Fictional horror stories might scare you, sure, but real-life horror is on a whole other level. There’s no hiding behind the idea that it’s all made up so that you can sleep soundly at night.
#41 I Was Almost A “Lost Boy”
When I was way younger I had gone into my bedroom alone to change into pjs and my mom said I had come back and asked her why Peter Pan was at my window and if we could let him in. She of course ran to my bedroom and sure enough someone had pulled the screen off my window and had opened it slightly. Needless to say we moved shortly after that. I was oblivious as to what was wrong because, hey, I got to meet Peter Pan. Lol.
Report
9points
#42 Went Back To Sleep After Running Into An Intruder In The House And Apologizing To Them
So about four years ago, I was living with an ex-boyfriend (we’ll call him useless prick) and his aunt (pill popper Pam) and her boyfriend (loser Len).
I woke up in the middle of the night and had to pee. Useless prick was asleep in bed when I got up. I walked across the house, and Pill popper Pam’s door was open—she and Loser Len were both passed out. I made my way sleepily to the bathroom and saw the light was on. Since I knew everyone was asleep, I assumed Pill popper Pam left the light on and opened the door.
I was wrong.
I saw multiple things in a few seconds. The first thing I remember is that it smelled horrible and that someone had just taken a shower based on the steam. Secondly, there were clothes folded up into squares and organized on the ground. There was a man on the toilet.
I, having manners and still half asleep, jumped, apologized, and closed the door. I panicked and went back to my room and tried to wake useless prick, but he was, of course, useless.
I texted Pill popper Pam and said, “hey there is a man in the bathroom.” She texted back, “I know, it’s okay, he’s a friend of mine.” This calmed me down, and I messaged back something like, “okay thanks just checking!” She replied, “no problem go back to sleep,” and I did.
The next day, I brought it up when everyone was around. Pill popper Pam said she never texted me, she was high and passed out cold, and she would never allow a friend to just come in like that. She said it sounded like it was the homeless man who walked our street constantly.
He had used her phone.
I woke up in the middle of the night and had to pee. Useless prick was asleep in bed when I got up. I walked across the house, and Pill popper Pam’s door was open—she and Loser Len were both passed out. I made my way sleepily to the bathroom and saw the light was on. Since I knew everyone was asleep, I assumed Pill popper Pam left the light on and opened the door.
I was wrong.
I saw multiple things in a few seconds. The first thing I remember is that it smelled horrible and that someone had just taken a shower based on the steam. Secondly, there were clothes folded up into squares and organized on the ground. There was a man on the toilet.
I, having manners and still half asleep, jumped, apologized, and closed the door. I panicked and went back to my room and tried to wake useless prick, but he was, of course, useless.
I texted Pill popper Pam and said, “hey there is a man in the bathroom.” She texted back, “I know, it’s okay, he’s a friend of mine.” This calmed me down, and I messaged back something like, “okay thanks just checking!” She replied, “no problem go back to sleep,” and I did.
The next day, I brought it up when everyone was around. Pill popper Pam said she never texted me, she was high and passed out cold, and she would never allow a friend to just come in like that. She said it sounded like it was the homeless man who walked our street constantly.
He had used her phone.
Report
9points
#43 Uber Driver Took A Detour
This happened last year, at the peak of my partying stage. I was at a friend’s house drinking, and around 2am I was pretty drunk and decided to call an Uber to take me home.
The car pulled up, and I have a habit of sitting in the front with the driver. He was a young man, probably mid to late twenties. I don’t remember much of what we talked about, but I do remember his compliments going from “You’re really pretty” to “You’re really hot,” and he kept saying I reminded him of his mom. I found that really strange, especially since I was 19, but I tried to laugh it off because I didn’t want to seem rude.
I asked him to stop at a burger drive-thru because I was hungry. We got the food, and he was supposed to take me home, but I noticed he was driving in the complete opposite direction.
I checked the map, and it kept telling him to turn around. I asked him where we were going, and he looked over at me and said, “Oh, you don’t wanna come over to my house?”
I immediately sobered up and said, “No… please take me home.”
I don’t remember if we talked after that, but thankfully he did take me home, and I never heard from him again. I reported him the next day.
What really bothers me is that he clearly knew I was drunk and tried to take advantage of that. I can’t imagine what could have happened if I hadn’t spoken up.
Safe to say, I won’t be taking Ubers alone at night anymore. Creepy Uber driver—let’s not meet again.
The car pulled up, and I have a habit of sitting in the front with the driver. He was a young man, probably mid to late twenties. I don’t remember much of what we talked about, but I do remember his compliments going from “You’re really pretty” to “You’re really hot,” and he kept saying I reminded him of his mom. I found that really strange, especially since I was 19, but I tried to laugh it off because I didn’t want to seem rude.
I asked him to stop at a burger drive-thru because I was hungry. We got the food, and he was supposed to take me home, but I noticed he was driving in the complete opposite direction.
I checked the map, and it kept telling him to turn around. I asked him where we were going, and he looked over at me and said, “Oh, you don’t wanna come over to my house?”
I immediately sobered up and said, “No… please take me home.”
I don’t remember if we talked after that, but thankfully he did take me home, and I never heard from him again. I reported him the next day.
What really bothers me is that he clearly knew I was drunk and tried to take advantage of that. I can’t imagine what could have happened if I hadn’t spoken up.
Safe to say, I won’t be taking Ubers alone at night anymore. Creepy Uber driver—let’s not meet again.
Report
9points
#44 Creepy Hook Up Broke Into My House
A few months back, after a night of drinking, I hooked up with a much younger bloke. It was average, and we messaged a few times after, but I just wasn’t interested.
Tonight—literally an hour ago—he started calling me. I ignored it since I was in bed and it was the middle of the night. The calls kept coming. Then I heard someone walking outside my house, knocking on my windows. My six-year-old was next to me in bed.
I kept ignoring the calls. I probably should have told him to go away, but I just lay there frozen in fear. This went on for about 45 minutes.
Then I heard him inside my house. My door opened.
I said, “Get out of my house.”
He said, “Are you sure?”
Umm… YES.
He will be deleted and blocked. My heart is still racing. It really made me realize how vulnerable I am as a woman.
Creepy bloke who breaks into people’s houses—let’s not meet again.
Tonight—literally an hour ago—he started calling me. I ignored it since I was in bed and it was the middle of the night. The calls kept coming. Then I heard someone walking outside my house, knocking on my windows. My six-year-old was next to me in bed.
I kept ignoring the calls. I probably should have told him to go away, but I just lay there frozen in fear. This went on for about 45 minutes.
Then I heard him inside my house. My door opened.
I said, “Get out of my house.”
He said, “Are you sure?”
Umm… YES.
He will be deleted and blocked. My heart is still racing. It really made me realize how vulnerable I am as a woman.
Creepy bloke who breaks into people’s houses—let’s not meet again.
Report
9points
#45 I Was A Subway Creep
Years ago—over half a decade ago—I got on the subway at rush hour to head home after a long day of classes. I was exhausted. There are periods in my life where I can’t sleep. No matter how tired I am, it takes me hours to fall asleep, and no matter how late I do fall asleep, I wake up well before sunrise. Repeat.
So there I was, packed tightly into the train, everyone pressed side-by-side so we could all fit. Like any polite person, I had taken off my bag and was holding it with one hand between my legs so I wouldn’t take up too much space.
I was spacing out—on top of the lack of sleep, I had made the “great decision” to schedule all my classes on two days, which meant I had just sat through 9 hours of lectures. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the guy standing to my right kept glancing at me. I didn’t think much of it at first, but he kept doing it for the entire 10-minute ride.
We reached my stop, which was also his stop. Then I felt a tug on my bag and quickly looked over, thinking, “He’s not actually trying to steal my bag, is he?”
Nope.
Turns out I hadn’t been holding my bag at all—I had been holding a part of his coat sleeve the entire time, like a little kid holding onto their mom.
By the time I realized, he was already rushing out the door, and I didn’t even get a chance to apologize. I still feel embarrassed every time I think about it.
So there I was, packed tightly into the train, everyone pressed side-by-side so we could all fit. Like any polite person, I had taken off my bag and was holding it with one hand between my legs so I wouldn’t take up too much space.
I was spacing out—on top of the lack of sleep, I had made the “great decision” to schedule all my classes on two days, which meant I had just sat through 9 hours of lectures. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the guy standing to my right kept glancing at me. I didn’t think much of it at first, but he kept doing it for the entire 10-minute ride.
We reached my stop, which was also his stop. Then I felt a tug on my bag and quickly looked over, thinking, “He’s not actually trying to steal my bag, is he?”
Nope.
Turns out I hadn’t been holding my bag at all—I had been holding a part of his coat sleeve the entire time, like a little kid holding onto their mom.
By the time I realized, he was already rushing out the door, and I didn’t even get a chance to apologize. I still feel embarrassed every time I think about it.
Report
9points
#46 Bunny Man
My dad and I went hiking a few days ago. My dad is a waterfall fanatic and wants to see as many as possible, so we were hiking along a really pretty trail. We were following a river, it was flowing nicely, there were mountains all around us, and the trail weaved around big, beautiful boulders.
I was about 30 feet ahead of him, looking for a spot to stop for a picnic lunch. As I rounded a blind curve in the trail, I just froze.
Sitting on a stump maybe ten feet off to the right side of the trail was a guy. He was wearing one of those colorful baja hoodies with the hood pulled up and a half mask with rabbit ears.
He saw me and stood up right as my dad came around the corner. The three of us just stood there sizing each other up in silence until my dad spoke.
“What’s up, buddy?”
The masked man tilted his head like he was deciding what to do with us, then said, “Not much. You aren’t the guys I’m waiting for. Have a good day.”
Then he turned and jogged off quickly into the woods. As he moved, we saw he had a large hunting knife strapped to his lower back and a pistol on his hip.
We lost sight of him pretty quickly. We hadn’t seen a single person on the trail all day, and we’d been hiking for almost three hours.
Needless to say, we skipped the waterfall and turned around immediately. Once we got off the trail, we reported it to the local forest service and the police, but they said there wasn’t much they could do besides keep an eye out.
The guy didn’t have a backpack, water, or anything, which made it seem like he either had supplies stashed nearby or was camping somewhere close and waiting.
I hate to admit it, but part of me really wanted to go after him and ask who he was waiting for—and why.
I was about 30 feet ahead of him, looking for a spot to stop for a picnic lunch. As I rounded a blind curve in the trail, I just froze.
Sitting on a stump maybe ten feet off to the right side of the trail was a guy. He was wearing one of those colorful baja hoodies with the hood pulled up and a half mask with rabbit ears.
He saw me and stood up right as my dad came around the corner. The three of us just stood there sizing each other up in silence until my dad spoke.
“What’s up, buddy?”
The masked man tilted his head like he was deciding what to do with us, then said, “Not much. You aren’t the guys I’m waiting for. Have a good day.”
Then he turned and jogged off quickly into the woods. As he moved, we saw he had a large hunting knife strapped to his lower back and a pistol on his hip.
We lost sight of him pretty quickly. We hadn’t seen a single person on the trail all day, and we’d been hiking for almost three hours.
Needless to say, we skipped the waterfall and turned around immediately. Once we got off the trail, we reported it to the local forest service and the police, but they said there wasn’t much they could do besides keep an eye out.
The guy didn’t have a backpack, water, or anything, which made it seem like he either had supplies stashed nearby or was camping somewhere close and waiting.
I hate to admit it, but part of me really wanted to go after him and ask who he was waiting for—and why.
Report
9points
#47 That Time I Was Almost Kidnapped
When I was in elementary school, about seven or eight years old, my mom used to drop my older brother and me off a few blocks away in the morning. My brother’s middle school was about a block from mine, so we’d walk together to his school, then I’d walk the rest of the way alone or with friends.
One day after school, I was walking alone. About halfway to the pickup spot, a woman I vaguely recognized—maybe from church or a friend of my parents, I couldn’t quite place her—pulled up next to me in her car and slowly followed me.
She knew my name and called out for me to get in the car. I thought about it for a second, but decided not to since my mom hadn’t told me anyone else would be picking me up that day.
When I kept walking, she said again, “(my name), I’m supposed to take you home today, get in the car.” I ignored her and kept going.
She sounded more annoyed this time and raised her voice: “(name) GET IN THE CAR! YOUR MOTHER IS GOING TO BE VERY MAD AT YOU IF YOU DON’T LISTEN!”
I kept walking. Eventually, she seemed to realize I wasn’t getting in, and she drove off.
I made it to the usual pickup spot, and my mom was there waiting like normal.
I forgot about—or maybe repressed—this memory for years, but thinking about it now still gives me chills.
One day after school, I was walking alone. About halfway to the pickup spot, a woman I vaguely recognized—maybe from church or a friend of my parents, I couldn’t quite place her—pulled up next to me in her car and slowly followed me.
She knew my name and called out for me to get in the car. I thought about it for a second, but decided not to since my mom hadn’t told me anyone else would be picking me up that day.
When I kept walking, she said again, “(my name), I’m supposed to take you home today, get in the car.” I ignored her and kept going.
She sounded more annoyed this time and raised her voice: “(name) GET IN THE CAR! YOUR MOTHER IS GOING TO BE VERY MAD AT YOU IF YOU DON’T LISTEN!”
I kept walking. Eventually, she seemed to realize I wasn’t getting in, and she drove off.
I made it to the usual pickup spot, and my mom was there waiting like normal.
I forgot about—or maybe repressed—this memory for years, but thinking about it now still gives me chills.
Report
8points
#48 The Lady Who Tried To Kidnap Me During A Funeral
This happened when I was around 5/6 years old but I remember everything like it happened yesterday.
We had gone to a funeral of my mom’s cousin in another town a couple hours out (by car). We got to the house and my mom went to see her aunt to give her condolences and I followed holding her hand. I guess during the hugging and the crying my mom let go of my hand.
So I started looking for her hand, but not really looking up, just keeping my hand out for her to grab it while calling her (there were A LOT of people and the house was small so I could only see people standing around me).
A couple minutes later I found her—or so I thought—because she took my hand and started walking towards the door to leave. I thought to myself as I was putting on my shoes, wow we came such a long drive to be here for five minutes, which led me to look up at the lady holding my hand.
I instantly realized it wasn’t my mom (they had both been wearing black coats) and said “oh you’re not my mom” and snatched my hand back and ran towards the room I had lost my mom at.
Honestly, at that age I left it at that and just thought “Oh how funny I held the wrong lady’s hand” while thinking it was my mom. I thought this for almost two decades until one day it just hit me… that lady was taking me away.
She knew I wasn’t her daughter and she took my hand and was leaving the house with me. If I hadn’t looked up and had actually made it out the door, who knows what would have happened.
It was creepy because she didn’t say a word to me from beginning to end… and to this day I have no idea who it was.
But creepy lady who tried to steal me during a funeral, please let’s not meet again.
We had gone to a funeral of my mom’s cousin in another town a couple hours out (by car). We got to the house and my mom went to see her aunt to give her condolences and I followed holding her hand. I guess during the hugging and the crying my mom let go of my hand.
So I started looking for her hand, but not really looking up, just keeping my hand out for her to grab it while calling her (there were A LOT of people and the house was small so I could only see people standing around me).
A couple minutes later I found her—or so I thought—because she took my hand and started walking towards the door to leave. I thought to myself as I was putting on my shoes, wow we came such a long drive to be here for five minutes, which led me to look up at the lady holding my hand.
I instantly realized it wasn’t my mom (they had both been wearing black coats) and said “oh you’re not my mom” and snatched my hand back and ran towards the room I had lost my mom at.
Honestly, at that age I left it at that and just thought “Oh how funny I held the wrong lady’s hand” while thinking it was my mom. I thought this for almost two decades until one day it just hit me… that lady was taking me away.
She knew I wasn’t her daughter and she took my hand and was leaving the house with me. If I hadn’t looked up and had actually made it out the door, who knows what would have happened.
It was creepy because she didn’t say a word to me from beginning to end… and to this day I have no idea who it was.
But creepy lady who tried to steal me during a funeral, please let’s not meet again.
Report
7points
#49 Creepy Guy Taped Up Little Kids
Back when I was in the third grade, there was a hill with a playground at the top. One day during recess, while everyone was playing, a middle-aged man wearing nothing but cargo shorts came to the bottom of the hill and leaned over a fence.
He started calling kids over to him. When they came over, he wrapped them in blue tape, mostly around their hands.
This went on for about fifteen minutes until the fourth grade science teacher—an absolute saint—ran down toward him. She can be very intimidating when she wants to be (she later became the principal).
The second he saw her, he walked away. He didn’t even seem worried about getting caught.
So, creepy blue tape guy, let’s not meet.
He started calling kids over to him. When they came over, he wrapped them in blue tape, mostly around their hands.
This went on for about fifteen minutes until the fourth grade science teacher—an absolute saint—ran down toward him. She can be very intimidating when she wants to be (she later became the principal).
The second he saw her, he walked away. He didn’t even seem worried about getting caught.
So, creepy blue tape guy, let’s not meet.
Report
7points
#50 We Camped Next To A Tent That Never Stopped Laughing
This happened back in 2015 or 2016 when my ex-boyfriend and I went camping in Mendocino, California.
A few sites over was this tiny green one-person tent—the kind that barely fits a body. What struck me right away was how empty the site looked. No cooler, no chair, no lantern, no shoes outside. Just the little tent, zipped up tight.
We went to bed, and sometime after 10pm it started.
Laughter.
Not a group around a fire. Not drunk campers. And definitely not an animal—I know what barred owls and coyotes sound like. This was human laughter.
At first I thought it might be a radio or a Bluetooth speaker. But it never stopped. Not once. All night long, until sunrise. Same tone, same rhythm, no pauses for breath. Too steady, too repetitive to be a person in psychosis or on dr*gs.
It sounded mechanical. Like a loop.
That’s what makes it worse. Because if it wasn’t someone actually laughing, then it was someone who had recorded laughter beforehand and brought it out into the woods… to sit in that tiny tent, in the dark, and listen to it for hours.
When we woke up around 6:30–7am, the laughter was still going. We packed up fast and left without ever seeing who—or what—was inside.
Even now, years later, I can’t shake the thought that someone chose to spend the night like that. A tent, a recording of endless laughter, and the silence of the woods around them.
Let’s not meet.
A few sites over was this tiny green one-person tent—the kind that barely fits a body. What struck me right away was how empty the site looked. No cooler, no chair, no lantern, no shoes outside. Just the little tent, zipped up tight.
We went to bed, and sometime after 10pm it started.
Laughter.
Not a group around a fire. Not drunk campers. And definitely not an animal—I know what barred owls and coyotes sound like. This was human laughter.
At first I thought it might be a radio or a Bluetooth speaker. But it never stopped. Not once. All night long, until sunrise. Same tone, same rhythm, no pauses for breath. Too steady, too repetitive to be a person in psychosis or on dr*gs.
It sounded mechanical. Like a loop.
That’s what makes it worse. Because if it wasn’t someone actually laughing, then it was someone who had recorded laughter beforehand and brought it out into the woods… to sit in that tiny tent, in the dark, and listen to it for hours.
When we woke up around 6:30–7am, the laughter was still going. We packed up fast and left without ever seeing who—or what—was inside.
Even now, years later, I can’t shake the thought that someone chose to spend the night like that. A tent, a recording of endless laughter, and the silence of the woods around them.
Let’s not meet.
Report
5points
#51 Someone Knew Where I Put My Spare Key And Tried To Break In Tonight. Fortunately The Key Doesn't Work If The Door Is Locked From The Inside
Even tho my family left for the weekend whoever tried to break in definitely knew I was inside. I was up till 3am with all the lights on, my dog who slept in my room didn't hear anything either (or maybe I didn't hear the dog).
The weirdest thing is that I'm the only one in my family who uses the spare key, and I hide it in a very safe spot that can't be found accidentally, this person must have been stalking me. This is how I found the door this morning when I let the dog out.
Report
4points