O h i oT r a v e l e r . c o m
Campfire & Ghost Stories

Free Magazine l All Attractions l Regional Fun l Festivals & Events l Videos l Advertising

If you have original or traditional short-stories or songs to share, please Contact Us. We are particularly interested in scary, funny or gross stories appropriate for children. Songs should be upbeat and fun.

Bloody Finger
Sent by the Cochran Family

There once was a family a long time ago that went on vacation. A mother, father, Brother, Sister and last but not least a small baby. After a long day of sight seeing and traveling the family decides to check into a local hotel. They'd checked out all the surrounding areas and the hotels were all full. Finally they come to the last one and are desperate! They enter in to find that the hotel is full! Desperate, the father tells the clerk "We'll take anything you have..just Anything!! Please Mr. don't you have a room for us?" The clerk felt really bad for the family and told the father "Sir, we do happen to have just one room left. We don't normally let people stay in it though. It's haunted. Everyone that has stayed always disappearsin the middle of the night without so much as a goodbyeor even paying their bill!" The father says " Great!! We'll take it! You see, I don't believe in all that ghost rubbish anyhow!" He takes the key and they go off into the old hotel room. Seeing as how the family was so tired from their travel, the family decided to order out for pizza. The pizza finally arrives and the mother gets the pizza and sits it on the counter. The little baby was so hungry!! He watched that pizza the whole time!   Mom announced "Everyone it's time to wash up for dinner!!" So off to the bathroom Mom goes to wash her hands for dinner. She enters into the bathroom, turns on the sink and a horribly scary voice can be heard...
"BLOOOOOODYYYYYYYY   FINNNNNNNNGGGERRRRRR"
It scares the mom so badly that she jumps out the bathroom window and runs away! Never to be seen again!
After a few minutes the father starts to wonder where the mother is...so he tells the kids he'll go find out so that they can take their turn in the bathroom and then eat the pizza.   He goes into the bathroom, turn on the sink and hears that same scary voice "BLOOOOOOODYYYYYY FIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGERRRRR"
He gets so scared that he runs to the window, jumps out never to be seen again.
After a few minutes the brother starts to wonder where Mom and Dad went. He goes into the bathroom to check on them. He walks over to the sink, turns on the water and hears "BBBBLLLLLLOOOODDDDYYYY FIIINNNNNNGGGERRRRR" (getting louder and louder each time it's said) He runs to the window and jumps out, never to be seen again.
The sister starts to wonder where everyone has gone to. She goes into the bathroom to check things out. Once in the bathroom she decides to wash up. She walks to the sink, turns on the water and hears a scary voice "BBBBLLLLLLOOOODDDDYYYYY FFIIINNNNGGGGEEERRRRR" (getting louder each time it's said) She's so scared that she runs to the bathroom window and jumps out, never to be seen again.
Ok...so all that's left is the baby,.....he's pretty upset that everyone has left him alone and he can't even reach that delicous pizza himself! He's going to tell them exactly what he thinks about it too! JUST as soon as he can find them.   He crawls into the bathroom to see where everyone has gone. First he opens the door...nothing...he crawls over to the sink...still nothing....."hmm" he thinks to himself...THEN he hears it! The scary scary voice..."BLLLLOOODDDDYYY FIIINNNNNGGERRRRR" The baby, frustrated, looks around ..."BLLLLOOODDDDYYY FIIINNNNNGGERRRRR" (much louder this time!) the baby just sits there ,..."BLLLLOOODDDDYYY FIIINNNNNGGERRRRR (VERY loud) Finally the baby says just as loud and very frustrated "AWWWW Stick A BANDAID ON IT!" he shouts!
I remember this story from when I was a small child being told to me. I tell it to mine too. The kids that sleep over think it's really cute!   Have fun and God Bless! -Lea

(Return to Menu)

There's Something Under My Bed
Sent by Jamie in Sandusky
There once was this little boy whose parents left him at home alone sometimes while they went out. The little boy had a dog that slept under his bed and the dog would lick his hand to reassure him of safety when he was scared on those lonely nights. One night the little boy, his name was Oscar, woke up suddenly around midnight. He had heard a noise and started to get scared. He reached under his bed and his dog licked his hand. The little boy felt safe and fell back asleep.

About an hour later Oscar woke up again to a noise he had heard. He looked around his room and then put his hand under his bed. The dog licked his tiny hand and he felt safe. Oscar went back to sleep.

Another hour later Oscar woke up to a dripping sound. It was loud and sounded like it was coming from downstairs. Oscar reached under his bed and again felt the warm, moist tongue on his palm. This time Oscar decided he would get up and look around. He didn't want to wake up scared anymore and looking around would make him feel better.

He climbed out of bed and searched every room upstairs. He saw nothing. Just as he felt that sign of relief, Oscar took a turn around the corner to go down the stairs and he saw his dog. It was curled up by the water dish at the bottom of the stairs. The dripping noise was his wet head dripping into the water bowl.

Oscar ran upstairs in a hurry wondering who had been licking his hand. His heart was racing and he became terrified at the thought of what could be under his bed. As he entered his room he encountered his fear. The killer had been licking his hand the entire night.

(Return to Menu)

Step Drag
Sent by Jamie in Sandusky
It was the hottest summer anyone could remember at Camp. It was between sessions: Three vans of kids had just left and new kids weren't due for another two days. That left the five Camp Counselors ready for a nice, peaceful, kid-free weekend.

Unknown to them, another bus - a gray prison bus - was winding along the road outside of the camp, transporting a single prisoner -- a MADMAN! And the two guards assigned to him believed it. He was very tall and strong, so his hands were bound in huge handcuffs and his legs were hobbled close to each other with a chain and shackles. To keep him from running or kicking out at anyone, the guards added an old-fashioned ball and chain, which they'd found in an old dungeon in the prison. That kind of thing hadn't been used for nearly a century. The chain was clamped to the madman's right ankle, and the heavy iron ball was on the end of a four-foot chain.

The madman was sitting quietly with his eyes closed, smiling that same simple smile he always smiled just to keep the guards wondering. Thinking that the madman was asleep, the guards weren't being watchful enough. As the bus swerved on a tight mountain curve, one guard slid off the wooden bench and fell against the prisoner, who wasn't asleep at all. He quickly grabbed the guard by the neck with the short chain on his handcuffs.

While they struggled, the other guard got up and went after the madman. The madman dropped the strangled guard and lunged at the other one. The guard tried to draw his pistol, but the madman had picked up the iron ball and thrown it before the guard even had a chance.

The madman found keys on the guard to remove the cuffs and the leg chain and shackles, but he could not find a key for the ball and chain. He picked up the iron ball again, smashed the wire glass window to the cab of the prison bus, and grabbed the driver by the throat. The bus swerved all over the road and finally crashed into the deep ditch, stopping against a large tree. The madman was free!

Back at the Camp, the counselors had swum all afternoon and were now back in their cabin, reading and listening to the radio. There wasn't a TV anywhere in the camp. The sun went down and the owls began to hoot scarily off in the distance. Suddenly someone screamed! Everyone came running out of their tents and met at the assembly ground.

Missy the swimming instructor was missing! The other four ran to her cabin. The door was open but she was nowhere to be found. Only a few drops of blood remained. The counselors gasped, then suddenly became very quiet.

"Ssshhh! whispered David. They all strained to listen. In the trees, somewhere nearby they could hear:

Step... Drag... step ... drag... step ... drag...

"Let split up and look for her!" said Tim. They all ran off in different directions into the dark woods. After a few minutes David yelled for everyone to come to him. It was hard to follow his voice in the underbrush; it was hard to believe that the woods in camp were so thick and impenetrable. Soon Tim and Chris found David staring up into a tree. There in the moonlight was Colin. He was hanging unconscious in a fork of the tree branches.

Off to the south they could hear noises in the under-growth:

Step... Drag... step ... drag... step ... drag...

Tim climbed the tree and lowered the body to the others. The three of them carried the limp body back to the mess hall. Once inside, Tim hurried to lock all the doors with big wooden boards.

"You all stay here", he said, "and lock this door behind me. I've got to get to the office where the phone is."

The others objected, but Tim went out the front door and slipped off in the darkness. The others dropped the wooden bar back into its metal brackets, to prevent anyone from entering. After a few minutes the lights suddenly went out. The counselors started to scream, but then they realized that whoever had cut the wires might not know where they were. The held their hands over their mouths and hid under the serving counter.

Suddenly, something rattled the front door. It must be the "thing!" The counselors huddled together. Next they heard something outside the window just above them:

Step... Drag... step ... drag... step ... drag...

The double doors rattled again. Tim whispered, "hey dudes, let me in!" The dragging sound was moving around the building going toward the back door. Tim gasped louder, "Let me in!"

David ran from the Counter to the door and lifted the bar. Tim darted into the mess hall like a scared cat.

Just as they got the double doors shut, the dragging sound came around to the front. Just as they dropped the wooden bar into its brackets, something huge and heavy hit the door, cracking the wood.

Tim and Chris ran across the room, tripping and stumbling over chairs in the dark.. The object hit the door again, and the wooden bar cracked with a loud noise. The two counselors looked under the serving counter. David wasn't there! They ran to the back door.

"The phone lines must have been cut whispered Tim. "The phone was dead". The heavy weight hit the front door again, breaking part of the door's upper half. Tim and Chris lifted the bar from the back door and swung it open. Another crash at the front door told them the doors were about to give. The two slipped into the tall pantry and closed the door.

Back in the mess hall, the double front doors gave way in a burst of splinters and broken boards. A deathly silence followed. The two counselors hardly dared to take a breath. Suddenly, they heard that sound out on the wooded floor:

Step... Drag... step ... drag... step ... drag...

The sound stopped right outside the pantry door. Chris gasped. Tim cupped his hand over his mouth and the two held their breath. Tim was afraid the thing outside could hear his heart beating.

Suddenly there was a terrible scream outside the pantry.

It was David! He had moved to another hiding place, leaving Tim and Chris on their own. Now the thing, whatever it was had found him. There was another scream and the sound of something going out the back door.

Then everything was quiet as a graveyard.

The two waited all night, hardly breathing. The sun began to come up; they could see light coming in through the cracks of the wooden pantry. A morning dove was calling softly in the woods.

Then they heard a sound. Someone was coming in the front door. Slow footsteps crossed the floor, along with the sound of something dragging along the boards.

The sound came closer to the pantry.

CLOSER.

Suddenly it stopped, right in front of the pantry door as if someone was waiting.

Chris could not stand it anymore. He screamed.

The Pantry door swung open, and there standing over them was a tall, muscular form, lit from behind. The man bent over.

He took off his wide-brimmed hat and show them his badge. "I'm the Sheriff", he said, dropping the heavy bag of weapons and bulletproof vest he had been dragging.

"THANK GOD YOU TWO ARE ALL RIGHT!"

(Return to Menu)

Skeleton Lady
Sent by Amber (mother of four)
This story begins not too long ago and not far away. Just across the lake, it is Winter for 7 long months of the year. Now this particular Winter had gone on much longer than usual and the people were beginning to run out of food and firewood. Inside one small house right out in the barren snowlands an old lady was beginning to get anxious. (Now you have to put on old lady and old man voices, get anxious and rub your hands a lot as if cold). "Ohhhh, my husband, I am soooo cold and h-u-n-g-r-y. Look, my hands are blue! I am going to die...I am sure of it."

"Don't worry my darling, Winter will be over soon, we will have food again" But the old lady looked very ill and continued to get anxious. Eventually the old man agreed, "Very well my darling, I will go and search for food. But before I go you must promise me one thing. You must not use the last two logs we have for the fire, we will need them to cook the food on when I return"

"Okay, okay I agree, just go, please find food."

With that the old man went out in search of food.

Time passed and the old man did not return, the fire was beginning to get lower and lower.

"Where is he. I'm hungry! I'm freezing! I am sure I will die" (rub hands a lot) Then the old lady had an idea. "If I put just one of the logs on the fire he will be back soon and then we will still have one to cook the food with. Yes, yes that's what I'll do."

The old lady picked up one log and placed it on the fire. (act this out, as you place log on fire make whooshing sound). "Oh that's much better, I'm so warm, he'll be back with food soon". (smile a lot)

The old lady forgot how hungry she was as she sat close to the warm fire. But more time passed and still her husband did not return. It was beginning to get dusk outside and again the fire was getting lower and lower.

"Where is he? He must have found food and eaten it. I am going to be left here to freeze!" (lots of rubbing and groaning)

Then the old lady had another idea.

"He must be back soon. If I put the last log on the fire it will be hot and ready to cook on when he returns". With that the old lady put the last log on the fire. (make whooshing sound and cries of happiness)

But more time passed and the old man was not back. The last log began to burn lower and lower until all that was left was a tiny flicker. (complain a lot and move in close to imaginary fire).

The old lady got closer and closer to the fire. Then suddenly "Ouch" she burnt herself on it and began to bleed. She placed the finger in her mouth to lick it (make this action)

"MMMM this tastes good." Then the old lady began to chew (make chewing action up hand). "Mmmm so good." And chew, up her arm, and around her body (act all this out - lots of chewing and mmhhing noises) until all that was left was a skeleton.

"Mmhh that was so good, I feel much better but I'm still hungry." Just at that moment she heard a rustling outside and the door opened. In came her husband with 2 rabbits in his hand (mime this).

"Look my wife I found foooo-----"

The old lady ran towards him and grabbed the rabbits (mime this). Mmm these are good. MMhh MMhh (mine chewing rabbits) My husband I've just realized how meaty you are. Come here I want to eat you. I want Meat!"

With that the old man burst out the door and ran into the frozen wastelands as fast as he could. Behind him the old lady was running. "I want meat, I'm going to eat you." Luckily the old man could run fast and began to escape his wife. he ran further and further into the snow. In the distance was the sound of the old lady.

"I want meat. I'm going to eat you!" (each time you do this grab the arm of a member of the audience and fake chew it - you should be on your feet all the time now and miming the running actions.)

Suddenly the old man came to the edge of a huge gorge that went as far as he could see that way (look) and as far as he could see that way (look). There was no way across and coming closer was the sound of the old lady.

"I want meat. I'm going to eat you" (attack audience again)

Then the old man noticed a small wooden cottage. he ran to it and banged on the door. The door opened on a chain and a woman could be seen inside. "Yes. How can I help you."

"It's my wife. she's gone crazy she's going to eat me" (act very panicked) "Very well I will help you but first you must bring me a bucket of water." "What, she's going to eat me and you want water?"

"Yes"

"Okay, okay"

The old man searched around and found a bucket to get some water from the well. he took it to the woman who pulled out a ladle from her pocket and dipped it into the water. (mime all this out).

"AAhhh yes. Very good. Now I will help you"

In the distance the sound of the skeleton lady was very close "I want meat. I'm going to eat you!" (attack audience)

The woman stood on the edge of the gorge and stamped her feet into the ground. Then she reached out and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d (say this word long and slowly as you stretch out) to the other side and grabbed onto a tree. "Now you may cross."

The old man walked carefully across the lady's back (mime this) and reached the other side. Then the woman let go and PING went right back to the other side. She returned to her house.

Just then the skeleton lady arrived at the gorge. "I will get you my husband. I will eat you. I want Meat!"

She banged on the door of the house. "Yes. Can I help you?"

"You are too skinny to eat. You will help me cross the gorge."

"Very well I will help you but first you must bring me a drink of water."

"Help me now or I'll eat you anyway."

"Okay, Okay."

With that the woman stood on the side of the gorge and stamped her feet into the ground. She stretched across and grabbed onto the tree. The old woman began to run across.

"I want meat. I will eat you."

When she was halfway across the woman let go and PING went back to the start.

" I want meaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa......" (fade off and then crash to ground) CRASH

The skeleton lady fell to ground and shattered to a million pieces.

(Say next part of story very slowly and quietly)

Now I said that I said that this happened not too long ago and not too far away. It is said that there is a little bit of magic in each piece of the skeleton lady's bone and that one day they will join together and come in search of ....."MEAT" (jump and attack audience then end"

(Return to Menu)

Sneakers
Sent by Grandpa Dave in Avon Lake

Only his mother and father called him Todd. To all his friends, he was

nicknamed, "TOAD", which Todd didn't mind at all. Afterall, Toad wanted, more than anything else in the world to win the smelly-sneaker contest.

Toad's sneakers were smelly. No doubt about that. But the first year he entered the Smelly Sneaker Contest, he didn't even come close to winning. The second year Toad entered the smelly-sneaker contest, he worked hard at it all year. He had already learned that not wearing sox mattered. By not wearing sox, Toad made his sneakers much more smellier. In addition, Toad skipped his showers. He turned on the water and more or less washed most of himself, but made sure to get his hair because his mom and dad could tell the difference between the smell of clean hair and the smell of dirty hair, but they trusted him to wash his feet. Toad did not wash his feet, which helped the smell of his sneakers considerably. Still, that second year Toad only finished in second place. He was very disappointed. After the contest, he stood sad and dejected by a large garbage can, trying to decide

if he should just chuck those second-place sneaker.

"Hey kid!" called a hoarse voice from the other side of the trash can.

"Hey, kid!!!" the voice insisted.

"Yeah?" said Toad.

"How much you wanna win that contest?"

"More than anything!" said Toad.

"I know how you can win, " the voice said.

Toad peered around the garbage can, where a big skinny kid sat on the ground.

"What'll ya give me if I tell?"

Without hesitation, Toad offered his brand new back pack, the thing he loved most, the one he'd worked all summer to earn the money for. Toad offered it to the kid sitting beside the garbage can.

"Here's what ya do," said the kid, and he whispered instructions into Toad's ear, then he put a small vial into Toad's

hand.

"Thanks" said Toad.

The kid stood up, shrugged.

With a smile of pure delight, Toad offered the tall skinny kid his back pack, but the kid turned his back.

"Awww....Keep it," was all he said.

Toad raced home.

The contest rules said you had to start the year with a clean pair of sneakers. Some Scouts tried to cheat, but not Toad. He was sure he'd win, for in the vial was essence of sneaker, foot sweat mixed with scrapings from the sneakers of the last four winners of the Great Smelly Sneaker Contest. Toad put the precious droplets into his new sneakers. The results were instant and made Toad's eyes water. All that year he went sockless and put plastic bags on his sneakers at night to keep the smell in, even though his parents made him put the sneakers outside. After a few days, even his teacher insisted that Toad's sneakers be left outside. Toad did as he was told, first bagging the sneakers to keep the concentrated smell from getting diluted.

Toad's dedication and hard work paid off. As the day of the Great Smelly Sneaker Contest drew closer, it was clear to all his friends that Toad would be the winner. The first judge, new and inexperienced, approached Toad's sneakers. From more than a yard away, he began to retch.

The Second judge, old and experienced, wiped his eyes, waved a group of papers before his face and backed away from Toad's sneakers. The Third judge, took a whiff, grinned and said, "Now that's more like it!" and awarded Toad First Prize!

Toad was giddy with bliss. When the judges asked if he'd like to donate the sneakers to the town Museum, Toad said "no". He'd wear them home. He'd savor being champion.

Off Toad went, right foot, left foot, wearing championship sneakers, ones you could smell a mile away. Right foot, left foot. Toad was a good long way from home when his left foot started to itch really bad right around his toes, but Toad did not stop to scratch. He continued on. And it was not long before he felt a fierce itch right around his toes, but Toad kept on walking. And he walked and walked. The itch got to itching the whole sole of his right foot and then the whole sole of his left foot. But Toad kept on walking, without stopping to scratch until he got home. The itching was so terrible, it went clear up to his ankles!

With a sigh of relief, Toad got home and reached down to take off his championship smelly sneakers. But when Toad took of the Championship Smelly Sneakers and got ready to scratch, Toad discovered that.............

HIS FEET WERE GONE!

(Return to Menu)

WRAP WRAP WRAP
Sent by Michael (age 15) from Chagrin Falls

Everyone set camp in a secluded area by a lake in the mountains. Just at the edge of the clearing stands an old trapper's cabin. They sat around the campfire to hear an old tale...

Many years ago this land was sacred hunting ground for the Indians in this area. The game in this field was always plentiful -- until the white man came and built that cabin. The tribe elders were enraged at this encroachment, and sent their best warriors to oust the intruder. The leader of the raiding party had seen this intruder, and knew him to be an old man with little spirit, so instead of

harming him, they decided to scare him out. The Indian crept up to the house and gently wrapped on the wall.

This attracted the attention of the home owner, but finding nothing there, he went back to his work. Again the Indian wrapped on the wall. This cat and mouse game went on for the majority of the night. The white man was becoming afraid of this mystery noise, so he reached for the shotgun he kept over the mantle. The next time the Indian wrapped, the man was prepared and decapitated the Indian with a single shot. The tribe elders, on seeing how easily the white man conquered their best, banned all people from setting foot in their sacred hunting ground. To insure this, the medicine man called on the spirit of the beheaded warrior to guard the land. It is said that on dark rainy nights, the warrior can still be heard prowling around the old home.

Once the story was told, everyone turned in for the night. A thunder cloud began to build and soon the campers found themselves in a wind that was taking the tents away, and drenching them with cold ice water. The grown-ups decided that the safest thing would be to seek shelter in the old house. The kids eagerly moved into the old house, except for one boy named Tommy-- he was thinking of that old Indian and really didn't want any part of the house. So, just in case he took two large cooking pans with him for protection. The storm raged on, but the boys had settled down inside the cabin. Suddenly, a faint noise could be heard, wrap, wrap, wrap. Most of the boys didn't hear it, but little Tommy did. Soon all the kids were up listening to the wrap, wrap, wrap. The grown-ups went over to the side where it appeared to be coming from and the noise stopped. The noise persisted, wrap, wrap wrap and then silence. Wrap, wrap, wrap and then silence. Over and over the noise cam and disappeared. Little Tommy was very skittish holding the pans overhead in the ready position. The noise grew louder and louder with intensity, and the grown-ups realized that they must go outside and fix whatever must be flapping in the wind. A couple of the kids went outside too. Unfortunately, Tommy was one of them.

They walk around the house and find that the wrapping noise is coming from a hole in an outdoor stone fireplace. One of the grown-ups carefully inserts his hand into the hole and removes a roll of wrapping paper going wrap, wrap, wrap. Everyone laughs. THEN, A SHRIEKING NOISE COMES RIGHT OUT OF THE DARK. Tommy swats aimlessly with his frying pan in hand. TWANG... "Ouch!" Said one of the grown-ups. "That hurt." "What are you doing Tommy? That was only a screech owl."

(Return to Menu)

O h i oT r a v e l e r . c o m Campfire & Ghost Stories

MENU

O h i oT r a v e l e r . c o m
Campfire & Ghost Stories