Campfire Stories, Urban Legends, and Ghost Stories.
By
Cerrridwen Circe Whitethorn

Introduction: 

Hello, I'm Cerridwen Circe Whitethorn, I'm seventeen and I'm a Junior at Benton Academy. I'm also an Adventure Scout and I've been one since I turned fourteen. The slim pamphlet you're holding in your hand right  now as you read these words is the product of four months of investigative journalism and paranormal research. 

Anyway what inspired me to write this collection of six campfire stories, urban legends and ghost stories was the many fables I've heard told over the dying embers of campfires in my three years being an Adventure scout. Now, the Adventure Scouts are co-ed. So some of these stories were told by former Girl Scouts and some were told by former Boy Scouts.

I've tried my best to write down the stories as I heard them. I think you will find these stories have something of a timeless touch to them. Like any story that is told orally and handed down orally from one generation to the other, there has been some minor embellishment. But I've tried to trim the fat if you will and present to you the most original telling of the tale.

Now without further ado allow me to tell you the first story.

The Vanishing Scout
Told by:
Cerridwen Circe Whitethorn

The first ghost story I'm going to share with you guys is one that happened to me. This happened to me when I first joined the Adventure Scouts, now the Adventure Scouts like the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts have badges and various rewards one can receive if they complete certain activities. Only our rewards were more like military medals you could pin to the front of your tunics. They looked way cooler than the cloth like patches the Girl Scout and Boy Scouts offered. And likewise they were harder to earn, and we often thought they were more prestigious than the others.

Now the first medal I earned was the “Wildness Survival” medal. And in order to earn that, I was required to fill a old leather knapsack with all the gear and rations I could carry and backpack into the thick undergrowth that surrounded the camp. Once we were deep into the woods, we were to set up camp and just endure for three days and two nights. 

Now, as a small mercy to us, we were to driven up to this little forest meadow. We were then dropped off in this picture perfect meadow. This little meadow was to our rallying to point. All of us who were attempting to earn this medal where to meet back here after three days and two nights had passed. 

Now the meadow was located in the middle of a horseshoe shaped hill. The hill was covered in pin, fur, and willow trees. We were told to fan out that horseshoe shaped hill and settle down. What I most remember about that afternoon was a heavy sense of foreboding really hung in the air. Like there was something or somebody who was hiding in the trees and that person or something was watching us.

Now, I'm not sure how far I'd walked into the woods. But judging by the position of the sun, I had a few hours remaining before the sun would set.  So I decided to settle down and make camp. The spot I decided to make camp in was a kind of clearing in the woods. I consider myself pretty lucky to have settled in such a lovely spot. Because a few hundred yards from where I'd decided to set up camp there was a natural forming spring. The spring feed into a brook that was pretty deep. 

Anyway, I spent the last few remaining hours of daylight building a primitive lean-to and then I used some wash rocks from the creek to form a rock fire ring, I piled a bundle of twigs and pine straw into this circle of stones. And by time night had fallen, I had something of a shelter to crawl under and a fire to keep me warm. Now, that first night did not count toward the two nights we were required to spend out here in the sticks, nor did that first day. In fact that was what they called 'Zero Day'. Our time would start the morning after 'Zero Day'.

Now, the first thing I learned being by myself, alone, in the woods was that the days were really short and the nights were really long. I spent the morning of the first day gathering firewood, collecting water from the creek, and improving my shelter. I would then take a short nap in the afternoon, and just before the sun vanished beyond the treeline I would start a fire, brew kettle of coffee or tea and slowly sip it as I stood guard all through the night.

Anyway as I worked, I would notice strange things often happen around me. It started on “Day One” for example sometimes my tools would vanish and only to reappear when the sun started to set. At first I thought somebody, maybe  one of my fellow scouts was messing with me. But then I remembered I was alone. And well that put on edge. 

Later that night I would hear the underbrush that surrounded my camp start to rustle. I would wake up to pee and see shadows starting to dark around my campsite. And when I peed I felt like somebody was peering out at me. Anyway at the dawn of “Day Two” I was sure I was being watched and I decided to do something about it.

And well, I'm not proud to say this, because it might seem a little childish. But I found a grove of bamboo and cut me a piece, a really long piece. I then took my pocket knife and made a sharpen point with it. It was a kind of make-shift weapon. Something I could use to skewer the person who was prowling around my camp. Making this weapon took most of my morning and ate up most of my afternoon. 

Anyway, I noticed the sun was starting to set. And to make matters worse the wind was starting to really pick up. Huge, iron gray storm clouds. It was the clouds that concerned me the most, they seemed heavy with rain and the wind that was blowing through the trees gave me goosebumps

And then I saw her. A girl around my age appeared in front of me, it was like she appeared from thin air. She looked tired, her uniform was in tatters and she seemed almost feverish. Her cheeks seemed sunken in and her eyes seemed dull and lifeless. Clearly she was in trouble, and clearly she need help. She also looked frightened, like somebody or something was chasing after her.

Well, I'm not going to skewer a fellow scout, well not one who looks like they're about to kneel over and die. Nope, instead I rushed up to her and then I noticed something. She looked frail, really frail, like she had been out here in the woods too long. Her hair looked greasy and could use a good brushing out. And she smelled to high heavens. I was totally lost.

“Hey!” I said. “I'm Cerridwen,  I'm a Solo Scout.” I said smiling. “I'm from Benton.. I'm attached to the local Girlscout troop.” 

“Coraline..” The girl said in a shivering tone of voice. “Troop 1400 Vicksburg, Mississippi.” She quickly added. “I think I lost my way, I've been wandering around the woods for what seems like ages.”.

I nodded my head. Well that was strange, the local troop out of Vicksburg had the troop number 2345.. I knew as much as my boyfriend and now girlfriend had an older sister named Susan who was a scout. And what was more striking is scouts from only Greenwood, Yazoo City, Benton, Rolling Fork, and Pearl were in camp now. Could it be that the Vicksburg troop who had been here a week ago had left one of their own? No, that is impossible if a scout failed to turn up, the whole area was turned upside down.

“Well Coraline..” I said walking up to her. “If you can hang on for a little longer, we'll get you squared away. Tomorrow, I'll report to Emma, she is the Junior ScoutMaster here, and she'll get you sorted. But in the meantime.. why don't you join me..”

She nodded her head and she managed a smile.

Anyway since Coraline's clothes were soaked, I decided to give her some of mine to wear. I then wrapped her in a spare blanket I had, gave her a cup of coffee and I shared what meager rations I had with her. She seemed thankful for that and soon feel into a deep sleep. I decided to let her sleep. As for me, well I was still on edge, so I took my homemade weapon and posted myself between Caroline and creeping night.

What happen? Well I must have fallen asleep. Because when I woke up bright rays of sunshine were streaming through the trees and the song birds were singing their morning songs. I found myself in a bit of a haze. It took me a while to remember that I had a guest. But when I looked over to the spot where Caroline had been sleeping I found it empty. Just a blanket.

And well when I pulled the blanket away,the clothes I'd loaned her were there too. It was like Caroline had vanished. Well that was it, I broke camp as soon as I could gather my strength. And no, I did not tell Emma what I saw. I kept it to myself. Well until now.

The End.