Unseen Pranksters

It was a couple of years ago when my friends and I took a camping trip. There were other groups with us, staying in other tents.

As we settled down for the night, we got to talking. We weren't telling ghost stories, just talking about everyday things.

When it got late, someone (we assumed pranksters) began rubbing our tent walls with their hands. We called out for them to stop bothering us a few times, we even unzipped the canvas tent windows a few to see who was there. It would stop when we looked out there. No one would be there. Mostly, we lowered our voices and ignored it.

Time flew by. We didn't know it had been going on for a couple of hours. But it seemed like the more we ignored it, the more furious it came. It started out on one side, then two, then three. Soon the entire tent was shaking. Still, we tried to ignore it.

It wasn't until we had decided to settle down for sleep that it really started to bother us. My friend got really scared. We opened the window again. It would stop on that side, but would continue on the other sides. We were too afraid to call out now. By now, we had realized that something was truly wrong. We knew now, that a person wouldn't keep this up for hours.

In frightened whispers, we all agreed to get out of the tent. As we stumbled outside, the tent calmed to a picture of serenity. There was no movement at all in the tent, when it had been shaking violently only moments before. We found that we were the only ones on the campsite that were still awake. Everyone had gone to bed long before.

Not knowing what else to do, and knowing we had to go back sooner or later, we all ducked back into the tent. The attack started up again. I remember watching the walls of the tent. It seemed like there were several...things...for the hands were running down the tent in several places. The fact that we knew no one was there was the most frightening.

We all got down to say a prayer, not knowing what else to do. As we prayed, it only got worse. I feared the tent would collapse with all of the stress it was going through. It was like a violent windstorm was trying to lift the tent from the ground. The tent was smashing in from all four sides. My friend claims she felt a solid hand touch her shoulder from the other side of the tent wall. I felt the same thing on my face when the wall drew nearer to me.

Suddenly, it was gone. The tent slowly calmed and stood still.

For the rest of the night, I jumped at the slightest sound.