New HORROR Stories in 2025 That Will Keep You Up at Night! | Horror Stories

I was in Middle School when this happened just a kid around 12 or 13 years old my best friend and I lived right next to each other so we always walked to and from the bus stop together it was a routine we never thought twice about that afternoon as we made our way home a faded red pickup truck rolled past us at an unsettlingly slow pace in our small quiet neighborhood where everyone knew everyone this truck stood out immediately neither of us recognized it the driver leaned forward slightly his gaze fixed on us intense and unwavering a chill ran down my spine before we could react he suddenly sped up roaring down to the end of the block before Vanishing around the corner my best friend and I exchanged easy glances that was weird we muttered brushing it off maybe he was just lost there were a few houses up for sale nearby after all we continued walking the tension fading until we reached the halfway point of the block that's when the red truck reappeared this time it was coming straight toward us fast but just as it neared the driver slowed down again my heartbeat quickened the driver's side window was now rolled down and though I can't recall his entire face I do remember one thing vividly he had tattoos covering his face my gut screamed that something wasn't right we passed him cautiously refusing to make eye contact and he passed us just as slowly then Instinct kicked in I glanced over my shoulder and my stomach dropped his brake lights flared red the truck jerked to a stop the driver's door swung open run I screamed without hesitation we bolted toward my best friend's house my house was closer but no adults were home hers was our only Safe Haven we raced up the steps practically throwing ourselves through the front door the moment we were inside we slammed it shut and locked every bolt Every Chain every latch my best friend's mom stormed in angry at how violently we had entered until she saw our faces breathless terrified we told her everything as if on Q the red pickup truck crawled down the street once more from the window we watched him his head turned from side to side scanning searching my best friend's mom grabbed the phone and called the local police department's non-emergency line her voice tight with concern while she was on the phone the truck circled our block twice then just as suddenly as he had appeared he was gone not long after police patrols started showing up in our neighborhood but the red pickup truck we never saw it again for a week after that we refused to walk to the bus stop my best friend's mom drove us to and from school every single day even now the thought of that truck sends shivers down my spine whoever that man was whatever he wanted I'm just grateful we never found out before the pandemic swept across the United States I was attending college in a city a few hours away from my hometown my best friend from high school and I had rented an apartment together creating our little Safe Haven in the bustling City one weekend she decided to visit her family leaving me alone because I had to work it was Friday my schedule was free that day so after finishing my classes I decided to unwind with some true crime documentaries as evening settled in I made my way to the kitchen to prepare dinner the clock read somewhere between 6:30 and 7:00 p. m. when an unexpected thunderous knock echoed through my apartment I froze my heart pounded in my chest something about it felt off normally I wouldn't hesitate to check but this time an eerie sensation gripped me whispering in the back of my mind don't open the door I stayed perfectly still straining to listen to whatever was happening outside a second knock followed just as loud just as forceful then a voice rang out apartment check for 219 a chill ran down my spine I knew something wasn't right the apartment complex's office maintenance and any official staff had long since closed at 400 p.

m. there was no reason anyone should be knocking at this hour holding my breath I remained silent hoping they would move on I listened as the same sequence played out at two other apartments down the hall each time the same line was repeated apartment check for 219 but this wasn't 219 they weren't looking for a specific unit they were trying to get inside any of them even though the knocking eventually stopped I couldn't shake the unease settling deep in my gut I forced myself to carry on with my night but my senses were heightened every small noise made me jump every shadow outside my window seemed darker than usual later that evening I decided to run across the street to the 7-Eleven for a quick errand despite the short distance I took my car there was no way I was walking alone at night in a neighborhood like this the moment I turned onto my street on the way back my stomach dropped flashing red and blue lights lit up the night at least four or five police cars were parked directly outside my building my breath caught as I spotted a man in handcuffs being led into the back of a cruiser I had no proof that this was connected to the strange KNX earlier but in my gut I knew it was I don't know exactly what their plan had been whether it was a scam to gain entry or something even more Sinister maybe they were looking to Rob Apartments posing as workers to scout out vulnerable residents or maybe it was something worse the only thing I do know I am so grateful I never opened that door last night I came face to face with something I can't explain a skinwalker it was around 1:00 a. m.

when I decided to sneak out of my parents house to visit a friend the journey was long six miles through desolate back roads and stretches of open Countryside by the time I arrived the clock had just hit 2: a. m. we spent a while talking before deciding to take a walk to a nearby winery a place with an old playground that had always given off an eerie Vibe at night as we approached the time was exactly 2:59 a.

m. the winery's driveway stretched out before us splitting into two paths about 40 ft ahead there were no street lights no flashlights in our hands only the cold silver glow of the Moon Lighting our way my friend casually mentioned that there were horses kept in stables near by and suggested we take a quick look but before he could finish his sentence we both saw it a figure moving on four legs silently crossed the fork in the road ahead at first we thought it was a horse that had escaped an odd sight but not impossible but then as if sensing our presence the thing Rose onto two feet our breath caught in our throats it turned toward us its towering form silhouetted against the Moonlight standing at nearly 9 ft tall it was unnaturally thin its limbs stretched Beyond human proportions its knees were bent backward giving it an unsettling predatory stance each of its arms hung low at least 5 ft long but the most horrifying detail its face it was Almost Human yet wrong at that moment an instinctive fear took hold of us we were frozen unable to breathe unable to move then without warning it turned away and continued walking on two feet Vanishing into the shadows as if it had never been there reality shattered around us we had thought it was a horse then a person but now we knew the truth it was neither Panic surged through us our bodies shook uncontrollably as we backed away step by step terrified to turn our backs on whatever it was the night had gone from unsettling to downright nightmarish we fumbled for our phones switching on the flashlights Illuminating the rural path ahead as we hurried back the trees on either side of us loomed taller their branches whispering in the wind or was something moving in them we kept hearing sounds Twigs snapping faint rustling something was out there something was following by the time we reached my friend's house I could couldn't take it anymore my hands trembled as I pulled out my phone and called my parents I didn't care about getting in trouble I just wanted to get out of there it was about 3:20 a. m.

when I made the call my parents groggy and Confused promised to come right away then the noises started again all around me the sound of movement sticks breaking leaves crunching footsteps but not quite human it was circling hidden just beyond the trees my pulse pounded in my ears as my breath came in ragged gasps I clutched my phone voice shaking as I begged my parents to hurry for a moment everything went still then 2 minutes later headlights pierced the darkness as my parents' car pulled up the moment I saw them I sprinted to safety that night I couldn't sleep I kept kept replaying it over and over in my mind hoping praying that I had imagined it but when I called my friend later his voice was just as shaken as mine we had both seen it this wasn't a nightmare this wasn't a trick of the mind this was real and I am never sneaking out again until today I had never shared this experience outside of a few close friends but after posting a story in response to a thread on r/p paranormal someone directed me to this subreddit after reading a few Chilling Tales here I knew this was the place to finally tell my own my friends and I were no strangers to the Untamed Wilderness we often set up camp deep within Eldorado National Forest always returning to a secluded spot along SEO Springs that particular weekend we had planned a 3-day foraging trip bringing only the essentials Ares in case we couldn't find enough food a couple of firearms for safety and just enough supplies to build a makeshift shelter the first night was nothing out of the ordinary we caught and cooked some crawdads along with a squirrel my buddy managed to shoot a few beers later we settled in and slept soundly under the vast star pierced sky but by the time the sun crept over the trees the next morning something felt off one of my friends and I had already had unsettling experiences in this part of the forest before and that Eerie sensation of being watched started creeping in again the air felt unnaturally still no rustling leaves no chirping insects no distant howls just silence and not the comforting kind by Nightfall that unease had only deepened my friends decided to Trek about 200 yards up the stream to gather some supplies eyes that left me alone at Camp as soon as they were out of sight that suffocating Stillness wrapped around me tighter Instinct screamed at me that I was not alone my skin prickled with the sensation of unseen eyes locked onto me from the darkness beyond the fire's glow to push back against the Goring dread I stoked the fire high and clutched my rifle tight that's when I heard it faint voices low indistinct murmurs drifting from the trees coming from the opposite direction of where my friends had gone the sound was just at the edge of perception almost as if whoever or whatever was speaking didn't want to be heard my heartbeat pounded in my ears as I scanned the Shadows then movement about 50 yards out something shifted between the trees I shouldered my rifle peering through the scope barely able to make out the shape illuminated by the fire's flickering light at first it looked human but something was horribly wrong it was crawling on all fours yet its arms were disturbingly long almost like an Apes but with an unnatural gate its posture was too low to the ground its movements too fluid too deliberate I had only a second to process what I was seeing before it slipped deeper into the Blackness of the forest and then the rustling started light deliberate movements leaves shifting Twigs snapping but never in one place for long whatever was out there wasn't retreating it was circling me stalking me always on the opposite side of Camp from where my friends had gone every Instinct screamed at me to stay alert I kept my rifle ready the fire roaring scanning the woods for any sign of movement my breaths came shallow my hands tight on the grip but I never saw it again then suddenly footsteps but this time it was my friends returning to Camp earlier than expected they found me on edge gun raised eyes darting through the darkness as soon as I told them what happened their expressions darkened they had heard the same Eerie murmers while up the stream and just like me they had felt something watching them from the trees that was why they had hurried back that night none of us slept we built the fire higher than ever before taking turns keeping watch at first light we packed up and left in record time hardly speaking a word we never camped in that spot again I've had more let's not meet encounters than I can count but this one remains my personal favorite one my brother never gets tired of retelling to his friends so here it is about 12 years ago when I was 22 I worked at a small video rental store it was just a few days before Halloween when my manager approached me with a request would you mind working that night everyone else wants it off being the reliable employee I was I agreed then just for fun I asked can I wear a costume she smirked sure wear whatever you want I grinned mischievously how about dressing up as a chick I had been joking but she raised an eyebrow and replied you don't have the guts challenge accepted deter mined I went all out I bought a wig a dress and some cheap makeup I even borrowed a bra from my let's just say slightly unhinged girlfriend at the time but that's another story I did my best to mimic her makeup routine and soon I was transformed satisfied with my new look I headed out on foot toward work my apartment was only about half a mile from the store and since everything I needed was within walking distance I never bothered with a car car the route was familiar across the street take the bridge cut through an abandoned parking lot and finally pass through an alley before arriving it was dark but I had done this walk countless times without any trouble that night however was different halfway across the bridge I spotted a man probably in his late 20s or early 30s walking toward me as we drew closer I noticed him eyeing me checking me out actually I chuckled to myself amused at the idea that I must be pulling off this look a little too well I kept walking suppressing my laughter at the absurdity of the situation after passing through the parking lot and stepping into the alley I was lost in thought until I Heard a Voice hey sexy girl before I could react a sharp stinging slap landed on my backside not a playful tap but a full force smack that burned through the thin fabric of my dress what the I spun around heart pounding and came face to face with the guy from The Bridge his cocky smirk instantly vanished when he realized his mistake oh man I I'm sorry for a moment I was too stunned to react then Fury took over I grabbed the collar of his shirt and shoved him backward with all my strength he stumbled falling hard onto the pavement adrenaline surging I stepped forward ready to make him regret his decision but he he was fast scrambling to his feet he bolted in the opposite direction his frantic yells echoing down the alley I stood there still processing what had just happened my heart raced as I replayed the encounter in my head did that really just happen eventually I made it to work the second my manager saw me she burst into laughter I didn't think you'd actually do it her laughter only doubled when I recounted my near assault so to the creepy guy who thought he scored an easy target it let's not meet again ever this is the story of how my paranoia fueled by a little too much weed ended up saving my life or if you prefer a more dramatic title the night I chased a creep down the street with a kitchen knife now before you call me insane hear me out I've hesitated to tell this story for a long time because honestly it makes me sound completely unhinged but the more I think about it the more I realize I need to share it because if I don't it'll keep Goring at me and let's be real there isn't a single person in my life I could tell this to without them thinking I belong in a padded cell I'm a woman I was 25 when this happened before I dive into the real nightmare here's a little necessary backstory I smoke weed not just for fun though I won't lie that's a big part of it but I also have terrible insomnia and getting high helps me sleep that being said one side effect I wasn't prepared for was the paranoia it wasn't a huge deal at first just little things like feeling a bit jumpy at night but when I switched from regular smoking to vaping things escalated fast vaping hit differently it was smoother stronger and unfortunately sent my paranoia through the roof I got so anxious that I genuinely believed at one point there was someone else living in my apartment spoiler sober me proved there wasn't but that fear got so real that I started hiding kitchen knives around my place convinced I'd need them if an intruder ever showed up and yes I know what you're thinking why not just stop smoking well the truth is I couldn't I was hooked and the paranoia just became part of the package deal it got to the point where I had to buy new kitchen knives because the ones I origin Ally had were stashed all over my apartment but instead of putting them back where they belonged I decided to leave them hidden and just bought more yeah I know wild among my new purchases was this large chopping knife covered in an orange rubber sheath and for reasons I can't explain I didn't put it away like the others instead I shoved it into my purse where it settled at the bottom buried under old receipts crumpled tissues and spare tampons over time I forgot it was even there like just another random piece of junk now here's where things take a turn one night after work I stepped outside to take a few hits from my vape before heading home a quick dose nothing major I popped in some eye drops and was about to leave when my manager called me back inside Apparently one of my co-workers had bailed on cleanup Duty and lucky me I had to cover for them and lock up annoying but whatever it was a Friday night and I didn't feel like arguing what should have taken a few minutes stretched out forever because of course my manager flaked on me too leaving me alone to handle everything by the time I finally got out of there it was late I wasn't exactly sober but I wasn't completely out of it either still instead of paying for a ride I made the questionable decision to walk the 10 to 15 minutes home and because I clearly wasn't making smart choices that night I took a few more hits before setting off that's when the real nightmare began the further I walked the quieter the streets became the Eerie silence only made my paranoia worse my skin prickled as I glanced around checking my surroundings and that's when I saw him a man turned the corner onto my street dressed in dark clothes a heavy jacket and a cap pulled low over his face an odd Choice considering how mild the night was in instantly my instinct screamed at me something about him felt off I locked onto him my paranoia sharpening into hyper awareness and then he crossed the street not just randomly he deliberately moved to walk behind me my pulse kicked up every nerve in my body was on high alert I kept walking trying to act normal but I could feel him there trailing behind me I didn't like it I didn't trust it so I'm made a snap decision I crossed the street and that's when my stomach dropped instead of continuing on his way he crossed over with me my brain instantly threw up a red flag every nerve in my body screamed at me that something was wrong but in my hazy State I wasn't sure if it was just paranoia or if my instincts were genuinely warning me yet despite that like a complete fool I crossed the street again and when he followed me again the Panic inside me exploded I knew I had messed up he was aware that I'd noticed him and now I was alone on a dimly lit street with this stranger whose intentions I couldn't even begin to guess there was no one nearby no one to call for help I was defenseless or was I a thought flickered through my mind sharp clear and Urgent you have a weapon my pulse pounded as I remembered the large knife tucked inside my bag its bright orange sheath impossible to miss the bag was slung over my shoulder resting in front of me hiding my actions from him I fumbled with trembling fingers forcing myself to stay as quiet as possible as I dug through my belongings when my hand finally closed around the handle a rush of relief washed over me the moment I pulled the knife free of its cover and saw the blade gleam under the street light something inside me steadied but then I looked up he was closer too close and he was moving fast I stopped walking my breath caught in my throat as my brain calculated the options run he looked wiry and quick I wouldn't stand a chance fight the knife suddenly felt like an extension of my own hand solid and Powerful I didn't even realize I was turning until I was fully facing him my grip tightening it was without a doubt the most Reckless and bravest thing I had ever done he halted a flicker of hesitation crossed him he wasn't expecting this then his gaze landed on the knife we stood Frozen in a silent standoff his Cap's Shadow obscured his face making it impossible to read his thoughts but his body betrayed him I could see it the calculation the uncertainty I was trembling but the weight of the blade in my hand grounded me in a way I never imagined possible his hand hands were empty mine weren't and that gave me an idea I took a step forward he didn't react at first he just watched but as I closed the distance inch by inch his foot twitched he shifted his weight just slightly stepping back it was barely anything a minuscule movement but it sent something Primal surging through me a long buried Instinct clawed its way to the surface screaming one command attack back before I could think my body moved I lunged he stumbled sheer Panic twisting his features as he turned to flee I could have touched him I almost did my blade slashed downward the tip catching on the Hem of His coat for just a fraction of a second before slipping free if I hadn't been gripping it with all my strength I might have dropped it but I didn't and he must have felt something because the next moment he was running like the Devil Himself was on his heels for reasons I still don't fully understand I ran after him he was faster he should have gotten away easily but when he glanced back maybe to check if I was still there maybe out of pure fear his foot wavered his ankle twisted and his stride faltered he tried to recover but I saw the weakness I was gaining on him and God helped me I enjoyed it adrenaline roared through my veins Drdrowning out everything else I wasn't afraid anymore I was exhilarated something about watching him scramble desperate to escape me made me feel something dark something powerful a laugh bubbled up from my throat before I could stop it echoing through the empty Street like a warped nightmare then like a cold slap reality hit me what was I doing what would I do if I caught him the question shattered the trance my feet skidded to a stop as my rational mind wrestled back control I watched panting as he disappeared around the corner Vanishing into the night my body was shaking not just from exertion but from the sheer terrifying knowledge of what had just happened I bent over hands on my knees gasping for breath my brain was racing trying to process it all had I imagined it was this real had I really just chased a man with a knife and worst of all if I had caught him what would I have done the surge of adrenaline quickly Twisted into pure Terror and disbelief my entire body trembled my breath came in ragged gasps and only then did I realize I was still clutching the knife my fingers went numb as I shoved it into my bag my heart hammering against my ribs like it was trying to escape I spun around and bolted my legs moving before my mind could process anything I ran until my lungs felt like they were on fire my muscles screaming for relief but I didn't stop not until exhaustion dragged me down forcing me into an uneasy jog then a shaky walk by the time I reached home I was barely standing I slammed the door shut twisting the lock with a desperate clatter sealing myself in the one place that felt remotely safe my legs buckled and I stumbled into the kitchen wrenching the fridge open with shaking hands I grabbed a bottle of water collapsed onto the freezing tile floor and tried to steady myself but my body betrayed me I was shaking so violently that most of the water spilled over my face my clothes and the floor around me somewhere in the chaos of my unraveling thoughts I realized I was crying silent sobs racking through me as the scene replayed in my head like a nightmare on an endless loop my mind twisted and contorted the memory spinning new Horrors alternate endings where I wasn't fast enough where I hesitated where I didn't make it home at all after what felt like hours lost in the Labyrinth of my own fear a single unsettling conclusion surfaced I was lucky stupidly impossibly lucky but I had been Reckless the paranoia from vaping had sharpened my instincts made me see him before he saw me but it had also made me an easier Target my high had dulled my judgment convincing me that walking home alone at that hour was a good idea the knife had saved me but it never should have come to that dragging myself off the floor I made my way to my room with a sudden Fierce determination my hands were still unsteady as I unscrewed the cap of my vape juice and dumped it into the toilet watching it swirl away I felt something lift off my chest something dark and heavy that had been weighing me down for too long it wasn't just about the night's Terror it was about control about not putting my myself in danger ever again back in the kitchen I hesitated before pulling the knife out of my purse the fabric inside had been slashed from my desperate escape a silent reminder of how close everything had come to spiraling out of control a twisted part of me almost wished for blood on the blade proof of what I had survived evidence that he had been the one running in fear not me but there was nothing just cold gleaming steel I forced the thought away away pressing down the shiver that ran through me throwing the knife away felt wrong it had saved my life so instead I carefully slid the orange cover back on and left it on the counter that night I stood under scolding water for an hour letting the steam swallow my sobs scrubbing away the fear clinging to my skin but even after I crawled into bed exhaustion pressing down on me like a weight I lay awake staring into the darkness my mind mind wouldn't let me rest it kept Whispering what if he comes back what if next time I'm not fast enough months passed before the fear faded before I could think about that night without my stomach knotting in Terror but now when I look back I can laugh just a little because no matter how terrified I was I can only hope that creep was even more afraid I hope he still has nightmares about the girl who turned the tables the one who chased him with a knife in her hand and Madness in her eyes and for the record I still keep that Orange kitchen knife in one of my purses I've been an Avid Reader of let's not meet for years every time I come across a story about stalkers and creepy Encounters this particular memory resurfaces in my mind it happened in the late summer of 2014 yet even now a decade later the details remain burned into my memory as if it were yesterday the year before in the fall of 2013 I had moved into an apartment with my then boyfriend I was freshly 18 and he was 22 his name was Mike a socially inept and manipulative person from the start something about him felt off he was distant emotionally detached yet he exercised an eerie level of control over my life though we shared common interests he forbade me from making new friends reconnecting with old ones or even enjoying life outside our our apartment I'd invite him to concerts featuring bands he loved but he'd decline I'd offer to introduce him to my friends again he refused the few times I dared to go out without him he would send me long poetically structured Word documents meticulously listing all of my perceived flaws one time after I smoked pot he sent me a message comparing me to Media slaughtering her own children when I say poetic I mean unsettlingly poetic when I say unhinged I mean downright disturbing inevitably we broke up a friend discovered his profile on a dating site and that was the final straw my parents helped me pack his things load them into a truck and deliver them straight to his parents' house just like that he was out of my life I kept the apartment and for the first time in what felt like forever I could breathe I relished my newfound Freedom having friends over reclaiming my space and embracing Solitude on my own terms but that peace didn't last long on my second night alone I was jolted awake by a knock at my door my eyes darted to the clock somewhere between 3: and 4:00 a. m. my gut told me to ignore it so I stayed put but then it happened again this time louder more urgent the knocking escalated into aggressive banging my heartbeat quickened but I forced myself to remain still silent eventually it stopped and I drifted back into uneasy sleep the next few days were normal I went out with friends had a few drinks came home alone and slept soundly but then at 4:00 a.

m. bang bang bang my stomach sank this time the knocking wasn't just knocking it was forceful insistent and then rattle someone was trying to turn the doorknob my breath caught in my throat fortunately my apartment though old and poorly maintained think peeling paint roaches and no air conditioning had one redeeming feature solid security two dead bolts and a chain lock stood between me and whoever was outside cautiously I peered through the peephole a blonde man stood there he didn't look like a strung out junkie or an unhinged lunatic but he was completely unfamiliar and no it wasn't Mike Mike was darkhaired and if he were to do something like this he'd send me another Twisted poem before breaking in I should have been terrified but for some reason a mix of exhaustion youthful recklessness and misplaced confidence made me dismiss the incident I climbed back into bed convincing myself that it was a one-time occurrence I was wrong night after night the knocking returned the banging the slamming the forceful rattling of the doorknob he never spoke a word just the Eerie methodical attempts to get in at times I could hear him throwing his entire weight against the door testing its strength and still I never called the police maybe it was my AKB phase or maybe I just didn't want to deal with the hassle instead I called my friend Pete Pete was an odd character he looked like the sniper from Saving Private Ryan gaunt sharp featured and intense in reality he wouldn't harm a fly but his appearance alone was enough to unnerve people together we concocted a plan we whispered our strategy waiting as the Knight stretched on midnight 1:00 a. m.

2: a. m. then at 3:00 a.

m.