18 True Unsettling Horror Stories Animated

the day I found that old smartphone tucked in the crevice of a bench in the park marked the beginning of a nightmare I never anticipated it was an older model but in surprisingly good condition I figured it had been lost or misplaced no one was around to claim it so I took it home thinking I'd done a Good Deed by rescuing it from potential damage The Lies We Tell ourselves to be honest that night after charging the device curiosity got the better of me I powered it on intending to find a contact or a clue

to its owner instead I found it factory reset clean of any personal data odd but not alarming it was the Snapchat app that caught my attention the app was there among the standard set of utilities almost beckoning I created a throwaway account aimlessly scrolling through filters and lenses until one particular filter stopped me dead in my tracks it didn't add funny ears or distort my face comically instead it revealed a figure standing behind me transparent but undeniably human-shaped I whipped around heart racing but found nothing I laughed it off convincing myself it was a trick

of the light or a clever prank embedded in the app the laughter died in my throat when the figure appeared again the next day closer this time time its features more defined an expression of Sorrow etched into the face that hovered over my shoulder no matter where I went turning in circles it remained always just behind me visible only through the phone's camera I got to stop smoking so much weed I muttered to myself but the seed of fear had already been planted I tried to delete the app but it wouldn't budge each attempt was

met with an error the digital equivalent of a stubborn refusal that night the whisper started faint at first like a radio tuned to a station of static and murmurs I couldn't make out the words but their presence was enough to keep me awake staring at the ceiling jumping at Shadows by the third day the phenomena escalated the figure began to appear outside the confines of the Snapchat filter glimpsed in the reflection of Windows and mirror always a blur of motion in the corner of my eye I heard my name whispered with a sigh The Voice

feminine and filled with an ache that resonated in my bones you can't be real I said aloud desperation coloring my tone the response was a cool breeze swirling around me in a room with closed windows the breaking point came when messages began to appear on the phone not through any app but directly on the screen GRE help me the first one red simple and chilling then he's coming for you too I sought out help showing the phone and its unexplained phenomena to a friend Alex who specialized in Tech savior this doesn't make sense Alex said

scrolling through the device with a frown there's nothing here just the standard OS and apps this SnapChat thing it's just an app it can't do what you're saying but I saw it Alex it's happening I insisted frustration mounting as the figure appeared once again on the screen its sorrowful eyes locking with mine Alex looked at me concern etched in his features okay let's assume for a second this is real what do you want to do about it I didn't have an answer all I knew was that I was caught in a web of digital and

spectral horror the origins of which were as mysterious as the phone itself little did I know the worst was yet to come the following days blurred into a Relentless stream of Terror The Apparition now a constant presence in my life began to manifest with increasing aggression objects around my house moved on their own books tumbling from shelves doors slamming shut lights flickering on and off in Morse code of Madness the phone my conduit to this nightmare became my Jailer it screen flashing with messages at all hours each more desperate than the last at night just

as I started descending into sleep I started feeling like someone was holding on to my legs yet when I would wake up with a jolt there would be nothing one evening as I tried to capture evidence of this haunting on video the air turned icy breath visible in the warmth of my living room the figure Mater materialized in the camera closer than ever before its face Twisted in a Silent Scream then without warning the phone flew from my hands smashing against the wall with force that seemed Beyond human capability I stood Frozen watching his crack

spidered across the screen yet it remained lit the figure's eyes boring into mine leave me alone I shouted into The Emptiness my voice a mix of anger and fear no response came only the sound of my own ragged breathing sleep became an elusive dream each night to battle against Shadows I confided in Alex again his skepticism waning in the face of my deteriorating State okay let's tackle this head on Alex said determination replacing doubt we document everything if it's a ghost there has to be a reason it's attached to that phone and to you armed

with cameras and a myriad of electronic devices Alex set up a makeshift Command Center in my home we waited the atmosphere charged with anticipation and dread the night grew deep and just when I thought the entity might withhold its torment the temperature plummeted the cameras captured orbs of light darting across the room and the phone despite it shattered screen lit up with a new message behind you we turned slowly to face the empty space behind us only to watch in horror as a dark figure materialized its details clearer now in the dim light a woman

her expression won of profound sorrow and fear her mouth moving in silent pleas I didn't believe Alex whispered his voice tinged with awe and Terror the figure pointed to the phone then to the door a clear message she wanted us to follow we did driven by a mix of fear and an overwhelming need to understand the path led us through the park and off Labyrinthian streets to an old decrepit building its history etched into the crumbling facade inside the air was thick with the weight of Untold Stories the figure LED us to a hidden room

its walls covered in old newspaper clippings about a woman who vanished Without a Trace years ago a news article mentioned that her friend had received snaps from her moments before she lost contact and in the clip was her smartphone its model matching the one I'd found only broken like it had been in a terrible accident the realization hit me like a physical blow the phone was hers Snapchat was probably the last thing she was using and somehow her spirit was still stuck with that someone must have used the phone and when they realized that it

was haunted they probably left it in the park as Dawn broke The Apparition faded her message delivered but the haunting didn't end with her departure the phone now a relic of a tragic tale continued to flicker with life a reminder of the thin veil between our world and the next in the end Alex and I were left with more questions than answers what happened to her could we ever find the truth the digital haunting ceased but the Shadows remained a chilling Testament to the mystery that had briefly entwined our lives with the spectral who was

collecting all that info on her and would we ever see her again a week later I dropped off the phone at the site only to find her same friend there who was still on a quest to find her and collecting all information I left the phone with her our honeymoon in Vegas was supposed to be a celebration of our quirks a toast to our mutual love for the maob and Gothic when we found a horror themed Suite in an offbeat Vegas hotel it seemed like Destiny the room was draped in velvet walls lined with vintage

horror movie posters and ear lifelike statues that could make you jump if caught by the corner of your eye Mark and I both art and horror enthusiasts from Boston were thrilled it's like stepping into another world I told him the first sign that something was off came when we met the hotel clerk during check-in he was a gaunt figure his skin salow and eyes a bit too bright enjoy your stay and remember not everything is As It Seems he said with a cryptic smile that didn't quite reach his eyes we laughed it off attributing it

to the hotel's Ambiance that night as we settled in the suite's charm morphed subtly into something more Sinister it started with the lights they flickered erratically casting Shadows that seemed to risee along the walls probably just bad wiring Mark said but his voice held an edge of uncertainty around midnight the real ter began the sound system which we hadn't touched blared to life filling the room with the haunting sounds of a vintage horror film score Mark went to turn it off but the system was unresponsive then the figures around the room seemed to shift slightly

as if coming to life we chuckled nervously trying to shake off the unease but then we heard the first real scare a loud deliberate bang on the door Mark cautiously approached and opened it only to find no one there as he turned back the air filled with a Sinister guttural laugh from the sound system sending chills down my spine we should have stayed at a normal Hotel I half joked trying to lighten the mood but Mark didn't respond he was staring at something behind us I turned to see one of the statues its head now

uning they turned towards us eyes that seemed too lifelike that wasn't like that before was it I whispered my heart starting to race we decided to call the front desk but the phone line crackled and died the moment I picked up the receiver that's when Panic truly set in the room grew colder and the statues seemed to inch closer every time we looked away we huddled together on the bed watching as the door handle began to turn slowly Mark grabbed the nearest thing a heavy lamp ready to swing the door creaked open revealing the silhouette

of a man the same hotel clerk from earlier but now his eyes were wild his mouth Twisted in a horrifying grin Welcome to the Real Horror Show hope you have a good ride he hissed stepping into the room with an unsettling calmness his hands were empty but his presence was threatening enough he began muttering to himself about needing to purge the impurities and how we were the perfect tribute Mark lunged at him with the lamp catching him off guard and knocking him back the clerk scrambled up his face contorted in Rage and hurled himself at

Mark they crashed into one of the statues sending it toppling over with a crash that echoed through the room I screamed trying to pull the madman off Mark but he was surprisingly strong his fingers digging into Mark's arm drawing blood he then licked his bloody hands salty I better blood tastes better he shrieked spit flying from his mouth the fight was brutal and desperate the hotel clerk with his deranged strength seemed nearly impossible to subdue Mark grappled with him trying to use his own weight to pin the man down but the clerk's Madness lent him

a terrifying frenzy admidst the chaos I spotted A Shard from the broken statue with no time to hesitate I grabbed it my hands trembling get off him I yelled my voice horse with fear the sharp edge of The Shard glinted in the flickering light as I swung it managing to catch the clerk on his forearm he howled in pain the sound so animalistic it froze my blood the distraction was enough Mark shoved him off and we scrambled away positioning ourselves between the door and the madman blood both both marks and the clerk stain in the

ornate carpet adding a grim reality to the horror themed Decor the clerk clutching his bleeding arm glared at us with unhinged eyes it's just a show fellas it's so unusual to have such gorgeous couples like yourself Grace this little Abode which I built and owed to the maab how do you like this sweet oh wait you haven't seen my collection yet finger nails when you die your skin shrinks so your hair and nails keep growing love I have collected some brilliant fingernails dark muddied blooded come on love come with me let me show you my

precious collection walk with me he screamed his voice echoing unnervingly around the room his demeanor shifted then as if he were listening to some unseen advisor is next words were chillingly calm oh babe don't worry you'll become a part of the collection too we're leaving and we're calling the police I declared my voice steadier than I felt I had to Bluff as our phones were dead and the room seemed designed to be a trap Mark nodded moving slowly to the door never taking his eyes off the clerk come near us again and I swear I'll

finish this he growled the threat clear in his tone the clerk seemed to consider this then with a disturbing smile he backed away disappearing into the Shadows of the hallway as if he could melt into the darkness itself we didn't wait to see if he would return grabbing our Essentials we bolted from the room not stopping to look back until we reached the lobby breathless and disheveled we burst into the brightly lit front desk area startling the night manager our story tumbled out incoherently but the sight of our injuries and our genuine Terror convinced him

to call the police immediately officers arrived within minutes their presence a stark relief against the knight's Horrors they listened intently their expressions growing Graver by the minute upon searching the hotel they found the clerk in a hidden room behind the reception area surrounded by monitors displaying various rooms not just ours it turned out he had been watching and recording guests for months his psyche deteriorating into madness fueled by an obsession with horror and surveillance the resolution came swiftly after that the clerk was arrested his room of horror sealed off as evidence we were treated for

our injuries and given a new room in a different Hotel this time a brightly lit cheerful place that couldn't be further from our original nightmist choice in the aftermath Mark and I clung to each other our honeymoon forever marked by the ordeal yet through that Terror our bond had only strengthened a stark contrast to the darkness we had endured we had survived the sweet's horror but more importantly we had survived it together as we finally settled into sleep the first calm night since our arrival I realized the true depth of our vows in sickness and

in health in horror and in peace we were United and nothing no psycho no horror themed nightmare could ever change that the evening air was brisk carrying the sound of laughter in music from our sorority house it was supposed to be a night of freedom of Celebration but as the events unfolded it morphed into a saga of Terror that would forever haunt my memories it started with a joke a cruel thoughtless prank we played on the pizza delivery guy we'd seen him before his awkward shuffles and the way he struggled to meet anyone's gaze his

name was Eric a fact we knew because someone had dared to ask once hoping to co a smile from him that night under the influence of a few Jagger bombs some bong hits and the heady thrill of our Sisterhood we decided to take it further I being the newest member of our sorority was pushed into pretending to flirt with him luring him into believing there was a party invitation with his name on it while we secretly ran and in a live for the followers of our sorority page hey there I spoke seductively we've been waiting

for you the party doesn't start until you walk in um here here's your pizzas he managed to speak as I leaned closer to his face like I was about to kiss him and held on while my sisters laughed their hearts out that'll be $30 if I make out with you could you do it for free uh it's not it's I'll make out for one minute if you make this free the flush of embarrassment on his face was visible even under the dim porch light but it was the flicker in his eyes a spark of something

dark and unrecognizable that should have warned us how about something a little bit more and you get free pizzas for the next three parties I was shook a bit as his shy nerdy demeanor suddenly gave way to a confident creepy one my friend leaned into my ear to tell me that over 3,000 people had joined our live we had to push it further what do you mean by a little bit more well we are all adults here you know H free pizzas for three parties yes how about five three make it five and I'll go

further three make it five and my gorgeous friend will join three make it five an stop he yelled before taking his free hand and choking me while staring into my eyes with his red mad ones you don't talk to me like that it was at this point that my sisters intervened and threatened him with the Instagram live surprisingly he didn't just run away but retreated while laughing like a maniac still looking at us all with vengeance in his eyes we weren't prepared for what was to transpire next Eric returned some time later later under the

guise of night we were all sosed at this point when the light suddenly went off it wasn't long before we noticed that a lot of girls couldn't find their phones Panic set in but it was the silence that followed a quiet so profound it screamed that truly unsettled us and then came the knocking systematic deliberate I encountered him in the living room where the Moonlight cast his shadow across the floor along elongating it into something monstrous his voice when he spoke was eerily calm a stark contrast to the chaos he had Unleashed you made me

the center of your game he said tilting his head studying me as if I was an interesting specimen now you're the center of mine suddenly there was a loud scream from the basement I looked for just a second but in that time Eric was gone my bestie Jennifer who was laughing aloud during our prank was found in the basement her lips cut from ear to ear her eyes gouged out and replaced by the pepperoni toppings from a pizza before we could even process what had transpired we heard screams from the bathroom on the second floor

Lisa and Marissa twin sisters were lying with wet clothes in the bathtub squeezed together drowning in their own pool of blood which dripped from their slashed necks and one slice of pizza stuck between their dead mouths Eric's presence became more Brazen his encounters with us more frequent he delighted in our fear drawing it out with the Precision of a maestro his anger was a tangible thing flaring at the slightest provocation his mood swings erratic and dangerous we started running but the doors were locked our phones were missing and the drinks had rendered most of us

incapacitated you think you can outsmart me he challenged cornering me in the kitchen his breath was hot against my face his eyes wild I'll take care of your friends first let the terror marinate slowly and just when you will beg me to kill you fast I will suffocate you slowly I realized then his need for control for acknowledgement was his weakness it was a dangerous game engaging with a psychopath but I had no choice I needed to keep him talking keep him focused on me somehow Eric you've already won we're scared aren't we isn't that

what you wanted oh it's only just begun his threat hung between us a promise of Horrors Yet to Come Eric's game was one of psychological warfare each move destined to break us further to tear us from any semblance of Hope as the night wore on the rules of his Twisted game became clear he wanted us isolated a afraid and utterly at his Mercy he would appear sometimes as a whisper of movement in the darkness other times as a full terrifying presence His Manic laughter was a chilling reminder of the power he held over us the

climax of the night came with a chilling Clarity we had found six dead bodies in a span of a few minutes and were scarred for life but Eric had grown overconfident his interactions with me longer more taunting it was during one such encounter that I saw my chance he had backed me into a corner of the living room the bloody knife in his hand catching the Moonlight and a Sinister glint you see Carly what happens when you mess with the wrong guy I'll just put three more of your friends to sleep and then come for

you unless you want to give up right now his attention was so focused on Me on the fear he expected to see that he didn't notice the heavy book end I had silently grasped from the shelter behind me with the surge of adrenaline I swung it with all my might connecting with the side of his head the impacts sent him staggering the knife clattering to the ground it was the opening I needed I lunged for the knife my fingers wrapping around the handle just as he recovered his balance but I didn't hesitate didn't give him

a chance to regain control with a cry that was part Fear Part rage I swung the knife catching him off guard the blade made contact acted and he fell a look of shock etched into his features the remaining girls drawn by the noise found me standing over Eric the knife in my hand and determination in my heart together we bound his hands and feet a grim solidarity in our actions we pulled out his own phone and called the police while kicking his unconscious bleeding body when the authorities arrived they found us huddled together Eric was

taken away the aftermath was a whirlwind of questions and flash bulbs our sorority house a scene of interest and horror but amid the chaos there was a sense of closure we had survived not just that night but the darkness that had threatened to consume us it was supposed to be just another sleepover at our friend Liam's house we were around 13 at the time and really into video games Liam was the only one who had a PlayStation among our group so we would often go to a house this one day though his parents were away

for a wedding and were going to return quite late into the night and that for us was the perfect moment to try the Doritos horror game so this new online horror game by the brand Doritos was launched in the late 2000s as a marketing ploy to promote their old flavors which they were bringing back it was barely there for a few months before being pulled off a few kids in our school have tried the game and suddenly it became a buzz because it was genuinely scary well as scary as it could be for a bunch

of 13-year-olds I remember the excitement that buzzed through us as we gathered in Liam's dimly lit living room eager to dive into the Dorito's horror game there were seven of us sprawled across couches and pillows the glow of the PC casting Eerie Shadows on the walls Liam had always been a bit intense but that night he seemed even more more on edge his eyes darting around as if expecting something to LEAP from the corners as the game loaded I caught Liam whispering to himself a habit he'd had since he was young but this time it

sent a chill down my spine it's just a came he muttered more to himself than to any of us we Shrugged it off diving into the digital horror unfolding before us the game was terrifying more than any of us had anticipated it played tricks on the Mind blurring the lines between the game's world and our reality there was a level which featured a wailing ghost of a lady which I believe was the final trigger Liam suddenly paused the game his hands trembling did you guys see that the Shadows they're watching us he whispered his voice

horse we laughed it off assuming it was just Liam being weird we didn't know then that he had a condition as the game progressed and we got genuinely scared Liam's Behavior grew more erratic he started flinching at every sound his eyes wide and unblinking as he stared at the screen they're here he hissed suddenly making us all jump they're here for us chill out Liam it's just a game I tried to calm him but my own voice faltered infected by the tension gripping the room no Adrien you don't understand Liam's voice broke into a scream

they're not just in the game they're in this room they want to drag us into their world we tried to laugh it off but the laughter died in our throats as Liam scrambled to his feet his movement jerky and uncoordinated he dashed to the kitchen and we heard drawers fly open objects clattering to the floor what's he doing whispered Rachel her face pale in the flickering light of the TV probably just trying to scare us Mark replied though his voice lacked conviction the second stretched into eternity before Liam reappeared at the doorway a kitchen knife

clutched in each hand his eyes were wild red un recognizable he pointed a knife at us his hand shaking violently they told me what I have to do he rasped I have to kill you all to save myself Panic erupted chairs over burned someone screamed a high Keening sound that was abruptly cut off as Liam lunged the game forgotten continued to flicker on the screen its Eerie soundtrack playing to an empty room as we scattered trying desperately to escape our friend who had turned into a stranger chaos rained as we all scrambled for safety Liam

wasn't mentally there he no longer recognized any of us his friends as anything more than threats his screams filled the house a mix of rage and Terror as he chased after us with knives gleaming in the dim light only when he got to Mark did we realize this was too real Mark brought his left hand up to defend himself but Liam sliced at it like cutting through butter Mark's thick blood sprayed on the floor as everyone started screaming I hid behind the sofa my heart pounding so badly I was sure it would give me away

through the small gap between the couch in the floor I watched Liam's feet move frantically around the room his voice was relentless You Can't Hide I have to do this it's the only way to end the game kill them all kill them all kill them his words were punctuated by the sounds of objects being thrown and Furniture being overturned Rachel braver than the rest tried to reason with him Liam please man put the knives down we're your friends but is plea fell on deaf ears Liam rounded on her slashing wildly a scream escaped her lips

as he fell backward clutching her face I looked up in horror to see a clean cut running down from her left eye all the way till her neck the situation was spiraling out of control every shout and cry felt like it was from a horror movie not a reality I knew I had to do something mustering all my courage I crept from my hiding spot and made a dash for the kitchen my plan was to find something to defend myself with or better yet something to subdue Liam in the kitchen I grabbed a frying pan

my hands slick with sweat I turned just in time to see Liam enter his eyes scanning wildly Adrien his voice cracked a mixture of Fury and confusion why are you doing this why are you all turning against me you were all always in the devil's team weren't you it's not us Liam it's the game it's messing with your head I shouted hoping to break through his delusion he paused confusion Crossing his features for a split second before it was replaced with renewed conviction he lunged at me knives slashing I swung the frying pan with all

my might hitting him on the side of the head Liam's staggered back stunned I grabbed whatever my hands could get threw at him bananas milk cartons glass bowls he just kept swinging the knife that's when a milk carton got punctured and his knife got stuck as the milk dripped I ran out to save my life Liam tried to give a Chase but slipped on the milk and hit his head against the kitchen counter Breathing heavily I dropped the pan which was still in my hand my entire body shaking the silence that followed was deafening broken

only by the sound of siren in the distance someone had called the police my friends had opened the door and ran out to the neighbors police barged in just in time as Liam came out again and two officers pinned him down when Liam's parents arrived the scene they encountered was one of horror Furniture overturned blood stains on the carpet and walls and their son now handcuffed and being led Away by the police recovery was slow physically the wounds healed but the psychological scars remained we visited Liam in the hospital where he was under psychiatric care

he didn't remember that night the look of horror and disbelief on his face when we told him what happened was heartbreaking we lost a part of our friend that day it was supposed to be a drive to reconnect a chance for Mark and me to find some common ground after months of bickering and silence the Rolling Hills and the quiet of the countryside seemed perfect but that night as the sun dipped below the Horizon and painted the sky in bruises of purple and orange Our Hope of reconciliation turned into a nightmare we were on an

Old Country Road far from the city's chaos when we saw him a lone figure limping across the shoulder of the road his coat tattered and face shadowed by the dimming light Mark ever the Good Samaritan and pulled over before I could protest hey man you need a lift the man paused looking up with an unsettling smile under his old eyes would you I'm just trying to get to the next town over his voice was horse like gravel being crushed underfoot I felt a shiver crawl up my spine but Mark was already unlocking the doors are

you sure about this babe it's just a ride Sarah what could happen What indeed as The Hitchhiker climbed into the back seat a cold gust of wind swept through the car carrying with it the faint stench of Decay I turned to give him a tight smile catching his eyes in the rearview mirror piercing calculating he strapped himself in his gaze never leaving mine thanks for this you saved me a long cold walk as we drove he asked innocuous questions at first about the weather our car where we were from then his inquiries turned personal intrusive

so how long you two been together you seem tense Mark laughed it off chalking it up to a long day but I could feel The Hitchhiker's eyes boring into the back of my head reading things I wish remained unsaid the night grew darker and a thick fog began to settle over the road that's when he changed the air shifted thick with his unsaid thoughts and then he leaned forward his breath Cold against my ear take me to the old farmhouse off Ridge Road you know the place it's not far there was a command in his

tone that froze my blood Mark glanced at me through the rearview mirror a silent question in his eyes that's a bit off our path buddy uh maybe we can drop you at no you'll take me there now his out burst was sharp a knife slicing through the tense air Mark's grip on the steering wheel tightened and without another word he turned off the main road the tires crunching on gravel as we headed towards a destination that promised nothing good The Farmhouse loomed out of the fog like a spectre from the past its Windows dark its

siding peeling like old scars The Hitchhiker's breathing grew heavy they excited stop here let's go inside I have something to show you we're not going anywhere we're leaving but before Mark could throw the car into reverse The Hitchhiker produced a gun the metal glinting ominously in the dim light out of the car both of you don't make this harder than it has to be fear raw and sharp Twisted in my gut as we complied stepping out into the night's cold embrace the door slam shut behind us the sound echoing like a gunshot in the quiet

night there surrounded by the oppressive Silence of the fog and the decrepit Aura of the old farmhouse our true ordeal began the ground crunched underf fooot as we were ushered towards the decrepit Farmhouse by the barrel of The Hitchhiker's gun the air was thick with the musty smell of Decay and every Shadows seemed to whisper threats Mark's hand found mine squeezing it tightly a small comfort in the face of impending doom inside the house was even worse than its exterior promise dust lay thick upon everything and the air was stale heavy with the weight of

long abandoned memories The Hitchhiker directed us to the center of the dimly lit living room where an old chandelier dangled precariously from the ceiling its crystals long gone sit he commanded pointing to the dusty floor we obeyed the floorboards cold and hard beneath us he paced before us the gun always aimed in our Direction his eyes wild with a feverish gleam you see this house it holds memories memories of pain a betrayal and tonight you will help me write the wrongs his words slurred into madness revealing a mind unhinged by past traumas now projected onto

US he began to rant about his childhood about the parents who abandoned him the cruelty he endured we were his chosen audience a captive pair to Bear witness to his unraveling we have nothing to do with your past let us go uh we won't tell anyone we were here he shot a bullet in the air tearing me up quiet you're a part of this now you must pay the price of listening of understanding he began setting up with looked like a bizarre ritual placing old faded photographs in a circle around us each photo seemed to

depict moments of a troubled Family Life a child's birthday with no guests a Christmas morning with no gifts a graduation with no applause The Hitchhiker's voice became increasingly agitated as he described each scene how each instance of neglect sculpted him into the vessel of Vengeance he had silently become then he produced a rope from his bag throwing it at my feet tie him up show me you understand the pain the command was chilling but it sparked A desperate idea at me as I moved to bind Mark's hands I whispered a plan to him a risky

chance that might just save us play along I'll make it loose when I say now you push him and we run Mark nodded slightly understanding flashing in his eyes I tied the Rope Loosely around his wrists giving him enough slack to break free when needed as I stood to face our captor I steadied my breathing preparing for the moment to act good let me see if the Missy even tied it hard he bent down to check and in that moment I kicked hard at the hand in which he was holding the gun but it didn't

fall now Mark Mark surged up using the slack of the Rope to Lunge at The Hitchhiker startled the van staggered back firing a wild shot that went wide the moment of chaos was all we needed I grabbed Mark's hand and we bolted racing towards the front door we Burst Into the Night the cool air sharpen our lungs behind us The Hitchhiker shouts and the sound of his stumbling Pursuit filled the air we didn't look back running blindly into the foggy night driven by pure survival Instinct the sounds of pursuit faded into the distance as we

reached the main road where by some Stroke of Luck a late night traveler stopped for us he called the police as we collapsed into his car our body shaking our minds reeling from the terror we had just escaped the police later apprehended The Hitchhiker at The Farmhouse still ranting wildly about betrayal and Vengeance Mark and I were safe but forever changed the ordeal left scars that no time could heal fully a haunting reminder of the night we faced pure Madness and survived reflecting on it all now I realized how close we came to a different

ending one written by a Madman driven by the ghouls of his past but in the Frantic Escape in our desperate will to live we rewrote Our Fate choosing life over death he had planned for us it was an unusually busy Tuesday even evening at mesan a restaurant famed for its Immaculate French cuisine and often reserved for the city's Elites as one of the senior waitresses I navigated through the tables with practiced ease my mind preoccupied with orders and table numbers little did I know the night would unfold into a scene of Terror that would haunt

my dreams forever the evening started like any other with the clinking of Fine China and the murmur of well-dressed Patron indulging in their culinary Delights Benjamin the shy quiet cook who had joined our kitchen staff a few months prior was barely noticeable in the bustling kitchen his presence was almost ghostly his interactions minimal but cordial around 8:00 p.m. guests began to complain of feeling unwell at first it was a table of four in the corner of the main dining room soon more hands were raised voices tinged with panic the Symphony of a typical dinner service

morphed into a cacophony of coughs and calls for help my heart raced as I moved from table to table trying to assure our guests while sweat Beed on my forehead not just from the rush but from a growing dread I rushed to the kitchen to alert our staff and that's when I saw him Benjamin his back turned mumbling under his breath his hands trembling as he handled the bag that didn't look like any ingredient obedience I recognized I called out to him my voice drowning in the chaos but he didn't respond he simply continued his

mysterious work pouring something from a small vial into the dishes ready to be served the first scream pierced the air a scream that curdled my blood it came from the main dining area loud and terrified I ran out to see a man clutching his throat his face a ghastly shade of blue Panic erupted as more patrons began to exhibit symptoms of severe food poisoning amidst the screams and confusion Benjamin emerged from the kitchen his eyes red a chilling smile playing on his lips as he clutched a bag with sharp blades emerging out with a horrifying

calmness he approached a group of diners and slashed the air with a Cleaver barely missing a woman's face poison just like my son he muttered repeatedly each word slicing through the thick air of fear guests scrambled to their feet knocking over chairs and glasses in a desperate attempt to flee from the madness Benjamin moved methodically through the crowd his Cleaver glinting under the overhead lights his face a mask of Twisted Fury the air was thick with Terror he moved across swiftly locked the two main doors and signaled the scared patrons with his Cleaver to help

pull the drapes down I hid behind the ball my entire body shaking as I watched him approach a terrified young couple you think this is just dinner it's not sir you don't know what happens behind the scene you you think that you can just come marching down throw your purse to impress your lady with some Fine Food and leave they fool you the expensive food you can pick better at your grocery store cook it and it would still taste better than this [ __ ] all these fancy chefs they would spit in your food before

serving you did you know that they mix things that make you sick look around all these fancy people vomiting and [ __ ] all for some food do you think they really care he yelled his voice breaking they aren't here to serve you they're here to abuse you abuse you and your children no matter how much hard you try to save your Lov ones trust me you will not be able to the couple at the feet of Benjamin quivered in fear the man tried to Shield his partner begging for mercy that I knew wouldn't come

Benjamin's response was to toss a handful of blades in front of them pick them up and slide them against her throat the man denied I squeezed my eyes shut trying to block out the screams the pleading the sound of slicing that followed I froze in Terror when I opened my eyes again I saw the couple lying in their pool of blood a scream came out of me suddenly drawing the psycho's attention he called the staff and chefs out next making them stand in a line and hold their ears he approached them one by one asking

the first person to say sorry to him when that person quivered he was met with a Cleaver to his hand he moved on to the next one and then the next leaving few for the staff but hitting every Chef he could see no begging or crying could shake him ah Lisa he said while tossing a phone towards me record this will you I picked the phone and pretended to record as he went about picking chefs and patrons slashing at them it was the hardest thing I had to watch but the very first clip I uploaded

on my Twitter with the location of the restaurant and typed help the ordeal seemed to stretch into an eternity until the sharp crack of a sniper rifle echoed through the restaurant once twice Benjamin fell to the ground his rain of terror cut abruptly short the silence that followed was deafening broken only by the soft whimpers and sobs of the surviving patrons the snipers found a gap between the window and the drape and that was all they needed as the police swarmed in paramedics attended to the injured the gruesome reality of the event began to sink

in the floor was chaos and carnate stained with blood and Scattered with the remains of a meal that had turned deadly I sat there among the chaos my uniform stand my hands trembling uncontrollably I had survived but at what cost the images of that night would forever be etched into my mind a constant reminder of the fragility of life and the depths of human despair in that moment nothing made sense why did Benjamin do it what drove him to such Madness the answers would come much later unraveling a story of personal tragedy that no one

could have anticipated as the police cordoned off the scene the once Immaculate restaurant stood desolate a sight of horror rather than culinary delight in the aftermath I learned the full extent of Benjamin's heartbreaking motive two years ago his young son had dined at our restaurant and suffered from severe food poisoning complications from which he never recovered Benjamin Had watched him wither away a slow and painful death that no parent should ever witness his grief had morphed into an unquenchable thirst for Revenge a desire to inflict the same pain that had been dealt to his family

as further detail emerged so did the trauma I knew that nightmares would plague me the slightest clang of kitchen wear would send shivers down my spine Benjamin's tortured face would haunt my sleep his eyes wild with pain and anger and his voice would be a constant echo in my mind for me life moved on but it was never the same each shift was a reminder each dish served a nod to the delicate balance between sanity and Madness I survived yes but survival was just the beginning healing I realized was an ongoing Journey one that I

was only just embarking upon a journey marked by the pain of the past and the hope of what lay ahead I just pray that Benjamin found his son wherever he went [Music] to it was a Thursday evening when I took the last delivery of my shift the workload was a lot since another delivery guy simply stopped picking up calls and stopped showing up to work for a week so the rest of us were working overtime the address which we were given led to a house on the outskirts of town a place so secluded and dilapidated

it seemed to Devour the Dying Light my name is Jake and this was the night my understanding of reality was shattered the order was strange from the start one large pizza and no specific toppings pay in cash upon delivery and the note added leave on the dining table curious but I've seen stranger requests in this job as my bike crunched up the gravel driveway I got a strange vibe from the place this has to be a mistake I muttered checking the GPS again but the coordinates were precise the air grew colder as I approached the

front door Pizza Box in hand I knocked half hoping no one would answer sir silence greeted me so I turned the knob finding it strangely unlocked hello my voice felt absorbed by the darkness within pizza delivery no response the interior was shrouded in Shadows dust modes dancing in the air boarded up Windows broken frames with strange landscape art I found the dining room by intuition more than sight my footsteps echoing too loudly on the wooden floor floor the table was there as the note instructed but it wasn't empty a set of fine Dusty utensils lay

in weight even the entire table was covered in a thick blanket of dust but to my shock there was a clean square shape exactly like the pizza delivery box I placed the box down this is too weird I said aloud deciding to leave that's when I heard it the soft sound of a chair scrap against the floor behind me I whipped around but there was nothing my heart raced but as I turned to leave I froze I realized that the portraits on the wall had changed where there had been Landscapes and abstracts before now there

were people smiling but with eyes too Hollow too knowing Panic set in then I rushed to the door but it wouldn't budge this isn't happening I gasped my breath fogging in the air that it turned inexplicably cold I turned back to the room and that's when The Whispers started voices overlapping coming from nowhere and everywhere and then a woman's whisper into my right ear meal must be finished I tried to cover my ears but the sound was inside my head the temperature dropped suddenly my exhalations of visible vapor in the beam of my flashlight then

the laughter began a child's laugh innocent if not for the malevolence behind it Shadows danced along the walls shapes that were human but not quite I fell backward my back hitting the cold wood of the dining table I kid you not the pizza box was open inside there wasn't a pizza but a grotesque replica made of what looked like flesh I gagged the smell hitting me a stench of Decay and something far worse please just let me go I found myself begging to whom or what I didn't know the woman's Whispers grew louder the child's

laughter more insistent the room suddenly Shook and one portrait fell down an old man with no eyes a tall woman with no eyes and a little girl no eyes the temperature suddenly normalized the shadows receded and the laughter faded into The Ether I was alone or so I thought until I turned to see a figure standing at the threshold of the dining room a child no older than seven her eyes empty voids in the dim light are you going to join us for dinner she asked her voice a chilling mix of innocence and something darker

I couldn't speak couldn't move the girl's eyes voids that seemed to pull it my soul held me captive I I I can't I have to leave but you're our guest she said tilting her head in a 360 and revealing the same face on what should have been the back of her head and the meal isn't finished yet as she spoke the air around us grew thick oppressive as if her words were woven from the very darkness that filled the house I mustered all the courage I could find I don't belong here I declared though my

voice betrayed my Terror the girl simply smiled a gesture devoid of warmth nobody does until they do she replied cryptically before Fading Into the Shadows leaving me in trembling Solitude my heart pounded against my rib cage as I scanned the room for any sign of escape the portraits on the walls now appeared to watch me their eyes following my every move with silent accusation I couldn't shake the feeling of being manipulated scared I hurled myself at the window but instead of it shattering it was like I had jumped at a wall hurting my shoulder Panic

clawed at my throat as I realized that I was a rat and a trap a play thing for forces beyond my understanding that's when the house began to truly reveal its Horrors the floor beneath me started vibrating the loud shrieking of a woman suddenly echoed every everywhere around the house and behind the child I finally saw a dark figure a fat man in a bloody night R sitting in silence and looking at me except he had no eyes just Blackness are you going to join us for dinner the child spoke again I was beyond terrified

so I just gave in I slowly walked up to the table picked up a piece of Flesh and closed my eyes as I brought it to my mouth M I had submitted I took the bite and suddenly felt A Familiar Taste of bread I opened my eyes to find myself back in an empty Dusty dilapidated room the strange eyeless Spirits were gone the shrieking of a woman was gone and I just found myself eating a slice of pizza which had been ordered surrounded by total silence I could just see my own reflection in the mirror

with tears flowing down my eyes in the midst of all of this a new sound pierced the air a phone ringing its tone discordant and jarring my phone with hands trembling so violently I could barely grasp it I answered hello Jake it's me came the reply a voice I recognized as my manager from the pizza place what's taking so long you've been out for 2 hours hours it couldn't be it felt like only minutes had passed since I'd entered the house I'm trapped I gasped please you have to help me the house on but the

address clear in my mind moments before now eluded me the house on on I couldn't remember it and started crying Jake calm down what house you're not making any sense I glanced around desperate for something to Anchor me to reality that's when I noticed it the pizza box lying open on the table but the entire pizza was gone eaten Jake listen to me why is it showing an order from you in the system what an order placed by you from your number I couldn't believe it I switched to the pizza app immediately and saw the

details for this order I dropped the phone in shock my mind reeling as I realized that the order was placed under my name I quickly picked up the phone and turned around to see the door wide open I ran from that house like my life depended on it I finally got in touch with the other delivery guy who had stopped coming and learned that he had ended up at the house exactly like me and he experienced a similar haunting which all died down when he finally took a bite out of the pizza which he was

delivering the pizza place quickly updated the systems to not take orders from that address and no delivery guy ever went to that house again it was supposed to be our Paradise a secluded Villa on the shores of kwaii the kind of place you see in a glossy Travel magazine my husband Ben had found this gem tucked away from the usual tourist spots promising privacy and romance under the Hawaiian stars that first evening as the sun dipped into the ocean painting the sky with streaks of orange and pink I remember feeling like the luckiest woman in

the world but then it began our nightmare subtly at first an art so perfected by our Tormentor that at first we mistook his signals for mere coincidences it started with a rustling outside our bedroom window a whisper of movement that vanished when I pulled back the curtain Ben joked it was probably just a curious gecko but my feminine sense told me that something was off we found the first gift the following morning right on our doorstep a seash shell but not the kind one picks up as a souvenir it was Jagged broken stained with something

dark that I hoped was mud but deep down I knew it was dried blood Ben tried to laugh it off to ease the tension that clung to the morning air but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes the seclusion of the spot meant that the staff was scarce as well there was a storm which was predicted so they said there would be disturbances we did want to be alone on our honeymoon after all so we didn't mind either that night the real terror took form we were awakened by the sound of tapping on the glass

standing at our window was a figure masked with an ancient looking Tiki mask its eyes Hollow its expression Frozen in a grotesque grin The Mask wasn't just Eerie it was a relic imbued with a Sinister energy that seemed to reach out towards us Ben shouted at the man to leave his voice filled with a mix of anger and disbelief but the figure only tilted its head as if amused then quickly vanished into the darkness I tried to call the staff but the storm had rendered our room phones useless the seclusion also meant that there was

no signal so we were unable to use our mobiles either we were cut off isolated and and I could feel Panic threading through my veins like ice and then it grew worse more personal we found photographs of us sleeping laid out on the living room table each picture was marked with a red X and on the back scribbled in shaky handwriting with the words too much happiness must correct how did he break in we weren't safe and had to leave but the storm grew Fierce so we decided to wait the night out as the night

bled into deeper Darkness our bedroom door slammed Shut by an unseen Force we tried to open it throwing ourselves against the wood but it wouldn't budge then the air around us thickened choked with the scent of something burning smoke began to seep under the door I remember coughing the air razor sharp in my lungs Ben's face blurring through my tear-filled eyes as we realized that the psycho was trying to smoke us out stay low Ben coughed out pulling his shirt over his nose we crawled to the bathroom the only room without Windows the heat from

the fire licking at our backs inside we filled the bathtub with water the sound deafening in the enclosed space meanwhile the man's psychotic laughter echoed through the Villa a sound so unhinged it made my skin crawl Ben found a small vent upon possible Escape he boosted me up but as I climbed a hand grasped my ankle he was in the bathroom I screamed kicking frantically feeling the psycho's grip tighten Ben hurled himself on the psycho and pinned him to the wall before breaking and shoving me toward the vent again blocking the psycho's next attempt to

grab me go Leia get out and find help his voice was rough with smoke and Desperation I crawled through the vent and emerging outside gasping for breath my heart pounded against my ribs fear and adrenaline urging me forward behind me the Villa burned a beacon in the night and I knew that if I didn't get help soon Ben would make it out Barefoot and desperate I ran along the beach under the pelting rains the cool sand and odd contrast to the heat that still radiated from my skin The Villa our supposed Paradise was a fiery

silhouette against the night the psycho had set it on fire its Flames reflecting off the ocean like warnings I wished we'd heat it sooner I had to find someone anyone my mind raced with images of Ben alone and facing the madman the thought pushed me faster every breath a mixture of salt air and fear I stumbled upon a small Fisherman's Shack its Windows dimly lit by the flicker of an old oil lamp I pounded on the door my Knuckles raw shouting for help an elderly man opened the door his eyes widening at the sight of

me disheveled injured wet a wild Panic carved into my face please you have to help me my husband is back there there's a man trying to kill us my voice broke the terror of the night overwhelming me without a word the old fisherman grabbed a radio barking into it rapid Hawaiian he then ushered me inside as his daughter came out and ran out into the storm as we waited for what felt like eternity I heard it again that chilling unhinged laughter it drifted down the beach carried by the winds my blood froze he was coming

the psycho had followed me I peered out the window catching the glimpse of the Tiki mask among the Shadows he was close too close the fishermen saw him too and stood outside a sturdy old Harpoon in hand his calm demeanor was the only thing that kept me from succumbing to utter panic and then there he was the psycho his mask now cracked revealing glimpses of a scarred face Twisted in Fury he screamed a sound so filled with Madness it seemed to shake the walls you can't escape love the gods demand it he howled lunging forward

with a rusted machete that glinted in the lamp's light the fisherman reacted swiftly thrusting the Harpoon with a practiced hand it struck the psycho in the shoulder pinning him against the wooden frame of the shack the psycho shrieked the sound animalistic but he was trapped and then the fisherman landed four or five massive punches on his face making him unconscious just when the old man was done tying the psycho hands we heard sirens the sound more beautiful than any music I could imagine police flooded into the shack securing the psycho who was now laughing and

crying in turns speaking in tongues or maybe ancient Hawaiian it was impossible to tell they rushed me back to the Villa just in time to see firefighters ding the last of the Flames I found Ben outside supported by paramedics his face soot streak and a broken arm but alive we collapsed into each other's arms the relief a tangible thing between us later we would learn that the psycho was once a respected historian of Hawaiian culture driven mad by the loss of his family lands to developers his mind had fractured his grief manifesting in a delusional

crusade to cleanse the island of Outsiders as we left Hawaii the Island's Beauty Now marred by our horrific memories Ben squeezed my hand we survived he whispered the weight of those words heavy in the air the sun was dipping below the Horizon casting Long Shadows across the quiet Country Road my wife Jenna and I were returning from a weekend getaway the car's tires huming a steady Rhythm on the asphalt it had been a peaceful Retreat a much needed break from the chaos of city life but as we rounded a bend the Tranquility shattered there in

the middle of nowhere stood a woman her appearance alone was enough to slam the brakes her clothes were ripped hanging off her frame and tatters and bruises marred her visible skin she was sobbing uncontrollably her hands trembling as she waved us down concern overrode caution I pulled the car over and Jenna rolled down her window her voice laced with worry are you okay what happened to you do you need help the woman staggered closer her eyes wide with fear please you have to help me I've been kidnapped held captive for a month I managed to

escape just now they're still out there her words were like a cold splash of reality I was so shook by her appearance and story that the peripheral movement missed my eye from the wooded area across the road a group of men emerged their expressions Twisted in anger before I could react the first rock smashed against the windshield sending spiderweb cracks sprawling across the glass Drive Jenna screamed Panic slicing through her voice I fumbled with the keys trying to start the car but another rock thed against the side window shattering it glass flew like glittering rain

cutting into my face and hands the woman outside shrieked and grabbed hold of Jenna's hands before she could pull up her window the group of Violent Men approached one of them a Burly figure with a scar running down his face reached for the driver's side door and yanked it open out of the car now He barked his breath foul I lunged at the ignition the engine roaring to life but it was too late the man grabbed my jacket pulling me halfway out of the car his grip was iron unyielding Jenna screamed reaching over to claw

his face her nails leaving red welts on his cheek another man approached laughing maniacally as he swung a crowbar at Jenna's window the half closed glass buckled but held he started swinging again and again this time the window gave way leave us alone Jenna cried her voice breaking what are you want it's not about what we want the Burly man replied a sick grin on his face it's about what you're going to give us honeypie as he spoke two more men pulled me from the car I hit the ground hard my breath whooing out they

kicked me the blows raining down on my ribs and stomach I curled into a ball trying to protect my head the pain sharp and immediate get her too the Burly man ordered and I saw two others grab Jenna dragging her out of the car she fought like a wild cat her elbows and knees moving in a blur but the men were Relentless over the cacophony of our struggle Tire screeched headlights cut through the dark like beacons of Hope a truck had turned onto the road its driver honking furiously the men paused uncertainty flickering in their

eyes it was the chance I needed gritting my teeth against the pain I scrambled to my feet pulling Jenna up with me run I gasped and we bolted Not Looking Back our only thought to escape the nightmare that it erupted so suddenly behind us the sound of the men cursing melted into the night but we didn't stop the fear of death a tangible Presence at our backs as we ran the reality of our situation sank in we were not out of danger yet the Chase had only just begun we ran as hard as our feet

could carry our breath ragged the pain from our injuries a constant reminder of the horror we had just escaped the darkness of the country road enveloped us and every rustle in the bushes every snap of a twig sent shocks of fear through my already adrenaline pumped body Jenna clutched my hand tightly her grip conveying the terror that we both felt most of the men got busy with my car getting their hands on everything they could get but there was two who still chased Our Only Hope was to put as much distance as possible between us

and our attackers the road curved ahead and in the distance the faint glow of a street light promised some semblance of safety but the sound of footsteps crunching gravel behind us spurred us on the fear of being caught fueling our aching muscles we can't keep this up Gil Jenna gasped her voice horar with exertion we need to help or something just then the outline of an old barn loomed to our right its dilapitated structure a dark silhouette against the night sky without a word we veered off the road and plunged into the fields The Tall

Grass Whispering around us as we made our way to what we hoped would be a temporary Refuge inside the barn the smell of old hay and rust was overwhelming we crouched behind a stack of hay bales our breaths coming in short Sharp gasps Jenna's face was pale in the Moonlight that filtered through the gaps in the wooden planks her eyes wide with fear we need to call the police I whispered fumbling in my pocket for the phone it wasn't there I must have dropped it during the struggle or the Escape Jenna shook her head her

own phone likely left in the car or lost in the chaos minute stretched into an agonizing eternity as we listen for any signs of our pursuers the occasional hoot of an owl or the distant bark of a dog were the only sounds that broke the Silence of the night then suddenly a sound froze us both a soft malicious chuckle from just outside the barn they went this way a song a voice hissed the sound of approaching footsteps sending fresh waves of panic through me Jenna and I looked at each other the same thought mirrored in

her eyes we needed a weapon something to defend ourselves I scanned the dim interior of the barn and my gaze landed on a rusty Pitchfork leaning against the wall I crept over my movement slow and silent and I grasped it feeling a grim sense of determination settle over me as the door to the barn creaked open letting in a sliver of moonlight I positioned myself behind it the Pitchfork raised and ready Jenna hid behind the hay bales her soft sobbing whisper in the dark two figures entered their features obscured by Shadows with a surge of

adrenaline I stepped out and swung the Pitchfork with all my might it connected with the sickening thud and one of the attackers screamed the sound cutting sharply through the night the other lunged at me and we grappled crashing into the wooden walls of the barn Jenna screamed her voice high and terrified as she jumped on the back of the Man attacking me pulling him away with surprising strength the struggle was chaotic filled with Grunts and curses as we fought for our lives finally the sounds of sirens pierced the night growing louder as they approached the

attackers got up and ran the truck driver must have got the help exhausted bruised and shaken Jenna and I collapsed onto the barn floor as the police barged in in the aftermath as we gave our statements and the police comb the area the reality of our narrow Escape settled in the modus operandi was linked to a local group of hillbillies I would just like for others to be careful and learn from our ordeal this story was inspired by bizarre footage captured by dash cam in early Morning's hours of May 2nd 2013 in Browns Plains Australia

in it a white car can be seen traveling through a series of roundabouts before continuing on a straight road everything seems calm at first but just 10 seconds into the video something pretty messed up was caught by the driver's dash cam a woman can be seen crossing the road in front of the vehicle and practically throws herself onto the vehicle few seconds later a Man rushed to the woman and tries to stop the car however the person driving releases it is a trap due to the bad acting of woman woman and the man driver's initial

thought that it was an insurance scam but then he saw a group of people coming running towards his car which was not captured by dash cam he understand that this was a case of carjacking and he drove away as fast as possible one can only assume that men were trying to get him out of the car for some horrific purpose it was just past midnight when I first saw him a solitary figure standing by the side of the road thumb outstretched towards the murky glow of my headlights his presence was as unexpected as it was

unsettling this stretch of highway was seldom traveled even during the day reluctantly I slowed the car the window rolling down with a hesitant wor you need a lift I called my voice betraying a trace of unwilling curiosity the man nodded a grateful smile crossed his weathered face as he hurried to the passenger side thank you he said settling into the seat and pulling the door shut with a definitive thud I wasn't sure anyone would stop as we drove the fog seemed to thicken curling around the car like a living entity so where you headed I

asked glancing at him he was older than I first thought his eyes deeply set and carrying a weariness that seemed out of place just up ahead he replied gesturing vaguely forward not far that's when The Oddities began first it was the radio as we talked it spontaneously switched on flipping through stations rapidly settling on an oldtime tune that crackled with static I reached to turn it off but he stopped me I like this one he said is voice suddenly distant it's been a long time since I heard it the song played eerily notes warping slightly

as if the signal was bending around the curves of the road we passed a sign then one that was too rusted to read its edges consumed by Ivy and darkness there's an old marker for a cemetery he commented his gaze fixed on the disappearing sign not on the maps anymore people forget the atmosphere inside the car grew heavier the edges of my vision seeming to flutter like the wings of nightbirds Shadows appeared to move with autonomy darting in and out of the dim light cast by the car's interior I swallowed hard focusing on the road

that now seemed more like a Passage through another world than a mere Highway a bridge is coming up he said next his tone casual as if remarking on the weather string seem things happen around it watch as we approached the headlights flickered a stutter in the illumination that made my heart skip looking into the rear view mirror I thought I saw figures standing by the water's edge their movements jerky and unnatural but when I blinked they were gone it's the light he murmured they don't like it who doesn't like it my voice cracked the question

slipping out before I could think better of it the ones who stay here imagine you've been tired for an eternity and finally wish to settle down in the warm arms of the deep Slumber but some buffoon brandishes a big light right in your face wouldn't you hate it he answered simply as if that explained everything we drove in silence for a while until suddenly the car's temperature dropped sharply my breath became visible fogging the space between us he didn't seem to notice his attention now on the road ahead there's a diner not far from here

he broke the silence it's abandoned now but sometimes if you look right you can see the patrons inside I stared at him une ease twisting in my gut see them how just watch as we pass the dilapidated building I risked a glance there behind the fogged and broken windows with a the Silhouettes of people frozen mid meal their heads turning unnaturally slow to follow our passing car my heart hammered against my ribs the sight too surreal to process fully what the who are they what what's happening I managed to ask my voice a whisper of

its usual tamber they're stuck stuck Souls forgotten in time he said his eyes were cting a sorrow that seemed as deep as the night itself but what better place to get stuck at if not for a diner at least it's not on the road like me his last words hung in the air a confession wrapped in a chilling Revelation like you I echoed my mind racing as I tried to piece together the meaning behind his cryptic statements the road ahead seemed to stretch into Infinity the fog a curtain veiling the world Beyond yes he replied

his voice steady eyes locked on the horizon I've been on this road longer than you can imagine always hitchhiking always picked up but never reaching my destination a cold shiver ran down my spine as I processed his words why what keeps you here I asked not sure I wanted to hear the answer he turned to look at me his face illuminated by the intermittent flicker of the Dashboard Lights unfinished business he said the cliche ringing eerily true in the context of our ghostly Journey there's something I need to do something I should have done long

ago what is it I asked the weight of his Gaz making it difficult to concentrate on the road just keep driving he instructed pointing forward where the road took a sharp Bend it's not far now as we rounded the curve the air grew oppressively tight as if the night itself was constricting around us the radio burst to life again this time spewing a jumble of numbers and static that made my ears ring the car began to shake a mechanical shudder That Grew with each meter we Advanced this is where it happened he said Softly almost

lost beneath the cacophony of the radio in the rattling car my car had a flat tire I was out crouched on my knees when an outof control wagon came for me and I don't remember anything else after that the words had barely left his lips when a sharp bright light pierced the fog ahead instinctively I slammed on the brakes the car screeching to a halt just inches from a massive o oak tree that hadn't been there a moment before my heart pounded violently against my chest the shock of the near Mist paralyzing me momentarily he

opened the door stepping out into the Mist thank you Ray he called back to me his figure starting to fade that is when it hit me I had never revealed my name to him wait I shouted my voice hoarse with fear and confusion where are you going is this for real as he disappeared the radio quieted and the oppressive atmosphere lifted like a dark cloud passing I sat there for a long moment catching my breath before finally turning the car around the drive back was unnervingly quiet the fog seemed to retreat with every Mile and

the road behind me felt mundane no longer a Passage through a haunted night but just ask fault in lines it wasn't until I reached my own front door that the magnitude of what had happened truly hit me I was shaking not from the cold but from the profound eeriness of giving a ghost a ride I resolved then that I'd never travel that stretch of road at night again but as I turned to lock the door behind me I caught a glimpse of something that chilled me to my core a set of footprints leading up to

my house disappearing at the threshold as if someone had followed me home from the fog and in that moment I realized that I wasn't truly alone it was supposed to just be another story as an investigative journalist I've tackled everything from political corruption to corporate scandals but nothing could have prepared me for the chilling reality behind the disappearances of several children in my own small Lakeside home Town it began with Whispers of a strange ice cream truck that roam the streets its music playing at odd late hours and ended in a nightmare I could barely

recount the story first came to me from a distraught parent whose desperation to find their missing child LED them to my office admidst their tears and fragmented stories one detail stood out the haunting Melody of an ice cream truck that their child had followed moments before Vanishing in intrigued and Disturbed I drove around there a quaint village with Treeline streets that hid a Sinister secret my first evening there I decided to track the ice cream truck stationed in a rented minivan I waited as Twilight deepened into night until finally the faint strains of a familiar

jingle broke the silence that's got to be it time to see where this leads I tailed the truck discreetly noting its path and the stops it made in deserted areas of the neighborhood the driver was a middle-aged man his face partly obscured by a cap and a nondescript uniform following him over five more nights I noticed erratic patterns sudden accelerations abrupt stops and an unusual detour to the outskirts of town the night I decided to confront him my gut screamed To Tread carefully armed with my recorder and a can of pepper spray I approached him

as he parked near an old abandoned warehouse house excuse me sir I'm a journalist mind if I ask a few questions his reaction was instantaneous and terrifying his face Twisted in anger and his eyes a chilling empty stare fixed on me get the hell out of my sight or so help me God is it your ice cream truck get away from me do you know a boy named Dany he went missing last week he stopped in his tracks he knew worse yet he knew that I knew before I could react he lunged at me but

I managed to dodge and ran he chased after me as I sprinted towards the warehouse in panic the door slammed shut behind me as I entered the echo of his enraged shouts following me into the darkness inside the air was bitingly cold and the faint smell of chemicals mingled with vanilla was nauseating as my eyes adjusted the horror of what this place was became clear ice sculptures no not sculptures Frozen children posed as if in play surrounded me their faces forever locked in silent screams oh my god what have you done I stumbled backward my

recorder falling from my numb fingers all thoughts of the story lost to a primal urge to escape but he was there at the door blocking my only exit his breath fogging in the cold air you wanted a story didn't you here it is I'm preserving the future a new Ice Age is coming and they will survive it thanks to me his ramblings were disjointed the ravings of a Madman lost in his delusion he approached a sick grin spreading across his face as he pulled a large ice coated chain from behind him you can join them

be part of the story Forever The Terror of that moment the realization that I might not Escape was overwhelming I pulled out my pepper spray and sprayed him the Mist catching him full in the face he stumbled back howling in Rage and pain giving me just enough time to run my heart pounded as I dashed through the warehouse searching desperately for another way out my lungs burned as I raced through the Labyrinth and Warehouse dodging between shadows and crates the icy ground beneath my feet threatening to betray my Escape at any moment the psycho's enraged

hows grew distant but the echo in the vast Frozen Hall made it impossible to pinpoint his location I knew he was disoriented but not incapacitated and every second counted my mind raced desperate for a solution when my foot kicked against something hard and metallic on the floor a flashlight seizing it I flicked it on the beam cutting through the darkness the light revealed a rear exit obscured by heavy curtains my heart leapt with a mixture of Hope and Dread as I reached for the curtain a loud crash echoed through the warehouse he was close too

close the cold had sharpened his rage into something Primal and the brief rest bite from the pepper spray was wearing off I pulled back the curtain and pushed open the heavy door the night air hitting me like a wave outside the terrain was uneven litter with old industrial debris and overgrown with weeds my mind screamed to run to put as much distance between myself in the mad house as possible I stumbled across the uneven ground my breaths loud in the silent night then just as I thought I might make it a hand clamped down on

my shoulder spinning me around with terrifying strength where do you think you're going you didn't interview me yet his face distorted by Fury and the red welts from the pepper spray was terrifying he swung a heavy chain which I barely dodged his movements were erratic driven by Fury and the chilling effects of his own Madness stay back help help me I screamed at the top of my lungs hoping against hope that someone might hear me in this abandoned part of town he lunged again the chain whistling through the air I ducked and felt it graze

the top of my head a near Mist that sent shivers down my spine in that moment of his extended reach I saw my chance I kicked with all my might aiming for his groin there was a sickening pop and he howled collapsing momentarily to the ground pain exploded in my foot as well but adrenaline dulled it I didn't stop to think I ran every step was Agony my lungs screamed and my foot throbbed but fear lent me speed lights in the distance group brighter and I heard voices Real Living Voices that weren't in the throws

of Madness it was a patrol a random check by local police drawn perhaps by my desperate screams ma'am are you okay what happened I collapsed in front of them words tumbling out between gasps the ice keam truck driver he's back there he's taking children Frozen them please you have to stop him the officer sprang into action action radios crackling to life as I sat on the cold ground the reality of my Escape washing Over Me In Waves of relief and horror the next hours were a blur of Lights questions and the distant sounds of sirens

as backup arrived to secure the scene Dany was rescued barely alive they found six other kids Frozen there forever the ice cream man was apprehended his reign of terror conclusively ended reflecting on that night narrating this from the safety of daylight and the sanity of normaly I realized how close I came to becoming another Frozen figure in his grotesque Gallery it was supposed to be just another story but it became a testament to the darkest corners of human nature and the incredible will to survive that we all Harbor within us this story changed me it

had to No One walks away from such a brush with death unchanged and while I continue to write to expose to unveil I now do so with a profound awareness of the darkness that lurks behind the most mundane faces I started my Snapchat as a way to share the behind the scenes of My Life as a model it was fun engaging and it connected me with my fans on a personal level that's how I met Alex one of my many followers at first his messages were like any others compliments on my posts questions about my

work casual chitchat I enjoyed interacting with my audience so I didn't think twice about responding also it helped that he was cute but then Alex's Behavior began to change it started subtly with him sending snaps wearing makeup and hairstyles eerily similar to mine twinning with Liz he'd capture them I chuckled it off initially flattered by the imitation yet as his messages grew more frequent so did my unease one evening I posted a snap from a late night photo shoot the next morning Alex sent me a photo of himself posed and lit in the same way

but in his version he wore a mask a mask that was almost a perfect replica of my face isn't it just like looking in a mirror he wrote I replied trying to keep the tone light wow that's pretty detailed where'd you get that his response sent chills down my spine made it myself so we can always be close Liz that's when the alarm Bell started ringing I decided to lessen our interactions hoping he'd take the hint but Alex didn't like that not one bit his snaps became more frequent more insistent he sent me strange and

creepy messages sometimes his own pictures which carried a distinct look which just made me une easy I I couldn't point to what but something about him just seemed off something which would send alarm bells ringing then came the night that transformed my unease into Terror I received a snap from Alex timestamped in the early hours of the morning it was a photo taken from outside my apartment the angle suggesting it was snapped from a car parked across the street can't sleep when I know you're just across the way the caption read I immediately blocked him

my heart pounding in my chest but it didn't stop there the next day I found a package at my door inside was a mask another copy but this time of his own face with a note wear this and we'll be together forever I reported him to the police but without direct threats they said that their hands were tied I felt utterly alone watched and hunted my Snapchat once a source of Joy had become a channel for Terror one night as I tried to distract myself with a movie my phone pinged with an email notification it

was from a new account but I recognized the writing style immediately it was Alex you can block me but we're meant to be together Liz why don't you get it silly I love you actually I worship you we'll be together soon my baby I'll make sure of it that's where the real nightmare began the days that followed were a blur of paranoia and Dread after receiving that harrowing mail I felt Alex's presence looming over me like a shadow his Madness infiltrating every corner of my life my apartment once a sanctuary now felt like a glass

cage every Creek and Whisper Of The Wind to potential harbinger of my undoing I doubled down on security installing additional locks and surveillance cameras yet the thought of Alex out there watching waiting twisted my insides with fear the police patrols provided little Comfort Alex was a spectre slipping through the night undetected if I'd be out at a cafe for work or meeting I would randomly find him sitting in a far corner he didn't approach me but he kept looking at me one night I was out partying with a guy friend at a club we were

dancing a bit too close for comfort but that is when he leapt from the shadows and started punching my friend bouncers were called to keep him away he again didn't say anything to me just kept looking while the bouncers pushed him out lately the thought of even going out to buy groceries felt unnerving then came the night that pushed me to my Breaking Point the air was thick with the threat of a storm the kind of oppressive atmosphere that feels charged with electricity mirroring the chaos churning within me I was attempting to salvage some semblance

of normaly sorting through emails when a notification flashed across my phone screen a new snap from a username I didn't recognize curiosity overcame my apprehension and I opened it it was a photo of my building's front entrance taken from across the street the caption sent a shiver down my spine a storm's coming Liz let's weather it together Panic seized me a visceral allc consuming tide that threatened to drag me under I rushed to the balcony my eyes scouring the darkness for any sign of him that's when I heard it the faint sound of someone trying

to scale the side of the building towards my balcony adrenaline coursed through me as I watched horrified Al's silhouette emerged over the railing he was wearing the grotesque mask on my face a twisted grin plastered across its surface Liz he called out his voice muffled but unmistakably gleeful enough is enough baby you can't hide from me tonight we get together my mind raced Terror and fury Waring for dominance stay back Al Alex I shouted my voice steadier than I felt I'm calling the police but he just laughed a sound that curdled my blood we're beyond

the police now Liz it's just you and me in our little world no one can come in between us babe I'll make sure of that with no time to lose I slightly grabbed my phone not to call the police but to record him if I couldn't escape I could at least expose him why are you doing this Alex I demanded hoping to capture his confession his response was chilling because you're M Liz you just don't know it yet as he took a step closer the skies chose that moment to open up rain pouring down in

sheets a torrential downpour that seemed to mirror the chaos unfolding on my balcony using the storm as a cover I made a Split Second decision I gashed inside loing the sliding door behind me Alex threw himself against the glass pounding and shouting his mask now a horrifying Visage distorted by rain and rage I kept the camera trained on him capturing every psychotic detail as I dialed 911 was shaking hands over the Roar of the storm and Alex's screams I screamed my address into the phone praying help would arrive and then as suddenly as he had

appeared Alex retreated Into the Storm disappearing into the night from which he had emerged the police found him an hour later hiding in the shadows drenched and defeated the video of Alex's attack went viral a shocking glimpse into the reality of online Obsession turned violent his trial was Swift the evidence I'd collected irrefutable as I watched him being led away in handcuffs I felt a weight lift off my shoulders a tentative step towards reclaiming my life from the shadows of fear in the aftermath I dedicated myself to speaking out about the dangers of online stalking

using my platform to support others who had endured similar Terrors I had survived Alex's Obsession but the battle against such Darkness was far from over my story had become a beacon a warning signal in the fight for safety and Sanity in the digital age it was an unusually busy Tuesday evening at mesan a restaurant famed for its Immaculate French cuisine and often reserved for the city's Elites as one of the senior waitresses I navigated through the tables with practiced ease my mind preoccupied with orders and table numbers little did I know the night would unfold

into a scene of Terror that would haunt my dreams forever the evening started like any other with the clinking of Fine China and the murmur of well-dressed patrons indulging in their culinary Delights Benjamin the shy quiet cook who had joined our kitchen staff a few months prior was barely noticeable in the bustling kitchen his presence was almost ghostly his interactions minimal but cordial around 8:00 p.m. guests began to complain of feeling unwell at first it was a table of four in the corner of the main dining room soon more hands were raised voices tinged with

panic the Symphony of a typical dinner service morphed into a cacophony of coughs and calls for help my heart raced as I moved from table to table trying to assure our guests while sweat beaded on my forehead not just from the rush but from a growing dread I rushed to the kitchen to alert our staff and that's when I saw him Benjamin his back turned mumbling under his breath his hands trembling as he handled the bag that didn't look like any ingredients I recognized I called out to him my voice drowning in the chaos but

he didn't respond he simply continued his mysterious work pouring something from a small vial into the dishes ready to be served the first scream pierced the air a scream that curdled my blood it came from the main dining area loud and terrified I ran out to see a man clutching his throat his face a ghastly shade of blue Panic erupted as more patrons began to exhibit symptoms of severe food poisoning admidst the screams and confusion Benjamin emerged from the kitchen his eyes red a chilling smile playing on his lips as he clutched a bag with

sharp blades emerging out with a horrifying calmness he approached a group of diners slashed the air with a Cleaver barely missing a woman's face poison just like my son he muttered repeatedly each word slicing through the thick air of fear guests scrambled to their feet knocking over chairs and glasses in a desperate attempt to flee from the madness Benjamin moved methodically through the crowd his Cleaver glinting under the overhead lights his face a mask of Twisted Fury the air was thick with Terror he moved across swiftly locked the two main doors and signaled the scared

patrons with his Cleaver to help pull the drapes down I hid behind the bar my entire body shaking as I watched him approach a terrified young couple you think this is just dinner it's not sir you don't know what happens behind the scene you think that you can just come marching down throw your purse to impress your lady with some Fine Food and leave they fool you the expensive food you can pick better at your grocery store cook it and it would still taste better than this [ __ ] all these fancy chefs they would

spit in your food before serving you did you know that they mix things that make you sick look around all these fancy people vomiting and [ __ ] ha for some food do you think they really care he yelled his voice breaking they aren't here to serve you they're here to abuse you abuse you and your children no matter how much hard you try to save your loved ones trust me you will not be able to the couple at the feet of Benjamin quivered in fear the man tried to Shield his partner begging for mercy

that I knew wouldn't come Benjamin's response was to toss a handful of blades in front of them pick them up and slide them against her throat the man denied I squeezed my eyes shut trying to block out the screams the pleading the sound of slicing that followed I froze in Terror when I opened my eyes again I saw the couple lying in their pool of blood a scream came out of me suddenly drawing the psycho's attention he called the staff and chefs out next making them stand in a line and hold their ears he approached

them one by one asking the first person to say sorry to him when that person quivered he was met with a Cleaver to his hand he moved on to the next one and then the next leaving few for the staff but hitting every Chef he could see no begging or crying could shake him ah Lisa he said while tossing a phone towards me record this will you I picked the phone and pretended to record as he went about picking chefs and patrons slashing at them it was the hardest thing I had to watch but the

very first clip I uploaded on my Twitter with the location of the restaurant and typed help the ordeal seemed to stretch into an eternity until the sharp crack of a sniper rifle echoed through the restaurant once twice Benjamin fell to the ground his reign of terror cut abruptly short the silence that followed was deafening broken only by the soft whimpers and S of the surviving patrons the snipers found a gap between the window and the drape and that was all they needed as the police swarmed in and paramedics attended to the injured the gruesome reality

of the event began to sink in the floor was chaos and carnate stained with blood and Scattered with the remains of a meal that had turned deadly I sat there among the chaos my uniform stained my hands trembling uncontrollably I had survived but at what cost the images of that night would forever be etched into my mind a constant reminder of the fragility of life and the depths of human despair in that moment nothing made sense why did Benjamin do it what drove him to such Madness the answers would come much later unraveling a story

of personal tragedy that no one could have anticipated as the police cordoned off the scene the once Immaculate restaurant stood desolate a sight of horror rather than culinary delight in the aftermath I learned the full extent of Benjamin's heartbreaking motive two years ago his young son had dined at our restaurant and suffered from severe food poisoning complications from which he never recovered Benjamin Had watched him wither away a slow and painful death that no parent should ever witness his grief had morphed into an unquenchable thirst for Revenge a desire to inflict the same pain that

had been dealt to his family as further details emerged so did the trauma I knew that nightmares would plague me the slightest clang of kitchenwear would send shivers down my spine Benjamin's tortured face would haunt my sleep his eyes wild with pain and anger and his voice would be a constant echo in my mind for me life moved on on but it was never the same each shift was a reminder each dish served a nod to the delicate balance between sanity and Madness I had survived yes but survival was just the beginning healing I realized

was an ongoing Journey one that I was only just embarking upon a journey marked by the pain of the past and the hope of what lay ahead I just pray that Benjamin found his son wherever he went [Music] too I remember it vividly that night Abdul and I decided to play the Doritos horror game back in 2010 we were just two curious 13-year-olds looking for a thrill on a Friday night while my parents were away for a night little did we know that night would turn into a nightmare that still haunts me to this day

as we fired up the game on my old PC the atmosphere in my room room shifted immediately the air seemed heavier and an eerie feeling settled over us Abdul laughed nervously brushing off the strain sensation come on Brian it's just a game he said trying to reassure me so Doritos launched this online game in the late 2000s which used the devices and user data to create spooky original out of the world horror experiences it became a hint but was soon shut down no one knows the exact reason why such a popular cult game was suddenly

pulled off what happened that night back in 2010 I don't think it was just the game we had recently shifted to this new house since my dad had suffered a loss in his business and he decided to sell our own house and rent a new one for the time it was big but really cheap the reason being is that it sat next to a graveyard now our house wasn't much religious and since my parents were themselves Dutch immigrants we didn't mind the maob scenery out of the windows but I'd heard things in the night sometimes

sounds that shouldn't be heard and what happened that night I'd put the finger on the graveyard next to the house rather than the horror game we were eager to explore my parents didn't allow me to use the computer past 9: but since they were staying overnight in a different city where Dad had gone for a meeting I invited my school friend Abdul for sleepover the game started innocuously enough we navigated through the virtual hotel's dimly lit corridors our tasks illuminated only by the flickering light of the game but as the Clock Struck midnight a cold

shiver ran down my spine it wasn't just the Eerie sounds from the game or the ghostly light casting Long Shadows across the room it was something else an unsettling feeling that we were not alone a sudden sharp n knock on the window snapped us out of our Focus we paused the game and glanced at each other Hearts racing probably just a branch I muttered though the nearest tree was too far to touch the glass cautiously we peered outside but the darkness hid whatever had made the noise we could only spot the Misty graveyard in the

distance shaking we returned to our game trying to laugh it off moments later the game took a terrifying turn the screen glitched violently and for a split second it showed what looked like the entrance of the very graveyard beside my house not the virtual hotel lobby we were supposed to see we stared at the screen bewildered and scared as it returned to normal dude did you see that Abdul whispered his voice barely hiding his fear yeah I replied my voice trembling let's let's keep playing it must be a buck but the game had changed now

each challenge seemed to mirror something terrifyingly personal one task had us singing a lullabi to calm a spectral child and as we hesitated the sound of a real child's laughter echoed through my house chills ran up my spine as we searched the room with wide eyes only to find nothing the final straw came when the game dared us to enter a room in the hotel marked with the same number as my house address 666 as we hesitated the air grew oppressively Cold and The Faint smell of soil and Decay seeped through the room before we

could make a move the lights flickered out plunging us into darkness a low mournful moan filled the air rising from the direction of the graveyard turn it off Abdul shouted Panic stricken fumbling in the dark I scrambled towards the laptop my hand shaking uncontrollably but before I could shut it down a piercing scream erupted from the speakers followed by an ominous silence then in the Blackness we heard it slow deliberate footsteps approaching from the kitchen something unseen brushed past me its touch like ice run I yelled and we bolted towards the staircase not daring to

look back as the footsteps grew louder chasing us with a relentless ghostly stride as we reached the top of the stairs the air turned frigid and the door to my room swung open on its own revealing nothing but engulfing Darkness inside we backed away breaths visible in the freezing air as a deep guttural growl emerged followed by a movement in the darkness the figure that emerged from the Shadows bore a striking resemblance to a character from the game but it moved with a fluidity that no digital animation could replicate its eyes locked onto US its

gaze piercing through the dim light Abdul backed away stumbling over the stairs Brian what is that he gasped I could barely find my voice I I don't know but we can't stay here we ran down and headed for the door but it was locked by an unseen Force we just couldn't open it by the time the figure came down as well we edged around the room keeping our eyes fixed on the ghostly Apparition suddenly the game blared a loud Screech from the computer speakers making us Flinch the figure seemed to respond its form flickering like

static as it moved closer look at the screen Abdu pointed towards the monitor with the words do not turn your back flashed ominously with hearts racing we followed the instruction moving backwards toward the door every step we took the figure mirrored its movements eerily synchronized with ours the air grew thick with a foul stench and I could barely suppress the urge to gag we need to leave now I insisted grabbing Abdul's arm we managed to back out of that room and slam the door shut pressing our weight against it heavy thuds came from the other

side as if something or someone was pounding on it with great force what do we do now I don't know but we can't let it out we moved away heading to the kitchen to find something to barricade the door as we scrambled the lights flickered plunging us into darkness intermittently suddenly my phone rang slicing through the Silence with its shrill tone I answered it hesitantly only to hear a distorted voice whispered that it's not over yet the line went dead before could respond I looked at Abdul my fear escalating it's like the game it's playing

with us we returned to the door armed with kitchen knives we could hear Whispers now murmuring from within the room words that made little sense but chilled us to the Bone we stood guard waiting for any sign of movement hours passed the night stretching on endlessly but as the first light of dawn began to seep through the curtains the noise and the Eerie presence began to dissipate the heavy atmosphere lifted and it felt like we could breathe again we cautiously opened the door half expecting the figure to be waiting but the room was empty the

game still running on the screen as if nothing had happened Abdul and I looked at each other the relief palpable but the fear of the night's events lingering we spent the morning putting things back in order but decided to not tell our parents what had happened thankfully my father got a contract soon in a different city and we moved out of that house the night was dark the moon a mere sliver in the sky as I drove down the narrow road flanked by dense Woods the Solitude of the drive had always been a Solace for

me a way to unwind after long days filled with the clamor of my job as a real estate agent but that night was different my headlights pierced the darkness ahead revealing the back of a silver sedan driving at a steady Pace suddenly without warning the sedan screeched to a halt I slammed on the brakes my heart pounding barely stopping in time to avoid a collision there was no other car in sight just us surrounded by an eerie quiet my instinct screamed that something was terribly wrong I gripped the steering wheel peering through the windshield trying

to discern any movement the driver's door of the sedan slowly opened a figure clad in Black stepped out staring directly at me that is when Panic set in I knew I had to get away I floored the accelerator swerving to pass the sedan in my haste my car's side scraped against theirs a harsh metal onm metal scree be filling the air I lost control for a moment veering off the road and crashing headlong into a tree the impact jolted me my seat belt cutting into my chest my head snapping forward dazed I barely registered the

sound of footsteps crunching on gravel as they approached shaking my head to clear it I saw three figures now all massed coming towards me with what looked like crowbars get out of the car lady one of them shouted banging on the driver's side window the glass held but it wouldn't for long I fumbled for my phone but it wasn't in its usual spot it must have been thrown somewhere in the car during the crash I was alone trapped and my car was badly damaged the engine sputtered as I tried to start it again praying for

a miracle it roared to life but one of the attackers smashed the back window sending shards fly into the car don't think you're going anywhere another voice growled reaching in to grab my hair I screamed pain searing through my scalp as I instinctively pulled forward the car lurched but it was pinned by the tree the situation was desperate they were trying to pull me out through the shattered window their hands clawing at me you're not taking me without a fight I managed to yell my voice hoarse with fear I clawed back back biting and scratching

anything to keep them at Bay as they momentarily recoiled from my ferocity I Slamm the car into reverse then back into drive rocking it violently trying to dislodge it from the tree the attackers were momentarily thrown off balance cursing as they stumbled with a final desperate maneuver I revved the engine the car finally Breaking Free the front wheel spun wildly on the loose ground the car lurching backward one of the attackers was directly behind the car I heard a thud a scream and I didn't stop to see what I'd hit I couldn't all I knew

was that I had to escape to survive the road ahead was dark the woods menacing but I drove I drove like the Devil Himself was on my heels away from that nightmare behind me the sound of my heart pounding in my ears was louder than the engine and tears streamed down my face as the reality of what had just happened and what might still happen sank in my car jolted forward away from the immediate danger but it was a shortlived escape the engine damaged from the Collision coughed and wheezed its final jerks echoing through the

quiet night before it died completely only a few feet from the initial chaos I pounded the steering wheel in frustration and fear my breaths quick and shallow I was still in the death grip of this nightmare the headlights dimmed as the power waned and in the rear view mirror I saw two of the attackers regaining their ground they sprinted towards the car their figures becoming larger and more terrifying with each passing second my mind raced there was nowhere to run the woods too thick to navigate in the dark and my physical state too battered to

attempt it one of the men reached the car his breath visible in the cold night air he slammed his fist against the window now you're really going to pay he hissed his voice dripping with malice the other man limping slightly joined him wielding a rock with a sickening crack he smashed it against the window next to me the glass shattered showering me with sharp fragments I shielded my face with my arms feeling the sting of cuts as I tried to shrink away from their reach the door flew open and rough hands grabbed at my jacket

trying to drag me out I kicked and screamed fighting with every ounce of energy I had left help someone please help I shouted into the darkness hoping against hope that a passing car would hear me but the road remained deserted my CES swallowed by the vast emptiness of the night the man with the scarred face leaned in close his breath foul no one's going to hear you out here now stop making this harder than it has to be as he pulled I grabbed onto the car keys in a flash of desperation I grasped them tightly

and swung my hand striking him in the eye he stumbled backward howling in pain his hand clamped over his eye seizing the moment I scrambled out on the other side of my car my body screaming in protest I didn't get far before the the other attacker caught up to me tackling me to the ground the air whooshed out of my lungs as we hit the cold hard Earth he pinned my arms above my head his weight oppressive gotcha now he growled his face inches from mine Panic surged through me raw and overpowering in the scuffle

his grip on my wrists loosened I twisted one arm free my fingers digging into the dirt grasping for anything I could use as a weapon my hand closed around a small sharp Stone without thinking I jabbed it at his face he howled recoiling from the pain and his grip loosened enough for me to wriggle free I pushed him off with all my remaining strength and staggered to my feet my body achd my vision blurred with tears and pain but I knew I couldn't stop I limped as fast as I could towards the road my every

breath a searing pain in my chest suddenly headlights cut through the darkness a car waving my arms frantically I stood in the middle of the road the vehicle screeching to a halt just inches away from me the driver a middle-aged man jumped out concern etched on his face taking in my battered appearance behind me the attackers hesitated their resolve faltering under the sudden appearance of a witness they turned and disappeared back into the woods melting into the Shadows from which they had emerged I collapsed into the man's arms my body and mind unable to take

anymore please just get me out of here I managed to say my voice a mere whisper as we drove away the police sirens in the distance growing louder I looked back at the road that had almost been my end the ordeal was over but I knew the long road to recovery was just beginning the night had changed me scarred me in ways that would take time to heal if ever but I was alive and for now that was enough this story was inspired by bizarre footage captured by dash cam [Music] it was just my third

week at laa an old fine dining restaurant with a vintage charm nestled in a quiet part of Chicago that night the Deep winter cold had kept most patrons away leaving the Grand Dining Hall almost empty save for the flickering candles that cast Shadows on the walls since I was the youngest one I was given the graveyard ritual which basically meant that while my colleagues left early to grab some beers I had to do the cleaning arrangement of chairs and a lot of boring stuff before calling it a night the clock had just chimed 11: when

I decided to call Jenna my girl to help pass the slow dragging hours of my late shaft she picked up immediately her beautiful face lighting up the screen of my phone hey Lou baby how's my bub doing she smiled her voice a soothing balb against the Eerie Silence of the restaurant a you're still at work don't tell me they gave you the night shift again you got to stand up boo you look so weak how's it going quiet too quiet I whispered glancing around the dimly lit room haven't seen even a car pass by in

like half an hour it's just me and the Shadows tonight as I panned my phone around to show her the empty tables Jenna's face suddenly tightened what Louis there is something behind you she said her voice tinged with worry I froze for a second then laughed it off it's just the coats on the rack babe ghosts don't work in shifts Jenna tried to smile but I could tell she was unsettled as our call ended a cold draft swept through the room shivering I chocked it up to the old creaky windows and went back to my

duties but as the night wore on the air grew inex explicably colder I remembered that I started hearing faint Whispers floating like Echoes through the hall like conversations left unfinished the sound of clattering silverware from the kitchen made me jump more than once even though I was sure I had left everything in its place at around midnight I was setting up for the next day when suddenly the stoves in the kitchen flickered on by themselves I stared dumbfounded as blue flames danced wildly on the the burners rushing over I turned them off my heart pounding

in my chest and that's when I heard it chairs scraping across the wooden floor in the dining hall who's there bill meline this isn't funny guys I walked down my footsteps hesitant the chairs around one table were now oddly es skew as if someone or something had just risen from a late night Feast a chill ran down my spine and for a moment I considered leaving early but I knew that my seniors were quite capable of pulling pranks like these and the last thing I wanted was to become a laughing stock again I swallowed my

fear and returned to the kitchen that's when the Shadows began to play tricks on me every time I turned around I caught glimpses of a dark figure lurking just at the edge of my vision but as I tried to focus it vanished like smoke in the Wind my nerves frayed I grabbed my phone to capture whatever it was but as soon as the camera app opened the figure disappeared the room felt denser the air around me tightening like a noose I remember that my ears suddenly got blocked that's what happens when I'm traveling by plane

and the pressure drops desperate and now realizing that it actually might not be a prank I quietly grabbed my coat and slipped out only to find that the doors were in explicably locked from inside Panic set in as I pulled at the handles with no luck it was then I realized I wasn't alone something was with me and La Lanterna something that didn't want me to leave trapped inside the restaurant the air grew stifling as though the building itself was constricting around me my heart pounded in my ears each beat echoing the steps of the

dark figure that now seemed to linger closer with every passing moment I glanced around frantically searching for any sign of movement in the shadows that stretched across the walls like dark Sinister figures that's when a sudden Crash from the bar area made me jump I turned just in time to see bottles shattering against the Heartwood floor the spirits spilling like blood in a grotesque puddle and then one by one the glass bottle started lifting into the air before getting thrown across by an invisible Force onto the walls and windows and door I ducked in fear

and hid beneath a counter as the sounds of bottle shattering echoed all around me the air filled with a sharp scent of alcohol and it was then that I heard it a guttural whisper so close it felt like it was breathed into my ear the voice was a distorted growl that faded as quickly as it had appeared I stumbled back my phone slipping from my trembling hands and crashing to the floor the screen shattered splintering light in all directions before going black cut off from the outside world my only Lifeline broken I felt a surge

of Primal Fear with no phone to Aid me and the doors firmly locked I scanned the room for another Escape my eyes settled on the large windows that Overlook the deserted Street it was my only chance I grabbed a chair and with all my strength hurled it at the window the glass resisted at first then gave way with a loud crashing sound that tore through the silent Street as I turned to grab my coat and make a run for it a cold hand gripped my shoulder with a force that felt like iron I screamed spinning

around to confront my asant but there was nothing only the chilling sensation of fingers slowly retracting from my skin it was enough to send me scrambling through the broken window shards of glass biting into my hands as I escaped into the icy night outside the cold air hit me like a wall but I didn't stop running until I reached the safety of the street lights looking back the restaurant stood dark and Silent a stark contrast to the chaos that had rained inside moments before the next morning I returned driven by a mix of fear and

an insatiable need for answers the owner an elderly man who'd run the place for decades called me into his cabin and finally shared the dark history of La Lanterna it had been a Speak Easy during prohibition a site where a violent shootout between rival gangsters had ended in tragedy and death since then it was said that the Restless spirits of those caught in the crossfire haunted the place he looked at me his eyes filled with a mix of sympathy and fear some say at night the spirits replay their last moments filled with anger and confusion

I thought they were just stories he confessed as I listen the horrors of the previous night replayed in my mind each whisper and Shadow Now cast in the tragic glow of History's light I knew I couldn't return to work there the memories of that night too Vivid too raw to ignore I left La Lanterna behind that day but even now when the night grows silent I feel like someone's watching me in the dark about to call my name or perhaps hold my hands this story was inspired by disturbing restaurant footage the man in the video

is known as Dustin Frasier while working the night shift all by himself he decided to record a video for his girlfriend however before sending the video he watches it and immediately starts freaking out have a look no cuz I'm freaking out guys um so I just snapchatted um my friend right and I like walked through I was I know that alarm's going off [Music] so I walked through I was walking through here and whenever you get right here you can see something behind me and I like watched it I I did like a playback um

before I sent it to him right and um like I feel like I need to go to the doctor but like I'm constantly just like nauseous and and I don't really know why like I have tried take medicine for it and stuff but I I don't know it doesn't seem like it really does anything um and then whenever I go and I'm just like laying down and stuff like I can though there were no further updates given by Dustin and there is no definitive explanation for this footage after the video was released many viewers believed

some unknown creature or something was captured by the camera the night had settled in over my small apartment I was alone freshly broken up with my girlfriend of a year and feeling this emptiness and calm that gathers after a messy turbulent toxic and abusive relationship I should have been happy just last week she threw a scissor at my face when I said that I wanted to break up but I just wanted to forget all about her and dig my head in my uni books I thought that the breakup was behind me boy was I wrong

just a few more pages and I'm done for the night the sound was almost imperceptible at first a faint Shuffle like leaves brushing against the window I shook my head attributing it to the wind and then the real nightmare began miss me Brian I spun around my heart hammering Jenna stood in the doorway a twisted smile on her face her eyes gleaming with an unsettling fervor Jenna how did you get in here oh you underestimate me baby I've always had a spare key remember her casual admission sent shivers down my spine she began to advance

each step measured deliberate what do you want Jenna what do I want I want us to have a little heart to heart about respect about loyalty her tone darkened with each word a harbinger of the horror that was to unfold she produced a familiar small bottle from her pocket thirsty that's my bottle I took it this morning when you were in class then what was I drinking from before I could react the room started to spin my limbs turning traitorous in their heaviness what did you it's just a little something to help you relax we

wouldn't want you running off now would we the world faded to Black Jenna's twisted smile the last thing I saw when I came to census again the situation had grown dire I was bound to a chair Jenna pacing before me a symphony of Madness playing in her eyes you see Brian I've been thinking a lot about us about what you did to me and I realized something you never really saw me did you her voice was eerily calm the eye of a storm she picked up a cigarette and carefully lit it while staring into my

eyes Jenna please peace let's talk about this I can help you help me you're in no position to help anyone least of all yourself she laughed maniacally before approaching me tracing a finger along my jawline her touch cold and calculating no Brian tonight you're going to listen really listen to every word I say to every scream you'll suppress the terror of her implications dawned on me a cold Vice around my heart first a little game for every lie you told me a mark a token of the death of our love she revealed a small Blade

the light glinting off its edge with Sinister promise my attempts to reason with her to plead fell on deaf ears she pulled out a small knife Jenna had descended into a realm of Ven from which there was no return Jenna think about what you're doing this isn't you oh but it is Brian it's the me you never bothered to understand the me that's been waiting for this moment her actions became a blur the pain Stark unyielding reality she started with my toes plucking the knife under the fingernails and shoving them deeper I felt a pain

which I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy she leaned in for a kiss before stuffing her scarf into my mouth to shroud my yells once she was done with two fingernails on my right leg she moved to my knees and then the thighs each cut was precise a testament to her Twisted sense of justice my mind raced desperation clawing its way through the fog of fear chenna you don't want to do this remember the good times we had so many oh look at my poor baby you look so cute when you're crying she picked out

her cigarette and put it out against my neck as I screamed in pain again Jenna I'm sorry I I truly am but this isn't the way we can fix this together the room held its breath the night A Silent Witness to our tragic Tableau Jenna's eyes once a light with Fury now shimmered with unshed tears a glimmer of the woman I once knew something inside her was getting hurt to see me like this as well but the reprieve was fleeting her inner demons wrestling back control she picked out her lighter and set my beard on

fire laughing maniacally as I slowly saw the flame approaching towards my lips by the time it started burning badly she slapped it a bunch of times to make it stop boy did I Repent putting on a beard oil just an hour back Jenna wasn't just out for Revenge she was out to obliterate the very essence of our shared past to rewrite our history in Blood and Tears you think sweet words can save you now it's far too late for that Brian her resolve hardened each word and nail in the coffin of my hopes Jenna please

you don't have to do this think about what's at stake what's at stake only everything Brian don't you see you took everything from me my heart my dignity now it's your turn she paused her gaze lingering on the instruments of my torment in her eyes a storm raged a battle between the remnants of the person she once was and the monster she had become Jenna listen to me this isn't you this isn't the person I fell in love with you're better than this a flicker of Doubt crossed her face a crack in her facade I

pressed on my voice a Lifeline thrown into the turbulent sea of her psyche remember our first date the way you laughed at my stupid jokes the way you looked under the Moonlight that's the Jenna I know that's the Jenna I believe is still there she hesitated the knife in her hand trembling I I don't know it's real anymore her confession was a window an opening I desperately needed my heart raced not just with fear now but with a glimmer of hope it's not too late Jenna you don't have to be defined by this night let

me help you we can get through this together her resolve wavered the knife clattering to the floor as her hands found her face muffling her sobs it has to be done Brian you can never be anyone else's I love you I can't let you go so I will kill you first then kill myself this way we'll be together forever it was then in her moment of weakness that I found the strength to act using the chair I managed to knock it over the impact jarring enough to loosen the ropes that bound me my hands numb

and clumsy worked at the knots as I finally freed myself Jenna's sobs filled the room as she stood paralyzed crying I picked the knife and threw it out before picking her up and pinning her against the wall Jenna look at me we're going to get through this you need help and I'm going to be there for you but first we need to end this nightmare my words seemed to reach her a Lifeline admidst the storm I called 911 while she sat holding her head and they promised that she'll get a therapist I received treatment at

the hospital later and it was then that the emotions truly gripped me I cried that night I cried a [Music] lot the calmness of the night was a stark contrast to the storm brewing within my home as a cyber security major I was proud of myself on my understanding of the digital world a realm I believed I had mastered but nothing in my studies had prepared me for the terror that was to unfold it began with an innocuous enough event a flicker of movement barely perceptible I dismissed it as a trick of the light or

a figment of my overworked imagination you're seeing things Megan time for a break but the illusion of safety was shattered the moment I heard it the unmistakable sound of a camera shutter clicking from somewhere within the depths of my house my heart stopped my blood ran cold and the chilling realization hit me I was not alone frantically I scanned my surroundings every shadow every corner but found nothing the silence that followed was oppressive suffocating then my phone buzzed a message Anonymous with nothing but a link was sitting in notifications I clicked it and my blood

turned to ice linked to a live stream revealing a view of my own living room from an angle I hadn't placed a camera and there he was a figure cloaked in darkness his face obscured but his intentions clear standing in my bedroom upstairs welcome to your nightmare Megan his voice was a twisted Melody a harbinger of the horrors to come I stared Frozen as he began to move through my room with a disturbing familiarity each step a declaration of his control I grabbed onto a kitchen knife but he had seen it on the live stream

just like I could witness my own house from the view of 18 cameras who was he how did he get inside how did he Place those cameras and what was he planning to do when I looked back at the phone he had disappeared from my room which meant that he could be anywhere in my house the game had begun his rules his playground my home had become a hunting ground he taunted me leaving me to discover Twisted tokens of his presence a bloody knife here a lock of hair there his actions were calculated designed not

just to scare but to mentally unravel me you can't hide Megan I'm everywhere you're playing by my rules now who are you why are you doing this leave my house right now or I will call the police you have a phone in your palms Megan place the call but remember if you close your phone or switch to any other app your phone will explode in your hand his words echoed in my mind a psychological warfare meant to break me but admidst the terror a spark of defiance ignited within me I couldn't outmuscle him but maybe

just maybe I could outsmart him I remembered my studies my projects on cyber security and hacking if I could get to my equipment if I could just access the network what do you want from me I cried or at least fake cried I had to appear as weak as possible to him to come up with my contingency plan I made my way to the basement while weeping it housed my makeshift lab filled with servers and monitors it was a fortress of technology and within its walls I found my courage if I could get to the

server room I could make contact with the authorities outside as I finally entered the server room locking the door behind me I faced the screens my fingers poised above the keyboard this was it the battlefield I knew where I held the advantage I went to work straight away I began to weave my Counterattack a silent plea for help embedded within the code the night was far from over but for the first time since the nightmare began I dared to hope the stage was set the players positioned the game however was about to change as I

sat in the dimly lit server room my hands moved With a Purpose Driven by fear and an unwavering resolve to end this nightmare the psycho believed he was the Puppeteer but in the digital world I was in my element my plan was simple yet risky hack into the cameras he'd so confidently installed and send out a distress signal the T askk it was daunting my fingers danced across the keyboard commands flowing with an urgency fueled by adrenaline I tapped into the live stream injecting a hidden message into the metadata a digital SOS aimed at anyone

Savvy enough to notice time was a luxury I didn't have with each passing moment his patience would wear thin and he'd come looking for me I had to act fast then I heard it the sound of footsteps approaching slow and deliberate he was near you can't hide in there forever Megan come out and play his taunts echoed through the door each word a twisted invitation to a dance of death but I focused on my screen my heart pounding in my chest as I work to reroute the signal to make my invisible Cry for Help visible

to the outside world and then success the message was out a beacon cutting through the digital noise but there was no time to celebrate no time to wait for rescue I had to survive until help arrived I prepared myself for his inevitable entry setting up a makeshift barricade the room was Secure but I knew it wouldn't hold him for long I needed a weapon something to defend myself with my eyes scanned the room landing on a smoldering iron it was no gun but it would have to do this ends tonight the door began to shake

his attempts to break through growing more violent I stood ready the hot iron in hand my entire body tensed for the confrontation suddenly the door gave way and he stormed in his figure a mass of rage and frustration but the element of surprise was mine as he Advanced I swung with all my might the smoldering iron connecting with his flesh eliciting a howl of pain you little bit but didn't stop to hear his curses I pushed past him running out into the night screaming for help behind me the psycho was in Pursuit his own screams

a mixture of rage and Agony the chase was short-lived lights flashed in the distance Sirens cutting through the Silence of the night the police Guided by my digital SOS finally arrived as they took him down I collapsed the adrenaline fading leaving me shaking and exhaust Ed the officers rushed to my side their voices a comforting blur as I tried to process the reality that I was safe that it was over you're safe if you don't mind can I ask you a few questions as I recounted the night's events the realization of what I'd survived what

I'd accomplished began to sink in IID faced my deepest fears fought back against the darkness and emerged Victorious not just as a Survivor but as a warrior of the digital age the psycho was taken away his reign of terror ended by a combination of my will to survive in the very technology he'd used to terrorize me as the dawn broke casting light on the chaos of the night I knew I'd never be the same I'd been tested pushed to my limits and in The Crucible of fear I had found a strength I never knew I

possessed the night of Terror was over but the memory of it of the Power Within Me would stay forever in the digital Shadows I had found my light my resolve and my defiance