I've heard it said, "We don't fear death, we fear dying."...and the pain often associated with the process.
I've known some folks who've had "near death experiences". ALL of them lost any fear of death. They weren't in any hurry to die, but didn't concern themselves with thinking about it.
Perhaps the worst thing about fear is that it makes us fearful of taking action to confront, and overcome, what we're afraid of. What frightens then controls us. And so, In a sense, fear is self-fulfilling prophecy.
Have you ever heard of lycendroids? Wolf-like critters that folks claim live in your neck of the woods (& many other places also.) A woman from Tennessee was talking about 'em on Coast-to-Coast AM last night. Sounded like it might be that "thing" you've described from time to time.
Search: Coast-to-Coast. The claim to have some images put up there.
RE: "THEYRE GOING TO GET YOU"("SO WATCH OUT NOW")
Nam's old pic.