Fall Asleep To These Scary Stories | TRUE Stories | Creepy Lullaby Music

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<font color="#CCCCCC">I am a 27 year old female at</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the time</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">this</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> occurred I was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in my senior year</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">high school angsty</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and steadily</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> into</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">partying for</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> this story I'm going to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hide her identity</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> solely due to privacy</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">let's call her Kay Kay</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> almost cost me my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">life and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> never want to see her again</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font> little<font color="#CCCCCC"> backstory on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Kay she had grown up</font> privileged<font color="#E5E5E5"> given anything she ever</font> wanted her<font color="#CCCCCC"> parents adopted her five</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">cousins and this is when</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she started to</font> rebel her parents were<font color="#CCCCCC"> well off</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> started to pay</font> less attention to<font color="#E5E5E5"> her so Kay had all the</font> freedom<font color="#E5E5E5"> in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> world at the time this</font> incident occurred<font color="#CCCCCC"> Kay was 18 and I had</font> just turned 18 we were headed to a<font color="#E5E5E5"> kickback at these</font> guys house and nothing<font color="#CCCCCC"> more</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> than a</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">little bit of weed was expected now I</font> had my share<font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> smoking</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> weed and</font> popping pills here and there I had<font color="#CCCCCC"> just</font> tried ecstasy this summer prior<font color="#E5E5E5"> however</font> I was planning on<font color="#E5E5E5"> staying sober Shay</font> picked me up and<font color="#CCCCCC"> we stopped</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to buy</font> cigarettes at a gas station I bought a fountain drink<font color="#CCCCCC"> one with the</font> straw and everything<font color="#E5E5E5"> this is crucial for</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the story</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> later on we arrived at the</font> apartment<font color="#CCCCCC"> and everyone is smoking</font> including Kay but<font color="#E5E5E5"> I declined she would</font> always say stuff about<font color="#E5E5E5"> how she never</font> wanted<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> be</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> hi alone</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> complained about</font> how I never<font color="#E5E5E5"> got as high as her so I</font> obliged and<font color="#E5E5E5"> I cleared the bong off her</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hit not even taking a full hit she asked</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">for a drink of my soda and I handed it</font> to her she had it<font color="#E5E5E5"> for a good minute I</font> had my head turned talking to<font color="#E5E5E5"> someone</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">else at the kickback</font> when I looked back<font color="#E5E5E5"> at</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Kay</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she was</font> messing<font color="#CCCCCC"> with my straw</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I didn't think</font> much of it and she handed it back to<font color="#CCCCCC"> me</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">within</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> about 30 minutes or so I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> started</font> to feel intensely<font color="#E5E5E5"> high to the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> point that</font> I needed to escape<font color="#CCCCCC"> from the group I go</font> out front to smoke a cigarette<font color="#CCCCCC"> only to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">find that I couldn't stand up so I laid</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">on the front porch</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> then all of these</font> dark thoughts<font color="#E5E5E5"> flashed through my mind</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> felt<font color="#E5E5E5"> so sick like my stomach was being</font> torn open<font color="#CCCCCC"> I couldn't stand up I had to</font> crawl to<font color="#CCCCCC"> the bushes to throw up I</font> thought to<font color="#CCCCCC"> myself</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> all of this off</font> clearing a bomb<font color="#E5E5E5"> so I laid back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on the</font> porch<font color="#CCCCCC"> the apartment was located on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font> busy street<font color="#E5E5E5"> in the city</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I lived in I</font> also thought about<font color="#E5E5E5"> running into</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> traffic</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">because I felt</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> like I was dying so I</font> gave myself two options<font color="#E5E5E5"> I could run into</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">traffic</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> have a car hit me and end this</font> horrible<font color="#E5E5E5"> pain I was in or I could get</font> some help<font color="#CCCCCC"> maybe flag somebody down my</font> mind wasn't<font color="#CCCCCC"> in the right state I knew</font> nobody<font color="#CCCCCC"> at</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the kickback would take me</font> seriously<font color="#E5E5E5"> but I knew something</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">terribly wrong I thought</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> about calling</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">my mom I must have dialed her number and</font> hung up<font color="#CCCCCC"> like five times</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> finally I called</font> and<font color="#E5E5E5"> told her what had happened and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">I didn't know why I was so high nobody</font> else was feeling<font color="#E5E5E5"> the way</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that I felt</font> what seemed like<font color="#E5E5E5"> an eternity later</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> kay</font> came outside<font color="#E5E5E5"> looking</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for me as I'm</font> puking<font color="#E5E5E5"> my guts out into the bushes she</font> asks me if I want<font color="#CCCCCC"> to go get some food I</font> asked her<font color="#E5E5E5"> if she was serious</font> she laughed as I puked<font color="#E5E5E5"> what I didn't</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">know is that my mother had called my</font> older brother to pick me up since<font color="#E5E5E5"> he</font> lived close<font color="#CCCCCC"> to where I was</font> he showed up with<font color="#E5E5E5"> a machete ran inside</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and threatened people</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he didn't know who</font> gave<font color="#CCCCCC"> me what it wasn't until I got home</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">that my brother took</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> one look at me</font> he saw my eyes and noticed how dilated <font color="#E5E5E5">my pupils were so they rushed me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to the</font> ER after<font color="#E5E5E5"> more puking of course my memory</font> there<font color="#CCCCCC"> is</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a bit fuzzy</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I just remember</font> asking<font color="#CCCCCC"> my sister-in-law if I was going</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> die and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> tell him/her that I was</font> scared<font color="#E5E5E5"> they ended up sedating me due</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the fact that I was yelling and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">threatening the nurses which was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">completely out of character for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me they</font> did a drug test screen on me and found MDMA the drug<font color="#E5E5E5"> found an ecstasy along</font> with other drugs in my system<font color="#E5E5E5"> I'm</font> assuming the<font color="#E5E5E5"> other drugs were the ones</font> used to make up the ecstasy now<font color="#E5E5E5"> this is</font> all frightening and everything<font color="#E5E5E5"> however</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">what I found out a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> few</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> days later</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">shocked me to my core</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> K had been to a</font> house party<font color="#E5E5E5"> the next night somebody</font> there had<font color="#E5E5E5"> said that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she was passing out</font> free ecstasy<font color="#E5E5E5"> to four different</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> people of</font> those four<font color="#CCCCCC"> people</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> three had horrible</font> seizures and had to be<font color="#CCCCCC"> taken to the ER</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">by ambulance I'm assuming that whatever</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">ecstasy she used was a bad batch</font> remember when<font color="#CCCCCC"> she asked to have a drink</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> my soda</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> assume that this is</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> when</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">she dropped the pill inside and it</font> dissolved she<font color="#CCCCCC"> probably crushed it</font> beforehand or something<font color="#CCCCCC"> I have no clue</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">but at this</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> time in my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> life I hadn't</font> done drugs for a while<font color="#CCCCCC"> especially not</font> ecstasy<font color="#CCCCCC"> k also</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> went on to tell people</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> one that slipped her the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">drug and she had to go to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the hospital</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">she's a pathological liar</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> has had to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">go to therapy for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a long time</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> for mental</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">disorders all of this happened because</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">she wanted me to be high like her I</font> could have<font color="#E5E5E5"> committed</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> suicide because I</font> wasn't<font color="#CCCCCC"> in the right frame of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> mind</font> it still affects<font color="#CCCCCC"> me to this day it</font> sounds<font color="#E5E5E5"> cliche but I have hard time</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">trusting people with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> this experience</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">among other things</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I also don't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> like</font> sharing drinks<font color="#E5E5E5"> with people I get</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> scared</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">when I go out to a bar</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> or</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a club fearing</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the worst</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I mean if my own friend has</font> done<font color="#E5E5E5"> this</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to me what's</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> stopping a</font> stranger so<font color="#E5E5E5"> I always guard my drink no</font> matter what<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I'll never see Kay again</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">I'm not sure if this was a trendy</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> thing</font> for anyone else in the early to <font color="#CCCCCC">mid-2000s</font> but when I was<font color="#CCCCCC"> a child during</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> this time</font> it appeared that<font color="#E5E5E5"> many characters and</font> books and films and TV shows<font color="#E5E5E5"> had</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> pen</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">pals</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> distant figures with whom they were</font> best friends<font color="#E5E5E5"> and to whom</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> they scribed</font> whatever was going<font color="#CCCCCC"> on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in their lives one</font> of<font color="#CCCCCC"> these TV shows</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> actually featured an</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">episode where a girl met up with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> her pen</font> pal<font color="#E5E5E5"> who turned out</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to not</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> be a French</font> boy<font color="#CCCCCC"> at her</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> age but a creepy middle-aged</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">man who shoved her in the back of his</font> van<font color="#E5E5E5"> apparently I didn't let this sway me</font> from seeking out a pen pal of my own however<font color="#E5E5E5"> I searched pen pals in Google</font> and clicked<font color="#E5E5E5"> on the first</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> few sites</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> one that I settled on already<font color="#E5E5E5"> had a list</font> of children's names ages locations<font color="#E5E5E5"> small</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">bios and an</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> email address</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I scoured the</font> page but couldn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> find anyone my age the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">youngest girl was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Lotte</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> age 12</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> from</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Amsterdam so I clicked on her email</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">address</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and tapped out a truthful</font> message telling her that I was Pepe from <font color="#E5E5E5">HR from the UK and that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> only</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> eight</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">but I was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> really mature</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for my age and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">please be my friend online</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I remember</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">she responded very</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> quickly I remember</font> that<font color="#E5E5E5"> she told me that it didn't matter</font> that I<font color="#CCCCCC"> was eight she'd like younger</font> girls<font color="#E5E5E5"> better anyway retrospectively</font> that's creepy to say but I was<font color="#CCCCCC"> eight and</font> naive<font color="#E5E5E5"> we struck up a friendship and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> we</font> would email back<font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> forth</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I told her</font> everything<font color="#CCCCCC"> about</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my annoying friends at</font> school my parents<font color="#E5E5E5"> who fought all the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">time</font> I<font color="#CCCCCC"> loved for Jacqueline</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Wilson books and</font> Doctor Who like the idiot<font color="#CCCCCC"> that I was I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">told her what country I lived in and the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">town I didn't give her my address</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but I</font> was stupid<font color="#CCCCCC"> enough to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> send her a picture</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> myself she didn't send anything back</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and I didn't think to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> ask</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> because once</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">again I was the idiot</font> she told me I was<font color="#E5E5E5"> really pretty things</font> are still a bit fuzzy to remember<font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font> one thing I do remember is that she said <font color="#E5E5E5">she liked my eyes</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a few weeks of this</font> goes on<font color="#E5E5E5"> my older sister was the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> only</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">person who knew and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she told me one</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> day</font> that<font color="#E5E5E5"> she wasn't comfortable with this</font> because she's only older by a year<font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> thought I knew<font color="#E5E5E5"> better</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> brushed her</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">off</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but she asked me to tell her mom</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">didn't want to but I had a feeling</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in my</font> gut<font color="#CCCCCC"> that I should that evening I told</font> her putting on my most persuasive<font color="#CCCCCC"> voice</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I tried to convince her that lot was</font> really cool and nice<font color="#E5E5E5"> but my mom is</font> protective<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she knew</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> something was</font> wrong<font color="#CCCCCC"> she asked</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to see the emails and</font> told me<font color="#CCCCCC"> lot isn't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a girl</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she's a man</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">preying on you mom pointed out the</font> typing<font color="#E5E5E5"> style</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and the email address she</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">doesn't even</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> talk</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> like a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> little girl</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she</font> said see lots a mail<font color="#E5E5E5"> address wasn't</font> simply<font color="#E5E5E5"> like at</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> hotmail.com</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> or gmail.com</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">or even</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> yahoo it was at something that</font> according<font color="#CCCCCC"> to my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> mom looked like a</font> business name not<font color="#E5E5E5"> something that a</font> little<font color="#E5E5E5"> girl would</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> have an</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> email with her</font> writing<font color="#E5E5E5"> style had also changed</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> over the</font> weeks<font color="#E5E5E5"> we'd been talking it had gone from</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">normal typing like a little kid to</font> regular<font color="#E5E5E5"> typing this didn't give my mom a</font> good feeling<font color="#CCCCCC"> she</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> told me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to stop</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">emailing locked</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I lied and said I would</font> but naturally I carried on<font color="#E5E5E5"> but I was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">still a little unnerved</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I email a lot</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font> few days later<font color="#E5E5E5"> saying that my mom wanted</font> her mom's email address she started<font color="#E5E5E5"> questioning me why when she</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">replied but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> eventually gave it I was</font> relieved<font color="#CCCCCC"> in hindsight I should have</font> wondered why<font color="#CCCCCC"> she didn't want to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> give me</font> the email address straight away maybe I realized this<font color="#E5E5E5"> a little subconsciously</font> because<font color="#CCCCCC"> I asked her for a photo</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of her</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and another with her mom again she</font> questioned why and asked if something was<font color="#CCCCCC"> wrong I just told her that my mom</font> wanted<font color="#CCCCCC"> to know what</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she looked like</font> there<font color="#E5E5E5"> was no reply for a few days but</font> then<font color="#E5E5E5"> finally I get another email</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> from</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">her</font> attached were two<font color="#E5E5E5"> pictures one</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of her</font> and one<font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> her with</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> her mom they didn't</font> look right<font color="#CCCCCC"> they didn't look</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> like normal</font> pictures they looked polished<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> professional<font color="#CCCCCC"> I think by this</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> point the</font> unsettling feeling<font color="#E5E5E5"> was too much for even</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to handle I'm not good</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> at shutting</font> things down with someone<font color="#E5E5E5"> even</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to this</font> day I can't calmly and slowly<font color="#E5E5E5"> end a</font> relationship<font color="#CCCCCC"> or</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a friendship so I</font> replied<font color="#E5E5E5"> to the email with the pictures</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and wrote that I never wanted to speak</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to her again she didn't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> take</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it very</font> well<font color="#CCCCCC"> not well at all</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">actually she told me she hated me and</font> that I was ugly<font color="#E5E5E5"> she said a few other</font> nasty things<font color="#E5E5E5"> but what freaked me out</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font> when she<font color="#E5E5E5"> told me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she would make me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as</font> miserable as I made her you can guarantee<font color="#E5E5E5"> that if I wasn't scared before</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I was now</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I cried and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> told my mom who</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">was upset about me lying but worried as</font> well<font color="#E5E5E5"> so I guess when she banned me from</font> using<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> internet for a few weeks</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it</font> was actually a protective measure<font color="#E5E5E5"> as</font> well as a<font color="#CCCCCC"> punishment</font> nothing ended up happening this made me <font color="#CCCCCC">think</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that maybe I had freaked out a lot</font> for no reason maybe she hadn't lied after all there was<font color="#CCCCCC"> only a year and a</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">bit later when I stumbled upon a new</font> show<font color="#CCCCCC"> and found out that those</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> pictures</font> weren't<font color="#CCCCCC"> a lot</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> after all does anybody</font> remember an<font color="#E5E5E5"> Australian show called the</font> mortified<font color="#E5E5E5"> the photo she had sent were</font> actually head shots of the lead<font color="#E5E5E5"> actress</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">at the time I was upset that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I had to</font> stop<font color="#E5E5E5"> talking a lot but looking back on</font> it<font color="#E5E5E5"> after all these</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> years</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it was probably</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> smartest move I had ever made</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">I am</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> currently 18 years old I began</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">messaging this person Jackson</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> when I was</font> around<font color="#E5E5E5"> 14</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was doing what I always did</font> when I was with my friends went on omegle<font color="#CCCCCC"> and see what we would find</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">possibly something funny gross or</font> something playing interesting one time there was a guy who messaged saying hello he didn't have a<font color="#E5E5E5"> camera on and we</font> began<font color="#CCCCCC"> typing to him</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> simple stuff like</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">where was he from and where we were</font> harmless<font color="#CCCCCC"> I thought when he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> began</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">targeting me to talk he would</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> try to get</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">me to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> come into the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> camera's view</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I</font> did my friend would giggle as I would take over <font color="#E5E5E5">he called me beautiful</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and I exaggerated</font> appreciation for the camera he asked<font color="#E5E5E5"> for</font> my socials<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I give him my kik name</font> which was highly popular<font color="#CCCCCC"> back then this</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">is where everything</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> goes wrong I ended</font> up getting home and a message appeared on my phone<font color="#E5E5E5"> hey cutie I got confused</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">until he reminded me he was from omegle</font> the conversation was very<font color="#E5E5E5"> innocent him</font> trying to<font color="#E5E5E5"> get to know me asking</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> about</font> where I lived in my interests I found out he lived in Ireland<font color="#CCCCCC"> I had a pit in</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">my gut subside</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> because</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it was really far</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">away</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> from me we began talking daily so</font> much that I rarely socialized<font color="#E5E5E5"> with my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">actual friends soon he began</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to confess</font> he had a deep feeling<font color="#CCCCCC"> for me it wanted</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> be</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with me</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I told him I don't know what he looks</font> like<font color="#E5E5E5"> who he really is</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and said I can't</font> do<font color="#E5E5E5"> long-distance</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he sent a photo of him</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">he was chubby with brown hair and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> blue</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">eyes I replied with cute</font> because I felt bad<font color="#E5E5E5"> and didn't want to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">make him</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> feel</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> horrible about</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> himself</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">wasn't my type but he would be someone's</font> we spoke a lot more and he told me he was around 23 years old<font color="#CCCCCC"> I thought that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">wasn't that bad at all</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> nothing crazy</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">like 40 time</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> flu</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and we knew a lot about</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">one another he followed my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Instagram's</font> and liked my stuff<font color="#E5E5E5"> sent me posts from</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">other meme accounts and it was all fun</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and innocent</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> then one day out of nowhere</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he became sexual with me saying that he</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> horny and wanted photos of me</font> anything to get him off<font color="#CCCCCC"> I told him I</font> don't<font color="#E5E5E5"> do that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> didn't respond to him</font> for the<font color="#E5E5E5"> rest of the night the next day I</font> woke up<font color="#CCCCCC"> - I'm</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> sorry</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">messages and I forgave him stuff like</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> happens</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I thought to myself this</font> happened quite often<font color="#E5E5E5"> he would</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> get mad at</font> times when I didn't do what<font color="#CCCCCC"> he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> wanted</font> I rarely sent the<font color="#CCCCCC"> guys selfies let alone</font> naked pictures of<font color="#E5E5E5"> my body</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that 15 him</font> and I<font color="#E5E5E5"> stopped talking he would add me on</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">my snapchat</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I gave</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that to him at a</font> later date<font color="#CCCCCC"> when I finally</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> got it we</font> reconnected once he said he misses<font color="#E5E5E5"> me</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and was sorry</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> then said he would kill</font> himself<font color="#CCCCCC"> he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> misses me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> so bad I freaked</font> out and felt<font color="#E5E5E5"> like his life was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in my</font> hands<font color="#CCCCCC"> I decided to have small innocent</font> chats time went by and<font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> got older as he</font> did I was 16<font color="#CCCCCC"> when I told him</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I was sick</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">of his games</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> sometimes he would</font> disappear<font color="#E5E5E5"> for a while</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> they'd come</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> back</font> all horny and angry at me<font color="#E5E5E5"> I blocked him</font> on kik ended<font color="#E5E5E5"> up deleting the app as</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it</font> became unpopular<font color="#E5E5E5"> blocked him on snapchat</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">where he then began</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to add me over and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">over with new accounts</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I freaked out a lot because on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Instagram</font> you<font color="#CCCCCC"> can see requested text messages</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> he messaged me saying<font color="#E5E5E5"> he would find me</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and show me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> can make me happy</font> he used to<font color="#E5E5E5"> text me saying answer your</font> effing phone and I'm<font color="#E5E5E5"> sorry I'm</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> just mad</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and frustrated</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was so sick of it I</font> still<font color="#CCCCCC"> AM</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> sometimes he would tell me how</font> he would<font color="#E5E5E5"> turn up at my house and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">surprise me and I would jump into his</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">arms</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and be super</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> happy</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and fall</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in love</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">with him like he loved me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and professes</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> me a lot on fake accounts on</font> Instagram<font color="#CCCCCC"> sometimes he would go dark and</font> tell me horrible things he would do<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> me<font color="#CCCCCC"> send me naked photos of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> him and tell</font> me how<font color="#CCCCCC"> it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was all for me to this day he</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">still messages me and I'm 18 now this</font> guy<font color="#E5E5E5"> won't leave me alone</font> and I'm so deathly<font color="#CCCCCC"> afraid he will</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">actually find me I know this didn't have</font> a climax<font color="#E5E5E5"> or anything</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> insane that</font> happened but the fear he instilled in my heart<font color="#CCCCCC"> it's something</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that I simply can't</font> let go<font color="#CCCCCC"> I've told people</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> about this</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">happening</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and this stalking caused them</font> to say tell the police<font color="#E5E5E5"> but what could</font> they<font color="#CCCCCC"> do</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he was in Ireland</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I knew what</font> for a fact<font color="#CCCCCC"> as he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> found in my facebook</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and he'd</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> never done anything physical to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">me and I didn't want my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> mother to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> find</font> out I'm just<font color="#E5E5E5"> scared one day he'll find</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">me but I hope he never does</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">this story is about my uncle and his</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">slaves back friend</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> okay so he wasn't my</font> blood<font color="#E5E5E5"> uncle he was my biological aunts</font> brother-in-law<font color="#E5E5E5"> my mom used to date</font> sketchy guys when I was<font color="#CCCCCC"> a teen I didn't</font> live with<font color="#E5E5E5"> her much because she was a</font> horrible<font color="#CCCCCC"> role model so my grandmother</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">raised me for a big chunk</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of my life</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I'm</font> thankful for<font color="#E5E5E5"> that because she taught me</font> so many values and how to be a lady<font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> later moved in with my dad<font color="#CCCCCC"> and stepmom</font> and<font color="#E5E5E5"> half siblings when I was fifteen and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I had a wonderful life with them when I</font> was<font color="#CCCCCC"> fourteen I lived with my mother</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">her skeezy boyfriend Dale for a year in</font> the upper half of a duplex<font color="#E5E5E5"> her boyfriend</font> had this<font color="#E5E5E5"> friend that would come over</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">very occasionally that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> looks just like</font> the white guy from<font color="#E5E5E5"> the Jerky Boys same</font> hair too <font color="#E5E5E5">and he creeped me out because</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he would</font> always<font color="#CCCCCC"> stare at me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I would always</font> catch<font color="#E5E5E5"> him creepily staring at my butt</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> boobs my aunt lived down the</font> block<font color="#CCCCCC"> that I would visit quite</font> frequently<font color="#E5E5E5"> because she was the cool aunt</font> she was in her 20s<font color="#E5E5E5"> super fun and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> really</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">pretty and she had a 1969 Firebird</font> convertible<font color="#E5E5E5"> that we would drive around</font> in in blast<font color="#CCCCCC"> Arrowsmith this was in the</font> 90s<font color="#CCCCCC"> so with that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> said I saw her</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> brother</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">unlock Jeff quite a bit because he was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">renting out her basement</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I thought he</font> was kind<font color="#E5E5E5"> of weird but an</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> okay guy</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> so one</font> night at about 11:30<font color="#E5E5E5"> or midnight</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was</font> home alone<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I get a knock at the door</font> our door had a square glass panel towards the top that was painted<font color="#E5E5E5"> over</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">with a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> little peephole scratched in the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">paint</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> look through and it's my aunt</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Bea's in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> LA Jeff I opened the door</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I</font> say oh hey what's up he asked me if my <font color="#E5E5E5">mom or Dale is home</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I said no my mom was at work and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> God</font> knows where Dale is then he asked<font color="#E5E5E5"> me to</font> come downstairs because he wanted<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">talk to me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I trusted him because I</font> considered him<font color="#CCCCCC"> family and I was also</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">pretty timid</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and didn't like saying no</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> people so I followed him downstairs</font> to<font color="#CCCCCC"> the front porch I see his car</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> parked</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and still</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> running on the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> street with the</font> headlights on<font color="#CCCCCC"> and sitting in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> passenger seat<font color="#E5E5E5"> with the window rolled</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">down was the jerky boy looking guy</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font> hung<font color="#E5E5E5"> out with my mom's boyfriend</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> paused and I said<font color="#CCCCCC"> and Jeff said hey we</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">want to talk to you we want to ask you</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">something</font> and he started to gently guide me to the car<font color="#E5E5E5"> my adrenaline started pumping and I</font> all of the sudden felt<font color="#E5E5E5"> that something</font> wasn't right<font color="#CCCCCC"> I stopped and pulled back</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">little and tried</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my best not to look</font> scared<font color="#CCCCCC"> Jeff kept talking sweetly running</font> his finger up<font color="#E5E5E5"> my shoulder to fix the</font> spaghetti<font color="#CCCCCC"> strap and saying it's</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> okay</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">just come closer to me and I pulled away</font> politely<font color="#CCCCCC"> and said it was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> okay he can ask</font> him right here he kept sweetly trying to convince me<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> just come to the car so<font color="#E5E5E5"> he could just</font> talk<font color="#E5E5E5"> and said that if I was so scared</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> could just stand<font color="#E5E5E5"> in front</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">headlights</font> the second he said stand in front<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the</font> headlights<font color="#CCCCCC"> my stomach did a leap</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and my</font> whole<font color="#CCCCCC"> body started to fill</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">electrically-charged because I knew if I</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">was to stand in front</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> headlights</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I would</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> not be able</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to see and it would</font> distract me that's making<font color="#CCCCCC"> it easy for</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">one of them to get me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I knew</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> right at</font> that<font color="#E5E5E5"> moment</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was in a very dangerous</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">situation</font> so I started<font color="#CCCCCC"> acting ditzy and dumb</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">because I was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> afraid that if they</font> thought I was thinking they were trying to<font color="#E5E5E5"> do something that would land him in</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">prison</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he would just grab me right there</font> and cover my mouth<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> drag</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> car so I wouldn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> tell on him so I</font> started to playfully joke around<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> said that I wasn't<font color="#CCCCCC"> wearing shoes and I</font> didn't want to<font color="#E5E5E5"> step in dog poop then I</font> see jerky boys start to come<font color="#E5E5E5"> out of his</font> car and<font color="#CCCCCC"> then I just sprinted into the</font> house<font color="#E5E5E5"> so fast</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and ran up the stairs and</font> locked the door I was<font color="#E5E5E5"> shaking so bad</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">then the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> tricky boys knock on the door</font> about<font color="#CCCCCC"> a minute later and he's looking</font> through<font color="#E5E5E5"> the makeshift people he started</font> saying that<font color="#E5E5E5"> he needs to talk to my mom's</font> boyfriend<font color="#E5E5E5"> I say that he isn't home so he</font> goes away<font color="#CCCCCC"> from the door but I didn't</font> hear<font color="#E5E5E5"> him go down the stairs then</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> thirty</font> seconds<font color="#E5E5E5"> later Jeff comes up in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> knocks</font> and is<font color="#E5E5E5"> talking through the door saying</font> that he<font color="#E5E5E5"> needed to talk to my mom's</font> boyfriend<font color="#E5E5E5"> and he tries</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to open</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the door</font> but it's locked<font color="#CCCCCC"> I said that he wasn't</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">home again so Jeff starts saying things</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">like I'm sorry</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we scared</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> you honey</font> we just wanted to talk<font color="#CCCCCC"> to you and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ask</font> you about<font color="#E5E5E5"> your mom and Dale and other</font> excuses<font color="#E5E5E5"> I was scared that they were</font> going<font color="#E5E5E5"> to try and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> kick in the door</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> so I</font> decided that I was going<font color="#E5E5E5"> to try and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">sneak out the back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I walked towards</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> back door<font color="#E5E5E5"> and thank God I looked out the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">back</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> window first because I saw a turkey</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">boy standing downstairs at the back door</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">so Jeff was at the front door</font> sweet-talking me<font color="#E5E5E5"> and his friend was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">waiting</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> by the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> back I know what you're</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">probably thinking right now hearing this</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">called the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> cops</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I don't know why I</font> didn't <font color="#CCCCCC">I think it was because I was so naive</font> and timid<font color="#E5E5E5"> and this guy was my uncle</font> I was also<font color="#E5E5E5"> questioning myself and</font> judging<font color="#CCCCCC"> myself because Jeff kept</font> reassuring<font color="#E5E5E5"> me at the front</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> door so I go</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to the front door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and Jeff is still</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">there talking to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> telling me that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he felt bad for scaring me and I'd tell</font> him through the door<font color="#E5E5E5"> trying</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my best to</font> disguise any hint of fear that<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was</font> okay that I was<font color="#E5E5E5"> sorry I got spooked and</font> that it<font color="#E5E5E5"> wasn't his fault</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and I just</font> tried my best to<font color="#E5E5E5"> show him that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> believed him they eventually<font color="#E5E5E5"> left and once the coast</font> was<font color="#E5E5E5"> clear I snuck out and ran to my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">friend's house next door</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I didn't tell them anything just said</font> that I was<font color="#E5E5E5"> scared</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and wanted to stay</font> there until<font color="#CCCCCC"> my mom got</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> home</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I did tell</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">my mom though but nothing really</font> happened and<font color="#E5E5E5"> I thankfully moved to my</font> dad's house 45 miles away<font color="#CCCCCC"> three months</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">later</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I never saw him again</font> the story that<font color="#CCCCCC"> I'm gonna</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> tell needs to</font> be shared<font color="#E5E5E5"> unfortunately this was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> not the</font> first nor<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> last time</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> something</font> similar has happened<font color="#CCCCCC"> to me this</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> story</font> happens in the<font color="#CCCCCC"> latin-american country I</font> was living in at<font color="#CCCCCC"> the time</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I was 22 to 23</font> years<font color="#CCCCCC"> old female</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> finishing my master's</font> degree<font color="#E5E5E5"> in the local university I had a</font> part-time<font color="#CCCCCC"> job</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as a receptionist</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in an</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Institute</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and usually had</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the afternoon</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">shift the left work</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> everyday around 8:30</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">p.m. to go to the bus stop</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and then walk around five minutes to get</font> home<font color="#E5E5E5"> even</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> though this was and is one of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the most dangerous countries in the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">world</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I lived in a relatively safe</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> city</font> in a good neighborhood<font color="#CCCCCC"> still I walked</font> very<font color="#E5E5E5"> alerted of my surroundings</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and was</font> ready<font color="#E5E5E5"> to run or call somebody if needed</font> this<font color="#E5E5E5"> is where my story starts for a few</font> days I had been seen a very big <font color="#E5E5E5">expensive white SUV with tinted windows</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">driving around my neighborhood I'd never</font> seen it before<font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> just thought it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font> a new<font color="#E5E5E5"> neighbor after a few days I</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">started noticing that the SUV seemed to</font> follow<font color="#E5E5E5"> me it was always parked in a</font> corner of<font color="#CCCCCC"> my street</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and usually started</font> driving when I walked past<font color="#E5E5E5"> it obviously</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">it gave me the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> creeps</font> so I told my boyfriend<font color="#E5E5E5"> and my parents</font> since<font color="#CCCCCC"> the driver never did anything just</font> drove not even slowly sometimes<font color="#CCCCCC"> they</font> said it could be<font color="#CCCCCC"> a coincidence and it</font> could<font color="#E5E5E5"> be in fact a neighbor</font> what started as<font color="#E5E5E5"> nighttime encounters</font> that went<font color="#E5E5E5"> off for several</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> weeks</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> not</font> on a<font color="#CCCCCC"> regular basis</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> turned into daytime</font> encounters they started to follow<font color="#E5E5E5"> me</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">around the neighborhood</font> sometimes passing me<font color="#E5E5E5"> several times in a</font> row<font color="#E5E5E5"> sometimes</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> slow</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> almost</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> at</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the same</font> speed I was walking<font color="#E5E5E5"> I discreetly took</font> note of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the license</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> plate and always</font> kept it in my phone<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was a pretty</font> popular year model SUV<font color="#CCCCCC"> I started to look</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">for it everywhere I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> went and I noticed</font> they followed me to other parts of the <font color="#E5E5E5">city this really scared</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me and I finally</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">contacted the police I didn't do it</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">before</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> because</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> they're</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> mostly useless</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">they told me of course that they</font> couldn't do<font color="#CCCCCC"> anything until it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font> physical<font color="#E5E5E5"> otherwise they could assume it</font> was coincidental<font color="#CCCCCC"> I was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in panic mode</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">even dreamed</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> about the situation I</font> alerted<font color="#E5E5E5"> my parents and my boyfriend who</font> was<font color="#CCCCCC"> working</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in another city</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> alerted</font> friends and<font color="#E5E5E5"> co-workers</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I haven't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> told my</font> boss<font color="#E5E5E5"> surprisingly she let me go in and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">out</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of work at different schedules so as</font> to try to<font color="#E5E5E5"> avoid the driver this seems to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">work the first week and I thought it was</font> over silly me it wasn't one morning I was <font color="#CCCCCC">going to the bakery to buy some bread</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">for lunch and there was the SUV</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> they</font> started to slowly follow me<font color="#CCCCCC"> I was very</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">anxious</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I still shake thinking about it</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> only thing I was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> thinking</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">needed to run but didn't want to alert</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">them for context my street was very long</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and as there were only buildings on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> one</font> side<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the sidewalk</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> there was only a</font> tall wall no houses<font color="#E5E5E5"> no people passing my</font> goal was<font color="#CCCCCC"> to arrive to the little</font> shopping<font color="#E5E5E5"> center where the bakery was but</font> when I saw they<font color="#CCCCCC"> were still</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> following me</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I knew that that wasn't a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> good</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> option</font> they could get me<font color="#CCCCCC"> on my way out</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> for the</font> first<font color="#E5E5E5"> time it got confrontational they</font> rolled down one window<font color="#CCCCCC"> and started</font> screaming things at me<font color="#CCCCCC"> I can't even</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">remember what I was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> too</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> scared to pay</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">attention so I decided to go to my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">friend's office which was on the second</font> story of the<font color="#CCCCCC"> shopping center I quickly</font> ran up the stairs<font color="#E5E5E5"> and went into her</font> office<font color="#CCCCCC"> I told her how they were</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">following me and this time I had an even</font> worse<font color="#E5E5E5"> feeling about it she got scared</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">too and told me to go hide in the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">bathroom and lock the door a few</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> minutes</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">later guess what</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> surprise a semi fat</font> balding man in his 40s<font color="#E5E5E5"> walks in and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">casually asks her about me he said he</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">was driving down the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> street when</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he saw</font> his cousin<font color="#E5E5E5"> enter her office since it was</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">awhile since</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he last seen me he wanted</font> to say hi<font color="#CCCCCC"> but I didn't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hear him calling</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">so he parked his</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> car</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and went up to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">greet me he insisted he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> saw me walking</font> into<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> office but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my friend insisted</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">with her poker face</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that no one had</font> entered her<font color="#E5E5E5"> workplace since a few hours</font> ago<font color="#E5E5E5"> he asked if she was sure as he kept</font> telling<font color="#E5E5E5"> her the same story</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> over and over</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and she insisting there was no one and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">she was alone</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she asked him to leave all</font> the while I<font color="#E5E5E5"> was listening to this</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">exchange from the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> bathroom when I</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">finally left she closed her office and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">told me it was safe to go out I cried I</font> was petrified with fear and<font color="#E5E5E5"> terror</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> so</font> was<font color="#E5E5E5"> she we immediately called the police</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">this</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> time they took me more</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> seriously</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and as I had the license plate number</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">they agreed to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> patrol the neighborhood</font> on a regular basis my friend called her boyfriend<font color="#CCCCCC"> who was a taxi driver from the</font> company downstairs<font color="#CCCCCC"> and he took me home</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">because my legs were shaking and I could</font> not<font color="#E5E5E5"> move</font> from that day on I always<font color="#CCCCCC"> had someone</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">driving me in or out of work and school</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">or I took taxis</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I think the police</font> presence<font color="#CCCCCC"> in the area spooked him</font> or maybe the police<font color="#E5E5E5"> found him and how to</font> talk<font color="#E5E5E5"> with him I never knew never want to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">know either</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I shiver only thinking about</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">what his intentions were with me and the</font> fear comes back again my<font color="#E5E5E5"> parents still live in the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> area as</font> does my<font color="#E5E5E5"> friend but I eventually moved</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">out of the city and I never saw that man</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">or the SUV</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> again</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I love my mom I love sharing stories</font> with<font color="#E5E5E5"> my mom I love visiting her and</font> reminiscing about the past<font color="#E5E5E5"> but yesterday</font> we were talking<font color="#CCCCCC"> about</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> stories that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> have</font> happened<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> us and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we ended up bringing</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">one that I forgot</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> about</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> this</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> one I'm</font> about to tell<font color="#CCCCCC"> you is something that we</font> still wonder about<font color="#E5E5E5"> in the summer of 95 I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">was 11</font> sleeping late home alone<font color="#E5E5E5"> around</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 10 to 11</font> a.m.<font color="#CCCCCC"> all my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> parents were at work</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I got</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">woken</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> up by</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> doorbell so</font> instinctively <font color="#E5E5E5">I hurried up down the corridor</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but</font> before I rushed<font color="#E5E5E5"> to open the door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as I</font> normally<font color="#CCCCCC"> would I remembered that many</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">times my mom scolded me for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> opening the</font> door without asking<font color="#CCCCCC"> first who was it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> or</font> looking<font color="#E5E5E5"> through</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the spy hole to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> make</font> sure it was safe<font color="#CCCCCC"> to open</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> especially</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">after some previous creepy experiences</font> have already taken<font color="#E5E5E5"> place at this point</font> I asked who<font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it but all I heard was</font> some unintelligible<font color="#E5E5E5"> mumble so I brought</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">a chair and stepped on to it to look</font> through the people<font color="#E5E5E5"> we lived in an</font> apartment<font color="#CCCCCC"> building</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and on the right of</font> our door was the<font color="#E5E5E5"> elevator and then the</font> staircase since the staircase windows were on the far left corner<font color="#E5E5E5"> there was not enough</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">natural light</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to help me see who it was</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I just saw a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> man with some colorful</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">t-shirts</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> standing outside</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I repeated the</font> question<font color="#E5E5E5"> and then strained to hear the</font> answer he<font color="#E5E5E5"> said he was looking for my</font> mother's maiden surname<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I said she</font> was at work to give you some context both of my<font color="#CCCCCC"> parents</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> are doctors and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">don't know if that sounds weird for the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">US</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> or the rest of the Western world but</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">in Eastern Europe in the 90s</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it wasn't</font> uncommon for grateful patients to sometimes stop by wanting to give thanks by<font color="#E5E5E5"> bringing fresh fruit or vegetables</font> even produce<font color="#E5E5E5"> from their gardens</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">especially those with my parents have</font> helped<font color="#E5E5E5"> but they couldn't pay so</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the man</font> said he was bringing<font color="#E5E5E5"> something for my</font> mom<font color="#E5E5E5"> except even in the murky light I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">could see that his hands were empty</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> asked where is it and he said<font color="#E5E5E5"> he left</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> package at the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> stairs</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> at this point</font> I'm starting<font color="#E5E5E5"> to get this uneasy</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> feeling</font> that<font color="#E5E5E5"> something's not</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> right</font> so I decided to<font color="#E5E5E5"> be cautious and lie to</font> him that I<font color="#E5E5E5"> don't have keys</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I said my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">parents are at work and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> they have told</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">me not</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to open</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to strangers so</font> when they come<font color="#CCCCCC"> back</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> they can help him he</font> started to get<font color="#CCCCCC"> agitated</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and said he</font> can't<font color="#CCCCCC"> wait</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> this long and then says that</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">he is actually bringing meat</font> so<font color="#CCCCCC"> it would get spoiled in the heat if</font> it is left<font color="#CCCCCC"> outside I start to hesitate</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">because I'm thinking</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> what if he's</font> telling<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> truth well I get in trouble</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> letting the meat spoil</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but then I</font> looked through the spy hole again and see his hair<font color="#E5E5E5"> which means he has his ear</font> pressed at the door listening in<font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font> spooked me and I said sorry I can't help <font color="#E5E5E5">you please</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> go away</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and come</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> back</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> later</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">when I'm not alone he once again says</font> that<font color="#CCCCCC"> he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> doesn't have time</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> go back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> forth<font color="#E5E5E5"> so he offers</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to leave and says he</font> will<font color="#E5E5E5"> leave the package at the stairs so</font> when he's gone<font color="#E5E5E5"> I will</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> not be afraid to</font> open<font color="#CCCCCC"> the door</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in her tree</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> fit myself I</font> keep quiet<font color="#CCCCCC"> and intently observe him as</font> he goes<font color="#CCCCCC"> down the stairs and makes noise</font> of climbing<font color="#E5E5E5"> down and then I freeze</font> because<font color="#E5E5E5"> in the silence that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> ensued I was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">just about to really open</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the door and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">checked when I saw a part of his</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">shirtsleeve behind the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> corner of the</font> stairs<font color="#E5E5E5"> he was hiding there probably</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hoping I would open the door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> thinking he</font> was gone<font color="#E5E5E5"> when in fact he was preparing</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> what pounced on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me break</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> into the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">apartment</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I got so scared I froze it just kept on</font> watching<font color="#CCCCCC"> standing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> chair behind</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and finally</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> after what seemed</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">like</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hours what was probably maybe</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> ten</font> minutes I heard him<font color="#E5E5E5"> actually</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> descended</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> down the</font> stairs<font color="#E5E5E5"> I didn't open the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> door I called</font> my mom's<font color="#E5E5E5"> hospital</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but she couldn't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> be</font> put through so I<font color="#E5E5E5"> waited for them</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> come</font> back<font color="#E5E5E5"> home in the afternoon they both got</font> worried but proud this time that I finally<font color="#E5E5E5"> did the right thing</font> a few hours later all the kids from<font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> building and I are at the<font color="#E5E5E5"> little square</font> playground bench<font color="#E5E5E5"> area</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> front of it it</font> was<font color="#E5E5E5"> buzzing with kids running</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> around</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> grandparents and such so it was <font color="#CCCCCC">completely safe</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my best friend Nina and</font> I were sitting<font color="#E5E5E5"> on one of the benches</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">when</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> suddenly a strange man approaches</font> us and<font color="#E5E5E5"> stands next to the bench he asks</font> are<font color="#E5E5E5"> you and then he says my name and I</font> hesitantly confirm<font color="#E5E5E5"> although my heart</font> starts to beat<font color="#CCCCCC"> faster as I recognized</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> voice it's the same man from the</font> morning this time I'm not<font color="#E5E5E5"> alone</font> so I instinctively<font color="#E5E5E5"> press myself closer</font> to Nina<font color="#CCCCCC"> when he says well I'm bringing</font> something<font color="#E5E5E5"> for your dad but it's in the</font> car and I have it<font color="#CCCCCC"> parked there on the</font> street<font color="#E5E5E5"> come with me to help me bring it</font> in encouraged<font color="#E5E5E5"> by my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> friend's presence</font> and all the people around<font color="#E5E5E5"> I say to him</font> that<font color="#E5E5E5"> actually my dad is home so if he</font> waits<font color="#E5E5E5"> there I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> would go get him</font> and he could help<font color="#E5E5E5"> him bring whatever he</font> has from the<font color="#CCCCCC"> car as I am little and I</font> cannot<font color="#E5E5E5"> carry heavy things the moment I</font> said it the guy got very quiet<font color="#E5E5E5"> and then</font> quickly started walking away not running <font color="#CCCCCC">just very quickly walking my friend who</font> already<font color="#E5E5E5"> knew what</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> happened this morning</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and I ran to my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> apartment</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I told my dad</font> here in his shorts to chase after the guy but<font color="#E5E5E5"> of course there was no trace</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">left of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> him</font> my dad started<font color="#E5E5E5"> asking away then has once</font> again<font color="#E5E5E5"> something typical for Eastern</font> European countries<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> grandmas sitting</font> on the balconies and benches looking at everyone and<font color="#E5E5E5"> everything that's going</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">like a life security system nobody</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> has</font> noticed anything<font color="#E5E5E5"> except one</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Grandma</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> an</font> old lady living<font color="#E5E5E5"> at the first floor who</font> says<font color="#E5E5E5"> that a guy approached her earlier</font> while she was<font color="#E5E5E5"> sitting on her balcony and</font> started<font color="#CCCCCC"> asking her about</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> our family then</font> tried<font color="#CCCCCC"> to ask her for money</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> pay for</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the meat he was bringing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as he told her</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">that my parents have purchased it from</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">him she told him that she has no money</font> but stupidly gave him a lot<font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">information</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> like my name we never heard</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">anything about</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that guy thank God for</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">those questions still</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> puzzle me what did</font> he want<font color="#E5E5E5"> why did he first say my mom's</font> name<font color="#E5E5E5"> but then said he was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> bringing</font> something<font color="#E5E5E5"> for my dad was he actually</font> focused on me would he have abducted<font color="#E5E5E5"> me whatever the</font> answer is I don't<font color="#E5E5E5"> ever want to know</font> in this story I was 15<font color="#CCCCCC"> years old</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> living</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">in small town in England our house had a</font> long drive on the front walled on either side<font color="#E5E5E5"> there were large bay windows at the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">front</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and the door was tucked away to</font> the right facing the boundary wall <font color="#CCCCCC">invisible</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> from the street in front of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the door for reasons beyond my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">understanding</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a little square patch</font> of loose decorative stones which crunched audibly<font color="#E5E5E5"> whenever somebody</font> walked across them stepping through the <font color="#E5E5E5">front door would land you</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in an empty</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">room serving a sort</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of an entryway</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> with</font> the bay windows on your<font color="#CCCCCC"> left a step up</font> to another<font color="#E5E5E5"> room on your right</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> staircase<font color="#E5E5E5"> ahead and to the right the</font> room to<font color="#E5E5E5"> the right was separated from the</font> entryway by long curtains which on this particular occasion<font color="#CCCCCC"> I had left drawn</font> this room house the family<font color="#E5E5E5"> PC so</font> naturally I spent many sleepless<font color="#E5E5E5"> nights</font> there the<font color="#E5E5E5"> PC was on a desk immediately</font> to the<font color="#CCCCCC"> right as</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> you stepped into the</font> room beside it was a small<font color="#E5E5E5"> window</font> through<font color="#CCCCCC"> which the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> front door and the</font> drive was visible I kept the curtains on that window closed<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was around 2:00</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">a.m. I had just</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> finished doing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> what the</font> majority<font color="#CCCCCC"> of frustrated teenagers</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> would</font> do give an Internet access and privacy and moved on to<font color="#CCCCCC"> whatever browser game I</font> was<font color="#CCCCCC"> playing that week the lights were</font> out and<font color="#CCCCCC"> my family were all upstairs</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> leaned back<font color="#CCCCCC"> absent mindedly</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and in the</font> peripheral vision<font color="#CCCCCC"> I could see the</font> darkened bay windows<font color="#E5E5E5"> I almost choked</font> there was a hooded man standing<font color="#E5E5E5"> right up</font> against the<font color="#CCCCCC"> glass not moving not talking</font> just<font color="#CCCCCC"> standing there</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I fought every urge to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> double take and</font> pretended that<font color="#E5E5E5"> I hadn't seen him staring</font> blankly at the<font color="#E5E5E5"> screen well I tried to</font> figure<font color="#CCCCCC"> out what to do I didn't know how</font> long<font color="#CCCCCC"> he had been</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> watching me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I leaned</font> back to try and catch<font color="#CCCCCC"> him in my</font> peripheral again still there<font color="#CCCCCC"> I couldn't</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">see any of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> his</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> features under the hood</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">it wasn't as if he</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> had just</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> passed the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">house on the street and I caught him as</font> he happened to glance<font color="#E5E5E5"> into my house this</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">guy had to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> have opened the gate and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">creeped down the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> driveway to arrive at</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">my window then he moved I was still in a</font> dreamlike<font color="#CCCCCC"> state rooted to my seat I knew</font> the door was locked and<font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my one-man</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">audience would at least be slowed</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> by the</font> double glazed windows<font color="#E5E5E5"> should he try</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">get in my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> mind raced through the options</font> available to me my phone was upstairs <font color="#E5E5E5">and getting to the staircase meant</font> walking<font color="#E5E5E5"> past the windows</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in the other</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">direction was the rest of the house</font> including<font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> kitchen</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I could arm myself</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">with some sort of knife but even if I</font> had<font color="#CCCCCC"> one I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> wasn't sure I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> could use it if</font> the guy managed to gain entrance<font color="#E5E5E5"> there</font> was an unmistakable crunch as the guy stepped down onto one of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the loose</font> stones in front<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the door if the</font> curtains had been open<font color="#E5E5E5"> we'd have been</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">facing face to face through the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> glass</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">that was when he started</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> muttering I</font> told myself<font color="#E5E5E5"> that he was talking on the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">phone and it wasn't until sharing the</font> story years later that I realized I never<font color="#E5E5E5"> saw a phone nor could I make out a</font> single<font color="#E5E5E5"> word of what</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he was saying</font> for all I know he was talking<font color="#CCCCCC"> to himself</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">or and I really hate this idea</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> talking</font> to me he was inches<font color="#CCCCCC"> away blocked by only</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> one</font> pane of<font color="#CCCCCC"> glass and a curtain</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> speaking in</font> a low hushed tone<font color="#CCCCCC"> I couldn't stand it</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">for a moment longer I lifted myself from</font> the chair<font color="#E5E5E5"> with the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> air of a person</font> surrounded by<font color="#E5E5E5"> landmines trying</font> desperately to<font color="#E5E5E5"> be silent all I could</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hear was the muttering and the sound of</font> blood rushing<font color="#CCCCCC"> into my ears I inched</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">towards the kitchen and retrieved the</font> biggest knife I<font color="#CCCCCC"> could find</font> then<font color="#E5E5E5"> I crept back to the desk standing</font> behind the wall that led to the entryway <font color="#CCCCCC">I listened intently</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> trying to figure out</font> what he was<font color="#E5E5E5"> saying</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it was just</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> loud</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">enough to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> be audible but it was muffled</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">by the building</font> I hadn't heard any further crunching so I knew he was<font color="#E5E5E5"> still in the same spot by</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> took a breath ready to myself</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">as best as I could</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and broke into</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font> sprint for<font color="#E5E5E5"> the staircase I didn't stop</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">until I reached my mom's room I woke her</font> up and explained what was<font color="#CCCCCC"> going on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> then</font> I made my<font color="#CCCCCC"> way back to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my room mom in tow</font> knife in hand<font color="#E5E5E5"> my room was at the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> front</font> of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the house above the bay windows this</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">is the detail which kept me awake</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for</font> weeks afterward<font color="#E5E5E5"> there was a low roof</font> below my window<font color="#E5E5E5"> which could easily be</font> scaled<font color="#CCCCCC"> I had done it myself a few</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> times</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">than the years I spent</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> there and I was a</font> kid my bedroom<font color="#CCCCCC"> window was very slightly</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ajar</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">if he had decided to he could have</font> simply<font color="#CCCCCC"> climbed up and into my room</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font> peered outside and he<font color="#E5E5E5"> was gone we went</font> back downstairs<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> check both</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> entrances</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he had vanished completely</font> I didn't sleep<font color="#E5E5E5"> that night and I kept the</font> light on until sunrise<font color="#E5E5E5"> we got in touch</font> with<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> police but nothing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> came out of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">it at the time my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> mom was running the</font> pub around<font color="#CCCCCC"> the corner from us</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> so she</font> checked the<font color="#CCCCCC"> CCTV she found the guy</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on</font> tape<font color="#E5E5E5"> leaving the pub in the direction of</font> our house the<font color="#E5E5E5"> time stamp put it at an hour or so</font> before<font color="#E5E5E5"> I saw him to this day I'm still</font> unsettled<font color="#E5E5E5"> by the sight of a darkened</font> window<font color="#E5E5E5"> worried</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> will look around</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">again and he will be there muttering</font> just loud enough<font color="#E5E5E5"> to be heard watching</font> even with me telling this story<font color="#E5E5E5"> I'm not</font> sure I've managed to capture<font color="#E5E5E5"> how</font> actually<font color="#E5E5E5"> terrifying this was at the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> time</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I had an extremely</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> creepy experience a</font> few years ago and it<font color="#E5E5E5"> is still the most</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">intimidated I've ever felt in broad</font> daylight in<font color="#CCCCCC"> a public place I had a few</font> hours<font color="#CCCCCC"> to kill before I got caught up</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">with my boyfriend</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> who was working and</font> decided to<font color="#E5E5E5"> head into the city</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> centre</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> do some<font color="#E5E5E5"> shopping and browsing as a head</font> up to the doors<font color="#E5E5E5"> of a larger shopping</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">centre</font> I immediately<font color="#CCCCCC"> met eyes with a man in a</font> dark jacket and jeans<font color="#E5E5E5"> lurking outside</font> the shops<font color="#E5E5E5"> he seemed really intense</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> up and down but I didn't think</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">anything of it</font> I broke eye contact with him<font color="#E5E5E5"> and headed</font> straight<font color="#CCCCCC"> for the doors</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as you enter the</font> shopping<font color="#CCCCCC"> centre</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> there is an elevator to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the left and a series of escalators to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the right as I have nowhere</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">particular to be</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ahead for the</font> escalators the escalators tend to be quite<font color="#E5E5E5"> busy but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I felt</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> slightly uneasy</font> about how close the person behind<font color="#CCCCCC"> me was</font> so I moved my bag from<font color="#E5E5E5"> the side to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">front of me to fill a bit of security</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> first floor</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> doesn't have many shops</font> that interest<font color="#E5E5E5"> me so I walk</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> around to the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">next escalator</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I start to become very</font> aware<font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> surroundings and can feel</font> someone<font color="#E5E5E5"> following a little too</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> closely</font> behind<font color="#E5E5E5"> me as I reached the second and</font> third floor someone<font color="#E5E5E5"> is still following</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">closely behind</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I can tell it's a man and</font> I<font color="#E5E5E5"> feel he is towering over</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me I start to</font> feel<font color="#CCCCCC"> really anxious as he keeps</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> taking</font> the same corners<font color="#E5E5E5"> and continuing up</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> escalators right behind me<font color="#CCCCCC"> I can feel</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">his breath on my hair I decide</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> continue<font color="#E5E5E5"> up to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the top floor</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as there is</font> a big open space<font color="#CCCCCC"> with a food</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> court and</font> toilets<font color="#E5E5E5"> hoping he'll stop following</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I continued up the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> next series of</font> escalators<font color="#E5E5E5"> and the creep follows closely</font> behind<font color="#E5E5E5"> me the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> whole way the most</font> unsettling thing about it was that<font color="#E5E5E5"> he</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">didn't say anything he just</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> did very</font> silently behind<font color="#E5E5E5"> me as if he just wanted</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to intimidate</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me I really thought</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">if this kind of stuff ever happened to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I would turn around</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and ask for the</font> time just<font color="#E5E5E5"> so</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> could get a good</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">look at him and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> hopefully defuse the</font> situation <font color="#E5E5E5">but I just felt so much dread in that</font> moment<font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> couldn't talk myself to turn</font> it around<font color="#E5E5E5"> as I reached the top floor I</font> almost sigh with relief<font color="#E5E5E5"> as there are</font> loads of people<font color="#CCCCCC"> about</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I can head</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">straight for the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> lady's toilet without</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">fear of him following</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> almost running</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">at</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> this point and make a beeline for the</font> bathroom<font color="#E5E5E5"> and phone my friend for some</font> advice<font color="#E5E5E5"> my boyfriend was working I didn't</font> want him<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> worry whilst he still had a</font> few<font color="#E5E5E5"> hours of his shift</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">my friend reminded me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that our other</font> friend was<font color="#E5E5E5"> working and happened to work</font> in a<font color="#E5E5E5"> woman's shoe store a few floors</font> down I waited for<font color="#E5E5E5"> a good</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> twenty thirty</font> minutes<font color="#E5E5E5"> inside the toilets hyping myself</font> up to go back<font color="#E5E5E5"> out</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I really</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hoped</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that he</font> had given<font color="#E5E5E5"> up and that would be the end</font> of it<font color="#CCCCCC"> I walked out hesitantly</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> scanned at the food court<font color="#E5E5E5"> hoping</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> coast<font color="#E5E5E5"> would be clear and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I could get to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the escalators to make my way</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> downstairs</font> this<font color="#E5E5E5"> next part really gave me chills and</font> sticks with<font color="#CCCCCC"> me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as soon as I head towards</font> the escalators up jumps this weird guy sitting in<font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> food court this</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">directly across from the escalators</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font> would take me<font color="#CCCCCC"> back downstairs I finally</font> get a good look at him and<font color="#CCCCCC"> realized it</font> was the guy I had seen lurking<font color="#E5E5E5"> at</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> front door I noticed<font color="#CCCCCC"> an obvious logo</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on</font> the arm of his jacket and recognized it as<font color="#E5E5E5"> stone Island branded and made a</font> mental note of<font color="#CCCCCC"> his appearance</font> as I got closer<font color="#E5E5E5"> to the escalator</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he</font> literally ran towards me<font color="#CCCCCC"> like</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he was</font> chasing<font color="#E5E5E5"> after me my heart sank as I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">realized this was very real and scary</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and he had</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> waited</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> thankfully he</font> wasn't quite quick enough<font color="#CCCCCC"> and another</font> shopper managed<font color="#E5E5E5"> to get behind me before</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he reached me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was then able to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> make my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">way down the escalators as fast as I</font> could get in a bit<font color="#CCCCCC"> of space between us my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">anxiety is terrible at this point and I</font> feel<font color="#CCCCCC"> myself starting</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to shake and feel</font> sick<font color="#CCCCCC"> I head straight for</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> friend's</font> work and look back to see the stalker following me along the floor<font color="#CCCCCC"> I walk into</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the shop and my friend heads out from</font> the back and sees how distressed I am and she asks what's wrong<font color="#CCCCCC"> I sit</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> down and</font> her workmates crowd around<font color="#E5E5E5"> me and I tell</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">them what's happening and described the</font> guy with the<font color="#E5E5E5"> stone</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> island jacket just</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as</font> I look up<font color="#E5E5E5"> I see the creep over</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the other</font> side<font color="#E5E5E5"> of the floor looking straight into</font> the shop and I nudged<font color="#E5E5E5"> that's him my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">friend's manager charged out and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> chases</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">him she was under five foot but had a</font> lot<font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> guts</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she calls for security</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> yard</font> and I see her pointing and shouting at him<font color="#E5E5E5"> creepy stalker got such a fright at</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> confrontation and made a run for it</font> down<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> nearest</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> escalator I still feel</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">uneasy about the whole thing and wonder</font> how long<font color="#E5E5E5"> he had</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> been waiting</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> outside to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">find someone</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to follow and how many</font> times he had done it<font color="#E5E5E5"> before and since I</font> really<font color="#CCCCCC"> don't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> know what his aim was and</font> why he<font color="#CCCCCC"> chose me but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I'll never forget</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Stone Island jacket</font> about 12 years<font color="#CCCCCC"> ago I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> used to live in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font> dome house<font color="#E5E5E5"> it's one of the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> only two in</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">our town and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the other is a church</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> so</font> it's<font color="#E5E5E5"> very unique</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> not just in the</font> architecture<font color="#E5E5E5"> but also in the story of</font> its history<font color="#E5E5E5"> behind the house I lived in</font> was yet another<font color="#E5E5E5"> bigger dome when we</font> lived in<font color="#E5E5E5"> the apartment contained within</font> we meaning<font color="#E5E5E5"> my best friend who was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> also</font> female<font color="#E5E5E5"> like myself and then her husband</font> my friend's husband informed me<font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font> when they<font color="#E5E5E5"> were building the domes</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font> construction<font color="#E5E5E5"> worker fell from the</font> ceiling<font color="#CCCCCC"> of the dome</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> which was around</font> three stories up<font color="#E5E5E5"> to the concrete floor</font> below<font color="#E5E5E5"> he obviously didn't survive fast</font> forward 20<font color="#E5E5E5"> or so years</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and we were</font> living<font color="#E5E5E5"> in the apartment</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> just below the</font> area<font color="#E5E5E5"> where said workmen fell the feeling</font> of that<font color="#CCCCCC"> apartment was always as though</font> someone was watching<font color="#E5E5E5"> it at all times</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">nothing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> strange happened until</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we moved</font> into the main house after the larger dome was demolished<font color="#CCCCCC"> because of black</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">mold we moved in and the feeling of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">being watched continued but eventually</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">we got used to the feeling except when</font> it was so strong<font color="#E5E5E5"> that it was unavoidable</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">now there were many many incidents</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font> unexplainable<font color="#CCCCCC"> things happening</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> like my</font> friend getting<font color="#E5E5E5"> out of the bath upstairs</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and feeling</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> like a child</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> wrapped his</font> arms<font color="#CCCCCC"> around her neck</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> like my friend</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">getting out of the bath</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> upstairs</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> filling a child<font color="#E5E5E5"> wrap his arms around her</font> naked waist<font color="#E5E5E5"> insane mama</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> or having my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">tarik cards</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> just materialized for my</font> bedroom<font color="#CCCCCC"> upstairs to in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> front of the back</font> door<font color="#CCCCCC"> downstairs or seeing a cowboy guy</font> standing<font color="#E5E5E5"> in the hallway</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that just</font> disappeared<font color="#E5E5E5"> also</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> every night just before</font> falling asleep<font color="#CCCCCC"> in one particular room I</font> would hear the loud bangs on the<font color="#E5E5E5"> wall</font> above my<font color="#E5E5E5"> bed that would wake</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me right up</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> most disturbing happening it was one</font> night I had gone<font color="#E5E5E5"> to sleep in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> bed</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">upstairs</font> now our stairs were spiral<font color="#E5E5E5"> that went up</font> to<font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> landing and all around the landing</font> were bedroom doors<font color="#E5E5E5"> a door to the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Afra</font> mentioned bathroom and the balcony<font color="#E5E5E5"> this</font> particular<font color="#E5E5E5"> night my best friend went to</font> sleep on the couch beneath the balcony <font color="#CCCCCC">her husband had been</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> activated in the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">army and it was in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Texas before</font> deployment<font color="#CCCCCC"> I was passed out</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> said</font> in my bed<font color="#E5E5E5"> maybe a little after</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> midnight</font> I wake up<font color="#E5E5E5"> to her screaming my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> name</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> left out of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the bed still in fog of</font> sleepiness<font color="#CCCCCC"> I stopped at the balcony to</font> see what had happened<font color="#CCCCCC"> were you</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> just</font> throwing<font color="#E5E5E5"> coins at me she yells</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">accusingly up at me what I said no</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was</font> passed out that's not funny Sam just <font color="#E5E5E5">tell me it was you her voice quivered</font> with<font color="#E5E5E5"> fear no I told you I was asleep I</font> said this made her<font color="#CCCCCC"> choked up I went</font> downstairs<font color="#CCCCCC"> immediately</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she told me that</font> she was trying<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> sleep on the couch</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">suddenly we heard something metallic hit</font> the wood floor next to<font color="#E5E5E5"> the couch she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font> laying on a minute or so later another bounced off of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the couch and fell onto</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the wood floor then a coin landed on her</font> she jumped<font color="#E5E5E5"> up and started</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> screaming my</font> name<font color="#CCCCCC"> the proof was on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the floor</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I saw it</font> with my own eyes several pennies peppered the living room floor<font color="#E5E5E5"> after</font> that we<font color="#E5E5E5"> went to bed downstairs in her</font> bedroom<font color="#E5E5E5"> after</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I moved out months later</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> never forgot that<font color="#E5E5E5"> house many little</font> things<font color="#E5E5E5"> happened in the house but nothing</font> compared to that experience<font color="#E5E5E5"> it never</font> happened<font color="#CCCCCC"> again and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I'm glad that it</font> didn't I'm 27<font color="#CCCCCC"> years old</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> male live in the UK</font> with my<font color="#CCCCCC"> fiancee and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> currently working as</font> a teaching<font color="#CCCCCC"> assistant for</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> teenagers</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">special educational</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> needs in a school</font> not<font color="#CCCCCC"> far from Bradgate Park I have worked</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">in a number</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of schools and children's</font> homes now<font color="#E5E5E5"> and these buildings especially</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the children's homes are usually old</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">renovated houses or halls this</font> particular story happened in 2013<font color="#E5E5E5"> when I</font> had<font color="#CCCCCC"> just</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> started working as a support</font> worker<font color="#E5E5E5"> at a care home</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for teens</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> young adults<font color="#E5E5E5"> 18 to 30 years old</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with</font> autism<font color="#E5E5E5"> brain damage and challenging</font> behavior<font color="#E5E5E5"> the house that I worked in was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">pretty big there were two living rooms</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font> large kitchen<font color="#CCCCCC"> a game room</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a study into</font> five bedrooms<font color="#E5E5E5"> there was also a huge</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">garden</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> with a summer house and activity</font> room that led on<font color="#E5E5E5"> two acres of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> fields and</font> woodland<font color="#CCCCCC"> I had been working</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> there</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">about three weeks</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and primarily</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> worked</font> the waking<font color="#E5E5E5"> night shift this shift ran</font> from<font color="#CCCCCC"> 10:00 p.m. until 8:00</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a.m. and it</font> was<font color="#E5E5E5"> my duty</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to make sure all of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> residents<font color="#CCCCCC"> were settled for the night</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to get the cleaning done before the day</font> staff came in to take<font color="#E5E5E5"> over I will</font> usually get<font color="#CCCCCC"> all</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my jobs</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> done for</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">around 1 a.m.</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and spend the rest of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> night<font color="#E5E5E5"> listening out for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> anyone that woke</font> up I would watch<font color="#CCCCCC"> TV read my university</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">course books or sometimes just play</font> games on my<font color="#CCCCCC"> phone</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> once I was finished</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the residents usually slept all night on</font> one particular<font color="#E5E5E5"> night a young man named</font> James<font color="#E5E5E5"> was particularly Restless</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he was</font> not very<font color="#E5E5E5"> big</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but he did</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> have a lot of</font> strength<font color="#CCCCCC"> behind him when he got</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> into</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> one</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">of his bad moods</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and the slightest thing</font> could set him off<font color="#CCCCCC"> he wants through a</font> member of<font color="#E5E5E5"> staff through a patio door</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">because she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> had forgotten</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to put cold</font> water<font color="#E5E5E5"> and his tea</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> before he drank it he</font> could not form full sentences<font color="#CCCCCC"> I would</font> communicate with<font color="#CCCCCC"> fairly simple words put</font> together<font color="#E5E5E5"> in a way</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that he understood</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> for</font> example he<font color="#E5E5E5"> would say</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> something like</font> James make breakfast<font color="#E5E5E5"> when he was ready</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> make breakfast or James go outside if</font> he wanted<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> go outside and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> play he was</font> generally<font color="#E5E5E5"> well-behaved and can be quite</font> funny<font color="#CCCCCC"> when he wanted to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> be</font> but was<font color="#E5E5E5"> well known</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for his temper</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> at</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">around 11 p.m.</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> James got up and came</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">downstairs to make a drink</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I stood</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in</font> the doorway and<font color="#CCCCCC"> watched to make</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> sure he</font> didn't break anything or hurt himself <font color="#E5E5E5">and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he went back upstairs without any</font> real bother<font color="#CCCCCC"> I sat on top of the step and</font> kept an eye on<font color="#CCCCCC"> his door for maybe 15</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">minutes or so to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> make sure he didn't</font> wake any of the other<font color="#E5E5E5"> residents once he</font> had<font color="#E5E5E5"> settled in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I went back to my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">cleaning the room beneath James's</font> bedroom was a communal<font color="#CCCCCC"> living room with</font> board<font color="#CCCCCC"> games</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a TV sofas books stuff like</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">that I was in there dusting and mopping</font> the floor when I heard something heavy drop<font color="#E5E5E5"> onto the floor in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> room above I</font> knew James is prone to temper tantrums if he<font color="#E5E5E5"> got frustrated</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> so I went upstairs</font> and<font color="#E5E5E5"> knocked</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on his door</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as I reached for</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the key to open it myself</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he opened the door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> looked at me he</font> seemed perfectly<font color="#E5E5E5"> calm his eyes looked</font> almost<font color="#E5E5E5"> half shut like he had been asleep</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I asked if he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was okay and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he said</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> yes</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and put his thumbs up this was something</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he did when he was in a good</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> mood</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">not stressed out</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> so I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> left him to it and</font> told<font color="#E5E5E5"> him</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> be careful thinking that he</font> had<font color="#E5E5E5"> knocked something over an hour or so</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">passed by now I was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the kitchen</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">cleaning the sink I heard another bang</font> above me again like something had been dropped this time I realized<font color="#CCCCCC"> that the</font> room<font color="#E5E5E5"> above</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the kitchen</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was currently</font> empty<font color="#E5E5E5"> the house was set up to house five</font> residents<font color="#CCCCCC"> but there were only</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> currently</font> four in the room above me was<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">spanner</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> empty room I immediately went to</font> check it<font color="#CCCCCC"> out but the room was empty I</font> stood<font color="#E5E5E5"> there for a while and as far as I</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">could tell everyone was asleep</font> due to the nation of<font color="#E5E5E5"> their conditions</font> and behaviors<font color="#CCCCCC"> each resident has</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> an alarm</font> fitted to their<font color="#E5E5E5"> door that is activated</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">at night so if anyone leaves their room</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">a small receiver box that the night</font> staff carry around<font color="#E5E5E5"> makes a noise and a</font> light blinks for<font color="#E5E5E5"> a few seconds to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">indicate which door had been opened</font> numbered<font color="#E5E5E5"> one through five the alarm had</font> not gone<font color="#E5E5E5"> off so I knew</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that the noise</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">was not</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> from any of the residents</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I got</font> back to my<font color="#E5E5E5"> cleaning and didn't hear</font> anything else<font color="#E5E5E5"> for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the rest</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of the night</font> the following<font color="#CCCCCC"> night I got to work just</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">before 10:00 and as I entered</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hallway</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I could tell that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> something</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font> wrong James was at the<font color="#E5E5E5"> bottom of the stairs</font> covering his ears<font color="#E5E5E5"> and humming loudly and</font> three<font color="#E5E5E5"> members of staff were with him</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">after a few minutes he</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was escorted to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the sitting room</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and the house manager</font> gave me<font color="#CCCCCC"> a rundown of what had been</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> going</font> on for<font color="#CCCCCC"> the last four hours</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> James had</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">been quite agitated and kept repeating</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> phrase Sara</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> little girl when asked</font> what was<font color="#E5E5E5"> wrong</font> this was something<font color="#E5E5E5"> we had never</font> experienced with him before and the general conclusion was that<font color="#CCCCCC"> he had seen</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">something on TV or in a movie that's</font> stuck in his head<font color="#E5E5E5"> and made him</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> repeat</font> this phrase once James had settled<font color="#CCCCCC"> into</font> bed<font color="#E5E5E5"> the night staff left and the other</font> member of<font color="#E5E5E5"> staff</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that was sleeping in</font> went up<font color="#E5E5E5"> to the staff bedroom</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I got on</font> with my tasks<font color="#E5E5E5"> and as usual finished</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">around</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 1 a.m. soon after</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> this I went</font> upstairs to<font color="#E5E5E5"> do a quick check on all of</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the residents but as I got on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">first floor</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> landing I noticed the light</font> had<font color="#CCCCCC"> been turned</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> off there were two small</font> corridors leading<font color="#E5E5E5"> to the bedrooms on the</font> left and<font color="#E5E5E5"> right hand sides of the</font> staircase<font color="#E5E5E5"> James's room was on the left</font> and the light switch was just outside his<font color="#E5E5E5"> room</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I turned the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> corner to flip the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">switch and there in the darkness</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in</font> complete silence was James he was stood <font color="#E5E5E5">in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the corner completely naked</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> with his</font> eyes as<font color="#CCCCCC"> wide as he could</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> possibly</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> hold</font> them I'm a big guy<font color="#CCCCCC"> 6 foot 3 and weigh</font> about<font color="#E5E5E5"> 220 but at that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> moment I was</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">really creeped out</font> I spoke call me to James<font color="#E5E5E5"> and asked what</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">was going on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and for a while he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> said</font> nothing<font color="#CCCCCC"> at all then as I turned</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> light back on he allowed out an ear piercing scream and started<font color="#CCCCCC"> slopping</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> himself around the</font> face<font color="#E5E5E5"> the sleep end staff woke up at this</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">point and helped me to calm the</font> situation<font color="#E5E5E5"> and get James back into bed</font> before reassuring the other residents <font color="#CCCCCC">that everything was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> fine</font> after that night<font color="#CCCCCC"> I had</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> four days off my</font> shift pattern was<font color="#E5E5E5"> seven days on two days</font> off<font color="#E5E5E5"> followed</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> by eight days</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on and four</font> days off<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I was relieved that this</font> incident<font color="#CCCCCC"> had happened just as my time</font> off began<font color="#E5E5E5"> I got back to work the</font> following<font color="#E5E5E5"> week and was told that the</font> situation with James<font color="#E5E5E5"> talking about the</font> little<font color="#E5E5E5"> girl had gotten a lot worse he</font> would spend hours staring out of the window<font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> overlooked the garden</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> saying</font> little girl<font color="#E5E5E5"> where are you little girl</font> and no<font color="#CCCCCC"> one knew where he had</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hurt the</font> phrase that night around<font color="#CCCCCC"> 3:00 a.m.</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> alarm<font color="#CCCCCC"> went off to say that the door to</font> room<font color="#CCCCCC"> five the spare room had</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> been opened</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">now this instantly seemed a little</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> bit</font> weird to<font color="#E5E5E5"> me as because</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> being</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> used</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> storage at the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> time I went out to</font> investigate<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> found James stood in the</font> room<font color="#E5E5E5"> in the dark he didn't seem to</font> notice<font color="#E5E5E5"> me enter and was just standing</font> there whispering where are<font color="#E5E5E5"> you over and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">over again I gently touched his shoulder</font> and<font color="#E5E5E5"> said something like come on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me let's</font> go back to bed it's late James turned around and started<font color="#CCCCCC"> heading</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> back to his room and for</font> a second I was relieved<font color="#E5E5E5"> but then as I</font> locked the door to the spare room<font color="#E5E5E5"> he</font> screamed out<font color="#CCCCCC"> oh no</font> and started pummeling<font color="#E5E5E5"> the door with both</font> fists as he did this<font color="#E5E5E5"> the alarm went off</font> to indicate that the front door<font color="#CCCCCC"> had been</font> opened<font color="#E5E5E5"> the only people with the key to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the front door</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> will myself</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and the house</font> manager<font color="#E5E5E5"> the door has four locks on it</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">two that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> require a key</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font> require<font color="#E5E5E5"> electronic ID cards</font> it was now<font color="#E5E5E5"> 3:25 a.m. and the manager</font> never came in before<font color="#CCCCCC"> 8:00 so I presumed</font> that there<font color="#E5E5E5"> must have been some kind of</font> mistake and continued to<font color="#CCCCCC"> diffuse a situation</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">with James he finally calmed down and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">went back into</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> his room so I went</font> downstairs<font color="#CCCCCC"> to check</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the front door to my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">surprise it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> wide open</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I shut it immediately</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and started</font> checking<font color="#E5E5E5"> every room in the house in case</font> someone had got in I've<font color="#E5E5E5"> been checked on</font> each side<font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> residence to make sure</font> they were<font color="#CCCCCC"> still in the house</font> everything was fine<font color="#CCCCCC"> the next night</font> everything was<font color="#E5E5E5"> calm until around</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 2:00</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">a.m.</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> when one of the other residents</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Connor got up and said</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> someone was</font> tapping on his<font color="#E5E5E5"> window</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I guess that he</font> must<font color="#E5E5E5"> have just been dreaming</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his</font> window<font color="#E5E5E5"> was on the third floor and the</font> house was<font color="#E5E5E5"> at</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> least</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> 25 feet</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">ground</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I went back up</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to his room with</font> him to reassure<font color="#E5E5E5"> him</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and checked his</font> window<font color="#E5E5E5"> sure</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> enough it was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> shut and the</font> security lock that had prevented<font color="#E5E5E5"> it from</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">opening wide enough for someone to fit</font> through was still sealed<font color="#E5E5E5"> as he got back</font> in bed<font color="#CCCCCC"> I heard footsteps on</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the stairs</font> outside<font color="#E5E5E5"> of his</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> room he froze for a</font> second<font color="#E5E5E5"> and looked at me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with an</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">expression of pure</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> panic on his face</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> opened<font color="#E5E5E5"> the door to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> see who it was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but no</font> one was<font color="#E5E5E5"> there he was clearly</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> scared by</font> this<font color="#E5E5E5"> and said is he back my blood ran</font> cold and I asked<font color="#CCCCCC"> is</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> who back</font> what do you mean<font color="#CCCCCC"> Conner looked over my</font> shoulder<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> then sank down</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> into his bed</font> pulling the duvet<font color="#E5E5E5"> up to his mouth</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> turned around to<font color="#E5E5E5"> see what he was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> looking</font> at<font color="#E5E5E5"> but there was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> still</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> no one there tell</font> him<font color="#E5E5E5"> to go away</font> Connor said in a hushed<font color="#E5E5E5"> scared voice I</font> tried to reassure him<font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> there</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> no</font> one<font color="#E5E5E5"> there</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> left his bedside lamp on</font> before leaving the room<font color="#CCCCCC"> I went</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">downstairs and sat outside on the patio</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">with a cup</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of coffee it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was the middle</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> January</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and around</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> negative to</font> outside but I felt like<font color="#E5E5E5"> I had to get out</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">of the house for a while</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> after</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> about 40</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">minutes I went back inside and washed</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">cup in the sink</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> dried it and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> put it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> back</font> in the cupboard<font color="#E5E5E5"> beneath the cover it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font> a locked<font color="#E5E5E5"> secure drawer where all of the</font> sharp knives are kept until<font color="#CCCCCC"> needed the</font> drawer was opened slightly<font color="#E5E5E5"> this was</font> obviously a major<font color="#E5E5E5"> issue as none of the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">residents</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> were</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> allowed to access the</font> knife drawer without supervision<font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> counted the knives and realized that <font color="#E5E5E5">there was one missing so I woke</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> sleep and staff told her the situation <font color="#CCCCCC">and we began a search</font> nearly<font color="#E5E5E5"> two hours later we still hadn't</font> found<font color="#E5E5E5"> this missing knife so decided to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">just keep our guard up and make sure</font> none of the<font color="#CCCCCC"> residents</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> were hiding it two</font> hours later at 5:30 a.m.<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> alarm</font> sounded<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was the door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to the spare</font> room again<font color="#CCCCCC"> I went</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> up to check it out</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> found<font color="#E5E5E5"> that the door was locked</font> how could the alarm have been activated by<font color="#CCCCCC"> the door opening if the door was</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">still</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> locked I went inside and turned</font> the light<font color="#CCCCCC"> on to this day I still</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> have no</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">explanation for what I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> found and I often</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">think about this incident the bed had</font> been<font color="#E5E5E5"> pushed from its usual</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> place</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and was</font> against the wall<font color="#CCCCCC"> and the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Wardrobe doors</font> were open there were screws and nails all over<font color="#CCCCCC"> the floor but nothing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font> broken<font color="#E5E5E5"> but the most disturbing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> part</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> middle of the room</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> there was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font> children's doll<font color="#CCCCCC"> a gold bracelet and a</font> missing knife from the kitchen<font color="#CCCCCC"> the doll</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">was an old</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> style baby doll</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my guess was</font> that<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was made in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the 50s from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> style<font color="#E5E5E5"> of clothes and the overall look of</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the doll</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the bracelet was simple</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but old</font> looking<font color="#E5E5E5"> I left everything as it was and</font> reported it to the manager as soon as she arrived no one ever<font color="#E5E5E5"> claimed that the bracelet</font> belong to them<font color="#E5E5E5"> and it was taken to a</font> charity shop soon after along with the doll<font color="#E5E5E5"> after</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the doll and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the bracelet</font> were removed from the house<font color="#CCCCCC"> James seemed</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> calm down and never mentioned a</font> little<font color="#E5E5E5"> girl or stood around in the dark</font> again <font color="#CCCCCC">I still</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> don't have an explanation for</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">everything that happened</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and sometimes</font> think<font color="#CCCCCC"> that it was just a combination of</font> strange behavior<font color="#CCCCCC"> from a young autistic</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">boy and the fact that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the house was old</font> but<font color="#E5E5E5"> on the other hand</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a lot of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> stuff</font> happened<font color="#CCCCCC"> that I can't explain</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> logically</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">my only regret now is that the doll</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the bracelet are gone</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and can't be</font> examined or identified<font color="#E5E5E5"> maybe it was</font> paranormal<font color="#CCCCCC"> who knows but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> now I work day</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">shifts and do not plan on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> working night</font> shifts<font color="#CCCCCC"> again</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> any time</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> soon</font> this story happened<font color="#CCCCCC"> about</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> seven years</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">ago</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> when I was 19</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> years old I was</font> attending<font color="#CCCCCC"> college in southern Utah</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> which</font> was<font color="#CCCCCC"> located about two-and-a-half</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hours</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">away from Las Vegas</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> because we were so</font> close<font color="#CCCCCC"> my friends and I frequently</font> visited the city on weekends we were <font color="#E5E5E5">fairly familiar with it by the time we</font> hit sophomore year and had spent many days<font color="#E5E5E5"> and nights there mostly it was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> just</font> a group<font color="#E5E5E5"> of girls who went and we had</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">never had any trouble on this night it</font> was a<font color="#E5E5E5"> Thursday</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on Christmas break</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my</font> friend<font color="#E5E5E5"> and we'll call him B was due to</font> fly to Virginia<font color="#E5E5E5"> on a red-eye flight from</font> Vegas<font color="#CCCCCC"> I agreed to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> drive him to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">airport so that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he wouldn't need</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to pay</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">for parking</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and two of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> our other friends</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and and EH agreed to come with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> us so I</font> wouldn't have<font color="#E5E5E5"> to drive back alone in</font> total there were two boys<font color="#E5E5E5"> and two</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> girls</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">all</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> 19 and the boys</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> over 6-feet we left</font> around<font color="#E5E5E5"> midnight</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> all of us wearing</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">pajamas and hoodies and looking all</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">around</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> like the very young poor students</font> we were the first<font color="#E5E5E5"> part</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of the night was</font> great<font color="#E5E5E5"> B's flight wasn't until about 4:00</font> a.m.<font color="#CCCCCC"> so we had time to kill we roamed</font> the strip<font color="#CCCCCC"> wished we could buy alcohol</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and Gamble</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and appreciated how much</font> warmer Vegas was compared<font color="#E5E5E5"> to Utah B and</font> I had been to Vegas<font color="#E5E5E5"> only a few weeks</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">before and had seen Fremont Street</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> original Vegas<font color="#E5E5E5"> Strip for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the first time</font> and and<font color="#E5E5E5"> I had never seen</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it before so we</font> decided to<font color="#E5E5E5"> take them a few</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> weeks before</font> there had been a live concert on the <font color="#E5E5E5">street people ziplining from the ceiling</font> people dancing tonight<font color="#E5E5E5"> there was pretty</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">much</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> just us Fremont Street is</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> well lit</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and lined with a lot of gentlemen's</font> clubs in the middle of the street<font color="#E5E5E5"> there</font> was a huge Christmas<font color="#E5E5E5"> tree</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as we</font> approached the<font color="#E5E5E5"> tree I noticed a man</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">white male maybe mid 30s to 40s long</font> dirty hair<font color="#E5E5E5"> trust darkly</font> he had been standing<font color="#CCCCCC"> with a group of men</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">maybe about</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> ten of them all hanging</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> back</font> quietly<font color="#E5E5E5"> in the shadow between two clubs</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">they seemed to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> be minding</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> their own</font> business<font color="#CCCCCC"> but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> this guy was strange we</font> locked<font color="#E5E5E5"> eyes and he walked straight</font> towards me<font color="#E5E5E5"> he never once looked away</font> when he<font color="#E5E5E5"> got close he turned</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> sharply</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> went back the<font color="#CCCCCC"> way he</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> just came from and</font> he did not look<font color="#CCCCCC"> happy and and a didn't</font> even seem<font color="#CCCCCC"> to notice</font> he made me uneasy<font color="#CCCCCC"> and when I turned to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">see where he had gone</font> he was<font color="#E5E5E5"> standing maybe</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> thirty feet</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> behind</font> standing<font color="#CCCCCC"> behind an advertisement</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he was</font> on the phone<font color="#CCCCCC"> and staring directly at</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me</font> again<font color="#E5E5E5"> he hung up and walked away further</font> down<font color="#E5E5E5"> the street where</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> he had wandered in</font> he didn't look back while I was<font color="#CCCCCC"> watching</font> him<font color="#E5E5E5"> be he had also noticed this strange</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">man's behavior he had turned to look at</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> group of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> men</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> one of who was also on</font> the phone as soon<font color="#CCCCCC"> as the staring man</font> hung up<font color="#E5E5E5"> so did the group he the man in</font> the group stood suddenly and beckoned to <font color="#E5E5E5">another group of about ten men waiting</font> opposite the<font color="#E5E5E5"> Christmas tree we had never</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">even noticed them there</font> that's when<font color="#E5E5E5"> B announced that we needed</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to go</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> both groups were walking towards</font> the four of us quickly and it took<font color="#E5E5E5"> a few</font> terrifying<font color="#E5E5E5"> seconds to get N and a to</font> respond we quickly<font color="#E5E5E5"> walked back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> down the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">street trying to be calm as possible</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">at this point both groups had merged and</font> were following us<font color="#CCCCCC"> I don't know if you've</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">ever</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> been followed by a literal wall of</font> men<font color="#E5E5E5"> but I zero out of ten</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> would</font> recommend it<font color="#E5E5E5"> we decided</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to turn a corner</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">into</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the side street</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and as soon as we</font> did we broke into<font color="#E5E5E5"> a run it might not be</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">related and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> probably isn't</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but to add to</font> the terror as we tried to<font color="#E5E5E5"> cross</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> street<font color="#CCCCCC"> a very sketchy looking taxi</font> driver slammed his brakes into<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">crosswalk on a green light he just</font> stared at<font color="#CCCCCC"> us and we</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> finally broke into a</font> run<font color="#CCCCCC"> around his car</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he didn't even move</font> we made<font color="#CCCCCC"> it safely to our car</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> drove</font> as quickly as<font color="#CCCCCC"> we could away from Fremont</font> discreet<font color="#CCCCCC"> a strangest thing of all though</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">is I'm not</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> sure what they wanted</font> we weren't<font color="#CCCCCC"> addressed like we had money</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">Plus none of us had money</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> there was an</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">older guy</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his wallet literally</font> standing outside<font color="#E5E5E5"> of a club near them</font> and to working<font color="#E5E5E5"> women not far from them</font> either<font color="#E5E5E5"> they all seemed like easy targets</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the only thing I can</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> think of is</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> maybe</font> human trafficking<font color="#E5E5E5"> since I was getting a</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">lot of the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> attention</font> when I was in<font color="#E5E5E5"> fifth grade</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> someone</font> knocked on<font color="#E5E5E5"> the door back then</font> my neighborhood<font color="#CCCCCC"> was considered to be</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">pretty safe we never locked our doors</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">because we never really</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> had much reason</font> to so I went to<font color="#E5E5E5"> the door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and opened it</font> but nobody was<font color="#E5E5E5"> there</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I honestly didn't</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">think much</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of it probably</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> one of my</font> brother's<font color="#CCCCCC"> friends or something</font> so I turned on<font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> porch light</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and went</font> outside<font color="#E5E5E5"> once again for as far as</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I could</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">see there</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was no</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> one there</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">I went back inside and sat in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> living</font> room to watch<font color="#E5E5E5"> house until my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> mom got</font> home a half hour goes by<font color="#CCCCCC"> and I'm still</font> sitting<font color="#E5E5E5"> on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the couch which looks onto</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">kitchen the kitchen window</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and partly</font> out<font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> backyard</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> though at this time</font> it was<font color="#E5E5E5"> around 8 p.m. so it was fairly</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">dark with my head facing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the left side</font> of the room<font color="#CCCCCC"> watching my show I saw</font> something dark flash by the window it was quick<font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> only out of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">corner of my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> eye</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but there was something</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> flashed by the window a few minutes</font> go by and<font color="#E5E5E5"> I'm texted by my best friend</font> Sam<font color="#CCCCCC"> I told her I thought</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> someone</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> might</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">be trying to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> prank me or something when</font> I started to just<font color="#CCCCCC"> feel</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> really uneasy</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">like someone was watching me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I looked up</font> and I shit<font color="#CCCCCC"> you</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> not</font> there was the<font color="#CCCCCC"> outline of a person</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> all in</font> black in the window<font color="#CCCCCC"> I just sat there</font> paralyzed<font color="#E5E5E5"> staring at him and he lightly</font> knocks on the window<font color="#E5E5E5"> and does one of</font> those closed fingered<font color="#CCCCCC"> ways that you do</font> to children<font color="#E5E5E5"> before he disappears in my</font> head<font color="#E5E5E5"> I was like no there's no way that</font> that<font color="#E5E5E5"> could have happened</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> even if it</font> did I wasn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> sure if it was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> just one of</font> my brother's<font color="#CCCCCC"> friends pranking me a</font> regardless<font color="#E5E5E5"> I wasn't going to stay in</font> their living room<font color="#CCCCCC"> just to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> let them mess</font> with me some<font color="#E5E5E5"> more</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I booked it up to my</font> room<font color="#CCCCCC"> and locked</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the door my mother came</font> home<font color="#CCCCCC"> about</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> 20 minutes later with my</font> brother<font color="#E5E5E5"> Harrison and I asked her</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> if she</font> saw anyone out there<font color="#E5E5E5"> and my brother</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> if</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">he had intentionally had someone mess</font> with me but they told<font color="#E5E5E5"> me no Harrison</font> really<font color="#CCCCCC"> wasn't the kind of person to do</font> orchestrate<font color="#E5E5E5"> something like that but I</font> figured that<font color="#CCCCCC"> it being so</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> close to</font> Halloween<font color="#E5E5E5"> anything was possible</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I tried</font> to put<font color="#E5E5E5"> it out of my head</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and that was</font> that<font color="#E5E5E5"> for now some insight</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in what</font> happened in between<font color="#E5E5E5"> these two events I'm</font> fairly<font color="#CCCCCC"> certain it wasn't my brother's</font> friend<font color="#E5E5E5"> to this day I honestly don't know</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">who</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that was what I do know is that they</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">were standing there with black shoes</font> black pants<font color="#E5E5E5"> a black hoodie pulled up</font> over<font color="#E5E5E5"> their head</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and for good measure a</font> black mask<font color="#E5E5E5"> covering</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> their face</font> each time this would happen<font color="#CCCCCC"> I would run</font> and tell my<font color="#CCCCCC"> mum</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but by the time</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she got</font> there<font color="#CCCCCC"> they were always gone</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I started</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">getting phone calls from an unknown</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">number</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and whenever I'd pick up</font> it would just be occasional breathing<font color="#E5E5E5"> no</font> one would ever<font color="#E5E5E5"> say anything it only</font> happened a few times<font color="#E5E5E5"> less than 20 but</font> what happened at random times throughout the<font color="#CCCCCC"> day and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> night and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> mainly when it was</font> light out<font color="#CCCCCC"> for a long</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> time I thought the</font> only<font color="#E5E5E5"> one who</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> ever physically</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> saw any of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">this happening was me because it always</font> happened when I was alone <font color="#CCCCCC">oh really late at night</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> until one day</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my</font> mum my<font color="#E5E5E5"> neighbour and I were on the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> porch</font> talking<font color="#E5E5E5"> when I asked him if he</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> ever saw</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">anyone lingering</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> around our backyard</font> my mum quickly said<font color="#CCCCCC"> Mila because I guess</font> she didn't want<font color="#CCCCCC"> me to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> sound crazy in</font> front<font color="#CCCCCC"> of the neighbor</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> since I kept</font> saying all of<font color="#E5E5E5"> this was happening but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she</font> never<font color="#E5E5E5"> saw the guy I mean she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> picked up</font> silent phone calls but<font color="#E5E5E5"> for some reason</font> she never believed<font color="#E5E5E5"> me about the guy</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> backyard</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> surprise</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> told</font> me that he had he ended up<font color="#CCCCCC"> telling me</font> and my mother<font color="#E5E5E5"> that he</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was sitting</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on the</font> back porch<font color="#E5E5E5"> next to ours with his</font> girlfriend<font color="#CCCCCC"> when a man in all black</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font> black mask<font color="#CCCCCC"> came out from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> behind a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> tree</font> he started walking and then running <font color="#E5E5E5">towards them and when my neighbor who</font> had a license to carry poured his firearm out and told<font color="#E5E5E5"> the guy</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to stop</font> running<font color="#CCCCCC"> the man didn't stop and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Matt the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">neighbour</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> shot the ground and the guy</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">finally did stopped he turned around and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">started running in the opposite</font> direction<font color="#E5E5E5"> tripping over a branch and</font> then getting<font color="#E5E5E5"> up again and disappearing</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I thought</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> so relieved thinking that it</font> had to<font color="#E5E5E5"> be the guy</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> surely now</font> he'd never come back<font color="#E5E5E5"> but of course</font> that's<font color="#E5E5E5"> not how it happened now before I</font> get<font color="#E5E5E5"> back</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to it you need</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to know my mom</font> didn't leave the house<font color="#CCCCCC"> very frequently</font> nor leave me alone<font color="#E5E5E5"> very much</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> left</font> alone<font color="#E5E5E5"> with my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> brother who was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> seven</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">years older than me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> already family</font> members but there<font color="#E5E5E5"> are a few</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> times if my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">mom</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> had work went shopping or went out</font> that I would<font color="#E5E5E5"> elect to stay home rather</font> than<font color="#E5E5E5"> tag along we'll go somewhere</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> else</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">so on this night I was home once more</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> was in the<font color="#CCCCCC"> living room</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and because</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">things had sort of died</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> down a bit with</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the man in the backyard I felt</font> comfortable<font color="#E5E5E5"> enough to sit in my living</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">room and watch some TV again this time I</font> can't<font color="#CCCCCC"> remember what I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was watching but</font> just like the<font color="#E5E5E5"> first time something black</font> flashed by the window<font color="#CCCCCC"> I really didn't</font> want<font color="#E5E5E5"> it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to be happening again and I</font> didn't immediately<font color="#E5E5E5"> want to call my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> mum</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and rowing her night</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> if it turned out to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">being</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that not big of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a deal</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> so I just</font> stared intently at<font color="#CCCCCC"> the window</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> just</font> waiting for<font color="#E5E5E5"> him to pop up as he did last</font> time<font color="#E5E5E5"> cheering</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> what felt like an eternity</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and was probably only</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> five</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> minutes I had</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">muted the TV</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and there was an eerie</font> silence<font color="#E5E5E5"> like in those action movies</font> where they're all like it's quiet too quiet<font color="#CCCCCC"> at that moment I could probably</font> hear a pin drop<font color="#E5E5E5"> but instead</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I began to</font> hear my back door rattle slightly my heart dropped and started racing<font color="#CCCCCC"> it felt</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">like it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was going to leap</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and bang out</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">of my chest</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> they were trying to break</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">down</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the door from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> where I was whoever</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">was at the back door could not see me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as</font> I heard my<font color="#E5E5E5"> door being</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> broken into my</font> fight-or-flight response must have kicked<font color="#E5E5E5"> in I grabbed my phone unlocked my</font> front door and hauled ass<font color="#CCCCCC"> across the</font> street <font color="#CCCCCC">I started bawling my eyes out and ran</font> down random side streets and<font color="#CCCCCC"> alleyways</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to get as far away</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my house as</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">possible I ended up sitting underneath</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font> lamp<font color="#E5E5E5"> pretty much on the other side of</font> town<font color="#CCCCCC"> I called my mom and her boyfriend</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Kyle but they could barely understand me</font> as I was blabbering<font color="#E5E5E5"> so much when I was</font> finally<font color="#E5E5E5"> able to calm down</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I explained to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">them what happened</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and where I was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> they immediately came<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> pick me up in</font> the car<font color="#CCCCCC"> I felt so much</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> safer</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> kyle was a</font> big guy he did construction<font color="#E5E5E5"> and worked</font> on houses he had muscle and was a scary dude if he didn't know him<font color="#E5E5E5"> when we got</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">home</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Kyle went in first</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he told us to</font> stay<font color="#CCCCCC"> in the car and from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> inside</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> house he yelled out<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> back door was</font> wide open he went from<font color="#E5E5E5"> room to room floor to floor</font> searched our<font color="#E5E5E5"> backyard shared everything</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">but whoever it was was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> gone my mom later</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">tried to come for me</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and say that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> maybe it was our cat but we</font> both know it wasn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> the cat our back</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">door is pretty hard to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> go</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> into and that</font> guy had left him wide<font color="#CCCCCC"> open I saw the guy</font> in<font color="#E5E5E5"> our yard a few times</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> after that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">always standing there in one spot</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and I</font> started<font color="#CCCCCC"> sleeping with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a knife secretly</font> tucked away by my bed<font color="#E5E5E5"> but eventually he</font> stopped coming<font color="#CCCCCC"> around</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it took a while</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">but he did and nothing like that ever</font> happened again<font color="#E5E5E5"> it's also very important</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to add</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that nothing had been stolen</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> from</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">my house that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> night and that there were</font> no<font color="#E5E5E5"> drawers open and the door to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my</font> basement<font color="#CCCCCC"> is right across</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> from the back</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">door it's often kept open and it had</font> some<font color="#E5E5E5"> pretty expensive equipment down</font> there<font color="#E5E5E5"> but it wasn't even touched so</font> because nothing from my house was taken <font color="#E5E5E5">we didn't call the cops</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> because like I</font> said for<font color="#E5E5E5"> a long time my mom didn't</font> believe<font color="#E5E5E5"> me and once she did we had no</font> evidence<font color="#E5E5E5"> and eventually it all stopped</font> anyway to this day I have no idea<font color="#CCCCCC"> what</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">that man</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> wanted or why he tried</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> break</font> into<font color="#E5E5E5"> my house but my mind continues to</font> come up with<font color="#E5E5E5"> ideas</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I was only around 10 or</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> 11</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> at the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> time</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">when it started and I was around</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> 12 or</font> 13 when he tried<font color="#CCCCCC"> to break in both times</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> home alone it doesn't</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> take a</font> genius to<font color="#E5E5E5"> establish what one of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> his main</font> motives could<font color="#E5E5E5"> have been I'm almost 20</font> now<font color="#E5E5E5"> and although I didn't really</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> like to</font> think<font color="#CCCCCC"> about this anymore I always find</font> myself watching<font color="#CCCCCC"> the window in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> back</font> door<font color="#E5E5E5"> of my house sometimes I still get</font> an eerie feeling<font color="#CCCCCC"> when I'm home alone</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font> I can<font color="#CCCCCC"> probably thank the YouTube stories</font> for that<font color="#E5E5E5"> I'm sure he's been gone a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> long</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">time now</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> although</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I don't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> think I'll</font> ever<font color="#E5E5E5"> be</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> able to go into</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the backyard</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">alone again</font> my youngest child recently<font color="#CCCCCC"> came back</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">from a camping trip</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> with his school</font> while he was<font color="#E5E5E5"> telling</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> me about what a</font> great time he had I couldn't help but <font color="#CCCCCC">remember my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> weird experience wild</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">camping in the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> woods</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in the year 2000 I</font> was living in my native<font color="#CCCCCC"> country of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">England</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I had</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> just turned 23 and had</font> just gone through<font color="#E5E5E5"> a difficult breakup</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">losing my home and my girlfriend</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">needless</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to say I was pretty depressed</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">moping around my parents house</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a few</font> months whilst working<font color="#E5E5E5"> in dead-end jobs one of</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">my older colleagues</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> would always ask me</font> what I had done the previous<font color="#E5E5E5"> weekend</font> which was usually<font color="#E5E5E5"> nothing noteworthy he</font> told me that he had<font color="#E5E5E5"> gone wild</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> camping</font> from Friday<font color="#E5E5E5"> through Sunday</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in a forest</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">north of my town the way he</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> told the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">story of camping</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> under the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> stars</font> building a fire and getting<font color="#CCCCCC"> away</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> from it</font> all seemed to<font color="#E5E5E5"> be something I needed</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> do I had always<font color="#E5E5E5"> loved camping as a young</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">child and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a teenager but I had always</font> been accompanied by friends or<font color="#E5E5E5"> family</font> the prospect<font color="#E5E5E5"> of camping alone filled me</font> with intrigue and excitement for the first time in<font color="#E5E5E5"> months I asked him to</font> specify the kind<font color="#E5E5E5"> of equipment</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I would</font> need and set off<font color="#CCCCCC"> to the camping /</font> outdoor<font color="#E5E5E5"> store after work my week was</font> filled with planning<font color="#E5E5E5"> and where I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> would</font> go I bought Ordnance Survey<font color="#E5E5E5"> maps which</font> allowed me to<font color="#E5E5E5"> identify interesting</font> places<font color="#E5E5E5"> that my colleague had mentioned</font> and the easiest way to get there by <font color="#CCCCCC">public transport</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as I didn't have a car</font> on the Friday I brought the minimal amount<font color="#CCCCCC"> of camping</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> equipment with me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> work and left<font color="#E5E5E5"> a few</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> hours early I picked</font> up my<font color="#E5E5E5"> stuff and headed to the bus stop</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to take the bus which would leave me at</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the closest possible location to where I</font> intended<font color="#CCCCCC"> to camp I can remember quite</font> vividly<font color="#E5E5E5"> the feeling of calm as the bus</font> trundled along a small country<font color="#E5E5E5"> lane the</font> golden lights of the<font color="#E5E5E5"> evening streamed in</font> through<font color="#E5E5E5"> the windows feeling the warmth</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">on my face</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I felt</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> happy excited and</font> alive<font color="#E5E5E5"> the depression that I had been</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">feeling had dissipated and my stop</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> hopped off the<font color="#E5E5E5"> bus pulling</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> up my map and</font> compass<font color="#CCCCCC"> and made my way towards my</font> intended destination the walk took me approximately<font color="#E5E5E5"> one and a half hours to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">find the area</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> well I had thought</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> about</font> camping it looked a bit<font color="#E5E5E5"> too</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> open for my</font> liking<font color="#CCCCCC"> so I continued onwards</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> for</font> another 10<font color="#CCCCCC"> to 15 minutes</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> until</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I found</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">place that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was more enclosed the late</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">afternoon and evening</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> were uneventful</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> pitched the tent<font color="#E5E5E5"> cooked some food</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that I</font> had brought<font color="#E5E5E5"> along with me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> little</font> gas stove<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I laid</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on the grass and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">enjoyed the peace and quiet</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I remember feeling</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> sleepy at around 10</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">p.m. so I climbed into bed</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and read by</font> torchlight around<font color="#CCCCCC"> 4 hours later</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> at 2:00</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">a.m. I was awoken from a deep sleep by a</font> noise in<font color="#CCCCCC"> the distance</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> directly behind my</font> head I felt disoriented<font color="#E5E5E5"> unaware of where</font> I was or what<font color="#E5E5E5"> the noise was</font> I remember thinking why is he<font color="#E5E5E5"> crying</font> again <font color="#CCCCCC">half asleep</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> thinking</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it was my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> little</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">brother who I would go to when he cried</font> late at night then suddenly I<font color="#CCCCCC"> belt myself out</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> right</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font> shock<font color="#E5E5E5"> of remembering where I was and</font> that<font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> wasn't with</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my brother with the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">adrenaline</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> pumping I could even hear my</font> own pulse<font color="#CCCCCC"> I strained myself</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to make</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> out</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> noise in the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> distance</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it was on and</font> off changing in duration<font color="#E5E5E5"> intensity and</font> volume<font color="#CCCCCC"> I told myself that it must be</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> an</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">animal and this reduced the anxiety</font> somewhat<font color="#E5E5E5"> I laid</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> back down and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> check the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">time</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> watch 2:15 a.m. try as I</font> might to fall back asleep<font color="#CCCCCC"> I must have</font> been laying<font color="#CCCCCC"> there for</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> 15 minutes when</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">out of nowhere the noise started again</font> closer<font color="#CCCCCC"> louder</font> weirder I felt the hairs on<font color="#CCCCCC"> the back of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">my neck stand up this time it sounded</font> like crying<font color="#E5E5E5"> and also like they were</font> hyperventilating it continued for<font color="#CCCCCC"> a few</font> minutes and then stopped<font color="#CCCCCC"> I started to</font> wonder perhaps<font color="#E5E5E5"> a walker got lost in the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">woods and became distraught</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I began to</font> hear<font color="#E5E5E5"> a sort of banging sound like</font> someone<font color="#E5E5E5"> hitting a tree with a blunt</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">metal object just once at first and then</font> it<font color="#E5E5E5"> became continuous and intense</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as</font> though someone wanted<font color="#CCCCCC"> to knock down a</font> tree<font color="#CCCCCC"> with a metal bat</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the noise suddenly</font> came<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a stop and so</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> does my breath</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> hold my breath<font color="#E5E5E5"> my heart</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> beating</font> furiously <font color="#CCCCCC">I suddenly feel really exposed</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> flimsy tent<font color="#E5E5E5"> giving no feeling of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">security as I am starting to calm myself</font> down<font color="#CCCCCC"> a blood-curdling scream echoes</font> through<font color="#CCCCCC"> the woods and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the clearing I</font> sit bolt upright<font color="#E5E5E5"> my instinct tells me to</font> rip<font color="#E5E5E5"> open the tent and just run in the</font> opposite direction<font color="#E5E5E5"> of where</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the sound</font> originates however I<font color="#CCCCCC"> stop myself from</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">acting rashly</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">The Scream</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was definitely of a man</font> reflecting<font color="#E5E5E5"> on the sound the only</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> way I</font> can<font color="#E5E5E5"> describe it is that it was full of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">rage disgust</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> agony and hopelessness</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> like</font> someone in<font color="#E5E5E5"> the pit of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> despair then there</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">is total silence and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I can hear someone</font> murmuring<font color="#E5E5E5"> like babbling coming again</font> from my<font color="#CCCCCC"> east</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> again another screen</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and</font> then the man shouts why why<font color="#E5E5E5"> Greg why</font> this is then accompanied by the intense crying<font color="#CCCCCC"> again along with what</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> sounds like</font> nonsensical babbling however<font color="#CCCCCC"> I can make</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">out a few words which from memory were</font> fire soil and sky<font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> can hear this so</font> clearly<font color="#E5E5E5"> now this meant a few things I</font> knew that they were moving towards a deeper part of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the forest but also that</font> they very<font color="#E5E5E5"> well may come across my tent</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> hear them crying again<font color="#E5E5E5"> screaming</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> all</font> kinds of profanities everything aimed at Greg I heard the babbling get louder<font color="#E5E5E5"> at</font> first I<font color="#E5E5E5"> thought they were just speaking</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">louder but then I heard the breaking of</font> twigs beneath their feet<font color="#E5E5E5"> it sounded like</font> the person was stumbling<font color="#E5E5E5"> sometimes</font> falling<font color="#E5E5E5"> to their knees</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and hitting the</font> ground<font color="#CCCCCC"> with something and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> getting back</font> up at<font color="#E5E5E5"> this point I crouched in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the tent</font> my<font color="#E5E5E5"> sense is strange to hear and to sense</font> where they are then<font color="#E5E5E5"> it stomped</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I didn't</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hear any more footsteps babbling</font> screaming<font color="#CCCCCC"> or anything</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> like that it was</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">like the man just evaporated I remember</font> checking<font color="#E5E5E5"> my watch it was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 3:00 a.m. after</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">a few minutes</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I unzipped the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> tent in the</font> most noiseless way possible<font color="#E5E5E5"> and slipped</font> out<font color="#E5E5E5"> they crouched on the grass besides</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> tent silently surveying the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> area</font> where the noise had come from was still dark<font color="#CCCCCC"> the moon gave sunshine on to the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">area and I saw</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> absolutely nothing</font> there were no<font color="#CCCCCC"> noises at all I think I</font> was crouched there<font color="#E5E5E5"> for about</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 10 minutes</font> just<font color="#E5E5E5"> staring</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> having seen nothing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> they</font> climbed back<font color="#CCCCCC"> into my tent and laid there</font> trying to<font color="#CCCCCC"> process the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> whole thing the</font> weird<font color="#E5E5E5"> thing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was that after some time</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> remember thinking<font color="#CCCCCC"> that it was over</font> in fact<font color="#E5E5E5"> I felt very peaceful</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I must have</font> fallen asleep at some point after<font color="#E5E5E5"> this</font> whole<font color="#CCCCCC"> ordeal as I knew</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the Sun was up</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and streaming through</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the tent I got up</font> hurriedly<font color="#CCCCCC"> showing my stuff in my</font> backpack<font color="#E5E5E5"> and getting ready to go home I</font> started to make<font color="#E5E5E5"> my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> way back to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the bus</font> stop<font color="#CCCCCC"> I looked around</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> for any signs of</font> someone<font color="#CCCCCC"> having been there that night in</font> my<font color="#CCCCCC"> peripheral vision I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> noticed what</font> looked to be a black bag on top<font color="#E5E5E5"> of a</font> bush<font color="#CCCCCC"> of ferns</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> despite my experience my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">curiosity got</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the better of me and I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">went to check</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it was not a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> bag but an</font> old leather bomber jacket<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was in</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">really</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> bad condition but I'm sure</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> he had</font> not<font color="#CCCCCC"> been</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> there</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as I walked through</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> there</font> the other day<font color="#CCCCCC"> I didn't want</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to touch it</font> but I wanted<font color="#CCCCCC"> to see if there</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font> anything inside<font color="#CCCCCC"> so I picked</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> up a stick</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and flipped it over</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I was shocked to see</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">what looked like a big mallet which is</font> normally rubber or wood this one was made of metal<font color="#CCCCCC"> after seeing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that I just</font> wanted to go<font color="#E5E5E5"> I'm more or less ran</font> through the woods<font color="#CCCCCC"> and back</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to the bus</font> stop<font color="#E5E5E5"> after reaching my town I went</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> police and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> informed them as there</font> was no real crime<font color="#E5E5E5"> they gave me a funny</font> glance and a reference number<font color="#E5E5E5"> it's been</font> so many<font color="#E5E5E5"> years</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> since this but I can</font> remember<font color="#E5E5E5"> it</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> all so</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> vividly the fear the</font> anticipation and the terror that plagued <font color="#E5E5E5">me with every step this guy took towards</font> me I cannot imagine why anyone would be walking<font color="#CCCCCC"> through</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the forest</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font> quite remote at<font color="#E5E5E5"> 2:00 or</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 3:00</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a.m.</font> the whole thing was so weird<font color="#CCCCCC"> that when I</font> told<font color="#CCCCCC"> my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> friends</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> they just laughed I</font> don't live in<font color="#E5E5E5"> the UK anymore but to the</font> guy with<font color="#CCCCCC"> a metal mallet</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> walking</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> through</font> the woods<font color="#E5E5E5"> in the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> middle of the night</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">please let's never meet again</font> since I<font color="#CCCCCC"> am at home now because of my</font> fibroid disability<font color="#E5E5E5"> I've got a lot</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font> time to tell my tale<font color="#E5E5E5"> back in 2007 I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">started a tech job with an IP slash</font> phone<font color="#CCCCCC"> / VoIP</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> /</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> DT</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> 1 /</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> long-distance</font> company the company is no longer<font color="#CCCCCC"> around</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and honestly</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I don't know how they</font> stayed in<font color="#E5E5E5"> business as long</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as they did</font> it was<font color="#E5E5E5"> really a pyramid scam but</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">thankfully I was on the IT side of</font> things<font color="#E5E5E5"> so I didn't have to sell anything</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">it was a small typical tech</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> support</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> call</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">center the customers would call in all</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> Rison /</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> quest etc would call and say</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">D t1 lines were down or outages I was</font> the only female on my team having to prove<font color="#CCCCCC"> myself and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> show that I could do</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">just the same as my male counterparts</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">could it didn't take long</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and the</font> customers respected me for<font color="#CCCCCC"> being able</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> handle<font color="#E5E5E5"> things after making my mark</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> decided to take the<font color="#E5E5E5"> 10 hour night shifts</font> I worked Wednesday to Saturday from<font color="#E5E5E5"> 1</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">p.m. to 12 a.m. and an hour lunch after</font> 6<font color="#CCCCCC"> p.m. I was completely</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> alone</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> whole building<font color="#E5E5E5"> the rush to get out of</font> the office<font color="#CCCCCC"> by 6 p.m.</font> was insane and I<font color="#E5E5E5"> couldn't blame them and</font> I decided that having<font color="#E5E5E5"> three days off was</font> better than<font color="#E5E5E5"> two like I said I was by</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">myself for most of the night I would</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> had</font> to<font color="#CCCCCC"> keep an eye on emails</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and make sure</font> that I answered calls it was a very slow shift<font color="#CCCCCC"> I will get a lot</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of time to play</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">video games read do schoolwork</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> or just</font> write but sometimes I<font color="#E5E5E5"> would just wander</font> the building<font color="#E5E5E5"> will call around just to</font> get<font color="#E5E5E5"> away from my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> desk for</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a while I</font> would have the VoIP phone system connected to my<font color="#E5E5E5"> cell</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> phone so I wouldn't</font> miss any calls this allowed<font color="#CCCCCC"> me to get</font> soda<font color="#CCCCCC"> go get</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> food and so on</font> one time<font color="#E5E5E5"> whilst I was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> up away</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> from</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">desk I was going down to the lunchroom</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to grab a soda the vending machine</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font> on the basement<font color="#CCCCCC"> floor and the basement</font> had a wall of windows<font color="#E5E5E5"> and one set of</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">security doors</font> same for the main entrance<font color="#E5E5E5"> only</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> there</font> was one camera facing<font color="#E5E5E5"> that door nothing</font> else to make you feel<font color="#E5E5E5"> very</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> safe I didn't</font> like going<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the basement much because</font> the back of the<font color="#E5E5E5"> building faced an acre</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">of dark woods there was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> walking path</font> to the woods<font color="#CCCCCC"> but for some reason they</font> didn't install lights for the walking <font color="#CCCCCC">path never really sure why that was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">it really didn't help the creep factor</font> sometimes I would see<font color="#E5E5E5"> animals run past</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">but other times I would feel like</font> someone was watching<font color="#E5E5E5"> me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I always tried</font> my best<font color="#E5E5E5"> to make it fast when getting a</font> soda<font color="#E5E5E5"> or snack but sometimes I didn't</font> feel fast enough so one night<font color="#E5E5E5"> I was</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">making my way</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> down to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the basement</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the building</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to get</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> a soda it was a slow</font> dragging night<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I needed a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> little</font> caffeine for a pickup<font color="#CCCCCC"> I counted my money</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">as I walked to make sure I had enough to</font> get in and<font color="#E5E5E5"> out quickly</font> but out<font color="#CCCCCC"> of the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> corner of my eye I saw</font> something<font color="#CCCCCC"> dart from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the glass door back</font> into<font color="#CCCCCC"> the darkness I stopped dead</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in my</font> tracks<font color="#CCCCCC"> and tried to scan the forest but</font> like I<font color="#E5E5E5"> said it was just</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> blackness</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I felt</font> a bit<font color="#E5E5E5"> of unease and everything told me</font> to turn<font color="#E5E5E5"> on my heels and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> go back to my</font> desk<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 9:00 p.m.</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I had a fair</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">bit of time left on my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> shift</font> before I could blow this popsicle<font color="#CCCCCC"> stand</font> I'd tried shaking<font color="#E5E5E5"> the feeling off and</font> briskly walked over to the soda machine <font color="#E5E5E5">to make my selection the SONA dropped</font> down<font color="#E5E5E5"> and as I bent</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> down to get it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> heard a loud ping noise<font color="#E5E5E5"> It was as if</font> someone<font color="#E5E5E5"> had</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> hit the glass with something</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I stood straight up</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and felt the hair on</font> the back<font color="#CCCCCC"> of my neck</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> stand I slowly</font> turned around and<font color="#E5E5E5"> was scared to see</font> someone out there but as I made the full turn<font color="#CCCCCC"> I saw once again nothing but</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">darkness I thought this was a good time</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> book it</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> back up to the main</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> floor I</font> didn't bother with<font color="#E5E5E5"> the elevator I went</font> up the<font color="#E5E5E5"> stairs and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> ran up them my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> heart</font> was already<font color="#CCCCCC"> racing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> for having to go</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> down</font> there<font color="#E5E5E5"> in the first</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> place and then the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">loud bang and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> now running up two flights</font> of steps once I was back at my<font color="#CCCCCC"> desk</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I</font> sunk down into<font color="#E5E5E5"> my chair and tried to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">calm down it was just one noise</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in</font> a building<font color="#E5E5E5"> with locked doors and locked</font> in our offices<font color="#CCCCCC"> I kept saying over and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">over in my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> head</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that it was nothing I</font> was relieved by that<font color="#CCCCCC"> by out</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> nowhere I</font> got the feeling that<font color="#E5E5E5"> someone was</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">watching me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> again</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I peeked up over my</font> cubicle warm and looked<font color="#CCCCCC"> around my office</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">nothing</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> seemed out</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of place until I</font> turned face to face with the front of the<font color="#E5E5E5"> building outside</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the first set</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font> doors was a slender tall<font color="#E5E5E5"> dirty male</font> he was cupping<font color="#E5E5E5"> his hands around his eyes</font> to try and see past the reflections of the<font color="#CCCCCC"> light inside I</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> drop back down in my</font> cubicle<font color="#E5E5E5"> before he caught sight of me he</font> didn't look like<font color="#E5E5E5"> anyone had ever seen</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> at</font> the office and it was<font color="#CCCCCC"> a little</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> past 9</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">p.m. there was no good reason he would</font> be<font color="#E5E5E5"> checking out my office as I sit in my</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">chair I hear the door shake</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I slowly</font> stood up and watched him<font color="#CCCCCC"> poured the</font> handles of<font color="#CCCCCC"> the doors and to my relief</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">they didn't budge</font> but as I watched him<font color="#CCCCCC"> he turned to face</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">me</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> his face looked bruised or dirty</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> couldn't tell which once his eyes were locked with mine<font color="#E5E5E5"> he started to bang</font> harder and smacked the glass<font color="#CCCCCC"> I was so</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">scared it was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the middle of the night I</font> was by myself<font color="#CCCCCC"> and out in the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> middle of</font> nowhere<font color="#E5E5E5"> in this office building complex</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I grabbed my headset and dialed 9-1-1</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">while the operator was getting on the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">line the guy was walking</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> back and forth</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">from one side of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the glass</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to the next</font> 9-1-1 what's your emergency <font color="#E5E5E5">the lady's voice was direct I'm working</font> over a 42 on<font color="#CCCCCC"> mal Avesta</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and I need</font> someone<font color="#E5E5E5"> to come out now there's a guy</font> trying<font color="#CCCCCC"> to break into</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my office building</font> while speaking with<font color="#E5E5E5"> her the guy</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">disappeared from view</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I tried to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> look in</font> all directions<font color="#E5E5E5"> but I couldn't see him</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> knew<font color="#E5E5E5"> that he wouldn't just walk off not</font> with how hard he was banging and out of nowhere<font color="#E5E5E5"> a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> good-sized rock came out of</font> nowhere<font color="#E5E5E5"> and smashed against the door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> screamed and went underneath<font color="#E5E5E5"> my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> desk</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> operator asked what happened<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I</font> explained<font color="#E5E5E5"> that a rock smashed against</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the glass doll she asked me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> if the glass</font> was broken enough to let him<font color="#E5E5E5"> in I didn't</font> want to<font color="#E5E5E5"> stand up a look but she told me</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to look in order</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to know where he was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> crawled out<font color="#CCCCCC"> from under my desk</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> peeked<font color="#E5E5E5"> over the wall and saw a huge</font> crack down the first part of the door<font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> sank back<font color="#E5E5E5"> down and told her to police</font> have the police hurry she said they were on<font color="#CCCCCC"> their way I have heard so many</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of</font> these stories<font color="#CCCCCC"> and when they say the cops</font> couldn't<font color="#E5E5E5"> get there fast</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> enough</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> they</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">aren't kidding</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it feels like time is</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">standing still</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and you can do nothing</font> there was another smash against<font color="#E5E5E5"> the door</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">but along with the sound of glass</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">breaking</font> sirens could be heard<font color="#E5E5E5"> coming towards my</font> building<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was music to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my ears</font> I told the<font color="#CCCCCC"> operator that the police had</font> arrived<font color="#E5E5E5"> and thanked her</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> for all her</font> support<font color="#E5E5E5"> I stood back up and looked over</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> cubical wall and the red</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and blue</font> lights were flashing wildly but<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> thing I didn't see<font color="#CCCCCC"> was the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> man the top</font> part of the door was completely smashed <font color="#E5E5E5">and the rock was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> laying</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the inside of</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the entryway</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> one officer came to the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">front door</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and others were out</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> combing</font> the area<font color="#CCCCCC"> I could see their flashlights</font> moving<font color="#E5E5E5"> around the parking lot</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the first</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">officer to come into the building and</font> greet me was very<font color="#E5E5E5"> kind</font> he had patience with me and<font color="#CCCCCC"> let me</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">explain what I saw</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> soon my boss arrived</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and checked on me in the damage at some</font> point my husband was called<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font> told I would be escorted<font color="#E5E5E5"> home by one of</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> officers</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I took</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> next few days off and started</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> look for another job</font> where I wouldn't be<font color="#E5E5E5"> alone at night by</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">myself when I gave my statement I</font> explained to the officer that<font color="#CCCCCC"> the person</font> could<font color="#CCCCCC"> be partnered with an</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ex co-worker</font> who<font color="#CCCCCC"> was fired a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> few weeks</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> prior for</font> stealing and just not<font color="#E5E5E5"> showing up he knew</font> when people came and went<font color="#E5E5E5"> he knew where</font> they kept the cell phones<font color="#CCCCCC"> that we were</font> selling<font color="#CCCCCC"> Noll under lock and key but</font> under desk of the<font color="#E5E5E5"> provisioner from</font> smartphones to<font color="#E5E5E5"> BlackBerry's when they</font> were still worth buying of course<font color="#E5E5E5"> I went</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to leave this job about a month</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> later</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and started at a</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> credit-card machine</font> company it was an office<font color="#E5E5E5"> full of people</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">still a call center but I felt safer</font> especially<font color="#CCCCCC"> with security guard and</font> cameras all over<font color="#CCCCCC"> the building</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> like I</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">said before the company is no</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> longer</font> around<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was bought</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> up by</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> another</font> company<font color="#E5E5E5"> and they basically liquidated</font> all the funds<font color="#E5E5E5"> that were worth something</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">so dirty man who tried to break into the</font> office<font color="#E5E5E5"> let's never meet again</font> the ocean is a beautiful and thoroughly dangerous place<font color="#CCCCCC"> I learnt this</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the year</font> of<font color="#CCCCCC"> my 21st birthday while</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> serving aboard</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">a frigate in the United States Navy my</font> ship and<font color="#CCCCCC"> my home</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the USS Clifton sprog</font> it was a guided<font color="#E5E5E5"> missile frigate</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> as navy</font> ships go she was not very<font color="#CCCCCC"> big</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> frigates</font> being the smallest<font color="#CCCCCC"> ships-of-the-line in</font> the fleet<font color="#E5E5E5"> measuring only</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 445 feet from</font> Stern to stem she was a good ship though <font color="#E5E5E5">and we had a commanding</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> officer</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> who</font> fully intended<font color="#CCCCCC"> to prove</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> it due to his</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">determination to show what a fine ship</font> he had<font color="#E5E5E5"> I found the ship and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> myself</font> steaming full speed<font color="#E5E5E5"> into the teeth of</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> storm which raged off Newfoundland</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and Nova Scotia</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in the North Atlantic</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in</font> late fall of<font color="#E5E5E5"> 1988</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the weather reports</font> were saying<font color="#E5E5E5"> the tropical</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> storm Keith had</font> not dissipated as expected<font color="#E5E5E5"> but had</font> pushed further north than any other storm that season late November was too late<font color="#E5E5E5"> to be weathering a storm</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in the</font> frigid North Atlantic I thought of all <font color="#E5E5E5">the stories I had heard</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> about how the</font> Canadian<font color="#CCCCCC"> Navy</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> were supposed to welcome</font> us<font color="#E5E5E5"> to this multinational fleet</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> NATO</font> event that we<font color="#CCCCCC"> were to attend in Halifax</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I had also heard</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the Canadian girls were</font> friendly<font color="#CCCCCC"> and the Canadian ships</font> supposedly had beer pups in them but at that<font color="#CCCCCC"> moment</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">I had no way to prove</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> either of these</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">two superstitions true because instead</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">of a warm</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> woman or Barstow</font> I instead found myself<font color="#CCCCCC"> perched atop my</font> frigid<font color="#E5E5E5"> ship's bridge standing a forward</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">lookout watching in a driving sleet</font> storm with 30 knot winds in heavy seas <font color="#E5E5E5">what I was certain of was that I was</font> wearing<font color="#E5E5E5"> seven layers of clothing most of</font> it<font color="#E5E5E5"> labeled extreme foul weather</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> gear</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> I was still<font color="#CCCCCC"> learning about what freezing</font> to death means when it's not<font color="#E5E5E5"> just an</font> expression<font color="#E5E5E5"> upon reviewing the newest</font> weather<font color="#E5E5E5"> advisors the captain had</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> decided</font> it best<font color="#E5E5E5"> remain at sea because a ship in</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">port</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> during a storm</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> merely gets beaten</font> up against a pier until either the ship or the<font color="#E5E5E5"> pier breaks since Canada</font> routinely has<font color="#CCCCCC"> lousy weather</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> they build</font> sturdy piers so we took our chances<font color="#CCCCCC"> with</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the storm just after noon</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the winds and</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> sea begin to really</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> pick up and soon</font> we were in the undulating mode<font color="#CCCCCC"> Wareham</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">one only really gets to test the</font> durability<font color="#CCCCCC"> of their sea legs and their</font> stomach as I had walked through the ship <font color="#E5E5E5">from my berthing space towards my watch</font> station earlier in the evening<font color="#CCCCCC"> I had</font> paid<font color="#CCCCCC"> little heed to the fact that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">sometimes my footfall was landed on the</font> deck<font color="#E5E5E5"> and sometimes on the bulkheads of</font> the ship<font color="#E5E5E5"> rocked beneath me</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I also paid</font> no notice to<font color="#CCCCCC"> the ever-present sounds of</font> the ship the jet wine of the gas turbines<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> thrum of<font color="#CCCCCC"> the waves on the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hall the</font> comforting hum of the generators or even the occasional ping from<font color="#E5E5E5"> the SONA</font> my attention was on the<font color="#E5E5E5"> smells from</font> which one learns to<font color="#CCCCCC"> pick up great deals</font> of information I noticed that<font color="#CCCCCC"> sometime tomorrow</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> galley<font color="#E5E5E5"> would be serving blueberry pie</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the smell of the fuel oils sampled with</font> the oil lab seemed<font color="#E5E5E5"> lardy enough for me</font> to know<font color="#CCCCCC"> that the fuel level</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in our</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> tanks</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">was much lower than</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it should be in a</font> storm the smell<font color="#CCCCCC"> of hot coffee from the</font> mistakes filled my nostrils<font color="#E5E5E5"> as I tanked</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">up my cup</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and the combined aromas of</font> paint<font color="#E5E5E5"> sweat and cigarettes rounded out</font> my card playing<font color="#CCCCCC"> ship made contribution</font> to this nautical<font color="#CCCCCC"> Bukit I wore walked the</font> rest of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the ladders and a passage</font> towards<font color="#E5E5E5"> the bridge through the warm</font> welcoming almost uterine interior of the ship<font color="#E5E5E5"> it was lit</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> in soft red light</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">preserve the lookouts</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a night-vision how</font> I now<font color="#CCCCCC"> mist that</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> warmth and light amid</font> the dark<font color="#E5E5E5"> cold wet misery of my bridge</font> top<font color="#CCCCCC"> Watch</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> station my face crusted</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> with</font> ice<font color="#E5E5E5"> around my nose and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> mouth</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> I swept my</font> goggles off<font color="#CCCCCC"> and spat into them hearing</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the small snap</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as the spittle flash</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">froze the glass</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I quickly tried to rub</font> it around<font color="#E5E5E5"> before</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it froze to solid then</font> disgustedly jammed<font color="#E5E5E5"> the things on top</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font> my head between my<font color="#E5E5E5"> scalp and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> parka hood</font> where they might warm a bit<font color="#CCCCCC"> I know my</font> vision wouldn't last long<font color="#E5E5E5"> without them</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">in the most inhospitable of environments</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">they see rolled like a great</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> gray</font> blanket<font color="#E5E5E5"> being shaken out onto an</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> even</font> greater bed<font color="#E5E5E5"> usually appearing solidly</font> black as night<font color="#E5E5E5"> now every wavy surface</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">seemed to be alive with foamy</font> phosphorescence<font color="#E5E5E5"> so great was the sea</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">state the distance between the crest of</font> a wave<font color="#E5E5E5"> and its adjacent</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Rao was easily</font> 35<font color="#E5E5E5"> to 40 feet they had never seen 40</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">foot waves at sea before and I wished</font> that I had<font color="#E5E5E5"> saved that first time for a</font> ship<font color="#E5E5E5"> a bit more substantial than the tin</font> can I called<font color="#E5E5E5"> home</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I had only been</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> going</font> to see with our<font color="#E5E5E5"> Navy for a little over</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font> year<font color="#E5E5E5"> at that point but I was well aware</font> that<font color="#E5E5E5"> the floor of the North Atlantic was</font> profusely littered with rotted and rusting monuments to mankind<font color="#E5E5E5"> tuberous as</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">I pondered this squinting through</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> salt</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">froze and lashes at the glowing</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> roaring<font color="#E5E5E5"> wave tops this he looked and</font> sounded to me like nothing<font color="#E5E5E5"> more</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> than a</font> great grinder ready to pulverize any ship and all it was<font color="#CCCCCC"> at that moment</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font> directly<font color="#CCCCCC"> ahead of the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ship</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a brilliant</font> stroke of lightning<font color="#E5E5E5"> struck down into the</font> wave<font color="#E5E5E5"> but this was not</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> just</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> any wave</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Mariners called them rogue waves</font> this wave larger than any around it towered 50 feet higher than<font color="#CCCCCC"> our main</font> deck this wave was a killer<font color="#E5E5E5"> time Stood</font> Still framed in that<font color="#E5E5E5"> bolt of lightning which</font> seemed<font color="#E5E5E5"> to claw its</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> way down into the sea</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">forking then branching and turning that</font> monstrous wave into a<font color="#E5E5E5"> giant mountain</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font> emerald and<font color="#E5E5E5"> Jade with its glowing</font> striations<font color="#CCCCCC"> in an instant</font> it's horrible<font color="#E5E5E5"> beauty was gone forever</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">burned into my memory but lost into my</font> retinas<font color="#E5E5E5"> and replaced with after image</font> blindness<font color="#CCCCCC"> I smelled the ozone from</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">lightning</font> I screamed<font color="#E5E5E5"> rogue wave death ahead into</font> my calm but<font color="#CCCCCC"> the bridge crew had seen it</font> as well<font color="#E5E5E5"> who could miss a giant glowing</font> green<font color="#CCCCCC"> Mountain which was about to fall</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">on you I was blinded but through the</font> soles of my boots<font color="#CCCCCC"> I felt the sensation</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">you get at the beach when an incoming</font> wave pulls the water from under your sandy feet towards<font color="#E5E5E5"> the sea except this</font> was a lot bigger than a beach wave<font color="#E5E5E5"> and I</font> felt the deck<font color="#E5E5E5"> drop out from under my</font> feet<font color="#E5E5E5"> as millions of tons of water rushed</font> to feed the<font color="#CCCCCC"> behemoth the ship</font> practically fell<font color="#CCCCCC"> into the wave</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> bow on</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and as she plowed in the wave broke</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> over</font> where I stood three<font color="#CCCCCC"> stories up from the</font> main deck<font color="#E5E5E5"> if not for my safety strap</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> would have been<font color="#E5E5E5"> lost as over a hundred</font> feet<font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> bow</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> forwards of the</font> superstructure speared into that wave and<font color="#E5E5E5"> when the green water broke over the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">windbreak it was like colliding with a</font> wall the hull<font color="#E5E5E5"> rang from the impact the</font> ship lost<font color="#E5E5E5"> almost all forward momentum</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and for a moment</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I thought she might be</font> foundering the bridge crew told<font color="#E5E5E5"> me later that the</font> bridge windows were briefly totally submerged and for<font color="#E5E5E5"> that unnerving moment</font> they had all looked up<font color="#E5E5E5"> to see the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">surface but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> then the ship began to groan</font> and<font color="#E5E5E5"> shudder along with her whole length</font> as she shouldered upwards<font color="#E5E5E5"> shedding</font> countless tons<font color="#E5E5E5"> of water from her decks</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">ship and crew had survived there were</font> other waves that night but I was <font color="#E5E5E5">positive that I knew which one had left</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> inch-wide cracks in the</font> superstructure<font color="#CCCCCC"> I came to know that the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">ocean is</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> very deadly and its alluring</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">beauty and magnetism</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> are rivaled only by</font> its<font color="#E5E5E5"> brutality and mercilessness when I</font> was around the age<font color="#E5E5E5"> of four my parents</font> got<font color="#E5E5E5"> a divorce and I ended</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> up living</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> with</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">my brother</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> mum we also moved to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> US as I was born in Mexico and</font> stayed in<font color="#CCCCCC"> a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> 2-story house at the time my</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">mom was in med school studying to become</font> a<font color="#E5E5E5"> nurse she was in her late twenties</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> so</font> she worked pretty<font color="#CCCCCC"> late</font> one day my<font color="#CCCCCC"> brother and I were visiting</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">my dad so she was home</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> alone she was in</font> her room<font color="#E5E5E5"> when she heard the door knob</font> continuously twist<font color="#E5E5E5"> but no one entered</font> she was really confused<font color="#E5E5E5"> so she went to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">check who was causing it thinking it was</font> my grandma but when she opened the door there<font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font> no<font color="#E5E5E5"> one</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> there</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the twisting then started</font> and stopped after a minute<font color="#E5E5E5"> my mom's</font> heart<font color="#E5E5E5"> was pounding</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she went to check</font> again now thinking it was my aunt<font color="#E5E5E5"> who</font> used to<font color="#CCCCCC"> visit a</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> lot playing a sick prank</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">on her again no one was there she went</font> back<font color="#E5E5E5"> and sat on the bed ready to call my</font> grandma when the doorknob started twisting again<font color="#E5E5E5"> Harsha this time my mum's</font> only thought was that someone<font color="#E5E5E5"> had broken</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">into her house and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was trying to enter</font> her room<font color="#E5E5E5"> she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> quickly ran into the closet</font> and<font color="#E5E5E5"> hid she dialed my grandma's her</font> mother's number<font color="#CCCCCC"> and through tears</font> started<font color="#E5E5E5"> explaining what was happening</font> and<font color="#CCCCCC"> that someone was trying to enter her</font> room my grandma called my aunt<font color="#E5E5E5"> who called my</font> other aunt<font color="#CCCCCC"> who called the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> police</font> and after about<font color="#CCCCCC"> 10 minutes the cops show</font> up<font color="#E5E5E5"> and started searching the house only</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">to find no signs of intrusion one of the</font> cops asked my<font color="#CCCCCC"> mom if she got enough</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">sleep since she saw her school uniform</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">my mom says that she got at least</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> four</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hours every</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> day and the cops started</font> telling her that she was<font color="#CCCCCC"> probably just</font> imagining it<font color="#E5E5E5"> and that she needed more</font> sleep<font color="#E5E5E5"> my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> mum</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> told the cop that it was</font> not in her imagination<font color="#E5E5E5"> and that it</font> genuinely did happen another day my mom <font color="#E5E5E5">was watching TV in her room when it</font> turned<font color="#E5E5E5"> off by itself</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she turned it back</font> on<font color="#E5E5E5"> and took a shower when she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> was done</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">she came back to find it turned off</font> again one night my aunt had stayed<font color="#CCCCCC"> in my room while I</font> was with my<font color="#E5E5E5"> dad my mum told her not to</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">open the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> bathroom</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> window because it</font> didn't have a screen<font color="#CCCCCC"> and the bugs</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> tended</font> to fly<font color="#CCCCCC"> it the next morning</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> mum</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> found</font> the bar<font color="#E5E5E5"> from window fully opened so she</font> walked over to my aunt<font color="#E5E5E5"> and started</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">yelling at her</font> my aunt told her that she was<font color="#CCCCCC"> 100%</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> sure</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">but she never</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> opened it my mum didn't</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">believe her up to this day my aunt</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">swears that she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> never did it the second</font> day<font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my aunt's visitation she again</font> stayed in my bedroom which<font color="#CCCCCC"> was not fully</font> decorated<font color="#E5E5E5"> so there were buckets of paint</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and other stuff there my mom woke up to</font> an odd sound coming from<font color="#CCCCCC"> my room</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">went</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to check on</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> it</font> when she came<font color="#CCCCCC"> across my aunt</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> wide-eyed</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">standing in</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> front</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of the wall with a</font> bucket of paint and a paintbrush in<font color="#E5E5E5"> her</font> hand when I<font color="#E5E5E5"> mum realized that she was</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">painting</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the wall she confused</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> Lea asked</font> why are<font color="#E5E5E5"> you painting the wall at this</font> time to which<font color="#E5E5E5"> my own replied I can't</font> sleep<font color="#CCCCCC"> I feel like someone is watching</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> me</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">so my mom just</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> told her</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to sleep with</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">her one of the last encounters consisted</font> of my mum<font color="#E5E5E5"> waking up to the sound of</font> crying<font color="#E5E5E5"> coming from my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> broom she went to</font> check<font color="#E5E5E5"> on me and found me sitting on my</font> bed<font color="#E5E5E5"> crying she asked me what was wrong</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and I looked at her</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and said there's a</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">man in the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> corner of the room watching</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">me my mom turned to the dark corner and</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">saw nothing but it freaked her the hell</font> out<font color="#E5E5E5"> because of everything that had</font> already happened<font color="#CCCCCC"> and because kids are</font> usually<font color="#E5E5E5"> the ones</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> who are able to see</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">spirits</font> upon hearing this my<font color="#E5E5E5"> mum grabbed me and</font> my brother<font color="#E5E5E5"> and got the hell out of there</font> we stayed<font color="#E5E5E5"> at my grandma's house for some</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">time since</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the neighbours son went to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">our school my brother</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and he got</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> along</font> pretty<font color="#E5E5E5"> well</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and he would usually hang out at his</font> house one<font color="#CCCCCC"> day</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> my mum went to the</font> neighbor's house<font color="#CCCCCC"> to pick up my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> brother</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">when my</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> neighbours mother</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Amy asked my</font> mom if<font color="#E5E5E5"> she could speak</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to her the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> next</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">day my mother agreed the next day my mom</font> went to Amy's house while<font color="#E5E5E5"> my brother and</font> Amy summer at school<font color="#E5E5E5"> Amy told my mum to</font> sit down and asked her if<font color="#CCCCCC"> she was</font> experiencing any<font color="#CCCCCC"> unusual stuff my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> mum</font> was surprised to hear<font color="#CCCCCC"> this but nodded as</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">amy was getting ready to ask another</font> question<font color="#E5E5E5"> her husband George walked in</font> and said oh you're finally<font color="#E5E5E5"> telling her</font> about<font color="#E5E5E5"> the ghost</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> mom was really</font> confused but Amy just narrowed her eyes<font color="#E5E5E5"> at George</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Amy started telling my mum that she had</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">been experiencing paranormal activity</font> since the<font color="#E5E5E5"> day they arrived she told my</font> mum<font color="#E5E5E5"> that in the house we were</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> living in</font> they used to be a man who<font color="#E5E5E5"> burned to</font> death<font color="#E5E5E5"> she said he was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> an evil spirit</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">full of anger</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and hate who wanted my mum</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to get out of the house</font> you see the man<font color="#CCCCCC"> also haunted Amy's house</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">regularly often</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> moving</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> both her son's</font> stuff<font color="#E5E5E5"> and miss placing it there</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> would</font> sometimes be strange smells<font color="#E5E5E5"> and her cat</font> would act very differently<font color="#CCCCCC"> the oldest</font> son<font color="#E5E5E5"> knew about it but the younger one</font> did not<font color="#E5E5E5"> because Amy didn't want to scare</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">him it even got to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a point where the man</font> would<font color="#E5E5E5"> physically hurt the family</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> by</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">scratching them one day</font> Amy sort of<font color="#CCCCCC"> vars</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> fall and she thought it</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> cat</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but the cat was sound asleep</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> there's no way it could</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> have</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> been</font> someone because there was nobody<font color="#E5E5E5"> harm</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Amy even got to see the ghost which</font> traumatized her she told my mum you see those brown curtains<font color="#E5E5E5"> to which my mother</font> nodded they used to be white<font color="#E5E5E5"> but one day</font> as I was walking<font color="#CCCCCC"> through</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the hallway I</font> turned to face the<font color="#E5E5E5"> curtains and saw the</font> ugliest man I have<font color="#E5E5E5"> ever seen standing</font> behind them<font color="#E5E5E5"> he had charred skin and had</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> most sinister looking face I've ever</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">seen he always used to stand there so I</font> changed the<font color="#E5E5E5"> curtains to brown so that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> we</font> wouldn't<font color="#CCCCCC"> see him</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> all my mum was thinking</font> about<font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that she had</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to get the hell</font> out of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the house but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> she couldn't do to</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">signing some contract that said she</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> had</font> to<font color="#E5E5E5"> live</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> there for</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> five months before</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">being able to move out as we'd only been</font> living<font color="#E5E5E5"> there for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> two</font> my<font color="#CCCCCC"> mum told Amy</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to get out of there as</font> well<font color="#E5E5E5"> but Amy said that she couldn't</font> because<font color="#E5E5E5"> she'd already bought the house I</font> think<font color="#CCCCCC"> we stayed at my grandma's house</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">for the remaining</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> three months but after</font> the fifth month<font color="#CCCCCC"> passed we started</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">packing everything up the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> scariest</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> part</font> was<font color="#CCCCCC"> that my mom used to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> have</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> a glass</font> table<font color="#E5E5E5"> that she absolutely loved while</font> the<font color="#E5E5E5"> moving company workers were carrying</font> it out<font color="#E5E5E5"> they accidentally dropped it and</font> shattered it to pieces<font color="#E5E5E5"> of course my mom</font> was very<font color="#E5E5E5"> angry</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> she soon learnt that</font> if it wasn't<font color="#CCCCCC"> for those workers</font> shattering the glass<font color="#E5E5E5"> table this spirit</font> man would have<font color="#CCCCCC"> followed us to the new</font> house I don't<font color="#CCCCCC"> know if you've ever heard</font> that<font color="#CCCCCC"> the shattering of glass can free a</font> spirit but that<font color="#CCCCCC"> was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> exactly what</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">happened the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> workers shattered</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the glass</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">table</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and the spirit of the man</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> was</font> freed<font color="#E5E5E5"> because it was like he was</font> attached<font color="#E5E5E5"> to the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> glass table</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> ready to</font> move<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the new house with us</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">a couple of summers ago my girlfriend</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and I were camping in</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> Chequamegon</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">National Forest</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in northern Wisconsin</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">and after our</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> experience we do not plan</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">to return</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> unless we go with a large</font> group of people<font color="#CCCCCC"> my girlfriend and I are</font> from<font color="#CCCCCC"> Chicago so northern Wisconsin was</font> our<font color="#E5E5E5"> go place for R&R we've done a number</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hiking trips in northern Wisconsin</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">but never to this area</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we are not</font> backpacking experts but<font color="#E5E5E5"> we have been to</font> a<font color="#E5E5E5"> number of national parks and have been</font> out<font color="#CCCCCC"> hiking and exploring when we can</font> find the time<font color="#E5E5E5"> away from</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> what we</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> love</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">getting away from people and relaxing in</font> nature but<font color="#E5E5E5"> this trip made us appreciate</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the presence of other people around us</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">in unfamiliar</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> places</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> our plan was to</font> hike a remote section<font color="#CCCCCC"> of the northern</font> country trail there north country trail <font color="#E5E5E5">is a National Scenic Trail like the</font> Appalachian Trail<font color="#E5E5E5"> but it gets much less</font> use in some parts of northern<font color="#E5E5E5"> Wisconsin</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the trail was very remote</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and the only</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">access is via logging roads we plan to</font> hike 15 miles along<font color="#E5E5E5"> the trail to a</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">backpack shelter and spend the night and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">hummock back to the car the following</font> day we spend the night at a friend's <font color="#CCCCCC">house in Warsaw and we set out early</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> next<font color="#CCCCCC"> day to the trailhead</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> as we entered</font> the<font color="#CCCCCC"> National Forest boundary we were</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">captivated</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> by the beauty of the thick</font> green<font color="#E5E5E5"> forest</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">I drove slowly</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> along the gravel logging</font> roads as we made<font color="#CCCCCC"> our way to our</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> parking</font> spot while we were driving<font color="#CCCCCC"> to the trailhead</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">we passed a couple</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> of people standing</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">next to a parked truck on the side of</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the road they appeared to be hillbillies</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">as they had a rusted-out</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> banged up</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">pickup truck</font> complete with<font color="#CCCCCC"> confederate bumper</font> stickers as we drove past<font color="#CCCCCC"> they waved and</font> they stared back without returning<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> greeting<font color="#E5E5E5"> friendly people</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I thought to</font> myself<font color="#E5E5E5"> after</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> we passed them I looked in</font> the rearview<font color="#CCCCCC"> mirror</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and noticed that</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">they were still staring at us</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and before we rounded a bend</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I glanced</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">back into the mirror again</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">and saw them watching us through the</font> haze of dust road<font color="#E5E5E5"> my girlfriend and I</font> joked about<font color="#E5E5E5"> thee up the North people but</font> we did not think anything<font color="#E5E5E5"> about this</font> encounter<font color="#E5E5E5"> aside</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> from those</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> people we did</font> not encounter any one else<font color="#E5E5E5"> on the remote</font> logging roads within<font color="#CCCCCC"> the National Forest</font> boundary we found the trailhead<font color="#E5E5E5"> about</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> 15</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">minutes later after</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> winding our way</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">through the narrow logging roads there</font> was no one<font color="#E5E5E5"> else parked at the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> trailhead</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">a perfect chance to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> get some needed</font> solitude<font color="#E5E5E5"> fresh air and relaxation after</font> parking and making sure the car was locked<font color="#E5E5E5"> we hoisted our packs and set off</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">on the trail</font> the weather was relatively cool which <font color="#E5E5E5">thankfully kept the mosquitoes and</font> biting flies at bay<font color="#E5E5E5"> we took pictures</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">along the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> way</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> and we marveled at the</font> lushness of<font color="#E5E5E5"> the forest and the</font> topography<font color="#CCCCCC"> of</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the glacial moraine after</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">a solid</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> eight</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> hours of hiking we found</font> our campsite it consisted of wooden backpack shelter and a fire<font color="#CCCCCC"> ring</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> even</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">though the shelter provided ample space</font> for<font color="#E5E5E5"> us we opted</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to set up our tent</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> in a</font> small clearing<font color="#E5E5E5"> about 100 feet behind the</font> shelter<font color="#E5E5E5"> we built a fire at the shelter</font> firing and<font color="#E5E5E5"> I boiled water for</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> our</font> dehydrated<font color="#E5E5E5"> trail food as we ate we</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">watched the sky slowly turn dark my</font> girlfriend and I passed around<font color="#E5E5E5"> a now</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">game filled with wine and we marveled at</font> how many stars you<font color="#E5E5E5"> could see away</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> from</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the city when the fire was</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> reduced</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to a</font> small pile of<font color="#E5E5E5"> glowing embers we decided</font> to head back<font color="#CCCCCC"> to the tent we settled into</font> our<font color="#E5E5E5"> tent</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and looked through the pictures</font> we took that day but after<font color="#E5E5E5"> lugging a</font> heavy pack for 15 miles and drinking some wine<font color="#E5E5E5"> I was ready for some shut-eye</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">when we camped at state and national</font> parks I usually wore<font color="#E5E5E5"> earplugs but that night</font> there were no RVs or any other campers to make noise<font color="#CCCCCC"> so I closed my eyes and</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">let the noise of the forest lull me to</font> sleep my girlfriend was<font color="#E5E5E5"> very uneasy</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> that night</font> but<font color="#CCCCCC"> she normally had some</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> apprehension</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">whenever we were</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> sleeping away</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> from home</font> I'm not sure when we<font color="#E5E5E5"> drifted to sleep</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">but we were awoken by a bone-chilling</font> noise<font color="#CCCCCC"> it was pitch dark outside and over</font> the insects in the forest<font color="#CCCCCC"> I heard a dull</font> thud<font color="#E5E5E5"> it sounded like someone was hitting</font> two logs together<font color="#E5E5E5"> my girlfriend and I</font> were wide awake<font color="#CCCCCC"> at this point and we lay</font> silently in our tent<font color="#E5E5E5"> hearing the noise</font> again<font color="#E5E5E5"> our old</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> tent had mesh windows but</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">the backpacking</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> tent we were using had</font> no windows we<font color="#CCCCCC"> could only guess</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> but</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> what</font> was making<font color="#E5E5E5"> the noise</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> outside of our tent</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">we initially</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> thought</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> that</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> an animal got</font> at our food and<font color="#E5E5E5"> garbage bag which we</font> left in<font color="#E5E5E5"> the shelter but the noise was</font> too<font color="#E5E5E5"> distinct and it did not sound like</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">rustling through food wrappers</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> or our</font> camp equipment our hearts were pounding as we heard the persistent knock in<font color="#E5E5E5"> the</font> darkness<font color="#E5E5E5"> unarmed and scared shitless we</font> didn't know what to<font color="#CCCCCC"> do I would normally</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">have carried a can of bear spray but I</font> decided<font color="#E5E5E5"> to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> leave it at home</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> to save on</font> weight<font color="#E5E5E5"> against the wishes of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> my</font> girlfriend the knockin continued but we remained still as<font color="#CCCCCC"> to not to give away</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> our</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">location for all we knew whatever was</font> making the noise<font color="#E5E5E5"> had already spotted our</font> tent<font color="#E5E5E5"> after what seemed like an eternity</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">the knocking sound ceased we lay in</font> complete silence<font color="#CCCCCC"> with only</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the dull buzz</font> of the insects in<font color="#E5E5E5"> the background</font> then we heard it leaves rustling a branch breaking and voices we heard<font color="#CCCCCC"> low</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">talking in the</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> distance we could not</font> make<font color="#E5E5E5"> out what was</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> being</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> said but it</font> sounded like<font color="#E5E5E5"> a couple</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> of people</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> speaking</font> in the distance the voices continued for a bit but to our relief<font color="#E5E5E5"> the voices did</font> not seem to<font color="#E5E5E5"> beginning louder whoever was</font> out there did not<font color="#E5E5E5"> spot the tent or</font> decided<font color="#E5E5E5"> to leave us alone we sat in our</font> tent for<font color="#E5E5E5"> the rest of the night</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">adrenaline surging</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> through our veins</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> at</font> the first light we slowly<font color="#E5E5E5"> left the tent</font> among we emerged<font color="#CCCCCC"> I looked around in all</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">directions to see if anyone was out</font> there but I only saw the<font color="#E5E5E5"> forest in the</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">backpack shelter we quickly</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> rolled up</font> our sleeping bags<font color="#E5E5E5"> and camp pads and put</font> our tent away<font color="#CCCCCC"> when we</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> got to the shelter</font> my girlfriend screamed in horror on the entrance to the shelter<font color="#E5E5E5"> the wood was</font> freshly<font color="#E5E5E5"> cut to reveal the word kill cut</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">into the shelter wall and there were a</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">number of acts and knife cuts where</font> someone was chopping<font color="#E5E5E5"> at the wall</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I</font> looked at the<font color="#E5E5E5"> ground and saw a</font> scattering of fresh splinters after grabbing<font color="#E5E5E5"> our food supply</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and garbage</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> bag</font> we got<font color="#CCCCCC"> the hell out of there</font> we were nearly jogging with our gear as we made our<font color="#CCCCCC"> way back to the car</font> I kept glancing back over my shoulder <font color="#CCCCCC">and gazing out through the woods to see</font> if anyone<font color="#E5E5E5"> was following we traversed the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">Glacial</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> eskers that we stored the day</font> before<font color="#E5E5E5"> and we knew we were getting close</font> we were quietly rejoicing as we neared the trailhead<font color="#E5E5E5"> we made it back to the</font> trailhead<font color="#E5E5E5"> in near record time</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> but</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">something was wrong the windshield wiper</font> on my car was<font color="#E5E5E5"> sticking straight up and</font> there<font color="#E5E5E5"> was something stuck to</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the wiper</font> <font color="#CCCCCC">as we inched closer to the car I saw</font> there was blood smeared<font color="#E5E5E5"> on the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">windshield</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> and a squirrel</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> carcass was</font> impaled on the wiper blade<font color="#CCCCCC"> hair on blood</font> still stuck<font color="#CCCCCC"> to</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> the wiper and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> on the hood</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">of the car</font> I didn't bother cleaning<font color="#CCCCCC"> the car</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> we</font> threw our gear in the trunk<font color="#E5E5E5"> and sped off</font> without<font color="#E5E5E5"> removing the animal from</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> the</font> wiper blade<font color="#CCCCCC"> as I sped down the logging</font> road<font color="#CCCCCC"> I kept glancing in the rearview</font> mirror<font color="#CCCCCC"> but I could not see</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> anything</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">through the cloud of</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> dust</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> behind the car</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">when we got to the gas station in the</font> <font color="#E5E5E5">nearest town</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> I removed the carcass</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> with</font> a wad of newspaper<font color="#CCCCCC"> and I tried to remove</font> as much dried blood as I could<font color="#CCCCCC"> I filled</font> up on<font color="#E5E5E5"> gas and</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> we didn't</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> stop until we</font> made it to Milwaukee this was the last <font color="#E5E5E5">trip I took</font><font color="#CCCCCC"> to the</font><font color="#E5E5E5"> woods of northern</font> Wisconsin
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Channel: We Shouldn't Be Here
Views: 202,220
Rating: 4.5412025 out of 5
Keywords: Fall Asleep To These Scary Stories | TRUE Stories | Creepy Lullaby Music, scary stories, we shouldn't be here, we shouldnt be here, true scary stories, scary true stories, paranormal stories, camping stories, scary music, creepy song, stalker stories, lets not meet, no sleep, creepy pasta, creepy encounters, horror, wal mart stories, true stories, howling wind noises, chirping crickets noise, horror narrator
Id: i83jYGHE_fs
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 131min 27sec (7887 seconds)
Published: Wed Aug 01 2018
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