23 TRUE Terrifying January Horror Stories for Sleep 😴

[Music] it was an ordinary evening when this strange thing happened I was in my early 20s finishing a long day of University like every other day I caught the bus back home it wasn't a long ride but it always gave me time to unwind think about the day and get a little bit of Peace before the walk to my apartment but this time was different something felt off from the moment I stepped onto the bus I had seen the man before he was one of those people you just notice not because of anything specific but

because they stand out in a crowd he was sitting across from me staring directly at me at first I thought he might be looking past Me Maybe lost in thought but no he was staring at me it wasn't a casual glance his eyes were fixed on me cold and it sent a chill down my spine it wasn't just a glance either it was as though he was studying me like he was sizing me up I tried not to look at him but the feeling in my gut told me something wasn't right I shifted uncomfortably in

my seat trying to ignore him I kept my eyes focused on the window watching the city pass by but every time I looked away I could feel his gaze still burning into me it was like he was right next to me and I couldn't escape it I didn't know what to do I had been on the bus with plenty of people before but no one had ever made me feel this uneasy there was something about the way he looked at me like he knew something I didn't I tried to convince myself it was just in

my head after all not every stare meant something sinister right as the bus reached my stop I decided to get off early it wasn't something I normally did but I wanted to get away from this man I didn't want him to know where I lived I waited until the bus was almost at a stop then stood up quickly and slipped off blending into the crowd I thought maybe I could lose him I didn't even look back until I was a block away but when I did glance behind me my heart dropped into my stomach there

he was the man had gotten off the bus too he was walking slowly but his eyes were still locked on me it wasn't a coincidence I could feel it in my bones he was following me I hurried my Pace trying to get away from him I cut through a few side streets hoping to throw him off I didn't know why he was following me but I felt like if I stopped or even slowed down something bad would happen my heart was pounding my hands were shaking and I couldn't help but look over my shoulder every

few seconds I ducked into a small shop pretending to browse the aisles as I fumbled with my phone I wasn't sure what I was doing but I needed to make it look like I wasn't alone like I wasn't a Target I even pretended to make a call hoping he'd think I had someone meeting me that I wasn't just some vulnerable person on the street I stood in that shop for what felt like an eternity trying to act normal trying to calm down but when I finally peaked outside I didn't see him I thought I was

safe for the moment still I wasn't ready to head home just yet I decided to keep walking but this time I kept my eyes scanning the surroundings more carefully and I crossed the street a couple of times hoping to shake him off the further I went the more I felt like I had lost him maybe I had overreacted I thought maybe it was just a coin incidents that he had gotten off at the same stop I tried to push the dread in my chest away but it wouldn't go I was almost at my apartment building

when I stopped and glanced back one more time I don't know why I did it maybe it was to reassure myself that I was safe but the moment I saw him standing across the street I felt the blood drain from my face he was standing there watching me his smirk was subtle but it was enough to make my stomach churn I couldn't explain it but it felt like he was toying with me I didn't hesitate I ran inside my building practically stumbling up the stairs my heart was in my throat pounding so loudly I thought

it would give me away I couldn't get to my apartment fast enough when I reached my door I slammed it shut behind me and locked it my hands shaking as I pressed my back against it I was safe now I told myself he couldn't follow me inside but then the intercom buzzed I froze I wasn't sure if I should answer it I wasn't expecting anyone but I felt this strange pull to respond even though my instinct screamed at me not to I pushed the button and a cold voice filled the speaker Tom the man's voice

whispered dragging my name out slowly like he was savoring it I froze my breath catching in my throat how did he know my name I stood there in complete silence trying to make sense of what was happening he must have seen my name on the building directory I reasoned that made sense but then his next words sent a shiver through me come to the window look at me Tom you'll see I'm not a bad guy I didn't know what he wanted I didn't know what he was planning I was paralyzed I didn't want to look

out the window I didn't want him to know which one was mine I quickly hung up my heart racing I didn't dare move I stood in the middle of my apartment every sound from outside Amplified in my ears the minutes dragged on stretching into what felt like hours the silence was suffocating I kept expecting to hear his voice again but I couldn't bring myself to answer the intercom it felt like if I did it would make everything worse I called my best friend trying to explain everything that was happening but even as I spoke it

didn't seem real I was so scared but at the same time I tried to convince myself that I was just overthinking it maybe he would leave maybe he was just some random creep who would eventually go away but then the intercom rang again Tom his voice was softer this time almost pleading I'm so thirsty just let me in please I couldn't breathe my mind raced but I couldn't make sense of it what did he want from me why wouldn't he leave me alone it was like he was feeding off my fear and the more scared

I got the more he pushed Tom he said again his voice now mocking I just need a glass of water that's all I won't hurt you I couldn't take it anymore I felt like I was losing my grip on reality I quickly hung on up again but it didn't stop the inner Cal continued to ring again and again and each time I was filled with more dread I spent hours sitting there curled up on the floor trying to make myself as small as possible I didn't sleep I couldn't eventually I must have passed out from

exhaustion but I don't even remember falling asleep the next morning when I finally gathered the courage to leave my apartment I checked the peephole nothing the hallway was empty but when I checked my mailbox my stomach dropped there was a note I opened it quickly and my eyes scanned the messy handwriting Tom I'm a nice guy you should have opened the door my hands were shaking as I read the note I didn't know what to think the feeling of being watched stayed with me and even though I never saw him again his words lingered in

my mind I didn't feel safe in my own apartment I called my dad right away and he came over we went to the police station together and they listened to my story assuring me that I should never hesitate to call them if something like this happened again my dad didn't take any chances he called a locksmith to change the building's security code and had everyone in the building warned for the next week my dad and a few of his friends kept watch at a cafe across from from my building every evening making sure I was

safe but even though I never saw that man again I still couldn't shake the feeling that he was out there watching me and I was always looking over my shoulder from that point on always alert always worried that the next time I went outside I would see that same smirk again I learned to trust my instincts after that I don't answer the door unless I'm expecting someone and I'm always careful when I walk home I can't ever forget that night even now when I'm walking around my apartment or looking out the window I sometimes feel

like he's still out there somewhere in the shadows waiting a couple of years ago I worked as a room service attendant at a hotel most days the job was straightforward delivering food orders picking up trays and helping guests nights were usually quiet and I didn't mind working the overnight shifts it gave me a chance to catch up on tasks without the daytime chaos one Snowy Evening I was scheduled for the overnight shift the world outside was blanketed in White and the storm grew steadily worse as the hours ticked by by 4:00 a.m. the streets outside

were nearly invisible through the swirling snow I sat in the staff Lounge sipping coffee to stay awake when the phone buzzed with an order it was a simple request a cheeseburger with fries one of the go-to items on our night menu I relayed the order to the kitchen and the cook prepared it quickly once it was ready I placed the meal on a tray double checked the room number and made my way to the elevators the order was for a room on the 14th floor the top floor of the hotel the elevator ride felt unusually

long the hotel was eerily quiet most guests were either asleep or staying in their rooms due to the storm when the doors opened I stepped into a dimly lit hallway the thick carpet muffled my footsteps as I walked and the silence pressed down on me it felt like I was the only person on the floor when I reached the room I knocked lightly room service I called out my voice echoing faintly for a moment there was no response just the muffled sound of the wind outside then I heard movement from within in the room it

wasn't the kind of noise you'd expect not someone walking to the door or getting out of bed it was hurried almost frantic like someone rumaging through drawers or shifting Furniture strange unease settled in my stomach but I brushed it off after a few seconds the door opened a man stood in the doorway he appeared to be in his late 30s with dark hair and pale blue eyes that almost looked gray under the dim Hall way light he was dressed casually like someone who'd just woken up a T-shirt and sweatpants but there was something about him

that didn't sit right with me his face was drawn his eyes slightly bloodshot as if he hadn't slept in days despite this he forced a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes your order I said stepping into the room to place the tray on the small table by the window the room was neat but an odd heaviness lingered in the air like the walls were holding on to some unspoken tension as I set the tray down I heard the door close behind me with a soft click that wasn't unusual Hotel doors automatically shut unless propped

open but then I heard the distinct sound of the lock sliding into place my chest tightened I tried to stay calm convincing myself that he probably just wanted privacy when I turned around the man was standing closer than before he wasn't exactly in my personal space but close enough that I could feel the tension radiating from him my pulse quickened but I kept my expression neutral could you sign this please I said holding out the receipt he took the pen and paper his pale blue eyes fixed on me in a way that made my skin

crawl as he scribbled his signature he started asking me questions so do you work here fulltime he asked his tone was casual but there was an edge to it that made me uneasy ya I replied shortly hoping to end the conversation quickly how old are you he asked his eyes scanning me from head to toe 19 I said keeping my answers as brief as possible you from around here he pressed leaning slightly closer yeah I muttered trying not to make eye contact my hands were starting to sweat and my heart thumped loudly in my chest

something about his questions felt too personal too invasive as he handed the receipt back his hand lingered for just a moment too long the air in the room felt heavier the tension thick enough to cut with a knife I forced a polite smile and took a step back ready to leave but before I could reach the door he lunged at me everything happened so fast yet it felt like slow motion I dodged to the side his outstretched hand just missing me my instincts kicked in and I scrambled over the bed putting it between us he

moved quickly his pale blue eyes wide with a predatory gleam my breath came in short gasps as I looked for an escape stay away I shouted hoping someone in the nearby rooms would hear me my voice sounded small against the thick walls of the hotel he lunged again and I darted toward the door my fingers fumbled with the handle but I managed to pull it open just as I stepped into the hallway I felt his hand grabbed my arm Panic surged through me and I screamed as loud as I could the sound echoed down the

empty Corridor he hesitated for a fraction of a second his grip loosening it was a enough I yanked my arm free and bolted down the hallway not daring to look back my feet pounded against the carpet as I ran toward the elevator when I reached it I frantically pressed the button glancing over my shoulder to see if he was following the hallway was empty but I didn't feel safe the elevator doors opened and I jumped inside slamming the close button repeatedly until the doors shut my whole body was trembling as I descended to the lobby

when the doors opened I ran straight to the night manager words tumbled out of my mouth as I tried to explain what had happened he listened his face pale with shock and immediately called the police I stayed in the lobby pacing nervously until they arrived the storm outside had picked up the snow piling against the glass doors of the entrance when the officers went up to the room the man was gone the room was empty except for the untouched tray of food it was like he had disappeared Into Thin Air the name on the reservation

didn't match any real person and the room had been paid for in cash there was no credit card no ID no trace of who he was the police took my statement and promised to investigate but I could tell they didn't have much to go on as they left I couldn't shake the feeling that he was still nearby watching the drive home was nerve-wracking the streets were deserted blanketed in snow and I kept checking my rearview mirror half expecting to see his pale blue eyes staring back at me when I finally reached my apartment I locked

every door and window my hands still shaking that night I barely slept every Creek of the building every gust of wind outside made my heart race I kept replaying the events in my mind wondering what could have happened if I hadn't escaped the next day I called my manager and quit my job I couldn't bring myself to step foot in that hotel again even now years later the memory of that night haunts me the man with the pale blue eyes his forced smile the way he locked the door it's something I'll never forget back when

I was 20 I was single and casually dating while attending college about 20 minutes from home like most people my age I was on Tinder I had a preference for older men so my settings were adjusted to match with guys age 25 to 40 that's how I came across him a 34-year-old man who seemed normal enough he was attractive and lived just a few minutes from my school we started talking and things were light and Casual after a couple of days I made it clear that I wasn't looking for anything serious just something fun no

strings attached he said he was fine with that we exchanged social media handles Snapchat and Instagram and everything seemed fine or so I thought once he scrolled through my pictures the tone of his messages began to change at first they were harmless compliments you're so beautiful or you've got such a lovely smile but quickly they became unsettling I want to hold you in my arms he wrote you're like an angel sent just for me it was too much especially since we hadn't even met yet the intensity made me uncomfortable and I didn't know how to

respond I left him on red hoping he'd get the hint and move on for the next few days I avoided his messages entirely I figured he'd lose interest and stop messaging me that weekend I attended a wedding I got dressed up took a few pictures and shared them on my Snapchat story without giving it a second thought not long after posting his messages started flooding in you look absolutely stunning he wrote I wish I could be there with you then came the comment that froze me in my tracks I miss your touch what touch we

hadn't even met in person it felt bizarre and unsettling I ignored him again determined not to let his strange Behavior ruined my night by the time I got home it was around midnight I was exhausted from the days events and just wanted to sleep I changed into pajamas and lay in bed mindlessly scrolling through my phone that's when his messages popped up again this time I kept my responses short and polite hoping to put an end to the conversation without upsetting him thanks I replied when he complimented me again but then came the message that

sent a shiver down my spine I think I'm going to come to your house tonight I tried to laugh it off ha don't do that I replied hoping he was joking but his next message made it clear he wasn't kidding I want to breathe the same air as you he wrote I want to feel you I want to breathe with you a cold uneasy feeling settled in my chest this wasn't a joke he sounded serious and the thought of him coming to my house in the middle of the night terrified me my mind raced as

I tried to think of what to do everyone in my family was asleep completely unaware of what was happening I didn't want him showing up and causing a scene suddenly it hit me I still had my Snapchat set to public my heart dropped as I opened the app and checked sure enough my bitmoji was sitting right at my house making it painfully easy for anyone to find me I quickly switched to ghost mode but before I did I checked to see where he was his bitmoji was moving getting closer and closer to my neighborhood I

told myself it had to be a coincidence maybe he was just passing through Maybe had friends nearby but as the minutes ticked by it became clear that wasn't the case his bitmoji crept closer and closer until it was practically on my street by now it was 1:30 in the morning I felt paralyzed with fear I hadn't prayed in years but in that moment I silently begged for him to turn around and leave but he didn't a few minutes later I checked the snapmap again even though I was on on ghost mode Snapchat still showed if

someone could see your location my stomach churned as I realized I had forgotten to remove him from my location sharing list I scrambled to fix it but it was too late he was already outside I peered through the blinds of my bedroom window my heart pounding there parked on the street was a car with its headlights on it was just sitting there idling I couldn't see who was ins side but I didn't need to I knew it was him I stood Frozen my mind racing with worst case scenarios what did he want was he dangerous

I considered waking my parents but didn't want to cause unnecessary Panic instead I stayed glued to the window watching the car after what felt like hours but was likely only minutes exhaustion took over my body was so drained from the day events and the stress of the situation that I ended up falling asleep without meaning to when I woke up the next morning the memory of the night before hit me like a ton of bricks my first thought was to check my phone his messages were still there and they sent a chill down my spine

you have a beautiful Street one read have a good night's sleep said another the idea that he had been sitting outside my house while I was asleep made me feel physically ill I checked on my family making sure everyone was okay they were fine thankfully unaware of what had happened that afternoon I went to the police I explained everything showed them the messages and told them about him driving to my house but they said there wasn't much they could do unless he made a direct threat or tried to come inside they advised me to call

immediately if he showed up again the next few days passed quietly he didn't message me and I began to feel a small sense of relief maybe he had finally backed off but that sense of Peace didn't last long early Monday morning at around 5:00 a.m. my phone buzzed with a new message from him even though I drove all the way to your house to breathe the same air as you you still haven't messaged me he wrote I'm not as desperate as I seem but if you ever want this let me know that was the last

Str I blocked him immediately I hadn't done it sooner out of fear that cutting off communication might push him to show up again but after that message I couldn't take it anymore thankfully I never heard from him again but even now years later I sometimes get a Sinking Feeling late at night when I think about that car outside my window the memory of his messages and the headlights cutting through the dark Street still haunt me it's a chilling reminder of how quickly something that seems harmless can turn into a nightmare hey everyone welcome to after

Moon Horrors if you love listening to Spooky Stories don't forget to subscribe and turn on the notification Bell your support means everything to our new channel thanks for being here this happened late last fall close to winter when the cold was starting to settle in where I live the temperatures drop fast and snow can come as early as November I've been doing food delivery for a couple of years now so I'm used to being out late and working through all kinds of weather that night I was doing my usual rounds picking up and delivering orders

it was around 11:00 p.m. when the snow began to fall just a light dusting at first enough to coat the streets and make everything look a little brighter under the street lights since it was the first real snow of the season the roads were mostly empty it seemed like people didn't want to risk driving in the slippery conditions yet that worked out for me though because the orders kept coming in one after another with fewer drivers out I was staying busy barely getting a moment to Catch My Breath by the time it got close to

1:00 a.m. I was worn out out and ready to call it a night my last delivery had taken me pretty far from home and I was looking forward to heading back just as I was about to log off the app one more order popped up it was tempting to skip it but I figured it was an easy way to make a little extra cash before heading in the pickup was from a McDonald's that was only a few minutes away so I decided to go for it I drove to the restaurant went through the drive-thru and

grabbed the order without any trouble after loading the address into my GPS I realized the drop off was about 10 minutes away that didn't seem too bad at first but as I started driving I realized the location was taking me further out of town completely in the opposite direction from home I let out a frustrated sigh annoyed at myself for not checking the address more carefully before accepting the order still I figured I'd just get it done and be on my way the snow was falling heavier now and the roads were slick the plows hadn't

been out yet probably not expecting the snowfall to pick up like this my SUV handles snow pretty well but I was still cautious keeping my speed slow as I drove the GPS directed me away from the main roads and onto quieter streets street lights became fewer and farther apart and soon I found myself driving through a more rural area with tall trees lining both sides of the road I checked the GPS again to make sure I wasn't lost it showed I was on the right route but something about it felt off I didn't remember there

being any houses out this way this road mostly LED toward a highway that took you out of state still I kept going trusting the GPS even as a sense of unease began to creep in after a few more minutes the GPS told me to turn onto a narrow unpaved road that cut through the woods the turnoff was easy to miss with no street sign or lights to mark it I slowed down and carefully made the turn the tires crunching over fresh snow the trees on either side of the road seemed to press closer their dark

branches reaching out like arms my headlights barely cut through the darkness ahead and I could feel the tension building in my chest the road was so narrow that there was no way two cars could pass each other I saw a few long driveways branching off into the trees some with faint porch lights glowing in the distance it was the kind of place where you wouldn't want to break down finally the GPS told me to turn onto another driveway this one was even narrower and wound deeper into the woods a single dim light was visible at

the end barely piercing the falling snow I hesitated for a moment my gut telling me to just leave the food at the start of the driveway and call it a night but I'd already come this far so I pressed on the snow was deeper here and I could feel the tires slipping a little as I made my way up the path after a few turns the house came into view it was an older Place medium-sized with peeling paint and a sagging roof the snow had covered most of it making it look like it had been

forgotten out here in the woods the only light was a faint porch light casting a dull yellow glow over the front steps I parked the car and grabbed the bag of food stepping out into the snow the cold bit through my shoes and soaked the bottoms of my pants as I trudged toward the house the place was eerily quiet the kind of Silence that makes your ears ring I reached the porch knocked on the door and set the bag down planning to leave it there and get back to my car as quickly as possible before

I could turn to leave the door swung open standing there was a tall man bundled in a heavy coat his face was pale and drawn like he'd been out in the cold for hours he didn't say anything at first just stared at me with an expression I couldn't quite read hi I've got your order I said holding up the bag to show him the man finally spoke his voice calm but unsettling you can bring it inside and set it on the counter he stepped back opening the door wider every Instinct I had screamed at me

not to go inside there was no reason for me to step over that threshold I forced a polite smile and shook my head that's okay I'll just leave it here for you his expression darkened and for a moment I thought he was going to argue but instead he slammed the door shut without another word I stood there startled the bag still in my hand realizing he wasn't coming back I set the food down on the porch and quickly turned to leave as I made my way back toward the car I heard a sound that stopped

me in my tracks it came from behind the house faint but distinct it sounded like a door creaking open my heart started pounding as I turned to look through the falling snow I couldn't see much but the feeling of being watched was overwhelming I hurried the rest of the way to my car trying to shake off the unease as I climbed in and shut the door I glanced in the rearview mirror that's when I saw him again the man was rounding the side of the house moving quickly toward my car in his hand he held

something long and coiled rope a chain I couldn't tell but it didn't matter my instincts kicked into overdrive I started the engine and threw the car into reverse the tires spinning on the icy driveway he was getting closer his figure barely visible through the snow and darkness but his movements were deliberate and fast finally the tires found grip and I backed up as quickly as I could without skidding off the Narrow Path my heart was racing my hands gripping the wheel so tightly they achd when I reached the main road I didn't stop to look

back I floored desperate to put as much distance as possible between me and that house but as I glanced in the rearview mirror one last time I saw him standing at the end of the driveway watching me his figure faded into the darkness as I sped away but the memory of those eyes stayed with me or maybe it was just a trick of the light I'm not sure even now I don't know what his intentions were I don't want to know all I know is that I've never felt fear like that before and I've been

a lot more careful with my delivery since that night I barely knock on doors anymore I just leave the food and go because if I'd stayed even a second longer that night I'm not sure I'd have made it back to my car at all I grew up in California and my childhood wasn't exactly normal my parents weren't bad people but they weren't exactly the type to be around much e either they were busy with work all the time and while they made sure my sister and I had food clothes and a roof over our heads

they weren't really involved in our lives most of the time I was left to my own devices it sounds like fun at first but it wasn't always the best thing for me one of my bad habits was staying up late watching TV until I would finally doze off on the couch I loved those nights the house would be quiet the only sounds coming from from the hum of the television and the occasional Creek of the old wood floors late night movies felt like some kind of secret world but one January night during a heavy snowfall

I saw something that wasn't on the TV screen it was real and it was something I'll never forget that night the snow had been falling steadily for hours I had spent most of the day outside with friends playing and building snowmen but by the time evening rolled around I was alone in the living room my sister had gone to bed early probably tired from the day and my parents were upstairs doing whatever it was they always did I had a bowl of snacks in my lap and a blanket wrapped around me as I flipped through

channels nothing good was on so I settled on some old black and white movie I wasn't paying much attention just half watching while letting my mind wander when I heard a sound it was faint almost drowned out by the low volume of the TV but it was enough to catch my attention at first I thought it might be the wind the snowstorm outside had picked up and the wind was howling rattling the windows but then I heard it again A distinct creaking noise like the sound of our old porch swing moving that swing had been

on our porch for as long as I could remember it was metal and painted white though most of the paint had chipped off over the years it creaked whenever someone sat on it or even when the wind nudged it just right I told myself it was probably the wind but something about it didn't feel right it sounded too rhythmic like someone was sitting there gently rocking back and forth a chill ran down my spine and it wasn't from the cold I tried to focus on the movie telling myself I was just imagining things but the

sound didn't stop it kept going slow and steady my heart started to race and I couldn't ignore it anymore I had to know what was making that noise I got up from the couch my bare feet padding Softly on the cold hardwood floor the living room was dark except for the glow of the TV and the snow outside made everything look even dimmer I moved toward the big window that overlooked the porch my stomach twisting with every step the curtains were drawn and for a moment I hesitated part of me didn't want to look I

didn't want to see what was out there but I couldn't stop myself I had to know I reached out and pulled the curtain back just enough to peek through the porch was dimly lit by the street lights reflecting off the snow and at first I didn't see anything unusual but then my eyes adjusted and I saw her there was a woman sitting on the swing she looked older maybe in her 50s or 60s she was wearing a long tattered night gown that was soaked and stained and her hair hung in wet stringy clumps around her

face she was rocking slowly back and forth holding something in her lap at first I couldn't make out what it was but as I squinted the shape became clearer it was a knife my breath caught in my throat the blade wasn't shiny it was smeared with something dark something that looked almost black in the dim light I froze unable to move or even think my heart was pounding so hard I thought she might hear it I don't know how long I stood there staring at her it felt like hours but it was probably only a

few seconds suddenly she stopped rocking her head turned and she looked right at me her eyes were wide and glassy and there was something about them that didn't seem alive she didn't move didn't say anything she just stared at me I panicked my body finally broke free from whatever was holding it still and I ran I bolted upstairs to my parents room throwing the door open without knocking my dad was immediately angry barking at me for barging in he hated when I interrupted them and now I realize it was probably because they were hiding things

back then I didn't understand why they were always so secretive but years later I found out they were involved in some pretty shady stuff I was crying trying to tell them what I'd seen but my dad wasn't having it he told me I was imagining things that I'd been watching too much TV and eating too much junk food my mom didn't even look up just muttered something about going back to bed but I kept begging pleading with them to check the porch finally my dad gave in probably just to shut me up he grabbed my

arm and dragged me back downstairs he was grumbling the whole way calling me dramatic and saying I was wasting his time when we got to the living room he marched straight to the front door and flung it open see there's nothing out here he started to say but then he stopped his voice trailed off and his face changed my dad was not the kind of man who got scared easily but in that moment I saw fear in his eyes the woman was still there she hadn't moved she was just sitting on the swing the knife

resting in her lap and her eyes locked onto US slowly she stood up the snow crunched under her bare feet as she took a step closer my dad yanked me back inside and slammed the door shut he didn't say a word word as he ran upstairs and came back down with his gun he opened the door again stepping out onto the porch with the gun raised you need to leave he shouted at her the cops are on their way it wasn't true he hadn't called anyone but it was enough the woman stared at him for

a moment longer then turned and walked away she didn't run or hurry she just disappeared into the falling snow her figure Fading Into the Night I stood there watching her until she was completely gone my Dad shut the door and locked it his face still pale go to bed he muttered his voice shaky but I couldn't sleep I stayed up the rest of the night sitting on the couch and staring at the door afraid she might come back the cops came by later asking questions but my parents lied to them they said they hadn't seen

anything probably because they didn't want the police poking around later I found out who the woman was she'd been living just a few streets over in a house with her abusive husband that night she'd finally had enough she killed him and wandered the neighborhood in shock the police found her hours later trying to break into another house she went to prison but the image of her on that swing staring at me with those dead eyes has never left me for weeks after that night I couldn't shake the feeling that she was still out there watching

I'd catch myself glancing out the window half expecting to see her on the swing again stopped staying up late too afraid of what I might see if I did even now years later I can't sit in a dark room without feeling uneasy that night left a mark on me a fear I can't seem to escape and every time it snows I think of her sitting on that swing rocking back and forth with that knife in her hands hey everyone I'm curious to know more about you all drop a comment below and let me know which

country you're watching from I love seeing how far our community reaches so don't be shy I'll be reading through the comments I'm not your average trash collector I don't drive one of those big noisy trucks with the mechanical arm that picks up bins without the driver even stepping outside my job is a bit different I work for a property management company that hires me to collect trash from several apartment complexes around Birmingham Alabama people leave their trash bags outside their apartment doors at night and it's my job to drive to the property in my own

truck pick them up and take them to the on-site compactors once those compactors are full they're emptied weakly and hauled off to the landfill most nights the work is peaceful I spend hours listening to music podcasts or audio books as I make my rounds but last night was nothing like the usual it was a cold January night and the air had that sharp chill that stings your lungs when you breathe it in too fast a thin layer of snow had fallen earlier in the day leaving the sidewalks and parking lots slippery at Wildflower apartments one

of the complexes I service the 200 plus units were spread across several buildings it was just past 2: in the morning and the place was quiet as usual I was working at building 6 when I heard something strange I had one earbud in as I always do a habit I picked up after a drunk driver nearly ran me over during my first week on the job this sound was sharp and sudden like a door slamming shut followed by the quick rhythm of bare feet slapping against the concrete sidewalk I stopped in my tracks holding the

four trash bags I had just picked up my eyes scanned the area but everything seemed still the sound could have been anything someone running late at night or a door blown Shut by the wind I Shrugged it off and made my way back to my truck tossing the bags into the bed before heading back for the rest the cold air made every movement feel heavier and I was eager to finish quickly when I got to building S I decided to grab the upstairs bags first I was halfway down the staircase with two bags in hand

when something caught my eye a blur of movement near the corner of the building I froze my heart skipping a beat as I tried to focus on what i' just seen it looked like someone darting out of sight but it was so quick I couldn't be sure dropping the bags in my right hand I pulled out my earbud and listened the usual nighttime sounds filled the air dog barking in the distance the hum of air conditioning units and the faint chirping of crickets nothing seemed out of place yet my gut told me something was off

I pocketed the earbud and grabbed the bags again throwing them into the truck without taking my eyes off that corner by the time I finished loading the trash unease had settled in my chest I still had room in the truck for more but the thought of staying there any longer made my skin crawl I decided to head to the compactors early and empty the load maybe a few minutes away from the buildings would help settle my nerves the compactors were located at the back of the property far from the apartment buildings to get there I

had to drive down a narrow road bordered by trees on both sides the snow covered branch glistened in the dim light of my truck's headlights casting Eerie Shadows that danced as I drove the cold seemed to deepen out here and I turned up the heat trying to shake the chill that had seeped into my bones pulling up to the compactors I parked on the wide ramp designed to make unloading easier the compactors themselves were massive metal machines their surfaces covered in Frost that glimmered under the security lights I grabbed two trash bags from the truck

bed and tossed them into the compactor the sound of the trash hitting the metal echoed through the still night I worked quickly eager to finish and get back to the warmth of my truck about halfway through unloading I stepped over to the control panel inserted the key and turned it the machine roared to life the large metal wedge extending out to push the trash back the noise was deafening but it was familiar almost comforting in its routine returning to the truck for another load I pulled back a bag and froze beneath it was a face

for a moment my mind refused to process what I was seeing a woman's pale face stared up at me from the pile of trash her eyes wide and unblinking my heart pounded in my chest and I nearly dropped the bags in my hands she looked lifeless and I thought she was dead until she spoke help she gasped her voice shaky and weak heun's trying to kill me before I could respond a noise behind me made me spin around a sharp pain exploded in the back of my head and the world tilted as I stumbled forward

tripping over a trash bag I hit the ground hard my hands instinctively reaching for the back of my head when I pulled them away they were wet with blood through my blurry Vision I saw him a man dressed in dark blue coveralls his face partially obscured by a black mask he held a long metal pipe in his hands and his body language screamed aggression he took a step toward the woman raising the pipe as if to strike adrenaline surged through me and I kicked a nearby trash bag in his Direction it didn't hurt him but

it caught his attention for a brief moment I tried to push myself up but my arms felt like lead and my legs wouldn't cooperate the man growled in frustration and turned back toward me lifting the pipe high before he could swing the woman let out a guttural scream and charged at him you in her hands was a heavy trash bag which she swung with surprising force it struck him in the face causing him to stumble backward seizing the moment I managed to get to my knees my head pounding and vision swimming the woman did didn't

stop she grabbed another trash bag and hurled it at him yelling run go her voice was raw filled with equal parts fear and determination I forced myself to my feet the world spinning around me the man regained his balance and lunged at her his pipe swinging wildly my eyes darted to the compactor control panel the key was still in it with every ounce of strength I could muster I staggered to W it reaching out and yanking the key free my fingers fumbled as I hit the lever activating the compactor once more the machine roared back

to life the wedge extending with a loud Screech the man jumped back barely avoiding being caught by the moving metal the distraction was enough the woman grabbed my arm pulling me toward the truck we have to go now she cried we stumbled to the truck throwing the the doors open and climbing inside my hands trembled as I turned the key in the ignition the engine roared to life and I hit the gas speeding away from the compactors in the rearview mirror I saw the man struggling to his feet his face a mask of Fury as

he watched us disappear into the night the woman was shaking her hands clutching the dashboard as she tried to catch her breath thank you she whispered her voice barely audible over the sound of the trucks engine thank you for saving me I didn't say anything my mind was racing replaying the events over and over as I drove the snow covered roads stretched out ahead and the icy wind howled outside the danger was behind us now but my heart didn't seem to understand that it kept pounding in my chest a Relentless reminder of how close we'd

come to losing everything as the apartment complex disappeared into the distance I knew one thing for sure I'd never see my job the same way again my name is Bella I'm 22 years old now but this story takes me back to when I was just nine I grew up in a small town with three brothers my mom and a lot of different stepdads over the years we also spent a lot of time visiting my grandparents parents life was unpredictable back then with my mom moving us from one place to another we lived in Old trailers

most of the time constantly switching towns and schools this story is about one of those trailers and the strange frightening events I can still picture vividly the trailer I'm talking about was small and cramped my mom had the largest room and my two brothers shared the other that left me with the middle room which wasn't big but it was and I was used to small spaces by then we had only been living there for a few weeks when things started happening things I couldn't explain at night after everyone else had gone to sleep I'd lie

in bed trying to drift off that's when I'd hear it a faint Whispering sound at first I thought it was my brothers talking to each other or maybe even my mom watching TV but as I listened closer I realized it wasn't coming from the rooms it sounded like it was coming from somewhere near me The Whispers were low and muffled almost like someone was just Out Of Reach trying to get my attention I tried to tell myself it was my imagination but one night I was sure I heard my name softly but clear enough to

make my heart race I pulled the covers over my head and squeezed my eyes shut too scared to move the next next morning I told my mom what I'd heard hoping she'd have an explanation instead she brushed it off saying it was just a bad dream or my mind playing tricks on me I didn't bother bringing it up again after that I knew she wouldn't believe me The Whispers didn't stop though night after night they continued I tried to ignore them but it was hard lying there in the dark with only the faint sound of

my family breathing in their sleep I felt so alone and then things got worse at the foot of my bed there was a small hole in the wall just big enough for a mouse to crawl through someone had covered it with duct tape before we moved in and I never paid it much attention sometimes I'd trace my fingers over the tape without really thinking about it but one night I woke up Suddenly the trailer was silent except for the occasional Creek of the floor as the wind pushed against the walls something felt wrong I reached

for the light and flicked it on that's when I saw it the duct tape was on the floor I stared at the hole my heart pounding the tape looked strange like it had been pushed out from the other side there were small dents in it as if something had clawed or scratched its way through I told myself it had to be a mouse but deep down I wasn't convinced I replaced the tape and tried to go back to sleep but it was impossible every sound made me jump and I couldn't shake the feeling that something

was watching me the next few nights brought new Horrors the whispering faded but now I was seeing things Shadows that didn't make sense there was a small light in the hallway outside my room that my mom left on so I could see enough to know these Shadows weren't normal they darted back and forth quick and Silent right in front of my door once one of them stopped it hovered in the doorway a dark shapeless Mass before Vanishing as quickly as it had appeared I tried to tell myself it was a trick of the light but

I knew better the Shadows moved without sound and the floors in the trailer were so old and creaky that no one could walk through without making noise whatever was causing those Shadows wasn't human then the scratching started it would come from the walls faint at first then louder I tried to convince myself it was just mice but I couldn't ignore how deliberate it sounded like something was trying to get my attention one night as I lay there listening to the scratching I noticed my blanket moving it wasn't much just a slight rise and fall but

enough to make my stomach drop terap IED I slowly pulled the blanket back and peered into the space between my bed and the wall my breath caught in my throat a shadowy hand was slipping away into the darkness it was gone in an instant but I knew what I had seen I sat Frozen unable to move or even cry finally I reached for the light my hands trembling I stayed awake until the sun came up too scared to close my eyes I told my mom again desperate for her to understand but she didn't she said

it was another bad dream and told me to stop scaring myself I wanted to believe her but I couldn't I knew it wasn't a dream by January the snow outside made everything feel even quieter and more isolated the trailer felt colder and my fear only grew one particularly cold night I woke up shivering The Whispers had stopped and the Shadows didn't appear but something felt off I decided to check the closet where I had stored most of my toys the sliding doors didn't close all the way and I'd always been a little uneasy about it

I opened the door half expecting to see something waiting for me but it was just my toys piled up like always I let out a shaky breath and closed the door as tightly as I could I tried to convince myself that everything would be fine that whatever had been haunting me was gone but deep down I didn't believe it that night as I lay in bed I felt a sudden chill the room felt heavier like the air was pressing down on me I pulled the blanket up to my chin and closed my eyes praying for

sleep to come that's when I heard it a faint muffled whisper it was so close it felt like it was right next to my ear I bolted upright and turned on the light the room was empty but the whispering didn't stop it was coming from the hole in the wall I stared at the hole my heart racing the new tape I had put over it was bulging as if something was pushing against it from the other side I grabbed the nearest thing I could find a small Bible my Grandma had given me and held it

tightly I whispered a prayer my voice shaking slowly the bulging stopped and the room went silent the next day I decided I couldn't live like this anymore I gathered every Bible I could find in the trailer and placed them all over my room I put one under my bed another on my dresser and one next to my pillow then I took a piece of tape and made a cross over the hole in the wall I stood in the middle of my room and shouted at whatever was Haunting Me I told it that this was my

room and I wasn't afraid anymore after that night everything changed the Whispers stopped the Shadows disappeared the scratching was gone for the first time in weeks I felt safe I don't know what was in that trailer or why it had chosen to scare me but I do know that whatever it was it left me alone after that even now years later I can't fully explain what happened but if I ever have kids and they tell me something is scaring them I'll believe them I'll listen no child should have to face their fears alone like I

did especially on a cold snowy night when the world feels so dark and quiet the memory of that snowy January night in 1983 has haunted me for decades over 35 years have passed but every time winter comes and the snow blankets the ground I feel the same icy shiver crawl up my spine I was 14 then and after that night I never walked outside alone at night in the snow again I grew up in a quiet Suburban neighborhood just outside of Chicago it was an ordinary middleclass area with rows of brick homes ranch style houses

and tall trees that cast Long Shadows on the streets it was the kind of of place where nothing unusual ever happened people shoveled their driveways in the winter kids built snowmen and life went on as expected but all of that changed on one cold Silent Night in January a night I will never forget the evening started out like any other my friends Teegan and Riv came over after dinner we had planned to go exploring around the neighborhood it wasn't unusual for us to wander around after dark especially in the winter when the snow made everything

brighter even without the street lights the air outside had a crisp sharp quality to it the kind that numbed your skin but also made you feel alive I threw on my thick coat gloves and scarf before meeting them at the front door Tegan bundled up in a red jacket had his usual mischievous grin Riv quieter but always up for an adventure was already stomping his boots against the porch to knock off the snow we set off around 700 p.m. the night felt unusually still the air sharp and cold the kind that stings your nose when

you breathe the snow crunched under our boots as we made our way down the streets our breath visible in the frigid air the houses around us sat like silent Sentinels their Windows glowing faintly from the warm light inside it was a peaceful night at first we laughed talked about school and kicked clumps of snow at each other the snow fresh and undisturbed covered everything in a blanket of white the occasional car would pass by its headlights cutting through the darkness but other than that the neighborhood seemed almost Frozen in time we walked past the usual

houses the ones we'd walked by countless times before but as we reached the outskirts of the neighborhood the houses started to change the streets were quieter the houses older and spaced farther apart some of the Lawns were poorly maintained and the trees were thicker here their branches Tangled in the dark like old skeletal hands reaching out to grab you I remember how the street lights seemed dimmer as we moved further down as if the light couldn't reach past the thick trunks of the trees eventually we came to the end of the street where it met

a small culdesac there standing alone was an old Victor house the house had always been a bit of a mystery it was weathered and worn the paint on the exterior peeling away like old skin the windows were dark empty and the yard was overgrown with wild bushes that poked through the snow like skeletal fingers people in the neighborhood often whispered about the place saying it was abandoned but I'd seen an old man there a few times shoveling the driveway or bringing in firewood it was a reclusive figure here someone you didn't see often and whenever

he was outside there was a strange Stillness about him like he was a part of the house as though the years had swallowed him whole as we approached the house Riv suddenly stopped and said you know the story about this place right tan and I exchanged curious looks what story I asked but I could already guess where this was going Riv glanced at the house his voice dropping to a near whisper I heard at school that the old man who lives here had a son they say the boy went missing one snowy night years ago

just vanished no one ever found him Teegan rolled his eyes ah come on Riv that's just some dumb story to scare people but Riv wasn't smiling he looked at me then back at the house his expression serious I'm serious my brother told me about it he said the old man hasn't been the same since it happened I felt a twinge of unease at ri's tone but I tried to Shake it Off well let's just keep going there's nothing to see here but curiosity got the better of us instead of leaving we decided to take a

closer look we walked towards the house the snow crunching louder with each step the house stood eerily still as though it was waiting for something or someone the windows were black voids the porch sagging with age we moved to the side of the house where a narrow path led to the backyard the snow was deep and we had to trudge through it our boots sinking with every step there was an unsettling quiet here the kind of quiet that seemed to hang in the air thick and suffocating the backyard was just as wild and Untamed as

the front the fence was broken in places its boards leaning at straight angles tall dried grass poked through the snow in patches adding to the sense of Abandonment in the corner of the yard an old wooden shed stood its roof sagging under the weight of the snow the shed looked like it had been forgotten by time just like the house itself I was about to suggest we turn back when we heard it a faint sound like a low groan carried on the wind it was so soft at first that I thought I imagined it did

you hear that Riv asked his voice barely audible Tean nodded his grin gone maybe it's just the wind he said but his tone wasn't convincing we stood there listening the sound came again this time louder closer it wasn't the wind it was a voice a faint strained voice like someone calling out from far away my heart began to race my body tensing with with unease against my better judgment I took a step closer to the house my eyes scanning the dark Windows half expecting to see something watching us then from the far corner of the

yard we saw it a figure emerged from the Shadows crawling through the snow at first it was hard to make out in the dim light but as it got closer the details became clearer it was hunched over its limbs Twisted in unnatural angles its head hung low and long tangled hair covered its face the way it moved jerky and uneven sent a chill down my spine it wasn't walking it was crawling dragging itself across the snow like something inhuman what is that Tegan whispered his voice trembling none of us could answer we stood Frozen staring

at the creature as it got closer it's stopped and lifted its head the hair fell away revealing a face that I will never forget the skin was pale and gaunt stretched tight over its bones like a mask its eyes were sunken and Hollow yet they seemed to glow faintly like Embers burning in the dark and then it screamed the sound was unlike anything I had ever heard before it was high pitched and raw filled with such Agony and pain that it felt as though the very air around us trembled it echoed through the yard cutting

through the Silence of the night and in that moment I understood we weren't dealing with a person or anything human for that matter whatever it was it was something else entirely that was all it took for us to snap out of our trance without a word we turned and ran the snow slowed us down making it harder to move but the terror that gripped us gave us the strength to keep going my heart pounded in my chest as we stumbled through the snow our breath coming in sharp gasps I could hear it behind us the

creature's cries growing louder more desperate like it was trying to reach us we didn't stop until we were blocks away gasping for breath and shaking from more than just the cold Riv was the first to speak his voice barely above a whisper what was that he asked his eyes wide with fear Teegan shook his head his face pale I don't know I don't want to know we tried to convince ourselves it was some kind of prank maybe a person in a costume trying to scare us but deep down I knew that wasn't true the way

it moved the way it looked it wasn't human it couldn't be when I got home that night I didn't tell my parents what we had seen I didn't think they'd believe me instead I locked the doors closed the curtains and lay in bed staring at the ceiling sleep didn't come easily every Creek of the house every gust of wind against the windows made me jump I kept imagining those Hollow eyes staring at me from the darkness outside the next day I told my friends I didn't want to go out exploring again they didn't argue none

of us ever talked about that night again as if saying it out loud would somehow make it real but I've never forgotten to this day I avoid that side of the neighborhood I can't even drive past it without feeling the hair on the back of my neck stand up and every time it snows I feel a sense of dread as if whatever we saw that night is still out there waiting in the cold and dark now in my 50s I still can't explain what happened maybe I never will but one thing is certain that snowy

January night changed me it left a mark That Time Can't Erase and every winter when the snow falls and the world goes quiet I feel its presence again lingering in the shadows just out of sight it was a snowy January night the kind of night where the cold air nips at your skin and the snow muffles every sound leaving an eerie Stillness in its wake we were restless craving adventure and we decided to explore the cemetery teenagers looking for Thrills what could go wrong Fair Mount Cemetery is Denver's second oldest burial ground sprawling across over

280 Acres it opened in 1890 and is filled with countless Graves mausoleums and statues many of which seem to tell their own story the place always had an otherworldly feel and that night under a sky heavy with clouds and Moonlight reflecting off the snow it seemed even more alive we hopped the tall iron fence laughing a little too loudly to mask the nervous energy buzzing between us the snow crunched under our boots but it felt like every sound was magnified echoing through the Stillness there was something in the air a heavy almost oppressive feeling as

if the cemetery itself was watching us trespass we moved cautiously avoiding stepping on graves as best we could the snow had settled into thick layers hiding some of the smaller headstones so we had to tread carefully the deeper we went the quieter it seemed to get even our laughter died down as the sheer vastness of the cemetery surrounded us the tomb Stones Rose like Sentinels in the misty Haze of our breath as we walked further in we found a small hill that gave us a good view of the sprawling graveyard it seemed like the perfect

spot to stop and take it all in we sat there for a moment the silence settling over us like the snow and just as we began to relax we noticed something odd off in the distance faint blue lights appeared they were small almost like fireflies but brighter and steadier at first we thought it might be a security guard with some sort of flashlight or maybe someone else wandering the cemetery but these lights didn't move like a person would they flickered and Flo weaving through the Tombstones as if they had a life of their own before

we could get a better look they vanished into the darkness we exchanged uneasy glances but Shrugged it off chalking it up to our imagin ations Playing Tricks on us maybe it was just a reflection of the snow or something harmless still there was a tension between us now an unspoken understanding that this night might not be as simple as we'd planned as we settled back down ready to relax again something changed the air around us seemed to shift suddenly more lights appeared but these weren't just the faint blue ones we'd seen earlier right orbs of

red green purple and blue began to materialize they floated and danced through the graveyard gliding effortlessly above the Tombstones these weren't like anything we'd ever seen they moved with a purpose spinning and weaving in intricate patterns as if performing some other worldly dance we sat Frozen our eyes wide unable to tear our gazes away the orbs seemed to grow brighter their colors more Vivid and they moved closer none of us spoke too entranced or maybe too terrified to break the spell it felt like time had stopped we couldn't tell if we'd been watching for seconds

or minutes then just as suddenly as they'd appeared the orbs vanished the graveyard was plunged Into Darkness again but this time it felt different the air was heavy and an almost suffocating silence fell over the cemetery even the faint hum of distant traffic seemed to have disappeared it was as if the world outside the cemetery no longer existed then came the Mist it Rose slowly from the ground swirling and thickening as it spread at first it seemed like ordinary fog but it began to move in strange ways almost like it was alive it gathered in

one one spot ahead of us coiling and twisting taking on a shape we stared hardly daring to breathe as the Mist began to form into something solid at first it was hard to make out just a dark Mass against the snowy background but as it became clearer a chill ran through me that had nothing to do with the cold it was a figure a tall skeletal figure cloaked in darkness with its form was shrouded in what looked like a tattered black robe and it held a long curved sickle in one bony hand the blade gleamed

faintly in the dim light catching just enough of the Moonlight to send a shiver down my spine its face was a skull Hollow and sunken with two glowing red orbs where its eyes should have been those eyes burned with an intensity that made it impossible to look away even though every instant in my body screamed at me to run Grant was the first to speak his voice barely more than a whisper we need to go but none of us moved it was like we were rooted to the spot Paralyzed by fear the figure didn't move

at first it just stood there staring at us with those fiery eyes as if it were deciding what to do next then slowly it began to Glide toward us us it didn't walk it floated its movements smooth and unnatural like it was gliding just above the ground that's when the Panic set in run Grant shouted snapping us out of our trance we bolted sprinting back the way we'd come our boots slipping and sliding on the snowy ground I could hear my heart pounding in my ears and the sound of my own ragged breaths filled my

head behind us I could hear it two the swish of its robe the faint scrape of its sickle dragging through the snow it was following us we ran as fast as we could our fear propelling us forward but the cemetery seemed endless the rows of tombstones and statues blurred together as we sprinted past them the fence finally came into view and I felt a flicker of hope we were almost there we reached the fence scrambling to climb over it in our panic I slipped my hand scraping against the cold iron but I didn't care I

just needed to get out as I swung my leg over the top I dared to glance back the figure was there hovering just a few feet away it stopped its glowing eyes locked onto mine and then it did something I'll never forget it lifted its sickle High into the air and let out a sound a low guttural wave that seemed to shake the very ground beneath us then it shot into the sky soaring upward until it disappeared into the dark clouds we collapsed onto the pavement on the other side of the fence gasping for breath

our bodies trembling from more than just the cold none of us spoke as we stood up and began walking back to my house the silence between us was heavy but there was an unspoken agreement that whatever we'd seen we wouldn't talk about it it wasn't meant for us to understand to this day I can't explain what happened that night we never went back to Fairmount cemetery and I doubt we ever will every time it snows and the night grows quiet I can't help but think of that figure those glowing eyes and the sound of that

whale it's a Memory that's etched into my mind a reminder that some some places are not meant for the living and some things are better left undisturbed the mountains had always been my Sanctuary the untouched snow the sprawling silence it all gave me a sense of calm I couldn't find anywhere else it felt like stepping into another world a frozen moment in time where everything was quiet and still that's why why I decided to go on a solo hike through the ice covered Peaks finally after a long time the team from New Zealand got together

in order to leave the ranch on I thought it would be another peaceful Journey just me and the mountains but I couldn't have been more wrong the day I started my hike the weather was Heavy the sky had that strange murky gray color that made you feel like the sun wasn't even there CLS hung low almost touching the Peaks and the wind was fierce rushing through the trees with an intensity I wasn't used to it wasn't the kind of wind you forget it sounded different alive in a way I couldn't quite explain I tightened my

jacket around me trying to block out the cold that bit at my face and fingers hearing the vile threat clearly made me determined to not let the creature get to me again I tightened my jacket around me trying to block out the cold that bit at my face and fingers I'd been on these Trails before so I didn't think much of it I told myself it was just the usual chill of the mountains and pushed forward nothing out of the ordinary right the higher I climbed the quieter it became the trees grew sparse their branches

weighed down with snow it was like stepping into another world one that felt abandoned and untouched the only sounds were my boots crunching through the snow and the steady rhythm of my breathing it should have been comforting but instead it felt wrong like the silence wasn't natural like it was watching me hours passed and the Solitude began to press down on me that's when I heard it a scream faint at first but unmistakable it was high pitched and drawn out cutting through the silence Like a Knife I froze my heart skipping a beat it sounded

far away but it was so clear that I couldn't dismiss it as the wind I scanned the area but there was nothing no movement no sign of life just the snow and the mountains stretching endlessly around me I tried to convince myself it was just my imagination the wind could sound strange in the mountains couldn't it but just as I started to move again I heard it a second time louder closer my chest tightened and I found myself looking over my shoulder as if someone might be there I called out my voice trembling but the

only answer was the echo of my own words I picked up my Pace my footsteps crunching faster in the snow the scream came again this time so vivid it felt like it was inside my head my pulse quickened there was something deeply wrong about the sound something that made the hair on my arms stand on end I told myself to keep moving maybe I'd find someone another hiker maybe even someone in trouble but deep down I knew better the screams didn't sound like they came from someone who could be helped they sounded like something else

entirely as I rounded a bend in the trail I saw it half buried in the snow just ahead of me was what looked like a body my breath hitched and for a moment I couldn't move the screams had stopped leaving an eerie silence in their place I wanted to turn back to run but my feet felt rooted to the ground finally I forced myself to step closer the wind whipped around me stinging my face as I knelt down and began brushing away the snow what I uncovered made my blood run cold it was a person

or at least it had been the body was frozen solid its eyes wide open in Terror the face was twisted the mouth stretched in a Silent Scream the limbs were bent at unnatural angles as if the person had been fighting to escape something but the most horrifying thing wasn't the body itself it was the sound that followed the scream it started again loud and piercing and it was coming from the body my heart pounded as I stumbled back nearly losing my footing in the snow how could that be possible the person was frozen lifeless yet

the scream echoed all around me as if the mountains themselves were crying out I spun around searching for any sign of someone else but there was no one no Footprints no movement just the empty expanse of snow and the unrelenting wind I clamped my hands over my ears but the scream seemed to burrow into my skull vibrating through my entire body I turned to leave but as I did something in the distance caught my eye a figure standing on the ridge barely visible through the swirling snow they were tall and still their face hidden by

the Shadows of the storm my breath caught in my throat they were just standing there not moving not reacting watching I called out though my voice cracked with fear the figure didn't respond they didn't move they just stood there an ominous silhouette against the white landscape my instinct screamed at me to turn and run but my curiosity held me in place I needed to know who they were why they were there I took a step forward then another trudging through the Deep snow but no matter how far I walked the figure stayed the same distance

away always just Out Of Reach the wind howled louder as if warning me to stop but I couldn't my heart was pounding and my legs burned from the effort but I kept going and then just like that the figure was gone one moment they were there and the next the ridge was empty my knee knees buckled and I collapsed into the snow gasping for breath the realization hit me like a punch to the gut they hadn't been real they couldn't have been the scream returned louder than ever echoing all around me I clutched my head

desperate to block it out but it was no use the sound was everywhere inside me shaking me to my core the world around me seemed to blur the snow and trees blending together as the wind whipped past I scrambled to my feet my legs unsteady beneath me I had to get out of there I had to escape but as I turned to leave the mountains seemed to shift around me the trail disappearing Into the Storm Panic set in I didn't know which way to go which way was safe the scream stopped suddenly replaced by a

suffocating silence the wind died down and the snow began to fall gently again as if nothing had happened but I knew better the mountains weren't empty they weren't silent I don't remember how I made it back the hike down was a blur of fear and exhaustion every shadow and sound sending my heart racing when I finally reached the base of the mountain the first rays of sunlight were breaking through the clouds but even the warmth of the sun couldn't chase away the cold that had settled deep in my bones I haven't returned to the mountains

since I still hear the scream sometimes in The Quiet Moments before sleep a sound I can't forget a reminder of what I saw and heard that day the mountains had always been my refuge my Escape but now I know the truth they're not as empty as they seem hey everyone I want to get to know you better if you've been here since the beginning leave a comment saying day one so I can thank you for your support if you're new welcome let me know by commenting new here I'm so thankful for all of you thanks

for being part of the afternoon Horrors family a few years ago I had a break from work a much needed time to get away from the noise of the city I decided to rent a small cabin for a couple of weeks far away from everything it was on airbn be deep in the Hills surrounded by thick Woods it seemed like the perfect place to escape a chance to unwind and spend time alone I planed to do some camping too just to really get away from it all the drive took about 2 hours winding through the

countryside and I arrived at the cabin in the late afternoon it was an old weathered Place small but cozy it had that rustic feel with a bit of charm despite looking like it hadn't seen a coat of paint in years there was no sign of other buildings around just trees as far as I could see the air was cool crisp and the leaves on the trees were turning shades of red and orange the silence around the cabin was almost too quiet like nature had decided to press Paws but it felt peaceful and I quickly settled

in the first few days were uneventful I spent my time relaxing enjoying the cool fall air and sitting outside for hours just thinking there was a fireplace inside and when the sun went down I'd sit by it letting the warmth sink into my bones the days seemed to stretch on slow and calm just as I wanted it was a welcome change from the hectic pace of City Life on the fifth day I decided to head out for a camping trip I had packed my gear planning for two or three nights I figured I'd see how

things went when once I found a spot but I already had an idea of what I wanted there were a few trails nearby but one of them connected directly to the cabin so I chose that one it seemed like the easiest way to get to a good camping area without having to drive anywhere I set off late in the afternoon excited to explore the woods further after a few hours of hiking I came across a small clearing it was the only open space I had seen and while it wasn't far from the trail it felt

secluded enough for me to Camp the sky was starting to darken so I decided it was a good place to set up my tent I made a fire trying to get the warmth to cut through the chill of the evening as the flames crackled and the smoke swirled into the cold air I felt a sense of Peace a connection with the Quiet Wilderness around me I sat by the fire for a while cooking a quick meal and soaking in the Stillness of the night the chill in the air made me pull my jacket tighter around

me as the night pressed in everything felt still like the woods were holding their breath after some time I began to feel drowsy it had been a long day and the fire was starting to die down just as I was about to turn in I saw something that made my heart skip a beat out in the woods just beyond the reach of the fir light I saw movement it wasn't an animal but a figure tall and thin moving silently through the trees it didn't have a light no flashlight or Lantern it was just a shadow

barely visible against the dark woods moving slowly through the night whoever it was they had to have seen the fire yet they didn't seem to care they kept walking their figures swaying between the trees in an unnatural way it didn't make sense who would be out here at this hour walking through the woods without any light and why were they moving like that the way they glided through the trees made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up the whole thing was strange and the longer I watched the more uneasy I felt I

thought about packing up and going back to the cabin but it was too late to hike in the dark plus I didn't want to scare myself over nothing I stayed put trying to calm myself maybe it was just another hiker or someone else out camping it was a big Forest after all but even as I tried to convince myself it was nothing my eyes kept scanning the Shadows looking for any sign of movement after what felt like forever I stopped seeing the figure maybe they had turned around or continued on their way either way I

started to relax I decided to put out the fire watching as the Flames flickered out and only a faint glow remained the quiet Darkness settled over me just as I thought I might be able to sleep I heard something footsteps at first they were soft barely noticeable the sound was coming from my left just beyond the clearing the crunch of leaves Under Foot was so faint that I almost thought I had imagined it but then the footsteps got louder moving closer and I froze the footsteps weren't random or hurried they were slow deliberate as if

someone was trying not to be heard but couldn't help making noise on the dry leaves I tensed my heart racing whoever it was they were close now so close that I could feel the weight of their presence just beyond the trees I couldn't see anything not yet but I could hear he the slow rhythm of their steps I held my breath trying to listen more closely to figure out where they were the footsteps stopped for a moment then started up again moving slightly off to the side they were intentionally staying out of my view moving

just beyond where I could see like they knew exactly where to step to avoid detection the sound of the footsteps faded but they didn't go away entirely they kept going getting softer and softer until they disappeared into the night I sat there in silence my mind racing it wasn't a coincidence whoever it was had been close watching me the idea of someone else being out here so near made my skin crawl there was no way it was just another camper they had been watching me I couldn't take it anymore I grabbed my flashlight and packed

up my gear as quickly as I could my hands were shaking and I could feel Panic starting to rise I didn't care if it was dark I just wanted to get out of there I had to leave I gathered everything and started walking back to the cabin the beam of my flashlight cutting through the darkness the woods felt different now like they were closing in around me and the silence felt heavier I could hear my own breathing sharp and quick and the occasional rustle of leaves under my feet but other than that the woods were

unnervingly quiet it felt like something was watching me waiting I kept moving as quickly as I could hoping I wasn't being followed it felt like forever but eventually I saw the faint outline of the cabin through the trees relief flooded me as I walked up to the door quickly unlocked it and stepped inside I locked it behind me Breathing heavily my mind still racing the warmth inside was comforting but it didn't ease the feeling that something was wrong I sat on the couch for a while my thoughts spinning I had barely noticed how exhausted I

was until my eyes started to close and soon I was asleep I woke up sometime in the middle of the night to a strange noise it was faint at first like something scraping against wood I rubbed my eyes trying to shake off the grogginess The Sound came again louder this time coming from the back of the cabin my heart skipped a beat as I sat up I strained to listen trying to figure out what it was then I heard it again the unmistakable sound of something being pushed my blood ran cold as I realized what

it was the window at the back of the cabin it was slowly being opened from the outside I didn't move at first Frozen in place then I saw him a man's face pale and thin appeared behind the window his eyes wide and staring at me we locked eyes for a moment and I felt the breath catch in my throat I couldn't move couldn't think the man didn't say anything didn't make a sound he just stared then quickly dropped the window and disappeared into the darkness I don't know how long I sat there trying to process

what had just happened the man had followed me all the way back to the cabin waited until I was asleep and then tried to break in I had no idea who he was or what he wanted but the thought of what might have happened if I hadn't woken up chills me to the Bone the next morning I packed up my things and drove into the nearest town checking into the first hotel I could find I didn't sleep much that night and the memory of the man's face still haunts me to this day I have no

idea who he was or what he was after but I can't shake the feeling that I was being watched the entire time I was out there it was a trip that started out peaceful but ended with a terror I'll never forget the plan had been simple quiet Winter retreat in a cabin nestled deep in the mountains away from the noise and demands of everyday life I wanted Solitude a chance to unplug and reset the cabin was surrounded by a thick blanket of snow Untouched by the chaos of the world it seemed perfect but as soon

as I arrived a strange uneasiness crept in the silence wasn't peaceful it was suffocating the snow outside had an unnatural Shimmer to it almost like it was hiding something beneath its frozen surface I dismissed the feeling blaming it on the isolation and the unfamiliar environment once inside I got the fire going hoping the warmth would settle my nerves the cabin was cozy with its wooden walls and the soft crackle of flames filling the space I thought the next few days would be uneventful maybe even boring but that sense of unease lingered and it wasn't long

before the peaceful Retreat turned into something else entirely it began on the first night around midnight the wind picked up and it wasn't the usual kind of wind you'd hear in the mountains this was relentless a deep guttural howl that seemed to Rattle the very bones of the cabin it clawed at the windows and pressed against the walls as though it wanted to get inside I wrapped myself tightly in a blanket but the sound burrowed into my mind sleep was impossible with the noise gnawing at my thoughts then without warning the snow storm came at

first it was gentle a soft flurry visible through the window but within minutes the snow intensified falling so heavily that the world outside disappeared behind a wall of white the way it moved caught my attention the flakes didn't drift lazily to the ground instead they swirled and twisted forming patterns that felt deliberate almost purposeful I told myself it was just my imagination but deep down I knew something about this storm was wrong the storm raged through the night and when I finally managed a Restless sleep I woke to a scene that didn't make sense the

snow outside was pristine untouched as though no one had walked through it but it wasn't just that the tracks I had made the day before the path to the small shed behind the cabin were gone erased as if they had never existed everything looked untouched like the world had reset itself overnight I stepped outside cautiously the crunch of snow under my boots the only sound breaking the silence the air was bitterly cold and the landscape around me felt off the mountains in the distance seemed Closer Than They had the day before almost looming over the

cabin it was subtle but enough to make me feel disoriented I tried to Shake it Off blaming my unease on the isolation but then I saw it far off in the distance a figure stood motionless against the swirling snow it was hard to make out any details but it looked human standing perfectly still and facing my direction my heart raced as I froze staring back at the figure it didn't move didn't make a sound I called out but my voice was was swallowed by the storm the figure didn't react and a wave of fear washed

over me something about it felt wrong unnatural then it happened the world around me shifted it was like a wave of dizziness hit me and for a brief moment everything stopped the wind ceased the snow froze midair and the silence was deafening I felt a deep unsettling sensation in my stomach as though time itself had paused just as quickly everything snapped back the wind roared to life the snow fell again and the figure was gone the landscape however was different the mountains were farther away now the path to the shed had vanished and even the

cabin looked slightly different smaller almost distorted I stumbled back inside slamming the door behind me and locking it my hands were trembling as I tried to make sense of what i' just experienced nothing about this made sense it was as if the storm had bent reality warping the world around me I sat by the fire staring into the Flames trying to calm my racing thoughts but the unease only grew that night the storm returned with a Vengeance the wind was fiercer than before howling like a wild animal and rattling the cabin's wall I stayed by

the fire hoping the warmth and light would keep the fear at Bay but then faintly at first I heard it a whisper carried by the wind it sounded distant almost like my name being called I tried to ignore it but the sound grew louder more insistent The Whispers seemed to surround me coming from every direction my heart pounded in my chest as I tried to block it out unable to take it any longer I decided to face whatever was happening I pulled on my coat and boots and stepped outside the cold air bit at my

skin as I looked around the storm had eased slightly but the snow still fell in that strange swirling pattern and then I saw it again the figure this time it was closer standing just outside the clearing around the cabin it didn't move didn't make a sound but I could feel its presence heavy and oppressive my legs felt like they were made of lead as I tried to move I wanted to call out but my voice failed me as I stared at the figure the world shifted again as I stared at the figure the world shifted

again the snow swirled faster the wind roared and time seemed to warp around me it it was like the universe itself was being pulled apart when the storm cleared I found myself back in the same spot but everything had changed once more the cabin looked smaller almost unfamiliar and the mountains were farther away again the path to the shed was gone replaced by unbroken snow it felt like I was stuck in some Twisted Loop reliving the same moments over and over every attempt to make sense of it only deepened my confusion and then I saw

the figure again this time it was moving slowly deliberately it walked toward me as it drew closer I could finally make out its features my breath caught in my throat as I realized what I was looking at the figure was me I stood Frozen staring into my own eyes the figure my double wore the same clothes had the same expression it didn't speak didn't make a sound but its presence was overwhelming if all this was real and how much I imagined it the gaunt figure was looking at me in the same way in that moment

a terrible understanding washed over me the storm wasn't just a storm it was something far more Sinister something that fed on time and reality it had trapped me in this endless cycle forcing me to relive my fears and disorienting me with each shift the figure my reflection was a part of it a fragment of myself caught in the storm's grip I tried to run but every step felt like I was moving through molasses the snow and wind pulled at me dragging me back no matter how far I went I always ended up in the same

place back at the cabin back in the storm back facing the figure there was no Escape each time I tried the storm would rewind time erasing my progress and resetting the world around me the realization hit me like a blow the storm wasn't just trapping me physically it was breaking me forcing me to confront my fears and my own fractured reflection there was no way out no end to the loop the storm had claimed me and I was powerless against it finally as the wind screamed around the cabin and the snow began to swirl again

I felt the weight of resignation settle over me I walked back inside and sat by the fire its warmth doing little to thaw the cold creeping through my soul I understood now the storm wasn't something I could fight or Escape it had become my world reshaping reality itself as the figure appeared once more outside the window its face mirroring mine I realized that it wasn't there to harm me it was a part of me a reminder of something I couldn't let go of perhaps the storm wasn't just punishment it was a reflection of my own

mind my fears my regrets my inability to move forward the snow continued to fall endless and unyielding as I sat there staring into the Flames somewhere deep inside I knew might never leave this place the storm had taken me and maybe just maybe I had let it I've thought about sharing this story for a long time but every time I sit down to write it the emotions get the better of me the events of that night in 2007 still haunt me it's not just what happened but the chilling thought of what might have happened that

sends shivers down my spine to this day I don't fully understand how my sister and I made it out of that situation unharmed at the time I was 25 years old and my younger sister was 23 we lived in Phoenix Arizona caught up in a lifestyle that was fast and wild most nights were spent out partying my sister to her credit could handle herself and knew when to stop I was a different story I had no breaks when I drank I drank until I couldn't remember anything blackouts were a regular occurrence for me back then

it's a miracle I'm here to write this today by the grace of some higher power I've been sober for 15 years now the night in question started out like so many others we went to a party with a group of friends the kind of house party where the music was too loud and the drinks never stopped flowing I don't remember much about the early part of the night I was already several drinks in when we arrived and things went downhill from there at some point during the party I got it into my head to take

my friend's car and go pick up a couple I had met earlier that evening they were Eastern European though I can't recall which country they said they were from it seemed like a good idea at the time but in hindsight it was Reckless and irresponsible I was drunk and in no condition to drive let alone take someone else's car without permission but none of that registered with me then my sister called me not long after I left Furious our friend had realized her car was gone and my sister was left to deal with the Fallout

when I returned to the party my friend was waiting for me she was livid and she had every right to be after a heated argument I was kicked out of the party my sister was embarrassed and upset and to make matters worse she had been drinking more than usual that night it wasn't like her to get that intoxicated and seeing her like that only added to my guilt we left the party together both of us too emotional and too drunk to think straight we decided to walk and try to find a taxi Phoenix Knights can

be disorienting especially when you're under the influence the streets seemed endless and my memory of what happened next is fragmented like a puzzle with missing pieces the next thing I remember we were sitting in the backseat of a car I didn't recognize the vehicle and I had no idea how we ended up there my sister was beside me slumped against the seat it was dark outside and the faint glow of a gas station sign was visible through the window we were at a gas station on Grand Avenue a road that leads to the old Arizona

Interstate Highway the man and the driver seat was a stranger he didn't say much and what little he did say didn't make sense to me I felt a wave of unease wash over me but I was too disoriented to act my head was spinning and my thoughts were muddled then out of nowhere the couple I had met earlier that evening appeared I hadn't even gone back to pick them up yet here they were standing outside the car they were frantic yelling and banging on the Windows they were trying to open the door urging us to

get out the details are blurry but I remember the fear in their voices they kept saying we needed to leave that we weren't safe the man in the driver's seat seemed annoyed at first but then his expression changed he didn't argue or try to stop us as we stumbled out of the car looking back that might be the most unsettling part it was like he knew he couldn't keep us there without drawing attention to himself the couple didn't explain much but they made it clear that they had seen something about the man that set off

alarm Bells I don't know how they ended up at that gas station or how they recognized us but they seemed convinced we were in danger they didn't stick around long after making sure we were out of the car and on our feet they left my sister and I were shaken but still too drunk to fully grasp the gravity of what had just happened we started walking again eventually flagging down a taxi to take us home it wasn't until the next morning that the full weight of the situation hit me both of our phones were gone

I don't remember having them when we left the party but I'm certain the man in the car had taken them for years I've wondered about that night who was the man driving the car how did we end up in his vehicle and what would have happened if that couple hadn't shown up when they did there are so many unanswered questions and the not knowing is the hardest part sometimes I think about that couple and wonder if they were more than just strangers the way they appeared out of nowhere their insistence on getting us out of

the car it's almost too perfect to be coincidence were they sent by some higher power were they watching over us that night I'll never know for sure what I do know is that night changed me it was a wakeup call A Moment of clarity in the midst of chaos it's one of the reasons I decided to get sober anytime I feel tempted to pick up a drink I think about that night and how close we came to something truly horrific if you're struggling with substance use please know that there's help out there don't wait for

a close call like mine to make a change your life and the lives of those you love are worth more than a moment of recklessness the blizzard came out of nowhere one moment the sky was a calm Brilliant Blue with sunlight glinting off the blanket of snow covering the ground the next a cold wind began to rise sharp and unrelenting before I could make sense of it the storm rolled in Fast and heavy as if the world had shifted in an instant I was miles away from civilization holed up in a small cabin nestled deep

in the woods I had come here to escape the noise and busyness of life to find a little peace but this storm this storm was unlike anything I had ever encountered the wind howled like a living thing rattling the cabin walls snow fell in thick swirling curtains so dense it seemed like the very air was closing in something about the storm felt wrong unnatural it carried a weight a presence that made my chest tighten the world outside the cabin seemed Frozen as if the land was holding its breath waiting I couldn't shake the feeling that

I wasn't alone it was then through the Frosted window pane that I saw it at first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me a shadow emerged in the storm moving against the blinding white backdrop it was too dark and distinct to be a figment of my imagination I pressed my face closer to the glass trying to see more clearly the shadow was tall unnaturally thin and it moved in a way that sent a chill down my spine not like an animal but not like a person either I stayed frozen by the window my

heart thuing in my chest the shadow glided across the snow its form flickering and twisting as the wind whipped around it at first I thought it might be a deer or some other creature but there was something about it something off it didn't move like anything I'd ever seen before it felt wrong The Logical part of me wanted to stay inside to bolt the door and wait for the storm to pass but curiosity gwed at me I couldn't shake the need to know what I was seeing against my better judgment I pulled on my heavy

coat laced up my boots and grabbed the flashlight sitting on the counter with one last glance at the shadow I opened the cabin door and stepped into the storm the cold hit me like a wall stealing my breath the wind howled louder out here and the snow lashed against my face sharp as needles I could barely see a few feet ahead the flashlight beam swallowed up by the swirling white but even through the storm I could make out the shadow it was farther ahead now moving deeper into the woods I stumbled forward each step sinking

into the snow my boots crunched loudly in the Silence of the storm but I kept my eyes fixed on the shadow it wasn't far but no matter how much I pushed through the drifts I couldn't seem to get any closer it moved with an eerie smoothness gliding effortlessly while I struggled against the biting wind the farther I followed it the stranger the woods became the trees which had seemed so familiar earlier now loomed tall and twisted their branches stretching out like skeletal arms the storm seemed to grow heavier with every step the snow falling faster

and the wind screaming louder the world around me felt like it was closing in and yet I couldn't turn back the shadow was pulling me leading me and I felt powerless to resist as I trudged deeper into the storm an unsettling Stillness began to creep in the wind's howl seemed muffled now and the snow fell almost soundlessly the shadow had stopped moving it stood ahead of me perfectly still a dark figure outlined against the endless white my legs achd from the cold and my breath came in short sharp gasps but I couldn't stop something compelled

me forward the shadow didn't move but it felt like it was watching me I couldn't see any eyes but I felt its gaze heavy and piercing the air grew colder sharp enough to make my lungs burn and then for the first first time I noticed there was something else out there a presence I couldn't see but could feel it was like the storm itself was alive wrapping around me trapping me I tried to turn back to force my feet to move but I couldn't my body refused to listen the snow around me seemed to rise

higher tugging at my legs as if it wanted to swallow me whole and then I heard it a voice low and guttural carried on the wind it was faint at first barely audible over the storm but it grew louder with each passing second it wasn't speaking any words I could understand but I knew it was calling to me no not just calling it was saying my name Panic clawed at my chest I didn't know how it knew my name and I didn't want to find out the shadow shifted then its form seeming to grow taller

darker more defined the storm around it swirled faster the wind screaming in unison with the voice shapes began to form in the snow grotesque and fleeting faces or what looked like faces pressed against the swirling white their features twisted and unnatural they stared at me their empty eyes filled with something that felt like hunger I wanted to scream to run but my legs wouldn't move the shadow loomed closer and with it came a cold so deep it seemed to seep into my very bones I could feel something being pulled from me like the storm was

draining the warmth the life right out of my body my vision blurred and my thoughts became foggy it wasn't just a shadow anymore it was something else entirely something that was feeding off me the voice grew louder no longer just a whisper on the Wind it was inside my head now echoing Relentless I couldn't make out the words but I understood the meaning the shadow wasn't leading me into the storm it was the storm and I had walked right into its grasp the snow Rose higher encircling me pulling me down the wind roared in my

ears and the shapes in the snow grew more defined their distorted faces staring at me with malice I was trapped unable to move unable to think the shadow loomed above me its form stretching and twisting becoming something monstrous and unrecognizable it was no longer just a figure it was everything around me it was the storm and I was part of it now as the snow threatened to consume me completely a thought broke through the haze in my mind the flashlight I still held it though my fingers were numb and stiff it was here with what

little strength I had left I lifted it and aimed the beam directly at the Shadow the light cut through the swirling snow like a knife and For the First Time The Shadow recoiled it twisted and writhed its form flickering as though the light was burning it the faces in the snow screamed silently their shapes dissolving Into the Storm the voice in my head grew louder desperate and angry but I focused on the flashlight I adjusted the beam sweeping it across the Shadows form with each pass the shadow seemed to shrink its edges breaking apart like

smoke in the wind the storm began to falter the wind's howl softened and the snow's Relentless assault eased the shadow LED out a final guttural cry before collapsing into the snow disappearing as if it had never been there the Forest around me stilled and for the first time in what felt like hours I could breathe I stumbled back toward the cabin my legs heavy and my body trembling the path I had taken was almost gone covered by fresh snow but I could see the faint outline of the cabin's roof through the thinning storm step by

step I pushed forward the flashlight guiding my way the storm had lost its power and the air around me felt lighter less oppressive when I finally reached the cabin I slammed the door shut behind me collapsing onto the floor my body achd and my mind swirled with everything I had just experienced the Shadow the storm the voices it all felt like a nightmare but the cold that lingered in my bones told me it had been real I stayed by the fire for the rest of the night wrapped in blankets and clutching the flashlight like a

lifeline outside the storm had faded to nothing more than a gentle snowfall the shadow was gone but its presence still haunted me I knew I had escaped but some part of me wondered if it was truly over as Dawn broke and sunlight spilled through the window I made a decision I packed my things left the cabin and never looked back whatever had been out there in the storm I wasn't going to give it another chance to find me the woods could keep their secrets I was done searching for answers that might cost me my soul

it's supposed to be a peaceful weekend a chance to step away from the chaos of daily life and spend time together as a family my wife Sarah and our two children Emma and Jake were just as excited as I was about the idea of getting away away from the constant Buzz of the city I had found the perfect place for our escape a remote cabin nestled deep in the mountains miles away from the nearest town it seemed like a dream come true the drive to the cabin was picturesque snow blanketed the ground clinging to the

branches of towering Pines that lined the winding road the sky was a pale gray the kind of color that promised more snow before the weekend was over The Silence of the winter landscape was almost comforting broken only by the hum of the car engine and the occasional Giggles from Emma and Jake in the back seat but as we got closer to the cabin I started to notice something a strange heaviness in the air it started to fill our vehicle with a strange heaviness that I had never noticed before it was subtle hard to describe but

it felt as though the forest itself was holding its breath waiting the cabin was exactly as described rustic and Charming with wooden walls and a stone fireplace that seemed to beckon us inside it was just the right size for our little family we wasted no time settling in Sarah and I unpacked while Emma and Jake ran around excited to explore every nook and cranny of the place by evening we were all gathered around the fireplace the warmth and crackle of the fire wrapping us in a cocoon of comfort for the first time in a long

while everything felt perfect but that night something woke me at first it was faint almost like the wind brushing against the cabin I tried to ignore it but the sound grew clearer a high-pitched noise almost like a whisper carried on the breeze I sat up in bed straining to hear it wasn't words just a series of low guttural sounds that seemed to come from outside my chest tightened as I glanced at Sarah still asleep beside me the clock on the nightstand read a little past midnight I stayed still listening the noise didn't stop but it

didn't come closer either it was as if something was lingering just beyond the cabin's walls waiting eventually the sound began to fade swallowed by the wind I told myself it was nothing just the unfamiliar sounds of the Wilderness and forced myself to lie back down but sleep didn't come easily that uneasy feeling lingered gnawing at the edges of my thoughts the next morning was beautiful sunlight streamed Through the Windows making the fresh snow outside glisten like tiny crystals the sky crystal clear and the sand well defined in the valley Bluey Emma and Jake were bubbling

with energy eager to explore the woods around the cabin we had breakfast together and their laughter filled the room momentarily pushing away the unease I'd felt during the night afterward I decided to take a walk hoping the crisp Mountain Air would clear my head I set off toward the forest my boots crunching softly against the snow the world around me was still and quiet the kind of Silence that feels almost unnatural as I walked something caught my eye Footprints they were fresh leading away from the cabin and disappearing into the trees I hesitated trying to

make sense of it maybe someone else had passed through earlier but the tracks seemed too close to the cabin for Comfort curiosity got the better of me and I decided to follow them the further I went the heavier the air seemed to become the quiet turned oppressive the kind of Silence that made you hyper aware of every little sound I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't alone that someone or something was watching me I glanced over my shoulder more than once my heart pounding but there was nothing there just endless snow and the silent

trees the footprints led me to a clearing the snow here was undisturbed except for a strange patch of ice near the center it shimmered in the weak sunlight an unnatural glint that Drew me closer at first I didn't notice anything unusual but as I stepped Nearer My Breath caught in my throat Frozen within the ice were faces I froze unable to look away the faces were Twisted in expressions of Terror their features distorted as though they'd been caught midc scream and they weren't just anyone they were my family Sarah Emma Jake their faces stared back

at me from the ice their eyes wide with fear Sarah's mouth was open Frozen as if she'd been calling for help Emma's small hands were pressed against the ice as though she'd been trying to escape Jake looked like he'd tried to run but hadn't gotten far enough I stumbled back my chest tight with panic this couldn't be real it didn't make sense my mind raced struggling to process what I was seeing my leg felt like lead but somehow I forced myself to move to turn and run back toward the cabin the forest around me seemed

darker now the Shadows longer twisting and shifting with every step the air felt colder heavier as though something unseen was pressing down on me when I reached the cabin I burst through the door gasping for air my eyes darted around the room and there they were Sarah Emma and Jake sitting in the living room completely normal they looked up at me startled by my sudden entrance dad are you okay Emma asked her voice filled with concern Sarah sat down the book she'd been reading what happened are you all right I couldn't speak my throat felt

tight my mind still reeling from what I'd seen how could I explain it how could I tell them that I'd just seen their faces frozen in ice trapped in a Terror I couldn't understand I shook my head trying to convince myself it had been some kind of hallucination a trick of the light anything but reality without a word I turned and went back outside I needed to see the clearing again to prove to myself that it wasn't real but when I reached the spot the ice was gone the clearing was empty just a pristine blanket

of snow there was no sign of the faces no evidence of what I'd seen that night I locked every door and window in the cabin my anes had turned into full-blown fear I tried to convince myself that it was all in my head but the memory of their faces in the ice wouldn't leave me as the hours dragged on the cabin grew eerily quiet then just past midnight I heard it again the whispering it started faint like the wind brushing against the walls but it grew louder more distinct this time it wasn't just noise it

was a voice one I knew all too well it was Sarah's I rushed to the window and peered out into the moonlit snow my heart stopped standing in the clearing just beyond the cabin was Sarah and she wasn't alone Emma and Jake Stood Beside her their faces pale their eyes wide with fear they looked just as they had in the ice frozen terrified I threw open the door and ran outside calling their names but as I stepped into the snow they vanished like Mist dissolving in the morning sun the clearing was empty again but the

whispering didn't stop it surrounded me echoing in the cold night air calling my name I don't know what's real anymore every time I close my eyes I see their faces Frozen in Terror trapped in the ice reaching for me and The Whispers they never leave they're always there just beyond the edge of the silence waiting and I know deep down that I'll never Escape not from this not from them not from the ice that still Waits somewhere out there in the cold the night stretched on endlessly and I sat by the fire clutching the poker

as if it could protect me I couldn't shake the feeling that the cabin itself was changing as though the walls were closing in the shadows creeping closer every Creek and groan of the wooden beams felt Amplified like Whispers in my ears the fire crackled but it didn't feel warm anymore the cold had seeped into my bones chilling me in a way no amount of heat could undo I must have dozed off at some point because I woke to the sound of footsteps they were slow deliberate crunching in the snow just outside the cabin my heart

pounded in my chest as I gripped the poker tighter my eyes darting to the window the curtains fluttered slightly and for a moment I thought I saw a shadow pass by it was tall and unmoving standing just outside the glass but when I blinked it was gone the footsteps stopped and the silence that followed was deafening I stayed frozen listening waiting for something anything to happen minutes stretched into what felt like hours and just as I began to think I'd imagined it all the whispering returned this time it wasn't just Sarah's voice it was Emma's

and Jake's too faint and overlapping Calling My Name pleading dad their voices were filled with fear and something else something darker it wasn't just a plea for help it was a pull a beckoning my chest tightened as tears welled in my eyes I wanted to go to them to save them but my body refused to move deep down I knew that whatever was out there wasn't my family not anymore The Whispers grew louder filling the room until it felt like the walls themselves were speaking I clapped my hands over my ears desperate to drown out

the sound but it didn't help the voices were inside my head echoing Relentless I screamed but even my own voice felt drowned out by theirs and then just as suddenly as it had started the noise stopped the cabin was silent again but the air was heavier than ever I slowly lowered my hands my heart still racing and looked around the fire had gone out leaving the room bathed in Shadows I tried to stand but my legs felt weak shaky it was as if the cabin itself was sapping my strength I don't remember how I made

it through the rest of the night when morning finally came the sunlight streaming Through the Windows felt like a cruel joke it did nothing to chase away the darkness that clung to me nor did it ease the suffocating dread that had had taken root in my chest Sarah and the kids acted as though nothing had happened their smiles and laughter piercing through the fog of my fear but I couldn't join in I never planned to wander so far from the trail it wasn't supposed to happen like this the day had started early filled with the

promise of Adventure the air was crisp the kind that stings your lungs a little but leaves you feeling alive snow blanketed the ground crunching beneath my boots with every step the forest was quiet too quiet as if it was holding its breath the kind of Stillness that makes you second guess the world around you the sun had barely crept Over the Horizon when I saw it at first it was just a glint in the distance something shimmering through the trees I thought maybe it was Ice hanging from branch anches or a frozen Creek catching the

morning light but as I got closer I realized it was something much stranger the trees opened up into a clearing and there it was towering walls of ice stretching High into the sky they sparkled in the sunlight almost too perfect to be natural it looked like someone had built them carved them with Precision a maze hidden deep in the woods its walls so clear and smooth they seemed otherworldly I should have turned back right then I had no business wandering off the trail especially not into something like this but curiosity pulled me in there was

something about the maze that felt inviting like it was waiting for me without much thought I made my way toward it the entrance was narrow almost like it didn't want to let any one in I stood there for a moment my breath visible in the cold air debating whether I should go through common sense told me to leave it alone but I couldn't shake the pull it felt like the maze was calling me like I didn't have a choice finally I squeezed through the Gap the temperature dropped immediately the air inside was colder sharper as

though the maze itself had its own weather the walls were smooth glistening with cross and they stretched so high that they seemed to touch the sky I told myself it was just a simple maze nothing more but as I walked deeper into it a strange feeling crept over me the kind of feeling that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up the kind that Whispers you're not alone at first I tried to keep track of my turns left right left again I told myself I'd find my way back easily but the paths

twisted and turned in ways that didn't make sense every corner I rounded felt like it led me further away from where I'd started the walls all looked the same and before long I realized I had no idea where I was Panic started to Bubble Up but I shoved it down it was just a maze all I had to do was backtrack and find the entrance again that was easier said than done every path seemed to lead to a dead end I'd turn back try a different route and end up right where I started it didn't

make sense it was as if the maze was shifting changing behind me the silence didn't help it was so quiet that even the sound of my own breathing felt too loud the Stillness pressed in on me heavy and suffocating hours passed or maybe it was only minutes time seemed to stretch bending in ways that didn't feel natural the cold was relentless sinking into my bones my feet achd my hands felt numb and my breaths came out in short Frosty Puffs I tried calling out but my voice barely echoed it was like the maze swallowed every

sound I made then I saw it just out of the corner of my eye a shadow darting between the icy walls my heart jumped into my throat I spun around but there was nothing there just the endless maze stretching on in every Direction I told myself it was my imagination a trick of the light but the feeling of being watched wouldn't go away it clung to me growing heavier with every step I took the walls seemed closer now narrower the paths felt tighter more suffocating my footsteps echoed strangely the sound bouncing off the ice in

ways that made it hard to tell where it was coming from I tried to stay calm but the maze it felt alive like it was watching me waiting for me to make a mistake and then I heard it a faint scraping sound like nails dragging across the ice it was distant at first almost too quiet to notice but it grew louder closer my heart raced as I turned in circles trying to find the source the sound seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once hello I called out my voice shaky but as before

the sound was swallowed by the maze there was no reply only the scraping growing louder with each passing second I started walking faster then running my boots slipped on the icy ground but I didn't care I just needed to get away from that sound the walls seemed to pulse around me as if the maze itself was alive shifting and Brea breathing every turn I took led me deeper further away from where I wanted to go and then I saw it a figure standing just a few feet away barely visible in the dim light it was

tall its form blurred and shadowy like it was part of the maze itself I couldn't make out its face but I could feel its gaze cold and Hollow like it was looking straight through me my breath hot in my throat and I froze for a moment neither of us moved and then it took a step toward me I ran I didn't care where I was going I just needed to get away the sound of scraping followed me closer now almost right behind me the walls seemed to close in the paths growing narrower and more twisted

my legs burned my lungs achd but I didn't stop I couldn't finally I saw it a small opening in the ice the exit relief flooded through me as I sprinted toward it my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst but just as I reached the opening something cold wrapped around my ankle I screamed the sound tearing from my throat but it was swallowed by the silence I tried to pull away kicking and struggling but whatever had grabbed me was too strong I was dragged backward deeper into the maze the cold seeped into

me so intense it felt like it was freezing me from the inside out my vision blurred and the last thing I saw before everything went black was the figure standing at the edge of the path watching me its eyes weren't Hollow anymore they were filled with something dark something ancient when I woke up I was lying in the snow just outside the entrance to the maze my body achd my skin was covered in bruises and my clothes were damp from the cold but I was alive I stumbled to my feet my legs shaky and looked

back at the maze the walls stood tall and Silent as if nothing had happened but I knew better I turned to leave but as I did I felt it the same chill creeping up my spine the same weight pressing down on me the maze wasn't done with me it had let me go but it hadn't let me escape and deep down I knew it never would this story happened to me about 3 years ago when I used to work at a gas station close to where I lived the event creeped me out so badly that

I can still picture everything that happened that night I had gone in for my shift around 6:00 p.m. the gas station stayed open 24/7 so some nights I'd end up working until around 1:00 a.m. the first half of my shift was pretty normal nothing strange they had me on the floor shift instead of the kitchen so I spent most of my time cleaning the store and stocking items now and then we'd get a rush of customers and I'd handle the register but that was just part of the job by around 10 p.m. things were quieting

down I had restocked the cooler cleaned up the dishes and knocked out a few tasks it was an easy day nothing to complain about I remember I was cleaning up the kitchen when the weirdness began normally the kitchen closed at 10:30 every night but the person on shift before me had done a pretty bad job of cleaning so my manager sent me back there to finish up I didn't mind I had just finished cleaning the machines and was about to take off my gloves when I noticed an old woman entering the store now usually I

don't stop what I'm doing to look at customers who come in but something about her caught my eye she was limping awkwardly her Hood pulled up over her head even though it wasn't cold outside the most unsettling part though was that she didn't lift her head for the first few seconds she was in the store her face was pointed straight down almost as if she was avoiding being seen she wandered around a bit making a loop around the store and then slowly approached the counter she finally lifted her head and in a soft almost Whispering

voice she asked my manager can I use your telephone please at first I thought she might be homeless maybe trying to call someone for a ride it didn't seem too out of the ordinary so I Shrugged it off I made myself a quick flatbread sandwich since it was close to closing time for the kitchen and I figured I'd eat it behind the counter before getting back to work as I sat there eating I found myself glancing up at the old woman every now and then she was standing with her back to both me and my

manager speaking quietly into the phone that wasn't the weird part the weird part was how she kept looking back at me every few seconds she would stop talking turn her head quickly and stare at me for a few moments before going back to her conversation the first time it happened I felt a little uncomfortable but by the second and third time I was really on edge her gaze was intense like she was studying me she'd go back to talking on the phone then whip her head around again to look at me it was creepy when

she finally finished using the phone she didn't leave the store instead she walked around the counter and just sat down she didn't buy anything or say a word just sat there Hood still up staring at me I finished my sandwich trying to ignore her but I couldn't shake the feeling that her eyes were glued to me I decided to grab the floor scrubber and get to work cleaning the floors thinking it would distract me from the uneasy feeling in my my gut as I worked I could feel her watching me her eyes following me around

the store it got to the point where I couldn't take it anymore I stopped scrubbing and turned to stock some drinking cups since one of the slots was empty when I looked back she was still staring at me unmoving it was like time froze for a second then she stood up and walked back to the counter she asked my manager if she could use the phone again I could feel my heart rate picking up as she repeated the same Eerie Behavior talking on the phone then turning to look at me over and over she wasn't

just glancing though she was staring long and hard as if trying to figure something out about me she kept her hood on the entire time by now I was really starting to feel uncomfortable but there was nothing I could do I still had work to finish so I tried my best to stay focused after a while she went back to the corner of the store and sat down again Hood up staring straight at me I had to keep working so I moved the scrubber closer to where she was sitting as I approached I got a

better look at her face her eyes were huge much larger than normal and they were dark so dark they almost looked black she kept her Hood pulled low and her skin seemed pale under the dim stor lights her eyes locked onto mine and for a good 5 seconds she didn't blink or Look Away the way she stared at me gave me chills it was like she wasn't looking at me as as a person but as something else something to be studied or watched she reminded me of the old woman from the movie draged me to

hell it was like she had the same intense unsettling presence I quickly looked away and continued scrubbing trying to pretend like I wasn't bothered but inside I was freaking out finally after what felt like forever I finished cleaning that section of the floor and made my way to the back of the store I was halfway there when I heard a rustling sound I looked over and saw the woman had grabbed her book bag and was heading for the door she moved so quickly it startled me one second she was sitting there and the next she

was gone as she left the store I glanced out the window expecting to see a car waiting for her but there was no car no ride no one she just walked out disappearing down the dark Road all by herself whoever she had been talking to on the phone wasn't coming to pick her up she was walking alone Into the Night and something about that unsettled me more than anything else that happened that night it was about 8 years ago when I worked as a custodian at a hotel nothing too exciting but that night shift it's

still haunts me I haven't gone into a basement alone since unless it was absolutely necessary that night started like any other I replaced supplies and closets on each floor cleaned the lobby and helped out with laundry which I often often did the hotel's basement though always made me uneasy the entire Hotel was Modern and carpeted but the basement just cold hard concrete it echoed making even the smallest sounds loud especially footsteps that night I would learn that all too well I had volunteered to bring a dirty linen cart down to the washer room in the

basement as soon as I stepped into the elevator I felt a knot form in my stomach the doors slid shut and as the elevator began its descent I swear I heard a faint tapping noise coming from above me I glanced up at the ceiling confused but convinced myself it was just some loose panel or part of the old elevator Machinery rattling as it moved I Shrugged it off and figured I'd be in and out quickly what's the worst that could happen in a few minutes when the elevator doors opened to the basement a chill crept

up my spine the cold air down there always felt different like it was too still too quiet I pushed the linen cart out out onto the concrete and headed down the dim hallway as I rounded the first corner I froze there it was again that tapping sound but this time it was clearer like footsteps I turned expecting to see someone maybe a housekeeper who had come down to grab something but the hallway was completely empty my heart started beating a little faster but I told myself I was being ridiculous just nerves I thought I turned

back around and started pushing the cart again that's when I heard the sound again closer this time louder it wasn't just a random tap it was distinct deliberate footsteps following me I stopped dead in my tracks listening the footsteps stopped too slowly I turned around again nobody was there the cart wheels were quiet and I was sure it wasn't coming from the cart itself my breathing quickened something didn't feel right I grabbed my radio from the cart and called up to the front desk asking if anyone else was in the basement with me they checked

and confirmed nobody I was down there alone that wasn't comforting I continued pushing the cart moving a little quicker now wanting to get the job done and get out but as I made my way down the hall the footsteps started again this time they were right behind me my pulse raced as I stopped in my tracks too afraid to turn around the sound was so close it was like someone was just a step behind me but I couldn't see anyone no Shadow no figure nothing just that terrible Relentless sound of footsteps echoing off the concrete

walls I practically rushed the cart into the laundry room and parked it in the corner my hands were trembling as I let go of the handle all I wanted to do was get out of there as I started toward the door I heard it again those footsteps now coming toward the room my heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the open door waiting watching they got closer and closer like whoever or whatever it was was right outside the door and then silence the footsteps just stopped as if whatever was there was standing right

on the other side waiting my throat was dry as I called out hello but the only answer was the echo of my own voice bouncing off the walls I radioed again asking if anyone had come down to the basement again the answer was no I stood there Frozen staring at the doorway my mind racing every second felt like an eternity I could almost feel a presence on the other side but I couldn't see anything I don't know how long I stood there Paralyzed by fear but eventually I forced myself to move I crept toward the

door and cautiously peaked out fully expecting to see someone standing there there was no one that was it I bolted I ran down the hall as fast as I could the sound of my footsteps echoing loudly in the silence when I reached the elevator I punched the button repeatedly praying it would open fast enough the door slid open and I jumped inside slamming the button for the lobby as the doors began to close my heart nearly stopped I heard footsteps again running this time racing down the hall toward me I didn't dare look the do

shut just as the sound reached me and the elevator began its slow Ascent my hands were shaking my chest tight but as I got closer to the lobby I felt a wave of relief wash over me when the doors opened I all but sprinted out grateful to be back in the light in the warmth of the upper floors I never never told anyone about the footsteps that night I don't know if they would have believed me but I swore to myself then and there I would never go into that basement alone again and I haven't

hey everyone I'd love to know more about you all if you've been with me since day one drop a comment saying day one so I can thank you for the continued support and if you're new to the channel welcome let me know by commenting new here I'm so grateful for each of you and as always thank you for being part of the after Moon Horrors Community I used to work as a security guard at the mall in my city it was a good job mostly quiet and I like the overnight shifts the mall would be

empty except for a few of us on duty but there's one night I'll never forget and it changed the way I look at department stores forever it was a typical night I had just finished patrolling the parking lot after the last round of movies let out from the theater our job was to make sure all the customers and employees got to their cars safely then lock up the exits after that it was just us the security team patrolling the mall's empty Halls that night there were three of us working and I had been assigned to

patrol the western side of the mall this section included the target an arcade and a few smaller stores everything was quiet just the usual hum of the lights overhead and the distant Echoes of my footsteps as I walked past the large gated entrance of Target something made me stop I thought I heard a faint noise like something shifting inside the store I brushed it off at first figuring it could be something falling from a shelf but then I heard it again clearer this time it sounded like something or someone moving around I Shawn my flashlight

through the gate aiming it toward the checkout aisles all I could see were the rows of cash registers and shelves nothing seemed out of place but then a loud crash echoed from deep inside the store it was unmistakable something had definitely been knocked over my heart started racing a little I grabbed my radio and called it in to the other guards hey I think there's something in Target I'm going to check it out I said waiting for permission from my supervisor after a brief pause he came back giving me the go-ahead to investigate I fumbled

with my keys for a moment unlocking the gate to the store the sound of the gate rolling up seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet of the mall I stepped inside my flashlight cutting through the dim aisles as I slowly made my way toward the noise the store felt bigger than usual with rows of merchandise stretching out in front of me it was eerily quiet now save for the occasional hum from the ceiling lights I headed toward the men's clothing section which is where I thought the noise had come from as I rounded the corner my

flashlight caught something standing in the shadows my heart skipped a beat but when I stepped closer I realized it was just a a mannequin I let out a nervous laugh at myself it was just a mannequin nothing more still I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right I continued to sweep the store making my way through the electronic section checking each aisle carefully I was halfway across the store when I heard it again another loud crash this time from the clothing department my pulse quickened and I turned on my heel rushing back in that

direction as I hurried down the main eye something in my peripheral vision made me stop dead in my tracks out of the corner of my eye I saw someone standing in the middle of one of the aisles I turned expecting to see a person but there was no one there just two mannequins standing side by side positioned awkwardly in the middle of the walkway I could have sworn those weren't there before my gut told me something was off but I didn't have time to think about it because another noise came from the front of the

store it was louder this time more urgent I sprinted toward the entrance my flashlight bouncing off the shelves as I ran when I reached the front of the store I froze standing in front of the entrance were five mannequins arranged in a line blocking the way out they hadn't been there before I was sure of it I spun around my mind racing trying to figure out who was messing with me there had to be someone else in the store I called out but there was no response just silence Panic started to rise in my chest

I turned back toward the main aisle and that's when I saw them again the two mannequins I had seen earlier the ones in the middle of the aisle were now standing right in the center of the main walkway I hadn't heard anyone move them there was no way someone could have done it that fast without me seeing I grabbed my radio again my hands trembling there's something wrong in here I need back up now a few minutes later my co-workers arrived we searched the entire store together checking every corner every aisle but we didn't find

anyone there was no sign of an intruder it didn't make sense we even checked the cameras but when we looked at the footage we discovered the cameras hadn't been recording all day there was no footage no explanation for what I had seen we reported it to the store manager and even got corporate involved they thought it might have been a prank some kids hiding out in the store after hours but that didn't explain the cameras or how quickly the mannequins had been moved around to this day I don't know what happened that night maybe it

was a prank or maybe it was something else something I don't want to think about but one thing's for sure I'll never look at manakins the same way again every time I pass one in a store I can't help but wonder if it'll be standing somewhere else the next time I look which story settings scared you the most let me know in the comments I'm a 24-year-old female working overnight shifts as a stalker at a local store when I first started it was uneventful for the most part long hours quiet nights a couple of months

after I was hired a guy about my age joined the team he seemed friendly enough quickly fitting in with our group on our breaks he would join me and the others and we eventually became friends sometimes we'd even hang out alone on break and he seemed like a good person to talk to at first he was agreeable always quick to make conversation and he told me early on that he was autistic I think that information made me more understanding of him I was in a tough spot mentally during that time so having someone who validated

me felt nice but it wasn't long before his behavior started to change it started off small we'd talk and then he'd casually rub my back it made me uncomfortable but I didn't want to come off as rude or confrontational so I didn't say anything the first few times but then it became more frequent I finally told him to stop and while he apologized he still did it again each time it felt more invasive more deliberate he didn't seem like the same friendly cooworker I had gotten to know it felt like something shifted in the way

he looked at me around the same time he confided something disturbing he told me about a past incident with a friend that had crossed serious boundaries something you'd never want to hear from someone you're supposed to trust he said he regretted it that he and his friend had moved past it and he even cried a little I'm a compassionate person and I believe in second chances so despite the red flags I continued to hang out with him though I kept more distance his behavior continued to spiral he would hang out with me and my boyfriend

occasionally since he lived nearby but it became clear that something was off he acted strange whenever we spent SP time together he tried to one up my boyfriend in weird sarcastic ways and his sense of humor grew darker and more unsettling one time while driving he burst into a deep almost maniacal laugh at an explicit song on the radio leaving both my boyfriend and me feeling uncomfortable what Disturbed me more was that whenever my boyfriend left the room he'd take the opportunity to be flirtatious or touchy again one night I had a bit too much

to drink and while my boyfriend stepped away he rubbed my back again claiming it was to comfort me but there was nothing comforting about it I was done that was the last straw for me I cut him off completely I told him we couldn't be friends anymore but the problem was I still had to work with him this happened last summer and while we weren't friends for long the effects of our short friendship have lingered far longer than I ever expected after I ended the Friendship his behavior turned obsessive he started started arriving early every

night to set out my work supplies for me at first I thought it was just a weird attempt to be helpful but then he began leaving small things for me like food and water stuff I had casually mentioned in conversations I would park in the lot and he'd wait for me to finish my shift so we could drive out together he'd sit in his car watching me one time he waited half an hour while I was chatting with another coworker just so we could leave at the same time it didn't stop there he lived nearby

and I had to pass his house to get to mine every night he'd be standing outside waiting for my car to pass it wasn't a coincidence I tried to ignore it but it became harder and harder to brush off he texted me constantly despite the fact that I never responded he started using phrases my boyfriend and I would use as if trying to worm his way back into my life through familiarity then came the notes at work he began writing my initials on the work cart I used every night I erased them but he'd write

them again I even wrote stop on the cart hoping he'd get the message but the next day my initials were there again alongside a smiley face I tried going to management and they talked to him it worked for a while he stopped waiting for me in the parking lot but the notes and initials never stopped one night I left my car doors unlocked and when I came out after my shift I saw smiley faces drawn on every window of my car I knew it was him one was even drawn from the inside I felt trapped

knowing I still had to work with him and that HR was moving painfully slow he wasn't overtly violent but his obsession was suffocating every time I saw him he looked either sad or angry walking past me with a dark Moody expression it's been months of this now and while it hasn't escalated further the constant feeling of being watched of having him worm his way into my daily routine has left me on edge the last straw came when he left yet another note but this time it wasn't just initials it was a small slip of paper

with a message that made my skin crawl you really do hate me don't you written in his sloppy handwriting left on my work cart when I wasn't looking the persistence the invasiveness and the sense that he was always watching were getting to me as I write this nothing much has changed HR hasn't taken any real action and I'm still working the same shifts but now I lock my car doors every night and I've taken to parking in different spots hoping he won't find me each day I wonder if his obsession will cross a line I

don't know what's next but I just hope that this doesn't escalate any further for now I'm just trying to get through each shift hoping that one day he'll finally stop it was Midsummer and I was strapped for cash so when a a cooworker asked if I could cover their overnight shift at the gas station I figured why not I wasn't a fan of overnight shifts my co-workers had filled my head with enough stories about the strange people that came in during the late hours to make me nervous but I figured it was one night I

could handle it little did I know it wouldn't be any of the customers that night giving me trouble instead it was what I saw across the street that haunted me the gas station an old inoko SAT directly across from the backside of Our Town Cemetery I wasn't really one for superstitions but there was something unsettling about that Cemetery at night I couldn't shake it even before the strange events of that night when I clocked in I took my spot at the register my plan was simple take my head down put an earbud in one ear

and get through the shift as smoothly as possible things started off slow by midnight there were barely any customers the only sound was the quiet hum of the cool behind me that's when I first noticed something strange through the gas station's large windows I had a decent view of the cemetery across the street it was up on a small hill and there was a low fence separating it from the road out of the corner of my eye I noticed movement I glanced up from my phone and squinted there between the headstones was something or someone

walking around I felt my Palms start to sweat a cold nervousness creeping up my spine I stood up from my stool behind the counter and took a few slow steps toward the window I leaned forward trying to get a better look but whatever it was seemed to vanish between the graves my heart was racing now but I tried to tell myself it was nothing probably just some late night visitor or maybe a groundkeeper checking something still I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something was off I sat back down forcing myself to focus on my

phone again but every few minutes minutes I found myself glancing back up at the cemetery half expecting to see that figure wandering between the graves again for a while nothing happened and I started to relax a little maybe I had imagined it but just when I thought the night was going to be uneventful something worse happened I was restocking the drinks in the cooler section when the entire gas station plunged Into Darkness the sudden loss of power sent a jolt of fear through me the hum of the coolers the lights everything it was gone the

store was Pitch Black I fumbled for my phone using its screen to navigate my way back to the counter but before I could make it something in the darkness caught my attention through the front windows the cemetery was now eerily visible under the faint light of the Moon and there standing right at the fence line was the figure I'd seen earlier it was clearer now but I still couldn't make out any details it was just a person-shaped shadow standing perfectly still staring straight at the gas station my breath caught in my throat I couldn't move

it felt like they were staring directly at me through the glass through the dark I snapped out of it running to the door and locking it as fast as I could my hands were shaking as I backed up toward the counter I didn't take my eyes off the figure standing in the cemetery grabbing my phone I dialed my boss as it rang I glanced back toward the cemetery and the figure was gone I gasped my heart pounding in my chest when my boss finally answered I hurriedly explained that the power had gone out he sounded

groggy and annoyed apologizing that he had probably forgotten to pay the bill he told me to just lock up and go home for the night assuring me the power would be back on by morning I wasn't so sure about that but I wasn't going to argue the store was already locked up but the idea of walking out into the parking lot alone with what whatever that thing was still out there terrified me for a long minute I just stood by the counter staring out into the dark street trying to psych myself up to leave eventually

I couldn't stand it anymore I grabbed my things and made a dash for the door as soon as I stepped outside I locked it behind me and sprinted to my car my hands were trembling as I fumbled to unlock it and get inside I slammed the door shut started the engine and sped out of the lot as I drove away I couldn't help but glance in the rearview mirror that's when I saw it the figure standing in the middle of the road behind me it was just standing there watching me leave I didn't stop I

didn't even slow down I drove home not daring to look back again when I told my co-workers about it the next day they just laughed saying I probably imagined it or that it was some drunk wandering around the cemetery but I know what I saw and to this day I refus to work the overnight shift again and I'll never drive past that gas station without remembering the figure standing in the dark watching me as I sped away it happened just a year ago I was 19 working the night shift at a gas station as a

maintenance worker my shift ran from 10: p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and part of my job was to empty the trash cans outside usually I took care of it earlier in the night when there was still some traffic customers coming and going the day crew heading home but that night things were different I didn't get to the trash until about 12:30 a.m. by then the lot was completely empty not a single car in sight the gas station was one of those places off the highway the kind you stop at during long drives to refuel and maybe

grab some snacks but now it was just me a few dimly lit pumps and the quiet night I grabbed the trash cart and started my rounds the furthest trash can was about 50 ft away from the main building near the edge of the lot as I was nearing that last can I suddenly noticed headlights turn on bright and blinding right in my direction my heart skipped a beat I hadn't seen the vehicle pull up before it was a white van parked just beyond the edge of the lot where the light from the gas station didn't

reach I squinted trying to make out anything through the high beams but I couldn't see a thing I told myself not to overthink it it wasn't the first time someone had parked nearby in the middle of the night maybe they were just resting taking a break from driving I kept working throwing trash into the cart and trying not to let the van bother me but then I heard it a door opening I glanced up my heart rate quickening someone had gotten out of the passenger side and was walking around to the back of the van

right by the sliding door that's when I started to feel uneasy the van's hazard light started blinking flashing in red in the darkness the person was just standing there by the door and the driver hadn't moved at all my gut told me something was wrong I froze staring at the van waiting for something to happen but nothing did the hazards flashed on and off over and over again lighting up the lot in an eerie strobe likee Rhythm and then as suddenly as they had started the hazards turned off for a moment I stood there in

silence trying to steady my breathing but before I could think think of what to do the driver flashed a beam of light straight at me it was a flashlight bright and deliberate like they were trying to my attention my mind was racing what did they want I was already staring directly at them but the beam kept flicking on and off like they were signaling me to come closer I felt my stomach twist I didn't know what to do my feet felt rooted to the ground like I couldn't move the flashlight stopped after a few moments

and I stood there clutching the handle of the trash cart feeling the sweat on my Palms my instincts were screaming at me to get out of there but I didn't want to run and make it obvious that I was scared so I forced myself to continue quickly Gathering the last of the trash trying not to look at the van though I could feel its presence looming just out of sight as soon as I finished I shoved the cart back toward the gas station moving faster than I probably should have my hands were shaking as I

pushed the cart through the glass doors and back into the brightly lit convenience store I glanced over my shoulder once before the doors closed behind me and I saw the van still there parked watching I rushed to my manager who was sitting behind the counter there's something weird going on outside I told him trying to keep my voice calm a white van it's been flashing its lights at me he gave me a tired look and stood up walking over to the window to take a look well they're not in our Park working lot he said

as if that made it any better there's nothing we can do unless they're causing trouble on the property I didn't like his answer I didn't like any of it but I didn't argue I just nodded and told him that I'd keep an eye on it deep down though I knew I wouldn't be going back outside again that night the rest of the shift was quiet but I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched every time I glanced toward the doors I expected to see the van creeping closer but by the time my shift ended and

the early morning light started creeping Over the Horizon the van was gone leaving nothing behind but a lingering sense of unease I told myself I'd call the cops if it happened again there was no way I was going to take any chances if those people came back whatever they were up to it wasn't good and I wasn't about to find out what they wanted with me I still work the night shift but now every time I step outside I can't help but scan the lot for that man half expecting to see those high beams turn

on again staring straight at me hey everyone thanks for listening if you stuck around until the end don't forget to hit that like button subscribe and click the notification Bell so you never miss a new episode as always I'm looking for more story ideas so drop a comment below with any themes or experiences you'd like to hear next stay safe out there and until next time keep your eyes open