The Cave

[00:00:06] Good evening. I'm Ben, and welcome to the show, where you and I gather around this campfire to hear some of our fellow campers scariest experiences. Whether you're a new or returning camper, I'm happy to have you. Some memories cling to us like shadows, maybe half remembered, half forgotten, but never entirely fading away. Tonight's story is one of those memories for one of our fellow campers, Chelsea, about the day she stepped into a cave around Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Before we begin, if you want to hear August's bonus episode, which is out now, head over to patreon.com. do you want to hear a ghost story? Becoming a camp member, you gain ad free episodes, a shout out bonus episodes, and more. Now, without further ado, do you want to hear a ghost story? [00:00:57] Lancaster, with its rolling hills and endless farms, might seem like an unassuming place. [00:01:04] But secrets are buried deep within the earth, beneath the surface, hidden among the quiet woods and the old barns, waiting to be uncovered. As a child, the vast expanse of the Pennsylvania countryside was my playground. My family and I spent almost every weekend exploring the wilds, wandering through the forests and scaling the small mountains that seem to rise above the fields. But our true adventures lay underground in the caves that dotted the landscape. [00:01:35] To a young child, entering a cave seems like stepping into another world, a place where the rules of the surface dont apply. The suns light vanishes, being replaced by an endless creeping darkness that seems to swallow up all the light itself. [00:01:53] My family always brought flashlights and we could only see as far as their beams would allow. The caves were a labyrinth of narrow passages and wide open chambers, some so immense we could all stand comfortably, others so tight we had to crawl through on our bellies. [00:02:10] But this specific memory of mine begins like every other autumn Saturday my family set off to explore. [00:02:23] I sat there listening to my parents as I stared out the window, looking at all the glowing amber foliage. My parents were discussing where to go. We could hit a couple of trails, both of which had caves just off the path we were familiar with. Since it was peak foliage season, my parents discussed which trail would be the least crowded its at this point my memory starts to get a bit fuzzy because I cant quite remember how we got to the trail, but all of a sudden we were in the middle of it. I know we were on a trail we had been on before, but it looked different. For some reason, I didnt recognize anything. The path was well beaten and a little muddy. The fall of leaves seemed like a soft snow around me. My parents were ahead of me near me like always, I chased after them as we headed to the cave. I slipped and skidded in the mud as I caught up to my parents near the entrance. The cool autumn air wrapped around us as it entered into the chasm. [00:03:23] Inside, the air was damp and heavy with the scent of earth and stone. [00:03:29] An ominous clattering came from within. My parents didn't seem too upset. They just stood in the entrance and took it all in the I turned my flashlight on and pointed it where I thought the noise was coming from the opening that led deeper into the cave, my gaze not moving as it continued to get closer and closer. [00:03:50] A couple stepped out, laughing and carrying on. Seeing the source of the noise worrying me was just a couple of people put me at ease. The couple stopped and began talking to my parents. I roamed the entrance looking for a way to entertain myself while my parents chatted, climbing over the familiar rocks from our previous visits, the echo of their voices fading as I wandered further from the cave entrance. I found myself drawn to a large rock on the far side of the chamber, one that towered over me like a giant. Climbing it would be a challenge. A challenge I couldn't resist. I started my little ascent, shining my flashlight around to find the best place to grab. I had become unaware of how quiet it had become. The sound of my parents conversation. Wholly swallowed by the cave. [00:04:41] My foot slipped when climbing up. I gasped as I slid down the slick surface, my hands scraping against the rough stone. My heart pounded in my chest as I crashed to the floor of the cave. I picked up my flashlight with one hand to take a look at the other. It was bleeding slightly from a scratch. For a moment, fear overtook me. I realized just how alone in a dark cave I was, away from my parents. But then I heard my mom's voice, distant but clear, calling to see if I was okay. I'm okay, I called back, my voice shaky. Determined not to be beaten by this rock. I went back to climbing, this time more carefully. [00:05:26] I reached the top, adrenaline still pumping, and sat down to catch my breath. From there, I could see the faint glow of my parents flashlights pointed up at me. [00:05:36] As I turned to look down the other side of the rock, something caught my eye. A narrow opening in the cave wall, just big enough for someone just my size to squeeze in. I glanced back at my parents, still far below, but I knew they couldn't follow me in there. However, curiosity pulled me in. I found myself drawn to that darkness of the opening. Mom, dad, I'm gonna go down the other side. I'll be right back. I shouted. [00:06:06] My mom yelled back to be careful, her voice laced with concern. I could hear my dad chuckling, probably thinking that I was just being adventurous and wanted to jump out and scare them. [00:06:17] My descent down the rock was much more straightforward. Gravity did all the work. I soon stood before this opening I had seen. It was barely taller than me, a tunnel leading into the unknown. How fun, I thought. I shined my flashlight into it and watched as the beam twisted and turned with all the contours, the shadows seemingly dancing along the walls. [00:06:41] Without another thought, I slipped into the tunnel. The walls started to press in on either side, forcing me to turn sideways to move forward. The air grew colder and dampness started clinging to my skin. I could hear the faint drip of water somewhere up ahead, I suppose a reminder of how deep underground I was. The tunnel finally ended into an open yet small chamber, no larger than a bedroom. [00:07:08] I scanned the space with my flashlight, moving the beam from left to right. [00:07:13] As I swept the light across the room, I caught something that wasnt a rock. I froze. [00:07:20] Sitting on a rock in the middle of the chamber, staring at me, was a man. He didnt move, nor did I. We stared at each other, the silence of the chamber becoming thick and suffocating, when slowly, almost imperceivably, the man started smiling. [00:07:40] Boo. I screamed, my hands fumbling to pick up the flashlight I had just dropped. His laughter began echoing around me, bouncing off all the walls and disorienting me. When I finally managed to grab the flashlight and shine it back at the rock, he had vanished. [00:07:56] I didnt wait to see if he would return or wonder where it is he went. I turned and squeezed back through the tunnel. The walls felt even tighter around me, as if they were closing literally in on me. Then his chuckle started following me through the tiny chamber, growing fainter but no less terrifying. I emerged back into the larger chamber, breathing hard. As my parents reached the opening. They shined their lights on me and I saw the concern in my moms eyes. Even my dad looked worried. [00:08:28] I stumbled through in explanation, the words spilling out in a frantic rush. I told them everything. The man. His smile, the way he seemed to vanish into thin air. His laugh. [00:08:40] My dad crouched down, shining his flashlight through the opening, saying that it was impossible for anybody else to be in there other than a child. He chalked it up as my imagination or someone in there playing a trick on me. We headed back towards the entrance of the cave. I was not leaving my parents side any longer, but just as we reached the exit, I heard one last faint chuckle echoing up through the darkness. [00:09:06] I still dont know if what I saw in the cave was real or a figment of my childhood imagination. But even now when I think about that day when hiking, I still cant shake the feeling that something was there. Deep in the darkness. Watching. Waiting. [00:09:23] So now whenever I see a cave on my hikes, I keep walking. [00:09:31] Thank you Chelsea for allowing me to share your story. I have one question spelunking as a child. [00:09:41] I'm sorry but no no no. No way. No thank you. This. That's terrifying. This story is terrifying to me on multiple levels. I don't even want to think about it. Either way you shake this one, its either a creepy cave living man or a cave ghost underground. Yeah no thats a no from me. [00:10:01] Anyways I have a couple patron shoutouts tonight. I would like to welcome a new lost camper, Rowan Liddell, and a new camp counselor, Ben Harper. If you would like a shout out at the end of an episode, ad free episodes, monthly bonus episodes and more, check out patreon.com. do you want to hear a ghost story again? Really? They're back. [00:10:23] I do suppose this would be an interesting time to break the fourth wall of the podcast. [00:10:29] Hi I'm Ben talking to you now not as the host of the show but as the creator behind it. I love telling the stories that get sent into me but I'm also having fun playing around with building the, for lack of better term I guess the lore behind the show. [00:10:48] So before, between and after the stories I share im going to start expanding on the world we inhibit to share our real life stories. I call it the story between and for me its fun. I think its a cool way to build some community and I dont know, start to have some little inside jokes so to speak. The story between will be revealed little by little so keep a keen ear on the show and feel free to send me your theories as to what you think is happening and be ready to meet all of the beings that lurk in the woods around our campfire. But for now, back to being the host. I am glad to have you all as campers on this journey. Please keep sharing the show with anyone you think might like these stories or someone you are just trying to scare. If you have a story please send it to do you want to hear ghoststorymail.com? check out the episode description for more details. Until next time.