August 9, 2025 • 29 mins
Camp Evergreen
In this original tale , we take you deep into the shadowy forests surrounding Lake Wapato, where swirling mists curl through ancient pines and the scent of moss lingers in the air.
Campers are here to unplug—but something else is waiting.
After a few classic drive-in trailers and intermission ads, we bring you this chilling story of two teens, Jamie and Sarah, whose summer takes a terrifying turn when the legend of the Lake Wapato monster becomes more than just a ghost story.
Secrets surface. Courage is tested. And in the stillness of the woods… something stirs.
So pull up, grab some popcorn, and let your imagination take the wheel.
The show’s about to start.
undergroundartistnetwork@outlook.com
PHOENIX P PUBLICATIONS
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Curling up, Bimbad, reading books, Tena's Dreams, Sifting through Mine, Fantasy, Cha.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Dream, Take Shot, What's your Thing? Give it all you got? Jacob,
don stop Dream.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
This is your host CJ and Welcome to the y
A Universe. We invite you to escape into worlds where
friendships are tested, hearts race, and everyday struggles collide with
extraordinary adventures. Written and hosted by author Phoenix p. Each
(01:06):
story dies deep into the personal and social challenges young
adults face, whether it's navigating complicated relationships, chase in dreams,
are simply surviving a twist of faith in a fantastical realm,
from slow burned romances to breath taking escapism fantasy. Our
(01:31):
novels unfold chapter by chapter twice a month on Monday
evenings until that story reaches its final page. Between novels,
you'll also get surprise drops of short stories, so be
sure to turn on notifications so that you never miss
(01:52):
a journey. If you have a YA short story of
your own, submit it and if it's select you'll be
credited and hear it come to life on our show.
This is more than just the podcast. It's a place
where young adut fitchin vans, can Dream, relate, and get lost.
(02:15):
Ed World's both real and imatchin the Ya Universe, a
presentation of the Underground Artist Network. Let's go ahead and
start our story for this episode.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Each June, a caravan of buses unloaded jittery teens at
the ghostly edge of Lake Wapato, where swirling mist tangled
in ancient pines and the scent of moss mixed with
distant campfire smoke. Deep in the Pacific Northwest's wild Heart Campus,
swapped cell phones for stories, city grime for lake water,
(02:54):
and Bravado for secrets whispered in the dark. The lake's
mirrored surface promised both adventure and unease, while the forest's
looming hush made every shadow feel like a dare here.
Summer Camp was a crucible forged from old fears and
new friendships. Sixteen year old Jamie MacNeil arrived at Camp
(03:14):
Evergreen with a mix of trepidation and reluctant curiosity. His
belongings limited to a sleeping bag, a backpack stuffed with
a collection of eighties cassettes, the likes of The Cure,
Depeche Mode and The Smiths, providing a moody soundtrack to
his summer, and a bundle of nerves that tightened with
each step away from the familiar and into the unknown.
(03:37):
He'd been sent by parents desperate for their son to
trade neon lit arcades for the values of oars, cabins
and bear proof snack lookers. The camp was all canoes
and creaky screen doors, with bunk houses perched crookedly under
the tall pines. Mornings began with counselors banging pots, the
air sharp with dew, and the lake shore or echoing
(04:00):
with the scrape of paddles and shouts of kids plunging
into the frigid water. Jamie wasn't sure he belonged. He
found easy friendship only with Sarah Shaw, a sharp witted
girl with wild, curly hair and a fondness for comic books.
She saw something kindred in Jamie, an outsider carrying his
(04:20):
awkwardness like a badge. On the first week, an eerie
tension threaded the blue dusk, talk of strange cries in
the woods. A big black dog glimpsed beyond the mess hall.
That first Friday, the councilors took everyone out past the
boat house for smores, and scary stories. The night thick
with the scent of toasted marshmallow and cedar smoke. As
(04:43):
sparks drifted upward, one of the older boys, Tyler, his
voice dramatic and low, leaned close, flashlight pressed to his chin,
and started in.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
They sayed, before Camp Evergreen had cabins or canoes, it
was just a wild stretch of woods beside the lake
and a single ramshackle dock. One summer in nineteen hundred
and fifty six, two siblings, Anna and Peter mac Alli
disappeared after sneaking down for a midnight swim. The councilor's
huff asleep, only heard the echo of laughter, then a single,
(05:16):
terrified scream that broke the stillness like falling glass. The
next morning, the dock was shattered in claw marks long
and deep, scored the planks and muddy. Shoreline. Search parties
come the water, finding nothing except clumps of Anna's yellow
ribbons tangled in reeds, no sign of Peter except the
smeared handprints on the underside of the dock. Locals whispered
(05:37):
the lake coaxed them under and hid them in the dark,
cold depths. But that wasn't the worst of it. That autumn,
a fisherman saw small pale faces just beneath the surface,
eyes open, boths stretched wide in a silent whil Some
say on humid nights, if you stand alone at the
water's edge, you'll hear Anna giggling, just before a freezing
(05:58):
hand grabs your ankle and pulls you in. Others swear
that sometimes in the fog, a boy's silhouette can be
seen pacing the pier, waiting for his sister to return.
They say Camp Evergreen was built to keep the lake happy,
offering up laughter stories and the occasional midnight swimmer to
keep its secret hungry.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Tyler let his voice trail off as the fire flickered
low and the woods press close. For a long moment,
nobody dared look at the lake, where the mist curled
like pale fingers over the water's skin. Jamie shrugged it off,
attributing the stories to homesick bravado. But everything changed the
night of the first full moon. Caught between restlessness and
(06:40):
a fierce, inarticulate rage, Jamie slipped from his bunk. The
ancient woods called to Jamie like a half remembered melody,
luring him from the safety of his bunk. Moonlight slithered
between fur branches, pulling over thick mats of moss, until
the world gleamed both gilded and black. Each step softened
(07:02):
his fees and sharpened his senses, the air tasting wild
and electric in that strange threshold between shadow and gold,
the forest felt alive, watchful, secretive, its secrets, bristling with possibility,
as if anything might slip from the darkness and claim
the night for its own. The fever rose like wildfire,
(07:25):
searing through Jamie's veins until his skin felt stretched too tight.
He collapsed onto the mossy earth, gasping as his fingernails blackened,
curling into hooked claws. Bones cracked and shifted beneath his
skin with sickening inevitability, joints wrenching into new shapes, while
something ancient and feral awakened beneath the boy's freckles. Shadows flickered,
(07:50):
swallowing his scream In the moonlight, Jamie's silhouette warped, no
longer fully human yet not wholly beast, caught in the
agonizing crucible of transformation. Memories of that night became smeared
by hunger, splintered, images of a chase, screams weaving through branches,
(08:10):
blood bright on pool toys and peer boards. When dawn broke,
Jamie's hands trembled as he read the camp's bulletin. One
of the counselors, Mark, always first in the lake at Reveley,
was missing. No one could explain the slashes on the dock,
or the tufts of course dark fur. Guilt gnawed at
(08:31):
Jamie's insides, acid and relentless. He couldn't scrub away the
visions of that first full moon, the flash of Mark's pale,
terrified face, the way his fingers scrabbled desperately at the
splintering dock. Jamie could still feel the sickening crunch of
bone beneath his jaws, taste the hot copper spill of
(08:51):
blood on his tongue. He reached into the bushes, disgusted
with himself, with the monster he'd become. Thee and death
hid closer to home, a cabin mate torn apart near
the archery range. Jamie had worken that morning. With blood
under his nails and the taste of death in his throat,
he couldn't meet Sarah's eyes couldn't bear the weight of
(09:14):
her concern or the dark bloom of suspicion he saw
growing there. He was a murderer, a beast. The truth
of it echoed in his bones, in the twisting snarl
of his guts. He tried to remember the feeling of
sunlight on his skin, the simple joy of a lazy
afternoon by the lake. But all he could see was
the moon, hanging fat and full above the tree line,
(09:37):
mocking him with its cold silver light. Jamie knew he
should turn himself in, confess to the horrors he'd committed,
but fear kept him silent, and the desperate, shameful hope
that maybe, somehow he could still be saved. He clumbed
to that hope, even as the bodies piled up and
the camp descended into terror, even as the monster in
(10:00):
side him grew stronger, howling for blood. Days drifted in
some liit normalcy, volleyball in the sand, sullen games of uno,
awkward dances at the wreck hall. But each night Janeye
fought the change. Each full moon, another camper vanished in
a blur of snarls and howls. Fear hollowed out the
(10:21):
one's rollicking camp kids whispered wide eyed about the late creature.
Only Sarah stayed close, offering him her steady friendship and
bad jokes, trusting him even as the disappearances mounted. At first,
the missing campers were written off as pranksters, their empty
bunks explained away with stories of midnight dares and secret
(10:44):
crossings to the far shore. Counselors chalked up laughter echoing
from across the water to harmless mischief. The whole camp
agreed this was just the latest in a long tradition
of elaborate games. It never occurred to anyone that the
truth prowled so much nearer watching, waiting for the moon
to rise, Sarah, with her endless curiosity, began to suspect
(11:09):
the pattern vanishings in time with the moon Jamie's shadowed eyes.
Sarah had always been drawn to the darker corners of
campfire legends, the whispered stories of moonlit carnage and hikers
vanishing without a trace. She remembered tales of other camps
scattered across decades and state lines, where similar cycles of
(11:30):
violence had played out. In the nineteen twenties, Camp silver
Birch became a sight of terror when the groundskeeper was
discovered brutally savaged in the wood shed, his lifeless body
encircled by massive poor prints. The savage killing sent shockwaves
through the camp, forever, etching the tail into the annals
of local folklore. Rumours swirled about a monstrous creature stalking
(11:55):
the woods, its eyes glinting with a predatory hunger. The
camp was shuttered, leaving behind a legacy of fear and
the lingering question of what sinister force had invaded that
tranquil summer retreat. In the nineteen fifties, Camp Pinewood became
the site of a grisly massacre that would haunt the
woods for generations. An entire bunk of campers was found
(12:19):
torn to ribbons, their lifeless bodies scattered across the blood
soaked forest floor. The counselor, the lone survivor, was discovered
catatonic with fear, His eyes wide and unseen through trembling lips,
he raved about a monstrous wolf, its silhouette towering as
tall as a man, its eyes glinting with a predatory hunger.
(12:43):
The beast had descended upon the unsuspecting campers, its razor
sharp claws, rending flesh and bone with terrifying ease, leaving
behind a scene of unimaginable carnage. And then there was
the eerie case of Camp Whitley, shuttered since the nineteen
one hundred sixty after a series of grisly attacks left
(13:03):
the grounds littered with half eaten corpses and the lake
stained red with blood. The few survivors spoke of yellow
eyes gleaming in the darkness, of fangs and fur, and
a monstrous silhouette loping through the woods. The legend began
in the summer of eighteen forty seven at a remote
logging camp deep in the Pacific Northwest. Three lumberjacks and
(13:26):
two women had set up a makeshift camp site by
the edge of a shimmering lake, the towering pines casting
long shadows across the water. The days were long and grueling,
filled with the constant bite of saws and the crash
of falling timber. But at night, when the moon rose
high and the camp fire burned low, the loggers would
(13:47):
gather around the flames and swap stories of the strange
things they'd seen in the woods. There were tales of
enormous paor prints found by the shore of eerie howls
echoing through the trees. Some claim to have glimpsed a
pair of glowing eyes watching from the darkness, or caught
the scent of something rank and feral on the wind,
(14:08):
but they all dismissed the stories as mere campfire tales.
Until the night of the full moon. The loggers had
just settled down to sleep when a blood curdling scream
ripped through the stillness. In an instant, the camp site
erupted into chaos, tents, shredded, axes and saws flying, and
the snarls of some massive beast echoing through the night.
(14:32):
By dawn, the camp was in ruins. The bodies of
the five campers were found scattered across the blood soaked ground,
their flesh torn to ribbons by enormous claws, and looning
over them, still dripping with gore, was the hulking form
of a creature that could only be described as a werewolf.
(14:52):
From that night on, the legend of the Logging Camp
massacre spread like wildfire through the region. Travelers gave the
ear a wide berth, whispering of the Lumberjack's curse and
the vengeful spirit of the werewolf that stalked the woods.
As the years passed, the tale took on a life
of its own, inspiring countless retellings and fueling the nightmares
(15:13):
of generations. But those who dared to venture too close
to the abandoned camp site would swear they could still
hear the echoes of snarls and screams carried on the
wind beneath the cold, unblinking gaze of the full moon.
As Sarah poured over these stories, puzzling out the patterns,
weighing the evidence against the folklore, she couldn't shake the
(15:35):
feeling that something similar had come to Camp Evergreen, something
vicious and primal, cloaked in the guise of a boy
she'd begun to call a friend. She thought of Jamie's
shadowed eyes, the way his hands shook as he stared
out at the lake. She thought of the claw marks
marring the dock, the tufts of coarse fur snagged on
splintered wood. Most of all, she thought of the full
(15:58):
moon and the way it's life seemed to cool to Jamie,
tugging at the core of him like a puppet on
a string. Jamie and Sarah often found themselves drawn to
each other their conversations and oasis amidst the chaos of
camp life. They bonded over mixtapes and comic books, swapping
stories about life back home and the challenges of growing
(16:19):
up in the eighty eyes.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Sometimes I feel like I'm from another.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
Planet, Jamie admitted one afternoon as they sat together on
the dock, their feet dangling in the cool lake water.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Thank you everybody for listening. We hope that you are
enjoying this episode. We're going to pause our story for
this quick break. You are listening to the YA Universe.
Put your host, CJ. We will see you after these
correct messages.
Speaker 6 (16:52):
I stepped off the plane with fire and much chest.
Dream of your arms, wor I'd finally arrest.
Speaker 7 (17:00):
Is in the dirt bull.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
It's the time holding name like a sacred sun.
Speaker 7 (17:07):
But the house is empty, your pictures gone, the key
doesn't fit, and the truth feels wrong. My brother said
you why last week?
Speaker 5 (17:18):
But not for me?
Speaker 7 (17:20):
No voe and you married him the one.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Welcome me back from the break. This is the YA
Universe and I am your house, CJ. Remember. Chapters to
our novels air on Monday evenings at eight pm Central
standard time. The chapters will continue to air until the
novel is complete, and then a news series will start
up shortly after the completed novel. If this particular novel
(17:53):
is not to your liking, we have short stories that
will air randomly and they are all geared towards young
adult fiction enthusiasts. In addition, anyone listening out there that
is interested, if you would like to hear your story
come to life and be read out loud, then here's
(18:13):
your opportunity. Please feel free to send your stories or
poems and if it is read, you will receive on
air acknowledgement that this is your work of art with
your author name, and if you wish a way to
contact you for our listeners to do so. If you
(18:34):
would like to contact us, you can do so at
Underground Artists Network at outlook dot com. Ready to escape
out of this world that we live in every day,
then get comfortable, close your eyes and let the words
flow into your brain as we continue this episode's story.
Speaker 8 (18:57):
Like everyone else got some handbook for how to fit in,
but I was out sick.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
That day, Sarah laughed softly.
Speaker 8 (19:05):
I know what you mean. It's like there's this script
we're all supposed to follow, but I don't want to
be just another extra in the movie of some one
else's life.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
They talked about the pressures of conformity, the fear of
nuclear annihilation, the allure of punk rock and new wave.
But as the days passed, Jamie found his thoughts increasingly
consumed by the looming full moon. One evening, as the
sun began to set and the shadows grew long, Jamie
and Sarah sat together on the steps of their cabin,
(19:38):
their conversation turning to the future.
Speaker 8 (19:41):
Do you ever think about what comes next? After camp,
after high school, after all of this, Sarah.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
Asked Jamie as he shrugged his shoulders and looked into
the distance.
Speaker 5 (19:53):
Sometimes, but it's hard to imagine a future when the
present feels so fragile.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
As if on cue, the moon began to rise above
the tree line, fat and full and pulsing with silver light.
Jamie's breath caught in his throat, and he stumbled to
his feet, mumbling an excuse about needing to be alone.
Sarah watched him go, her heart aching with a confusion
she couldn't name. She wanted to call after him, to
(20:23):
tell him that he wasn't alone, but something held her back,
a flicker of fear in her gut. The next day,
Jamie was distant, his eyes shadowed and his smiles rare.
Sarah tried to draw him out, but their conversations felt stilted, forced,
and each night, as the foe moon rose, Jamie would
(20:44):
vanish into the woods, leaving Sarah alone with her questions
and her doubts. Sarah and Jamie sat together one last time,
perched on the edge of the dock, as the sun
began to set. They talked about the challenges they'd faced,
the friendships they did forged, the memories they'd made.
Speaker 8 (21:03):
Do you think we'll ever see each other again after
we leave this place?
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Sarah asked, her voice small. Jamie hesitated, his eyes on
the horizon. Then he finally said, I.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
Don't know, but I hope, I really hope.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
So he broke off abruptly, his body tense and shivering.
Sarah followed his gaze to the rising moon and understood,
go I'll be here when you get back, she whispered,
her heart breaking. But as Jamie vanished into the shadows,
Sarah knew that nothing would ever be the same again.
(21:41):
As the night air filled with snarls and screams. She
knew that their friendship, by the summer itself, had come
to a sudden, savage end. Sarah knew the truth of
it before she could admit it to herself. She knew
deep down what she would have to do when the
moon rose full and round again, and the night came
alive with snarls and screams. On that final blood soaked night,
(22:06):
Sarah ventured into the moonlit woods, a hidden silver knife
clutched in her trembling hand. She'd found it in the
first aid room, tucked away behind boxes of gauze and antiseptic,
and doused it in gasoline. She followed Jamie's trail, her
heart pounding in her ears. She found him deep in
the forest, his body contorting as he transformed into the werewolf.
(22:31):
His spine arched, his limbs elongated, and his face twisted
into a snarling muzzle. Sarah crept up behind him, her
breath catching in her throat. She raised the knife, her
hand shaking, and plunged it into his heart. Jamie howled
in pain, his body convulsing as he transformed back into
(22:52):
his human form. He turned to face Sarah, his eyes
wide with shock and pain.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (22:58):
I love you, Sarah, I always have and always will.
Speaker 5 (23:02):
You freed me in every way possible.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Thank you everybody for listening. We hope that you are
enjoying this episode. We're going to pauser story for this
quick break. You are listening to the YA Universe, but
to your host CJ. We will see you after these
correct messages.
Speaker 6 (23:24):
I stepped off the plane with fire in my chest,
dreamed of your arms.
Speaker 7 (23:30):
Where i'd finally rest.
Speaker 6 (23:32):
Here's in the dirt, bullets through time, holding your name
like a sacred sun.
Speaker 7 (23:39):
But the house is empty, your picture's gone, the key
doesn't fit, and the truth feels wrong. My brother said
you all why last.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Week, but not for me.
Speaker 7 (23:52):
No vow to keep and you buried him.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
The warm wilcome you back from the break. This is
the YA Universe and I am your host, CJ. Remember.
Chapters to our novels air on Monday evenings at eight
pm Central Standard Time. The chapters will continue to air
until the novel is complete, and then a news series
will start up shortly after the completed novel. If this
(24:24):
particular novel is not to your liking, we have short
stories that will air randomly, and they all geared towards
young adult fiction enthusiasts. In addition, anyone listening out there
that is interested. If you would like to hear your
story come to life and be read out loud, then
(24:45):
here's your opportunity. Please feel free to send your stories
or poems and if it is read, you will receive
on air acknowledgement that this is your work of art
with your author name, and if you wish a way
to contact you for our listeners to do so. If
(25:06):
you like to contact us, you can do so at
Underground Artist's Network at Outlet Dakha. Ready to escape out
of this world that we live in every day, then
get comfortable, close your eyes and let the words flow
into your brain. As we continue this episode's.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Story, Suddenly, a rabbit animal lunged out of the shadows,
its teeth bared and its eyes glinting with madness. Jamie
threw himself in front of Sarah, using his dying body
as a shield.
Speaker 7 (25:41):
Run get out of here, Sarah.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
He yelled, his voice cracking with pain. Sarah hesitated, torn
between her love for Jamie and her fear of the
rabbit animal. But as the creature mauled Jamie's body. She
turned and ran, her heart breaking with every step. As
she stumbled back to camp, Sarah's mind raced with doubts.
(26:06):
Had Jamie really been the killer or had it been
the rabbit animal all along. She shook her head, pushing
the thoughts away. It didn't matter now Jamie was gone
and the camp was no longer safe. She found her
head counselors huddled in the main office, their faces pale
with fear. She told them about Jamie, about the rabbit animal.
(26:30):
They made the decision to close the camp immediately. As
the campers packed their bags and boarded the buses, Sarah
stood alone by the lake, watching the sun rise over
the water. She knew she would never forget the summer
she had spent at Camp Evergreen, or the boy she
had loved and lost, But as she turned to leave,
she couldn't shake the feeling that something was still out there,
(26:53):
lurking in the shadows of the forest, something that would
never be caught or killed, something that would all always
be a part of her. She shivered, pulling her hoodie
tighter around her shoulders. She knew she would never be
the same after this summer, but She also knew that
she would survive. She had to for Jamie and for herself.
(27:17):
Camp Evergreen shut its gates forever that year, Sarah never
forgot Jamie, her summer friend and final secret. Sometimes, when
the full moon hangs over the vast lake, she dreams
of the boy who never quite fit in and the
wolf he became under the great green canopy of the
Northwest Wild.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
Thank you for listening. This concludes this chapter of our story.
This is a Phoenix PA publication produced and presented by
the Underground Artist Network. I am your host, c J
and just a reminder, New chapters for our novels air
every other Monday at eight pm Central Standard time. Also
(28:03):
look for short stories that will posted randomly on the show.
They questions or comments are story submissions points. You can
contact us at the Underground Artist Network at outlook dot com.
Remember whether listening to our podcast the YA Universe are
(28:27):
reading any other young adult fiction work. As always, we
thank you for supporting reading, dream big, aim high, as
nothing is unachievable. We all have it in us and
you do too. We will see all of y'all saying.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Up.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Bimbad Reading books seen a streams system through my Feta
see bread of Things.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Kill me? Who all on the b dream man take
a shot?
Speaker 5 (29:17):
What should think?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Give it all your guy, Change your dreams. Don't stop,
don't stop dream
Curling up, Bimbad, reading books, Tena's Dreams, Sifting through Mine, Fantasy, Cha.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Dream, Take Shot, What's your Thing? Give it all you got? Jacob,
don stop Dream.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
This is your host CJ and Welcome to the y
A Universe. We invite you to escape into worlds where
friendships are tested, hearts race, and everyday struggles collide with
extraordinary adventures. Written and hosted by author Phoenix p. Each
(01:06):
story dies deep into the personal and social challenges young
adults face, whether it's navigating complicated relationships, chase in dreams,
are simply surviving a twist of faith in a fantastical realm,
from slow burned romances to breath taking escapism fantasy. Our
(01:31):
novels unfold chapter by chapter twice a month on Monday
evenings until that story reaches its final page. Between novels,
you'll also get surprise drops of short stories, so be
sure to turn on notifications so that you never miss
(01:52):
a journey. If you have a YA short story of
your own, submit it and if it's select you'll be
credited and hear it come to life on our show.
This is more than just the podcast. It's a place
where young adut fitchin vans, can Dream, relate, and get lost.
(02:15):
Ed World's both real and imatchin the Ya Universe, a
presentation of the Underground Artist Network. Let's go ahead and
start our story for this episode.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Each June, a caravan of buses unloaded jittery teens at
the ghostly edge of Lake Wapato, where swirling mist tangled
in ancient pines and the scent of moss mixed with
distant campfire smoke. Deep in the Pacific Northwest's wild Heart Campus,
swapped cell phones for stories, city grime for lake water,
(02:54):
and Bravado for secrets whispered in the dark. The lake's
mirrored surface promised both adventure and unease, while the forest's
looming hush made every shadow feel like a dare here.
Summer Camp was a crucible forged from old fears and
new friendships. Sixteen year old Jamie MacNeil arrived at Camp
(03:14):
Evergreen with a mix of trepidation and reluctant curiosity. His
belongings limited to a sleeping bag, a backpack stuffed with
a collection of eighties cassettes, the likes of The Cure,
Depeche Mode and The Smiths, providing a moody soundtrack to
his summer, and a bundle of nerves that tightened with
each step away from the familiar and into the unknown.
(03:37):
He'd been sent by parents desperate for their son to
trade neon lit arcades for the values of oars, cabins
and bear proof snack lookers. The camp was all canoes
and creaky screen doors, with bunk houses perched crookedly under
the tall pines. Mornings began with counselors banging pots, the
air sharp with dew, and the lake shore or echoing
(04:00):
with the scrape of paddles and shouts of kids plunging
into the frigid water. Jamie wasn't sure he belonged. He
found easy friendship only with Sarah Shaw, a sharp witted
girl with wild, curly hair and a fondness for comic books.
She saw something kindred in Jamie, an outsider carrying his
(04:20):
awkwardness like a badge. On the first week, an eerie
tension threaded the blue dusk, talk of strange cries in
the woods. A big black dog glimpsed beyond the mess hall.
That first Friday, the councilors took everyone out past the
boat house for smores, and scary stories. The night thick
with the scent of toasted marshmallow and cedar smoke. As
(04:43):
sparks drifted upward, one of the older boys, Tyler, his
voice dramatic and low, leaned close, flashlight pressed to his chin,
and started in.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
They sayed, before Camp Evergreen had cabins or canoes, it
was just a wild stretch of woods beside the lake
and a single ramshackle dock. One summer in nineteen hundred
and fifty six, two siblings, Anna and Peter mac Alli
disappeared after sneaking down for a midnight swim. The councilor's
huff asleep, only heard the echo of laughter, then a single,
(05:16):
terrified scream that broke the stillness like falling glass. The
next morning, the dock was shattered in claw marks long
and deep, scored the planks and muddy. Shoreline. Search parties
come the water, finding nothing except clumps of Anna's yellow
ribbons tangled in reeds, no sign of Peter except the
smeared handprints on the underside of the dock. Locals whispered
(05:37):
the lake coaxed them under and hid them in the dark,
cold depths. But that wasn't the worst of it. That autumn,
a fisherman saw small pale faces just beneath the surface,
eyes open, boths stretched wide in a silent whil Some
say on humid nights, if you stand alone at the
water's edge, you'll hear Anna giggling, just before a freezing
(05:58):
hand grabs your ankle and pulls you in. Others swear
that sometimes in the fog, a boy's silhouette can be
seen pacing the pier, waiting for his sister to return.
They say Camp Evergreen was built to keep the lake happy,
offering up laughter stories and the occasional midnight swimmer to
keep its secret hungry.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Tyler let his voice trail off as the fire flickered
low and the woods press close. For a long moment,
nobody dared look at the lake, where the mist curled
like pale fingers over the water's skin. Jamie shrugged it off,
attributing the stories to homesick bravado. But everything changed the
night of the first full moon. Caught between restlessness and
(06:40):
a fierce, inarticulate rage, Jamie slipped from his bunk. The
ancient woods called to Jamie like a half remembered melody,
luring him from the safety of his bunk. Moonlight slithered
between fur branches, pulling over thick mats of moss, until
the world gleamed both gilded and black. Each step softened
(07:02):
his fees and sharpened his senses, the air tasting wild
and electric in that strange threshold between shadow and gold,
the forest felt alive, watchful, secretive, its secrets, bristling with possibility,
as if anything might slip from the darkness and claim
the night for its own. The fever rose like wildfire,
(07:25):
searing through Jamie's veins until his skin felt stretched too tight.
He collapsed onto the mossy earth, gasping as his fingernails blackened,
curling into hooked claws. Bones cracked and shifted beneath his
skin with sickening inevitability, joints wrenching into new shapes, while
something ancient and feral awakened beneath the boy's freckles. Shadows flickered,
(07:50):
swallowing his scream In the moonlight, Jamie's silhouette warped, no
longer fully human yet not wholly beast, caught in the
agonizing crucible of transformation. Memories of that night became smeared
by hunger, splintered, images of a chase, screams weaving through branches,
(08:10):
blood bright on pool toys and peer boards. When dawn broke,
Jamie's hands trembled as he read the camp's bulletin. One
of the counselors, Mark, always first in the lake at Reveley,
was missing. No one could explain the slashes on the dock,
or the tufts of course dark fur. Guilt gnawed at
(08:31):
Jamie's insides, acid and relentless. He couldn't scrub away the
visions of that first full moon, the flash of Mark's pale,
terrified face, the way his fingers scrabbled desperately at the
splintering dock. Jamie could still feel the sickening crunch of
bone beneath his jaws, taste the hot copper spill of
(08:51):
blood on his tongue. He reached into the bushes, disgusted
with himself, with the monster he'd become. Thee and death
hid closer to home, a cabin mate torn apart near
the archery range. Jamie had worken that morning. With blood
under his nails and the taste of death in his throat,
he couldn't meet Sarah's eyes couldn't bear the weight of
(09:14):
her concern or the dark bloom of suspicion he saw
growing there. He was a murderer, a beast. The truth
of it echoed in his bones, in the twisting snarl
of his guts. He tried to remember the feeling of
sunlight on his skin, the simple joy of a lazy
afternoon by the lake. But all he could see was
the moon, hanging fat and full above the tree line,
(09:37):
mocking him with its cold silver light. Jamie knew he
should turn himself in, confess to the horrors he'd committed,
but fear kept him silent, and the desperate, shameful hope
that maybe, somehow he could still be saved. He clumbed
to that hope, even as the bodies piled up and
the camp descended into terror, even as the monster in
(10:00):
side him grew stronger, howling for blood. Days drifted in
some liit normalcy, volleyball in the sand, sullen games of uno,
awkward dances at the wreck hall. But each night Janeye
fought the change. Each full moon, another camper vanished in
a blur of snarls and howls. Fear hollowed out the
(10:21):
one's rollicking camp kids whispered wide eyed about the late creature.
Only Sarah stayed close, offering him her steady friendship and
bad jokes, trusting him even as the disappearances mounted. At first,
the missing campers were written off as pranksters, their empty
bunks explained away with stories of midnight dares and secret
(10:44):
crossings to the far shore. Counselors chalked up laughter echoing
from across the water to harmless mischief. The whole camp
agreed this was just the latest in a long tradition
of elaborate games. It never occurred to anyone that the
truth prowled so much nearer watching, waiting for the moon
to rise, Sarah, with her endless curiosity, began to suspect
(11:09):
the pattern vanishings in time with the moon Jamie's shadowed eyes.
Sarah had always been drawn to the darker corners of
campfire legends, the whispered stories of moonlit carnage and hikers
vanishing without a trace. She remembered tales of other camps
scattered across decades and state lines, where similar cycles of
(11:30):
violence had played out. In the nineteen twenties, Camp silver
Birch became a sight of terror when the groundskeeper was
discovered brutally savaged in the wood shed, his lifeless body
encircled by massive poor prints. The savage killing sent shockwaves
through the camp, forever, etching the tail into the annals
of local folklore. Rumours swirled about a monstrous creature stalking
(11:55):
the woods, its eyes glinting with a predatory hunger. The
camp was shuttered, leaving behind a legacy of fear and
the lingering question of what sinister force had invaded that
tranquil summer retreat. In the nineteen fifties, Camp Pinewood became
the site of a grisly massacre that would haunt the
woods for generations. An entire bunk of campers was found
(12:19):
torn to ribbons, their lifeless bodies scattered across the blood
soaked forest floor. The counselor, the lone survivor, was discovered
catatonic with fear, His eyes wide and unseen through trembling lips,
he raved about a monstrous wolf, its silhouette towering as
tall as a man, its eyes glinting with a predatory hunger.
(12:43):
The beast had descended upon the unsuspecting campers, its razor
sharp claws, rending flesh and bone with terrifying ease, leaving
behind a scene of unimaginable carnage. And then there was
the eerie case of Camp Whitley, shuttered since the nineteen
one hundred sixty after a series of grisly attacks left
(13:03):
the grounds littered with half eaten corpses and the lake
stained red with blood. The few survivors spoke of yellow
eyes gleaming in the darkness, of fangs and fur, and
a monstrous silhouette loping through the woods. The legend began
in the summer of eighteen forty seven at a remote
logging camp deep in the Pacific Northwest. Three lumberjacks and
(13:26):
two women had set up a makeshift camp site by
the edge of a shimmering lake, the towering pines casting
long shadows across the water. The days were long and grueling,
filled with the constant bite of saws and the crash
of falling timber. But at night, when the moon rose
high and the camp fire burned low, the loggers would
(13:47):
gather around the flames and swap stories of the strange
things they'd seen in the woods. There were tales of
enormous paor prints found by the shore of eerie howls
echoing through the trees. Some claim to have glimpsed a
pair of glowing eyes watching from the darkness, or caught
the scent of something rank and feral on the wind,
(14:08):
but they all dismissed the stories as mere campfire tales.
Until the night of the full moon. The loggers had
just settled down to sleep when a blood curdling scream
ripped through the stillness. In an instant, the camp site
erupted into chaos, tents, shredded, axes and saws flying, and
the snarls of some massive beast echoing through the night.
(14:32):
By dawn, the camp was in ruins. The bodies of
the five campers were found scattered across the blood soaked ground,
their flesh torn to ribbons by enormous claws, and looning
over them, still dripping with gore, was the hulking form
of a creature that could only be described as a werewolf.
(14:52):
From that night on, the legend of the Logging Camp
massacre spread like wildfire through the region. Travelers gave the
ear a wide berth, whispering of the Lumberjack's curse and
the vengeful spirit of the werewolf that stalked the woods.
As the years passed, the tale took on a life
of its own, inspiring countless retellings and fueling the nightmares
(15:13):
of generations. But those who dared to venture too close
to the abandoned camp site would swear they could still
hear the echoes of snarls and screams carried on the
wind beneath the cold, unblinking gaze of the full moon.
As Sarah poured over these stories, puzzling out the patterns,
weighing the evidence against the folklore, she couldn't shake the
(15:35):
feeling that something similar had come to Camp Evergreen, something
vicious and primal, cloaked in the guise of a boy
she'd begun to call a friend. She thought of Jamie's
shadowed eyes, the way his hands shook as he stared
out at the lake. She thought of the claw marks
marring the dock, the tufts of coarse fur snagged on
splintered wood. Most of all, she thought of the full
(15:58):
moon and the way it's life seemed to cool to Jamie,
tugging at the core of him like a puppet on
a string. Jamie and Sarah often found themselves drawn to
each other their conversations and oasis amidst the chaos of
camp life. They bonded over mixtapes and comic books, swapping
stories about life back home and the challenges of growing
(16:19):
up in the eighty eyes.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Sometimes I feel like I'm from another.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
Planet, Jamie admitted one afternoon as they sat together on
the dock, their feet dangling in the cool lake water.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
Thank you everybody for listening. We hope that you are
enjoying this episode. We're going to pause our story for
this quick break. You are listening to the YA Universe.
Put your host, CJ. We will see you after these
correct messages.
Speaker 6 (16:52):
I stepped off the plane with fire and much chest.
Dream of your arms, wor I'd finally arrest.
Speaker 7 (17:00):
Is in the dirt bull.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
It's the time holding name like a sacred sun.
Speaker 7 (17:07):
But the house is empty, your pictures gone, the key
doesn't fit, and the truth feels wrong. My brother said
you why last week?
Speaker 5 (17:18):
But not for me?
Speaker 7 (17:20):
No voe and you married him the one.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Welcome me back from the break. This is the YA
Universe and I am your house, CJ. Remember. Chapters to
our novels air on Monday evenings at eight pm Central
standard time. The chapters will continue to air until the
novel is complete, and then a news series will start
up shortly after the completed novel. If this particular novel
(17:53):
is not to your liking, we have short stories that
will air randomly and they are all geared towards young
adult fiction enthusiasts. In addition, anyone listening out there that
is interested, if you would like to hear your story
come to life and be read out loud, then here's
(18:13):
your opportunity. Please feel free to send your stories or
poems and if it is read, you will receive on
air acknowledgement that this is your work of art with
your author name, and if you wish a way to
contact you for our listeners to do so. If you
(18:34):
would like to contact us, you can do so at
Underground Artists Network at outlook dot com. Ready to escape
out of this world that we live in every day,
then get comfortable, close your eyes and let the words
flow into your brain as we continue this episode's story.
Speaker 8 (18:57):
Like everyone else got some handbook for how to fit in,
but I was out sick.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
That day, Sarah laughed softly.
Speaker 8 (19:05):
I know what you mean. It's like there's this script
we're all supposed to follow, but I don't want to
be just another extra in the movie of some one
else's life.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
They talked about the pressures of conformity, the fear of
nuclear annihilation, the allure of punk rock and new wave.
But as the days passed, Jamie found his thoughts increasingly
consumed by the looming full moon. One evening, as the
sun began to set and the shadows grew long, Jamie
and Sarah sat together on the steps of their cabin,
(19:38):
their conversation turning to the future.
Speaker 8 (19:41):
Do you ever think about what comes next? After camp,
after high school, after all of this, Sarah.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
Asked Jamie as he shrugged his shoulders and looked into
the distance.
Speaker 5 (19:53):
Sometimes, but it's hard to imagine a future when the
present feels so fragile.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
As if on cue, the moon began to rise above
the tree line, fat and full and pulsing with silver light.
Jamie's breath caught in his throat, and he stumbled to
his feet, mumbling an excuse about needing to be alone.
Sarah watched him go, her heart aching with a confusion
she couldn't name. She wanted to call after him, to
(20:23):
tell him that he wasn't alone, but something held her back,
a flicker of fear in her gut. The next day,
Jamie was distant, his eyes shadowed and his smiles rare.
Sarah tried to draw him out, but their conversations felt stilted, forced,
and each night, as the foe moon rose, Jamie would
(20:44):
vanish into the woods, leaving Sarah alone with her questions
and her doubts. Sarah and Jamie sat together one last time,
perched on the edge of the dock, as the sun
began to set. They talked about the challenges they'd faced,
the friendships they did forged, the memories they'd made.
Speaker 8 (21:03):
Do you think we'll ever see each other again after
we leave this place?
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Sarah asked, her voice small. Jamie hesitated, his eyes on
the horizon. Then he finally said, I.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
Don't know, but I hope, I really hope.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
So he broke off abruptly, his body tense and shivering.
Sarah followed his gaze to the rising moon and understood,
go I'll be here when you get back, she whispered,
her heart breaking. But as Jamie vanished into the shadows,
Sarah knew that nothing would ever be the same again.
(21:41):
As the night air filled with snarls and screams. She
knew that their friendship, by the summer itself, had come
to a sudden, savage end. Sarah knew the truth of
it before she could admit it to herself. She knew
deep down what she would have to do when the
moon rose full and round again, and the night came
alive with snarls and screams. On that final blood soaked night,
(22:06):
Sarah ventured into the moonlit woods, a hidden silver knife
clutched in her trembling hand. She'd found it in the
first aid room, tucked away behind boxes of gauze and antiseptic,
and doused it in gasoline. She followed Jamie's trail, her
heart pounding in her ears. She found him deep in
the forest, his body contorting as he transformed into the werewolf.
(22:31):
His spine arched, his limbs elongated, and his face twisted
into a snarling muzzle. Sarah crept up behind him, her
breath catching in her throat. She raised the knife, her
hand shaking, and plunged it into his heart. Jamie howled
in pain, his body convulsing as he transformed back into
(22:52):
his human form. He turned to face Sarah, his eyes
wide with shock and pain.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (22:58):
I love you, Sarah, I always have and always will.
Speaker 5 (23:02):
You freed me in every way possible.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Thank you everybody for listening. We hope that you are
enjoying this episode. We're going to pauser story for this
quick break. You are listening to the YA Universe, but
to your host CJ. We will see you after these
correct messages.
Speaker 6 (23:24):
I stepped off the plane with fire in my chest,
dreamed of your arms.
Speaker 7 (23:30):
Where i'd finally rest.
Speaker 6 (23:32):
Here's in the dirt, bullets through time, holding your name
like a sacred sun.
Speaker 7 (23:39):
But the house is empty, your picture's gone, the key
doesn't fit, and the truth feels wrong. My brother said
you all why last.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Week, but not for me.
Speaker 7 (23:52):
No vow to keep and you buried him.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
The warm wilcome you back from the break. This is
the YA Universe and I am your host, CJ. Remember.
Chapters to our novels air on Monday evenings at eight
pm Central Standard Time. The chapters will continue to air
until the novel is complete, and then a news series
will start up shortly after the completed novel. If this
(24:24):
particular novel is not to your liking, we have short
stories that will air randomly, and they all geared towards
young adult fiction enthusiasts. In addition, anyone listening out there
that is interested. If you would like to hear your
story come to life and be read out loud, then
(24:45):
here's your opportunity. Please feel free to send your stories
or poems and if it is read, you will receive
on air acknowledgement that this is your work of art
with your author name, and if you wish a way
to contact you for our listeners to do so. If
(25:06):
you like to contact us, you can do so at
Underground Artist's Network at Outlet Dakha. Ready to escape out
of this world that we live in every day, then
get comfortable, close your eyes and let the words flow
into your brain. As we continue this episode's.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Story, Suddenly, a rabbit animal lunged out of the shadows,
its teeth bared and its eyes glinting with madness. Jamie
threw himself in front of Sarah, using his dying body
as a shield.
Speaker 7 (25:41):
Run get out of here, Sarah.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
He yelled, his voice cracking with pain. Sarah hesitated, torn
between her love for Jamie and her fear of the
rabbit animal. But as the creature mauled Jamie's body. She
turned and ran, her heart breaking with every step. As
she stumbled back to camp, Sarah's mind raced with doubts.
(26:06):
Had Jamie really been the killer or had it been
the rabbit animal all along. She shook her head, pushing
the thoughts away. It didn't matter now Jamie was gone
and the camp was no longer safe. She found her
head counselors huddled in the main office, their faces pale
with fear. She told them about Jamie, about the rabbit animal.
(26:30):
They made the decision to close the camp immediately. As
the campers packed their bags and boarded the buses, Sarah
stood alone by the lake, watching the sun rise over
the water. She knew she would never forget the summer
she had spent at Camp Evergreen, or the boy she
had loved and lost, But as she turned to leave,
she couldn't shake the feeling that something was still out there,
(26:53):
lurking in the shadows of the forest, something that would
never be caught or killed, something that would all always
be a part of her. She shivered, pulling her hoodie
tighter around her shoulders. She knew she would never be
the same after this summer, but She also knew that
she would survive. She had to for Jamie and for herself.
(27:17):
Camp Evergreen shut its gates forever that year, Sarah never
forgot Jamie, her summer friend and final secret. Sometimes, when
the full moon hangs over the vast lake, she dreams
of the boy who never quite fit in and the
wolf he became under the great green canopy of the
Northwest Wild.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
Thank you for listening. This concludes this chapter of our story.
This is a Phoenix PA publication produced and presented by
the Underground Artist Network. I am your host, c J
and just a reminder, New chapters for our novels air
every other Monday at eight pm Central Standard time. Also
(28:03):
look for short stories that will posted randomly on the show.
They questions or comments are story submissions points. You can
contact us at the Underground Artist Network at outlook dot com.
Remember whether listening to our podcast the YA Universe are
(28:27):
reading any other young adult fiction work. As always, we
thank you for supporting reading, dream big, aim high, as
nothing is unachievable. We all have it in us and
you do too. We will see all of y'all saying.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Up.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Bimbad Reading books seen a streams system through my Feta
see bread of Things.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Kill me? Who all on the b dream man take
a shot?
Speaker 5 (29:17):
What should think?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Give it all your guy, Change your dreams. Don't stop,
don't stop dream
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