I'm sitting alone by the fire.  The night is quite brisk. 50 degrees, maybe. I was lucky enough to find a pair of gloves in my jacket   They help keep me warm.

The fire is crackling and the embers of  red and yellow are starting to put out enough heat to allow the fabric of my jeans to burn my legs if I don't move.

There a millions of stars over my head, as I wait  patently to see one shoot across the sky.

I realize that there are no chirps from the frogs or crickets that earlier this season nearly deafened me. Only sound is an occasional night bird and a shuffle of some nocturnal creature as it moves through the woods.

Seems so odd to be so quiet. There is no moon to light the shadows of the nearby woods. I can see maybe ten feet without the light of my cell phone.

I wonder if I was to wander out and find the trail if I would be able to find my way back in this darkness.

I wonder if under the cover of the trees I could still see the stars to determine my direction.

In the far distance I hear a coyote howl.

Nature calls, and I think I will go to the edge of the woods instead of risking going in the camper and waking anyone.

As I get closer to the woods the quiet seems almost too eerie as thoughts of horror movies start to play at the edges of my mind. I reason as long as i don't hear the music I will be fine. Come on after all, that's all such nonsense.

I decide to test my fears. Adrenalin kicks in.  Tempting fate, refusing myself to be scared is fun.

I finish the business at hand and stand I start moving back toward the path that goes back to camp.

A neighbors dog suddenly takes to barking. Probably sees a squirrel or opossum moving around, I try to think positively.

I hear some movement in the leaves beside me. It sounds almost like a foot step. Then another. I feel my heart quicken a bit as I suddenly realize, a little late, that this may not have been one of my brightest ideas after all.

I turn back down the dark trail toward the direction I think leads to my camp.

I stop and listen. Nothing. I take a few more steps down the path being careful not to stumble over any of the rocks that stick out of the ground. Smiling to myself of the cliche in the making.

I hear the sound again. It is louder and closer than before. Definitely not a squirrel or rabbit. First one than another and one more.

I freeze in place listening for the direction. I think I can hear breathing . But I know that is ridiculous. I keep thinking  I should be close enough to camp to see the fire by now.

Now I really am beginning to think this was not one of my brightest ideas.

BLLLLRING!!!!

My cell phone rings out loud and sharp from the wooded silence startling me. I let out a yelp!!

Suddenly along side of me there is a huge disturbance in the leaves. Shuffling... tree limbs popping... Loud scraping of a rocks... Chaos of noise erupts from every direction.

Frozen in my spot too freaked to scream I find myself enough to back up to the first tree off the path. I am scared now nearly to death.  In slow motion my mind is running through so many things.

"I'm dead... Answer or turn off the phone...   Run!.. Hide!..  Oh shit!!!!.. Zombies!!.. I'm gonna die just like those stupid movies... What was i thinking?."

From what seems all around me the woods comes to life. The large dark movement moving swiftly towards me then away again.

 Four deer go running past me obviously as startled and scared as me.

When my heart slowed down, breathing returned and I quit shaking, I quickly found my way to my fire.

Let's just say I will never do that again.