So this is an entirely anecdotal summary of my time working at a rural summer camp in the Midwest - where weird stuff happens. Naturally I don't have any concrete evidence for what I'm about to share, but I figure a good story such as this would be appreciated here. I feel comfortable repeating it because I wasn't the only person to experience these odd happenings - I can easily come up with over a dozen other former employees who would all agree that strange things happen at this camp.
This summer camp I worked at is a Christian based organization that would host hundreds of children for a week or so throughout the summer for fun and adventures in the outdoors. It is located in a very rural part of the Midwest, at least an hour from any sizeable city, and is rumored to be located on a former hub for Native American activities (cliche, I know, but that actually has little to do with the experiences). This was your standard sort of camp with secluded cabins, woods, lakes, etc. so it's inherently a ripe situation for things to "go bump in the night."
I will be the first to admit the possibility of mass hysteria and such, especially in a religious setting were charismatic leanings are just so tempting, however, as I am now a scientist by trade, I have tried to sort through and only present the stories I find have the most legitimacy, in part by the situation itself and whether or not I personally knew the person involved (if not myself). Anyway, with that context in mind, here is a small collection of events occurring over a span of about 10 years:
1. 2007 - Lord of the Silk Worms (Source: Friend/camper who would later grow up to be a coworker at this camp)
There is a specialty group known as "wilderness camp" which is designed for campers who really enjoy the outdoors. Their operations are almost entirely cut off from the main camp, and they live inside an old WWII style army tent for the week. These sorts of campers are usually the "tough kids" and the counselors in charge are often just as intense - you'd have to be if you're willing to go a full week without running water or electricity.
So late one night, as all the wilderness crew were deep in sleep, a 13 year old camper awoke needing to go to the bathroom - this is unfortunate because as I mentioned, no electricity, no running water. Unable to hold it until morning, this camper was forced to venture out into the dark and relieve himself partway into a clearing, away from the tent. Finding a spot, he got to business as quick as possible.
Midway through his business, this camper was starting to relax as he listened to the sounds of the night. In their own way, coyotes, raccoons, etc. can be almost comforting. He gazed up at the stars and bright moon, and admired the view, slowly lowering his gaze to the trees and eventually the clearing itself. That's when he saw him.
Maybe 10 yards or so away, was a massive black shape of a man that seemed to be wearing a trench coat and brimmed hat - just standing there. The camper froze in panic, trying to end his bathroom break prematurely to sprint back towards the tent, where he woke up a few other campers and a counselor. Concerned that there was a trespasser on the grounds, the counselor stepped out and examined the area with a flashlight, unable to find any evidence of the figure.
The next morning, word had gotten around to the other wilderness campers. Very few of them believed this kid saw what he saw. Trying to prove he wasn't crazy, he led them over were the man had been standing, hoping he could find footprints or something. Instead, the camper found something bizarre. Right where the man in black had been standing the night before, was a large circle in the grass that was thick with "silk worms" (Not actual silk worms, but rather a common term for any caterpillar that makes a spider-like silk).
This was the first of many unusual events that year, but as the story was told and retold, to add levity to the situation this dark figure was eventually coined, "Lord of the Silk Worms."
This summer camp I worked at is a Christian based organization that would host hundreds of children for a week or so throughout the summer for fun and adventures in the outdoors. It is located in a very rural part of the Midwest, at least an hour from any sizeable city, and is rumored to be located on a former hub for Native American activities (cliche, I know, but that actually has little to do with the experiences). This was your standard sort of camp with secluded cabins, woods, lakes, etc. so it's inherently a ripe situation for things to "go bump in the night."
I will be the first to admit the possibility of mass hysteria and such, especially in a religious setting were charismatic leanings are just so tempting, however, as I am now a scientist by trade, I have tried to sort through and only present the stories I find have the most legitimacy, in part by the situation itself and whether or not I personally knew the person involved (if not myself). Anyway, with that context in mind, here is a small collection of events occurring over a span of about 10 years:
1. 2007 - Lord of the Silk Worms (Source: Friend/camper who would later grow up to be a coworker at this camp)
There is a specialty group known as "wilderness camp" which is designed for campers who really enjoy the outdoors. Their operations are almost entirely cut off from the main camp, and they live inside an old WWII style army tent for the week. These sorts of campers are usually the "tough kids" and the counselors in charge are often just as intense - you'd have to be if you're willing to go a full week without running water or electricity.
So late one night, as all the wilderness crew were deep in sleep, a 13 year old camper awoke needing to go to the bathroom - this is unfortunate because as I mentioned, no electricity, no running water. Unable to hold it until morning, this camper was forced to venture out into the dark and relieve himself partway into a clearing, away from the tent. Finding a spot, he got to business as quick as possible.
Midway through his business, this camper was starting to relax as he listened to the sounds of the night. In their own way, coyotes, raccoons, etc. can be almost comforting. He gazed up at the stars and bright moon, and admired the view, slowly lowering his gaze to the trees and eventually the clearing itself. That's when he saw him.
Maybe 10 yards or so away, was a massive black shape of a man that seemed to be wearing a trench coat and brimmed hat - just standing there. The camper froze in panic, trying to end his bathroom break prematurely to sprint back towards the tent, where he woke up a few other campers and a counselor. Concerned that there was a trespasser on the grounds, the counselor stepped out and examined the area with a flashlight, unable to find any evidence of the figure.
The next morning, word had gotten around to the other wilderness campers. Very few of them believed this kid saw what he saw. Trying to prove he wasn't crazy, he led them over were the man had been standing, hoping he could find footprints or something. Instead, the camper found something bizarre. Right where the man in black had been standing the night before, was a large circle in the grass that was thick with "silk worms" (Not actual silk worms, but rather a common term for any caterpillar that makes a spider-like silk).
This was the first of many unusual events that year, but as the story was told and retold, to add levity to the situation this dark figure was eventually coined, "Lord of the Silk Worms."
