The Maker Of Fear

The Norkwood Forest

Writing this down to the internet would make me feel a little bit. The event at that time still lingers to my skin. June of 1999. A young, college freshmen of me, trying to experience the world. And by that, I decided that me and my 5 friends which I would just put their fake names due to confidential: Josh, Pike, Mike, Kyle and Todd. The forest of Norkwood that we picked and camp there for a night. Josh, Kyle and Todd started to build tents while me, Mike, Pike started to acquire drift wood for fire.

Evening came and we had enough drift wood to maintain the camp fire that Josh made. The usual stuff that we made. Cooking Marshmallow, having beer with BBQ on the side, chatting and just having fun. All of us felt the booze started to take over its effect to our body but Todd and Kyle went earlier to get some sleep. Me, and the others were left to take care the fire. Josh, Pike Mike and I were sat there, silently. The noise of cricket in the distance with nothing but the slow blew of a wind. Feels so refreshing. Fixated to the light coming from the fire, until...

I noticed that Pike was constantly looking behind him. Mike and Josh also notice and we then asked him if there's something wrong. His attention turned to us, with look of a terror from his face, he put his index finger on his lips to keep quiet and let us went to our designated tent. "Dude, the heck's happening?" Josh asked to me, I then told him that I do not know. We were confused. To be truthful, sometimes Pike would act weirdly to our group. Sometimes he was in passive, other times his sense was in alert. The shadow of Pike illuminated by the camp fire that was still on. Me and Josh watched as Pike's shadow slowly disappearing as he went to his own tent. Confused but we also felt that something was up. Josh and I couldn't sleep for a little while. The courage that we need to take in was too much at that moment.

I then woke up by a hand, shaking my whole body. I turned around to see Josh's terrified face. His finger was placed on his lips, telling me that I should be quiet. He then points to the front of our tent and I turned that direction to see a silhouette of a man, standing in front of our tent. With the camp fire still going, I could see from the inside, the man just stood there, with a knife on his hand.

Josh and I looked at each other's eyes, scared the shit brick. The man from outside began to walk circles around the spot of our tent. We only listened as the crunch of leaves, stomping and had this heavy footstep. Silence. It surrounds the aura of fright. Something happened and the silence just broke out as the ripping noise coming from the tent walls. We could see the point of the knife, penetrating the fabric of our tent. Josh screamed as then we heard Pike's voice coming out from his own tent and BANG.

I just got up, went outside to see Pike, holding a gun. I then heard a gurgle coming from the side. My head turn its attention to see a man, trying to stop the bleeding from his neck but was pointless as he died slowly. Pike sat down as all of the boys got outside and witness the aftermath.

We then waited for a Ranger to come to us due to Todd calling it. We then see the lights and the car, coming towards us. We got interrogated as we helped the man put in the car. We quickly pack our bags, and left the area. Pike was the one who got the most of interviewed by police and luckily, nothing was to be charged to us due to self-defense that Pike did.

I then went up to one of the ranger patrol guys, asked him who's the person that attacked us. He then explained that some people who went to Norkwood Forest to camp suddenly went missing. This made our bones and skin chilled as we wondered... If Pike never went outside that quick, what would happen to us by then. Since at the event, Pike became more aware from his surroundings, we wouldn't know the reason of the guy.