As The Raven Dreams Podcast - Scary Stories For Dark Dreams - Vol 37 | ATRD Podcast

Episode Date: June 9, 2025

Today we have more than 1.5 hours of true scary stories with a late night ambience. Scary Stories For Dark Dreams is a collection of older stories, remastered and put together in a long form episode. This Collection includes the following stories; Summer Break Stories (2022), Scary Neighbor Stories (2022) & Craigslist stories (2023) So, turn down the lights, tune in, and let the haunting tales of everyday people take you down that dark and creepy road. Remember, these aren't just stories... these are true experiences that remind us that our world can truly be scarier than fiction. Support the channel for Early Access AND more! Patreon ➤ https://patreon.com/AsTheRavenDreams Check out the Merch Store! ➤ https://teechip.com/stores/astheravendreams Much Love, and Sleep Well... ----- #TrueScaryStories #AsTheRavenDreams #RedditStories ➤ Stories include a content warning for language and sensitive/disturbing content. Viewer discretion is always advised. ➤ ALL Audio of this Podcast are copyright of AS THE RAVEN DREAMS / RAVEN ADAMS and may not be duplicated, in any format, without explicit permission ➤ If you like any of the following stories, consider subscribing! - Dark Web horror stories, creepy lets not meet stories, stalker stories, Glitch In The Matrix Stories, Unexplained Horror stories, Paranormal stories, cryptid encounter stories, Crazy ex lover stories, creepy neighbor stories, quantum immortality, true scary stories from reddit, or any other True horror Stories! ➤ And Remember; You are loved, you are important, and you are valid. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. TIMESTAMPS Story 1: 0:24 Ad Break after the 1st story Story 2: 11:26 Story 3: 16:06 Story 4: 21:39 Story 5: 30:23 Story 6: 40:53 Story 7: 51:53 Story 8: 59:40 Story 9: 1:05:11 Story 10: 1:17:39 Story 11: 1:25:51 Story 12: 1:32:52 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Book your seat at westjet.com or call your travel agent. WestJet, where your story takes off. If you have a true scary story you'd like to share with the podcast, go to as the ravendreams.com and click the button to send it my way. Also, if the platform you're on has the option to rate the podcast or leave a comment, please consider doing so. And as always, thank you. This happened when I took a solo trip to the Bahamas several years ago.

I was in my 20s, and I wanted to take a vacation for myself. I only told my parents and a girlfriend of mine where I was going, and how long that I would be gone, and that was about it. When I got to the airport, there was a storm along the route that my plane would be taking, so it was going to be delayed by a few hours. It wasn't a big deal, so I got all checked in and sat in the waiting area reading a book that I had brought along. It was about an hour into my delay when I noticed a guy that seemed to be pacing or walking in a circle around the seats.

I remember him because he was wearing jeans and a black suit jacket that was buttoned up. I always thought that that was a tacky combination. He also had a Bluetooth earpiece in what looked like a PDA, or maybe an old Blackberry phone. He wasn't really giving off weird vibes at that point, though. He was more so just an annoyance as he paced around me and others. People that are in a rush in an airport always irk me. Time is out of our control,

between the giant metal things and the sky being on specific, schedules, and not to mention that the weather, which is also out of everyone's control, it's best to just sit and go with the flow at that point. Honestly, I was expecting him to start complaining to the staff. Instead, however, he finally sat down in a seat across from me and appeared to be talking to someone through his earpiece. The conversation seemed to be pretty one-sided, as he only said a few words. words here and there, but what little he did say, it did become a bit suspicious.

His conversation consisted of words like, Yes, no, possibly. Match, female, about five, six, Auburn, alone, proceed? Confirmed. That is about when I noticed that he was describing myself. I thought, what the hell? I didn't know this guy, and I really didn't feel like he was with the airport based on his attire and demeanor. It's not like I was doing anything suspicious anyways.

I'd been sitting here with my book the entire time. I didn't even have my MP3 player or cell phone as they were in my carry-on. So, the only thing I could actually think to do without actually doing anything was to look up at him and make clear eye contact so he knew that I noticed. I thought that it did something, because when we locked eyes, he got up and walked away, and I thought nothing else of it. It was finally timed to board, so I got in line and got in my spot. It was a little past the middle of the plane and the edge seat.

I was sitting next to an older lady and her granddaughter that was probably around ten. so I figured that they wouldn't be a nuisance for the flight. Then I saw suit jacket get on the same plane. I saw him walk in, look back into the plane, and then he finally started walking back when he saw me again. As he passed by, his eyes did not move from my direction. Yet, as everyone boarded the plane, I was getting that feeling of being watched again,

so I turned around, and sure enough, He was in an edge seat, leaning over just enough to look at me. I turned back around, hoping to ignore it, thinking he was just trying to be a creep to mess with me. However, it didn't stop, as after we took off, he walked toward the front of the plane, making sure to drop something in my book that I was reading. It was a folded-up napkin with scribbling on it that said, do not leave the plane upon landing, we need to speak with you. This kind of alarmed me again. I didn't know who this guy was, or who this we that he was referring to, was as well.

I couldn't think of anything odd that I did that would have alerted security or anything like that, but yet, I also didn't believe that this guy could have been with the airport. Not to mention, he got up when the seat. seatbelt light was still on, and he was told to go back to his seat by the stewardess. To not listen to simple rules like that, it didn't seem like something someone would do if they worked there. And as he walked back, he looked at me again, but this time there was a slight grin on his face, and he winked at me. I don't know if that was supposed to make me feel better about the situation, but regardless, there was no way in hell I was going to do anything that this guy wanted.

So, once the plane landed, I made sure to be one of the first people off that thing. We started unloading and I cut off the row on the other side to get out quicker and to put more people between us. He definitely noticed, as I heard him shout something, but there was no way he could push past the people in front of him. As I exited the plane, I looked around for the luggage area. area, and as I did, I saw another guy there in a full black suit walking right towards me, making eye contact. This is when I started to become a little more alarmed, and I picked up the pace to find some way to lose him.

I shuffled through people and finally found the restrooms, and I hid in there. I just stood in one of the stalls for a while, and then went out and sat on the bench that was in there. I was probably in there for about 15 minutes or so, hoping that they would move on, but I was too afraid to stick my head out to see, so I asked someone who had come in there if she saw anyone matching their description. She confirmed that they were nowhere around, and she even checked as she left and came back to tell me.

I must have looked scared as she offered to walk with me to get my luggage, and I accepted, not really. knowing what else to do anyways. I still had another flight to catch in less than an hour, so I had to move on. Unfortunately, when we got to the carousel, my luggage was nowhere to be found. I asked some people working there if they saw it, and of course they didn't. So I had to file a missing luggage claim, and all I could think was, was it those guys? Did they take it as a ransom in a way to go with them?

and if so, how did they know it was mine? That's where I started to become a bit more worried, as I had all of my clothes and toiletries in it. I would have nothing once I arrived to my hotel. I was running out of time, though, so I had to either get on my next flight or miss it and dish out more money. I made the decision to go since they had my contact information in case they did find it, but I wasn't going to hold my breath.

Thankfully, I guess, the suit jacket guys were not on this flight. After we took off, I was lost in thought when a stewardess came by and asked if I wanted anything, and she also asked me to confirm my name. I did so, and she said she would be right back. I didn't say that I wanted anything, so I was confused by her statement. However, when she came back, she asked me to stay behind when they landed. Now I was feeling like something was wrong, and that she wasn't actually part of the staff. But the whole time she was smiling and being inviting, so I was really getting mixed feelings about it.

I did stay as I was asked, thinking, how could this get worse, right? To my surprise, she gave me. me a description of my suitcase to a tea and asked if it was mine. I confirmed it was, and then she asked me if I came here with anyone else, or if I knew the guy from my first flight, and again, I confirmed then I did not, and I started explaining briefly what I had witnessed. I couldn't believe it. The whole time, she was kind and seemed to believe everything.

She led me out to someone else who was standing with my luggage, and they had to have to had asked me a few more questions. I also got some answers, too. They said the guy definitely seemed suspicious on the first flight, and the stewardess told the pilots, and they reported it. They saw him hovering around another girl, so they stopped him to have him questioned. He was found with my luggage, and they assumed that it didn't belong to him, as it was pink and had a pretty floral design on it.

not to mention the name tag didn't match his ID. They confiscated the luggage and matched it to my missing claim and put it together. The guy didn't have a ticket for another flight, so he was escorted out due to his activity, but they never found the second person. They asked me again if I had any idea who they were, and I told them that I had no clue. I explained my holiday plans,

and I gave them the note that he gave him. me, as I stuffed it in my pocket, but that was it. Thankfully, they must have believed me as they let me leave with my stuff, but I did have to file a report with them so it was on record, since it was some kind of suspicious event. To this day, I still have no idea what they wanted, but it at least made me feel a little better knowing that I wasn't specifically targeted. I feel bad that they started doing this to another girl, but it seems that that helped catch them.

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I moved out of state to a very small town. The first day of moving in, a neighbor walking his dog, greets me an interesting. He gives me a quick rundown that the neighborhood is filled with tweakers and other shady types. I took that as a general warning that that may be all I'll deal with. A few months later, he invited me over to his place to teach me how to do some woodwork. As we're making a shelf for my cat to sit on, he's asking me some questions. To me, they were normal everyday questions, but looking back,

I realize now that he was trying to get information out of me. Why did you move out here from out of state? Who lives with you? Do you have any other family members in the state or area? Once we were done, we went to install the shelf, and he met my mom who stays with me. He talks to her for a bit, and then we left to walk back to his place.

He starts telling me that he can see our yard from his place, and he notices that I barely go outside, with my dogs. He then told me not to worry, that if someone breaks into our place and he can see them, he can shoot them from his room. That's what I'm thinking. How is that possible? You live over a half a block away.

Before I can question him, he asks if I want to see more of the town. I'm like, yeah, let's go. He walks to his car and pulls out something from the middle compartment, and then tells me to go to go. and then tells me to go to his pickup truck. So I do while he's filling the gas tank up with gasoline. Once he's done, he walks over to the driver's side and opens the door, and then drops a holster between us. He then tells me not to worry about it,

as I'm looking at it trying to see if it has a gun or not. As we're driving, I realize that he hasn't said a word for over five minutes. This guy loves to hear his own voice. Another thing I noticed is that we're on a dirt road, and I haven't seen a single house, trailer, or vehicle for a while. I guess I gave off some nervous vibes because he suddenly goes. So, yeah, unless you know where you're going out here, you'll get lost. And it's best to have a pickup or an ATV to drive out here.

After about another ten minutes of silent driving, we get to a little creek. Luckily, there was another truck out there. All he says is, Huh, look at that. Someone else is here with us, and he grabs the holster and gets out. We both see a lady with a big dog playing in the water. She turns to us as she sees him walking closer to her. She gestures to his holster, and he tells her,

not to worry, and that it's for snakes. She lifts her shirt above her waist to show her gun, and she tells him that she's not worried one bit. They talk for a few minutes. She tells him that her husband is home waiting for her to make dinner, and she's just out letting the dog have some playtime. The neighbor changes his tone and posture from confident to defensive now. She called her dog, and they went to their truck.

He's watching her, and she hasn't started her truck yet. A few minutes pass, and he tells me, I guess it's time that we go too. That's when we get to his truck, she drives off. The drive back, I start to get uneasy and creeped out. Why would he drive me all the way out there and then just leave? Why tell me not to worry about the holstered gun, but then tell the lady what it's for? I finally get out of my head and just break the silence, and I give him my life story as to why I moved.

Finally, he responds that he can relate to my story, and he gives me the rundown of how the town is and what it's about. And that some people are more racist than others, and that I should watch my back for that. Once we get back to his place, I tell him that I have stuff to take care of at home, and I nope the hell out of there. I said to myself that if I'm ever going to hang out with him again, it will not be alone. So, this goes hand in hand with my last story about my neighbor who drove me out to the boondocks without saying a word. It's the same neighbor. After that incident, he seemed more like an upstanding citizen and good Samaritan.

He drove me out to the city to get groceries for my family, helped me fix my broken refrigerator, you know, the good neighborly things. One day, however, he's visiting. and having a conversation with my mom. She's telling him about her Catholic upbringing and how she loves the church. He doesn't even hesitate to tell her that he doesn't like the church in any shape or form.

And I'm just looking at him and I'm like, okay, everyone has allowed their opinion, but the way he said it was with such disgust and a hint of anger. He then asks her what she would say if he said that he was of the devil. He let it hang in the air for a bit and just stared at her. Finally, she answered him, saying that she would politely ask him to leave,

only if he truly believed it. He goes on to tell her about how his grandma would take the life essence of dogs to stay young, and he had the ability to heal or make people sick. That's when I'm starting to think that something is seriously wrong with this guy. My mom excuses herself after that and heads to her room. He's like, okay, I guess it's time for me to go. As he's walking out, he shows me the dog tags that he keeps around his neck. Nothing out of the ordinary there.

Most veterans I know wear them. But he shows me what's between them. It's a metal coin. He tells me that it's for protection and that he was just trying to get my mom to understand that magic is either good or bad. bad, depending on how you use it, then he just leaves. A few days later, he brings over a portable swamp cooler, and he leaves some of his tools, so I take them back to him.

He asks me if I would like to stay and watch some TV with him and his daughter, and I'm like, okay, sure. He was watching ancient aliens, and it was about magic. Surprise, surprise. Of course, he wanted me to stay. So he goes on. and tells me about how magic is real and how he can do it. All the while, his daughter is next to me like, yeah, this is what he does, just go with it.

As he's telling me about how it works and what to do to make it happen, I start to shift in my seat, half on, half off, and a ready-to-run-type stance. I know that I wasn't subtle one bit, and he took it all wrong. He assumed I was looking at him like he was crazy, kind of right, but I was ready to throw down in case he came at me. He finally stopped talking and asked me, what do I think? I told him that if you have to do certain things during certain times with certain words, then you're pretty powerless to me in my eyes.

Nothing more than a glorified Houdini. That pissed him off because he tried using Chris Angel as an example of what fake magic is. I look over, and his daughter has a look of shock on her face. I looked over at him, and he looked like he was about to tear me a new one. Luckily, his daughter's alarm goes off, and I use that as a distraction to leave. As I'm leaving, he's just going on about how his magic is real, and I'm nothing more than another churchgoer who believes what a book tells me to believe. I haven't talked to him since, and he's left me alone as well.

Edit, after rereading the rules, I'll go into the whole reason as to why I got physically defensive. As he was explaining what magical abilities he has, his words not mine, he kept claiming that the power is his, comes directly from him, saying that what was being said on the show is wrong. The show said that special items were created to direct magic and energy. That's when he asked me what I think God is. I just told him that God to me is the universe. And that's when he told me that magic isn't any different. It's the same as praying.

It's the same as thinking. It's just energy. I'm like, okay, I've heard this before. Nothing new and nothing I myself don't know. Then he tells me how he scared a child by projecting his thoughts into their mind. Saying his mom was going to die. over and over again. That's when I start looking at him, like, why would you mess with a child like that?

Then he said that he would put eye drops in people's food, and he would just heal himself while eating with them. That's when I got defensive, thinking that this guy was warped. That's when he tells me that he's willing to share what he knows with me, and there's more out there than just making people think they're seeing stuff. unlike Chris Angel with his fake floating. When everything started with COVID, I lost my job for a while. And while unemployment did help a bit, and my wife was able to keep her job,

we were spreading ourselves a bit thin financially. So I needed to do something. I thought, hey, let's offer handyman services on Craigslist. I wasn't a handyman by trade, and I admit that I wasn't certified or anything, but I knew how to do most home repairs. Benefit of my dad being pushy with making me pay attention to him when he worked. He was a handyman. And when I was a kid out of school, I had to go with him to all of his jobs.

All that is to say that I put a post up on Craigslist to advertise my abilities, as a handyman. And I priced myself lower than anyone else, hoping that that would be enough to entice people to contact me. And entice it did. I got a notification on my phone the next day, an email from someone that had seen my ad, and they asked me if I could repaint a room.

I've painted rooms before, successfully even, so I responded and told them that I would be happy to help. them out with painting a room, if they needed. The deal went through quickly. They wanted me to come over the next day to start it, and asked if I could finish it within the week. After a bit of finessing on the price and how quickly we could get it done, he agreed to pay me half up front on PayPal,

and when the payment came through, I excitedly said, All right, I'll see you tomorrow. I got to the house and was a bit shocked, to see the outside of it. It was not pleasant. The yard was overgrown, the shutters and the windows were literally hanging off,

and the exterior paint was peeling. Part of me was a bit confused. Why would you worry about the color of your living room and the outside of your house is so uninviting? The other part of me was thinking, I bet I could talk him into letting me mow his lawn and fix those shutters, too. I rang the doorbell, and a middle-aged man answered.

He looked a bit tired, but other than that, was pretty normal. He looked at me with half-opened eyes and a bit of a scowl, asking me what I wanted. I want to add here that I was wearing overalls, a hat, and carrying my painting equipment. It was pretty clear why I was there. I'm here to paint your living room. I'm James from the Craigslist ad. As soon as I said this, the guy perked up. Oh, James!

Come on in. Thank you for taking the time to help me out with this. I thought maybe this guy wasn't too social, and he put on a face for uninvited visitors. And when he realized who I was, he changed his tune. I walked into the house, and let me say that the inside of this house matched the outside. The house had clearly been neglected.

The walls were tinged with that nicotine yellow, and there were cobwebs in the corners. Each room had a fluorescent light in the ceiling, of which only about half worked, and the other half just sat there flickering. I wasn't there to judge, only to paint, so I ignored it and just maintained my customer-friendly smile. Then we got to the room that he was planning on dubbing,

The Living Room. The walls were covered in a dirty, half-peeled wallpaper, and the air was stale. There was a chair in the room in one corner, but other than that, nothing else but a lamp. I wasn't expecting wallpaper, and he hadn't mentioned needing to depaper the room, but he said that he would help me to remove the paper and make it easier, and then apologized when he realized he hadn't mentioned the wallpaper. He had some tools and some wallpaper remover to get it off the walls, so I wasn't overly concerned. We started on one corner together, but after about ten minutes, he mentioned that his back was hurting,

and asked if I would be okay if he sat in the chair for a couple of moments. I would prefer that he hadn't, but at the same time this was his house, and he was paying me to do the work, so I wasn't really in a position to argue. you. He sat down and just started watching me take the paper off, and while I assumed that he would get back up to help, he just sat there, watching me with a big smile on his face. As the night went on, the room started getting a lot darker, and by the time it was hitting the evening, I was about three-quarters done with removing the wallpaper. I started stripping off the last wall, and I noticed something on the wall underneath it.

I was a little bit confused, but intrigued, so I stripped the paper off, only to see what looked like a pentagram burned into the wall underneath the paper. I took a step back and said, What the hell? When I said this, the man jumped up from the chair and stood right behind me, damn near breathing in my ear. You can see it? You can see that symbol on the wall? He asked this as if it was a serious question.

Of course I could see it. It was burned into the drywall. I turned slightly, which is when I realized how close this guy was to my face, which made me jump even more. Yeah, I can see it. What is it? I stammered out my stupid question. I don't know why I prodded for more information.

I didn't want to know what it was, but I guess I was curious. My curiosity was rewarded with this man giving me this really, terrifying, Willem Defoe, Green Goblin grin. It's for the ritual. He held that smile and then grabbed my arm tightly. I need your help for the ritual. I yanked my arm free and shouted, Help you with the what now?

He started laughing, and I saw him reaching into his pocket for, I'm assuming, a knife or something. I shoved him as hard as I could, and I told him that I was done with this nonsense, and started to walk out of the room. He then started shouting about how I had to stay, and how he had sent me the PayPal, and that I had to finish the job. I told him he could shove his job and do a charge back on the paint. and I took off out of that house, kicking myself for leaving my painting equipment, but it was a small price to pay for whatever the hell this was. I jumped in my car and I started to back out, and I saw this man starting to run out of his house at me, and he seriously chased me out of his driveway and partially down the road.

He was sprinting as fast as he could, keeping that creepy smile on his face that. the whole time. Thankfully, this middle-aged creep was no match for a pickup truck, and I did lose him eventually. I don't know what all that was. I don't know if this was some kind of satanic insanity that he was trying to get me to be a part of or whatever, but the money he'd pay me was nothing in comparison to how terrified I was. Funnily enough, he never did a chargeback, or ask for a refund or whatever. you have to do.

So, I kept the money that he sent. I did lose a day, and I had worked my back end off stripping that wallpaper, only for this guy to turn into an absolute lunatic, but I guess I got paid for it. I'm just going to start by saying, Arkansas is weird. Since I'm single with very little family ties left, I often like to do. just hop in my hatchback and hit the road in a random direction, at least until I run out of money or things to do. I live in Tennessee, a little south of Nashville, so I had been to the southern states, Georgia and Alabama mostly, plenty of times, and even a little of Mississippi, but I'd never

been to Arkansas. It was late July, and I'd had a rough week at work, as I'd been doing a lot of mandatory overtime, so I wanted to get away for a while. So that's where I planned to go next, making this my own little summer vacation. I packed a small bag, usually just clothing and a few essentials, and all the necessities for my best friend, Bear, to tag along with me. Bear was my eight-year-old Rottweiler. I actually got him right before I met my now ex-wife, so he's been through a lot. with me. That also means that there's no chance in hell that I would leave him behind, so he was

definitely going to be seeing the roads with me. As mentioned, we headed west to see how far we can go into Arkansas before we decided to turn back. We stopped in a couple of small cities in Tennessee along the way, had some of the best tacos from a food truck, and met some pretty cool people. But then, once we got into Arkansas, I came across the strangest and creepiest town I had ever been to. I was going to need to stop and get gas soon, and going by the signs on the highway. If I didn't take the next exit, that only had one gas station on it. There wasn't going to be another exit for a while. And my tank wasn't going to make it that far, so I'd just be.

decided to stop. Since this was a new state, and I wanted to look around for a bit, I decided to change things up a bit and find a place to stay. Usually, I just slept in my car, bringing a pillow in a blanket if needed, which saved me money on hotel rooms, too. Sometimes I might get a room for the night if I need a shower, or if I wanted to sleep in a bed, though. I was not going to have luck finding a place in this little town. Entering it, my initial thought was this was going to be a ghost town. The now entering sign that you typically saw when you entered cities just said, welcome, and spelled out and painted bricks, but there was no town name. It looked pretty empty at first, too. But then I started seeing other indicators to let me know that someone was

definitely around. There were carcasses all around. On the side of the road, at the end of driveways, like they were intentionally set out for the trash. My dad was a hunter, and I often helped him clean and prep his catches, so I was familiar with some of them. I could tell that some of the animals appeared to be deers, cows, and even smaller animals like goats, maybe.

But others were harder to make out. As mentioned, these were almost complete bodies, sitting out, decaying. If they weren't killed for food, then why were they killed? And why were there just so many of them lying around? One thing they all had in common, though, was that they had all been skinned. Not a single one was left as a whole,

And the smell was horrendous. I've never experienced a whole town that smelled of decay and rot. I usually enjoyed the summer air, but I had to roll up the windows because the smell was enough to make me gag, and I could tell it was making Bear curious as well. He was pretty well trained, but I didn't want to take the risk of him trying to jump out of the window to get at one of those bodies. Thankfully, I think. I did start seeing some other life. I drove by an old farmhouse that had clothes hanging out front on a line,

and there was an older lady sitting by it washing clothes with a bucket and an old washboard. When she saw my car, she stopped in her place and just stared at me for a minute, but then quickly got up and ran inside the house. It was like she was afraid of me, or maybe I looked suspicious. Who knows? I kept driving. I went around this curve and the road forked into two directions. There was a sign like you would see on the highway leaning against a tree pointing to the left for a motel,

and the road on the right was inaccessible. It was blocked by more dead animals, but they seemed to be stacked in a way to purposely block that road. I was a full-grown man in his forties, and that was downright unsettling to me. My problem was that I needed to get gas. I didn't want to stay here, but I was hoping that there was a gas station, since the exit sign claimed that there was at least, so I went towards the hotel. I pulled up to what they claimed to be the hotel,

however, it just looked like another old farmhouse. Driving around the back, though, there was a single gas pump that looked just as old. You had to lift the handle, and the price and gas. There were those spinning numbers. They weren't digital. There also wasn't a way for it to take a card or cash at the pump, so I would have to go inside. As I approached the house or hotel, I could see a guy through the window.

I kid you not, it was some scrawny old man, mostly skin and bones, wearing no shirt and overalls. He was holding up a shotgun to his chest. and thankfully not pointing it at me yet. The look on his face was similar to the old ladies, one of confusion and fear. I paused before I opened the door, and as I reached for it, that's when he lifted the gun. I let go of the door and I slowly backed away from it.

I swear, I felt like I was in some crazy The Hills Have Eyes movie crap. Old-looking town, dead things everywhere, just as crazy-looking people, I felt like if I didn't leave soon, I wouldn't be leaving at all. So, I got back in my car, burned out of there, and I left the same way that I came in, praying that I would make it to the next stop on the gas I had left. I barely made it. I got to the next exit and down a road when my car died. I had to push it a bit before someone normal stopped and offered help.

When I finally got fueled up, I found myself a nice hotel to stay in for the night that also allowed pets, and I went and got us some dinner from a local mom-and-pop place across the street from it, as people normally do. They asked me where I was from, and what brought me to Arkansas, and I explained my story to them. The server then suggested a place for me to visit, which brought up the creepy old town that I had seen. She seemed thoroughly surprised and confused, saying that she had never heard of such a place. I believe this town was probably about an hour or so away from the old town I saw, but she explained how she had been in that direction plenty of times but never seen anything like that.

She even asked someone else that worked there about it. From what I learned, I had to be close to the city, when? Yet that's not where that place was. She pulled out a map and everything, as she was interested in showing me where we were, the highway I took and the exits along it. Yet that place seemingly did not exist on paper. I thought maybe I was just lucky enough to take the right roads and found that little place, but of course, knowing all this got me curious, and even risking my life, I decided that I wanted to try to find it again, so I bought a little bit of a little bit.

disposable camera to take pictures of it as proof. Once I was done in the area, I left and headed back on that same highway, and I took the same exit. I knew I was coming from the opposite direction, so I knew to get there, it would be on the opposite side. But there was no way to go that way. I went the opposite direction and saw a small gas station like the sign showed, and the rest seemed to be a normal-looking farmland. But when I went back to go the other way, the road just ended with the road closed sign at the end of it, and then a field of overgrown grass and weeds.

How the hell was any of that possible? I even took a few exits after that one to see if I was mistaken, but I never found that place again. When I returned home, I told my friends about it and even tried looking it up on maps, and I found nothing like it. I don't know what I witnessed that day, but I'm just thankful to have gotten out alive to tell someone else about it. I'm afraid to go back to Arkansas now. If any of you visit or have visited, Andy found a similar city to this around Wynn, please do let me know, so I don't feel like I'm going crazy. I used to live in a pretty run-down apartment complex. I was pretty young in my mid-20s, but it was still a place of my own.

It was a studio, so not much room, which was fine because I didn't have any furniture when I first moved in. I eventually got a futon, which became my couch and bed, and a pre-owned lazy boy-style chair. I really didn't need much, though, so I was fine with it. And when I say, run down, I mean... it. Sometimes my bathroom lights stopped working, and I got tired of telling the office, so I watched a video on YouTube on how to fix it, and I did it myself. The doorknob was pretty loose, so I never relied on that lock, and thankfully there was a deadbolt, and I just hoped that the doorframe held up. The neighborhood also wasn't the best, with plenty of robberies and car thefts, so what money is I did save on the apartment, I put into a reserved spot in the secured parking garage.

All in all, it was just a place for me to sleep, eat, and play my Xbox. However, it wasn't all bad. I had a pretty chill neighbor at the time, Stacey. He was a very laid-back, hippie-style guy. I remember when he introduced himself. He told me what his real name was, but the same. Then said he didn't like that name because it was too corporate, so he went by the name Stacy, and because he liked it.

I saw no real reason to question him, so I knew him as Stacy. He never wore pants. He was typically wearing shorts, like cargo shorts, never jean shorts. If he wasn't wearing a tie-dye shirt, it was either some kind of poncho or just a jean jacket with no shirt underneath. He had dreads that went past his shoulder, and a beard probably equally as long. He had a pretty cool plant that he kept outside of his door. I think he said it was some kind of tree, and he took extensive care of it.

I often saw him watering it, replacing the pot, or even putting things like eggshells in it to help the soil, as he put it. He also liked to sit outside of his apartment with a beer and just look out the entrance door. He often left his door open, as he said he was trying to keep it cool in there, and he always had incense going. I just assumed that he had troubles with his AC, as I always did. He also invited me over to smoke, but I always politely declined. That was never my thing, but I don't judge. We were also in a state where it was legal. But, like clockwork, I would come home from work late at night.

he'd be out there with his can, we'd have a small conversation, and he would invite me over. I would decline, he would say it was a bummer, and wish me a good night. For the area and the building, at least I had a pretty cool neighbor, I thought. However, as expected, with an old place like it was, I started hearing a weird scratching sound. The first time, it was late at night, and it was after I got off. work, so I figured I was just hearing things, so I let it go. When I heard it again, I thought maybe it was an appliance, like the fridge or the AC unit, so I made a mental note to check them the next day since I was off. However, during the day, it never seemed to happen, but it also didn't happen

every night. So the next night that I was laying on my bed, and I heard the sound, I sprung up and started hunting for it. To my surprise, the sound wasn't coming from the unit, the fridge, or the hot water heater. So I tried to hone into the sound and traced it to part of my wall. My futon was against the left wall with the chair at an angle facing the TV. The TV was in the corner on the opposite side with my desk and computer against the wall, opposite of my bed. The sound seemed like it was coming from the wall that my desk was against. but closer to where my TV was.

This was also the same wall that I shared with Stacey, so the next day, I asked him if he was hearing the sound too. He said that he didn't, but that he would keep his ears open and let me know. Whatever it was, I felt that I needed to let the office people know so that they could look into it. Since it was an old building, I was worried if maybe there were mice that managed to get in and were living in the wall.

If that was the case, then they needed to look into it quickly before it got worse. But, as expected, they didn't move quickly at all. I continued to hear the sound for probably a week, and it was driving me insane. You could hear the little scratch and scrapes,

and I thought I was going to lose it. I was already having an unrestful night due to other influence. so this was just adding to it and I decided to figure it out myself I didn't know what I was going to do but in case it was a mouse I grabbed a big pot to use as a trap and some trail mix that I had as bait I felt along the wall again and started moving my TV and the little entertainment center it sat on so that I could get behind it and that's when I saw it There was a small pile of wall, plaster and dust, and there was a hole in the wall. One of my cables was also being pulled into it as well. My first thought was, hell no.

I wasn't going to let some rodent chew through the cable, especially if it was one that went to my Xbox. So I slowly knelt down, placed the pot into place, and quickly yanked the cable out of the hole. However, no mouse. came running out, nor was there a sound like it was scurrying through the hole. But yet the scratching sound continued. It may have been stupid, but I angled my phone to shine the flashlight into the hole and leaned down into it.

What I wasn't expecting to see was someone's hand with their fingers wriggling around. I barely had time to process this when I saw an extremely bloodshot eye looking through the hole making me jump back. I was kind of on alert, thinking it had to be Stacy, right? This was his wall, too, but why would he be doing this? I shouted his name and asked him what the hell he was doing, but I don't think I really got an answer. From what I could hear, he started laughing, a laugh that I had never heard from him before.

Then he started spouting nonsense. I think I heard things like, It's there. I could see it. I made it. Oh, where to go? Where did it go? I can get it. Get it? Yes. It won't stop. I can make it stop. I found it. Where did it go? It was just the same things over and over, and I had never seen him like that.

So I went out and knocked on his door, but as I heard him yelling, he never answered the door. So I tried opening it myself, and it was unlocked. I opened the door, but I didn't go in after seeing what I was. I saw. Stacey was still on the floor digging at the wall with a fork and one of those small gardening shovels, repeating basically what I had been hearing. I asked him what the hell he was doing, and he stopped, stood up, and unlike his normal look, he was terrifying. His hair was a mess, and he was just in his boxers. His eyes were red, but they also looked hazy. I'm not quite sure how to explain it, but if he was lying down, I would have thought he may have been dead.

My anger and confusion turned to fear and concern when he stood up and was just staring at me like he didn't understand how I got there. I told him to sit down and I motioned to his couch, and he slowly walked over to the couch and started talking about hearing them too, and how he was going to find it for me, because I was his buddy, and his only buddy. Then, as if on cue, he looked at me and said, "'Good night,' with a smile, and fell over and started seizing. I knew how to handle people having seizures since my mother had them, so I immediately ran to him to lie him down safely, and I called 911.

They came and got him to the hospital, and, after explaining everything, one of them said that it may have been drug-related. I didn't want to get him in trouble, but I often said, also didn't want him to die. So I mentioned the pot use, but the cop laughed and said that he knew he used that, but that's not what this was. They left, and I didn't see Stacy for a few days, so I just shut his door and watered his plant for him. I told the office about the hole, but that I didn't know what happened. As expected, they said they would schedule to have it fixed, so I just got a small plank and put it over the hole in the meantime.

When Stacey did come back, he came over and apologized to me for what had happened. He explained that he had run out of his normal drug of choice, and he was given something else to try. And, obviously, he had some bad trips. He said that he didn't feel like he was himself, like he wasn't controlling his body. I don't remember exactly what he said it was, though. It was a terrifying experience for both of us,

and he promised that he wasn't ever going to use it again, and he thanked me for watering his plant. He then brought over some killer tamales that he had made the next night. I wouldn't want to have him experience that trip again, but honestly, I also wouldn't mind him as a neighbor again, if that were to ever happen. I have always been a bargain hunter, always looking for neat things to add to my collections.

I'm the kind of person that loves finding hidden treasures and thrift stores, online marketplaces, etc. Craigslist has absolutely been a godsend. That and Facebook Marketplace. I've gotten so much stuff from those sites, vintage furniture, concert tickets, instruments. Of course, not all of my encounters have been great. Some were pretty clearly people trying to scam me,

but there's one that made me question whether or not my love for online deals was really worth my time. It all started with a vintage camera. I'm a photography enthusiast, and I love older analog cameras. I was instantly drawn to this listing, a beautiful camera from the 1960s that was in damn near perfect condition. being sold for a price that was almost too good to be true.

I kept looking through the post, and the guy that posted had put a ton of detail into the description. He had pictures with information listed, had some scans of photos taken with the camera. The overall feel of the listing was by someone that was passionate about the camera's history and information about it, which made me really feel like this was a real post. excited.

I messaged the seller asking if the camera was still available. They replied almost instantly, and their response was enthusiastic and friendly. Yeah, it's still here in need of a new home. Are you interested in seeing it? I'm available this evening if you want to come by and check it out. There was something about the quick response, the eagerness to meet up for it so quickly that did make me pause for a second. but at the same time,

maybe this guy just wanted to get this thing into the hands of someone that would appreciate it. I'm a pretty decently sized dude, so I'm not typically scared when meeting up with other people. After a little bit of back and forth, I agreed that I would meet them at their apartment. It was a small apartment building, according to Google Maps, but it was a multi-floor building, which made me feel a bit better about it,

He gave me the address in some basic directions, and I made my way there later in the afternoon, eager to get my hands on that camera. The apartment building definitely looked a bit older and worn down than it did on Google Maps. Like, a lot more run down. The front door made this awful creaking noise, and the hallways were seriously dark. Like half of the lights didn't work. That, and there was a smell of must, an old wood.

I slowly made my way to the door, which was actually down the stairs to the lower level, and knocked. My heart was pounding. The thrill of a good deal was fighting that growing sense of dread in my head. Then, the door creaked open. The man was standing in the doorway with his face in a slight smile. He was wearing an old pair of basketball shorts, and nothing else. I was a bit taken aback with a little bit taken aback with a little bit of.

this guy coming to the door mostly naked, but at the same time, this was his home, so maybe he just wanted to be comfortable? I personally would have at least put a shirt on, but that's just me. He told me to come on in, and he ushered me into the apartment. I very slowly stepped towards the door, thinking that the second I stepped across the threshold, I was going to be grabbed or attacked or something, but thankfully that didn't happen. The apartment was an absolute disaster, cluttered and filled with stacks of old newspapers, and various items that looked like they were part of a collection. I stepped in as far as three steps past the door, and stopped.

The man noticed but kept walking over to the corner, opened a cabinet, and pulled out a box that was in near pristine condition, a complete contrast to the rest of this place. I grabbed it, and I know for a fact my eyes lit up, because the guy chuckles as he turned to walk away and sit down in his chair. I opened the box, and I pulled out the camera to give it a once-over, and it was just as quality as what he'd listed. As I was looking it over, he was asking me random questions. Do you live around here? Are you a professional photographer? Do you do a lot of deals on Craigslist?

I'm giving him short and vague answers, my instincts telling me to keep my guard up. I nodded as I finished looking the camera over and placed it back in the box, and then I looked up at the man and thought I was going to be sick. I had seen him walk over to the chair and sit down. What I didn't see was him pull a blanket over his lap, and now he was sitting there with his eyes closed, and making a motion under the blanket. I stood there for probably four or five seconds not speaking,

just living through the most awkward moments of my life. I think he realized I wasn't saying anything, because he opened his eyes and noticed that I was just standing there. I kid you not, this guy immediately cleared his throat and shouted, I wasn't masturbating. I swear, I stood there just blinking confused for several minutes, before I pulled the cash out of my pocket, placed it on one of the stacks of newspapers,

and just turned to walk out of the apartment. As I exited, the guy shouted, Thanks, and pleasure doing business with you. I'm pretty damn sure I sprinted out of that building, jumped into my car, and went double the speed limit out of the point, parking lot. I was happy to have the camera,

but that was just gross. So very gross. He messaged me the next day, saying that he was sorry I had to see that. I obviously went ahead and blocked him. Even if he really was sorry, I didn't want to talk to him anymore after that. So, in the end of it all,

I did get the really neat retro camera, but I had to deal with this dude giving some self-care in the process. That absolutely was not the last deal that I did on Craigslist, but it was the last time I ever went to get the item at someone's house alone. After that, I always brought a friend, or my brother. I'm glad the dude didn't do anything more, like move the blanket or try to attack, me, but it was still super creepy.

So, dude that sold me the camera, let's never meet again. So usually, when I buy something off of Craigslist, I make sure to go with someone just to be sure nothing bad happens. This time around, however, all of my friends were busy, and I had already set up a time, and I really wanted what I was buying. I'd been looking for a specific computer that came out in the late 90s. I used to have one as a kid, and it played DOS games better than anything I had afterwards, and it had the best built-in speakers.

This outlet was claiming to have one. They posted a bunch of old stuff that they apparently had in stock. All of it's retro and old-fashioned tech. Some car parts. Anything you could think of they were claiming to have. I sent the guy a text and set up a meeting time for 4 p.m. In hindsight, I should have just kept looking on, like, eBay or something more safe. But the price was just too good.

I hopped in my car and headed to the address the guy gave me. I arrived at 401, cash in hand, ready to finally make this purchase. What I didn't notice until I got out of the car was the smell. This place smelled like old. garbage and rusty metal. In fact, I didn't really look at the place at all until I got out. It was filthy. It looked to be a whole acre of land just covered in trash and old tech-slash-car parts.

The smell was putrid. I should have backed out. I almost did. But as soon as I was even thinking of getting back in the car and getting the hell out of there, this linking man came hobbling out of this small building in the center of the lot. Howdy, welcome to Jimbo's Warehouse. We've got all kinds of stuff. I'm sure you'll leave happier than when you arrived.

God, I hope so, I thought. I decided to full send it. Hey, I texted you earlier about the DOS PC. Is this the right place? Sure is. I got two of them. You can take a look and pick which one is better for your budget or whatever. Follow me.

I slowly started walking into the muddy garbage-filled garage lot. The smell was so strong, so putrid. I had to cover my mouth and nose while walking through, hoping this guy didn't turn around and see me. We start going around the side of the small building instead of in. It's just around back here, he said. I should have just turned around when he wasn't looking. and just ran back to my car.

I think I was convincing myself that maybe the place was dirty, but if he actually had the product and it worked, who cared? We finally reached the back of the building, and it was odd. The dirt and the grime was gone, even the smell. There was a clean blacktop with tables and tents lined around the corner edge, looking to be a small outdoor consignment area. I walked to the PC-looking area, and the dirty, lanky man pointed out two big, clunky computers. There it was.

The computer that I had been looking for since my childhood. It was cheaper than it was listed on Craigslist. I handed the guy the money and walked out of there as fast as I could, thanking the man. It went better than I thought. I didn't really get a chance to use it. I did plug it in to make sure that it worked, and then I packed it up along with the rest of my boxes and stuff. I was planning on moving within the next few days.

A couple weeks after I moved out, I got a call from the guy that I sold the house to. He said that a few big men in masks broke in the first night he was there and ripped the place apart. He said that he hid in the bathroom until he left. They took all of his electronics. His TV, computer, game concerts, anything that was considered tech, I guess.

My theory, was the guy sold pristine tech to people after putting in some kind of tracker. And then when they went home and used it, he and a few people would break in, steal the stuff from their home, and bring it back to that landfill of an outlet to do it all over again. I feel sorry for the guy that moved in after me, but I am also very glad that I moved. that could have been me I got scared that they tracked me somehow when I turned on the computer to see if it worked

so I just tossed it in a dumpster after I got off the phone thankfully I hadn't even plugged it in since I'd moved I would have sold it but I didn't want another person having the same problem as the man I sold the house to I would rather be out the money

and the PC then put someone else through that. It's safe to say, I won't be buying anything off Craigslist for a while, or ever again. I grew up in a religious home until I moved out at the age of 18, right after high school. As a kid, my parents loved to send us older kids to any church retreats that they could. Most of the time, they were pretty fun, getting away from my family to hang out with friends and free roam most of them. of the time, and with my own money to spend how I want, what kid wouldn't enjoy it. The ones that I did not like, however, were the camping trips.

The ones where they actually had us sleeping in the good old outdoors. It was not my thing. I hated the heat and getting hot and sweaty. I hated bugs, and I wasn't a fan of most sports. I also was not a fan of going swimming in the lakes that we camped by, but that's a scary story in and of itself. So, needless to say, I didn't typically have fun with those, but I was still required to go. So when summer came around one year, they signed myself and my older sister up for one of their summer retreats in Texas.

It was going to be five days long, but at least my sister and a few of my friends would be there. Most of the events and activities were done as a whole, but there were a few things they split up by age and gender. The sleeping area was split up as well by genders. Most of us slept in tents, but there was one cabin on each side, male and female, that some people got to stay in, either due to disabilities or just paying for an actual cabin room. If you guessed that our parents didn't pay for those,

Then you are correct. We just got tents and sleeping bags. The first night wasn't that bad. It actually seemed to be a bit cooler, and I even slept with my tent open to keep it cool. It had a mesh cover, thankfully, to keep the bugs out. Otherwise, I wouldn't have done that. It was a bit hard to sleep, however,

as there wasn't much cushion between the bottom of the tent and the sleeping bag. However, I sucked it up. and made it through the first night. The first actual day there was fun. They had a few games planned out for us, which included a water balloon slash water gun fight, so we could stay cool. And then we all met in the auditorium, like center, where we had a sermon.

Afterwards, we had dinner, and then had free time to do as we pleased. That night was about the same, but instead of getting used to it over time, It became less and less bearable, so it was taking longer to fall asleep and stay asleep. I also felt like I was becoming paranoid, as I heard what sounded like someone walking outside of the tents. I kept trying to tell myself it was probably just one of the camp counselors, and to ignore it. One of those days, though, I started feeling ill. My stomach was constantly in knots, and I had the start of what I now.

know as a migraine. I didn't want to do anything, but I wasn't allowed to do that until free time. So I had to grin and bear it and put in the bare minimum so that they would leave me alone. At one point, just to get out of playing volleyball, I asked to use the restroom and quickly started heading towards them. Thankfully, there was an actual building for them near our tents, so we weren't stuck using the portable ones. The entrance didn't have a door, though, but a long wall that went kind of in an up-and-down motion.

I suppose that it was done this way, so that they didn't have to put in doors. In this way, the wall blocked the view so that no one could see anything from the outside. As I approached the building, I saw a guy standing nearby, and he seemed to be picking stuff up off the ground and putting it in a trash bag. I figured he probably worked for the park and was cleaning up, so I didn't pay him much mind. I wasted some time there, though, resting my head against the wall, splashing my face with water, doing anything that could buy me some time. As I finally started heading back, I saw that guy at the entrance, and he looked like he was staring down the hall that leads into the restrooms.

He kind of smiled at me, saying hi, and then he asked if I was okay. Knowing how the rest of the adults had acted towards me and how I was feeling, I said that my stomach was upset that I would be fine. He motioned at me to wait there, and I watched as he walked over towards a patch of grass and picked up certain leaves and returned. He told me to chew on these for a few minutes, and then spit them out. being a kid I of course looked at him funny he had a slight laughed as he explained what it was

and to this day I still don't remember but he explained that it helps with upset stomachs I did as he said and started chewing on them he told me to head back to the group and to spit them out before I got there and I should start feeling better that's what I did to my surprise it actually seemed to work too

I finished playing, and by the time we were having dinner, I was feeling much better. Unfortunately, the effect wouldn't last, and by the time I was going to bed, I was in pain and feeling sick again. I ended up cutting my free time short just so I could go lay down. I, apparently, managed to fall asleep, as I woke up when it was pitch black and silent outside. the worst part was that I woke up because of the pain again. I was lying down and it felt like my head was spinning. I was sweating and I felt like I was going to get sick. Since there was no way I was going to be able to go home early,

I decided to try to make my way to the restroom before I made a mess in my tent. I grabbed my little flashlights and I tried to make my way to the restroom as quickly and quietly as I could. When I got close enough, I put my hand in the wall of the restroom to help steady myself as I walked around to the entrance, but I was startled when I saw a guy sitting on the bench right outside of the restrooms. I recognized him and his voice as he spoke, though, and I knew it was the guy that gave me the leaves. He asked me where I was going, and all I said was that I didn't feel good, and then started walking into the room. He tried to make small conversation with me, but I ignored it and went in, fearing I was about to get sick.

After sitting there on my knees and dry heaving, nothing else happened. I was just leaning on my arm at this point trying to gain my composure and figure out what I was going to do next. When I heard the guy ask, do you need help with anything? Now, at the time, I really hadn't realized this. but the guy sounded very clear. Like, he may have partially been inside the restroom. Like, in the hallway part? I thought it was a weird question to ask, though, but I just said no.

I again splashed water on my face, at the sink, and I finally walked out when I felt that I could walk again. Sure enough, the guy was still out there as if he was waiting for me. He asked me if I needed help getting back, and I didn't know how to answer other than saying that I just wanted to go home. Before I even realized it, he had one arm around my waist and was quietly almost whispering to me that he could take me home. I was around 13 at the time, and I was sick and not thinking straight,

so I agreed at first. He started leading me away, but I was at least coherent enough to notice that he wasn't leading me back towards the camping area, but into even darker trees. Now I was starting to get scared. I tried asking where we were going, and he said that he knew a shortcut through the trees. I started hesitating as I walked,

saying that I didn't want to go that way, and I noticed that he grabbed my waist tighter, and his tone became more and more aggressive. He was saying, if you want to go home, you have to go this way. You don't have a choice. Now walk. And rightfully so, it began to terrify me even more.

All of this again caused the dizziness to come back, as well as the nausea. I tried telling him that I was going to get sick, and he must have thought I was lying as he tried to pull me closer to possibly pick me up. This didn't go the way he anticipated. as when he attempted to pick me up, I threw up in his direction. It did cause him to let go of me and shout a few choice words, and I quickly ran away. I didn't have my flashlight anymore, so I ran praying that I didn't step or trip on anything. I finally saw a light that was coming from the cabin, and I ran towards it.

Once close enough to it, I ran to my tent, zipping it up and completely hiding. in my sleeping bag. I didn't fall back asleep that night either. I didn't even get up when it was light out, and I heard others talking, and fear that it could have been the guy coming back. It wasn't until one of the counselors came over to my tent and started calling for me,

that I finally came out. I must have looked sick enough to them because they immediately had the nurse check me out and suggested that I'd go home, or to the hospital at least. while I was lying there in the cabin waiting for my parents to come get me, someone else was packing up my stuff. The nurse was in the room with me, and she asked why I hadn't told anyone how I was feeling.

I tried explaining that I had, but no one believed me, except for the guy with the leaves. But then I explained to them that he was really scary and mean about taking me home. That's when I became really terrified, because she looked at me confused asking what guy I was talking about. I began explaining to her more what the guy looked like and my encounters with him. She then walked out of the cabin and yelled for one of the counselors. Sure enough, the guy that I saw was definitely not part of the church staff. Someone else had mentioned seeing him, but it was a public park, so,

They assumed he was just another visitor, possibly someone that worked there. They reported it to the police, and they went out looking for him, but he was never found as far as I know. They cut the whole trip a day short. I remember this because my parents tried to get a refund for the days that I wasn't there, and the day my sister came back early, too.

Never mind the fact that it ended early to keep your kids safe, though, right? So, there's a little. some strange guy out at a park in Texas that feeds leaves to kids, and then tries to kidnap them. Oh, yeah, also, my parents took me to the hospital, and it turned out that I had food poisoning. I still don't like camping, either. I was a 16-year-old female, 4 foot 11, and very small. I was working at my local grocery store at the time. It was a lovely first job.

I had a lot of regulars who I loved making small talk to. One day, I was chatting with my mom in one of the aisles, and once we stopped chatting, I turned to face a man. He was tall, lanky, dirty-looking, and he had a beard that was just graying. I looked next to him to see a girl around ten years old. She looked scared, and he was gripping her hand tightly. I heard her whimper. Dad, don't, quietly before he spoke to me. He said, hey, so you only weigh 90 pounds?

Not knowing what to say, I asked him how he knew that. He gave me a creepy smile and said, I know more than that about you, and walked away with the girl. Not thinking too much of it, I continued stocking shelves and opening on cash when I was needed. Once I was on the cash, I rang through about two regulars. I noticed none of my coworkers had customers at their till,

and went to leave when the man and his daughter entered my till. Annoyed, I rang them through. The daughter left for some reason partway through the encounter, and his questions got very uncomfortable. It went from, How was your day, kind of questions, to, How old are you? Are you old enough to date yet? Mind you, I had a baby face, and I looked more like I was 12 or 13.

And then, do you want to come to a party with me? Creeped out that I never gave him my age, but did say I was a minor, and was not interested in partying with him. A few days passed, and I kept thinking that someone was tapping on my window at night. for some context, I sleep in a basement. My window looks on to my neighbor's driveway, and they like to party. My blinds are wooden and old. Usually they swing open, which I didn't mind because I liked looking out the window before sleeping.

My bed was under the window, and someone could easily see me through the window if they looked hard enough. At this point, I couldn't help but notice the same lanky, creepy man, who, might I add, looked to be about in his late 40s to early 50s, was always at the store when I worked. I once noticed him running through every single aisle looking for something. I met his eyes, and moved quickly, and then he followed. When he caught up to me, he asked me where something was. We were right in front of it, and I was called to the till.

He laughed and then said, well, insert my name, you better go open until, with a smile. I was never dumb enough to tell him my name, and I always forgot to wear my name tags, so I don't know how he knew this. Eventually it got to the point where I didn't sleep. I kept waking up every hour to tapping on my window. Sometimes I swore I saw flashes coming through my window,

so I put things in front of my blinds to keep them. shut, but still didn't let my parents know because I honestly didn't know how bad it would get. It continued, and I worked many night shifts where this man would come in. I worked until eight, and around 7.30, this man would come in, get one thing, and then ask me to come to parties with him, and other stuff. Trying to be polite, I told him I had things to do, and he seems to understand, but not exactly get the hint. October came, and on Halloween night, I sat outside handing out candy.

I preferred this because I loved seeing the cute kids all dressed up and stuff. This man parked his truck in front of my neighbor's house, and I noticed him leave the vehicle. I stared for a moment, and when I clued in that this was the man, I felt suddenly anxious. My dad left the house seeing the man's dog. It looked similar to my dog, and my dad talked to him about it. I overheard the man ask my dad, is, insert my name here, able to come trick-or-treating with me and my daughter. Hearing this, my heart dropped. My dad is a military man and has horrible PTSD, but because he didn't know anything about him,

He just said, no, she's too old for that, and laughed. I walked into the house, and I told my mom everything. Worried my mom told my dad after his chat, and he grew angry saying, why didn't you tell me sooner? I would have socked him there and then. I said I didn't know for sure that it was him tapping on my window, but I was pretty certain.

My parents kept lookout every night. night after that. And my mom kept a look out at work. If she saw the man there, she would usher me to the back room and give me something else to do while the man was there. We explained a short version of this to my boss, and he was understanding. My dad also installed locks on all of my windows, and the final night of the tapping, my dad saw this man's truck outside and heard the taps. My mom said out loud Honey, grab the gun Someone's at our daughter's window

Mind you, we did not have a gun at this time And my mom was just trying to scare him My dad heard the footsteps And he ran outside and yelled at the man Who jumped into his truck Which hesitantly started after a few tries He yelled

Next time, you better hope that piece of crap truck starts faster Then the man drove away My birthday was later in the winter, and I was turning 17. The man didn't know this, but in December, about a month exactly after my birthday, he saw me in the store. I slowly walked away, thinking he wasn't dumb enough to talk to me again, but I heard him say, Sorry I missed your birthday. It was a month ago, right? I was away for work.

I freaked out and walked away without giving him any. attention. That was the last time that I saw or heard from him. My dad brought this up with the neighbors, a decent young couple in their 20s. The girl is a bit of a dits. She's the one that's related to the freak. My family is divided on this. I think it's her dad. My dad thinks it's her uncle, and my mom thinks it's her brother. Her boyfriend is pretty smart, but a bit of a partier, both of them apologized profusely, and the boyfriend said that he hates her side

of the family, and promised that the man would not be coming back any more. I'm now 20, and am finally comfortable sleeping near the window again, and finally warmed up to changing in my room again. I was scared to for a while, for obvious

reasons. Sorry this was so long. It has been a while since this happened, and not many people know this about me. It was the single most terrifying real-life thing to have ever happened to me. I don't usually go on places like Craigslist, but at the time of this story, I was really desperate. My car had been stolen about a month prior, and they found it two states away, completely trashed at the bottom of a lake somewhere in Utah. So, needless to say, I didn't have many options to find ever place.

I couldn't hitch a ride with a friend to work forever. I also hated asking for favors. I always felt like I had to return the gesture immediately, so I usually stuck to doing everything for myself. I opened up Craigslist on my phone, and I started looking for a used car. There were a bunch outside of my price range, a bunch that were in my budget but looked like absolute garbage.

And then there was this 1990s, In the 1995 Pontiac Bonneville, it was a nice dark green, looked well kept, and only had 80,000 miles on it. The guy was only asking two grand for it, which was under my budget, and I could use the rest to fix up any problems if it had any that the guy didn't list. So I called the number listed on the posting, and after a few rings, a man with a deep and rough voice picked up. Yeah. Hi, I was wondering if the Pontiac was still for sale.

Yeah, you want it? Yep. I can come by today for free. Mm-hmm, sounds good. He told me the address to meet him at, and it wasn't that far from me, so I decided to just bike there and toss the bike in the car after I secured it. With 2K and cash in my wallet, an excitement pumping in my chest, I headed out. After about five minutes later, I reached my destination. It was a small shack of a house, with a canopy on the side of it that had a car under it.

The car was under a tarp. I assumed that this was the Pontiac that I saw in Craigslist, so I stopped and got off my bike. I decided to call the guy, because there was no way I was going up to this creepy-ass shack alone. The phone rings and rings. No answer. I call again. Same thing. So I texted him, but nothing.

Instead of listening to my gut that something was wrong and high-tailing it out of there, I convinced myself that getting this car today was more important than my possible safety being compromised. I leave my bike on the side of the road, ready to hop on if anything goes awry. I walk up to the lifeless husk of a house and wrap on the front door a few times. The frame making a rickety, tinny sound as it bounced against the wood. After a minute or two, a large bearded man that had to be in his 50s or 60s appeared from inside and looked me up and down. Yeah, what the hell you want?

Hey, I'm the guy who called earlier about the Pontiac. I tried calling and texting when I got here, but you didn't know. answer. The guy just looked at me staring daggers into my soul. He seemed like he either had no idea what I was talking about, or the anger he felt after me knocking on his door outweighed the rules of the transaction. After about a minute, he just went, one sec, be right out. I backed up from the porch just in case he decided to blow my head off or something. After another minute, the man, now fully dressed, he was in a tank top in his underwear before, walked out the front door looking me up and down again. Come here, he motioned to me with his hand.

I followed him over to the tarp, covered vehicle under the dingy canopy. It smelled musty and old. Probably the entire property and hopefully not the car, right? I'd have to pay to get that smell out. He ripped the tarp off, and what I saw... made my jaw drop involuntarily. It was indeed the car from the listing, only it looked like it sat in that spot where we were standing for the entire 25 years since it was made.

I clenched my mouth shut again before he could see my reaction. Well, he said with his eyebrow raised, Pretty, ain't she? Yeah, man, she is beautiful. I managed to say back an utter confusion. Um, just one sec. I gotta check my bank, you know, make sure I have enough money, I said. I went and checked the listing to see the pictures one more time, and something I neglected to notice in my desperation was a timestamp on the bottom right of each picture. October 11th, 1995. These were scans of printed photographs. I looked back at the guy and he was staring right at me.

The same horrible glare right into my soul. I could not buy this car, and I had to get out of this transaction somehow. Hey, man, I think I left my wallet back at home. I just need to go get it real quick. I'll be right back, I quickly said. Before he could say anything, I trotted to my bike, hopped on, and I sped out of there as fast as I could. I never looked back, nor went back to that creepy house. A week went by, and I did end up finding a car within budget.

It had about 150,000 miles on it, but it got me from point A to point B. The creepiest part of this whole interaction wasn't that the guy was trying to sell me a 25-year-old car that looked like it sat outside during a nuclear explosion, but that somehow a day or two after I left, he ended up finding where I lived. He showed up, and he started pounding on my door, yelling slurs and obscenities at me, demanding that I pay him for his wasted time. He came back once or twice over the next few days, and one of my neighbors called the cops, and I never heard from him again after that.

So take this as a lesson. If you don't have a car and need one, don't go on Craigslist. The risk of it being a random weirdo or even some kind of serial killer far outweighs the actual real sales on the site. A little context. I'm 19, female, and I moved back into my mother's house late last year. I have a neighbor, a 50-ish or 60-ish-year-old male, who I caught watching me only.

almost every day for the past few months now, maybe since January or February. The way that our houses are laid out is a little confusing. My backyard ends on the side of his house and yards, so the back of my house is pointed to the side of his. My room window faces the back on ground level, so I have direct view of the side of his property. I hope that makes sense. What he will do is stand outside. when he smokes, and the whole time his body will be facing my direction. When I first started noticing it, I shrugged it off as him looking at the sky or mountains behind my house,

or maybe he was just zoning out. But after a while, I noticed that he didn't try to look in any other direction when I'm in my room. Soon, it was just about every day that I could count on seeing him outside, looking into my window slash yard. I was getting sick of it. I started by hiding when I would see him, and then shutting the blinds on him and opening them up after he left. Then I tried staring back at him, then flipping him off. He knew that I had noticed.

Now he would scurry away behind the corner of his house when I protested. At this point, he knows that I've seen him multiple times and that I don't like him. Now, yesterday was different. I had taken the screen out of my window so that my cats could come in and go out as they pleased. One has abandonment issues and won't go outside without someone close. So now, seeing me through my window was even easier. My younger brother was in the back working on our garden, and I was leaning out the window chatting with him. I looked up, and I saw the guy half hidden behind his house facing right toward me.

My annoyance and anger had reached a breaking point. I yelled at him across both properties to stop staring, and he scurried away behind his little corner. My brother and I continued our conversation, as it seemed that he had gotten the hint. I was wrong. I kept an eye out for him and that corner. I saw him again. This time just the top of his head and eyes as he concealed his body behind his house, and leaned as far as he could.

My blood ran cold. This guy who I don't even know and is three times my age is so desperate to just look at me that he can't stop even after being yelled at. I yelled again and he hid again, not saying a word. I was trying to wrap up the conversation between me and my brother so I could shut my window and hide. Once again, I see him,

just his head and his eyes staring. I screamed this time and then slammed my window. He cowered off. I wasn't planning on making this post until I saw him doing it again today. My window was shut and he ran off before I could yell again. I feel sick to my stomach about it. He will not get the hint. I don't know what to do.

I like keeping my blinds open during the day because I keep a cactus in my room that needs light, not to mention the lights in my room don't really work, so I have to use sunlight anyways. I shouldn't have to change my routine because of a creep, but I don't think I can report him to the police because he's staying on his property, and I don't know if I can legally record him if he's in his yard. I want to knock on his door and tell his wife,

but my mom advised against that. I don't think me giving him a stern talking to will do anything other than fuel whatever fantasies he might have about me. It could be dangerous, too. The situation is starting to affect my mental health. I'll wake up in the middle of the night convinced that someone's right outside looking at me. I can't even change my clothes in my own room anymore because I feel like he's already caught a peak. I don't think ignoring him is an option that I can continue doing.

Is there even a way to do it? that I could help my situation? The OP then added a few updates. I'm shaking. He was outside shirtless smoking a cigarette. He could tell that I saw him. He scurried away and then came back. I grabbed my camera on Snapchat.

I just screamed at him and threatened to call the cops and he argued back. I think I got the recording, but my phone is so old and laggy that I can't tell if it's saved. I called my mom, and I told her that I was going to call the cops. She told me that she would come home and talk to me about it before we do. She was brief. I think I'm going to head to a friend's house until my mom gets home, so I won't be able to respond to comments very well.

Wish me luck. Update two. Mom called again before I left to my friends, and allowed me to explain the situation further. She thought I was outside when this happened, I guess. which is why she wasn't urgent. She's told me to stay home and get the house ready for the cops, and that I can go ahead and call them now.

Final update. So, I called the cops, an officer came over, and I showed him from my room where the neighbor stands outside. Basically, he told me to get a curtain, and that since he's on his property, he's technically allowed to stand and look in any direction that he wants to, and it's just unfortunate that.

my window is easy to see into. He can't tell him to not face my house when he smokes outside. I asked the officer to suggest that he smokes on the other side of his house or on the front porch, and he said that he would talk to him, but he doesn't expect much to happen. I told the officer that I felt like it was an invasion of my privacy, and that it had been occurring for months, that I should be able to live in my room and not be watched. Basically, I guess he has the right to look into my room as long as he is in his yard, and I can't do anything about it legally until there's solid evidence of intention.

I also found out that my mom shut off the cameras because it was blowing up her phone too much. If I had a recording of yesterday where he had peeked around the corner, I probably could have proven intent. Guess I'm just out of luck. assist a moment historic. You could gain the BIA for the final of the Cup of the World of the FIFA 2026 with Visa. It's just to have a card of credit Visa

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