Campfire Ghost Story: The Lantern in the Woods

It’s that time of year when we laugh at spooky things and enjoy the chills of a good ghost story. Here is one of our favorites to tell at Near Zero. So grab your Near Zero mug, fill it with something warm, wrap yourself in your Quilt ONE, and get ready for this bone-chilling story.  

It was a cool October night at Whispering Pines Campground. The moon hung low in the sky, casting long shadows through the tall, swaying trees. The air was still, except for the occasional crackle of the campfire and the distant hoot of an owl. 

“You know, there’s a legend about this place,” one of the campers began, his voice low and steady. “They say it’s haunted by a girl named Emily, who disappeared from this campsite years ago. She was last seen wandering these woods, wearing a white nightgown and carrying an old, cracked lantern. People say she was searching for something... or someone.”

The campers exchanged nervous glances as they looked around the dark woods. They could sense they were not alone. It felt as if someone was watching them, waiting to see how they would react to this tale.

“Emily lived nearby and would often walk through these woods going back and forth from the town,” the storyteller continued. “She feared the dark as any child would. She would hold tightly to her lantern, hoping it would scare off whatever lurked in the dark. There were stories about the woods, rumors, and tales about a monster, but the level-headed adults brushed it off, claiming it was all superstition until Emily went missing on one of her walks home. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Eventually, they gave up hope. But the strange thing was, some people claimed they still saw a flickering light deep in the forest at night.”

He paused to let the words sink in, his face illuminated by the glow of the fire. “Some campers say they’ve seen her ghost walking slowly through the forest and the campsite now on the once-covered trail. They describe a faint light bobbing in the distance, just beyond the reach of the campfire, or hear frightened breathing by their ears or, just as they feel safe sleeping in their tents, the sound of footsteps and what sounds like someone carrying a lantern walking by. Some have even heard her speaking to them, warning them of the dangers in the night.”

Just then, a branch snapped somewhere behind them. The campers jolted, turning to face the darkness, but nothing was there. The storyteller smirked and leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

“They say Emily still searches for a way out of the woods. But she doesn’t just want company—she wants someone to join her on her walk so she can give them that lantern and go home and be free of whatever is keeping her here. If you see her light, whatever you do, don’t follow it. And sometimes, on nights like this, you can still hear her calling from deep in the forest...”

A cold breeze rustled the leaves as if on cue, making the fire flicker. The campers’ eyes darted to the woods, where they could just barely make out a faint glow. Was it another camper with a flashlight? Or something else?

The storyteller’s voice lingered in the air: “Listen closely... Can you hear her?”

For a moment, all was silent. Then, a faint, mournful voice whispered from the shadows, “Follow me, or he’ll get you too.”