Platnik

The Platnik from Bulgaria has a precise and short life cycle.  After a person died, they will spend the next 9 days inside their coffin while undergoing transformation.  The surface of its grave will also start to sink in while it develops.  After 9 days the platnik will rise upon its grave and will start to attack its family members for the next 40 days.  While in a spirit form, the platnik would look like a hen, a dog or a human being.

The platnik causes trouble by breaking dishes, tormenting the livestock of the family, vandalizing their home and attacking people.  One can prevent the Platnik from assaulting people by utilizing the things that he is afraid of like an animal skull, an iron, light, fire and even wolves.  According to the stories the platnik will stay away from that area which contains the things aforementioned.

Sadly, only a bolt of lightning can fully destroy a platnik, and considering how rare a lightning strike the ground, the chances are pretty slim.  But based on some legends, traditional method of driving away the vampire manifestation may also work.  This includes exhuming the body and drilling a stake into his heart.

The platnik would only be able to reach its final transformation when it was able to drink enough blood before it reaches the 40^th day.  The platnik now appears to be a normal human being, the only difference is that they do not possess fingernails and their eyes are said to be red.  But they do not lose their powers as they can still shape shift in a form of a wolf or a dog.  Their body is not composed of bones but a substance similar to a cartilage.

During its final transformation, the first thing that he will do is to attack his widow on a broad daylight.  After she died, the platnik would leave the village and look for another town to live.  He will choose a town that is far away from where he used to live.  He will find a new love on a new town and have grandchildren.

In its perfect form, the platnik is now easy to kill.  Any normal wound can cause him to bleed to death.