My name will be referred to as K but I am 22 years old male and up to a few hours ago me and my friends were all laughing and having fun on our camping trip. The people on this trip will be referred to as E (23F), J (20M), B (22M), and C (19M.)
We’ve had this trip planned for months. We all agreed to meet at the parking lot and hike 2 hours to get to our campsite, being wary of any signs or warning as to not accidently get arrested. around 1 hour in we noticed something it didn’t seem like much and looked as if it was taped there by kids to scare the hikers. We hadn’t bothered to read it but I recall it was very weird looking, it had a darkish-gray outline and was completely black and it looked like a hostage note. Finally after around 2 and half-ish hours we had arrived at our campsite only to realize B had forgotten his tent in his trunk so we only had 2 tents.
Me and E shared a tent mainly cause the tent was too small to fit more than 2 people and also we had known each other since middle school and also we both had girlfriends. After finally getting unpacked I took the stainless steel axe I had brought out of its cover so I could go chop some firewood. After an hour or so of chopping logs, I saw it again the same note as before. I had just assumed I backtracked but after looking around for a good few seconds it became apparent that this wasn’t the same part I saw the note. It was exactly the same as before darkish-gray outline full black center. I still couldn’t be bothered to read it. “Fucking kids.” I muttered but as I said that the wind picked up which I took as my cue to take what I could and get back.
I arrived back at around sunset. No-one was at camp, but as I was placing the firewood in the pit I heard a splash somewhere to my right. I ventured through the thick greenery of the woods and saw the edge of a cliff and my friends at the bottom of it in the water below. “COME ON K,” B yelled from below. I quickly stripped down to my underwear and ran at full force and jumped. After I jumped in we stayed in that little pond for hours but when we were leaving I heard a little plop in the water. I turned around a swore I saw something in the water, but I had just brushed it off as my imagination as it was late and I was exhausted from chopping firewood.
We ended up cooking some marshmallows while telling ghost stories “K, you good man?” C asked, “you seem a little shaken up.” I sighed “Well, remember that paper we saw in the woods?” they nodded “I saw it again in the woods while chopping firewood.” E looked up “Now that you mention it.” she trailed off “I also saw the note but it was while I was just exploring the campsite.” We all felt a little spooked so we ended up getting in our tents and sleeping.
Dawn had just broke when I got up to the sound of rustling near our campfire I got up to check and I saw the same fucking note attached to the tree near our campfire. “What the fuck.” I audibly gasped. this time I decided to read the godamn thing. “NEVER WANDER 15 FEET FROM CAMPFIRE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHATS OUT THERE.” I knew it was those messed up kids but in the distance I saw a shadow moving through the leaves and greenery “J, B, C?” I called out it was a manly shadow but all of them responded from the tent.
“We need to get the fuck out of here” I whispered when we were all awake. “Why?” E wondered “I saw someone in the woods.” they laughed, they thought I was fucking with them. “I’m being fucking serious guys.” they all quit looking at my now concerned face “alright then.” J said and they started packing up the tent.
We were almost done when I heard the ghastly shriek from E. I saw him, the man he was standing 6 feet tall and had a butchers knife. He swung and cut E’s eye I took my axe from my bag and threw it at him it wasn’t exact but it hit him in his upper-right chest and he screamed and threw himself back. We ran as fast and as far as we could until we reached the parking lot.
After rushing to the hospital to get E help and check up on the rest of us we learned that I had killed the man and that E was going the be forever blind in one eye. My therapist tells me sharing this story should help mine and others PTSD. I still fear what would’ve happened had I missed my axe throw.