The white Wendigo
In 1985 my family went on a camping trip to the Wisconsin River There was Mom and Dad. Gina, my older sister who was twelve, and myself. My name is Kelly and I was ten at the time. It was fall and Mom was all excited at the colors of the trees. Dad and myself were looking forward to some fishing and my sister was probably going to be a pain in the ass the entire time. We arrived to join several other families at a camping site that had a bathroom and a place you could put a boat into the water. There were two places where you could cook on a grill and there were several places to make a campfire if desired. Because it was late in the year there didn’t appear that we would have a lot of company during our stay. Dad busied himself with getting our tent set up while we helped Mom unload. The old man finished just in time to allow us to start carrying in the sleeping bags and a few other essentials. When I came out of the tent my dad was already drinking a beer with somebody he had apparently just met. They were discussing the best baits for catfishing at night while getting the charcoal lit to cook our supper. “Kids this is mr Eastland. He is by himself out here to do some fishing tonight so I asked him to have supper with us.” Dad said matter-of-factly. “Hello young ones.” Eastland said. We returned his greeting and then he and Dad sat down on some lawn chairs. Soon they were busy talking about whatever grown ups talk about. Mom fixed supper and Gina and I were free to roam about as we pleased. I found a path that led along the bank of the river downstream from where we were located. I followed it to a spot that looked like a great place to set up my night fishing. I returned back to the camp and got my fishing poles and some bait and told the old man I would be going ahead to fish. I heard him mumble something and was off. It was about an hour before the sun would be setting and I was ready to settle in for a night’s worth of fishing. I had a full belly, all the supplies I needed. Crap! I had forgotten something to drink. If I hurried back to the camp site I could grab a thermos and be back before it got too dark to be able to easily navigate the path. I made it back to camp with no problem and grabbed both a thermos of some warm soup Mom had made for me and a half gallon of water. Now the shadows had grown long so I pulled out my flashlight, checked my pocket for extra batteries and headed back to the spot where I would do my fishing. Before I left I walked over to Dad and Mr Eastland. “I’ll be about three football fields downstream.” I told my dad. “Okay son. I will be along as soon as I get the grill cleaned up. You want another beer Jim?” He asked Mr Eastland as I was turning to go back to my spot. “If you get into any trouble my young friend just call out and we’ll find you. I know this area pretty well. It can be tricky in the dark. We are sitting on the highest part of this area, its a crest really. So sometimes people get turned around and they think that because they don’t see any forest in the distance that the river must be on that side of them. When in fact it can be on either side because when you look out across the landscape expecting to see either forest or the river basin, you don’t take into consideration that you are at the highest point therefore it is going to appear like there is no forest on either side, when in fact the forest is actually below your line of sight. Conversely the side that the river is actually on can be misleading because of the trees that are growing between where you are at and the river’s actual location.” “I’ll remember.” I said, not sure of what to reply. “It sounds like a lot but its really quite simple. You will understand when you are looking out across the landscape from the point where you are planning on fishing. That is, if I am assuming the correct spot. I think I am.” “Okay, thanks again sir.” I said, eager to get on my way. “See you in a bit Dad?” “Sure will bud.” He replied. I scampered out of the campsite after stopping to give Mom a kiss. I was warned the usual be careful of everything speech. Agreed to her terms, then threatened to rub my fishbait-covered hands on my sister as I whizzed past her towards my fishing spot. I ran for what seemed like quite a ways before slowing to a walk because my side had begun to hurt. Slowing down forced me to pay more attention to my surroundings. It was amazing how fast the outside world could go from being completely comfortable to being rather spooky. I heard some branches break not terribly far from where i was walking which spurred me to go a little faster. I kept down the path and then something happened that was very confusing. The path forked. I didn’t remember it splitting. Did I go too far? While I am thinking this all over the sound of the branches breaking was getting closer. Which way? Okay, when I left camp I had the river on my right side. So to stay close to the river I needed to go to the right. I shined my flashlight down the path I had just come looking for two things. A sign that I had passed my fishing spot. Don’t see it. The second thing I was looking for I didn’t want to find but I had to look. I had to see what was breaking those branches. As soon as I turned and shined my flashlight back down the path the sound of the branches breaking stopped. I couldn’t see anything but now I was getting a little scared. Then things escalated about a thousand percent because the batteries in my flashlight were starting to dim. Well I had picked up another extra set when Mom was making me promise to be extra careful. Suddenly I was very appreciative towards her insistence. There was still one major problem however. I had to turn off the flashlight to take out the batteries and replace them with the new ones. Be quick! I thought, and began screwing off the end of the flashlight. I didn’t turn it off because I wanted that light to be on for as long as possible before it went out. As soon as the light went out the branches started breaking again. This time they sounded like whatever was making the noise was moving faster than before. I fumbled with the batteries and dropped one. I hoped it was one of the dead ones. I quickly shoved what I thought was the other dead battery into my front pocket and began feeling my way around the two batteries which I still had in my hands. I located the nippled end of both batteries and shoved them into the flashlight and was rewarded with bright light. I pointed it down long enough to located the dropped battery and picked it up and put it in the same pocket with the other battery. Now whatever it was that was coming was almost on top of me so I burst down the path at a full run. I didn’t go all that far however because I quickly realized that in my haste to get away from that spot I had run down the wrong path. I very much didn’t want to go back the way I had come because I knew that whatever had been coming after me was likely to still be coming. Okay, the path forked and I went to the left. So it stood to reason if I cut across at a ninety degree angle that I would … or should come out running into the other fork of the path. Then that thing wouldn’t know I had switched to the other fork and I would be safe and could go onwards to where I had my fishing spot. On paper it was a sound plan. When put into realtime use the plan wasn’t quite as bullet-proof as I first had imagined. The biggest problem was that whatever it was that was breaking the branches, sounded like it was ahead of me, not behind. This left me very unsure of what to do. I ended up turning around and was headed back to the fork that I had originally left and I was going to follow it back up the path all the way back to camp and I would just walk down with my dad when he was ready to go. Then the branches breaking were ahead of me again. I turned and went the opposite direction as quickly as possible. Suddenly the sounds were again in front of me. I turned around again and realized I was completely lost as to where the river was located? As to which fork was likely to be where? And the sound of the branches breaking was unrelentless. I wanted to cry but was too afraid to take the time. I felt like a pinball being bounced from one side of the game to the other. Each bounce off the side of the game walls I would pick up speed. Eventually I felt like a bullet being richocheted. Finally I began to call out for my Dad. There was no response except the sound of those branches breaking. Whatever was making the noise now sounded like it was doing circles around me. I kept calling but only silence and the sounds of something crunching through the underbrush came to my aid. Then there was a new sound. It also seemed to be circling around me but this noise was definitely closing in. I began to see a light coming through the darkness. Then it was upon me almost in a surreal manner. I had time to think to myself, ‘did I see that traverse through the forest or was it just there one minute and beside me the next second?’ “You having any trouble youngster?” It was Mr Eastland. “I have to admit i am sure glad to see you.” I said, feeling a lot better all the sudden. Heck I felt good enough to go fishing. If he could help me find my spot. “Your Dad got into some poison ivy so your Mom is playing nurse. He asked if I minded coming to check on you. How’d you get way out here?” he asked, innocently enough. “What do you mean?” I replied. “You’ll see when we walk back.” He motioned for me to head a certain direction. “You’re a long ways from home. Miracle I happened to hear you. Or what I thought was you. I decided to just have a look and here you are.” “I can’t explain it. I was being so careful but then I came upon the fork in the road. It wasn’t there before.” “Damn Winebago! I hate that dead smelling, flesh-eating cannibal spirit!” Mr Eastland exclaimed. “Always trying to eat the unsuspecting.” “Are we going to be okay?” I asked, feeling scared again. “I am almost sure there is something out there.” “Aye you can bet there is. Damn power-hungry witch doctor! That’s how it started you know. Some say it was because it was hungry and had to eat the flesh of other men but this isn’t the artic circle. There’s food around enough you don’t have to go eating your own. No. It did it for the power. I say ‘it’ because of what he has become. I knew him when he was just a crazy medicine man but that was a long time ago.” We walked and talked quite a while and just as I was about to begin questioning if he was taking us in the right direction we came upon my dad. That was in itself quite interesting because I expected at some point for us to pass the fork that had gotten me in so much trouble to begin with but it never came. “Ahh, here’s your father now.” Mr Eastland said matter-of-factly. “I believe your fishing pole and other stuff are right over that way.” He pointed with his elbow as he held out his hand for my dad to shake. Then he shook hands with me and said, “I bid you fine gentleman a good night’s fishing. I suspect you will have a plentiful bounty come morning.” “Aren’t you going to fish tonight?” we both asked, though not in unison. “I believe I have caught my limit.” Mr Eastland said, putting an arm around me. “A quality species but I fear this one must be thrown back. Too small. Shame.” He smiled and turned and walked away at a brisk pace. “Nice man.” Dad said. “He saved me tonight.” I replied. “What do you mean?” Dad asked. I told him the whole story. Then I told him that Mr Eastland had let me in on a secret. He said the Wendigo cannot harm you if you keep your head. Do not give in to panic. When it seems like you have no time to act, is when you need to think before you act, the most. He explained the Wendigo cannot be out run. Only out smarted.” We did have a plentiful night. We returned in the morning with lots of fish to clean. Mom and Gina were fixing a great breakfast. I was glad to be alive. One other thing happened that weekend which would definitely fall into the weird file. When we were getting ready to leave a park ranger happened by. He asked us the strangest question. He wanted to know if we had any visitors last night. My dad told him just the old fella who we invited to share our dinner. The ranger looked very interested. He then asked perhaps the strangest question so far. He wanted to know if we experienced any sort of trouble last night? Something that perhaps the old guy was able to help out? Well of course we said yes. And the ranger shook his head and said that we had met Bill or Jim. He went by both names. Nobody knew for sure but it was thought that one was his first name and the other was his middle name. “There’s an old tale which is not widely known because its so unbelievable. The way it goes is that there was once an old shaman that was into the dark side. That he managed to conjure up some sort of awful demon spirit that promised untold strength and speed to any who would kill and eat those of their own kind. That it would make him immortal and immensely powerful. The shaman did as the spirit demon commanded and upon his first bite of human flesh he was forever transformed into the wendigo. The immense power he so desired came with a twist. He would forever be insatiably starved for the taste of human flesh.” “Wow!” I said. Both Dad and I were transfixed. “Where does Mr Eastland come into the story?” I asked. “He loved the sister of the shaman in question. It was her the medicine man killed and ate to gain his power. Eastland vowed revenge and claimed the shaman would never get to enjoy the power. It is said they wonder the great lakes now. The shaman seeking to do evil and feed its unending hunger, if only for a moment. And Eastland right behind him, devoted to seeing the wendigo is never happy, always unsatisfied.” We left shortly after that never to return. Nowadays whenever I am near the great lakes I wonder if perhaps I may see Mr Eastland again. A greater part of me hopes that won’t happen however. Not because I didn’t like Mr Eastland but because I didn’t like what came just before him. | |