Stereotypical Camp Ghost Story Brought to Life

Read this only if you got at least a good 10 minutes on hand as it requires in my opinion a good buildup by introducing the background story.

I was in 5th grade at a sleep-away camp for 3 weeks up in the Adirondack Mountains (NY). I honestly had a miserable time there due to natural human reasons (kids were jackasses and I could not put up with them) but nevertheless there was one experience there that I will never ever forget.

One night my bunk got to go out to a field for a night and could sleep in separate "half-shacks" as I called them to partly be considered camping. The "half-shack" was just 3 wooden walls with a bug net as the fourth wall and wooden flooring and ceiling. There were 4 "half-shacks" all together spread across approximately 100 yards of field, 3 for campers and 1 for counselors. The half-shacks each faced each other somewhat like a cross where 2 faced directly while the other 2 faced off however one of them was at least 60 yards away from the rest and on top of a hill. Mine was located only 10 feet from a wooded area as well as the other 2 were less than 10 yards each from woodlands. There was a campfire approximately equidistant between the first three half-shacks while the 4th on top of the hill was fairly distant.

That night we did stereotypical camper stuff... roasted hot dogs and made smores at a campfire. Naturally... ghost story time came along. Some campers told their stories and were typically horrible story tellers. Afterwards, one of the counselors started to tell us a local legend about "The Blanket Man." Naturally... we laughed our heads off at such a ridiculous name for a ghost story.

So legend goes that so many years back when the roads were horribly maintained and there were no cell phones (SHOCK)... a man was driving his wife and three year old son through a blizzard back home. The car broke down along the road home and it was blizzard Hell outside so the man could not go out and seek help. The heater worked for only so long before the battery died and soon enough the car became extremely cold. To keep his family warm, the man hugged his wife and child as they awaited help. The next morning, a plow cleared part of the road with a police officer behind him in search of any problems along the road. The officer came upon the broken down car and brushed snow off the windows. Upon discovering the shivering man hugging his lifeless wife and child... the officer took a step back. The officer threw the door open and immediately heard the man say, "If I only had a blanket..." As per typical local legend... the man was institutionalized not long after... of course the asylum closed down after so many years and not enough funding... so the naturally intelligent thing is to somehow let a bunch of the loonies out early. And so the man was "released" and began to live in the mountains where he is said to steal people's blankets and sometimes people who are with them... all the while demanding their blankets.

Perfectly stereotypical camp ghost story to scare the crap out of kids. Worked poorly initially on my bunk as everyone left the campfire mocking "Blanket Man." My particular half-shack group said nothing negative about him or the story and went to bed. Another hearty group of bullies and "tough guys" went to their half-shack ridiculing the Blanket Man for almost half an hour as loud as they could before counselors told them to "Shut up" from across the field as everyone tried to sleep.

That "tough" group of boys continued to jest at the story and continued to be rambunctious from atop the hill until they all started screaming. For a solid 10 seconds they all just screamed their heads off and counselors started yelling, "Cut it out!" and the like to them.

One particular voice finally yelled above the screaming, "SOMEONE IS OUTSIDE OUR TENT!"

Two counselors bolted from their tent across the field to the hill. Upon arrival they said there was no one there and the boys were now finally getting scared of the story. They told them to be quiet and get to sleep.

My half-shack group fell asleep very quickly other than one kids and myself (I think his name was Louis... I honestly can't remember but his face is ingrained in my mind.) We whispered to each other, "Think it was the Blanket Man?"

"I don't know. I got a wiffleball bat though if it is," and I clutched the bat.

I continued to stare outside my half-shack keeping watch for anyone. Just then some movement caught the corner of my eye. I looked and only 3 feet away moving quickly past my half-shack was a figure in a yellow poncho. Under the yellow hood I could not see a face....... but two red glowing eyes pierced the darkness. I froze and did not say or do anything. Louis started screaming for help and counselors again ran off instantly, this time all but one who was the eldest and I could see already sleeping in their half-shack.

Louis told them he saw a man in a yellow poncho with red glowing eyes walk by. One of the counselors looked and said, "HEY! STOP!" and they all started chasing someone a few feet into the woods. They started patrolling the edge and told all of us to calm down and try to get to sleep. If something were to happen again, call for help.

I did not sleep that night as I was scared if I slept that the 'Blanket Man' would get me. I also promised Louis I would stay up and guard the group.

Ultimately, I can't say what was or wasn't real. Counselors kept swearing it was not a prank though in my opinion, it could very well have been. It would not make sense to keep putting children's welfare at risk with the rest of the camp with a possible maniac running around the area. If it was a prank, it was fairly elaborate particularly featuring the red glowing eyes.

If not... it's some seriously scary stuff.

I've personally resolved the matter as nothing more than a hoax by the counselors. Perhaps someone in or from the area would know more if that legend holds some weight.