Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast - Wednesday One-Shot: The Time I Was Almost Human Trafficked

Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to Wednesday One Shots, the series where we share a bonus story with you to help you get through the week, this time around we have a story from a listener named Brandy. This will stick with me for the rest of my life. I was 15 when it happened. My mother was an officer in the Air Force and our family was stationed in Germany. Since Germany is the central hub of Europe, we took advantage of many travel opportunities while we lived there. One travel opportunity was a trip to this beach city in Spain.

Starting point is 00:00:44 The Air Force-based travel office organized a trip to this beach city in Spain. The Air Force Base travel office organized the trip. This beach city was very beautiful and full of life with plenty of tourists. There were also a lot of nightclubs, which I desperately wanted to go to as a teenager. My mom had always been wary of places like that, so she usually told me no when I asked to go to a nightclub in order to keep me safe. The resort where we would stay had a pool with little tables that had umbrellas. This is important for later.

Starting point is 00:01:14 The hotel was hosting a ping pong tournament. There were a few other teenagers, all of different nationalities, including a German girl with her family. The rules of the tournament were being explained in English, and the German was having a tough time understanding. I know some Germans, since I was studying the language, as my family was stationed there. I explained the rules to her and broke in German. She smiled and said that she understood.

Starting point is 00:01:43 I then started making small talk and asking her about her family. She said that the man and woman with her were her mother and father. She said that she and her mother only spoke German and that her father only spoke Russian. At the moment, I thought that it was strange, but didn't think too much on it. it was strange, but didn't think too much on it. As the evening came to a close, I asked my parents if I could study by the pool at the tables for a relaxing ambience. They agreed. I went down to the pool and studied for about an hour next to some airman that I recognized from the travel office. The next thing I knew, the German girl's father, was sat across from me at

Starting point is 00:02:26 my table. He was an old man with dark gray hair, a mustache, and a beard. He said something to me in Russian, and I politely told him I don't speak Russian. Then he asked, German, I replied, yes, a little. He asked me about my studies in very broken German, and then said that he wanted to take a walk. This is when my mind started racing. I kept my cool and politely told him that I needed to keep studying. I tried to give him a hint by ignoring him and pretending to read. In actuality, I was plotting exit strategies in my head.

Starting point is 00:03:08 I knew that I couldn't go back to my room, as he would easily follow me, and he could kidnap me in an obscure corner of the hotel. I also knew that I couldn't stay outside at the poolside tables all night. I finally thought that I could sit with the airmen playing cards, explain the situation, and get one of them to escort me back to my room. After all, this Russian guy doesn't speak English very well, so he wouldn't know what I was saying. I settled on this being my best, and likely only option, so I started working up the courage to approach the airmen at the

Starting point is 00:03:45 neighboring table when I heard a stern but familiar voice behind me. Brandy? My dad called out. I shot up out of my seat relieved. I'm sure my dad picked up on my nervous expression and the shakiness in my voice. Dad! Then I turned to the Russian man and explained in German. This is my father.

Starting point is 00:04:09 They shook hands for a bit longer than a normal handshake. My dad turned to me and said, come on, it's time to go to bed. I gathered my books and we walked to the hotel room in silence. When we got to the room, I broke down, wrapping my arms tied around my dad before sobbing. My mother and sisters were so confused, they asked what happened, and I explained the whole thing to my family. My dad said that the Russian man was squeezing his hand extra tight. My dad said if the Russian man didn't let go, when he did, my dad would have knocked him out.

Starting point is 00:04:46 My dad is a very large man with a short fuse, so this wasn't just smack talk. My mom thought about the situation more and pointed out that it was very strange that the man could only speak Russian while his wife and daughter could only speak German. In fact, it could be a red flag for him in trafficking. The realization that the man was likely trying to get me to walk with him to snatch me, and possibly sell me into trafficking, washed over me, and it made me feel sick. We still enjoyed the rest of our vacation, but my family stuck to me like glue for the rest of the trip, which I did not mind. After returning to Germany, we found out that the Russian mob targets tourist areas and resorts to prowl for victims of varying nationalities.

Starting point is 00:05:34 I think about the German girl often, and I'm sad that she could have been a victim of human trafficking. I hope she somehow found her way out. To the Russian man who tried to take me, I hope you're riding away in gel or worse. And if not, let's just never meet again. Thank you to Brandy for sharing their story. If you have a story, make sure you send it into Let's Not Meet Stories at gmail.com. We'll see you all next week for a full episode of Let's Not Meet.

Starting point is 00:06:04 Stay safe. you you

Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast - Wednesday One-Shot: The Time I Was Almost Human Trafficked

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