During the summer of 1931, a family of 6 took a break from the sweltery summer heat of the San Joaquin Valley, and ventured into the rugged forests of the High Sierras east of the Valley. They selected a remote area near a small, natural lake, and set up camp for a week of leisure time. The siblings, three girls and one boy, were instructed by their father regarding safety in the forest. They were told to stay within eyesight of the family campsite, and to not go off alone at any time.
The days of relaxation went smoothly, with fun times exploring nature, fishing, and lounging. Life was good, and the family already felt disappointed in the fact that they would need to pack up and head back home the next day.
The afternoon before their return to the Valley, they all heard an eerie sound coming from the deep woods behind their camp. They were all intrigued, jokingly likening the sound to ghosts, banshees, and monkeys.
Around 4pm, the little boy, Douglass, age 8, slipped away from camp by himself and wandered off in search of the source of the strange sounds. He felt fearless as he walked further from camp.
Suddenly, he froze in his tracks as he simultaneously heard the sound emmanating seemingly right next to him, and seeing a hairy arm reaching for him from behind a tree! He was instantly spooked, and took off running towards the family campsite, casting occasional glances back to see if the unknown monster was following him. He saw brief views of a hairy creature running between the trees, shadowing him, but he never got a good look at his pursuer.
Finally, he broke out into the clearing where the camp was situated, and immediately lost audible and visual contact with the creature.
No one in his family was aware of his absence, and he decided it was best if he said nothing about the incident, for fear of getting punished for his disobedience.
The next day the family packed up and headed home, unaware of the two pairs of malevolent eyes that followed their movements from the deep shadows of the forest...
