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They heard the first howls that night after finding the lost boy. Nobody thought anything about them other than that they sounded very strange for that part of the country. No wolves had lived around there for years. When it was reported to the camp counselors they brought everybody together for an emergency meeting. The counselors explained it was probably a bunch of teenagers playing recordings on loud speakers. Another theory was that it was someone who had moved into the area who had wolves for pets. In any case it was certainly not a pack of real wolves but just to show an abundance of caution they told everyone to use the buddy system whenever doing anything including going to the bathroom. That meant you took someone with you whenever you went to the bathroom, or to the snack machines or anywhere else. What was scary about the howls was that the few kids that lived in areas where there are wolves, claimed these howls were different. They sounded like they came from bigger animals. Once once of the kids said that it just a matter of time before somebody else brought up the dogmen.
Dogmen were fairly recent to the world of boogymen, leprechauns, bigfoot and the many other mythical creatures and bad guys which littered American folklore. The first one to become well-known was probably the one in Michigan which they called the beast of Bray road. It is said to have the head of a wolf and the body of a human being. Long sharp teeth with amber or blue eyes, a snout that is as long as a German Shepard with wide shoulders like a man and a thin waist with legs that have knees that bend the opposite way than knees on a human being. Some say they are migrant and never stay in one area for a long period. Others say they live in a different dimension and travel through our world on their way to another. Most say it is all a fairy tale. On that warm night at Cherokee campground it did not sound like a fairy tale. The howls were all too real and all too scary. As the night grew later even the kids which made fun of the dogmen, were no longer making fun. Everyone was scared. The counselors stayed up all night and patrolled the campground. Nothing ever came of the howls so the next day a meeting was called and they talked about sending everyone home. A man who claimed to be from the corporate office, whatever that meant, showed up mid-afternoon and joined the discussion. He said they were bringing in armed guards to each campground even though nothing had happened beyond a lot of howling. The man was able to talk everyone into staying. The corporate office also sent out cake and ice cream for everyone. A small celebration was enjoyed and nobody gave the dogmen much more thought. That is, until it was time for bed. Everyone waited to hear the howls and they did come, but not to the extent that they had happened the night before. This time they sounded further away and there were less of them. The counselors decided that the security guards, all two of them, were enough to patrol the campground. So they slept through the night. In fact everyone slept through the night. Nobody was allowed to go on hikes or to leave the campground the next day. Games like kickball, basketball, football and tag were organized to help pass the time. The campground supplied a nice lunch, which usually the kids had to make their own. The day finally passed and that night there were even less howls that sounded even further away than before. As such the next day the ban was lifted and the kids were again allowed to go on canoe rides, fishing, hiking and all the fun things you can do at a summer camp. The only catch was nobody was allowed to stay out camping away from camp Cherokee. Everybody had to check in before dark. The four friends sat outside their tent discussing what to do that day. “Its going to be hot. We could go swimming at the swimming pond here at Cherokee, with all the other kids crowding in there. Or we could head over to the crevice pond. Maybe he will be there.” Noah said. “Maybe they will be there too.” Ohpra said. “Those howls were real.” “Yeah but they have been getting further away every night.” Rev said in defense of the crevice pond. “Besides the chance the howlers would be over there is unlikely. They wouldn’t risk falling into the pit which is a risk, unless the climbing rope we left attached to that tree, is used. But I don’t see the wolves being smart enough, or capable of using the rope to swing across the crevice.” “What if there is another way up there from the other side?” BG said. “We never explored beyond the pond. It is entirely possible there is another way up there from the back side.” “Even if there is, it doesn’t mean that the howlers would be using it. Or that they’d even know about it.” Noah said. “Then again, Big Hairy found his way up there.” “Yeah, but maybe that’s how he ended up in the pit. He tried to walk across a fallen tree to get across, slipped and ended up trapped.” BG replied. “All the more reason to think the time when we saw him at the pond that he might have used another way to get there.” Rev argued. “Well are we going to go to the crevice pond or stay here and swim?” Ohpra asked. “I had a ton of fun with Hairy. I think its worth the travel time to go to the crevice pond. If Hairy isn’t there well … at least we will have Opes all to ourselves.” Rev said. “I always said you were the smart one of our bunch.” Noah said, patting Rev on the back. “I like the way you think.” “Knock it off or I will do it for you.” Ohpra threatened. “Better get used to it.” BG said. “It will only get worse the older you get.” “Only until your twenty-five.” Rev said. “Then you got to plan on settling down.” “Where did you get that timeline?” Ohpra asked. “My sister. She says she can party until she’s twenty-five but then she has to concentrate on choosing a good man to marry. She says if you don’t get married by the time you’re in your thirties that it is unlikely you will ever marry. She says a woman over the age of forty has a better chance of being killed by a terrorist than getting married.” “Geez Rev, you’re a real glass half full kind of guy.” Ohpra said. “Don’t blame me. I didn’t make up that statistic. I just am repeating what my sister said. I’m pretty sure she didn’t make that up though because she was major bummed when she told me about it.” “Hey Rev, I’ll marry your sister.” BG offered. “I’m sure that will brighten her day, Gupper. What will be her official title? Mrs Big Gulp?”
“Lets get going. I’m looking forward to swinging over the crevice and hitting that cool water.” Noah said excitedly. The four friends let camp Cherokee that morning and arrived at the place where they could swing across the crevice that separated the main part of the mountain from the rest of it. “Seems spookier today.” BG said, standing next to where they had tied the rope off so that it didn’t end up hanging over the crevice where nobody could reach it. “Here No, you can go first.” Noah took the rope in his hand and sneered at BG while saying, “Thanks Beege! Your courage leaves me speechless.” Then Noah swung across the divide and landed safely on the other side. The others took their turns. Each enjoyed the splendor of swinging in and out of the sunlight as it was periodically blocked by leaves. Where they were at the sunlight had not yet been able to reach in full force so it was still cool especially when you were swinging which caused a breeze. By the time the four friends had climbed back up to where the pond was located they were all ready for a dip into the cool water. Big Hairy was no where in sight. Everybody was disappointed but they held out hope maybe he would show up later in the day. “I wish he had told us how to contact him if it wasn’t an emergency.” Ohpra said. “But I’m pretty sure what he taught us was just for emergencies. Like when the little boy was lost. The call brought several of them. None of which were Hairy.” “Yeah, we will learn to communicate as time passes. I mean, that is, if we ever see him again.” Rev said. “I hope we do.” “Its lunch time. Lets fix the hotdogs.” Ohpra said. “Maybe the smell of my cooking will bring Hairy around.” “Cooking? Is that what we are doing?” BG said, while gathering up some sticks of wood that were brittle so they would be sure to burn easily. “Burning. Warming. Scalding. Oh, and under cooking. Now those words I would agree with. But cooking? You’re very generous dear.” “Generous is right. Beyond generous actually.” Ohpra said slyly. Rev saw the shot coming so he set her up. “How’s that Opes?” “I’m letting BG hang out with me aren’t I?” She said smiling. “You know I’m kidding you Gupper. What I meant to say was that WE are generous because WE are letting you hang out with US!” Everybody laughed. They got the fire going and opened one of the two packages of hotdogs they had brought. After the last time they decided to start carrying an extra package of hotdogs in case Hairy ate with them again. That dude could pack them away. “Hey look. Hairy’s back.” Rev said, pointing at the bigfoot swimming across the pond to where they were all eating hotdogs. Next Page