The story that I’m about to tell you is based on real events.
The morning was eerily silent. Usually the bullfrog's croak and the crickets chirp, but not this morning even they were silent. Campfires still smoldered in their pits, enhancing the light fog into more of a heavy fog. It was just a downright ghostly eerie kind of morning. A few campers had there outside lights on, but the fog-choked the light out so much that you could barely tell they were even on. I looked up to the sky, but I couldn’t even see the beautiful bright twinkling stars against the blackened sky. The half-moon filtered through the fog causing everything to have varying shades of grey and black.
The only reason I was out on such a morning was my dogs needed to go out. Still half asleep I wasn’t paying attention to much of anything as the dogs pulled me along. If they could talk I’m sure they would be saying, I must pee on this tree and this tree, come on mom there is more to see and smell. They relentlessly pulled on their leashes pulling me in many directions. I stumbled around behind them. I didn’t think I had anything to worry about. I had done this a thousand times before, and nothing has ever happened. That is until now.
The heavy grogginess of sleep started to wear off. I Became more alert to my surroundings. The hair on the back of my neck and my arms began to stand on end. Goosebumps crawled in waves across my skin. It was chilly and damp out, but I was dressed for it. I had on my heavy hoodie and sweatpants. That’s when I knew my goosebumps were not being caused by the weather but by someone watching me. I turned around slowly but carefully, so I didn’t get tangled in the dog’s leashes and trip myself. Scanning the area, I didn’t see anyone there. I brushed the feeling off assuring myself that it had to be my mind playing tricks on me and my slight fear of the dark. I reminded myself again there was nothing to worry about, I had done this thousands of times without a problem. That seemed to do the trick and all the hair that had stood at attention now laid flat against my skin again.
The heavy grogginess of sleep started to wear off. I Became more alert to my surroundings. The hair on the back of my neck and my arms began to stand on end. Goosebumps crawled in waves across my skin. It was chilly and damp out, but I was dressed for it. I had on my heavy hoodie and sweatpants. That’s when I knew my goosebumps were not being caused by the weather but by someone watching me. I turned around slowly but carefully, so I didn’t get tangled in the dog’s leashes and trip myself. Scanning the area, I didn’t see anyone there. I brushed the feeling off assuring myself that it had to be my mind playing tricks on me and my slight fear of the dark. I reminded myself again there was nothing to worry about, I had done this thousands of times without a problem. That seemed to do the trick and all the hair that had stood at attention now laid flat against my skin again.
You never know what could be lurking just inside the black veil of the forest wall, skunk, porcupine, raccoon, or any other creature that could harm my dogs. I haven’t seen any of those creatures in the campground, but that doesn’t mean the creatures are not there. I stay away from the forest to improve my chances of seeing those creatures before they are a problem. I was still looking around to see who was watching me, I just couldn’t shake the feeling. I was so engulfed by the feeling that I hadn’t realized the dogs were pulling me straight into the forest. I quickly redirected them away from the forest wall. The dogs were doing their business. I was getting a doggie do do bag ready to pick up that massive pile of poo, ewe I know, but it happens. I reached for the poo with my bag cover hand and picked it up. I was working on tying a knot in the bag, a tough feat when the dogs are trying to make you move. I almost had it when the bushes and undergrowth inside the forest shook, sounding like a huge gust of wind blew through them. However, there was no wind this morning it was dead calm. I looked up from my untied bag of poo to see glowing yellow eyes staring back at me. The thing must have been every bit of five feet tall, its eyes were level with mine. I threw the dog poo at it hoping that would scare it away. No such luck, instead It let out a low deep I’m going to eat you alive growl. Then the eyes disappeared back into the forest. I knew that I should have run, but I was also curious to know what it was. I tried to get a glimpse of the thing as it moved through the forest but the forest was too dark. I couldn’t see a thing inside the outer wall of the forest. The noise the thing made as it moved around stopped and the forest fell into silence again. That should have been my cue to run, but I didn’t. The dogs backed away from the forest and now cowered behind me. I knew I should do something but what? If I turn my back to the thing, it would surely attack me. What if I screamed or yell at it? Would it go away? I tried to yell, but nothing came out of my throat, not even a squeak. I tried to back away, but my feet felt glued to the place I stood. This was it, this was how my end would come. The dogs’ jerked on their leashes trying to pry them out of my locked-up hands or maybe even trying to help me move, but It was no use I was glued. Glued to the ground like I had stepped in a vat of super glue. Fear rose in me again as I thought I had saw what looked like a very large dog tail wave in the darkness. I tried to scream again. I opened my mouth wide, expelled the air from my chest, and constricted my throat, but nothing happened. The monster in the forest growled, and all the hair on my body stood at attention. I scanned the tree line for the yellow eyes, but there was nothing there. My only hope was that if I could see it coming maybe I could block it somehow. Then without warning the thing sprang from the forest right at me. The only thing that I saw was something that resembled a huge, no more like a massive black dog. I shielded my face with my arm. The wolf or whatever this thing was snorted into my hair and drooled on my shoulder. The tears fell from my eyes as I watched my life flash by. Then it ran off, and the dogs and I ran back to the camper closing the door and breathing a sigh of relief. I wiped the foul smelling drool off my shoulder, then sat down in shock of the horrifying events that just took place. About five seconds after I sat down, a short hair raising howl came from outside somewhere close. I peeked around the shade to see if there was anything out there. To my relief there was not. I waited for the sun to rise and people to go outside before I decided to exit my camper again.
I think not looking at the thing saved my life that morning, not really sure. I wish I had got a better look at the creature so that I could tell you what to watch out for, but I didn’t. I will leave you with a word of caution if you are ever out late at night or early morning hours at Logan Hills Campground and you hear a menacing growl or you see glowing yellow eyes coming from the forest. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, just because it didn’t eat me doesn’t mean that it won’t eat you!
