This is a very short story - about 1,000 words - designed specifically to be told around a campfire. The target age is children of approximately 10 or so. The story was previously published in KID VISIONS magazine.
Of this story, author David Bain says: "Several years ago, my best friend asked me to write a story for a sleep over birthday party for his son, Alex, who was turning ten. Specifically, he wanted something to tell around the campfire he was planning - and he wanted it to involve the scary woods behind his house as well as the campfire itself. He sent me a list of all the boys that would be attending and asked me to include them as well. This is the story I came up with. The story was a rousing success - the story was published in a children's magazine and, despite what it says at the conclusion, several of the kids who attended the campfire where it was originally told - kids who are now adults - have reported to me that they still think of the story on dark autumn nights..."