13x20: My Friend, The Murderer

[00:00:00] If you missed the live dates or your show got cancelled, don't worry, you still have a chance to hear all of those stories from the live set one last time before they get retired and uploaded to Patreon.

[00:00:09] This Friday, November 15th at 7pm Pacific, we'll be sharing those stories from the live set at twitch.tv slash crypticcounty.

[00:00:17] Not only that, I'll be joined by Shelby Novak of Scare You to Sleep, Amanda N. Cassidy of Drinking the Kool-Aid, and Sora Narnia of Knife Point Horror.

[00:00:25] Yes, all of the oldest friends of the podcast will be there to help me share these stories with you.

[00:00:31] Again, that's twitch.tv slash crypticcounty.

[00:00:33] Friday, November 15th at 7pm Pacific. I'll see you there.

[00:01:07] Back in 2023, my partner and I were both living at his mom's house.

[00:01:12] After we would get home from work, at about 5pm most days, we would change and then go to the woods in the hills just outside of town.

[00:01:21] For context, the woods that we'd go to were 12 miles long and 4 miles wide.

[00:01:28] There are some breaks in the woods with farmland and fields, which has created separate woods with different names all over the hills.

[00:01:38] While the farmland and fields are privately owned, these woods are public lands, so people can walk through the woods if they want to.

[00:01:46] There are paths winding through most of the woods, and if someone wanted to walk over the span of hills from one side to the other, it was possible.

[00:01:57] Most of that journey is made through the woods, and it's mostly uphill coming from the south.

[00:02:03] The woods we always went to were called wind-down woods.

[00:02:08] My partner and I would go to these woods nearly every day just to go for a walk or smoke, or both.

[00:02:15] On this particular night, we went about doing our usual routine, walking around and talking about our days.

[00:02:24] We followed this trail in the woods that looped around a large set of trees with dense tree lines surrounding the outside.

[00:02:31] The best way I could describe it is that I imagine it would kind of look like a donut from a bird's eye view.

[00:02:39] The path we were on eventually guided us down towards the car park once it met up with all the other paths.

[00:02:47] As we were walking along this path, going back up towards the top of the woods, we saw a man in the distance walking down the path.

[00:02:56] He was still pretty far away from us, but I had this bad feeling, because the first thing I noticed about the man when we got closer was that he was wearing office shoes and carrying a pair of hiking boots whilst seemingly on a walk in the woods.

[00:03:14] We were talking about this as we were walking up and laughing about how strange it was.

[00:03:19] The guy was walking faster than us, as he was going downhill, and he reached the meeting point of the paths a few minutes before we did, but we could see him the whole time.

[00:03:30] When we got to the meeting point, all he did was stand there.

[00:03:35] He just stopped, and he looked around.

[00:03:39] I had a really bad feeling, as he didn't appear to be lost, he just looked like he was waiting for someone or something.

[00:03:47] My partner and I were pretty weirded out.

[00:03:50] We were thinking about turning around and heading back down into the woods.

[00:03:54] We even thought about going back around the long way, just to get away from this guy's weird vibes.

[00:04:01] In the end, we decided that walking back down into the woods would ultimately look far too suspicious,

[00:04:07] as the man had definitely seen us walking up the path towards him at the same time that we had seen him walking down.

[00:04:16] So, we just kept walking.

[00:04:18] The whole time, this guy was still standing there looking around with the hiking shoes in his hands.

[00:04:25] Having no choice other than to walk past him to get to the car park, we kept going.

[00:04:31] As we were getting closer to him, I saw something else that worried me, more than anything.

[00:04:38] The guy had a backpack on, and there was a handle sticking out of it.

[00:04:43] I could 100% tell it was the handle of a hammer or axe, and I knew it couldn't have been anything else.

[00:04:53] I also realized he hadn't been on the phone at all the whole time we had seen him,

[00:04:58] not even when he was just loitering around.

[00:05:01] So, more and more things were starting to add up, and this was freaking me out.

[00:05:09] As we walked past him and started down the path towards the car park,

[00:05:13] the guy suddenly decided he now knew exactly where he needed to go without pulling out a phone or compass.

[00:05:21] He immediately started walking behind us.

[00:05:25] At this point, I was freaking out, and so was my partner.

[00:05:29] I should mention that my partner doesn't usually get paranoid about stuff like this,

[00:05:34] because I'm paranoid enough for the both of us all of the time.

[00:05:38] For no reason.

[00:05:40] But it was evident this guy was not right.

[00:05:43] Plus, there were no other cars in the car park other than mine,

[00:05:48] so he had no reason to be walking there.

[00:05:50] We were walking as fast as we could without straight up running away from the guy.

[00:05:55] After what felt like a lifetime, we got to the car,

[00:05:58] locked the doors, and drove off.

[00:06:00] I didn't even look back.

[00:06:03] After we left, I kept thinking about that guy and how strange he was acting.

[00:06:07] But then again, I thought about how strange we were probably acting,

[00:06:12] in the instance that the poor guy was simply on a walk.

[00:06:17] Cut to just the other week.

[00:06:19] My partner and I were at our friend's house for their birthday.

[00:06:23] We were just hanging out, meeting other friends that we hadn't met before,

[00:06:27] and having a blast.

[00:06:29] But, as usual, with every small group hangout, it got late.

[00:06:34] So the conversations shifted into talking about weird experiences and spooky encounters.

[00:06:42] Obviously, we told everyone about our encounter with the very strange man in the woods.

[00:06:48] A couple of the girls who were there work at a reserve called Fine Court,

[00:06:54] which is in one of the woods in the hills that we talked about.

[00:06:58] The girls seemed pretty rattled by the story that we had told,

[00:07:02] and said that they had one that was pretty comparable.

[00:07:06] One evening at work, one of the girls was on a closing shift with her manager.

[00:07:11] They had been cleaning up the cafe and doing final checks,

[00:07:15] when her manager told her that he was good with doing the rest of the closing up by himself,

[00:07:20] and sent her home.

[00:07:21] Without any hesitation, she left and went straight to her car.

[00:07:26] She sat there for a bit, trying to chill out and roll a cigarette,

[00:07:30] before starting her drive home.

[00:07:33] Later that night, she got a text.

[00:07:36] Don't ask, just don't come to work tomorrow.

[00:07:40] Then she found out that after she left work,

[00:07:42] her manager had finished cleaning up like he said,

[00:07:45] before going to his car to leave.

[00:07:47] When he was getting into his car,

[00:07:49] a man approached him from out of the woods,

[00:07:52] and started wrestling with him, trying to steal his car keys.

[00:07:55] He managed to get the man off of him,

[00:07:58] and after he got into his car, he drove away and called the police.

[00:08:01] After talking to the police, they connected the dots to a call they had earlier that evening,

[00:08:07] from a concerned neighbor living in a village a couple of miles from Fine Court.

[00:08:12] She reported a suspected burglary of one of their neighbors.

[00:08:17] The police also got another call from a mental health institution,

[00:08:21] just outside of the woods, saying one of their patients had escaped.

[00:08:26] Turns out, the police put the whole story together.

[00:08:29] This man escaped, quickly got a haircut, and then walked for miles out to this village in the middle of nowhere.

[00:08:38] He then broke into a house that he thought was abandoned,

[00:08:41] which was actually home to an elderly couple.

[00:08:45] The man living there was completely disabled and wheelchair bound.

[00:08:49] His caregiver was his wife.

[00:08:52] The man who broke in murdered the elderly lady.

[00:08:55] Then, he just left the man in the house alone,

[00:08:59] after leaving and walking into the woods where he wandered around

[00:09:03] looking for someone with a car that he could steal.

[00:09:06] That's when he ended up at Fine Court, and tried to take the girl's manager's car.

[00:09:12] After he was unsuccessful, he ran back into the woods to find someone else.

[00:09:18] My partner and I are so sure that we encountered the same man at Windown,

[00:09:24] and her story was from the same month as ours.

[00:09:28] The timeframes matched up perfectly to when we had seen him,

[00:09:33] right after he tried to steal her manager's car.

[00:09:36] He was following us back to the car.

[00:09:39] But who's going to jump two guys in an open space?

[00:09:44] Especially since one of us could easily have made it to the road.

[00:09:48] I think he was trying to freak us out when he stopped at that meeting point to meander.

[00:09:53] I think he was trying to get us to turn around and go back into the woods.

[00:09:58] The police eventually caught him just wandering around the woods.

[00:10:02] This whole story still horrifies me to this day.

[00:10:24] In the late 90s, I accompanied my mom to England so that she could see where her grandparents had lived.

[00:10:30] I was basically there to look after her in general since my dad didn't want to come and my mom tends to have a hard time doing things by herself.

[00:10:39] We agreed that after spending a week in England, we would spend the second week of our trip in Ireland.

[00:10:46] My mom is terrible at planning, so we ended up spending a week in this sort of limbo,

[00:10:52] where we were in Liverpool waiting for the Irish Sea to calm down so that we could cross over to Ireland on a ferry.

[00:11:00] It was September, which is the worst month to try crossing, so we never made it to Ireland.

[00:11:08] This meant that I had to try to find someplace else for us to spend the next five days.

[00:11:13] I picked a hotel that seemed okay, and my mom paid for an additional room since she had restless leg syndrome, which causes her to shake violently at night.

[00:11:24] In the middle of our first night at this hotel, I heard a man yelling in the hallway.

[00:11:29] He seemed to be very intoxicated as he was pounding on the doors and hitting the walls while he was making his way up and down the hall.

[00:11:38] Being the punk-ass kid that I was, I made the mistake of acknowledging him by telling him to shut up from behind my closed door.

[00:11:47] This enraged him. He started beating on my door and screaming that he was going to kill me.

[00:11:54] He tried the doorknob, and I wasn't sure if I had even locked it, but thank God those doors had automatic locks.

[00:12:02] I started looking around the room for the phone so that I could at least call the front desk or something, but there weren't any phones in the room.

[00:12:12] I went to the window, but the window wouldn't open, so I just stayed there listening as he did his best to break the door down while continually shouting threats,

[00:12:24] explaining what he was going to do when he got into the room.

[00:12:27] It went on for 20 minutes.

[00:12:30] Eventually, I fell asleep, and when I woke up the next day, I saw just how much damage he had done.

[00:12:36] He smashed the door with a fire extinguisher that he had pulled off the wall.

[00:12:42] There were dents and marks all down the hall from where he had dragged it violently from end to end.

[00:12:48] I told the front desk clerk about this as we were checking out, but he just looked at me like I made it up.

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[00:14:21] I've been thinking of sharing this incident for a while now.

[00:14:24] I've told people about this in person, but I want to get my story out there to help spread awareness about things like this.

[00:14:32] I'm making an effort to help put this further behind me.

[00:14:36] For some context, this happened to me, a 25-year-old transgender female, back in early April of this year.

[00:14:44] This was back when I was pre-HRT and still wearing more masculine clothing.

[00:14:50] At the risk of sounding cliche, I never thought that something like this could ever happen to me.

[00:14:55] But it did.

[00:14:57] And the part that still bothers me is that it happened so close to where I live with my family.

[00:15:02] In fact, it was just two blocks away.

[00:15:06] There have been a few times in my family's house where no one feels like cooking dinner.

[00:15:10] So we either ordered takeout or figured out what to eat on our own.

[00:15:16] The evening when this occurred was one of those times.

[00:15:19] I was craving pizza, so after putting on a light spring jacket and a pair of gloves, I left my house.

[00:15:25] It was just before 7.30pm when I started walking to the nearest Domino's, which is only about a 15-minute walk away.

[00:15:33] Halfway there, I came across an old white car.

[00:15:36] I think either a Honda or a Ford.

[00:15:39] It was parked on the sidewalk.

[00:15:41] I was annoyed that it was blocking my route, but I didn't think anything of it.

[00:15:46] I just decided to walk around the front of the car so as not to walk onto the road.

[00:15:52] Unfortunately, listeners, that's when I had unintentionally caught the wrong kind of attention.

[00:15:59] I had just barely stepped ten feet away from where the car was when I suddenly heard two people calling out to me rather aggressively.

[00:16:08] I was in the middle of readjusting my gloves when I turned and saw two rather intimidating-looking guys.

[00:16:14] The younger of the two approached me, while the older one remained by the door of the building that the car was parked in front of.

[00:16:23] I don't remember much about the older guy.

[00:16:26] I mainly only remember that he was a big man with a big beard and a leather jacket.

[00:16:32] I'll never forget the younger guy, though.

[00:16:34] He was slightly taller than me.

[00:16:36] I'm 5'6".

[00:16:38] He had short hair and a goatee.

[00:16:41] He was wearing sneakers, a ring, blue jeans, and a white muscle shirt.

[00:16:46] This guy was aggressive from the start, getting all up in my space and immediately accusing me of attempting to break into his buddy's car.

[00:16:54] The older guy interjected with something along the lines of,

[00:16:59] You better not have.

[00:17:00] Which indicated that it was his car that I had just walked around, and was thus being accused of breaking into.

[00:17:08] I was trying to even get a word in to plead my case, but the younger guy wasn't giving me a chance.

[00:17:15] I remember the anger in his eyes as he continued to accuse me.

[00:17:19] The next thing I knew, I was on the ground.

[00:17:22] I gashed my elbow on the asphalt, having just been punched in the face with a left hook.

[00:17:29] I remember screaming at him to leave me alone as he punched me once more, just above my hairline.

[00:17:35] I remember putting my gloved hand to my head and feeling something warm.

[00:17:40] When I pulled it away, there was blood from where his ring had made contact with my face.

[00:17:46] I had to scramble to pick up one of my breast forms that had fallen out of my pocket and onto the ground,

[00:17:51] before I managed to half stumble, half run away from these two guys.

[00:17:56] They were jeering at me, saying that I better run.

[00:18:00] Looking back, I'm partially wishing that I had pulled out my phone to take a picture of the attackers,

[00:18:06] but I think I subconsciously felt that doing that could have made it much worse.

[00:18:12] I then got as far away from the building as possible,

[00:18:15] before sitting down in front of a nearby soccer club and calling my sister, a 20-year-old female, for help.

[00:18:22] She immediately told my stepdad, and they both got in his car and came to pick me up.

[00:18:28] We stopped at the Domino's that I was headed to,

[00:18:30] and they helped me get my pizza and a bag of ice for my injuries.

[00:18:34] After they dropped me off back at home, my dad took my brother, a 25-year-old male,

[00:18:39] and headed over to the building to see if there were any cameras nearby that could have captured what happened.

[00:18:46] Meanwhile, my sister stayed at home with me and helped sanitize my injuries.

[00:18:51] After that, I got some sense of clarity on what was happening.

[00:18:54] It turned out that the building in question was a base for a local biker gang.

[00:18:59] My stepdad and brother managed to talk to some of the members who were there.

[00:19:04] They later told me that the white car was gone and the two guys I described were nowhere to be found.

[00:19:11] The members my stepdad and brother talked to made a few claims.

[00:19:16] Firstly, they claimed to not know who attacked me even though this happened right in front of the gang base.

[00:19:22] The guys said that they didn't know who I was when my stepdad showed them pictures that he took of my injuries.

[00:19:29] Secondly, they claimed that they were having a wake for a friend that they lost.

[00:19:34] And thirdly, an hour before I had walked by their base, someone was fiddling around with their car doors,

[00:19:42] so it was likely that when I walked past, the two guys thought I was the person who was trying to break in before.

[00:19:50] Initially, I was thinking of not doing anything about what happened and continuing on with my life,

[00:19:56] but my dad called me to check on me after he heard about what happened.

[00:20:00] After I talked with him, I decided to go to the police station to file a report.

[00:20:04] We all had a feeling that it likely wouldn't go anywhere, as it does with most incidents of gang violence.

[00:20:12] But getting it on record for the police was the right thing to do.

[00:20:18] Afterward, the officer taking my report suggested that I go to the ER just to be safe,

[00:20:23] where I proceeded to wait for about six hours to be seen by a doctor.

[00:20:27] The whole time I waited, I was trying to stay awake,

[00:20:31] as I was worried about what would happen if I fell asleep after having taken two blows to the head.

[00:20:36] Thankfully, the doctor reassured me that I was going to be alright,

[00:20:41] while he sewed four stitches into the wound where the younger guy had hit me.

[00:20:46] Eventually, I was discharged with instructions to be mindful of my stitches while I shower,

[00:20:52] which is what I immediately did as soon as I got home at three in the morning.

[00:20:57] I'm very lucky that I didn't walk away from this with more serious trauma than I did.

[00:21:02] After that evening, it took me an entire week before I felt comfortable going outside again.

[00:21:07] Even now, months later, despite that gang having long since moved their base,

[00:21:12] I still find myself reluctant to walk past that building.

[00:21:15] If I absolutely have to, I tend to walk on the other side of the road.

[00:21:20] I never saw either one of those guys again,

[00:21:23] though I did hear rumors that they were punished by the gang for assaulting me.

[00:21:28] Allegedly, the gang was trying to be less violent,

[00:21:31] but honestly, I hope to never see them again regardless.

[00:21:35] I felt a little shaky reminiscing on that evening while writing this out,

[00:21:39] but I wanted to get the story out there to help spread further awareness about gang violence.

[00:21:54] This happened a few months ago, but it has stuck with me.

[00:21:57] At the beginning of September, I was working an overnight security gig.

[00:22:02] I've been a guard for 15 years.

[00:22:05] Other than getting into brawls at nightclubs, which happens more often than you think,

[00:22:10] I've had a pretty easy career, minus some contract work that I did in Central America.

[00:22:17] This particular night started the same way they always did.

[00:22:21] I had gotten off from my first gig,

[00:22:24] and I went to my apartment complex to retrieve another night guard,

[00:22:28] who we'll refer to as Dax.

[00:22:31] I arrived, and Dax looked frazzled.

[00:22:34] He's an old martial arts guy.

[00:22:36] He works at the apartment complex for the same reason I do,

[00:22:40] half off the rent.

[00:22:42] As I walked in, I asked him what was up.

[00:22:45] He let me know that he encountered a guy by the gate who, and I quote,

[00:22:49] gave him the heebie fucking jeebies.

[00:22:52] He asked if I would go back to my apartment and grab my firearm.

[00:22:57] I hesitated before I reluctantly agreed since I had worked in the security industry long enough

[00:23:03] to know that guns rarely lead to good outcomes.

[00:23:07] But Dax's fear was palpable.

[00:23:10] He was scared green.

[00:23:12] So I agreed.

[00:23:14] I went to my apartment and grabbed not only my gun,

[00:23:17] but also my 120-pound dog.

[00:23:19] I suited her up in her harness

[00:23:22] and grabbed her quick-attach muzzle

[00:23:24] and the off chance that something did go down.

[00:23:27] I figured I'd be better off if my dog was ready to go.

[00:23:33] When I went back to the security post,

[00:23:35] Dax was elated to get the fuck out of Dodge.

[00:23:39] Before he took off,

[00:23:40] he gave my dog her standard good girl chicken strip.

[00:23:43] This is a nightly ritual,

[00:23:45] regardless of whether I say it's okay or not.

[00:23:48] Then he took off back to his apartment,

[00:23:50] and I attached my dog's lead to my waist

[00:23:53] as we set off for patrol.

[00:23:55] I live in Texas,

[00:23:57] and our apartment complex is secured by gates

[00:23:59] that tenants have to have a code for.

[00:24:02] So,

[00:24:03] I went to check the first gate

[00:24:04] and immediately came into contact

[00:24:06] with the person Dax was worried about.

[00:24:08] It was 93 degrees out,

[00:24:10] but this guy was wearing a trench coat

[00:24:12] and a hoodie.

[00:24:14] Before we even got near him,

[00:24:16] my dog started going ballistic.

[00:24:18] With hackles up,

[00:24:20] my dog stood between my legs,

[00:24:22] snarling like some kind of feral monstrosity.

[00:24:25] I gave her the command,

[00:24:27] instructing her to chill,

[00:24:28] and she did.

[00:24:29] But what bothers me

[00:24:31] is that the guy didn't even flinch.

[00:24:33] When most people see a dog that big,

[00:24:36] barking and snarling,

[00:24:38] they generally insist upon being

[00:24:40] no part of whatever it is

[00:24:42] the dog is protecting,

[00:24:43] and in this case,

[00:24:44] it was me.

[00:24:46] I then stepped forward

[00:24:48] to initiate contact.

[00:24:50] Hey buddy,

[00:24:51] how are we doing?

[00:24:52] Are you alright?

[00:24:53] The man turned to face me.

[00:24:55] He was disfigured,

[00:24:57] with one eye missing,

[00:24:58] but the socket

[00:24:59] had been sealed up from a surgery.

[00:25:02] He had horrible scarring

[00:25:04] on the side of his face

[00:25:05] that was missing an eye,

[00:25:06] and his remaining eye

[00:25:08] was a brilliant blue.

[00:25:11] Yeah, I'm fine,

[00:25:12] he responded rather quietly.

[00:25:15] So, do you live here?

[00:25:17] I haven't seen you around.

[00:25:18] Are you new in town?

[00:25:20] I asked.

[00:25:22] Has anyone ever told you

[00:25:23] that you have incredible eyes?

[00:25:25] He responded.

[00:25:28] This simple question

[00:25:29] made my blood run cold,

[00:25:31] as I replied.

[00:25:33] I think that my mother

[00:25:34] used to tell me that,

[00:25:35] but can't say it's something

[00:25:37] I hear often.

[00:25:38] Listen man,

[00:25:39] you gotta get moving.

[00:25:40] If you don't live here,

[00:25:42] you can't be standing here.

[00:25:44] This made him go

[00:25:45] sort of rigid,

[00:25:47] as he reached

[00:25:48] into his pocket.

[00:25:50] I didn't give him

[00:25:51] a chance to do much more

[00:25:52] before I drew my weapon.

[00:25:55] Hey man,

[00:25:56] I continued.

[00:25:57] Look,

[00:25:57] you have to leave.

[00:25:58] I'm not going to tell you again.

[00:26:00] I don't know where you're from,

[00:26:01] but I know it's not

[00:26:03] from around here.

[00:26:04] This is your last chance.

[00:26:06] Then he slowly removed

[00:26:08] his hand from his pocket

[00:26:09] and revealed

[00:26:10] he was holding

[00:26:12] a 35mm

[00:26:13] disposable camera.

[00:26:16] He lifted it,

[00:26:17] snapped a photo,

[00:26:18] and said,

[00:26:19] have a good evening.

[00:26:21] Your eyes are beautiful.

[00:26:24] And then,

[00:26:25] off he went.

[00:26:27] I was still shaking

[00:26:28] about 5 minutes later

[00:26:29] when the cops arrived.

[00:26:31] I didn't call the cops,

[00:26:32] but it turns out

[00:26:34] one of the apartments

[00:26:35] close to the gate

[00:26:36] heard my dog

[00:26:37] going nuts

[00:26:38] and

[00:26:38] heard me raise my voice.

[00:26:40] So they called.

[00:26:42] The police told me

[00:26:43] that they would increase

[00:26:44] patrolling in our area

[00:26:45] and they said

[00:26:46] they hadn't gotten

[00:26:47] any other calls

[00:26:48] about the guy.

[00:26:49] So to the odd man

[00:26:51] in the trench coat

[00:26:52] who snapped a photo of me

[00:26:53] while standing by the gate,

[00:26:56] let's not meet

[00:26:57] ever again.

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[00:28:52] Uncommon Goods.

[00:28:53] We're all

[00:28:53] out of the ordinary.

[00:28:58] This happened

[00:28:59] about 6 or 7 years ago

[00:29:01] when I played soccer

[00:29:02] for a community college

[00:29:03] right after high school.

[00:29:05] There was this guy

[00:29:06] who worked

[00:29:07] for the athletics department.

[00:29:09] He was another student

[00:29:10] at the community college.

[00:29:12] On Tuesdays

[00:29:13] and Thursdays,

[00:29:14] I had a one-hour gap

[00:29:16] between classes.

[00:29:17] The guy noticed me

[00:29:19] in the library

[00:29:20] and he asked

[00:29:21] what I was doing there.

[00:29:22] I told him

[00:29:23] about these hour-long gaps

[00:29:25] in my schedule,

[00:29:26] so he started

[00:29:27] coming to the library

[00:29:28] regularly

[00:29:29] to hang out.

[00:29:31] I didn't mind this

[00:29:33] because

[00:29:33] he seemed like

[00:29:34] a normal guy.

[00:29:35] He seemed like

[00:29:36] he just wanted

[00:29:37] to hang out,

[00:29:38] but then he wound up

[00:29:39] bringing me

[00:29:40] some little gifts

[00:29:41] like chocolate

[00:29:42] and candy.

[00:29:44] This happened

[00:29:44] a few times.

[00:29:45] I thought he was

[00:29:46] being a little

[00:29:47] too sweet

[00:29:48] for someone

[00:29:48] I barely knew,

[00:29:50] but I shrugged it off

[00:29:51] and didn't consider

[00:29:52] these red flags.

[00:29:54] I think this was

[00:29:55] partially because

[00:29:56] he always

[00:29:57] downplayed it.

[00:29:58] He'd always say

[00:29:59] something like,

[00:30:00] there were extra

[00:30:01] Kit Kat bars

[00:30:02] at the office today,

[00:30:03] do you want some?

[00:30:05] Basically,

[00:30:05] he'd never say

[00:30:06] that he purposely

[00:30:07] brought something

[00:30:08] for me specifically.

[00:30:11] The soccer season

[00:30:12] ended before Thanksgiving.

[00:30:13] A few teams

[00:30:14] kept playing

[00:30:15] beyond that

[00:30:15] if they were going

[00:30:16] to be in the playoffs,

[00:30:17] and after Thanksgiving,

[00:30:19] finals took place.

[00:30:20] In that brief period

[00:30:22] after soccer season

[00:30:23] and before playoffs,

[00:30:24] he asked me

[00:30:25] about my classes

[00:30:26] for the next semester.

[00:30:28] I was never organized

[00:30:29] with course registration,

[00:30:31] so I genuinely

[00:30:32] didn't know

[00:30:33] what my next semester

[00:30:35] was going to look like.

[00:30:36] I didn't tell him that,

[00:30:38] but I remember saying,

[00:30:39] I knew I didn't want

[00:30:40] to have another gap hour

[00:30:42] like I had this semester,

[00:30:44] since it wasted

[00:30:45] so much time.

[00:30:47] I could tell

[00:30:48] he wasn't happy

[00:30:48] to hear me say that.

[00:30:49] He also asked

[00:30:51] if I was going

[00:30:52] to play another season,

[00:30:53] and I said that

[00:30:54] I needed to focus

[00:30:54] on improving

[00:30:55] my time management,

[00:30:56] and playing soccer

[00:30:57] every day

[00:30:58] wasn't helping.

[00:30:59] This only made him

[00:31:01] further unhappy.

[00:31:03] Back then,

[00:31:04] I used to say

[00:31:05] too much

[00:31:06] without thinking

[00:31:06] about how it could

[00:31:07] affect other people's

[00:31:08] feelings.

[00:31:09] We had that conversation

[00:31:11] on the last Thursday

[00:31:12] before Thanksgiving,

[00:31:13] which meant that

[00:31:14] after Thanksgiving break,

[00:31:16] finals,

[00:31:17] and winter break,

[00:31:18] there would be

[00:31:18] no more gap hours

[00:31:19] for us to hang out.

[00:31:22] Everything seemed like

[00:31:23] it was going to be great,

[00:31:24] but then winter break

[00:31:25] was when the real

[00:31:26] problems started.

[00:31:28] In the mornings,

[00:31:29] this guy showed up

[00:31:30] outside my house.

[00:31:31] The first time,

[00:31:32] I saw him sitting

[00:31:33] in his car.

[00:31:34] I didn't believe

[00:31:35] it was actually him,

[00:31:36] but when he did this

[00:31:38] a second time,

[00:31:39] I confirmed that it was.

[00:31:40] But that's not all.

[00:31:42] Since I was on break

[00:31:43] from school,

[00:31:44] I liked to post

[00:31:45] on my Instagram stories

[00:31:47] and sometimes would tag

[00:31:48] places I would go.

[00:31:51] This guy kept showing up

[00:31:52] wherever I was.

[00:31:53] He would even show up

[00:31:55] when I was at

[00:31:55] girly stores

[00:31:56] I liked to go to

[00:31:57] at the mall.

[00:31:59] Every time I'd spot him,

[00:32:00] I'd catch him

[00:32:01] aiming his phone at me

[00:32:02] as if he were

[00:32:03] taking pictures

[00:32:04] or videos of me.

[00:32:06] This was so weird

[00:32:07] that I stopped using

[00:32:08] social media entirely.

[00:32:11] After winter break,

[00:32:13] he kept showing up

[00:32:14] at my house,

[00:32:15] especially when my parents

[00:32:16] were at work.

[00:32:17] When he started showing up

[00:32:19] multiple times a day,

[00:32:20] I ended up calling

[00:32:21] the cops.

[00:32:22] They tried to talk to him,

[00:32:23] but he basically told them

[00:32:25] he didn't have anything

[00:32:26] to say,

[00:32:26] and that was it.

[00:32:28] I think the cops

[00:32:29] wanted to help,

[00:32:30] but they could never

[00:32:31] do anything,

[00:32:32] since he was always

[00:32:33] so careful

[00:32:34] about not breaking

[00:32:35] the law.

[00:32:37] He was never

[00:32:37] technically trespassing,

[00:32:39] he never made

[00:32:40] any threats,

[00:32:41] and he appeared

[00:32:42] to be unarmed,

[00:32:43] so there was nothing

[00:32:44] ever done about it.

[00:32:45] I haven't seen him

[00:32:46] in a while,

[00:32:47] but I have no idea

[00:32:48] what he's doing.

[00:32:49] I hope his little

[00:32:51] obsession became old

[00:32:53] and he found other

[00:32:54] things to pay more

[00:32:55] attention to,

[00:32:55] but if he starts

[00:32:56] coming around me again,

[00:32:58] I don't have any idea

[00:32:59] what I'll do.

[00:33:12] This happened about

[00:33:13] a month ago

[00:33:14] on a Saturday.

[00:33:15] For context,

[00:33:16] I'm a 16-year-old

[00:33:17] French guy.

[00:33:18] I was with my friend

[00:33:20] in my little

[00:33:21] French hometown

[00:33:22] on said Saturday.

[00:33:24] We had been

[00:33:25] casually hanging out

[00:33:26] on the edge of town

[00:33:27] for about an hour.

[00:33:28] The friend who I was

[00:33:29] with was a 17-year-old

[00:33:31] girl.

[00:33:32] We were sitting

[00:33:33] on big rocks

[00:33:34] that were situated

[00:33:35] behind the

[00:33:36] kindergarten school

[00:33:37] and right in front

[00:33:38] of a beet field.

[00:33:39] It was around 8pm,

[00:33:41] so the sky was

[00:33:42] starting to turn dark.

[00:33:43] Nothing ever

[00:33:44] really happened

[00:33:45] in our town

[00:33:46] other than

[00:33:46] a recent event

[00:33:47] in which a father

[00:33:48] stabbed his daughter

[00:33:50] and wife

[00:33:50] several times.

[00:33:52] This was pretty

[00:33:53] out of character

[00:33:54] for the town,

[00:33:54] though.

[00:33:55] It's generally

[00:33:56] pretty quiet.

[00:33:57] It's also important

[00:33:58] to note that there

[00:33:59] aren't many tourists

[00:34:00] in the area

[00:34:01] as it's a little-known

[00:34:03] rural town

[00:34:04] close to Paris.

[00:34:05] So,

[00:34:06] I was sitting

[00:34:07] with my friend

[00:34:08] and eating snacks

[00:34:09] like we usually do

[00:34:10] whenever we hang out

[00:34:11] when suddenly

[00:34:12] I spotted a man

[00:34:14] wearing a beanie.

[00:34:16] He had his hands

[00:34:17] in his sweatshirt

[00:34:18] and was walking

[00:34:19] right towards us.

[00:34:21] He appeared

[00:34:22] so suddenly

[00:34:22] that he was

[00:34:24] right in our vicinity

[00:34:25] before we had a chance

[00:34:26] to get up

[00:34:27] and walk away.

[00:34:28] He approached us

[00:34:30] and started speaking

[00:34:31] in English.

[00:34:32] My friend doesn't

[00:34:33] speak English,

[00:34:34] so she didn't

[00:34:35] understand what was

[00:34:36] happening at the time.

[00:34:37] I'm able to speak

[00:34:38] English,

[00:34:39] and the guy noticed

[00:34:40] that,

[00:34:41] so he started

[00:34:41] talking to me

[00:34:42] directly.

[00:34:43] Even though

[00:34:44] he didn't appear

[00:34:45] to be drunk

[00:34:46] or otherwise

[00:34:47] under the influence,

[00:34:48] I declined

[00:34:49] his offer

[00:34:49] for a handshake

[00:34:51] when he extended

[00:34:52] his hand.

[00:34:53] He continued

[00:34:54] talking as he

[00:34:55] pointed out

[00:34:55] to the beet field

[00:34:56] that was behind us.

[00:34:58] I was really

[00:34:59] apprehensive about

[00:35:00] this interaction,

[00:35:01] and I knew

[00:35:02] if I turned

[00:35:03] to look at it,

[00:35:04] I would need

[00:35:05] to turn my back

[00:35:06] to him.

[00:35:07] He just kept

[00:35:08] pointing

[00:35:09] as he asked,

[00:35:10] Is that cabbage?

[00:35:12] Without turning

[00:35:13] around to look,

[00:35:14] I responded,

[00:35:15] Yes,

[00:35:16] but he wasn't

[00:35:16] satisfied with

[00:35:17] my response.

[00:35:18] He was adamant

[00:35:19] that I turn

[00:35:21] around and look

[00:35:22] behind me.

[00:35:23] I pointed out

[00:35:24] that I could

[00:35:25] see the field

[00:35:25] in my periphery,

[00:35:26] and I didn't

[00:35:27] need to turn

[00:35:28] around,

[00:35:28] but he tried

[00:35:29] to get me

[00:35:29] to look again.

[00:35:31] The more he

[00:35:32] asked me to

[00:35:33] turn and look,

[00:35:34] the more insistent

[00:35:35] he became.

[00:35:36] I was getting

[00:35:37] more and more

[00:35:38] stressed since

[00:35:39] the guy was

[00:35:40] less than a meter

[00:35:40] away from me.

[00:35:42] Then he

[00:35:43] mumbled,

[00:35:43] My driver told

[00:35:44] me there was

[00:35:45] cabbage.

[00:35:46] I've tried

[00:35:46] to ask people,

[00:35:47] but they

[00:35:47] don't

[00:35:48] understand.

[00:35:50] Then he

[00:35:50] patted my

[00:35:51] shoulder,

[00:35:52] went behind

[00:35:52] me,

[00:35:53] crouched at

[00:35:54] the edge

[00:35:54] of the field,

[00:35:55] and told

[00:35:56] me to come

[00:35:57] and see

[00:35:57] if it was

[00:35:58] cabbage.

[00:35:59] I told him

[00:36:00] many times

[00:36:01] that it

[00:36:01] was cabbage,

[00:36:02] even though

[00:36:03] it wasn't,

[00:36:04] but I was

[00:36:04] trying to get

[00:36:05] rid of him.

[00:36:06] Right when I

[00:36:07] noticed that

[00:36:08] he was out

[00:36:08] of arm's

[00:36:09] reach,

[00:36:09] I told my

[00:36:10] friend to

[00:36:11] take her

[00:36:11] bag and

[00:36:12] start running.

[00:36:13] At first,

[00:36:14] she thought I

[00:36:14] was joking,

[00:36:15] but when

[00:36:15] she saw

[00:36:16] me running,

[00:36:17] she bolted

[00:36:17] as well.

[00:36:19] When we

[00:36:19] were about

[00:36:20] twenty meters

[00:36:21] away from

[00:36:21] him,

[00:36:22] I saw

[00:36:22] him coming

[00:36:23] after us.

[00:36:24] Then he

[00:36:25] quickly

[00:36:25] disappeared

[00:36:26] behind the

[00:36:26] kindergarten

[00:36:26] school.

[00:36:28] My friend

[00:36:28] and I

[00:36:28] were both

[00:36:29] unsettled by

[00:36:29] this,

[00:36:30] so we

[00:36:30] quickly said

[00:36:31] our goodbyes

[00:36:31] and split

[00:36:32] in two

[00:36:32] different

[00:36:32] directions.

[00:36:33] As I

[00:36:34] started

[00:36:34] walking

[00:36:34] by the

[00:36:35] elementary

[00:36:35] school that

[00:36:36] was right

[00:36:36] next to

[00:36:37] the

[00:36:37] kindergarten

[00:36:37] school to

[00:36:38] get home,

[00:36:39] I saw

[00:36:39] the creep

[00:36:40] coming from

[00:36:40] the road

[00:36:41] that was

[00:36:41] between

[00:36:41] the field

[00:36:42] and the

[00:36:42] kindergarten

[00:36:43] school.

[00:36:44] I then

[00:36:44] quickly turned

[00:36:45] around and

[00:36:45] went with

[00:36:46] my friend

[00:36:46] to her

[00:36:47] house where

[00:36:48] I could

[00:36:49] wait for

[00:36:49] her father

[00:36:49] to drive

[00:36:50] me home.

[00:36:51] Later that

[00:36:52] night,

[00:36:52] we told a

[00:36:53] friend of

[00:36:53] ours about

[00:36:53] what happened.

[00:36:54] He said

[00:36:55] that he

[00:36:56] had seen

[00:36:56] the guy

[00:36:56] in the

[00:36:57] beanie

[00:36:57] hanging

[00:36:58] out around

[00:36:59] town acting

[00:36:59] suspicious

[00:37:00] earlier that

[00:37:01] day.

[00:37:02] We were

[00:37:03] really unsettled

[00:37:03] and scared

[00:37:04] after hearing

[00:37:05] that.

[00:37:06] Thankfully,

[00:37:07] we haven't

[00:37:07] seen him

[00:37:08] since.

[00:37:08] I'm not

[00:37:09] sure what

[00:37:10] that guy

[00:37:10] was up

[00:37:10] to in

[00:37:11] our small

[00:37:11] rural town,

[00:37:12] but my

[00:37:13] intuition

[00:37:13] strongly urged

[00:37:15] me to get

[00:37:15] myself and

[00:37:16] my friend

[00:37:16] away from

[00:37:17] him.

[00:37:17] To the

[00:37:18] creep who

[00:37:18] made me

[00:37:19] feel like

[00:37:19] I was

[00:37:20] trapped in

[00:37:20] a horror

[00:37:21] movie,

[00:37:21] let's not

[00:37:22] meet again.

[00:37:38] This

[00:37:39] happened at

[00:37:39] the end of

[00:37:40] the summer

[00:37:40] in 2021

[00:37:41] and I

[00:37:42] was reminded

[00:37:42] of it

[00:37:43] because of

[00:37:44] Facebook

[00:37:44] memories.

[00:37:45] For a

[00:37:46] little

[00:37:46] context,

[00:37:47] from age

[00:37:47] 16 to

[00:37:48] 19,

[00:37:49] I was

[00:37:50] being abused

[00:37:50] by my

[00:37:51] ex and

[00:37:52] his mother.

[00:37:53] Monica.

[00:37:54] I lived

[00:37:55] with them

[00:37:55] because I

[00:37:56] was kicked

[00:37:56] out of my

[00:37:56] house and

[00:37:58] she had

[00:37:58] power of

[00:37:59] attorney over

[00:38:00] me.

[00:38:00] For the

[00:38:01] record,

[00:38:01] her name

[00:38:02] was actually

[00:38:02] super unique.

[00:38:04] I've never

[00:38:05] met another

[00:38:05] person with

[00:38:06] that name nor

[00:38:06] have I ever

[00:38:07] seen it

[00:38:07] anywhere else.

[00:38:09] I was living

[00:38:10] in the middle

[00:38:11] of a neighborhood

[00:38:11] filled with

[00:38:12] bars and

[00:38:13] clubs.

[00:38:13] It was a

[00:38:14] Friday night,

[00:38:15] so my

[00:38:16] fiancé and I

[00:38:17] decided that

[00:38:18] we wanted

[00:38:18] to go out.

[00:38:19] My fiancé

[00:38:20] went to the

[00:38:20] bar about

[00:38:21] 30 minutes

[00:38:22] before I

[00:38:22] did,

[00:38:23] so that he

[00:38:23] could grab

[00:38:24] some food

[00:38:24] from a

[00:38:25] nearby pizza

[00:38:25] place while

[00:38:26] I got all

[00:38:27] dolled up.

[00:38:28] Once I

[00:38:28] finished getting

[00:38:29] dressed,

[00:38:30] I left my

[00:38:31] apartment and

[00:38:31] started walking

[00:38:32] over to the

[00:38:33] bar that was

[00:38:33] about three

[00:38:34] blocks away.

[00:38:35] I noticed a

[00:38:36] woman outside

[00:38:36] of my

[00:38:37] apartment building,

[00:38:38] but I

[00:38:38] shrugged it

[00:38:39] off.

[00:38:40] As I said,

[00:38:41] I lived in a

[00:38:42] populated downtown

[00:38:42] area so there

[00:38:43] were always people

[00:38:44] out and about

[00:38:45] in the neighborhood.

[00:38:46] As I walked

[00:38:47] past her,

[00:38:48] I heard her

[00:38:49] start walking

[00:38:50] behind me.

[00:38:51] It definitely

[00:38:52] creeped me out,

[00:38:53] but I assumed

[00:38:54] she was simply

[00:38:55] heading my way.

[00:38:57] I also thought

[00:38:58] maybe she was

[00:38:59] going to ask me

[00:39:00] for directions

[00:39:01] or a cigarette

[00:39:02] or something,

[00:39:03] but no.

[00:39:04] What happened

[00:39:05] next sent a

[00:39:06] shiver down

[00:39:07] my spine.

[00:39:08] The woman

[00:39:09] called to me

[00:39:09] in a raspy

[00:39:10] smoker's voice.

[00:39:12] Monica?

[00:39:13] Monica?

[00:39:15] I froze.

[00:39:17] I hadn't heard

[00:39:18] that name in

[00:39:18] years,

[00:39:19] so I was

[00:39:20] terrified.

[00:39:21] Again,

[00:39:22] the name

[00:39:23] wasn't Monica,

[00:39:24] it was a very

[00:39:24] unique name.

[00:39:26] I took a

[00:39:27] deep breath,

[00:39:28] assuming she

[00:39:29] had confused

[00:39:29] me for someone

[00:39:30] else.

[00:39:32] Assuming this

[00:39:33] was just a big

[00:39:33] coincidence,

[00:39:34] I turned back

[00:39:35] to her,

[00:39:36] smiled,

[00:39:36] and said,

[00:39:37] Oh,

[00:39:37] sorry ma'am,

[00:39:38] I'm not

[00:39:38] Monica,

[00:39:39] my name is

[00:39:40] Lilac.

[00:39:40] I hope you

[00:39:41] find Monica

[00:39:42] though,

[00:39:42] have a good

[00:39:42] night.

[00:39:43] As I turned

[00:39:44] to walk

[00:39:44] away,

[00:39:45] she replied,

[00:39:45] No,

[00:39:46] Monica,

[00:39:46] I know

[00:39:47] who you

[00:39:47] are.

[00:39:49] She then

[00:39:49] grabbed my

[00:39:50] shoulder and

[00:39:51] turned me

[00:39:51] to face her.

[00:39:52] I was

[00:39:53] frozen in

[00:39:54] fear but

[00:39:54] finally got

[00:39:55] a good

[00:39:56] look at

[00:39:56] her up

[00:39:56] close.

[00:39:57] She appeared

[00:39:58] to be in

[00:39:58] her early

[00:39:59] 60s.

[00:40:00] She had

[00:40:00] brown hair

[00:40:01] with grown

[00:40:02] out,

[00:40:02] graying

[00:40:03] roots.

[00:40:03] She was

[00:40:04] wearing

[00:40:05] multiple

[00:40:05] layers of

[00:40:06] jackets

[00:40:06] and some

[00:40:07] scrub

[00:40:08] pants that

[00:40:08] were ripped.

[00:40:10] But what

[00:40:11] was most

[00:40:11] noticeable to

[00:40:12] me were

[00:40:13] her eyes.

[00:40:13] They were

[00:40:14] dark and

[00:40:15] her pupils

[00:40:16] were so

[00:40:16] large they

[00:40:17] almost engulfed

[00:40:18] her dark

[00:40:19] brown irises

[00:40:20] entirely.

[00:40:21] Before I

[00:40:22] could even

[00:40:23] respond,

[00:40:23] she looked

[00:40:24] deep into

[00:40:25] my eyes

[00:40:25] and calmly

[00:40:26] asked,

[00:40:27] Are you

[00:40:28] ready to

[00:40:28] die tonight,

[00:40:29] Monica?

[00:40:31] I instantly

[00:40:32] went into

[00:40:32] fight or

[00:40:33] flight.

[00:40:33] I smacked

[00:40:34] her hand

[00:40:35] off of my

[00:40:35] shoulder and

[00:40:36] then turned

[00:40:36] to run to

[00:40:37] the bar.

[00:40:38] I slipped

[00:40:38] my hand

[00:40:39] into my

[00:40:39] purse and

[00:40:40] grabbed a

[00:40:40] hold of

[00:40:41] my pepper

[00:40:41] spray just

[00:40:42] in case

[00:40:42] she tried

[00:40:43] to follow.

[00:40:44] But she

[00:40:44] didn't.

[00:40:45] She just

[00:40:46] stood there

[00:40:47] laughing.

[00:40:49] I continued

[00:40:50] to hear that

[00:40:51] laugh and

[00:40:52] her question

[00:40:53] echoing in

[00:40:54] my ears as

[00:40:55] I ran into

[00:40:55] the bar.

[00:40:56] When I

[00:40:57] found my

[00:40:57] fiance,

[00:40:58] I broke

[00:40:59] down and

[00:41:00] sobbed.

[00:41:00] He calmed

[00:41:01] me down,

[00:41:02] got me a

[00:41:02] drink,

[00:41:03] and then

[00:41:03] walked me

[00:41:04] home a

[00:41:04] couple of

[00:41:04] hours later

[00:41:05] to make

[00:41:05] sure that

[00:41:06] she wasn't

[00:41:06] still hanging

[00:41:07] around my

[00:41:07] building.

[00:41:08] The next

[00:41:09] morning,

[00:41:09] I heard

[00:41:10] from a

[00:41:10] neighbor that

[00:41:10] the sports

[00:41:11] bar across

[00:41:12] the street

[00:41:12] from the

[00:41:13] bar I

[00:41:13] went to

[00:41:14] had a

[00:41:14] fatal shootout

[00:41:15] in front

[00:41:16] about two

[00:41:17] hours after

[00:41:18] I left.

[00:41:18] A man

[00:41:19] shot and

[00:41:20] killed one

[00:41:20] person and

[00:41:21] injured two

[00:41:22] others.

[00:41:22] He was

[00:41:23] arrested six

[00:41:24] months later

[00:41:24] and was

[00:41:25] connected to

[00:41:26] another bar

[00:41:27] shooting just

[00:41:28] one month

[00:41:28] prior.

[00:41:38] This holiday

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[00:41:41] loved ones that

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[00:41:43] unique, just

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[00:43:03] I have this friend who

[00:43:04] was really into the

[00:43:05] occult.

[00:43:06] I was the one who got

[00:43:08] him into it, which

[00:43:09] turned out to be

[00:43:10] unfortunate.

[00:43:11] The two of us were

[00:43:12] mutually fascinated with

[00:43:14] the paranormal and

[00:43:15] all things weird, so I

[00:43:16] thought that the subject

[00:43:17] would interest him.

[00:43:19] He picked up this

[00:43:20] interest quickly and

[00:43:22] started going really

[00:43:23] deep into the subject

[00:43:24] to the point where he

[00:43:26] wouldn't talk about

[00:43:27] anything else.

[00:43:28] He would even interrupt

[00:43:30] conversations in

[00:43:31] progress to force the

[00:43:33] subject back to

[00:43:34] occult matters.

[00:43:35] It was rude, but I

[00:43:37] figured sometimes people

[00:43:38] just go through phases

[00:43:39] where a newfound

[00:43:40] interest is all that

[00:43:42] they want to talk

[00:43:42] about.

[00:43:43] I ultimately brushed

[00:43:44] it off as a mostly

[00:43:46] forgivable offense.

[00:43:48] I think I should

[00:43:49] mention that this

[00:43:50] particular friend didn't

[00:43:52] have a very large

[00:43:53] friend circle.

[00:43:54] His depression and

[00:43:55] introverted nature kept

[00:43:57] him inside a lot.

[00:43:59] He also didn't have

[00:44:00] the best of luck in

[00:44:01] relationships with

[00:44:02] women.

[00:44:03] His world was kind of

[00:44:04] small, but I enjoyed

[00:44:06] spending time with him,

[00:44:07] so I did my best to be

[00:44:09] a good friend.

[00:44:10] I didn't want to just

[00:44:11] brush him off just

[00:44:12] because he was acting

[00:44:13] stranger than normal.

[00:44:15] When we met, he was a

[00:44:17] pretty normal guy for a

[00:44:18] while.

[00:44:18] We would chat and play

[00:44:20] games together on

[00:44:21] PlayStation or go see a

[00:44:22] movie with my boyfriend

[00:44:23] accompanying us, of

[00:44:24] course.

[00:44:25] We also liked to hang

[00:44:27] out at the park and go

[00:44:28] swimming.

[00:44:28] Overall, we had a great

[00:44:30] time hanging out.

[00:44:32] Things started to go

[00:44:33] downhill when he started

[00:44:35] smoking DMT.

[00:44:36] I think psychedelics are

[00:44:38] amazing tools that can

[00:44:40] offer insight into your

[00:44:41] life, but they should be

[00:44:42] used seldom and handled

[00:44:44] with care.

[00:44:45] My friend was able to

[00:44:47] start making DMT

[00:44:48] himself, since I guess

[00:44:50] it was a pretty easy thing

[00:44:52] to do after a meager

[00:44:53] amount of research.

[00:44:54] So, he began smoking it

[00:44:57] daily, multiple times a

[00:44:59] day.

[00:44:59] For those of you who

[00:45:01] aren't familiar with the

[00:45:02] substance, dimethyltryptamine,

[00:45:04] when you smoke it,

[00:45:05] essentially transports you

[00:45:07] to a different world, an

[00:45:09] entirely new plane of

[00:45:10] existence.

[00:45:11] Your body and you, as you

[00:45:14] know yourself, simply don't

[00:45:15] exist anymore.

[00:45:17] It's like you're just

[00:45:18] exploring this alternate

[00:45:19] reality dreamscape.

[00:45:21] My personal experience

[00:45:23] with it led me to see a

[00:45:24] dragon once in this

[00:45:26] kaleidoscope of a

[00:45:27] cornucopia.

[00:45:29] Everybody's experience is

[00:45:31] unique and, as such,

[00:45:33] people see all kinds of

[00:45:34] different things while

[00:45:35] smoking DMT.

[00:45:37] Imagine what that must do

[00:45:39] to a person and their

[00:45:40] brain when they're

[00:45:41] smoking it upwards of

[00:45:42] 30 times a day.

[00:45:44] As my friend's DMT

[00:45:46] smoke ramped up, he

[00:45:47] started telling me he was

[00:45:49] the reincarnation of

[00:45:51] Osiris.

[00:45:52] He said that he was

[00:45:53] seeing Egyptian

[00:45:54] hieroglyphs all over the

[00:45:56] place, and he said that

[00:45:57] he had been having

[00:45:58] hour-long conversations

[00:46:00] with entities in his

[00:46:01] bedroom, even when he

[00:46:03] hadn't been smoking

[00:46:04] DMT.

[00:46:06] Of course, I was very

[00:46:08] alarmed to hear all of

[00:46:09] this, and I told him he

[00:46:11] needed to take a serious

[00:46:12] break.

[00:46:13] I suggested that he

[00:46:14] stay away from drugs

[00:46:15] entirely for a few

[00:46:17] months so that he would

[00:46:18] be able to find

[00:46:19] solid footing in reality

[00:46:21] again.

[00:46:22] I was still hanging out

[00:46:23] with him because it was

[00:46:25] obvious that he needed

[00:46:26] some help, and as I said

[00:46:28] before, he didn't have a

[00:46:30] lot of friends who were

[00:46:31] able to give him that.

[00:46:32] He was also the black

[00:46:34] sheep of the family, so I

[00:46:36] knew he wasn't going to

[00:46:37] get any kind of support

[00:46:38] from them.

[00:46:40] He was very close to his

[00:46:41] sister, so I attempted to

[00:46:43] reach out to her on

[00:46:44] Facebook.

[00:46:45] Facebook.

[00:46:45] I wanted to express my

[00:46:47] concerns.

[00:46:48] I asked her to talk to him

[00:46:50] about getting some

[00:46:51] psychiatric help because he

[00:46:52] was slipping past the point

[00:46:53] of no return.

[00:46:55] I'm not sure if she took the

[00:46:56] messages seriously, since we

[00:46:59] never knew each other all that

[00:47:00] well.

[00:47:01] Plus, she's at least six years

[00:47:03] younger, so it's likely that

[00:47:04] she didn't really grasp how

[00:47:05] serious the situation was

[00:47:07] becoming.

[00:47:08] In any case, now that you

[00:47:09] have some background

[00:47:10] information, I'll jump forward

[00:47:12] to the part where things were

[00:47:14] getting particularly creepy.

[00:47:16] My boyfriend had made

[00:47:17] arrangements to hang out with

[00:47:19] my friend at the park.

[00:47:20] I wasn't interested in going,

[00:47:22] as I felt I needed a break

[00:47:24] from him and all his

[00:47:25] nonsensical ranting.

[00:47:27] I just couldn't deal with it

[00:47:28] on that particular day.

[00:47:30] My boyfriend was telling me

[00:47:32] that my friend wasn't all that

[00:47:33] bad, and he convinced me to

[00:47:35] go anyway.

[00:47:37] So, we got to the park, and

[00:47:39] my friend was his usual self.

[00:47:42] He was ranting about Egypt, and

[00:47:44] a bunch of made-up gods that

[00:47:46] only he knew the truth about.

[00:47:47] He also had this large hunting

[00:47:49] knife that he kept fiddling with

[00:47:51] the whole time that we were on

[00:47:52] the walk.

[00:47:53] He told us that he had been

[00:47:55] using it to perform ceremonial

[00:47:57] magic, and that it helped to

[00:47:59] banish negative thoughts.

[00:48:01] It made me extremely uneasy.

[00:48:05] As we were walking in the park,

[00:48:07] he kept doing this thing where he

[00:48:09] would take the knife and make

[00:48:11] stabbing motions near his heart

[00:48:13] or head.

[00:48:14] It was like he was mocking,

[00:48:16] stabbing himself.

[00:48:17] All the while, he was holding a

[00:48:19] conversation with me and my

[00:48:21] boyfriend.

[00:48:22] My boyfriend and I were both

[00:48:24] majorly on edge, and we didn't

[00:48:26] know what to do or to say about

[00:48:28] it.

[00:48:29] I tried to distract my friend from

[00:48:31] the subjects and his knife by

[00:48:33] bringing up other subjects that

[00:48:35] might interest him.

[00:48:36] But he kept steamrolling the

[00:48:38] conversation and staying on the

[00:48:40] topic of his ritual.

[00:48:42] Keep in mind, we were walking on

[00:48:44] a trail, so it wasn't like we

[00:48:47] could just say goodbye then and

[00:48:49] there and leave.

[00:48:51] We had to walk back to our car and

[00:48:53] make sure my friend got back to

[00:48:55] his car before dipping.

[00:48:57] My boyfriend must have been

[00:48:59] grasping at straws because he

[00:49:01] panicked and suggested that we

[00:49:03] should get some lunch after our

[00:49:05] walk.

[00:49:06] I was doing my best to give him a

[00:49:08] look that telepathically conveyed,

[00:49:10] no, why do you think we should

[00:49:12] spend more time with this nut?

[00:49:15] But evidently my boyfriend didn't

[00:49:17] pick up on it.

[00:49:18] Or maybe he was ignoring it.

[00:49:21] I'm not sure.

[00:49:22] Either way, we ended up getting in

[00:49:24] the car and heading out to lunch.

[00:49:26] When we got in the car, I was

[00:49:28] driving, my boyfriend was in the

[00:49:30] passenger seat, and our friend was

[00:49:32] in the back.

[00:49:33] As we were heading through the

[00:49:34] busy part of town, where all the

[00:49:36] shopping and restaurants were, I

[00:49:38] heard the distinct sound of a seat

[00:49:40] belt buckle coming undone.

[00:49:43] Then I noticed that he took his

[00:49:45] pants off completely.

[00:49:47] I'm talking completely bare ass on

[00:49:50] the back seat.

[00:49:52] Instantly, I felt sick to my stomach,

[00:49:54] and all of that nervous energy I had

[00:49:57] been curbing throughout the day came

[00:49:59] flooding back into my head.

[00:50:00] I was trying not to shake, and

[00:50:03] trying to ignore what he was doing

[00:50:05] back there while driving through

[00:50:07] heavy traffic.

[00:50:08] I kind of had a freeze response, I

[00:50:11] guess.

[00:50:12] The whole time I kept thinking about

[00:50:14] that huge knife that he had in his

[00:50:16] pocket.

[00:50:17] I was growing concerned about it, as

[00:50:20] he was completely off his rocker now,

[00:50:22] but I was too afraid to say anything

[00:50:24] or confront him since I had no idea

[00:50:26] how he would react.

[00:50:28] In case you were wondering what my

[00:50:30] boyfriend must have been thinking, he

[00:50:32] didn't even seem to notice.

[00:50:35] The whole time, he kept rambling on

[00:50:37] about God knows what.

[00:50:39] I couldn't listen because my thoughts

[00:50:41] were 100% laser focused on driving and

[00:50:44] trying to act like I didn't know what

[00:50:46] was going on in the back seat.

[00:50:48] Once we got to the restaurant, my

[00:50:50] boyfriend ran inside to grab our food.

[00:50:52] This meant that I was left alone in

[00:50:54] the car with our friend.

[00:50:55] I tried to act like I was aimlessly

[00:50:58] browsing on my phone when I was

[00:51:00] actually watching as much as I could

[00:51:03] out of my periphery and listening

[00:51:05] intently.

[00:51:06] My friend and I didn't say a single

[00:51:08] word to each other while we waited for

[00:51:10] my boyfriend to come back.

[00:51:12] When my boyfriend returned, I said that

[00:51:15] I was tired since it had been a long

[00:51:17] day and suggested that it was time to

[00:51:20] drop our friend off at his car.

[00:51:22] So, I drove us back to his car.

[00:51:25] But he didn't get out.

[00:51:27] He just sat there.

[00:51:30] I figured I needed to be a little

[00:51:32] curt so I flatly said, please get out

[00:51:35] and go home.

[00:51:37] He then got out of the car and walked

[00:51:39] over to the passenger side of his car.

[00:51:41] I started getting scared as I didn't

[00:51:43] know what he was going to do next.

[00:51:45] I was suspecting the worst.

[00:51:48] Then, he pulled a gun out of some sort

[00:51:51] of bag that he had on the seat.

[00:51:54] And then, he walked back over to my car

[00:51:56] with it.

[00:51:57] I don't know why I did this, but

[00:51:59] I was so pissed.

[00:52:01] I got out of my car and walked right up

[00:52:04] to him.

[00:52:04] I was three feet away from him when I

[00:52:06] finally registered.

[00:52:07] He had a loaded 9mm.

[00:52:11] Shocked, but trying to stay calm,

[00:52:14] I repeatedly asked him,

[00:52:16] What are you doing?

[00:52:18] That was all my brain could think of to do.

[00:52:21] I then told him again

[00:52:22] to get into his car and go home.

[00:52:24] He never said a word

[00:52:26] during this whole exchange.

[00:52:28] He lightly cried

[00:52:29] and had this wild look in his eye.

[00:52:32] But, for whatever reason,

[00:52:34] he eventually got back into his car

[00:52:36] and drove away.

[00:52:38] I told my boyfriend we were never

[00:52:39] going to hang out with him again

[00:52:41] and that I didn't even want to talk

[00:52:43] to him anymore moving forward.

[00:52:45] No contact.

[00:52:48] A few months passed

[00:52:49] and my friend would occasionally

[00:52:51] message me through PlayStation

[00:52:52] or send me a text.

[00:52:54] He only said a bunch of random stuff,

[00:52:57] so I always ignored it.

[00:52:59] Turns out,

[00:53:01] shortly after our last odd hangout,

[00:53:03] he moved down to Tennessee.

[00:53:05] I'm not sure why.

[00:53:07] But after he moved,

[00:53:08] he had a roommate

[00:53:09] and I think their girlfriend

[00:53:11] lived there.

[00:53:13] I was unsure about the situation

[00:53:15] but hoped that maybe

[00:53:16] he was turning his life around

[00:53:18] and getting a fresh start

[00:53:20] with new surroundings.

[00:53:21] I decided it was best

[00:53:23] to continue refraining from contact

[00:53:25] to let him regroup.

[00:53:27] I wasn't interested

[00:53:28] in reconciling my friendship with him

[00:53:30] and I knew he needed help

[00:53:32] beyond what I would be able

[00:53:34] to offer anyway.

[00:53:36] I reached out to his sister again

[00:53:38] and I let her know

[00:53:39] that I found out he had a gun.

[00:53:42] She told me that she managed

[00:53:43] to get it away from him somehow

[00:53:45] but it did little good in the end.

[00:53:48] One night,

[00:53:49] at around 11pm,

[00:53:51] I got a call

[00:53:51] that woke me up.

[00:53:53] When the man who was calling

[00:53:54] claimed that he was a detective

[00:53:56] from Tennessee,

[00:53:58] my heart skipped a beat.

[00:53:59] I started sweating

[00:54:01] as I promptly asked

[00:54:02] what was going on.

[00:54:03] He let me know

[00:54:04] that my former friend

[00:54:05] stabbed someone to death

[00:54:07] on Halloween day.

[00:54:09] I don't know

[00:54:10] all of the information

[00:54:11] about what happened

[00:54:12] and the only articles

[00:54:13] I've found

[00:54:14] are kind of sparse

[00:54:16] with the details.

[00:54:18] The whole thing

[00:54:19] is so surreal

[00:54:20] and I've been feeling

[00:54:22] like I'm lucky

[00:54:23] that I didn't get shot

[00:54:24] when he was approaching me

[00:54:26] in my car

[00:54:27] with a gun.

[00:54:29] This happened last summer

[00:54:30] and I'm still feeling

[00:54:32] creeped out

[00:54:32] about the whole ordeal.

[00:54:52] Thanks for listening.

[00:54:53] Stick around after the music

[00:54:54] for your extended

[00:54:55] ad-free version

[00:54:56] of this week's episode

[00:54:57] if you're a patron.

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[00:55:29] with a browser.

[00:55:30] This week you have heard

[00:55:31] Why Two Grown Men Won't Go

[00:55:33] Into the Woods

[00:55:33] Just Outside of Town

[00:55:35] by Cooper

[00:55:35] He Tried to Break Into My Room

[00:55:37] with a Fire Extinguisher

[00:55:38] by The Ghost Walks Through

[00:55:40] Wrong Place, Wrong Time

[00:55:42] by Queen of the Dead 2023

[00:55:45] Overnight Security Guard

[00:55:46] by Bats

[00:55:47] I Had a Stalker

[00:55:48] When I Was in Community College

[00:55:49] by Brissa Laina 24

[00:55:52] Creepy Tourist

[00:55:53] in a Small Country Town

[00:55:55] in France

[00:55:56] by Morgan

[00:55:57] Creepy Psychic Woman

[00:55:59] Outside My Home

[00:55:59] by Pastel Florist

[00:56:01] and finally

[00:56:01] My Crazy Friend

[00:56:03] Ended Up Becoming a Murderer

[00:56:05] by Ravenously Red

[00:56:06] All of the stories

[00:56:07] you've heard this week

[00:56:08] were narrated and produced

[00:56:09] with the permission

[00:56:10] of their respective authors.

[00:56:12] Let's Not Meet

[00:56:12] a true horror podcast

[00:56:13] is not associated

[00:56:14] with Reddit

[00:56:15] or any other message boards

[00:56:16] online.

[00:56:17] Make sure to send

[00:56:18] your stories in

[00:56:18] to letsnotmeetstories

[00:56:20] at gmail.com

[00:56:21] if you want to hear them

[00:56:22] on the show.

[00:56:23] Also make sure to check out

[00:56:24] the new episodes

[00:56:25] of my other podcasts

[00:56:26] like Odd Trails,

[00:56:27] Cryptic Encounters

[00:56:28] and the Old Time Radiocast

[00:56:30] at crypticcountypodcasts.com

[00:56:32] Finally, don't forget

[00:56:33] to join me

[00:56:34] and all our podcast friends

[00:56:35] this Friday

[00:56:36] at 7pm Pacific

[00:56:38] at twitch.tv

[00:56:39] slash crypticcounty

[00:56:40] to hear the live set

[00:56:41] from the 2024

[00:56:42] Let's Not Meet Tour

[00:56:44] one last time.

[00:56:45] I'll see you then.

[00:56:46] Everyone stay safe.

[00:56:47] When I was in 8th grade

[00:57:18] I was living with my grandma

[00:57:19] in a...