Graduating batch of 2012. I can still remember how excited we were to be in college. And even if ten years have passed, what happened during our last high school summer camp was still clear to me.
I am a member of a scout group. Every first and fourth grading, we will have camping. I was tasked with the games and events for the last camp, so I was focused and excited. I prepared ahead to make it happy and memorable for my fellow scouts. Besides, this might be the last time for most of us to camp in Mount Makiling.
The mountain is located in Los Baños, Laguna. It is famous for hikers and scouts like us. It was a beautiful mountain. You can do different activities, and it's so peaceful. The peace that you can feel in that mountain is different. The fresh air will make you feel like you want to be one with it.
Based on the legends and stories of the old folks living at the foot of the mountain, Maria Makiling is a goddess living in the mountain who occasionally socializes with the regular citizens. She has long black wavy hair. They said that she was quite tall and always wearing white clothes. Her face was very beautiful, tamed, and serene, complemented by her naturally brown skin. According to them, Maria Makiling helps whoever needs food or those who are sick. They don't even have to ask her because she knows everyone's needs. There are also stories that Maria goes down the mountain to shop, and she exchanges items with her gold pieces of ginger. But there was a time that people abused Maria's kindness, so she went up the peak mountain, stopped helping people, and never showed herself again.
Our travel from the school to Makiling did not take long. When we arrived, we immediately brought our stuff to the hall, where we would stay for a few days.
You can easily see the Luna Hall even from a distance. It was quite huge and had a row of teepee houses where we could cook and conduct different activities. There was also an area for a bonfire. Just what I needed for the game I had prepared for our group.
We will stay here for three days and two nights with our head, Sir Rod. He knows many foresters in Makiling who joined him to keep our area safe.
On the first day of the camp, I had already prepared what I would need for the last activity. I hid plastic eggs, which contained three matchsticks, paper, strings of different lengths, and some rubbing alcohol that I poured into a small plastic before putting it inside the egg. I hid it in different areas of the campsite.
When I finished preparing for the other activities, they called the younger scouts. Most of them are in second and third-year high school. Also, during this camp, we will pass them our roles since we are outgoing officers already.
After the reminders from our teacher and my fellow officers, they gave me a chance to tell them about the games that we would have. Most of the activities are easy to explain, so I took the time and emphasize the last one.
"I have four pendants here for the troop leaders. In the entirety of the camp, you have to collect plastic eggs that contain important things that you will use on the last challenge. You can ask other groups for an exchange. But you cannot buy them with real money or steal them. You are also not allowed to open it unless I told you so. The eggs are sealed with my signature. Your team will receive a demerit if you violate the game's rules," I explained.
The younger scouts are interested. They had broad smiles, and I saw them looking at different places from where they were standing. It seemed like they were already trying to look for the things I hid. Even my fellow officers expressed their willingness to join.
The whole day passed by quickly and the first day of the camp ended. We just started, but you can already see the exhaustion on our faces. Our teacher asked us to gather and tell stories by the bonfire. He usually does this during the first and last night of the camp.
He told us about his personal experiences when he was still a young scout. He also shared some memories he will never forget. And obviously, he told horror stories as well.
He said that an unknown entity always appears in every final camp of each graduating class. It never missed once, even in the previous batch ahead of us. And every year, it just gets more terrifying than the last. As per his story, the last was seen by a troop who received punishment and was tasked to sleep on the foldable tents. According to the group, they heard loud footsteps. And it grew louder and nearer, and it started sounding like a horse running. When they peeked from the tent, they saw a man standing in the dark part of the forest. They said that it was tall, naked, and hairy. It moved oddly when it ran away as if it was riding a horse. They wanted to confirm, but the lower part of its body was engulfed in darkness.
"Werehorse?" asked one of the students sitting on a stone chair around the bonfire.
Sir Rod just shooked his shoulders. But we all know that is what he is talking about.
I still wanted to listen to the stories, but I realized that I had left my camera inside the female quarters. I needed it to take pictures for the memorabilia that the group will release.
I stood up and walked toward the hall. It's not that far from the bonfire.
When I came back, Sir Rod was still telling his stories. This time, it's about the bonfire.
"Never leave a space inside the circle," he said.
"What circle, sir?" asked one of the students.
Sir Rod turned and gestured his hand to the circle of students on the bonfire. He said we should not let our circle have a vacant seat because an entity might get in. So if we could squeeze in, we should. Anything that will not leave a space on the circle.
I got goosebumps from his story.
"What will happen if you're not in the circle?" I asked.
"Then it will stay beside you," he casually replied.
My fellow officers and the other scouts laughed while I squeezed in the middle of the other students. I took pictures from where I was sitting.
Because of the activities and everyone was entertained, our last summer camp days passed by quickly. On the last night of the camp, we will finally do the last challenge we waited for.
After our dinner, everyone went back to the field. They turned on all the floodlights. The lights are faced toward the four circles I have made with stones. I asked the groups to line up in front of each circle.
"At the edge of the circle, there are thick stems. You need these things to create a cone. In its middle, you have to tie the pendant. You will race to create a bonfire, and the first team who will drop their pendant on the fire will win."
Everyone was excited. They found different lengths when they started putting out the strings that they would use to tie the pendant. One group even wanted to surrender because they only got a few papers. Not enough for the fire to reach the string. Another group only got two matchsticks and lots of rubbing alcohol.
When I whistled, the group representatives started running. They did different techniques to raise the thick stems and tie the pendant. It felt amazing to watch them do their best and win. Even I was proud that I created a game they will strive to win. It didn't take long for a group to win. After the game, we were asked to go by the bonfire for the appointment of the new officers.
Maybe because of the consecutive tiring activities, my body surrendered. I got a fever that night. I had a nasty headache. But I knew that this would be over soon, so I tried to endure it.
I went to the bonfire alone while the others went there in groups. I somehow felt sad that I didn't have a friend to accompany me, but I ignored the feeling. I shook it off and prepared to take pictures of the ceremony.
It was dark around the bonfire when we got there. Even if there was a fire in the middle, the space around the bonfire was dark. It's hard to see anything. So when I started taking pictures, only the bonfire and the flash of my camera were the sources of light.
Sir Rod was the first to give a speech. Everyone was around the bonfire that we had set up that morning. The officers followed him to appoint the new ones.
The wind was cold, which made me feel more ill. I decided to find a seat and review the pictures while someone was still talking.
While reviewing the images, I noticed something. When Sir Rod was still talking, there was a woman behind him wearing a white dress. She was looking at her feet, barefooted. To confirm, I zoomed in on the image.
I cannot identify who it was. Sir Rod was slightly covering her.
I decided to check where she was sitting. I raised my head and saw Sir Rod and the officer speaking, facing against my direction.
Meaning to say, this woman is near me.
I looked around to find her, but I didn't see anyone besides me. The circle was broken on my left side. And from where I was seated, no one was sitting beside me.
I was not supposed to do anything about it anymore when I remembered what Sir Rod said on the first day of the camp. "Do not let the circle be broken."
I felt curious if what he said was true, so I took a photo of the stone chair beside me. My camera flashed. When I looked at the picture, there was nothing. It was pitch black.
I tried taking a picture of my feet just to test if my camera was working. And when I checked the image, I caught something on my left side. A pale foot was facing me. Barefooted, translucent skin and its nerves are showing. It was also muddy, and I didn't know anyone among us who would show up barefooted because we could not go out of the campground without wearing our rubber shoes.
I tried taking a photo of my left side again. I did not look and just pointed my camera there. When I reviewed it, there was nothing in there again. Just pitch black even with the flash of my camera. I decided to ignore it and cover my lens instead.
I wasn't able to sleep that night even after taking my medicines. I don't feel comfortable because of the images. I took my camera to check the pictures. Nothing changed. It was still dark, so I checked the one where I captured a foot.
"This is not a normal person," I whispered to myself.
I didn't notice when and how I fell asleep. The following day, one of my fellow officers woke me up to ask me to fix my belongings.
It was the end of the camp. All of us felt exhausted and wanted to go home. When we were ready, we waited at the campground for the bus to pick us up. I talked to the new commander of the group while waiting. I also told him about the pictures. When I took my camera, we were shocked when we saw a clutch of hair sitting tightly between my camera lens and its cap. It was black and wavy. Definitely not mine.
I showed him the image of the foot. He got scared when he saw it and asked a lot of questions. He told me to let Sir Rod know, but I refused. Besides, we're on our way home. Before he left, he joked that maybe the face of the woman was leaning against my camera; and that's how I got the hair on the lens. I was scared of the idea, but I laughed it off since it was too weird to imagine it happening.
"Try to raise the brightness. That's what people do, right?" he suggested before leaving me to help the other scouts.
I ignored his suggestion since I won't be able to do it right away. I took the hair off my camera. Then suddenly, an old woman approached me.
The woman was small and wearing a dress. There was a small basket hanging on her left arm, and it contained small woods with names painted on them. She gave me a small piece of wood and asked me to write my name.
"Sorry, I don't have money," I told the old lady. I walked away from her that instant. I know that I should not accept that since I don't know her. When I looked back, she wasn't there anymore. She did not approach anyone else—just me.
I know that I made the right decision.
When I came home, I immediately opened the computer and transferred what was inside my SD card. I went straight to the last three photos and did the suggestion of the new scout commander.
He was right.
I saw a face of a woman who was slightly near my camera's lens. It wasn't clear because she was peeking through her hair. Because of fear, I deleted the images.
I printed the summer camp photos, and I immediately went to school to give them to Sir Rod. But before I left, Sir Rod stopped me.
He told me that he finally knew why this camp was quiet and not a single entity showed itself.
He showed me all of the images, and in each of them, the woman was there, lurking somewhere. She was approaching me slowly.
My muscles felt weak, and I had goosebumps. I stopped photography and never used any sort of camera again from then on.
-----
Follow us here:
Facebook: @ghastlycollection
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrlVcvJbngmb6DzCfBnv6jA
Website: www.ghastlycollection.com