When I was a kid, probably about 9 or so, I went on a family camp- ing trip to Ricketts Glen State Park. The duty of the scary tale to be told in the dark fell to my uncle, who told us the story of Screwy Louie, the totally not made-up recluse that resided just a few moun- tains away from Ricketts Glen. Probably. Anyway, the exact loca- tion of Louie was unknown. He was raised like a wild animal by an insane mother who was possibly a witch or…something. After years of being chained up in a shack and fed raw squirrels, Screwy Louie went on a rampage and that was curtains for the maniacal mother. The psychotic shut-in then cleverly eluded all law enforcement and continued on to that day murdering those he considers outsiders. And he was last sighted two mountains over just a few months ago. Or so people said. He was, of course, nocturnal. I know not one of us kids believed him. We played along and made smores. The fire died down and other campers nearby began to head for their sleeping bags. Kids were told to hit the restrooms and brush our teeth at the bathrooms a short walk through the woods. On the way back to camp, all of the completely cool kids who were 100% not afraid, jumped a mile and bolted for the safety of the fire when an ominously low and totally insane laugh was heard in the dark. We may have screamed. My uncle said we did, but this was pre-internet and cell phones, so it’s my word against his...
story continues on the next page ... if you dare !
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