Hello everyone,

I am posting here because I am in need of some advice. Recently, I went on a camping trip to a secluded campground in the middle of nowhere. I was excited for the adventure, but what I experienced there has left me feeling confused and unsure of what to do next.

When I arrived at the campground, I was surprised to find that I was the only one there. I had expected to see other campers, but there was not a soul in sight. It was May and right in the middle of peak season for the park. However I was thankful to have the privacy and I shrugged it off and set up my tent, eager to start exploring.

As I hiked through the woods, I stumbled upon a strange box that was locked to a tree. It was made of old, weathered wood and had strange symbols etched into it. I tried to open it, but it was sealed tight. I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something sinister about it. I felt something calling me to open it, something dark and dangerous.

After returning to my camp and making some dinner I decided to go check out the lake by my campground and watch the sunset. When I got there I noticed the water level had dropped significantly and the shoreline was now much further out than before. The water was murky and the smell of rotting vegetation filled the air. As the sun began to set, I thought I caught a glimpse of something in the water. At first, I thought it was a piece of rotted wood that was exposed by the receding lake level. But the more I looked at it I kept thinking it looked like some kind of deformed creature. it was far enough that I had to squint to see it, and when the wind blew I swear I saw it reach out as if it was beckoning me. But without my glasses I couldn't be sure. I felt a sense of confusion and uncertainty.

The sun set and I returned to my campsite but I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was being watched. At this point I still hadn't seen a single person since I arrived earlier in the day. My campfire burned low and I was too scared to go into the woods looking for more wood so I crawled in the safety of my tent. I tried to sleep, but I kept tossing and turning, my mind racing with thoughts of the strange box and the possible creature in the lake. The darkness of the night seemed to be closing in on me, making me feel trapped and suffocated.

The next morning, I quickly packed up my things and headed back home. But I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had missed something important. About a half hour into my drive home it hit me that in my haste to pack up, I had forgotten my favorite zippo on the picnic table at my campsite. after a little debating I decided to go back to the campground to quickly grab my lighter.

When I arrived, I found that the campground was now bustling with activity. There were other campers, rangers, and even a small store I hadn't seen before. There was no way I was in the same place, the store was almost in eyeshot of my camping site. There were tents pitched on either side of the site I was at. I figured I must have come back a different way and ended up in a different part of the park. That would explain the store and the people, but as I was turning away the light glistened off something on the picnic table. my stomach knotted up as I realized it was my lighter. There was no doubt this was the exact spot I had been. I walked up to one of the rangers and asked if they knew anything about all my people and when they arrived. The ranger looked at me with a confused expression and said, "What are you talking about? most of these people have been here since yesterday." His eyes shifted and he walked away and got into his truck and drove off. I really got the sense that he was lying to me. I grabbed my lighter and hopped back into my car and sped back to my house.

I am now back home, but I can't shake off the feeling that something is really wrong at that campsite. I don't know if I saw a creature or it was just my imagination. Why was that creepy box locked to a tree in the woods and does it have anything to do with this? I feel like I'm losing my mind. I need some advice on how to cope with this and how to figure out what really happened.