three times, and each time giving out that
horrible sound like I had never heard before....
Suddenly, it turned its head towards me and what I saw next horrified me even more. It was NOT the reflection from some light bulb in its eyes....it
was not the effect an animal's retina has when a bright light or flash is shone into its eyes....
Its eyes were a glowing red...the brightest, scariest kind of deep red that I have ever laid my eyes on. We had both our eyes looking int
eachother's for around 2 seconds or so, when it let out another howl while still holding its gaze onto me, then woke up off its hind legs.....
I then remember making a dash for it. I still had another 30 or so metres to go before reaching the front door of our apartment block. I then fumbled
for the keys in my pocket, while looking at the corner I was standing on just moments before, expecting to see that beast turn around the corner
anytime now.
I could still hear it howl again, whilst I opened the door and closed it behind me, then opened the door to our flat.
I remember I was scared as scared could be, with cold sweat coming out of each of the millions of pores around my body. I then proceeded to my
mother's bedroom and woke her up, trying to tell her what had happened to me....she just told me to go to bed and not drink too much anymore!!
When I entered my bedroom, my brother was fast asleep. Our bedroom window led onto the backyard, and it was wide open due to the heat.
...And there it came again, the horrible howl...I could still hear the howls from my bedroom....I jumped into bed, and pulled the sheets over my
head....
About a minute or so later I heard my brother call out: "Will, will....are you awake?" to which I replied in the affirmative.
He then asked me,"Will, can you hear this strange noise? Can you hear them too? I can't sleep, they're too scary..."
To which I remember then giving my brother a brief description of what had just happened to me....
We both lay in our beds, listening to the howls. I remember it was around 2:00am when they finally stopped coming through our window.
On the following day, 3 persons from Luqa died in accidents, in separate occasions.
Had I seen what our ancestors used to call "il-Wahx"?
In various villages around Malta, one can find niches with statues of various saints at various crossroads. Legend has it that these were built on
purpose to ward of the "Wahx".
Many people say that the wahx (pronounced uuaahhsh), is the harbringer of death or death itself, usually taking form of a dog. If a person tries to
interact with it, it suddenly changes form and shape or its face into a hugely grotesque beast.'
Other personal accounts are contained on the site, plus (I think) some photos of Malta
