The darkness looms over the campground. You walk aimlessly as more darkness engulfs your lonely soul. A shroud of cold wraps around your lungs as a white stripe scrapes the darkness and then fades away. Fear twists your stomach and your heart pounds against your chest. You know a creature hides under the veil of darkness, waiting to strike. You finally find your flashlight as you heave a sigh of relief. The flashlight punctures the darkness, making it swirl around the impenetrable light. Another white stripe slithers through the murky darkness; a stench fills the air that puts fear back into your soul. However, your flashlight is able to reveal the menacing creature, though the sight is ugly. Bloodshot eyes stare back at you, and lips curl back to show you dangerous yellow teeth. The white stripe winds down the creatures back, white fur against black. Before you can scream, the figure rolls into an athletic handstand, and a green mist eats the light of your flashlight, while a stinging sensation fills your eyes. Darkness swirls again, and the stench is all over, just like the darkness. You drop your flashlight, which is lost in the maze of the dark night. Your attacker is no where to be seen, the white stripe is gone… for now…

My family has a reunion every five years. However, this is the first one I’ve been to, since my family got lazy and waited fifteen years for this one. I unpack my things and then go down to the lake which is on this massive campground. The light dances on the water, making it look like a light show rather than a large body of murky water. I suddenly smell something gruesome, and find a very delightful sight at my feet. A half decayed fish lies dead at the tips of my toes with something that looks like Manwitch oozing out of its mouth. Beautiful.

After about two days of camping, I have finally gotten used to what my mom calls, “roughing it.” I am used to spiders dangling over my bed, and beetles crawling out of the cabin showerhead. I have also become used to my extremely massive family. They are all over the place, like bees to a garden. But there is one thing that I am not used to, and it only comes out at night. An animal I have never seen before until now, the skunk was probably the animal I fear most. Why? Your about to find out.

Night four is when the tragedy struck. It was a cold night, and our family was by the lake trying to keep warm. I was scared to death, knowing that the deadly creatures of the night (especially skunks,) were waiting to pick you off whenever they had the chance. Later that evening, my mom, my brother and I headed back to the cabin. Once we got about ten feet away from the cabin, my worst nightmare came true. An overweight skunk with red eyes and a dazzling white stripe was just lying on the front step of our cabin, unmoving. My mom wasn’t too fond of skunks either, but she tried to get close to it anyway. After taking two steps, she ran back fifteen feet. The stupid skunk luckily rolled over though, making it easier for us. My mom and I forced my brother to go first, and once he made it my mom and I safely made it inside. We were safe!

After saying our goodbyes, we left the campsite after a long week of camping. In the car, my brother asked my mom if we were using him as bait for the skunk. I replied for my mom, “You see Brandon, if you got sprayed by the skunk, mom would be okay because she has a spare son. That’s why we sacrificed you.”

Of course, I got in trouble for saying that, but I will never forget the experience with the skunk, and I learned a very important lesson that day…always sacrifice your brother before yourself.