A strange hysteria has gripped a pair of communities in Malawi as residents are terrified that they will fall victim to enigmatic entities described as 'blood suckers.'
Over the last few weeks, stories have spread throughout the two villages that mysterious beings were attacking people at night and taking their blood.
Known locally as 'anamapopa,' these fearsome forces are described as using both magical powers as well as modern technology to attack their victims.
Their bizarre methodology is said to involve somehow disabling their target using an electrical charge or chemical substance, removing their blood via an unidentified instrument, and then vanishing in the form of a cat or dog.
While such an intruder may sound wholly unbelievable to some people, the 'blood suckers' are apparently all too real to the residents of the terrified communities in which the tale has taken hold thanks to incidents in which unfortunate individuals say they have run afoul of the entities.
One such victim told local media that she awoke to the feeling of a needle sticking into her forehead as the rest of her body became numb.
When this woman cried out for help, the sensation seemed to stop although she reportedly felt incredibly weak and shaken by the ordeal.
Meanwhile, in the other village gripped by the 'blood sucker' panic, the fear has risen to a shockingly dangerous level as three individuals were recently burned to death after residents claimed to have caught them with syringes and other odd items which suggested they were behind the attacks.
For their part, authorities insist that there are no such thing as 'blood suckers' preying on the communities and have increased their presence in the villages in an attempt to quell concerns and prevent any further vigilante justice.
One hopes that their efforts prove successful, since such hysteria has been seen to quickly spread far and wide if it does not go unchecked as happened this past summer with the infamous Indian hair-cutting ghost.
Source: Times Malawi