13x07: Best Creepy Wilderness Stories Part 2

[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] Pack up your camping gear because this week we're sharing another compilation of some of the creepiest wilderness episodes from the last 12 seasons of the show.

[00:00:48] That's right, this is part 2 of what has become my favorite series. We've carefully selected these terrifying tales of the wild with special attention to make sure you're good and frightened of the woods just in time for camping season.

[00:01:01] Who knows, maybe you'll learn a thing or two and avoid being one of the next letsnotmeetvictims. Enjoy the show.

[00:01:25] I grew up in Ohio in the 70s, and me and my childhood friend Joe were outside all of the time we could manage it.

[00:01:33] Joe lived on a farm that bordered a pretty big forest, and my parents would drop me off in the morning, and we'd stay in the woods all weekend.

[00:01:42] We'd only come out for school. We loved pretending that we were frontiersmen. We'd build shelters, traps, practice making fire with sticks, the whole nine yards.

[00:01:54] When we got to be in high school, we got this notion to pull a stand-by-me.

[00:01:59] This was based on the movie of the same name that had just come out.

[00:02:04] The idea was that we would walk the railroad tracks out in the country.

[00:02:09] But instead of looking for a dead body, we'd find cool bridges to fish from and camp a little ways off the tracks.

[00:02:18] Of course, we knew this was dangerous, and we'd likely be trespassing.

[00:02:25] We'd find beautiful rivers. We discovered bridges that no one went to. We fished. We hid from the trains.

[00:02:34] That night, we camped in the woods just near the tracks and made small hidden fires.

[00:02:39] Nothing bad ever happened. It was idyllic. In fact, it was so fun, we did it multiple times. Never had a problem.

[00:02:47] After high school, me and Joe went our own ways. We both left home, but always stayed in touch and

[00:02:54] always tried to coordinate visits so that we would see each other occasionally. One summer in the mid-90s,

[00:03:01] it worked out that we were both in town for about a week. We'd do stuff with the family during the day,

[00:03:08] and at night, we'd either catch drinks at a bar or sit outside Joe's house around the fire and talk about

[00:03:14] the old days. One night, me and Joe got to talking about our standby me trips. Well, nostalgia and beer

[00:03:22] are a hell of a mix. Soon, we decided to take a day and walk the rails. We would camp one night and

[00:03:29] then walk home. The day came, and we started out early in the morning. We had my wife drop us off in

[00:03:37] our old spot where we used to start, right outside our hometown. She thought this was absolutely crazy,

[00:03:43] and made sure to mention it. When she pulled away, Joe suggested that instead of walking the usual

[00:03:49] route, we'd take the opposite direction, just to be adventurous. We knew the land well. We had a map,

[00:03:56] so I gave a what-the-hell, and off we set. The day went fine. It was fun and a little sad, but in a good

[00:04:04] way. We found a bridge and sat on the edge, smoked a joint, then moved on. We had no fishing gear,

[00:04:11] but we brought some canned food and other stuff. Before night started to set in, we picked a spot to

[00:04:18] camp. It was a thick forested area, trees on every side of the train track, so you felt like you were

[00:04:25] in a tunnel. We had brought small hammocks to sleep in, but before we set them up, we decided to do a

[00:04:32] little scouting of the perimeter. Now, this is what we used to do in the old days as well.

[00:04:39] We'd walk the area around a little bit to make sure that some dude's house wasn't just over a hill,

[00:04:44] and we were actually camping in their yard. We walked maybe a hundred or so feet into the woods,

[00:04:51] up a small incline. So, we figured we didn't see anyone from the top of this short hill,

[00:04:57] and we would be fine. But when we got to the top, we saw an old building down at the bottom,

[00:05:03] about a hundred yards into the woods. It was barely visible. We pondered what to do.

[00:05:11] We both assumed that it was a sugar shack or something, because there didn't appear to be

[00:05:15] any clear road into it. From where we were, there didn't look to be anyone in it either. It was all

[00:05:24] quiet. No movement could be seen. No lights. We decided to walk a little closer, just to make sure.

[00:05:31] We came down the hill very slowly, and as we neared the building, we saw it wasn't a sugar shack at

[00:05:38] all. It was an old church. It looked like it had been abandoned for years. It was a squat,

[00:05:45] sagging building whose wooden planks were almost black from years of moss and rot. A cross still stood on

[00:05:52] top of the place, all weathered in black. None of the windows had glass, and there were no doors,

[00:05:59] just open doorways. We got close enough to see the inside, and there were rows of pews and a built-up

[00:06:06] section in front for a preacher to stand. We didn't go all the way in. We didn't want to. Beyond all that,

[00:06:14] there was no sign of anyone else. No footprints, no paths, no roads. It was an abandoned church.

[00:06:22] We left immediately and went back up the hill to our spot that we had picked to camp.

[00:06:26] Having a hill between us and the church made us feel a little better, but we were still a bit uneasy.

[00:06:33] We chalked it up to the natural creepiness of seeing a church in the middle of the woods.

[00:06:39] Besides, at this point, it was dusk, and we decided to rig up our hammocks and go to sleep

[00:06:45] and move on in the early morning. Night set in, and as we lay in our hammocks and shot the shit,

[00:06:53] we began to hear something in the direction of the church. Our conversation went a little like this.

[00:07:01] Did you hear that? What the fuck is that? It sounds like people singing, and it did sound like singing.

[00:07:10] We both slid right out of our hammocks and hunkered down, straining to hear more.

[00:07:15] We listened for a minute or two, and the singing continued, but it wasn't getting louder.

[00:07:22] Finally, we decided to creep back up the hill and see if we could spy where the sound was coming from.

[00:07:29] We could still move very quietly in the woods from the old days. It was second nature to us.

[00:07:36] The moon was barely out, but it provided just enough light so that you wouldn't walk right into a tree.

[00:07:43] But it was near pitch black. We didn't use flashlights as we slowly crept up the hill, and we didn't talk.

[00:07:51] When we got to the top, we saw a light in the distance.

[00:07:55] It was coming from the church, and the singing was coming from inside.

[00:08:01] Joe and I put our heads close together and had a hushed conversation that boiled down to,

[00:08:07] Can you believe this shit?

[00:08:10] The light looked to be a candlelight from the way that it flickered.

[00:08:15] And though we tried, we couldn't make out what was being sung.

[00:08:19] It sounded like church music, but in another language.

[00:08:24] We sat and watched for a while, trying to see who it was in there, but we only saw occasional shadows.

[00:08:32] We had no intention of getting closer, either.

[00:08:35] We had about a football-filled length between us, and we aimed to keep it that way.

[00:08:42] The singing continued for a bit, and then it stopped.

[00:08:46] After that, a booming male voice began to chant.

[00:08:52] I was already freaked out, but this voice thoroughly scared the shit out of me.

[00:08:57] It sounded like some Old Testament preacher you see in movies,

[00:09:01] but again, it was like he was speaking in a different language,

[00:09:04] because we couldn't understand a single word.

[00:09:08] Eventually, it got to where the single male voice would say something,

[00:09:12] and then a bunch of voices would answer in a song.

[00:09:17] This lasted for a while, and then they all broke into this long-sustained wail

[00:09:23] that just kept getting louder.

[00:09:27] It got so loud and so disturbing that I had to cover my ears.

[00:09:32] And it stopped.

[00:09:34] At this point, I was just getting ready to say,

[00:09:37] let's get the fuck out of here,

[00:09:38] when Joe put a hand on my shoulder and hissed,

[00:09:42] they're coming out.

[00:09:44] We were far enough away that we couldn't make them out really well,

[00:09:48] but we could see that it was a line of figures walking out the open doorway,

[00:09:53] all holding hands in single file.

[00:09:56] We could see some of them had flashlights.

[00:09:59] They began to sing again,

[00:10:01] and the light from the flashlights began to move towards us on the hill.

[00:10:06] We booked it back down to our campsite,

[00:10:08] grabbed our shit, and ran to the tracks.

[00:10:11] Once there, we ran down the tracks in the direction that we had come from.

[00:10:15] After a few minutes, we stopped and looked back,

[00:10:17] and we saw lights coming down the hill.

[00:10:20] They were actually moving erratically,

[00:10:22] like whoever was holding them was shaking them.

[00:10:27] We continued to run in spurts,

[00:10:29] and walked as fast as we could.

[00:10:32] We eventually stopped seeing the lights,

[00:10:34] and came to a road.

[00:10:36] By our map,

[00:10:37] we knew a small town was about 15 minutes down it,

[00:10:41] and we walked there,

[00:10:42] got to a 24-hour gas station,

[00:10:44] and called my wife to come get us.

[00:10:47] My wife and other friends all just thought

[00:10:50] it was kids messing around,

[00:10:52] but I heard those voices,

[00:10:54] and they sure as hell didn't sound like kids to me.

[00:10:57] Not sure who those people were,

[00:11:00] but it was definitely the creepiest thing that ever happened to me

[00:11:04] out in the woods.

[00:11:17] Since my last post here sparked quite a discussion,

[00:11:20] I decided to post another of my unsettling stories

[00:11:23] that are tied to local forests.

[00:11:25] I grew up in these forests,

[00:11:27] and I feel quite comfortable there.

[00:11:30] Nevertheless,

[00:11:31] I stumbled into a few unsettling situations there

[00:11:34] that would firmly stick in my mind forever.

[00:11:38] This is one such occasion.

[00:11:39] I was 18 at the time.

[00:11:41] One evening,

[00:11:42] me and my two friends,

[00:11:44] Mike and Paul,

[00:11:45] decided to go camping.

[00:11:46] Well,

[00:11:47] camping maybe isn't the right word,

[00:11:49] since we didn't intend to spend the night,

[00:11:51] only to chill and have some fun around the campfire for a while.

[00:11:55] The plan was simple.

[00:11:56] Head out,

[00:11:57] build a campfire,

[00:11:58] drink a few bottles of wine,

[00:12:00] eat something,

[00:12:01] and head back home for a good night's sleep.

[00:12:03] We met at my house.

[00:12:04] When it was still sunny outside,

[00:12:06] we got ready,

[00:12:07] and we headed out.

[00:12:09] Our destination was an old abandoned quarry

[00:12:12] in the middle of the woods,

[00:12:13] which was maybe 40 minutes from my house.

[00:12:16] Even though the quarry has a tragic

[00:12:18] and frankly creepy history,

[00:12:21] it's a popular place for such occasions.

[00:12:24] When we got there,

[00:12:25] the sky was already colored red

[00:12:27] as the sun slowly sank behind the hills.

[00:12:30] We quickly gathered all the firewood that we could

[00:12:32] so we wouldn't have to look for it later.

[00:12:35] As the darkness fell

[00:12:36] and absorbed all of our surroundings

[00:12:38] into impenetrable blackness,

[00:12:40] we already managed to get the fire going.

[00:12:42] We were in a great mood,

[00:12:44] and we were getting ready for our first toast.

[00:12:47] That's when we realized

[00:12:48] that we made a horrible mistake.

[00:12:52] We forgot the corkscrews.

[00:12:55] We were trying to open the wine without it,

[00:12:57] but we quickly gave up

[00:12:58] because the bottles were quite expensive

[00:13:00] and we didn't want to damage them.

[00:13:02] At this point,

[00:13:03] it was clear that one of us

[00:13:05] would have to sacrifice himself

[00:13:07] and jog back to retrieve the corkscrew.

[00:13:10] After a bit of haggling,

[00:13:11] I volunteered.

[00:13:13] However,

[00:13:13] I had two conditions.

[00:13:17] Firstly,

[00:13:18] they would give me a hatchet

[00:13:19] in case something went wrong along the way.

[00:13:21] Secondly,

[00:13:22] no pranks when I got back.

[00:13:26] Mike and Paul agreed

[00:13:27] without hesitation.

[00:13:29] They shoved a hatchet into one hand

[00:13:31] and a flashlight into the other

[00:13:33] and sent me on my way.

[00:13:34] As I was jogging through the forest,

[00:13:36] I heard a noise

[00:13:37] resembling a wild boar.

[00:13:39] Suddenly,

[00:13:41] I remembered a warning I received

[00:13:42] from an older hunter a few days ago.

[00:13:45] He said that this time of year,

[00:13:47] boars were getting dangerous,

[00:13:49] especially at night.

[00:13:50] I was a bit nervous,

[00:13:51] but luckily,

[00:13:52] I managed to survive with no harm.

[00:13:54] I arrived safely at my house,

[00:13:56] much to the surprise of my mom

[00:13:58] who didn't expect me so early.

[00:14:00] I explained the whole deal.

[00:14:02] She just laughed.

[00:14:03] I grabbed the corkscrew

[00:14:04] and was back on my way.

[00:14:07] Not wanting to experience

[00:14:08] an unpleasant boar encounter,

[00:14:10] I chose another,

[00:14:11] slightly longer path,

[00:14:13] this time through an open field.

[00:14:15] After a while,

[00:14:16] I got to our spot.

[00:14:17] It was a small clearing,

[00:14:19] surrounded on one side

[00:14:20] by massive rocks,

[00:14:22] maybe 70 meters tall,

[00:14:24] and on the other side

[00:14:25] by thick forest.

[00:14:27] Somewhere in the middle of the clearing

[00:14:28] was our campfire.

[00:14:30] When I approached it,

[00:14:31] I realized

[00:14:32] there wasn't anybody.

[00:14:35] Although our backpacks

[00:14:36] were still on the ground

[00:14:38] and the fire was burning bright.

[00:14:40] Great.

[00:14:41] We specifically agreed

[00:14:43] that there'd be no pranks

[00:14:44] when I got back.

[00:14:45] Those dicks think they're funny,

[00:14:47] I thought to myself.

[00:14:49] I resignedly sat down

[00:14:51] near the fire facing the woods.

[00:14:53] That's the only place

[00:14:55] where those two assholes

[00:14:56] could have hidden,

[00:14:56] I thought.

[00:14:57] I was really tired

[00:14:58] and all I could think about

[00:15:00] was the taste

[00:15:00] of that exquisite

[00:15:02] Pinot Noir

[00:15:02] we brought with us.

[00:15:05] I really wasn't in the mood

[00:15:06] for their games

[00:15:07] and I was getting quite mad.

[00:15:09] That's when I heard

[00:15:10] a snapping of twigs

[00:15:12] and rustling of leaves

[00:15:14] from the edge of the forest,

[00:15:15] maybe 30 meters

[00:15:17] from where I was sitting.

[00:15:18] The sound was rhythmical

[00:15:20] and it was undoubtedly

[00:15:21] the sound of somebody walking.

[00:15:24] I aimed my flashlight

[00:15:25] to the spot

[00:15:26] where the sounds were coming from.

[00:15:27] Between the trees,

[00:15:29] I spotted a tall person

[00:15:31] wearing a dark hoodie.

[00:15:33] As I shined my flashlight on him,

[00:15:35] he stopped walking,

[00:15:37] turned to me,

[00:15:37] and just kept staring

[00:15:41] motionlessly.

[00:15:42] Even though he was

[00:15:44] directly facing me,

[00:15:45] I couldn't really see his face.

[00:15:47] I shouted,

[00:15:48] Paul,

[00:15:49] I know you're trying to scare me.

[00:15:51] We agreed on something,

[00:15:53] so stop messing around

[00:15:54] and come out.

[00:15:55] As I finished,

[00:15:56] the hooded figure

[00:15:57] just turned around

[00:15:59] and walked deeper

[00:16:01] into the woods.

[00:16:03] Exactly at that time,

[00:16:05] my phone started ringing.

[00:16:07] Hastily,

[00:16:07] I took it out of my pocket.

[00:16:09] It was Mike.

[00:16:11] I took the call

[00:16:12] and started barking at him.

[00:16:14] Really funny,

[00:16:15] you assholes.

[00:16:15] I thought we agreed on something.

[00:16:18] What are you talking about?

[00:16:20] I'm talking about you

[00:16:21] trying to fuck with me.

[00:16:22] I clearly saw you,

[00:16:23] so you can come out now.

[00:16:25] Mike froze for a minute.

[00:16:27] For what seemed like an eternity,

[00:16:29] all I could hear

[00:16:30] was his heavy breathing

[00:16:32] and Paul mumbling

[00:16:33] something in the background.

[00:16:35] When he finally snapped back

[00:16:37] to reality,

[00:16:37] he just said,

[00:16:38] Dude,

[00:16:40] we're at your house.

[00:16:41] We heard some footsteps.

[00:16:43] At first,

[00:16:44] we just thought

[00:16:45] that you're trying

[00:16:46] to fuck with us,

[00:16:47] but then we got scared

[00:16:48] and decided

[00:16:49] to look after you.

[00:16:50] I forgot the phone

[00:16:51] at your house,

[00:16:52] so we couldn't even call you.

[00:16:53] Just get the hell out of there

[00:16:55] and we'll come back

[00:16:56] for our stuff together.

[00:16:58] Bullshit.

[00:16:58] That's just another one

[00:16:59] of your funny pranks

[00:17:00] and I'm not buying it.

[00:17:02] Hold on a second.

[00:17:03] For a while,

[00:17:05] all I could hear

[00:17:05] was some incoherent mumbling.

[00:17:08] Hey, what's going on?

[00:17:11] Asked the voice of my mom

[00:17:13] coming from the phone.

[00:17:15] My head suddenly spun

[00:17:18] and my heart skipped a beat

[00:17:19] as I realized

[00:17:20] that they weren't kidding.

[00:17:23] Suddenly,

[00:17:23] a freezing wave of fear

[00:17:25] ran through my body.

[00:17:28] However,

[00:17:29] I managed to convince mom

[00:17:30] that everything

[00:17:31] was just fine

[00:17:32] that she doesn't need

[00:17:33] to worry.

[00:17:35] She gave the phone

[00:17:35] back to Mike.

[00:17:36] Just leave everything

[00:17:37] and come back.

[00:17:38] We're headed out now.

[00:17:39] We'll meet you

[00:17:40] halfway there.

[00:17:41] I'm not going

[00:17:42] anywhere alone again.

[00:17:43] You better get your asses

[00:17:45] here and do it quick.

[00:17:46] I'm waiting for you.

[00:17:47] I hung up.

[00:17:49] I didn't wish

[00:17:49] to make any more noise

[00:17:51] than I already did.

[00:17:54] I quickly turned off

[00:17:55] my flashlight

[00:17:56] and started to back off

[00:17:57] from the light of fire.

[00:17:58] I moved all the way

[00:18:00] to the huge wall

[00:18:01] of rocks.

[00:18:02] I figured that

[00:18:03] if I had my back

[00:18:04] covered by the rocks,

[00:18:05] I would eliminate

[00:18:06] one of the possible ways

[00:18:07] the unwanted visitor

[00:18:09] could approach me.

[00:18:10] I was standing there

[00:18:11] in a complete darkness,

[00:18:13] trying not to make a sound

[00:18:15] while tightly clutching

[00:18:16] my hatchet,

[00:18:17] which would be,

[00:18:18] for the next half hour,

[00:18:19] my best friend.

[00:18:22] I had to constantly

[00:18:23] convince myself

[00:18:24] not to curl into

[00:18:25] a ball in fear.

[00:18:28] Even my own body

[00:18:29] started to betray me.

[00:18:30] As my hearing

[00:18:31] got worse

[00:18:32] due to my

[00:18:33] savagely beating heart,

[00:18:34] I was trying

[00:18:35] to calm myself.

[00:18:36] But then again,

[00:18:38] in worst case scenario,

[00:18:40] every little bit

[00:18:40] of adrenaline

[00:18:41] would help.

[00:18:42] After what seemed

[00:18:43] like an eternity,

[00:18:45] I spotted

[00:18:46] two weak light beams

[00:18:47] coming from the forest.

[00:18:49] I heard Paul

[00:18:50] shout my name.

[00:18:51] I've never

[00:18:52] been so relieved.

[00:18:54] I finally

[00:18:55] ran out of my hiding

[00:18:56] to greet my two friends.

[00:18:58] For quite some time,

[00:18:59] we were just

[00:19:00] standing there,

[00:19:01] laughing like

[00:19:02] maniacs from relief.

[00:19:04] We were even

[00:19:05] getting a bit cocky

[00:19:06] and we thought

[00:19:07] about staying.

[00:19:08] After all,

[00:19:09] there was just one,

[00:19:10] supposedly,

[00:19:11] creep lurking

[00:19:12] between the trees

[00:19:13] and there were

[00:19:13] three of us.

[00:19:14] Funny,

[00:19:15] just minutes earlier,

[00:19:17] I was shitting

[00:19:17] myself with fear

[00:19:18] and now I was

[00:19:20] suddenly full of

[00:19:20] tough macho bullshit

[00:19:22] thinking,

[00:19:22] what could possibly

[00:19:24] happen?

[00:19:24] In the end,

[00:19:26] healthy judgment

[00:19:26] got the better of us

[00:19:27] and we decided

[00:19:28] to leave.

[00:19:29] We packed our things,

[00:19:31] put out the fire

[00:19:32] and got out.

[00:19:33] We took our bottles

[00:19:34] of wine to enjoy

[00:19:35] somewhere else,

[00:19:37] somewhere where it's

[00:19:38] nice and

[00:19:39] brightly lit.

[00:19:55] Years ago,

[00:19:57] when I was still

[00:19:57] a teenager,

[00:19:58] my friend Justin

[00:19:59] and I would often

[00:20:00] go longboarding

[00:20:01] at night

[00:20:02] as my friends

[00:20:03] were quite

[00:20:05] the night owls.

[00:20:06] We loved the

[00:20:07] freedom of almost

[00:20:08] never seeing

[00:20:09] another soul

[00:20:10] on the roads

[00:20:11] or the paths

[00:20:12] that we frequented.

[00:20:13] Even when using

[00:20:14] the main roads,

[00:20:16] it would be very

[00:20:17] rare to see a car

[00:20:18] out so late

[00:20:19] in such a rural

[00:20:20] area and you could

[00:20:22] see and hear them

[00:20:23] coming from very

[00:20:24] far away due to

[00:20:25] their headlights

[00:20:26] and the noise

[00:20:27] of the vehicle

[00:20:27] disrupting the

[00:20:28] peaceful silence

[00:20:29] of the night.

[00:20:30] We were really

[00:20:31] into it at the time

[00:20:32] and would often

[00:20:33] ride our boards

[00:20:34] for miles and miles,

[00:20:36] sometimes not

[00:20:37] arriving home

[00:20:38] until the sun

[00:20:38] was up.

[00:20:39] One particular night,

[00:20:41] we decided to

[00:20:42] ride a few miles

[00:20:43] away from our

[00:20:44] usual back roads

[00:20:45] to take one

[00:20:46] of our favorite

[00:20:47] hidden routes.

[00:20:48] It began with

[00:20:49] a narrow,

[00:20:50] paved path

[00:20:51] that was

[00:20:52] the only piece

[00:20:53] of land

[00:20:54] separating two sides

[00:20:55] of a long lake.

[00:20:57] It would often

[00:20:57] sink under

[00:20:58] due to the rain

[00:20:59] and we wanted

[00:21:00] to seize the

[00:21:01] opportunity to

[00:21:02] use it before

[00:21:02] it rained and

[00:21:03] went underwater

[00:21:04] again.

[00:21:05] It was roughly

[00:21:06] two miles long

[00:21:07] and was extremely

[00:21:08] relaxing to ride

[00:21:09] through due to

[00:21:10] the scenery.

[00:21:11] After making it

[00:21:12] to the end of

[00:21:13] the lake,

[00:21:14] we decided to

[00:21:15] continue moving

[00:21:16] and turn into

[00:21:17] a very close

[00:21:17] path that leads

[00:21:18] directly into

[00:21:19] a densely wooded

[00:21:20] wilderness

[00:21:21] preservation.

[00:21:22] As we came up

[00:21:23] to the first hill,

[00:21:24] we looked down

[00:21:25] at the bottom

[00:21:26] into the complete

[00:21:27] blackness.

[00:21:28] We both noticed

[00:21:30] what appeared to

[00:21:31] be a tiny

[00:21:32] moving ball

[00:21:32] of dim light

[00:21:33] down there.

[00:21:34] It moved so

[00:21:36] strangely

[00:21:36] and it was

[00:21:37] extremely difficult

[00:21:38] to make out

[00:21:39] what it was.

[00:21:41] Rather than

[00:21:42] shine our

[00:21:42] flashlight down,

[00:21:44] we curiously

[00:21:45] watched for a few

[00:21:46] moments,

[00:21:46] whispering to each

[00:21:47] other about what

[00:21:48] it could possibly

[00:21:49] be.

[00:21:50] All at once,

[00:21:52] that small light

[00:21:53] turned into

[00:21:53] multiple

[00:21:54] blinding lights

[00:21:55] and extremely

[00:21:56] loud revving

[00:21:57] sounds.

[00:21:58] Overwhelming

[00:21:59] our senses

[00:22:00] that had become

[00:22:01] accustomed to

[00:22:01] the dark

[00:22:02] and silence,

[00:22:03] acting purely

[00:22:04] on fear,

[00:22:05] we instantly

[00:22:06] turned around

[00:22:07] and ran as

[00:22:08] fast as we

[00:22:09] could,

[00:22:10] hearing yelling

[00:22:11] and revving

[00:22:12] gaining behind

[00:22:12] us.

[00:22:13] By sheer luck,

[00:22:15] we managed to

[00:22:15] run off the

[00:22:16] path into a

[00:22:17] very dark,

[00:22:18] very overgrown

[00:22:19] hole in the

[00:22:20] side of a hill

[00:22:20] overlooking

[00:22:21] where we had

[00:22:22] just come

[00:22:22] from.

[00:22:23] We decided

[00:22:24] to hide

[00:22:25] in the

[00:22:26] natural dugout

[00:22:26] of this hill,

[00:22:27] hoping the

[00:22:28] plants and

[00:22:28] the darkness

[00:22:29] would be

[00:22:29] enough to

[00:22:30] protect us

[00:22:30] from whatever

[00:22:31] was happening

[00:22:32] out there.

[00:22:32] We watched

[00:22:33] our pursuers

[00:22:34] right up to

[00:22:35] where we had

[00:22:36] originally been

[00:22:36] standing.

[00:22:37] There were

[00:22:38] four men,

[00:22:39] two on

[00:22:40] four-wheelers

[00:22:41] and two on

[00:22:42] full-sized

[00:22:43] motorcycles.

[00:22:44] They were

[00:22:45] yelling at

[00:22:45] each other

[00:22:45] about something,

[00:22:47] but we

[00:22:47] couldn't make

[00:22:48] out what they

[00:22:48] were saying

[00:22:49] due to the

[00:22:49] distance we

[00:22:50] had covered.

[00:22:51] We felt

[00:22:51] safe enough

[00:22:52] to whisper

[00:22:53] very softly

[00:22:53] to each

[00:22:54] other and

[00:22:55] speculate who

[00:22:56] these people

[00:22:56] could be.

[00:22:58] Our first

[00:22:59] thought was

[00:22:59] that they

[00:22:59] might be

[00:23:00] park rangers

[00:23:01] of some

[00:23:02] kind,

[00:23:02] although we

[00:23:03] had never

[00:23:03] seen one

[00:23:04] here in the

[00:23:05] many times

[00:23:06] that we had

[00:23:06] been through,

[00:23:07] and honestly,

[00:23:08] we doubted

[00:23:09] that this

[00:23:09] county had

[00:23:10] the budget

[00:23:10] or even

[00:23:11] the desire

[00:23:11] to have

[00:23:12] anyone patrol

[00:23:12] the deep

[00:23:13] woods at

[00:23:13] night.

[00:23:14] Besides

[00:23:15] that,

[00:23:15] these men

[00:23:16] were on

[00:23:16] vehicles,

[00:23:18] entirely

[00:23:18] inappropriate

[00:23:19] for the

[00:23:19] paved bike

[00:23:20] trails,

[00:23:21] and they

[00:23:22] were very

[00:23:22] angry about

[00:23:23] something.

[00:23:25] They called

[00:23:25] out to us

[00:23:26] for a while,

[00:23:27] yelling things

[00:23:27] like,

[00:23:28] we know

[00:23:29] you're out

[00:23:29] there,

[00:23:30] and we

[00:23:31] can see

[00:23:31] you,

[00:23:32] come on

[00:23:32] out.

[00:23:33] We stayed

[00:23:34] silent and

[00:23:35] decided to

[00:23:35] call their

[00:23:36] bluff instead

[00:23:36] of running.

[00:23:38] Eventually,

[00:23:38] we clearly

[00:23:39] heard one of

[00:23:40] the men

[00:23:40] yell,

[00:23:41] find them

[00:23:42] now,

[00:23:43] and they

[00:23:44] smashed

[00:23:44] a bottle.

[00:23:46] that had

[00:23:47] erased any

[00:23:48] hope we

[00:23:49] had of

[00:23:50] these men

[00:23:51] just being

[00:23:51] park rangers.

[00:23:53] We watched

[00:23:54] them split

[00:23:54] up,

[00:23:55] each of

[00:23:55] them going

[00:23:55] a different

[00:23:56] way down

[00:23:57] a series

[00:23:57] of paths

[00:23:58] on their

[00:23:58] vehicles,

[00:23:59] including the

[00:24:00] path that

[00:24:01] we came

[00:24:01] from.

[00:24:02] It took

[00:24:02] us what

[00:24:03] felt like

[00:24:03] ages to

[00:24:04] even move.

[00:24:05] We were

[00:24:05] frozen in

[00:24:06] terror inside

[00:24:07] the dugout,

[00:24:08] watching the

[00:24:09] lights from

[00:24:10] the vehicles

[00:24:10] travel through

[00:24:11] the woods

[00:24:12] and the

[00:24:12] paths,

[00:24:13] one of

[00:24:14] them already

[00:24:14] coming full

[00:24:15] circle and

[00:24:16] passing the

[00:24:17] point he

[00:24:17] started from.

[00:24:19] I thought

[00:24:20] about calling

[00:24:21] for help,

[00:24:21] but I was

[00:24:22] too afraid to

[00:24:22] open my

[00:24:23] phone in

[00:24:24] fear that

[00:24:24] the smallest

[00:24:25] amount of

[00:24:25] light would

[00:24:26] give away

[00:24:26] our location.

[00:24:28] After waiting

[00:24:29] for the lights

[00:24:29] of the vehicles

[00:24:30] to reach

[00:24:31] their farthest

[00:24:31] distance yet,

[00:24:33] we finally

[00:24:34] summoned up

[00:24:34] the nerve

[00:24:35] to get up

[00:24:36] and try to

[00:24:37] run somewhere

[00:24:38] far enough

[00:24:39] from these

[00:24:39] people to

[00:24:40] safely make a

[00:24:41] call.

[00:24:42] We ran as

[00:24:43] hard and

[00:24:44] fast as we

[00:24:44] could through

[00:24:45] the woods.

[00:24:46] Since their

[00:24:46] headlights gave

[00:24:47] away their

[00:24:48] location on

[00:24:49] these paths,

[00:24:49] we would hide

[00:24:50] again whenever

[00:24:51] we felt they

[00:24:52] were getting

[00:24:52] too close.

[00:24:53] Our available

[00:24:55] hiding spots

[00:24:56] were getting

[00:24:56] progressively worse

[00:24:57] as the woods

[00:24:58] became less

[00:24:59] dense, and

[00:25:00] the fear I

[00:25:00] felt waiting

[00:25:01] for them to

[00:25:03] drive past

[00:25:03] us while

[00:25:05] basically only

[00:25:06] being covered

[00:25:06] in leaves and

[00:25:07] plants may

[00:25:08] still be

[00:25:09] unmatched to

[00:25:10] this day.

[00:25:12] Finally, we

[00:25:13] emerged from

[00:25:13] the woods

[00:25:14] onto the

[00:25:15] intersection of

[00:25:16] two main

[00:25:16] roads far

[00:25:17] from where

[00:25:18] we started.

[00:25:19] We ducked

[00:25:20] down into

[00:25:20] the ditch

[00:25:21] to call

[00:25:21] for help.

[00:25:23] the road.

[00:25:24] When I opened

[00:25:24] my phone, I

[00:25:25] noticed I

[00:25:26] had recently

[00:25:26] missed calls

[00:25:27] from one of

[00:25:27] our other

[00:25:28] friends, Connor,

[00:25:29] who we were

[00:25:30] supposed to

[00:25:31] meet up with

[00:25:32] after our

[00:25:32] long board

[00:25:33] excursion.

[00:25:35] I called

[00:25:36] and frantically

[00:25:37] asked where

[00:25:37] he was.

[00:25:39] Luck was

[00:25:39] with us

[00:25:40] again.

[00:25:40] He hadn't

[00:25:41] given up on

[00:25:42] our plans

[00:25:42] despite us

[00:25:43] ignoring him

[00:25:44] and was only

[00:25:44] a few miles

[00:25:45] away, already

[00:25:46] heading in our

[00:25:47] direction.

[00:25:48] I gave him

[00:25:49] the names of

[00:25:50] the two

[00:25:50] streets we

[00:25:51] were near

[00:25:52] the corner

[00:25:53] of and

[00:25:53] explained that

[00:25:54] he needed to

[00:25:55] pick us up

[00:25:56] right away.

[00:25:57] He agreed

[00:25:58] and sped over

[00:25:59] to us while

[00:26:00] Justin and I

[00:26:01] waited in

[00:26:02] hiding.

[00:26:03] Thankfully,

[00:26:03] Connor arrived

[00:26:04] before those

[00:26:05] men did.

[00:26:05] We bolted

[00:26:06] into the

[00:26:07] back seats

[00:26:07] of his car

[00:26:08] yelling for

[00:26:09] him to

[00:26:09] get out

[00:26:10] of there

[00:26:10] and he

[00:26:11] took off.

[00:26:13] Relief

[00:26:13] doesn't begin

[00:26:14] to describe

[00:26:14] what I felt

[00:26:16] being safely

[00:26:16] driven home

[00:26:17] after what

[00:26:18] I had just

[00:26:18] experienced.

[00:26:20] After

[00:26:21] explaining

[00:26:21] everything that

[00:26:22] happened to

[00:26:22] Connor,

[00:26:23] we ended

[00:26:23] up just

[00:26:24] moving on

[00:26:24] with our

[00:26:25] night and

[00:26:25] decided not

[00:26:26] to call

[00:26:26] the police.

[00:26:26] We figured

[00:26:27] they would

[00:26:28] be gone

[00:26:28] by the time

[00:26:29] any kind

[00:26:29] of officer

[00:26:30] made it out

[00:26:30] there and

[00:26:31] that we

[00:26:32] would only

[00:26:32] be putting

[00:26:32] ourselves

[00:26:33] at risk

[00:26:33] by admitting

[00:26:34] to breaking

[00:26:35] the law

[00:26:35] by taking

[00:26:36] those paths

[00:26:37] so late

[00:26:37] at night.

[00:26:38] I still

[00:26:39] have no

[00:26:39] idea what

[00:26:40] happened or

[00:26:40] who those

[00:26:41] people were.

[00:26:43] I've been

[00:26:44] told all kinds

[00:26:44] of theories

[00:26:45] from friends

[00:26:45] and family

[00:26:46] that have

[00:26:47] heard this

[00:26:47] story.

[00:26:48] Some think

[00:26:49] we walked

[00:26:50] right up

[00:26:50] to a huge

[00:26:51] drug deal.

[00:26:52] Justin and

[00:26:52] I later

[00:26:53] admitted to

[00:26:53] each other

[00:26:54] that when

[00:26:55] the revving

[00:26:55] started and

[00:26:57] we couldn't

[00:26:57] see,

[00:26:57] our minds

[00:26:58] both went

[00:26:58] straight to

[00:26:59] chainsaw

[00:27:00] wielding

[00:27:00] horror movie

[00:27:01] serial killer.

[00:27:03] I suppose

[00:27:04] it could

[00:27:05] have been

[00:27:05] much worse.

[00:27:06] Frustratingly

[00:27:07] enough,

[00:27:08] whatever those

[00:27:08] men thought

[00:27:09] we saw

[00:27:10] that made

[00:27:11] them want

[00:27:11] to catch

[00:27:12] us so

[00:27:12] badly,

[00:27:13] we never

[00:27:14] actually saw.

[00:27:15] We'll never

[00:27:16] really know.

[00:27:35] My good

[00:27:36] friend Katie

[00:27:37] and I went

[00:27:37] on a camping

[00:27:38] trip several

[00:27:39] years ago as

[00:27:40] a way to

[00:27:41] briefly escape

[00:27:42] the stress

[00:27:42] of Los

[00:27:43] Angeles life.

[00:27:44] life.

[00:27:45] We had

[00:27:45] no idea

[00:27:46] what was

[00:27:46] in store

[00:27:46] for us

[00:27:47] when we

[00:27:47] drove up

[00:27:48] to that

[00:27:48] small

[00:27:48] northern

[00:27:49] California

[00:27:49] town,

[00:27:50] and I

[00:27:51] didn't

[00:27:51] know much

[00:27:51] about it

[00:27:52] before the

[00:27:52] trip.

[00:27:54] Our

[00:27:54] original plan

[00:27:55] to hike

[00:27:55] seven miles

[00:27:56] to a

[00:27:56] campsite

[00:27:57] failed due

[00:27:58] to a

[00:27:58] recent fire

[00:27:59] in the

[00:27:59] area totally

[00:28:00] obliterating

[00:28:01] the trail.

[00:28:02] So,

[00:28:03] with absolutely

[00:28:04] no cell

[00:28:05] phone reception,

[00:28:06] we made

[00:28:07] do with

[00:28:08] an old

[00:28:08] printed

[00:28:09] ranger map.

[00:28:10] We picked

[00:28:11] a campground

[00:28:11] that was

[00:28:12] next to a

[00:28:12] lake,

[00:28:13] and then

[00:28:14] set off.

[00:28:15] The map

[00:28:16] took us

[00:28:16] on this

[00:28:17] very winding,

[00:28:18] very rocky,

[00:28:19] very remote

[00:28:20] road into

[00:28:21] truly the

[00:28:22] middle of

[00:28:22] nowhere.

[00:28:23] It was

[00:28:24] an hour

[00:28:24] of basically

[00:28:25] off-roading

[00:28:26] before we

[00:28:27] reached the

[00:28:27] intended

[00:28:28] campground.

[00:28:29] It was

[00:28:29] very isolated,

[00:28:30] surrounded by

[00:28:31] a dense

[00:28:32] forest with

[00:28:33] no evidence

[00:28:34] of other

[00:28:34] campers having

[00:28:35] been in the

[00:28:36] area recently.

[00:28:37] It would

[00:28:38] have to

[00:28:38] do,

[00:28:39] so we

[00:28:40] made camp,

[00:28:41] ate dinner,

[00:28:41] and played

[00:28:42] cards until

[00:28:43] it started

[00:28:43] getting dark.

[00:28:45] That's when

[00:28:46] things got

[00:28:47] strange.

[00:28:48] When I say

[00:28:49] that it got

[00:28:50] dark, I

[00:28:50] mean pitch

[00:28:51] black.

[00:28:52] No stars,

[00:28:54] no moonlight,

[00:28:55] just a thick

[00:28:56] black void

[00:28:56] of nothingness

[00:28:58] all around

[00:28:59] us.

[00:29:00] There was

[00:29:00] absolutely

[00:29:01] no sound,

[00:29:02] no crickets,

[00:29:04] no fog,

[00:29:04] no wind,

[00:29:06] nothing.

[00:29:07] Very

[00:29:08] unusual for

[00:29:09] being so

[00:29:10] close to

[00:29:10] a body

[00:29:11] of water.

[00:29:12] It was

[00:29:13] 10pm when

[00:29:14] we got to

[00:29:14] our tents.

[00:29:16] There was

[00:29:16] something unsettling

[00:29:17] about this

[00:29:18] place.

[00:29:18] I was on

[00:29:19] high alert

[00:29:20] in this

[00:29:21] sensory-deprived

[00:29:22] environment,

[00:29:23] listening hard

[00:29:24] for any

[00:29:25] sound.

[00:29:26] It just

[00:29:27] didn't feel

[00:29:27] right.

[00:29:29] At 1130,

[00:29:30] I told

[00:29:31] Katie,

[00:29:32] there's no

[00:29:32] way I'm

[00:29:33] going to be

[00:29:34] able to

[00:29:34] sleep.

[00:29:34] I just

[00:29:35] can't

[00:29:35] calm down.

[00:29:37] As soon

[00:29:38] as I said

[00:29:38] those words,

[00:29:40] a bright,

[00:29:41] strobing light

[00:29:42] lit up

[00:29:42] the blackness.

[00:29:44] My heart

[00:29:45] stopped.

[00:29:45] It was like

[00:29:46] someone was

[00:29:46] flashing a

[00:29:47] strobe light

[00:29:48] right outside

[00:29:48] of our tents.

[00:29:50] After a

[00:29:50] moment of

[00:29:51] shock,

[00:29:51] Katie whispered,

[00:29:52] it's the

[00:29:53] campfire.

[00:29:54] It must

[00:29:55] have sparked

[00:29:56] back to

[00:29:56] life?

[00:29:58] Sparked

[00:29:59] back to

[00:29:59] life being

[00:30:00] a huge

[00:30:01] understatement.

[00:30:02] This thing

[00:30:03] went from

[00:30:03] dead out

[00:30:04] to roaring

[00:30:05] as if

[00:30:05] someone had

[00:30:06] thrown an

[00:30:06] accelerant on

[00:30:07] it.

[00:30:08] It had

[00:30:08] been three

[00:30:09] hours since

[00:30:10] we put it

[00:30:10] out,

[00:30:11] and again

[00:30:11] there was

[00:30:12] no wind.

[00:30:14] We were

[00:30:14] both

[00:30:15] experienced

[00:30:16] campers.

[00:30:16] We knew

[00:30:17] how to

[00:30:17] put a

[00:30:18] fire out

[00:30:18] thoroughly.

[00:30:19] This made

[00:30:20] no sense.

[00:30:21] Maybe we

[00:30:22] weren't the

[00:30:22] only people

[00:30:23] at that

[00:30:24] campsite

[00:30:24] after all.

[00:30:26] No thank

[00:30:27] you.

[00:30:27] Time to

[00:30:28] go.

[00:30:29] Thoroughly

[00:30:30] freaked out,

[00:30:31] I started

[00:30:31] ripping down

[00:30:32] the tents

[00:30:33] and throwing

[00:30:33] them into

[00:30:34] the car.

[00:30:35] Katie once

[00:30:36] again doused

[00:30:36] the campfire.

[00:30:38] Despite my

[00:30:39] hurry to

[00:30:40] leave,

[00:30:41] I glanced

[00:30:41] over into

[00:30:42] the black

[00:30:42] forest and

[00:30:43] I saw a

[00:30:43] little pin

[00:30:44] of light

[00:30:45] shining.

[00:30:47] I alerted

[00:30:48] Katie,

[00:30:48] and we both

[00:30:49] looked over

[00:30:49] to see what

[00:30:50] became very

[00:30:51] clearly two

[00:30:52] bright shining

[00:30:52] eyes looking

[00:30:53] right back at

[00:30:54] us about 15

[00:30:55] feet away.

[00:30:56] No doubt

[00:30:56] the eyeshine

[00:30:57] of some

[00:30:58] animal.

[00:30:59] In fact,

[00:31:00] this was the

[00:31:01] only animal

[00:31:01] life that we

[00:31:02] had seen

[00:31:02] since arriving.

[00:31:04] It clearly

[00:31:05] wasn't scared

[00:31:06] of us at

[00:31:06] all despite

[00:31:07] having the

[00:31:08] car headlights

[00:31:09] on bright

[00:31:10] and making a

[00:31:11] ton of noise

[00:31:11] in our frenzy

[00:31:12] to get out

[00:31:12] of there.

[00:31:14] We ran to

[00:31:15] the car and

[00:31:15] locked the

[00:31:15] doors.

[00:31:16] Now we

[00:31:17] just had to

[00:31:17] make it back

[00:31:18] to town in

[00:31:18] the pitch

[00:31:19] blackness,

[00:31:19] down this

[00:31:20] sketchy,

[00:31:21] rough road.

[00:31:21] God forbid we

[00:31:22] pop a tire on

[00:31:23] a rock and

[00:31:24] get stranded

[00:31:25] in the dark.

[00:31:26] Going slowly

[00:31:28] and carefully,

[00:31:28] we make it

[00:31:29] about a quarter

[00:31:30] of the way

[00:31:30] back when

[00:31:31] suddenly we

[00:31:32] see car

[00:31:33] headlights in

[00:31:34] the distance.

[00:31:35] Headlights

[00:31:36] coming towards

[00:31:36] us.

[00:31:38] Who would be

[00:31:38] driving on

[00:31:39] this dangerous

[00:31:40] road at

[00:31:40] 1230 at

[00:31:41] night?

[00:31:42] We suddenly

[00:31:43] realized how

[00:31:44] stupid we

[00:31:45] had been on

[00:31:46] our way to

[00:31:47] the campsite.

[00:31:48] We had

[00:31:49] stopped several

[00:31:49] times to get out

[00:31:50] and explore

[00:31:51] potential trail

[00:31:52] heads.

[00:31:53] Any lurking

[00:31:54] onlooker would

[00:31:55] have seen two

[00:31:56] young girls

[00:31:57] heading no

[00:31:58] doubt for the

[00:31:59] only campsite

[00:32:00] at the dead

[00:32:01] end of this

[00:32:01] rural road.

[00:32:04] 1230am seemed

[00:32:06] like just the

[00:32:07] time someone

[00:32:08] with some

[00:32:09] terrible intentions

[00:32:10] might think that

[00:32:11] we would be

[00:32:12] asleep and

[00:32:12] vulnerable.

[00:32:14] We held our

[00:32:15] breath as we

[00:32:15] were forced to

[00:32:16] pull over on

[00:32:17] this narrow

[00:32:17] road to let

[00:32:18] them pass.

[00:32:19] But they

[00:32:21] didn't pass.

[00:32:22] The oncoming

[00:32:23] car just

[00:32:24] stopped,

[00:32:25] blocking the

[00:32:26] road completely.

[00:32:28] They repeatedly

[00:32:29] flashed their

[00:32:30] headlights at

[00:32:31] us.

[00:32:31] We waited.

[00:32:33] They flashed

[00:32:35] again.

[00:32:36] We waited

[00:32:37] again.

[00:32:38] Finally, the

[00:32:39] car started

[00:32:40] slowly crawling

[00:32:41] forward until

[00:32:42] it was exactly

[00:32:43] parallel to

[00:32:44] our car.

[00:32:45] Then it

[00:32:46] stopped.

[00:32:48] in the car

[00:32:49] was a man

[00:32:49] staring fiercely

[00:32:51] at us from

[00:32:51] the old

[00:32:52] beater,

[00:32:53] probably a

[00:32:54] Honda Accord.

[00:32:55] It had its

[00:32:56] back passenger

[00:32:57] window busted

[00:32:58] out and was

[00:32:59] replaced with

[00:32:59] duct tape.

[00:33:01] It glared at

[00:33:02] us with these

[00:33:03] dark eyes for

[00:33:04] what felt like

[00:33:05] an eternity,

[00:33:06] just staring,

[00:33:08] getting a good

[00:33:09] look at us,

[00:33:11] before he

[00:33:12] finally continued

[00:33:12] to slowly crawl

[00:33:13] away,

[00:33:14] disappearing into

[00:33:15] the night.

[00:33:15] Having said

[00:33:16] nothing,

[00:33:19] after he

[00:33:19] passed we

[00:33:20] continued on

[00:33:21] our way and

[00:33:22] spent the

[00:33:22] rest of our

[00:33:23] trip at this

[00:33:24] cute and

[00:33:24] safe family

[00:33:25] campsite.

[00:33:27] There is still

[00:33:28] no doubt in

[00:33:29] my mind that

[00:33:30] had he come

[00:33:31] across us

[00:33:31] sleeping at

[00:33:32] the campsite,

[00:33:33] we would

[00:33:34] have been in

[00:33:34] serious danger.

[00:33:36] Looking back

[00:33:37] now, I'm

[00:33:38] grateful for

[00:33:39] the spooky

[00:33:40] flaring up of

[00:33:40] the campfire and

[00:33:41] the mysterious

[00:33:42] animal eyes in

[00:33:43] the dark,

[00:33:44] because those

[00:33:44] are the things

[00:33:45] that actually

[00:33:46] scared us

[00:33:46] enough to

[00:33:47] get in the

[00:33:47] car and

[00:33:48] get the

[00:33:48] fuck out of

[00:33:49] there just

[00:33:49] in time to

[00:33:50] avoid that

[00:33:51] more than

[00:33:51] likely murderer

[00:33:53] headed directly

[00:33:54] for our

[00:33:55] campsite.

[00:33:56] Perhaps it

[00:33:57] was the

[00:33:58] intervention of

[00:33:59] the round

[00:34:00] valley Native

[00:34:01] American spirits

[00:34:02] rumored to

[00:34:03] haunt the

[00:34:03] area.

[00:34:04] I kind of

[00:34:05] like to think

[00:34:06] so, but

[00:34:07] either way,

[00:34:08] creepy campsite

[00:34:09] lurker,

[00:34:10] let's never

[00:34:11] meet.

[00:34:12] So me,

[00:34:27] my boyfriend,

[00:34:28] his best

[00:34:29] friend,

[00:34:29] and his

[00:34:30] girlfriend drove

[00:34:31] up to

[00:34:31] Big Bear

[00:34:31] on June

[00:34:32] 26th.

[00:34:33] Then a day

[00:34:34] later, another

[00:34:35] friend of ours

[00:34:36] drove up on

[00:34:37] June 27th.

[00:34:38] He was supposed

[00:34:39] to sleep

[00:34:40] downstairs,

[00:34:41] and the

[00:34:41] couple slept

[00:34:42] upstairs,

[00:34:43] since there

[00:34:43] are only two

[00:34:44] bedrooms.

[00:34:45] The first night

[00:34:46] that we stayed

[00:34:47] there, it was

[00:34:48] a little creepy

[00:34:48] because the

[00:34:49] cabin was pretty

[00:34:50] remote, and

[00:34:51] of course,

[00:34:52] there's absolutely

[00:34:53] no lights

[00:34:54] outside.

[00:34:56] It is in the

[00:34:57] woods with

[00:34:57] coyotes howling

[00:34:58] and bears,

[00:35:00] but nonetheless

[00:35:01] completely normal

[00:35:02] activity.

[00:35:03] On the

[00:35:04] 27th, around

[00:35:05] 12 a.m., my

[00:35:06] boyfriend and

[00:35:07] I are laying

[00:35:07] in bed, when

[00:35:09] suddenly our

[00:35:09] friend sleeping

[00:35:10] downstairs comes

[00:35:12] banging on the

[00:35:13] door, freaking

[00:35:13] out, saying

[00:35:14] that he saw

[00:35:15] shadows in the

[00:35:16] woods, and

[00:35:17] that the motion

[00:35:18] light came on,

[00:35:19] and there was

[00:35:20] thumping outside.

[00:35:22] We got a little

[00:35:23] freaked out, but

[00:35:24] my boyfriend gets

[00:35:25] out of bed to

[00:35:26] check the entire

[00:35:27] cabin and even

[00:35:28] goes outside.

[00:35:30] Nothing.

[00:35:31] We go up to

[00:35:33] the other

[00:35:33] couple's room,

[00:35:34] where there's a

[00:35:35] porch with a

[00:35:36] sliding glass door

[00:35:37] that looks out

[00:35:37] onto the woods.

[00:35:39] It's important

[00:35:40] to note that I

[00:35:41] am a naturally

[00:35:42] very anxious

[00:35:43] and scared

[00:35:44] person, while

[00:35:45] my boyfriend is

[00:35:46] a rock.

[00:35:48] He's calm

[00:35:49] and logical,

[00:35:49] while I tend

[00:35:50] to jump to

[00:35:51] the worst

[00:35:51] scenario.

[00:35:53] My boyfriend

[00:35:54] goes over to

[00:35:54] check the last

[00:35:55] place in the

[00:35:56] cabin, so he

[00:35:58] pulls the

[00:35:58] curtain and

[00:35:59] jumps and

[00:36:00] yells,

[00:36:01] Oh my

[00:36:02] God!

[00:36:03] At this

[00:36:04] point, I'm

[00:36:06] terrified.

[00:36:07] My boyfriend

[00:36:08] is 180 pounds,

[00:36:10] he's a

[00:36:11] CrossFit coach,

[00:36:12] and to see a

[00:36:13] big guy like

[00:36:14] that, scared,

[00:36:15] is nauseating.

[00:36:17] He locked

[00:36:18] the door and

[00:36:19] backed away

[00:36:19] slowly.

[00:36:21] He quietly

[00:36:21] says,

[00:36:22] There's a

[00:36:23] large man

[00:36:24] standing outside,

[00:36:25] staring at us.

[00:36:27] He's just

[00:36:28] standing in the

[00:36:28] woods looking at

[00:36:29] us.

[00:36:30] He looks at me

[00:36:31] and says,

[00:36:31] Go lock the

[00:36:32] door.

[00:36:33] That's when I

[00:36:34] knew that he

[00:36:35] was serious.

[00:36:36] Everyone is

[00:36:37] freaking out.

[00:36:38] I run and

[00:36:39] lock the door

[00:36:40] behind us,

[00:36:41] and we all

[00:36:42] decide to stay

[00:36:43] in the room

[00:36:43] to keep an

[00:36:44] eye out.

[00:36:45] It's the

[00:36:46] middle of the

[00:36:46] summer, and it's

[00:36:47] really hot, but

[00:36:48] we refuse to

[00:36:49] open a window.

[00:36:50] I'm so scared,

[00:36:51] but trying not

[00:36:52] to show it, as

[00:36:54] everyone else seems

[00:36:54] to have calmed

[00:36:55] down.

[00:36:56] About 30 minutes

[00:36:57] go by and

[00:36:58] nothing happens.

[00:36:59] I get annoyed

[00:37:00] with the heat,

[00:37:00] and the fact that

[00:37:01] there's five people

[00:37:02] in a tiny room,

[00:37:03] and three of them

[00:37:04] are men, so my

[00:37:05] boyfriend and I

[00:37:06] go back to our

[00:37:07] room.

[00:37:08] I'm still pretty

[00:37:09] freaked out, so

[00:37:10] my boyfriend tries

[00:37:11] to cheer me up.

[00:37:12] At this point,

[00:37:13] it's about 1.30 a.m.,

[00:37:15] and I told him I

[00:37:16] was too scared to

[00:37:17] sleep with the

[00:37:18] lights off.

[00:37:19] He tells me that's

[00:37:20] totally fine, and he

[00:37:21] understands, so we

[00:37:22] just lay with the

[00:37:23] lights completely on.

[00:37:25] Finally, I start

[00:37:26] drifting to sleep

[00:37:27] when I hear a

[00:37:28] thud.

[00:37:29] I sit up and

[00:37:31] look at my

[00:37:31] boyfriend.

[00:37:32] He looks at me.

[00:37:34] Then the power

[00:37:34] cuts.

[00:37:36] I immediately

[00:37:36] start sobbing.

[00:37:38] I'm trembling,

[00:37:39] and I can't see

[00:37:40] anything because

[00:37:40] it's pitch black.

[00:37:42] I try to get out

[00:37:43] of bed and run,

[00:37:44] but my legs are

[00:37:45] tangled in the

[00:37:45] sheets and I

[00:37:46] fall.

[00:37:46] My boyfriend

[00:37:47] picks me up, and

[00:37:48] we grab our

[00:37:49] phones and run to

[00:37:50] the other room

[00:37:51] where everyone

[00:37:52] else is staying.

[00:37:53] We're hysterical at

[00:37:54] this point.

[00:37:55] I try to contact

[00:37:56] our host, but

[00:37:57] nothing will go

[00:37:58] through.

[00:37:58] I try to call my

[00:38:00] dad, but all of

[00:38:01] our phones say no

[00:38:02] service.

[00:38:03] We're all alone

[00:38:04] out there.

[00:38:05] Thank God, the

[00:38:07] friend who drove

[00:38:07] up after us had a

[00:38:09] different carrier

[00:38:10] because his phone

[00:38:11] had one bar.

[00:38:13] So he calls the

[00:38:14] local sheriff.

[00:38:15] I realize now

[00:38:16] it's a bit of an

[00:38:17] overreaction, but at

[00:38:18] the time, we

[00:38:19] thought we were

[00:38:19] going to die.

[00:38:21] He's on the phone

[00:38:22] with the sheriff, and

[00:38:22] they transfer us to

[00:38:23] the utilities company.

[00:38:25] We give the

[00:38:26] address, and they

[00:38:27] tell us that we're

[00:38:28] too far into the

[00:38:28] woods, and that

[00:38:30] they don't cover

[00:38:30] that area.

[00:38:32] At this point,

[00:38:33] we're wondering if

[00:38:34] the entire area has

[00:38:36] no power, or if

[00:38:37] the man outside

[00:38:37] has just cut our

[00:38:39] power.

[00:38:39] We call 911 and

[00:38:41] report the

[00:38:42] suspicious activity

[00:38:43] and the power

[00:38:43] outage.

[00:38:44] They send the

[00:38:45] fire department.

[00:38:46] A few hours go

[00:38:47] by, and it's 3

[00:38:48] a.m., and

[00:38:50] suddenly the power

[00:38:51] comes back on.

[00:38:52] We fall asleep, and

[00:38:54] the next day we

[00:38:54] talk to some

[00:38:55] locals of the

[00:38:56] area.

[00:38:56] We told them that

[00:38:57] the power went

[00:38:58] out, and he

[00:38:59] said that that

[00:39:00] was strange, and

[00:39:01] that should not

[00:39:02] have happened.

[00:39:03] He told us the

[00:39:04] only reason that

[00:39:04] happens out here

[00:39:05] is because of

[00:39:06] snow, if there's a

[00:39:08] snowstorm.

[00:39:09] He said that he

[00:39:11] couldn't explain

[00:39:11] it.

[00:39:13] So to the man in

[00:39:14] the woods who

[00:39:15] probably cut our

[00:39:16] power, let's not

[00:39:18] meet.

[00:39:36] I haven't told this

[00:39:37] story to many

[00:39:38] people, excluding

[00:39:39] my partner, friends,

[00:39:41] and my mother, but

[00:39:42] ever since I found

[00:39:44] Let's Not Meet, I

[00:39:45] wanted to share my

[00:39:46] story on the

[00:39:47] podcast.

[00:39:48] I also wanted to

[00:39:49] write in because I

[00:39:50] haven't heard any

[00:39:51] stories from Finland

[00:39:52] on the show.

[00:39:54] For backstory, this

[00:39:56] happened last

[00:39:57] summer in 2020.

[00:39:59] I was 21 at the

[00:40:01] time and keen on

[00:40:03] trying new things as

[00:40:04] the pandemic had put

[00:40:05] a stop to my

[00:40:06] regular partying and

[00:40:08] activities.

[00:40:09] I was single at the

[00:40:11] time and spent some

[00:40:12] of those days on

[00:40:13] Tinder, swiping for

[00:40:15] possible hookups or

[00:40:17] adventures.

[00:40:18] I matched with an

[00:40:19] American girl living

[00:40:21] here who seemed

[00:40:23] like the type that

[00:40:24] I would like to

[00:40:24] hang out with.

[00:40:26] We started talking

[00:40:27] a little bit and

[00:40:28] decided to hang

[00:40:29] out.

[00:40:30] The summer was

[00:40:31] beautiful.

[00:40:32] Very hot, but

[00:40:34] beautiful.

[00:40:35] So we decided to

[00:40:36] stay outside, smoke

[00:40:38] some weed because

[00:40:39] she was willing to

[00:40:40] share her stash with

[00:40:41] me, and just chill.

[00:40:44] I was excited.

[00:40:45] Free weed and a

[00:40:47] new friend sounded

[00:40:48] like a great night

[00:40:49] for adventure.

[00:40:51] But what I didn't

[00:40:52] know was that this

[00:40:54] night would leave me

[00:40:55] scared and anxious

[00:40:57] for a very long

[00:40:58] time.

[00:40:59] We decided to meet

[00:41:01] around 8pm in a

[00:41:03] shopping mall pretty

[00:41:04] close to where I

[00:41:05] lived at the time.

[00:41:07] Now, I usually do

[00:41:08] not hang out with

[00:41:09] people during the

[00:41:10] night.

[00:41:10] I love my

[00:41:12] nighttime routine and

[00:41:13] calm evenings.

[00:41:15] But like I said,

[00:41:17] in 2020, I was

[00:41:20] looking for new

[00:41:20] experiences, so this

[00:41:22] wasn't out of the

[00:41:23] question for me.

[00:41:25] The girl I was

[00:41:26] meeting with, let's

[00:41:27] call her Elle, told

[00:41:29] me that she had a

[00:41:30] place in mind, her

[00:41:32] favorite smoke spot.

[00:41:34] I was all in, and I

[00:41:36] let her take the

[00:41:37] lead.

[00:41:38] We walked into the

[00:41:40] forest that had a

[00:41:41] jogging track and a

[00:41:42] sports court in the

[00:41:43] vicinity.

[00:41:45] She led me off the

[00:41:46] track into a clearing

[00:41:48] in the woods, and I

[00:41:50] could agree with her

[00:41:51] that it was a nice

[00:41:52] spot.

[00:41:53] The clearing was

[00:41:55] fairly large and had

[00:41:56] some small cliffs and

[00:41:58] rock formations that you

[00:41:59] could sit on.

[00:42:00] There was graffiti and

[00:42:02] the coals of a

[00:42:03] bonfire, so clearly

[00:42:04] this was a spot other

[00:42:06] people would spend

[00:42:07] time.

[00:42:08] The clearing wasn't

[00:42:09] covered in trees, but

[00:42:11] it was lined with them,

[00:42:12] and the track was

[00:42:14] the only way out of

[00:42:15] the clearing.

[00:42:17] The entrance of the

[00:42:18] clearing was covered

[00:42:20] by the trees and

[00:42:21] lined with thick

[00:42:22] bushes, and it wasn't

[00:42:24] like an official

[00:42:25] entrance.

[00:42:28] It was just a small

[00:42:29] trek people had created

[00:42:30] over the years.

[00:42:33] We walked around this

[00:42:34] clearing before settling

[00:42:36] down on top of one of

[00:42:38] those rock formations.

[00:42:40] from our place, we

[00:42:42] could pretty much see

[00:42:43] the entire clearing,

[00:42:45] except for what was

[00:42:46] behind us.

[00:42:48] Not paying mind to not

[00:42:50] see what was behind

[00:42:51] us, we started packing

[00:42:53] a pipe and turned on

[00:42:55] some music.

[00:42:56] We started smoking the

[00:42:57] pipe and chatting

[00:42:58] about things like

[00:42:59] school, what Elle was

[00:43:01] doing here, and the

[00:43:02] summer.

[00:43:04] She then proceeded to

[00:43:05] tell me about something

[00:43:06] creepy she had

[00:43:07] experienced in that

[00:43:09] wooded area.

[00:43:10] She and her friend

[00:43:12] had been hanging out

[00:43:13] there, much like we

[00:43:15] were at that moment,

[00:43:16] when they had seen a

[00:43:18] man pleasuring himself

[00:43:20] and watching them.

[00:43:22] I was immediately

[00:43:24] grossed out and

[00:43:25] anxious because if

[00:43:26] that had happened

[00:43:27] before, there was a

[00:43:29] chance that it could

[00:43:30] happen again.

[00:43:31] I awkwardly tried to

[00:43:33] laugh my anxiety off

[00:43:35] and hit the pipe just

[00:43:36] a little more.

[00:43:37] At this point, we

[00:43:38] both had probably

[00:43:39] taken a few hits,

[00:43:40] each, but I was a

[00:43:42] lightweight and already

[00:43:43] started feeling it.

[00:43:46] We talked some more,

[00:43:47] and my eyes scanned

[00:43:49] the clearing when I

[00:43:50] thought I saw

[00:43:51] someone.

[00:43:52] I got Elle's

[00:43:54] attention and asked

[00:43:55] her if she was seeing

[00:43:56] what I was seeing.

[00:43:58] What she told me made

[00:44:00] my blood run cold.

[00:44:01] She confirmed that she

[00:44:04] also saw what I was

[00:44:05] seeing.

[00:44:06] next to the entrance

[00:44:08] and exit to the

[00:44:10] clearing.

[00:44:11] Hiding in the bushes

[00:44:12] was an old man.

[00:44:13] He was crouching down,

[00:44:15] doing God knows what,

[00:44:17] staring right at us.

[00:44:19] There was no one else

[00:44:21] in the clearing, and we

[00:44:22] were practically smack

[00:44:23] dab in the middle of it.

[00:44:24] So there was no way he

[00:44:27] was there for anyone

[00:44:27] else.

[00:44:29] Obviously, we freaked

[00:44:30] out.

[00:44:31] I started frantically

[00:44:32] gathering my stuff as

[00:44:34] Elle was starting to

[00:44:35] hyperventilate and

[00:44:36] explained to me that

[00:44:37] that man was the same

[00:44:39] one that she had just

[00:44:41] told me about.

[00:44:43] My heart fell to my

[00:44:45] ass as I realized what

[00:44:47] kind of situation we were

[00:44:48] in.

[00:44:50] We quickly gathered our

[00:44:51] belongings and frantically

[00:44:53] tried to figure out what

[00:44:54] to do.

[00:44:55] We didn't have the

[00:44:57] courage to walk towards

[00:44:58] him, towards the only

[00:45:00] entrance to the clearing

[00:45:01] because who knows what he

[00:45:03] was hiding behind the

[00:45:04] bush.

[00:45:05] The only logical solution

[00:45:07] to us, two half-stoned

[00:45:09] girls, was to delve into

[00:45:11] the woods originally behind

[00:45:13] us.

[00:45:14] Elle fell in step after me,

[00:45:17] and I took the lead,

[00:45:18] holding onto my phone and a

[00:45:20] switchblade that I bought

[00:45:21] years ago and kept with me to

[00:45:23] open packages during the

[00:45:24] move.

[00:45:25] That dull switchblade was

[00:45:28] our only weapon if the

[00:45:29] man tried something with us,

[00:45:31] and I was clutching it

[00:45:33] like no tomorrow.

[00:45:35] I initially bought it for

[00:45:37] self-defense purposes, but

[00:45:39] never imagined I would

[00:45:40] actually have to use it.

[00:45:43] I started questioning what

[00:45:44] I would even do with it.

[00:45:46] Could I stab a person, even

[00:45:49] in self-defense?

[00:45:51] As we continued our walk out

[00:45:53] of the clearing and into

[00:45:54] the woods, I remember Elle's

[00:45:55] words shocked me.

[00:45:58] He's following us.

[00:46:00] He's not leaving.

[00:46:02] She told me this in a

[00:46:03] choked-up voice.

[00:46:05] I had had some hope that if

[00:46:08] we just left the clearing, he

[00:46:09] would leave us alone, but no.

[00:46:12] We were walking deeper into

[00:46:13] the unknown woods, and he was

[00:46:16] following us.

[00:46:17] I was trying to figure out from

[00:46:19] Google Maps if there was

[00:46:20] another exit, but I couldn't

[00:46:21] find one.

[00:46:24] At least not one marked on

[00:46:25] maps, anyway.

[00:46:27] Determined to show him that

[00:46:29] I was not afraid, I put on my

[00:46:31] bravest face and voice and just

[00:46:34] kept walking, hoping that he

[00:46:36] would leave us alone.

[00:46:37] Behind me, I hear Elle's

[00:46:38] panicked voice saying things

[00:46:39] like, he's getting closer.

[00:46:41] Oh my god, it's really him.

[00:46:44] To say my heart was pounding

[00:46:46] out of my chest is an

[00:46:47] understatement.

[00:46:48] I felt my legs shaking.

[00:46:50] I felt like throwing up.

[00:46:52] At that moment, my mind was

[00:46:54] flooded with all of the

[00:46:55] terrible cases that I had

[00:46:57] heard of, and that only made

[00:46:59] my fear even worse.

[00:47:02] During our walk, we were

[00:47:04] speaking in hushed voices,

[00:47:06] trying to avoid showing him

[00:47:08] that we were scared.

[00:47:10] We agreed on calling 112, the

[00:47:12] emergency number, if the

[00:47:14] situation didn't resolve

[00:47:16] somehow soon.

[00:47:18] We continued our walk, and

[00:47:20] Elle told me that the man was

[00:47:21] getting even closer.

[00:47:23] I never looked back after

[00:47:24] taking the lead because I

[00:47:25] didn't want to cry.

[00:47:27] I knew that I would start

[00:47:29] bawling if I really saw him.

[00:47:32] I dialed 112 because our

[00:47:34] situation was looking worse and

[00:47:35] worse.

[00:47:36] The woods around us, they were

[00:47:38] thick, hard to walk through,

[00:47:40] and there was no trek anywhere.

[00:47:44] No reason for anyone except

[00:47:46] us and the creep to be there.

[00:47:48] From behind me, Elle

[00:47:50] whispered, he's about five

[00:47:52] meters away.

[00:47:53] This made my last drop of

[00:47:56] confidence vanish.

[00:47:58] When we started our walk, he

[00:48:00] was around 25 to 35 meters away

[00:48:03] from us.

[00:48:03] He was getting close, and we

[00:48:06] were lost in the middle of the

[00:48:08] woods, alone with the creep,

[00:48:09] with intentions to do who

[00:48:12] knows what.

[00:48:14] As I finally pressed call on

[00:48:17] my phone and called that

[00:48:18] emergency line, we stumbled

[00:48:21] into a small clearing in the

[00:48:23] midst of some trees.

[00:48:25] As a man's voice on the phone

[00:48:27] answered, I turned around, and

[00:48:29] to my surprise, I was faced

[00:48:31] with another man.

[00:48:32] This bald, middle-aged man.

[00:48:35] He was sitting on a fallen tree

[00:48:38] trunk, smoking a cigarette.

[00:48:40] Just in the middle of the

[00:48:41] woods.

[00:48:43] I hung up 112, too startled by

[00:48:45] the presence of this random

[00:48:47] man.

[00:48:47] I asked Elle if I should talk

[00:48:50] to him and ask him for help.

[00:48:51] We agreed that this was our

[00:48:53] only option for any help.

[00:48:56] I walked up to this cigarette

[00:48:57] smoking man and told him that

[00:48:59] there was a man following us,

[00:49:00] and if he could be with us just

[00:49:03] for this moment, and maybe go

[00:49:06] tell him something.

[00:49:06] I hate being dependent on men,

[00:49:09] especially, but in this moment,

[00:49:10] I swear, this man was our

[00:49:12] guardian angel.

[00:49:14] Begrudgingly, he got up and

[00:49:15] walked towards where we came

[00:49:16] from.

[00:49:18] At this moment, the creep was

[00:49:19] crouching behind some bushes,

[00:49:21] again hiding.

[00:49:23] The man jogged towards this

[00:49:25] creep, and he took off running

[00:49:27] back towards the clearing and

[00:49:28] away from us.

[00:49:30] The bald man walked back to us,

[00:49:32] and I thanked him for helping us

[00:49:34] and tried to steady my breath.

[00:49:37] Elle started crying, and I hugged

[00:49:40] her and tried to comfort her.

[00:49:42] The man sat back down on the

[00:49:43] tree trunk and proceeded to tell

[00:49:45] me that that man is no trouble.

[00:49:48] He doesn't mean any harm.

[00:49:51] I was shocked and just nodded as I

[00:49:54] thanked him again and steered Elle

[00:49:56] and I away from this man.

[00:49:58] We walked slowly back towards the

[00:50:01] clearing, me still gripping my

[00:50:03] switchblade, and when we made it

[00:50:05] out of the clearing, without

[00:50:07] spotting the creep, we could

[00:50:09] finally breathe.

[00:50:11] We walked towards the sports court

[00:50:14] that was close to the trek and

[00:50:16] finally saw some dog walkers and

[00:50:18] other people.

[00:50:20] Elle was crying hysterically, and I

[00:50:22] can only imagine that I looked like

[00:50:24] I had seen a ghost.

[00:50:26] We walked all the way back to the

[00:50:28] mall that we passed on our way to

[00:50:30] the woods in the first place, and

[00:50:32] contemplated calling the cops or

[00:50:34] informing them.

[00:50:35] In the end, we decided not to call

[00:50:37] the cops because we had been

[00:50:38] smoking pot, which is not allowed

[00:50:40] here.

[00:50:41] In hindsight, we should have called

[00:50:43] them, especially after what I found

[00:50:45] out next.

[00:50:47] I posted about this incident on my

[00:50:49] Instagram story, and a friend of

[00:50:52] mine swiped up and told me that

[00:50:54] that those specific woods were

[00:50:56] known for sexual encounters with

[00:50:58] weird creeps.

[00:51:00] I felt sick as I read the message.

[00:51:03] Who knows what that man could

[00:51:04] have thought of us being there,

[00:51:06] since neither of us knew of this

[00:51:09] status in the woods.

[00:51:10] As the adrenaline went down, I felt

[00:51:12] angry because of the man who had

[00:51:13] helped us.

[00:51:14] Of course, the creep isn't going to

[00:51:17] harm you, and therefore it isn't

[00:51:20] dangerous.

[00:51:20] But to us, he could have done some

[00:51:23] serious damage.

[00:51:25] This encounter haunts me to this

[00:51:27] day.

[00:51:27] I purchased some pepper spray.

[00:51:29] I always keep it on me now, if I

[00:51:32] go anywhere new alone.

[00:51:33] I have bad anxiety about going

[00:51:36] anywhere alone at night.

[00:51:37] I have for a whole year after this

[00:51:40] incident.

[00:51:41] But I'm starting to feel better with

[00:51:43] my blade and my pepper spray.

[00:51:45] It's going to take more than just a

[00:51:47] creep to mess up my life.

[00:51:50] So to the creep, following me and my

[00:51:53] friend deep into the forest, planning

[00:51:55] lord knows what, let's not ever meet

[00:51:57] again.

[00:52:11] I went camping with three of my

[00:52:12] buddies, John, Bennett, and Kyle.

[00:52:16] We do this every year.

[00:52:17] It's kind of a trip to reconnect with

[00:52:19] each other.

[00:52:20] We were all fresh out of college and

[00:52:22] decided to go on our yearly camping

[00:52:24] trip in August.

[00:52:26] We're from Oregon and ended up camping

[00:52:28] in the woods there like we usually do,

[00:52:30] the same spot.

[00:52:32] First day was great.

[00:52:33] We set up our spot, explored the

[00:52:35] area, and by the time the sun was

[00:52:37] setting, we set up a campfire and

[00:52:39] made dinner.

[00:52:40] After a few too many beers and some

[00:52:42] s'mores, we decided to go to sleep.

[00:52:45] It was a perfect end to a perfect day.

[00:52:49] Our second day was basically the same

[00:52:51] thing.

[00:52:51] Hiking, food, one too many beers.

[00:52:55] But this night ended up being not so

[00:52:58] perfect.

[00:53:01] As we finished the rest of the beers,

[00:53:04] we were wrestling around with each

[00:53:05] other, like guys do.

[00:53:07] Then John stopped messing around and

[00:53:10] froze.

[00:53:11] Everyone was confused, but John claimed

[00:53:13] he heard something nearby.

[00:53:16] I told him it was most likely a squirrel,

[00:53:18] and he said, no, it was most definitely

[00:53:20] not.

[00:53:22] He was scaring me at this point, so I

[00:53:24] decided to resume the tackling session,

[00:53:26] and I took him down.

[00:53:29] We forgot about the whole thing until

[00:53:30] about ten minutes later.

[00:53:34] We were tired from wrestling and

[00:53:36] jerking around, so we decided to put

[00:53:37] out the fire and head into the tent.

[00:53:40] We had a six-person tent, for anybody

[00:53:42] wondering, so we were all in one tent.

[00:53:46] Just as our only light source, besides

[00:53:50] our flashlights, went out, I heard a

[00:53:54] slight cackle.

[00:53:57] I assumed it was one of the boys,

[00:53:58] because we were all clearly a bit

[00:54:00] buzzed, so everything is funny.

[00:54:04] I wanted to see what was so funny, so I

[00:54:06] turned the flashlight directly into

[00:54:07] Bennett's face.

[00:54:08] I thought he was the one laughing.

[00:54:12] Bennett's face was as white as a ghost.

[00:54:15] He looked at me and he said, did you

[00:54:18] guys hear that?

[00:54:20] I said the laughing, and Kyle said, that

[00:54:22] wasn't you? We were all shaken and

[00:54:26] decided to go back into the tent.

[00:54:31] As we got in, I pulled out an axe that I

[00:54:35] used to cut the wood. It was the only

[00:54:37] source of protection we had. I was on

[00:54:40] the very end of the tent with Kyle and

[00:54:42] John in the middle and Bennett on the

[00:54:45] other end. We were all silent, but I knew

[00:54:48] we were all wide awake after hearing the

[00:54:50] laughing.

[00:54:52] We weren't exactly at an actual campsite

[00:54:56] where there were other people around.

[00:54:58] We just walked into the woods, found an

[00:55:00] open spot, and set up camp there.

[00:55:02] We were about a mile from our car with

[00:55:04] barely any cell signal, so I guess you

[00:55:08] could say we weren't exactly in the

[00:55:10] safest position if there was a crazy

[00:55:13] maniac running around.

[00:55:15] I got tired, so I dozed off.

[00:55:19] I have no idea how long I was sleeping

[00:55:21] before I heard laughing again.

[00:55:25] It's hard to describe other than it

[00:55:26] sounded menacing.

[00:55:29] I was frozen. I didn't move.

[00:55:32] I didn't even try to look over to see if

[00:55:34] my buddies were awake.

[00:55:35] The axe was under my pillow.

[00:55:39] As I mustered up the strength to move

[00:55:42] to get it, I saw what looked like

[00:55:45] someone's finger pressed up against the

[00:55:49] tent, just circling around the tent.

[00:55:53] Someone was defiantly outside, walking

[00:55:57] around our tent, laughing.

[00:56:00] When they got to the front part of the

[00:56:02] tent where the entrance was, they

[00:56:03] stopped.

[00:56:05] About five seconds went by before the

[00:56:09] person ferociously shook the tent and

[00:56:12] said, boogity boogity.

[00:56:17] That's when I knew my buddies were awake

[00:56:19] as well, because Kyle screamed like a

[00:56:21] little girl.

[00:56:23] And after he screamed, whoever was behind

[00:56:25] the tent laughed again and walked off.

[00:56:30] We laid there the rest of the night, wide

[00:56:33] awake and definitely sober.

[00:56:36] We didn't want to move out of pure fear

[00:56:38] that whoever was out there was still

[00:56:39] there.

[00:56:42] When the sun came up, we packed up

[00:56:44] everything and walked back to our car.

[00:56:48] We still go camping every year, but

[00:56:50] make sure to go to a legit camping site.

[00:56:54] I now bring a gun with me and not just

[00:56:57] an axe.

[00:56:59] Whoever was outside our campsite could

[00:57:03] have been a deranged homeless person,

[00:57:06] meth head, psychopath, serial killer, or just

[00:57:11] an asshole playing a prank on us.

[00:57:13] But I sure as hell won't camp in a rural

[00:57:16] place anymore.

[00:57:19] Ah, stay safe out there.

[00:57:21] It is a dangerous world we live in.

[00:57:40] This happened in February of 2012 here in

[00:57:44] Texas.

[00:57:45] This was a pretty turbulent time in my life

[00:57:48] as my marriage was falling apart and I was

[00:57:51] in paramedic school doing clinical rotations

[00:57:54] and working full-time as a tech in a local

[00:57:56] trauma center.

[00:57:58] At this point in time, I had been out of the

[00:58:01] military for a couple of years and had also

[00:58:04] worked on the streets as an EMT, so I was used

[00:58:06] to being in odd, dangerous, and sometimes funny

[00:58:09] situations.

[00:58:10] I could handle myself fairly well.

[00:58:14] I was at work in the ER for the day shift

[00:58:16] when I received a text from my now, thankfully,

[00:58:20] ex-wife.

[00:58:21] She and some of her friends would be staying in

[00:58:24] the city for the night and would be back at some

[00:58:27] point the next day.

[00:58:27] I was ecstatic at the news since, as I said, we

[00:58:32] had not been getting along and some private time

[00:58:34] in our little apartment with a little booze and

[00:58:37] bad TV sounded heavenly.

[00:58:40] Also, I had neither school the next day because it was

[00:58:43] Saturday nor was I signed up for a rotation.

[00:58:47] I could tie one on a bit, stay up late, and sleep in

[00:58:50] with the dog.

[00:58:52] About halfway through my shift, my charge nurse found

[00:58:55] me and told me that she was cutting staff since the ER

[00:58:59] was almost vacant and asked if I wanted to punch out

[00:59:02] early.

[00:59:03] Bonus.

[00:59:04] As I was getting my stuff together to haul ass out

[00:59:07] of the building before she could change her mind, I

[00:59:09] started thinking about going camping for the night

[00:59:12] instead.

[00:59:13] This was Texas, so even in February, it wasn't super

[00:59:16] cold and hunting season was over.

[00:59:19] That meant I could literally camp anywhere in the

[00:59:21] national forest instead of driving up to a

[00:59:24] campground.

[00:59:26] I texted my wife before I left work and I told her

[00:59:29] the plan and promised to run by the apartment to feed

[00:59:32] the dog and let her out.

[00:59:33] I was only going to be in the woods for about 12 hours

[00:59:36] total, but it would be absolutely worth it.

[00:59:40] The forest has always had this calming effect on me and

[00:59:44] getting out even for just a few hours still puts me in a

[00:59:48] good place mentally.

[00:59:50] So I made the 45 minute drive home in about 40 minutes.

[00:59:54] I was excited.

[00:59:56] I went through the usual motions of getting my shih tzu food and

[01:00:00] water and taking her for a walk.

[01:00:03] I was only going to be in the woods for a shade over 12 hours.

[01:00:08] I decided to pack light.

[01:00:11] The forecast was clear.

[01:00:13] I opted to bring only a tarp for shelter and an old military

[01:00:17] poncho.

[01:00:18] After stuffing that in my pack with some food for dinner, a few

[01:00:21] beers to cool in the creek, and some other odds and ends, I

[01:00:25] was ready.

[01:00:26] As I was leaving, I looked for the last piece of gear that I was

[01:00:29] going to bring.

[01:00:30] My pistol.

[01:00:31] Growing up, we never went into the woods without some sort of

[01:00:35] firearm for protection.

[01:00:36] In Texas, we have mountain lions, snakes, and bobcats.

[01:00:40] But we have a serious feral hog problem.

[01:00:44] Working in the ER and on the ambulance, I've seen what a

[01:00:48] moderate-sized hog can do to a person if it charges them.

[01:00:52] Also, you wouldn't believe how many national parks or forests

[01:00:56] attract unsavory critters of the two-legged variety.

[01:01:02] Very near the area that I planned to hike, some grow operations

[01:01:06] had been found as well as some folks run out of their campsite in

[01:01:10] the middle of the night.

[01:01:12] I looked in the spot that I usually kept my gun, but it was

[01:01:15] gone.

[01:01:17] Texting the now ex, she admitted that she had pawned it so that

[01:01:21] she could have some booze and food money.

[01:01:24] Can you tell why we're happily divorced?

[01:01:28] In light of the recent development, I stuck a sheath knife into my pack

[01:01:33] and took off after saying goodbye to the furball.

[01:01:38] I drove an hour and a half from the south side of Houston to the

[01:01:41] National Forest.

[01:01:43] The part of the forest I would be camping in was a cool piece of land,

[01:01:47] hemmed in by a massive lake to the east, a farm road to the south,

[01:01:52] and a forest service running southwest to northeast, ending at another FSR and

[01:01:59] developed campground at the northern tip of the lake.

[01:02:03] Meandering through this patch of wilderness is a four-mile-long section of

[01:02:07] 96-mile hiking trails that run through the entire national forest.

[01:02:14] This section runs roughly south to north.

[01:02:18] It has a trailhead at the southern end right off the farm road.

[01:02:23] Along this trail, there are many switchbacks.

[01:02:26] Seasonal streams to cross, bridges and downed trees.

[01:02:30] The terrain is rolling with a few small hills.

[01:02:33] I parked my car at the section's trailhead, grabbed my stuff and took off.

[01:02:38] The air was brisk and the birds and the other animals were doing their thing.

[01:02:43] I had been hiking for about two hours, just taking my time and enjoying the afternoon.

[01:02:48] I hadn't seen a single person, but I did manage to see a white-tailed deer and the occasional

[01:02:55] squirrel.

[01:02:56] As I walked, the sky became more overcast and the temperature began to drop.

[01:03:02] Lost in thought, I walked right off of the trail and into the developed campground.

[01:03:07] I refilled my water and used the restroom, then headed back down the trail about a mile

[01:03:13] and headed west off the trail for about a quarter of a mile until I found this spot along the

[01:03:19] seasonal creek that was running full and had an abundance of downed wood.

[01:03:25] The sun was beginning to set, so I set out compiling a sizable pile of firewood and setting

[01:03:32] up the tarp shelter.

[01:03:35] Now, I hadn't brought an inflatable mattress or hammock as, honestly, we were broke at

[01:03:41] the time.

[01:03:42] Besides, I had slept on the ground enough and there were plenty of pine needles on the ground

[01:03:47] for a decently comfy bed.

[01:03:49] I got a fire started, then put on my headlamp and dropped my beers into the creek to chill.

[01:03:55] Dinner was simple.

[01:03:57] Venison sausage cooked over a fire and freezing cold beer.

[01:04:00] As the night deepened, I lit my pipe and settled in for a book by the campfire.

[01:04:06] After some time, and a couple of beers, I decided to hit the sack.

[01:04:12] I wrapped up in one of my wool blankets and knocked out.

[01:04:16] I awoke an hour later, wet and shivering.

[01:04:20] Rain was pouring down and the temperature was close to freezing.

[01:04:24] My tarp shelter, improperly put up and positioned, was leaking terribly.

[01:04:30] Blankets and clothes soaked, I decided my predicament sucked and with no spare clothes, I was going

[01:04:38] home.

[01:04:39] I rolled out of my not-so-shelter and stuffed my soaked everything into my bag.

[01:04:45] At this point, I had a decision to make.

[01:04:48] Walk the three miles or so back along the trail in the dark or cruise up the trail to the

[01:04:54] campsite and the road.

[01:04:56] Not wanting to bust an ankle while I was also wet and in freezing temperatures in the middle

[01:05:02] of the woods with no cell service, I elected what I thought was the less dangerous path.

[01:05:08] I opted for the blacktop back to my car.

[01:05:12] I made my way back to the hiking trail and took off north.

[01:05:16] Within twenty minutes or so, I was plodding through the developed campground and onto the

[01:05:22] blacktop of the FSR.

[01:05:24] By the time I hit the road going south, the rain had stopped and the wind stilled.

[01:05:30] I had put my headlamp on facing forward and was using my small handheld pointed behind me

[01:05:36] in an attempt not to become roadkill.

[01:05:38] I had been walking south through the chill, listening to the steady drip of the droplets

[01:05:44] falling from the canopy when I saw headlights ahead.

[01:05:48] I kept walking and the car slowed as it passed, but then stopped.

[01:05:53] I saw the reverse lights light up the road ahead of me and the car pulled back alongside.

[01:06:00] It was a red crossover, newer model, with the clean-cut guy driving.

[01:06:05] He rolled the window down as I stopped and sat there staring at me.

[01:06:10] He smiled.

[01:06:12] We stayed like that long enough for it to be awkward until I finally broke the silence myself.

[01:06:18] Howdy, I said.

[01:06:21] Silence.

[01:06:23] I then asked,

[01:06:25] Can I help you, man?

[01:06:27] Still grinning, he asks,

[01:06:29] Are you happy?

[01:06:32] It was a genuine question with emphasis on the word happy.

[01:06:37] Perplexed, I said,

[01:06:39] Yeah, I mean, I guess.

[01:06:40] How are you?

[01:06:42] His eyes didn't leave mine.

[01:06:45] Sure is cold and wet out there, he said.

[01:06:50] Yes, sir.

[01:06:51] I was going camping tonight, but my shelter leaked.

[01:06:54] I got a bit wet.

[01:06:56] Figured I'd head home.

[01:06:58] His smile got broader.

[01:07:01] Well, I'd be happy to give you a ride.

[01:07:04] Where are you parked?

[01:07:06] This guy was really creeping me out.

[01:07:09] Stranger, in the middle of the woods?

[01:07:11] In the middle of the night?

[01:07:12] No thanks.

[01:07:14] That's how horror movies start,

[01:07:16] and I end up being a skin suit for Buffalo Bill.

[01:07:20] Uh, no thank you, sir.

[01:07:22] I'm parked right up the road.

[01:07:23] I'll be at my vehicle in a few minutes.

[01:07:26] His grin faltered for a second.

[01:07:28] Are you sure?

[01:07:30] It's pretty wet and cold.

[01:07:32] Just hop in.

[01:07:34] Again, no thanks.

[01:07:35] I'm fine.

[01:07:36] I'll be at my car in a few minutes.

[01:07:39] Well, where did you park?

[01:07:41] Look, I didn't see your car back there.

[01:07:44] It's there.

[01:07:45] You probably just missed it.

[01:07:48] His mood changed completely.

[01:07:50] I think you should let me drive you.

[01:07:54] At this point, I was done with this creep.

[01:07:57] I was cold, wet, and tired.

[01:07:59] I wanted coffee and another cigarette and some heat.

[01:08:03] I really appreciate it, sir, but I'm good.

[01:08:07] Get in the car, he said.

[01:08:10] No, I replied.

[01:08:12] Get in the car, he said more forcefully.

[01:08:16] Not happening, dude, but have a good night.

[01:08:19] He finally screamed.

[01:08:21] Get in the car.

[01:08:24] My right hand strayed to my hip.

[01:08:27] You guessed it.

[01:08:28] My sidearm was sitting in a pawn shop 100 miles away.

[01:08:34] Dude, you need to fuck off, I said.

[01:08:38] He then screamed again.

[01:08:40] Get in the car now.

[01:08:43] Dude, you need to leave now.

[01:08:46] I'm not getting in your car.

[01:08:47] I shifted my weight to my right leg, stepping back, reaching for my pocket knife, but hoping

[01:08:52] that he would think I was reaching for a pistol.

[01:08:56] He noticed my shift in stance and visibly calmed.

[01:09:00] His grin came back.

[01:09:03] I'll see you around.

[01:09:05] You can bet on it, he said.

[01:09:09] I said nothing as he drove off.

[01:09:12] As soon as he was around the bend from the road, I shut off both my lights.

[01:09:16] It was seriously dark, but I could tell when the road was underfoot.

[01:09:21] I began hiking down the road in earnest now, taking a look back and checking my rear every

[01:09:29] five or six steps.

[01:09:31] After a few minutes, I saw the telltale shine of headlights bouncing off the foliage to the

[01:09:38] north.

[01:09:39] I immediately cut to my left and jumped off of the road and into some trees near the shoulder.

[01:09:45] Not 30 seconds later, that red SUV passed by my position, driving about 10 miles per

[01:09:53] hour.

[01:09:54] His windows were tented, but you could tell he was looking for something.

[01:09:59] Probably me.

[01:10:01] As soon as he was out of sight, I was back on the road, hoofing it south again.

[01:10:07] We played this game four more times until I reached the farm road.

[01:10:12] I would see headlights or the reflection of them off of trees and brush that I would jump

[01:10:18] into the trees and watch as he'd drive by slowly.

[01:10:22] A half hour after reaching the farm road, I was back in my car and shagging ass out of

[01:10:28] there.

[01:10:30] I'm not sure what would have happened if I had gotten into that guy's car.

[01:10:34] Check that.

[01:10:34] I'm pretty sure I know what would have happened.

[01:10:39] To the guy in the woods who tried to get me into his car to take me to God knows where

[01:10:44] to do God knows what to me.

[01:10:46] Let's not meet again.

[01:10:48] I've had a number of odd and frightening experiences in the woods since I'm a huge outdoor guy.

[01:11:03] And pretty much outside all of the time, I can manage it.

[01:11:07] One of these experiences, I tried posting here, but it got rejected.

[01:11:11] I thought this one sounded too far-fetched, but after reading some of the other stories,

[01:11:17] I decided that I'll just post it.

[01:11:20] This happened when I was much younger.

[01:11:22] I want to say freshman in high school, so probably around 2008.

[01:11:28] There used to be this road near where I lived in California called Croak Road.

[01:11:33] It was barely a road.

[01:11:35] No one traveled on it, and it was surrounded by small patches of forest and some abandoned

[01:11:41] barns and houses.

[01:11:43] I would typically go there with my friends to skateboard and hang out.

[01:11:48] This one night, I was hanging out with two of my friends, Lucas and Dorian, and someone

[01:11:54] wanted to go to Croak Road to hang out since it was creepy at night.

[01:11:59] It might sound lame, but we loved exploring like a bunch of fifth graders, and we weren't

[01:12:05] really into smoking or anything else, so what else was there to do?

[01:12:09] I asked my 20-year-old brother James if he could drive us down into one of the nature reserves

[01:12:15] by the road.

[01:12:16] This specific reserve was larger than the others and had a network of gravel paths leading through

[01:12:23] it.

[01:12:24] Basically, we were looking for unexplored territory to hike in.

[01:12:29] Soon, one particular path we were traveling down had become so narrow, James' Ford Explorer

[01:12:35] couldn't pass through it, so we got out and walked for a while, chatting and just having fun.

[01:12:42] We walked through the woods for about half an hour until it had gotten relatively dark out

[01:12:48] and the sun was gone, at which point we turned around to head back to the car.

[01:12:55] It's now that I should mention that despite being near a lot of sub-developments, this patch

[01:13:02] of forest was huge, I'd say about a thousand acres.

[01:13:05] It was rarely visited since it was easy to get lost in, especially at night.

[01:13:11] It was a challenge getting the car turned around, but James managed it, and we were off down

[01:13:17] the road.

[01:13:18] Dorian proposed that we turn down a different path that we had passed earlier since we had

[01:13:25] about 40 minutes until our parents wanted us back, so we agreed.

[01:13:29] Down this path was a tiny pond Dorian wanted to check out to take pictures since he had

[01:13:36] gotten the opportunity to visit at night.

[01:13:39] It was slow going since this road was even crappier than the main one we were traveling

[01:13:44] on that turned off of Croke Road.

[01:13:47] Minutes later, we got into a slight argument.

[01:13:50] Dorian was convinced James had taken a wrong turn since we should have arrived at the pond

[01:13:56] by now, while James claimed that he had been driving straight the whole time.

[01:14:01] It was dark after all.

[01:14:03] Eventually, we came to a fork in the road that none of us were familiar with.

[01:14:08] None of us knew which way to go, so we ended up guessing and went left, hoping that both

[01:14:15] directions would ultimately lead back to the main path.

[01:14:19] None of us were scared or anything.

[01:14:21] In fact, we were actually excited and intrigued, driving through seemingly the middle of nowhere

[01:14:27] at night.

[01:14:29] It was at this point that we rounded a small bend in the road and the headlights fell upon

[01:14:35] a surreal sight.

[01:14:37] There were four figures emerging from the forest and crossing the road.

[01:14:42] They were wearing what looked to be long black cloaks with hoods up, holding flashlights.

[01:14:51] One guy at the back of the group was dragging a large duffel bag.

[01:14:57] I'd say a human-sized duffel bag.

[01:15:01] We all froze and stopped mid-conversation, and as soon as our high beams landed on the four

[01:15:08] figures, they froze as well.

[01:15:12] James pulled to the left and went around them.

[01:15:16] Driving past them felt like an eternity, because we couldn't have been going over five miles

[01:15:21] per hour due to the shitty condition of the road.

[01:15:24] Sitting in the passenger seat, I could see them inches beyond the window, and they were

[01:15:29] indeed wearing black robes and holding flashlights.

[01:15:32] I didn't get a good look at the bag, but judging by the way that the guy was holding it, something

[01:15:38] very heavy was inside.

[01:15:42] None of us said a word until the road straightened out, and we were past these guys, at which point

[01:15:48] James just muttered,

[01:15:50] What the hell was that?

[01:15:53] We continued down the road in silence until I heard Lucas say,

[01:15:57] Holy shit, and repeated himself in a louder, panicked voice.

[01:16:02] Holy shit, he said.

[01:16:04] They're fucking coming back.

[01:16:07] I twisted around in my chair to see Lucas, pointing out the back window.

[01:16:11] I could barely see anything, but about a hundred yards away, we saw the beams of four flashlights

[01:16:16] shaking erratically.

[01:16:18] The guys were, without a doubt, running after us.

[01:16:22] We all screamed at James to floor it, and he sped down the road.

[01:16:27] The car was bouncing and shaking uncontrollably as we flew over berms and potholes.

[01:16:32] I kept my eyes on the flashlight beams until we rounded another bend in the road, and they

[01:16:38] were out of sight.

[01:16:39] Thankfully, the path managed to take us back to the main path.

[01:16:43] James gunned it down the path until we popped off by Croak Road, and we got the hell out

[01:16:48] of there.

[01:16:49] The weirdest thing was, there couldn't have been any vehicle anywhere near those guys for

[01:16:54] 50 miles in either direction.

[01:16:57] We would have seen one if there had been.

[01:17:00] We had explored most of the area before, and there wasn't anywhere to pull off of the

[01:17:05] road and park.

[01:17:07] We didn't say anything more until we got back to my place.

[01:17:10] We talked about it for a bit, and then my friends went home, and James and I went to

[01:17:15] bed.

[01:17:16] I didn't know if we should call the cops or not, but James, who I'd guessed would be the

[01:17:21] adult in the situation, seemed reluctant.

[01:17:24] So I dropped it.

[01:17:25] I never told my parents until just before writing this.

[01:17:28] They kind of scolded me for not telling them, and that we should have contacted the authorities

[01:17:33] just to report suspicious people on the preserve.

[01:17:37] I still wish to know how the hell they got there, where they were going, and what was

[01:17:44] in the bag.

[01:18:05] Thanks for listening.

[01:18:06] If you're a patron listening to this ad-free, make sure to stick around after the music

[01:18:10] for your extended version of this week's episode.

[01:18:12] If you'd like to get access, head over to patreon.com forward slash let's not meet podcast

[01:18:16] to sign up and support the show today.

[01:18:18] You'll get access to ad-free versions of all of our episodes at a higher bit rate, with

[01:18:23] exclusive stories you won't hear anywhere else.

[01:18:25] This week you have heard Church in the Woods by Outworlder39, Somebody's Watching Me from

[01:18:32] the Woods by Regal1895, I Was Hunted in the Woods at Night by Zangon595, Campsite Lurker

[01:18:41] by CW, Guy in the Woods Behind My Airbnb by Pending Disasters, A Creep in the Woods by Marie,

[01:18:48] Laughing in the Woods by Vic9911, Camping in the Rain by DocTrauma and finally, Strange People

[01:18:55] in the Woods by Methhead Cherry.

[01:18:58] All the stories you've heard this week were narrated and produced with the permission of

[01:19:01] their respective authors.

[01:19:02] If you have a story to share, send it to letsnotmeetstories at gmail.com to hear it on the show.

[01:19:07] Let's Not Meet, a true horror podcast is not associated with Reddit or any other message

[01:19:11] boards online.

[01:19:13] Be sure to check out the new episodes of my other podcasts like Cryptic Encounters, Odd Trails,

[01:19:18] my true paranormal podcast, and the old-time radiocast all at crypticcountypodcasts.com or

[01:19:23] wherever you get your podcasts.

[01:19:25] And if you attended either our San Diego or Los Angeles show this last weekend, I hope

[01:19:30] you enjoyed it.

[01:19:31] I can't wait to see all my Northern Californian friends at Harlow's on August 18th here in

[01:19:36] Sacramento.

[01:19:36] You can get your tickets for those shows at letsnotmeetpodcast.com slash tour, or just

[01:19:42] follow the links in the show notes.

[01:19:43] We still have tickets available for Salt Lake City, Utah on September 19th, Seattle, Washington

[01:19:48] on October 9th, Portland, Oregon on October 30th, Houston, Texas on November 9th, and

[01:19:53] finally Dallas, Texas on November 10th.

[01:19:56] I'll see you all there.

[01:19:57] Everybody stay safe.