This is a (long) story of a Boy Scout summer camp prank, almost gone horribly wrong.
Though I was a young scout, 2nd year out of Cub Scouts, I was pretty much shunned by those my own age due to the fact that I generally behaved, listened to instructions, got out of bed the first time I was asked, worked hard, etc. As a result I was accepted by the older more mature members of the troop and was allowed to hang out with them and stay up later, etc. That is how I came to know all about the intricate and complex plans that were laid out.
There was a particular young scout, Mike, a year younger than myself, who was by far the most annoying, rude, arrogant kid in Scouts. He listened to nobody, he never completed an assigned task, he lied, he cheated, and he would steal or break your pocketknife or flashlight if he was jealous of it. Everyone hated him. And he was the scoutmaster’s son, which made him think he could get away with all of this. Though I think his father hated him as much as we did.
As the week of camp rolled on, the older boys, as the leaders, become more and more exhausted with his antics and began to plot revenge. Step one began around the campfire one night right before bedtime. Dan, a 17 year old scout, on his way to joining the acting department at NYU in the fall began telling a scary tale of “The Lost Boy Scouts”. As far as I know he made this whole story up, pretty much on the fly, with intricate details about 2 scouts who got lost at the very same summer camp and died in a fire years and years ago. They now wander the camp at night trying to find their old troop, as they will wander into your campsite in the shadows of the night looking for Troop 28. Only after telling them you don’t know where that troop is and they wander off, do you realize that their uniforms looked old-fashioned, and their faces appeared blackened.
Many kids went to bed scared and sleepless that night.
The next evening our troop traditionally made homemade ice cream and Dutch-oven cakes, and invited guests from the staff and other troops to our site. One such guest was a counselor known as Bird Man (he worked in the nature lodge). Bird Man was an enthusiastic co-conspirator. And one who happened to have his grandfathers old scout uniform from the 30’s. And who happened to have a Jason-style hockey mask that was painted black.
After staying for cake and ice cream, Bird Man excused himself to go back to the nature lodge. After an hour or so, as the group was gathered around the night’s fire, one of the older boys asked our victim Mike to get something out of the supply tent. We watched as Mike approached the tent, opened the front flap, and quickly complained he couldn’t find the rope we asked him to get. Clearly just being lazy, he was told to look harder, in the boxes and bags stored within. As he rummaged around, the back flap of the tent slowly opened and the upper body of person wearing an old scout uniform and black mask leaned in, and then quickly retreated.
At this point, only those of us in the know were even watching and saw. Well, us and Mike. Who stood up and backed out of the tent, perplexed. The older boys reprimanded him for not getting the rope, and told him to get it again. Mike, being brave and likely questioning if he really saw what he thought, opened the flap back up and moved back into the tent. Again, the back flap lifted open a hair and an ominous black masked face leaned in. Mike jumped back out of the tent. The older boys yelled at him, and Mike told them there was someone back there. By now a commotion had started, and all the boys and adults were watching. Everyone told him to stop joking and lying and to get the damn rope! Mike was smiling now. He was young and arrogant, but apparently smart and on to us. With a grin, he opened the front flap again and began to move inside. Again, the back flap opened and the figure returned quickly and ducked back again. This time everyone saw it. Mike laughed. A few young boys gasped.
And then a blood curdling maniac scream from behind me. Another young boy of perhaps 12, Rich, watching the entire thing completely lost it. He was crying and shaking, bright red. Bird Man now emerged from around the back of the tent, and began to reach for the mask to reveal himself. Seeing the full figure approach, little Rich lost it even further. Having been standing next to the ax yard area of the site, he stepped over, picked up a hand ax and charged forward toward Bird Man, ax over head screaming “I’ll fucking kill you!! I’ll fucking kill you!!” Swinging wildly he ran, and Bird Man tore the mask off and took off into the woods, Rich right on his heals swinging, screaming, hitting trees and branches with his ax.
Everyone yelled to him, and the adults started chasing, but no one could subdue him as the ax was flying and wouldn’t stop to listen. Luckily Bird Man was also a track star and was soon out of sight and gone into the darkness. Rich, exhausted, stopped the pursuit and dropped to the forest floor crying and shaking.
Mike, the intended victim, laughed the entire time, even as it appeared someone might get killed. I dare say we may have scarred poor innocent Rich for life, however.