13x11: Bone Road

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_01]: This podcast contains adult language and content. Listener discretion is advised.

[00:00:05] [SPEAKER_01]: If you have a story to share, send it to letsnotmeetstories at gmail.com. Enjoy the show.

[00:00:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I often enjoy walking my dog at nighttime.

[00:00:43] [SPEAKER_01]: This is largely due to the fact that my dog is

[00:00:46] [SPEAKER_01]: harder to walk when people are out and about with their own dogs.

[00:00:50] [SPEAKER_01]: So we tend to walk around parks in the area when they're somewhat unpopulated.

[00:00:56] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not a very big guy, about 5'10", and I'm lanky, so I wouldn't call myself intimidating.

[00:01:03] [SPEAKER_01]: However, my 120-pound black boxer lap mix Loki could somewhat be considered threatening to most.

[00:01:11] [SPEAKER_01]: I've always considered his size to be a good deterrent for anyone who may be looking to stir up any nightly troubles.

[00:01:19] [SPEAKER_01]: I was dead wrong about that though.

[00:01:22] [SPEAKER_01]: In the fall of 2016, we experienced an encounter that reminded me of why I became so reluctant to walk around at night.

[00:01:32] [SPEAKER_01]: This specific park is one that I have been to a couple of times and from what I remember, the park usually starts clearing at around 6.30.

[00:01:40] [SPEAKER_01]: Aside from a couple of joggers and very few other dog walkers, not many people will be on the same path that I tend to take.

[00:01:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I generally like to have my headphones on so I can listen to music while I walk, but on this specific night

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_01]: I chose not to wear them because my phone battery was low and I needed to preserve the battery that I had left.

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Anyway, the walk started like any other.

[00:02:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Loki did his business and we continued on our usual path.

[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_01]: About halfway through our walk, I realized it had started to get pretty dark.

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_01]: Since he was done with his business,

[00:02:20] [SPEAKER_01]: we decided to cut the walk somewhat short and we took a shortcut that kind of led us off of the path.

[00:02:27] [SPEAKER_01]: This shortcut had a bunch of trees surrounding the area and as Loki and I were walking along,

[00:02:34] [SPEAKER_01]: I felt this weird feeling as if we were being watched.

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I have really bad anxiety sometimes but since I knew the town was safe, I figured it was nothing.

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_01]: Even so, I could not for the life of me shake off the feeling of being watched.

[00:02:53] [SPEAKER_01]: I peered behind me to see if anyone had been following but every single time no one was there.

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_01]: In fact, no one was anywhere.

[00:03:03] [SPEAKER_01]: The whole shortcut was desolate.

[00:03:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Then suddenly, Loki stopped in his tracks and looked behind us as well.

[00:03:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Loki, come on boy, we've gotta go, I said.

[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_01]: The one thing I should mention is that despite his stature, Loki is a bit of a scaredy cat.

[00:03:22] [SPEAKER_01]: I noticed his tail being tucked between his legs which is a common sign that a dog is afraid.

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_01]: I was curious and a bit nervous about the sudden reaction

[00:03:32] [SPEAKER_01]: but I surely didn't want to find out what he heard or saw.

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_01]: I just wanted to get us out of there as soon as possible.

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I pulled at his leash a little bit and began to walk

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_01]: but every now and then he stopped and sheepishly looked back.

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_01]: After maybe a minute or so of walking, he stopped entirely

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_01]: but this time he began to growl.

[00:03:57] [SPEAKER_01]: So I turned around to try and see exactly what he was growling at.

[00:04:01] [SPEAKER_01]: It was quite dark.

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_01]: I couldn't see very well so I used my phone's flashlight to try and see what was up

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_01]: but all I could see were trees.

[00:04:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Just trees.

[00:04:12] [SPEAKER_01]: So I assumed whatever we heard or saw was just some kind of small animal.

[00:04:18] [SPEAKER_01]: Then, once again, I turned around and kept walking ahead.

[00:04:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Loki continued to peer back as we kept going

[00:04:25] [SPEAKER_01]: and I noticed that it became a lot more frequent.

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_01]: I just said to myself,

[00:04:31] [SPEAKER_01]: it's just squirrels or maybe a bird

[00:04:34] [SPEAKER_01]: and ignored it.

[00:04:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Then I heard what seemed to be footsteps

[00:04:39] [SPEAKER_01]: and the crunching of branches breaking.

[00:04:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I knew that there was no way a small animal could have produced a sound like that.

[00:04:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Loki snapped back around quickly

[00:04:51] [SPEAKER_01]: and with his tail still tucked,

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_01]: he began to growl and bark lowly

[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_01]: at a figure that appeared to be a man in his late 40s,

[00:05:00] [SPEAKER_01]: maybe early 50s, slinking out of the woods.

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_01]: His hair was long and graying.

[00:05:04] [SPEAKER_01]: He had one hand in his pocket as he faced me and said,

[00:05:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Nice dog you have there, kid. What breed is it?

[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_01]: He's a boxer lab, I quickly replied.

[00:05:17] [SPEAKER_01]: I love dogs. Do you mind if I pet him? he asked.

[00:05:21] [SPEAKER_01]: The man then fully emerged from the tree line

[00:05:24] [SPEAKER_01]: and started to step towards me and Loki.

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_01]: As he got closer, I realized that he was quite tall

[00:05:31] [SPEAKER_01]: and a bit burly.

[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_01]: Loki instantly got a bad feeling,

[00:05:36] [SPEAKER_01]: so he ran behind me and started to bark at him.

[00:05:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Actually, I do mind. My dog doesn't like strangers.

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm sorry. It's probably best if you don't pet him.

[00:05:46] [SPEAKER_01]: I firmly stated.

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_01]: It's okay really, the man insisted as he got closer.

[00:05:52] [SPEAKER_01]: He seems like a friendly dog, just a little pet.

[00:05:55] [SPEAKER_01]: It wouldn't harm him.

[00:05:58] [SPEAKER_01]: I felt extremely uncomfortable.

[00:05:59] [SPEAKER_01]: I had no idea why this guy couldn't take no for an answer.

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_01]: As a rule of thumb,

[00:06:05] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't allow people to pet Loki

[00:06:07] [SPEAKER_01]: unless he approaches them first.

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_01]: If he's scared of someone,

[00:06:12] [SPEAKER_01]: then I usually don't want to further freak him out

[00:06:15] [SPEAKER_01]: by letting someone who's making him nervous get close to him.

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_01]: I felt the need to keep this rule enforced in this case

[00:06:23] [SPEAKER_01]: as the stranger in question just came out of the woods.

[00:06:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm really sorry man,

[00:06:29] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm scared that he's going to bite you or something.

[00:06:32] [SPEAKER_01]: I declined as I began to step away.

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know why you just won't let me introduce myself to him.

[00:06:39] [SPEAKER_01]: The guy replied angrily.

[00:06:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I was feeling increasingly uncomfortable now.

[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_01]: My fight or flight instincts were beginning to take over,

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_01]: so I started to speed walk away.

[00:06:50] [SPEAKER_01]: He continued to follow us while muttering curses to himself.

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if this man was under the influence

[00:06:57] [SPEAKER_01]: or what his deal was,

[00:06:59] [SPEAKER_01]: but he wasn't letting up.

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_01]: As he began to match my speed,

[00:07:04] [SPEAKER_01]: I started to get angry.

[00:07:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Loki and I both took this as a sign to sprint ahead a bit.

[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't remember the actual running

[00:07:13] [SPEAKER_01]: since it was a bit of a blur to me,

[00:07:15] [SPEAKER_01]: but I do remember the spine-tingling feeling that I had

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_01]: when I heard his footsteps rapidly increasing behind me.

[00:07:23] [SPEAKER_01]: He was trying to catch up,

[00:07:25] [SPEAKER_01]: and for a man of his age and stature,

[00:07:28] [SPEAKER_01]: he was quite fast.

[00:07:29] [SPEAKER_01]: I also remember realizing that

[00:07:31] [SPEAKER_01]: his intentions were likely not just to pet my dog.

[00:07:34] [SPEAKER_01]: No reasonable person would push that hard

[00:07:37] [SPEAKER_01]: to approach or pet a dog who's visibly upset.

[00:07:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I remember looking behind me

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_01]: and seeing that he was in pursuit.

[00:07:45] [SPEAKER_01]: He was about ten feet behind us,

[00:07:47] [SPEAKER_01]: and I'll never forget the look in his eyes.

[00:07:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I've never had anyone look at me like that before.

[00:07:53] [SPEAKER_01]: It was the look of killer intent.

[00:07:56] [SPEAKER_01]: My instincts told me that I was correct

[00:07:59] [SPEAKER_01]: in thinking that he had sinister intentions.

[00:08:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Then finally, we reached the path leading to the park exit

[00:08:06] [SPEAKER_01]: and into the busier streets.

[00:08:08] [SPEAKER_01]: I lived about ten minutes away from the park,

[00:08:11] [SPEAKER_01]: and as I headed out,

[00:08:12] [SPEAKER_01]: I made sure that no one was following us.

[00:08:15] [SPEAKER_01]: After walking for some time on populated streets

[00:08:18] [SPEAKER_01]: — it felt like an eternity —

[00:08:20] [SPEAKER_01]: we got home,

[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_01]: but I knew for a fact

[00:08:23] [SPEAKER_01]: that I wasn't going to get a minute of sleep.

[00:08:26] [SPEAKER_01]: From the window in my covered porch,

[00:08:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I stayed up and was on lookout all night with Loki.

[00:08:32] [SPEAKER_01]: I also filed a police report with my parents.

[00:08:36] [SPEAKER_01]: I wasn't sure they'd be able to do much,

[00:08:38] [SPEAKER_01]: but this guy was very suspicious,

[00:08:40] [SPEAKER_01]: so I knew reaching out to them was the right thing to do.

[00:08:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Had his target been someone

[00:08:45] [SPEAKER_01]: who couldn't protect themselves or run away?

[00:08:48] [SPEAKER_01]: What would he have done?

[00:08:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I also often ask myself

[00:08:52] [SPEAKER_01]: what if I had worn my headphones

[00:08:54] [SPEAKER_01]: and the sound of my music drowned out

[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_01]: the footsteps behind me?

[00:08:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Ever since,

[00:09:00] [SPEAKER_01]: I haven't walked Loki in that park.

[00:09:03] [SPEAKER_01]: I've also made it a habit of mine

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_01]: to walk in more populated areas when it's night.

[00:09:09] [SPEAKER_01]: If I could give anyone one piece of advice,

[00:09:12] [SPEAKER_01]: I'd say even if you live in a relatively safe town,

[00:09:16] [SPEAKER_01]: don't ever let your guard down.

[00:09:17] [SPEAKER_01]: You never know who might be lurking in the shadows

[00:09:21] [SPEAKER_01]: and what they might be planning.

[00:09:35] [SPEAKER_01]: This show is sponsored by BetterHelp.

[00:09:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Kids are always learning and growing,

[00:09:39] [SPEAKER_01]: but sometimes we lose that curiosity as adults.

[00:09:43] [SPEAKER_01]: I definitely did for a long while.

[00:09:45] [SPEAKER_01]: It took some rough terrain

[00:09:46] [SPEAKER_01]: to open my mind back up to the wonders

[00:09:48] [SPEAKER_01]: that life has to offer.

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I know that probably sounds cheesy,

[00:09:52] [SPEAKER_01]: but it's my truth,

[00:09:53] [SPEAKER_01]: and it's something I learned that has helped me grow.

[00:09:57] [SPEAKER_01]: But this idea also applies to everyday school,

[00:10:00] [SPEAKER_01]: do you want to learn gardening,

[00:10:02] [SPEAKER_01]: a new language,

[00:10:03] [SPEAKER_01]: or maybe how to finally beat your best friend in bowling?

[00:10:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Therapy can help you reconnect

[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_01]: with your sense of wonder

[00:10:10] [SPEAKER_01]: because your back-to-school era,

[00:10:13] [SPEAKER_01]: so to speak,

[00:10:14] [SPEAKER_01]: can come at any age.

[00:10:16] [SPEAKER_01]: Therapy can help you get there.

[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_01]: It did for me.

[00:10:19] [SPEAKER_01]: I look at my therapist as a teacher,

[00:10:22] [SPEAKER_01]: and I've learned so much from her.

[00:10:23] [SPEAKER_01]: If you're thinking of starting therapy,

[00:10:25] [SPEAKER_01]: give BetterHelp a try.

[00:10:26] [SPEAKER_01]: It's entirely online,

[00:10:28] [SPEAKER_01]: designed to be convenient, flexible,

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[00:10:33] [SPEAKER_01]: Just fill out a brief questionnaire

[00:10:34] [SPEAKER_01]: to get matched with a licensed therapist

[00:10:37] [SPEAKER_01]: and switch therapists at any time

[00:10:39] [SPEAKER_01]: for no additional charge.

[00:10:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Rediscover your curiosity

[00:10:43] [SPEAKER_01]: with BetterHelp.

[00:10:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Visit betterhelp.com

[00:10:46] [SPEAKER_01]: slash notmeet today

[00:10:48] [SPEAKER_01]: to get 10% off your first month.

[00:10:51] [SPEAKER_01]: That's betterhelp,

[00:10:52] [SPEAKER_01]: H-E-L-P dot com slash notmeet.

[00:10:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Now back to the show.

[00:11:12] [SPEAKER_01]: I've never shared this story

[00:11:14] [SPEAKER_01]: with anyone except for my teacher

[00:11:16] [SPEAKER_01]: at the time.

[00:11:17] [SPEAKER_01]: This happened when I was in the first grade

[00:11:19] [SPEAKER_01]: at an elementary school in Texas.

[00:11:22] [SPEAKER_01]: My family and I lived about,

[00:11:24] [SPEAKER_01]: as my mother liked to call it,

[00:11:26] [SPEAKER_01]: three long blocks down the road

[00:11:28] [SPEAKER_01]: from the school,

[00:11:29] [SPEAKER_01]: though it felt like we were further away than that.

[00:11:32] [SPEAKER_01]: My sister and I were regularly

[00:11:34] [SPEAKER_01]: brought to school in the mornings

[00:11:35] [SPEAKER_01]: and then walked home after school

[00:11:37] [SPEAKER_01]: in the afternoon.

[00:11:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Around the time we started to go to this school,

[00:11:42] [SPEAKER_01]: my parents decided to get a divorce.

[00:11:45] [SPEAKER_01]: My dad moved out

[00:11:45] [SPEAKER_01]: so we started seeing him only

[00:11:47] [SPEAKER_01]: every other weekend.

[00:11:49] [SPEAKER_01]: My mom then began dating someone else

[00:11:51] [SPEAKER_01]: and I remember that she became

[00:11:53] [SPEAKER_01]: less available when it came to

[00:11:55] [SPEAKER_01]: taking us to school.

[00:11:57] [SPEAKER_01]: She was very preoccupied with her new relationship

[00:11:59] [SPEAKER_01]: which led to her having me

[00:12:01] [SPEAKER_01]: and my sister walk to

[00:12:03] [SPEAKER_01]: and from school.

[00:12:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Thinking back now,

[00:12:07] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not sure why I had to go to school

[00:12:09] [SPEAKER_01]: late on this particular day.

[00:12:11] [SPEAKER_01]: I might have had a doctor's appointment or something.

[00:12:13] [SPEAKER_01]: All I really remember

[00:12:15] [SPEAKER_01]: about getting to school that day

[00:12:17] [SPEAKER_01]: was that I was maybe an hour late.

[00:12:20] [SPEAKER_01]: In any case,

[00:12:21] [SPEAKER_01]: my mom dropped me off that day.

[00:12:24] [SPEAKER_01]: When we got to school,

[00:12:25] [SPEAKER_01]: she pulled up and I got out.

[00:12:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I remember hoping

[00:12:29] [SPEAKER_01]: that she would wait and watch me

[00:12:30] [SPEAKER_01]: go up the flights of stairs to get inside

[00:12:32] [SPEAKER_01]: but to my dismay, she drove off

[00:12:35] [SPEAKER_01]: right away.

[00:12:36] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's when I saw him.

[00:12:38] [SPEAKER_01]: He was normal looking.

[00:12:40] [SPEAKER_01]: Just a man who stepped out of his

[00:12:42] [SPEAKER_01]: parked car across the street

[00:12:44] [SPEAKER_01]: but he was looking directly at me.

[00:12:47] [SPEAKER_01]: My mom had just pulled away

[00:12:49] [SPEAKER_01]: so this man and I were the only

[00:12:51] [SPEAKER_01]: two people around.

[00:12:53] [SPEAKER_01]: He crossed the street quickly

[00:12:54] [SPEAKER_01]: at an angle coming directly

[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_01]: towards me.

[00:12:58] [SPEAKER_01]: I remember turning and running up the steps

[00:13:00] [SPEAKER_01]: as soon as I saw him.

[00:13:02] [SPEAKER_01]: There were three flights of stairs with landings

[00:13:04] [SPEAKER_01]: in between and

[00:13:06] [SPEAKER_01]: when you're a little girl,

[00:13:08] [SPEAKER_01]: these stairs seem much bigger.

[00:13:11] [SPEAKER_01]: I remember looking over my

[00:13:12] [SPEAKER_01]: shoulder and he was literally running

[00:13:14] [SPEAKER_01]: up the stairs after me.

[00:13:16] [SPEAKER_01]: I had that horrible gut reaction

[00:13:18] [SPEAKER_01]: when I saw this

[00:13:20] [SPEAKER_01]: and I ran as fast as I could.

[00:13:22] [SPEAKER_01]: I remember panicking

[00:13:24] [SPEAKER_01]: as I saw the double doors in front of me.

[00:13:26] [SPEAKER_01]: I was thinking that

[00:13:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I might not make it.

[00:13:30] [SPEAKER_01]: And even at that young age,

[00:13:31] [SPEAKER_01]: I felt this dark energy coming

[00:13:33] [SPEAKER_01]: from this otherwise ordinary looking

[00:13:35] [SPEAKER_01]: person who seemed to look

[00:13:37] [SPEAKER_01]: like my dad.

[00:13:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I remember the huge intrinsic feeling

[00:13:41] [SPEAKER_01]: of doom and urgency

[00:13:43] [SPEAKER_01]: to get through those doors.

[00:13:46] [SPEAKER_01]: And I did.

[00:13:48] [SPEAKER_01]: Once I pushed those doors

[00:13:49] [SPEAKER_01]: open, I immediately turned around and saw

[00:13:51] [SPEAKER_01]: him standing on the second set of stairs

[00:13:53] [SPEAKER_01]: below. He just stood

[00:13:55] [SPEAKER_01]: there looking at me as I looked

[00:13:57] [SPEAKER_01]: down at him from the safety of the

[00:13:59] [SPEAKER_01]: school. He was

[00:14:01] [SPEAKER_01]: visibly angry as he turned around,

[00:14:04] [SPEAKER_01]: walked down the stairs

[00:14:05] [SPEAKER_01]: and walked back to his car.

[00:14:08] [SPEAKER_01]: I remember

[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_01]: telling my teacher about it

[00:14:11] [SPEAKER_01]: and a week later, a police detective

[00:14:13] [SPEAKER_01]: showed up and interviewed me about what happened.

[00:14:16] [SPEAKER_01]: This makes me think

[00:14:17] [SPEAKER_01]: that my situation may have been

[00:14:19] [SPEAKER_01]: connected to something else that happened

[00:14:21] [SPEAKER_01]: in that area at that time.

[00:14:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think I've

[00:14:25] [SPEAKER_01]: ever been that afraid in my life.

[00:14:27] [SPEAKER_01]: It was a powerful internal fear.

[00:14:30] [SPEAKER_01]: It was like my body was

[00:14:31] [SPEAKER_01]: telling me I needed to get away

[00:14:33] [SPEAKER_01]: from that man immediately.

[00:14:44] [SPEAKER_01]: This happened in New York City.

[00:14:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Years ago when I was a freshman

[00:14:49] [SPEAKER_01]: in college, I was out partying

[00:14:51] [SPEAKER_01]: one night with some friends.

[00:14:52] [SPEAKER_01]: I wasn't drunk or on any hard

[00:14:55] [SPEAKER_01]: drugs but I smoked a blunt

[00:14:57] [SPEAKER_01]: or two. Around 3am

[00:14:59] [SPEAKER_01]: we called it a night and went

[00:15:01] [SPEAKER_01]: our separate ways. I took

[00:15:03] [SPEAKER_01]: the train to my neighborhood and began walking

[00:15:05] [SPEAKER_01]: home. I remember I

[00:15:07] [SPEAKER_01]: had to take a different route home that night

[00:15:09] [SPEAKER_01]: since some train lines were under

[00:15:11] [SPEAKER_01]: maintenance so my walk was different.

[00:15:14] [SPEAKER_01]: When I got off

[00:15:15] [SPEAKER_01]: of the train, I realized I had

[00:15:17] [SPEAKER_01]: to walk past the cemetery

[00:15:19] [SPEAKER_01]: and started feeling uneasy.

[00:15:21] [SPEAKER_01]: But I knew I just needed to power through

[00:15:23] [SPEAKER_01]: for about 10 blocks and then I would be

[00:15:25] [SPEAKER_01]: home. Now I always saw

[00:15:27] [SPEAKER_01]: trucks lined up on the cemetery blocks

[00:15:29] [SPEAKER_01]: since it was such a desolate area

[00:15:31] [SPEAKER_01]: so I assumed this was somewhat of

[00:15:33] [SPEAKER_01]: a hub for truckers to park their

[00:15:35] [SPEAKER_01]: trucks and take naps or sleep before

[00:15:37] [SPEAKER_01]: continuing their routes. So I never

[00:15:39] [SPEAKER_01]: thought much of seeing trucks parked there.

[00:15:43] [SPEAKER_01]: A few minutes after I started walking past

[00:15:45] [SPEAKER_01]: the cemetery, I heard a faint sound

[00:15:47] [SPEAKER_01]: of what seemed to be a door

[00:15:49] [SPEAKER_01]: to a vehicle being shut behind me.

[00:15:52] [SPEAKER_01]: I turned around

[00:15:53] [SPEAKER_01]: and saw nothing. So I scanned

[00:15:55] [SPEAKER_01]: my surroundings and I didn't see

[00:15:57] [SPEAKER_01]: any other people.

[00:15:59] [SPEAKER_01]: There was no one ahead of me or behind me

[00:16:01] [SPEAKER_01]: as far as I could see so I kept

[00:16:03] [SPEAKER_01]: walking. But I got a bit

[00:16:05] [SPEAKER_01]: faster and about

[00:16:07] [SPEAKER_01]: a minute later I heard footsteps behind

[00:16:09] [SPEAKER_01]: me. I turned around

[00:16:11] [SPEAKER_01]: quickly and saw a man walking

[00:16:13] [SPEAKER_01]: fast just a few feet behind

[00:16:15] [SPEAKER_01]: me. When he

[00:16:17] [SPEAKER_01]: saw me, he began catcalling me

[00:16:19] [SPEAKER_01]: and making kissing noises.

[00:16:22] [SPEAKER_01]: I was used

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_01]: to catcalls. I was living in New York

[00:16:25] [SPEAKER_01]: City after all. By

[00:16:27] [SPEAKER_01]: my house, there was typically a

[00:16:29] [SPEAKER_01]: line of men on the corner

[00:16:31] [SPEAKER_01]: every morning waiting to be picked up

[00:16:33] [SPEAKER_01]: for construction work and every time

[00:16:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I passed them I would get catcalled or harassed

[00:16:37] [SPEAKER_01]: so I ignored the man behind

[00:16:39] [SPEAKER_01]: me and just kept walking

[00:16:41] [SPEAKER_01]: but a bit faster now.

[00:16:44] [SPEAKER_01]: A few seconds later

[00:16:45] [SPEAKER_01]: he ran to catch up with me

[00:16:47] [SPEAKER_01]: and as we were side by side

[00:16:49] [SPEAKER_01]: he started speaking to me in Spanish.

[00:16:51] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't understand or

[00:16:53] [SPEAKER_01]: speak Spanish. When I was

[00:16:55] [SPEAKER_01]: unresponsive, he grabbed my

[00:16:57] [SPEAKER_01]: arm firmly and began pulling me toward him

[00:16:59] [SPEAKER_01]: so I started to scream and

[00:17:01] [SPEAKER_01]: fight him off. He then pushed

[00:17:03] [SPEAKER_01]: me up against the cemetery fence

[00:17:05] [SPEAKER_01]: and in the midst of all of this my heart

[00:17:07] [SPEAKER_01]: sank to the floor as I thought

[00:17:09] [SPEAKER_01]: something very bad was about to happen.

[00:17:12] [SPEAKER_01]: He started lifting me

[00:17:13] [SPEAKER_01]: up. He had me off of the ground.

[00:17:16] [SPEAKER_01]: Then suddenly

[00:17:17] [SPEAKER_01]: the color drained from his face

[00:17:19] [SPEAKER_01]: and it appeared stark white

[00:17:21] [SPEAKER_01]: in the moonlight. His

[00:17:23] [SPEAKER_01]: expression shifted to one of

[00:17:25] [SPEAKER_01]: pure horror as he

[00:17:27] [SPEAKER_01]: looked past me and into the cemetery

[00:17:29] [SPEAKER_01]: as if he were fixated on something.

[00:17:32] [SPEAKER_01]: He let out a

[00:17:33] [SPEAKER_01]: blood curdling scream

[00:17:35] [SPEAKER_01]: and then let go of me.

[00:17:36] [SPEAKER_01]: By the time I had dropped to the ground he was

[00:17:39] [SPEAKER_01]: already across the street

[00:17:41] [SPEAKER_01]: running out of sight.

[00:17:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Choking on tears and shaking

[00:17:45] [SPEAKER_01]: beside myself, I got up

[00:17:47] [SPEAKER_01]: and ran as fast as I could for the last

[00:17:49] [SPEAKER_01]: few blocks to my house.

[00:17:51] [SPEAKER_01]: I didn't turn to look inside that cemetery

[00:17:52] [SPEAKER_01]: once. I didn't turn around at all

[00:17:55] [SPEAKER_01]: and I didn't stop running

[00:17:57] [SPEAKER_01]: until I got home.

[00:17:59] [SPEAKER_01]: I never took that train

[00:18:01] [SPEAKER_01]: or walked past that cemetery again

[00:18:03] [SPEAKER_01]: and to be honest, I never

[00:18:05] [SPEAKER_01]: told my parents about what happened.

[00:18:07] [SPEAKER_01]: I only told a handful of friends

[00:18:09] [SPEAKER_01]: over the years because to this day

[00:18:11] [SPEAKER_01]: I still don't understand what happened

[00:18:12] [SPEAKER_01]: but something in that cemetery

[00:18:16] [SPEAKER_01]: probably saved my life.

[00:18:37] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm a female

[00:18:38] [SPEAKER_01]: and in 2011, I was

[00:18:40] [SPEAKER_01]: 19. I was looking

[00:18:42] [SPEAKER_01]: for a room to rent in the city

[00:18:44] [SPEAKER_01]: I was moving to for college

[00:18:46] [SPEAKER_01]: which was about an hour away from

[00:18:48] [SPEAKER_01]: where my family was living.

[00:18:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I wasn't having much luck

[00:18:52] [SPEAKER_01]: looking for a place on my own

[00:18:54] [SPEAKER_01]: so my mom started helping me look as well.

[00:18:57] [SPEAKER_01]: She found an ad on Craigslist

[00:18:58] [SPEAKER_01]: for a room in a house.

[00:19:01] [SPEAKER_01]: The rent was $300 with utilities

[00:19:02] [SPEAKER_01]: and everything included.

[00:19:04] [SPEAKER_01]: The homeowner was a man

[00:19:06] [SPEAKER_01]: and he had rented the additional rooms

[00:19:08] [SPEAKER_01]: that he had upstairs to other women

[00:19:10] [SPEAKER_01]: while he lived in the finished basement.

[00:19:13] [SPEAKER_01]: The ad stated that he rarely

[00:19:15] [SPEAKER_01]: ever saw the tenants living in the

[00:19:16] [SPEAKER_01]: house above since he had his

[00:19:18] [SPEAKER_01]: own entrance and kitchen downstairs.

[00:19:21] [SPEAKER_01]: He also specifically

[00:19:23] [SPEAKER_01]: said that he preferred

[00:19:24] [SPEAKER_01]: to have women renters since

[00:19:26] [SPEAKER_01]: he had issues with male tenants in the past

[00:19:29] [SPEAKER_01]: who partied and caused

[00:19:30] [SPEAKER_01]: a lot of damage.

[00:19:32] [SPEAKER_01]: We started to take a look at it since it was

[00:19:34] [SPEAKER_01]: the cheapest listing that we could find

[00:19:36] [SPEAKER_01]: in the area. So my mom

[00:19:38] [SPEAKER_01]: and I went over to the house together to

[00:19:40] [SPEAKER_01]: view it. The homeowner

[00:19:42] [SPEAKER_01]: opened the door and was very welcoming.

[00:19:45] [SPEAKER_01]: It was a decent house

[00:19:47] [SPEAKER_01]: located in a decent

[00:19:48] [SPEAKER_01]: neighborhood. The kitchen and living

[00:19:50] [SPEAKER_01]: room were furnished nicely.

[00:19:52] [SPEAKER_01]: The whole place was really clean.

[00:19:55] [SPEAKER_01]: My mom loves talking

[00:19:56] [SPEAKER_01]: to people and getting to know them so

[00:19:58] [SPEAKER_01]: as she and the homeowner

[00:20:00] [SPEAKER_01]: were engaged in conversation

[00:20:02] [SPEAKER_01]: I stood there quietly and continued

[00:20:04] [SPEAKER_01]: observing the place.

[00:20:06] [SPEAKER_01]: He said he would show me the available

[00:20:08] [SPEAKER_01]: room so we headed towards

[00:20:10] [SPEAKER_01]: the staircase to go up since

[00:20:12] [SPEAKER_01]: he stated on the phone that

[00:20:14] [SPEAKER_01]: the room was upstairs with the other

[00:20:16] [SPEAKER_01]: roommates. But then he

[00:20:18] [SPEAKER_01]: opened another door

[00:20:20] [SPEAKER_01]: and we followed him.

[00:20:22] [SPEAKER_01]: He took us down to the basement and opened

[00:20:24] [SPEAKER_01]: the door to a very small room

[00:20:26] [SPEAKER_01]: that had no closet and no windows.

[00:20:29] [SPEAKER_01]: He proceeded to say that

[00:20:30] [SPEAKER_01]: that room would be mine

[00:20:32] [SPEAKER_01]: and I would be sharing the bathroom

[00:20:34] [SPEAKER_01]: in the hallway with him.

[00:20:37] [SPEAKER_01]: That wasn't the weirdest

[00:20:38] [SPEAKER_01]: part though. It turns out his

[00:20:40] [SPEAKER_01]: bedroom did not have a door on it.

[00:20:43] [SPEAKER_01]: I was definitely thinking

[00:20:44] [SPEAKER_01]: absolutely not this is weird

[00:20:46] [SPEAKER_01]: but he and my mom were so deep in

[00:20:48] [SPEAKER_01]: conversation that I couldn't interject.

[00:20:51] [SPEAKER_01]: He then led us upstairs and

[00:20:52] [SPEAKER_01]: showed us the other rooms.

[00:20:53] [SPEAKER_01]: When we got up there

[00:20:55] [SPEAKER_01]: there was a wide landing that was surrounded

[00:20:58] [SPEAKER_01]: by rooms. The doors

[00:21:00] [SPEAKER_01]: were open and he let us know

[00:21:02] [SPEAKER_01]: that they were currently rented out.

[00:21:04] [SPEAKER_01]: He motioned towards

[00:21:05] [SPEAKER_01]: one of the other rooms and started

[00:21:08] [SPEAKER_01]: this long intricate story about

[00:21:09] [SPEAKER_01]: the woman who lived there and talked

[00:21:11] [SPEAKER_01]: about her alcoholism and her

[00:21:13] [SPEAKER_01]: crazy ex.

[00:21:15] [SPEAKER_01]: He was very exaggerated in how

[00:21:17] [SPEAKER_01]: he was speaking and he used a

[00:21:19] [SPEAKER_01]: lot of hand gestures.

[00:21:22] [SPEAKER_01]: My mom stood there

[00:21:23] [SPEAKER_01]: listening to him and I'm not sure

[00:21:25] [SPEAKER_01]: if she was genuinely captivated

[00:21:27] [SPEAKER_01]: or if she just was trying

[00:21:29] [SPEAKER_01]: not to be rude but either way

[00:21:31] [SPEAKER_01]: she didn't get a good look

[00:21:33] [SPEAKER_01]: at any of the rooms.

[00:21:35] [SPEAKER_01]: While my mom was listening intently

[00:21:37] [SPEAKER_01]: I took the time to investigate

[00:21:39] [SPEAKER_01]: further. I looked in all

[00:21:41] [SPEAKER_01]: three rooms. Each was

[00:21:43] [SPEAKER_01]: furnished with a neatly made bed

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER_01]: on a dark wooden bed frame,

[00:21:48] [SPEAKER_01]: a bureau with a mirror attached

[00:21:49] [SPEAKER_01]: and a nightstand.

[00:21:51] [SPEAKER_01]: There were sliding mirror doors

[00:21:53] [SPEAKER_01]: on the closets which were empty

[00:21:55] [SPEAKER_01]: with the exception of one

[00:21:57] [SPEAKER_01]: in which men's clothing

[00:21:59] [SPEAKER_01]: was hanging but

[00:22:01] [SPEAKER_01]: pushed against one corner.

[00:22:04] [SPEAKER_01]: There was nothing on the nightstands

[00:22:05] [SPEAKER_01]: other than a lamp and nothing

[00:22:07] [SPEAKER_01]: on top of the bureaus.

[00:22:09] [SPEAKER_01]: I thought it was incredibly strange

[00:22:11] [SPEAKER_01]: that there wasn't a single item

[00:22:13] [SPEAKER_01]: in any of the rooms that looked like

[00:22:15] [SPEAKER_01]: it belonged to a woman.

[00:22:17] [SPEAKER_01]: No clothes, no anything.

[00:22:20] [SPEAKER_01]: I then heard him

[00:22:21] [SPEAKER_01]: tell my mom that he was storing

[00:22:23] [SPEAKER_01]: some stuff in the other closets

[00:22:25] [SPEAKER_01]: but they didn't mind.

[00:22:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I remember thinking

[00:22:29] [SPEAKER_01]: um why the hell

[00:22:31] [SPEAKER_01]: would a tenant pay you for some space

[00:22:33] [SPEAKER_01]: only for you to turn around

[00:22:35] [SPEAKER_01]: and use part of that space as storage?

[00:22:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Then I went into the

[00:22:39] [SPEAKER_01]: bathrooms and there was nothing

[00:22:41] [SPEAKER_01]: on the vanity other than hand soap.

[00:22:44] [SPEAKER_01]: I looked in the other

[00:22:45] [SPEAKER_01]: showers too which had

[00:22:47] [SPEAKER_01]: nothing except for a bar of soap.

[00:22:49] [SPEAKER_01]: I was feeling uncomfortable after seeing

[00:22:51] [SPEAKER_01]: all of this so I returned to the

[00:22:53] [SPEAKER_01]: landing where my mom was still speaking

[00:22:55] [SPEAKER_01]: with the homeowner.

[00:22:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Then I slowly started heading down the stairs

[00:22:59] [SPEAKER_01]: and they followed.

[00:23:01] [SPEAKER_01]: My mom had mentioned when

[00:23:03] [SPEAKER_01]: we arrived that she and my

[00:23:05] [SPEAKER_01]: dad were going on vacation the next week.

[00:23:08] [SPEAKER_01]: She also mentioned

[00:23:09] [SPEAKER_01]: that I couldn't go because I had work.

[00:23:12] [SPEAKER_01]: She brought it up

[00:23:13] [SPEAKER_01]: and said that I should come by

[00:23:15] [SPEAKER_01]: the following week to have dinner with him

[00:23:17] [SPEAKER_01]: and the other tenants to see

[00:23:19] [SPEAKER_01]: if we could all get along.

[00:23:21] [SPEAKER_01]: I said sure and we

[00:23:23] [SPEAKER_01]: left.

[00:23:24] [SPEAKER_01]: As soon as we got in the car I told my mom

[00:23:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I absolutely would not be living there.

[00:23:30] [SPEAKER_01]: She was dumbfounded.

[00:23:32] [SPEAKER_01]: I had to explain to her

[00:23:33] [SPEAKER_01]: that not only did he lie about

[00:23:35] [SPEAKER_01]: the room but he also

[00:23:37] [SPEAKER_01]: lied about where the room was.

[00:23:40] [SPEAKER_01]: Plus

[00:23:41] [SPEAKER_01]: sharing a bathroom with him

[00:23:43] [SPEAKER_01]: was news to me.

[00:23:44] [SPEAKER_01]: I also mentioned that his bedroom

[00:23:46] [SPEAKER_01]: didn't even have a damn door

[00:23:49] [SPEAKER_01]: and I let her know that all the

[00:23:51] [SPEAKER_01]: bedrooms that I was shown upstairs

[00:23:53] [SPEAKER_01]: didn't seem to

[00:23:54] [SPEAKER_01]: actually be occupied.

[00:23:58] [SPEAKER_01]: My mom still didn't

[00:23:59] [SPEAKER_01]: get it and I thought that I was

[00:24:01] [SPEAKER_01]: just being paranoid.

[00:24:02] [SPEAKER_01]: She thought that he was nice and the fact

[00:24:05] [SPEAKER_01]: that it was a cheap deal was an added

[00:24:07] [SPEAKER_01]: bonus.

[00:24:08] [SPEAKER_01]: I had to describe

[00:24:09] [SPEAKER_01]: the place to my stepdad and have him

[00:24:12] [SPEAKER_01]: tell her by no means

[00:24:14] [SPEAKER_01]: would I be living there.

[00:24:15] [SPEAKER_01]: I tried to report the post but

[00:24:17] [SPEAKER_01]: it had been removed by the time we got

[00:24:19] [SPEAKER_01]: home. My theory is

[00:24:21] [SPEAKER_01]: he planned on murdering me or abducting

[00:24:24] [SPEAKER_01]: me and holding me hostage at

[00:24:25] [SPEAKER_01]: the dinner that I said I would return for.

[00:24:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I think he was planning to trap me in

[00:24:29] [SPEAKER_01]: that basement room since I had

[00:24:31] [SPEAKER_01]: no way to escape. I want to say

[00:24:33] [SPEAKER_01]: that I'm so grateful that my mom and I

[00:24:35] [SPEAKER_01]: got out of there and I hope that my

[00:24:37] [SPEAKER_01]: experience could help remind

[00:24:40] [SPEAKER_01]: someone to notice the details

[00:24:42] [SPEAKER_01]: and get out of sketchy

[00:24:44] [SPEAKER_01]: situations safely.

[00:24:46] [SPEAKER_01]: Stay safe and blessed everyone.

[00:25:00] [SPEAKER_01]: This happened around 2018

[00:25:02] [SPEAKER_01]: right after my sister

[00:25:04] [SPEAKER_01]: moved out of our apartment.

[00:25:06] [SPEAKER_01]: I was home alone on my day

[00:25:08] [SPEAKER_01]: off when someone knocked on the door.

[00:25:10] [SPEAKER_01]: No one ever visits

[00:25:12] [SPEAKER_01]: and I have a lot of anxiety

[00:25:13] [SPEAKER_01]: so it was terrifying

[00:25:15] [SPEAKER_01]: to my brain already.

[00:25:18] [SPEAKER_01]: I answered and it happened

[00:25:20] [SPEAKER_01]: to be a woman who lived in

[00:25:22] [SPEAKER_01]: one of the basement apartments.

[00:25:24] [SPEAKER_01]: She seemed nice at first

[00:25:25] [SPEAKER_01]: asking if I wanted any clothes

[00:25:28] [SPEAKER_01]: that she was giving away.

[00:25:29] [SPEAKER_01]: She remarked that the clothes

[00:25:31] [SPEAKER_01]: weren't her style but

[00:25:33] [SPEAKER_01]: seemed to match mine perfectly as a

[00:25:35] [SPEAKER_01]: young woman.

[00:25:37] [SPEAKER_01]: That already was a red flag

[00:25:39] [SPEAKER_01]: in my head because the only time

[00:25:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I've ever seen her walk around

[00:25:43] [SPEAKER_01]: was when I was walking out of the apartment

[00:25:45] [SPEAKER_01]: building to go to work wearing my

[00:25:47] [SPEAKER_01]: work uniform which is

[00:25:49] [SPEAKER_01]: a black shirt, black pants and a black

[00:25:51] [SPEAKER_01]: hat. I continued to let her

[00:25:53] [SPEAKER_01]: talk because I was super

[00:25:55] [SPEAKER_01]: awkward and I hated being rude.

[00:25:58] [SPEAKER_01]: She then started

[00:25:59] [SPEAKER_01]: getting pushy and listing

[00:26:01] [SPEAKER_01]: off very expensive name brands

[00:26:03] [SPEAKER_01]: to try and get me to go

[00:26:05] [SPEAKER_01]: to her apartment to check out the clothes

[00:26:07] [SPEAKER_01]: that she had. I should mention

[00:26:09] [SPEAKER_01]: that we live in a small old

[00:26:11] [SPEAKER_01]: building with no cameras

[00:26:13] [SPEAKER_01]: and I lived on the top floor.

[00:26:15] [SPEAKER_01]: To go down to her apartment

[00:26:17] [SPEAKER_01]: I would have to go down to what

[00:26:19] [SPEAKER_01]: I call the creepy stairs

[00:26:21] [SPEAKER_01]: to the basement level next to

[00:26:23] [SPEAKER_01]: the door to the back lot that

[00:26:25] [SPEAKER_01]: no one ever used.

[00:26:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I then realized she was holding

[00:26:29] [SPEAKER_01]: a notebook open and it had

[00:26:31] [SPEAKER_01]: a written script of what she

[00:26:33] [SPEAKER_01]: was saying.

[00:26:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I continued to decline her invitation

[00:26:37] [SPEAKER_01]: to go look at the clothes

[00:26:38] [SPEAKER_01]: but my anxiety just wouldn't

[00:26:41] [SPEAKER_01]: let me close the door in her face

[00:26:43] [SPEAKER_01]: since I was nervous that she might

[00:26:45] [SPEAKER_01]: lash out.

[00:26:46] [SPEAKER_01]: She kept insisting so I finally

[00:26:49] [SPEAKER_01]: tried to dismiss her by letting

[00:26:50] [SPEAKER_01]: her know that my boyfriend was going to be

[00:26:52] [SPEAKER_01]: home soon.

[00:26:54] [SPEAKER_01]: I suggested that she just donate the

[00:26:56] [SPEAKER_01]: clothes. In reality

[00:26:58] [SPEAKER_01]: my boyfriend wasn't going to be home

[00:27:00] [SPEAKER_01]: for many hours but she didn't need

[00:27:03] [SPEAKER_01]: to know that and I just wanted

[00:27:04] [SPEAKER_01]: her to get out of there.

[00:27:06] [SPEAKER_01]: She left and I went

[00:27:08] [SPEAKER_01]: back to my room which had a window

[00:27:10] [SPEAKER_01]: facing the alley and the back

[00:27:12] [SPEAKER_01]: lot that I mentioned before.

[00:27:14] [SPEAKER_01]: A few moments later

[00:27:16] [SPEAKER_01]: I heard a fight happening in the lot.

[00:27:19] [SPEAKER_01]: I saw her

[00:27:20] [SPEAKER_01]: with the building's former maintenance man.

[00:27:22] [SPEAKER_01]: The two of them were loud

[00:27:24] [SPEAKER_01]: screaming at each other.

[00:27:26] [SPEAKER_01]: They were standing next

[00:27:28] [SPEAKER_01]: to his truck which had tinted

[00:27:30] [SPEAKER_01]: windows and a covered truck bed.

[00:27:32] [SPEAKER_01]: I believe that he left

[00:27:34] [SPEAKER_01]: but a little while later

[00:27:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I heard something hit my door really

[00:27:38] [SPEAKER_01]: hard. I didn't check

[00:27:40] [SPEAKER_01]: to see what it was.

[00:27:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I just stared at the door.

[00:27:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Then it happened again

[00:27:45] [SPEAKER_01]: and again.

[00:27:48] [SPEAKER_01]: It kept happening

[00:27:49] [SPEAKER_01]: all night until my boyfriend

[00:27:52] [SPEAKER_01]: came home and then it

[00:27:54] [SPEAKER_01]: continued for several days

[00:27:55] [SPEAKER_01]: after it initially started happening

[00:27:57] [SPEAKER_01]: but it would only happen when

[00:28:00] [SPEAKER_01]: I was alone.

[00:28:01] [SPEAKER_01]: I finally took a look

[00:28:03] [SPEAKER_01]: at the door and realized that it was

[00:28:04] [SPEAKER_01]: the deadbolt being hit.

[00:28:07] [SPEAKER_01]: It had been pounded on so

[00:28:08] [SPEAKER_01]: much that it was now off center.

[00:28:11] [SPEAKER_01]: I had it

[00:28:12] [SPEAKER_01]: replaced but even after it was

[00:28:14] [SPEAKER_01]: replaced the damage that was done to

[00:28:16] [SPEAKER_01]: the door couldn't be fixed.

[00:28:19] [SPEAKER_01]: It stopped

[00:28:20] [SPEAKER_01]: after a little while and the

[00:28:22] [SPEAKER_01]: woman moved out almost immediately

[00:28:24] [SPEAKER_01]: after all of it.

[00:28:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Luckily I moved out too

[00:28:28] [SPEAKER_01]: and my new house is

[00:28:30] [SPEAKER_01]: much safer.

[00:28:45] [SPEAKER_01]: This happened to me about

[00:28:47] [SPEAKER_01]: a month ago and I'm still pretty shaken up.

[00:28:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I live with my mom,

[00:28:51] [SPEAKER_01]: sister, baby brother and dog

[00:28:53] [SPEAKER_01]: and occasionally my mom's boyfriend.

[00:28:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Ever since

[00:28:57] [SPEAKER_01]: I finished my academic year about

[00:28:59] [SPEAKER_01]: a month and a half ago

[00:29:00] [SPEAKER_01]: I've been home alone a lot more

[00:29:03] [SPEAKER_01]: often. Usually it's me

[00:29:05] [SPEAKER_01]: and the dog left in the house

[00:29:07] [SPEAKER_01]: when my mom goes out somewhere.

[00:29:09] [SPEAKER_01]: We usually don't

[00:29:11] [SPEAKER_01]: lock the front door when I'm home alone

[00:29:13] [SPEAKER_01]: since we live in a relatively safe neighborhood.

[00:29:16] [SPEAKER_01]: One evening when I was

[00:29:17] [SPEAKER_01]: home alone, I had just finished

[00:29:19] [SPEAKER_01]: eating my dinner and I was sitting in my

[00:29:21] [SPEAKER_01]: favorite armchair in the living room watching

[00:29:23] [SPEAKER_01]: YouTube videos. The armchair

[00:29:25] [SPEAKER_01]: faced the living room door directly

[00:29:27] [SPEAKER_01]: which was open

[00:29:28] [SPEAKER_01]: meaning I could see the stairs in

[00:29:31] [SPEAKER_01]: most of the hallway leading into the

[00:29:33] [SPEAKER_01]: house from there.

[00:29:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Though I couldn't see the front door.

[00:29:37] [SPEAKER_01]: As I was watching a video

[00:29:38] [SPEAKER_01]: I heard the front door open

[00:29:40] [SPEAKER_01]: so I turned the volume on my phone down

[00:29:42] [SPEAKER_01]: since I assumed it was my mom walking

[00:29:44] [SPEAKER_01]: in. Since

[00:29:46] [SPEAKER_01]: it was the evening time,

[00:29:48] [SPEAKER_01]: I thought that my baby brother would be asleep

[00:29:51] [SPEAKER_01]: and I didn't want to wake the baby.

[00:29:53] [SPEAKER_01]: I heard the front door close

[00:29:54] [SPEAKER_01]: almost immediately after

[00:29:56] [SPEAKER_01]: I turned the volume down so I

[00:29:58] [SPEAKER_01]: called out, hello?

[00:30:00] [SPEAKER_01]: As I wondered why my mom was being so

[00:30:02] [SPEAKER_01]: quiet but I was met

[00:30:04] [SPEAKER_01]: with silence.

[00:30:06] [SPEAKER_01]: When I got up to check,

[00:30:08] [SPEAKER_01]: there was nobody by the door.

[00:30:11] [SPEAKER_01]: The dog always makes

[00:30:12] [SPEAKER_01]: loads of sounds whenever somebody

[00:30:14] [SPEAKER_01]: passes in front of our house or

[00:30:16] [SPEAKER_01]: knocks on the door so

[00:30:18] [SPEAKER_01]: since she wasn't barking or reacting

[00:30:20] [SPEAKER_01]: at all, I thought I must have

[00:30:22] [SPEAKER_01]: imagined it. This seemed

[00:30:24] [SPEAKER_01]: plausible as I experienced

[00:30:26] [SPEAKER_01]: auditory hallucinations at times

[00:30:29] [SPEAKER_01]: especially when I'm anticipating

[00:30:30] [SPEAKER_01]: specific noises.

[00:30:31] [SPEAKER_01]: I just brushed it off and chalked

[00:30:34] [SPEAKER_01]: it up to overactive anxiety.

[00:30:37] [SPEAKER_01]: So I settled back

[00:30:38] [SPEAKER_01]: into the same old armchair

[00:30:40] [SPEAKER_01]: but didn't resume my video

[00:30:41] [SPEAKER_01]: as the loud sound in the otherwise

[00:30:44] [SPEAKER_01]: deathly quiet house

[00:30:46] [SPEAKER_01]: put me further on edge.

[00:30:48] [SPEAKER_01]: I just sat and drank

[00:30:50] [SPEAKER_01]: my cider in silence as my dog

[00:30:52] [SPEAKER_01]: sat at my feet.

[00:30:53] [SPEAKER_01]: This meant that it would be impossible for me

[00:30:56] [SPEAKER_01]: to miss the sound of the door opening

[00:30:57] [SPEAKER_01]: and the sound of footsteps coming into

[00:31:00] [SPEAKER_01]: my house. I was already

[00:31:02] [SPEAKER_01]: on high alert from the previous

[00:31:03] [SPEAKER_01]: false alarm of someone coming into the house

[00:31:06] [SPEAKER_01]: so my heart was pounding

[00:31:07] [SPEAKER_01]: as I registered hearing the

[00:31:10] [SPEAKER_01]: door open once more.

[00:31:12] [SPEAKER_01]: But I couldn't hear

[00:31:14] [SPEAKER_01]: the wheels of the buggy

[00:31:16] [SPEAKER_01]: or the baby crying.

[00:31:18] [SPEAKER_01]: I couldn't hear my mom's voice or the

[00:31:19] [SPEAKER_01]: clacking of the heels that I knew she was

[00:31:21] [SPEAKER_01]: wearing. I only heard

[00:31:23] [SPEAKER_01]: the soft patting of unfamiliar

[00:31:26] [SPEAKER_01]: feet stepping into my house.

[00:31:29] [SPEAKER_01]: At this point

[00:31:30] [SPEAKER_01]: I was frozen with my eyes fixed

[00:31:32] [SPEAKER_01]: on the part of the hallway that was visible

[00:31:34] [SPEAKER_01]: to me from where I was sitting.

[00:31:36] [SPEAKER_01]: The silhouette of an unfamiliar

[00:31:39] [SPEAKER_01]: man splashed

[00:31:40] [SPEAKER_01]: into view on the wall.

[00:31:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I was terrified, hoping

[00:31:44] [SPEAKER_01]: for him to have simply mistaken this

[00:31:46] [SPEAKER_01]: for his home. I was

[00:31:48] [SPEAKER_01]: visualizing him apologizing

[00:31:50] [SPEAKER_01]: to the empty air and then swiftly

[00:31:52] [SPEAKER_01]: exiting the house

[00:31:54] [SPEAKER_01]: before I could take those few steps

[00:31:56] [SPEAKER_01]: forward that would allow me to see him

[00:31:58] [SPEAKER_01]: my dog started to bark and growl

[00:32:00] [SPEAKER_01]: aggressively at the man.

[00:32:03] [SPEAKER_01]: I was frozen

[00:32:04] [SPEAKER_01]: as this happened.

[00:32:06] [SPEAKER_01]: I didn't even register that she had

[00:32:08] [SPEAKER_01]: left the spot where she was sitting in front of me.

[00:32:11] [SPEAKER_01]: With the exception of my

[00:32:12] [SPEAKER_01]: dog's reaction, it was still completely

[00:32:14] [SPEAKER_01]: silent in the house

[00:32:15] [SPEAKER_01]: and the man left immediately, slamming

[00:32:18] [SPEAKER_01]: the door shut behind himself.

[00:32:20] [SPEAKER_01]: That was when I finally released

[00:32:22] [SPEAKER_01]: a breath that I was holding

[00:32:24] [SPEAKER_01]: and crept out of the hallway to

[00:32:26] [SPEAKER_01]: lock the door.

[00:32:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Thoroughly shaken, I made my way

[00:32:30] [SPEAKER_01]: back to the living room, wanting

[00:32:31] [SPEAKER_01]: to get away from that door when I realized

[00:32:34] [SPEAKER_01]: that the man was still

[00:32:35] [SPEAKER_01]: pacing in front of the house.

[00:32:38] [SPEAKER_01]: With the bitter taste of panic

[00:32:40] [SPEAKER_01]: making itself known once again,

[00:32:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I hastily called my mom

[00:32:43] [SPEAKER_01]: as I half expected the man to try the

[00:32:45] [SPEAKER_01]: door handle again.

[00:32:48] [SPEAKER_01]: I didn't immediately call

[00:32:50] [SPEAKER_01]: the police because I didn't really think that

[00:32:52] [SPEAKER_01]: any crime had been committed.

[00:32:54] [SPEAKER_01]: I was still telling myself that he

[00:32:56] [SPEAKER_01]: had probably just gotten lost

[00:32:58] [SPEAKER_01]: and entered the wrong house, especially

[00:33:00] [SPEAKER_01]: since he had his phone in his hand

[00:33:02] [SPEAKER_01]: as he was pacing.

[00:33:04] [SPEAKER_01]: I also think I found it

[00:33:06] [SPEAKER_01]: easier to believe that, since

[00:33:08] [SPEAKER_01]: he wouldn't have any malicious intent.

[00:33:11] [SPEAKER_01]: The man

[00:33:12] [SPEAKER_01]: left after a while and my mom promised

[00:33:14] [SPEAKER_01]: to come home immediately.

[00:33:16] [SPEAKER_01]: While I waited for my mom,

[00:33:18] [SPEAKER_01]: I gave my dog a treat for being a good

[00:33:20] [SPEAKER_01]: guard dog and protecting me

[00:33:22] [SPEAKER_01]: and her home. Despite feeling

[00:33:24] [SPEAKER_01]: much safer after he was gone,

[00:33:26] [SPEAKER_01]: I couldn't help but go over how strange

[00:33:28] [SPEAKER_01]: it was that he didn't even knock

[00:33:30] [SPEAKER_01]: before he opened the door

[00:33:32] [SPEAKER_01]: or how silent he was

[00:33:34] [SPEAKER_01]: when he came in.

[00:33:36] [SPEAKER_01]: I really hope that man

[00:33:37] [SPEAKER_01]: didn't have any bad intentions

[00:33:40] [SPEAKER_01]: but just to be on the safe side

[00:33:41] [SPEAKER_01]: to the random guy who walked into my

[00:33:44] [SPEAKER_01]: house, let's not meet

[00:33:46] [SPEAKER_01]: again.

[00:33:55] [SPEAKER_01]: One night a few years ago,

[00:33:57] [SPEAKER_01]: my mom and stepdad had gone out

[00:33:59] [SPEAKER_01]: to this concert and left me in charge

[00:34:01] [SPEAKER_01]: of my little brother Sunny

[00:34:03] [SPEAKER_01]: and the dog. I wasn't very

[00:34:05] [SPEAKER_01]: old, only about 14,

[00:34:08] [SPEAKER_01]: but I felt very proud that my parents

[00:34:10] [SPEAKER_01]: trusted me enough to do that.

[00:34:12] [SPEAKER_01]: The little village where we were

[00:34:14] [SPEAKER_01]: living in was the kind of place

[00:34:16] [SPEAKER_01]: where everybody knows everybody

[00:34:18] [SPEAKER_01]: and I could count the number of houses

[00:34:20] [SPEAKER_01]: that there were on my hands.

[00:34:22] [SPEAKER_01]: I was a little boy

[00:34:23] [SPEAKER_01]: We lived in a quiet, close-knit

[00:34:26] [SPEAKER_01]: community and nothing

[00:34:27] [SPEAKER_01]: ever happened there. I thought

[00:34:29] [SPEAKER_01]: I was a pretty cool big brother so I planned

[00:34:31] [SPEAKER_01]: on doing cool babysitting stuff

[00:34:33] [SPEAKER_01]: like letting my little brother stay up

[00:34:35] [SPEAKER_01]: late, eating pizza, etc.

[00:34:39] [SPEAKER_01]: At about

[00:34:39] [SPEAKER_01]: 10.30, the power

[00:34:41] [SPEAKER_01]: cut out. Now I didn't

[00:34:43] [SPEAKER_01]: think anything of it since the weather

[00:34:45] [SPEAKER_01]: hadn't been great, so I

[00:34:47] [SPEAKER_01]: figured that had something to do with it.

[00:34:50] [SPEAKER_01]: So I got some candles out of

[00:34:51] [SPEAKER_01]: the cupboard and lit them.

[00:34:53] [SPEAKER_01]: As soon as I sat back down,

[00:34:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Sunny turned to me and being

[00:34:57] [SPEAKER_01]: the weird little kid that he was,

[00:34:59] [SPEAKER_01]: he calmly told me that someone was

[00:35:01] [SPEAKER_01]: outside.

[00:35:03] [SPEAKER_01]: I was a little perturbed, but

[00:35:05] [SPEAKER_01]: since the dog hadn't done anything,

[00:35:08] [SPEAKER_01]: I assumed it was just neighbors.

[00:35:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Sunny then

[00:35:11] [SPEAKER_01]: shrugged and went back to his

[00:35:13] [SPEAKER_01]: drawings. There's a

[00:35:15] [SPEAKER_01]: running joke in our house that you don't

[00:35:17] [SPEAKER_01]: need a clock with a dog since

[00:35:19] [SPEAKER_01]: he's such a creature of habit.

[00:35:22] [SPEAKER_01]: He will consistently get up exactly

[00:35:24] [SPEAKER_01]: the same time every night

[00:35:25] [SPEAKER_01]: to let us know that it's time to initiate

[00:35:28] [SPEAKER_01]: his nightly going to bed

[00:35:29] [SPEAKER_01]: routine. The dog did

[00:35:31] [SPEAKER_01]: exactly that about 45 minutes

[00:35:34] [SPEAKER_01]: after the power went out.

[00:35:36] [SPEAKER_01]: I told Sunny to get a biscuit for

[00:35:38] [SPEAKER_01]: the dog while I let him go out

[00:35:40] [SPEAKER_01]: to potty. Now

[00:35:42] [SPEAKER_01]: our kitchen is located in

[00:35:43] [SPEAKER_01]: a part of the house that's an extension

[00:35:45] [SPEAKER_01]: from the original house.

[00:35:47] [SPEAKER_01]: So, as such,

[00:35:49] [SPEAKER_01]: this area has a flat roof

[00:35:51] [SPEAKER_01]: that was noticeably lower to the

[00:35:53] [SPEAKER_01]: ground compared to the roofing on the rest

[00:35:55] [SPEAKER_01]: of the house. This offered

[00:35:57] [SPEAKER_01]: easy access to the bathroom window.

[00:36:00] [SPEAKER_01]: As I opened the

[00:36:01] [SPEAKER_01]: door so that the dog could go out and do

[00:36:03] [SPEAKER_01]: his thing, Sunny pushed

[00:36:05] [SPEAKER_01]: past me at the doorway and whispered

[00:36:07] [SPEAKER_01]: I know you're out there.

[00:36:09] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm calling the police.

[00:36:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Then he turned around and

[00:36:14] [SPEAKER_01]: went back inside the house with

[00:36:16] [SPEAKER_01]: the biggest, proudest smile

[00:36:18] [SPEAKER_01]: I had ever seen on his face.

[00:36:21] [SPEAKER_01]: Just then, there

[00:36:22] [SPEAKER_01]: was a very distinct rustling

[00:36:25] [SPEAKER_01]: coming from just above the doorway.

[00:36:27] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think that I'll

[00:36:28] [SPEAKER_01]: ever forget the way Sunny's face

[00:36:30] [SPEAKER_01]: dropped when he looked just above

[00:36:32] [SPEAKER_01]: my head. When I

[00:36:34] [SPEAKER_01]: looked up as well, I saw

[00:36:36] [SPEAKER_01]: a man sitting on the roof right above me.

[00:36:39] [SPEAKER_01]: He panicked,

[00:36:40] [SPEAKER_01]: tried to kick me and then ran

[00:36:42] [SPEAKER_01]: off into the next door neighbor's garden.

[00:36:45] [SPEAKER_01]: From there, he ran

[00:36:47] [SPEAKER_01]: into the cornfields that surrounded our

[00:36:49] [SPEAKER_01]: village. I was terrified

[00:36:51] [SPEAKER_01]: and Sunny was now

[00:36:52] [SPEAKER_01]: bawling his eyes out, so I ushered

[00:36:54] [SPEAKER_01]: him inside as quickly as I could

[00:36:56] [SPEAKER_01]: and I grabbed a knife from the kitchen.

[00:36:59] [SPEAKER_01]: We both went to his room

[00:37:00] [SPEAKER_01]: and I told him to try and get some sleep

[00:37:03] [SPEAKER_01]: while I stayed awake and waited

[00:37:04] [SPEAKER_01]: for our parents to come home.

[00:37:07] [SPEAKER_01]: It was an agonizingly

[00:37:09] [SPEAKER_01]: long four hours

[00:37:10] [SPEAKER_01]: before they did.

[00:37:11] [SPEAKER_01]: My stepdad immediately

[00:37:14] [SPEAKER_01]: went outside to check and see if

[00:37:15] [SPEAKER_01]: everything was alright. I then heard

[00:37:18] [SPEAKER_01]: them talking about how something

[00:37:19] [SPEAKER_01]: had smashed the fuse box.

[00:37:22] [SPEAKER_01]: We called the police

[00:37:23] [SPEAKER_01]: but they didn't come until the next day.

[00:37:26] [SPEAKER_01]: They searched the immediate

[00:37:28] [SPEAKER_01]: premises and found

[00:37:29] [SPEAKER_01]: a makeshift bed in a nearby

[00:37:32] [SPEAKER_01]: unused barn

[00:37:33] [SPEAKER_01]: along with pictures of our silhouettes

[00:37:36] [SPEAKER_01]: in the shower through

[00:37:37] [SPEAKER_01]: the frosted glass.

[00:37:40] [SPEAKER_01]: I think it's pretty safe

[00:37:42] [SPEAKER_01]: to say the whole experience

[00:37:44] [SPEAKER_01]: definitely shook us up.

[00:37:46] [SPEAKER_01]: We moved out as soon

[00:37:48] [SPEAKER_01]: as we could but I still make sure

[00:37:50] [SPEAKER_01]: that my curtains are closed when I can

[00:37:52] [SPEAKER_01]: and I'm apprehensive

[00:37:54] [SPEAKER_01]: about every shadow

[00:37:55] [SPEAKER_01]: that I see.

[00:37:57] [SPEAKER_01]: Sunny has kept quiet about this

[00:37:59] [SPEAKER_01]: since it happened, but I'm not

[00:38:01] [SPEAKER_01]: sure if that's because he doesn't remember

[00:38:03] [SPEAKER_01]: or if his brain just

[00:38:06] [SPEAKER_01]: blocked it out.

[00:38:08] [SPEAKER_01]: To our weird

[00:38:09] [SPEAKER_01]: kitchen roof stalker,

[00:38:11] [SPEAKER_01]: let's not meet.

[00:38:25] [SPEAKER_01]: About two years ago I went on a family

[00:38:27] [SPEAKER_01]: vacation to Los Cabos, Mexico.

[00:38:30] [SPEAKER_01]: My family and I stayed

[00:38:31] [SPEAKER_01]: at a nice western resort.

[00:38:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Every night we were on vacation

[00:38:35] [SPEAKER_01]: at around 9.30pm

[00:38:37] [SPEAKER_01]: my family would head back to their

[00:38:39] [SPEAKER_01]: rooms to go to sleep.

[00:38:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Naturally as a 25 year old

[00:38:43] [SPEAKER_01]: I wanted to stay up and party

[00:38:45] [SPEAKER_01]: or go drinking at the bars.

[00:38:48] [SPEAKER_01]: My older brother was

[00:38:49] [SPEAKER_01]: working remotely during our trip

[00:38:51] [SPEAKER_01]: so he wouldn't go out with me.

[00:38:54] [SPEAKER_01]: So after the family went to bed

[00:38:55] [SPEAKER_01]: I went out to a bar around the

[00:38:57] [SPEAKER_01]: corner from my hotel and ended up

[00:38:59] [SPEAKER_01]: befriending some locals there as well

[00:39:01] [SPEAKER_01]: as a 29 year old guy from San Diego

[00:39:04] [SPEAKER_01]: named Luke, who

[00:39:05] [SPEAKER_01]: was there for a wedding.

[00:39:07] [SPEAKER_01]: This group started hanging out

[00:39:09] [SPEAKER_01]: every night after my family

[00:39:11] [SPEAKER_01]: went to sleep and on the third night

[00:39:13] [SPEAKER_01]: of the trip, Luke asked me

[00:39:15] [SPEAKER_01]: if I wanted to meet him in downtown

[00:39:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Los Cabos with his friends.

[00:39:20] [SPEAKER_01]: I really wanted to

[00:39:21] [SPEAKER_01]: but I was at dinner with my family.

[00:39:24] [SPEAKER_01]: It went on

[00:39:25] [SPEAKER_01]: later than usual so I ended

[00:39:27] [SPEAKER_01]: up staying around the hotel that night.

[00:39:30] [SPEAKER_01]: The next night

[00:39:31] [SPEAKER_01]: I was able to meet up with Luke and I met

[00:39:33] [SPEAKER_01]: him at this huge Pablo Escobar

[00:39:35] [SPEAKER_01]: esque mansion that he and his

[00:39:37] [SPEAKER_01]: friends rented on Airbnb.

[00:39:40] [SPEAKER_01]: He said that it was good that

[00:39:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I couldn't make it out the night before because

[00:39:43] [SPEAKER_01]: of how scary of an experience

[00:39:45] [SPEAKER_01]: it was. He

[00:39:47] [SPEAKER_01]: explained to me that the night before, his

[00:39:49] [SPEAKER_01]: buddy went outside and someone approached

[00:39:51] [SPEAKER_01]: him and held out a key with

[00:39:53] [SPEAKER_01]: a bump of coke on it. Without

[00:39:55] [SPEAKER_01]: even thinking, he inhaled

[00:39:57] [SPEAKER_01]: the bump and the person who offered it

[00:39:59] [SPEAKER_01]: was now demanding that he buy

[00:40:01] [SPEAKER_01]: an $80 bag from him.

[00:40:04] [SPEAKER_01]: He was drunk and

[00:40:05] [SPEAKER_01]: refused while getting pretty aggressive.

[00:40:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Things went from bad

[00:40:09] [SPEAKER_01]: to worse as the guy who offered

[00:40:11] [SPEAKER_01]: the bump started following their

[00:40:13] [SPEAKER_01]: group from bar to bar for the next

[00:40:15] [SPEAKER_01]: 3 hours, taking pictures of

[00:40:17] [SPEAKER_01]: them. This guy ended up calling some

[00:40:19] [SPEAKER_01]: of his friends and eventually there was a group

[00:40:21] [SPEAKER_01]: of men following behind Luke

[00:40:23] [SPEAKER_01]: and his friends, claiming to be

[00:40:25] [SPEAKER_01]: affiliated with the cartel.

[00:40:27] [SPEAKER_01]: They warned that if Luke's buddy

[00:40:29] [SPEAKER_01]: didn't pay them, they were going to call

[00:40:31] [SPEAKER_01]: their boss. Luke

[00:40:33] [SPEAKER_01]: tried to smooth things over

[00:40:35] [SPEAKER_01]: but these men told him his

[00:40:37] [SPEAKER_01]: friend had stolen from them

[00:40:39] [SPEAKER_01]: and it was going to cost him his

[00:40:41] [SPEAKER_01]: life if somebody didn't pay up.

[00:40:44] [SPEAKER_01]: He also pulled up his

[00:40:45] [SPEAKER_01]: shirt revealing a 9mm pistol

[00:40:47] [SPEAKER_01]: tucked into his waistband.

[00:40:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Luke remained calm after

[00:40:51] [SPEAKER_01]: offering to take them to an ATM

[00:40:53] [SPEAKER_01]: to pay them the money that they were demanding

[00:40:55] [SPEAKER_01]: so that he and his friends

[00:40:57] [SPEAKER_01]: could all be left alone.

[00:40:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Then these guys gave him

[00:41:00] [SPEAKER_01]: an empty coke bag and abruptly

[00:41:03] [SPEAKER_01]: left.

[00:41:05] [SPEAKER_01]: Even after Luke did all of this to

[00:41:07] [SPEAKER_01]: ensure his friend's safety, his

[00:41:09] [SPEAKER_01]: friend denied all responsibility

[00:41:11] [SPEAKER_01]: and wrongdoing. His

[00:41:13] [SPEAKER_01]: buddy was even mad at Luke for trying

[00:41:15] [SPEAKER_01]: to help. He also never

[00:41:17] [SPEAKER_01]: offered Luke a single dollar.

[00:41:19] [SPEAKER_01]: After this event happened,

[00:41:21] [SPEAKER_01]: Luke was robbed again by

[00:41:23] [SPEAKER_01]: a girl who ripped his $200

[00:41:24] [SPEAKER_01]: gold necklace right off of his neck.

[00:41:27] [SPEAKER_01]: The guy was just

[00:41:29] [SPEAKER_01]: trying to be a good friend and was

[00:41:31] [SPEAKER_01]: not only met with no gratitude

[00:41:32] [SPEAKER_01]: but he was robbed a second time.

[00:41:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Needless to say, I'm very

[00:41:37] [SPEAKER_01]: happy I did not go out with Luke

[00:41:39] [SPEAKER_01]: and his friends that night.

[00:41:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Be careful everyone. Never

[00:41:43] [SPEAKER_01]: accept free drugs from a

[00:41:45] [SPEAKER_01]: stranger on the street

[00:41:47] [SPEAKER_01]: in Mexico or really anywhere.

[00:41:49] [SPEAKER_01]: It always comes at a price.

[00:42:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Tickets are still available for the

[00:42:08] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's Not Meet Live Tour. I'll be in

[00:42:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Salt Lake City, Utah on September 19th,

[00:42:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Seattle, Washington on October

[00:42:14] [SPEAKER_01]: 9th, Portland, Oregon on

[00:42:16] [SPEAKER_01]: October 30th, Houston, Texas

[00:42:18] [SPEAKER_01]: on November 9th and Dallas, Texas

[00:42:20] [SPEAKER_01]: on November 10th. You can get tickets

[00:42:22] [SPEAKER_01]: at letsnotmeetpodcast.com

[00:42:24] [SPEAKER_01]: or follow the links in the

[00:42:26] [SPEAKER_01]: show notes. I'll see you there.

[00:42:36] [SPEAKER_01]: I live in a very rural area of Tennessee.

[00:42:39] [SPEAKER_01]: This happened during

[00:42:40] [SPEAKER_01]: the summer of 1993.

[00:42:42] [SPEAKER_01]: Even though I was a pre-teen

[00:42:44] [SPEAKER_01]: back then, I can still vividly

[00:42:46] [SPEAKER_01]: recall all of this in my mind.

[00:42:49] [SPEAKER_01]: It's like it just happened

[00:42:50] [SPEAKER_01]: yesterday. So as I said,

[00:42:52] [SPEAKER_01]: it took place in a rural area in Tennessee

[00:42:54] [SPEAKER_01]: where we used to have some serious

[00:42:56] [SPEAKER_01]: issues with people dumping

[00:42:58] [SPEAKER_01]: unwanted, worn out items

[00:43:00] [SPEAKER_01]: and garbage down our beautiful

[00:43:02] [SPEAKER_01]: hillsides and ravines.

[00:43:04] [SPEAKER_01]: At that time, it was

[00:43:06] [SPEAKER_01]: common to find illegal dumping

[00:43:08] [SPEAKER_01]: sites everywhere because there

[00:43:10] [SPEAKER_01]: was no bulk pickup offered

[00:43:12] [SPEAKER_01]: by our waste disposal provider.

[00:43:15] [SPEAKER_01]: In this part

[00:43:16] [SPEAKER_01]: of the state, the economic disparity

[00:43:18] [SPEAKER_01]: is glaring.

[00:43:19] [SPEAKER_01]: There are some of the

[00:43:21] [SPEAKER_01]: poorest people living in the area

[00:43:23] [SPEAKER_01]: as well as mansions

[00:43:25] [SPEAKER_01]: and vacation home owning

[00:43:27] [SPEAKER_01]: folks living in the area as well.

[00:43:30] [SPEAKER_01]: In this spectrum,

[00:43:31] [SPEAKER_01]: my family fell somewhere in the

[00:43:33] [SPEAKER_01]: upper middle class.

[00:43:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Just imagine if Titanic rules

[00:43:37] [SPEAKER_01]: were in effect, we would be

[00:43:39] [SPEAKER_01]: in either the lowest rung of the

[00:43:41] [SPEAKER_01]: first class or the very top

[00:43:43] [SPEAKER_01]: of the second class.

[00:43:45] [SPEAKER_01]: Unfortunately, the majority of those

[00:43:47] [SPEAKER_01]: who live in the area would be

[00:43:49] [SPEAKER_01]: in steerage or the coal bunker.

[00:43:52] [SPEAKER_01]: So it was August

[00:43:53] [SPEAKER_01]: in Tennessee which meant that there was

[00:43:55] [SPEAKER_01]: ample sun scorching heat and

[00:43:57] [SPEAKER_01]: enough humidity to make it slightly

[00:43:59] [SPEAKER_01]: uncomfortable to even breathe.

[00:44:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Many people describe this

[00:44:03] [SPEAKER_01]: specific area as the

[00:44:05] [SPEAKER_01]: swamp ass capital of the state.

[00:44:08] [SPEAKER_01]: Anyway,

[00:44:09] [SPEAKER_01]: it was extraordinarily rare

[00:44:11] [SPEAKER_01]: for a murder to occur

[00:44:13] [SPEAKER_01]: in our county. But,

[00:44:15] [SPEAKER_01]: just before summer break

[00:44:17] [SPEAKER_01]: came to an end, this

[00:44:19] [SPEAKER_01]: lady was found at the base of a

[00:44:21] [SPEAKER_01]: steep incline deep in

[00:44:23] [SPEAKER_01]: one of our densely wooded areas.

[00:44:25] [SPEAKER_01]: She was found by some

[00:44:27] [SPEAKER_01]: folks that were out there on a nature hike

[00:44:29] [SPEAKER_01]: at the base of a large

[00:44:31] [SPEAKER_01]: illegal dump on a winding

[00:44:33] [SPEAKER_01]: dirt road that was barely

[00:44:35] [SPEAKER_01]: wide enough for one vehicle.

[00:44:37] [SPEAKER_01]: If you encountered another car,

[00:44:39] [SPEAKER_01]: one of you would have to pull

[00:44:41] [SPEAKER_01]: over so far that you were

[00:44:43] [SPEAKER_01]: almost off the road entirely.

[00:44:45] [SPEAKER_01]: The creepy cherry on top

[00:44:47] [SPEAKER_01]: was that the road was named

[00:44:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Bone Road.

[00:44:51] [SPEAKER_01]: The victim was largely

[00:44:53] [SPEAKER_01]: unknown, a woman in her early

[00:44:55] [SPEAKER_01]: thirties and nowhere near wealthy.

[00:44:57] [SPEAKER_01]: She had moved here less than a

[00:44:59] [SPEAKER_01]: year prior and kept to herself.

[00:45:02] [SPEAKER_01]: She was never

[00:45:03] [SPEAKER_01]: reported missing.

[00:45:04] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know her nor did anyone

[00:45:07] [SPEAKER_01]: else. But as this was

[00:45:09] [SPEAKER_01]: happening, it was all that

[00:45:10] [SPEAKER_01]: anyone was talking about.

[00:45:13] [SPEAKER_01]: It was all you heard about

[00:45:15] [SPEAKER_01]: in the local churches and the

[00:45:16] [SPEAKER_01]: beauty salons.

[00:45:18] [SPEAKER_01]: After the site where the body was found

[00:45:20] [SPEAKER_01]: was clear, law enforcement

[00:45:22] [SPEAKER_01]: started an investigation to figure out

[00:45:24] [SPEAKER_01]: who the killer was so her

[00:45:26] [SPEAKER_01]: killer had not yet been caught.

[00:45:29] [SPEAKER_01]: My mom was

[00:45:30] [SPEAKER_01]: born and raised here and was

[00:45:33] [SPEAKER_01]: of strong yet goofy

[00:45:34] [SPEAKER_01]: stock. She has always

[00:45:37] [SPEAKER_01]: been my best friend, even

[00:45:39] [SPEAKER_01]: when dropping the hammer on me and

[00:45:41] [SPEAKER_01]: my brother. She was a

[00:45:43] [SPEAKER_01]: teacher who was loved by

[00:45:44] [SPEAKER_01]: every student that she had ever taught.

[00:45:47] [SPEAKER_01]: My friends also adored

[00:45:49] [SPEAKER_01]: my goofy mom, often

[00:45:51] [SPEAKER_01]: telling me how lucky I was to have her.

[00:45:54] [SPEAKER_01]: My dad was

[00:45:55] [SPEAKER_01]: a pharmacist in our area

[00:45:56] [SPEAKER_01]: and smarter than most.

[00:45:58] [SPEAKER_01]: He was almost happy to go fill

[00:46:01] [SPEAKER_01]: a lost or forgotten prescription

[00:46:02] [SPEAKER_01]: even late at night.

[00:46:05] [SPEAKER_01]: My dad isn't from rural Tennessee

[00:46:07] [SPEAKER_01]: originally, but he's very

[00:46:09] [SPEAKER_01]: well known because of his job.

[00:46:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Everyone knew my mom as well

[00:46:13] [SPEAKER_01]: since she and most of our huge

[00:46:15] [SPEAKER_01]: family have been here since

[00:46:17] [SPEAKER_01]: our ancestors settled in the late

[00:46:19] [SPEAKER_01]: 1800s. The rest

[00:46:21] [SPEAKER_01]: of her family lived in central

[00:46:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Tennessee.

[00:46:25] [SPEAKER_01]: On that day in August,

[00:46:27] [SPEAKER_01]: we had been at a family reunion

[00:46:28] [SPEAKER_01]: picnic at the beautiful lake that

[00:46:31] [SPEAKER_01]: we lived close to.

[00:46:33] [SPEAKER_01]: Suddenly, a scattered thunderstorm

[00:46:35] [SPEAKER_01]: rolled in and brought

[00:46:37] [SPEAKER_01]: our get-together to an abrupt end.

[00:46:40] [SPEAKER_01]: My mom and I

[00:46:41] [SPEAKER_01]: were going to ride home together

[00:46:43] [SPEAKER_01]: afterward, but as we were

[00:46:45] [SPEAKER_01]: driving home, we decided that

[00:46:47] [SPEAKER_01]: we would be Sherlock Holmes and

[00:46:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Watson. We wanted to take

[00:46:51] [SPEAKER_01]: a look at the crime scene.

[00:46:53] [SPEAKER_01]: My dad was at work and my brother

[00:46:55] [SPEAKER_01]: was with a friend.

[00:46:57] [SPEAKER_01]: This was in 1993, so there was no

[00:46:59] [SPEAKER_01]: GPS, Alexa, Siri, or

[00:47:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Google Earth. Not even MapQuest.

[00:47:04] [SPEAKER_01]: My dad was on

[00:47:05] [SPEAKER_01]: our school board and we had been given

[00:47:07] [SPEAKER_01]: a highly detailed map of our

[00:47:09] [SPEAKER_01]: entire county. Since

[00:47:11] [SPEAKER_01]: neither of us knew how to reach Bone Road,

[00:47:13] [SPEAKER_01]: it was agreed upon that

[00:47:15] [SPEAKER_01]: the map would be our guide.

[00:47:17] [SPEAKER_01]: So we went home, grabbed

[00:47:19] [SPEAKER_01]: the map, and set out like we

[00:47:21] [SPEAKER_01]: were Magellan. Eventually,

[00:47:23] [SPEAKER_01]: we found the place on the map and

[00:47:25] [SPEAKER_01]: headed there. Being the

[00:47:27] [SPEAKER_01]: ignorant rubberneckers that we

[00:47:29] [SPEAKER_01]: were, we planned to drive

[00:47:31] [SPEAKER_01]: past the illegal dump site.

[00:47:33] [SPEAKER_01]: I can't explain how creepy

[00:47:35] [SPEAKER_01]: this place actually was.

[00:47:37] [SPEAKER_01]: The site where the body was

[00:47:39] [SPEAKER_01]: dumped was in the middle of nowhere,

[00:47:41] [SPEAKER_01]: on a road that started

[00:47:43] [SPEAKER_01]: with a blacktop that transitioned

[00:47:45] [SPEAKER_01]: to gravel until it was eventually

[00:47:47] [SPEAKER_01]: just good old dirt.

[00:47:49] [SPEAKER_01]: It was mid-afternoon,

[00:47:51] [SPEAKER_01]: but the sudden rain on the hot summer

[00:47:53] [SPEAKER_01]: ground made the area steamy.

[00:47:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Literal steam

[00:47:57] [SPEAKER_01]: was wafting from the road,

[00:47:59] [SPEAKER_01]: the fields, the woods,

[00:48:01] [SPEAKER_01]: everywhere.

[00:48:02] [SPEAKER_01]: That just added to the thrill of

[00:48:05] [SPEAKER_01]: our folly. As we

[00:48:07] [SPEAKER_01]: approached the location,

[00:48:08] [SPEAKER_01]: there was a blind curve, making

[00:48:11] [SPEAKER_01]: it impossible for us to see the place

[00:48:13] [SPEAKER_01]: until we were right up on it.

[00:48:15] [SPEAKER_01]: When we rounded that corner,

[00:48:17] [SPEAKER_01]: we saw that we were

[00:48:19] [SPEAKER_01]: not alone. A man

[00:48:21] [SPEAKER_01]: was pulled over at this illegal dumping site

[00:48:23] [SPEAKER_01]: in his very dirty truck.

[00:48:25] [SPEAKER_01]: He was pulled over just

[00:48:27] [SPEAKER_01]: enough to allow us to pass.

[00:48:29] [SPEAKER_01]: Sure, he could

[00:48:31] [SPEAKER_01]: have been another looky-loo,

[00:48:33] [SPEAKER_01]: but he gave off a very

[00:48:34] [SPEAKER_01]: creepy vibe. He was

[00:48:37] [SPEAKER_01]: just standing by his truck,

[00:48:39] [SPEAKER_01]: looking down into the dump.

[00:48:41] [SPEAKER_01]: We could tell that he wasn't

[00:48:43] [SPEAKER_01]: a sheriff's officer, since we knew

[00:48:45] [SPEAKER_01]: all of our local authorities.

[00:48:47] [SPEAKER_01]: They had cleared the location

[00:48:48] [SPEAKER_01]: a day or so before, so anyone

[00:48:51] [SPEAKER_01]: was able to access the area by this time.

[00:48:54] [SPEAKER_01]: As we squeezed

[00:48:55] [SPEAKER_01]: past the truck, he was

[00:48:57] [SPEAKER_01]: standing on the passenger's side of our

[00:48:59] [SPEAKER_01]: car. I was only

[00:49:01] [SPEAKER_01]: twelve, so I wasn't

[00:49:03] [SPEAKER_01]: the one driving, which means

[00:49:05] [SPEAKER_01]: he was on my side as we passed.

[00:49:08] [SPEAKER_01]: I was so close to him that

[00:49:09] [SPEAKER_01]: I could see his two teeth

[00:49:11] [SPEAKER_01]: clear as day, especially

[00:49:13] [SPEAKER_01]: since he smiled at me with

[00:49:15] [SPEAKER_01]: this very creepy

[00:49:17] [SPEAKER_01]: leering grin.

[00:49:19] [SPEAKER_01]: I could tell that his smile wasn't nice,

[00:49:21] [SPEAKER_01]: nor was it friendly.

[00:49:24] [SPEAKER_01]: We got past him

[00:49:25] [SPEAKER_01]: and thanked the Lord we hadn't been followed.

[00:49:28] [SPEAKER_01]: We agreed that

[00:49:29] [SPEAKER_01]: we would reach the end of Bone Road

[00:49:32] [SPEAKER_01]: and then get the hell out of there.

[00:49:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Well,

[00:49:35] [SPEAKER_01]: when we did reach the end of the road,

[00:49:37] [SPEAKER_01]: which ended at a field,

[00:49:39] [SPEAKER_01]: we didn't realize Bone Road

[00:49:41] [SPEAKER_01]: was a dead end.

[00:49:43] [SPEAKER_01]: No pun intended.

[00:49:45] [SPEAKER_01]: This realization made my mom utter the words

[00:49:47] [SPEAKER_01]: that I had been screaming in my head.

[00:49:50] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, fuck.

[00:49:52] [SPEAKER_01]: We had no choice.

[00:49:54] [SPEAKER_01]: We had to do a five-point turn

[00:49:56] [SPEAKER_01]: and then go back the way that we came.

[00:49:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, I bet

[00:50:00] [SPEAKER_01]: he's long gone by now, my mom

[00:50:02] [SPEAKER_01]: calmly said in a feeble attempt

[00:50:04] [SPEAKER_01]: to soothe us both.

[00:50:05] [SPEAKER_01]: But guess what? He was still there,

[00:50:09] [SPEAKER_01]: flashing his huge

[00:50:10] [SPEAKER_01]: two-tooth grin.

[00:50:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Now, as my adult self has

[00:50:14] [SPEAKER_01]: reflected on this, I realize

[00:50:15] [SPEAKER_01]: he could have come after us, knowing

[00:50:18] [SPEAKER_01]: that we would be cornered.

[00:50:19] [SPEAKER_01]: But thankfully, we made it out unscathed.

[00:50:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Of course, my dad hit the roof

[00:50:24] [SPEAKER_01]: when he heard about our afternoon adventure.

[00:50:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Days later,

[00:50:28] [SPEAKER_01]: our newspaper heralded

[00:50:30] [SPEAKER_01]: the great news. The murderer had

[00:50:32] [SPEAKER_01]: been caught.

[00:50:33] [SPEAKER_01]: It turns out, the woman had been killed

[00:50:36] [SPEAKER_01]: by a boyfriend turned stalker.

[00:50:39] [SPEAKER_01]: She moved here from a town

[00:50:40] [SPEAKER_01]: about 45 minutes away

[00:50:41] [SPEAKER_01]: to get away from him.

[00:50:43] [SPEAKER_01]: But he found her.

[00:50:44] [SPEAKER_01]: He drove around

[00:50:46] [SPEAKER_01]: with her body in his truck before

[00:50:48] [SPEAKER_01]: happening upon the remote dump site.

[00:50:51] [SPEAKER_01]: So,

[00:50:52] [SPEAKER_01]: was this all's well that ends well

[00:50:54] [SPEAKER_01]: since the murderer was caught?

[00:50:57] [SPEAKER_01]: No.

[00:50:58] [SPEAKER_01]: As we stared at this guy's

[00:51:00] [SPEAKER_01]: mugshot, it suddenly became

[00:51:02] [SPEAKER_01]: very real. The two-tooth

[00:51:05] [SPEAKER_01]: smiley guy was

[00:51:06] [SPEAKER_01]: her killer. We never

[00:51:08] [SPEAKER_01]: revealed that part to my dad.

[00:51:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Mr. Two-tooth was

[00:51:12] [SPEAKER_01]: convicted of first-degree murder

[00:51:14] [SPEAKER_01]: and abuse of a corpse.

[00:51:16] [SPEAKER_01]: He'll die in state prison,

[00:51:19] [SPEAKER_01]: serving life with no parole.

[00:51:22] [SPEAKER_01]: My mom and I promised each other

[00:51:24] [SPEAKER_01]: that we would never go on a risky adventure

[00:51:26] [SPEAKER_01]: like that again. We still

[00:51:28] [SPEAKER_01]: have weird adventures, but we

[00:51:30] [SPEAKER_01]: steer clear of freaky, remote

[00:51:33] [SPEAKER_01]: murder dump sites

[00:51:34] [SPEAKER_01]: on unknown terrain

[00:51:36] [SPEAKER_01]: with no one knowing where we are.

[00:51:39] [SPEAKER_01]: We really could have

[00:51:40] [SPEAKER_01]: met our literal dead end

[00:51:42] [SPEAKER_01]: on that dead end that day.

[00:51:46] [SPEAKER_01]: It's an odd thing, knowing that you've been

[00:51:48] [SPEAKER_01]: face-to-face with a brutal murderer,

[00:51:51] [SPEAKER_01]: especially when this happened

[00:51:53] [SPEAKER_01]: not only once,

[00:51:54] [SPEAKER_01]: but twice.

[00:51:56] [SPEAKER_01]: To Mr. Two-tooth,

[00:51:58] [SPEAKER_01]: let's not meet ever again.

[00:52:18] [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks for listening and stick around

[00:52:19] [SPEAKER_01]: after the music if you're a patron for your

[00:52:21] [SPEAKER_01]: extended version of this week's episode.

[00:52:23] [SPEAKER_01]: If you want to get access to that and add

[00:52:25] [SPEAKER_01]: free versions of all of our other episodes

[00:52:27] [SPEAKER_01]: at a higher bitrate for the best listening

[00:52:29] [SPEAKER_01]: experience, plus

[00:52:31] [SPEAKER_01]: hours of bonus content you won't hear

[00:52:33] [SPEAKER_01]: anywhere else, head over to

[00:52:35] [SPEAKER_01]: patreon.com forward slash let's not meet

[00:52:37] [SPEAKER_01]: podcast to sign up and support

[00:52:39] [SPEAKER_01]: the show today. This week you have heard

[00:52:41] [SPEAKER_01]: creepy encounter while walking

[00:52:43] [SPEAKER_01]: my dog by electronic panda

[00:52:46] [SPEAKER_01]: 6780.

[00:52:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Someone tried to abduct me by

[00:52:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Colorado KJ.

[00:52:52] [SPEAKER_01]: I was cornered by a man

[00:52:54] [SPEAKER_01]: and something scared him away

[00:52:55] [SPEAKER_01]: by Sarah. I think

[00:52:58] [SPEAKER_01]: I met a Craigslist killer

[00:52:59] [SPEAKER_01]: by Chebaby2424.

[00:53:04] [SPEAKER_01]: A knock at my door led

[00:53:05] [SPEAKER_01]: to scary events by

[00:53:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Voicedance. I'm so glad

[00:53:10] [SPEAKER_01]: I have a dog by Mustached Remi.

[00:53:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Why I always look

[00:53:14] [SPEAKER_01]: up when I'm letting the dog out

[00:53:15] [SPEAKER_01]: by Frodo Frog. Threatened and

[00:53:17] [SPEAKER_01]: extorted by the cartel in

[00:53:19] [SPEAKER_01]: Mexico by Glum Calendar

[00:53:23] [SPEAKER_01]: 6755.

[00:53:24] [SPEAKER_01]: And finally Bone Road by

[00:53:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Sudden Ad 3041.

[00:53:28] [SPEAKER_01]: All of the stories you've heard this week

[00:53:30] [SPEAKER_01]: were narrated and produced with the permission

[00:53:32] [SPEAKER_01]: of their respective authors.

[00:53:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's Not Meet, a true horror podcast

[00:53:35] [SPEAKER_01]: is not associated with Reddit or any

[00:53:38] [SPEAKER_01]: other message boards online.

[00:53:40] [SPEAKER_01]: If you have a story to share, send it to

[00:53:42] [SPEAKER_01]: letsnotmeetstories at gmail.com

[00:53:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Make sure to check out the new

[00:53:46] [SPEAKER_01]: episodes of my other podcasts like

[00:53:48] [SPEAKER_01]: Odd Trails, my true paranormal

[00:53:50] [SPEAKER_01]: podcast, Cryptic Encounters

[00:53:52] [SPEAKER_01]: and the Old Time Radiocast

[00:53:54] [SPEAKER_01]: at crypticcountypodcasts.com

[00:53:56] [SPEAKER_01]: or wherever you get your

[00:53:58] [SPEAKER_01]: podcasts. We'll see you next week.

[00:54:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Everyone stay safe.