Summer Camp

Summer Camp is a collection of campfire tales written by a member of this website named Pete. The stories all involve legends about a summer camp for kids. Gather round the campfire, kids. Pull up a log, sit down and roast your marshmallows in the flickering flames. Tonight, I have a few frightening stories for you. All of these stories took place at this very camp. Listen closely, campers, because one of these terrifying tales might just save your life.

Summer Camp Story 1 – The Cabin

At the far side of the camp there stands an old, dilapidated cabin. A long time ago, a man by the name of Joseph Johnson lived there. His father built the cabin with his bare hands and when the old man died, the son inherited it.

He wasn’t the wealthiest man in the area, but there were rumors that he had collected a comfortable fortune for himself while panning for gold in Colorado. In addition to this, he had good manners, nice to his neighbors and was well-respected by the community.

At that time, good men were few and far between in these parts and the local women always had their eyes on any potential husbands. Joseph wasn’t the ugliest man you ever set eyes on, so he proved to be very popular with the ladies. However, only one young woman ever caught his eye. Her name was Flora McGonigle and, since she bathed occasionally and didn’t have any scars on her face, she was considered one of the prettiest girls in the town.

Joseph often courted her and over time, she took quite a shine to him. Before he knew what was happening, he found himself putting a ring on her finger. They got married and lived together in the old cabin.

The fact that she chose Joseph over her other suitors rubbed a few people the wrong way. One of them was a man by the name of Arnold Glass. He despised Joseph and was jealous of his good fortune. Like all greedy men, Glass envied everything that Johnson had and would constantly curse his own bad luck. However, he had done nothing in his life and was too lazy to even take a job and earn an honest wage.

All Glass seemed to spend his time doing was drinking, drinking and drinking some more. Despite this, he still believed that Joseph had no right to be so fortunate and decided that he should even the score for himself. Arnold Glass came up with a cunning plan.

There was an Indian reservation on the other side of the woods and, at the time, there was some tension between the townsfolk and the native Americans. Joseph Johnson was on good terms with the Indian chief and had traded some goods on occasion with the chief’s eldest son.

One night, under cover of darkness, Glass slipped into the Indian reservation and stole a bow and arrow. Joseph Johnson was out riding his horse that night. As he came down a trail behind the old cabin, Glass was hiding in a tree, lying in wait. As soon as he saw his bitter rival riding by, Glass shot an arrow straight through Johnson’s heart, killing him instantly. Then, he climbed down and, with a rusty knife, beheaded the corpse.

As if that wasn’t enough, he took the severed head and the bow and wrapped them up in a piece of cloth and threw them into the river. The grisly package floated off downstream and was never found. To complete his evil deed, Glass lifted the bloody corpse and tossed it over the horse’s back. He tied Johnson’s hands to the saddle and then slapped the horse on the behind.

The next morning, when Johnson’s wife Flora awoke, she was confronted by the gruesome sight of her husband’s headless corspe riding up to the cabin to greet her. The horrified woman fainted and spent a week in bed recovering from the shock.

The townspeople blamed the Indian chief’s son for Joseph’s muder. Despite the chief’s pleas that his son was innocent and would never harm anybody, they dragged him off the reservation in chains. After a brief trial, they hanged him by the neck until he was dead. Although there was no evidence against him, they were all convinced he was guilty because there was no other known person with a motive. That’s how the justice system worked back then.

The Indian chief was outraged by how the townspeople had treated his son and, as revenge, he placed a curse placed a curse on the town.

After burying her husband, the widow Flora and her young son moved out of the cabin and set up home in a small shack on the other side of town. One night, Arnold Glass returned to the scene of the murder as it was rumored that the Johnsons kept their money hidden somewhere near their cabin. He brought a shovel and with him and was about to start digging when he was interrupted by a figure on horseback.

At first sight, he thought it was the town’s nightwatchman, but when he looked again he saw the rider had no head! He took off as fast as he could with the headless figure following close behind him, and ran screaming into the night like a maniac.

Glass was found the next morning, hopelessly insane and babbling about a headless ghost. He confessed to the murder, then took to his bed, struck down by a mysterious illness. The next day, he was dead.

It is said that the ghost of Joseph Johnson still roams the grounds of the camp, searching in vain for his missing head. It is also rumored that, on the anniversary of his murder, the gruesome scene of his untimely demise is reenacted. Sometimes people come and trespass in his old cabin and, whether they’re thrill seekers or treasure hunters, all of them are chased off by the hideous sight of his decapitated corpse.

One Summer night, not so long ago, a group of campers decided to explore the old cabin and see if the legends were really true. The oldest boy led the way with a flashlight and, as they approached the cabin, they saw a dark shape standing in the doorway. It looked like the shadow of a man, but when they got close, it suddenly lifted off its head and tossed it at them. The frightened campers ran for their lives and didn’t look back.

Some of you probably don’t believe these legends are true. Well, all I can say is I sure believe they are, but if you doubt my word, maybe you should go and check out the old cabin for yourself, just like I did that warm Summer night… when I saw the severed head of Joseph Johnson come rolling towards me across the grass…

Summer Camp Story 2 – The Curse

Down the hill from where the cabin stands, there is a small picnic area in the camp. It is located beside the hiking trail in the woods. It is these woods that the were once the land of an Indian tribe. During the day the area is fine, however if you trespass on their sacred land after dark, they say you may fall foul of the curse. You will walk out into the forest, only to vanish and never be seen again.

Those who venture out there after dark will hear the sounds of those who disappeared. You will hear whistling, disembodied voices, unexplained footsteps or the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze. They say that these are the sounds made by the doomed travelers who disappeared over the years. The poor unfortunate souls that dared to trespass on the Indian tribe’s sacred land.

According to the legend if you set foot in their sacred land after dusk you will hear drumming, next you will hear chanting and finally the darkness itself will seem to stretch out like some sort of fog and forever engulf you in it.

A hiker was making his way through this area after dark with a flashlight. He was a practical man and didn’t believe in the curse. He had been hikng in here for hours and had started in the day but suddenly the sunset began and it was dark. He started to hear drums and thought a picnic party was going on in the picnic area and the drums were part of it or coming from a stereo or something and thought he was close to the road. He walked toward them and soon heard chanting and then it seemed like the darkness was all around him. That was the last anyone saw of the hiker.

A group of teenagers heard the legend and on a dare fom some buddies decided to spend the night and camp there. They set up, made a firepit roasted marshmallows, talked for a bit, and told some of their own scary stories, talked a little more, then went to sleep. They hadn’t been sleeping for long wen they heard drums. Thinking it was joke by their friends that put them up to it they opend the tent flap and yelled outside to knock it off. When they heard chanting after that they yelled again, this time louder still thinking it was a prank. All of a sudden the area around the tent seemed darker than usual. That as the last anyone saw of them.

One of the few people well actually group of people to make it was a group of 4 campers. They had heard the lehend and they too decided to spend the night there. In fact it was thew very same spot the other teeangers disappeared. As oon as they heard drumming they ran as fast as they could to the road. Once you reach the road you’re sage as only the woods is cursed. The woods are hard to navigate so go to them during the day because if you go at night you wiill get lost and have little chance of escaping the woods. If you do you will escape the curse. Those who consider the legend “folklore” or another “campfire story” and think there are logical explanations for the people missing will find themselves believers. Only the most experienced can escape as the woods are a labrynth to the unexperienced hikers in them.

So if you still don’t believe the land is cursed. Look at what happened to those who were foolish and unfortunate enough to be there after dark. Those who vanished from this world and were never seen again. So if you go please for your sake and the tribe’s respect their land and don’t go after dusk unless of course you want to become one of the lost souls. Or someone who witnessed the curse firsthand but knew the trail enough to escape it. Someone like me…

Campfire Story 3 – Ol’ Green Eyes

A long time ago Inidians romaded all over the land. Once the coloinsts came they started to drive them out but some were stubborn and decided to fight the colonists for their land. Blood was shed throughout the valley. One Indian Ol’ Brave Eyes wwas the greatest soldier of them all. He killed quite a number of colonsts before being decapticated by a mighty solider fighting for the colonists. However his spirit made a deal with a Wendigo and got some of it’s abilties. His eyess were then replaced with a green glow and he had long jagged teeth. He also could jump really high, fly, and possess his victims. In exchange he could never use his powers to help others or do any good with them at all. With that Ol’ Green Eyes was born.

Shortly after that battle with the Indians the colonists weere settling in and two went to fetch firewood. They heard a horrible laughter and smoke went to find the colonists. They found him walking back toward them They were relieved at first but then noticed something different. His eyes were glowing greeen aand he had long jagged teeth set into a smile. With that they all screamed at once when they saw him eating the arm of the other colonist. They tried to run but he was too fast and darted through the trees and one by one Ol’ Green Eyes slaughtered them all and ate the remains. Then he went into the campsite and ripped open the tents of the sleeping colinsts and took care of them.

People unfortunate enough to be hiking the valley at night would either have fatal encounters or barely make it out alive. He is said to go anywhere in the valley or even out of the valley to anywhere where woods exist. He also likes to stand in the road holding his head in one hand and scare motorists in the valley If you are in the valley or near any woods the only way to escape him is to drive into the city as he is bound to wooded areas only and nearby homes or buildings. One night two men were fishing at a pond surrounded by woods when one crossed a bridge to use the bathroom. The man swore he saw a human figure dart among the trees and fly across the pond. His friend was gone for a while and he finally saw him coming. When he asked him what kept him he got nothing. When he asked why he was so bundled up nothing. aWhen his friend didn’t answer any of his questions and tore odff his facial coverings only to reveal a pile of burning ashes where his head once was. The man knew Ol’ Green Eyes had got him. He went insane and spent the rest of his life bavbbling about Ol’ Green Eyes.

Ol’ Green Eyes frequents neighborhood backyards with woods in them. Some kids were playing a game of tag and “It” was sneaking up from the side of the house to creep through the bushes to get them from behind. The other two kids saw OL’ Green Eyes peering from the side of a shed though they assumed it was the kid and didn’t realize it wasn’t till he charged out of the bushes. They assumed it was a deer ssince they ddn’t get a goo look. Later a group of them camped in the woods behind one of their houses. The one who was “It from the tag game decided he’d try and scare them. They heard a horrible laughter and thought it was him fooling around. When he didn’t show up they assmed they assumed it was something else and went to sleep in their tents. Later that night one group was awakened by someone walking around their tent and brushing agaist tent. They recognized their friend’s silouhette and again assumed it was him trying to scare them. Then the silouhette disapeared. Seconds later they heard a thump on their tent and saw two hands rip open the roof and two green eyes starring in at them and smiling at them with a long, jagged teeth on their friend’s body. They burst out of the tent and barely survived the attack and the friend like the colonist had no memory of it.

That concludes this tale my campers. Remember not to go out after dark or you’ll have your own encounter with Ol’ Green Eyes. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA