Real Encounters

*One Week Camping*

When I was 19, I was a Venture Scout (sort of like boy scouts, only for older kids and it's gender-mixed). I decided to go to this week-long mixed-scouting crew camping trip with a friend of mine... But a few days before going, my friend from Venture Scouts bailed. So I'd be going up into the mountains alone with a bunch of strangers (which was no big deal for me, I can handle myself). When I got there, I was the only Venture scout... And the only girl. It was a little awkward, but most of the boy scouts were pretty nice, and easy to get along with. Although they weren't used to camping with a girl, they happily accepted me as just 'one of the guys'.

But there was this one guy... Danny. From the first day of camp, he wouldn't take his eyes off me. He'd just stare at me... It was a little uncomfortable, yeah, but I figured he was just socially inept with girls or something, and tried to pay him no mind. The next day, while we were hiking, we all split off into pairs... And it turned out I was paired with Danny. He looked a little too excited about the idea of hiking with me alone. His eyes always seemed a little too wide. A bit crazed-looking... But he was a small guy. Spindly, unkempt hair, and a little shorter than I was at 5'7. I figured I'd be able to take him on in a fight if he tried anything, so I didn't raise a fuss about it.

Before setting out to the hike, he kept asking me if I needed help putting on my sunscreen... Even though I kept declining, he kept pushing the question and trying to put sunscreen on me until one of the guys told him to cut it out. While we were hiking together, he kept probing me - How old are you? He'd ask. "19, almost 20," I'd replied. "Oh, don't lie. You must be 14 or something... You're so innocent. Young, innocent girls are always the cutest!"

He kept asking innocent-enough questions, like where I lived, if I had siblings, what my favorite color was. But he then started asking me if I ever heard of BDSM. I was taken aback by this, and was more than a little uncomfortable, so I'd pretended to not know what he's talking about, all while trying to give as many hints as possible for him to drop the subject. But he then started going on about what BDSM was. About tying girls up, about hitting them & burning them. At this point, I was freaking out a little bit, but keeping my cool. I didn't want to show him my distress, any chinks in my armor, as I knew he'd probably get off on making me squirm. The only thought I could think was 'what the f***? Seriously what the f***??' as I kept my eyes fixed to the path ahead of me. Then... he started complimenting my skin. "You don't see a lot of girls with pale skin... do you use moisturizer?" He'd ask, attempting to touch my hand. But I kept my arms close to me, held-fast to my backpack. I was incredibly tense, and every muscle in my body was screaming. I sorely regretted wearing a tank-top, as I could feel his eyes on me.

He started telling me how pale skin is beautiful, since you can see the rope burns and the bruises better... the way he said it sent chills down my spine, and the anxious knots forming in my stomach grew tighter. He asked me if I was a virgin... Then he asked me if I fantasized about rape, and if I'd like to try out rape play... Wide-eyed in disbelief, I turned my gaze away from the dirt path and looked at him. He was smiling. A creepy, childish sort of smile that was just chilling. I kept silent and quickened my pace. He felt too close. Far too close. I wanted to run. He could probably see the fear in me at this point, there was no hiding it. Fortunately, I saw another pair of scouts were ahead of us. I ran to them, telling them that the four of us should group up and go together. At first they declined, saying that we're supposed to be going in groups of 2, but upon seeing how panicked and distressed I was, the two guys changed their mind. They look confusedly at Danny, who was silently glaring at them. I was just glad someone else other than Danny was there.

The 4 of us went up the mountain, and I tried to keep close to the other two boys (and as far from Danny) as possible. Upon reaching the end of the trail, and regrouping with the others, the two boy scouts offered to switch partners to descend the mountain path. Danny looked downright upset...angry, even. He was looking at me as if he were betrayed. But I didn't care if it pissed him off. I accepted the offer of switching partners, and was able to get back to camp in relative peace.

On the way down, the Boy Scout I was with asked me if Danny was bothering me or something. But I lied, and said he wasn't bothering me too much. After all, I was 19... I thought it would be pathetic to get so distressed about some weird 15 year old kid. I figured that, so long as I stuck with the other guys, I'd be fine.

But then, that night, I was alone in my tent. Everyone else got to sleep in pairs of two or three, but since I was the only girl, I had to be alone in my tent. It's always a little creepy, being alone and isolated in the forest, away from everyone else... The scout masters insisted my tent be far away from the boys tents, so that 'they wouldn't bother me'... But it only put me in a more vulnerable, isolated position. I sorely wished I'd been closer to the protection of the rest of the group.

Late at night, I heard rustling outside... I figured it was just a deer or elk or something, as it usually was, and went back to sleep... But then I heard my tent opening. Opening my eyes, I peeked through the crack in my sleeping bag to see what it was, and there... I saw the white of an eye looking back at me. Looking through the opening of my small tent... It was Danny. Staring at me. I froze. Holding my breath. I held my dad's hunting knife close to me, hiding in my sleeping bag, not moving a muscle, and staring Danny down. Pretending to be asleep. Ready to fight at any moment, should he take one step into my tent. But he didn't do anything... He just stared. Watching me. Breathing heavily, and muttering incoherently to himself. 'Are you there?' I thought I could hear him say. Eventually, after what felt like an hour, he left.

The next morning, exhausted, I caught naps when and if I could, and kept close to the other scouts in my group. It was difficult to maintain my calm and cool composure... The scout leaders were a little frustrated with me, since it seemed like I wasn't paying much attention to their instructions. But at this point, I didn't care much for it. I was always on some level of alert, as Danny would sometimes creep up behind me and caress my neck, or play with & try and smell my hair. And every night, Danny was there. Watching.

One night, he went digging through my backpack, looking for something. But unfortunately for him, I kept all my clothes and personals tucked away with me in my sleeping bag. He left with nothing. I grew up in rough situations and circumstances, so I always felt I can only really rely on myself. Asking for help was never an option as a kid, asking for help meant you're weak. So it hardly even occurred to me. I was prepared to tough out the rest of the week. But a little over half-way through the week, Danny was called away by the scout masters and sent home. I got the feeling that it was the Boy Scout that helped me before, saw what he was doing and sent in a complaint about him to the staff. While everyone else was confused and happily saying 'bye', he just crossed his arms firmly, and stared as Danny left. Danny looked so bewildered and confused by it all. Like he didn't understand what he did to deserve being kicked out of camp. It was so strange.

I tried my best to forget about it, and the rest of the week went off without a hitch. But the more I think back on it, the more I realize how damn freaky and bizarre that kid really was. I fear he may end up being some kind of serial rapist or something when he grows up. But all I know for certain is that he was very disturbed.

I'm just glad my dad told me, although knives weren't allowed at this camp, to take his hunting knife in with me. My father insisted I keep it for protection. And I didn't regret it.

Credits: Reddit, Nirassil