The summer of 1960 was sure to be a remarkable one.
It was the beginning of June, the beginning of summer vacation. Freedom had been tirelessly earned for young Nils, and at 18-years-old, he would finally experience a taste of it. The future had never looked better: Nils had just graduated high school, a promising career to look forward to, and a beautiful girlfriend that he adored. As his fingers locked with hers during the drive to Lake Bodom, excitement started to bubble up inside at the thought of the possibilities that awaited them...
"Oi, you think much longer before we get there?!"
Seppo's booming statement abruptly broke Nils' train of thought, and a large hand landing upon his shoulder gave him a jolt! His good friend had never been one for subtlety, and Nils could hear Seppo's girlfriend tittering at his startled reaction.
Nevertheless, Nils cracked a smile while replying, "Yes, very shortly now, Seppo. How are you and Tuulikki holding up back there?"
"Well, we're great, but we're both itching to get that tent set up!"
A quick glance at Nils' love revealed she was thinking the same thing. Irmeli... Sweet Irmeli... The sight of her made Nils' heart pound, pounding that was sent straight to the gas pedal and in turn sent his Vaulammi roaring down the road. They couldn't reach their destination fast enough!
(Images created using an AI art generator on Night Cafe)
Setting up the tent had been the most difficult task, but once it was finished, the convenience of homemade sandwiches packed for their camping occasion perked up their spirits again. It didn't hurt when Seppo had broken out some beers for all of them as well! The two girls were both young, inexperienced, and it showed with the hiccups that came after each sip. They were like innocent lambs being prepared for the slaughter, and this idea of their corruption made the boys howl with laughter. Fishing was attempted, only anything that was caught was released again. The sunset danced beautifully upon the lake, filling the water with whirlpools of purples and pinks, while a cool evening chill surrounded the youths.
The girls were the first ones to call it an early night. The alcohol and freedom had proven themselves too exciting for such young blood, and sleep was setting in fast and heavy.
Irmeli took hold of Nils' hand by the entrance of their tent, her warm embrace a welcome change from the cold nip of air. "Promise me that you'll come to bed soon," her voice lightly brushed past his ear. "I want to lay down with you..."
A soft kiss to her cheek as Nils whispered, "I promise..."
Satisfied, Irmeli smiled before quietly joining Tuulikki inside the tent. Seppo, however, was quietly sitting on a log by the lake, slowly smoking a cigarette. Nils walked over to join him, then reached his hand into Seppo's breast pocket to snake a cigarette of his own from the pack. Seppo offered his friend a match, a slight smirk dancing upon his lips.
Nils finally took the empty seat beside Seppo on the log. "Something tells me those girls can't hold their liquor," he laughed.
"Why?" Seppo pondered. "Have they already taken off for bed?"
Nils nodded while taking a drag from his smoke. "Yep -- passed out like this log we're sitting on," and he knocked on the wood for emphasis. "But speaking of, when were you planning on joining us all?"
"Soon, soon. I've just got a lot on my mind..." Seppo wandered off in thought as he took a drag of his own.
"...How to set the mood with Tuulikki?"
Seppo chocked on the smoke. "Christ, no! And do you actually plan on trying that here? Heh, no, I've been thinking about school."
There was a heavy nod from Nils. "Ah, that's right, you plan on going to university, right?"
"Yes, and you don't. This will be the beginning of separation, our first time apart since childhood..."
Nils finally gave the situation some thought. It was true; Seppo would go on to study microbiology in the city, and Nils would take on his family's farm. A role that was agreed upon at a young age, when he was first learning to feed the horses. Yet, it would mark the end of life as both boys knew it, and neither one of them were prepared for that.
The chill from the northern wind made the boys tremble. Nils eventually decided on what to say. "All the men before us have done it, Seppo. A tale as old as time, I suppose. Life is simply full of change..." He stood up and flicked his cigarette into the lake, its demise signified by an angry hiss. As he turned to look down at his friend, he noticed that Seppo's expression was full of dread. Nils added, "Now, c'mon, let's go join the girls in the tent, before our 'berries' fall off!" Seppo wasn't completely sold on the idea, but went to join his friend nonetheless. "Don't worry, lad. Regardless of the distance, you and I will remain thick as thieves."
A smile struggled to form on Seppo's face as the two of them walked back over to the tent. "Thanks, Nils."
The night progressed as "well" as one could hope; Nils spent his slumber tossing and turning. Between the cold evening, rough ground, and various nocturnal wildlife that did their chirping in the dark, it was difficult to get a wink of sleep! No one else seemed to be having the same trouble he was. Each time Nils awoke, everyone was sound asleep, peacefully dreaming. From the amount of struggling he had done, he had to imagine there was only so much time before daylight broke. Yet, Nils persisted, desperate to squeeze in a few hours of rest.
Just as he had finally settled back into his sleeping bag, cuddled up beside Irmeli's, something abruptly disturbed Nils. It was a noise that came from outside their tent. Rustling... or, more specifically, a footstep... Nils would have shrugged it off, until he heard it for a second time. Then he began to hear a succession of footsteps, one after the other, creepily slow and rhythmic.
Nils froze, terror seizing his entire body. There was someone walking around their tent. The sounds were unmistakable, but was there a chance he could be wrong? In order to know for sure, he would have to check...
Nils fervently listened for more footsteps amid his heart pounding in his ears. Suddenly, as quickly as they had come, they stopped. He listened and waited, yet still the footsteps did not come, and as more time passed, so did Nils' conviction. Perhaps he was wrong; perhaps it had been a wild animal after all.
With his newfound theory came a sense of courage, and Nils went to approach the entrance of the tent without giving it a second thought. Cautiously, and as quietly as he was able, he tugged on the zipper that loudly dragged itself over the teeth. Once it was open just a crack, Nils tried to peek out yet could see nothing. This was strange, for even in the dead of night, the moon should brightly reflect off the lake.
He pulled the zipper up once more, just as slowly as before, yet he was still greeted with pitch blackness.
By the time the zipper had reached the top, Nils was finally met with a face.
It was a man that Nils had never seen before, with a face that one could not mistake for another. A huge creased forehead sat above two piercing red eyes that glared down at Nils. Most disturbingly was the demented smile that adorned the man's face which made Nils heart plummet into his stomach.
Then the man raised one arm up into the air, and the next thing Nils saw black once again.
So this story has actually been inspired by real-life events. For anyone interested, it is called the murders of Lake Bodom, and it is possibly Finland's most notorious unsolved mystery! I hope to complete this short story in a Part II for the future. Until then, thank you for reading! 🙏
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