The Confessionals - RELOADED | 298: The Dirty Santa

Episode Date: December 23, 2024

In Episode 298: The Dirty Santa, we bring on the much-anticipated Rachyll to share her jaw-dropping story of being stalked and hunted down by a man who she describes as looking like a dirty Santa! When she was a young girl, “dirty Santa” spotted Rachyll outside while he was driving, and the way he looked at her set off an alarm bell inside that she will never forget. Following that initial encounter, the creepy old man proceeded to haunt Rachyll by finding out where she lived, and finally one night executing his plan to break into her home and take her away. With quick thinking and a sheer will to survive, Rachyll escaped Santa’s “sleigh” and lived to tell her story on this Christmas Day. Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts List: https://www.theconfessionalspodcast.com/helene-reliefSasquatch and The Missing Man: merkelfilms.comMerkel Media Apparel: merkmerch.comThe Confessionals Members App:Apple Store: https://apple.co/3UxhPrhGoogle Play: https://bit.ly/43mk8kZBecome a member for AD FREE listening and EXTRA shows: theconfessionalspodcast.com/joinAFFILIATESGo Silent with SLNT Faraday Bags: https://alnk.to/clXuRY5EMP Shield: empshield.com Coupon Code: "tony" for $50 off every item you purchase!SPONSORSSIMPLISAFE TODAY: simplisafe.com/confessionalsUNCOMMON GOODS: uncommongoods.com/tonyCONNECT WITH USWebsite: www.theconfessionalspodcast.comEmail: [e-mail] to the Newsletter: https://www.theconfessionalspodcast.com/the-newsletterMAILING ADDRESS:Merkel Media257 N. Calderwood St., #301Alcoa, TN 37701SOCIAL MEDIASubscribe to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/2TlREaIReddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/theconfessionals/Discord: https://discord.gg/KDn4D2uw7hShow Instagram: theconfessionalspodcastTony's Instagram: tonymerkelofficialFacebook: www.facebook.com/TheConfessionalsPodcasTwitter: @TConfessionalsTony's Twitter: @tony_merkelProduced by: @jack_theproducer

Merkel Media I guess it's time To go back in time Are you telling me You built a time machine Kind of a Dolion Time is but a stubborn illusion

I have a lot of memories Of the past People are time traveling within themselves Time travel Is possible Welcome to the show by you're listening To the Christmas Day special. I am your host, Tony Merkel. Thanks for being here. If you have an encounter or a story

you'd like to share with me on the show, go ahead and shoot me an email or go to the website, the confessionalspodcast.com, hit the contact section and you preach me that way as well. Either it works for me, just get a hold of me. If you want to hear more shows like this every week on Thursdays, we release a member show to only members on the website. So if you want to hear more shows, double your shows every week, go to the confessionalspodcast.com, hit the join button and become a member today. Now this week, we have Rachel. coming on the show. And Rachel, I'm telling you, I've been wanting to release this show for about a year now, but we held on to it because Rachel was almost abducted by a man that she described as a

dirty-looking Santa. She called him the dirty Santa. And I said to Rachel after the show, this has to be a Christmas Day show because you called this guy the dirty Santa. It's a thrilling story of where she was being stocked and then a man breaks into her house and chases her and her friend all over the place. I'm telling you, I was left shocked, and I know you're going to be left shocked, too. And then at the end of the interview, Rachel shares another story of where she witnessed a miracle. That's all we can say it was. It was an absolute miracle. Rachel, here she comes. Let's get to her right now. Hey, I reload it. All right, today we got Rachel on the show. Rachel, how are you? I'm doing great. How are you? Doing good, doing good. So, Rachel, you have

an interesting story to share with us. And you know, you call into the live show sometimes for the members. And you have a lot to talk about when it comes to the conspiracy realm and all that stuff. We're not even getting into that. But if people want to hear your thoughts on that, they can go ahead and listen to some of the live show archives because you're a caller on there. And I think the first time you called, it was like 20 or 30 minute phone call. And you were contributing the whole time. Like it wasn't like it was just dead air. Like you have a lot of things to say. And maybe one of the first. this days. Yeah, I said on that live show, I'm like, hold on, I'm adjusting my tinfoil hat before I start talking. And, you know, I like laugh as I say that. But I mean, truthfully, that's, it's, I kind of,

I said, I like live in a rabbit hole now after all these years of my digging and my discoveries that I've made and, you know, different groups that I'm a part of and, you know, learning a lot from you and Jack and from West and all different avenues. It's become a big passion of mine. But I mentioned to you just a little bit ago that I was really going to try today to take my tinfoil hat off and not be speaking about current events today, but just to share my story about what happened to me when I was a little girl. Yeah. And what happened to you as a little girl is something that doesn't happen to many people and it's terrifying. I know one person that has gone through something similar to you, but it happened when they were an adult. And so if you could kind of walk us into this situation where

when you were a little girl and almost being abducted. Yeah, this took place in, it was the summer of 2004. So quite a while ago, it was the summer before I turned 12. So I was 11 when this happened. And this takes place in a little town called Kirkland in Washington, which ironically was the epicenter of, you know, one of the main hotspots of the coronavirus in the beginning, you know, oddly enough.

But I actually did not live in Washington at, that time. I still lived in Arizona, but my mom was engaged to a man who lived in Washington. So she had moved up here. I lived here now. But I lived with my dad in Phoenix. And part of my parents, you know, custody agreement was that I had to come up for two weeks every summer and spend the whole two weeks up in Washington with my mom. And it was a really odd, you know, time in my life, you know, with the turbulence of my parents having such an awful divorce and relationship afterwards. I did not, I'm trying to think of the nicest way to say this. I did not get along with my mom's boyfriend at the time.

I think that was partially to do with the fact that he was so vastly different than my dad. They are quite opposite in terms, in every sense of the word. So I was very kind of resistant to his presence. in my life. And I, you know, I think a lot of kids who have divorced parents can relate to the feeling of sort of like a new boyfriend or a new girlfriend that one of your parents is dating. It's almost like they're taking your parent away from you. Just kind of a difficult season of life and being an adolescent is awkward. You're changing, you're growing up, you're going through a lot of things on the inside. So I really, really, really wanted to bring my best friend with me for this particular

trip where I was going to fly from Phoenix to Seattle to stay for the two-week visit. And I totally scored that my parents agreed that I could bring my best friend with me. So I was pumped. I mean, it was going to make the trip so much better because I wouldn't have to be alone with my mom and her boyfriend. And we have a really good relationship now. But, you know, it's grown a lot. lot since then. So my friend, her name was Carly. She was the same age as me, and she flew up with me. Now, during this time, my mom and her boyfriend at the time, they were engaged. And they spent a lot of time going to social events, lots of parties. It was kind of like they were always doing something and it was like, you know, an adult type of environment. So me being 11, a lot of times I

would stay home at their house while they would go out at night. And honestly, I loved it because I wasn't really allowed to stay home alone at my dad's house in Phoenix. So it felt like super freedom. And I felt, you know, grown up and really cool. And I actually really liked staying home alone. So when they would go out at night, I would do my own thing. And, you know, I'd wake up in the morning and they'd be back home. So during this trip, it was on a Thursday night. I remember for Carly and I, we thought, okay, well, you know, it's a summer night. My parents are gone. Let's go for a walk around the neighborhood and just kind of, you know, walk down to the park.

There was a really beautiful park right by their house. And it stays light so late in the Pacific Northwest during the summer that, you know, it would be 930 during July. And it's just now getting dark. So I was really loving that. So we walked down and, you know, we're 11-year-old girls. We go out of the house, walk through the neighborhood, kind of dilly-dally. And we walk down to the bottom of this very, pretty steep hill that comes into a curved road that leads all the way around to the other side of the neighborhood. And right in the middle of this curved road, there's this really bizarre house.

And I'm going to try to paint the picture of this house because it's still there to this day. And Tony, I can send you pictures of it. It's pretty odd. It's this, you know, it kind of looks like a normal home. It's a one-story home. But the whole roof, which is like an a frame, is covered in bright green moss. Like it looks like the roof is made of green carpet almost. It's just really weird. And at this time in 2004, they had, it sounds really odd. And it's like the perfect scene for creepy stuff to happen. They had like at least 10 cats at any given time in this drive. So they'd be, you know, some cats are chilling on the lawn. Some cats are laying in the driveway on the sidewalk. Some cats are up by the front door. I mean, it was just weird. And I had never seen anyone, you know, parked in the driveway of this house. I don't know if anyone actually lived there.

The lights were never on. It was just bizarre in the middle of a normal neighborhood where there are families and normal activity going on all the time. So I'm like, hey, let's go pet those cats. There's so many, you know, kind of odd. So we walked down. and we're petting these cats and, you know, I'm like, gosh, which one am I going to pet next? And I hear this really loud little engine. It kind of sounded like a dirt bike. Like I could hear it backfiring and I'm like, what the heck? So we turn around and I face the road.

And remember, this road is curved where the house is that we're standing in the driveway of. And this little white truck, it was a two-door, like the tiniest truck you can imagine. It's a little Toyota. It says Toyota across the back in big black letters, tiny tires, super loud motor. It drives by, and the windows are not tinted whatsoever. So I stop petting the cat. I stand up and turn around to see what kind of vehicle or what motorcycle is going to drive by. It's that white truck.

And there is a man driving this truck that, I get like EBGB just even, I remember him so perfectly. he's sitting in the driver's seat, coasting on by, and he is looking straight at me, and I got the most uneasy. I never felt panicked before at that point in my life, but something about the way he was looking at me, it was bad. And if I could describe him, he looked like a dirty Santa, which I'm sure that gives you an excellent mental image, but I mean, he had a really scruffy gray beard. He was wearing like an old dirty t-shirt and he had the just pinnacle of creepiness, serial killer vibe, wire-rimmed glasses that

were like gold wire rims, big frames. He had really disheveled kind of sparse white hair and he just looked like he was not a happy guy. So I found it odd that, the entire time he followed this curve in the road, he was locked eyes with me. Like even as his truck was passing me and coming around the curve to where you can't see where the road is leading anymore to another part of the neighborhood, his head was like backwards looking at me through the rear window of the truck. And I kind of felt frozen at that time when he was looking straight at me. And I told Carly, I'm like, okay, let's get out of here.

Let's go home. because she had seen what was going on and thought, oh, that's creepy. And there was still, like I said, plenty of light for me to be able to see him clearly. So we start walking back to the house instantly. And remember, we had walked down a pretty steep hill to get there. So we're starting to walk back and I'm like, don't run. You know, we don't need to run. Let's just walk back home.

Get out of here. That was weird. So as we are about to walk back, oh my gosh. We're like halfway up this hill. I hear that stupid little loud exhaust system again. And I'm like, oh no, oh no, oh no. So I glanced back as we're walking up the hill. And here I see that little white truck again coming around the curve.

And it's that man, the dirty Santa man. And he has another man in the car with him and the truck with him that I can see. Yeah. And I'm like, so I'm like, hey, okay, come on, let's go. because I don't want them to see that I see him again. For some reason, I felt like I did not want to give myself away that I'm aware that they're back here. So as he's coming around the curve, I'm like, okay, you know, walking, walking, walking. And I hear the turn of the gravel of him coming up the hill now.

And I'm like, no, oh my gosh, no, no, no, no. So I say, run. And I am frantically looking around for someone in their front yard, an adult, someone else in a car, It's like everywhere I looked in the neighborhood, no one was outside, which is so irregular this time of year. There were always people out, people biking, people walking their dogs, people barbecuing. And there was just no one. Everywhere I looked, we were the only two people out on the street. So I'm like, oh my gosh, so we run and they pass us.

And I'm thinking, okay, it's fine. Maybe they're, you know, maybe I'm being a little overdramatic and they live around here. and I'm being mean by, you know, feeling creeped out by an old guy. They pass us and they're a little bit ahead of us. And we're at the point where we need to, we're right across from my parents' house. And I need to walk through the bushes and get to the front door. But I don't want them knowing where we live. So I'm waiting and they're at a stand still at the top of this road where it tees off.

And they can turn left or right. We're at the top of the hill now. And my parents' house is on the corners right there. and we're on the opposite side of the sidewalk. And I mean, I'm at like a stale meet. I'm not moving because I don't want them knowing which direction I go. It's good probably 35 to 40 seconds that we're standing there. And I'm telling Carly, don't move.

Don't look at the house. I don't want them to know where we are going to end up. Finally, it's like they gave up and they went ahead and turned left and started back on the road to another part of the neighborhood. The second that they're out of sight, I'm like, go. and we run into my parents' house. And I'm like, oh my gosh, that was so weird. Why do I feel so?

I just felt gross. I felt like whatever just happened, it seems like it's harmless, but something just happened and it was bad. So I don't know how to explain it, really. It's like my intuition was saying, this isn't done, kind of is the feeling I had. So I tried to brush it off. We went about our night.

You know, my parents are out. So it would be pretty late before they got back, which was normal. And so we made some dinner and went to bed like normal. So the bedroom that we slept in was in the bottom level of my parents' house, my mom and her boyfriend. And the way that the house was built, part of the house was like kind of built into the ground a little bit. So the side of the house had like a slope to it.

So the bottom floor, the bedroom that we were in on the bottom floor, when you looked out the window at the base of the window was ground level. And then, you know, the whole window was ground level to above ground level. So we were sleeping down there and I woke up. It was 2.31. I'll never forget. I glanced over at the clock. I woke up in the middle of night, 2.31. And I'm kind of like coming to and I'm like, what's go? Something seems weird. And there was a, the wall that the bed was up against was the wall that had that window on it. I'm like, huh, that's what's going on. I feel weird. And as I open my eyes more, I realize there are, there's a bright light coming through the window. So I sit up. I'm like, what's going on? I'm still kind of like trying to get my wicks about me. And I look out that window. And there are headlights pointing directly in the window. Now, where the headlights would be coming from is the road where we were standing at that standoff where I refused to move. They were part, like the truck was stopped right up ahead of us. I needed to go to the left to get in the house, but I didn't want them to know that that's where I was

going. Well, now there's headlights pointing right from the point where I was standing and refused to move and they're shining straight into the window of the bedroom where I am sleeping. And I'm like, oh my God. So I wake up, Carly, I'm like, Carly, wake up, wake up, wake up. She wakes up. She's all confused. I'm like, we need to run upstairs and see what vehicle is putting the headlights through this window. And she's like, what? So I basically dragged her upstairs. My parents are home at this point, but they're sleeping. Their bedroom doors closed. And I'm not about to go, you know, wake them up. And, you know, I just didn't want to make, I still felt like I was maybe making a bigger deal out of this. And I was being paranoid. So I run into an upstairs room where I can see that road that this car is off. obviously parked perpendicular on, mind you, that's parked across this road, not like you would be driving on it. And I glance out the second floor window and sure enough, it is that freaking white truck. And I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm starting to feel like maybe I'm spiraling. Am I seeing things? What is going on? I have never seen this truck before. I've never noticed it driving around.

Who are these people? So between me, leaving the upstairs room to run back down to look again out of the window to make sure I'm not actually seeing things. I'm walking out of the second floor going to the staircase and I hear the startup of that stupid little engine again. And I get back into the bedroom downstairs and I'm barely peeking my eyes up in the window and I see it reverse, turn so it's not perpendicular in the road anymore. Now it's correctly in the lane and it drives back down the hill. And I'm like, I mean, just beside myself because I am so freaked out. I don't know what this means. I feel like I can't talk to my mom about it because I don't want to be making waves with her and I. The way that our

relationship was back then, I was desperate for, you know, normalcy and peace and calm and some sort of kind of rhythm again. So I didn't want to say anything. So I sat up the rest of the night. just wondering what the heck happened. I ended up falling back asleep sometime as the sun began to come up. And we kind of just went about our normal morning, Carly and I did. And we talked about it and we were like, that was just so, so bizarre. What was that? What happened?

Why? How did they know that we came to this house? So that was on a Thursday and that was Thursday night. So now Friday, my parents were, you know, getting ready to go out again. late afternoon, early evening. And this is where the next character comes in, which was my friend Alex, who actually lived in Washington at this point. So my mom's fiance and Alex's dad knew each other because they were both in the dentistry world. And they kind of hooked us up as friends, being that we were both the same age and we both loved horses. And honestly, it was like a match

made in heaven because she's still my best friend to this day. She was going to come over. have a sleepover with Carly and I. So I actually felt really good about it because now there were going to be three of us girls together instead of just Carly and I. So I'm like, okay, strengthen numbers. This will be great. We'll have a great night. You know, those weirdos are gone, whatever. They're not going to come back. You know, I had really pushed it out of my mind because I could not make sense of it. And, you know, at that point, you would hear about kidnappings on the news and it all, I knew that those things happened, but you always think, oh, it would never happen to me. I'm in a nice town. You know, I'm in a beautiful neighborhood. I'm safe. I'm fine. I'm just paranoid. That's what it is.

I'm just paranoid. So Alex comes over. My parents leave for another party or a barbecue or whatever they were going to. And we decided, okay, let's make dinner. Let's put a pizza in the oven. And then let's get some candy. We'll pick out. We love scary movies. Let's get a pizza in the pick out some candy and we'll watch a scary movie downstairs in this kind of like little theater room that was set up that was just like the ultimate hangout spot so we had our dinner and we kind of brought Alex up to speed about what had happened the previous evening and in the middle of the night and she looked at me and was like and we're sleeping here I mean she was probably the most rational out of all of us she still is she's like and we're sleeping here I'll just

never forget her face looking at me. And I'm like, well, yeah, yeah, we're sleeping here. And, you know, we all kind of laughed and thought, I thought maybe it was a little exciting that this weird thing had happened. And, you know, I felt like Nancy Drew sort of in a way. I don't know. I always wanted to be a detective, a spy, anything to do with like solving mysteries. I just loved it. So it was kind of up my alley, but I also was praying to God that whoever the that was would never come back in my neighborhood again. So we finished our dinner. We go downstairs into the theater room, which is kind of like a living room adjacent to the bedroom that we had been sleeping in the previous night. Now, in this living room, it had two huge picture windows that

look out at the backyard all across one wall, just huge windows. You can see the whole backyard. And at this time, the backyard was fenced by a white picket fence. So, you know, the posts of the fence are pretty far apart from each other. And you can clearly see through them. I mean, it's probably what, six or seven inches between each fence post. And they're not tall. They were like up to the top of my leg and I was 11. So it's not a tall fence.

It was more so just to show a divide, I guess. It's not like it was a privacy fence or a security fence. I could easily almost step over it at that point. So we are about to, we're getting all of our blankets, got the bowl of popcorn, got our candy, picked a movie, we're getting it set up. And I'm like, hey, I'm going to let the dog out. So I open the back door, which this back door is an older door. And it's a regular door, but then like the top one third of it is a window. and the window had like these old sketchy blinds on it, which were always closed for some reason.

They were always closed. And I opened the back door and I walk out to let the dog out. And as I'm walking out, I can see, guess what? A freaking white truck parked along the curbside right before the beginning of the fence. So like along the side of the house. So I couldn't see it from inside. And I see this truck parked and I'm instantly, I feel like, you know that feeling where it feels like your stomach just fell into your butt? Yeah.

I felt that and I'm like, oh, God. And I glance at it and I can see that it's clearly empty. The dirty Santa guy, he's not in the truck. And I'm like, oh my God. So I run back inside and I instantly close, I close and lock the door. The dog follows me back in. The dog didn't even go to the bathroom. I slammed the door and I lock it.

The blinds on the window portion of the door, on the back door, are closed. Good. So I'm like, okay, I frantically run over and I'm closing the blinds that are on the two big picture windows because they don't know where this person is, but I don't want them to know where I am. And I'm like, oh my God, the truck is there. The truck is there. And I'm trying to tell my friends. But they're like, where, where?

I'm like, do not. Don't go up to the windows. Do not go outside. The truck is empty and it is parked along the house. I'm trying to explain it to them, but I'm so panicked that I feel like I can't even accurately explain to them what is going on. And I don't know what my plan was. Honestly, at this point, I remember thinking, that's it. I'm calling 911. I'm sick of this. Who is this person? And I finally get both sets of blinds on the big picture windows closed. And I'm like, you guys, come here. And I'm trying to like huddle, sort of, because I'm thinking, what if they're listening? What if they're, I didn't want to be yelling to my friends in case somehow this person could hear what I was going to say. So I'm like, come here, come here. And they both come over to me. And we're standing in the theater room. All the blinds are closed. No one can see in. But it is still, of course, light out at this point. It's not late at night. The sun is finally starting to go down.

So I'm in a little huddle with them. And I'm telling them, okay, we're going to call 911. I don't know where this person is. We need to go hide somewhere, not down here. I just did not want to be down there. And all of a sudden, I hear, do, do, do, do, do, do, and I flip around my head. And someone is shoving, trying to shove, oh, they're trying to shove the back door. open and it is so loud and so abrupt and so forceful like you could see the whole door shaking shaking

the handle is like jolting and jiggling and they're just done and you can see the shadow outline of like a head neck and shoulders through the blinds that are covering the window on that janky old back door because it's still light enough out to see a shadow and i'm just I am not an aerodynamic person by any means. Like, I do not run unless it's in absolute danger or whatever. I'm not like an athletic or speedy person. Well, all of a sudden, I freaking transformed because I flew up the staircase to the first floor. And all I screamed was, go, go, go.

And I ran up. My friends are following me. We're all barefoot. And we burst out the front door. All I could think was get away, get out. get away, get out of here. We run out the front door. Alex was in the back, Carly's in the middle, I'm in the front. And I hear her slam the front door as all three of us get through it. And we are running through the neighborhood. As we get out of my parents' front yard, I hear that stupid,

haunting, awful sound of that truck starting. But I'm like, oh my God, we have to run. We have to hide. We have to get help somehow because they're going to come see us running and they're going to get us. And I run and we are banging on a neighbor's door. Nobody's answering. So we would run around the side of their house and hide at the back of this person's house. We'd hear the truck drag by, pass us a little bit. We'd run back out, run to the next house, pound on the door. I mean, no one was answering their door.

No one was home. We are three barefoot, 11 and 12-year-old girls crying hysterically. We are the scariest we've ever been, and I think that we've ever been still to this day. Finally, we get to a house that has no fence on their backyard. So we just, instead of knocking on the door, we assumed no one's going to answer. So we ran and hid in their backyard. They have like a ton of lawn furniture, an old truck, like kind of like a, you know, junkyard vibes. little bit, but they had this old truck in blonde furniture, and we ran behind this old truck,

and I'm peeking out from behind the old truck, and I see, here comes the truck, driving down the road, the guy is, his head is whipping around, he's looking, he's driving super slow, and you can see that he is looking for us. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, and I felt like I was kind of like out of my body at this point. Like, I was so terrified that it didn't even feel like I was. I was, like, I actually experiencing it. I was in fight or flight and I was flying. I mean, we ran. Finally, he passed far enough to where we could start running again. And we finally got to this house that was a new construction house, really beautiful. And I'm begging on the door and I'm just praying like, God, please let someone answer the door. And this woman holding a baby, like a newborn baby,

answers the door. And I was so relieved to see another person's face besides this, old man that I was like, oh my gosh, please help us. And she took one look at us. And she was like, oh my gosh, come in. What is going on? And so she brings us into her living room. We're all crying. We're all out of breath. You know, we're all visibly disturbed. And she's like, wait, sit down. Let me go get my husband. So I felt so bad looking back. You know, here she is with a newborn. And her husband comes down from upstairs. And he's like, um, hello, like what is going on? And so I guess I was the spokesperson for the group because I explained to him the best I could at the time, you know, what had just happened. And he's like, okay, well, why don't you girls have some water? You're welcome to stay here. I will take the dog and I'll go check the house. And so I explained to him which house it is. And I'm just thinking there's no way this is over because I was so, I was in such a mode that I felt like he, it seemed to me,

the vibe that I got from that man was he was going to get us one way or another. So I felt like I could not relax and I couldn't absorb that we were in a safe place and that he hadn't seen where we had gone. So we sat there and kind of talked to the mom. It was really awkward because, you know, we just barged into her house and we're crying and we're, you know, we're a mess. And then we're trying to like make normal conversation with her and ask her about her baby. and it was really bizarre.

So a little while later, the dad comes back, and I'm like thinking, okay, it's all going to be fine. And he says, well, I went through the house with the dog and there's no one in there. I'm like, okay. And he goes, but the back door was wide open. So that meant that he got that the man, the old dirty Santa man,

had gotten the back door open. some point. I don't know if it was right after we ran up the stairs or right before I heard the truck start up again and he saw we weren't in there. But just knowing that he gained access to the house, I feel like that statement right there kind of changed my life, especially as a parent now, just knowing the gravity of that sentence that he ended up getting in. So had we not ran when we did, I'm well aware of the possibilities of what could have happened. It was, it was rough. So we ended up calling my mom from the nice people's house who let us in.

And she was like, what? You know, she's so confused. And she's like, okay, we're coming home. So they came back home from their party or their barbecue or wherever they were. And we told them what had happened. We told them what had happened over the last. last few days. And I mean, my mom was kind of just like, oh, and I don't know if maybe I didn't do a good job explaining it or maybe, I don't know, I think maybe she just wasn't like grasping what I had

just said and what I just told her, but it was kind of just put to bed. Like, well, we're home now, so you're fine. And it's okay. And from that point on, I feel like I kind of just, forced myself to not think about it. Does that make sense? Yeah. Yeah, I can understand that. Being guarded because of the lack of response from the parent. Yes.

And there's so much more to that. The psychology behind, you know, this new relationship that my mom was in and this newfound freedom that she had and all of that plays into it. I know that now as an adult. But when you're so young and so impressionable and you kind of live. in the world based on what your parents think. I was kind of just like, oh, okay, so it's over then. Like, there was no major event that happened after that until years later, I was babysitting in the neighborhood after I had moved up here full time. I was babysitting in the neighborhood

and I got to the house of the kid I was babysitting. And the parents said, okay, so, you know, we'll be back at this time, but you can't go outside and play today. You guys can just play inside. Then I thought, oh, that's kind of weird, you know, whatever. So I put the kid to bed, the parents go up back home, and I asked the dad, what's going on that, you know, we weren't allowed to play outside today? Well, I kid you not. In the neighborhood, a little girl was out riding her bike. She was out riding her bike in the neighborhood. And a man in a small, white, loud Toyota truck chased this little girl down on her bike, tried to get out and grab her. And a man in the neighborhood who happened to me in his front yard looked over and saw this happening and chased the man down with a baseball bat.

Got his license plate, got everything. The little girl, he got the little girl, you know, away from the man called the police. And the whole neighborhood was ordered until they found this man to not let their kids play outside. I felt like I was going to pass out when this dad told me that because I thought, oh my God, I'm not crazy. That's the same guy in the same neighborhood trying to take a girl of the same age that I was years earlier. Wow. Yeah. And so I don't know if they ever got it.

I don't know if, I don't know what ended up happening, but knowing that not only was he not successful in taking this little girl who was a girl that the kids I was babysitting, they knew and they go to school with her and they know her. Not only did he not succeed in taking that girl, just like he did not succeed in taking us, I'm not crazy. I'm not making this stuff up. I wasn't exaggerating it in my mind. What happened to me actually happened to me exactly as I remember it.

And it was still continuing on. So it was some big, big, big validation for me that all these years, this whole scenario that I've been trying to shove out of my mind was not just in my mind. It actually happened. So that's terrifying. And you really did a good job of describing what you went through. I'm sitting here just my feet are cold. Same.

I'm like out of breath because I'm, So, like, reliving it just makes me, I mean, there's a whole slew of horrible things that could have happened had I not had the presence of mind as an 11-year-old girl to do the things we did. And that really scares me. Yeah. And that's the thing that you think about. Like, so what could have happened? You know, was there, was there in this area kids known for going missing? Do you know? No. No, not that I know of. Not anywhere nearby. I mean, I wasn't really like, I guess, skilled in using the internet back then. I didn't really know that there were probably archives and things that I could access or newspapers, especially since I didn't live here. I wasn't super familiar, but there were never like news reports.

My parents used to watch the news all the time. I never heard anything about a missing kid. It wasn't something that was in the forefront of my mind, at least that I was aware. of. So the girl that almost got abducted and the guy chases the other, the Santa Claus guy away, does she fit the same profile as you or does she look totally different? So from what I ended up finding out later, so I was 11 when it happened and Carly was also 11. Alex was just, she had just turned 12. So, and we all three of us look very different. So I don't know if he was after a particular look, but then the little girl who had the other attempted abduction, you know, she was friends

with the children that I had been babysitting. The following times that I babysat them again, I said, hey, your friend, you know, and I ended up somehow, we found their yearbooks, and they were able to show me her picture, and we were talking about their friends in school, and they showed me the girl's picture in the yearbook, and she looked nothing like me. Or Alex, or Carly. Or Carly. So I think that he might have just been pouncing on whatever he could. Wow. It makes you wonder, though, because this is like a significant period of time from the time that happened to you to the time that this happened to the girl. He had to have tried it before.

And it makes you wonder, has he been successful before? Oh, gosh. I thought about it, Tony. And I'm just, I pray that he has not been. But statistically, I mean, why? would he still be trying all these years later if he had never been successful at any point between trying it with us and then trying it with this girl? Yeah, especially with the idea of how far he went with you. I mean, he sees you, he targets you. Clearly, the very first time

I saw you, you became a target, stock you, uh, stock you, uh, over multiple days to the point that they're willing to break into the house, which means they knew where you lived and they knew your parents were at home. And, and they're willing to go to. to that distance, that takes some gahones, which means this wasn't their first rodeo. And it's very, it's very unnerving to think about, you know, who's all involved here. I mean, because you said there was two guys in the vehicle at one time. And so, you know, were there two guys that night when they broke into the house, you know, or was it just one guy? And it's so, yeah, it's scary. I know. It's a lot of questions. And I don't know. It's like the more I think about it, the more.

questions I have instead of answers because the man that he picked up with him, I could see that he was younger. That very first time when we were walking back home after him driving past us, the man he picked up was obviously younger than him. But it would make sense to me that there were two of them that night because the truck was empty and it's parked by our house. Right after we closed the blinds, it was less than a minute after I had. had gotten back inside that somebody was trying to bust the door open. But then I'm also like, well, then where was the second guy? Because we ran out the front door and nobody, there was nobody up there. Obviously, he was on the bottom floor and he ended up getting in. So were there two of them trying to

get in on the bottom floor and they didn't sink to cover the top? I mean, I don't know. Well, judging by the type of vehicle they were driving, they probably weren't the most sophisticated type. you know, so. Yeah, that's fair. And I mean, he really, like, dirty Santa is just the best way I can describe him. But he wasn't super heavy set, but his overall look was very Santa-esque, which is also, you know, that's a whole other rabbit hole. But, yeah, that was, and, you know, it's just something that I didn't, it didn't fully sink in, like, what I may have avoided. and the meaning of everything that happened over those few days until I became a mother.

And I've thought about it. I've exhausted the amount of times and ways I can think about what happened when it comes to applying what I learned and what I did to my own children and things that I will not allow them to do that may have contributed to my vulnerability, like being 11 years old and being home alone all the time and, you know, leaving the house by myself and walking around. I mean, yes, I had my friend Carly with me, but what could we do to defend ourselves? We were 11-year-old girls, you know? Yeah. We were just kind of wide open for the taking, literally, apparently. Yeah. And that's the thing. I think education is a huge part of this. And, you know, making your kids aware of the fact that

there are bad people in the world that, you know, want to hurt little kids. It's just, it's just, True. And you're not trying to scare a kid to be scared to leave the house, but the kids need to be aware that this is a real thing. And not on just a very every once in a while kind of thing. I mean, in the United States alone, there's at least 400,000 kids that go missing every year. Like, that's a big problem. And it's a problem that our children need to be aware of as they start venturing out of the house and having lives and playing with neighborhood kids and things like that. When I was a kid growing up, I lived out in the middle of nowhere at a huge trailer park. still was made aware of those possibilities because we came from a bigger city. And so we understood

the problems. Like when we moved out there, not a lot of people locked doors and things like that, but we came from a city where we always locked our doors. And so it's very important, I think, to as a parent to let the kids know the possibilities of what could happen. And I also think that you have to kind of toe the line where you don't want to over-protect the kid where the kid just isn't allowed to do anything either, you know? Yes. Yeah. And you know what? I have to tell you, I told you that my mom's boyfriend was the exact opposite of my dad. So to give you a little bit of an idea, and I do have to credit my dad with possibly giving me tools and awareness that very well could have saved my life that day when I wanted to go do something with my friends or go to the movies

or, you know, go to a sleepover. My dad's rule was if I wanted to go do these things, I had to sit with him and watch an episode of the first 48 with him, that like murder-solving show, um, adduction-solving show. And then I had to watch the whole thing with him. And I had to tell him what I learned and how the victim could have prevented what happened to them. And then I could go to go to the sleepover, go to the movies. And I'm not going to lie. When all this was happening, the things that I had discussed with my dad about ways that someone could have maybe gotten away or maybe had a better chance of not being taken or not being killed, those things were flashing through my mind at light speed when I was deciding how the hell to get out of there. Yeah, well, that's good. I mean,

I mean, it's a little extreme. My dad was, his heart was in the right place, but it was, you know, definitely different than my friend's dad's. Sure. But I mean, I guess it paid off, right? Yeah, and you never know. I mean, maybe there's a reason why you have the dad you have and maybe that very thing, it saved your life. And so, you know, listen, we're putting situations throughout our lives and we don't understand sometimes why we're where we're at and why we have the parents we have until something like this happens. And all of a sudden it's like, ah, it makes sense. That's why. Yeah. I mean, for instance, even me. I mean, my dad, he's not my biological father. He adopted me and raised me since I was two years old. And, you know, you can think, why did I wind up with my dad as

my dad and not, you know, some other guy that my mom dated or something like that. And then you realize that, wow, being raised with him, I learned how to communicate with people and hold long form conversation. And now I'm a podcaster. If it wasn't for him, I may not be a podcaster right now, you know? It's all part of the puzzle. I'm telling you every little bit. Exactly. And so, I'm glad your dad prepared you in that sense. And, you know, it's, man, your story is captivating. tell the story, I was sitting on the edge of my seat. Thank you. I feel like it's been so long that I've actually gone from the beginning to the end with

it that I'm like, wow, can I even do a good job of recounting from, you know, that first night and everything that happened all the way through. But, I mean, I get now what people say when they're telling you their stories about things that have happened to them. It feels like you're back there. It really, I mean, it feels like you're, I mean, yes. sitting in my car right now, but I felt like my body was back in those situations. Like, I felt like my heart was pounding. I felt like I just wanted to run. Like I mentioned, I'm not a

person that runs. Like for pleasure, no. So it's, it's, it's, it's, I guess it's kind of healing in a way to go through it all and get it out and to kind of give the full spectrum of what happened instead of how I usually think of it is in bits and pieces and it feels confused. in my own mind. I can imagine. I can imagine that. And, you know, it's one of those things where when you're in a situation where you have the opportunity to truly just get it all out, all in one shot in detail. I can imagine it's therapeutic. I mean, I've never been through anything like you've been through, but I can imagine, you know, recalling the story could really be helpful just to kind of get it off your chest. That's honestly, that's how it felt. And I know you

had mentioned in the beginning that I have a story of witnessing a miracle as well. And I don't want to take up too much time or make it too long or anything. But it's not super long. Before you get, before you go in there, though, I just want to, I don't want to get off this yet. That's so. Oh, good. Oh, good. I was like, am I making this way too long? Okay, good. Stop rushing me, Rachel. Stop rushing me. Have you heard my life? She'll call in. I do not like to rush. Right. Right. No. But I just wanted to ask you this too. So this happened. in 2004, right? Yep, July 2004. Okay. And you were 11 years old then. And so this is, at the time we're recording this is it's 2020. So we're talking about 16 years ago. And I just wanted to kind of

remark on that, like, that's not that long ago. And so I can imagine what it feels like right now talking about this and kind of reliving it because like it's really not that long ago. And I know. Ew, you're freaking me out. Yeah. You're right. I just hope that from then until now, dirty Santa guy has gotten caught and he's, you know, maybe he's dead by now. Who knows? I can only hope. But my mom and my stepdad now, they do still live in that same house.

I'm not going to lie every so often. Like, if I go with her and my kids and we go walk her dogs and walk around the neighborhood, I feel that urge to like be looking around for that truck. and I've never seen it again. And I ended up living in that house for years when I moved up here and I went to high school here. And I never lost that, I guess just this urge to know if he was around, like as if he couldn't have gotten a different vehicle. But that truck, I'll never forget the sound. I'll never forget his face.

I'll never forget the way he looked at me. I have never been looked at by another human being and felt like prey. I felt like I was prey. And it was a despicable feeling. Yeah. And I am so glad that I somehow in my, you know, little 11-year-old self, had the courage, I guess, to refuse to let that be my fate. That's exactly what you were. And that's a perfect way of describing it, that you felt like you were prey because that's what you were.

Now that I know that you lived in that house for a little while and you frequent that area still because your parents still. live there. Do you think you ever suffer from any kind of, you know, PTSD from this? I mean, this is a traumatizing experience. It wasn't for several years later until my parents ended up replacing that stupid back door that obviously could have been open from the outside because I locked it. And then it was open when the neighbor dad went to go check it. They ended up replacing that door. And I didn't really think much about it at the time, but I realized with the new, you know, I guess more modern door that I actually felt safer downstairs because that door was a lot more sturdy than the one that had been there before. And they also put up a eight foot full perimeter privacy fence. So I guess that made me feel better.

Like even if he was parked on the side of the house, he couldn't see me through the fence anymore. And I did have a choice when I first moved up here. I could have a choice of making my bedroom. that bedroom downstairs where the headlights were shining in the window, which if that's one thing I wish to never, ever, ever, ever have anyone live out because that is a whole different kind of feeling violated. Having someone purposely shine their headlights in your specific window, I mean, at 231 a.m., like what? But I chose to have the room upstairs because it was not accessible via headlights, as weird as that sounds. So I think I did such a good job of blocking a lot of the after effects out because like you said, of the response that I received or the lack thereof

of a response from my parents. But as a, you know, a parent now, I'm like, oh my gosh, I would have, you know, maybe it'd be ever reacting, but I feel like I would have moved. I would have, you know, built up a fortress. I would have called the police. I would have, you know, we woulda, whata, whata, whata, but it's not something I can control now besides, I mean, I can control how I utilize what I learned. So that's what I kind of have to focus on. So I'm going to ask you something here. And I, I'm not saying this is what I think. I'm asking this because I think the audience is probably thinking this, at least some people are. And I think it's an important question and thought process to go down. And it might make you uncomfortable. So if it does, then just say,

I'm not going there. Did you ever think that somebody knew who you were and told this person where you were at because of the fact that he somehow knew where you lived, knew where the bedroom was in the house that you were in and seemed to know when to go to the house. Did you ever feel like somebody set you up? And I don't want to suggest that it was your mom or her husband, but somebody that knew who you were. Well, I don't know if it relates at all, but I will say this. I mentioned that my mom and he was her fiance at the time, they did a lot of like social

things. They traveled a lot, had a lot of house parties and dinner parties and concerts and they were like always out and about, you know, big groups of people, very well-off people, very influential people. And there were several times where the parties would be held at their house and I was there and I was younger than 11. So I would be there and I will say. that even in my young years, when you meet someone, you know, like kids and dogs get a really good read off of people. And there were some particular people that I met that got really yucky bad vibes from. So I can't rule out that perhaps among this large group of, I mean, they weren't really like all friends. I would say they were all more of acquaintances.

But I can't rule out that in that group of people they were around often, that there were some people there who were into things that we know exists today, like human trafficking, child trafficking, pedophilia. I can't rule that out. I really can't. But I hope that's not the case. I hope that this guy just happened to drive past my first. friend and I in that neighborhood and thought, hey, here's an opportunity. I hope that's what the case was, but I cannot disregard that there's a possibility that he may have known someone who knew my parents, who had met me, who knew I lived there, who knew I was visiting at that time, who knew that my parents were out a lot. Yeah, and that's a whole lot of, you know, dominoes to fall in place there. And to be honest with you, the fact that this guy, years later did the same thing with another girl, probably lends to the credibility of the fact

that this guy is just probably acting alone and praying on neighborhood kids. And he probably was from the neighborhood, from somewhere in the neighborhood that he was, you know, a returning offender there or within a neighboring community where he knew there was kids not too far away. And it's very unnerving. It's very unnerving. Which is disturbing on its own. I mean, Oh, yeah. And, you know, obviously he's not the only person like that in anyone's town, in anyone's city, in anyone's state. You know, a lot of people who are offenders, unfortunately, are people that you trust with your children and your safety on a daily basis. Yeah. So for some creepy, dirty Santa guy to be the creep, I mean, that's not so surprising. But you also cannot tell by looking at someone whether they would hurt you or not. Absolutely. You know, I wanted to ask you because I know a little bit about you from you calling into the show and stuff. Does this experience from your childhood motivate you in your research and learning about the ruling of class elite and the pedophilia involved with the satanic ritual abuse?

Because I know you do a lot of research on this stuff. And do you think that might have something to do with it that you're kind of affected from your childhood where, you know, who knows what that guy was? I mean, he might have been just some sick per acting alone or maybe he was part of a bigger organization. Do you ever think about that? Yeah, I definitely thought about it. I, when I began digging, I call it, because a lot of the stuff that I've learned over the years is not readily available to us.

It's not what's told to us. Usually it's the exact opposite of what is told to us. But when I started digging was really when I got pregnant with my son and I was not expecting to be pregnant at that time. I was not prepared to be a mom at that time. And it all hit me like a ton of bricks that, oh my gosh, I'm about to bring a human being into this world that within this world, there's so much about it that I know we are not being told the truth about. And so I felt like as a mother and as a protector and as a the guardian of another human being that I owed it not only to him but to myself to know the truth about things so I could protect him in the best way that I could.

And I'm sure that my experience played into that more than I realized at the time. But looking back on it now and a lot of the stuff that I've learned and I have talked with other people who have been through something similar to me. and just the feelings that you experience with that, they stick with you forever. And I think it just, if anything, it gives me a unique perspective on the reality of this. Because like I said in the beginning, it's like you've never think that this would happen to you. And there's no reason why it should happen particularly to you listening, but there's also no reason it can't happen particularly to you.

So when I began all of this, it was, I went hard and fast because I was about to be a mom. And I felt like I needed to arm myself with knowledge above all else about the world that my children are going to be living in. Yeah. And I totally understand that motivation. And if I went through what you went through, I'd be going down the same road. And, you know, just in conversation with you outside of this episode, when you call in and stuff, I know you do know your stuff and you do look into all this stuff.

And I think it's important for people like you to look into this stuff because to be honest with you, people like you are some of the most important people we have in this community of seeking truth because people like me, we're very limited as to how deep we can get in one shot on things because we're so busy. I'm so busy with trying to keep a show running that I try to understand as much stuff as I can at one time. But people like you who have the time to really dig, you're invaluable as far as an information. hot spot for people like me to hear from. And so I would say thank you very much for doing that. And thank you for, you know, dedicating your time to that. And thank you.

Don't never sell yourself short and think that, you know, I'm just a stay at home mom looking into stuff. Let me put my tinfoil hat on and see, you know, what friends I can make today, you know? Right. You're very valuable and what you, with what you do and stuff. Because I remember the first time I talk to you on the phone on one of those live call-in shows, you were saying things on there that, one, I was surprised that somebody else had a clue on, but also you were saying things in there that I was learning from. And so that's what I'm saying. Like, we're all in this together. We're all in this together. And just because I have the podcast doesn't mean I know everything.

I learned so much from the listeners. So much. I learned so much from the people that come on here, too. I mean, I take something from, I would, I mean, it's fair to say everyone that I've heard on your show on a live show, a call in an episode, the members. I learned from all of them. And I think that's the beauty of this. And I've said for a long time, you know what? Maybe I'm wrong about everything that I think is the truth of what's going on in our world. Honestly, I kind of hope I am wrong because it is a dark, twisted, corrupt, disgusting road of truth, the things that I believe to be true. I hope I'm wrong because that would be great not to have these things be reality, but I don't think I am. Yeah. And that's the thing. I mean, there are things that we deal with that we actually hope

we're wrong. Like some of the things that I, some of the ideas that I float out there on the show and that I talk about, I hope to God I'm wrong. And I made it look like a fool one day, which I gladly accept. Same. Oh, same. I'm like, please. I hope to God and I pray that I'm wrong. I mean sincerely there's a lot of things that I know and it's not even that I think them anymore. It's that I know what's going on. I know that these things are happening worldwide as we're speaking right now. As I'm telling my story about what almost happened to me and what was, you know, what was tried to be put upon me.

There are dozens of women, children, men, girls, boys being taken and trafficked and abused as we speak. So for me to hold it in and to never share. this and to not bring it to light, that does a disservice to anyone who may listen to this and have it in mind the next time they get a bad feeling about something or about someone or they are thinking about allowing their children to go into the world in a certain way. Maybe it will give one of them a little light bulb like, hey, hold on, let me think about this and do something that can protect you or your kids. I mean, it's all really, I feel like everything we do as parents is for our kids. Because when we're gone, they're still living in this world.

Yes. And that's one of the big. That's scary. 100%. That's one of the biggest motivating factors I have anymore for seeking truth and exposing evil in this world is that one day I'm gone, but my son is going to have to live here. And whatever the baby's going to be when the baby's born is going to have to live here. And then their children and my great grandchildren are going to have to live in this. And if I don't step up and say something now, will they be affected generations? Yes. We have been afforded the opportunity to inherit freedom. That's what we did. We inherited freedom. And now we're facing a point in time on the timeline where we might need to step up like our ancestors did and fight for our freedom for future generations that won't even know who we are. Our lineage,

two, three generations from now, who don't even know who Rachel and Tony are. they're benefiting from our decisions. And that's what we need to think about in today's world, because today's world is effed up. I am ready, willing, and able to protect not just one right, but all of my rights and the rights of my children, regardless of the cost, regardless of the benefit to me, whatever, which is slim to none.

But I will, I just refuse to have my children grow up, being lied to, being manipulated, being read, a predetermined narrative that is ingrained and, programmed into them from the youngest age possible, I am not giving into it. I have not yet. And I will not. So whatever I have to do as far as my own, I guess, quest to discover all the truth, I mean, I'll do it. I will do it. I absolutely agree with you. I couldn't have said it any better. The love of a parent is something that nobody understands until you're a parent yourself. And you didn't, I didn't, you know, like, you see. And I was not prepared for it, but you get prepared real quick.

I mean, I was always that guy that went to my friend's house who had kids. And because, I mean, me and my wife, we got married young, but we waited over 10 years to have our first kid. And so other other friends, they got married after us and they started having kids right away. I'd go over to their house and I'd play. And you're like, yikes. Well, no, I was like, I was like Uncle Tony that would come over and I was the fun guy that always came over and hung out and stuff. Oh, yes, yes. I love the kids and everything. And I was like, oh, I can't wait to have kids one day, this, that and the other. But once I actually had a kid and understood the gravity of the love you have for this human being that's indescribable, all of a sudden, you'll do anything for that person.

And like you say things like that when you're dating somebody and you're in love, you're like, oh, I'll do anything for that. You have no idea what that means until you actually have a kid and you say, I'll do anything for them. Like you truly, truly will do anything for them. So Rachel, I know we're getting a little sidetrack here. I want to bring it back, though. Yeah.

You said to me earlier that you had what you believe, you witnessed a mirror. right in front of your face. That's all I know, but I'm very interested to hear about it because anytime somebody says they've seen a miracle, I'm always excited to hear about it. Well, I feel like in the current day and age, we can all use all the good news we can get. So I don't ever want people to forget about, I mean, a lot of times, like especially in the past few weeks, things seem hopeless. We feel out of control. We feel, you know, not great, but we cannot forget. that Jesus Christ, his power is absolutely limitless and there is literally nothing that he cannot do. So I, yeah, I witnessed a miracle happen right in front of my face and I will never, ever, ever forget it.

And I actually think about it often and it just reminds me that nothing is impossible. I don't believe things happen by chance. I don't believe in coincidence. I don't believe in happenstance. I believe that There is so much that is higher than us that orchestrates a lot more than we pick up on. So I was driving home pretty late at night. This was, it was, let me think. My son was just a baby. And this was fall of 2016. And I was driving home pretty late.

At the time we lived out in the forest. So there were a couple different roads I could take to get home. One was a pretty busy-ish. two-lane highway, but it was really dark and really late, and I just felt like, what if there's like a drunk driver on the highway? There's only two lanes. I don't know. I just felt like I needed to take this alternate route, which ran pretty parallel to the highway, but it was more of a neighborhood road. So I decided to take the more neighborhood road instead because it was a slower speed limit. I figured there would probably be less crazies out on it. I don't know. So that was

the road I took. And my husband was not too far behind me. We were both heading home. So I'm driving and the road is really windy. It's super dark. It was kind of stormy. There was some rain and lots of wind. And I'm coming up on something that I see in my headlights. I'm like, what the heck is that? And it was quite a ways up. But I'm like trying to tell what am I seeing? Something is weird. And as I get a little closer and mind you, I'm not going very fast, maybe going 40. I'm like, oh my God, that's a giant tree, like fully across the road. I was like, oh, my goodness, what? So I, you know, I'm like kind of in the forest, forest.

There's not a lot of houses. There's not, I mean, luckily it didn't hit a power line or anything, but I was just kind of shocked that this gigantic tree is laying completely across the road. And this tree was so big that, I mean, I'm a pretty tall person. I'm 5'9, but if I walked up to this tree, which I ended up doing, I couldn't just step over. I would have had to, like, hoist myself up, get a leg over, and, you know, climb down the other side.

It was a big tree. So I pull over and I'm like, wow, that's not getting past that. So I called my husband to say, hey, I'm on this road. Don't take this way. There's a tree down. I'm going to turn around and I might be home a little bit after you, but I don't want you to worry. So I'm going to turn around and go on the highway after all. So he's like, okay, you know, whatever.

And he's like, well, I'm already on the highway anyway. I didn't take that way. So I'm getting, you know, my bearings about me and I'm checking on my son. He's sleeping in his car seat in the back seat. And I'm preparing to, I was pulled over on the side of the road, facing the direction I had been driving. I had not turned around yet. So as I'm like readjusting myself, putting my phone down, getting ready to turn around, I see headlights coming the same direction that I was traveling in.

And I'm like, oh, okay, well, that's fine. This person obviously is going to see not only that I'm pulled over, but there's a giant tree down across the whole road. So I'm sitting there waiting for them to like stop and turn around. So then I can stop and turn around. Well, to my horror, I realize that this person is not slowing down. In fact, they are going what appeared to be much faster than what I had been going. Oh my goodness.

And I'm sitting there. maybe maybe 15 feet back from the tree where it was actually down on the ground and I'm like no no no no and this person I don't know what they were doing oh my gosh Tony they drove through the tree and I was like holy deep I mean I'm like oh my gosh it was so loud and such a horrible sound I I mean I pulled 911 right away and I'm like oh my gosh I'm like I'm like oh my gosh I'm like I'm like oh my gosh I'm like I'm like I'm like I'm like I'm like I'm like I'm like I'm on this road, this person, there's a down tree and this person just drove through. I mean, there was stuff flying everywhere, metal tree all at once. Boom, this person drove through the tree. And they're like, well, can you see the vehicle? And I'm like, well, no, I'm in my car, but they're like, can you please tell us if you can see the vehicle. Oh my gosh. So I get out of the car and I, like, am looking past the tree trying to see what the heck happened. And now the tree is no longer one solid tree. There's like a whole, a whole big chunk missing where this car drove through it.

And I see the vehicle is, it looks like a little old crumpled up tin can of some sort. Like it is not even recognizable that it was a vehicle besides the fact that you can see a tire on it and it is smoking. And I'm thinking, oh my gosh, this thing's going to blow. I'm too close. I was freaking out. And they're like, well, do you see a driver? I'm like, no. whoever was in that car, they are not alive anymore. I'm like, I'm not walking up to it. I don't want to see a dead person. I was so scared. And as I'm on the phone with the 911, remember, the car is smoking. And from, not from the vehicle, but from like, I don't know, several feet to the side of it emerging, I see what I think is a pedestrian who just happened to be out walking this windy,

foresty road at night in a storm. I'm like, what's going on? And I'm like, hello? And a young man is walking towards me. I'm like, hello. And I'm all freaked out. And I'm also thinking, well, good thing. I'm on the phone with 911 in case this guy is a psycho. And I'm like, sir? And he's like, looks kind of out of it. And he's like, can I use your phone? And I'm like, why? He's like, that's my car. I'm like, what? Wow. I'm like, like, hold on. What's your car? I'm thinking there's a car parked up ahead and he just saw this happen or something. He's like, that is my car. And I'm like, no, it's not. What? No, it's not. He did not have a mark on him. I'm like, how did you get out of the car? He's like, I don't know, but I just drove that

car off the lot tonight. I need to call my mom. And I was like, oh my gosh, sure. Yeah, come on. I'm like, Well, come get in the car in case your car blows. Let's go get in my car. I'm like, my baby's sleeping in the car. We need to get in there. I'm like, what is going on? So sure enough, he tells me, you know, he like calls his mom. He's a little shaky, but he's like, yeah, no, I'm in some lady's car. I'm thinking, I'm not some lady. I'm only 23 sitting there at that time. I'm like, some ladies. Is it because I have a kid? How dare you age me? Yeah. Well, I'm like, some lady. That's what I would say, you know, about like a lady lady, an older lady. But so. He called his mom, and his mom is like, what? What happened? And he's like, mom, I'll play later. The fire department is coming or the ambulance is coming. So sure enough, I talked to him. He was driving this car that he just purchased home. And he was, guess what, texting? Didn't notice that there was a giant treat in the middle of the road and drove straight through it. And next thing he knew, not only was he out of his car, he was on his feet already walking toward me. Wow. I was sitting in my car with him in the passenger. see all the lights on and I'm looking him over like okay either I'm hallucinating and this is not a real person there's no one there or this guy did not just come out of that car and he's lying to me and he's a pedestrian or a psycho or he there was just a miracle and he's he's unscaped I mean not even a mark on him so sure enough the ambulance comes I'm like oh he's over here they come and get him out of my car. He's walking. He's fine. They're like, oh, can we get anything? He's like,

can I have some water? That's all he wanted was some water. They verified that he did just purchase that car and that that was his car, Tony. And his car was almost non-existent at this point. It was like a bunch of jumbled, bent, crooked, squished parts, still smoking, by the way, very sketch. And he was fine. Wow. And I wish that I would have gotten his number or his name or something so I could have followed up with him, but I know what I witnessed that night. And it's so weird because the last thing he said to me as the ambulance was pulling up, he's like, so do you think God is real? Jeez. And I was just sitting there like, how could you not? Hello. Are you not really living what you just lived? Of course, God is real. And that's when they came up and I was like, oh, he's over here.

Wow. I mean, there's so many. Wow. So if you if you didn't, know the whole story that you just said and that guy saying, do you think God's real? You don't want to say, was that an angel or something? But yeah, I just don't crash cars into trees, right? I don't know. Maybe they do. I mean, they can eat and drink. So I don't know, maybe they could drive. Yeah. But like, I mean, the background is that, you know, everything checks out. And he did just purchase that car. And, you know, he has a mom that he talked to on the phone and all that stuff. So, I mean, it seems like he was very human. And maybe he was just kind of like thinking back. He's like, man, there really is a God and I can't explain what I went through. But I would love to.

I'm like, you just got handed a bomb testimony. Of course, God is real. He just handed this to you. Give rap. That's a layup. Really, yeah, it's a flam dunk. I mean, he could, yeah, he could tell that to the masses. But I mean, just the amount of the range of emotions I felt from being just, I mean, I was very shaken. I'm like, I am not trying to see a dead body or it's ejected somewhere around here. I'm done. That car's going to blow. I'm getting back to my car. I got to go. I did my deed. I called 911. I'm out. And then I just see him walking. And he's like, hey, can I borrow your phone? I'm like, what? Unbelievable. It really was. I mean, that's, that's incredible. The fact that he was just walking. And he says that the thing that he remembers is just walking towards you. He doesn't remember

leaving the car, getting up, standing, walking, or starting to walk. He just remembers he was walking towards you. That's incredible. I know, you know, you could say that, you know, trauma does a lot of things of the mind kind of thing. But even if that's true, how did he escape the car the way he did? I truly, it makes no sense because if he would have, I mean, even the point of impact, the thickness of this tree that he drove through was so immense that I don't even see how he could have survived impact, let alone then somehow been ejected afterwards, like, and not be. hurt at all. I mean, I waited and waited while the paramedics were there with him and, you know, they can't give me his medical history. But finally, when I was like, okay, I should probably go home now.

I was like, okay, goodbye. Thank you. And the paramedic was like, hey, you were right. He's fine. I'm like, what? Wow. Yeah. And I drove home finally and I got there and I was just, my head was spinning so much and trying to process what had just happened. And my husband, he's like, oh, I thought you said you were just a little bit behind me. a while. I'm like, okay, listen, you don't even know what just happened. Pour me a glass of wine. I'll tell you the story. Gosh. Yeah. And of course, like my son slept through the entire thing, which was also another blessing in a miracle because he woke up all the time, but not through this. I don't know. Wow. I don't know. But I, yeah, I think that's when you, that's some good news for everybody. For sure. When you first started telling a story and you said the car drove through the tree,

I was like, dang, she just saw something teleport through a tree. And then you're saying, no, it crashed. and I was like, holy crap. It was like obliterated. I mean, I have never really considered the thought that something I'm looking at may blow up. I just felt like, that car's going to blow. I got to get out of here. I got to go. And it never did.

Wow. Well, that's incredible. It's a great story. And I'm really glad you shared it. And I'm really glad I made time for you to share that story because that's a, I think that's a really fun, interesting and positive story to kind of wrap the show up with, considering what you started us off with, the DREC that you started us off with. Yeah. Sorry everybody about that. No, it was a, listen, this was a great time talking to you.

It was a great story you shared here on the end. And obviously, it's in a fortunate situation you went through with the first story, but I'm glad you made it through. And I really hope that that creep was caught or, you know, drove his car off a cliff or something like that, you know? Yeah, really any ending that I could handpick would be fit. for him. So no more dirty Santa that I know of. Yeah. Well, Rachel, I appreciate you coming on show and sharing these stories. Yeah. Thank you so, so much for having me on. I just, I always look so forward to Tuesdays, of course, and Thursdays because I'm a member. So you're probably my two favorite days of the week. Well, that's the show, everybody. I really hope you enjoyed it.

And if you did enjoy it, please share the show with your friends. I don't care where you share the show or how you share the show. Just share the show with your friends because that's the best thing you can do to help this show beyond anything else. If you just share the show, if every single one of you that are listening to this show shared it, it would help immensely. So please go ahead and do that.

And until next week, friends, next Tuesday, we're back on a normal schedule. Stay safe. Take care and remember. The truth will set you free, but first, it'll piss you off. Merry Christmas, everybody.