Bad experiences stick to us like glue. Since our brain prioritizes negative moments to avoid them in the future, they linger with us longer and more vividly than joyous memories do. That’s why some of our life experiences get so ingrained in us that we can’t stop thinking about them.
Our Bored Panda team compiled many such examples from a popular Reddit thread for our morbidly curious Pandas. Scroll down to check them out for yourself, and don’t forget to upvote those that creeped you out the most.
#1
When my friend and I were 17, we used to work in a pizza hut together. We were closing up one weekend, so it was about 11:00 pm by the time we shut down and were ready to lock up. When we walked out to her car there was an old lady sitting in her front passenger seat.
My friend opened the driver door and asked the old lady before getting in “can I help you?” The old lady said “I just need a ride home”. So we tell her that we just have to go back inside and call our moms to tell her we’ll be late.
We go back inside the store and lock the door and call the police. Within 10 minutes the police are there arresting her. Turns out it was actually a 47 year old man dressed up as an old lady. They found d***s and a knife on his body.
Image source: xtinaxtina18, Yi ZhU
#2
Two days after I was assaulted by a man, someone left flowers on my doorstep without a note.
If it was him, he knows where I live.
Image source: TheTampaBae, Mathilde Langevin
#3
When I was around 13/14 I was home alone, upstairs, when I heard somebody busting open the kitchen door yelling “FIRE FIRE GET OUT”. I didn’t smell anything nor did I think that there was that could ignite a fire (I had ordered take out and all the things that could set a fire were off), so I decided not to get out, and called 911 explaining everything. The police came, and found muddy footprints in the kitchen, along with the kitchen door busted.
Image source: -butter-toast-, EyeEm
#4
When I was in the early years of secondary school, probably 12-14ish, my mum asked me to take a bag of suger over to my elderly neighbour’s house as she’d lent us some sugar the previous weekend. Being a bit bratty, I didn’t want to take it as I didn’t feel like interacting with anyone. But I took it anyway… stood at my neighbour’s front door (timber frame, frosted glass panel in the middle) and knocked. Saw her walking down the hallway to the door and decided that I really didn’t feel like chatting (so rude of me but anyway!). So I put the bag of sugar on the doorstep and legged it back to my house, obviously didn’t say anything to my mum about leaving without talking to the neighbour.
Three days later, my neighbour pops round to our house and asks if we noticed anything strange around her house in the last couple of days. Naturally my mum says “oh honey-bee went and dropped the sugar to you, I thought you’d have spoken then”. So I was caught out and had to explain that I’d rudely dropped the sugar and essentially ding-ding (edit: ding-dong) ditched.
Neighbour goes on to explain that three days ago her alarm was triggered and her house was robbed. She had been interstate and forgot to let us know.
It wasn’t her walking down the hallway to the front door but the people burgling her home… sometimes your intuition speaks to you in weird ways but that day I just did not want to talk to anyone and I still think about how lucky I am that I bailed when I saw that figure walking down the hallway. Who knows what could have happened.
Edit: thanks so much for the awards! Much appreciated.
Image source: honey-bee543, Ross Sneddon
#5
When I was maybe 10 I was over at a friend’s house hanging out. Her neighbor was out of town and my friend was feeding the cat while they were gone. So my friend and I went over to feed the cat. Immediately upon opening the door, we heard someone walking upstairs. They were loud, heavy, slowww footsteps – like didn’t even sound human.
My friend and I just looked at each other and sprinted back to her house. The worst part was we told her mom and the mom didn’t believe us and made us go back and finish feeding the cat alone! We were terrified but did it.
When the neighbor came back, they found that their house had been broken into.
ETA: As for my friend’s mom’s reaction: we were in upper end suburbs in the early 2000s – at the time I think people thought these were incredibly safe with no crime (not the magnets for robbery they often were). It also probably totally sounded like we thought it was a monster/ghost! At that age we didn’t really understand what it was. But definitely in the future when my kids are scared – even if it’s a “monster” – I will know better to listen to them!
Image source: ABakerIGuess, EyeEm
#6
When I was little I was sleeping over at my friend’s house. I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom (dark/far end of the hallway, away from her room). When I stepped out of the bathroom, her older brother was standing outside the door, in the dark. He never said a word, just walked up to me silently and put his hands around my neck.
Someone stirred and he dropped his hands. I immediately called my mom and left without even saying anything. Friend never believed me, and I never went back.
Image source: silentdream626, Jahanzeb Ahsan
#7
My mum used to start at work at like 3AM and she was up at about 2-230 having her coffee, I heard her up and went to see her. She joked that she heard something outside and me being a bit silly opened the blinds up wide as a joke and there was a guy just standing there staring into the lounge room.
That was creepy enough as it is, but what sticks with me is the fact he didn’t run or really react for what felt an eternity. While I ran to get my old man and brother apparently he just stood there and then slowly walked off.
#8
When I was a child I was playing out in the front yard of my house when a white van pulled up on the road, the sliding door opened and a guy in his early 20’s waved at me to go over to him.
Luckily I was a shy kid and got scared and ran inside and told my parents about a strange man in a van calling me over. My parents raced outside but the van was gone by then and it is was only as an adult I think back and I realize what a serious situation that was, I could have been abducted that day and worse.
#9
In my teens and early 20s, my best friend and I used to have lots of sleepovers. His mom worked the night shift as a nurse and his little brother usually stayed in his room and went to bed early, so we had the house for ourselves. We’d cook/eat dinner together, watch TV and especially talk a lot. We also had a tradition that we called “night walks”. Always around 11pm or midnight, we’d leave the house and go for a long walk, 2-3 hours. It was especially nice in the summer because the air was warm but there was a coolish breeze and the fields and pastures smelled amazing.
There was one particular route we walked very often. Towards the end of it, there was a big forest that we had to cross and when we emerged from it, we were on a hill that overlooked the city. There was a bench and sometimes we sat down to enjoy the silence, the distant lights and to relax a bit before going downhill and home again.
One time we did exactly this. Walking through the forest was always a bit scary in the middle of the night, so once we got out, my friend suggested to rest on that bench for a few minutes.
We left the trail, walked 20m across a meadow and finally got to the bench. The bench was located in a place where it was surrounded by trees and bushes, except in the front where you had a great view.
We sat there for maybe 20-25 minutes, had a smoke and just talked about random stuff like space and philosophy.
At one point my friend remarked that he was getting cold because this happened in late fall (October or November). So we decided to get going and walk home again.
When we were almost back to the trail, my friend asked me if I had brought the lighter. I told him that I thought he had picked it up. We turned around and went back to the bench. For a while we just kind of touched around on the wooden surface but couldn’t find it. Since this spot was mostly surrounded by trees, it was very dark. My friend took out his phone and turned on the flashlight to find the lighter. He waved the flashlight around… and that’s when we saw him.
There was A GUY sitting RIGHT BEHIND THE BENCH. Like, maybe 2m (6ft). He was completely dressed in black and sat there, motionless, on the cold, wet ground just staring at us. We hadn’t heard any noise, which means he must’ve sat there for the entire time while we were sitting on the bench… just staring at the back of our heads. That alone is super creepy to think about still today.
Of course my friend and I both got really startled and my friend said something like: “Holy s**t man, you almost gave us a heart attack haha. What the hell are you doing there??” But the guy didn’t respond anything. For a while we just stared at him confused and he stared back at us. Then I asked: “Why are you sitting there on the ground?!” No response. My friend asked: “Uhm… are you alright?” Still no response. It was a really surreal situation but something about it didn’t feel good. I can’t say what but something about that guy gave me a really bad feeling in my stomach (my friend later told me that he had felt the same way). Suddenly, the guy got up and began to walk towards us. I said: “Uhhh what’s happening?” And now the guy answered… but all he said was: “Yeaah”. As he walked around the bench to come towards us, I felt my friend’s hand grab my coat and pull me backwards. He quietly said: “Let’s get the f**k outta here man.” We walked a few steps backwards because we didn’t want to turn our back on the guy. Then we turned around, ran back to the trail and another 100 meters. When we turned around, we were relieved to see the guy hadn’t come after us but we still walked home as quickly as possible.
To this day I don’t know why the hell that guy was sitting there, who he was, why he was silently staring at us for almost half an hour, what he planned to do when he got up and walked towards us etc. All I can say is that my gut feeling tells me it was the right decision to run away rather than wait to find out.
Image source: Arcane_Panacea, Bayram Yalçın
#10
Used to dispatch / call-take 911 in a moderately sized city; was working overnights once and we started getting tons of calls about UFO’s over the area. It was a weeknight in summer, and lots of people out walking or drinking or whatever were seeing this thing. We probably took 100ish calls about em (for reference, I might handle three or four hundred calls myself on a shift) and as the supervisor that rotation, I took over trying to resolve it so everybody could focus on the typical stuff.
We had a “hot” phone to the airport ATC for air emergencies (got to use that once for a plane crash, that was fukin terrifying) and they had absolutely no idea about what was going on and actively resisted getting involved. Little while later, got ahold of an FAA hotline and they definitely had a UFO policy, but were only interested in taking info. They didn’t disseminate *anything*, talking to them felt like an interrogation and I left my badge number instead of my name.
Eventually got ahold of a duty officer at an air force base relatively close by. He told me they were aware of the situation, they were monitoring it, and to consider it a “closed issue”.
Whole thing was a trip, definitely got vibes like I was an extra in the opening of Independence Day. This was before the days of neighborhood Facebook groups or yik-yak, the local radio stations had tons of pictures up on their websites for awhile afterwards.
Image source: CSPANSPAM, Albert Antony
#11
I was at an internal work event/party at a fancy hotel in a different state — it was 80s themed. I started talking to some dude, I barely knew anyone there so I was trying to network, and he tells me he doesn’t work for my company. Okay, no worries, I make a joke about free food. He stares me straight in the eye and picks up one of my French Fries off my plate, dips it in ketchup and eats it without saying a word.
I kind of freaked out and dropped the food in the trash and just walked out of the room and decide not to think about it. A few minutes later, there he is, staring at me. I change rooms again; I’m short so I hid behind people and pretended to talk to people I kind of recognized from my home office. He follows me, every few minutes I see him.
I finally got the courage to approach a woman I knew the name of from some meetings and seeing her around the office. When I asked if the party had any kind of security she immediately asked if it was about the dude in the blue jacket and white hat. Apparently she’d noticed him staring at me creepily, so I didn’t have to try and convince anyone.
Security took him away and everyone moved on but I was scared and paranoid for the rest of the business trip.
Edit: thank you every one who has sent kind words and awards, I was just telling my story for my own sake but I’m glad so many people have seen it and I feel for everyone who has had similar experiences
To all the people who keep sending me creepy messages: wtf is wrong with you that you read this and that’s your response?? Seriously stop.
Image source: R3dIsMyFav, EyeEm
#12
I grew up on a cattle ranch in a once rural town. Our house sat alone in the middle of a 200 acre plot of land, surrounded by a few small neighborhoods and some other small farms. There was a pasture light just outside the yard, visible from the living room. As a kid & teen I had a habit of waking up in the middle of the night and randomly walk through the house to check that the windows and doors were closed. It was the 90s in a small town. We didn’t always lock our doors. It was just a routine thing i did to help me get back to sleep. My dad is the same way.
Anyway, when i was about 14 i was doing my checks, in the middle of the night, and i look out the window at the pasture light and there, bathed in blue light, was a lone man. Just standing and staring at the house. I froze for a moment then ducked down below the window sill, hoping he didn’t see me too. I only waited for a few seconds and peeked out again but he was gone. I told my dad and he just nonchalantly shrugged it off and said that people will walk across our pastures all the time since we were in between two major roadways (mostly homeless or locals without cars). You can bet i started making sure the doors were locked as well after that.
Image source: amahler03, EyeEm
#13
My dad told me to rake some leaves in our front yard when I was like 12. I ended up working for a few minutes then felt eyes on me (you know the feeling). I turned around and my neighbor across the street was taking pictures of me so obviously. Right when he saw me he put his phone down and turned around. I immediately ran inside and told my family- none of them believed me.
I’m 18 now and he’s still my neighbor and I have been creeped out ever since. I have to close my window blinds all the time still because I always feel like he’s watching me.
Image source: milkysalami, Ramil B.
#14
In my dorm room I heard the very distinct noise of those slider volume knobs on an ihome (if you know what the term is help a sista out)
As far as I know, this sound is not often or easily replicated by something else. I can’t think of anything that makes that sound.
I was alone and it happened only once. So I was like “eh” and didn’t think anything of it- UNTIL…
The next day I checked my mail and had received a card from a person who previously went to my childhood church (that’s a whole different offshoot of creepy, but I digress). To provide a bit of context: This individual and I had rarely spoken directly. I had no connection aside from attending the same church years ago a while back for MAYBE 2-3 months? (Childhood time is a foreign concept). This person was also a registered s*x offender.
Now for the punchline (?) The card read: “Have things gone bump in the night yet?” That’s it. That’s all it said.
Wut?
Image source: jazzercise24, rawpixel.com
#15
When I was around 8 years old, I lived in a nice, quiet neighborhood and would frequently take walks around the block, sometimes alone, sometimes with my mother. One evening before sunset my best friend and I decided to go for a walk together, we were about halfway through when we were approached by an older man who was walking with two dogs. He was panting and seemed frantic and asked us if we knew whose dogs they were, we said no and kept walking, trying to get the f**k home as quickly as possible because his presence alone gave us goosebumps. Even though we were walking away quickly, he followed us and asked us to help him find out whose dogs they were, to go knocking on all of the neighbors doors and ask everyone. We continued to say no and picked up our pace, which he then matched and continued following us, shouting “let’s check this house!” “Help me find their owners!” At this point we sprinted the f**k back to house, he ran behind us for a bit but tired out really quickly.
I have no idea if he was just somewhat socially challenged and didn’t understand that two 8 year old girls are not the people to ask for help, or if he was hoping we would knock on that door (which I now suspect was his house) and then push us in and do who knows what but I’m happy our instincts told us to NOPE the f**k out of there and go home.
Image source: KayteeMichellee, Polly Shvayda
#16
Pretty sure I almost got kidnapped when I was a kid. I was 10 years old walking home from school and an elderly couple driving by stopped and asked me for directions. They were looking for the street I was walking towards, so I pointed them in that direction. Even though my directions were very clear, both were acting confused and asked if I can get in the car and guide them there and then they would drive me home. I told them it was fine, my house was right here (I lied). They were pressuring/guilting me a lot and being TOO nice about wanting to drive me home. It gave me a really weird feeling in my stomach. So I pretended to walk towards a house that wasn’t mine and they drove off.
Image source: ivantoldmeboutdis
#17
If you knew my sister and I, you’d know how odd this makes us feel…
My sister was spending the night at a friend’s house. She was around 16-17 years old. That night she had an extremely vivid dream of a man breaking into the friends bedroom window and proceeding to sexually a*****t her (my sister). She awoke terrified because the dream was so vivid in it’s details. She proceeded to wake-up her friend and tell her about the dream. As she is describing the dream, her friend stops her and proceeded to describe the man in the dream. According to the friend, the bed they were sleeping on was giving second-hand and every since receiving it, she had been having the exact same dream. Needless to say, the parents got rid of the bed and the dream stopped.
No matter how much time has passed and how many creepy things I’ve heard or experienced, this haunts me the most vividly.
Image source: watercaged
#18
When I was 13 I was in a bookstore and a grown-a*s man approached me in the manga section and started asking me about my love life, if I had a girlfriend, etc. I left and watched the escalator from outside to make sure I wasn’t followed. Next thing I know he’s standing next to me and asks me to help him move a couch into his van. I kindly say f**k no and he jogs across the street and out of sight. I go inside and tell an adult who responds… yeah, they’ve been getting complaints like that.
Image source: Fun-Put-9104
#19
This happened around 2008. One day I heard the voice of a young Indian man (about 18-20 years old) saying “Hello, hello ?” while I was using my laptop. I had always kept the camera taped over, used virus software, periodically checked the download folders, etc. But when that happened I freaked out that I’d been hacked and went through every possible safety check again, down to seeing which programs were currently running, whether the neighbors were accessing my wifi, was it one of those loud pup virus ads and if my camera or microphone permissions had been turned on. Couldn’t find a thing. It happened two different times in the year after that. Same man’s voice, too. I no longer use that laptop. And I still keep any laptop cameras covered, because god knows how that person got ahold of my computer :X.
Image source: FamousOhioAppleHorn
#20
When I was a kid, I came home from school and no one was home, which was normal. Pretty much immediately as I stepped in, the radio started loudly blasting from the speakers we had. I got startled out so I screamed and ran outside and after I got back in, it had stopped. How did it start and stop on its own? I still think about it to this day.
Image source: mikemikebungee
#21
When I was 10 years old I lived in the middle of rural alabama.. we had some odd neighbors. Being curious kids, my friend and I followed my neighbor and his son and daughter one day when they left their house and walked into the woods. I was very familiar with the area because it was back when kids could roam free until the street lights came on. Anyway, we trailed them for about 2 miles, through the woods, across an old cemetery, and down a railroad. They stopped at a clearing beside the tracks and my friend and I hid opposite of them and watched…..
They started digging and kept pulling up bones and putting them in a bucket. We got scared and bolted. I immediately told my parents but they didn’t believe me.
I’m 32 and remember that day clearly.
Edit: I forgot to come back to this. Had some major life changes lately.
I didn’t expect this to get such a response. Thank you all!
After reading the comments, I would like to add…
This happened in very Rural Talladega county around 1999.
The neighbor dad wasn’t someone you’d expect to have have a high school diploma at first glance. I remember him not being too kind to his kids sometimes.
After thinking more about that time, weirdest of all that hit me….there was never a mom. Again, that’s just my 10 year olds memory.
Image source: Chad003
#22
One day during a break between classes in school, I went and dropped off my books in the classroom I was having next before going to hang out or grab something from a vending machine or whatever and was the first to do so since my last class was really close.
Right after I put my books down I heard an incredibly deep voice say my last name very slowly and clear as day, (I have a very unique last name, I doubt I misheard) from above and a little behind me, I figured it was someone messing with me but the room was completely empty, I did a quick lap and checked anything that direction big enough for someone to hide and the floating ceilings couldn’t support anyones weight.
No idea what it was, probably just hearing things that aren’t there but it was a bit creepy.
Image source: TheSpaceRaceAce
#23
When my grandparents passed away, my family moved into their house to help take care of my uncle, who was slightly special needs, and had lived there his whole life. I got a lot of creepy vibes in that house, and had a lot of nightmares while living there.
One evening, I had the worst nightmare ever that was super realistic. Towards the end of the dream, I saw the scariest demon smiling at me with the blackest black eyes (or lack of, more like emptiness), hundreds of razor sharp teeth curled into a smile, and strange c*****d white skin, almost like bone. The demon somehow conveyed to me that he was going to murder me just by smiling at me. This nightmare made me not want to sleep for weeks out of fear of seeing this thing again.
I did not tell my family about this dream.
I did not get along with this uncle who we lived with, and I rarely spoke to him unless completely necessary. The next day after that nightmare, he asked me a question. He said “Hey, do you still have that app on your phone?” The app he was referring to was some stupid phone app for reading emf. I downloaded the app just for s***s and giggles a few weeks prior because as I said, the house was creepy and I tried to see if I could pick up any messages from ghosts or demons in the home. I told him “yeah, I still have it…. why?” He said “oh, I was just wondering because last night I saw something standing at my doorway.” And then proceeded to describe the EXACT demon from my nightmare.
I was so freaked out I don’t even think I properly responded to him. I told my family about this, and they agreed that something was in the house. None of us slept well the rest of our time there.
Luckily, we didn’t live in that house for very long before selling it. I still think about that demon from my dream sometimes and hope I never encounter that smile again. Also, there’s no way my uncle could’ve known what I dreamt, because like I said, I didn’t tell my family about the dream. I fully believe that he saw the same demon in person that I saw in my nightmare.
Image source: brzybbybns
#24
I was like 13 at the time and I was on a trip to DC. We had stopped, and I went into the public bathroom. It was empty, and I went to the urinal at the complete end of the room. Then, halfway through my p**s, this big middle-aged guy who looked like he just butchered a group of children walks in and goes to the urinals. There was about a dozen urinals open besides mine, and this dude chooses the one a few over from me. He then glances over at me a few times and then promptly switches over to the stall right next to me. He skipped over 2 whole urinals just to get the one next to me. Thankfully I finished right as he did this, and I sped right tf outta there. I didn’t even wash my hands. Pretty sure that was the closest I’ve ever been to being mo*****d.
Image source: TREVtheK1NG
#25
When i was a kid, maybe 10 or so I was home by myself. Pretty normal since i was a latch key kid. I was just hanging out and shooting a cardboard box with one of those cheap airsoft guns you have to rack every time you shoot. I hear a knock at the door, and see a bald man through the peephole. It seemed like he was looking through it and saw me. Being a stupid kid that thought adults could get me in trouble (do not teach your kids that) i opened the door. He said he had a leak in his apartment downstairs and came inside to “look for a plant or some reason for a leak” I was sketched out, and being a kid I thought maybe i should shoot him with my dinky little plastic walther and run. He said something along the lines of “huh thats weird” turned around to see a little boy with his hand around a pistol grip at his waist. That guy got the hell out of there! Nearly spun out on the hardwood. That was the day i either stopped a weirdo from breaking into my apartment, or the day i made my downstairs neighbor think the weird kid upstairs will shoot him.
Image source: badlytimedmoke
#26
I had a stalker in college. Had to move dorm rooms and building 4 times in the middle of the night. Friends would help me get to my dorm by pretending we were going to theirs and making sure no one was around when I’d go into mine. He found 2 of the dorms and left notes in my room. It’s been over 11 years and I live in a completely different state but every once in awhile I get the feeling I’m being watched and panic.
Image source: anon
#27
When I was in middle school, my girlfriends and I rode the bus home most days. The bus driver was this older guy who was super nice & fun and would allow us to play whatever radio station we wanted, and he would drop us girls off at home last so we could dance around on the bus. I remember he would let us stand at the front of the bus while he drove and he would purposely swerve to make us fall on top of him. I remember thinking it was weird, but it wasn’t until I got older that I realized how wrong that all was.
I decided to google his name (I’m now in my 30’s) and found that he is a convicted s*x offender and is currently incarcerated. Scary part is when I think back, he obviously knew where I lived, and I remember there were several times when he’d drive past my house on the days I wouldn’t ride with him. Keep in mind driving past my house was out of the way of his normal route, so it was intentional.
Image source: kelsaylor
#28
I came home once from school when I was about 15/16 on a dark Friday night (it was winter at the time, so it started to get dark quite early). I was home alone when I arrived, my parents always got home late from work and my brother had football practice every Friday after school.
First thing I do when I get home is change to my PJs in my bedroom, which is located on the upper floor of the house. My bedroom sits directly above the kitchen. I eventually hear the kitchen door close suddenly, not violently or anything, just normally (in this case it’s the door that leads to the exterior back part of the house), and initially did not think anything of it. I knew it was this specific door in question, as it makes quite a distinctive sound.
I remember thinking it was either my brother who had possibly arrived early or my grandma, who has a tendency to walk into our house and then call for either me and my brother sometimes. Eventually, I started to get weirded out when I couldn’t hear anyone moving or saying anything. So I step out of my bedroom and call for both my brother and grandma on the top of the stairs. Nobody answered back and I still couldn’t hear anything. Weird.
I start to slowly walk downstairs and then stop halfway through, and I’m now facing the steps that lead to the living room, the kitchen is to the left. Suddenly, I start to hear what sounds like heavy breathing, like someone had just run a marathon and was extremely tired. It *seemed* to be coming from my left, so that meant in the kitchen. I was honestly completely unsure if it was my brain making these noises up in my head, as I was already feeling a little creeped out before I started walking down the stairs. I stood frozen for probably a minute or two just trying to decipher this supposed breathing I could hear. Eventually, it stops. Being now completely creeped out, I head back up stairs, genuinely concerned someone was in the house.
I grab a random object in my room to use as self-defense, just in case I ended up coming across an intruder (ridiculously, I think I ended up picking my bedside lamp as a weapon, can’t remember for sure). I somehow gained the courage to go downstairs, don’t ask me how as I’m such a chicken when it comes to creepy situations like this. I check out the living room, toilet, nothing out of the ordinary. I step into the kitchen, nothing either. Nothing that could indicate someone had possibly been there.
The only weird thing was that the kitchen door I mentioned was unlocked. My parents and my brother and I usually close both that door and the front door when we leave the house, but clearly someone had forgotten to lock it. The thing is, since it had been left open, I couldn’t rule out the possibility that someone might have actually been in the house, even for just a few minutes. It’s still something that creeps me out to this day, as I have no explanation for what I heard.
Edit: I’m not from the USA. I’m European.
Image source: lagutrop
#29
I *used to* spend a lot of time walking through the woods/fields by my mums house, and noticed a path one day that I hadn’t seen before. I was listening to music following down this path as the trees around became more dense, you could tell it wasn’t often people walked down there anymore I remember it being more of mud/gravel trail.
At this point I was deep in the woods, hadn’t seen another person for a long time and shaded by the leaves of the trees.
I don’t know what made me notice at first but I think I smelt the smoke. I stopped on the path, and maybe 5 metres away to my left in the trees was a small fire that had obviously been stamped out in a hurry, still burning embers and smoke so it had been done only a few moments before.
Cue me realising there wasn’t anyone around that I’d seen, and that whoever had stamped out the fire was hiding in the trees somewhere. I have never felt a gut feeling to run like I did in that moment , straight back the way I came and did not look behind me until I was back into the main woodland with people around.
Will never know if I was paranoid and it was nothing, or if I avoided something bad that day haha.
Image source: anon
#30
The guy that assulted me told the cops he had the intention of k**ling me. But my dog made him rush.
This dude was someone I thought of as a close friend.
Image source: hex_the_nitezombii
#31
I live in a very… creepy home. I would hear knocking all the time and walking through my wood floors in the kitchen. (I lived alone and no animals)
One night in particular, I got freaked out so bad, felt like my heart would jump from my chest.
It was around 2am in the morning, I was fast asleep, I heard a loud bang from somewhere in my home, it was one of those bangs I wasn’t sure I was dreaming or not so I just laid there for a minute, listening intently. ( my room was located at the very end of the hallway near my bathroom. The hall would meet living room than wrap around to my kitchen and back room.)
As I was listening intently, my central air is extremely loud but I heard, clear as day, someone run their finger nail down the metal vents that spits out cold air from the unit near my kitchen. It was LOUD. By that time, I jumped into fight mode immediately. I texted my father and told him their might be an intruder in my home. I pulled out my pistol and flashlight and hugged the wall near my open door and listened. My heart was pounding. I heard small footsteps coming from the kitchen and was absolutely positive someone broke into my home. I gathered my courage and turned into the hall, pointed my pistol at the hallway. Walking down the hallway, there is another room on my left, which is pitch black. I lean my head in there and peak, but nothing. I quietly walked towards my living room and peaked and saw nothing. I turned the corner leading to my kitchen and sweating profusely. I flipped the light on into the kitchen and pointed my gun. Every single cabinet door, oven door, was wide open. I yelled, “if anyone is in that back room, you better show yourself or be shot!” Nothing replied back to me. I made my way into the back room and could hear the creaks on the wood floor from my weight. I jump into the back room to reveal absolutely no one in the house.
To this day. I have activity happen, and I just don’t have an explanation for.
EDIT: here is the most recent paranormal video I have of the house.
Image source: xxxTHEW0LFxxx
#32
About 10 years back I moved into my brother’s floor apartment. It was in the hood, but that never stopped me from walking to the corner store at night when I ran out of smokes. It was a 5 minute walk at best, I could see the store from my front door. Just cross the street, walk a couple minutes, cross a major intersection and you’re there.
So I head out as normal. As I got to the store parking lot, there was a man in a car, demanding my attention.
Man: Hey. Hey you girl. Hey come here. Come here. Hey come HERE. COME HERE. HEY-
At this point, I had already walked past and was seconds from entering the store, and I hear him suddenly yell, “I LOVE YOU.”
I just cringe a bit, but shake it off and buy my stupid cancer sticks. When I exit the store, he’s still there. But something is different. As I’m walking back across the intersection, I notice that dude quickly pulled out the lot in my direction, seemingly pursuing me. I’m thinking, “probably just imagining this”, but felt it in my gut. I turn to see him at the intersection, he pulled onto the same street that I was suddenly desperately running across.
The entrance to my brother’s apartment was on a side/frontage road running parallel with the road there.
As I made it to the side road, I turned to see that guy was indeed following me, which meant he had to drive for a few seconds and basically make a weird u turn to get to me. But he didn’t know that my destination was the first building there. I was already watching from my front door as he erratically drove down the side road looking for me, angrily swerving all over the place. I was terrified and super lucky that the apartment was so close. If I had lived in the next apartments over, I might not be here today. Now I know better and carry protection and won’t go walking at night without my dog.
Image source: anon
#33
In my mom’s house, the bed that my sister and I shared when we were younger breathes sometimes. It feels as if you are laying your head on someone’s chest. For years, I didn’t say anything about it because I would experience it mostly when I was alone in the dark. I would try holding my breath to see if it’s my imagination (to be fair, I am a huge scaredy cat- cant even watch horror movies at all) but it would continue to rise and fall. One day, I brought it up to my sister and mother and they say they have both felt it. But since it never bothers or tries to scare them, they ignore it. I don’t sleep on that bed anymore. I haven’t noticed anything else off but I do hate being alone in my mom’s house.
Image source: watchingsunsets
#34
I was alone by myself on a motorbike in a rural area of Cambodia in 1996, back when the Khmer Rouge were still actively hunting down foreigners and offering bounties to any local villager that could capture one. Me being an America white guy I thought I was invincible. When I had stopped to enjoy the view for a few minutes a logging truck had passed right past me, with logs in the back and when they passed me I could see a group of men in the cab with their eyes all lit up. Just as they passed me they slammed on the brakes and came to a complete halt. That’s when I started up my motorbike quicker than I’ve ever done before and flew out of there like a bat out of hell. I looked back and the truck was slowly trying to turn around but couldn’t really do it because the road was too narrow. And that’s the last I ever saw of them.
Image source: I_Keep_Fish
#35
When I was around 11 I was at softball practice and for whatever reason the practice ended early so I had to wait at the park for my grandpa to come and pick me up. I ended up having to wait alone for about 30 minutes because I didn’t have a cell phone to call and tell my grandpa that practice ended early.
I remember sitting on the swings when an adult man, in his 30s or 40s, came and sat down next to me. He asked if he knew me and I said no and he told me that I must just have “one of those pretty faces” that feel recognizable to anybody. I remember feeling happy about the compliment and I kept talking to him. Eventually, he told me that he had his car with him and that he could drive me home to my grandparents house so that they didn’t have to worry about picking me up and I wouldn’t have to wait any longer.
Being 11, I didn’t think anything of this and proceeded to get into this strangers car. Luckily, my grandpa showed up just in time and I remember seeing his car and jumping out to meet him. The stranger sped off without talking to my grandpa and that was the last I ever heard about it.
This is such a vivid memory for me and I often find myself thinking about what would have happened to me and what a different person I would be today if my grandpa hadn’t shown up when he did.
Image source: maopi
#36
I have a spooky child. She’s always talked about ghost friends and how they died. It’s usually just a quick mention of them every now and then. But there’s one incident I still don’t understand.
We were living in a rural little town at the time. She was about 4. She was playing out front on the patio, and I was in the kitchen getting her a snack. I could see her perfectly through the door, until I turned my back to reach in the cabinet. Just as I did, I heard tires squealing and a huge thump. I whipped back around, and she wasn’t sitting where I had last seen her. I ran like mad over to the door, and there she was. Standing just to the side of the door so I couldn’t see her from my previous angle.
I looked all around as I was scooping her up. Nothing. Absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary. I put her down, and she was perfectly calm. Me… I was on an adrenaline o******e.
Me: What happened?! I heard a crash!
Her: There was an accident.
Me: Where? I don’t see anything!
Her: It was a long time ago.
Me: I don’t….
Her: It’s ok, mom. Addie was just showing me how she died. Can I have a snack now?
She still says spooky things. But nothing at that level since, thank god.
Image source: chaoticallymundane
#37
I had my school ID written on a piece of paper. It had been a long morning. As I got in my car it slipped from my pocket. I reached down to grab it and it blew under my car. I was annoyed, so I said f**k it and just left. Hours later, in front of my apartment which isn’t super far from campus but not super close either, as I was exiting my apartment, I noticed that same piece of paper had blown right in front of my doorway and at my feet.
Probably not the creepiest thing in my life, but it was pretty recent and definitely weird.
Image source: ZombifiedPie
#38
A dude in a yellow ford pinto offered my brother and I some candy when we were
young but we refused and walked away. Good thing, because it was child serial k**ler Westley Alan Dodd.
Image source: OlmecDonald
#39
I’ve never and still really don’t believe in the ‘paranormal’.
However my grandparents died within a couple of weeks of eachother so we had a double funeral. After the funeral all the family went back to my grandparents house just as they had left it.
After a few hours people were drunk and began to argue about poitless b******t. When the argument came to a head the lights all the sudden dimmed and flashed a few times as if a power surge. It stopped the arguing immediately.
I can’t help but think it was my grandparents saying ‘cut it out’ from beyond the grave.
Image source: Savage_downvotes
#40
A friend of my parents put his arm around my (18f) shoulder and told me that one of the life lessons he’d learned was to never ignore an erection. It was very f*****g creepy and I noped out of the situation pretty fast.
Image source: LittleBitOdd
#41
Two of us driving together – stopped to fill gas late at night – the gas station was closed. Beautiful summer night. I stepped away from the car to take the pup over to a grassy spot since we were stopped. Cute twenty something girl who was driving with me was filling up the car and standing illuminated by the lights over the pumps. Lone car comes tearing past on the road and suddenly does a screeching turn into the station and stops next to our car, opposite side of the pump. Very large guy, reddish beard, mid to late 20’s is already out of the car and halfway between the pumps, moving toward her when he sees me returning to the car, with the dog. He freezes in place staring at me. There was another guy who looked like his twin, sitting tense behind the wheel of their still running car and also staring. Neither of them moved a muscle after they saw me. They were not scared. Very tense.
Undecided, maybe. The whole incident happened fast. We both got into our car and drove away. They were 100% planning something unspeakable. Be careful out there, people.
Image source: formerlyfromwisco
#42
Someone broke into my house while I was home alone when I was 19. I found them hiding behind this 7 foot tall toolbox my dad had in the basement. I was about 5 feet away and saw their hands. I told them I was going to let them leave out the back door but I was calling the cops. I locked the basement door and ran upstairs, watched them run down the street with their shirt pulled up over their head.
About a month later we got back from a trip out of town and we had been robbed. I can’t imagine it wasn’t the same person.
Image source: eatMYcookieCRUMBS
#43
When I was in 3rd grade, I was home alone with my quadriplegic grandma from after school until my mom came home. One day the phone rings, and I answer it and an unfamiliar man’s voice says hey justonemorebyte, did you just get home from school? I say yeah, who is this? Instead of answering me he started asking things like do you ever touch yourself? Do you like to look at girls? Being in 3rd grade of course I was like nope! and hung up pretty quick. I told my parents but nothing ever came of it. I still wonder to this day who it was, how they knew my name, and my whereabouts. This was back on a corded landline with no caller ID either.
Image source: justonemorebyte
#44
Smoking a blunt with the f****r who had r***d and m******d a friend of mine the previous evening. We were all hypothesizing what had happened while the psycho who had done it was casually trying to plant disinformation.
Image source: Pkrudeboy
#45
Had a recurring dream in my late teens and well into my twenties about an older dude that was always wearing military uniforms. Mostly it was an all white uniform but sometimes olive or brown and at least once camo. He never said anything to me even if I would try to engage him or ask him questions, just kind of looked at me and smiled. I can recall 5 different dreams he was in but there may have been more. Kind of a short stocky guy, white hair, clean shaved face, just a calm demeanor. I haven’t dreamed of him in over 10 years but I still wonder what the hell that was all about.
Image source: BigBicNic
#46
When we were house shopping we went to this big house surrounded by pretty dense landscaping in the front. Bushes mid-thigh and such. We met our realtor and walked through the house for a solid hour or so then met on the front porch and talked a bit about what we liked, etc. We had parked near some bushes and the realtor (a petite female) had parked in the driveway.
My husband and I got back in the car and continued to chat while the realtor left. Suddenly about 6 feet away from the passenger door, a man stood up out of the bushes and walked into the house. He didn’t look at us or give any indication he saw us.
We called the realtor who in turn called the owners who said it was their son and “he doesn’t really want us to sell….” We ended up not buying that house and it went off the market shortly after. I still wonder what the hell he was doing, hiding in the bushes and I’m so glad the realtor had left before us!
Image source: anon
#47
When I was around 23 years old I was on a bike ride and stopped at a park to use the restroom. While I was in the stall, a balding middle-aged man suddenly stuck his head up over the wall and looked down at me. When he saw me looking back up at him, he looked startled (like he was expecting to see someone else) and immediately got back down and left. I finished up quickly because I thought something weird was going on and I had left my bike sitting unlocked outside the restroom door. When I got back out, my bike was still there but standing right outside the bathroom door was a 12-13 year-old boy who I’d never seen before who looked right at me and struck up a conversation about my bike (just pointless small talk). I looked around and saw that the creepy old guy was still milling about in the parking lot, watching us talking. I was barely saying anything (basically just going “Yeah”, “Huh,” “okay”), but the kid kept talking to me until the creepy guy gave up and got back in his car and drove off. As soon as the guy’s car was out of sight, the kid said something to the effect of “Thanks. Bye!” and then waved and walked away.
Image source: foulsmellingorganism
#48
My family moved to Indianapolis when I was in 2nd grade. At one point I was watching tv and a weather alert popped up that showed the radar and different shades of green for the amount of rain and tornado danger areas. I looked outside and *the sky was the same f’ing shade of green as the weather radar*. Subsequent winds shook the hell out of the house, and I was convinced a tornado was going to atomize the house.
Probably mundane as hell for someone born in tornado alley, but creeped the hell out of me.
Image source: anon
#49
For a few years my family lived in my great-grandma’s house. Everyone said it was haunted. Of course my dad and I didn’t believe it. Then one night I’m walking to the bathroom when I decide to glance out the front door, as you pass by it on the way to the bathroom. I see two red eyes staring back at me. It was pitch black and the eyes were just glowing. I turned around and went back to bed, full bladder be damned.
Image source: starkpaella
#50
So this one time I was out hunting (northern BC), on my own. I’m on my quad going down an old trail and I come to the edge of a pond and I look down and there’s a bone. Nothing unusual. Then I look a bit further, deer skull. No biggie. Well I keep looking and there’s bone set after bone set, I counted at least 20 separate sets, along with two fresh carcasses. I was in the middle of this boneyard, it’s dead silent, and I get this Spidey sense that something was watching me. I load my rifle and sit and wait a few minutes but there’s nothing. Seriously the most eerie feeling. I later found out it was most likely a cougars k**l site, and given them amount of bones it was big and effective.
Image source: cdn121
#51
Im a guy, and when I was 11 or 12 I was flying back home after having spent the summer with my dad. I was sitting next to an adult man on the plane. He tried to talk to me (now I recognize as ‘flirting’), tried to put his hand on my knee, and asked me if I wanted to hang out once the plane landed. This was before 9/11, and my mom was waiting for me right outside the gate so nothing happened beyond the encounter on the plane, fortunately. Still creeps me out to this day though.
Image source: mathaius42
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