Lighthouse Horror Podcast - I Started Working The Night Shift For A Strange Airport. I Found A LIST OF RULES | Scary Stories

Episode Date: October 10, 2023

They're very strange...      Story from Harbinger_51 Make sure to check out more of their work at u/Harbinger_51                           Original Post: I started working at a new airport to get away from the mayhem. I just found a new kind.  Original YouTube link: I Started Working The Night Shift For A Strange Airport. I Found A LIST OF RULES.      For more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel: Lighthouse Horror | YouTube  Patreon: Lighthouse Horror | Patreon Merch: lighthousehorror.com  Music: Lucas King - YouTube Myuu - YouTube  Incompetech Darren Curtis Music - YouTube  Thank you for listening to this scary story! If you enjoyed this new creepypasta story, please check out some of my other horror stories. We'll be uploading new episodes every day, featuring ghost stories, haunted encounters, mysteries, true stories, creepypasta, and anything supernatural and paranormal. Don't miss out on the thrill and suspense that await you in each episode!

The last few years have been wild for airline travel. Every week a new viral video shows up on the internet. Some idiot on a plane screaming, shouting, even starting fights with other passengers or crew for no parent reason. Now, I'm sure it's entertaining when you're sitting at home watching these videos. You might laugh or shake your head at the stupidity and not give it a second thought. But that is not an option when you're the one on the job. I can't even count the number of times I've had to be.

call security to deal with a rowdy or violent passenger over the last couple years. Now most of the time what sets people off are surprisingly minor stuff. They want to board now, but it's not their turn, so they start harassing my coworkers. Another passenger looked at them funny, so they get into a screaming match. A baby is crying, or the person in front of them took the last chocolate donut with sprinkles from the airport bakery, so they start throwing punches. You would not believe the stuff I've seen. Needless to say, I got tired of getting up for work, wondering what kind of unhinged maniac

was going to cause me a problem today. So I started looking for a new job. My only experience was in the airline industry. I had no problem with relocation, but I didn't want to end up in another large airport. One 3 a.m. job search after my long shift at the airport, I found a new job listing. One Pine Airport, a rural airport in the Midwest. I sat up and took another sip of coffee. The pictures for the place made it look tiny. A couple of runways with a single terminal surrounded by forest. Perfect for me, I thought. Fewer people to deal with. I checked out the job

and to my relief, it was the exact same thing I was doing now. Only difference was that it required frequent night shifts. I'd done plenty of night shifts before, so that made no difference to me. The biggest surprise was the pay. I couldn't believe my eyes. They were offering more than I was being paid now. Suddenly, wide awake, I quickly uploaded my resume and filled out all the application questions. I headed to bed hoping that my days at crowded airports might be over.

The next morning, as I was getting ready for work, I opened my phone to scroll through notifications and check emails, and in my surprise, I had an email from the job I just applied for. The manager requested an interview with me on Zoom. I quickly replied, and we settled on a time during my lunch break. The first few hours of work breezed by, and as I boarded passengers, I couldn't stop thinking about the upcoming interview. When the time came, I was nervous as hell.

A bald, well-dressed man joined the Zoom meeting and greeted me with a warm smile. He introduced himself as James. I couldn't have asked for a more friendly guy. He welcomed me and after some small talk and a few questions about my experience, he gave an overview of the job's details. Mostly the same job I already had with way bad. better pay and more night shifts, so no problem for me. After making sure that I knew all the details of the job, James cracked another wide, friendly

smile and asked, Then can you start? I just about spit out the sip of coffee I'd taken. You, ah, you aren't going to give me a call back later or something? Don't you have more interviews and paperwork waiting to clear, then... James waved his hand dismissively at his webcam. You're the only applicant, and we couldn't have asked for a better one. As for paperwork, we'll figure that out.

The job is yours, whenever you can start. Preferably soon. For the rest of our conversation, James and I reviewed our schedules and set up a start date of just over a week away before ending the call. I sat back in my break room chair with a sigh of disbelief and a chuckle. I'm aware that it's standard to give a two-week notice to your employer, but I was dying to get the hell out of my current job. At the end of my shift, I let my manager know I had to be gone in a week. Though she was not happy, she assured me it wouldn't be a problem. My final day was absolutely

horrible. A couple came up, demanding and screaming that I refund their tickets for no apparent reason. On top of that, they still wanted a free flight. After hearing that no, they would not be able to fly for free, the husband and wife both started shouting threats. Security was quickly called to the terminal. As soon as they arrived, I checked my watch to find out that my shift was over. I let out a sigh of relief. And I watched. I walked away. As tired as I was with a long drive ahead of May, I was still happier than I had been in a long time.

The drive went off without a hitch. I arrived earlier than expected and checked into a motel room. After dumping a few boxes and a suitcase into the room, I turned off the lights and passed out as soon as my head hit the blanket. I woke that evening to prepare for my first shift. I quickly dressed and started the drive, hoping to arrive early. But I was unfamiliar with the roads, and after a lot of wrong turns, I arrived at the airport with only minutes to spare.

The airport was even smaller than I imagined it to be. I quickly walked through the entrance and was greeted by a small security team. After telling them that I was the new employee and James was expecting me, they passed me through. I walked in to find a single empty terminal and James sitting behind a counter at the end. He looked up, but he smiled at me. I was about to apologize for being late, but I didn't have the chance. He rushed to show me the employee locker room where my new uniform and badge were waiting. And then he told me to get changed and meet him outside right away.

Within a couple of minutes, I walked out to find him back behind the console at the counter. gathering his belongings. He thanked me for showing up and starting so soon, and also apologized for not being able to stick around. I have to be going now. I've been on duty for 17 hours. I know you're familiar with our systems and software. You know what you're doing. He assured me with a pat on the back before walking out from the desk. He turned and added, It'll be a quiet night for you anyway. No flights scheduled. Just sit back, relax, and, uh, oh yeah, I nearly forgot.

He reached into his bag and pulled out a single sheet of laminated paper, and he held it out in front of me. Give this a read as soon as you can. Go over it a few times and don't deviate from it. I took it as James started walking toward the exit along with every single one of the security guards and the cashier who had just closed the only shop in the airport. And then I noticed that all the scanners and metal detectors at the security gate were shut off. And I started to panic.

Hey, hey, James, where's everybody going? I shouted. He stopped and turned back to me. Oh, yeah, another thing I ought to have mentioned. You're the only one here at night? Don't worry. Security will be back around 5 a.m. You've got this place to yourself?

Grab a magazine from the little store if you get bored. Feel free to snag yourself a couple of snacks, too. He began to walk away again before briefly turning and pointing at me. But before you do anything, read that list, you'll need it. I stood and watched as my new boss, along with all the other airport staff, just left. It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that I had an empty airport all to myself for ten hours, with nothing much to do and no one to deal with, and getting paid more money than I'd ever made. I smiled, and I turned my attention to the sheet of paper in my hand.

James said to follow whatever was on the list, so I figured I'd better take a look. So I got myself some coffee, walked behind the airport counter, and I sank into one of the seats. I took a sip and I finally took a serious look. A total of six rules were neatly spaced on the sheet of paper. Number one, all lights in the airport must stay on at all times. If one is off, or if you accidentally turn one off, turn it back on as soon as possible. If a light seems to be broken and you were unable to turn it back on, calmly. only exit the area.

Report the outage to James or maintenance when possible. Do not listen to the sounds. Do not listen to the voices. Rule number two. Rule two pertains to rainy or stormy weather. If it's raining or storming outside, disregard rules three, four, and five. They will not be a concern. Stay inside at all times.

Do not use the men's restroom during a storm and avoid going near it entirely, if possible. Rule number three. Sometime between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., a young woman will walk out of the women's restroom. She will enter the terminal and sit, occasionally getting up to walk around or change seats. Her name is Elizabeth. She will attempt to make conversation, but you must not speak to her. You may look at her or give nonverbal communication such as a head nod. You may write her a message or shake her hand, but do not speak to her.

If you refuse to speak to her, Elizabeth should be gone in a few hours. If you accidentally speak to her, go to the men's restroom and wait for her to leave. Rule number four. Between one or two in the morning, a janitor in blue coveralls will arrive at the front entrance. Crack open the door and ask for his name. If he says his name is Simon, let him in. If he gives you any other name, though, shut the door and lock it without saying another word. If the janitor is Simon, he will attend to the janitorial needs of the airport. If he asks to clean where you are standing, let him. Simon will not interfere with your duties otherwise.

He is not hostile or dangerous. Feel free to talk with Simon. He will leave the same way he came in. Rule number five. At 3 a.m., you may notice that a black and red Cessna Skyhawk has landed on one of the airstrips. You will never see it land, and you will never see it take off. It just appears when you're not looking. After spotting the plane, do not look at it again.

Avoid looking in its general direction. There's a picture of this plane displayed inside the terminal behind the counter. Rule number six. Sometime before dawn, a group of men claiming to be from the TSA may arrive at the airport. They have their own key and they'll let themselves in. They could be armed. Often, they exhibit panicked behavior. They may search the airport, sweep room to room, and ask questions. They are permitted to search anywhere in the main airport building, and you may answer any questions. But under no circumstances are they permitted

to enter the sky bridge. They will not enter without your consent, and they cannot harm you. Now, after reading this over a few times, I set the laminated sheet down and leaned back into my seat before taking a long sip of coffee, wondering what on earth I had just read. James did not seem to be the imaginative type, and I hadn't taken him to be unprofessional. But as I thought, thought about it. It was unusual how rushed this all seemed. I mean, everybody had left in such hurry. I started to wonder if maybe I was being pranked, maybe this was some kind of setup. I ruled that out pretty quickly. This was, in fact, a real airport. I'd done plenty of research by the time I got here. At least a few real flights were coming in or going

out every day. James had been working here for years, and I couldn't think of a reason why he would jeopardize his job just to scare me. After truckling to myself at the absurdity, I decided to give it a try and see what would happen. Maybe it was a test for me as a new employee. Maybe James wanted to see if I could follow orders. After looking at the list again, I realized Rule 2 had a big impact on the number of things I needed to keep track of, so I used my phone to check the forecast. Clear skies, not a chance for rain or storms all night. All right, great, I thought to myself. Now I had to watch out for these Elizabeth and Simon characters to show up, and not be on the lookout for a random plane to appear on the runway.

I stood up and grabbed my coffee, walking to the glass plains. I took another sip from my coffee while admiring the lit runways along the airfield. It was a beautiful night. And as I was raising my cup to finish what was left, I heard the click of shoes on the floor somewhere behind me. I was startled, I spun around dropping my cup and spilling what was left of my coffee. At the other end of the terminal stood a young woman, mid-20s would be my guess. She was holding a large leather suitcase in each hand and had an old-fashioned sense of style

with a skirt and heels. She was beautiful, and she had the most welcoming smile. Oh, I'm sorry, dear. I didn't mean to scare you." She expressed with a sincere tone. I opened my mouth to tell her that everything was just fine, but I stopped myself. I remembered the list. At this point, I was sure she was here at James' request, a paid actor determined to make me break these rules.

And I was very determined not to. Instead, I simply straightened up, adjusted my uniform, and I looked back with a smile. She walked to the counter where she placed her leather suitcases on the ground before closing the distance between us. It looks like we've got this fabulous place all to ourselves. I'm Elizabeth, by the way. She said, reaching out her hand. I shook it.

But she didn't seem quite satisfied. And what's your name? I continued to smile and make eye contact. Her grin grew for a moment before she said. You don't seem to be a talkative one. And with that, she turned and walked away. I returned to my seat behind the counter, watching her very closely. Elizabeth made her way to the airport shop, and after a couple of her, and after a

couple of minutes of looking over magazine covers, she returned, carrying a small stack of reading material. She approached my counter and placed a National Geographic magazine in front of me. I figured you might like this one. Enjoy, she said, winking, before settling on a seat in the first row of the terminal, straight across from me. Her intuition was spot on. I may have lived in cities all of my life, but I love nature. National Geographic was my favorite. I was so tempted to just break the rule and thank her. But I didn't. I stuck to the rule. The next couple of hours were uneventful. Elizabeth and I read our magazines, occasionally looking up at each other, to exchange glances and smiles. She attempted to get me to talk at least half a dozen more times. I almost gave

in when she asked me if I wanted another magazine. A little past 1.30, I heard a knock at the front entrance. Elizabeth and I both looked before she said, Oh, that must be the nice cleaner, man, before returning to her magazine. I walked over to the front doors, and, sure enough, there stood a man around his mid-30s in a blue janitor suit, waiting patiently at the door. I unlocked the door and opened it. As he took a step to enter, I remembered the most important detail from Rule 4. I closed the door halfway, and I sternly commanded, Wait.

The man looked up at me with a surprise look. I asked him the question. What is your name? The man stared back at me as an innocent smile formed on his face. My name is Simon. He said excitedly, I am the janitor here. Did James let you know I was coming tonight? I stood there for a moment, thinking over the rule, before I nodded.

I nodded my head and I opened the door to let him in. Once inside, Simon walked with purpose to the janitor's closet, which was near the men's restroom. I kept an eye on him for the next few minutes as he started cleaning, but I eased up once I got the feeling that he really was the janitor. I returned to my counter in the terminal and continued to read. Occasionally, Simon would pass by, off to do his duties in some part of the airport, or Elizabeth would stand up to look at the various paintings on display around the terminal.

A good half an hour went by before Simon approached the terminal counter with his mop in hand. He seemed to be eyeing up the two leather suitcases Elizabeth had sat there. Assuming he wanted to clean them, I got up to move him. I grabbed each one by the handle, but I failed to lift them off the ground. Confused, I stepped back to see if they were stuck on something. They were not stuck. Just two suitcases left right where Elizabeth had sent them.

I tried to lift just one. And again I failed. I tried both hands, putting my back and legs into it, but it still wouldn't budge. I looked back up at Simon, who nodded his head in Elizabeth's direction, and I turned to look at her. When she noticed my stare and my apparent inability to move her luggage, she smiled and stood up. Oh, let me get that for you. And with ease, she lifted both leather suitcases and moved them closer to her seat before lowering them. This time letting them drop a few inches.

When they hit the ground, a boom echoed through the airport, and I flinched. I looked back at Simon, who hadn't seemed shocked at all. He just continued to mop. I made my way back to my seat, not taking an eye off Elizabeth for one second. I know it's strange. Just stick to the rule. and everything will be just fine. Trust me." He said quietly.

I nodded my head in response. And Simon went back to his cleaning. A few minutes passed by before Elizabeth had something new to say. Oh, what a remarkable aircraft! She said. Looking out the glass panes facing the runways, I followed her. gaze to the lone black and red airplane. I turned around, looking at the picture displayed behind me.

It sure looked like a match. I turned back to the window and I felt my heart sink. A silhouette of a person now stood next to the plane, facing the airport and the windows of the terminal. Stop looking at it. Simon muttered from behind me. I looked back at Simon, who quickly cowered, seemingly ashamed to have raised his voice of me. But I was grateful he had. I read over Rule 5 again, specifically where it stated not to look at the plain twice.

I muttered insults at myself under my breath, but my heart was pounding. My eyes darted through the other rules. I focused on that sheet of paper. At least it was something to look at instead of that plane outside. This went on for a good ten minutes or so, and then I started to calm down. I began to pray in my head that whoever and whatever that was would just go away when Elizabeth suddenly approached my counter. I looked up and made eye contact with her.

Hey, I'm going to go get some more reading material, okay? You want another one of those? She asked, reaching a hand out to my National Geographic magazine. I looked up and nodded, forcing a smile. And as she moved away, my gaze didn't. And once again, I found myself looking at the plane on the runway. The silhouette was now even closer to the building. and still staring in my direction.

Chills ran up my spine as I snapped my head back to my desk. Moments later, Elizabeth returned and placed a new magazine on the counter before running a hand over my shoulder, seeming to comfort me. And then Simon put his hand on my back. He'll be going soon, and so with a plane, don't look at it again. He assured me. You mind if I clean here? He asked.

I got up and walked to the end of the counter, watching Simon thoroughly clean the floor, before I looked up and let out a soft. Thank you. He nodded and smiled back. What did you say? Elizabeth asked. I turned towards her. Oh, I was just thanking Simon for...

My error came to me. Before I could finish speaking, my eyes locked on Elizabeth as she stood up from her seat. Her smile fading. Her eyes and nose began to bleed profusely as she started to sob lightly at first and then hysterically. She let out a bellowing screech. It was like this mix of pain and anger. She picked up one of her suitcases and she threw it at me. I barely dodged the ridiculously heavy thing before it crushed into the wall behind me.

Luckily, I was pretty quick and I made a run for the men's restroom, remembering rule number three. But she chased after me. I slammed the door shut on her face and I locked it. Elizabeth pounded on the door with furious anger, but she gave up after a few minutes. So that's how you dance. Is it love? I can play that game, she said, before flipping a light switch, turning off the light outside the bathroom. The clicking of her shoes faded away. A few minutes of silence passed. Before I started to hear laughter from the other side of the door, One voice became two, two voices became three, and three grew to ten.

While some continued their hysterical laughing, others began to scream. I slipped to the floor, covering my ears as the voices went on. They only stopped by another flip of a switch. Light beamed from the bottom of the door. It's over now. She's gone. And so is the plane. I've got to be leaving soon as well. Simon's calm and friendly voice called out. I slowly exited the bathroom, and I followed him back to the counter, where he'd made another coffee for me. I wish I could have done more, but you'll come to find out when Elizabeth is angry, you got to just let her do her thing. I looked up at him, at a complete loss for words.

Over the next few minutes, Simon finished cleaning Elizabeth's blood from the floor, before putting everything back into the janitor's closet. He looked down at his watch. All right, well, I better get out of here. Good luck with the rest of your night, and I hope I'll be seeing you soon." He said. out a sigh as he looked at me with pity. I think he knew how shaken up I was. It was like he'd seen this happen to employees before. After I watched him leave, I returned to my seat

behind the counter. I started to feel alone, but that wouldn't last long. Only minutes after Simon left, the doors swung open and men in tactical gear, their faces covered in masks and goggles rushed inside. I sprung up from my seat, and I watched as they swept room to room, checking every nook in cranny at gunpoint, completely ignoring me. As they cleaned the entire building, the 20 or so armed men made their way to the terminal seating area. A lone man in a suit made his way to the front of the group. I'm with TSA.

I'm going to need you to answer some questions for me. He said, I nodded. All right. How many individuals have you seen in the airport since the security team left the building? Um, besides myself, two inside, one outside. I answered more confidently. Okay. shape, was the individual outside next to a black and red Cessna Skyhawk?"

Yes. I again responded. The man in the suit nodded and paused for a moment, before making another demand. All right, well, we're going to need to search the air bridge. I glanced back at the sheet of rules on the counter, and then I took a step forward and straightened my uniform. No. I replied. The man in the suit looked irritated. Okay. If you do not step aside and give us permission to search,

I'm afraid I'll have to detain you. Already tired and worn out. I wasn't kind of pricked the last rule. I decided to give a not-so-smart remark to the man in the suit. You're looking a little well-armed for TSA, wouldn't you say? He ignored my comment. Last chance. Step aside. No.

Irritated by my response, the man in the suit turned to his right and raised his chin to give a signal. Gunshots rang out and I collapsed to the floor. I felt my life leave my bag. body, before it all faded black. And the next thing I remember was the feeling of my hand gripping a water bottle. And then came James' voice. I see you made it through the first night intact. Looks like you got to meet Simon. He's a nice guy. You get to like him. And Elizabeth, she's Well, she's something else, isn't she? I opened my eyes and looked up at James.

Am I dead? I asked. James chuckled in return. No, you did great. You're fine. It does look like you might have been a little assertive to our undead TSA Special Forces, I would recommend sticking with a less aggressive tone. Maybe I ought to edit that into the rules.

In any case, they can't hurt you, but they can still get a jump out of you. Once again, I was at a loss for words. I slowly made my way back to my feet, and I looked at the sunrise over the airfield. James held out an envelope for me. I opened it, revealing a stack of crisp $100 bills. A little bonus for your first night. It sure is a lot to go through for the first time, but I promise. You get used to it all.

I turned to James with an angry look, and I finally spoke up. What the hell is wrong with you? What makes you think it's okay to put someone through this without any warning? I am done. Keep your damn money. I am calling the police. I started to walk towards the exit when James stepped in front of me. Look, I know it isn't fair for you, but it will.

It wasn't fair for me either. It wasn't fair for any of us. It's not okay. I know, but what can I do? Someone needs to be here for the night shift. You wouldn't have believed any of this if I told you ahead of time. You'd have thought I was some kind of nut job. And the police will think the same of you if you tell them.

I needed you to say. See for yourself. James stopped for a moment to catch his breath before continuing. Look, the money's yours. No strings attached. You're free to leave now and never come back. There's no shame in it. I also started to calm down, but I couldn't bring myself to look James in the eye. If you do choose to stay, I'll see you in my office to finish up your paperwork. And with that, James just walked away.

Facing the front of the airport, I watched the first passengers of the day come through the entrance. I just stood there for a few minutes, thinking, I sure as hell wasn't going back to another overcrowded city airport. Maybe I could get used to this. I finally turned around and I walked back to his office.