Pine Barrens Weekend…

Upon entry into the barrens for a weekend of blissful rest, I note that no animal does greet Rufuz and I. Not even an insect at the door to my camper. I camp in a clearing, with a brackish creek to one side surrounded by trees of varying ages and size.

We set up, looking forward to the weekend of quiet reflection. Our canvas rolled out, our solar panels soaking up the sun’s rays, our batteries charged, our propane filled, no cooking over an open fire for us. Our lounge chairs open, and mini tables folded out, ready to hold our drinks, and the radio to listen to the games.

No fear have we of the Pine Barren legends, the Jersey Devil, the cougars and bears we have heard about of late. None of these will harm us, nor are we worried, as this weekend is chilly, and the noise from our campsite should scare them away. Rufuz has marked “his” territory, as did I, learning this from some book I did read at one time or another. Both of us settled down,

me in my lounge chair, and Rufuz at my feet, ready for a quiet evening relaxing with no sounds, and the ability to actually see all the stars in the sky.

As the sun did set, still no sounds from the animals did we hear. This did seem strange to me, but as far as I was concerned, out of sight, no sound, out of mind. I took my first hit, and started to read my book called “The Pines” by Robert Dunbar, the perfect scary book to read when in the pines at night.

Not even night sounds could be heard, no crickets, no rustling in the bushes, nothing…really weird, but now I am high and I don’t give a rat’s ass, just let me come down from my week of stress!

Then a sound from the woods, far off it did seem, a howl, or a scream, maybe a cat in a fight with another,

or someone at another campsite, who knows?

Then it got louder, and maybe “closer”? Did I really hear it? Rufuz seemed to have heard it and knows the direction it did come from, northwesterly in direction his ears are attuned and his eyes are facing that way.

Then I must have heard it, oh there it is again, closer, and definitely not human, shit, now I am getting a bit tense. Maybe to move inside the camper, as the sun is now down the darkness is starting to wrap its clammy fingers around the both of us…

Once inside the camper, 18,000 pounds of weight, with my Jeep just outside the door, full of gas and waiting to go four wheeling tomorrow morning. Now with the TV on and the windows shut tight, no noise can be heard,

no reason to be afraid anymore, I am in my home sort of…

Sitting with quiet of the night enveloping the camper, I do turn off the TV, as this was a weekend meant to be of Nature, not the noisy technology of man to bother me.

Okay, the hell with the noise in the woods, had to be a cat, it went away anyway and Rufuz is no longer alerted to anything, as far as I can tell…

Time for bed, my buzz getting me tired, time to get into my comfy bed, nothing there can hurt me, the doors are locked, the windows shut, the dog on guard, time for some sleep…

Slept for a short time it seems, awakened by a screech of sorts, thought it was someone burning out with their car, but no street nearby to make the sound on. Then I hear it again looking outside, turning on the scene lights, I try to see what is out there. All I can see are red eyes reflecting in the light. I get my Mag light out and keep it with me while I get up and move to the front of the camper to turn on the headlights…

Rufuz is hiding behind me, staying near the bedroom, maybe he is right, I will join him, as long as the door is locked, and it is. Then the rig started to rock, no wind outside, just rocking and shaking, and the screech is back, what the hell is it, I can’t see it, but for the red eyes still in the woods…

Rocking and shaking the rig is doing and Rufuz is barking and howling, making the whole scene even more eerie.

Then a scratching sound, oh no you don’t leave that canvas alone, too expensive to worry about what is out there. The door does open, and what do I behold, a scary devil right out of hell? A fear provoking creature of the night? Neither of these do I see…what could have shaken the camper? Then I do see tracks, left and leading to the woods, like whatever it was saying, come follow me,

see me for what I am…

No way in hell, I close the door again, locking it and go back to bed, not to be bothered anymore that night and the next day gather up all our stuff and get the heck out of the barrens…

I don’t know what attacked the camper that night, but it was strong enough to shake this big tank and leave scratch marks, so long it had to be done by claws. Never again did I take the camper into the barrens for a quiet night alone, only daytime trips with the Jeep and Rufuz, do I do now…

Never again will I spend an overnight in the barrens, I had my warning; that is all I needed…    

                  © ed ~ 10/18/04