I have always enjoyed walking in the woods and camping. I particularly enjoy the solitude and the fresh air. On most trips nothing noteworthy beyond seeing some majestic deer ever happens, with one exception.
Last year, I was on a solo camping trip in New England. I was in an area I had never been to before and exploring a new place was a great joy. My plan was to hike a few miles into the woods and spend the next few days camping out near a mountain lake.
On my first night all was well and I was really enjoying myself. The next morning I took a swim in the lake because it was during the summer. When I am solo camping I like to go to out of the way places to avoid seeing other people and I was pleasantly enjoying this area because although I thought I might see other people here, there was no sign of anybody.
When I go camping I always bring a small musical instrument with me, this time I brought with me a harmonica. At the time I was still learning how to play, but I enjoyed the sound and being that it was so light weight I thought this would be the perfect fit.
As I sat by my fire on the second night I took out my harmonica and started to play a little tune, just going with what sounded good, I made up a little melody. I was playing my new melody for about 15 or 20 minutes and then decided to take a break. When I stopped playing I heard something way off in the distance. This was not alarming, I was in the woods at night, so hearing animals move about was normal.
After a short while I decided to play my melody again. As I was playing I could again hear a noise in the distance, but this time I could tell it was closer. I thought it was probably a deer or some squirrels messing about and put it out of my mind. It was at this time I decided to call it a night.
On the third day I had decided I was going to take a long walk. I had scouted out this area on a map before I went and knew there was a waterfall not too far away. In a smaller day bag I packed a lunch, some water and my harmonica then headed out.
It took me 2 or 3 hours to reach the waterfall, but it was worth it because of how beautiful it was. I was glad I brought food with me because I climbed to the top and enjoyed a long lunch taking in the view. After eating I thought that would be a great time to practice the melody that I made up the night before.
As soon as I started to play I could hear, not too far away from me, another instrument playing along with me. The sound of someone playing with me was alarming so I stopped, and when I stopped the accompanying sound also stopped. I stood up and I was looking around to try and see who had been playing with me, but I didn’t see anybody.
I called out, “Hello! Is anybody there?” I heard no response. At the time I thought that maybe I had imagined the sound. I sat back down and started to play again, when I started playing I could again hear something playing with me. A chill ran down my spine, I knew I was not imagining this. Once again I stopped and the sound also stopped. I knew something was out there, listening and maybe even watching me, although I couldn’t see anything.
At that point I was afraid and thought I should head back to my campsite, and maybe even head home. I packed my stuff up and headed back to my camp. As I made the long walk back I was starting to feel more afraid, but I just kept walking. At some point I thought that I might have been going the wrong way because I wasn’t recognizing anything even though I was sure I was heading back the way I had gone to get to the waterfall earlier that morning.
Knowing at the time the only way out of the woods was to carry on, I kept walking. Soon I reached a clearing, a clearing I had not been in before. I was lost. I decided to sit and rest in the clearing for a bit to try and clear my head and figure out what I was going to do.
I wanted to know if what I had heard before was following me so I took out my harmonica and started playing the melody. As soon as I started playing I could hear what I can only describe as a flute-like instrument playing along with me. I kept playing and started to look around, although I still could not see anything. I could hear the sound getting closer and closer. I was terrified now, lost and alone.
I wanted to know who was following me so I kept playing. Soon I caught sight of what was playing the flute. From out of the darkness of the woods came a huge lumbering creature. I could not believe my eyes. As I played, it played and slowly moved closer. It had antlers like a deer and its body was covered in rotting leaves and other plant material. It looked like it had six long skinny legs that were struggling to hold up its weight as it slowly shuffled towards me.
I was paralyzed with fear, but I could not stop playing. This creature was bobbing from left to right and back while taking small steps as it did, all the while we were both still playing this melody now more haunting than ever. This creature was within a few yards from me now and I still could not see its face. Hanging from its giant head were a bunch of long hardened vines. I knew that had to be its face because its arms were holding the flute there.
The creature had a nasty putrid smell to it. Its arms were fleshy, but covered in sores and scabs. The flute was unlike anything I had ever seen before and it was making a raspy noise more akin to a dying rabbit than a normal flute. Finally, I was able to stop playing, but I could still not move, when I stopped, it also stopped.
We just stood there staring at each other for what seemed like hours although it was probably only a few seconds, and then I heard the creature speak. It said in a low rumbling voice, “Are you not afraid little one?” More terrified than I had ever been in my entire life I couldn’t summon a single word. After a few silent moments again it spoke, “What are you doing in my forest?” I wanted to run and get the heck out of there, but my feet wouldn’t move no matter how hard I tried. Finally, I squeaked out a mousy and frightened, “Camping.” The enormous beast leaned to one side to reveal one of its giant eyes peering out from behind all the blackened vines. It felt like it was staring into my soul. After another few silent moments it spoke again, “How were you making those sounds?” I was in complete shock that it had not squished me like a bug. I slowly reached into my pocket and pulled out my harmonica.
The creature made a low rumbling sound and grumbled, “How does it work?” I put it to my mouth and gave it a long blow. As I blew into the harmonica it shifted its immense weight back and brought its flute back to its mouth and started to play along, I began playing my melody again, and it started to play with me.
There we stood in the clearing playing together. I was still terrified, but I was also becoming very curious what this creature was and why it was so enamored with my song. As we played it swayed back and forth and with each step I could feel the ground rumble beneath my feet. Whatever this creature was, it could kill me with one motion of its enormous body, but it did not.
Eventually the creature stopped playing, so I stopped playing. Once again the creature leaned to one side and peered out at me with its huge mucusy eye and said, “I would like to propose a trade.” I stood there quietly knowing this was it, it was going to ask for my life or my soul or the blood of my first born child and then it was going to kill me. It continued in a low and gurgly voice, “I will trade you mine for yours?”
I cannot accurately describe what I was feeling at that moment, I was still terrified when waves of shock and surprise also washed over me. It extended its giant hand holding its twisted and ancient looking flute towards me. Thinking it would have surely killed me had I refused, I also extended my harmonica towards it.
As it put its flute on the ground in front of me, it reached out and took the harmonica from my hand and slowly started to back away. It sounded like a falling tree, the creaking and cracking of wood. As it was slowly lumbering away from me it started to play the harmonica, it was playing my song, the melody I had made up the night before sitting by the campfire.
Once it made it to the tree line, I heard its deep haunting voice one last time, “Go on little one, take the flute and leave my woods, your camp is just beyond the trees.” That was the point I felt like I could move again. I bent down and picked up the flute, it was huge. The flute, if that’s what you could call it, was as long as I was tall, compared to me it was more of a walking stick than a musical instrument. I turned around and ran away.
As I ran I could hear the creature playing my harmonica as it slowly made its way back into the forest, the sound was haunting, but became more and more faint. Out of fear I just ran and ran. I didn’t know if I was even heading in the right direction, but I ran. Soon I could no longer hear the harmonica and I was back at my camp. I did not stop to pack up my things, I simply kept running. Now that I knew where I was, I was heading for my car and I was getting out of there as fast as I could.
Only once I was in my car and driving away did I realize I was still in possession of the enormous ancient looking flute. It was dirty and smelled horrible. When I arrived home I sat in my car for a long while trying to comprehend what had happened. I could not have imagined it, I had this enormous flute. What was the creature? Would it find me to reclaim its flute? I was exhausted, dirty, covered in sweat, and I just wanted to go inside, but what was I supposed to do with the flute? It was the only evidence I had that this happened.
Eventually, I decided to go inside bringing the flute with me. I brought it into my living room and cleared off the mantle above the fireplace. After that day I decided I would not go camping again. I have never gone back to that forest. On some nights when by myself I would start a fire and stare at that flute for hours, and when I did could I swear I could hear the faint haunting sound of my old harmonica playing my campfire melody.
Ever since I met the creature in the woods I have had haunting dreams where I see the creature as he is playing his flute. About two months after that day in the woods I awoke to a commotion from the living room. I sprang up out of bed and the living room was wrecked. My first thought was that I had been robbed, that’s when I noticed that same foul smell of the creature and noticed that the flute was gone. All the fear of that day came flooding back. The creature knew how to find me.
The back door of the house was open and when I went to close it I could hear the creature playing the campfire melody with his flute, it was coming from the other side of the yard. Although I couldn’t see the creature I knew it was there, here at my house. I should have never taken the flute with me. When I cleaned up the living room I did not find the harmonica.
I’m scared the creature will come back for me. I live in fear everyday and I still dream about the creature almost every night.