16 TRUE Terrifying CHRISTMAS 🎄 Horror Stories for a Cold December night☃️ Vol.7

this happened a few years ago and it's something I'll never forget I was just a normal girl living my life and going to school like anyone else but everything changed when I met this guy who I'll call Joe we started off as friends hanging out and having fun but things took a weird unsettling turn during the Christmas holidays it All Began just before Christmas break the school day was winding down and I was packing my things up my best friend Jesse was sitting next to me chatting about how she couldn't wait to get away from

school and enjoy the holidays as I was getting ready to leave I told Joe that I wouldn't be able to text for a while since I was going to be spending most of my time with my family I had always been taught that family was the most important thing and holidays were meant for family not texting or hanging out with friends Joe nodded smiling and said he understood we had become pretty close by then and he seemed to get it before I left school Joe and I shared a quick hug it was a friendly hug

the kind you give when you're saying goodbye not expecting anything strange to happen Jesse and I headed off to catch the bus and we were looking forward to spending the holidays together Jesse had been dealing with some stuff at home so she was spending Christmas with my family I was glad to have her there we had been friends for years and it felt good to to know she would be safe and happy when we got to my house everything seemed normal it was Christmas Eve and my family was already preparing for the big day we

exchanged gifts and caught up on everything it was a typical family Christmas lots of laughs food and excitement after a while Jesse and I started to get bored we went to my room sat down on the bed and started talking about boys we laughed and joked gossiping about crushes and everything else that came to mind it was then that I heard my phone Buzz I checked it and saw that Joe had sent me a message it was just a casual text asking what I was doing I wasn't busy at the moment so I decided to

reply we talked for a little while just chatting about random things it wasn't anything unusual I told him that I was just hanging out bored and he responded with something like man that sucks I'm just trying to kill time too it was the kind of conversation you'd expect between friends but then things started to get a little weird Joe's next message was a bit more thoughtful almost like he was giving me advice if you're going outside wear a coat gloves and a hat don't want you to get sick I thought it was strange because Jesse

and I had been planning to go for a walk in the snow but how did he know I didn't mention it to him we hadn't even talked about going outside that day was he guessing or was he somehow watching me I thought it was a little odd but I Shrugged it off and texted back okay dad trying to make light of the situation I tossed my phone in my coat pocket and then I went outside to join Jesse she was already waiting for me bundled up in her jacket and ready to go we started walking

around the yard singing Christmas carols and being goofy trying to make the best of the evening it was fun but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off after a while Jesse got a call from one of her other friends so I sat down on a bench to wait I pulled out my phone and checked it again there were at least 50 new messages from Joe my heart skipped a beat as I looked at the screen the tone of his messages had completely changed instead of the usual casual chatting the texts were filled with

anxiety and fear one message said why aren't you replying are you okay another one please answer me I'm worried I was confused why was Joe acting like this we had talked earlier and everything seemed fine why was he suddenly so upset I started reading more of the messages they were increasingly desperate I need to know you're okay and please let me know you're all right the messages went on one after another I showed the texts to Jesse and we both felt a growing sense of unease this wasn't like Joe at all he wasn't n usually

like this I tried to reply typing on fine just busy stop worrying but as soon as I hit send my phone rang it was Joe I didn't answer it at first but it kept ringing finally I reluctantly answered putting the phone on speaker so Jesse could hear Hey Moon Joe's voice came through calm and steady far too calm considering how frantic his texts had been are you okay he asked Jesse gave me a confused look and I pulled up the messages to show her the dozens of texts he had sent me she was just as

freaked out as I was what was going on why was Joe acting like this Jesse grabbed the phone from me and started talking to him asking why he was so worried and why he was acting like this but Joe's answers were vague and he didn't really explain anything his voice was still calm and it made everything feel even creepier at one point he hung up on her we tried to brush it off but both of us felt uneasy Matt one of my other friends showed up just as we were talking I quickly explained what had

been happening with Joe and Matt seemed just as confused and unsettled Joe wasn't a friend of Matt's but he knew of him still he wasn't sure why Joe would act like this we all decided to keep walking trying to shake off the weirdness of the situation as we walked I noticed no another text from Joe my heart raced when I saw it it said tell Matt to stop holding your hand my stomach dropped I hadn't even been texting him how did he know what we were doing we hadn't been talking about anything like that was

he watching us I didn't reply to the message instead I sent a text back are you following us his response came quickly you're mine and that was the final straw I blocked Joe immediately hoping that would end it Jesse and I said goodbye to Matt and went back to my house both of us trying to act like nothing was wrong but inside we were both shaken later that night after my family had gone to bed Jesse and I were still up talking in my room my phone rang again and I didn't want to answer it

but I did anyway to my horror it was from a different number but I could still recognize Joe's voice Merry Christmas Moon he said in a chilling tone don't forget you're mine then he hung up Jesse and I stared at the phone shocked I recognized the voice immediately it was Joe but how could it be him I had blocked him he shouldn't have been able to call from another number another text came in nice pajamas you look pretty at Red I felt a cold shiver run down my spine how did he know what I was

wearing we both looked out the window our hearts pounding in our chests and that's when we saw saw it a dark figure running into the woods behind my house we froze neither of us knew what to do I immediately called my parents who were asleep upstairs and told them everything they were just as shocked as we were we stayed inside for the rest of the night locking all the doors and windows I couldn't stop looking outside waiting for something else to happen the rest of the holiday passed without incident but the feeling of being watched

never really left me every time I went outside or even just moved around the house I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was out there just waiting I never saw Joe again but I'll never forget the way he made me feel that Christmas it was the kind of feeling you can't ignore like you're not alone even when you are to this day I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't blocked him that night I hope I never find out Austin and I have been together for 3 years we started dating when I was just

17 and still in high school It All Happened fast we were only a couple of months into our relationship when I moved in with him I was young unsure of a lot of things but I knew I wanted to be with him things got complicated though my parents didn't approve and Austin had a falling out with his brother so about a month before the end of my senior year he moved in with my family it wasn't long after that we decided to get our own place 4 days before my graduation we got our first house

together it wasn't much nothing fancy or pretty but it was ours the neighborhood wasn't great but the rent was cheap and we were determined to make it work the house had its flaws though the roof was old and leaky the basement was damp and all the windows were broken someone had even spray painted graffiti on the siding along the driveway it was rough but we worked hard to fix it up piece by piece making it livable it wasn't easy most of our weekends were spent patching holes scrubbing the graffiti and fixing what we could with

our limited budget even though it was exhausting we were proud of what we were building together for the first 6 months everything was fine but then things started happening little things at first easy to brush off I'd wake up some mornings to find the clothes I had laid out neatly on the dresser scattered across the floor I told myself it must have been my clumsiness or maybe the house settling then when I was home alone I'd hear the floorboards creaking in the hallway as if someone was walking back and forth I tried to ignore it

but it only ever happened when I was by myself sometimes I'd think I saw something move out of the corner of my eye a shadow darting past or a flicker of motion in the dark but every time I turned to look there was nothing there it felt silly to bring it up like I was making something out of nothing I didn't say anything to Austin I didn't want to sound ridiculous or like I was losing my mind but then one night something happened that I couldn't ignore I walked into the house after stepping out onto

the back porch and I saw Austin standing in the middle of the hallway staring into the dark bedroom there was something about the way he was standing so tense and focused Austin I called out to him he jumped and spun around his face pale and his eyes wide with fear where did you just come from he asked his voice shaky I was outside I said why I just saw you he said looking back toward the bedroom you were standing there in the dark I asked what you were doing but you didn't answer me you just

stood there then I heard the back door close and when I looked back you were gone Austin I've been outside I said inching closer to him you know I'm scared of the dark I wouldn't stand in there for no reason I wrapped my arms around him trying to comfort him but I could feel his body trembling that was the first time he admitted he'd seen something too but it wouldn't be the last the next incident happened just before Christmas I love Christmas so the house was filled with lights and decorations I had even put a

string of lights along the hallway to light the path to the bathroom at night night one evening after a long day at work I was so tired that I collapsed onto the couch and fell asleep watching YouTube videos when I woke up the house was silent too silent I always have some sort of noise on a fan or music but now it was completely quiet the lights were off too every single one of them I reached for my phone to turn on the flashlight but it wouldn't power on the screen flashed briefly to show the

battery was dead that didn't make sense it had been fully charged earlier I sat there in the darkness my heart pounding I didn't know what time it was since all the clocks in the house were digital um it was pitch black so dark I couldn't even see my own hands in front of me I tried to stay calm telling myself the power must have gone out but then I heard it the basement stairs creaked One Step then another slowly my stomach dropped I realized I hadn't locked the Bas bement door when I came home I

froze listening as the footsteps grew louder coming up the stairs my breathing became shallow and I held my breath hoping whoever it was wouldn't find me then the basement door slammed open heavy footsteps pounded down the hallway I bolted from my bedroom slamming the door shut and locking it just in time and whatever it was whoever it was was now in the hallway I heard it stop outside the door scratching slow deliberate scratching against the wood then a loud bang it hit the door so hard I thought it would break my heart was racing and

I clapped a hand over my mouth to muffle My Cries I felt something in my gut a voice almost telling me that if I let this thing inside I'd never see Austin again the banging continued Relentless and terrifying then just as suddenly as it started it stopped a house went quiet but I didn't move I didn't trust it minutes passed maybe hours and then I heard the slow creaking sound of footsteps retreating back toward the basement light suddenly appeared under the door the hallway lights were back on my phone vibrated in my hand as it

powered back on showing a full battery I had dozens of missed calls and texts from Austin it was only 1:00 a.m. he was still at work I grabbed my phone my vape and a knife from my purse and I ran outside I sat in the cold until Austin came home when I told him what happened he didn't believe me he thought I must have had a nightmare but I knew what I heard I knew what I felt by Christmas Eve I couldn't handle being alone in that house anymore that night I sat in the living

room with Austin's air rifle in my hands and a flashlight by my side I kept every light in the house on determined to stay awake but as the clock neared midnight the noises started again first it was faint scratching at the windows then something banged on the back door I gripped the rifle tighter my heart racing suddenly the back door burst open and a figure ran into the kitchen I screamed and fired the rifle hitting the figure in the leg they fell to the ground groaning it was Austin he had come home early from work

to surprise me as I helped him up shaking and apologizing I asked him if he had been banging on the windows before coming inside he swore he hadn't whatever it was whoever it was was still out there in the weeks that followed things escalated one night Austin and I both woke to the sound of the basement door slamming shut we crept down the hallway together armed with a baseball bat and a flashlight when we opened the door we were greeted by an icy gust of air and the sight of the basement completely empty but the

cold it wasn't natural it felt like something was breathing down our necks finally we decided we couldn't stay in the house any longer we packed our belongings as quickly as we could leaving most of the furniture behind on our last night there as we were loading the car we both heard it a low gutural laugh coming from the basement we didn't wait to investigate we drove off and never looked back we we since moved into a small apartment across town it's cramped but it's warm and more importantly it's safe sometimes late at night I catch

Austin staring off into space his brow furrowed I know he's thinking about the house I know because I think about it too we never found out what was in that house and honestly I'm not sure I want to know it was Christmas Eve and I was was driving home with my girlfriend after a family gathering at my aunt's house in estada my mom's family always threw big Christmas celebrations and this year was no different it had been my girlfriend's first time meeting my extended family but she got along with everyone surprisingly well the day had

been full of laughter poker games presents and plenty of drinks by the time we had to leave my girlfriend was more than a little tipsy so I was the one driving us home it was around 11:00 p.m. when we got onto Highway 211 this stretch of road cuts through farmland and thick Woods some parts are lit but many sections are pitch black luckily I'd grown up in the area and knew this road like the back of my hand even in the dark I felt confident driving through it we were talking enjoying the peacefulness of the

night and just soaking in the warm Buzz of the evening the car's headlights lit up the empty road ahead the forest on both sides closing in like a tunnel everything felt calm until we reached the hill there's a steep hill on that Highway that leads down to a bridge crossing over Deep Creek the trees are dense the Shadows thick and there are no street lights at all it's the kind of dark that feels heavy we're the only thing you can rely on as your headlights I started down the hill crossed the bridge and was just

beginning to to climb up the other side when it happened something darted across the road it came out of nowhere so fast that I barely had time to react I slammed on the brakes the car screeching to a halt my heart was pounding as I gripped the steering wheel staring into the darkness ahead whatever it was had disappeared into the trees on the other side of the road I turned to my girlfriend did you see that I asked my voice shaking slightly she nodded her face pale yeah but I don't know what it was at

first I thought it might have been a coyote they're common around here and I've seen them cross the road before but something about this felt wrong coyotes don't usually Sprint out in front of cars like that it felt deliberate almost unnatural curiosity got the better of me against my better judgment I decided to check it out stay in the car I told my girlfriend as I turned the vehicle around and switched on the high beams the bright light lit up the edge of the forest where the thing had disappeared I stepped out of the car

the cool night air hitting me and started walking toward the trees the forest was silent unnervingly so my footsteps crunched on the gravel shoulder as I approached the edge of the woods I couldn't see anything unusual just the Tangled mess of trees and shadows but something felt off my skin was crawling the hairs on the back of my neck standing straight up I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched the quietness felt unnatural as though the forest itself was holding its breath I scanned the darkness but nothing moved and yet that sense of

unease only grew stronger and then the car horn blasted the sound shattered the silence long and loud like someone was leaning on it I spun around my heart leaping into my throat my girlfriend had stayed in the car just like I told her but now she was frantically pointing at something in the darkness I followed her gaze and that's when I saw him about 50 ft away partially hidden by the trees was a man he was completely naked his skin smeared with dirt and mud he stood there motionless watching us in one hand he held

a hatchet for a moment we just stared at each other then to my horror he smiled it wasn't a friendly smile it was wide and unsettling a grin that made my stomach churn slowly he lifted his free hand and waved at us as if mocking our fear then without a word he turned and disappeared back into the woods I didn't need to be told twice I sprinted back to the car jumped in and slammed the door we're leaving now I said my voice trembling as I sped away my girlfriend finally found her voice she explained

what had happened while I was out of the car after the thing ran in front of us and vanished into the woods it must have circled around while I was looking for it near the edge of the forest it had emerged from another spot farther down the road just outside the reach of the headlights my girlfriend had spotted him out of the corner of her eye he was walking toward me his Hatchet raised like he was about to strike that's when she hit the horn scaring him off her voice shook as she described it he

was moving so quietly I almost didn't see him she said if I hadn't honked she trailed off but we both knew what could have happened my hands gripped the steering wheel tightly my Knuckles white I couldn't stop picturing the man's face the Twisted grin The Hatchet glinting faintly in the shadows we called the police as soon as we got home still shaken from the encounter an officer came to take our statement but there wasn't much they could do they searched the area but didn't find anyone matching the description or maybe they did and just didn't

tell us either way the officer had his own theory he believed the man was waiting to Ambush unsuspecting Travelers probably hoping to find someone alone my girlfriend's quick thinking had saved my life if she hadn't honked the horn I might not be here to tell this story the officer's words didn't bring much comfort as he left he told us to be careful and to avoid that stretch of highway 211 if possible especially at night his warning stayed with me replaying in my mind every time I thought about that night I kept wondering what would have

happened if I'd been out there alone with no one to sound the alarm the thought made my stomach turn I moved back to the area recently and I've driven that stretch of highway 21 many times since then each time I approach the hill my chest tightens and my eyes Dart toward the edges of the woods scanning for any movement I haven't seen the naked hatchet man again but I can tell you this every time I pass by Deep Creek I'm on high alert the memory of that smile that wave still sends chills down my spine

I'll never forget how close I came to something terrible that night sometimes when I'm driving alone and the road is quiet I feel that same une ease creeping back in the headlights cut through the darkness but they only show so much the Shadows Beyond them seem alive shifting and watching it's irrational I know but I can't help it that night changed how I see the woods the dark and even the safety of my own surroundings it's a Memory that refuses to fade a warning I'll carry with me every time I drive that lonely stretch of

highway [Music] this happened two years ago I work overnight for an IT company in Washington DC and I commute from a small place in Virginia called Stone Ridge it's located between Fairfax County and LOM County and the drive to work usually takes me about 45 minutes it's a pretty straightforward commute nothing unusual the week before Christmas I found out that I'd be working the night shift on Christmas Eve it was just going to be me and one other guy covering calls that night my wife wasn't happy about it we had planned to spend the evening

together as a family but now those plans were scrapped still there wasn't much I could do work was work and I had to show up the week went by and soon it was Christmas Eve as I was getting ready to leave the wind outside was howling we were in the middle of a windstorm that had already done some damage in the neighborhood a few houses nearby had shingles and siding blown off their roofs it was loud and Relentless just before I left my wife asked me to take down the Christmas wreath from the front door

she was worried the wind would rip it off and ruin it I opened the door pulled the wreath down and placed it on the ground a few feet from the entrance then I locked the door kissed my wife and son goodbye and headed out I didn't think much about the wreath after that it was just just another task before leaving for work that night at work was unusually quiet we only got a few calls mostly people needing password resets or help with account lockouts nothing major around 2: a.m. my phone rang it was my wife

she was panicked her voice shaking before I could even ask what was wrong she said you need to come home right now I tried to calm her down and asked her to tell me what happened she was talking fast her words stumbling over each other she told me that she had been asleep upstairs with our one-year-old son the baby was in his crib and she was in bed when she was jolted awake by a loud bang coming from downstairs the noise was so loud that our cat darted down the stairs yowling and hissing thinking maybe

the wind had knocked something over my wife got up to check on the cat she went downstairs expecting to find something simple maybe a fallen picture frame or a tipped over chair but what she saw froze her in place standing in the doorway where the front door had been forced open was what she could only describe as a large creature she said it looked like a massive dog or a bear but it was standing upright on two legs its frame filled the doorway and it was just standing there not moving but watching our cat was

in front of it for bristling and hissing aggressively the wind outside howled louder and the creature's Shadow stretched across the the floor flickering with the movement of the porch light terrified my wife didn't even take a second to look closer she grabbed the cat turned and bolted upstairs she locked herself the baby and the cat in the bedroom barricading the door with a chair once she was in the room she called me her voice was trembling as she begged me to come home hearing this I told her to hang up and call the police immediately

I was already grabbing my stuff and heading to my car I promised her I was on my way the whole drive home my mind was racing I kept thinking about what she described a bear a dog something standing on two legs it didn't make sense and then there was the thought of my wife and son being alone with whatever was in our house I drove as fast as I could barely noticing the speedometer honestly I figured if a cop pulled me over I'd explain everything and theyd just follow me home luckily I didn't get stopped

the streets were eerily quiet and the wind was still howling bending trees and scattering debris across the road when I arrived the scene was chaotic four police cars were parked outside their lights flashing painting the street in red and blue I jumped out of my car and immediately told the officers who I was they let me inside and I ran straight upstairs to check on my wife and son they were okay shaken up but unharmed my wife was still trembling holding our son close while the cat curled up at her feet she told me that

after she had hung up with me she could hear heavy footsteps moving around downstairs things were being shifted dragged she stayed locked in the room until the police arrived after making sure my family was safe I went downstairs with the officers the front door had been completely broken off its hinges it wasn't just blown open by the wind it had been forced the officers and I checked the house from top to bottom nothing was stolen but what we found was unsettling the wreath I had placed outside before leaving it was now inside the house carefully

placed on top of my son's toy box in the living room and several of my son's Christmas presents which had been under the tree were moved into the kitchen and stacked neatly on the counter it was as if someone or something had rearranged them with purpose the thought made my stomach turn the police told me ours wasn't the only house hit that night four other homes in the area had reported break-ins they blamed the wind for pushing open doors but that explanation didn't sit right with me wind doesn't move Presents Across rooms or carefully place

a wreath on a toy box and it certainly doesn't leave Footprints large almost claw like Prince on the hardwood floor near the door that's same day I went to Home Depot and bought everything I needed to reinforce our doors and windows I installed new locks dead bolts and even a security bar for the front door I wasn't taking any chances that night as we tried to sleep every little Sound Outside made me sit up and listen the wind had died down but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was still out there whatever it was

that came into our home that night I hope we never meet again but but if we do I'll be ready next time I'll be behind a 12 gauge prepared to protect my family no matter what and every Christmas since then I've made sure to keep the wreath inside just in case it was Christmas Eve of 2014 I was only 8 years old and like most kids my age I was brimming with excitement back then Christmas was the most magical time of the year the thought of Sam Santa the presents under the tree the decorations it

was all so exciting that I could barely contain myself I lived in a small town in England with my mom dad three older sisters one younger sister and our dog we had a tight-knit community where everyone seemed to know each other it was the kind of place where people didn't lock their doors and neighbors wave to each other in the street Looking Back Now I think that's part of what made this story so unsettling that evening everything felt perfect my family and I had spent hours watching Christmas movies eating candy and laughing together the house

was filled with that warm holiday feeling everything felt safe cozy and happy by 9900 p.m. my younger sister had already fallen asleep but my older sister who was 10 at the time and I were way too excited to sleep we shared a room and lay in her bed giggling and Whispering about Christmas morning we had a plan we wanted to stay awake long enough to catch Santa in action we were so determined but as the hours dragged on our energy began to fade slowly our giggles quieted and before long I drifted off into a deep

sleep I don't know how long I'd been asleep but I was suddenly jolted awake by my sister shaking me it took me a moment to realize what was happening her face was close to mine and her expression was was serious almost scared keep quiet she whispered putting her finger to her lips I frowned still half asleep and whispered back what she leaned in closer I heard something downstairs she said my grogginess disappeared in an instant replaced by a rush of excitement it's Santa I whispered grinning from ear to ear at first my sister looked like

she wanted to believe me her eyes widened for a moment but then she shook her head no she said firmly it doesn't sound right I didn't understand what she meant to me it made perfect sense it was Christmas Eve after all who else could it be I sat up and whispered let's go look but my sister grabbed my arm and shook her head no if Santa sees us awake he'll take back the presents I sighed frustrated but I didn't want to risk losing my gifts so instead we sat there quietly listening that's when I heard

it a soft deliberate creaking noise like someone stepping on the old wooden floorboards downstairs my heart skipped a beat I was so sure it was Santa I whispered do you hear that my sister nodded her face pale we stayed frozen in silence listening as the soft creaking turned into steady footsteps they weren't hurried or random the they were slow and careful like whoever was down there didn't want to be heard I felt a shiver run through me but I wasn't scared I was excited I told you I whispered barely able to contain myself it's him

but before my sister could reply the door to our bedroom slowly creaked open both of us jumped and in the faint light from the hallway I saw my two older sisters standing there they were holding my younger sister's hand and they looked ter terrified their faces were pale and serious and their voices were hushed as they motioned for us to get up come on one of them said we're playing hide from Santa I blinked in confusion why would we hide from Santa I asked just come on she said again her tone urgent my sisters led

us into the small bathroom attached to our bedroom they shut the door behind us and started piling quilts into the bathtub get in they told us by now I was more confused than anything else none of this made sense my sisters didn't seem excited or happy they seemed scared but I was too tired and groggy to argue so I climbed into the tub with my sisters and huddled under the blankets why are we doing this I whispered just stay quiet one of my older sisters whispered back go to sleep it's fine her voice sounded calm

but there was something in her eyes that made my stomach twist twist I don't remember falling asleep but somehow I did the next thing I knew I woke up in my parents' bed that was strange enough on its own but what was even weirder was that my mom and dad were already awake sitting at the edge of the bed they looked exhausted like they hadn't slept at all Merry Christmas I said cheerfully sitting up both of them jumped startled my sisters woke up too and we all started nagging my parents to take a downstairs to

open our presents they finally gave in and when we got to the living room everything seemed normal the presents were there the tree lights were glowing and it felt like any other Christmas morning we spent the day opening gifts and playing with our new toys and for a while I forgot all about the strange events of the night before but years later just a few weeks before Christmas I remembered it and asked my mom about it I was older now old enough to know the truth At first she didn't want to tell me but after

some persistence she finally did that night when my sister and I had heard the footsteps it wasn't Santa my older sisters had heard the same noises and being a bit older they knew something wasn't right one of them had crept downstairs to see what was going on when she reached the bottom of the stairs and peaked into the living room she froze there by the Christmas tree was a man he wasn't doing anything at first just standing there staring at the tree then he crouched down and started messing with the presents picking them up and

examining them like he was trying to decide which ones to take my sister didn't recognize him at first but she knew he didn't belong there she crept back upstairs shaking with fear and woke up my other sister they didn't want to alarm my parents because they were afraid the man might hear them instead they decided to hide all of us in the bathroom where they thought we'd be safe while we were huddled in the tub one of my sisters quietly called the police when the police arrived they found the man still in the living room

my Dad ran downstairs just as they were handcuffing him that's when my parents realized who he was it was our neighbor he was a strange man who lived a few houses down he'd always been odd giving us weird looks and standing too close when he talked my parents never thought much of it but now it all made sense that night he'd broken into our house even now I get chills thinking about it if my sisters hadn't been brave enough to hide us or call for help who knows what could have happened I'm so thankful for

them and for the fact that I didn't go downstairs that night it happened when I was 12 years old it was late December just a few days before Christmas and my parents were on a vacation to Hawaii with my aunt with them gone the house felt a little emptier than usual but I wasn't alone my cousins Elijah Castile and Blake were staying over for a big sleepover my twin brother Dean was there too so it felt like a full house by the time midnight rolled around most of the house was asleep Blake and Castile were

passed out in the guest bedroom but Elijah Dean and I were still wide awake we were in the living room sprawled out on the couch watching the night shift on Netflix the glow of the TV was the only light in the room and the rest of the house was silent except for the occasional sound of the heater kicking on Dean was the first to break the quiet I got to use the bathroom he muttered getting up use the one upstairs I told him without looking away from the TV the one across from Mom and Dad's

room is broken Dean groaned clearly annoyed none of us lik the upstairs bathroom it was right next to the attic door and something about it always felt off the attic itself was old and creepy with its peeling wood and the weird smell that wafted out anytime someone went near the door we never went up there unless we absolutely had to fine Dean grumbled heading upstairs Elijah stood up a few minutes later and said he was going to make popcorn that left me alone in the living room the quiet started to feel heavier without the two

of them around I decided to grab my laptop from the dining room so I could do something else while waiting for Dean to get back the dining room wasn't far just down the hall from the living room I walked over grabbed my laptop from the table and was about to head back when I noticed something strange Elijah was standing by the living room window he wasn't moving Elijah I said frowning he didn't respond he was just staring out the window completely still I walked closer and touched his shoulder what's wrong I asked Elijah finally turned

to look at me and his face was pale I saw someone he said quietly someone where out there he whispered pointing to the yard they were walking toward the basement door my stomach dropped our basement had an exterior door that led to directly outside it was old and creaky and it didn't always lock properly unless you pushed it just right you saw someone go in I asked my voice shaking a little Elijah nodded I didn't want to scare him or myself so I tried to act calm it's fine I said forcing a smile the door

from the basement to the house is locked no one can get inside but I wasn't feeling calm my heart was was racing and I could feel sweat starting to form on the back of my neck we should tell Dean Elijah said yeah I agreed we ran upstairs to the bathroom and pounded on the door Dean opened it a crack looking annoyed what he asked Elijah saw someone go into the basement I blurted out Dean's expression changed instantly stay with the others he said quickly lock the bedroom door I'll stay in the bathroom for now but

Elijah and I weren't thinking clearly we were 12 just kids instead of doing what Dean said we decided to do something really stupid let's check the basement Elijah whispered I nodded even though I knew it was a bad idea I think we both thought this was some kind of Adventure like we were in a movie or something we didn't really understand how dangerous the situation could be we grabbed a couple of flashlights and crept downstairs the house felt colder as we approached the basement door my hands were shaking as I reached out to grab the

door knob slowly I turned it and opened the door just a crack the stairs leading down to the basement were dark and shadowy we pointed our flashlights down the steps but the beam of light didn't reach the bottom for a moment we didn't see anything then out of the darkness a face appeared I froze my breath catching in my throat at the bottom of the stairs someone was looking up at us he was was wearing a Santa costume complete with a red suit and a fluffy white beard but there was nothing Jolly about him his

eyes were cold and empty and his face was pale he didn't move he just stood there staring at us Elijah closed the door I whispered frantically we slammed the door shut and locked it as fast as we could then we bolted up the stairs our hearts pounding in our chests by the time we reached the bedroom where the others were sleeping I could barely catch my breath we locked the bedroom door behind us and huddled together Whispering about what we'd seen from downstairs we heard a loud bang it was coming from the basement door he

was trying to get out the banging grew louder and more frantic it didn't make sense how could someone like that even get into the basement in the first place my mind was racing trying to come up with answers was he just some crazy guy or was he after us the sound of the banging made it impossible to think I grabbed the phone and called my Uncle Drew he was working a long shift at the hospital but he promised he would come as soon as he could he said it would take him at least half an

hour to get there we can't wait that long I whispered into the phone my voice shaking I'm calling Uncle Rick Drew said he'll get there faster we hung up and I tried to stay calm but the banging at the door wasn't stopping it was so loud that I couldn't understand how the others were still asleep every bang felt like it was shaking the whole house then we heard a new sound footsteps they were coming up the stairs Elijah get away from the door I whispered he nodded and backed away his face pale I crouched down

and looked under the crack of the door at first I didn't see anything but then I saw shadow someone was standing in the hallway Elijah grabbed my arm what do we do he whispered I didn't know just then the phone rang it was Uncle Rick he told us he was pulling into the driveway and would be inside in a few seconds I felt a wave of relief wash over me the footsteps outside the door stopped I looked under the crack again the shadow was gone we waited a few moments to make sure it was safe

then unlocked the door and ran downstairs Uncle Rick was standing in the driveway and we rushed outside to meet him but just as we were piling into his car I saw something out of the corner of my eye the man in the Santa costume was running up the driveway toward us go I yelled slamming the car door shut Rick flirted and we sped away leaving the man behind I watched him disappear into the distance his red suit Fading Into the Darkness when we got to Rick's house we all huddled in the guest bedroom too shaken

to sleep Rick promised he would call the police and file a report in the morning looking back I realized how lucky we were if Rick hadn't shown up when he did I don't know what would have happened that basement door didn't hold for long and neither would the bedroom door I still don't know who that man was or why he was in our house but every Christmas since then has felt different no matter how festive things get there's always a little part of me that can't forget the man in the Santa suit it was the

night before Christmas just a few years ago my sister and I were in her room sorting through clothes since we shared a closet the air was Heavy with the scent of peppermint scented candles and the soft hum of a Christmas playlist played in the background I was hanging up a shirt when I suddenly heard a loud noise like the toilet lid had slammed shut in the bathroom the sound was sharp and unexpected and it startled me I froze holding the hanger midair and exchanged a look with my sister who seemed just as confused determined to

figure out what had caused the sound I walked cautiously toward the bathroom when I got there the toilet lid was indeed down I knew I hadn't left it that way and we were the only ones in the house my parents were out visiting friends and it was just the two of us hey I called out down the hall my voice trembling slightly did you leave the toilet lid down my sister yelled back no I haven't even been in there I stood there for a moment staring at the closed lid and trying to come up with

a rational explanation maybe she had forgotten all or maybe it was just some odd coincidence a shift in the house a breeze or something like that but deep down it felt off I've always believed in the Paranormal and something about this gave me chills that I couldn't shake still I pushed the thought aside and went back to my sister's room as I was walking down the hallway I glanced over toward my bedroom that's when the light in my room flickered and then shut off completely my heart skipped a beat and I froze mid-step staring into

the dimly lit hallway the next thing I knew there was a loud crash coming from the kitchen it was so sudden and so loud that my sister came running out of her room her eyes wide with fear what was that she asked her voice shaky I don't know letun check it out I replied trying to sound braver than I felt we cautiously made our way to the kitchen the floorboards creaking under our feet every shadow seemed to stretch and move as if it had a life of its own when we got there everything was in

its place the room was eerily quiet save for the faint ticking of the wall clock it didn't make sense my sister tried to laugh it off nervously joking that it was probably just the Christmas ghost messing with us but I could tell she didn't really believe that neither did I we went back to her room trying to shake off the uneasiness that clung to us like cobwebs as we walked I kept my eyes down focused on the floor but out of the corner of my eye I saw something a shadow moved across the doorway to

my room it wasn't a trick of the light I'm certain of that it moved with purpose like someone walking by my breath caught in my throat I let out a small squeal more out of surprise than anything else and my sister turned to look at me what she asked her voice barely above a whisper did you see that I said pointing toward the doorway she shook her head but the look on her face told me she was getting even more freaked out we hurried back to her room slammed the door shut and locked it then

we called our parents they had gone out for the evening and were about 15 Mi away in the next County hey it took a few tries but we finally got through to them we told them what had happened and they promised they'd head back as soon as they could those 40 minutes we spent waiting for them were some of the longest of my life we stayed in her room huddled together on the bed jumping at every little sound the sound of the wind rattling the windows made us Flinch and every Creek of the floorboards set

our nerves on edge luckily nothing else happened that night but that wasn't the end of it for the rest of the Christmas break strange things kept happening every night I struggled to sleep I kept the light on and the door open but it didn't help I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched it was a heavy oppressive feeling like someone was standing right behind me just out of sight one night the feeling was so strong that I stayed up sitting on my bed with my back against the wall my mom and aunt were

across the hall in my mom's room talking I could hear their voices but they didn't make me feel any safer suddenly I heard soft Footsteps in my room it was unmistakable my blood ran cold I didn't dare turn around I stayed as still as I could hoping I was imagining it but then I felt something jump onto the bed the mattress shifted under the weight and the whole bed started to shake I was too scared to scream I just sat there Frozen waiting for it to stop and just as suddenly as it had started it

was over the next morning I told my mom about it but she brushed it off saying it was probably just a bad dream I wanted to believe her but I knew what I had felt it was real the worst part of the break happened a few nights later I woke up in the middle of the night heart pounding for no apparent reason I sat up in bed trying to figure out what had startled me that's when I saw him there was a man sitting on the edge of my sofa just a few feet away from

my bed he was leaning back one leg crossed over the other his head tilted slightly as if he were studying me he was wearing a dark suit and his skin was Pitch Black his hair was shoulder length and braided with small red beads at the ends of each braid his hands were clasped together and he didn't move I couldn't look away it wasn't just that I saw him he saw me too all their eyes met and there was this horrible undeniable connection he wasn't a shadow or a trick of the light he was real and

he was watching me I don't know how long I sat there staring at him too scared to breathe finally I looked away hoping he'd be gone when I looked back but when I turned my head again he was still there it wasn't until I squeezed my eyes shut and counted to 10 that he finally disappeared after that I refused to sleep in the dark I kept the lights on every night for weeks I never saw him again but the paranoia stayed with me I'd wake up in the middle of the night convinced someone was in

the apartment with me I'd hear soft Footsteps in the hallway the sound of Nails clicking on the floor like an animal was walking around one night I worked up the courage to check it out I opened my door and stepped into the hallway but the moment I did the footsteps stopped I stood there heart pounding waiting for something to happen then just as I turned to go back to my room the footsteps started again this time coming straight toward me I slammed the door shut and didn't leave my room for the rest of the night

the final straw came when I started waking up to find my bed made I'm not the kind of person who makes my bed ever but one day I came home to find the blankets perfectly smoothed out the pillows fluffed and arranged neatly I was alone in the house and no one had been there while I was out it happened two more times after that once I left the room for just a few minutes and when I came back the bed was made another time my blanket had been crumpled into a ball at the foot of

the bed and a book one been reading was tucked under the covers I tried to convince myself it wasn't a big deal but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong with the house it wasn't until I talked to one of my neighbors that I learned the truth the previous tenant an old man had died in the apartment just a month before I moved in that explained a lot but it didn't make me feel any better the activity eventually died down and nothing made major has happened since then but I still feel uneasy

in the apartment I'm counting down the days until I can move out and leave this all behind let me start by saying this is my husband story I'll call him Jake these events are true and come from him and his mother Pam it's something that happened when Jake was a child and though he doesn't remember everything Pam remembers it clearly even now years later the story still gives me chills it all started in 1996 when Jake was about 5 years old he lived with his mother and grandmother in a small quiet rural Town his mom

Pam worked at the local gas station where she made friends with another woman named Stacy Stacy was about the same age as Pam and they had a lot in common both were single moms both were still living with their parents and both had only one child Stacy had a son named named Chris who was about the same age as Jake Jake and Chris became fast friends just like their mothers the boys did everything together play dates sleepovers and even Cub Scouts they were inseparable when one caught chickenpox the other did too and they ended up

stuck at home together scratching and miserable they even went to the same school for a while life was good the kids were happy and Pam and Stacy enjoyed having someone to lean on but but when Jake was about 7 years old things changed Pam and Jake moved to a different town about an hour away Pam had found a better job and she wanted a fresh start the movement Jake and Chris didn't see much of each other anymore the last time they spent time together was for Jake's seventh birthday they didn't know it then but that

would be the last time they would ever play together not long after Jake's birthday tragedy struck Chris was still living with Stacy at her parents house one afternoon Stacy was at work and Chris was being watched by his grandfather they were out in the garage where his grandfather was working on a car while his grandfather searched inside the house for a wrench Chris stayed behind in the garage no one knows exactly what happened in those few minutes when his grandfather returned he found Chris pinned under several large metal pipes that had been leaning in the

corner of the garage somehow they had fallen on him his grandfather called 91 one immediately but it was too late Chris was pronounced dead when the ambulance arrived the entire town mourned the loss Pam though heartbroken for Stacy decided to take Jake to Chris's visitation at the funeral home she thought it would help him process what had happened Jake was young and didn't fully understand what was going on but Pam believed it was important for him to say goodbye Jake doesn't remember much from that day just the funeral home the flowers and the sadness all

around but Pam says that not long after the visitation Jake began talking about an imaginary friend at first she didn't think much of it lots of kids have imaginary friends but what struck her as odd was that Jake named his imaginary friend Chris Pam thought it was just Jake's way of dealing with the loss she even asked other parents about it and they reassured her it was normal kids grieve in strange way ways they said still as time went on Pam started to feel uneasy Jake's imaginary friend didn't go away in fact Chris became a

constant presence in their lives Jake would talk to him like he was really there he'd laugh at jokes no one else heard he'd hold conversations with empty air by the time Pam and Jake moved back in with her mother a year later Chris was still a big part of Jake's life Pam figured the imaginary friend would eventually go away but that wasn't what happened if anything Chris seemed more real to Jake as time went on one day a little before Christmas Pam her mother and Jake went to Walmart to shop for decorations for the tree

the store was busy packed with families rushing to get ready for the holidays Pam was distracted scanning shelves of lights and ornaments while Jake wandered off down the toy aisle like any seven-year-old Jake was thrilled to be surrounded by toys he raced up and down the aisle touching everything and calling out to his mom about what he wanted as Pam walked over to see what he was so excited about Jake stopped in front of a shelf holding toy instruments his eyes lit up as he pointed to a plastic electric guitar sitting on a high shelf

mom I want that one Jake shouted grinning Pam laughed and walked over to see the guitar it was Way Out Of Reach Pam being only 5'2 couldn't get to it and even her mom was too short to grab it let's find someone to help Pam said turning to look for a Walmart associate Jake however didn't seem concerned it's okay he said casually Chris will get it for me Pam rolled her eyes used to hearing about Chris by now she didn't think much of it and kept walking scanning the aisles for an employee but just as

she turned the corner she heard a sound that made her freeze it was the sound of the guitar guitar Pam spun around and saw the guitar lighting up playing its pre-programmed music all by itself it was still on the high shelf far Out Of Reach of anyone but the buttons were flashing and the long guitar riffs filled the aisle Pam stared wide-eyed her mother standing next to her looked just as shocked they hadn't even touched the shelf and Jake was too short to reach it there was no way it could have started playing on its

own before either of them could say anything the guitar fell it tumbled off the high shelf and landed on the floor with a loud clatter Jake picked it up grinning like nothing unusual had happened I told you he said cheerfully Chris can do anything Pam and her mother exchanged a terrified glance neither of them said a word as they grabbed Jake and hurried out of the toy aisle Pam didn't buy the guitar she didn't even finish shopping they left Walmart in her hurry still shaken by what they had just seen to this day Jake doesn't

remember much about that incident he remembers bits and pieces of his imaginary friend Chris but he has no memory of the guitar Pam however remembers every detail years later Pam told me the story herself she also told me that about 5 years ago she reconnected with Stacy Chris's mother during their conversation Pam shared the story about Jake and his imaginary friend Stacy was quiet for a moment before she said Chris never left Stacy went on to explain that she too had experienced strange things after Chris passed When Stacy had a daughter in 2002 her little

girl began talking about an imaginary friend she called him Chris I'm not sure what to make of all this I've always been a skeptic when it comes to ghosts especially the ghosts of children I was raised Baptist and I've always had a hard time believing in things like that but my husband believes the story without a doubt he insists Chris wasn't just imaginary for him maybe there's more to the story than I can understand all I know is that Pam and Stacy both experienced something they can't explain and even now the memory of Chris lingers

in their lives hey everyone I'm curious to know more about you all drop a comment below and let me know which country you're watching from I love seeing how far our community reaches so don't be shy I'll reading through the comments when I was about 13 years old I lived in the suburbs of a big city Winters where I lived were always snowy and that was one of the best things about growing up there the snow made everything so much more fun my neighborhood had a small ski hill that I loved going to and my

parents always got me a season pass for it there was also this great Hill for sledding nearby it wasn't a park or anything official it it was just a farmer field that kids in the area would use during the winter in the warmer months the field was filled with cows grazing but in the winter it was quiet wide open and perfect for sledding the farmer who owned it didn't seem to mind the neighborhood kids playing there so it became a popular spot our neighborhood was really safe at least that's what everyone always said but that

winter there were were rumors going around my parents teachers and even neighbors started warning us about a creeper people had seen around they didn't give us much detail just that he was a man that he drove a white car and that we should be careful if anyone in a white car stopped to talk to us or tried to approach we were supposed to leave right away and tell an adult I remember not taking it too seriously my friends and I figured it was probably nothing just some over reaction we didn't know what the guy had

supposedly done and no one seemed to have any real stories about him still that little bit of mystery always stuck in the back of my mind one Saturday afternoon it was snowing harder than it had all winter big heavy flakes came down non-stop covering everything in a thick soft layer of white my friend Martin who lived a few houses down from me came over and we decided to go sledding at the hill we figured the heavy snow would keep most of the other kids away and we'd have the whole place to ourselves Martin and I

bundled up grabbed our cheap plastic sleds and set off it was about a 15-minute walk to the field and the snow was already up past our boots as we trudged Along by the time we got there we were thrilled to see the hill completely empty there wasn't another soul in sight just us the hill and the thick falling snow we ran to the top of the hill laughing and stumbling as we climbed through the deep snow from up there we could see the road at the bottom of the field it wasn't close it was at

least half a mile away the snow was so heavy that it made the road look like a blurry stripe in the distance the first ride down the hill was amazing the snow was perfect for sledding smooth and fast when we got to the bottom Martin suddenly hit me with a snowball right in the side of my head I spun around laughing ready to grab some snow and get him back but then I stopped Martin wasn't laughing he was just standing there staring past me toward the road at first I thought he was trying to trick

me into letting my guard down so he could hit me with another snowball but something about the look on his face didn't feel right what I asked Martin didn't say anything he just slowly raised his arm and pointed past me toward the road I hesitated for a second not sure if I should believe him then I turned around through the thick snowfall I could just barely make out a white car stopped on the side of the road my stomach tightened the car fit the description of the one we've been warned about and then I saw

him there was a man in a red coat walking through the snow heading straight for the hill for a moment I just froze the man wasn't running or waving he was just walking steadily toward us his red coat bright against the white snow let's go I said my voice shaking I grabbed my sled and started walking back up the hill as fast as I could Martin followed but I could tell he was scared neither of us looked back right away at the top of the hill we stopped and turned around the man was at the

bottom now standing right where we had been a minute ago he wasn't moving he was just standing there looking up at us my heart was racing the snow was falling so heavily that I couldn't make out his face but I could tell he wasn't a kid he wasn't there to sled we have to go I whispered to Martin the problem was the only way out of the field was a small opening in the fence down by the road that was the way we had come in and the man was standing right in front of it

there was no way we could get past him without walking right by him but then I remembered something on the other side of the hill past the top where we were standing was a new Housing Development it wasn't finished yet just a big construction site with some half-built houses and empty streets come on I said tugging on Martin's sleeve we turned and started walking down the the other side of the Hill away from the man the snow made it hard to move quickly but we didn't stop when we reached the edge of the field we

squeezed through a gap in the fence and found ourselves in the construction site the place was completely deserted which somehow made it even creepier we didn't stop walking until we made it back to the main road from there we headed straight home when I got back I told my parents everything I don't know if they believed me a first first but they seemed worried my dad went outside to look around but by then the snow had covered any tracks we might have left and the man was long gone I never found out who that man

was or what he wanted was he the guy we'd been warned about probably but I'll never know for sure all I know is that he didn't belong there he wasn't sledding and he didn't have any kids with him he was just standing there at the bottom of the hill waiting and I don't want to think about what might have happened if we hadn't gotten out of there it was January 2022 during my winter break and I had just turned 18 I signed up for door Dash because a couple of my friends were doing it and

it sounded like a good way to keep busy I didn't really need the money I was still in high school and living with my parents but making a few hundred bucks a week sounded pretty nice for for a kid like me the first few nights were easy I got the hang of things after a few deliveries and after that it was all pretty much the same pickup food drop it off and repeat by my second week I started putting in more hours I was excited to make as much money as possible especially since I had

never had a job before my friends had told me that working on days with bad weather usually paid off big time because fewer drivers wanted to deal with it so one night when it started snowing heavily I decided to go out and make some extra cash it was one of those nights where the snow just wouldn't stop falling the roads were slick visibility was bad and everything looked the same under a blanket of white for the first hour I was FaceTiming one of my friends who was also out delivering but around 8:00 p.m. he called

it a night and went home I stayed out feeling determined to hit my goal for the night by 10: p.m. though I was starting to get tired and bored I figured I'd do just one last delivery before calling a quits the order came in a drop off at a house in a neighborhood I'd never been to before the area was nothing fancy just a row of regular suburban homes all spaced apart with driveways and neatly trimmed yards or at least what I assumed were neatly trimmed hidden under all the snow it was hard to see

the house numbers because the snow had piled up so much so I had to drive extra slow squinting to make sure I didn't pass the right house eventually I found at a two-story house with Christmas lights still dangling from the trees out front even though the holidays were over I parked in the driveway turned on my hazards and grabbed the bag as I walked up the driveway I double checked the order to make sure everything was there that's when I noticed something strange the front door was open not why wide open but cracked enough to

notice snow and wind were blowing right into the house it seemed odd especially on such a cold night but I figured maybe they had left it open for me so I could leave the bag inside instead of out in the snow when I reached the door I hesitated for a moment then I pushed it open a little wider and slid the bag just inside the doorway I pulled out my phone to take the usual confirmation photo when I Heard a Voice a woman's voice calling out from somewhere deeper in the house are you the delivery

driver she asked her voice sounded young maybe early 20s yeah I said raising my voice so she could hear me I left it right here in the doorway just bring it in she called back you can come in and put it on the counter and that made me pause it wasn't normal for people to ask drivers to come inside especially not at night and during a storm like this still I figured maybe she just didn't want the food sitting near the open door against my better judgment I pushed the door open a little more and

leaned in to see where she was straight ahead there was a long dimly lit hallway that seemed to lead to the kitchen I couldn't see her but on the wall at the end of the hallway I could clearly see her Shadow a woman standing just around the corner where do you want me to put it I asked there was a long pause before she responded then she leaned halfway out from behind the corner just enough for me to see her upper body she waved her hand motioning for me to bring the bag to her something

about the way she moved felt off unnatural like she was trying too hard to act casual my stomach tightened then as she disappeared back behind the corner I noticed something that made my blood run cold the shadow on the wall hadn't moved with her it stayed exactly where it was as if someone else was still standing there every Instinct in my body screamed at me to get out of there my heart was pounding as I slowly bent down and placed the bag on the floor I took a couple of quiet steps back then turned and

bolted from my car as I stumbled into the driver's seat and started the engine I glanced back at the house one last time that's when I saw him him in the front window a large man stepped into view he wasn't just standing there he was watching me I didn't stick around to see what he'd do next I threw the car into reverse and sped out of the driveway my tires slipping on the icy Road my hands were shaking so badly I could barely grip the wheel I stopped at a nearby gas station to catch my

breath and think about what had just happened the whole thing felt like some kind of setup but I didn't know what they were planning to do all I knew was that if I had gone inside I probably wouldn't have walked out I ended up calling the police to report what happened when they went to the house to check it out the woman denied that anyone else had been there she refused to let them search the house and since there was no evidence besides my story they couldn't do anything about it to this day I still

wonder what would have happened if I had gone inside whatever they were planning I'm just glad I trusted my gut and got out of there when I did some extra cash isn't worth risking your [Music] life when I was a kid I was shy really shy making friends didn't come easy for me and I spent a lot of time by myself my parents always said I was mature for my age which I guess was a compliment but it also made me feel like I didn't fit in most kids my age did didn't really get me

so I learned to live with it my imagination became my Escape it was like a little world I could dive into whenever I needed to get away as I got older my imagination helped me in a lot of ways even with my anxiety eventually it led me to a job in video game design that I love to this day but back when I was younger sometimes it felt like my imagination worked against me it could make things seem scarier than they really were at least that that's what I tell myself when I think back to

what happened that night I grew up in Canada where Winters hit hard the snowstorms could get wild and it wasn't unusual to lose power for hours or even days I lived in a quiet neighborhood the kind where nothing ever seemed to happen my parents trusted me to stay home alone when they went out of town and honestly I loved it at 11 years old being left alone felt like Freedom no rules no bedtime I could stay up late and play video games for as long as I wanted that night my parents were gone and I

had the house to myself it was a weekend in mid January and a snowstorm was rolling in the wind was howling outside and the snow was coming down so hard it was like looking out into a white void but I didn't care I was in the basement glued to the TV playing golden eye on our old CRT screen the rest of the house was dark and the the only light came from the glow of the game The Clock Struck midnight we had one of those old clocks that chimed every hour the kind you'd see in

a creepy movie The Sound echoed through the house loud metallic and heavy I didn't think much of it I was too focused on my game then I heard it a loud knock at the front door it was so sudden and out of place that it startled me my heart skipped a beat for a second I thought I imagined it who would be knocking on the door this late and during a snowstorm my first thought was maybe it was one of our neighbors my parents were close with the couple who lived across the street maybe their

power had gone out and they needed a place to stay I paused my game and got up climbing the stairs to the main floor the knocking didn't come again but I felt uneasy the storm outside was deafening but the house felt too quiet when I reached the door I looked through the window beside it all I could see was Snow Falling in every direction I hesitated then peaked through the peephole nothing there was no one there telling myself it was probably just the wind rattling something I went back downstairs I was halfway to the couch

when I heard it again this time the knocks were louder more more forceful my stomach dropped I felt a chill crawl up my spine that had nothing to do with the cold I froze at the bottom of the stairs staring up toward the front door something wasn't right I hadn't seen anyone through the peephole and I should have heard Footsteps in the snow but I didn't the knocking stopped as suddenly as it started for a few seconds the whole house was silent even the storm outside seemed to die down it was like everything around me

was holding its breath I wanted to ignore it I told myself it was just the wind but before I could sit back down I heard something new talking but this time it wasn't at the door it was coming from the basement windows my heart started pounding so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest the sound was deliberate like someone tapping on the glass with their Knuckles then I heard it again and again the knock moved from one window to the next circling the basement I grabbed the biggest kitchen knife I could find

and crouched in a corner where I could see most of the windows my eyes darted around searching for any sign of movement the sound would stop for a second then start again at a different window I couldn't see anything I waited there for what felt like hours clutching the knife so tightly my fingers hurt eventually the knocking stopped but the silence that followed was worse it felt like the house was holding its breath again waiting for something to happen I forced myself to stand and creep toward the window near the TV my legs were shaking

so badly I thought I might collapse I pulled the curtain aside just enough to peek outside there were no Footprints the snow was untouched smooth and white except for the spots where it had piled up from the wind I stood there staring at the empty yard trying to make sense of it then the storm started again the wind howled and snow whipped against the windows but something was off the wind sounded different like it was carrying a voice a low Whispering sound that sent shivers down my spine the knock at the door came again harder

this time and then another knock and another the sound wasn't just at the door anymore it was at the windows all of them all at once the walls of the house seemed to vibrate with the force of it I ran I didn't know where to go but I ran I ended up in the cold storage room the only place in the house without windows I locked the door behind me and sat in the corner wrapping myself in a blanket and clutching the knife I stayed there for hours listening the knocking stopped eventually but I didn't

feel safe safe my mind was racing coming up with every possible explanation but none of them made sense when I finally worked up the courage to leave the storage room it was still dark outside the house was eerily quiet except for the faint hum of the storm I decided to check the windows one last time before going to bed that's when I saw them in the yard standing perfectly still were Snowmen at least 10 of them all facing the house I froze their stick arms were pointed at the front door their heads tilted slightly as

if they were watching me I don't remember how long I stood there staring at them my heart was pounding and my breath came in short gasps my imagination ran wild filling in the blanks with things I didn't want to think about I ran to my room and Dove under the covers too scared to even look out the window I didn't sleep that night when morning came the snowmen were gone I told myself it was just my imagination that the storm had made me see things but even now years later I can't explain it I still

don't know who or what was knocking that night and every time the wind howls during a snowstorm I can't help but wonder if they'll come back this happened when I was 19 right after I had finished my first semester of college two friends I had met that semester let's call them Brad and Dustin came up with a plan to rent out a cabin by a lake for the weekend they invited me along and I immediately said yes I didn't really know much about where we were going but I didn't care finals were over and I

thought it would be a perfect way to unwind and escape the stress of school for a bit the cabin was about an hour away so the drive wasn't too bad we packed our stuff into Brad's car and set out late Friday afternoon the excitement of being away from campus and heading into the Wilderness kept us in High Spirits when we arrived the cabin looked cozy enough sitting on the edge of a frozen lake surrounded by nothing but thick forest it was the only cabin around no neighbors no nearby towns just us and miles of snow

covered Woods we unpacked our things and settled in for the night at first it felt peaceful but as the sun disappeared and the Darkness swallowed the cabin I started feeling uneasy it wasn't anything specific just the kind of feeling you get when you're in unfamiliar territory the only sounds were the occasional howl of a coyote or the rustling of tree branches in the wind it was so different from the city where there was always noise people and street lights to make you feel less alone out here we were completely isolated despite my uneasiness the first

night passed without incident we stayed up late talking and laughing and eventually we all went to bed the real trouble started on the second night the day itself had been rough a heavy snowstorm rolled in blanketing the area in thick swirling snow none of us had checked the weather before the trip typical for three 19-year-old guys who thought they had everything figured out by the time night fell the storm had only gotten worse the wind howled against the cabin and the windows rattled as snow piled up around us Brad and I each had a bedroom

upstairs while Dustin had decided to crash on the couch in the living room downstairs I think it was around 2 a.m. when I was jolted awake by Dustin shaking me his face was pale and his voice was shaky as he told me something was wrong the motion light outside keeps turning on and off he said still half asleep I mumbled something about it probably being an animal or the snow triggering it but Dustin shook his head I thought that too he said but then I looked outside I swear I saw a shadow of person they

were tall like 6 feet that woke me up completely my stomach dropped but I tried to stay calm Brad had been woken up too and when Dustin told him what he'd seen Brad rolled his eyes it's probably just the wind or a deer or something Brad said clearly not taking it seriously but I'll check it out if it'll make you feel better before we could argue Brad grabbed a flashlight and headed downstairs Dustin and I stayed upstairs listening as Brad moved around the cabin a few minutes pass then suddenly a blood curdling scream echoed through

the house Dustin and I froze for a split second before bolting downstairs when we got there we found Brad on the floor in the living room pointing at the window his face was pale and he looked absolutely terrified what what did you see I yelled Panic creeping into my voice Brad didn't answer right away he was shaking as he pointed to the living room window I looked but there was nothing there just the snow falling outside let's go upstairs Brad finally stammered his voice barely above a whisper we didn't argue the three of us hurried

back upstairs and once we were in one of the bedrooms we barricaded the door with whatever Furniture we could find the rooms didn't have locks and none of us felt safe leaving the door unprotected once we were somewhat secure Brad finally explained what had happened when I got downstairs I checked all the windows in the kitchen first he said his voice trembling I didn't see anything so I went to the living room window at first I thought it was nothing just the dark outside but when I looked closer I realized it wasn't dark it was

a person someone was standing right up against the window blocking the view they were so close I could have reached out and touched them if the glass wasn't there my blood ran cold but Brad continued I couldn't see their face it was just dark like they were wearing something that covered their head I screamed and fell back and by the time I looked again they were gone I didn't know what to say part of me wanted to believe he was imagining things but the fear in his voice was too real to ignore then as if

the Knight couldn't get any worse the power went out the entire cabin was plunged Into Darkness the only Light Came From The Faint glow of the snowstorm outside my heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest we were now trapped in the middle of nowhere with no power no weapons and no phone service we spent the rest of the night huddled together in that room barely speaking every little sound branch is creaking the wind howling made us jump I kept expecting to hear footsteps outside the door or see the

door knob start to turn but nothing happened when the Sun finally Rose we wasted no time we took down the barricade grabbed our stuff and prepared to leave before we got in the car we decided to do a quick check around the outside of the cabin there were no footprints in the snow but that didn't make sense the snow had been falling all night so any Prince could have been covered then we noticed something else the fuse box on the side of the cabin had been destroyed it looked like someone had taken an axe to

it smashing it repeatedly that was enough for us we got in the car and drove away as fast as the snowy roads would let us we tried contacting the Airbnb owner later to let him know what had happened but he never responded no texts no calls nothing it was strange if someone destroyed my fuse box I'd want to know what was going on to this day I still don't know who or what was outside that cabin that night but whoever they were they wanted us scared and it worked it was snowing hard that night and

I remember how miserable I felt the snow had started earlier in the afternoon but by the time I shift at Wendy's ended it was coming down in thick heavy flakes blanketing everything the winds were picking up and the snow was starting to pile up on the roads I worked at a Wendy's about 5 miles from my house and every night I had to walk home I didn't have a car and no one could really give me a ride so walking was my only option the snow was always the worst rain I could deal with but

snow was a whole different kind of problem that day I worked on the grill and whenever I had a moment to step away from the sizzling heat of the fryer I'd look out the back window where I could see the parking lot the snow was really coming down by then it wasn't just a dusting it was a full-blown snowstorm the kind that made you wonder how anyone was still driving in it I knew that the walk home was going to be brutal especially with the roads getting slick and the snow piling up fast he by

the time my shift ended at 6:00 p.m. it was already pitch black outside winter in December meant it was was dark for hours before that I looked outside one last time seeing how the snow was falling harder now and I knew there was no point in waiting there wasn't anyone to give me a ride and even if I tried to call no one was available I had to walk the walk started off okay the snow wasn't too bad right by the shopping plaza since the sidewalks had been salted and cleared a little but as soon

as I passed that area I was on my own no more sidewalks just the icy slushy road that was now covered in a thin layer of snow the cars that drove by kicked up huge sprays of slush soaking my pants and making me step to the side to avoid getting hit with the messy spray the wind cut through my jacket and I could feel my fingers starting to numb my shoes were soaked through and I just wanted to get home even if it meant trudging through the cold for what felt like forever as I walked

I could feel the snow starting to sting my face it wasn't just cold anymore the wind was biting my steps became slower and I found myself wishing I could just find shelter somewhere anything to escape the freezing cold that's when I saw headlights in the distance at first I thought it was just another car but then it slowed down the car started coming toward me and before I could move out of the way it stopped right beside me the passenger side window rolled down and I couldn't see who was inside it was dark and the

inside of the car was shadowed but the voice that came from the car was clear low and a little too calm do you want to ride the man asked his voice almost too friendly for how cold the night felt I paused for a moment trying to read the situation the snow was coming down harder and I was freezing my body feeling heavy with the cold maybe it was the exhaustion or the the desperation to get out of the snow but I decided to answer I'm pretty wet I said trying to be polite I don't want

to mess up your car but the man just chuckled lightly like it was nothing it's fine really you're freezing out here just get in I'll drive you home I stood there for a moment torn something felt off but I was so cold and the the offer was tempting I didn't want to be rude and the idea of getting into a warm car sounded like the best thing ever so I took a step closer and opened the door that's when things went wrong as I was about to get inside headlights from another car flashed on blinding

me for a moment in that Split Second of light I saw something that froze me in place the man was holding something in his hand a knife it was resting on the seat beside him just visible enough for me to see it and then I saw his pants they were unzipped and his hand was underscore his hand was too close to places it shouldn't be the cold chill ran down my spine I couldn't think my body reacted before my mind could process it I stumbled back my feet slipping in the snow and I fell hard

into the snow bank behind me my heart was pounding in my chest and I scrambled to my feet yelling as loud as I could hoping someone would hear me help I screamed the car that had flashed its headlights at me a large SUV slowed down and stopped I could see the brake lights glow in the snow and the window rolled down a voice called out from the SUV asking if I was okay I ran toward the SUV still shaking my breath coming in quick panicked bursts there's a guy I gasped he's got a knife he

tried to the people in the SUV immediately told me to get in they asked if I wanted them to take me to the police and at first I hesitated I didn't know if it would help but something in me knew I had to tell someone I couldn't let this guy get away with whatever he was planning I agreed and the Su V took me to the police even as I sat there in the backseat of the S UV I couldn't stop shaking I kept seeing the flash of the knife the look in his eyes when

he realized I'd seen what he was doing I couldn't stop picturing myself getting in that car my body frozen in place unable to escape what would have happened if the SUV hadn't driven by what if I had gotten in the thought made my stomach turn when we got to the police station the officers took my statement but I didn't feel any better I kept thinking about that man about what he might have done if I hadn't noticed him in time I couldn't shake the feeling that he might still be out there waiting for someone else

to make the wrong decision someone else who would be desperate enough to get into his car the police ended up giving me a ride home I was grateful but the fear still clung to me the snow seemed to have gotten colder even though it hadn't stopped falling I couldn't stop thinking about the knife about how close I had had been to making a mistake that could have cost me everything when I finally got home I couldn't sleep that night the image of the man in the car holding that knife haunted me every time I closed

my eyes I could hear his voice calling out to me in that calm almost too friendly way do you want to ride I've never walked down that road again at night and every time it snows now I remember what happened I'll never forget the Fe fear the Panic the feeling that someone was watching me waiting for me to make the wrong move and I'll never forget how close I came to not making it home that night it was the winter of 2016 in a quiet suburb in Washington state the sky was an endless gray blanket

and although snow hadn't started falling yet there was a bitter chill in the air that hinted it might come soon the streets outside were were silent with just the occasional car passing by their headlights glowing faintly through the thin fog it was one of those days that made you want to stay inside wrap yourself in a blanket and forget the outside world even existed that day I wasn't at school I had come down with a fever the night before and it was bad enough that I could barely lift my head without feeling like the room

was spinning my Mom and Dad decided it was best for me to stay home so I spent the day mostly asleep curled up in bed trying to sweat it out I remember waking up at around 6:00 a.m. that morning my head was pounding my body felt weak but I managed to shuffle out of bed just long enough to take some medicine and say goodbye to my parents before they left for work my mom told me to rest and I promised her I would the house felt so still after they left and I crawled back into

bed falling asleep almost instantly when I woke up again it was already afternoon the fever had broken and I felt a lot better still tired but my body wasn't burning up anymore I grabbed my phone from the nightstand to check the time and see if I had any messages there were a couple of notifications from Instagram nothing special but one text caught my eye it was from my mom she'd written hey honey I know you're still resting but I left you some food in the fridge you can warm it up when you're hungry your dad

and I are going grocery shopping after work so we'll be home around 700 p.m. love Love You Bing be it was a typical message from her but something about reading it made me feel a little lonely it was so quiet in the house no TV no footsteps no voices just the faint hum of the heater kicking in every now and then I sent her a quick reply thanking her for the food then set my phone down and stretched I was about to get up and use the bathroom which was connected to my room when I

heard it soft deliberate footsteps coming up the stairs at first froze my mind scrambled to make sense of it my sister wasn't home she was on a road trip with her boyfriend I had just read my mom's text so I knew my parents weren't back yet there was no one else who should have been in the house the footsteps were slow but heavy each one Landing with a dull thud against the wooden stairs my chest tightened and I felt the blood drain from my face I tried to tell myself I was imagining things that maybe

it was just the house settling or my fever making me hear things but deep down I knew what I was hearing was real I didn't have much time to think my instincts kicked in and I grabbed my phone quickly dialing 911 my hands were shaking so badly that I almost dropped it as the operator picked up I whispered as quietly as I could giving her my address and telling her someone was in my house my voice was trembling barely audible but she assured me help was on the way at that moment I realized something I

hadn't locked my bedroom door it was halfway open just enough that I could see the faint outline of the hallway beyond my first thought was to rush over and lock it but I hesitated what if I didn't make it in time what if the Intruder saw me and came after me my legs felt like they were glued to the floor I crawled over to the corner of my room hiding behind my recliner chair it wasn't much but it was the best cover I had my heart was pounding so loudly I was sure it would give

me away then I heard the footsteps again closer this time they weren't on the stairs anymore they were in the hallway just outside my room I held my breath pressing my hand over my mouth to keep from making any noise the door creaked slightly as it was pushed open through the narrow gap between the chair and the wall I saw him a tall man stepped into my room wearing a black balaclava over his face in his hand he held a crowbar the metal glinting faintly in the dim light my stomach dropped and I felt like

I was going to be sick he didn't see me at first he went straight to my desk rifling through the drawers and shoving anything he could find into a backpack papers Chargers small electronics anything that looked valuable he moved quickly his movements jerky and frantic like he was in a rush but didn't want to miss anything then he turned and started walking toward my nightstand my whole body was trembling as he passed within inches of where I was hiding I could see the scuffed soles of his boots the way his gloved hands gripped the Crowbar

tightly I squeezed my eyes shut praying he wouldn't notice me but then everything went silent for a moment I thought he had left the room I opened my eyes just a crack hoping to confirm he was gone but he wasn't he was standing perfectly still facing the chair I was hiding behind he had seen me our eyes met and I froze unable to move or even breathe he tilted his head slightly as if studying me then raised a finger to his lips and made a soft shach sound that's when I lost it I screamed loud

and raw the kind of scream that comes from Pure Terror the man flinched but didn't come toward me instead he turned and bolted out of the room his boots thuing heavily against the floor I heard him running down the stairs the sound of the back door slamming shut echoing through the house still shaking I crawled out from behind the chair and locked my bedroom door I grabbed my plastic guitar from my rock band game it was the only thing I could think of that might work as a weapon and stood there clutching it tightly until

I heard sirens in the distance when I peaked out the window I saw the police arriving they surrounded the house their flashlights cutting through the gray evening light a few minutes later I heard shouting outside I looked again and saw them pinning the man to the ground in the front yard it was over one of the officers stayed with me until my dad rushed home from work we learned later that the man had broken in through a back window using the Crowbar to force it open he was young probably no older than his early 20s

and clearly inexperienced still the thought of what could have happened if he decided not to run still haunts me since that day we've made a lot of changes to the house metal bars on the Windows a full security system even cameras it's helped me feel safer but I still have moments where I can't shake the fear some nights when the house is quiet and the wind whistles through the trees I find myself listening for footsteps which story setting scared you the most let me know in the comments this happened just a few days ago when

I was on a road trip with my cousin John I was 13 and John was 21 we've always been close and my parents trusted him enough to let me go on trips with him this time we were driving from our grandma mother's house to our aunt's place which was about a 10-hour drive we had already been on the road for 3 hours and it was around 9:00 p.m. when I started getting tired I was laughing at everything mostly because I was exhausted that's when I noticed a red semiu passing by outside my window at first

it seemed like just another truck but something about the driver made me uneasy The Man Behind The Wheel was big really big and had this unkempt wild beard that seemed to go on forever he had a sort of strange unsettling vibe to him I tried to shake it off but I couldn't help but watch him as he drove by he glanced at me and I waved almost trying to be friendly not realizing how creepy it would look in hindsight the man then did this odd disgusting gesture like he was groping the air toward me my

first instinct was to laugh I was delirious from lack of sleep and found it more weird than scary so I laughed it off and mimicked his gesture to John telling him the story in a joking way Jon however didn't laugh in fact he looked seriously Disturbed he was staring at the truck as it drove past his eyes narrowing in suspicion it made me feel uneasy but we Shrugged it off what else could we do it wasn't like we could stop and confront the guy but I'll admit I kept looking over my shoulder wondering if that

guy was still behind us a few hours later JN pulled into a rest stop it was late now almost midnight and the rest stop was mostly empty I got out to use the bathroom feeling a strange sense of relief to stretch my legs but when I came out of the building my heart nearly stopped the same red semi truck was parked there and standing outside of it was the same man he was just standing there not moving just watching the door I froze for a moment unsure of what to do my stomach dropped and I

felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up I quickly looked toward the car and I could see Jon glaring at the man through the glass door his expression was intense almost protective like he knew something was wrong I rushed back to the car trying to ignore the creeping feeling that the man was watching me the entire time when I got inside Jon was visibly upset he told me that the guy had followed me into the building standing just outside the bathroom staring at me through the door I could hear the anger in

Jon's voice voice and it made me feel like something was really off but the weirdest part hadn't happened yet we were about to leave when the man suddenly appeared at my window standing just outside his face pressed against the glass his grin was wide too wide and his eyes were fixed on me never blinking I could feel his gaze burning into me cold and calculating it was like he was trying to make me feel uncomfortable but I could barely move I was too terrified I wanted to scream but my throat felt tight then in a

voice that sent chills down my spine he said you should come with me I'll treat you really well I have candy for you sweetheart I couldn't speak I just sat there my body frozen in fear his grin never wavered he just kept staring at me his hands resting on the truck leaning in closer to the window as though he was waiting for me to say something I started crying unable to do anything but SOB my mind was racing but my body felt like it had turned to stone I don't know how long he stood there

but it felt like forever I could hear Jon's voice shouting outside hey get away from her Jon's anger was loud and Furious he told the man to leave threatened him and told him to back off the man hesitated for a moment his eyes narrowing and then with an exaggerated mocking smile he backed away and climbed into his truck I watched as he stared at me from the driver's side mirror still grinning before he drove off into the night Jon jumped into the car and without another word we sped off I couldn't stop crying and Jon

kept his eyes glued to the rearview mirror scanning the road for the truck but it never showed up again we got to a motel around midnight and locked ourselves in for the night I was still shaken and every little noise outside the window made my heart race that night I couldn't sleep every time I closed my eyes I saw that man's face is grin his eyes and the way he had leaned toward the window like he was savoring my fear I kept hearing his voice in my head offering me candy and telling me to come

with him I didn't feel safe even though we were inside a locked room the next morning we went to a diner for breakfast I was trying to eat but the feeling of being watched wouldn't go away that's when I saw him again he was sitting at a table across the room his eyes locked on me as soon as I entered the same man from the truck looking at me like he had all the time in the world my stomach's churned and I felt my chest tighten it was like I couldn't escape him no matter where

I went I looked at JN and I could see his expression change his face went from calm to tense in an instant like he was ready to explode we both knew something wasn't right the man's grin grew wider as he got up and passed by our table on his way to the bathroom as he walked by he deliberately brushed his hand over my shoulder like it was an accident but we both knew it wasn't it was too intentional too deliberate Jon didn't hesitate he jumped up from his seat and walked straight toward the man he

was seething with anger now his fists clenched he started yelling at the man demanding that he leave us alone I could hear Jon's voice shaking with Fury but the man didn't back down he stood up and I thought for a moment that they were about to get into a fight without warning the man slapped Jon across the face hard I gasped feeling my heart race in fear the man yelled something about how I had been leading him on how I had wanted him to follow us I couldn't believe it I was just 12 years old

and he was accusing me of leading him on I wanted to throw up Jon didn't back down though he kept yelling and by the time the cops arrived arrived things had gotten loud and out of hand the police separated them and I could see that they took the situation seriously they listened to what happened and said that because Jon had been assaulted we could press charges but Jon just shook his head telling them he didn't want to get involved he didn't want to make it worse for me and I was glad but part of me

still felt like we had let the man get away with it the rest of the trip was quiet but I couldn't shake the feeling that the man was still out there somewhere I kept looking over my shoulder convinced that at any moment he would show up again Jon stayed close to me never leaving my side like my personal bodyguard he even walked me to the bathroom in every place we stopped and I could tell he was on high alert I appreciated it but I still couldn't feel safe I kept thinking about that man his grin

the way he had tried to coax me into his truck and how he had followed us across the entire trip it felt like he was always right behind us like he was still watching waiting for the right moment to strike again I don't think I'll ever forget the way he made me feel that night the fear the helplessness the way he stared at me like I was some kind of prize and I'll never forget how close we came to something much worse I just think God John was there if he hadn't been I don't know

what might have happened I was on the road late one night during a small snowstorm which had been coming down for hours it wasn't a blizzard but it was more snow than a usual snowfall and the visibility was getting worse I had been driving for about 8 or 9 hours already delivering pallets to a warehouse for the company I worked for I had a bit of extra time so I wasn't in any Rush especially with the snow picking up I was driving on a dimly lit Highway the only light coming from my headlights and the

occasional Street Lamp I had my brights on trying to see as much of the road as possible when something caught my eye in the distance at first I thought it was just the reflection of the snow but as I got closer I realized it wasn't just the snow there was a flickering flashing light in the distance it grew brighter the closer I got until I could see it clearly it was a deep red my heart dropped when I realized what it was a fire at first I thought it might be off to the side maybe

a small brush fire but as I got closer it became clear it was much bigger it wasn't just a small flame it was a car engulfed in flames my stomach turned at the thought I immediately slowed down but I had misjudged the distance and pressed down too hard on The Brak I could feel the back of my truck begin to slide the trailer started swaying and I quickly let go of the brake to avoid tipping over the truck jolted and shook but I managed to straighten it out I pulled over to the side of the

highway still shaking but relieved I hadn't crashed I looked out the window and saw the fire up close at the center of the Flames there was a car a regular looking sedan the Flames were too controlled too focused on a single spot didn't look like the aftermath of an accident I sat there Frozen for a second trying to make sense of it there were no other cars around no one in sight I couldn't even see any signs of an accident like skid marks or broken glass the car car didn't look like it had crashed it

just looked abandoned my heart was pounding could someone still be in the car was there someone inside I grabbed my phone and called the police doing my best to stay calm as the cold air bit at me through the window the dispatcher told me they'd send someone out but it would take at least 15 minutes for the police to arrive the fire was still Burning Brightly casting strange Shadows on the snow covered ground the minutes felt like hours the snow kept falling thick and heavy blurring everything around me I couldn't shake the feeling that something

wasn't right that's when I heard the voices hey hold up a man's voice called out from behind me his words muffled by the falling snow I spun around my pulse racing I hadn't seen anyone approach but there were two men standing there now barely visible in the thick snow they were dressed in dark coats and had face masks covering their mouths and noses they didn't look like they were coming from anywhere no car no truck just walking in the middle of nowhere on a deserted Highway in the middle of a snowstorm my gut Twisted with

unease I managed to force out a greeting asking if they knew what had happened with the car but both men just shook their heads something about the way they moved the way they stood made my skin crawl I didn't hear them approach how could they have gotten there without making a sound the hair on the back of my neck stood up I backed away slightly trying to seem calm but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong that's when one of the men spoke again no he said his voice firm you stay right there

my heart skipped a beat as I turned slowly to face the fire again trying to ignore the cold fear creeping up my spine but then out of the corner of my eye I saw it the flash of metal my body froze in place a gun the man had a handgun pointed straight at me move he ordered his voice cold and threatening stand against the trailer I didn't argue I knew it wasn't worth it I did as I was told moving slowly to the back of the truck and pressing my back against the cold metal my

mind raced they hadn't said a word about what they wanted yet but I was pretty sure I knew where this was going they weren't here to help they weren't here for anything good the second man who had been standing off to the side came up beside me he was quiet but I could feel his eyes on me as the first man aggressively paded me down he took my wallet my phone everything I had my hands trembled as I thought about my family wondering if I'd ever see them again I was sure that these men had

set the fire and now they were going to finish what they started with me I had no idea how long I stood there my heart pounding in my chest trying to hold back the Panic the fear was overwhelming just as I thought the worst was going to happen the second man leaned in close to the first Whispering something in his ear the man with the gun looked at me for a long moment and then without another word they both turned and walked off into the snow disappearing into the darkness I stood there in shock for

what felt like forever before I finally made my way back to my truck I locked the doors and sat there shivering in disbelief my mind was racing what had just happened why had they let me laugh why had they burned that car I had no answers the police arrived a little while later and I told them everything I could remember they were able to piece together what had happened the car had been set on fire by the two men they had robbed and killed an elderly woman burning her car to cover their tracks the fire

had been part of their plan to make sure there was no evidence left behind but what I'll never understand is why they came back to the scene when they saw me maybe they had planned to rob me too but it didn't make sense they had already done what they needed to do why risk getting caught for nothing they were caught soon after and they confessed to everything but even now years later I still wonder why they let me go why did they leave me alive I'll never forget the fear I felt that night standing in

the snow with the fire burning in front of me and two men with guns standing behind me every time I think about it I feel that same icy fear creeping back into my chest if there's one piece of advice I can give it's this if you ever come across something strange especially in the middle of nowhere stay in your car lock the doors call the police and don't try to help because there's always a chance that you might end up being the one who needs help instead hey everyone Thanks for listening if you stuck around

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