Life is full of scary things, some more terrifying than others. Unfortunately, it’s a symptom of our existence that we really have no other option but to accept and learn to cope with it. One way to do this is to get these experiences off our chests, as it can have a relieving and cleansing effect.
The people on this list did exactly that, sharing stories about the scariest things they, or someone they know, had to go through. Some of them are so unsettling that they prove that reality is indeed stranger than fiction. Scroll down to see them for yourself, and don’t forget to upvote those that you find the hardest to believe.
While you're at it, be sure to check out a conversation with trauma therapist Alyssa Kushner, LCSW; Leah Riddell, MS, LCMHC, practice owner and therapist at Origins Counselling and Wellness; and trauma therapist Shay DuBois, who kindly agreed to share their tips on how people can cope better with scary/traumatic experiences.
#1
This happened to my Father, I will tell the story the way he told me to better the story. I was 22 years old. I had just gotten a place closer to my new job but the neighborhood i lived in was secluded. Maybe four houses within a mile, nothing for miles after that. I was having a normal night, maybe my first week there. I watched some TV and fell asleep. When i woke up around 1 A.M., I was about to go to my bedroom when I remembered to turn off the bathroom light at the opposite end of the house. As I was walking through the living room, I could barely see through to the kitchen and even farther, the dining room. It was pitch black because the bathroom door was closed.
In the Dining room however, i saw something tall standing up in the corner. I froze and as my eyes adjusted, I saw it was an old man or woman in a white gown with white hair. " Hey!" I yelled. The old person sprinted towards me like a f*****g jet. I sprinted back to my room were the light was on. I put my hands up, ready to fight and the old person came lunging in and when they saw me they stopped and said " Why are you in my house?" I pretended I was leaving and apologized while I eased into the closer bathroom, locked the door, and called 911 with the house phone. Turns out a woman about a half mile away in the neighborhood had a form of dementia and wandered into my house while I was sleeping.
Anon:
Lock your doors people.
In the Dining room however, i saw something tall standing up in the corner. I froze and as my eyes adjusted, I saw it was an old man or woman in a white gown with white hair. " Hey!" I yelled. The old person sprinted towards me like a f*****g jet. I sprinted back to my room were the light was on. I put my hands up, ready to fight and the old person came lunging in and when they saw me they stopped and said " Why are you in my house?" I pretended I was leaving and apologized while I eased into the closer bathroom, locked the door, and called 911 with the house phone. Turns out a woman about a half mile away in the neighborhood had a form of dementia and wandered into my house while I was sleeping.
Anon:
Lock your doors people.
73points
#2
I was only 4 when this happened. Was playing outside with my siblings and neighbors and while they're busy playing, a lady approached me and took me to her place. A nearby neighborhood. After a while, everybody was freaking out and they started looking for me everywhere.
This lady was severely depressed, her husband left her after their son died. He couldn't handle her depression apparently. She took me to her place, fed me and gave me tons of candy. For couple days. She also made me wear her deceased son pajamas. At some point, she took me to buy some candy from the store, the store owner knew her so he reported that to the police.
She didn't hurt me at all, the doctor even said I was well fed. I always think of her and pray she's in a better place now, even tried to go visit her when I was a college student, her house was sold and she moved away apparently.
Anon:
Wow! That is crazy. So you were legit kidnapped. That's probably the absolute luckiest kidnapping scenario ever.
This lady was severely depressed, her husband left her after their son died. He couldn't handle her depression apparently. She took me to her place, fed me and gave me tons of candy. For couple days. She also made me wear her deceased son pajamas. At some point, she took me to buy some candy from the store, the store owner knew her so he reported that to the police.
She didn't hurt me at all, the doctor even said I was well fed. I always think of her and pray she's in a better place now, even tried to go visit her when I was a college student, her house was sold and she moved away apparently.
Anon:
Wow! That is crazy. So you were legit kidnapped. That's probably the absolute luckiest kidnapping scenario ever.
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70points
#3
Somebody mailed my friend a bunch of pictures of his wife just going about her day. Some of them were taken through windows of their home.
Police were called and everything, but nothing ever came of it. They actually moved because of it.
Desert_Unicorn:
That's absolutely terrifying. Even after moving I'd probably be so traumatized by that.
Police were called and everything, but nothing ever came of it. They actually moved because of it.
Desert_Unicorn:
That's absolutely terrifying. Even after moving I'd probably be so traumatized by that.
57points
When people go through scary/traumatic experiences, like the ones in this list, it can have a profound impact on them and how they perceive the world around them, says Leah Riddell, MS, LCMHC, practice owner and therapist at Origins Counselling and Wellness.
"Some of our core beliefs ideally revolve around feeling safe in our environment, and when those core beliefs are shaken up, the world looks and feels different.
As trauma therapists, we see a wide range of experiences from our clients. Most often, folks will develop a fear around an aspect of the experience. Usually, these fears can generalize: think dark rooms, certain types of people or animals, sounds (such as alarms or songs playing while the experience happened). The scary part for many folks can also be intrusive memories, nightmares, or flashbacks of the event," she explains.
#4
In a cold winter night in a remote village from Québec, Canada, in 1990, me and my two brothers were asleep. We were 1, 3, and 6 years old. In the middle of the night, someone entered our house without knocking, walked around and was talking to himself. Our house is 2 miles from the village, in a rural area.
My father woke up, went to the living room where the guy was. He had a car accident one mile from our house with his buddy who died instantly, and his scalp fell in front of his face, so the first time my father saw him, he saw a man with no face. He was drunk and his body was frozen. He was speaking to himself: << Je vais mourir, je vais mourir!>> Which means << I'm gonna die >>. The fact that his face was partially frozen might have saved his lives, preventing him to lose too much blood. My father took him to the hospital at 25 km from our house by car. He did survive.
To this day, my father is still blessing the fact that we never woke up during the night with all the noise.
OrangeCrushinator:
So it's true that Canadians don't lock their doors.
My father woke up, went to the living room where the guy was. He had a car accident one mile from our house with his buddy who died instantly, and his scalp fell in front of his face, so the first time my father saw him, he saw a man with no face. He was drunk and his body was frozen. He was speaking to himself: << Je vais mourir, je vais mourir!>> Which means << I'm gonna die >>. The fact that his face was partially frozen might have saved his lives, preventing him to lose too much blood. My father took him to the hospital at 25 km from our house by car. He did survive.
To this day, my father is still blessing the fact that we never woke up during the night with all the noise.
OrangeCrushinator:
So it's true that Canadians don't lock their doors.
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57points
#5
When I was little my mom would take me to Kmart and let me wander around the toy section while she shopped (normal in the 70s). One day, as I was playing Simone Says, an old man walked up to me and was making small talk while I played. He eventually told me to come with him and took my by the hand. We walked right down the main center aisle of the store right towards the EXIT sign in the back. As we crossed the last row, I looked to the right and saw my mom at the end of the row. I told him I saw my mom and had to go. I pulled away my hand and ran down to her. I didn't tell her what happened because I didn't want to get in trouble for going with a stranger.
It was several years later that I realized that I had probably narrowly avoided being molested, kidnapped, or worse.
It was several years later that I realized that I had probably narrowly avoided being molested, kidnapped, or worse.
57points
#6
I was stalked by a 40+ year old man from the ages of 10 till 14. My parents told me about it when I was 13. I was unaware but they were.
He had been following me to school, he had been mailing me things, taking pictures of me, and sending my parents threatening messages in all sorts of way.
He had been following me to school, he had been mailing me things, taking pictures of me, and sending my parents threatening messages in all sorts of way.
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56points
Going through a traumatic event can also overwhelm a person's ability to cope and make them feel helpless, unsafe, or out of control, says trauma therapist Alyssa Kushner, LCSW.
"Trauma is less about what happened and more about how the nervous system experienced it because trauma doesn't just live in our memories—it lives in our bodies and nervous systems!
Traumatic experiences can leave people feeling stuck in survival mode, where their bodies stay on high alert, shut down, or are easily triggered even after the danger has passed (because their nervous system still believes they are under threat or trying to protect themselves from potential threat).
This can impact sleep, relationships, memory, digestion, emotional regulation, and more. It can also lead to (especially if it goes unprocessed and unresolved) anxiety, avoidance, difficulty with regulating emotions, and a sense of never feeling fully safe."
#7
When I was about 8yrs old my neighbor filmed me in secret.
I was trying to be a good kid and was helping with the laundry. Our dryer was broken, so we were using a clothes line outside. I was busy hanging up the wet laundry when the neighbor boy yelled to me.
"Hey, I would go inside if I were you!"
"What?" I was confused
"You should go inside. My dad is recording you."
I was super confused because when he said "recording you" I thought he meant with a tape recorder and I wasn't saying anything. Before I could respond, his dad started yelling at him.
"Get inside you little f****r before I beat the s**t out of you."
That's when I saw him with his camcorder behind some trees. I didn't know what to do. One of our new kittens ran over to me and started biting my ankles trying to play, so I used that as en excuse to pick it up and go inside.
Edit: a lot of people are saying what a bro that kid was, and I agree That really was pretty brave of him. I wonder why he spoke up. If he was being recorded or beat at home- wouldn't he have been too afraid of the ramifications to warn me?
I was trying to be a good kid and was helping with the laundry. Our dryer was broken, so we were using a clothes line outside. I was busy hanging up the wet laundry when the neighbor boy yelled to me.
"Hey, I would go inside if I were you!"
"What?" I was confused
"You should go inside. My dad is recording you."
I was super confused because when he said "recording you" I thought he meant with a tape recorder and I wasn't saying anything. Before I could respond, his dad started yelling at him.
"Get inside you little f****r before I beat the s**t out of you."
That's when I saw him with his camcorder behind some trees. I didn't know what to do. One of our new kittens ran over to me and started biting my ankles trying to play, so I used that as en excuse to pick it up and go inside.
Edit: a lot of people are saying what a bro that kid was, and I agree That really was pretty brave of him. I wonder why he spoke up. If he was being recorded or beat at home- wouldn't he have been too afraid of the ramifications to warn me?
55points
#8
When I was little, around 8, I hated going to the dentist, he always made me uncomfortable for some reason. I remember thinking his smile stretched too far and seemed forced, like clowns. Anyway, my mom always came with me, and went back so I wouldn't be scared.
One day, my dad had me (divorced parents), and had to take me to the dentist, but tried to make me go back alone so he could sit out in the lobby doing whatever. The assistants had to literally drag me back to the room and you could hear me screaming and crying down the hall, refusing to sit in the chair. Finally, my dad came back to get me, irritated I'd made a scene, he rescheduled my appointment to when my mom would have me, and we just left, he made a big deal about how bad I was acting and told my mom she was spoiling me and all sorts of s**t.
Two weeks later, it's on the news that my dentist was charged with child p**nography, after m*lesting children under anesthesia and photographing it.
One day, my dad had me (divorced parents), and had to take me to the dentist, but tried to make me go back alone so he could sit out in the lobby doing whatever. The assistants had to literally drag me back to the room and you could hear me screaming and crying down the hall, refusing to sit in the chair. Finally, my dad came back to get me, irritated I'd made a scene, he rescheduled my appointment to when my mom would have me, and we just left, he made a big deal about how bad I was acting and told my mom she was spoiling me and all sorts of s**t.
Two weeks later, it's on the news that my dentist was charged with child p**nography, after m*lesting children under anesthesia and photographing it.
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55points
#9
Years ago I was touring Glacier Park in Montana with a friend. I wanted to hike to Grinnell Glacier but my friend was tired and did not want to come so I went alone. Not smart on my part as there were grizzlies about but I was young and dumb and took off anyway.
I came upon another hiker and he suggested we stay together for safety. I agreed and we made it to Grinnell with no problem. We headed back and we’re about three quarters down the mountain when we smell this awful sweet stench. We freeze and he silently mouths “bear” to me.
Then we hear the crashing of branches and there is a female grizzly barreling our direction and she is not happy. All of the wildlife experts tell you not to run but that is exactly what we did. There was no way I was playing dead in hopes she would maul me a bit and then lose interest and just walk away. Anyhow, I was in front and running through every bit of brush and bramble I could find.... Anything to slow her down.
Hearing her grunting/growling behind us was literally the most terrifying feeling. We ran full throttle that way for almost a mile. We stopped hearing her and paused to catch our breath. She had finally given up the chase and we limped back to the lodge; our arms, legs and faces torn up and bloody from thorns and brush. I found out the next day that she had a couple of cubs she was protecting along the trail and just wanted us away from them. I’m sure she could have caught us had she wanted to. After that experience I try not to take life, family and friendships for granted.
I came upon another hiker and he suggested we stay together for safety. I agreed and we made it to Grinnell with no problem. We headed back and we’re about three quarters down the mountain when we smell this awful sweet stench. We freeze and he silently mouths “bear” to me.
Then we hear the crashing of branches and there is a female grizzly barreling our direction and she is not happy. All of the wildlife experts tell you not to run but that is exactly what we did. There was no way I was playing dead in hopes she would maul me a bit and then lose interest and just walk away. Anyhow, I was in front and running through every bit of brush and bramble I could find.... Anything to slow her down.
Hearing her grunting/growling behind us was literally the most terrifying feeling. We ran full throttle that way for almost a mile. We stopped hearing her and paused to catch our breath. She had finally given up the chase and we limped back to the lodge; our arms, legs and faces torn up and bloody from thorns and brush. I found out the next day that she had a couple of cubs she was protecting along the trail and just wanted us away from them. I’m sure she could have caught us had she wanted to. After that experience I try not to take life, family and friendships for granted.
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49points
As Kushner already mentioned, how we experience trauma is dependent on our nervous system. So if someone possesses a good regulation and a good support network, their reaction to a scary/traumatic event, like worrying, difficulty sleeping, fear, and guilt, can be brief, says trauma therapist Shay DuBois.
On the other hand, "If someone has a trauma history, a history of neglect, or insecure attachment where they didn't have someone to help them regulate when they were young... well, that can be a whole different story. That is where people can go into fight, flight, or freeze. People may dissociate, feel like their body isn't theirs, have difficulty eating or sleeping, get headaches, go around with tension in their body, and not know why," DuBois further explains.
"They can become hypervigilant and feel like something bad is going to happen at any moment. Trauma can really steal someone's life from them. They could disconnect from themselves and from the world because it doesn't feel safe."
#10
I lived in a small college town and my apartment complex was walking distance from the bar/downtown area. One weekday night, I stepped out on our front porch to smoke a cigarette or two (I was up late studying). I brought my text book with me and say down on the stairs while I smoked. A girl, who I had never met but who lived one apartment over but down on the ground floor, came home from downtown. She was by herself and you could tell from her walk she had been drinking.
She got in her apartment and barely got the door closed before some guy, who came out of nowhere, knocked on her door. She opened and I noticed he introduced himself, which was weird because it was after 2:30 am, who comes to a strange girl's apartment at that time? So I decide to stay outside and pay attention. They ended up talking for over ten minutes, she later acknowledged how weird the situation was but did not know how to end the conversation. He would do the creepiest things, like he reached up and strokes her hair at least three times, and would try and slowly inch his way closer to her and the door. I made a point of being loud with my textbook so he would know I was there and he disappeared as eerily as he had come.
We called the cops, and days later they had the girl and me sit with a sketch artist. As soon as the sketch was made public, floods of calls came in. Guy turned out to be a serial r*pist who followed lone girls home from bars and pretended to be a cab offering them a ride. This girl just got lucky because she lived so close to the bars, he didn't get a chance to pull the cab routine.
TL/DR: creepy creeperson followed a neighbor home, probably only left because there was a witness, serial r*pist apprehended.
She got in her apartment and barely got the door closed before some guy, who came out of nowhere, knocked on her door. She opened and I noticed he introduced himself, which was weird because it was after 2:30 am, who comes to a strange girl's apartment at that time? So I decide to stay outside and pay attention. They ended up talking for over ten minutes, she later acknowledged how weird the situation was but did not know how to end the conversation. He would do the creepiest things, like he reached up and strokes her hair at least three times, and would try and slowly inch his way closer to her and the door. I made a point of being loud with my textbook so he would know I was there and he disappeared as eerily as he had come.
We called the cops, and days later they had the girl and me sit with a sketch artist. As soon as the sketch was made public, floods of calls came in. Guy turned out to be a serial r*pist who followed lone girls home from bars and pretended to be a cab offering them a ride. This girl just got lucky because she lived so close to the bars, he didn't get a chance to pull the cab routine.
TL/DR: creepy creeperson followed a neighbor home, probably only left because there was a witness, serial r*pist apprehended.
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47points
#11
Well this girl I used to be in class with found out today that there's some random dude out there who tattooed a picture of her face on his leg.
She doesn't know who he is, just that he tagged her on Instagram with a picture of the tattoo.
I'd feel like it's pretty d**n creepy to have someone somewhere in the world walk around with your face on his leg.
mopsmopsmops:
That's probably not going to be the last she hears from him unfortunately.
She doesn't know who he is, just that he tagged her on Instagram with a picture of the tattoo.
I'd feel like it's pretty d**n creepy to have someone somewhere in the world walk around with your face on his leg.
mopsmopsmops:
That's probably not going to be the last she hears from him unfortunately.
43points
#12
When I was a little girl my brother and I shared a room (we were 15 months apart) and in our room we had a wood divider down the middle because we fought so much.. anyways.. I was maybe between 4-6 (I can't remember exact age) and it was Easter time. Actually it was the Saturday night before Easter Sunday and I heard something in our room. I thought it was the Easter bunny. So I peeked out of my covers and I swear to this day it was the real Easter bunny. I saw a black vest with chains and a pocket watch hanging down and some glasses hanging out of the other top pocket. He walked over and I shot my head back under the covers. He sat down on my bed. I became very scared (my older sisters had said the Easter bunny kills bad kids and kids who try to peek at him and I was definitely a little s**t either way) and pulled the covers taut and could feel him lean over me and get very close to my face. I peaked out again with one eye and I saw an eye staring back at me.. then a pillow go over my head.
I slowly turned my head to the side because I couldn't breathe and didn't know what was going on, but I got a breath and held it. In my little pea brain head I had a voice that just said hold it in like I'm playing a game.. well I did. Then the Easter bunny got up off the bed.. I could hear him and the chains on his vest rattle as he walked.. then back through the window. I was so scared I didn't know that to do, I just laid there under the covers with the sheet pulled taut and the pillow on top of my head and eventually fell asleep I guess... I honestly don't remember if I tried to wake my parents or not...
I just know I woke up in my bed the next morning, thinking it was all a dream.. I told my sisters and brother that the Easter bunny came and sat on my bed last night as we went through our Easter candy and got ready to go for our Easter egg hunt... my mom and dad over heard and the next thing I know they called the police and there were foot prints outside of mine and my bros bedroom window and the screen had been ripped off and the window slightly slid open.
Years later I found out a s***o had been trying to hurt me to get back at my dad. He was a biker (my dad was too), henceforth the black leather vest and chains and apparently that wasn't the only time he broke into our house and that's not the only time he tried to hurt me or talk to me. He used to call and talk to me all the time apparently.. I don't remember any of it but that one incident.
I slowly turned my head to the side because I couldn't breathe and didn't know what was going on, but I got a breath and held it. In my little pea brain head I had a voice that just said hold it in like I'm playing a game.. well I did. Then the Easter bunny got up off the bed.. I could hear him and the chains on his vest rattle as he walked.. then back through the window. I was so scared I didn't know that to do, I just laid there under the covers with the sheet pulled taut and the pillow on top of my head and eventually fell asleep I guess... I honestly don't remember if I tried to wake my parents or not...
I just know I woke up in my bed the next morning, thinking it was all a dream.. I told my sisters and brother that the Easter bunny came and sat on my bed last night as we went through our Easter candy and got ready to go for our Easter egg hunt... my mom and dad over heard and the next thing I know they called the police and there were foot prints outside of mine and my bros bedroom window and the screen had been ripped off and the window slightly slid open.
Years later I found out a s***o had been trying to hurt me to get back at my dad. He was a biker (my dad was too), henceforth the black leather vest and chains and apparently that wasn't the only time he broke into our house and that's not the only time he tried to hurt me or talk to me. He used to call and talk to me all the time apparently.. I don't remember any of it but that one incident.
41points
It's important not to ignore or suppress the emotions and memories that a person might be feeling after a scary or traumatic experience, as they don't go anywhere, even though distractions might work for a while.
"Suppression can work, for a while. Distraction can work, for a while... this is why people scroll on their phones, play mindless games, watch videos, and shop or eat compulsively," notes DuBois.
"However, the body does keep the score. It is going to be there whether you want to think about it or not. Suppression can bring about angry outbursts, difficulty sleeping, dissociation, and even physical health issues. This can lead to difficulty in relationships, difficulty concentrating and functioning, and chronic health issues.
I work with clients who can't remember what happened to them, but there is body pain, an inability to trust others, and a feeling of not being good enough. It shows up in different ways, but it shows up."
#13
I wrote this in another post, but probably the one time I was almost kidnapped and almost thrown into a van while I was walking home from school.
I stayed after school to play basketball so it was kinda late outside. As I was walking home, a guy flagged me down and asked if I could lift a "heavy" box into his van. I said sure. I lift it, and it was probably no less than 5lbs. Then he said if I could go inside and the it down on one of the seats. I stepped inside when I thought to myself, "this isn't right." Sure enough, I turn around and try to bolt out of the van when he's trying to push me back and throw me. Thankfully I fought as hard as I could and managed to get the f**k out of there and ran as fast as I could to get home.
I still haven't told my parents this. And this incident made me wary of helping strangers.
I stayed after school to play basketball so it was kinda late outside. As I was walking home, a guy flagged me down and asked if I could lift a "heavy" box into his van. I said sure. I lift it, and it was probably no less than 5lbs. Then he said if I could go inside and the it down on one of the seats. I stepped inside when I thought to myself, "this isn't right." Sure enough, I turn around and try to bolt out of the van when he's trying to push me back and throw me. Thankfully I fought as hard as I could and managed to get the f**k out of there and ran as fast as I could to get home.
I still haven't told my parents this. And this incident made me wary of helping strangers.
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40points
#14
My grandfather owns several forests around the village he lives in, and he drives through them every week, to check how the trees are doing and whether something needs to be fixed. He really loves his trees and has a sharp eye for any potential sickness or insect that could pose a threat. A decade or two ago, hitchhikers were very common. Even in the thinly populated areas of bavaria, he encountered them regularly, and was always happy to help. He literally picked up every single hitchhiker he found. One day however, he had a bad feeling about one. Without any reason, he dismissed this one hitchhiker standing on the side of the path. Later that day, there was a radio broadcast about a previously convicted m******r who k**led someone in the woods and got caught trying to flee by hopping onto someone's car.
Just writing this down makes me shudder again.
Just writing this down makes me shudder again.
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39points
#15
My first job was a host at IHOP, I was 16 and usually worked weekend mornings. But one day was asked to work a Sunday night because someone was sick. Nights at IHOP back then were incredibly slow. Maybe just a few customers. So I spent most of my time up front at the register sitting around. Near closing time I was sitting up there when a man was approaching from the parking lot. We had a big lot so I could see him coming, he was dressed in all black with a black jacket, which is very odd for a Los Angeles summer.
Just before he got to the door, a couple of customers came up to pay their check. He saw this, turned and started walking up the street. Was a creepy moment that stuck with me.
The next day my father asks me if I heard or saw anything weird the night before. Apparently someone dressed in all black m******d the cashier at a KFC a block away from my IHOP.
Just before he got to the door, a couple of customers came up to pay their check. He saw this, turned and started walking up the street. Was a creepy moment that stuck with me.
The next day my father asks me if I heard or saw anything weird the night before. Apparently someone dressed in all black m******d the cashier at a KFC a block away from my IHOP.
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38points
"When we push trauma and difficult emotions away, they do not go away–they just show up in other ways!" Kushner agrees.
"Avoidance, ignoring, and suppressing emotions are protective strategies to keep you from facing these difficult feelings, but they can lead to anxiety, panic attacks, depression, emotional outbursts, low self-esteem, and even physical symptoms that seem to come “out of nowhere,” for example, chronic tension, headaches, GI issues, and stomachaches.
The more we try to suppress it, the bigger it will come out later! So the sooner you can face it (like with a trauma-informed therapist), the more you can truly move through it and process it."
#16
Context: my mom's college boyfriend became her stalker after she left his awful, a*****e a*s back in the mid-80s.
Several years ago, just before the last Harry Potter movie came out, my mom and I were marathoning the other seven movies and at about 1am the phone rings. Normally we don't answer, we figure if it's important they'll leave a message, but a call that late at night is probably urgent. Mom answers and almost immediately her face changes and she tells me, "lvhq, go wake up your father." S**t, I've never seen my mom this scared, I run upstairs and get him. Back downstairs she's still on the phone and I have no idea what's going on. Dad has some words with the caller and we hug it out in the kitchen.
This is when I found out my mom had a stalker. Despite him being silent for years, and their whole breakup happening halfway across the country, he somehow found us. Said he'd driven by our house. Complimented the neighborhood. Freaks me out to this day, wondering how much he knows about us, and if I've ever talked to him unwittingly.
Several years ago, just before the last Harry Potter movie came out, my mom and I were marathoning the other seven movies and at about 1am the phone rings. Normally we don't answer, we figure if it's important they'll leave a message, but a call that late at night is probably urgent. Mom answers and almost immediately her face changes and she tells me, "lvhq, go wake up your father." S**t, I've never seen my mom this scared, I run upstairs and get him. Back downstairs she's still on the phone and I have no idea what's going on. Dad has some words with the caller and we hug it out in the kitchen.
This is when I found out my mom had a stalker. Despite him being silent for years, and their whole breakup happening halfway across the country, he somehow found us. Said he'd driven by our house. Complimented the neighborhood. Freaks me out to this day, wondering how much he knows about us, and if I've ever talked to him unwittingly.
36points
#17
When I was in middle school my friends and I were hanging out on a trampoline in the backyard late at night maybe like 11 pm or so. The backyards are all "connecting" meaning there is trees and small fences separating them but you can walk through them. Some guy comes through and asks if we have seen a little orange tabby cat and we told him no. He said he lives around the corner if we see it he will give us a reward. Okay cool.
We think nothing of it and go back to talking about Pokemon cards and why Charizard is a god on paper. No joke, 2 min after this guy leaves this little car wanders through and we think "is that the cat he was talking about?" My friend grabs it and we all proudly march to the guys house to collect our reward.
The guy is sitting on his front porch and we bring the cat to him. He's so excited and says "Oh I have the reward inside just come in and I'll give it to you." We were kinda sketched out but we decided 2 go in and 2 stay. He says "oh if you don't come in I can only give the reward to the ones that come in" He was gonna give us $100 a person to go in. Still we had 2 guys go in and take what felt like forever but they came out and had $200 with them. They said there was plastic on everything in there and something felt wrong. I feel as though if we all went we would have been k**led. But keeping 2 outside that knew where their friends were I guess was enough to deter him. Still was a weird occurrence.
We think nothing of it and go back to talking about Pokemon cards and why Charizard is a god on paper. No joke, 2 min after this guy leaves this little car wanders through and we think "is that the cat he was talking about?" My friend grabs it and we all proudly march to the guys house to collect our reward.
The guy is sitting on his front porch and we bring the cat to him. He's so excited and says "Oh I have the reward inside just come in and I'll give it to you." We were kinda sketched out but we decided 2 go in and 2 stay. He says "oh if you don't come in I can only give the reward to the ones that come in" He was gonna give us $100 a person to go in. Still we had 2 guys go in and take what felt like forever but they came out and had $200 with them. They said there was plastic on everything in there and something felt wrong. I feel as though if we all went we would have been k**led. But keeping 2 outside that knew where their friends were I guess was enough to deter him. Still was a weird occurrence.
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35points
#18
I was that creepy guy once.
My family has a cottage on an island on a lake in north western Ontario, Canada. It is a unique lake in that it is made up of hundreds of small islands several of them have cottages on them. All in all it is an amazing place with a rich history, abandoned gold mines, historical rock paintings and even has a couple of old WW2 POW camps.
When I was younger I used to go fishing in my 16ft outboard putt putt boat, then would explore bits of the lake looking for adventure. Once, I stopped at an area what looked like a stream was draining into the lake. I pulled the boat up on the beach and started following a small creek, hoping to find a lake within the island and maybe a place to fish. I was wearing a long sleeved bush jacket and beat up jeans because the branches will cut you up and the bugs will get what's left of you. I found a long piece of driftwood and used it as a walking stick as I slowly made my way along this mostly dried up creek bed. I got to a clearing where I could see the other side of the island that I was on and went down a hill to get to the shore to get a drink from the lake as I had been hiking for about an hour and my water bottle was empty. I was a sight, covered in burrs wearing a fishing hat and a small back pack I came upon a group of campers that surely thought they would be the only people around for miles. I didn't mean to sneak up on them but it happened so quickly. A woman screamed then another, and I, brain addled from lack of water and general exhaustion screamed back. Then I turned and disappeared into the bushes ran up the hill and followed the creek back to my boat. I'm sure they thought I was a hermit or something along those lines. I probably ruined their camping for a while.
My family has a cottage on an island on a lake in north western Ontario, Canada. It is a unique lake in that it is made up of hundreds of small islands several of them have cottages on them. All in all it is an amazing place with a rich history, abandoned gold mines, historical rock paintings and even has a couple of old WW2 POW camps.
When I was younger I used to go fishing in my 16ft outboard putt putt boat, then would explore bits of the lake looking for adventure. Once, I stopped at an area what looked like a stream was draining into the lake. I pulled the boat up on the beach and started following a small creek, hoping to find a lake within the island and maybe a place to fish. I was wearing a long sleeved bush jacket and beat up jeans because the branches will cut you up and the bugs will get what's left of you. I found a long piece of driftwood and used it as a walking stick as I slowly made my way along this mostly dried up creek bed. I got to a clearing where I could see the other side of the island that I was on and went down a hill to get to the shore to get a drink from the lake as I had been hiking for about an hour and my water bottle was empty. I was a sight, covered in burrs wearing a fishing hat and a small back pack I came upon a group of campers that surely thought they would be the only people around for miles. I didn't mean to sneak up on them but it happened so quickly. A woman screamed then another, and I, brain addled from lack of water and general exhaustion screamed back. Then I turned and disappeared into the bushes ran up the hill and followed the creek back to my boat. I'm sure they thought I was a hermit or something along those lines. I probably ruined their camping for a while.
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34points
When coping with scary/traumatic experiences, having someone trustworthy, who doesn't invalidate or dismiss your feelings, to talk about them can have a huge impact, says Riddell.
"We usually recommend that within a few weeks of an event, you have someone whom you feel safe with and trust to discuss and support you, and let you know that you're safe. Talking about the experience will feel distressing, but feeling those emotions and noticing the safety in the environment (post-event) can help calm your nervous system and help you recognize that the event is over and in the past."
#19
This happened about three years ago or so. I was sitting in the kitchen, and it was around 10pm or so. I heard a really loud "thump" in the basement.
I live alone with two dogs so any sound is somewhat frightening to me.
So, as I'm walking down the stairs to the, basement, I hear the thumping again, in an oddly rhythmic pattern. I creak open the door into the basement bedroom, and I see my dog is just ramming his head and body into the wall, over and over.
I can't explain to you how shockingly unnatural looking it was. It looked like... he was controlled or something. I called him over, and he stopped and came upstairs with me.
Three hours later, I hear the thumping again. I get out of bed again, However, when I went down to check it, it was my OTHER dog that was ramming his head into the wall.
It was like he was possessed. Scared the cheese out of me.
Since then, nothing like that has happened, but what an unexplainable event...
I live alone with two dogs so any sound is somewhat frightening to me.
So, as I'm walking down the stairs to the, basement, I hear the thumping again, in an oddly rhythmic pattern. I creak open the door into the basement bedroom, and I see my dog is just ramming his head and body into the wall, over and over.
I can't explain to you how shockingly unnatural looking it was. It looked like... he was controlled or something. I called him over, and he stopped and came upstairs with me.
Three hours later, I hear the thumping again. I get out of bed again, However, when I went down to check it, it was my OTHER dog that was ramming his head into the wall.
It was like he was possessed. Scared the cheese out of me.
Since then, nothing like that has happened, but what an unexplainable event...
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33points
#20
My friend came home from school one day to find that her house had been broken into. She decided to go inside, and look around whilst she called her mum. She was done looking at the second floor when she made for the stairs, her mum convinced her to go outside and wait for the police (who she had called). Later on, the police asked the family if they owned a crowbar, the said they didn't. They then said it looks like the offender was still in the house when she got home, and they were waiting at the top of the stairs with a crowbar, which they stupidly left behind when they fled.
There were items that were disturbed upstairs, but only in the one place. Through the first door you see at the top of the stairs. That was the only room that was moved around, suggesting that that's where they were when she came home.
There were items that were disturbed upstairs, but only in the one place. Through the first door you see at the top of the stairs. That was the only room that was moved around, suggesting that that's where they were when she came home.
32points