Goin' Fishin With Terror (LEWC)

I’m blessed to have a wonderful father who just happens to be a natural story-teller. I grew up listening to him spin tall tales about mountain men, spectral lights, strange creatures, and even Ole Scratch himself. So it was only natural that I’d request another ghost story as we drove down the dark, wooded road.

Let me back up a bit. It was high summer, and my father had just driven my five year old brother and myself (I was seven) up the mountain to go fishing in a small lake. We caught nothing but tree branches and had a wonderful time. At last, with the summer sun dipping towards the horizon, my father called an end to our fishing and loaded us into the pickup truck.

He hadn’t driven far before I began to beg for a ghost story. I just couldn’t help myself. The surroundings were perfect; a gravel road, bordered on both sides with thick trees and deepening pockets of darkness. At last my Dad acquiesced to my please and began his tail of the Cattywampus.

To get the full effect, you have to visualize the scene in your head. We’re driving slowly down the dark road while my dad uses his creepiest storytelling charm to terrify us. It worked, too. Hoo-boy, did it work.

The Cattywampus lived deep underground, away from sunlight. It was an amazingly huge creature that closely resembled an octopus; it’s favorite method of hunting involved ambushing cars driving down secluded roads and picking the bodies from the wreckage with its long tentacles.

“In fact,” my dad breathed heavily, glancing nervously at the surrounding woods, “It loves to hunt about this time of night, and this would be a great place for a Cattywampus…”

His voice trailed off as he concentrated on the road. A large curve was just ahead, and he glanced at me and my brother. We were holding each other tight, hanging on his every word.
My father rounded the curve in the road. “In fact, maybe we should keep a…

OH DEAR GOD THERE IT IS!” he screamed, twisting the steering wheel and fishtailing the truck across the road.

My brother and I did the only thing possible. We immediately became hysterical.

I figured it out pretty quickly, but my brother was inconsolable. My dad had to stop the truck to try and soothe him, but he just continued to scream at the top of his lungs. He was so loud, in fact, that a house a couple hundred yards off the road turned on its lights and a man stepped out to see if we needed assistance.

My father never meant to scare us so badly, of course. We have a laugh about it now, but at the time my Mom was furious with him. My brother didn’t sleep alone in his bed for at least a week.

I’ll never forget the story of the Catywampus, although I’ll wait a few years to pass it on to my son…
….or maybe not.

Very Enjoyable !!!

reply to post by sonnny1


Thank you!

What a good read. You had me smiling. Of course, I've done similar things with my kids in the past, but Cattywampus? Tooo funny!

SnF.

Of course, YOU recovered quickly. Uh huh.

reply to post by Druid42


LOL

I remember it that way, but I think I hollered a good two or three minutes myself. I just remember my brother took a lot longer to calm down...

Really!

That was too cute! You definitely have me laughing!

I will have to try this someday!

S&F

reply to post by smyleegrl


Great story. Sounds like something my father would have done.

S&F

Now I'm going to bed. I'll probably dream of cattywampus, or whatever you called it.
Good story!

Nice! You had me laughing and remembering at the same time. My father sent my brother and I out on a "Snipe" Hunt more than once when we were little. I can recall being a little angry back then when it turned out to be fake... but it brings a smile to my face now. Thanks for sharing it! S&F

reply to post by smyleegrl

A fabulously rich and beautiful little jewel of a tale! I especially loved this line:

We caught nothing but tree branches and had a wonderful time.

Just priceless! We all know exactly what you mean and you had me smiling even more.

Many thanks,

Mike