In Part 2 of Keith David Langston‘s series “Tales of the Bushmen,” Coya told her bushman story while sitting around a campfire one night at the lodge they all worked at. Here’s another co-worker sharing his story.
Riley’s Story
“When I was a kid, my mom used to tell me about the Bushmen. Me and my brother liked to play in the woods at night because it was scarier and more fun. One night my mom came running towards us in fear, grabbed us, and brought us back to the house.
“We asked her what was wrong and she told us she was scared that we could have gotten hurt. That things lurk in the woods. She said the Bushmen come out at night, looking for children.
“We were terrified and asked her what the Bushmen were. She said they were bad spirits from bad men that had turned into monsters. They hide on the outskirts of villages, waiting for someone to wander off or fall behind. That’s when they attack. Sometimes they even try luring people into the woods by doing things like mimicking the sound of a woman crying.
“She said one night her and her sister were playing in the woods. The night seemed so calm, it almost felt unreal. They couldn’t hear a single animal, not even insects. It was like everything had vanished…until they noticed a strange smell, like stale water filled with dead fish. From the darkness they heard some kind of grunt or growl.
“She said they thought it was coming from behind a tree, but couldn’t see anything. The only light was from the moon above, illuminating the forest. Then, an arm reached out from behind the tree trunk. It looked huge and was covered in bear fur, but it was too tall and long for a bear.
“Suddenly her sister screamed. She looked over and saw another one of them was standing to their left. After that she blacked out. She woke up in her bedroom the next morning. She ran downstairs in tears, remembering the night before. Her parents kept saying don’t think about it ever again. She kept trying to ask her parents what happened and who saved her, and all they kept saying was, ‘Stop thinking about it. Never think about that night ever again.’ ”
The Wildcat Café
I was covered in goosebumps. “Your mom told you that?”
“She still remembers that night like it was yesterday,” he said.
“Speaking of luring people into the woods…” said Sabrina, one of the older of the Dené girls with us, “Did you hear the story from the Wildcat last year?”
A collective gasp and scream of excitement circled the campfire. It seemed that this was another story known throughout the entire North.
And this was even crazier because I had been to the Wildcat when I was in Yellowknife waiting for the floatplane to be ready. “You’re talking about the Wildcat Café?” I asked.
“Yep…” Sabrina said, nodding her head.
Find out what happened when Sabrina shares her story in Part 4 of “Tales of the Bushmen.”
About the Author
Keith David Langston currently writes for Travel Channel and Passport Magazine. When he isn’t traveling, he lives in New York City.
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