Blogtember: Day 4

Today's topic: "A story about a time you were very afraid."

OR

"The time I went camping with a serial killer."

  

Bet you didn't see that coming... It's true though. In a way, if you're really confused you should definitely keep reading. It's a good one, even if it's a long one.

 

When I was a Senior in high school my parents agreed to let me go camping over Labor Day weekend. I honestly have no idea what they were thinking, in high school most of my friends were guys and my parents didn't even think twice about letting me spend the night in a tent with boys. I guess the fact that they were two of the least sexually threatening guys imaginable probably helped.

 

Anyway, I was under the impression that this camping trip, at a location my friends frequented all the time, would take place at an actual campground. So I packed my overnight bag and drove to the location they had told me about. It happened to be like 5 minutes from the road my grandparents lived on and very close to an actual campground, which was the only way my parents would have agreed to this. We all thought it was going to be a totally safe trip. When I arrived at the location I quickly realized this was not a campground.

 

My friends were tresspassing on an old Army Forestry plot. They actually hiked through the forest out to a little cove on a small beach on Lake Allatoona. I definitely wasn't feeling this but I wasn't about to call my parents for fear of them thinking I lied to them. So my friends and I grabbed our stuff and attempted to set up camp. Halfway to our location we realized that a huge tree was blocking our way (we were trying to go as far as possible in my friend's truck before starting the hike and it couldn't make it over the tree). I had the bright idea to ask my grandparents for help since they were so close.

 

So we drive over to my grandparents' house, get my grandpa and his chainsaw and drive back out to the fallen tree. The whole time I'm hoping that he doesn't notice all the "No Trespassing" signs posted everywhere. My grandpa cuts down the tree for us and of course notices the signs. He gives us a speech about how we shouldn't be here, this is a really dangerous area, etc. My friends reassure him that they camp here all the time. At this point my grandpa leaves and we proceed to set up the camp. This takes about an hour. Literally as soon as we get everything set up, my dad calls and tells me that I need to come home. My grandpa has called him and voiced his concerns about the location of our campsite.

 

So, I pack up and drive home. I never got in trouble or anything for trying to camp here because my dad knew I really did believe that I was going camping at a campground. Just the same, I was really upset with my grandpa for tattling on me and ruining my fun. Turns out that was the best thing that could have EVER happened to me.

 

After I was called to go back home, my two guys friends decided to just head back to their homes too. Our other friends (guys and girls) had called and cancelled. At this point in the night it was really dark and instead of trying to pack, the two of them just left their things assuming they would be safe and headed home. When I returned to school after the long weekend I immediately met up with one of my friends who informed me that all their things had been stolen. This seemed so crazy considering we were in such a secluded location but we really didn't think any more of it.

 

Enter the serial killer. Anyone remember Gary Michael Hilton? He kidnapped and killed a girl off a hiking trail in GA four months after my camping trip (January 2008). He also received the death penalty for a FL killing and is connected to two killings in NC. He's a terrible, terrible man and I don't describe this next experience to be funny or make light of those who he did kill. But I do thank God that I wasn't one of those killings.

 

After the disappearance of this girl on the hiking trail Georgia went crazy searching for this man. After his capture footage began surfacing everywhere of him. We all wondered why he wasn't arrested before any of these crimes happened. Especially after he was caught on police dash cam in an old Army Forestry plot. The same forest that my friends and I had attempted to camp out in. This footage was taken in October 2007, one month after my busted camping attempt. You may think this is just a coincidence. But it isn't. In the footage he was seen wearing a backpack and bags that belonged to my friend. The same backpack that was stolen after we had abandoned camp.

 

I saw this footage on the news before school one day and immediately raced to school to tell my friend about the killer being in the same location we had been. That's when he told me about his bags. I don't think I've ever been more terrified in my entire life. Maybe he never saw us and just happened upon our camp. Or maybe he was in the shadows the whole time watching us. I'll never know. I'm so thankful I didn't have to face my fate that day. And I'm so thankful that this monster is locked up for good. I only wish that he had been stopped before he had the chance to take all the lives that he did.