Our chilling tale for tonight features a delightful couple on a camping trip that gets strange once the sun goes down, don’t forget the flashlight...
CAMPERS DELIGHT
Dan and Jamie were a new young couple, and it had been a couple great months after they met in the middle of summer. Spending a lot of their time together outdoors either at the lake on Dan’s boat or exploring new areas in the abundance of state forests nearby
It was nearing the end of September, the leafs had already changed colors and the forests were shades of red and orange with the patches of green mixed in. The perfect time of year to be outside when the insects had disappeared and the nights began to get chilly. Great for camping.
"This looks like the spot" Dan exclaimed pointing at the campsite marker.
The hike out to the site took nearly an hour, as they had both agreed they were looking for seclusion and a view for the weekend.
"This is just... gorgeous" Jamie stood in awe, peering out onto the valley they had just walked through. Being an aspiring photographer, she pulled out here camera and began taking pictures.
While she was busy taking in the scenery, Dan wasn't wasting any time setting up camp as the sun was already beginning to set and the pure wilderness darkness would quickly surround them.
Soon enough, the tent was up and the crackle from the campfire was illuminating the area. Once the sun had set, the sky burst to life with stars and the voice of the wild brought all the noises of insects and miscellaneous animals.
"Ready for some food? I'm starving" Dan said after setting up the cooking grate while unwrapping the raw steaks he grabbed from his backpack
"Yes, those look amazing!" Jamie replied obviously egger to eat, "I was thinking we could go fishing tomorrow, and cook what we catch?"
Dan looked at her sideways and gave a smirk, "I'm totally up for that, but that would all depend if we catch anything." Then he tossed the meat onto the hot grate with the delicious sizzle of raw juices being cooked.
After they had eaten and let the fire burn down a bit, the night was getting late and they had decided to crawl into the tent to get some sleep. As they zipped up the tent and had crawled into their sleeping bags, kissed each other goodnight and switched off the lantern, a sound nearby grabbed their attention.
It wasn't a loud noise, but it was there. Just the slightest sound of footsteps in the distance, and twigs breaking in the woods.
"It's probably just a fox" Dan said
Then it came closer, and closer. Until it became apparent that it was walking around in there camp.
"HEY!" Dan yelled in an attempt to scare it off.
Whatever was inside the camp took off running in an instant. Making a huge racket by knocking something over in the process and scurrying off into the woods. By the time Dan had gotten out of the tent, it was long gone. Noticing the fire grate on its side and the missing half eaten piece of meat he laughed.
"I forgot that piece of meat at the fire. Lucky animal got a gourmet meal!"
"Yeah well, were lucky it wasn't a bear!" Jamie replied with a smile.
As he crawled back into the tent they finished the night laughing without another incident.
The next morning they rose at the break of dawn, not wanting to miss a second of this adventure they were on. They had packed up a lunch, grabbed some fishing poles and set out toward the nearby river that was marked on their map.
Over an hour later, and some great hiking, they had reached it. A beautiful little river carving through a large hillside, just the perfect little place for two people to spend the day fishing. Obviously Jamie wanted some photos but as she opened her bag she noticed something,
"Damnit, I forgot my camera!" She grunted, "I could have sworn I put it back in here last night. Why didn't I check before we left?"
"It's ok. We will just have to get extra ones later. I don't think we would want to hike back here tomorrow before leave because it’s the opposite direction from our way home." Dan replied while handing her a pole.
"I know, this place is just perfect." Jamie grabbed the pole and tossed in the line.
Turns out this river wasn't just a beautiful location, but it also was full of trout. Before long the both of them had caught enough to make a dinner, and after a lunch of sandwiches and wine they decided to make their way back to camp to rest.
When they reached camp, Jamie let out a long sigh of relief,
"There it is. I left it right on the bench!" grabbing her camera in disgust, “I can't believe I would do that. I think I’ll regret not getting any pictures at the river."
Not knowing what to say, Dan proceeded to make a fire and prepare the fish while Jamie went on looking for great photo opportunities. The rest of the day they laid back, and as darkness began to creep up, the trout were cooked and ate.
"I never knew how amazing fresh fish are!" Jamie had exclaimed more than once
"Trout are definitely amazing, it’s not every day you get to have these!" Dan would reply
Before they had decided to call it a night, Dan picked up any loose fish pieces and made sure they were tossed deep into the woods. They didn't want to attract any visitors again like last night. As he returned to the campfire, Jamie was roasting a marshmallow.
"Want to see some of the pictures I got out here?"
Before he had a chance to respond she already had her camera out and had the last shot she took in the viewer.
"Isn't this valley amazing? And this cliff right over there?" as she pointed in the directions.
"I found this cool looking mushroom over there. And this tree. There is a picture of you cleaning the fish, and gathering wood. And me taking a few selfies, definitely a must!"
As she flipped through the pictures reminiscing with Dan, the next photo she came across made her stop and nearly drop the camera.
"This isn't possible. This is us fishing!" She jumped
It was on the screen, a clear shot of them fishing at the very river they were at that day.
"I didn't have my camera with!" Jamie was beginning to become ecstatic
There were a few photos of them fishing, and then a few more of them walking to the river this morning. As she flipped to the next set of photos she jumped, dropping the camera on the ground and in complete hysteria
"I want to go. We need to go! Someone is here” she looked at Dan trembling.
"There are pictures of us sleeping last night!"
He looked out into the woods which were completely black by now. The only light available came from the campfire which casted long shadows.
"I won't let anything happen to you, this is crazy!" He held Jamie tight, trying to provide support but also because he was also terrified.
Piecing everything together, that animal he had scared away last night had actually been a person that grabbed her camera and then came back when they were sleeping to take pictures of them. But what were they to do now, it was completely dark and walking out might as well get them lost.
"I don't think we can leave right now. We might have to wait until morning. It's completely black out there, if one of us were to slip and..." Dan began but trailed of as Jamie grabbed his arm.
She began whispering “he's out there probably watching us right now."
Dan grabbed is fillet knife, and called out into the dark
"You stay away from us you sick freak!"
Like a beckoning call, the forest began to move all around beyond their camp. The sounds of feet scuffling across the ground pronounced more than 1 person was watching, instead many eyes stared back at the couple.
Before Jamie could let out a squeal, a figure launched itself from the dark and grabbed her just as Dan turned around to watch her get dragged into the woods. He went to chase after her but was quickly thrown backwards after being clubbed in the head. Toppled over and unconscious, Dan spent the rest of the night under the stars.
When he awoke to the bright sun and a massive headache, Jamie was nowhere to be found. After calling the police, and hours of searching they came across Jamie’s camera in the woods. Once the sheriff looked at the last photos he called off the search party, saying there was no need. Refusing to let Dan see the last photos of her, he instead reviled the horrifying details.
"It's been a long time, but hill tribes have been known to take people. These ones in particular only wanted a woman, and unfortunately Jamie was there victim." He then pointed to the cliff a few yards from the camp.
"They took her and threw her over the edge... I can see her body at the bottom"
As you can see, this camping trip wasn't so perfect after all. The nice views and amazing scenery turned out to be a permanent resting place for one of campers.
So remember, next time you’re out camping, don’t forget the flashlight, and those noises you hear late at night just outside of the campsite at the edge of the woods... might not be just a wild animal.
Thank you for reading - I hope this brought some spine tingle!
If you missed my other CREEPY TALES, please check them out below:
https://steemit.com/story/@generation.easy/creepy-tales-from-beyond-the-grave-lady-in-red-short-stories-to-keep-you-scared-at-night
https://steemit.com/story/@generation.easy/creepy-tales-from-beyond-the-grave-sids
I will continue these stories because they are fun to write. I have also joined a writing club at my University, so I will be experimenting with different writing styles in order to find the one I am most comfortable with.
Please feel free to comment and/or criticize.
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