4 scary deep woods horror stories

When I was a kid, my great-grandma would always sign us up for Christian camp near Stevens Pass in Washington. Despite the Christian themes, I had a lot of fun there, even if there were some strict rules. The campground was tucked away behind a remote dirt road, with a large field and endless stretches of forest beyond that. The staff cabins were at the edge of the road, and the camper cabins were further north, some nestled in the woods and others next to the field. The communal bathrooms were quite large. The camp focused on local history, which I never cared much about. The cabins were named after Washington cities, except the oldest one called the Dean's cabin. There were always stories and myths about the cabins being haunted or people dying there, which were exciting at first but got old after a while.

This story is from my first time at the camp when I was 6. After my parents dropped me off at my cabin with the other boys, our counselor Josh arrived and we played icebreaker games. Before long, we were all comfortable with each other. After dinner, we had a campfire bible study and prayer before heading back to our A-frame cabin at the edge of the woods. I always had trouble sleeping away from home, so I doubt I ever slept much there. As the week went on, I got braver, even peeing right outside the cabin door in case monsters might get me on the way to the bathrooms. Josh really helped me overcome my fear of the unknown.

On the last night, we played a big game of hide-and-seek with the staff searching for us. Josh hid me in a tree while he hid in the bushes below. We were never found. After the game, we were supposed to return to our cabins, but Josh suggested we sleep outside instead, so we snuck out with our sleeping bags and pillows. We made it halfway across the field before a staffer came running to find us. We ducked down and waited for him to pass. I smiled, amused that someone older was more afraid of the dark than me. We set up against the tall grass, figuring it would camouflage our sleeping bags.

I fell asleep looking at the stars, listening to the crickets and frogs. I woke up to complete silence - the field felt different somehow, lacking its earlier calm presence. I looked around but none of the other boys seemed awake. I smiled and rolled over towards my friend Cody, facing away from the woods behind us. I was starting to fall back asleep when I heard faint footsteps in the grass. They steadily grew closer, no longer caring if they were heard. The wind shifted, bringing with it a rotten smell. Cody stirred awake, his eyes fixed on something terrifying in the grass behind me. The footsteps stopped right behind my head, and I could feel an evil, menacing presence staring at me. Cody looked like he was going to scream but I subtly shook my head to stop him.

Before Cody could react, another boy groaned and shifted in his sleep. I heard a guttural, animalistic snarl from behind. The grass shifted as if the creature was about to pounce and attack. I braced myself for the end, but suddenly coyotes howled from the woods. The snarling stopped, and hurried footsteps retreated, taking the stench with them. Cody confirmed the creature was gone, though neither of us slept that night. We never spoke about it again until leaving camp. He described seeing a humanoid creature with the head of a decapitated deer, poised to attack with claws and fangs. He told Josh, who didn't believe him. I never saw Cody again or got to ask Josh about it. But that experience stuck with me as the scariest night of my life.