As The Raven Dreams Podcast - Scary Stories For Dark Dreams - Vol 47 | ATRD Podcast

Episode Date: November 20, 2025

Today we have 12 More 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; October Stories from Oct 2022, Night Drive Stories from Sept 2023, & National Parks Stories from Oct 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. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like or rate the podcast, and leave me a comment with your thoughts if the platform your own supports it! I upload episodes every 3 days, so there are 2 days between new uploads. The podcast consists of new scary story collections, Glitch in the matrix collections, and also what I call the "Dark Dreams" collections (which are older stories, remastered and layered with rain sounds). If you have a story to submit, would like to find where to listen to the podcast, or want to find me on social media platforms, all of that info can be found at https://www.astheravendreams.com You can also send stories into my subreddit (r/theravensdream) or email them to me at [e-mail] Want to check out some ATRD Podcast Merch? ➤ https://teechip.com/stores/astheravendreams Or for signed merch ➤ https://ko-fi.com/AsTheRavenDreams I wrote a novel, "The Insomniac's Experiment" by Raven Adams! Check it out on amazon (Or you can email me for a signed copy!) Join Patreon to get early access and support the Podcast! ➤ https://www.patreon.com/AsTheRavenDreams Check out my gaming channel with my pal Ghost_Ink ➤ @superNefariousBros On YouTube TIMESTAMPS One Ad After the First Story, No ads after that Story 1: 0:24 Story 2: 11:35 Story 3: 19:44 Story 4: 28:38 Story 5: 36:14 Story 6: 47:12 Story 7: 55:09 Story 8: 1:04:58 Story 9: 1:14:06 Story 10: 1:26:31 Story 11: 1:32:18 Story 12: 1:37:41 ----- Disclaimer ➤ Episodes include a content warning for language and sensitive/disturbing content. Listener discretion is always advised. ALL Audio and visuals on this podcast are copyright of AS THE RAVEN DREAMS / RAVEN ADAMS and may not be duplicated, in any format. Bless This Mess. None of my audio is AI Generated, I am a real person reading real stories into a real microphone. Note: The podcast nor the host endorses any advertisements played during the podcast, ads are not chosen by ATRD or Raven Adams, they are chosen automatically by the advertisement systems by the platforms that host the podcast. I do not endorse, support, or promote any opinions or statements made in any adverts played during the show. #ScaryStories #UnexplainedMysteries #NationalParkStories ➤ And Remember; You are loved, you are important, and you are valid. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. I used to be a park ranger for the lovely Shenandoah National Park out in Virginia. Back in the late 80s. It was a much simpler time for sure. A bit more difficult for communications. Nobody was carrying a mini-computer in their front pockets yet, that's for sure.

That simplicity of the past, however, was able to harbor some deep and dark secrets, sometimes more so than how things are now. Obviously, Shenandoah is not Yellowstone. It's probably not even known by most people out there, and it's nowhere near as vast as the Rockies. but there is still plenty of wilderness out there to lose yourself in, sometimes more literally than you would ever wish for. It was starting to turn to fall,

and the leaves were beginning to shift over to those patchworks of reds, oranges, and yellows, but there was still that hint of green, and there were still a few days left of that in-between weather, where it can get fairly warm in the days, but also pretty cool at night. As such, we were not dealing with a lot of campers, or tourists that wanted to get out into the park. But there were still a few stragglers that wanted to squeeze in that super late vacation before the school year got into full swing. That's actually how this all started. I'd done my rounds on the grounds, and everything seemed pretty normal.

There really wasn't a whole lot to report. Then, late that Saturday afternoon, I got a call over the radio. One of the families needed assistance locating someone. At first the details were sketchy, but I quickly learned that it was a family with a mom, dad, nine-year-old son, and a 13-year-old daughter, and the 13-year-old daughter, Ellie, was missing. When I got that detail, I started to feel a bit ill. I have a pretty strong resolve, but a 13-year-old girl missing in the woods is not something that you want to hear, because the worst-case scenarios will always play in your mind first.

I drove up and talked to the family about what was going on. I was informed that Ellie and her brother were bickering a lot, typical sibling stuff, and she told her mom that she was going to take a walk because she didn't want to spend any more time around. her brother. Her mom agreed and told her to stay close, but she had not come back since then. It had been about three hours, and her parents were starting to get frantic. The sun was already setting, and time was not on our side. I radioed back to the station, and we got a search team put together pronto.

Search and rescue at Shenandoah was pretty tight-knit. We knew what we were doing. but something about that evening was feeling off. Not like we were scared that we wouldn't find her, but more like the air had a bit extra chill to it. Or I was a bit more sensitive to the cool breeze. Thankfully, if anything, it was just going to be light jacket weather, and the odds of Ellie succumbing to the elements was rather low.

There was obviously other things to worry about, mostly wildlife, but I was keeping those thoughts out of my head, hoping that this 13-year-old girl had just gotten a bit lost, and that we would find her rather quickly. We searched the rest of that afternoon

for several hours, into the night. We were searching, calling out for Ellie, looking for any sign of this girl. Our search unit was split into four groups, each with two people, and were covering decent ground. While it had been a few hours since anyone had seen her, we didn't feel like a 13-year-old girl would cover that much distance.

And, being young, she was likely to get tired and stop at some point. We got several hours into the search, and the darkness started to hit me with that sense of dread that comes with being out in those woods late at night. Even as it got late into the night, my partner, Pat, and I, were not willing to slow down. I was ready to go through the entire night trying to find this girl. We did pause for a moment to take a quick break and get some water, eat the food that we brought with us, and to recoup some energy,

but then we would be right back out there. As we paused and ate, we were both silent, just thinking and listening to the night sounds and seeing if we could hear Ellie at all. I did hear something, but... It wasn't Ellie. It was, however, unsettling. As I sat there and ate my granola bar, I started hearing what sounded like a soft humming. I paused my chewing and just listened for a moment.

The humming sounded calming, like a child's lullaby. I glanced over at Pat and his eyes were on me, wide. Like, you hear that... too. We quickly packed up and started heading toward where we thought it was coming from, continuing to call out for Ellie, but keeping quiet for the most part, to see if we could decipher exactly where it was. As we kept on, we ended up coming out to a clearing in the trees that was brightly lit by

the moonlight. The humming stopped the minutes that we hit the clearing, but the silence that replaced it was almost stifling. The air got colder, and I swear I could see our breaths in the moonlight. We didn't hear anything. There was nothing to cause us to be alarmed, but something was incredibly off. I swear this small area was so still and silent that I could feel the earth rotating underneath my feet. Pat made a comment about radioing back to the team to see if there had been any progress on the other side.

I grabbed the radio and asked for a status update from the other teams, but nothing came back. It was completely silent. No matter how many times I hit the buttons saying, This is Blue Team, can we get an update? There was never a response. I asked Pat if we should head back to meet with the rest of the crew and figure out what we should do to expand the search, and he immediately agreed. I think that he was freaking.

out about the feeling that this part of the woods was giving off. I was, too. I was just better about hiding it. We started making our way back, and about 20 minutes back towards the campground, a voice came over the radio saying, Blue Team, please respond. I grabbed the radio immediately and responded, telling them that we were here, and that we hadn't had any luck and were heading back towards the camp.

The voice on the other end sounded a bit confused, asking us where we were. I told them our approximate location out from the camp, and they then asked why we hadn't been responding. I was confused now, saying that we had been trying to get a hold of everyone else, and that they weren't responding. And then the voice mentioned that they'd been trying to reach us for an hour to no success, that Ellie had been located, and that they were preparing. to send a team out to find us. When we got back to the camp, I talked to the other teams about what had happened. They told us that,

about an hour prior to us getting back a hold of them, Ellie had been located about three miles in the opposite direction. She was shaken, but otherwise okay. She was asked what had happened, and she mentioned that she was out for a walk in the woods, and that she had actually gone the direction that me and Pat went. She decided to go back to the camp, but for whatever reason, she could not seem to find her way back. She had a compass, and she'd been walking in a straight line in the woods.

But when she turned around to go back, it seemed like the compass was pointing in the wrong direction, and she walked for a long time until she realized that she was super lost. What's strange is that Pat and I went straight north. If she had gone that same direction and somehow turned around but overwalked, she should have been straight south. But she was found three miles to the northwest, which made literally no sense. Even stranger, she mentioned that she heard the humming in the woods too,

and that that was what made her scared, so that's when she turned around. She didn't mention ever getting to the clearing, though, just the humming. Obviously, we were glad that she was found, confused by the humming and the fact that they couldn't reach us for quite a while, and a bit chilled over what we'd experienced out there. But I guess that that was all in a night's work. Just a random fun fact to note, as this story is pretty much over, Pat and I actually went back out to that area about two weeks later, when there weren't any campers out,

and we walked in the same direction that we had for about the same amount of time, and we could not, for the life of us, find that clearing again. We were certain that we should have entered it at some point, but it was just not there. It was super weird, and I have no idea what that forest is hiding, or what was going on that night. But it was, apparently,

temporary. Obviously, this was going on 40 years ago, so I no longer work there. I'm retired, but this was one of the weirdest nights that I'd experienced. I do have a few more stories that I

could share with you at some point, and I might, when I get the time. But hopefully this one is sufficiently scary for you and your listeners. Welcome to aboard via rail. Embarked and profite. Embarked and celebrate.

Rigolet. Publiere. Savoré. Admire. And profite. Via Rae. The voice that we love. In the fall of 2017, I had just started a new job that required me to commute about an hour there and back. It was a decent job, and the drive didn't really bother me that much.

even though two hours on the road a day can be a bit tiring. I've always enjoyed driving. It gives me time to think about things, listen to some new music or podcasts, just spend some time with myself and all that. My daily route consisted mainly of a long stretch on a state highway, not an interstate or anything, just a two-lane stretch for a while. It was pretty straightforward in the morning, but in the evenings, it was a completely different story. If I left too late, the highway would be dark, poorly lit, and oftentimes empty.

It was just me in the road. Peaceful, sure, but also kind of creepy. One Friday night, I had to stay late at the office to get some stuff done before taking a few days. days off. So I was there pretty late. It was a long week already, and I was ready to crash and just take a few days to myself. The highway was unusually deserted, like straight-up ghost town vibes. I looked at the clock, and it read 10-17 p.m., which was way later than I thought it was. My car's headlights were pretty much the only source of light cutting through the dark highway ahead.

Now, I don't scare easily, but I've seen enough horror movies that start on empty roads at night to feel that chill at my spine. About halfway through the drive, I was just cruising at speed, enjoying the cool air and belting out some of the tunes, when my eye caught something. It was one of those, oh hell, is there something in the road,

and do I need to swerve to miss it kind of moments? Which quickly turned into, That's a car sitting across two lanes with its lights off. And if I don't swerve, I'm going to hit it. When that clicked, I immediately shifted over to the left lane to not hit the car. As I got closer to the car, I started thinking about how weird it was that there was just a car sitting on the highway like that. I mean, cars break down sometimes.

Sure, but people will normally do anything they can to not have their car sitting in the lanes like that in the middle of the night. And while that was weird, it got weirder. As I passed it, I glanced over to see if there was someone in the car and there was. So this guy was sitting in his car with the headlights off, blocking two lanes? As I passed it and made eye contact with the driver, I could feel the tension in the air, which only grew when I saw the headlights click on, and then watched the car pull out on to the road behind me. My gut was screaming that this was not a good situation.

A car blocking the road in the dark turns on its headlights and decides to chase you after you pass, really makes for one hell of a night. My heart was pounding, the hair on my arms was standing up. I pressed down on the accelerator and kept my eyes on the road thinking that I was just being paranoid. There was no way this guy was actually following me, right? This was just a coincidence, surely. I decided to test this theory, and I took the next exit. But I stayed in the straight lane so that I could get it.

get right back on the highway. Surely if he wasn't following me, even if he did take the same exit, there was no way that he would be getting back on the highway like that. I got to the right to exit, got to the light, and kept going straight, immediately getting back on the highway.

And, much to my horror, he did the same thing. At this point, I was certain that this guy was tailing me, and for what, I really didn't know. Suddenly it hit me. There was a service exit coming up, one that led to a series of complicated back roads.

If I took it, maybe I could lose him. With seconds to spare, I swerved to that exit. My tire screeched, and I almost lost control of my car. I looked back, and I saw him swerving quickly as well. But by doing this, I actually gave myself a little bit of distance. The backroads were even darker than the highway, lined with dense woods and absolutely no streetlights. I took the turns way sharper than I should have, went way faster through the forest-lined streets, and, after a while, I knew that I'd gotten enough distance to actually get away. I turned off my headlights, took one last turn into someone's gravel driveway, and did a U-turn on their property, which...

Sorry. I don't think I did any damage, but if I did, I apologize to that person. I just sat there, holding my breath, and waiting for the car to pass. And, like clockwork, it did. I watched as it kept going past the driveway where I was hiding. I waited for a few more minutes just to make sure he didn't come back, but I also didn't want to freak out the person that owned the driveway where I was hiding. As soon as I was certain that I was good, I pulled out and went back the way that I had come from. The rest of the way home, I kept my eyes half on the road, half on my rearview mirror to see if he ever showed up again.

I was rigid, thinking that at any second he was going to randomly pop back up behind me, which thankfully never happened. When I got into my driveway, I bolted out of my car and into the front door, only really feeling that sense of safety and relief when it was shut and locked. In the end, I feel like this was some sort of trap. They were blocking the road to get the person to slow down or stop, and then they would do God knows what. But then, when I didn't slow down or stop, the guy gave chase.

It bothers me that he didn't care that I knew he was following me because that meant that he didn't think he was going to lose me. But thankfully, I somehow wheezzled my way out of the situation. I wanted to call the police by this point. I really didn't know what to tell them, though. Just say that some weird guy followed me for a while on the road, but that I lost him. I felt like if I had called them, there wouldn't have been much they could. could do, so I didn't. Call me stupid, I guess. I don't care.

Now, whenever I have to drive home at night, I'm super vigilant and watch everything like a hawk. I also never leave that late. I don't care how much work I have left to do. And, thankfully, I haven't encountered anything else like that on the ride home. I have a story from when I was young. that is 100% true. But I honestly have no way to prove it, and I'd guess that a lot of people won't believe it. Obviously, you can use it if you want to.

I just want to tell someone the story that might believe it, or at least enjoy it. So, here goes. When I was around 12, my best buddy, Jordan, and I used to spend a lot of time out of the house, house. Like, a lot of the time we would go to school, and the minute we got off the bus, we would go in, drop off our book bags, and then would be out in the woods until almost nine, or whenever our

parents yelled for us. We would typically skip dinner because we were both young nature enthusiasts, and genuinely loved spending a lot of time out on the trails. Thankfully, Jordan had an excellent sense of direction, and could almost always get us home without issues. Me, on the other hand, I was so bad at figuring out where we were that I could walk 20 feet to the north of where the forest started and be completely lost. I liked bugs and trees, though, so I was always all for it. Now, all of that explains what I loved about being in the woods with Jordan and how we always had a good time. However, there was a stretch where things weren't quite so fun or comfortable.

This happened back in the 80s. I don't remember when exactly, but like I said, I was around 12 or possibly 13. I remember it was in October, because all of the trees were a bright red orange, and it was my favorite time of the year. If you've never seen a Midwestern fall in the middle of the woods, I highly recommend it. The trees were all covered in oranges, reds, yellows, and the ground plants were starting to die off, so it was a major contrast between the dead tan and the colorful trees. The first time that I knew something was off was one of the random trips that we took out into the woods. We were playing, and it was starting to get pretty dark pretty early by then.

I think we were pretending to be soldiers or something, which is what we typically did, and were stealthily treading through enemy territory. We were hiding behind trees and splitting up to take down the base when I remember hearing something in one of the trees. At first I thought it was just a squirrel, and I looked up to see if I could find it,

but I didn't see what it was. I ignored it, and I moved back on with what we were playing. After a few more minutes of doing this, I remember I heard a branch above me snapping and thinking, Dang, that must be a fat squirrel. But when I looked again, the thing that I saw was not a squirrel. I couldn't tell what it was at first, but I remember laughing because I looked over at Jordan and said,

Hey, is that a monkey? Which was a dumb question. I live in the Midwest, and we very clearly do not have monkeys here. We both kind of stood there and just stared at it, but we couldn't figure out what it was. Because it wasn't really moving, just standing in the trees looking away from us, and swaying back and forth. And by swaying, I think the best way to describe it. it is like a praying mantis.

If you've ever seen a praying mantis that feels threatened, they kind of sway back and forth. It was like that. We just watched it for several moments, and then we tried to kind of walk around the tree to see the front of this thing, but as soon as it noticed us, it ran up the tree and hid to the point that we couldn't find it again. We made plans to come back up the next day and try to see if we could figure it. out what this thing was, because I was stumped. I was pretty well versed in most of the fauna of our area,

because that's what I was really into at the time. But this thing was weird. The only thing I could seriously think that it looked like was a monkey of some sort. I asked my parents that night if there were any monkeys or apes around us, just to be absolutely certain, and they confirmed that there weren't. Well, aside from the zoo. Obviously, no one had heard anything about an escaped animal from the zoo on the news,

so I was back to just being stumped. The next day, Jordan and I brought our binoculars to see if we could get a better view trying to spot this thing. We didn't do much beyond just sitting on a log and watching the trees, seeing if this thing came back. And it did. but it kind of seemed like it was trying to avoid the area that we were waiting in. So it was like it was aware of us, more than something like, say, a squirrel or a rodent or whatever. It wasn't until the fourth day of us staking out the woods that we actually got to see this thing clearly.

It was a Saturday, so we had the entire day to stake out the area and see if we could find it. and, much to our surprise, when we got into the woods in the morning, we did see it. Except this time, it wasn't in the trees. We walked into the wooded area, and no more than a hundred feet or so, this thing was on the ground. It looked like it was eating something like a hedge apple because it was smashing it into the ground and peeling it apart. We went into full stealth mode, and crowsy. Crouched behind some of the brush and crept really slowly over to the side so that we could see this thing. This is where everything went from, this fun, what is this thing that we're seeing, straight to,

I wish we would have never seen this. Whatever this thing was, it was definitely ape-like in structure. But its face looked way too human. If you've ever seen a shaved ape, they do have faces similar to humans, but they're discernible. This thing was not. It had a human's face. It was structured like a person. There was nothing there that resembled an animal at all.

The mouth was flattened down more like a person's. The nose protruded at an angle like a human's, and the eyes were inset like a human's. We watched this thing eat the hedge apple, and then slowly creep up the tree and climb out of sight. After that, I told Jordan that I wanted to go home, and he agreed. Something about seeing this thing? It triggered some kind of deeply inset fear that neither of us had ever experienced up to that point. It was like our brains knew that this thing was not natural at all. And it wanted us to block it out and never think about it again.

We actually took a few weeks off from going into the woods, mostly because we didn't want to run into this thing. We did eventually get the courage to go back, but we never saw it again. I have no idea what the hell it was, but it was definitely not your standard animal from around my part of the world. and the fact that it switched on some kind of primal fear, it was just terrifying. I'm actually glad that we never saw it again,

and I'm glad I was able to get this out, because thinking about this creature, it sends shivers down my spine, and it almost makes me feel that same level of terror even this many years down the road. I usually don't like driving at night. It gives me the creeps. You can't see anything, and it's when all the weirdos and crackheads like to come out to play.

This time around, though, I really didn't have much of a choice. I was driving home during a road trip alone. Normally I would stop somewhere for the night and sleep in the back of the RV, but I was only a state away, and only a few hours from home. So, I decided to stay awake and keep trucking till I was. I got there. I stopped at a few gas stations, grabbed some snacks and food.

I didn't really like stopping at fast food places too much on road trips, since it's a lot of sitting around and driving. I didn't want to gain a ton of weight. But I was pretty hungry, and the journey was almost over anyways, so I decided to stop at the next fast food place that I saw, which was a McDonald's,

and just grab some chicken nuggets. Now, this was around 2 a.m. So, basically, there was only a car or two in the drive-thru, and almost nobody inside. I pulled up into the first open spot and got out. When I opened the door to the McDonald's, that familiar smell of salt and oil hit me like a ton of bricks. And I realized that I hadn't eaten anything substantial

for almost the entire day. So, I got a large meal instead of just the nuggets. Too hungry to wait until I got to my car and eat. I sat down at one of the booths and started digging into my food. A few minutes go by, and I'm munching on my french fries, and I notice a broad, burly man walk in. Flannel, big beard, friendly enough face. He actually tipped his.

hat to me as he walked by the counter. He ordered and grabbed his food and sat at the table to cross the restaurant from me. I finished my stuff and went to the bathroom to take a leak before heading back on my journey home. As I'm leaving, I made a mental note that the guy wasn't at the table. The food was also cleared, so he probably just scarfed it down so he could kit pack on the road like me. but when I got outside I saw the man on the side of the main road with his thumb out not a car in sight

I don't know why I did it maybe it was just how tired I was or how kind his face looked but I yelled over to him asking if he needed a ride his face lit up and he trotted over and started shaking my hand thanking me profusely he got into the RV and I I asked where it was he needed to go. He set a place called Lakeside Farms,

which was actually a small community of houses not far from my own. I told him that that was only a ten-minute drive from where my community was, and that I was willing to take him all the way home, which, from where we were, was at least three hours on foot. Again, his face was kind and grateful, so we buckled in and we left. We talked for quite a bit about what we both did for work, where we were coming from, movies, comics. He had interest in a lot of the nerdy stuff like myself, which you wouldn't glean at all from his lumberjack style of clothing.

About halfway through the drive, I finally felt comfortable enough to ask how he ended up three hours away from home without a car. Well, I was with another guy, but he ditched me on the side of the road because of a stupid argument we got into. That was back about 20 miles the other way. Been walking ever since. The McDonald's was the first thing I'd seen in hours, the man said. And then I asked, not a single car stopped for you the entire time? Son, you are the first kind face I've seen since before that argument. I was shocked.

Well, I'm glad I could help. At the time, I was thinking of how well it was going, how I should do things like this more often, how it felt kind of good to help someone out that was in need. I'd seen multiple hitchhikers on the side of the road and the many road trips that I've been on, but never once has I stopped, because it was pitch black outside.

But something about this man just made me feel like he's, couldn't hurt a fly. Oh, how wrong I was. We were about ten minutes out from where his community was. I told him I would take him right up to his house if he wanted, but he said no. That it would be weird if I knew where he lived. Thinking on it, I honestly would have thought the same thing if I was him. So, I obliged.

And I dropped him off at the front of his community. Again, he was shaking. my hand profusely and thanking me for my gratitude. I felt good and tired as hell, so I turned around and hoofed it back home. A few days later, I'm in the living room watching TV, flipping through the channels when I see it. The man that I drove home, his mugshot was plastered on every single news channel in the local area. No matter which one I flipped to, there he was. headline story.

It was said on April 22nd, which was just a week ago, he and his roommates were on a road trip out west, and they got into an argument. The friend ditched the man leaving him stranded at a gas station in rural Kentucky. The man made it home on the night of April 25th, which was the night that I picked him up, and then proceeded to slaughter his two roommates, injuring the third, who barely escaped with his life and ran straight to the police.

The man was actually still at large. The police chief on the news was asking for anyone who had seen the man since the attack or had any info on his whereabouts to call them immediately. The one thing that consistently hits in my head is when I think about the whole ride home with the man, was that I couldn't think that he had a violent bone in his body. That's why he didn't attack me. He was kind and as grateful as he appeared. But something in him must have snapped after I let him out.

Maybe he talked himself into it, got angry on the walk home. Maybe they argued again, and he just cracked. Whatever the case, I'm glad I didn't get on that guy's bad side. But, on the other hand, if I hadn't offered him a ride, maybe those people would still be alive. Right before the craziness that was 2020, my girlfriend and I went on a road trip around Indiana with plans on sightseeing in a state park and a few other local attractions. Bridget and I had been on long trips together, and it's become one of our favorite things to do. to be able to just go across the state, or even the country, to see places that we've never been before. We plan on visiting at least all the states once, and we're about a third of the way there so far.

Anyways, this would be our first time actually spending time in Indiana, instead of just passing through. After looking at our options, we opted to check out the Rocky Holiday Holiday. Falls Canyon in Turkey Run State Park. We went in October, and while I haven't seen it in the summer, that place was meant for autumn, and I would still recommend it despite our experience. Entering the canyons, it looked like something straight out of something like the Hobbit. The small trail along the creek was therapeutic to walk while listening to the water flow. the mossy rocks looked straight out of a painting.

It was quite a serene and peaceful day. We found a small secluded spot lined with boulders and decided to stop there for a break and eat. While sitting and chatting, I started hearing what sounded like someone walking above us. There were different levels at different areas at the park, so it was normal to hear or see people walking along the rocks above you, or below you. or below you towards the creek. So it was one of those moments that I made a note of, but that was it. Our conversations slowed down so we could finish our lunch, which gave me a chance to focus on the sounds around us again.

This time I could hear the sound of footsteps approaching us. When I didn't see someone in front of us, I turned around to see who was coming, but again, I didn't see anyone. This time it didn't sound like it was coming from the trail above us. But I checked anyway, and there was no one there either. Bridget was looking around too and looked at me like, Where's that coming from? I shrugged, thinking that I just wasn't seeing them or something explainable.

We were just about finished when I scanned the area and finally saw something that looked out of place. There was a large boulder, probably 15 or 20 feet from us, and I could clearly see someone with short hair peeking out from behind it, staring at us. I thought it was weird because, with the size of the boulder, they had to be crouching or maybe on their knees to be hidden behind it. I pointed him out to Bridget, too, and she definitely thought it was weird as well.

We tried to ignore it, but as we both glanced over and saw them still staring at us, Bridget said that she was feeling weirded out by it. So we decided to finish the last of our sandwiches as we walked. We got past that area and beyond a small waterfall of sorts, and again paused to take more photos. While Bridget was trying to get closer to the water, I was looking around at the area again because I was starting to get the feeling like we were being watched. I usually ignore those feelings.

As I was used to us being stared at, but due to the person behind the boulder earlier, I felt the need to find who exactly was watching us. And, as expected, I saw what looked like the same short-haired person that I had seen earlier, now trying to hide behind a tree. I pointed them out to Bridget again, and her expression quickly changed. She was worried that they may be following us since we had been secluded for some time, and I shared the sentiment. If they were following us, maybe they were going to try and rob us, or who knows what. We both agreed to again move on, and maybe get back around some other people so that we weren't alone. We made our way to the upper part of the rocks, and since we hadn't seen the person in a while, We stopped again to take in the sight.

This time I started digging through my backpack looking for something when Bridgett nudged me. When I looked at her, she nodded to yet another boulder where our same stalker was hiding. At this point, I was pretty fed up. I still didn't know their intentions, but so far they've just been giving us the creeps. And I didn't want our trip ruined. While I was enjoying it too, I knew. know that these meant a lot to Bridgett. Bridget was actually a foster kid, and within the homes that she lived in, they never went on

any kind of trips or vacations. So any time that we do anything out of our norm, she gets extremely excited about it, and wants to do all that she can. I mean, who could blame her. So, this time, since the person wasn't taking any action, I decided that I would, hopefully scaring them off and to let them know that they chose the wrong targets. I, instead, grabbed the haunting knife that I had in my bag and told Bridget to stay where she was. She was hesitant to let me go at first, but I assured her that I would be fine. I started to slowly approach the boulder,

the person still looking over it, now watching the approach. When I was about four feet in front of the boulder, I loudly, and as intimidatingly as I could, said, What the hell are you doing, bro? And they quickly dropped behind the boulder. I slowly made my way around it and was shocked by what I saw. First, I thought the guy just had really short hair, like a buzz cut, but no. This guy was completely bald. However, they had so many cuts and scratches across the,

their head that were covered in scabs that from a distance, it truly looked like hair. That's how many cuts and scrapes he had. It looked pretty painful and unsettling as it is. But to add to it, this guy appeared gaunt, with skin that looked blueish, grey, and leathery. I thought that he just looked lighter from a distance because of lighting or something, but no. He was absolutely sickly looking, and the color was completely unnatural. He was crouched, and when I reached the boulder, I was on his left. The way that he was crouched, I could clearly see his spine and even his hips.

I was also able to see this so well because he was completely naked. So, taking this all in, I paused where I was. This was not what I had to be. I was expecting to see, but before I could process much more, the guy quickly snapped his head to the left to look at me, and let out a wholly unhuman hiss. It made me jump back a few steps, and I guess that he took that as an opportunity because he immediately pounced on me, knocking me to the ground. With him now on top of me, I could see his bloodshot eyes and the dark sunken sockets around

them. His cheekbones were also very visible and sunken in. He looked terrifying, and severely sick and malnourished. Bridget was now screaming, and I was just trying to get him off of me, but I was also still holding the knife. I went in to swing my right arm, my right hand being the one holding the knife, but the guy's reflexes weren't sane. He locked onto my arm, and he locked onto my arm, and he bit into the arm, causing me to drop the knife. I shouted a few expletives, and Bridgett managed to throw a rock at us. This must have startled him as he jumped, hissing at Bridget. As she continued shouting and screaming to get off of me, he actually listened and took off,

on all fours. He ran so quickly that it almost seemed natural for him. Once he was finally out of his, he was finally out of his. you, Bridget ran over to me as I got up and immediately checked my arm. He'd bitten hard enough to draw blood. Of course, now I'm worried about what that guy might have had and possibly spread to me. I immediately poured water and sanitizer onto it, and we quickly tried to make our way to someone who could help. We ended up at a shortcut back to the entrance, and found someone of authority to let them know what had happened.

The guy that took my information had a suspicious look the entire time that we explained it to him. At first, I thought he probably just didn't believe me. However, he said that this actually wasn't the first time they've had a report of a naked man roaming around the area, but they had yet to actually find him. I don't know if it made me feel better or worse that we weren't alone in what we saw. after providing him with any information that we had, we left, making a beeline to the nearest hospital to get checked out. Thankfully, all the tests came back negative, and even after more tests at home, I was fine. I got a few shots just in case, but the fear that I may have been infected with something was pretty damn terrifying.

The rest of the trip was fine, with no other words. weird people watching or attacking us, but it's something that I'm never going to forget. Nine out of ten, though, I would absolutely return to the canyons. Hopefully the other visits will be more chill and fully clothed. I used to live in a pretty small town with my grandparents around 2013. I had my little girl, Summer, at the time of this event. She had just turned five. I'd split up with my ex, so they agreed to let me move in with them while I finished my degree,

and found a better job. He wasn't too fond of being a father figure, and after finding out that he spent more time with his ex than looking for a job, I was pretty over it. I didn't want to be the one paying for everything as well as taking care of our kid while he got to spend my money. The only downside was that, when I say it was a small town,

I mean small. They have one grocery store, which is also their pharmacy, and the town clinic is across the street. They have two gas stations, but everyone agrees that one is better than the other. And the most exciting thing to happen there was that they got a pizza buffet that also delivered.

So, if you needed to go anywhere, it would take a few hours to get into town, get your stuff, and get back. Needless to say, it was easy to get bored. Summer was pretty occupied, though, as my grandma watched her during the day. But I felt bad that I didn't often get to go out and do anything with her, so when I learned a nearby town was having a small Halloween festival, I knew that I wanted to take her there. It turned out to be, like, a cute little carnival. They had a few small rides, like the ones that went in a circle, a kitty, roller, coaster type thing,

and they even had games. They had a hay ride, a small, spooky, haunted house, as they called it. It was the first one that she would be going to, so I was ready to do anything that she wanted. I will say that I definitely had that first kid syndrome where I was very protective over everything and anything she did. I think we were both pretty clingy because of it. So I always had my eyes on her,

and I didn't let her get too close to anyone that I didn't know. I brought the stroller, knowing she would probably get tired, and that way while we were walking, I could at least have her in my sights at all times. She did great for the most part too. There were a few times that she wanted to walk, but she knew that she had to stand next to me with her hand on the stroller, basically like she was pushing it with me, which was fine.

We could toss her baby doll into the seat and she's set. So she got around to a few games and treats, and had a few people approach me, mentioning how cute she was. We were getting towards the end because she was. she was starting to get a little cranky. She didn't want to walk anymore, but she also didn't want to sit, thinking that she was going to miss out on something.

Before we left, we stopped at one of the restrooms in the food area where we had to leave the strollers and wagons outside because the entrance was too narrow. So, when we left the restroom, I grabbed the stroller and offered to put summer in the seat so that we could leave. That way she wasn't walking. through the parking lot. She didn't want to sit, so we agreed to push the stroller together. While she was standing to my left, I bent down to put my purse back in the undercarriage,

and when I stood back up, summer was gone. I at first thought that maybe it was because she was getting tired, and she moved to the seat anyways, but she wasn't in the seat, nor was she to my right. I did a quick 360 scanning the area close to me, and to my horror, I still didn't find her. That's when I started to panic. I called for her, screaming her name, and I didn't get a response. A woman with her own kid was nearby and asked me what happened, and she tried to keep me calm and help look for her too. We checked in both restrooms, the area around it, and even all over the food area.

I know that I was freaking out, and rightfully so. My kid just vanished within seconds, and no one claimed to have seen her. I know she was a kid, but I also knew her, and I knew that she wouldn't just walk off around people that she didn't know, and she wouldn't willingly go with someone that she didn't recognize. I called the police, and someone at one of the food vendors alerted their security people, too. I didn't want to go much further outside the area that I last saw her, just in case she was still close so she could find me,

but they suggested that I go to the front so I could speak to the police and take a report. Reluctantly, I agreed, and as I headed to the front, I saw two cops, and the ticket person at the entrance, and also summer. I remember yelling her name and hearing her scream, Mommy, as she ran to me, which was one of the most gut-wrenching feelings ever. I ran over to the cops with her in my arms, asking if they knew what happened. The ticket guy said that he saw a guy approaching the exit with her, and that she was crying and screaming and pushing him away.

He was trying to do anything that he could to keep her quiet without looking suspicious, I guess. But the ticket guy said that it didn't seem right, and stopped to ask if everything was all right. He tried to give some line about her being his kid or something to that effect, and Summer kept saying things like, No, Stranger, I don't know him, which alarmed this guy, and he then tried asking him for ID and threatened to call the cops. When he said that, the guy shoved Summer at him and took off.

He didn't get to see what car, if any, he got into, as he didn't want to leave Summer alone. I couldn't have been any more grateful that this kid went way above his job to stop this guy. Anyone could have just looked at it and thought it was a kid throwing a tantrum, but he actually paid attention, and he realized that that was not what was happening. I was also incredibly proud of Summer for screaming and fighting this man and speaking up, too. I had taught her not to approach strangers, so she understood.

what that meant. But it's just not something you think you would ever have to remember. They never found the guy that night, and I was never contacted about it, so I don't think they ever did. But, my God, that was single-handedly the most terrifying day of my life, and I will never forget the fear that I felt. I know Summer remembers it, too, as she is still a happy and playful. child, but she didn't really fight sitting in the stroller or holding my hand at all times again.

Just hold your kids tight, and be sure to teach them stranger danger. It can definitely save a life, or at least change it within seconds. I have been an avid hiker and camper for most of my adult life. I'm into all the outdoorsy stuff, but for the life of me, there is one thing that I experienced back in the late 90s that I cannot shake out of my mind. This was back whenever I was in my mid-20s, so I was pretty mentally and physically fit. No hallucinations and nothing that would have caused me to imagine things. I've tried to rationalize all of this, and for some reason, I just can't seem to get through it in my head.

I believe that this would have been in 1999, specifically because I recall that there was a lot of build-up and talks about Y2K, and people were saying the satellites were going to fall out of the skies, and that the government was going to take over the banking system or something stupid. I don't remember it all, and I didn't really care because I knew that it was all a joke, and that none of that would happen. Unfortunately, my friend group at the time was a bit weird, and they were all panicking and prepping and whatnot.

I decided that I wanted to get away for a while, so I figured why not get away from everything, and everyone, and do whatever I wanted out in nature. When I wanted to get away, I used to spend a lot of time hiking in a specific national park that was up in Maine. because I loved all of the secluded and complex trails that existed. There were some pretty gorgeous views off of the cliffs,

and the large bodies of water, so I knew that if I just spent a couple of days out there, I would feel much better. The first day was just as beautiful as I had expected. I started early, so I got to wake up to the sun coming up over the cliffs. I got to watch the dew slowly raise off the greek, ground and feel that cool but humid wind blow across my skin. I'm not going to lie, those memories are serene.

I did my hikes. I absorbed the energy that the National Park emitted. Yes, I'm that kind of person. On the second day, I wanted to push myself a bit more and had decided that I was going to take a specific trail, the Sargent Mountain Loop. It's not really a popular trail, or at least wasn't. I have no idea if it is now. So, I got all of my stuff together, filled up my bottles, and headed out early in the morning.

The start of the trail was exactly as I'd anticipated, mostly wooded areas that opened up to rocky formations, streams crossing here and there. It honestly was a nature trail at its best. but about 30-ish minutes into the hike, things started to get weird. The first thing I noticed was the trail markers. I've done enough trail hikes to recognize a trail marker, and to know that they're usually small things like paint on trees, but some of the markers were really strange, almost like runic symbols. I don't know Jack about runes or whatever, but I know that they use.

usually have weird lines that go in all directions, or whatever. And that's what these were. They weren't just normal markings. They were drawn symbols. I thought that maybe it was just someone messing around or a vandal or something like that, so I pressed on and just pretended that they weren't there. But then the atmosphere felt like it changed. The air got thick.

Almost like walking through molasses. Each step started to become a chore, probably what it would feel like if I went to go do the trail nowadays. But back then, I was a fit young man, and I knew that I could do the hike. Yet, for some reason, I was feeling like I was struggling to even take a single step. On top of that, I was starting to feel like I was getting hit with anxiety and was hyper-focusing on the silence that was surrounding me. At this point, I decided that I needed to take a pause and catch my breath,

that something wasn't right. That silence honestly felt rather unnatural, and as I took notice, I started feeling this weird sensation of being watched. The hair on my arms started to bump up, and I was feeling the chills on the back of my neck. It wasn't just being watched. It was like I was being watched from every direction.

Like no matter where I turned, it felt like there were eyes behind me. The rational part of my brain kept trying to tell me that it was just nerves. But that primal part that has survival as its only goal was saying that there was something dangerous going on. I immediately got up and decided that I needed to go ahead and wrap this hike up. I started to walk as fast as I could physically push myself back the way I came down the clearly marked path, until there was no path. I was walking, and as I kept down the trail, I hit what was basically a dead end, which made no sense. There was no trail continuing in front

of me. It was just trees. No markings, no clear. and no diverging path. It was as if someone had been playing a Sims game and had just erased the path right there. Admittedly, I started panicking at this point. My heart rate skyrocketed and I felt the sweat starting to beat up on my forehead, in spite of the cool air. And all the while, that sense of being watched was feeling like it was getting worse. I tried to retrace my steps back the way I had come from,

the way that still had the trail, but every turn I took seemed like it was just part of this really strange and broken trail maze. Each one made me feel more disoriented than the last. This is where things hit their worst. As I was breathing heavily, panicking, feeling like the world was spinning around me, I swear I started to hear voices. It was like multiple people talking in unison.

and it seemed to be coming from wherever I was being watched from. If I had to give it a better description, it was like a siren's call. It was beckoning me towards the trees, deeper into those woods. I knew that I needed to get the hell away from this spot, but I had no idea where I was. It had no idea where it was coming from, and I felt like I was getting sick. I just picked a direction and took off, assuming that I was going the right way. After a few minutes of running at a full sprint, I collapsed. I remember running, I remember my legs feeling numb and my face feeling like it was vibrating,

and my vision pinpointing. I had this thought that I was going to pass out, and then the ground came up to meet my face, and I was out. I woke up probably only a few moments later, and to my surprise, I was just off to the side of the trail that I had been looking for. The markers were back to normal, and they were all clearly visible. I pushed myself up and looked around thinking, How the hell did I get back here?

But there I was. I sat there for a few moments, taking a few drinks of water and catching my breath, and when I thought I was okay, I headed back to where the trail started. There was literally nothing wrong with the entire hike back to the beginning. This was a terrifying experience for me, one that got me to never go back to those trails. I talked with a friend of mine that was also an avid hiker, one that knew those trails as well, and they had no idea what had happened, saying that the trails are fairly obvious. and marked,

and that none of them come to a straight-up dead end like that. He mentioned that it could have been dehydration, or exhaustion, or possibly an anxiety attack, and I just agreed with him, mostly because I didn't want to talk

further about it. Whatever it was, it was not any of those. It was something else. There was something in the woods that day that had malicious intent, and I don't know how I escaped it, but I did. I dread to even consider what could have happened if I hadn't.

I have a story that's pretty intense and honestly shakes me right to my core when I think about it. It was a Saturday night, around midnight. I had just finished hanging out with some friends and was driving home. I've never been one to drive on the highways, so I was taking the back roads through the neighborhoods to get home. I live in a pretty suburban, edging into rural part of the state, so it was a mix of houses and small neighborhoods, intertwined with various patches of woods and trees.

I have to drive a bit slower to get through the neighborhoods, because there are a lot of winding curves. but in my opinion, it's the safer route, because it's typically pretty empty on the roads that time of night. Plus, it's just really peaceful. I was making my way through the winding paths, about two-thirds of the way home, when I see another set of headlights behind me.

No big deal. Just another car driving on the roads. Nothing out of the ordinary. or so I thought. It took me a while to notice, but this car was coming up on me fast, too fast. Like, way too fast. They were approaching, but the lights were getting bigger and brighter at a pace that was, at least, two or three times what I was going.

And I was going around 30 to 40. I slowed down a bit and pulled over. over to the side, watching as this car rockets past me and thinking to myself, that idiot is going to get himself killed. It was a reckless move that had bad news written all over it, and it made my stomach drop watching him go way too damn fast around those roads. As I continued on my way, a wave of dread washed over me. You know that gut feeling you get when something is off?

Like that feeling you get when your boss calls you into their office and you think I'm about to get fired. That feeling. I knew the path ahead, and it was not a straightaway. There were a number of twists in this section of my town, and it was mostly wooded out here, so I guess the word underdeveloped would be fitting. I drove cautiously, half expecting to see the inevitable result of that kind of, of reckless driving. Just thinking that this was going to be a nightmare for everyone involved.

Sure enough, less than five minutes after that initial encounter with that car, I rounded a small part of the road and my headlights landed on exactly what I was terrified to see. There was that car, completely wrecked and slightly burning. I knew as soon as I saw it that it was the exact same car. that had passed me. I slammed to my brakes and hit my hazard lights, and then grabbed my phone and called 911. I stammered out that there had been an accident, told them the nearest crossroads, and told her that the car looked like it might be on fire. She told me to calm down, and explained that emergency services were on their way.

But I knew deep down that time was ticking, and if the driver was still in that car and still, alive, then they wouldn't be for very long. I told the dispatcher that I was going to check on the driver, and at first she was hesitant to say that I should. But I mentioned that if the driver was stuck or bleeding, then they may not have the time to wait, and she seemed to agree. I left the call going and put my phone in my pocket, and then grabbed the small emergency hammer from the glove compartment.

It was the kind that has the window breaker with the seatbelt cutter, a tool that I never thought I was going to need, but at this moment was thankful to have. I ran over to the car and realized that the fire was definitely starting to catch on the ground, as well as the vehicle itself. The car was so badly damaged that it was nearly unrecognizable, but my gut was telling me that I needed to help this person, that if they were alive, then I needed to do something.

I circled to the driver's side, shaking but determined. I was able to make out the silhouette of a man in the driver's seat, but he was out entirely. My heart sank at that moment, thinking that I was too late. I put my hand on his shoulder, and I started to talk to him in a loud but calm tone, asking if he could hear me. It took a few moments, but he did eventually open his eyes and slowly came too,

asking what had happened. I was honestly shocked that this man was still alive. I asked him a couple of questions, mostly about if he could feel his legs, move his toes, things like that, and he told me he could. He was talking, able to move all of his body, So I knew that I needed to move forward with helping him out. At this point, the fire was starting to spread out, which was making me feel nervous,

thinking that whatever time we had was absolutely minimal. I told him that we needed to get him out of the car, and he obviously agreed. I handed him the hammer tool and told him to cut the seatbelt off. He grabbed it and sliced it in two spots, forcing it to break loose, and his body to shift. I was able to get my arms under him and told him that I was going to pull him out through the window. He pushed with his legs. I pulled, and after a bit of a struggle, we were able to get him out onto the ground.

I asked if he could stand, and he said he could, so I slowly helped him get to his feet, and was able to get him over to my car so he could sit on the ground and let it support him. I turned back when I knew he was safe, and I watched as the car became mostly engulfed, and the tree that he'd hit went up around the same time. I'm pretty sure we were moments away from this guy's imminent death. Around that same time, I heard the wailing of sirens approaching, and a wave of relief washed over me.

The emergency crews took over the scene, battling the flames, and tending the flames. to the man. The paramedics got him up on a stretcher and got him to the ambulance. I had to give my statement to the police, still in a state of shock over the whole thing. My mind was on the man, thinking about whether or not he'd make it. He seemed mostly okay, but I had no idea how much of that was adrenaline. And I know that if he did have a head or neck injury, me getting him out of that car may have actually have actually. actually made it worse. Unfortunately, it was either that, or just sit by and watch this man get burned alive.

The medics took him away. The officers asked me a few more questions. The firefighters got the blaze under control, and I just sort of stood there. I was trembling, and honestly I couldn't help but think about my own mortality in that moment. how fine of a line it is between being alive and, well, being trapped in a car that's upside down and burning. Yes, it was his decisions that ultimately put him in that position, and yes, it was stupid to think he'd be safe going that fast around curvy roads, but no, he did not deserve to die for that decision.

We all make stupid mistakes, and they shouldn't all. all be a death sentence. Ultimately, all I can do is pray that people realize they are not invincible. That one wrong move can be what crosses that fine line. Keep your wits about you when you're on the road. Be cautious, be careful, and be attentive. And please, use caution when you're operating your two-ton death machine. This actually happened to me just a few years ago.

when I had started a guy that I knew back in high school, named Chance. We added each other on Facebook and started talking, and had agreed to meet up. We were both very different people in school, and I think we definitely matured and changed, which made it work out. He was typically in the spotlight in class, but he wasn't really a jock or anything. He was on the wrestling team, but... He didn't make it as personality. He just had a way with people.

He was very charismatic, so everyone got along with him. Me, on the other hand, I was the quiet girl that always avoided attention. I had friends, and I wasn't bullied or anything, but I just kind of kept to myself. Our paths didn't really cross much while in school, so it was a bit of a surprise when he added me and went. wanted to have dinner. I had no idea why he would have had an interest in me, but I decided to move forward with it. Color me surprised when we actually hit it off. He was quiet when we went out and didn't act at all like the person from school. He said that he gave up wrestling after school because he wasn't really interested in it. His mom wanted him to play football,

but he was actually afraid to play and get seriously injured, so they both agreed with wrestling. He was actually a graphic designer now, and was making decent money. I told him what I did after school, which was more schooling, as I wanted to be a veterinarian, but then realized it was a lot harder mentally than it seemed. Seeing injured and dying pets was very hard, so instead I became a lot more.

of Vet Tech. I pet, house sat, and I volunteered at shelters a lot. I got to see a lot more of the happier side of animals that way. He didn't make fun of me and said that that was very honorable as well. We actually started dating after that, and I realized he was completely different from who I thought he was in high school. We started hanging out a lot, him at my place more than anything, because he also lived with his mom still, but we still had a great time. I learned that he was very affectionate, which was really sweet at first, but then he started becoming more and more clingy. It started as just asking me where I was going when I left the living room, but it got

kind of annoying when he did it every time. Like, when I was making dinner, I would go sit down for a bit and then get back up to check on it, and he would still ask me. Of course, that was just something small, so it wasn't enough to make me end the relationship or anything. But then, it would just get worse. He would call me at 601 on the dot, when I got off work, to ask me what I was doing. If I was out too long at the grocery store or visiting my parents, he would call or text me consistently. I was under some stress as my mom had been battling cancer.

so when he did this when I was with her, I got pretty upset. I talked with him about it too, telling him that it was too much. He freaked out and kept apologizing and pleading for me to not leave him. Again, I had no intentions of leaving him. I still thought that it was something that could be worked on and assured him of that, but we just needed to make some changes, to which he agreed. Things started getting better, though. He wasn't as clingy, but he still did have his moments.

I even stayed at his place one weekend, and that was when I met his mom, Lynette. After meeting her, I could definitely tell that he was a mama's boy. He was very sweet to her, always willing to help her do anything strenuous, helping with setting the table or doing the dishes. Lynette always involved me with making dinner, too. saying it was a woman's job and that she had to make sure her baby was well fed by making sure I could cook. The way she said it, I just thought it was a joke at first. I know that we were in a pretty steady relationship as we had been together for about six months or so,

but I wasn't making any life plans just yet. She often talked to him like he was still a kid, too, which that was weird to me. I also wasn't allowed to sleep in the same room as him, and she made me sleep in her room while she slept on the couch. I mean, come on, we were grown adults. Anyways, still, I got past it and moved on from there. Apparently, me not immediately running after meeting his mom

was a sign of acceptance to him, so he started talking, about long-term plans, as he put it. He started asking about getting married and how many kids I wanted to have. This caused me to finally slam the brakes. I told him that I was in no way ready to think about any of that,

as we hadn't been together for that long, which did seem to upset him, but I was sure to put my foot down on the matter. Unfortunately, things, got even worse. While he didn't make plans, he still continued talking about marriage, and, to add

to the stress, my mother passed away. I was grieving, and it was very difficult as I was so close to her. I thought for sure that I would be able to rely on chance because I needed comfort. I needed someone to help me get through

this, but that would never happen. He comforted me the first day, but then, After that, he always tried to one-up me. I'm a mess, going through my mom's stuff, and he just kept complaining about being bored or feeling tired or this and that. I told him that he didn't have to stay there if he didn't want to, and he started complaining more, wanting me to go somewhere with him.

I let it go, but I started noticing that he was taking advantage of my vulnerability. He would try to convince me to do things that he wanted, and he would always phrase it like I was neglecting him because of my mom, or even saying things like, don't you think your mom would have wanted this? All the way to the point that he was trying to convince me to have kids. Maybe part of it was the grieving, but I'd had enough. I told him that we needed some time apart so I can get through this,

and then maybe we could try again. I thought maybe I was really being a bit much, but I also had just lost my mom. To my surprise, he understood, and he took it way better than I thought. Maybe it was the fact that we had agreed to get back together that he held on to, but either way, I appreciated that he didn't make it difficult. So I decided to try to move forward. I went to the funeral alone. I finished going through her stuff alone and was just alone.

One night while I was home, I actually got a phone call from Chance's mother, Lynette. She wanted to give me her condolences and said that she wanted to make a wellness basket for me. I thought it was very kind of her, and I agreed, but what I thought was a genuine care call turned into a almost a stern talking to about when Chance and I were going to get back together and how selfish it was of me to break up with him. I told her to forget the baskets and hung up. This didn't stop her from showing up at my work, and even my dad's house looking for me.

It was typically easy to get her to leave, but then her appearance was getting worse. Instead of just asking for me to talk, she started saying things to others about me, like telling guys that she saw at my work to avoid me because I was a harlot and I wasn't a virgin. I was so mortified, but I went out there and personally told her to leave

in a not-so-nice way. She then started stalking me, watching me as I left work, when I went to the store, and even to my doctor's appointments. I'd finally had enough when she actually showed up to the Halloween party my work was having. She showed up stopping people as they entered to warn them about me. I won't repeat what she called me, but she was claiming that I had numerous diseases.

When I did confront her, I told her to leave me alone and reminded her that chance and I were not together anymore. She would just ignore that and talk about how we were meant to. for each other, and that I could just be baptized to become a virgin again. I told her that I was not interested in her son or her crazily obsessed family anymore, and I left. I reported it to the police, but of course they said they couldn't do anything about it because she hadn't actually done anything to me. Of course, I finally got them to do something, when she started hanging up flyers on and around my neighborhood.

with my picture and some pretty awful things being said about me. I got her restraining order, and she was also told that if she made any flyers or anything of that sword about me again, it would also violate the order. To my surprise, that actually seemed to stop her. I don't know whose idea it was, either Chance or Lynette, but after the order, Chance tried calling and texting me too. except he was a little easier to get to back off.

I told him I didn't want anything to do with him or his mom ever again, and he just stopped calling. I later told some of my friends about what all had happened, because all they really knew was that we were dating. He was clingy, and we broke up. One of them thought that he had a few screws loose, as she remembered the way he acted when she was taking pictures in high school, for one of the wrestling games.

They were both very affectionate towards each other, like more than just a mom and son should be. Like, gee, I guess thanks for the warning, right? Anyways, it may not have been all that creepy for some, but being stalked by my ex would have been one thing. Being stalked by his mother was even worse. The humiliation that she caused was bad enough, but I was just thankful that I had worked at that company for so long.

It at least didn't hurt my reputation with them. They even joked about it with me, thankfully. I've stayed single since this happened, and I'm not sure that I want to even think about dating any time soon. But as for Chance and Lynette, I really hope that we never, ever meet again. I've always had problems falling asleep and resting. before bedtime. My pops would take me out with him in the car, and by the time we got back home,

I would be asleep. I'm not sure whether it's the sound of the car or just listening to the music in the dark that does it. I'm now in my mid-40s, and I still do this whenever I want to clear my head. Obviously, I don't fall asleep while driving. There's a long twisted road that I usually travel on when I visit my family's farm in the countryside. It's usually six hours by car. Normally, my wife and I would take turns driving, or I will regularly take rests. We were running late, and so I was powered by really

strong coffee, and it was obviously nighttime. I drove slower than I would have liked. If I wasn't there with my wife and kid, I would have gone as fast as I could. It was getting late. later, and I glanced over at my wife, only to see that she was completely asleep. I could hear her faintly snoring, and both the kids looked like they were also asleep in the back seat. It was nice to have some quiet. My phone was playing music. I can't remember what

the song was, but then the Bluetooth started seeming like it was acting up. I tapped on the dashboard and complained that it was messing up. Then, it stopped working completely. I thought that we must have just lost reception, but it had never happened on this road before. Also, losing reception wouldn't necessarily affect the Bluetooth. I looked over to the side of the road and slowed down when I saw another car. It was an older model, almost like the old rusted ones outside the barns at my family farm. We kept them as farm decorations.

but this one, it looked new. I nodded, lifted my hand to wave as I'd been taught, and I noticed there were people sitting inside. They looked shocked and were pointing at my car. They also looked like they were ready to go to a 1950s convention. What the hell? I kept driving and noticed that the houses and farms along the side looked different. The thing that nearly caused me to crash was at the old Wilson's place.

It had been burnt down in the 1960s or 70s. The ruin was something that we would play in as kids, hang out in and as teenagers, and get chased away. All the personal belongings were left behind and none of the locals would steal or vandalize a neighbor's property. Most of the family died in the fire, and the remaining family couldn't handle. being near it, so it just sat abandoned.

But it was there. I reached over and tapped my wife's arm, and then a little harder, but she wasn't waking up. I kept driving when I randomly saw a police light behind me, and it wasn't quite safe to pull over just yet. This couldn't be real, I thought, to myself. I had to wait until the turn so that I could pull to the side of the road. Then, after a few seconds, my phone turned back on and the music started playing. I looked in my side-view mirror to see the police car had completely disappeared, and the world seemingly went back to normal.

I didn't say anything. I drove to my parents' place, and instantly I was chided for not finding somewhere to stop. I was pale and quieter than usual. They asked me if something happened. and I told him I was just sleepy, though. My wife would not let up, and while we were in bed together, she asked me what happened. I told her the full story.

I didn't leave any details out, but I didn't need to explain about the burnt farmhouse. She'd heard the story plenty of times from my parents. She asked if it was because I was exhausted from the drive, and I was, but she then made a suggestion. that I would never have thought of. She told me that there are things called glitches. Sometimes reality doesn't quite work.

Either we briefly traveled back in time, or I was somehow part of some kind of memory. Or, I was so sleep-deprived that I went to the 1950s, and a cop was trying to pull me over. Raven, I've listened to your channel, and I've been described for two years now, And I would like to know if any of your listeners can tell me what they think happened. It's never happened to me since.

And I've driven along that road at least 20 times since that incident, with no issue. From what I know, no one else who has driven on that road has experienced what I did. And, unfortunately, due to some privacy reasons, I can't give the name of the road without potentially telling people where my family lives. I do still enjoy going for those late-night drives, though, but they really don't relax me like they used to. Hi, how are you, Raven? I wanted to say that you have a cool channel. Your Australian accent needs work, but I'm happy that you're sharing some Aussie stories with people. Thanks.

I live next to one of the national parks in New South Wales. Living this close to nature means you get to deal with the wild. and some of the weird local characters. Bushfires, floods, that sort of thing, too. And idiots who think they can just head off into the bush, without bringing supplies, who rarely manage to stumble in. You also get the things that people don't really talk about. I haven't heard any Aboriginal legends about the land around here.

However, they are supposed to be some sacred sites, and they're pretty secretive about it. Given everything, I understand that. Anyways, I was out on the veranda having a beer in the late Arvo. It was dusk, the sun was still up, and I'm pretty sure that it was in the summer. Before you ask, no, the beer wasn't a fosters. No one in Australia drinks that. I think it was a VB or a Tuhis.

I thought I saw someone standing at the edge of the end of the end of the day. of the tree line, they weren't moving. As I said, sometimes bushwalkers would go into the bush and get lost. Normally, they would hurry toward any building they saw to try to get to safety. I waved at them, expecting them to either wave back or screw off. It just stood there staring at me. I thought it was one of my mates being a cheeky prick and started to walk over there, with my beer in hand.

I didn't see anyone over there, though. I called out a couple of times to be sure. I hadn't really had that much to drink, so it wasn't back. I walked back to the veranda, and my blue cattle dog named Red was barking. His job is to bark if people come close, or if there is a snake nearby or something. I asked him what was wrong, and he kept at it. Eventually, I just told him to shut up. I'd had some things to do, so I wasn't watching the tree line like before, and I nearly missed it.

When I looked again, I saw this time that the shadow figure was back, and this time it was joined by three others. They didn't really move. They watched me, and since it was darker now, I didn't feel safe going over there alone. I went in the house and looked up any reports of people being around or who were lost. There was nothing. I didn't want to be inside. Red kept going to the doors and windows and barking. I don't believe in ghosts or any of that spooky BS.

I kept the outside lights on all night. Whenever I looked out the window, there was no one there. I freaking hated it. I couldn't sleep in my bed that night, so I stayed in front of the telly to distract myself. There were some crappy ads. some time during the early morning that woke me up. I got up to get a cuppa and realized that it was dawn. The sky was pink, and it already looked like it was going to be a killer storm rolling in.

I couldn't help but check the tree line, and I saw them again. I called a mate to come stay with me. I didn't want to be seen as a little wimp, so I didn't tell him why I wanted him to come. He drove out, and we sat with our VBs on the veranda, watching the storm. He was telling me about some Sheila that he was seeing, and I finally told him what happened. He took a mouthful and told me that I must have annoyed the spirits somehow, and that they were telling me to behave myself. I don't know what I could have done.

I thought at first he was pulling my leg, but he didn't laugh or joke. He stayed the night on the couch since he was freaking plastered, and it wouldn't be safe for him to drive through the storm. I woke up with a massive hangover and went to grab a cup of coffee when I saw that there was a bloody sheepheads on the veranda. What the hell? I screamed for my mate to come and look. I don't have any sheep where I am, but one of my neighbors did, and I would guess that they were his. It almost looked like the heads had been torn off. I don't want to get into trouble with my neighbor or the cops,

so we buried them and pretended not to know why it happened. The shadow people in the bush didn't appear anymore after that. I don't know if that made them happy, or if that was their way of warning me. It's messed up. I don't know what I did to make them angry with me to begin with. I like to take nightly drives. It helps me clear the BS of the day,

just looking at the passing trees, shortly illuminated by the passing of my headlights. I like to look into the darkness ahead and just let my mind disappear. A lot of the time I put on a set of spooky YouTube stories, like yours, or a podcast to keep my brain going. I've done this every other night after work for the last four years, in two different towns and three different houses.

And not one time. They had a single encounter like the one that I'm about to share. I got out of work particularly late that night. Normally I would leave at six, but I ended up leaving at 8.30 due to some unforeseen work issues. I debated whether or not I should take my night drive like I was planning, or just go home. I usually only drove for about an hour, so I wasn't used to driving at around 9 p.m. But after some thinking, over the previous 11 hours of work, I realized that I really, really needed some time to just let out all of the garbage that I'd packed into my brain that day,

to just let it out into the dark. So, I set out from my job and went straight. straight into what I like to call no brain mode, where I, aside from the obvious paying attention to people and the roads, just shut off my brain and look into the darkness and trees. It's weird to most, but therapeutic as hell for me. As I was driving, I became increasingly aware of a set of headlights behind me. Not unusual, only problem was, the car had their brights on,

so it was blasting searing light into my eyes by bouncing off of my rearview mirror. It was impossible to see anything else. The lights were so bright that they were lighting up the road in front of my car. I decided I would pull over when I saw a good spot so that I could let the guy pass. A few minutes down the road, I see a local gas station on the right, and I pull in. I pulled up to the first parking spot, and I went inside to grab a snack. As I was paying for my Doritos, I look over out of the gas station window to see some guy looking and peeking inside of my driver's side window.

I quickly finished paying and sprinted out of the store, but when I got near my car, there was nobody there. Realizing I must have just been seeing stuff because it was so dark, I sat there for a moment to catch my breath, unlocked my car and got in. I pulled out of the parking lots, and just as I was turning right, I saw a car in the parking lot. There were two, actually.

One I presumed to be the night shift worker in the gas station's car, but there was no one else in the store itself, and they weren't at a pump. I don't know why that bothered me so much. Maybe it was because I saw, or thought that I saw, a guy looking into my car. Maybe it did actually happen, but he sprinted around the building once he saw I was coming out. Whatever the case was, I didn't want to stay there and find out what actually happened.

I continued my drive, not deterred from the weird car guy or the speeding car from earlier. I just snacked in my Doritos and sipped on my Coca-Cola, enjoying a few horror stories on the way. I look at the clock on my dash and notice it's already 10 p.m. It was already pretty late, so I decided to go ahead and go home, not wanting any further encounters with creepy car people. As I'm driving home, I noticed some weird sounds from inside the car. I shut off the stories that I was listening to, but couldn't really hear anything. I started playing them again, and there it was.

a little creaking of leather, like someone shifting in a seat. I turned it off and on again, and then I had the bright idea to look in the rearview mirror at an angle. And that's when I saw it. A large mass hunched over in the seat behind me. Whoever that guy was at the gas station, looking into my car, must have broken into my car and locked it while I was catching my breath. I couldn't pull over because he might have been waiting for that. I couldn't call 911 because he would definitely know and I'd be dead. The only thing I could do was text my boyfriend as quietly as I could and tell him to call the cops

and have them be at the house when I arrived. I managed to get it done safely without the guy moving an inch. I always keep my phone brightness on lows on my drive so it doesn't destroy. abstract me with personal BS. My heart was pounding. I had five minutes until I got home. The anxiety was building. Minutes passed and they felt like hours.

The person in the back seat didn't move at all and then I finally saw it. My apartment building. But the cops weren't there. Either they were on their way or worse. My boyfriend never got my text. I'd actually told him not to text back, out of fear of the ringer setting off the guy. So, I had no idea if he'd actually gotten it. I had to bite the bullet and hope that he had something planned,

or that I could run quickly to my apartment before the guy could grab me. Just as I pulled in, my boyfriend comes around the back of the staircase, holding a baseball bat in one hand and phone in the other. right after that the cops pulled in sirens blaring with lights shining on the building i take my seat built off and sprint out of the car towards my boyfriend not before locking it again when i pulled out my keys and slammed the door the cops got out and i screamed at them that there was a man hiding in my back seat they tried to open it but i did hit the locks so i had to unlock it with them with my key and as soon as i did the guy sprinted out of the car on the other side, not getting very far before getting tackled by one of the officers. I just sat there on the ground, crying in my boyfriend's arms, thanking him for saving me.

I do still go on night drives from time to time, not as often or as late as that night, but now I stop at home and bring my boyfriend with me, just in case. P, I'd like, Prucese for 15 minutes. We'd say

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