13x23: Pizza Shop Creep

[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.

[00:00:40] This happened a couple of years ago. I was driving home from work and decided that I wanted pizza, so I pulled into a pizza shop near home. It was a Saturday night and the shop was pretty busy and staffed by three young girls. When I say young girls, I mean teenagers.

[00:00:54] I'm not sure how it is elsewhere in the world, but working at a pizza shop here in Australia is very much considered an after-school type of job.

[00:01:04] As I was ordering, the girl taking the order was very distracted. It was like she was looking past me at something.

[00:01:13] Then, as I tried to pay, she yelled out to the other two girls prepping and cooking in the back, saying something like,

[00:01:20] Oh, thank God. Matt is back.

[00:01:24] Matt is a pseudonym for privacy reasons, but I also don't remember the name that she actually said.

[00:01:31] As she said that, a delivery boy entered the pizza shop, but pretty much just came in, grabbed more pizza, did a 180, and left to complete more deliveries.

[00:01:41] I paid and then I went to sit and wait. That's when I saw what the girl had been looking at behind me.

[00:01:49] Standing next to the entry door, peering through the front windows of the pizza shop, was a visibly terrifying man.

[00:01:57] He appeared to be about 5'8", in his late 20s or early 30s.

[00:02:01] He was rat-like, almost unnaturally pale, with dark spots under his eyes.

[00:02:08] He had long, greasy, dark hair and these sharp-looking teeth that were nearly cylindrical.

[00:02:16] Obviously, I got a bad feeling, but my initial reaction was just confusion at the sight of him.

[00:02:22] Anyway, another guy came in to pick up some pizzas right as I sat down, and the girl at the register froze while serving him as well.

[00:02:30] But this time she apologized and explained,

[00:02:33] Sorry, I'm a bit distracted because that guy out there just won't stop coming by to stare at me through the window.

[00:02:40] My boss banned him, but he always comes back when he's gone.

[00:02:45] I took a proper look at the guy in the window after she said that,

[00:02:49] and he was pointing at her while waving and making other weird gestures.

[00:02:54] This instantly made me very uncomfortable, so, without really thinking,

[00:02:59] I went outside and confronted the guy about what he was doing.

[00:03:03] I had a fair bit of adrenaline as I did this, so I don't remember what I said exactly,

[00:03:08] but it was something along the lines of,

[00:03:10] You have to leave, you're scaring the workers.

[00:03:13] He just stared at me and did this weird wheeze in exasperation.

[00:03:19] It was like a dismissive wheeze.

[00:03:21] Then, through a wheezy voice, he replied,

[00:03:25] I'm not doing anything.

[00:03:28] I said,

[00:03:29] You're being a creep, and you've already been banned.

[00:03:32] You gotta get out of here.

[00:03:34] Then I went back in, and the creep walked off.

[00:03:37] So I thought that it was all sorted out.

[00:03:39] The girl thanked me and asked what he said.

[00:03:42] I explained that he didn't really say anything,

[00:03:45] and she echoed the same things that she said to the other customer,

[00:03:49] but also added that the creepy man had said some inappropriate and gross things to her.

[00:03:55] She also said that the guy had found her on Facebook and was sending her creepy messages.

[00:04:01] I told her to make sure that her parents knew about this, and to tell the police.

[00:04:06] Just as I was sitting back down, the creepy guy returned and came into the pizza shop,

[00:04:12] with a bank card in his hand.

[00:04:14] I then said,

[00:04:16] What did I tell you?

[00:04:17] Get out of here!

[00:04:19] But he made a beeline straight to the counter and ordered a pizza.

[00:04:23] The girl froze up, but she took his order and put it through to the kitchen,

[00:04:28] since she feared how he would react if she didn't.

[00:04:31] He then sat down right next to me and said,

[00:04:36] See, if she didn't want me in here, she wouldn't have let me get a pizza.

[00:04:42] If it gets a bit hazy for me here, it's because this is where the trauma happened.

[00:04:48] I'm pretty sure that the next thing that happened was me telling him I was disgusted,

[00:04:54] and he got really angry.

[00:04:57] Then he stood up, bent forward toward me, and screamed.

[00:05:01] I haven't done anything wrong.

[00:05:03] What did I do?

[00:05:04] I'm a good boy.

[00:05:05] I've got a good heart.

[00:05:06] So tell me.

[00:05:08] Tell me what I did.

[00:05:09] How would you feel if someone said that you were disgusting?

[00:05:12] Even though I saw exactly what he had been doing,

[00:05:16] and the effect that it had on the teenage girl at the counter,

[00:05:19] he made me feel like I was wrong for telling him to stop.

[00:05:23] He then got closer to me,

[00:05:24] and then continued yelling.

[00:05:26] He was fully raging out,

[00:05:28] and I wasn't sure what he was going to do next,

[00:05:31] so I just kept my eyes locked on his hands

[00:05:34] and tried to look like I wasn't afraid of him.

[00:05:37] I kept myself focused on anticipating a potential incoming act of violence.

[00:05:44] He just kept shrieking and screaming.

[00:05:47] Then the oldest of the workers came out from the kitchen and said,

[00:05:51] You've got to stop yelling.

[00:05:53] If you're going to yell, you have to leave.

[00:05:57] He did stop yelling.

[00:05:58] In fact, his whole demeanor suddenly changed.

[00:06:01] Now he was calmer.

[00:06:03] He even put his fist out to fist bump me,

[00:06:06] as he said,

[00:06:08] You're a good guy.

[00:06:09] I can tell.

[00:06:11] Or something like that.

[00:06:12] I wouldn't fist bump him, so he sat back down.

[00:06:16] Then he started talking at me,

[00:06:18] blabbering all kinds of shit.

[00:06:20] But I wasn't really listening,

[00:06:22] and I told him that I didn't want to talk to him.

[00:06:25] All the while,

[00:06:26] the girl that he had been targeting

[00:06:28] was just staring with these big, freaked-out eyes.

[00:06:32] They fast-tracked his pizza

[00:06:34] and tried to send him on his way,

[00:06:36] and when he was out in front of the pizza shop,

[00:06:39] he started talking to this really big guy

[00:06:41] and pointing at me through the window.

[00:06:43] I spoke to the girl,

[00:06:45] and she thanked me profusely

[00:06:46] even though I didn't really do anything.

[00:06:49] But someone had to do something

[00:06:50] since none of the male co-workers were at the shop.

[00:06:54] It turns out that the big guy

[00:06:55] in the front of the shop was the owner.

[00:06:57] The girl had called him

[00:06:59] since the creep was in the store.

[00:07:02] Since he was distracted with me,

[00:07:04] she scurried off and called the owner

[00:07:05] before returning to the counter.

[00:07:08] After the owner talked to the creep,

[00:07:11] this guy let out the longest,

[00:07:13] most guttural and rage-filled scream.

[00:07:17] I'm guessing that his ban

[00:07:18] had been explained to him yet again.

[00:07:21] I do genuinely worry

[00:07:23] that maybe the other employees

[00:07:25] weren't taking the guy's behavior

[00:07:26] and fixation on this teenage girl

[00:07:29] as the dangerous threat that it was.

[00:07:32] This man was unreasonable and irrational,

[00:07:35] and he was all around

[00:07:36] the scariest person I had encountered for a while.

[00:07:40] He just had this energy to him.

[00:07:42] This juvenile malignancy.

[00:07:46] So, who knows what he was capable of.

[00:08:06] This happened two years ago,

[00:08:08] and the more I think about it,

[00:08:09] the weirder it gets.

[00:08:11] I'm a female,

[00:08:13] and when I was 21,

[00:08:14] I traveled to Istanbul on my own

[00:08:16] to enjoy a couple of days to myself

[00:08:19] after finals.

[00:08:21] On the day that I got there,

[00:08:22] I left the hotel at about 5pm

[00:08:25] to find something to eat.

[00:08:27] As I stepped out,

[00:08:29] a local greeted me on the street,

[00:08:31] and I said hello back.

[00:08:32] He asked me if I was on vacation

[00:08:34] since I have the typical East Asian look,

[00:08:38] and I clearly wasn't a local.

[00:08:41] We briefly shared some small talk,

[00:08:43] and just when I decided to return to

[00:08:46] going about my way,

[00:08:47] he offered to show me around town

[00:08:50] and invited me to dinner

[00:08:51] since he wanted me to have

[00:08:53] a real local experience.

[00:08:55] Prior to my trip,

[00:08:57] I had read a lot about scammers in Istanbul,

[00:09:00] and I was almost certain

[00:09:01] that he was one of them,

[00:09:02] so I politely said no.

[00:09:05] Then this was where things started to change.

[00:09:08] His demeanor shifted,

[00:09:10] and he seemed upset that I declined.

[00:09:13] He even somberly said,

[00:09:15] I thought you looked like a nice person.

[00:09:18] I just wanted to help make your vacation memorable

[00:09:21] and good.

[00:09:23] He appeared to be in his 40s or 50s,

[00:09:26] and he was polite

[00:09:27] and sounded very sincere,

[00:09:29] so guilt got the better of me,

[00:09:31] and I gave in and agreed to let him walk me around town.

[00:09:35] As we walked,

[00:09:36] he actually shared some interesting things about Istanbul.

[00:09:40] I genuinely enjoyed our conversation,

[00:09:42] which is saying something

[00:09:44] since I'm typically a huge introvert,

[00:09:47] so it's rare for me to feel that way.

[00:09:49] I also opened up a bit,

[00:09:51] and he showed quite an interest

[00:09:53] in my studies and trip.

[00:09:55] He was getting comfortable with me as well,

[00:09:57] and showed me pictures of his two teenage sons.

[00:10:01] I kept feeling my guard lowering

[00:10:04] as people on the street

[00:10:05] kept greeting him

[00:10:06] like old friends along the way.

[00:10:09] He also kept telling me

[00:10:10] that he thought I was beautiful,

[00:10:12] and how honored he was to show me around.

[00:10:15] I know this already sounds super weird,

[00:10:18] but it was easy for me to get caught up

[00:10:21] since I have a really low self-image,

[00:10:23] and nobody ever really tells me

[00:10:25] that I'm beautiful or pretty

[00:10:26] or anything like that.

[00:10:28] As we kept walking,

[00:10:30] he asked me if I had ever

[00:10:32] experienced a luxurious,

[00:10:34] relaxing,

[00:10:34] Turkish steam bath.

[00:10:37] I didn't hear him clearly,

[00:10:38] so I said no.

[00:10:39] Then he said that he knew of a very good place

[00:10:42] that was run by a woman

[00:10:44] who he said

[00:10:45] was the best in town.

[00:10:48] He told me if I was interested,

[00:10:50] I had to give it a try.

[00:10:51] The truth was,

[00:10:52] I was interested

[00:10:54] in getting a Turkish steam bath,

[00:10:56] but going with him

[00:10:57] to a bathhouse felt weird.

[00:10:59] He elaborated on this place

[00:11:01] in particular

[00:11:02] and said only locals knew about it,

[00:11:05] so it seemed like

[00:11:06] a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

[00:11:08] I also have a very difficult time

[00:11:10] refusing other people's offers

[00:11:11] due to my cultural upbringing,

[00:11:13] so I said yes.

[00:11:15] He then told me

[00:11:16] that the place he was referring to

[00:11:18] was a couple of minutes away by car

[00:11:20] and showed me his car

[00:11:22] parked on the road.

[00:11:24] Now I know what you must be thinking,

[00:11:26] but this was my first time

[00:11:27] traveling abroad on my own.

[00:11:30] I was eager to prove to my parents

[00:11:32] that I could do this,

[00:11:33] so I got into the car.

[00:11:36] I sat shotgun

[00:11:37] because he insisted.

[00:11:39] At least before I got in,

[00:11:41] I snuck a photo of his car plate

[00:11:43] and his face

[00:11:45] and sent it to my parents.

[00:11:46] I told them about

[00:11:47] meeting this man

[00:11:48] and going to

[00:11:49] this steam bath place.

[00:11:51] I let them know

[00:11:52] that I was fine

[00:11:53] and told them

[00:11:53] to keep an eye out

[00:11:54] for an update

[00:11:55] just in case.

[00:11:57] Once I was in his car,

[00:11:59] he kept repeating

[00:11:59] that I was beautiful

[00:12:00] and asked me

[00:12:01] if it was okay

[00:12:02] if he called me Rose

[00:12:03] since he thought

[00:12:04] that I looked

[00:12:05] just like a rose.

[00:12:08] He also asked

[00:12:09] whether I had a boyfriend

[00:12:11] or not.

[00:12:12] I told him

[00:12:12] I was only interested

[00:12:14] in girls.

[00:12:15] He said he understood

[00:12:17] different people

[00:12:18] had different preferences

[00:12:19] and told me that

[00:12:20] I should perceive him

[00:12:22] as a woman

[00:12:22] so that I would feel

[00:12:23] more at ease.

[00:12:25] Then he asked me

[00:12:26] for my hand

[00:12:27] and after I placed

[00:12:29] my hand in his,

[00:12:30] he lifted it to his lips

[00:12:32] and kissed the back of it.

[00:12:33] As he continued

[00:12:34] holding my hand,

[00:12:35] he said that he was

[00:12:37] really glad

[00:12:37] that he met me.

[00:12:39] Along the way,

[00:12:40] he said that this place

[00:12:42] only took cash,

[00:12:43] so we drove to an ATM

[00:12:45] to get some money.

[00:12:47] Before withdrawing

[00:12:48] the cash,

[00:12:49] he showed me

[00:12:49] the cost of this place.

[00:12:51] It was on a brochure

[00:12:52] that he had in his car.

[00:12:53] It was 185 euros

[00:12:55] for an hour and a half.

[00:12:57] I had no idea

[00:12:59] what the normal price

[00:12:59] for such a thing

[00:13:00] would be,

[00:13:01] but I knew

[00:13:02] that there was no way

[00:13:03] I was going to spend

[00:13:04] my parents' money on this.

[00:13:05] So,

[00:13:06] at the ATM,

[00:13:07] I deliberately

[00:13:08] only took out

[00:13:09] 300 lira

[00:13:09] and I pretended

[00:13:11] that I didn't understand

[00:13:12] the exchange rate.

[00:13:14] Then he told me

[00:13:15] that this place

[00:13:16] often charges extra

[00:13:18] for tourists

[00:13:19] and suggested

[00:13:20] that I give him

[00:13:21] the money

[00:13:21] so that he could

[00:13:22] tell the place

[00:13:23] that I was his guest

[00:13:24] and wouldn't be

[00:13:25] charged extra.

[00:13:26] When I handed him

[00:13:27] the 300 lira,

[00:13:29] he asked,

[00:13:30] is this a joke?

[00:13:32] The cost would have

[00:13:33] ended up being

[00:13:34] over 2,500 lira,

[00:13:36] but I acted surprised

[00:13:37] and just said

[00:13:38] that I didn't want

[00:13:39] to go anymore.

[00:13:40] This upset him greatly.

[00:13:42] He kept telling me

[00:13:43] that he had already

[00:13:44] called his friend

[00:13:45] to prepare a steam bath

[00:13:46] for us

[00:13:47] and I was missing out big.

[00:13:49] He told me that I should

[00:13:50] pay for dinner for him

[00:13:51] to make up for the

[00:13:52] cancellation fee

[00:13:53] and gas money.

[00:13:54] He then told me that

[00:13:56] he wasn't angry with me,

[00:13:57] he was just upset

[00:13:59] that I was missing

[00:14:00] the perfect opportunity

[00:14:01] for an authentic

[00:14:02] local experience.

[00:14:04] Then he kissed my hand again

[00:14:05] and insisted on

[00:14:06] continuing to hold

[00:14:07] my hand

[00:14:08] since he,

[00:14:09] quote,

[00:14:09] wanted to ensure me

[00:14:11] that he wasn't mad

[00:14:12] and he still

[00:14:12] loves me,

[00:14:14] unquote.

[00:14:15] Yes,

[00:14:15] he used the word love.

[00:14:17] He chose a very

[00:14:19] upscale seafood restaurant

[00:14:20] where he insisted

[00:14:21] on ordering for me

[00:14:22] since the waiter

[00:14:23] didn't understand English.

[00:14:25] The dinner ended up

[00:14:26] costing 4,000 lira.

[00:14:29] After I made it clear

[00:14:30] that I wasn't going

[00:14:31] to the local bar

[00:14:31] with him,

[00:14:32] he offered to drive me

[00:14:34] back to my hotel.

[00:14:35] I had him drop me off

[00:14:36] near the road

[00:14:37] where my hotel was

[00:14:38] because there was

[00:14:39] no way in hell

[00:14:40] I was going to let him

[00:14:41] know which hotel

[00:14:42] I was actually

[00:14:43] staying at.

[00:14:44] I'm not sure

[00:14:45] if he was a scammer

[00:14:46] trying to trick me

[00:14:47] into visiting

[00:14:47] expensive commercial

[00:14:48] places,

[00:14:49] just an overly

[00:14:51] passionate local

[00:14:52] citizen,

[00:14:53] or a predator

[00:14:53] seeking out females,

[00:14:54] but I'm glad

[00:14:55] I never saw him

[00:14:56] again after that.

[00:14:57] The whole situation

[00:14:58] left me at a loss

[00:15:00] and feeling confused.

[00:15:18] This holiday season

[00:15:19] I recommend

[00:15:19] spending your money

[00:15:20] with our friends

[00:15:21] at Smalls.

[00:15:22] They're donating

[00:15:22] millions of dollars

[00:15:24] worth of cat food

[00:15:25] to the Humane Society.

[00:15:26] I love working

[00:15:27] with folks like them

[00:15:28] because pets are

[00:15:29] very important

[00:15:30] to me in my life.

[00:15:31] Smalls cat food

[00:15:32] is protein-packed

[00:15:33] recipes made

[00:15:34] with preservative-free

[00:15:35] ingredients that

[00:15:36] you'd find in your fridge

[00:15:37] and it's delivered

[00:15:38] right to your door.

[00:15:40] That's why

[00:15:40] cats.com

[00:15:41] named Smalls

[00:15:42] their best overall

[00:15:43] cat food.

[00:15:44] Here's a review

[00:15:45] from a real

[00:15:46] Smalls customer.

[00:15:47] Jennifer M. said,

[00:15:48] After every feeding,

[00:15:50] he gets this burst

[00:15:51] of energy

[00:15:51] and starts running

[00:15:52] around the house

[00:15:53] and his fur is softer

[00:15:54] and more vibrant

[00:15:55] with higher contrast.

[00:15:57] Honestly,

[00:15:58] I wouldn't recommend

[00:15:59] anything else.

[00:16:01] Smalls was started

[00:16:02] back in 2017

[00:16:02] by a couple of guys

[00:16:04] home cooking cat food

[00:16:05] in small batches

[00:16:06] for their friends.

[00:16:07] A few short years later,

[00:16:08] they've served

[00:16:09] millions of meals

[00:16:10] to cats across the US.

[00:16:12] All my friends

[00:16:13] that I've gifted

[00:16:14] Smalls to

[00:16:14] have told me stories

[00:16:16] about how their

[00:16:16] cat's digestive

[00:16:17] issues are gone

[00:16:18] and they're feeling

[00:16:19] and acting

[00:16:20] so much better

[00:16:21] than before.

[00:16:21] It truly makes

[00:16:22] a huge difference.

[00:16:24] I mean,

[00:16:24] 88% of cat owners

[00:16:26] report overall

[00:16:27] health improvements

[00:16:28] and that's a big deal.

[00:16:29] So,

[00:16:30] give your cat

[00:16:31] the gift of great

[00:16:31] cat food this holiday season.

[00:16:33] Now is the time

[00:16:34] to make the switch

[00:16:35] to Smalls.

[00:16:36] Head to

[00:16:36] smalls.com

[00:16:37] slash meat

[00:16:38] and use promo code

[00:16:39] meat at checkout

[00:16:40] for 50% off

[00:16:41] your first order

[00:16:42] plus free shipping.

[00:16:43] That's the best

[00:16:44] offer you'll find,

[00:16:45] but you have to use

[00:16:46] my code

[00:16:47] MEET

[00:16:47] M-E-E-T

[00:16:49] for 50% off

[00:16:50] your first order.

[00:16:51] One last time,

[00:16:52] that's promo code

[00:16:53] MEET

[00:16:54] for 50% off

[00:16:55] your first order

[00:16:56] plus free shipping.

[00:17:01] I'm a 33-year-old male

[00:17:03] and my husband

[00:17:03] is 43.

[00:17:05] This happened

[00:17:06] a few years ago

[00:17:07] when he and I

[00:17:08] were getting gas

[00:17:08] one night.

[00:17:10] We were at

[00:17:11] a bit of a weird

[00:17:12] gas station

[00:17:13] where two roads

[00:17:14] intersected

[00:17:15] at an angle

[00:17:16] with the gas station

[00:17:17] being on

[00:17:18] the acute angle,

[00:17:19] if you can

[00:17:20] picture that.

[00:17:22] At the pump

[00:17:23] we chose,

[00:17:23] there were no

[00:17:24] working lights

[00:17:25] so it was difficult

[00:17:26] to see directly

[00:17:27] from either road.

[00:17:29] We were driving

[00:17:30] a soft-top

[00:17:31] Jeep Wrangler

[00:17:32] with the rear windows

[00:17:34] completely taken off.

[00:17:35] My husband

[00:17:36] got out of our Jeep

[00:17:37] to pump the gas

[00:17:38] and I was sitting

[00:17:39] in the passenger seat

[00:17:40] looking at my phone.

[00:17:42] That's when I heard

[00:17:43] I'm not going

[00:17:44] to hurt you

[00:17:45] from a voice

[00:17:46] some distance

[00:17:47] behind me.

[00:17:49] I was terrified

[00:17:50] so I suddenly froze.

[00:17:52] I turned around

[00:17:53] to look at the

[00:17:54] empty space

[00:17:55] where our back window

[00:17:56] used to be

[00:17:57] and saw what

[00:17:58] appeared to be

[00:17:58] a man

[00:17:59] not too far away.

[00:18:01] He had slightly

[00:18:02] wild gray hair,

[00:18:04] a washed-out beanie,

[00:18:05] and an oversized

[00:18:06] jacket with a lot

[00:18:07] of pockets

[00:18:08] that hid his hands.

[00:18:11] I suddenly realized

[00:18:12] how dark it was

[00:18:13] and how hard it was

[00:18:14] for anyone

[00:18:15] to see us

[00:18:16] and I couldn't

[00:18:17] see his hands.

[00:18:19] I had a distinct

[00:18:20] feeling from deep down

[00:18:22] so prominent

[00:18:23] that I could

[00:18:24] almost hear it.

[00:18:25] The feeling

[00:18:26] was saying

[00:18:27] run.

[00:18:28] But I figured

[00:18:29] we were just

[00:18:30] pumping gas

[00:18:31] and he was just

[00:18:32] some weird dude.

[00:18:33] My husband and I

[00:18:34] were from Key West

[00:18:36] so we had seen

[00:18:37] plenty of strange

[00:18:38] people before

[00:18:39] and they were

[00:18:40] almost always

[00:18:41] harmless

[00:18:42] so I slowly

[00:18:43] turned back around

[00:18:44] and went back

[00:18:45] to my phone.

[00:18:46] Yet I still

[00:18:47] heard him

[00:18:48] the distinct

[00:18:49] sound of

[00:18:50] shuffling feet

[00:18:51] the rustle

[00:18:52] of his jacket.

[00:18:54] I'm not going

[00:18:55] to hurt you

[00:18:55] he repeated

[00:18:56] I just need

[00:18:57] some help

[00:18:58] I'm not going

[00:18:59] to hurt you.

[00:19:01] At this point

[00:19:02] I could tell

[00:19:02] that he was

[00:19:03] almost at the

[00:19:04] jeep.

[00:19:04] We had only

[00:19:05] been there

[00:19:06] a couple of

[00:19:06] minutes

[00:19:06] and the tank

[00:19:07] was almost

[00:19:08] empty

[00:19:08] so I knew

[00:19:09] there was

[00:19:09] no way

[00:19:10] that my

[00:19:10] husband was

[00:19:11] anywhere near

[00:19:11] getting the

[00:19:12] tank back

[00:19:12] to full.

[00:19:14] Then without

[00:19:14] warning

[00:19:15] my husband

[00:19:16] rushed back

[00:19:17] into the car

[00:19:18] and hurried

[00:19:18] to start

[00:19:19] the engine.

[00:19:20] I could tell

[00:19:21] that his hands

[00:19:21] were shaking.

[00:19:22] He managed

[00:19:23] to throw

[00:19:23] the car

[00:19:24] into drive

[00:19:25] and we

[00:19:25] peeled out

[00:19:26] of there.

[00:19:26] I looked

[00:19:27] behind us

[00:19:28] and I saw

[00:19:29] the man

[00:19:29] standing there

[00:19:30] not reacting

[00:19:31] right next

[00:19:33] to the dangling

[00:19:33] gas nozzle

[00:19:34] that my

[00:19:34] husband didn't

[00:19:35] even bother

[00:19:36] hanging back

[00:19:37] up.

[00:19:38] As we

[00:19:39] turned out

[00:19:39] of the gas

[00:19:40] station

[00:19:40] my husband

[00:19:41] said

[00:19:41] I just had

[00:19:43] the most

[00:19:43] horrible

[00:19:43] feeling

[00:19:44] something

[00:19:45] told me

[00:19:45] we had

[00:19:46] to run.

[00:19:47] I looked

[00:19:48] at him

[00:19:48] and told

[00:19:49] him

[00:19:49] I felt

[00:19:49] the same

[00:19:50] thing.

[00:19:51] I felt

[00:19:51] tears

[00:19:52] coming to

[00:19:52] my eyes

[00:19:53] as I

[00:19:53] thanked

[00:19:53] him

[00:19:53] for listening

[00:19:54] to his

[00:19:54] instincts.

[00:19:55] When we

[00:19:56] got home

[00:19:56] we were

[00:19:57] feeling

[00:19:57] quite shaken

[00:19:58] as we

[00:19:58] went over

[00:19:59] the events

[00:19:59] that we

[00:20:00] had just

[00:20:00] seen

[00:20:01] and the

[00:20:01] fear

[00:20:02] that we

[00:20:02] had felt.

[00:20:03] A day

[00:20:04] or two

[00:20:05] later

[00:20:05] we watched

[00:20:05] a YouTube

[00:20:06] video

[00:20:06] featuring

[00:20:07] a security

[00:20:07] analyst

[00:20:08] named

[00:20:08] Scott

[00:20:09] Stewart.

[00:20:10] The

[00:20:11] video

[00:20:11] was about

[00:20:12] the

[00:20:12] Kenyan

[00:20:13] mall

[00:20:13] shooting

[00:20:14] and he

[00:20:14] said

[00:20:15] that during

[00:20:15] events like

[00:20:16] this

[00:20:16] sometimes

[00:20:17] people say

[00:20:18] things like

[00:20:18] right before

[00:20:19] it happened

[00:20:20] I had a

[00:20:20] terrible

[00:20:21] feeling

[00:20:21] that something

[00:20:22] bad was

[00:20:22] going to

[00:20:23] happen.

[00:20:24] He adds

[00:20:25] that some

[00:20:25] people listen

[00:20:26] to that

[00:20:26] feeling and

[00:20:27] leave the

[00:20:27] area while

[00:20:28] others mention

[00:20:29] how they

[00:20:30] regret not

[00:20:30] listening to

[00:20:31] it.

[00:20:32] I burst

[00:20:33] into tears

[00:20:33] hearing this

[00:20:34] knowing the

[00:20:35] feeling

[00:20:35] that he

[00:20:35] had

[00:20:36] described

[00:20:36] all

[00:20:37] too

[00:20:37] well.

[00:20:38] I had

[00:20:39] had that

[00:20:39] feeling

[00:20:40] and was

[00:20:40] one of

[00:20:41] those

[00:20:41] who

[00:20:41] ignored

[00:20:41] it.

[00:20:42] I

[00:20:43] remember

[00:20:43] saying

[00:20:43] thank you

[00:20:44] to my

[00:20:44] husband

[00:20:45] for listening

[00:20:45] to his

[00:20:46] sense of

[00:20:46] danger.

[00:20:47] Now it's

[00:20:48] fully possible

[00:20:48] that this

[00:20:49] was just

[00:20:49] a harmless

[00:20:50] person

[00:20:50] trying to

[00:20:51] get help

[00:20:51] in a

[00:20:52] slightly

[00:20:52] creepy

[00:20:52] way

[00:20:53] and it's

[00:20:54] possible

[00:20:55] that nothing

[00:20:55] bad would

[00:20:56] have

[00:20:56] happened

[00:20:56] but I

[00:20:56] can't

[00:20:57] stop

[00:20:57] remembering

[00:20:57] how the

[00:20:58] weird angles

[00:20:59] of the road

[00:21:00] and the

[00:21:01] lack of

[00:21:01] lighting

[00:21:01] would have

[00:21:02] prevented

[00:21:02] anyone

[00:21:03] from seeing

[00:21:04] us

[00:21:04] if something

[00:21:05] had gone

[00:21:06] down.

[00:21:06] I also

[00:21:07] can't stop

[00:21:08] thinking about

[00:21:08] how the

[00:21:09] man kept

[00:21:09] his hands

[00:21:10] hidden.

[00:21:11] I still

[00:21:12] get chills

[00:21:13] remembering

[00:21:13] him saying

[00:21:14] I'm not

[00:21:15] going to

[00:21:15] hurt you

[00:21:16] over and

[00:21:16] over again

[00:21:17] for some

[00:21:17] reason.

[00:21:19] The moral

[00:21:20] of the story

[00:21:20] is,

[00:21:21] I guess,

[00:21:21] if you ever

[00:21:22] get that

[00:21:22] distinct

[00:21:23] feeling that

[00:21:23] something bad

[00:21:24] is imminent,

[00:21:25] leave the

[00:21:26] area.

[00:21:26] It may be

[00:21:27] a false

[00:21:27] alarm but it's

[00:21:28] better than

[00:21:29] going through

[00:21:29] the rest of

[00:21:30] your life

[00:21:30] wishing you

[00:21:31] had listened

[00:21:31] to that

[00:21:32] feeling.

[00:21:42] I'm a

[00:21:42] property

[00:21:43] manager and

[00:21:44] one year

[00:21:45] postpartum,

[00:21:46] so I

[00:21:46] return to

[00:21:47] my company

[00:21:47] part-time.

[00:21:49] It's fun

[00:21:50] because I

[00:21:50] get to

[00:21:50] float around

[00:21:51] to different

[00:21:51] apartment

[00:21:51] communities

[00:21:52] and just

[00:21:53] help out

[00:21:53] where it's

[00:21:54] needed.

[00:21:55] In September,

[00:21:56] I helped

[00:21:57] out a

[00:21:57] property about

[00:21:58] an hour

[00:21:58] from my

[00:21:59] house.

[00:22:00] It's a bit

[00:22:00] of a drive

[00:22:01] but it's

[00:22:01] a fairly

[00:22:02] small

[00:22:02] property

[00:22:03] with no

[00:22:03] big problems

[00:22:04] so I

[00:22:05] figured

[00:22:05] it was easy

[00:22:06] money for

[00:22:06] the day.

[00:22:08] I was

[00:22:08] covering for

[00:22:09] the manager

[00:22:10] out on

[00:22:10] vacation

[00:22:11] and it

[00:22:12] was the

[00:22:12] sixth of

[00:22:12] the month

[00:22:13] which meant

[00:22:13] that I

[00:22:14] was handing

[00:22:14] out late

[00:22:15] payment letters

[00:22:15] and making

[00:22:16] calls,

[00:22:17] unfortunately.

[00:22:18] It's definitely

[00:22:19] not my favorite

[00:22:20] part of the

[00:22:20] job but I

[00:22:21] guess it is

[00:22:22] necessary.

[00:22:23] The one

[00:22:24] thing I

[00:22:24] hate about

[00:22:25] floating around

[00:22:25] to different

[00:22:26] communities

[00:22:26] is that the

[00:22:27] residents don't

[00:22:28] know me

[00:22:28] well,

[00:22:29] so it feels

[00:22:30] a little

[00:22:31] strange

[00:22:31] delivering late

[00:22:32] letters and

[00:22:33] calling people

[00:22:33] who don't

[00:22:34] even know me.

[00:22:35] On this

[00:22:36] day,

[00:22:37] I had

[00:22:37] about ten

[00:22:38] late letters

[00:22:39] to deliver.

[00:22:40] All was

[00:22:41] going normal

[00:22:41] and fine.

[00:22:42] Some people

[00:22:43] answered the

[00:22:44] door and

[00:22:44] said,

[00:22:44] yep,

[00:22:45] sorry,

[00:22:45] I'll have

[00:22:46] it paid

[00:22:46] on such

[00:22:47] and such

[00:22:47] date.

[00:22:48] Meanwhile,

[00:22:49] one other

[00:22:49] person didn't

[00:22:50] answer so I

[00:22:51] left a note

[00:22:51] on the door but

[00:22:52] they flipped me

[00:22:53] off as I was

[00:22:54] walking away.

[00:22:55] All pretty

[00:22:56] normal stuff

[00:22:57] that comes

[00:22:57] with the

[00:22:57] job.

[00:22:59] When I

[00:23:00] got down to

[00:23:00] about the

[00:23:01] seventh or

[00:23:01] eighth person,

[00:23:02] I walked up

[00:23:03] to this

[00:23:03] apartment and

[00:23:04] could tell

[00:23:05] from the

[00:23:05] outside that

[00:23:06] the occupants

[00:23:07] had absolutely

[00:23:08] destroyed this

[00:23:09] home.

[00:23:10] It smelled

[00:23:10] like cigarettes,

[00:23:12] cat urine,

[00:23:12] and general

[00:23:13] mustiness

[00:23:14] before I

[00:23:15] even knocked.

[00:23:16] All the

[00:23:17] blinds were

[00:23:18] broken on the

[00:23:18] front window

[00:23:19] and there

[00:23:19] were blankets

[00:23:20] tacked up to

[00:23:21] the window.

[00:23:21] The works.

[00:23:23] I went up to

[00:23:24] the door and

[00:23:24] gave it a

[00:23:25] quick knock.

[00:23:26] I waited for

[00:23:27] about five

[00:23:27] seconds before

[00:23:28] getting ready

[00:23:29] to post a

[00:23:29] notice on the

[00:23:30] door.

[00:23:31] Right as I

[00:23:32] was folding

[00:23:32] it up and

[00:23:33] putting it on

[00:23:34] the door,

[00:23:34] the door

[00:23:35] partially swung

[00:23:36] open.

[00:23:37] A gentleman

[00:23:38] wearing boxers

[00:23:39] with a cigarette

[00:23:40] hanging out of

[00:23:40] his mouth

[00:23:41] opened the

[00:23:41] door but

[00:23:42] didn't unlatch

[00:23:43] the security

[00:23:43] lock so it

[00:23:45] couldn't be

[00:23:45] opened all

[00:23:46] the way.

[00:23:47] What do you

[00:23:47] want?

[00:23:48] He asked,

[00:23:49] giving me this

[00:23:50] death glare.

[00:23:52] He was also

[00:23:53] looking me up

[00:23:53] and down

[00:23:54] inappropriately at

[00:23:55] the same time.

[00:23:56] I explained that

[00:23:58] I was just

[00:23:58] there to

[00:23:59] deliver a late

[00:24:00] letter and

[00:24:01] that I'd be

[00:24:01] on my way.

[00:24:02] As I

[00:24:02] explained this,

[00:24:03] I noticed

[00:24:04] that he

[00:24:04] kept looking

[00:24:05] over his

[00:24:05] shoulder as

[00:24:06] if someone

[00:24:07] were standing

[00:24:07] next to him

[00:24:08] or behind

[00:24:09] the door.

[00:24:10] I found

[00:24:11] this odd.

[00:24:12] It was as

[00:24:13] if someone

[00:24:14] were hiding

[00:24:14] from me.

[00:24:16] This was

[00:24:17] confirmed since

[00:24:18] the gentleman

[00:24:18] in the boxers

[00:24:19] wouldn't open

[00:24:19] the door all

[00:24:20] the way and

[00:24:21] when I then

[00:24:22] heard whispering,

[00:24:23] I was sure

[00:24:24] that he was

[00:24:24] covertly

[00:24:25] communicating

[00:24:25] with someone.

[00:24:27] The gentleman

[00:24:28] in the doorway

[00:24:29] asked me to

[00:24:30] wait and

[00:24:31] said that he

[00:24:31] had some

[00:24:32] things in

[00:24:32] his apartment

[00:24:33] that needed

[00:24:33] to be looked

[00:24:34] at.

[00:24:35] I explained

[00:24:36] that I was

[00:24:36] only there

[00:24:36] to deliver

[00:24:37] the letter

[00:24:37] and said

[00:24:38] that he

[00:24:39] could send

[00:24:39] photos to

[00:24:39] the office

[00:24:40] and I

[00:24:41] would get

[00:24:41] the work

[00:24:41] orders put

[00:24:42] in.

[00:24:43] Then he

[00:24:44] began

[00:24:44] complaining

[00:24:45] about our

[00:24:45] maintenance

[00:24:46] team and

[00:24:46] stated that

[00:24:47] he wanted

[00:24:47] someone to

[00:24:48] take a look

[00:24:48] at the

[00:24:49] stuff that

[00:24:49] needed

[00:24:49] repairs

[00:24:50] in person.

[00:24:52] At this

[00:24:52] point,

[00:24:53] I was

[00:24:53] feeling really

[00:24:54] uneasy.

[00:24:54] Typically,

[00:24:55] I would

[00:24:56] enter and

[00:24:56] help with

[00:24:57] no problem,

[00:24:58] but between

[00:24:58] the looks

[00:24:59] that this

[00:24:59] guy was

[00:25:00] giving me

[00:25:00] and a

[00:25:01] creepy

[00:25:01] unknown

[00:25:02] person

[00:25:02] behind

[00:25:03] the

[00:25:03] door,

[00:25:04] I

[00:25:04] wasn't

[00:25:04] feeling

[00:25:05] safe

[00:25:05] to

[00:25:05] do

[00:25:06] so.

[00:25:07] I

[00:25:08] deferred

[00:25:08] again,

[00:25:09] trying to

[00:25:09] make myself

[00:25:10] sound

[00:25:11] unimportant

[00:25:11] as I said

[00:25:12] I was just

[00:25:13] the floating

[00:25:14] employee who

[00:25:15] couldn't do

[00:25:15] anything without

[00:25:16] a manager's

[00:25:16] approval,

[00:25:17] so there

[00:25:17] was no

[00:25:18] point in

[00:25:18] having me

[00:25:19] take a

[00:25:19] look.

[00:25:20] Then

[00:25:21] something

[00:25:21] caught my

[00:25:22] eye upstairs.

[00:25:23] I saw

[00:25:24] a window

[00:25:25] blind

[00:25:25] move

[00:25:26] revealing

[00:25:27] two

[00:25:27] additional

[00:25:28] men

[00:25:28] who

[00:25:29] were

[00:25:29] both

[00:25:29] staring

[00:25:29] down

[00:25:30] at

[00:25:30] me.

[00:25:30] I

[00:25:31] was

[00:25:31] so

[00:25:31] uneasy

[00:25:32] I

[00:25:32] could

[00:25:33] have

[00:25:33] been

[00:25:33] sick

[00:25:33] at

[00:25:33] that

[00:25:34] moment.

[00:25:35] I

[00:25:35] told

[00:25:35] the

[00:25:36] guy

[00:25:36] that

[00:25:36] I

[00:25:36] wouldn't

[00:25:37] be

[00:25:37] entering

[00:25:37] without

[00:25:38] maintenance

[00:25:38] or the

[00:25:39] property

[00:25:39] manager

[00:25:40] present

[00:25:40] due to

[00:25:41] it

[00:25:41] being

[00:25:41] an

[00:25:41] ongoing

[00:25:42] maintenance

[00:25:42] concern.

[00:25:44] As

[00:25:45] I

[00:25:45] said,

[00:25:45] there

[00:25:46] wasn't

[00:25:46] anything

[00:25:46] that I

[00:25:47] could

[00:25:53] I

[00:25:53] went

[00:25:53] back

[00:25:53] to

[00:25:53] the

[00:25:54] office

[00:25:54] and

[00:25:54] grabbed

[00:25:54] the

[00:25:54] maintenance

[00:25:55] supervisor

[00:25:55] to

[00:25:56] chat

[00:25:56] things

[00:25:57] over

[00:25:57] regarding

[00:25:57] this

[00:25:58] encounter.

[00:25:59] The

[00:25:59] maintenance

[00:25:59] supervisor

[00:26:00] explained

[00:26:01] that there

[00:26:01] used

[00:26:01] to be

[00:26:01] an

[00:26:02] old

[00:26:02] man

[00:26:02] who

[00:26:03] lived

[00:26:03] in

[00:26:03] that

[00:26:03] apartment,

[00:26:04] but his

[00:26:04] son

[00:26:05] took

[00:26:05] over

[00:26:05] the

[00:26:05] lease

[00:26:06] after

[00:26:06] he

[00:26:06] died.

[00:26:07] He

[00:26:07] told

[00:26:08] me

[00:26:08] that

[00:26:08] he's

[00:26:09] noticed

[00:26:09] a lot

[00:26:10] of

[00:26:10] strange

[00:26:10] activity

[00:26:11] and

[00:26:11] individuals

[00:26:12] around

[00:26:12] that

[00:26:12] home

[00:26:13] ever

[00:26:13] since

[00:26:13] the

[00:26:13] dad

[00:26:14] died,

[00:26:14] but

[00:26:15] he

[00:26:15] hasn't

[00:26:15] witnessed

[00:26:16] anything

[00:26:16] illegal,

[00:26:17] so

[00:26:17] he's

[00:26:18] always

[00:26:18] just

[00:26:18] let

[00:26:18] it

[00:26:19] go.

[00:26:19] He

[00:26:20] explained

[00:26:20] how

[00:26:20] he

[00:26:20] planned

[00:26:21] to

[00:26:21] have

[00:26:21] them

[00:26:22] move

[00:26:22] once

[00:26:22] the

[00:26:23] lease

[00:26:23] is

[00:26:23] up

[00:26:23] due

[00:26:24] to

[00:26:24] the

[00:26:24] condition

[00:26:24] of

[00:26:25] the

[00:26:25] home

[00:26:25] anyway.

[00:26:26] While

[00:26:27] I

[00:26:27] can't

[00:26:27] prove

[00:26:27] something

[00:26:28] horrible

[00:26:28] was

[00:26:29] going

[00:26:29] to

[00:26:29] happen

[00:26:29] if

[00:26:30] I

[00:26:30] entered

[00:26:30] the

[00:26:30] premises,

[00:26:31] this

[00:26:32] is

[00:26:32] by far

[00:26:33] the

[00:26:33] creepiest

[00:26:33] encounter

[00:26:34] that

[00:26:34] I

[00:26:34] had

[00:26:34] in

[00:26:35] property

[00:26:35] management

[00:26:36] for

[00:26:36] the

[00:26:37] past

[00:26:37] seven

[00:26:37] years.

[00:26:56] In

[00:26:57] late

[00:26:57] April

[00:26:58] 2022,

[00:26:59] a few

[00:26:59] friends

[00:27:00] and I

[00:27:00] were

[00:27:00] on a

[00:27:01] road

[00:27:01] trip

[00:27:01] through

[00:27:01] southern

[00:27:02] Illinois.

[00:27:03] We

[00:27:04] passed

[00:27:04] by

[00:27:04] Shawnee

[00:27:05] National

[00:27:05] Forest

[00:27:06] and

[00:27:06] stopped

[00:27:07] at

[00:27:07] the

[00:27:07] Trigg

[00:27:08] Observation

[00:27:08] Tower.

[00:27:10] After

[00:27:10] soaking in

[00:27:11] the

[00:27:11] beautiful

[00:27:11] view

[00:27:12] and

[00:27:12] smoking

[00:27:12] a

[00:27:12] few

[00:27:13] joints

[00:27:13] with

[00:27:13] a

[00:27:13] random

[00:27:13] stoner

[00:27:14] couple

[00:27:14] that

[00:27:14] we

[00:27:14] met

[00:27:15] along

[00:27:15] the

[00:27:15] way,

[00:27:15] we

[00:27:16] parted

[00:27:16] ways

[00:27:16] with

[00:27:17] our

[00:27:17] smoke

[00:27:17] buddies

[00:27:17] and

[00:27:18] headed

[00:27:18] out

[00:27:19] toward

[00:27:19] the

[00:27:19] campsite

[00:27:20] for

[00:27:20] the

[00:27:20] night.

[00:27:21] It

[00:27:22] was

[00:27:22] getting

[00:27:22] late

[00:27:22] and

[00:27:23] we

[00:27:23] were

[00:27:23] driving

[00:27:23] down

[00:27:23] these

[00:27:24] back

[00:27:24] roads

[00:27:24] as

[00:27:25] the

[00:27:25] sun

[00:27:25] was

[00:27:25] setting.

[00:27:26] The

[00:27:26] area

[00:27:27] that

[00:27:27] we

[00:27:27] were

[00:27:27] in

[00:27:28] was

[00:27:28] pretty

[00:27:28] isolated.

[00:27:30] Incredibly

[00:27:30] thick

[00:27:31] woods

[00:27:31] flanked

[00:27:32] both

[00:27:32] sides

[00:27:32] of

[00:27:32] the

[00:27:32] road

[00:27:33] and

[00:27:33] there

[00:27:33] weren't

[00:27:34] any

[00:27:34] other

[00:27:34] cars

[00:27:35] in

[00:27:35] sight.

[00:27:36] That's

[00:27:37] when

[00:27:37] we

[00:27:37] saw

[00:27:37] a

[00:27:38] light

[00:27:38] up

[00:27:38] ahead

[00:27:38] just

[00:27:39] barely

[00:27:39] visible

[00:27:40] through

[00:27:40] the

[00:27:40] thick

[00:27:40] brush.

[00:27:42] We

[00:27:42] slowed

[00:27:43] down

[00:27:43] thinking

[00:27:43] that

[00:27:44] it

[00:27:44] was

[00:27:44] some

[00:27:44] campers

[00:27:45] getting

[00:27:45] set up

[00:27:46] for

[00:27:46] the

[00:27:46] night

[00:27:46] or

[00:27:47] some

[00:27:47] hikers

[00:27:47] who

[00:27:48] got

[00:27:48] lost

[00:27:48] before

[00:27:49] sundown.

[00:27:50] But

[00:27:50] as we

[00:27:51] approached

[00:27:51] something

[00:27:52] seemed

[00:27:52] off.

[00:27:53] The

[00:27:54] light

[00:27:54] emanated

[00:27:55] from

[00:27:56] this

[00:27:56] old

[00:27:56] camper

[00:27:56] van

[00:27:57] and

[00:27:57] it

[00:27:57] was

[00:27:57] apparent

[00:27:58] that

[00:27:59] this

[00:27:59] thing

[00:27:59] hadn't

[00:28:00] moved

[00:28:00] in

[00:28:01] months.

[00:28:02] Vines

[00:28:02] were

[00:28:03] slowly

[00:28:03] creeping

[00:28:03] up

[00:28:04] over

[00:28:04] the

[00:28:04] canopy.

[00:28:05] The

[00:28:05] whole

[00:28:06] setup

[00:28:06] screamed

[00:28:07] abandoned.

[00:28:09] We

[00:28:09] looked

[00:28:10] back

[00:28:10] to have

[00:28:10] a second

[00:28:11] look

[00:28:11] trying

[00:28:12] to

[00:28:12] determine

[00:28:12] whether

[00:28:13] the

[00:28:13] illumination

[00:28:14] was

[00:28:14] coming

[00:28:15] from

[00:28:15] a

[00:28:15] fire

[00:28:16] or

[00:28:16] something

[00:28:17] inside

[00:28:17] the

[00:28:17] van.

[00:28:18] At

[00:28:19] first

[00:28:19] glance

[00:28:20] we

[00:28:20] didn't

[00:28:20] see

[00:28:20] anyone

[00:28:21] as

[00:28:21] we

[00:28:21] surveyed

[00:28:21] the

[00:28:21] area

[00:28:22] but

[00:28:23] when

[00:28:23] our

[00:28:23] eyes

[00:28:23] panned

[00:28:24] over

[00:28:24] there

[00:28:25] he

[00:28:26] was

[00:28:26] just

[00:28:27] feet

[00:28:28] away

[00:28:28] from

[00:28:28] the

[00:28:28] camper

[00:28:29] half

[00:28:30] hiding

[00:28:30] behind

[00:28:31] a

[00:28:31] tree.

[00:28:32] He

[00:28:32] was

[00:28:33] shirtless

[00:28:33] only

[00:28:34] in

[00:28:34] coverall

[00:28:35] pants

[00:28:35] and

[00:28:36] hiking

[00:28:37] he

[00:28:37] was

[00:28:37] staring

[00:28:38] at

[00:28:38] us

[00:28:38] and

[00:28:38] didn't

[00:28:39] reply

[00:28:39] when

[00:28:39] we

[00:28:40] shouted

[00:28:40] a

[00:28:40] hello.

[00:28:43] As

[00:28:43] he

[00:28:43] began

[00:28:44] to

[00:28:44] walk

[00:28:44] in

[00:28:44] our

[00:28:44] direction

[00:28:45] he

[00:28:45] had

[00:28:45] one

[00:28:46] hand

[00:28:46] hidden

[00:28:47] behind

[00:28:47] his

[00:28:47] back

[00:28:48] as

[00:28:48] if

[00:28:48] he

[00:28:48] were

[00:28:49] hiding

[00:28:49] something.

[00:28:51] We

[00:28:51] called

[00:28:52] out

[00:28:52] again

[00:28:52] to see

[00:28:53] if

[00:28:53] he

[00:28:53] needed

[00:28:53] assistance

[00:28:54] or

[00:28:54] knew

[00:28:55] where

[00:28:55] the

[00:28:55] campsite

[00:28:56] was

[00:28:56] but

[00:28:57] he

[00:28:57] just

[00:28:57] kept

[00:28:57] coming

[00:28:58] silent

[00:28:59] and

[00:28:59] expressionless.

[00:29:01] We

[00:29:01] didn't

[00:29:02] wait

[00:29:02] to see

[00:29:02] what

[00:29:02] he

[00:29:03] was

[00:29:03] actually

[00:29:03] up

[00:29:03] to

[00:29:04] so

[00:29:04] we

[00:29:05] got

[00:29:05] right

[00:29:05] back

[00:29:05] into

[00:29:06] the

[00:29:06] car

[00:29:06] and

[00:29:06] flew

[00:29:06] out

[00:29:07] of

[00:29:07] there

[00:29:07] dust

[00:29:08] and

[00:29:08] rocks

[00:29:08] kicking

[00:29:09] up

[00:29:09] as

[00:29:09] we

[00:29:09] took

[00:29:10] off

[00:29:10] down

[00:29:10] the

[00:29:10] road.

[00:29:11] We

[00:29:12] were

[00:29:12] pretty

[00:29:12] shaken

[00:29:12] up

[00:29:13] by

[00:29:13] the

[00:29:13] time

[00:29:13] we

[00:29:13] finally

[00:29:14] pulled

[00:29:14] into

[00:29:15] our

[00:29:15] campsite

[00:29:15] but

[00:29:16] the

[00:29:17] worst

[00:29:17] was

[00:29:18] yet

[00:29:18] to

[00:29:18] come.

[00:29:18] We

[00:29:19] had

[00:29:19] left

[00:29:19] the

[00:29:19] firewood

[00:29:20] at

[00:29:20] the

[00:29:20] gas

[00:29:21] station

[00:29:21] and

[00:29:22] with

[00:29:22] the

[00:29:22] rain

[00:29:22] everything

[00:29:23] around

[00:29:23] us

[00:29:24] was

[00:29:24] pretty

[00:29:24] wet.

[00:29:25] We

[00:29:25] ended

[00:29:25] up

[00:29:26] hanging

[00:29:26] up

[00:29:26] our

[00:29:26] hammocks

[00:29:27] and

[00:29:27] attempted

[00:29:28] to

[00:29:28] fall

[00:29:28] asleep

[00:29:29] without

[00:29:29] a

[00:29:29] fire

[00:29:29] which

[00:29:30] wasn't

[00:29:31] great

[00:29:31] for

[00:29:31] our

[00:29:31] nerves.

[00:29:33] By

[00:29:33] the

[00:29:33] time

[00:29:33] we

[00:29:34] had

[00:29:34] all

[00:29:34] started

[00:29:35] to

[00:29:35] relax

[00:29:35] we

[00:29:36] heard

[00:29:36] footsteps

[00:29:37] coming

[00:29:37] up

[00:29:37] from

[00:29:38] over

[00:29:38] the

[00:29:38] crest

[00:29:38] of

[00:29:39] the

[00:29:39] nearby

[00:29:39] hill.

[00:29:41] The

[00:29:41] steps

[00:29:42] were

[00:29:42] slow

[00:29:42] and

[00:29:43] deliberate

[00:29:43] just

[00:29:45] like

[00:29:45] the

[00:29:45] steps

[00:29:46] from

[00:29:46] the

[00:29:46] guy

[00:29:47] we

[00:29:47] had

[00:29:47] seen

[00:29:47] earlier.

[00:29:48] We

[00:29:49] killed

[00:29:49] our

[00:29:50] lights

[00:29:50] and

[00:29:51] sat

[00:29:51] there

[00:29:51] in

[00:29:51] the

[00:29:51] dark

[00:29:52] listening.

[00:29:53] It

[00:29:53] felt

[00:29:54] like

[00:29:54] eons

[00:29:54] before

[00:29:55] the

[00:29:55] steps

[00:29:55] finally

[00:29:56] stopped.

[00:29:57] We

[00:29:58] worked

[00:29:58] up

[00:29:59] the

[00:29:59] courage

[00:29:59] to

[00:29:59] look

[00:30:00] around.

[00:30:01] We

[00:30:01] took

[00:30:02] our

[00:30:02] flashlights

[00:30:02] and

[00:30:02] knives

[00:30:03] just

[00:30:03] in

[00:30:03] case

[00:30:03] and

[00:30:04] did

[00:30:04] a

[00:30:04] quick

[00:30:04] scan

[00:30:05] but

[00:30:05] didn't

[00:30:05] see

[00:30:06] anything.

[00:30:07] By

[00:30:08] then

[00:30:08] we

[00:30:08] said

[00:30:09] screw

[00:30:09] it

[00:30:09] so

[00:30:10] we

[00:30:10] started

[00:30:10] packing

[00:30:11] up

[00:30:11] our

[00:30:11] gear

[00:30:11] figuring

[00:30:12] that

[00:30:13] we

[00:30:13] would

[00:30:13] just

[00:30:13] sleep

[00:30:13] in

[00:30:14] the

[00:30:14] car.

[00:30:15] And

[00:30:16] then

[00:30:16] from

[00:30:16] behind

[00:30:16] us

[00:30:17] there

[00:30:17] was

[00:30:17] a

[00:30:17] cough

[00:30:18] and

[00:30:19] that

[00:30:19] was

[00:30:19] all

[00:30:19] we

[00:30:20] needed

[00:30:20] to

[00:30:20] pack

[00:30:21] up

[00:30:21] in

[00:30:21] a

[00:30:21] hurry

[00:30:21] and

[00:30:22] race

[00:30:22] down

[00:30:22] the

[00:30:22] trail

[00:30:23] to

[00:30:23] our

[00:30:23] car.

[00:30:24] We

[00:30:24] didn't

[00:30:25] even

[00:30:25] worry

[00:30:25] about

[00:30:26] packing

[00:30:26] up

[00:30:26] neatly

[00:30:26] we

[00:30:27] just

[00:30:27] tossed

[00:30:27] all

[00:30:28] of

[00:30:28] our

[00:30:28] stuff

[00:30:28] in

[00:30:28] the

[00:30:29] back

[00:30:29] and

[00:30:29] got

[00:30:29] out

[00:30:30] of

[00:30:30] there.

[00:30:31] The

[00:30:32] next

[00:30:32] hour

[00:30:32] was

[00:30:33] a

[00:30:33] blur

[00:30:33] of

[00:30:34] dark

[00:30:34] twisting

[00:30:35] roads

[00:30:35] with

[00:30:36] no

[00:30:36] cell

[00:30:36] phone

[00:30:37] service

[00:30:37] and

[00:30:38] not

[00:30:38] a

[00:30:38] hint

[00:30:38] of

[00:30:39] where

[00:30:39] we

[00:30:39] were

[00:30:39] going.

[00:30:40] Finally

[00:30:41] we

[00:30:41] had a

[00:30:41] paved

[00:30:42] road

[00:30:42] and

[00:30:42] after

[00:30:43] about

[00:30:43] 20

[00:30:43] more

[00:30:44] minutes

[00:30:44] and

[00:30:45] running

[00:30:45] on

[00:30:45] fumes

[00:30:46] we

[00:30:46] came

[00:30:47] to

[00:30:47] a

[00:30:47] little

[00:30:47] country

[00:30:48] store

[00:30:48] with

[00:30:48] a

[00:30:49] gas

[00:30:49] pump

[00:30:49] connected

[00:30:50] to

[00:30:50] an

[00:30:50] adorable

[00:30:50] house

[00:30:51] and

[00:30:52] auto

[00:30:52] garage.

[00:30:53] It

[00:30:54] had

[00:30:54] already

[00:30:54] closed

[00:30:54] for the

[00:30:55] night

[00:30:55] but

[00:30:55] the

[00:30:55] family

[00:30:56] living

[00:30:56] there

[00:30:56] saw

[00:30:56] us

[00:30:57] at

[00:30:57] the

[00:30:57] pump

[00:30:57] while

[00:30:58] they

[00:30:58] were

[00:30:58] having

[00:30:58] dinner

[00:30:58] and

[00:30:59] came

[00:30:59] outside

[00:30:59] to

[00:31:00] help.

[00:31:00] They

[00:31:01] even

[00:31:01] opened

[00:31:02] the

[00:31:02] store

[00:31:02] so

[00:31:02] that

[00:31:02] we

[00:31:03] could

[00:31:03] buy

[00:31:03] some

[00:31:03] snacks

[00:31:03] and

[00:31:04] pop.

[00:31:05] After

[00:31:06] what we

[00:31:06] experienced

[00:31:07] talking to

[00:31:07] them

[00:31:07] was a

[00:31:08] huge

[00:31:08] relief

[00:31:09] and

[00:31:09] let

[00:31:10] us

[00:31:10] calm

[00:31:10] our

[00:31:10] nerves.

[00:31:11] We

[00:31:11] eventually

[00:31:12] got

[00:31:12] back

[00:31:12] on

[00:31:12] the

[00:31:13] road

[00:31:13] and

[00:31:13] kept

[00:31:13] it

[00:31:13] driving

[00:31:14] six

[00:31:14] hours

[00:31:15] straight

[00:31:15] until

[00:31:16] we

[00:31:16] were

[00:31:16] finally

[00:31:17] back

[00:31:17] home.

[00:31:30] This

[00:31:31] show

[00:31:31] is

[00:31:31] sponsored

[00:31:32] by

[00:31:32] Better

[00:31:32] Help.

[00:31:33] I

[00:31:33] love

[00:31:33] decorating

[00:31:34] for

[00:31:34] the

[00:31:34] holidays.

[00:31:35] We

[00:31:54] bring

[00:31:54] yourself

[00:31:55] some

[00:31:55] comfort

[00:31:55] and

[00:31:56] it

[00:31:56] never

[00:31:57] goes

[00:31:57] away

[00:31:57] even

[00:31:58] when

[00:31:58] the

[00:31:58] seasons

[00:31:59] change.

[00:32:00] A

[00:32:00] big

[00:32:01] topic

[00:32:01] for

[00:32:01] me

[00:32:01] right

[00:32:02] now

[00:32:02] with

[00:32:02] my

[00:32:02] therapist

[00:32:03] has

[00:32:03] been

[00:32:04] comfort

[00:32:04] and

[00:32:04] relaxation.

[00:32:06] Throughout

[00:32:06] our

[00:32:06] conversations

[00:32:07] I've

[00:32:07] discovered

[00:32:08] that

[00:32:08] I

[00:32:08] honestly

[00:32:09] had

[00:32:09] no

[00:32:09] idea

[00:32:10] how

[00:32:11] to

[00:32:11] truly

[00:32:11] relax

[00:32:12] and

[00:32:12] allow

[00:32:13] myself

[00:32:13] to

[00:32:13] enjoy

[00:32:14] the

[00:32:14] experience

[00:32:15] of

[00:32:15] comfort.

[00:32:16] That

[00:32:17] is

[00:32:17] until

[00:32:17] recently

[00:32:18] when

[00:32:18] I

[00:32:18] started

[00:32:19] utilizing

[00:32:19] some

[00:32:20] of

[00:32:20] the

[00:32:20] tools

[00:32:20] that

[00:32:20] we've

[00:32:21] been

[00:32:21] working

[00:32:21] with

[00:32:21] like

[00:32:22] self

[00:32:22] talk

[00:32:22] and

[00:32:23] exposure

[00:32:23] therapy.

[00:32:24] I

[00:32:25] always

[00:32:25] used

[00:32:25] to

[00:32:25] feel

[00:32:25] guilty

[00:32:26] allowing

[00:32:26] myself

[00:32:27] to

[00:32:27] relax

[00:32:27] and

[00:32:28] enjoy

[00:32:28] life.

[00:32:29] I

[00:32:29] couldn't

[00:32:29] turn

[00:32:29] my

[00:32:29] brain

[00:32:30] off.

[00:32:30] I

[00:32:30] always

[00:32:30] felt

[00:32:31] like

[00:32:31] I

[00:32:31] needed

[00:32:31] to

[00:32:31] be

[00:32:31] working.

[00:32:32] So

[00:32:33] I'm

[00:32:33] very

[00:32:33] thankful

[00:32:33] this

[00:32:34] year

[00:32:34] for

[00:32:34] my

[00:32:34] therapist

[00:32:35] and

[00:32:35] helping

[00:32:35] me

[00:32:36] get

[00:32:36] where

[00:32:36] I

[00:32:36] am.

[00:32:37] If

[00:32:37] you're

[00:32:38] thinking

[00:32:38] of

[00:32:38] starting

[00:32:38] therapy

[00:32:39] give

[00:32:39] better

[00:32:39] help

[00:32:40] a

[00:32:40] try.

[00:32:40] It's

[00:32:41] entirely

[00:32:41] online

[00:32:42] designed

[00:32:42] to

[00:32:42] be

[00:32:43] convenient

[00:32:43] flexible

[00:32:44] and

[00:32:44] suited

[00:32:44] to

[00:32:44] your

[00:32:45] schedule.

[00:32:45] Just

[00:32:46] fill out

[00:32:46] a brief

[00:32:47] questionnaire

[00:32:47] to get

[00:32:47] matched

[00:32:48] with a

[00:32:48] licensed

[00:32:49] therapist

[00:32:49] and

[00:32:50] switch

[00:32:50] therapists

[00:32:51] at

[00:32:51] any

[00:32:51] time

[00:32:52] for

[00:32:52] no

[00:32:52] additional

[00:32:53] charge.

[00:32:54] Find

[00:32:54] comfort

[00:32:55] this

[00:32:55] December

[00:32:55] with

[00:32:56] better

[00:32:56] help.

[00:32:56] Visit

[00:32:57] betterhelp.com

[00:32:58] slash

[00:32:58] meet

[00:32:59] today

[00:32:59] to get

[00:33:00] 10%

[00:33:00] off

[00:33:00] your

[00:33:00] first

[00:33:01] month.

[00:33:01] That's

[00:33:02] better

[00:33:02] help

[00:33:02] h-e-l-p

[00:33:03] dot com

[00:33:04] slash

[00:33:04] meet.

[00:33:09] I

[00:33:09] traveled

[00:33:10] alone

[00:33:10] through

[00:33:11] the

[00:33:11] U.S.

[00:33:11] many

[00:33:12] times.

[00:33:12] This

[00:33:13] has given

[00:33:13] me a

[00:33:13] lot

[00:33:13] of

[00:33:14] opportunities

[00:33:14] to

[00:33:15] live

[00:33:15] through

[00:33:15] some

[00:33:16] absolutely

[00:33:16] bizarre

[00:33:17] situations.

[00:33:18] As

[00:33:19] such,

[00:33:19] I

[00:33:19] have

[00:33:20] two

[00:33:20] different

[00:33:20] encounters

[00:33:21] where

[00:33:21] I

[00:33:22] thought

[00:33:22] I

[00:33:22] was

[00:33:22] about

[00:33:23] to

[00:33:23] enter

[00:33:23] the

[00:33:23] nightmare

[00:33:24] of

[00:33:24] my

[00:33:24] life.

[00:33:25] Story

[00:33:25] number

[00:33:26] one.

[00:33:27] I

[00:33:27] was

[00:33:27] camping

[00:33:28] about

[00:33:28] an

[00:33:28] hour

[00:33:28] from

[00:33:29] Santa

[00:33:29] Fe,

[00:33:29] New

[00:33:29] Mexico.

[00:33:30] It

[00:33:31] was

[00:33:31] a

[00:33:31] week

[00:33:31] night

[00:33:32] and

[00:33:32] it

[00:33:32] was

[00:33:32] cold.

[00:33:33] Snow

[00:33:33] was

[00:33:34] in

[00:33:34] the

[00:33:34] forecast.

[00:33:35] I

[00:33:36] was

[00:33:36] supposed

[00:33:36] to

[00:33:36] leave

[00:33:36] early

[00:33:37] in

[00:33:37] the

[00:33:37] morning

[00:33:37] for

[00:33:38] Texas.

[00:33:39] So

[00:33:39] to

[00:33:39] negate

[00:33:40] the

[00:33:40] cold

[00:33:40] and

[00:33:41] possible

[00:33:42] snow,

[00:33:42] I

[00:33:43] slept

[00:33:43] in

[00:33:43] my

[00:33:43] jeep.

[00:33:44] In

[00:33:45] the

[00:33:45] middle

[00:33:45] of

[00:33:45] the

[00:33:45] night,

[00:33:45] an

[00:33:46] SUV

[00:33:46] literally

[00:33:47] skidded

[00:33:48] to a

[00:33:48] stop

[00:33:49] across

[00:33:49] the

[00:33:49] gravel

[00:33:50] into

[00:33:50] my

[00:33:51] campground.

[00:33:52] This

[00:33:53] woke

[00:33:53] me up

[00:33:53] and

[00:33:53] immediately

[00:33:54] put

[00:33:54] me

[00:33:54] on

[00:33:54] edge.

[00:33:55] The

[00:33:56] SUV

[00:33:56] was

[00:33:57] blasting

[00:33:57] mariachi

[00:33:58] music,

[00:33:59] which

[00:33:59] I found

[00:33:59] to be

[00:34:00] odd,

[00:34:00] but I

[00:34:01] figured

[00:34:01] these

[00:34:02] people

[00:34:02] were

[00:34:02] just

[00:34:02] drunk

[00:34:03] or

[00:34:03] high.

[00:34:04] The

[00:34:04] doors

[00:34:05] to

[00:34:05] the

[00:34:05] SUV

[00:34:05] swung

[00:34:06] open,

[00:34:06] and

[00:34:12] these

[00:34:13] people

[00:34:13] sounded

[00:34:14] like

[00:34:14] they

[00:34:14] were

[00:34:14] going

[00:34:15] to

[00:34:15] die.

[00:34:16] From

[00:34:17] inside

[00:34:17] my

[00:34:17] jeep,

[00:34:18] I

[00:34:18] was

[00:34:18] at

[00:34:19] a

[00:34:19] loss.

[00:34:20] After

[00:34:21] maybe

[00:34:21] one

[00:34:21] or

[00:34:22] two

[00:34:22] minutes,

[00:34:23] everything

[00:34:23] quieted

[00:34:24] down,

[00:34:24] so I

[00:34:25] tucked

[00:34:25] into

[00:34:26] my

[00:34:26] sleeping

[00:34:26] bag.

[00:34:27] I

[00:34:27] just

[00:34:28] stayed

[00:34:28] still,

[00:34:29] cramped

[00:34:29] up in

[00:34:30] the

[00:34:30] back

[00:34:30] of

[00:34:30] my

[00:34:30] jeep,

[00:34:31] wishing

[00:34:31] and

[00:34:32] praying

[00:34:32] for

[00:34:32] them

[00:34:32] to

[00:34:33] go

[00:34:33] away.

[00:34:34] I

[00:34:34] don't

[00:34:35] know

[00:34:35] how

[00:34:35] long

[00:34:35] this

[00:34:35] was

[00:34:35] happening

[00:34:36] since

[00:34:36] I

[00:34:37] didn't

[00:34:37] dare

[00:34:37] look

[00:34:37] at

[00:34:37] my

[00:34:38] phone,

[00:34:42] the

[00:34:43] voices

[00:34:43] were

[00:34:43] muffled

[00:34:44] and

[00:34:44] the

[00:34:44] only

[00:34:44] clear

[00:34:44] dialogue

[00:34:45] I

[00:34:45] caught

[00:34:45] was

[00:34:46] do

[00:34:47] you

[00:34:47] think

[00:34:47] someone

[00:34:47] is

[00:34:48] in

[00:34:48] there?

[00:34:48] As

[00:34:49] you

[00:34:49] can

[00:34:49] imagine,

[00:34:49] I

[00:34:50] absolutely

[00:34:50] lost

[00:34:50] my

[00:34:51] cool.

[00:34:51] I

[00:34:52] started

[00:34:52] screaming

[00:34:53] as

[00:34:53] I

[00:34:53] crawled

[00:34:54] up

[00:34:54] to

[00:34:54] the

[00:34:54] front

[00:34:54] seat

[00:34:55] where

[00:34:55] I

[00:34:55] turned

[00:34:56] on

[00:34:56] the

[00:34:56] lights

[00:34:56] and

[00:34:57] shoved

[00:34:57] the

[00:34:57] key

[00:34:57] into

[00:34:58] the

[00:34:58] ignition.

[00:34:59] As

[00:34:59] I

[00:34:59] looked

[00:35:00] up,

[00:35:00] I

[00:35:00] saw

[00:35:01] these

[00:35:01] people

[00:35:01] scattering

[00:35:02] away

[00:35:02] into

[00:35:02] the

[00:35:02] trees

[00:35:03] and

[00:35:03] down

[00:35:03] the

[00:35:04] mountain

[00:35:04] side.

[00:35:05] Ever

[00:35:05] since,

[00:35:06] I've

[00:35:07] kept

[00:35:07] a

[00:35:07] J-frame

[00:35:08] revolver

[00:35:08] in my

[00:35:09] center

[00:35:09] console

[00:35:10] whenever

[00:35:11] I

[00:35:11] travel.

[00:35:13] Story

[00:35:13] number

[00:35:14] two.

[00:35:15] This

[00:35:15] happened

[00:35:15] in

[00:35:16] Little

[00:35:16] Rock,

[00:35:16] Arkansas.

[00:35:18] I

[00:35:18] was

[00:35:18] heading

[00:35:19] to

[00:35:19] Oklahoma

[00:35:19] from

[00:35:20] the

[00:35:20] east

[00:35:20] coast

[00:35:21] to

[00:35:21] visit

[00:35:21] family

[00:35:22] for

[00:35:22] Christmas.

[00:35:23] I

[00:35:23] was

[00:35:23] too

[00:35:24] cheap

[00:35:24] to

[00:35:24] pay

[00:35:24] for

[00:35:24] a

[00:35:25] hotel

[00:35:25] so

[00:35:25] I

[00:35:25] got

[00:35:25] off

[00:35:26] at

[00:35:26] I-40.

[00:35:27] I

[00:35:27] parked

[00:35:27] behind

[00:35:28] a

[00:35:28] hotel

[00:35:28] and

[00:35:28] slept

[00:35:29] in

[00:35:29] my

[00:35:29] jeep.

[00:35:30] In

[00:35:30] the

[00:35:30] middle

[00:35:31] of

[00:35:31] the

[00:35:31] night,

[00:35:31] I

[00:35:32] was

[00:35:32] woken

[00:35:32] up

[00:35:32] by

[00:35:33] a

[00:35:33] small

[00:35:33] scraping

[00:35:34] noise.

[00:35:35] Confused,

[00:35:36] I

[00:35:36] opened

[00:35:37] my

[00:35:37] eyes

[00:35:37] and

[00:35:37] saw

[00:35:37] a

[00:35:38] figure

[00:35:38] outside

[00:35:38] attempting

[00:35:39] to

[00:35:39] work

[00:35:40] the

[00:35:40] zipper

[00:35:40] on

[00:35:40] my

[00:35:41] soft

[00:35:41] top.

[00:35:42] Horrified,

[00:35:43] I

[00:35:43] simply

[00:35:44] sat

[00:35:44] there.

[00:35:45] It

[00:35:45] wasn't

[00:35:46] until

[00:35:46] the

[00:35:46] person

[00:35:46] managed

[00:35:47] to

[00:35:47] stick

[00:35:47] their

[00:35:47] hand

[00:35:48] through

[00:35:48] the

[00:35:48] small

[00:35:49] opening

[00:35:49] that

[00:35:49] they

[00:35:49] had

[00:35:50] created

[00:35:50] that

[00:35:51] I

[00:35:51] reached

[00:35:51] out,

[00:35:52] grabbed

[00:35:52] the

[00:35:53] nearest

[00:35:53] thing

[00:35:53] to

[00:35:53] me,

[00:35:54] which

[00:35:54] was

[00:35:54] a

[00:35:54] Coleman

[00:35:55] lantern,

[00:35:55] and

[00:35:56] used

[00:35:56] it

[00:35:56] to

[00:35:56] smash

[00:35:57] their

[00:35:57] hand.

[00:35:58] Without

[00:35:59] waiting

[00:35:59] to

[00:35:59] see

[00:36:00] the

[00:36:00] result

[00:36:00] of

[00:36:00] this,

[00:36:01] I

[00:36:01] jumped

[00:36:01] into

[00:36:01] the

[00:36:02] front

[00:36:02] seat,

[00:36:02] started

[00:36:03] the

[00:36:03] ignition,

[00:36:03] and

[00:36:03] peeled

[00:36:04] out

[00:36:04] of that

[00:36:04] hotel

[00:36:05] parking lot

[00:36:05] faster

[00:36:06] than

[00:36:06] I

[00:36:06] ever

[00:36:06] left

[00:36:07] anywhere.

[00:36:08] I

[00:36:08] didn't

[00:36:09] stop

[00:36:09] for

[00:36:09] gas,

[00:36:10] red

[00:36:10] lights,

[00:36:10] or

[00:36:10] anything,

[00:36:11] and I

[00:36:11] merged

[00:36:12] back

[00:36:12] onto

[00:36:12] I-40

[00:36:13] right

[00:36:13] away.

[00:36:15] Needless

[00:36:15] to say,

[00:36:16] that was

[00:36:16] the last

[00:36:17] time I

[00:36:17] ever

[00:36:18] slept

[00:36:18] in my

[00:36:18] Jeep.

[00:36:36] This

[00:36:36] happened

[00:36:36] when my

[00:36:37] mother and

[00:36:37] I

[00:36:37] were

[00:36:37] driving.

[00:36:38] I

[00:36:39] can't

[00:36:39] recall

[00:36:39] where

[00:36:39] we

[00:36:40] were

[00:36:40] going

[00:36:40] specifically,

[00:36:41] since

[00:36:42] it

[00:36:42] was

[00:36:42] so

[00:36:43] long

[00:36:43] ago.

[00:36:44] It

[00:36:44] all

[00:36:45] started

[00:36:45] when we

[00:36:45] pulled up

[00:36:46] to a

[00:36:46] stop

[00:36:46] sign.

[00:36:47] We

[00:36:48] were

[00:36:48] stuck

[00:36:48] sitting

[00:36:48] at

[00:36:49] this

[00:36:49] stop

[00:36:51] ever,

[00:36:53] especially

[00:36:53] for a

[00:36:54] stop

[00:36:54] sign.

[00:36:55] I

[00:36:55] remember

[00:36:56] she

[00:36:56] was

[00:36:56] looking

[00:36:57] both

[00:36:57] ways,

[00:36:58] and I

[00:36:58] watched

[00:36:58] her

[00:36:59] as she

[00:36:59] looked

[00:37:00] right

[00:37:00] and

[00:37:00] then

[00:37:00] left.

[00:37:01] Then

[00:37:01] she

[00:37:02] shifted

[00:37:02] her

[00:37:02] gaze

[00:37:02] to

[00:37:03] me

[00:37:03] in

[00:37:03] the

[00:37:03] rearview

[00:37:04] mirror.

[00:37:05] She

[00:37:06] had

[00:37:06] such

[00:37:06] a

[00:37:07] gentle

[00:37:07] smile

[00:37:07] on

[00:37:08] her

[00:37:08] face,

[00:37:08] as

[00:37:09] a

[00:37:09] loving

[00:37:09] mother

[00:37:10] would,

[00:37:10] as

[00:37:11] she

[00:37:11] looked

[00:37:11] at

[00:37:11] me

[00:37:11] with

[00:37:12] love.

[00:37:13] But

[00:37:14] just

[00:37:14] like

[00:37:14] that,

[00:37:15] her

[00:37:15] face

[00:37:16] instantly

[00:37:16] went

[00:37:16] from joyous

[00:37:17] to

[00:37:18] worrisome

[00:37:18] and

[00:37:18] panicked.

[00:37:19] I

[00:37:20] saw her

[00:37:20] eyes

[00:37:21] pan

[00:37:21] from

[00:37:21] me

[00:37:22] to

[00:37:22] the

[00:37:22] seat

[00:37:23] next

[00:37:23] to

[00:37:23] me,

[00:37:24] and

[00:37:25] then

[00:37:25] I

[00:37:25] heard

[00:37:25] the

[00:37:25] rear

[00:37:26] passenger

[00:37:26] door

[00:37:26] open.

[00:37:28] As

[00:37:28] I

[00:37:28] was

[00:37:29] turning

[00:37:29] my

[00:37:29] attention

[00:37:29] from

[00:37:30] my

[00:37:30] mother

[00:37:30] to

[00:37:31] the

[00:37:31] noise

[00:37:31] of

[00:37:31] the

[00:37:32] car

[00:37:32] door

[00:37:32] being

[00:37:32] opened,

[00:37:33] I

[00:37:34] saw

[00:37:34] a

[00:37:34] man

[00:37:35] who

[00:37:35] I

[00:37:36] didn't

[00:37:36] know

[00:37:36] entering

[00:37:37] the

[00:37:37] car.

[00:37:38] He

[00:37:39] sat

[00:37:39] right

[00:37:40] next

[00:37:40] to

[00:37:40] me

[00:37:40] and

[00:37:41] instructed

[00:37:41] my

[00:37:41] mother

[00:37:42] to

[00:37:42] keep

[00:37:42] driving.

[00:37:43] There

[00:37:44] was a

[00:37:44] different

[00:37:44] vibe

[00:37:44] from

[00:37:45] this

[00:37:45] man.

[00:37:46] He

[00:37:46] didn't

[00:37:47] seem

[00:37:47] to

[00:37:47] be

[00:37:47] phased

[00:37:48] by

[00:37:48] either

[00:37:48] one

[00:37:48] of

[00:37:48] us.

[00:37:49] He

[00:37:50] wasn't

[00:37:50] phased

[00:37:50] about

[00:37:51] getting

[00:37:51] into

[00:37:51] a

[00:37:51] car

[00:37:52] with

[00:37:52] people

[00:37:52] that

[00:37:52] he

[00:37:52] didn't

[00:37:53] know.

[00:37:53] He

[00:37:54] seemed

[00:37:54] very

[00:37:54] calm

[00:37:55] and

[00:37:56] said

[00:37:56] very

[00:37:56] little.

[00:37:57] He

[00:37:58] only

[00:37:58] said

[00:37:58] just

[00:37:58] enough

[00:37:59] to

[00:37:59] get

[00:37:59] his

[00:38:00] point

[00:38:00] across.

[00:38:02] He

[00:38:02] had

[00:38:02] long

[00:38:03] salt

[00:38:03] and

[00:38:03] pepper

[00:38:03] hair.

[00:38:04] His

[00:38:05] skin

[00:38:05] had

[00:38:05] a

[00:38:05] lot

[00:38:05] of

[00:38:05] sun

[00:38:06] damage

[00:38:06] and

[00:38:07] there

[00:38:07] was

[00:38:07] an

[00:38:07] odor

[00:38:07] coming

[00:38:08] from

[00:38:08] him

[00:38:08] that

[00:38:08] truly

[00:38:09] had

[00:38:09] my

[00:38:10] nose

[00:38:10] hairs

[00:38:10] curling.

[00:38:11] The

[00:38:12] smell

[00:38:12] filled

[00:38:13] the

[00:38:13] car.

[00:38:14] I

[00:38:14] could

[00:38:14] tell

[00:38:14] that

[00:38:14] my

[00:38:15] mother

[00:38:15] could

[00:38:15] smell

[00:38:15] it

[00:38:15] too

[00:38:16] because

[00:38:16] she

[00:38:16] kept

[00:38:16] wiping

[00:38:17] the

[00:38:17] back

[00:38:17] of

[00:38:18] her

[00:38:18] hand

[00:38:18] across

[00:38:18] her

[00:38:18] nose.

[00:38:20] My

[00:38:20] mother

[00:38:21] told

[00:38:21] the

[00:38:21] man

[00:38:21] that

[00:38:21] she

[00:38:22] wanted

[00:38:22] him

[00:38:22] out

[00:38:22] of

[00:38:22] the

[00:38:22] car.

[00:38:23] She

[00:38:23] attempted

[00:38:24] to

[00:38:24] be

[00:38:24] stern

[00:38:24] and

[00:38:25] demanding

[00:38:25] but

[00:38:25] she

[00:38:26] was

[00:38:26] such

[00:38:26] a

[00:38:26] kind

[00:38:27] hearted

[00:38:27] woman

[00:38:27] that

[00:38:27] her

[00:38:28] yelling

[00:38:28] honestly

[00:38:29] sounded

[00:38:29] like

[00:38:29] singing.

[00:38:30] So

[00:38:31] of

[00:38:31] course

[00:38:31] the

[00:38:32] man

[00:38:32] was

[00:38:32] undeterred

[00:38:33] by

[00:38:33] her

[00:38:33] chirping.

[00:38:35] As

[00:38:35] he

[00:38:36] sat

[00:38:36] in

[00:38:36] the

[00:38:36] back

[00:38:36] seat

[00:38:37] he

[00:38:37] flatly

[00:38:38] said

[00:38:38] drive

[00:38:39] please

[00:38:39] you

[00:38:40] just

[00:38:41] need

[00:38:41] to

[00:38:41] take

[00:38:41] me

[00:38:42] a

[00:38:42] little

[00:38:42] further

[00:38:42] down

[00:38:42] the

[00:38:42] road.

[00:38:43] I

[00:38:44] was

[00:38:44] badly

[00:38:45] wanting

[00:38:45] to

[00:38:46] glare

[00:38:46] and

[00:38:46] stare

[00:38:47] at

[00:38:47] the

[00:38:47] man

[00:38:47] but

[00:38:47] I

[00:38:48] didn't

[00:38:49] want

[00:38:49] to

[00:38:49] upset

[00:38:49] him

[00:38:49] so

[00:38:50] I

[00:38:50] leaned

[00:38:50] as

[00:38:50] far

[00:38:50] as

[00:38:51] I

[00:38:51] could

[00:38:51] against

[00:38:51] my

[00:38:52] door

[00:38:52] and

[00:38:52] lowered

[00:38:53] my

[00:38:53] head

[00:38:53] which

[00:38:54] was

[00:38:54] in

[00:38:54] my

[00:38:55] hands

[00:38:55] down

[00:38:56] in

[00:38:56] my

[00:38:56] lap.

[00:38:57] I

[00:38:57] felt

[00:38:58] the

[00:38:58] car

[00:38:58] jerk

[00:38:58] forward

[00:38:59] as

[00:38:59] my

[00:38:59] mother's

[00:39:00] breathing

[00:39:00] became

[00:39:00] heavy.

[00:39:01] I

[00:39:02] could

[00:39:02] feel

[00:39:02] that

[00:39:03] she

[00:39:03] was

[00:39:03] particularly

[00:39:04] worried

[00:39:04] as

[00:39:05] this

[00:39:05] man

[00:39:05] was

[00:39:06] in

[00:39:06] the

[00:39:06] back

[00:39:06] seat

[00:39:06] with

[00:39:06] me.

[00:39:07] Thankfully

[00:39:08] I

[00:39:20] was

[00:39:20] always

[00:39:21] taught

[00:39:21] to

[00:39:22] never

[00:39:22] take

[00:39:22] rides

[00:39:23] from

[00:39:23] people

[00:39:23] that

[00:39:23] I

[00:39:23] didn't

[00:39:24] know

[00:39:24] so

[00:39:24] this

[00:39:25] was

[00:39:25] a

[00:39:25] pretty

[00:39:25] foreign

[00:39:26] concept

[00:39:26] to

[00:39:27] me.

[00:39:28] My

[00:39:28] poor

[00:39:29] mother

[00:39:29] though

[00:39:29] I

[00:39:30] can

[00:39:30] only

[00:39:30] imagine

[00:39:30] the

[00:39:31] things

[00:39:31] that

[00:39:31] were

[00:39:31] going

[00:39:31] through

[00:39:31] her

[00:39:32] mind

[00:39:32] as

[00:39:32] she

[00:39:32] was

[00:39:33] involuntarily

[00:39:34] chauffeuring

[00:39:35] a

[00:39:35] stranger

[00:39:36] up

[00:39:36] the

[00:39:36] street

[00:39:37] with

[00:39:37] her

[00:39:37] child

[00:39:38] in

[00:39:38] the

[00:39:38] back

[00:39:39] with

[00:39:39] him

[00:39:39] not

[00:39:39] even

[00:39:40] three

[00:39:40] feet

[00:39:40] away.

[00:39:41] We

[00:39:42] continued

[00:39:42] down

[00:39:43] the

[00:39:43] road

[00:39:43] until

[00:39:43] he

[00:39:44] suddenly

[00:39:44] leaned

[00:39:45] forward

[00:39:45] in

[00:39:45] his

[00:39:45] seat.

[00:39:46] He

[00:39:46] was

[00:39:46] gazing

[00:39:47] out

[00:39:47] the

[00:39:47] window

[00:39:48] watching

[00:39:48] the

[00:39:49] scenery

[00:39:49] go

[00:39:49] by

[00:39:49] as

[00:39:50] he

[00:39:50] reached

[00:39:50] for

[00:39:50] the

[00:39:51] handle

[00:39:51] on

[00:39:51] the

[00:39:51] rear

[00:39:52] passenger

[00:39:52] door.

[00:39:53] Here

[00:39:54] he

[00:39:54] abruptly

[00:39:54] called

[00:39:55] out.

[00:39:56] My

[00:39:56] mother

[00:39:56] then

[00:39:56] jerked

[00:39:57] the

[00:39:57] car

[00:39:57] into

[00:39:58] the

[00:39:58] dirt

[00:39:58] on

[00:39:58] the

[00:39:59] side

[00:39:59] of

[00:39:59] the

[00:39:59] road.

[00:40:00] She

[00:40:00] did

[00:40:01] this

[00:40:01] with

[00:40:01] so

[00:40:01] much

[00:40:01] urgency

[00:40:02] that

[00:40:02] the

[00:40:02] car

[00:40:02] skidded

[00:40:03] to

[00:40:03] gain

[00:40:04] traction

[00:40:04] before

[00:40:05] being

[00:40:05] able

[00:40:05] to

[00:40:05] come

[00:40:05] to

[00:40:06] a

[00:40:06] complete

[00:40:06] stop.

[00:40:07] He

[00:40:07] then

[00:40:08] flung

[00:40:08] the

[00:40:08] door

[00:40:08] open,

[00:40:09] shot

[00:40:09] up

[00:40:09] from

[00:40:09] his

[00:40:10] seat

[00:40:10] and

[00:40:10] bolted

[00:40:11] out

[00:40:11] of

[00:40:11] the

[00:40:11] car.

[00:40:12] He

[00:40:12] didn't

[00:40:12] even

[00:40:13] bother

[00:40:13] to

[00:40:13] close

[00:40:13] the

[00:40:13] door

[00:40:14] before

[00:40:14] taking

[00:40:14] off.

[00:40:15] My

[00:40:16] mother

[00:40:16] pulled

[00:40:17] back

[00:40:17] onto

[00:40:17] the

[00:40:17] road

[00:40:17] right

[00:40:18] away

[00:40:18] and

[00:40:18] sped

[00:40:18] off

[00:40:18] so

[00:40:19] fast

[00:40:19] that

[00:40:19] the

[00:40:20] door

[00:40:20] slammed

[00:40:21] itself

[00:40:21] shut.

[00:40:30] I

[00:40:31] used

[00:40:31] to

[00:40:31] live

[00:40:31] in

[00:40:31] an

[00:40:31] old

[00:40:32] Victorian

[00:40:32] house

[00:40:33] in

[00:40:33] Maryland

[00:40:33] and

[00:40:34] at

[00:40:35] the

[00:40:35] time

[00:40:35] of

[00:40:35] this

[00:40:36] story

[00:40:36] I

[00:40:36] was

[00:40:37] 10

[00:40:37] years

[00:40:42] were

[00:40:42] split

[00:40:43] into

[00:40:43] two

[00:40:43] different

[00:40:44] units

[00:40:44] and

[00:40:45] both

[00:40:45] were

[00:40:45] rented

[00:40:45] out

[00:40:46] as

[00:40:46] apartments.

[00:40:47] I

[00:40:47] was

[00:40:48] living

[00:40:48] in

[00:40:48] the

[00:40:48] apartment

[00:40:49] that

[00:40:49] was

[00:40:49] upstairs.

[00:40:50] There

[00:40:51] was

[00:40:51] a

[00:40:51] university

[00:40:52] nearby

[00:40:52] so

[00:40:52] there

[00:40:53] were

[00:40:53] a lot

[00:40:53] of

[00:40:53] college

[00:40:54] students

[00:40:54] around

[00:40:54] and

[00:40:55] there

[00:40:55] were

[00:40:55] also

[00:40:56] a lot

[00:40:56] of

[00:40:56] drug

[00:40:57] issues

[00:40:57] in

[00:40:57] the

[00:40:57] area.

[00:40:59] People

[00:40:59] were

[00:40:59] always

[00:41:00] having

[00:41:00] their

[00:41:00] houses

[00:41:01] raided

[00:41:01] or

[00:41:02] searched

[00:41:02] and

[00:41:03] they

[00:41:03] were

[00:41:03] constantly

[00:41:03] getting

[00:41:04] into

[00:41:04] fights

[00:41:04] over

[00:41:05] drugs.

[00:41:05] I

[00:41:06] honestly

[00:41:06] don't

[00:41:07] remember

[00:41:07] much

[00:41:08] non-drug

[00:41:08] related

[00:41:09] crime

[00:41:09] happening

[00:41:10] there

[00:41:10] ever.

[00:41:11] The

[00:41:12] owner

[00:41:12] of the

[00:41:12] house

[00:41:13] had

[00:41:14] told

[00:41:14] my

[00:41:14] family

[00:41:15] that

[00:41:15] the

[00:41:15] people

[00:41:15] who

[00:41:15] rented

[00:41:16] the

[00:41:16] upstairs

[00:41:17] unit

[00:41:17] previously

[00:41:18] had

[00:41:18] given

[00:41:18] them

[00:41:19] a lot

[00:41:19] of

[00:41:19] trouble

[00:41:20] and

[00:41:20] he

[00:41:20] had

[00:41:21] to

[00:41:21] kick

[00:41:21] them

[00:41:21] out.

[00:41:22] My

[00:41:23] family

[00:41:23] had

[00:41:23] just

[00:41:23] moved

[00:41:24] there

[00:41:24] for

[00:41:24] my

[00:41:24] dad's

[00:41:25] new

[00:41:25] job

[00:41:25] and

[00:41:26] we

[00:41:26] didn't

[00:41:26] have

[00:41:27] a

[00:41:27] place

[00:41:27] to

[00:41:27] live

[00:41:27] yet

[00:41:28] so

[00:41:28] we

[00:41:28] were

[00:41:29] thankful

[00:41:29] that

[00:41:30] their

[00:41:30] lease

[00:41:30] had

[00:41:30] ended

[00:41:31] early

[00:41:31] so

[00:41:32] that

[00:41:32] we

[00:41:32] could

[00:41:32] move

[00:41:33] in.

[00:41:33] If

[00:41:34] there

[00:41:34] was

[00:41:34] anything

[00:41:35] else

[00:41:35] that

[00:41:35] the

[00:41:35] owner

[00:41:36] elaborated

[00:41:37] upon

[00:41:37] about

[00:41:37] this

[00:41:37] my

[00:41:38] parents

[00:41:38] didn't

[00:41:39] share

[00:41:39] it

[00:41:39] with

[00:41:39] me.

[00:41:40] I

[00:41:41] was

[00:41:41] homeschooled

[00:41:42] online

[00:41:42] and

[00:41:43] an

[00:41:44] only

[00:41:44] child

[00:41:44] so

[00:41:45] my

[00:41:45] parents

[00:41:45] would

[00:41:46] leave

[00:41:46] for

[00:41:46] the

[00:41:46] day

[00:41:46] to

[00:41:47] go

[00:41:47] to

[00:41:47] work

[00:41:47] and

[00:41:49] completed

[00:41:49] my

[00:41:50] school

[00:41:50] work

[00:41:50] on

[00:41:51] my

[00:41:51] own.

[00:41:52] About

[00:41:52] a

[00:41:52] week

[00:41:52] after

[00:41:53] we

[00:41:53] had

[00:41:53] moved

[00:41:53] in

[00:41:54] there

[00:41:54] was

[00:41:54] this

[00:41:54] loud

[00:41:55] banging

[00:41:55] on

[00:41:56] the

[00:41:56] door.

[00:41:57] I

[00:41:57] ran

[00:41:58] down

[00:41:58] the

[00:41:58] inside

[00:41:59] stairs

[00:41:59] to

[00:41:59] open

[00:41:59] it

[00:42:00] and

[00:42:00] there

[00:42:00] was

[00:42:00] this

[00:42:01] tall

[00:42:01] thick

[00:42:02] man

[00:42:02] dressed

[00:42:03] in

[00:42:03] all

[00:42:03] black.

[00:42:04] He

[00:42:05] even

[00:42:05] had

[00:42:05] a

[00:42:05] black

[00:42:06] mask

[00:42:06] that

[00:42:06] covered

[00:42:07] his

[00:42:07] whole

[00:42:07] face

[00:42:07] with

[00:42:07] holes

[00:42:08] cut

[00:42:08] out

[00:42:08] for

[00:42:08] his

[00:42:09] eyes

[00:42:09] and

[00:42:09] mouth.

[00:42:10] As

[00:42:11] immensely

[00:42:11] stupid

[00:42:12] as

[00:42:12] this

[00:42:12] sounds

[00:42:13] this

[00:42:14] set

[00:42:14] off

[00:42:14] no

[00:42:14] alarm

[00:42:15] bells

[00:42:15] for

[00:42:15] me.

[00:42:16] The

[00:42:17] place

[00:42:17] that

[00:42:17] we

[00:42:17] were

[00:42:18] living

[00:42:18] in

[00:42:18] was

[00:42:18] cold

[00:42:19] all

[00:42:19] year

[00:42:19] round

[00:42:20] so

[00:42:20] 10

[00:42:21] year

[00:42:21] old

[00:42:21] me

[00:42:22] naively

[00:42:22] assumed

[00:42:23] that

[00:42:23] he

[00:42:23] was

[00:42:24] just

[00:42:24] dressed

[00:42:24] for

[00:42:24] the

[00:42:25] weather.

[00:42:26] Behind

[00:42:26] him

[00:42:27] I

[00:42:27] remember

[00:42:27] seeing

[00:42:28] a

[00:42:28] car

[00:42:28] parked

[00:42:29] next

[00:42:29] to

[00:42:29] the

[00:42:29] building

[00:42:30] that

[00:42:48] I

[00:42:49] know

[00:42:49] you

[00:42:49] just

[00:42:49] moved

[00:42:50] out

[00:42:50] my

[00:42:50] dad

[00:42:51] brought

[00:42:51] the

[00:42:51] mail

[00:42:51] in

[00:42:51] this

[00:42:52] morning

[00:42:52] let

[00:42:52] me

[00:42:53] go

[00:42:53] see

[00:42:53] if

[00:42:53] there's

[00:42:53] anything

[00:42:53] for

[00:42:54] you

[00:42:55] then

[00:42:55] I

[00:42:55] turned

[00:42:56] around

[00:42:56] leaving

[00:42:57] the

[00:42:57] door

[00:42:57] wide

[00:42:58] open

[00:42:58] and

[00:42:59] ran

[00:42:59] inside

[00:42:59] to

[00:43:00] retrieve

[00:43:00] the

[00:43:00] pile

[00:43:00] of

[00:43:01] mail

[00:43:02] I

[00:43:02] looked

[00:43:02] through

[00:43:02] it

[00:43:03] and

[00:43:03] I

[00:43:03] didn't

[00:43:03] see

[00:43:03] anything

[00:43:04] that

[00:43:04] didn't

[00:43:04] have

[00:43:05] my

[00:43:05] family's

[00:43:05] name

[00:43:06] on

[00:43:06] it

[00:43:06] so

[00:43:06] I

[00:43:06] returned

[00:43:07] to

[00:43:07] the

[00:43:07] door

[00:43:07] empty

[00:43:08] handed

[00:43:09] just

[00:43:09] as

[00:43:09] I

[00:43:09] was

[00:43:10] about

[00:43:10] to

[00:43:10] tell

[00:43:10] him

[00:43:10] the

[00:43:10] bad

[00:43:11] news

[00:43:11] he

[00:43:12] was

[00:43:12] gone

[00:43:12] and

[00:43:13] so

[00:43:14] was

[00:43:14] the

[00:43:14] car

[00:43:15] when

[00:43:16] my

[00:43:16] parents

[00:43:16] came

[00:43:17] home

[00:43:17] that

[00:43:17] evening

[00:43:17] I

[00:43:18] told

[00:43:18] them

[00:43:18] that

[00:43:18] the

[00:43:19] previous

[00:43:19] renter

[00:43:20] had

[00:43:20] stopped

[00:43:20] by

[00:43:20] and

[00:43:21] asked

[00:43:21] for

[00:43:21] his

[00:43:21] mail

[00:43:22] my

[00:43:23] dad

[00:43:23] had

[00:43:24] a

[00:43:24] fit

[00:43:24] and

[00:43:25] said

[00:43:25] that

[00:43:25] I

[00:43:25] should

[00:43:25] not

[00:43:40] renters

[00:43:40] and

[00:43:41] my

[00:43:41] dad

[00:43:42] said

[00:43:42] that

[00:43:42] the

[00:43:42] previous

[00:43:43] renter

[00:43:43] already

[00:43:43] knew

[00:43:44] that

[00:43:44] he

[00:43:45] was

[00:43:45] furious

[00:43:45] with

[00:43:46] me

[00:43:46] and

[00:43:46] asked

[00:43:46] what

[00:43:46] the

[00:43:47] previous

[00:43:47] tenant

[00:43:47] looked

[00:43:48] like

[00:43:48] and

[00:43:48] I

[00:43:48] described

[00:43:49] the

[00:43:49] all

[00:43:49] black

[00:43:50] outfit

[00:43:50] and

[00:43:51] mask

[00:43:51] I

[00:43:52] know

[00:43:52] enough

[00:43:52] now

[00:43:52] to

[00:43:53] know

[00:43:53] that

[00:43:53] I

[00:43:53] handled

[00:43:54] this

[00:43:54] situation

[00:43:54] entirely

[00:43:55] wrong

[00:43:55] and

[00:43:55] I'm

[00:43:56] grateful

[00:43:56] that

[00:43:56] nothing

[00:43:56] happened

[00:43:57] but

[00:43:57] I've

[00:43:57] always

[00:43:58] wondered

[00:43:58] why

[00:43:59] didn't

[00:43:59] he

[00:43:59] do

[00:44:00] anything

[00:44:01] I

[00:44:01] was

[00:44:01] home

[00:44:02] alone

[00:44:02] and

[00:44:02] this

[00:44:03] was

[00:44:03] the

[00:44:03] daytime

[00:44:03] so

[00:44:04] my

[00:44:04] parents

[00:44:04] were

[00:44:04] gone

[00:44:05] for

[00:44:05] work

[00:44:05] and

[00:44:06] wouldn't

[00:44:06] have

[00:44:06] come

[00:44:06] back

[00:44:06] until

[00:44:07] the

[00:44:07] evening

[00:44:08] I

[00:44:08] also

[00:44:09] don't

[00:44:09] even

[00:44:10] think

[00:44:10] that

[00:44:10] the

[00:44:10] other

[00:44:10] renter

[00:44:11] was

[00:44:11] home

[00:44:11] and

[00:44:12] on

[00:44:12] top

[00:44:52] from

[00:44:53] an

[00:44:53] independent

[00:44:53] winemaker

[00:44:54] with

[00:44:55] a

[00:44:55] truly

[00:44:55] unique

[00:44:56] story

[00:44:56] don't

[00:44:57] just

[00:44:57] show up

[00:44:57] with

[00:44:58] something

[00:44:58] off

[00:44:58] the

[00:44:58] shelf

[00:44:59] like

[00:44:59] I

[00:44:59] used

[00:44:59] to

[00:44:59] do

[00:45:00] check

[00:45:00] out

[00:45:01] the

[00:45:01] wines

[00:45:01] from

[00:45:02] Naked

[00:45:02] Wines

[00:45:02] Naked

[00:45:03] Wines

[00:45:03] is a

[00:45:04] subscription

[00:45:04] service

[00:45:05] that

[00:45:05] directly

[00:45:05] connects

[00:45:06] you

[00:45:06] to

[00:45:06] the

[00:45:06] world's

[00:45:06] finest

[00:45:07] independent

[00:45:07] winemakers

[00:45:08] so

[00:45:08] you