The Hand

"The Hand" is a short story about an unresolved severed-hand incident that occurred at a state campsite in the early '90s. This story is mostly true and entertaining, while encouraging young children to listen to their parents while camping, because if not, bad things could happen. The story challenges teenagers to take precautions and to ensure their safety when camping, and it teaches adults that unforeseen consequences can be deadly, as learned from two naive men who found a very old curse and wielded it like a toy. Before knowing what had happened, they had lost their souls. The fun filled weekend for end of school year campers ends in terror when they learn of mysterious deaths in the next camp area. The deaths leave behind many unanswered questions, assumptions and speculations. More disturbing is what the deceased left behind; that continues to elude campground security and haunt the campgrounds by night. Despite all efforts, nether local animals, young children, teenagers or adult campers gets a pass from the unnerving, supernatural danger that is roaming freely throughout the campgrounds looking for the next opportunity to scratch, wound, choke or kill. The campers learn quickly that often precaution is the only option available to them, to avoid irreversible consequences.