13x08: I Worked With a Murderer

[00:00:00] This podcast contains adult language and content. Listener discretion is advised. If you have a story to share, send it to letsnotmeetstories at gmail.com. Enjoy the show.

[00:00:41] This happened about 15 years ago, and to this day, I cannot live in a ground floor building.

[00:00:49] When I was 15, I was staying at my mom's house for the weekend. My parents are divorced, so it was just me and her.

[00:00:57] It was about 12.30am, and I was just hanging out in the living room watching TV while my mom was asleep.

[00:01:03] The living room had two windows that faced the front yard, and I often left the curtains open as the house was set back from the road.

[00:01:12] My mom's house wasn't in the best part of town, but I always felt relatively safe there.

[00:01:18] While I was in my pajamas watching TV, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye from the window that was closest to me.

[00:01:26] This window is only about 4 feet away from me.

[00:01:30] When I turned and looked out the window, a man's face was staring right back at me, smiling the most hideous grin I had ever seen.

[00:01:39] I was frozen, just sitting there with my eyes locked on his.

[00:01:44] My panic quickly and suddenly set in, so I leapt up from the sofa and tried to run to my mother.

[00:01:51] I was moving hastily, so I slammed my leg right into a wooden coffee table and fell to the ground.

[00:01:58] Even though my leg was feeling like it was made of jelly after this, I managed to scramble up to my feet and shout for my mom.

[00:02:07] My mom, half asleep, came running as she wondered what was wrong.

[00:02:11] I started stammering about how there was someone in the window watching me.

[00:02:17] Just as my mom was realizing what I was saying, we both heard somebody attempting to open the front door to the house.

[00:02:25] My mom and I just stood there, still, as we felt relieved knowing that the front door was double locked.

[00:02:32] But when the noise at the front door stopped, my mother looked horribly grave as she whispered,

[00:02:38] The back door.

[00:02:41] She then turned, bolted through the house, and turned the deadbolt on the back door in the kitchen and backed away.

[00:02:49] She quickly ran to her room and pulled a baseball bat from beneath her bed that I knew she kept there because she was a woman living alone.

[00:02:58] Frantically, she asked me to call the police, so I did.

[00:03:02] I whispered to the operator that someone was trying to get into my house.

[00:03:07] We then saw a shadow approach the back door quickly, trying desperately to open the door, kicking and grunting.

[00:03:15] My mother shouted,

[00:03:17] I have a bat, and I'll fucking kill you if you get into this house.

[00:03:20] We called the police, they're on their way.

[00:03:23] The person on the other side of the door stopped and stood still for about 30 seconds before turning and running away.

[00:03:30] My mom and I stood in the middle of the kitchen for about 20 minutes.

[00:03:35] It took the police that long to get to us.

[00:03:38] The whole time, my mother had the bat raised, ready to strike.

[00:03:43] When the police finally came in, they looked around the house.

[00:03:47] They found that the flowers outside the window were trampled,

[00:03:50] and there were several cigarette butts on the ground outside the window where I saw the man.

[00:03:56] The police assumed, by the looks of it, he had been there for a while.

[00:04:00] They didn't find him, but they took a statement from me which included my description of the man,

[00:04:07] but we never heard anything more about it.

[00:04:10] We never had another incident, but my mom moved out of that house a year later.

[00:04:15] I now live in a different country with my husband,

[00:04:18] who wonders why I have no desire to own a house and love living in a high-rise apartment above the street level.

[00:04:27] I also pay for state-of-the-art home security,

[00:04:30] and I have a baseball bat in my closet just like my mom.

[00:04:35] I have no idea what would have happened if my mother had not realized that the back door was unlocked.

[00:04:42] I'm grateful that she was there that night, as she generally worked late.

[00:04:47] I'll never know if the man thought that he could overpower two women alone,

[00:04:50] or if he was just trying to scare us.

[00:04:54] Whatever that man had intended,

[00:04:56] I pray that he didn't find someone else who forgot to lock their back door.

[00:05:14] This happened about nine years ago,

[00:05:15] and I still think about it on occasion and wonder what happened.

[00:05:21] During the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of high school,

[00:05:25] there was this boy that I liked.

[00:05:27] Being teenagers, we would sneak out in the middle of the night

[00:05:30] to go to this park that was really close to both our houses.

[00:05:34] One night, at about two in the morning,

[00:05:37] we were sitting on a picnic table on one end of the park like we normally would.

[00:05:42] We had been doing this for months,

[00:05:44] so it seemed like it was just any other night.

[00:05:47] This park is surrounded three quarters of the way by canyons

[00:05:51] and has a playground, soccer fields, and a baseball field.

[00:05:56] We were just hanging out when we saw two other people.

[00:05:59] There was a man who appeared to be in his thirties.

[00:06:02] He was a bit heavyset and wore a red baseball cap with a white t-shirt.

[00:06:07] He was with this woman who was a bit younger than him.

[00:06:11] The boy I was with and I watched the two of them walk across the baseball field

[00:06:16] and into the canyon.

[00:06:19] We didn't think anything of it and assumed that they were just going to have

[00:06:22] relations in the canyon, as that's what some people did.

[00:06:27] Maybe five minutes later, we started to hear screaming.

[00:06:31] I knew I wasn't going crazy when I heard this because

[00:06:34] the sound of it startled the boy that I was with, too.

[00:06:38] It was nothing like I had ever heard before.

[00:06:42] The screaming was ear-piercing,

[00:06:45] absolutely horrifying.

[00:06:47] Then, after about twenty seconds,

[00:06:50] everything fell silent.

[00:06:52] We didn't hear a thing.

[00:06:55] A little while later, maybe a few minutes,

[00:06:58] the man came walking back out of the canyon,

[00:07:01] but he was no longer with the girl.

[00:07:04] He started walking towards where we were sitting,

[00:07:06] so we just dipped.

[00:07:08] We grabbed all of our stuff and got the hell out of there

[00:07:10] and ran home.

[00:07:12] I don't know if he was coming for us.

[00:07:14] I'm not even sure if he saw us,

[00:07:16] but we were not about to stick around and find out.

[00:07:19] It was quite dark, so

[00:07:21] it wouldn't have surprised me

[00:07:23] if he didn't notice we were there.

[00:07:25] But I'm sure he saw us

[00:07:27] when we took off through the playground.

[00:07:30] For the next two to three months,

[00:07:32] I looked all over the internet

[00:07:33] to see if there were any stories that popped up.

[00:07:35] I even went and looked around the canyon

[00:07:37] for anything to explain what might have happened.

[00:07:40] I never found anything,

[00:07:42] online or in the canyon,

[00:07:44] so I still have no idea what happened that night.

[00:07:47] This is probably one of the scariest

[00:07:49] and creepiest things that has ever happened to me.

[00:07:52] I was about 14 when it happened.

[00:07:55] Those days, I was a selfish teenager

[00:07:57] who was primarily preoccupied with myself,

[00:08:00] as most of us are.

[00:08:02] So, sadly, I didn't call the police.

[00:08:05] I should have.

[00:08:06] I think back on it and beat myself up

[00:08:09] for not saying anything to anyone,

[00:08:11] but at the time,

[00:08:12] I was more concerned about getting in trouble

[00:08:14] for sneaking out with a boy.

[00:08:15] If I were to be around anything like this happening today,

[00:08:19] I would not hesitate to call the police.

[00:08:22] This happened about eight years ago.

[00:08:41] I was 16 and had two friends living with me

[00:08:44] since they were attending a nearby college.

[00:08:46] They were from out of town

[00:08:48] and loved the beach,

[00:08:50] which worked out well for them

[00:08:51] since I was living on the coast.

[00:08:54] The beach is like a home away from home for my mom.

[00:08:57] She used to walk on the beach

[00:08:59] and collect shells nearly every single day.

[00:09:01] One day, my friends and I wanted to go to the beach.

[00:09:04] My mom went with us,

[00:09:05] but she wanted to pop into a bar

[00:09:07] that was close to where we had parked

[00:09:09] so that she could have a beer before she went.

[00:09:13] My friends and I stayed in the car

[00:09:15] and about 30 minutes went by

[00:09:16] and my mom still had not come back to the car,

[00:09:19] so we went in to check on her.

[00:09:22] When we found her,

[00:09:23] she was acting so weird

[00:09:25] and saying things that didn't make sense.

[00:09:28] There was this other guy with her,

[00:09:30] this huge guy,

[00:09:32] easily 6'5", 250 pounds.

[00:09:35] He had tattoos everywhere

[00:09:36] and was wearing a leather vest.

[00:09:39] I assume this guy thought my mom was alone at the bar

[00:09:42] due to the look on his face

[00:09:44] when my friends and I went to check on her.

[00:09:46] I told my mom it was time to go,

[00:09:49] but she was adamant in saying

[00:09:50] that she didn't want to leave this guy.

[00:09:53] She kept saying

[00:09:54] she wasn't leaving unless he came with us.

[00:09:58] My friends and I got the staff at the bar

[00:10:00] to tell her that it was time to go

[00:10:02] and that she was too drunk to drive.

[00:10:04] I didn't have a license at the time,

[00:10:06] so one of my friends agreed to drive.

[00:10:09] This is the part where things started to get weird.

[00:10:12] We were on the way home

[00:10:14] and my mom kept looking at her hands,

[00:10:16] asking us why they were moving.

[00:10:19] She was moving her fingertips around,

[00:10:21] so we just told her she was drunk

[00:10:23] and they were moving

[00:10:25] because she was moving them herself.

[00:10:27] She also kept telling us

[00:10:29] that she only had two beers.

[00:10:32] We got home and my mom got out of the car

[00:10:34] and sat in the driveway.

[00:10:37] There was a child riding a tricycle

[00:10:39] across the street from us

[00:10:40] and my mom called out,

[00:10:42] Hey kid,

[00:10:43] you're not old enough to have a license.

[00:10:45] You shouldn't be driving.

[00:10:48] My friends and I thought that it was funny at the time

[00:10:50] since we just thought she had overdone it on alcohol.

[00:10:54] So we got her inside,

[00:10:56] put her in bed,

[00:10:57] and told her to go to sleep.

[00:10:59] Then,

[00:10:59] we went back to my room

[00:11:01] to play some video games and hang out.

[00:11:02] About 30 minutes went by

[00:11:04] and we heard the sound of something breaking,

[00:11:07] followed by my mom screaming.

[00:11:09] This wasn't a normal scream.

[00:11:11] It was terrifying.

[00:11:13] We immediately ran into her room

[00:11:15] and saw that she had broken a glass of water

[00:11:18] that we put by her bed.

[00:11:20] When we walked into her room,

[00:11:22] she stopped screaming

[00:11:23] and stared blankly at the wall,

[00:11:25] mumbling something that didn't make any sense.

[00:11:28] She kept glancing at us

[00:11:30] and while she was physically present,

[00:11:32] we could tell that her mind was not there.

[00:11:35] There was a blankness in her eyes

[00:11:37] and her pupils were huge.

[00:11:40] Since my friends and I were teenagers,

[00:11:42] we hadn't messed with drugs at all,

[00:11:44] so we were baffled.

[00:11:46] We still thought that she just overdrank

[00:11:48] and we still weren't thinking much of any of this at all.

[00:11:53] We got her to lie back down

[00:11:55] and we told her to try and get some sleep.

[00:11:58] Before we left the room,

[00:12:00] I looked back at her again

[00:12:01] and she was just staring at the ceiling,

[00:12:04] moving her jaw around.

[00:12:06] Then my friends and I went back to my room

[00:12:09] and talked about what we should do.

[00:12:11] We were starting to get scared

[00:12:13] because we knew that something wasn't right.

[00:12:16] Another ten minutes went by

[00:12:18] and we heard the car start outside.

[00:12:21] We ran out there

[00:12:22] and my mom was sitting in the driver's seat.

[00:12:24] My friends stayed with her at the car

[00:12:27] trying to convince her to turn the engine off,

[00:12:29] unlock the door,

[00:12:31] and give them the key.

[00:12:33] Meanwhile, I ran over to a neighbor

[00:12:35] and asked them for help

[00:12:36] since I knew there was something wrong.

[00:12:39] She ended up reversing out of the driveway

[00:12:42] and got about halfway down the street

[00:12:43] before she slammed on her brakes.

[00:12:46] She was then just sitting there

[00:12:48] and we were thinking about breaking a window

[00:12:50] so that we could jump in

[00:12:52] and turn the car off.

[00:12:53] But she finally unlocked the door,

[00:12:56] stepped out of the car,

[00:12:57] and walked back home.

[00:12:59] We got the car back to the driveway

[00:13:01] and before we went back into the house,

[00:13:03] I put the keys in my pocket.

[00:13:06] We then walked inside.

[00:13:08] She was sitting on the edge of her bed

[00:13:10] with that blank stare.

[00:13:12] But she was also twitching.

[00:13:15] We went back into my room

[00:13:16] and talked about how crazy this situation was.

[00:13:20] Things quieted down for about an hour

[00:13:22] so we started thinking that she was finally asleep.

[00:13:26] We were hoping that everything

[00:13:27] was going to be calm after that,

[00:13:29] but then we heard glass breaking again.

[00:13:32] We went to the kitchen

[00:13:33] and saw that she had quietly opened the dishwasher,

[00:13:36] taken frozen food out of the freezer,

[00:13:38] and grabbed a ream of plain white paper.

[00:13:41] She was throwing plates at the wall

[00:13:43] while loading the frozen food and paper

[00:13:46] into the dishwasher.

[00:13:48] When we asked her what she was doing,

[00:13:50] she just looked over at us with a blank stare

[00:13:52] and continued without giving us an answer.

[00:13:56] We got her back to her room again

[00:13:58] and I stayed with her and monitored her

[00:14:00] until I was certain that she had fallen back to sleep.

[00:14:04] I stayed in her room for a couple of hours

[00:14:07] before going to my room to sleep myself.

[00:14:10] The next morning, she was freaking out.

[00:14:13] She didn't even know how she got home from the bar.

[00:14:16] She didn't remember anything.

[00:14:19] She also didn't remember giving the guy from the bar her number,

[00:14:23] but he had been calling her

[00:14:24] from some random numbers all morning.

[00:14:28] We went to CVS and got an at-home drug test

[00:14:31] and verified that she was drugged.

[00:14:33] According to the results,

[00:14:35] she had roofies and PCP in her system.

[00:14:39] When we called the bar to ask

[00:14:41] if we could review the security footage

[00:14:42] and try to find out who the guy was,

[00:14:44] they told us that their security cameras were broken.

[00:14:49] To the guy who drugged my mom,

[00:14:52] let's never meet.

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[00:16:32] Every spring for about eight years,

[00:16:35] a group of friends and I would go on a vacation

[00:16:37] at this old fort campground.

[00:16:41] It's an old fort base located on a small island

[00:16:44] that's about six miles long.

[00:16:46] There's a large family campground on the island

[00:16:49] as well as some larger group camping spots

[00:16:52] that are about one mile from the family sites.

[00:16:55] My friends and I stayed at one of the larger group

[00:16:58] camping spots so that we wouldn't bother

[00:17:00] any of the families who were trying to have

[00:17:02] a relaxing, wholesome vacation.

[00:17:05] There are some cool old parts of the fort

[00:17:08] remaining on the island.

[00:17:09] They're scattered all over the island

[00:17:12] and they're accessible,

[00:17:13] so they're fun to check out.

[00:17:15] The most popular part of the fort

[00:17:18] is an old watchtower that gets busy during the summer,

[00:17:21] but my friends and I would wait

[00:17:23] and go there when it was pretty quiet.

[00:17:25] Since we had been vacationing there for a while,

[00:17:29] we were very comfortable and familiar with the island.

[00:17:32] We had gotten to know it well

[00:17:34] as we hiked all over the place during the day

[00:17:37] and sometimes at night.

[00:17:39] On this particular evening,

[00:17:41] we had been drinking

[00:17:42] and a few of my friends in the group

[00:17:44] went and took some acid.

[00:17:46] Now, anyone who has taken acid

[00:17:49] knows that it's not like what you see in the movies.

[00:17:51] It's actually a lot calmer than that.

[00:17:54] It can make you feel incredibly peaceful

[00:17:57] and safe

[00:17:58] and maybe even a bit braver too.

[00:18:01] My friends and I have tripped

[00:18:03] and night hiked on this island before.

[00:18:06] This wasn't uncommon for us to do.

[00:18:09] We like to do it at least once while we were there.

[00:18:12] It's always a blast.

[00:18:14] There are a bunch of trails

[00:18:15] and it's a very safe place.

[00:18:17] I decided to trip along with my friends,

[00:18:19] so I popped my hit on my tongue

[00:18:22] as I watched the sun sink behind the dunes.

[00:18:26] About an hour later,

[00:18:27] we all gathered around the campfire

[00:18:29] and had a few beers.

[00:18:31] Then one of my friends suggested

[00:18:33] a night hike over to the tower.

[00:18:36] It was a mile from our campsite

[00:18:38] and there were a few different paths

[00:18:40] that we could choose from to get there.

[00:18:42] Only four of us wanted to make the hike,

[00:18:45] me and my three guy friends.

[00:18:47] Since it was spring,

[00:18:49] it was still chilly,

[00:18:50] especially at night,

[00:18:52] so I packed a blanket in my backpack

[00:18:54] and layered on an old sweater

[00:18:56] with my thick black wool cloak just in case.

[00:18:59] Then the four of us started down the trail.

[00:19:02] We didn't make it far

[00:19:03] before I realized I had forgotten my smokes.

[00:19:07] So I told my friends to keep going

[00:19:09] and I would catch up.

[00:19:10] Now, being in my stony,

[00:19:13] trippy,

[00:19:14] acid state,

[00:19:15] I got caught up joking around

[00:19:17] with the friends who stayed back at camp

[00:19:19] and I didn't notice a bunch of time had passed

[00:19:22] until they mentioned it.

[00:19:24] I laughed as I headed back to the trailhead.

[00:19:27] This is where the acid really started coming into play.

[00:19:30] The guys who had continued hiking

[00:19:33] had the flashlight,

[00:19:34] so my hike through the woods

[00:19:36] was dimly lit by the moon,

[00:19:37] which was more beautiful than scary

[00:19:40] with acid brain.

[00:19:42] As I continued down one of the trails,

[00:19:45] I heard some chatting

[00:19:46] and assumed it was my friend.

[00:19:48] I was in no real rush

[00:19:50] to catch up with them

[00:19:51] since I was enjoying the solitude of the hike

[00:19:53] and the darkness of the night felt so magical.

[00:19:56] I was just humming and singing to myself,

[00:19:59] enjoying the hike and taking it all in.

[00:20:02] When the trail started to straighten out,

[00:20:05] I saw a few figures

[00:20:06] walking a good way ahead of me.

[00:20:08] I also saw the shape

[00:20:10] of the watchtower behind the trees.

[00:20:13] When that trail ended,

[00:20:15] it opened up onto a small maintenance road

[00:20:18] with a parking lot

[00:20:19] that was for the gazebo facing the bay.

[00:20:22] The tower sat on the opposite end

[00:20:25] facing the ocean.

[00:20:27] These figures,

[00:20:28] who I still assumed were my friends,

[00:20:30] continued moving towards the tower.

[00:20:33] I decided to sit back for a moment

[00:20:35] and roll a joint

[00:20:36] so that I could share it with my buddies

[00:20:38] at the top of the tower.

[00:20:40] As I pulled everything I needed

[00:20:42] out of my backpack,

[00:20:44] a lighter and a water bottle

[00:20:46] fell out and hit the ground.

[00:20:48] I lowered myself to my hands and knees

[00:20:50] to feel around for them in the darkness.

[00:20:53] As I was on my hands and knees

[00:20:55] feeling the ground,

[00:20:56] a brief but bright light

[00:20:58] shined on me

[00:20:59] which made me look up.

[00:21:02] My vision was obstructed

[00:21:03] by the hood of my cloak

[00:21:05] and the darkness

[00:21:06] so all I could see

[00:21:08] were the figures in front of me

[00:21:09] starting to run

[00:21:11] towards the tower.

[00:21:13] So I gathered all my stuff quickly,

[00:21:15] stood up,

[00:21:15] and swiftly followed them to the tower

[00:21:18] knowing that I could just roll a J

[00:21:20] when I got to the top.

[00:21:21] I saw their light cut off

[00:21:23] as they entered the darkness

[00:21:24] of the tower

[00:21:25] which made me assume

[00:21:26] they were going to try and scare me.

[00:21:29] I could hear voices

[00:21:30] but couldn't make out

[00:21:31] what they were saying.

[00:21:32] I thought to myself that

[00:21:34] I must be tripping pretty hard

[00:21:36] because it didn't even sound

[00:21:37] like my buddies

[00:21:38] were speaking English.

[00:21:40] My eyes adjusted very well

[00:21:42] to the darkness

[00:21:42] and being familiar with the tower,

[00:21:45] I walked up the three tall flights

[00:21:47] of stone stairs

[00:21:48] to get to the entrance.

[00:21:49] While tripping,

[00:21:51] I was in a great mood,

[00:21:52] humming some Zappa tune

[00:21:54] and feeling happy to exist.

[00:21:56] I heard the guys

[00:21:57] moving ahead of me

[00:21:58] towards the top

[00:21:59] so I hurried along

[00:22:00] to try and catch up.

[00:22:02] As I heard them whispering

[00:22:03] and shuffling around,

[00:22:05] I started calling out

[00:22:06] in a sing-songy tone,

[00:22:08] I know it's you.

[00:22:10] I assumed this would make them

[00:22:12] realize the jig was up

[00:22:13] and they wouldn't be able

[00:22:15] to scare me.

[00:22:15] I also continued

[00:22:17] to repeat myself

[00:22:18] a few times

[00:22:18] as I kept moving

[00:22:19] towards the top,

[00:22:20] humming all the while.

[00:22:22] Once I reached the top,

[00:22:24] I saw three figures

[00:22:25] huddled together

[00:22:26] not saying a word.

[00:22:28] I laughed at them

[00:22:29] and sat down

[00:22:29] in the center of the room

[00:22:30] to roll a J,

[00:22:32] still humming.

[00:22:33] They didn't move.

[00:22:35] I finally told them

[00:22:36] they weren't fooling anyone

[00:22:38] and that I could see them.

[00:22:40] But then,

[00:22:41] all of a sudden,

[00:22:42] they spoke

[00:22:43] in these very shaky voices.

[00:22:46] We don't know you,

[00:22:48] they nervously said

[00:22:49] as they took off

[00:22:50] down the stairs.

[00:22:51] They were running

[00:22:52] and screaming.

[00:22:54] I was very puzzled.

[00:22:56] I stood up

[00:22:57] and shouted,

[00:22:58] Where are you going?

[00:23:00] I was so confused

[00:23:01] but then it hit me.

[00:23:04] Those were not my friends.

[00:23:06] I just scared

[00:23:07] the absolute hell

[00:23:08] out of some random family.

[00:23:11] I watched

[00:23:12] from the top of the tower

[00:23:13] as this family

[00:23:14] ran out of the tower,

[00:23:16] across the parking lot

[00:23:17] and back to the trail.

[00:23:19] They never slowed down

[00:23:20] or stopped screaming.

[00:23:22] It must have been

[00:23:23] a nightmare for them.

[00:23:24] My friends showed up

[00:23:26] about five minutes later.

[00:23:27] They had taken a wrong turn

[00:23:29] off the trail

[00:23:29] and got mixed up.

[00:23:31] I explained to them

[00:23:32] what happened

[00:23:33] and we all laughed

[00:23:34] and cringed about it.

[00:23:36] So,

[00:23:36] to the family

[00:23:37] who was on the top

[00:23:38] of the watchtower

[00:23:39] that night,

[00:23:40] please,

[00:23:41] let's meet

[00:23:42] and let me apologize

[00:23:43] for my lack

[00:23:45] of total awareness.

[00:23:59] My dad and I

[00:24:00] live together

[00:24:00] in our own

[00:24:02] multi-family home

[00:24:03] in Germany.

[00:24:04] My dad has

[00:24:05] a serious lung condition.

[00:24:07] His lungs produce

[00:24:09] entrap an excessive

[00:24:10] amount of mucus.

[00:24:12] The amount of mucus

[00:24:13] that gets trapped

[00:24:14] is so significant

[00:24:15] that it prevents

[00:24:15] his lungs

[00:24:16] from functioning correctly.

[00:24:18] It's a pretty normal

[00:24:19] instance for him

[00:24:20] to be picked up

[00:24:21] by an ambulance

[00:24:22] every two to three weeks

[00:24:24] since his breathing

[00:24:25] issues are so severe.

[00:24:28] This occurred

[00:24:28] about three years ago,

[00:24:30] right around when

[00:24:31] it was about that time

[00:24:33] for him to go

[00:24:33] to the hospital

[00:24:34] for his monthly visit.

[00:24:36] He couldn't breathe,

[00:24:37] so I called

[00:24:38] an ambulance

[00:24:38] which came

[00:24:39] to pick him up

[00:24:40] and he was taken

[00:24:41] to the closest hospital.

[00:24:43] This was a normal

[00:24:44] call for me to make

[00:24:45] since it happened

[00:24:46] at least ten times

[00:24:48] in the last six months

[00:24:49] at that point.

[00:24:51] I went to bed

[00:24:52] after he was picked up

[00:24:53] and I went to work

[00:24:54] the next morning.

[00:24:56] I then got a text

[00:24:57] from him

[00:24:57] while I was at work.

[00:24:58] He let me know

[00:24:59] that he needed to stay

[00:25:00] for at least

[00:25:01] two more days

[00:25:02] which meant

[00:25:03] that he would be

[00:25:03] returning home

[00:25:04] that Friday.

[00:25:06] That evening

[00:25:07] after I got home

[00:25:08] from work,

[00:25:09] I played a match

[00:25:10] on a game

[00:25:11] called Rogue Company.

[00:25:13] Then,

[00:25:14] someone suddenly

[00:25:15] rang the doorbell.

[00:25:17] That was unusual

[00:25:18] since neither my dad

[00:25:20] nor I

[00:25:21] have ever had

[00:25:22] any visitors

[00:25:23] come over unannounced.

[00:25:25] I walked to the door

[00:25:27] and I was about

[00:25:28] to press the buzzer

[00:25:29] to open the main door

[00:25:30] when I heard

[00:25:31] more than one voice

[00:25:32] right outside

[00:25:33] my front door.

[00:25:35] So that means

[00:25:36] whoever this was

[00:25:37] already got past

[00:25:38] the main door somehow

[00:25:40] which was very strange.

[00:25:43] I asked in German,

[00:25:45] Hello,

[00:25:45] who is this?

[00:25:47] After some brief silence,

[00:25:49] a person who sounded

[00:25:50] like my father replied,

[00:25:52] It's me.

[00:25:53] I forgot my keys.

[00:25:56] Open the door.

[00:25:57] At first,

[00:25:58] I didn't hesitate

[00:25:59] but then I realized

[00:26:00] the person

[00:26:00] had called me

[00:26:01] by name.

[00:26:03] Misha.

[00:26:04] Now,

[00:26:05] my dad never calls me

[00:26:06] Misha.

[00:26:06] He only calls me

[00:26:07] Mishi.

[00:26:09] Plus,

[00:26:10] there was a really

[00:26:11] strange tone

[00:26:12] in the voice.

[00:26:13] I didn't trust

[00:26:14] the situation

[00:26:15] so I called my father

[00:26:16] on his phone.

[00:26:18] If the person

[00:26:19] at my front door

[00:26:19] was indeed my father,

[00:26:21] I should be able

[00:26:22] to hear the phone ring,

[00:26:23] right?

[00:26:24] Well,

[00:26:24] it didn't.

[00:26:26] My father answered

[00:26:27] the phone

[00:26:27] as I suspected

[00:26:28] he would.

[00:26:29] He was still

[00:26:30] at the hospital.

[00:26:32] Meanwhile,

[00:26:33] the two people

[00:26:34] on the other side

[00:26:34] of the door

[00:26:35] heard my phone call

[00:26:36] and started

[00:26:37] kicking my door.

[00:26:38] Let me in,

[00:26:39] Misha.

[00:26:40] It's your dad.

[00:26:41] Let me in.

[00:26:43] Thank God

[00:26:44] that door

[00:26:44] is reinforced.

[00:26:46] After I said

[00:26:47] that I had

[00:26:48] a huge knife

[00:26:49] in my hand

[00:26:50] and I was calling

[00:26:50] the police,

[00:26:51] they left.

[00:26:53] I heard their

[00:26:54] footsteps running

[00:26:55] down the staircase.

[00:26:56] I rushed to a window

[00:26:58] facing the street

[00:26:59] to see if I could

[00:27:00] find a car

[00:27:01] or a license plate

[00:27:02] or something

[00:27:02] but I didn't see

[00:27:04] anything.

[00:27:05] I just heard footsteps

[00:27:06] running off

[00:27:06] in the distance.

[00:27:08] I don't know

[00:27:09] who these people were

[00:27:10] but thankfully

[00:27:10] they never came back.

[00:27:12] I have no idea

[00:27:13] how or why

[00:27:14] they knew my name

[00:27:15] and that my father

[00:27:17] wasn't home.

[00:27:18] Have you ever

[00:27:34] stopped to wonder

[00:27:34] just how close

[00:27:35] you've come to danger

[00:27:36] without even realizing it?

[00:27:37] Every single day

[00:27:38] we encounter

[00:27:39] countless people

[00:27:40] on the street,

[00:27:41] in the grocery store,

[00:27:42] at the gym,

[00:27:42] never truly knowing

[00:27:43] who they are

[00:27:44] or what they're

[00:27:45] capable of.

[00:27:46] But what if one

[00:27:47] of those seemingly

[00:27:48] ordinary people

[00:27:49] was hiding

[00:27:49] a dark secret?

[00:27:50] What if they had

[00:27:51] done something

[00:27:52] unthinkable

[00:27:53] or were planning to?

[00:27:54] The Minds of Madness

[00:27:55] is a weekly

[00:27:56] true crime podcast

[00:27:57] that dives deep

[00:27:58] into the criminal psyche

[00:27:59] covering the most

[00:28:00] shocking and disturbing

[00:28:01] cases you've

[00:28:02] ever heard of

[00:28:03] from all over the world.

[00:28:04] We're talking about

[00:28:05] ordinary people

[00:28:06] who do the most

[00:28:06] unthinkable things

[00:28:08] like a feral

[00:28:09] Goldilocks style

[00:28:10] intruder

[00:28:10] who left a

[00:28:11] disgusting calling card

[00:28:13] before embarking

[00:28:14] on a reign of terror

[00:28:15] leaving a nationwide

[00:28:16] manhunt

[00:28:17] for a seductive ex

[00:28:19] who used voodoo

[00:28:20] and manipulation

[00:28:21] to always get

[00:28:22] what she wanted.

[00:28:23] The Minds of Madness

[00:28:24] examines the psychology

[00:28:25] of the perpetrators

[00:28:26] trying to understand

[00:28:27] what makes them tick

[00:28:28] while interviewing experts

[00:28:30] in forensic psychology

[00:28:31] and criminology

[00:28:32] as well as

[00:28:33] survivors who

[00:28:34] fought for justice.

[00:28:35] Whether you're

[00:28:36] listening on your

[00:28:37] morning commute

[00:28:37] or during an

[00:28:38] evening jog

[00:28:39] The Minds of Madness

[00:28:40] will completely

[00:28:41] immerse you

[00:28:42] into the world

[00:28:43] of true crime

[00:28:43] with gripping stories

[00:28:45] insightful analysis

[00:28:46] and unforgettable

[00:28:47] survivors accounts

[00:28:48] The Minds of Madness

[00:28:49] has everything

[00:28:49] that you need

[00:28:50] to satisfy

[00:28:51] your darkest cravings.

[00:28:52] The Minds of Madness

[00:28:53] is available

[00:28:54] wherever you get

[00:28:54] your podcasts

[00:28:55] or visit

[00:28:57] MindsofMadnessPodcast.com

[00:28:59] for more information.

[00:29:09] It all started

[00:29:10] one day

[00:29:11] after class

[00:29:12] in broad daylight.

[00:29:13] I was at the grocery store

[00:29:15] picking up some snacks

[00:29:17] when I felt as if

[00:29:18] somebody

[00:29:18] was staring at me.

[00:29:21] I looked up

[00:29:22] and I was met

[00:29:22] with the eyes

[00:29:23] of an old man.

[00:29:24] I didn't think

[00:29:25] anything of it

[00:29:26] and just finished

[00:29:27] my shopping

[00:29:27] and then walked home.

[00:29:29] While walking home

[00:29:30] I had this strong

[00:29:31] sensation

[00:29:32] of somebody

[00:29:32] staring at my back.

[00:29:34] So I glanced

[00:29:35] behind me

[00:29:36] and lo and behold

[00:29:37] the old man

[00:29:39] was there.

[00:29:41] He and I

[00:29:42] were the only ones

[00:29:43] along the street

[00:29:43] so I started

[00:29:45] panicking.

[00:29:46] I started walking

[00:29:47] faster

[00:29:48] and when I looked

[00:29:48] back

[00:29:49] he was walking

[00:29:50] faster as well.

[00:29:51] Panic turned

[00:29:52] into fear

[00:29:53] so I spun around

[00:29:54] and screamed

[00:29:54] Stop following me!

[00:29:57] He yelled back

[00:29:58] I just want

[00:30:00] to get to know you!

[00:30:03] I ran with my heels

[00:30:04] on the whole way home.

[00:30:06] When I got to my house

[00:30:08] I rushed inside

[00:30:09] and slammed the door

[00:30:10] behind me.

[00:30:11] He rang the doorbell

[00:30:12] and I was so afraid

[00:30:13] so I told my mom

[00:30:15] that an old guy

[00:30:16] had followed me home.

[00:30:18] My mom however

[00:30:19] instead of scolding him

[00:30:21] laughed

[00:30:21] and made a joke

[00:30:23] about it being nice

[00:30:24] to have an admirer.

[00:30:25] She even opened

[00:30:26] the door

[00:30:27] and talked to him

[00:30:28] which was horrifying

[00:30:29] beyond belief.

[00:30:31] What he said next

[00:30:32] rendered me speechless.

[00:30:34] He mentioned my name

[00:30:35] my school

[00:30:36] and what degree

[00:30:37] I was studying for.

[00:30:38] He also listed

[00:30:39] all of my classes

[00:30:41] and what time

[00:30:42] they were.

[00:30:43] I had no idea

[00:30:44] how he knew

[00:30:45] any of this.

[00:30:47] He said he just

[00:30:48] wanted to get

[00:30:48] to know me

[00:30:49] but it sounded like

[00:30:51] he already

[00:30:52] knew me.

[00:30:53] My mom shut the door

[00:30:55] and she found

[00:30:56] it all funny.

[00:30:57] But I began to cry.

[00:31:00] It didn't stop there.

[00:31:02] He showed up

[00:31:03] at my school

[00:31:04] and always

[00:31:05] tried to talk to me

[00:31:06] even if I was

[00:31:07] doing my best

[00:31:08] to get away from him.

[00:31:10] Wherever I was

[00:31:11] he was also there.

[00:31:14] He followed me

[00:31:15] home on the bus.

[00:31:16] I screamed

[00:31:17] and told him

[00:31:18] to back away

[00:31:18] but he kept

[00:31:19] talking to me.

[00:31:20] I was pissed off

[00:31:21] and afraid

[00:31:21] but everyone on the bus

[00:31:22] just looked at us.

[00:31:24] No one was helping me

[00:31:25] or stopping

[00:31:26] the old man.

[00:31:27] At the time

[00:31:28] I was interning

[00:31:29] at a local radio station

[00:31:31] that was owned

[00:31:32] by some TV network.

[00:31:34] Before the bus

[00:31:35] reached my stop

[00:31:36] for work

[00:31:37] I went off on him

[00:31:38] and ran like crazy

[00:31:39] when my stop

[00:31:41] came up.

[00:31:42] He ran off

[00:31:43] of the bus

[00:31:44] right behind me

[00:31:45] but I got to my

[00:31:46] work building

[00:31:46] quicker than he did

[00:31:48] and told the guards

[00:31:49] at the gate

[00:31:49] about him.

[00:31:50] From inside

[00:31:52] the building

[00:31:52] I watched

[00:31:53] as they stopped

[00:31:53] him and told him

[00:31:54] he wasn't allowed

[00:31:55] inside.

[00:31:57] He was raising

[00:31:58] his voice

[00:31:58] and pointing at me

[00:31:59] as I was standing

[00:32:00] in the window.

[00:32:02] I stayed with

[00:32:03] my fellow interns

[00:32:04] until about 6am

[00:32:05] the following day.

[00:32:07] We left together

[00:32:08] and I didn't

[00:32:09] see him.

[00:32:11] Then

[00:32:11] he somehow

[00:32:12] managed

[00:32:13] to get my number

[00:32:14] and the stalking

[00:32:15] continued.

[00:32:16] I was scared

[00:32:17] shitless

[00:32:18] so I changed

[00:32:19] my number.

[00:32:20] At school

[00:32:20] I changed

[00:32:21] my entire

[00:32:21] class schedule

[00:32:22] and started

[00:32:23] walking to class

[00:32:24] with others

[00:32:25] more.

[00:32:27] My family

[00:32:28] and I moved

[00:32:28] to a new house

[00:32:29] and I got

[00:32:30] a family car

[00:32:31] that I started

[00:32:31] to drive to school

[00:32:32] since I was

[00:32:33] too afraid

[00:32:33] to use any

[00:32:34] public transportation.

[00:32:35] I also stopped

[00:32:37] going to the

[00:32:37] grocery store

[00:32:38] where I first

[00:32:38] saw him.

[00:32:40] Years passed

[00:32:41] and I didn't

[00:32:42] see him

[00:32:43] until one day

[00:32:45] after I graduated

[00:32:46] and started

[00:32:46] working full time.

[00:32:47] I was seeing

[00:32:49] my boyfriend

[00:32:50] who is now

[00:32:51] my husband.

[00:32:52] He had

[00:32:53] driven me

[00:32:54] to the train

[00:32:55] station

[00:32:55] so that I

[00:32:56] could go to

[00:32:56] work.

[00:32:57] We were both

[00:32:57] inside his car

[00:32:59] which had

[00:32:59] tinted windows.

[00:33:01] From the outside

[00:33:02] all passerbys

[00:33:03] could see

[00:33:03] was their

[00:33:04] reflection

[00:33:04] as the tent

[00:33:05] was almost

[00:33:06] like a mirror.

[00:33:08] I was in the

[00:33:09] passenger seat

[00:33:09] and there was

[00:33:10] a bus

[00:33:10] ahead of us.

[00:33:12] I suddenly

[00:33:13] had a gut

[00:33:14] feeling that

[00:33:14] someone was

[00:33:15] staring.

[00:33:16] I looked at

[00:33:17] the faces

[00:33:18] of the

[00:33:18] passengers

[00:33:18] on the

[00:33:19] bus

[00:33:19] until I

[00:33:20] noticed

[00:33:20] an old

[00:33:21] man

[00:33:21] looking

[00:33:22] out

[00:33:22] the

[00:33:22] window.

[00:33:23] As I

[00:33:24] kept looking

[00:33:25] I was

[00:33:25] horrified to

[00:33:26] realize

[00:33:26] it was

[00:33:27] him again.

[00:33:28] He looked

[00:33:29] older

[00:33:30] but his

[00:33:31] stare

[00:33:31] was exactly

[00:33:32] the same.

[00:33:33] I thought

[00:33:34] that he

[00:33:34] couldn't

[00:33:34] see me

[00:33:35] but I

[00:33:36] was wrong.

[00:33:37] He was

[00:33:38] now staring

[00:33:38] right at me

[00:33:39] through the

[00:33:39] window

[00:33:39] tent.

[00:33:40] I have

[00:33:41] no idea

[00:33:42] how he

[00:33:42] saw me.

[00:33:44] I told

[00:33:44] my boyfriend

[00:33:45] and he

[00:33:45] got mad

[00:33:45] and just

[00:33:46] asked me

[00:33:46] where he

[00:33:47] was so

[00:33:47] I pointed

[00:33:47] the man

[00:33:48] out.

[00:33:49] The old

[00:33:50] man wasn't

[00:33:50] deterred he

[00:33:51] just kept

[00:33:51] staring.

[00:33:52] He was

[00:33:53] so surprised

[00:33:54] to see

[00:33:54] me again

[00:33:55] and got

[00:33:55] up to

[00:33:56] get off

[00:33:56] the bus

[00:33:57] but the

[00:33:58] bus kept

[00:33:58] going on

[00:33:59] its route.

[00:34:00] I was

[00:34:01] terrified.

[00:34:02] My heart

[00:34:02] leapt into

[00:34:03] my throat

[00:34:04] and I

[00:34:04] had a hard

[00:34:05] time breathing.

[00:34:06] The fear

[00:34:07] that I had

[00:34:07] felt the

[00:34:08] first time I

[00:34:08] was running

[00:34:09] away from

[00:34:09] him

[00:34:10] came flooding

[00:34:10] back.

[00:34:12] Thankfully

[00:34:12] that was

[00:34:13] the last

[00:34:13] I saw

[00:34:14] of him.

[00:34:26] When I

[00:34:27] was about

[00:34:27] 21 I

[00:34:28] served

[00:34:29] tables at

[00:34:29] a pizza

[00:34:30] chain

[00:34:30] restaurant

[00:34:31] at a

[00:34:31] new

[00:34:32] shopping

[00:34:32] center

[00:34:32] near where

[00:34:33] I

[00:34:33] lived.

[00:34:34] It was

[00:34:34] a part

[00:34:35] time job

[00:34:35] for me

[00:34:36] and I

[00:34:37] worked on

[00:34:37] the evenings

[00:34:37] and weekends.

[00:34:39] I was

[00:34:40] part of

[00:34:40] the staff

[00:34:40] who opened

[00:34:41] this brand

[00:34:42] new place

[00:34:42] and it

[00:34:43] was very

[00:34:44] popular at

[00:34:44] the time.

[00:34:45] There were

[00:34:46] several employees

[00:34:47] and a few

[00:34:47] trainers who

[00:34:48] came from

[00:34:49] other locations

[00:34:50] nearby.

[00:34:51] some ended

[00:34:52] up staying

[00:34:52] to work at

[00:34:53] the brand

[00:34:53] new location.

[00:34:55] One of

[00:34:55] these employees

[00:34:56] was a cook

[00:34:57] named John.

[00:34:58] He was only

[00:34:59] a couple of

[00:35:00] years older

[00:35:00] than me.

[00:35:01] He was a

[00:35:02] kitchen manager

[00:35:02] at my

[00:35:03] restaurant.

[00:35:04] When I would

[00:35:05] forget to

[00:35:05] ring something

[00:35:06] in or

[00:35:06] whenever I

[00:35:07] would make

[00:35:08] a mistake

[00:35:08] if he was

[00:35:09] working,

[00:35:10] I'd go back

[00:35:10] to the

[00:35:11] kitchen and

[00:35:11] tell him.

[00:35:12] He would

[00:35:13] often help

[00:35:14] me by giving

[00:35:15] me extra

[00:35:16] sauce,

[00:35:17] condiments,

[00:35:17] whatever I

[00:35:18] needed.

[00:35:19] It wasn't a

[00:35:20] big deal to

[00:35:21] him since

[00:35:21] he was

[00:35:22] usually doing

[00:35:22] inventory,

[00:35:24] food temperature

[00:35:24] checks,

[00:35:25] and paperwork.

[00:35:26] He was

[00:35:27] really nice

[00:35:27] to me.

[00:35:28] He never

[00:35:28] raised his

[00:35:29] voice or

[00:35:29] got mad.

[00:35:30] He was

[00:35:31] soft-spoken,

[00:35:32] a quiet

[00:35:33] guy.

[00:35:34] I was

[00:35:35] engaged,

[00:35:36] so there

[00:35:36] wasn't any

[00:35:36] flirting or

[00:35:37] anything.

[00:35:38] He didn't

[00:35:38] seem interested

[00:35:39] in me like

[00:35:40] that.

[00:35:40] He just

[00:35:41] did his

[00:35:41] job,

[00:35:42] and then

[00:35:43] we'd have

[00:35:43] brief,

[00:35:44] friendly

[00:35:44] chats when

[00:35:45] we worked

[00:35:46] the same

[00:35:46] shift.

[00:35:47] I quit

[00:35:48] about

[00:35:48] four to

[00:35:48] five months

[00:35:48] after the

[00:35:49] restaurant

[00:35:49] opened,

[00:35:50] and I

[00:35:50] didn't

[00:35:51] stay in

[00:35:51] contact

[00:35:51] with most

[00:35:52] of the

[00:35:52] staff

[00:35:53] that I

[00:35:53] worked

[00:35:53] with

[00:35:53] during my

[00:35:54] time there,

[00:35:55] including

[00:35:55] him.

[00:35:57] About a

[00:35:57] month or

[00:35:58] two after

[00:35:58] I quit,

[00:35:59] I was

[00:36:00] reading a

[00:36:00] news article

[00:36:01] and I

[00:36:01] noticed the

[00:36:02] name in

[00:36:02] the article

[00:36:02] was the

[00:36:03] same as

[00:36:04] the guy

[00:36:04] that I

[00:36:04] had worked

[00:36:05] with,

[00:36:06] John.

[00:36:07] The article

[00:36:08] went on to

[00:36:08] say that he

[00:36:09] had kept his

[00:36:10] stepson locked

[00:36:11] in a closet

[00:36:12] and starved

[00:36:13] him to death.

[00:36:14] I looked

[00:36:15] up more

[00:36:15] information and

[00:36:16] my old

[00:36:17] co-worker's

[00:36:18] picture came

[00:36:18] up.

[00:36:19] I couldn't

[00:36:20] believe it

[00:36:21] was him.

[00:36:22] I was

[00:36:22] dumbfounded.

[00:36:24] It turns out

[00:36:25] he had gotten

[00:36:25] custody of his

[00:36:26] ex's child who

[00:36:28] had no blood

[00:36:28] relationship to

[00:36:29] him.

[00:36:30] There was

[00:36:31] another younger

[00:36:31] boy in the

[00:36:32] home with

[00:36:33] him who was

[00:36:34] John's biological

[00:36:35] child.

[00:36:36] I believe that

[00:36:37] boy was his

[00:36:38] stepson's half

[00:36:39] brother.

[00:36:40] He also had a

[00:36:41] girlfriend who was

[00:36:41] living with him

[00:36:42] when this all

[00:36:43] happened.

[00:36:43] John's stepson

[00:36:45] was 30 pounds

[00:36:46] total when

[00:36:48] they found him

[00:36:48] and he was

[00:36:50] seven years

[00:36:51] old.

[00:36:52] This poor

[00:36:53] child was

[00:36:53] forced to use

[00:36:54] a litter box

[00:36:55] during the last

[00:36:56] few weeks of

[00:36:57] his life as

[00:36:58] he was kept

[00:36:59] in a small

[00:36:59] linen closet.

[00:37:01] John was

[00:37:02] sentenced to

[00:37:03] life in

[00:37:04] prison and I

[00:37:05] still think of

[00:37:06] this poor kid

[00:37:07] who never even

[00:37:08] had a chance.

[00:37:10] I also think

[00:37:11] about John

[00:37:12] and how he

[00:37:13] was so

[00:37:13] unassuming and

[00:37:14] friendly yet

[00:37:16] quiet and

[00:37:16] shy.

[00:37:18] After working

[00:37:19] with him,

[00:37:20] I knew he

[00:37:20] was capable of

[00:37:21] a lot of

[00:37:21] things but I

[00:37:22] never thought

[00:37:23] that he would

[00:37:23] be capable of

[00:37:24] doing something

[00:37:24] this vile.

[00:37:26] What on earth

[00:37:27] made him decide

[00:37:28] that his

[00:37:28] stepson deserved

[00:37:29] that?

[00:37:30] And how did

[00:37:31] he convince

[00:37:31] his live-in

[00:37:32] girlfriend to

[00:37:33] condone this

[00:37:34] decision?

[00:37:36] It still haunts

[00:37:37] me to this

[00:37:37] day.

[00:37:37] The moral

[00:37:39] is, I

[00:37:40] guess you

[00:37:41] can really

[00:37:41] never judge a

[00:37:42] book by

[00:37:43] its cover.

[00:37:58] This happened

[00:37:59] when I was

[00:37:59] walking home

[00:38:00] from the

[00:38:00] train station

[00:38:01] after I

[00:38:01] spent the

[00:38:02] weekend at

[00:38:03] my aunt's

[00:38:03] house.

[00:38:04] It was about

[00:38:05] 11pm and

[00:38:06] very dark

[00:38:06] outside.

[00:38:07] When I was

[00:38:08] almost home,

[00:38:09] I noticed

[00:38:09] that there

[00:38:10] was a guy

[00:38:10] on crutches

[00:38:11] in front of

[00:38:12] me.

[00:38:12] He was

[00:38:13] walking in

[00:38:13] the same

[00:38:14] direction,

[00:38:15] stopping

[00:38:15] every couple

[00:38:16] of meters.

[00:38:17] I noticed

[00:38:18] that when he

[00:38:18] stopped,

[00:38:19] he would

[00:38:19] turn around

[00:38:20] and look

[00:38:21] at me

[00:38:21] before

[00:38:21] continuing

[00:38:22] to walk.

[00:38:23] Even though

[00:38:24] he was

[00:38:24] ahead of

[00:38:24] me,

[00:38:25] I quickly

[00:38:25] caught up

[00:38:26] to him

[00:38:26] since he

[00:38:26] was on

[00:38:27] crutches.

[00:38:28] As I

[00:38:28] passed

[00:38:29] him,

[00:38:29] he stopped,

[00:38:30] looked at

[00:38:31] me,

[00:38:31] and grinned

[00:38:32] in this

[00:38:33] very creepy

[00:38:33] way.

[00:38:35] I thought

[00:38:35] that that

[00:38:36] was strange

[00:38:36] but kept

[00:38:37] moving on.

[00:38:38] Since I

[00:38:39] lived in an

[00:38:39] apartment over

[00:38:40] a burger

[00:38:41] restaurant,

[00:38:42] I briefly

[00:38:42] considered

[00:38:43] asking one

[00:38:43] of the

[00:38:44] employees to

[00:38:44] walk me to

[00:38:45] the front

[00:38:45] door since,

[00:38:46] to get to

[00:38:47] the entrance

[00:38:48] of the

[00:38:48] apartment

[00:38:48] units,

[00:38:49] you had to

[00:38:50] walk around

[00:38:50] the building

[00:38:51] into a

[00:38:51] dark

[00:38:52] court.

[00:38:53] I didn't

[00:38:54] end up

[00:38:54] asking because

[00:38:55] I figured

[00:38:56] what could

[00:38:57] possibly happen.

[00:38:58] The guy was

[00:38:58] on crutches.

[00:39:00] I didn't want

[00:39:01] to ask for an

[00:39:01] escort and

[00:39:02] come across

[00:39:03] as childish.

[00:39:04] I was about

[00:39:05] halfway through

[00:39:06] my walk

[00:39:07] through the

[00:39:07] court,

[00:39:08] behind the

[00:39:08] building,

[00:39:09] when I

[00:39:09] hesitated for

[00:39:10] a moment since

[00:39:11] I wanted to

[00:39:12] pull out my

[00:39:12] keys before

[00:39:13] continuing.

[00:39:14] I couldn't

[00:39:15] find them in

[00:39:16] my handbag

[00:39:16] which made

[00:39:17] me realize I

[00:39:18] had thrown

[00:39:18] them somewhere

[00:39:19] in my travel

[00:39:20] bag.

[00:39:21] So as I

[00:39:22] stood in the

[00:39:22] middle of the

[00:39:23] court I had

[00:39:23] to search

[00:39:24] through my

[00:39:24] whole travel

[00:39:25] bag to

[00:39:25] find the

[00:39:26] damn keys.

[00:39:27] I was so

[00:39:28] focused on

[00:39:29] digging through

[00:39:29] my bag to

[00:39:30] locate the

[00:39:30] keys that I

[00:39:32] completely forgot

[00:39:33] about the

[00:39:33] creepy guy on

[00:39:34] the crutches

[00:39:35] that I had

[00:39:35] passed just

[00:39:36] a few minutes

[00:39:36] ago.

[00:39:37] When I

[00:39:38] finally pulled

[00:39:39] them out of

[00:39:39] my bag I

[00:39:40] looked up and

[00:39:41] the guy on

[00:39:42] crutches was

[00:39:43] standing right

[00:39:43] in front of

[00:39:44] me grinning.

[00:39:45] I always

[00:39:46] thought that

[00:39:47] if I was ever

[00:39:48] in a situation

[00:39:49] like that I'd

[00:39:50] immediately start

[00:39:50] screaming but

[00:39:51] instead I

[00:39:52] couldn't manage

[00:39:53] to make a

[00:39:54] sound at all.

[00:39:55] With the

[00:39:56] keys in my

[00:39:57] hand I

[00:39:57] bolted to the

[00:39:58] front door

[00:39:59] opened it and

[00:39:59] jumped inside.

[00:40:01] The guy

[00:40:01] followed as

[00:40:02] fast as he

[00:40:03] could but

[00:40:03] luckily due

[00:40:04] to his

[00:40:04] injury he

[00:40:05] wasn't as

[00:40:06] fast as

[00:40:06] me.

[00:40:07] However

[00:40:08] unfortunately

[00:40:09] for me the

[00:40:09] main door was

[00:40:10] one of those

[00:40:11] doors that

[00:40:11] slowly fell

[00:40:12] shut before

[00:40:13] locking

[00:40:13] automatically.

[00:40:14] I couldn't

[00:40:15] push the

[00:40:15] door to get

[00:40:16] it to shut

[00:40:16] quicker since

[00:40:17] it's pressurized

[00:40:18] which prevents

[00:40:19] people from

[00:40:20] being able to

[00:40:21] slam it.

[00:40:22] So there I

[00:40:23] was feverishly

[00:40:24] trying to

[00:40:25] shove the door

[00:40:26] into the

[00:40:27] lock while

[00:40:27] the creepy

[00:40:27] guy was

[00:40:28] approaching

[00:40:28] the entrance to

[00:40:29] try and follow

[00:40:30] me inside.

[00:40:31] Believe it or

[00:40:32] not the door

[00:40:33] clicked into

[00:40:34] lock right at

[00:40:35] the last second

[00:40:36] before he

[00:40:37] reached the

[00:40:37] doorstep.

[00:40:39] Through the

[00:40:39] glass door we

[00:40:41] just stared at

[00:40:42] each other both

[00:40:43] breathing heavily

[00:40:44] from the race.

[00:40:45] He looked quite

[00:40:46] disappointed.

[00:40:47] I then quickly

[00:40:49] ran upstairs got

[00:40:50] into my apartment

[00:40:51] and locked

[00:40:51] myself in there.

[00:40:53] Later that

[00:40:54] night I looked

[00:40:55] outside my

[00:40:56] window and I

[00:40:56] saw that same

[00:40:57] man walking up

[00:40:58] and down the

[00:40:59] road in front of

[00:41:00] the building.

[00:41:01] He stayed there

[00:41:02] for three to

[00:41:03] four hours after

[00:41:04] the incident.

[00:41:05] I couldn't tell

[00:41:06] you what it was

[00:41:07] that made me

[00:41:08] decide not to

[00:41:09] call the cops in

[00:41:10] that moment.

[00:41:10] I guess I

[00:41:11] figured that

[00:41:12] nothing much

[00:41:13] happened after

[00:41:14] all.

[00:41:14] I just thought

[00:41:15] what could they

[00:41:16] do about it?

[00:41:18] After that I

[00:41:19] didn't feel safe

[00:41:19] in my home anymore

[00:41:20] since I knew that

[00:41:21] the guy knew

[00:41:22] where I lived.

[00:41:23] For the next

[00:41:24] two weeks I

[00:41:25] only left the

[00:41:26] apartment when

[00:41:27] being picked up

[00:41:28] or dropped off.

[00:41:28] I also made

[00:41:30] sure to be home

[00:41:30] before it got

[00:41:31] dark.

[00:41:32] I kept thinking

[00:41:33] about this after

[00:41:34] it happened so

[00:41:35] eventually I

[00:41:36] decided to go to

[00:41:37] the police and

[00:41:38] tell them about

[00:41:38] it.

[00:41:39] After I described

[00:41:40] the incident I

[00:41:41] asked if it was

[00:41:42] possible for them

[00:41:43] to keep an eye

[00:41:44] on the neighborhood

[00:41:44] for a bit.

[00:41:46] When I talked

[00:41:47] to an officer he

[00:41:48] took notes but

[00:41:48] told me exactly

[00:41:49] what I feared.

[00:41:50] The officer

[00:41:51] said we can't

[00:41:52] do anything

[00:41:53] about it.

[00:41:53] You should

[00:41:54] have talked to

[00:41:54] us sooner but

[00:41:56] we'll make a

[00:41:56] note of it.

[00:41:57] A couple of

[00:41:58] days had

[00:41:58] passed and

[00:41:59] suddenly I

[00:42:00] got a call

[00:42:00] back from

[00:42:01] another police

[00:42:01] officer who

[00:42:03] had a lot of

[00:42:03] questions about

[00:42:04] what happened.

[00:42:05] He then told

[00:42:06] me that they

[00:42:07] had been looking

[00:42:08] for the guy on

[00:42:09] the crutches for

[00:42:10] months since he

[00:42:11] had assaulted and

[00:42:12] harassed several

[00:42:13] girls around town.

[00:42:15] He was known

[00:42:16] for following them

[00:42:17] into their

[00:42:17] apartments and

[00:42:18] even slept in

[00:42:19] front of their

[00:42:20] doors.

[00:42:21] He had been in

[00:42:22] police custody

[00:42:23] before and

[00:42:24] after he was

[00:42:25] released he

[00:42:25] violated his

[00:42:26] probation.

[00:42:28] The police

[00:42:28] officer told me

[00:42:29] to immediately

[00:42:30] call if the

[00:42:31] guy showed up

[00:42:32] again.

[00:42:33] Luckily he

[00:42:33] never did.

[00:42:35] It was only

[00:42:36] then that I

[00:42:36] understood the

[00:42:37] seriousness of

[00:42:38] the situation

[00:42:38] and realized

[00:42:39] that I most

[00:42:40] likely narrowly

[00:42:41] escaped an

[00:42:42] attack of

[00:42:43] some sort.

[00:42:44] This was five

[00:42:45] years ago but

[00:42:46] I still think

[00:42:46] about it from

[00:42:47] time to time

[00:42:48] and it still

[00:42:48] gives me the

[00:42:49] creeps.

[00:42:50] So hey

[00:42:50] creepy guy on

[00:42:51] crutches, let's

[00:42:52] never meet

[00:42:53] again.

[00:43:02] I'm a female

[00:43:03] and this

[00:43:03] happened many

[00:43:04] years ago when

[00:43:05] I was 15

[00:43:05] years old.

[00:43:06] I lived in a

[00:43:07] small midwestern

[00:43:08] town that had

[00:43:10] very little crime

[00:43:11] so I always

[00:43:11] felt safe even

[00:43:13] at night.

[00:43:14] I lived just a

[00:43:15] few blocks from

[00:43:15] downtown and

[00:43:16] would often walk

[00:43:17] or ride my bike

[00:43:18] there to pick up

[00:43:19] soda, some candy

[00:43:20] or on this

[00:43:21] particular evening

[00:43:22] a pack of

[00:43:23] cigarettes.

[00:43:24] I know, I was

[00:43:25] way too young to

[00:43:25] be smoking but

[00:43:26] it is what it

[00:43:27] is.

[00:43:28] So I got my

[00:43:29] cigarettes and

[00:43:30] started walking

[00:43:31] back home.

[00:43:32] By this time it

[00:43:33] was starting to

[00:43:34] get dark out but

[00:43:35] that didn't

[00:43:35] bother me.

[00:43:36] That is, until I

[00:43:38] passed a cross

[00:43:39] street and a guy

[00:43:40] stepped out from

[00:43:41] the shadows and

[00:43:42] started following

[00:43:43] me.

[00:43:44] Even then I

[00:43:45] wasn't scared but

[00:43:46] I was well aware

[00:43:47] that he was walking

[00:43:48] behind me and

[00:43:49] getting closer.

[00:43:50] I decided to see

[00:43:52] if this was

[00:43:52] intentional so I

[00:43:53] sped up a little

[00:43:54] bit and so did

[00:43:56] he.

[00:43:56] This guy pretty

[00:43:57] much caught up to

[00:43:58] me and when he

[00:43:59] was only three to

[00:44:00] four steps behind

[00:44:01] me he asked me

[00:44:02] for a cigarette.

[00:44:04] Being a kid who

[00:44:05] was raised to be

[00:44:06] polite I stopped

[00:44:07] and gave him one.

[00:44:09] He then asked for

[00:44:10] a light and I

[00:44:11] gave him that

[00:44:11] too.

[00:44:13] Then I rapidly

[00:44:14] started to walk

[00:44:14] away because this

[00:44:15] guy was starting to

[00:44:16] give me the creeps.

[00:44:17] He had long

[00:44:18] greasy hair and

[00:44:20] the way that he

[00:44:20] looked at me made

[00:44:21] me feel uncomfortable.

[00:44:23] It's like he was

[00:44:24] looking at his

[00:44:25] dinner plate and

[00:44:26] deciding what to

[00:44:26] eat first.

[00:44:28] So I was

[00:44:29] skedaddling up

[00:44:30] the street which

[00:44:32] is now on an

[00:44:33] incline because of

[00:44:34] a big hill.

[00:44:35] I was walking and

[00:44:36] I heard the guy's

[00:44:37] footsteps starting to

[00:44:38] run towards me

[00:44:39] from behind.

[00:44:40] I was already

[00:44:41] slightly out of

[00:44:42] breath from

[00:44:43] speed walking up

[00:44:44] this hill so I

[00:44:45] knew I'd never be

[00:44:46] able to outrun this

[00:44:47] guy but I just

[00:44:48] kept walking in

[00:44:49] hopes that the

[00:44:50] guy would jog

[00:44:50] right past me

[00:44:51] but no such luck.

[00:44:53] The next thing I

[00:44:54] knew the guy

[00:44:55] grabbed me from

[00:44:56] behind.

[00:44:57] In one movement

[00:44:58] he wrapped one

[00:44:59] of his arms around

[00:45:00] my waist pinning

[00:45:01] both of my arms to

[00:45:02] my sides while his

[00:45:03] other arm was

[00:45:04] around my neck.

[00:45:06] At this point I

[00:45:07] wasn't even scared.

[00:45:08] I was mad.

[00:45:10] I realized that we

[00:45:11] were on a residential

[00:45:12] street so I told the

[00:45:13] guy I was going to

[00:45:14] start screaming my

[00:45:15] head off as I

[00:45:16] began stomping his

[00:45:17] feet as hard as I

[00:45:18] could.

[00:45:19] He hesitated for a

[00:45:21] moment but then let

[00:45:22] go of me and jogged

[00:45:23] further up the hill

[00:45:24] disappearing behind

[00:45:25] a bush at the top

[00:45:26] of the hill.

[00:45:28] I crossed the

[00:45:29] street to walk on

[00:45:29] the opposite side

[00:45:30] across from the

[00:45:31] bushes where he

[00:45:32] dove behind.

[00:45:34] I kept my eyes

[00:45:35] locked on those

[00:45:36] bushes all the way

[00:45:37] down the block.

[00:45:39] Once I was at the

[00:45:40] end of the block I

[00:45:41] was only one more

[00:45:42] block from home so

[00:45:43] I broke into a

[00:45:44] sprint and dashed the

[00:45:46] rest of the way

[00:45:46] home.

[00:45:47] Of course I never

[00:45:48] told my parents about

[00:45:49] what happened because

[00:45:50] I was more afraid of

[00:45:51] getting in trouble for

[00:45:52] smoking and I

[00:45:53] figured they

[00:45:54] wouldn't even

[00:45:54] believe me.

[00:45:56] Several weeks

[00:45:57] later this guy

[00:45:58] grabbed another

[00:45:58] girl and proceeded

[00:46:00] to beat and

[00:46:00] assault her.

[00:46:01] I didn't find out

[00:46:02] about this until

[00:46:03] years later when I

[00:46:05] saw his picture in

[00:46:06] the paper along

[00:46:07] with an article about

[00:46:08] him being on trial.

[00:46:10] I think I must have

[00:46:11] been his first

[00:46:12] attempt and he got

[00:46:13] scared when I fought

[00:46:14] back.

[00:46:15] I'm so thankful

[00:46:17] that my response was

[00:46:18] to fight.

[00:46:18] I'm eternally

[00:46:19] grateful that was

[00:46:21] the response that

[00:46:22] kicked in for me that

[00:46:23] night especially since

[00:46:24] I have frozen in the

[00:46:25] past.

[00:46:26] I was very lucky.

[00:46:28] I had been through a

[00:46:29] lot of trauma in my

[00:46:31] childhood and had

[00:46:32] used coping mechanisms

[00:46:33] to protect my psyche

[00:46:34] from the trauma.

[00:46:36] I buried this event

[00:46:37] the same way I buried

[00:46:38] everything else.

[00:46:39] I spent years in

[00:46:41] therapy working

[00:46:42] through my guilt over

[00:46:43] never telling anyone

[00:46:44] what happened to me

[00:46:45] that night.

[00:46:46] But I still try to

[00:46:48] look back on that

[00:46:48] situation with more

[00:46:50] empathy than judgment.

[00:47:09] Ever since I was a

[00:47:10] kid I remember my

[00:47:11] grandma denouncing

[00:47:13] horror of any kind.

[00:47:15] Ghoulish Halloween

[00:47:16] masks, haunted masks,

[00:47:18] scary movies,

[00:47:20] everything.

[00:47:21] I had attributed this

[00:47:22] aversion to her

[00:47:23] background and faith

[00:47:25] as she is Hispanic

[00:47:26] and a devout

[00:47:27] Catholic.

[00:47:28] She believes

[00:47:28] anything horror

[00:47:29] related is wrong

[00:47:30] and evil in general.

[00:47:32] So imagine my

[00:47:34] shock when my

[00:47:34] grandparents shared a

[00:47:36] bombshell with me.

[00:47:37] Back in 1974,

[00:47:39] my grandpa convinced

[00:47:40] my grandma to see

[00:47:42] the Texas Chainsaw

[00:47:43] Massacre.

[00:47:44] This would be her

[00:47:45] first and last time

[00:47:47] seeing a scary movie.

[00:47:49] The weekend after

[00:47:50] the movie,

[00:47:51] my grandma and

[00:47:52] grandpa and my

[00:47:53] mother, who was

[00:47:54] then a toddler,

[00:47:56] decided that they

[00:47:56] would go horseback

[00:47:57] riding for the first

[00:47:59] time with my

[00:47:59] aunts and uncles.

[00:48:01] Everyone was living

[00:48:02] in Wisconsin and

[00:48:03] my family made

[00:48:05] the journey to a

[00:48:06] farm about two

[00:48:06] hours away from

[00:48:07] where they lived.

[00:48:08] For the most part,

[00:48:10] everyone was in

[00:48:11] high spirits for

[00:48:12] this trip.

[00:48:13] Who can say no to

[00:48:14] a family adventure

[00:48:15] on a crisp autumn

[00:48:16] Wisconsin day?

[00:48:18] When my family

[00:48:19] arrived at the

[00:48:20] farm, it was three

[00:48:21] in the afternoon.

[00:48:22] Although everyone

[00:48:23] was excited about

[00:48:24] horseback riding,

[00:48:26] my grandma was

[00:48:27] worried.

[00:48:28] She doesn't

[00:48:28] particularly care

[00:48:29] for horses,

[00:48:30] so she chose to

[00:48:32] stay behind with

[00:48:33] my mother while

[00:48:34] the others went

[00:48:34] out.

[00:48:35] According to my

[00:48:36] grandma, she

[00:48:37] watched everyone

[00:48:38] get saddled up

[00:48:39] before slowly

[00:48:40] riding off into

[00:48:41] the tangles of

[00:48:42] trees.

[00:48:44] The guide leading

[00:48:45] my family called

[00:48:46] out that the ride

[00:48:47] would last less

[00:48:48] than two hours

[00:48:49] mentioning the

[00:48:50] different trails and

[00:48:51] informing them about

[00:48:53] the need to take

[00:48:54] breaks and other

[00:48:55] things of that nature.

[00:48:56] That being said,

[00:48:58] my grandma figured

[00:48:59] that everyone would

[00:49:00] be back at about

[00:49:01] five.

[00:49:02] She waited with my

[00:49:03] mother in the car

[00:49:04] where they played

[00:49:05] games and read

[00:49:05] storybooks.

[00:49:07] Two hours quickly

[00:49:08] passed by and

[00:49:10] five o'clock came

[00:49:11] and went, but

[00:49:12] there was no sign

[00:49:13] of my family.

[00:49:14] By this time,

[00:49:16] my mother had

[00:49:16] fallen asleep,

[00:49:17] which left my

[00:49:18] grandma with no

[00:49:19] way of distracting

[00:49:20] herself from her

[00:49:21] worries.

[00:49:23] When six o'clock

[00:49:24] rolled around,

[00:49:25] my grandma called

[00:49:26] out to a farm

[00:49:27] hand from her

[00:49:28] car window since

[00:49:29] there was no way

[00:49:30] she was leaving

[00:49:31] the safety of

[00:49:31] her vehicle.

[00:49:32] She demanded to

[00:49:33] know why her

[00:49:34] family hadn't

[00:49:35] returned yet since

[00:49:36] it was long past

[00:49:37] five.

[00:49:38] By now,

[00:49:39] darkness had begun

[00:49:40] bleeding into the

[00:49:40] Wisconsin sky.

[00:49:42] The farm hand

[00:49:43] assured her that

[00:49:44] everything was okay

[00:49:45] and mentioned that

[00:49:46] extra paths are

[00:49:47] often taken

[00:49:48] throughout the

[00:49:49] ride.

[00:49:50] He told her that

[00:49:51] her family would

[00:49:51] return soon.

[00:49:53] Keep in mind,

[00:49:54] this was well

[00:49:55] before cell phones

[00:49:56] were a thing,

[00:49:57] so she couldn't

[00:49:58] call anyone.

[00:49:59] Also, a week

[00:50:01] before, she had

[00:50:02] seen her first

[00:50:03] scary movie and

[00:50:04] it scared the

[00:50:05] shit out of her.

[00:50:06] So, my poor

[00:50:08] grandma started

[00:50:08] feeling like she

[00:50:10] was living out a

[00:50:10] scene from the

[00:50:11] Texas Chainsaw

[00:50:12] Massacre.

[00:50:13] She tried to

[00:50:14] contain her worry

[00:50:15] as she began to

[00:50:17] recite a hushed

[00:50:18] fearful prayer.

[00:50:19] Just then,

[00:50:21] there was a

[00:50:21] flash of lightning

[00:50:22] that was soon

[00:50:23] followed by

[00:50:24] ear-splitting

[00:50:24] thunder.

[00:50:25] The crash of

[00:50:26] the thunder

[00:50:27] woke my mother

[00:50:28] up and she

[00:50:29] started to cry.

[00:50:30] My grandma

[00:50:31] then had a

[00:50:32] stressed,

[00:50:33] howling two-year-old

[00:50:34] to deal with

[00:50:35] while she

[00:50:36] continued to

[00:50:36] ponder the

[00:50:37] frightening question

[00:50:38] of where her

[00:50:39] family went.

[00:50:40] Then,

[00:50:41] it reached

[00:50:42] seven.

[00:50:43] The storm

[00:50:44] continued rolling

[00:50:45] in,

[00:50:45] growing more

[00:50:46] ferocious by

[00:50:47] the second.

[00:50:48] My grandma's

[00:50:50] bladder felt like

[00:50:50] it was going to

[00:50:51] explode,

[00:50:52] but between the

[00:50:53] roar of the

[00:50:54] storm and the

[00:50:55] images of

[00:50:55] crazed country

[00:50:57] maniacs plaguing

[00:50:58] her mind,

[00:50:59] she refused to

[00:51:00] leave the

[00:51:00] vehicle.

[00:51:01] She then planned

[00:51:02] that if her

[00:51:03] family had not

[00:51:04] returned by

[00:51:04] 7.30,

[00:51:05] she was going to

[00:51:06] leave and find

[00:51:07] the nearest gas

[00:51:08] station to

[00:51:09] phone for help.

[00:51:11] So,

[00:51:11] 7.30 came

[00:51:13] and her family

[00:51:14] still hadn't

[00:51:15] come out of

[00:51:15] the woods.

[00:51:16] As she was

[00:51:17] scrambling around

[00:51:18] the car for

[00:51:19] the keys,

[00:51:19] she realized

[00:51:20] my grandpa

[00:51:21] never gave

[00:51:22] them to

[00:51:23] her.

[00:51:24] Then,

[00:51:25] the pound

[00:51:26] of a fist

[00:51:26] against her

[00:51:27] window shook

[00:51:28] her from her

[00:51:28] whirlwind of

[00:51:29] panic,

[00:51:30] but the panic

[00:51:30] was soon

[00:51:31] amplified by

[00:51:32] a million

[00:51:32] when she

[00:51:33] noticed a

[00:51:34] brawny man

[00:51:35] standing outside

[00:51:36] of the car

[00:51:36] peering in

[00:51:37] at her.

[00:51:39] He was

[00:51:39] wearing a

[00:51:40] jacket with

[00:51:40] a hood

[00:51:41] that covered

[00:51:42] his head.

[00:51:43] My grandma

[00:51:44] said,

[00:51:44] at that

[00:51:45] moment,

[00:51:45] it felt like

[00:51:46] someone had

[00:51:47] pushed a

[00:51:48] button that

[00:51:49] sent the

[00:51:49] world into

[00:51:50] slow motion.

[00:51:51] Everything

[00:51:52] was crawling

[00:51:53] at a

[00:51:53] snail's

[00:51:54] pace.

[00:51:55] Why don't

[00:51:56] you and

[00:51:56] the little

[00:51:57] one come

[00:51:57] inside?

[00:51:58] The man

[00:51:58] yelled.

[00:51:59] His words

[00:52:00] were authoritative

[00:52:01] and carried

[00:52:02] no hint

[00:52:03] of warmth.

[00:52:04] He wasn't

[00:52:05] speaking from

[00:52:05] a place

[00:52:06] of concern.

[00:52:07] He was

[00:52:07] ordering my

[00:52:08] grandma to

[00:52:08] get out of

[00:52:08] the car

[00:52:09] and into

[00:52:09] the farmhouse.

[00:52:11] All my

[00:52:11] grandma could

[00:52:12] do was shout,

[00:52:13] where is my

[00:52:14] family?

[00:52:15] The man

[00:52:16] gruffly

[00:52:16] responded,

[00:52:17] we're

[00:52:18] looking for

[00:52:18] him.

[00:52:20] My grandma

[00:52:21] ordered him

[00:52:21] to call

[00:52:21] the police

[00:52:22] and what

[00:52:23] the man

[00:52:23] said in

[00:52:23] response

[00:52:24] literally

[00:52:24] made my

[00:52:25] grandma

[00:52:25] piss her

[00:52:26] pants.

[00:52:27] We don't

[00:52:28] need the

[00:52:28] police,

[00:52:29] he said

[00:52:30] flatly.

[00:52:32] As he

[00:52:32] turned to

[00:52:33] go back

[00:52:33] into his

[00:52:33] house,

[00:52:34] he continued,

[00:52:35] you and

[00:52:36] the baby

[00:52:36] can come

[00:52:37] inside whenever

[00:52:38] you're ready.

[00:52:40] My grandma

[00:52:41] started to

[00:52:41] sob,

[00:52:42] wholly

[00:52:42] convinced

[00:52:43] that her

[00:52:43] family had

[00:52:44] been

[00:52:44] murdered

[00:52:45] and that

[00:52:45] she and

[00:52:46] her baby

[00:52:46] would be

[00:52:47] next.

[00:52:47] In the

[00:52:48] chaos of

[00:52:49] this moment,

[00:52:50] she heard

[00:52:50] somebody

[00:52:51] calling her

[00:52:51] name,

[00:52:52] but because

[00:52:53] of the

[00:52:53] pitch black

[00:52:54] darkness

[00:52:54] and her

[00:52:55] profound

[00:52:56] fear,

[00:52:56] she assumed

[00:52:57] she must

[00:52:58] have been

[00:52:58] hearing

[00:52:58] things.

[00:53:00] She then

[00:53:01] heard her

[00:53:01] name again,

[00:53:02] even louder

[00:53:02] this time.

[00:53:03] Dora,

[00:53:04] help me.

[00:53:06] It was

[00:53:07] my grandpa.

[00:53:08] When she

[00:53:08] realized this,

[00:53:09] she put my

[00:53:10] mom in the

[00:53:11] back seat,

[00:53:11] grabbed a

[00:53:12] wooden baseball

[00:53:13] bat from

[00:53:13] under the

[00:53:14] driver's

[00:53:14] seat and

[00:53:14] then exited

[00:53:15] the car.

[00:53:17] Keep

[00:53:17] calling my

[00:53:18] name,

[00:53:18] I can't

[00:53:18] see you,

[00:53:19] my grandma

[00:53:20] cried out.

[00:53:21] After what

[00:53:22] felt like an

[00:53:22] eternity,

[00:53:23] she followed

[00:53:24] my grandpa's

[00:53:24] voice until

[00:53:25] she found

[00:53:26] his location.

[00:53:27] When she

[00:53:28] got to him,

[00:53:29] she realized

[00:53:29] my grandpa

[00:53:30] needed help

[00:53:31] because he

[00:53:32] was guiding

[00:53:32] my aunt

[00:53:33] through the

[00:53:33] tall,

[00:53:34] rain-soaked

[00:53:34] grass.

[00:53:35] She had

[00:53:36] hurt her

[00:53:36] ankle.

[00:53:37] Both my

[00:53:38] grandpa and

[00:53:39] my aunt

[00:53:39] were drenched

[00:53:40] from all of

[00:53:41] the mud

[00:53:41] and the

[00:53:42] rain.

[00:53:42] They were

[00:53:43] covered in

[00:53:44] scratches as

[00:53:44] well.

[00:53:45] The rest of

[00:53:46] the family

[00:53:46] was nowhere

[00:53:47] in sight.

[00:53:48] Before my

[00:53:49] grandma even

[00:53:49] had a chance

[00:53:50] to assume

[00:53:51] the worst,

[00:53:51] she heard

[00:53:52] my uncle

[00:53:53] calling out

[00:53:53] for my

[00:53:54] grandpa.

[00:53:55] One by

[00:53:56] one,

[00:53:56] everyone

[00:53:57] shuffled out

[00:53:57] of the woods

[00:53:58] through the

[00:53:59] tall grass.

[00:54:00] They were

[00:54:01] all soaked

[00:54:01] in mud

[00:54:02] and injured

[00:54:03] in some

[00:54:03] capacity.

[00:54:04] They all

[00:54:05] had cuts

[00:54:05] and gashes.

[00:54:07] Everyone

[00:54:07] was wobbly

[00:54:08] or limping,

[00:54:09] just overall

[00:54:10] unsteady.

[00:54:11] They were

[00:54:12] all pretty

[00:54:12] shaken up

[00:54:13] as well.

[00:54:14] When they

[00:54:15] finally made

[00:54:15] it back

[00:54:16] to their

[00:54:16] vehicles,

[00:54:17] the sounds

[00:54:17] of running

[00:54:18] engines and

[00:54:19] the flood

[00:54:19] of headlights

[00:54:20] got the

[00:54:21] attention

[00:54:21] of the man

[00:54:22] inside the

[00:54:22] farmhouse.

[00:54:23] The door

[00:54:24] to the

[00:54:24] farmhouse

[00:54:24] swung open

[00:54:25] and the

[00:54:26] brawny man

[00:54:26] emerged

[00:54:27] to stand

[00:54:27] on the

[00:54:28] porch.

[00:54:28] With an

[00:54:29] amused

[00:54:29] chuckle,

[00:54:30] he drawled,

[00:54:31] oh,

[00:54:32] y'all made

[00:54:32] it out

[00:54:33] of there.

[00:54:34] My grandpa

[00:54:35] shouted back,

[00:54:36] that dumb

[00:54:37] asshole left

[00:54:37] us out

[00:54:38] there and

[00:54:38] never came

[00:54:39] back.

[00:54:40] All the

[00:54:41] man said

[00:54:41] in response

[00:54:42] was,

[00:54:43] I'll have

[00:54:44] to talk

[00:54:44] to him

[00:54:44] about that,

[00:54:45] why don't

[00:54:46] y'all come

[00:54:46] inside?

[00:54:48] His

[00:54:48] freakishly

[00:54:49] flippant

[00:54:49] and joking

[00:54:51] attitude

[00:54:51] sunk into

[00:54:53] his words.

[00:54:54] he knew

[00:54:55] damn

[00:54:55] well they

[00:54:56] weren't

[00:54:57] going into

[00:54:57] his house.

[00:54:58] My grandma

[00:54:59] begged my

[00:55:00] grandpa to

[00:55:01] leave and

[00:55:01] get them

[00:55:02] out of

[00:55:02] there.

[00:55:03] So with

[00:55:03] that,

[00:55:04] my family

[00:55:05] tore out

[00:55:05] of there

[00:55:05] as fast

[00:55:06] as they

[00:55:06] possibly

[00:55:07] could.

[00:55:08] Once my

[00:55:08] family made

[00:55:09] it home

[00:55:09] and safe,

[00:55:10] my grandpa

[00:55:11] explained

[00:55:11] what happened.

[00:55:13] During the

[00:55:13] ride,

[00:55:14] the guide

[00:55:15] led them

[00:55:15] deep into

[00:55:16] the woods

[00:55:16] until they

[00:55:17] reached a

[00:55:17] creek where

[00:55:18] the horses

[00:55:18] stopped

[00:55:19] to drink.

[00:55:20] When the

[00:55:21] horses rested,

[00:55:22] the guide

[00:55:23] told my

[00:55:23] family that

[00:55:24] he had to

[00:55:24] go do

[00:55:24] something and

[00:55:25] he would

[00:55:25] be back

[00:55:26] in twenty

[00:55:26] minutes.

[00:55:27] My family

[00:55:28] thought that

[00:55:28] this was

[00:55:29] strange and

[00:55:29] before the

[00:55:30] guy took

[00:55:30] off,

[00:55:31] my grandpa

[00:55:31] anxiously

[00:55:32] joked,

[00:55:33] you are

[00:55:34] coming back

[00:55:34] though,

[00:55:35] right?

[00:55:36] The guide

[00:55:37] simply gave

[00:55:38] a low

[00:55:38] chuckle in

[00:55:38] response and

[00:55:39] took off

[00:55:40] on his

[00:55:40] horse.

[00:55:41] Twenty

[00:55:42] minutes

[00:55:42] came and

[00:55:43] went and

[00:55:44] the guide

[00:55:44] didn't

[00:55:44] return.

[00:55:45] My family

[00:55:46] continued to

[00:55:47] wait as they

[00:55:47] had no idea

[00:55:48] where they

[00:55:49] were,

[00:55:49] or where

[00:55:50] they should

[00:55:50] go.

[00:55:51] As they

[00:55:52] saw the

[00:55:53] sky blackening

[00:55:53] above them,

[00:55:54] they knew

[00:55:55] that they

[00:55:55] would have

[00:55:56] to make

[00:55:56] it out of

[00:55:56] there on

[00:55:57] their own.

[00:55:58] As my

[00:55:59] family rode

[00:56:00] off,

[00:56:00] they tried

[00:56:01] to retrace

[00:56:01] their path

[00:56:02] back to

[00:56:02] the farm,

[00:56:03] but they

[00:56:04] wound up

[00:56:04] wandering

[00:56:05] aimlessly.

[00:56:06] Eventually,

[00:56:07] rain started

[00:56:08] to fall.

[00:56:08] The pulsing

[00:56:09] lightning and

[00:56:10] the crash

[00:56:11] of thunder

[00:56:11] scared the

[00:56:12] horses,

[00:56:13] so everyone,

[00:56:14] except for

[00:56:14] my grandpa,

[00:56:15] was thrown

[00:56:16] off their

[00:56:16] horses.

[00:56:17] When my

[00:56:18] grandpa climbed

[00:56:19] off his

[00:56:19] horse to

[00:56:20] help the

[00:56:20] others,

[00:56:21] the horse

[00:56:21] that he

[00:56:22] was on got

[00:56:22] scared as

[00:56:23] well and

[00:56:23] galloped away.

[00:56:25] From there,

[00:56:26] it was a

[00:56:26] nightmare trying

[00:56:27] to navigate

[00:56:27] the woods

[00:56:28] through the

[00:56:28] thick void of

[00:56:29] darkness while

[00:56:30] injured.

[00:56:30] It took them

[00:56:31] a while to

[00:56:32] get out of

[00:56:32] there, but

[00:56:32] they eventually

[00:56:33] did.

[00:56:35] The only advice

[00:56:36] I can give you

[00:56:36] is this.

[00:56:37] If you're

[00:56:38] going horseback

[00:56:39] riding,

[00:56:40] you better

[00:56:40] make sure it

[00:56:41] doesn't become

[00:56:42] a horseback

[00:56:43] ride from

[00:56:44] hell.

[00:56:44] Stick around

[00:56:58] after the

[00:56:58] music if

[00:56:58] you're a

[00:56:59] patron for

[00:56:59] your extended

[00:57:00] version of

[00:57:00] this week's

[00:57:01] episode.

[00:57:01] If you'd

[00:57:02] like to

[00:57:02] get access,

[00:57:03] head over

[00:57:03] to patreon.com

[00:57:04] forward slash

[00:57:05] let's not

[00:57:05] meet podcast

[00:57:06] to sign up

[00:57:07] and support

[00:57:07] the show

[00:57:08] today.

[00:57:08] You'll get

[00:57:08] all of our

[00:57:09] episodes ad

[00:57:10] free at a

[00:57:10] higher bit

[00:57:11] rate.

[00:57:12] Plus,

[00:57:12] you'll get

[00:57:12] access to

[00:57:13] hours and

[00:57:13] hours of

[00:57:14] bonus content

[00:57:15] with stories

[00:57:15] you won't

[00:57:16] hear anywhere

[00:57:16] else.

[00:57:17] Again,

[00:57:17] that's

[00:57:17] patreon.com

[00:57:18] forward slash

[00:57:19] let's not

[00:57:20] meet podcast.

[00:57:21] This week,

[00:57:26] happened that

[00:57:27] night by

[00:57:27] Field of

[00:57:28] Meadows.

[00:57:29] My mom was

[00:57:30] drugged by

[00:57:31] It's

[00:57:32] Bull.

[00:57:33] I was a

[00:57:34] family's

[00:57:35] let's not

[00:57:35] meet by

[00:57:36] Gonzo

[00:57:36] Express.

[00:57:37] The person

[00:57:38] outside my

[00:57:39] door by

[00:57:39] Sweet Spot

[00:57:41] 2223.

[00:57:42] Stockton

[00:57:43] College by

[00:57:43] Immediate

[00:57:44] Housing 385.

[00:57:46] I worked

[00:57:46] with a

[00:57:47] murderer by

[00:57:48] M.

[00:57:48] Jewels

[00:57:48] 223.

[00:57:50] Followed by

[00:57:51] A Guy

[00:57:51] on Crutches

[00:57:52] by Doubt

[00:57:52] the Certain.

[00:57:53] Small Town

[00:57:54] Creeper by

[00:57:54] Dope Ass

[00:57:55] Dwandle.

[00:57:56] And finally,

[00:57:57] Horseback

[00:57:58] Hazard by

[00:57:58] Mask

[00:57:59] Wearing

[00:57:59] Butch.

[00:58:00] All of

[00:58:01] the stories

[00:58:01] you've heard

[00:58:01] this week

[00:58:02] were narrated

[00:58:02] and produced

[00:58:03] with the

[00:58:03] permission of

[00:58:03] their respective

[00:58:04] authors.

[00:58:05] If you have

[00:58:05] a story to

[00:58:06] share,

[00:58:06] send it to

[00:58:07] letsnotmeetstories

[00:58:07] at gmail.com

[00:58:09] to hear it

[00:58:09] on the show.

[00:58:10] Let's Not

[00:58:10] Meet a

[00:58:11] True Horror

[00:58:11] podcast is

[00:58:12] not associated

[00:58:12] with Reddit

[00:58:13] or any of

[00:58:14] the message

[00:58:14] boards online.

[00:58:15] Don't forget

[00:58:16] to get tickets

[00:58:16] to any of

[00:58:17] the upcoming

[00:58:17] shows.

[00:58:18] We still have

[00:58:18] some available

[00:58:19] for Utah,

[00:58:20] Seattle,

[00:58:20] Portland,

[00:58:21] Houston,

[00:58:21] and Dallas.

[00:58:22] You can get

[00:58:23] tickets at

[00:58:24] letsnotmeetpodcast.com

[00:58:25] slash tour

[00:58:25] or just follow

[00:58:26] one of the

[00:58:26] links in the

[00:58:27] show notes.

[00:58:28] Finally,

[00:58:29] make sure to

[00:58:29] check out the

[00:58:29] new episodes

[00:58:30] of my other

[00:58:30] podcasts like

[00:58:31] Odd Trails,

[00:58:33] my true

[00:58:33] paranormal

[00:58:33] podcast,

[00:58:34] Cryptic Encounters,

[00:58:36] and the

[00:58:36] Old Time

[00:58:36] Radio Cast,

[00:58:37] all at

[00:58:39] crypticcountypodcasts.com

[00:58:39] or wherever you

[00:58:40] get your podcasts.

[00:58:42] We'll see you

[00:58:42] all next week.

[00:58:43] Everybody,

[00:58:43] stay safe.