Sure! Here’s a 600-word piece based on the title “Bushman Prank Us”. This can work as a short story, blog post, or humorous personal anecdote. Let me know if you want it adjusted to a specific tone or format.
Bushman Prank Us
It was just another sunny Saturday afternoon when we decided to hit the boardwalk. The weather was perfect, the vibe was relaxed, and none of us expected that our day would be hijacked by a man hiding in a bush.
We were a group of five: me, Kevin, Lisa, Josh, and Emily. All of us had taken the weekend off to unwind. We’d heard the boardwalk had live performers, food trucks, and all kinds of entertainment, so naturally, it sounded like a great idea. What we didn’t realize was that one of the most unforgettable moments would come from something—or someone—far less obvious.
As we strolled along, soaking in the atmosphere, we started noticing a strange bush. It was just off the main walking path, placed near a trash can, oddly shaped and darker green than the surrounding plants. We didn’t think much of it at first. In fact, Lisa even commented, “Who puts a bush right in the middle of the sidewalk like that?”
Then it moved.
Just slightly. A twitch. We all stopped, confused. Kevin narrowed his eyes. “Did that bush just… flinch?”
Josh laughed it off. “You guys are imagining things.”
But just as he walked by, the bush exploded with life—arms shot out, a deep growling voice roared, and Josh screamed louder than I’ve ever heard a grown man scream. He jumped back so hard he tripped over his own feet and landed on the pavement. We were all too stunned to react immediately. Then came the laughter—first from the bush, then from us, and finally from a small crowd that had started to gather.
The “bush” was a man dressed in camouflage leaves and green face paint. A master of the classic Bushman Prank.
“I got you good!” he cackled, stepping fully out of the disguise, revealing a GoPro strapped to his chest. “That scream, man! That’s going viral.”
Josh sat up, still shaken, brushing gravel off his jeans. “You scared the life outta me, dude!”
The Bushman grinned. “That’s the point.”
Apparently, this guy made a hobby—and maybe even a career—out of scaring the unsuspecting. He’d been doing this for months, maybe years. With a clever costume and perfect stillness, he lured people in and waited for the right moment to pounce. Some screamed, others jumped, and some even fell to the ground, like Josh. But all of them laughed afterward.
After the initial shock wore off, we couldn’t stop laughing either. And of course, we stuck around to watch him prank a few more people. A couple on a romantic stroll. A guy on a skateboard. Even a toddler, who didn’t get scared but instead tried to talk to the “funny plant man.”
Kevin got the brilliant idea to prank others ourselves. The Bushman handed him a spare mask and let him hide behind a bench for a quick round. Kevin wasn’t as still or convincing, but one guy did flinch and spill his drink, which gave us another round of giggles.
Eventually, we bought the Bushman a drink from one of the food trucks and chatted with him for a while. His name was Terry, and he used to be a street performer before switching to scare-based pranks. “Laughter and fear—they’re two sides of the same coin,” he said. “Either way, people feel alive.”
By the time we left the boardwalk, our sides hurt from laughing so much. The rest of the day passed, but the story of “the day the bush came alive” became one of our favorite memories. Josh, though, still jumps whenever he hears rustling leaves.
So yes—the Bushman pranked us, and we’re kind of glad he did. Because in an ordinary day, he planted the unexpected and reminded us that sometimes, it’s the surprises that make life worth remembering.
Let me know if you’d like a version in a more serious or dramatic tone, or formatted for something like a YouTube script, blog post, or article.
