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The Scariest Stories Ever Told · True Horror Stories

0:08
Speaker 1: I first met my friend Nick in middle school. At
0:11
Speaker 1: the time, we weren't really friends, but I did get
0:14
Speaker 1: to know him a little bit. Frankly, he scared me
0:17
Speaker 1: when I first met him. He was one of those
0:19
Speaker 1: kids who were all black, gave himself piercings during class,
0:23
Speaker 1: using safety pins, etc. He was bipolar and had a
0:27
Speaker 1: salw of other issues as well, including being on drugs
0:30
Speaker 1: at the time. Too fast forward a few years to
0:33
Speaker 1: high school. I didn't really have any friends and was
0:36
Speaker 1: kind of a loner. I also have a fall birthday,
0:40
Speaker 1: so I was one of the first kids in my
0:42
Speaker 1: class to turn sixteen and get my license and start
0:45
Speaker 1: driving myself to school. Nick had grown out of the
0:48
Speaker 1: goth druggy phase, got on medication for his psychological problems,
0:52
Speaker 1: and seemed like a fairly normal guy now. One day
0:55
Speaker 1: he was talking to me and asked me if I
0:57
Speaker 1: could give him a ride home. I was happy to
1:00
Speaker 1: since at the time I was pretty desperate for someone
1:03
Speaker 1: to hang out with. I ended up becoming very good
1:05
Speaker 1: friends with him and another guy he hung out with,
1:08
Speaker 1: and the three of us pretty much spent all of
1:10
Speaker 1: high school as a group. Looking back, they kind of
1:13
Speaker 1: took advantage of me, as my family had more money
1:15
Speaker 1: than either of theirs, and I was more than happy
1:18
Speaker 1: to share. I drove them to lunch and paid for
1:21
Speaker 1: it part of the time when they didn't have money.
1:23
Speaker 1: It was never anything major, just a few bucks here
1:26
Speaker 1: and there, and we really did have some good times.
1:29
Speaker 1: They were pretty good guys for most of the time,
1:32
Speaker 1: but I do feel like that was at least part
1:34
Speaker 1: of the reason they became my friends. Even if that
1:37
Speaker 1: was the case, it was worth it for me because
1:39
Speaker 1: they were literally the only bright spot in an otherwise
1:42
Speaker 1: miserable high school experience. Nick could be an asshole sometimes,
1:47
Speaker 1: especially if you spent more than a day or so
1:49
Speaker 1: with him at a time. I took a week long
1:52
Speaker 1: trip to the beach with his family and ended up
1:55
Speaker 1: hanging out with his brother more than him because he
1:57
Speaker 1: drove me insane. There was a particular incident at a
2:00
Speaker 1: goat cart track where he literally was screaming at a
2:03
Speaker 1: ten year old kid and trying to pick a fight
2:05
Speaker 1: with the kid's father after the race because he had
2:08
Speaker 1: cut him off on the track. He then got pissed
2:11
Speaker 1: at me for not backing him up when I was
2:13
Speaker 1: too busy trying to crawl into a corner and pretended
2:16
Speaker 1: like I didn't know him because he was being so ridiculous.
2:19
Speaker 1: I was embarrassed, and friend or not, I was kind
2:22
Speaker 1: of hoping the guy would kick his ass, because he
2:25
Speaker 1: deserved it. After high school, Nick stayed in our hometown
2:29
Speaker 1: and went to the local community college, while me and
2:31
Speaker 1: the other guy went to the state university a few
2:34
Speaker 1: hours away and were roommates. We would see Nick when
2:37
Speaker 1: we came home on the weekends. After that year, he
2:40
Speaker 1: joined us. Nick struggled and was in and out of school,
2:44
Speaker 1: never really trying that hard. At one point, his girlfriend
2:47
Speaker 1: from high school cheated on him, and he took it
2:49
Speaker 1: pretty hard. They started adjusting his medication, and I don't
2:54
Speaker 1: think they ever really got it quite right, because he
2:56
Speaker 1: was never the same again. During this time, I introduced
2:59
Speaker 1: him to my girlfriend's sister. We actually had gone to
3:02
Speaker 1: school with her, but never really knew her until I
3:04
Speaker 1: started dating her sister. Anyway, they started dating, and at
3:08
Speaker 1: first it was cool. We could go on double dates
3:11
Speaker 1: and stuff. I was a little worried, though, because I
3:14
Speaker 1: knew he could be an asshole sometimes, and I was
3:17
Speaker 1: afraid of what might happen if their relationship went South.
3:21
Speaker 1: Her parents hated him, and I was always trying to
3:24
Speaker 1: defend him as best I could without making them hate
3:27
Speaker 1: me too. I had gotten engaged to my girlfriend, so
3:30
Speaker 1: I felt like I was always in the middle between
3:32
Speaker 1: my future in laws and one of my best friends.
3:36
Speaker 1: Eventually they got engaged too, which her parents really hated.
3:41
Speaker 1: They rushed into getting married. I think they had been
3:43
Speaker 1: together for less than a year at the time. They
3:46
Speaker 1: moved in together while we were still in school. Things
3:49
Speaker 1: went south rather quickly. He started expecting her to support him,
3:53
Speaker 1: quit going to school and said he was going to
3:56
Speaker 1: live on disability for the rest of his life because
3:59
Speaker 1: of his issues. And on top of that, they pretty
4:01
Speaker 1: much fought constantly. They had only been married for around
4:04
Speaker 1: forty five months when he started threatening. They had only
4:08
Speaker 1: been married for around fourty five months when he started
4:11
Speaker 1: threatening to kill her. He even went as far as
4:14
Speaker 1: to detail the plans he had come up with to
4:16
Speaker 1: do it. Needless to say, she left and they got
4:20
Speaker 1: divorced after less than a year. This put me in
4:23
Speaker 1: the awkward spot of having to choose between my fiance
4:26
Speaker 1: and her family or one of my only friends. I
4:30
Speaker 1: tried to defend him as best as I could saying
4:32
Speaker 1: things like he is not really like that, his medication
4:36
Speaker 1: is still messed up, he doesn't mean it, he won't
4:39
Speaker 1: really do that. But how can you truly stick up
4:42
Speaker 1: for someone who's threatening to murder his wife. I did
4:45
Speaker 1: the best I could, but ultimately, if I wanted to
4:48
Speaker 1: keep my fiancee, I had to lose my friend. Our
4:52
Speaker 1: other friend was supposed to have been my best man,
4:55
Speaker 1: but he refused after what happened with Nick, so I
4:58
Speaker 1: ended up losing both of my friends. The ordeal pretty
5:01
Speaker 1: much exactly what I have been afraid of. The Last
5:05
Speaker 1: time I spoke to Nick, he had come into the
5:07
Speaker 1: store I was working at with some people I had
5:10
Speaker 1: never seen before. I said hey and waved, and he
5:13
Speaker 1: immediately flipped me off and walked out the door. So
5:17
Speaker 1: that was pretty much confirmation that our friendship was completely over.
5:21
Speaker 1: I'm really not sure how any of this was my fault,
5:24
Speaker 1: but apparently I was supposed to completely leave a six
5:26
Speaker 1: year relationship and break things off with my engagement because
5:30
Speaker 1: he was a psychopath who threatened to kill her sister,
5:33
Speaker 1: and she left him. I really wish this was the
5:36
Speaker 1: end of the story, but it continues. Her sister found
5:40
Speaker 1: someone new who is an amazing guy and is now
5:42
Speaker 1: one of my closest friends, and I have far more
5:45
Speaker 1: in common with him than any of my old friends.
5:48
Speaker 1: He's been like a brother. I graduated, got married, moved homes,
5:53
Speaker 1: and started a family. My now wife's sister got remarried
5:57
Speaker 1: to a new guy, and they had a kid together,
5:59
Speaker 1: who was now three years old. Everyone was happy and
6:02
Speaker 1: we pretty much forgot about Nick until the day he
6:06
Speaker 1: came back to town and started working at the local grocery store.
6:10
Speaker 1: My mother in law was the first to see him
6:12
Speaker 1: and pretty much forbid her daughter from shopping there anymore.
6:16
Speaker 1: She was terrified that he would come after her or
6:18
Speaker 1: her kid if he solved them. They ended up moving
6:22
Speaker 1: to the other side of town shortly afterwards, anyway, so
6:25
Speaker 1: not really a big deal. I wasn't as threatened by him,
6:29
Speaker 1: so I continued to shop there. I assume since it
6:32
Speaker 1: had been five years that he has moved on with
6:35
Speaker 1: his life too. I would see him working a register
6:38
Speaker 1: or something, but other than that, I really didn't go
6:41
Speaker 1: out of my way to avoid him. One day, I
6:44
Speaker 1: saw him looking at me and sort of nodded. I
6:47
Speaker 1: didn't speak to him because of the way our last
6:49
Speaker 1: interaction had gone, I was met with the coldest stare
6:52
Speaker 1: I've ever seen. After that, any time I was in
6:56
Speaker 1: the store, he would be there, following me around. It
6:59
Speaker 1: was almost Stillly a store will have a worker's shadow,
7:01
Speaker 1: someone they think might be stealing. Whenever I looked up,
7:05
Speaker 1: he would be near by. When I left the store,
7:08
Speaker 1: he would head outside to bring in carts or something
7:11
Speaker 1: and watch me until I was in the car leaving.
7:14
Speaker 1: The last time I shopped there, I made the mistake
7:17
Speaker 1: of taking my newborn son. He started fussing, so of
7:21
Speaker 1: course I picked him up and I tried to calm
7:24
Speaker 1: him down. At that point, Nick walked by and slammed
7:28
Speaker 1: into me, nearly making me drop the baby. He then
7:31
Speaker 1: walked off like nothing happened. I decided that day it
7:35
Speaker 1: would probably be best if I just started shopping at Walmart,
7:39
Speaker 1: and realized that I'd forgotten to sit out the trash
7:41
Speaker 1: to be picked up. It was around three a m.
7:44
Speaker 1: When I went outside to move the cans to the curb.
7:47
Speaker 1: As I walked out of my garage, a large van
7:50
Speaker 1: with blacked out windows suddenly came down the street and
7:53
Speaker 1: just stopped at the end of the driveway. I was
7:56
Speaker 1: nervous since it was three a m. And it clearly
7:58
Speaker 1: was not a neighbor, so I took my time fiddling
8:01
Speaker 1: with the cans beside the house, waiting to see what
8:04
Speaker 1: they were going to do. Eventually, they slowly went down
8:07
Speaker 1: the street and stopped. I put the cans out as
8:10
Speaker 1: fast as I could and went back inside, making sure
8:14
Speaker 1: all the doors were locked. I went to sleep with
8:17
Speaker 1: my gun on the night stand. It was also around
8:20
Speaker 1: this time my grandmother's house was broken into. Whoever did
8:24
Speaker 1: it knew where everything in her house was because they
8:27
Speaker 1: didn't rummage through anything. They went straight to where her
8:31
Speaker 1: jewelry was and took most of it, and then they
8:34
Speaker 1: went straight to the closet where my grandfather's guns were
8:38
Speaker 1: and took several of them as well. About a week
8:41
Speaker 1: later they returned and cleaned out what they hadn't taken
8:43
Speaker 1: the first time. We have no proof, so the cops
8:47
Speaker 1: won't do anything, but we're fairly certain it was Nick.
8:51
Speaker 1: He had been to her house before and I had
8:53
Speaker 1: shown him the guns when we were friends. Since whoever
8:56
Speaker 1: broke in knew exactly what they were looking for and
8:59
Speaker 1: exactly where to find it, that pretty much narrows down
9:02
Speaker 1: the list of suspects. I've seen the van driving around
9:05
Speaker 1: in front of the house late at night several more
9:08
Speaker 1: times since it's becoming less frequent since I started shopping elsewhere,
9:12
Speaker 1: and thankfully nothing else has happened. I keep my gun
9:16
Speaker 1: nearby at night now. I'm still hoping that this doesn't
9:19
Speaker 1: escalate again. About four years ago, I was a junior
9:26
Speaker 1: at a small college in La County, bordering my town
9:30
Speaker 1: with a large cavernous region known as Turnbull Canyon. It's
9:33
Speaker 1: the kind of place that has a healthy amount of
9:35
Speaker 1: creepy focal or surrounding it with an area emphatically known
9:39
Speaker 1: as Hell's Gates. Stories of cultic activity, gang killings, abandoned
9:44
Speaker 1: mental institutions, and the like the kind of shit you
9:48
Speaker 1: hear about any place old enough to have a reputation.
9:51
Speaker 1: In reality, most of these stories were spurned from a
9:54
Speaker 1: tragedy that occurred years prior. A woman's body had been
9:57
Speaker 1: found at the base of the canyon, and from then
9:59
Speaker 1: on the rest is history. Nevertheless, when a photographer friend
10:04
Speaker 1: asked me and another buddy to go out to the
10:06
Speaker 1: canyon in order to help him take some photos of
10:08
Speaker 1: the La skyline. I had to oblige. The canyon is
10:12
Speaker 1: about a thirty minute drive from our campus, and we
10:15
Speaker 1: have been listening to the King of Limbs the entire drive,
10:18
Speaker 1: which proved to be the perfect ambience to get me
10:20
Speaker 1: feeling pretty anxious about our excursion. I should also note
10:24
Speaker 1: that I'm a pretty anxious guy in general, so traveling
10:27
Speaker 1: out to a remote area preceded by its reputation for
10:29
Speaker 1: scary occurrences immediately had me thinking twice about the decision.
10:34
Speaker 1: At the top of the canyon, there is a small
10:36
Speaker 1: residential area a few ritzy houses surrounded by trees and woods.
10:41
Speaker 1: In order to venture into the canyon itself, you have
10:44
Speaker 1: to follow a main trail with several smaller arteries that
10:47
Speaker 1: split off into other directions, but ultimately culminate after a
10:51
Speaker 1: couple of miles or so at the base of a
10:53
Speaker 1: steep hill adorned with an old water tower overlooking the city. Anyhow,
10:58
Speaker 1: we parked our car at the top of the canyon road,
11:01
Speaker 1: got out of the camera gear and made our way
11:03
Speaker 1: out to the trailhead around one am. At this point,
11:07
Speaker 1: after watching the trail for about five minutes, Dave the photographer,
11:11
Speaker 1: decided it was time to set up his first shot
11:13
Speaker 1: while Jeff, our other friend, and I kept watch. Eventually,
11:17
Speaker 1: he got the shot he needed and we continued walking
11:20
Speaker 1: for another five minutes or so before Dave decided to
11:24
Speaker 1: set up his next shot. At this point, the trailhead
11:27
Speaker 1: had disappeared behind us completely and we were a little
11:30
Speaker 1: less than a quarter mile away from the water tower.
11:33
Speaker 1: While sitting up the tripod, we noticed the faint glow
11:36
Speaker 1: of headlights off in the distance, which was strange because
11:39
Speaker 1: the trail wasn't meant for cars, nor was it big
11:42
Speaker 1: enough for them to pass through. If I recall, it
11:45
Speaker 1: was only about five feet wide, with shrubbery on both sides.
11:49
Speaker 1: This was clearly a bit of a red flag for us,
11:52
Speaker 1: as we were the only people out there, so we
11:54
Speaker 1: immediately packed up our things and ducked off into the brush,
11:58
Speaker 1: waiting for the car to pass off. Eventually, an old
12:01
Speaker 1: pickup truck idled to a stop about fifty yards from
12:04
Speaker 1: where we were hiding. The truck itself was old and rickety,
12:08
Speaker 1: sitting on a lifted chassis, the bed of which was
12:11
Speaker 1: missing entirely. Growing up in the country, I knew it
12:15
Speaker 1: was the type of truck typically owned by backwoods folk
12:18
Speaker 1: who lived in the boonies and preferred to be left
12:21
Speaker 1: to their own devices. We watched an agonizing anticipation as
12:25
Speaker 1: the truck just idled in place for several minutes before
12:29
Speaker 1: flooring it down one of the other trails, the roar
12:32
Speaker 1: of the engine echoing throughout the canyon. Clearly we were spooked.
12:35
Speaker 1: At this point, the three of us speculating as to
12:38
Speaker 1: our next step. Jeff and I were reluctant to continue,
12:42
Speaker 1: while Dave assured us that it was probably nothing, perhaps
12:46
Speaker 1: just a guy off roading, as he put it. So,
12:49
Speaker 1: with great reluctance, Jeff and I trudged on behind Dave
12:52
Speaker 1: toward the water tower to get his final shots. Nevertheless,
12:57
Speaker 1: I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about
12:59
Speaker 1: the true I mean, I knew plenty of people in
13:02
Speaker 1: high school who would go off roading for fun in
13:04
Speaker 1: the woods, but never on finicky canyon trails barely wide
13:08
Speaker 1: enough to hike on, let alone drive. It just didn't
13:12
Speaker 1: sit right with me. After walking without interference for about
13:16
Speaker 1: an hour, we finally made it out to the water tower,
13:19
Speaker 1: climbed up to the top, and took in the view
13:22
Speaker 1: of the city. Dave once again started setting up his equipment,
13:25
Speaker 1: while Jeff and I stood on both sides of the
13:27
Speaker 1: water tower keeping watch just in case the truck came back.
13:32
Speaker 1: There was nothing at this point. Nothing. At this point,
13:36
Speaker 1: it was around three am. Dave decides he's got all
13:39
Speaker 1: the shots he needs, so we pack up our equipment
13:42
Speaker 1: and commit to heading out before it gets too late,
13:45
Speaker 1: seeing as how all of us have classes in just
13:47
Speaker 1: a few hours. Just as we were preparing to descend
13:51
Speaker 1: the hill, the truck comes roaring out of the canyon
13:53
Speaker 1: below us, back onto the trail, at which point the
13:57
Speaker 1: driver attempts to climb the hill, revving his engine loudly.
14:01
Speaker 1: Scared shitless, the three of us slid off the side
14:03
Speaker 1: of the hill into the brush, clinging onto plants and rocks.
14:07
Speaker 1: As the truck finally made it atop the hill, slowly
14:10
Speaker 1: driving around the tower, we could see the glow of
14:12
Speaker 1: headlights each time it circled above us. After waiting for
14:16
Speaker 1: nearly ten minutes, while also trying not to make any noise,
14:20
Speaker 1: the truck eventually descended the hill, stopping in the middle
14:23
Speaker 1: of the trail not more than one hundred yards away.
14:26
Speaker 1: We watched as a scruffy man mid fifties stepped down
14:29
Speaker 1: of the idling truck and into the glow of its headlights,
14:33
Speaker 1: mosing around while looking at the ground. He then knelt
14:36
Speaker 1: down looking at something in the dirt, surveying the area
14:40
Speaker 1: intently as he did so, It became increasingly apparent that
14:45
Speaker 1: he was tracking something our footprints. This next part still
14:50
Speaker 1: chills me to the bone. As my friends and I
14:53
Speaker 1: huddled together watching in complete terror, another man wearing a long,
14:57
Speaker 1: dark parka emerged from the bush right where we had
15:01
Speaker 1: been hiking, joining the other man at his side. Apparently
15:05
Speaker 1: he had been out there the entire time while we
15:08
Speaker 1: were walking the trail, just watching us. Following behind at
15:12
Speaker 1: a safe distance. The two of them talked for a while,
15:16
Speaker 1: we couldn't hear a word. They continued scanning the area
15:20
Speaker 1: looking at our footprints, but eventually got in the truck
15:22
Speaker 1: and drove down to one of the forks in the trail.
15:25
Speaker 1: We sat in silence for a long time, waiting nearly
15:28
Speaker 1: two hours to ensure the coast was clear, at which
15:32
Speaker 1: point we made like help back to the car, down
15:35
Speaker 1: the canyon and back to our campus just in time
15:38
Speaker 1: for class. I was a bouncer at a bar years ago.
15:45
Speaker 1: It was a normal Friday night, completely packed. The usual
15:49
Speaker 1: customers were there and they knew not to get too crazy.
15:52
Speaker 1: At around eleven o'clock, people usually started to get out,
15:56
Speaker 1: and sometimes I would have to break up a fight
15:58
Speaker 1: or too to night was no different, and around midnight
16:03
Speaker 1: a guy got too touchy and feely with a woman.
16:05
Speaker 1: She didn't like that, and I had to escort him out.
16:09
Speaker 1: The guys I kicked out were always good guys, but
16:11
Speaker 1: just had too much to drink. I will usually see
16:14
Speaker 1: them again and they would apologize for their behavior. This
16:18
Speaker 1: Friday night, shortly before closing time, a man threw his
16:22
Speaker 1: drink at the bar tender and cut his head open.
16:26
Speaker 1: I grabbed the guy and threw him outside. They would
16:28
Speaker 1: normally struggle for a second or two and then realized
16:31
Speaker 1: that they had no chance of overpowering me. This guy
16:35
Speaker 1: was different. He struggled the whole time, and he was
16:38
Speaker 1: almost able to stack up to me. I could tell
16:40
Speaker 1: he had a violent temperament and was used to fighting.
16:44
Speaker 1: After his ass hits the sidewalk out front, he sits
16:47
Speaker 1: up and says something like he'll be back, or that
16:50
Speaker 1: I would see him later. I can't remember exactly. The
16:53
Speaker 1: bar tender was all right, but he didn't need to
16:56
Speaker 1: go get a few stitches. It was closing time anyway,
17:00
Speaker 1: so we just told everyone that we were wrapping up
17:01
Speaker 1: the place in twenty minutes and we would appreciate them
17:05
Speaker 1: making their way out. I helped clean up, as I
17:07
Speaker 1: always do, and when I was finished, my buddy, who
17:10
Speaker 1: worked at the kitchen always left with me out the
17:13
Speaker 1: back door. We were walking down the alley behind the
17:16
Speaker 1: place when two of us noticed that there was somebody
17:20
Speaker 1: behind us. We just kept walking. I turned left down
17:24
Speaker 1: the street where my car was parked. My buddy crossed
17:27
Speaker 1: the street and continued down the alley. I kept turning
17:30
Speaker 1: around to see if the guy would follow me or him,
17:33
Speaker 1: but I didn't see him cross the street or turn
17:36
Speaker 1: the corner that I had. I got to my car
17:39
Speaker 1: and drove four miles to my house. I had the
17:42
Speaker 1: following day off, but the day after that I was
17:45
Speaker 1: scheduled to work again. Before I left for work that night,
17:49
Speaker 1: my good friend and the owner of the bar called
17:52
Speaker 1: me and gave me terrible news. My buddy, who was
17:55
Speaker 1: walking with me the other night, was attacked and stabbed
17:58
Speaker 1: to death in the alley I couldn't believe it. I
18:02
Speaker 1: told the cops about the jerk in the bar that night,
18:05
Speaker 1: but they never found out who killed him. I don't
18:09
Speaker 1: work at that bar anymore, but I did for another
18:11
Speaker 1: two years after the incident. That guy never showed up
18:15
Speaker 1: there again. I feel very strongly that it was him
18:19
Speaker 1: who attacked and killed my buddy that night. This happened
18:28
Speaker 1: many years ago, probably about twenty years ago actually, when
18:33
Speaker 1: my single father moved myself and my two little sisters
18:36
Speaker 1: to a not terrible but not great suburb of Denver, Colorado.
18:41
Speaker 1: The divorce had shattered him and our home. My mother
18:45
Speaker 1: left him for another man, and the burden of raising
18:48
Speaker 1: three girls befell him. Skipped forward a couple of months.
18:52
Speaker 1: I'm ten, my sisters are eight and six. We had
18:56
Speaker 1: grown fairly accustomed to the neighborhood and the close surrounds.
19:01
Speaker 1: My dad is working ten am to six pm in Denver,
19:05
Speaker 1: where all the best pay is, and the responsibility of
19:08
Speaker 1: my two little sisters became mine. I was the eldest.
19:11
Speaker 1: After all, we hadn't quite melded with other kids in
19:14
Speaker 1: the area yet, but being the three of us, we
19:18
Speaker 1: didn't mind. We were capable of entertaining ourselves. We used
19:23
Speaker 1: to ride our bicycles everywhere to all the surrounding neighborhoods,
19:27
Speaker 1: the hiking trails along the river that led everywhere, even
19:30
Speaker 1: along the train tracks, which we could find numerous amounts
19:33
Speaker 1: throughout the town. One set of tracks in particular, in fact,
19:38
Speaker 1: the closest set to our home, had a long ditch
19:41
Speaker 1: like a valley along both sides of it. I think
19:44
Speaker 1: in retrospect it had been some type of flood barrier
19:47
Speaker 1: to prevent the river from flooding out the neighborhood across
19:50
Speaker 1: the street anyway. On one side of the tracks it
19:53
Speaker 1: was a sheer drop off with heavy bushes and undergrowth
19:56
Speaker 1: preventing the ground from being easily accessible, and on the
19:59
Speaker 1: other other side there had been a path carved out.
20:03
Speaker 1: It appeared to be by vehicles, maybe servicing the train
20:06
Speaker 1: tracks in prior years, but it was extremely deep. They
20:11
Speaker 1: called it dead Man's ditch, I found out later on,
20:15
Speaker 1: but this information doesn't become relevant until later. So, as
20:19
Speaker 1: I said, we used to ride our bikes around town
20:22
Speaker 1: a lot, especially in the summertime during the day while
20:26
Speaker 1: Dad was at work and we could travel further than
20:28
Speaker 1: he allowed. We also had a game we played similar
20:32
Speaker 1: to punch Buggy combined with a license plate game. If
20:36
Speaker 1: any of us saw a license plate with double or
20:39
Speaker 1: triple characters consecutively, example double b's or triple zeros, we
20:45
Speaker 1: would announce it and then we would attempt to hit
20:48
Speaker 1: one another. It was barbaric, but we were siblings, so
20:52
Speaker 1: it's not outlandish. I don't want to share mine or
20:56
Speaker 1: my sister's names here, but on this particular day, I've
21:00
Speaker 1: been riding around for hours, and we were past the
21:02
Speaker 1: hottest part of the day. It was cooling down and
21:05
Speaker 1: was gearing up for sunset. We had made our way
21:08
Speaker 1: back toward home, and we were less than a two
21:11
Speaker 1: minute bike ride from our house. I had been hanging
21:14
Speaker 1: back a bit, so both of my little sisters were
21:17
Speaker 1: in front of me, the youngest in front, the middle
21:20
Speaker 1: coming up on her left, and myself about six feet behind.
21:24
Speaker 1: A few minutes prior, as silver sedan had driven past
21:28
Speaker 1: us going the opposite way. The car's plate had double sixes,
21:33
Speaker 1: which I had called first. As we were heading up
21:36
Speaker 1: the street, I heard a vehicle accelerate impatiently behind me.
21:40
Speaker 1: This set off red flags because where we were riding
21:44
Speaker 1: we actually affected the oncoming lane. This vehicle was heading
21:48
Speaker 1: the same way we were. I turned to look and
21:51
Speaker 1: automatically glanced first at the license plate, then at a
21:55
Speaker 1: silver sedan. Mister double six was back. Now I could
22:00
Speaker 1: see him. He was Hispanic, in his mid forties, wearing
22:04
Speaker 1: a blue and red flannel with no shirt underneath. He
22:08
Speaker 1: didn't say a word, He just looked at me for
22:10
Speaker 1: a second and then sped up, veering into our lane.
22:15
Speaker 1: I watched in horror as his open driver's side window
22:18
Speaker 1: lined up with my baby's sister, and he reached out
22:21
Speaker 1: and grabbed her hand and the handle to her bicycle.
22:25
Speaker 1: He slowed down a bit, trying to pull my sister
22:27
Speaker 1: off her bike and into his open window. But something
22:31
Speaker 1: happened in his car, because all of a sudden, he
22:33
Speaker 1: released my sister and put both hands back on the wheel.
22:37
Speaker 1: She took the chance and pushed like hell on her bike,
22:41
Speaker 1: racing towards dead Man's ditch. My other sister and I
22:44
Speaker 1: followed suit. After a moment of what I now know
22:47
Speaker 1: is tunnel vision, I heard the acceleration of the sedan
22:50
Speaker 1: again behind me. By this time we were all hysterical,
22:55
Speaker 1: and I was trying desperately to see through tears. This
22:59
Speaker 1: guy wasn't giving up whatever his deal was. He didn't
23:02
Speaker 1: want to let it go. Dead Man's ditch was approaching. Quickly,
23:07
Speaker 1: thinking on my feet, I directed both sisters down the ditch,
23:11
Speaker 1: assuming double six wouldn't destroy his vehicle. Attempting to follow,
23:15
Speaker 1: My youngest sister cowered in fear at the top, whimpering
23:18
Speaker 1: about being afraid of falling. The middle sister did not
23:22
Speaker 1: need to be told twice. She flew down the hill
23:25
Speaker 1: like it was nothing. As I caught up to them,
23:28
Speaker 1: the car was right on my back tire, so I said,
23:33
Speaker 1: just go. This guy is going to kill us. I
23:36
Speaker 1: remember hearing her take in a huge breath and letting
23:39
Speaker 1: her bike go down the hill. I held my breath
23:41
Speaker 1: until I was right behind her. All three of us
23:44
Speaker 1: made it down the hill, and the guy pulled his
23:46
Speaker 1: car right up to the opening of the path. He
23:49
Speaker 1: got out of his car, and he was naked, wearing
23:53
Speaker 1: only the aforementioned flannel shirt and boasting a giant heart,
23:57
Speaker 1: on which he proceeded to tug in w in our
24:00
Speaker 1: general direction. I stood between my sisters and this creep,
24:05
Speaker 1: and after a few minutes of his exposure. I guess
24:08
Speaker 1: he decided that we weren't worth the destruction of his car.
24:11
Speaker 1: He got back in his car and drove away. My
24:15
Speaker 1: sisters and I were both hysterical, although my ten year
24:19
Speaker 1: old mind had switched to business mode and the tears
24:22
Speaker 1: ceased to follow. My only concern now was getting my
24:25
Speaker 1: sisters home safely. We waited for about a half an hour,
24:29
Speaker 1: but the car never came back. We braved the emerging
24:33
Speaker 1: trail and high tailed at home. When we got home,
24:36
Speaker 1: we told Dad everything. He was outraged, understandably so, and
24:41
Speaker 1: took us in his car to drive around to try
24:44
Speaker 1: to find the man. But we didn't find him, but
24:47
Speaker 1: my dad called the police once we got back home
24:50
Speaker 1: and we filed a report. Unfortunately, with only a description
24:54
Speaker 1: of a silver four door car with a license plate
24:57
Speaker 1: that began with six six and a older has Spanish
25:00
Speaker 1: man wasn't enough to track him down. They filled in
25:04
Speaker 1: dead man's ditch a couple of months later, but not
25:07
Speaker 1: before it had saved our lives. I'm telling this story
25:16
Speaker 1: on behalf of my best friend Tom, who I've known
25:19
Speaker 1: since childhood. He served with the Army for several years
25:23
Speaker 1: in infantry with the first Battalion, seventy fifth Ranger Regiment.
25:28
Speaker 1: After he returned home from his combat tour in Afghanistan,
25:32
Speaker 1: he had more than a few stories to tell. I'm
25:34
Speaker 1: immensely said to say that we lost Tom in a
25:37
Speaker 1: car accident recently. However, this is one story from his
25:41
Speaker 1: time in Afghanistan that I always felt was a good
25:44
Speaker 1: one to share. Tom agreed. He also visited Let's Not
25:48
Speaker 1: Meet occasionally, but never quite found the time to sit
25:51
Speaker 1: down and write about his experiences. There are many stories
25:55
Speaker 1: that will forever remain between me and him, but I
25:58
Speaker 1: know this is one that he's always wanted to share.
26:00
Speaker 1: With that in mind, I'll do my best to pass
26:03
Speaker 1: it along. I want it noted that the details are
26:06
Speaker 1: somewhat hazy, as it's been a long time since his
26:10
Speaker 1: last retelling. In twenty thirteen, Tom's unit was deployed to
26:15
Speaker 1: Afghanistan's Kandahar Province. He was a private first class at
26:19
Speaker 1: the time and had been in the Army for a
26:21
Speaker 1: year by the beginning of the tour, with the last
26:24
Speaker 1: several months of that assigned to the first Ranger Battalion.
26:27
Speaker 1: He'd gone through immensely difficult training up to and including
26:31
Speaker 1: jumping out of several airplanes to get to where he
26:34
Speaker 1: was now, and as such was eager to finally do
26:37
Speaker 1: his job. He ultimately participated in nineteen combat missions during
26:42
Speaker 1: his four months in country. All of the night raids
26:45
Speaker 1: aimed at high valued targets, local Taliban cell commanders, and
26:49
Speaker 1: other persons of interest. You see, the Rangers and other
26:53
Speaker 1: special operation forces specialize in nighttime operations. They train at
26:58
Speaker 1: night and operate for frequently under the cover of darkness.
27:02
Speaker 1: The Taliban lacked widespread night vision optics, whereas each individual
27:07
Speaker 1: Ranger was equipped with some of the finest od's money
27:10
Speaker 1: could buy and the accessories to compliment them. With that advantage,
27:15
Speaker 1: on top of their large numbers and superior training, it
27:18
Speaker 1: was hard for them not to feel like they owned
27:20
Speaker 1: the night whenever they went out. However, this wasn't always
27:25
Speaker 1: the case. One night, Tom's platoon was tapped for yet
27:29
Speaker 1: another HVT raid. After the typical briefing and preparation process,
27:34
Speaker 1: the thirty or so guys boarded the Canucks and proceeded
27:37
Speaker 1: to the targeted location, disembarking under the cover of darkness
27:41
Speaker 1: to secure the area. Tom was a member of a
27:44
Speaker 1: two man machine gun team. His team leader, Corporal Kyle
27:48
Speaker 1: manned the Mt four OL machine gun as his assistant gunner.
27:52
Speaker 1: It was Tom's responsibility to carry spare linked ammunition belts,
27:57
Speaker 1: call out fire adjustments, and act as a bodyguard to
28:00
Speaker 1: the corporal and his weapon should the enemy attempt to
28:03
Speaker 1: flank them. After leaving the chopper, Tom and kW moved
28:07
Speaker 1: forward to their designated blocking position, a vantage point in
28:10
Speaker 1: which a fire team can set up and intercept enemy
28:13
Speaker 1: forces attempting to enter or leave the targeted area. The
28:17
Speaker 1: target in this case was a small village seemingly abandoned
28:21
Speaker 1: and heavily deteriorated with crumbling masonry and multiple bombed out huts.
28:26
Speaker 1: The entire place was incredibly unsettling, showing no signs of
28:30
Speaker 1: life other than a single black cat that slinked amongst
28:34
Speaker 1: the shadows of the buildings. The moon was high in
28:37
Speaker 1: the sky at night, bathing the ramshackle collection of seemingly
28:41
Speaker 1: ancient structures in an eerie light. After ensuring the M
28:46
Speaker 1: two was set up, Tom surveyed the village, focusing on
28:50
Speaker 1: a damaged stone wall less than fifty meters away. There
28:54
Speaker 1: was a hole punched out in the center of it,
28:57
Speaker 1: just large enough for a man to stick his head
28:58
Speaker 1: and shoulders through. He watched the whole intently for almost
29:02
Speaker 1: the entirety of the mission, and for a laser lined
29:05
Speaker 1: up and m for a one at the ready, expecting
29:08
Speaker 1: the barrel of an AK forty seven to appear at
29:10
Speaker 1: any moment, but it never did. The rifle teams proceeded
29:15
Speaker 1: into the village and searched it from top to bottom,
29:18
Speaker 1: finding no trace of the HVT they were after, or
29:21
Speaker 1: any signs of life at all for that matter. Kyle
29:24
Speaker 1: and Tom relocated to link up with several members of
29:27
Speaker 1: a rifle squad and a large ditch over one hundred
29:29
Speaker 1: meters away from the target site. They continued to watch
29:33
Speaker 1: the perimeter as discussions were being held on how to
29:36
Speaker 1: proceed that when all hell broke loose, one of the
29:40
Speaker 1: platoon's senior sergeants came running over, yelling at Tom and
29:44
Speaker 1: the other rangers to get the fuck out of the ditch.
29:47
Speaker 1: The comsnet exploded with orders to fall back to the
29:50
Speaker 1: LZ for immediate exfiltration. Tom and Kyle were beyond confused.
29:56
Speaker 1: Had EOD picked up on something. Maybe they were all
29:59
Speaker 1: standing on top of a buried ied belt, something far
30:02
Speaker 1: from unheard of. The Kanucks double timed it back to
30:06
Speaker 1: their location and landed, allowing all the Rangers to board.
30:11
Speaker 1: After a final head count to ensure no one had
30:13
Speaker 1: been left behind, the helicopters lifted off and returned to
30:17
Speaker 1: the airfield. The mission had lasted less than an hour,
30:21
Speaker 1: seemingly ending as soon as it began, all without a
30:24
Speaker 1: single shot being fired and no contact with the Taliban,
30:28
Speaker 1: or so Tom thought. After returning to base, the platoon
30:33
Speaker 1: was debriefed and the reason for the sudden scrub of
30:35
Speaker 1: the mission became very clear. Shortly after Tom and Kyle
30:39
Speaker 1: had posted up in the ditch, signal collection specialists attached
30:43
Speaker 1: to the Rangers had picked up on enemy radio chatter
30:46
Speaker 1: in the vicinity of the assault force. Very clearly and calmly,
30:50
Speaker 1: the Taliban had spoken, there are six men in the ditch.
30:55
Speaker 1: Two of them are manning the machine gun on the
30:57
Speaker 1: leftmost edge. They are facing the northwest. You can flank
31:01
Speaker 1: them if you follow the brim. They proceeded to list
31:04
Speaker 1: a multitude of details about the assault force and their
31:07
Speaker 1: positions they were stalking the Rangers hunting the hunters. Based
31:13
Speaker 1: on the chatter, it was clear that an unknown number
31:16
Speaker 1: of insurgents were setting up for a potentially deadly ambush.
31:20
Speaker 1: Other than the intercepted broadcast, the Rangers had been completely
31:24
Speaker 1: unaware of their presence. None of the men on the
31:27
Speaker 1: ground had seen any indication of enemy activity. The trained
31:31
Speaker 1: canines hadn't picked up on any scent. The drones in
31:35
Speaker 1: overwatch aircraft circling the area didn't see a damn thing
31:39
Speaker 1: even with thermal vision. Yet the Taliban were listing numerous
31:43
Speaker 1: meticulous details about the Rangers as if they were standing
31:47
Speaker 1: next to them in the darkness. It was a humbling
31:50
Speaker 1: experience for the entire platoon. For Tom, that mission always
31:54
Speaker 1: sent a shiver up his spine looking back on it,
31:58
Speaker 1: even though later off sturing. This deployment involved full scale
32:02
Speaker 1: firefights and ambushes. This story takes place two years ago
32:11
Speaker 1: when I was still in primary school. I was twelve
32:15
Speaker 1: at the time. There was this organization for young girls
32:18
Speaker 1: who needed help building their self confidence and basically have
32:22
Speaker 1: fun while they still could, because once we got to
32:25
Speaker 1: high school the activities wouldn't be arranged anymore. One day,
32:29
Speaker 1: there wasn't many girls, so the leaders will call them
32:33
Speaker 1: Lisa and Beth decided just to bring the class to
32:36
Speaker 1: the playground next to the school, where we went twice
32:39
Speaker 1: a week. It was around four o'clock in the afternoon.
32:43
Speaker 1: At the opposite end of the playground is a row
32:45
Speaker 1: of houses. There was a woman maybe in her late
32:49
Speaker 1: thirties and a boy about seven years old in the corner.
32:53
Speaker 1: They both had dark hair and looked to be of
32:55
Speaker 1: Asian descent. I don't remember what they were doing exactly,
32:59
Speaker 1: but I just got a very uneasy feeling. I didn't
33:02
Speaker 1: really like the woman and didn't want to get very
33:04
Speaker 1: close to her. She just seemed so odd in her
33:07
Speaker 1: mannerisms and gave me the creeps. But luckily they stayed
33:11
Speaker 1: in the corner and I stayed close to Lisa and Beth,
33:15
Speaker 1: so I figured it would all be okay. We played
33:18
Speaker 1: for about fifteen minutes before we took a short break.
33:21
Speaker 1: I was just randomly looking in the direction of the
33:23
Speaker 1: fence when I noticed a boy at the end of
33:26
Speaker 1: the playground behind the fence. He was about twenty five
33:29
Speaker 1: feet from the mother and the other boy. He looked
33:31
Speaker 1: about the same age and had blonde hair. I thought
33:35
Speaker 1: this was odd, as this young child was there all alone.
33:39
Speaker 1: I suddenly noticed the mother walking towards one of the
33:41
Speaker 1: houses on the opposite side of the playground, and I
33:44
Speaker 1: spotted the two boys approaching each other. I turned around
33:48
Speaker 1: to tell Lisa about them, when suddenly my friend Jody
33:51
Speaker 1: ran past me, crying hysterically. Lisa began to panic at
33:55
Speaker 1: Jody's behavior and asked what was wrong. Before they could,
34:00
Speaker 1: I had a straight answer out of her. I heard
34:02
Speaker 1: a scuffle and noticed the two boys were now locked
34:05
Speaker 1: in a physical altercation. Then I noticed the woman returning
34:08
Speaker 1: from the house, and my blood went ice cold. She
34:13
Speaker 1: was holding a large knife in her hand and was
34:16
Speaker 1: heading directly towards the boys. All the girls in my
34:19
Speaker 1: group ran out of the playground, two of them were crying,
34:22
Speaker 1: and I stood paralyzed and shaking, convinced I was going
34:27
Speaker 1: to witness a woman stabbing what appeared to be a
34:29
Speaker 1: seven year old boy to death. Beth began moving quickly
34:33
Speaker 1: towards the woman to intercept her, and Lisa went to
34:36
Speaker 1: break up the fighting boys. When Beth asked the woman
34:39
Speaker 1: why she had the knife, she just laughed sarcastically and
34:43
Speaker 1: said something about cutting down some branches to make a treehouse.
34:47
Speaker 1: That made no sense at all, because it was in
34:49
Speaker 1: the middle of autumn, so there were branches all over
34:51
Speaker 1: the ground. Lisa called the police and we were all
34:55
Speaker 1: told to move further away for safety. Ten minutes later,
34:59
Speaker 1: we noticed red and blue whlight's coming from the distance.
35:02
Speaker 1: I tried confronting Jody, who was still crying, but I
35:05
Speaker 1: was having trouble keeping a brave face myself. After being
35:09
Speaker 1: confronted by Beth, the strange woman had gone back in
35:12
Speaker 1: the house to put the knife away. I guess she
35:16
Speaker 1: got the sense the police were on their way. After
35:19
Speaker 1: the police arrived, she was interviewed, but wasn't taken into custody,
35:23
Speaker 1: probably because there wasn't enough evidence to arrest her. The
35:27
Speaker 1: mother of the second boy eventually arrived and held him tight.
35:31
Speaker 1: I don't know why she left him alone there. I
35:34
Speaker 1: assume he just walked away from her and she lost him.
35:37
Speaker 1: So that's my story. I still don't know what she
35:40
Speaker 1: was planning on doing with that boy who was fighting
35:43
Speaker 1: her son, but with such a large knife, her intentions
35:47
Speaker 1: could not have been good. When me and my best
35:54
Speaker 1: friend were younger, we would ask our babysitter to take
35:57
Speaker 1: us to the school playground at night so we could
35:59
Speaker 1: play hide and seek. We lived in a small town
36:03
Speaker 1: where everyone knew everyone, and we were friendly with one another,
36:07
Speaker 1: so this wasn't abnormal or dangerous, at least not at
36:11
Speaker 1: the time. One night, we went over past our bedtimes,
36:15
Speaker 1: but our parents were cool and let us stay up
36:17
Speaker 1: to play hide and seek. At one point, I was
36:20
Speaker 1: trying to find my friend and my babysitter. As I
36:24
Speaker 1: looked for them, a car slowly drove by the playground.
36:28
Speaker 1: Their lights were off and the windows were tented. I
36:31
Speaker 1: watched them as they drove by and felt as though
36:34
Speaker 1: they were watching me. When they were out of sight,
36:37
Speaker 1: I instantly forgot about it and went back to seeking.
36:41
Speaker 1: It came to be around midnight, and our babysitter thought
36:44
Speaker 1: that it was about time to go. Of course, we
36:47
Speaker 1: begged to stay a little longer, but he said it
36:50
Speaker 1: was late. We started to walk up the hill that
36:53
Speaker 1: was behind the school. We then all heard a car
36:56
Speaker 1: behind us, and we look over to see the same
36:58
Speaker 1: car driving on the grass towards us. My babysitter instantly
37:02
Speaker 1: grabbed both of us and threw us over his shoulders
37:05
Speaker 1: and started running towards the bushes that cut us off
37:08
Speaker 1: from the other street. The car started to speed up,
37:12
Speaker 1: and so did my babysitter. When we got to the bushes,
37:15
Speaker 1: my babysitter forced us through and upp a metal fence
37:18
Speaker 1: behind them. I ended up getting cuts everywhere, but worst
37:22
Speaker 1: of all, I cut my leg on the fence and
37:24
Speaker 1: was bleeding badly. I could hear the driver of the
37:27
Speaker 1: car calling out to us, asking in a kind voice,
37:31
Speaker 1: where are you, then in a serious and scary.
37:37
Speaker 2: Voice, I know you're in there. I'm gonna find you.
37:44
Speaker 1: We ended up getting to a house that had lights on,
37:47
Speaker 1: and our babysitter banged on the door begging to let
37:50
Speaker 1: us inside and that he had kids and one of
37:53
Speaker 1: them was bleeding. A woman who we knew as Emily,
37:56
Speaker 1: opened the door and pretty much dragged us inside and
37:59
Speaker 1: shut the door by behind her. Later that night, the
38:01
Speaker 1: police recalled and I was sent to the hospital to
38:04
Speaker 1: get stitches and a shot for the rusty metal I
38:07
Speaker 1: had cut my leg on. It doesen't in there though.
38:11
Speaker 1: Later that week, my dad was watching the news as
38:14
Speaker 1: usual and a story came up. It showed the playground
38:18
Speaker 1: that we were out a couple of nights ago, and
38:20
Speaker 1: showed two medics rolling a body covered with a white
38:23
Speaker 1: sheet into an ambulance. The girl had been dead for
38:26
Speaker 1: a couple of days, and her body hadn't even been
38:29
Speaker 1: there for very long. The killer was never found, so
38:33
Speaker 1: he could still be out there. Sometimes I wonder if
38:36
Speaker 1: the man in the car did get us, would we
38:38
Speaker 1: have been in the same situation that girl ended up
38:41
Speaker 1: in and she would have been watching the news to
38:43
Speaker 1: see our bodies being rolled into an ambulance. It makes
38:47
Speaker 1: me feel guilty, but I will never and have never
38:51
Speaker 1: stepped another foot in that playground since when this happened,
39:00
Speaker 1: I was about twelve or thirteen. I was staying the
39:04
Speaker 1: night at my friend Rosa's house, and her mom left
39:07
Speaker 1: us to care for her little sister while she went
39:09
Speaker 1: out for a few hours. Being the good babysitters we were,
39:13
Speaker 1: we descended to head over to a local park that
39:16
Speaker 1: had a playground just to hang out for a while
39:19
Speaker 1: and let her sister play. We had been there for
39:22
Speaker 1: about thirty minutes and we were just hanging out and
39:25
Speaker 1: pushing her little ciss on the swings when two guys
39:28
Speaker 1: showed up and sat at a picnic table close to
39:30
Speaker 1: the playground. The first guy looked to be in his teens,
39:34
Speaker 1: probably five ten, short, dark hair, brown eyes and medium build,
39:40
Speaker 1: but the other guy had to have been in his
39:42
Speaker 1: early thirties. He was very large, probably at about six'
39:46
Speaker 1: one two hundred and fifty, pounds and had a full
39:50
Speaker 1: beard and shoulder length curly hair with green. Eyes we
39:54
Speaker 1: noticed when they sat, down but didn't really give them
39:57
Speaker 1: a second. Thought apart from their adh and physical, appearance
40:01
Speaker 1: there was nothing that really stood out about them until
40:05
Speaker 1: the older, guy whose name Was, chris decided to start
40:08
Speaker 1: a conversation with. Us at, first he asked us our
40:12
Speaker 1: names and gave us, theirs and then asked what we
40:15
Speaker 1: were up to. Today still being the polite KID i
40:19
Speaker 1: was raised to, BE i answered, him BUT i kept
40:22
Speaker 1: my answer short and continued to play With rosa and her.
40:25
Speaker 1: Sister he kept asking questions like where we were heading
40:28
Speaker 1: later and rather we wanted to hang out with him
40:31
Speaker 1: and his, nephew who was the younger guy whose NAME
40:35
Speaker 1: i can't, remember all the while getting closer and closer
40:38
Speaker 1: to us as he was. Talking we told him that
40:42
Speaker 1: we were just going home After rose's sister was done,
40:44
Speaker 1: playing and that we weren't allowed to go anywhere. Else
40:48
Speaker 1: he then offered me some beer that he had with.
40:50
Speaker 1: Him and asked me IF i. SMOKED i had never
40:53
Speaker 1: drinken any alcohol at that, point AND i wasn't about
40:56
Speaker 1: to start, then SO i declined his. Offer he then
41:00
Speaker 1: told me how PRETTY i was and asked me IF
41:03
Speaker 1: i had a, boyfriend and without skipping a, beat told
41:06
Speaker 1: me that he had recently just gotten out of jail
41:09
Speaker 1: and was looking for a. GIRLFRIEND i told him THAT
41:12
Speaker 1: i didn't have a boyfriend AND i wasn't interested in
41:14
Speaker 1: having one. Either during this whole, interaction he would occasionally
41:19
Speaker 1: address his attention to his, nephew and from the interactions
41:22
Speaker 1: that they, HAD i quickly caught on that they were
41:25
Speaker 1: in a, gang which is WHEN i actually started getting,
41:28
Speaker 1: nervous as EVEN i knew that you didn't mess with
41:31
Speaker 1: the people in the local. GANGS i knew that we
41:34
Speaker 1: had to be careful about what we said.
41:36
Speaker 2: Next he was.
41:37
Speaker 1: Quiet after, that AND i figured that they were going
41:40
Speaker 1: to move on and bug someone, else BUT i was.
41:43
Speaker 1: Wrong he then asked me again what we were going
41:46
Speaker 1: to do later and if we wanted to hang out
41:49
Speaker 1: with them, instead telling us how much fun we would
41:52
Speaker 1: have and how they could buy us a beer or
41:54
Speaker 1: whatever we. WANTED i told him, again we couldn't go,
41:57
Speaker 1: anywhere and we had to watch rosa little. Sister then
42:02
Speaker 1: he went quiet. AGAIN i know he should have just
42:05
Speaker 1: picked up and left right, then BUT i had just
42:07
Speaker 1: started getting into my rebellious stage and thought we could
42:11
Speaker 1: handle these guys no, problem and they weren't really a.
42:15
Speaker 1: Threat we weren't ready to go back To rosa's house just,
42:18
Speaker 1: yet and he went and sat on another picnic, table
42:21
Speaker 1: thinking that if we ignored, them they would get the
42:24
Speaker 1: hint and go. Away of, course not one minute, Later
42:28
Speaker 1: chris and his nephew came and sat with. Us his
42:31
Speaker 1: nephew stayed at one end of the, table But chris
42:34
Speaker 1: decided to come sit right next to me and started
42:37
Speaker 1: telling me again about how PRETTY i was and how
42:40
Speaker 1: he could be my, boyfriend and we should just go
42:43
Speaker 1: and hang out at his place or WHEREVER i wanted to.
42:46
Speaker 1: Go at this, point his nephew started looking kind of.
42:49
Speaker 1: Nervous he was very casually chatting With, rosa BUT i
42:53
Speaker 1: could tell he realized how young we were and that
42:57
Speaker 1: his uncle was really starting to cross the. Line he
43:00
Speaker 1: told me he thought they should go do something else
43:02
Speaker 1: Because rosa AND i couldn't go. Anywhere But chris wasn't
43:05
Speaker 1: having any of. THAT i don't remember what he said,
43:09
Speaker 1: next as he was still sitting next to, me but
43:12
Speaker 1: the next THING i, know he puts his arms around
43:14
Speaker 1: my shoulders and pulled me into his. SIDE i was
43:18
Speaker 1: completely caught off guard and didn't even know how to.
43:21
Speaker 1: REACT i had never had an older guy that close to,
43:24
Speaker 1: me let alone touch me like. THAT i KNOW i
43:27
Speaker 1: should have at least pushed him away or done, something
43:30
Speaker 1: BUT i just. Froze he kept saying again and again
43:34
Speaker 1: how he could be my boyfriend and he would take
43:37
Speaker 1: good care of, me asking me IF i could go
43:40
Speaker 1: somewhere with.
43:40
Speaker 2: Him BUT i told.
43:42
Speaker 1: Him no and started trying to slowly get out from
43:44
Speaker 1: under his arm without making a big deal out of.
43:47
Speaker 1: It at that, MOMENT i started getting scared as he
43:51
Speaker 1: was getting really, pushy AND i didn't want to piss
43:54
Speaker 1: him off as it was just us in the park
43:57
Speaker 1: AND i couldn't see or hear anyone else. Around he
44:00
Speaker 1: then pulls me closer to, him and this time he kissed.
44:03
Speaker 1: Me it wasn't just a quick little, peck it was a,
44:06
Speaker 1: forceful lingering kiss that completely threw me. Off my mind started.
44:12
Speaker 1: RACING i couldn't believe what just, happened and Even rosa
44:16
Speaker 1: was just sitting there with a look of complete shock
44:19
Speaker 1: on her. FACE i decided THAT i had enough of
44:22
Speaker 1: this and we had to get out of. THERE i
44:24
Speaker 1: pulled away one last, time and he told me again
44:28
Speaker 1: we should go somewhere to have some. Fun he wasn't
44:31
Speaker 1: very creative and just kept saying the same things over
44:34
Speaker 1: and over, again just wording them slightly. Different it was
44:39
Speaker 1: now very obvious what he had on his. MIND i
44:42
Speaker 1: told him that it was getting late and we had
44:44
Speaker 1: to Get rose's little sister home as her mom was
44:47
Speaker 1: going to be back. Soon he didn't seem very happy
44:50
Speaker 1: with hearing, that SO i told him that we had
44:53
Speaker 1: to take her sister, home but maybe we could come
44:55
Speaker 1: back and hang out with him some. More it was
44:58
Speaker 1: obvious he didn't want to let me, go BUT i
45:01
Speaker 1: promised that we would come. Back, FINALLY i guess he
45:04
Speaker 1: either believed me or just decided to let me up
45:07
Speaker 1: SO i could go Get rose's little sister.
45:09
Speaker 2: To carry her.
45:10
Speaker 1: HOME i had just turned around and was getting ready
45:13
Speaker 1: to Tell rosa that we had to leave, now and
45:16
Speaker 1: suddenly he changed his mind and stood up and came
45:19
Speaker 1: over to. ME i had just Put rosa's little sister
45:23
Speaker 1: down for a, moment as she was getting kind of
45:25
Speaker 1: heavy for, me AND i knew that we had a
45:28
Speaker 1: ways to, walk SO i wanted to give my arms
45:30
Speaker 1: a break for just a. Second he took that opportunity
45:34
Speaker 1: to grab me from behind and pull me into, him
45:38
Speaker 1: kind of like a bear, hug with his whole body
45:40
Speaker 1: pressed up against. MINE a whole flood of emotions ran
45:43
Speaker 1: through me at that, moment, fear, confusion and still a
45:48
Speaker 1: bit of denial that he would really do something to hurt.
45:51
Speaker 1: Me BUT i knew it was wrong either, way AND
45:54
Speaker 1: i needed to get the hell away from. HIM i
45:57
Speaker 1: was still kind of in a state of shock at the,
45:59
Speaker 1: time BUT i KNEW i had to keep my wits about.
46:02
Speaker 1: ME i decided to play along and try to work
46:05
Speaker 1: out a way for him to let us leave without
46:07
Speaker 1: making him mad or THINK i was lying to. HIM
46:11
Speaker 1: i told him again that we had to go and
46:13
Speaker 1: That rosa's mom will get mad and come looking for,
46:16
Speaker 1: us BUT i promised him that we would just drop
46:19
Speaker 1: her sister off and come. Back he let me, go
46:22
Speaker 1: but still didn't seem. CONVINCED i told him again as
46:26
Speaker 1: convincingly AS i could that we had to Take rose's
46:29
Speaker 1: sister home and told him just to wait for us.
46:31
Speaker 1: There he seemed to have bought, it so we quickly
46:34
Speaker 1: started walking back To rosa's house while he and his
46:37
Speaker 1: nephew were sat at the. Table as we started, WALKING
46:40
Speaker 1: i glanced back and saw his nephew trying to get
46:43
Speaker 1: him to leave, again SO i, thought, great they're, leaving
46:47
Speaker 1: so there's no way they're going to see where we're
46:49
Speaker 1: going or follow.
46:51
Speaker 2: Us.
46:52
Speaker 1: Wrong just AS i thought they were leaving in the opposite,
46:56
Speaker 1: Direction chris decided to follow. Us we had a bit
47:00
Speaker 1: of a head, start but he was a really big
47:02
Speaker 1: guy and was gaining on us. Quickly we hurried as
47:06
Speaker 1: fast as we could because we didn't want him to
47:08
Speaker 1: see where she, lived so once we got on her,
47:11
Speaker 1: street we took off. Running we finally got back To
47:15
Speaker 1: rose's apartment and thought we were in the. CLEAR i
47:19
Speaker 1: could Hear chris calling out my, name BUT i couldn't see,
47:22
Speaker 1: him so we all went inside as quickly and as
47:25
Speaker 1: quietly as we. Could once, inside we all went over
47:28
Speaker 1: to the. WINDOW i could still Hear chris calling out
47:31
Speaker 1: my name and getting really close so we decided to
47:35
Speaker 1: stay quiet and carefully watched from the window to see
47:38
Speaker 1: if they had seen where we. Went, luckily they kept
47:41
Speaker 1: walking Past rosa's. Apartment we both breathed a huge sigh
47:46
Speaker 1: of relief and then started freaking out because neither of
47:49
Speaker 1: us had ever experienced anything like that. Before but we
47:53
Speaker 1: were so glad it was over and we were in the.
47:55
Speaker 1: Clear shortly after, That rosa's mom got home and we
47:59
Speaker 1: went out to meet her in the parking. Area neither
48:02
Speaker 1: of us had any intentions of telling her what, happened
48:06
Speaker 1: As rose's mom wasn't the nicest and we were sure
48:09
Speaker 1: we would have gotten into trouble even though we didn't
48:11
Speaker 1: do anything. Wrong we all get back upstairs and we're
48:15
Speaker 1: just chatting With ros's mom and her younger. Brother then
48:18
Speaker 1: we heard a knock at the. Door my heart stopped
48:21
Speaker 1: AS i could SWEAR i Heard chris's voice on the
48:23
Speaker 1: other side of the. Door we both went back into
48:26
Speaker 1: the kitchen As rose's mom went to answer the. Door
48:29
Speaker 1: it Was chris and his nephew. Again, somehow they must
48:33
Speaker 1: have seen us when we went out to meet her
48:35
Speaker 1: mom in the parking lot and saw which apartment we
48:39
Speaker 1: went Into they Asked rose's mom if we were, there
48:43
Speaker 1: but luckily we were smart enough to give them fake,
48:45
Speaker 1: names and even Then rose's mom was having none of
48:49
Speaker 1: that and told them to get the hell out of
48:51
Speaker 1: there and slam the door in their. Face of, Course
48:55
Speaker 1: rose's mom knew something was up and asked us if
48:58
Speaker 1: we knew, them but we we weren't about to admit,
49:01
Speaker 1: that and we just told her that we had no
49:03
Speaker 1: idea what was going on.
49:04
Speaker 2: Or who they.
49:05
Speaker 1: WERE i don't think she really bought, it but she
49:09
Speaker 1: left it at that and told us not to answer the.
49:12
Speaker 1: Door later that, evening her mom was going out, again
49:16
Speaker 1: so it was Just rosa AND i in the. Apartment
49:19
Speaker 1: we were just hanging out in the living, room talking
49:21
Speaker 1: about how crazy the afternoon turned out to be and
49:24
Speaker 1: how glad we were that we didn't get into any,
49:26
Speaker 1: trouble and then we heard. It two voices that sounded
49:31
Speaker 1: very familiar just outside the. WINDOW i was terrified to even,
49:36
Speaker 1: move and then came a knock at the. Door there
49:40
Speaker 1: was no way that we were going to answer, it
49:43
Speaker 1: so we just kept as quiet as possible and prayed
49:46
Speaker 1: they would just go. Away they called out our names
49:49
Speaker 1: and tried knocking. Again then one of them tried turning the.
49:53
Speaker 1: Doorknob Thankfully rose's mom had locked it on our way.
49:56
Speaker 1: Out they tried knocking one more. Time we heard next
50:00
Speaker 1: was their footsteps walking away from the. Door we never
50:04
Speaker 1: saw either of them, again and we didn't go back
50:06
Speaker 1: to that park again for quite some. Time it was
50:09
Speaker 1: an incredibly surreal. Experience, HOWEVER i will never forget his,
50:14
Speaker 1: face the feel of his body against, mine or that
50:17
Speaker 1: he reeked of cigarettes and. Beer this is a Story
50:25
Speaker 1: i've been sitting on for a long, time mostly because
50:28
Speaker 1: it makes me realize that it's not over. Yet the
50:31
Speaker 1: clock is slowly ticking until the time comes when he is.
50:34
Speaker 1: Free and WHILE i hope he's long since forgotten, me
50:38
Speaker 1: something tells me he. HASN'T i should back. Up this
50:42
Speaker 1: happened in nineteen ninety, nine WHEN i was a sophomore
50:45
Speaker 1: in high school and fourteen years. OLD i had just
50:48
Speaker 1: moved back To america from The Middle, east WHERE i
50:51
Speaker 1: spent about five or six. Years because of the standard
50:54
Speaker 1: of dress there and the fact that my old school
50:57
Speaker 1: had uniforms AND i had no social, LIFE i didn't
51:01
Speaker 1: own A t, shirt let alone a pair of. Jeans every,
51:04
Speaker 1: DAY i went to school wearing a long dress or
51:06
Speaker 1: a long skirt with my mousey blonde hair tied back
51:10
Speaker 1: with a scarf like a. HEADBAND i was, awkward mouseie
51:14
Speaker 1: and had a hard time making. Friends this was a
51:17
Speaker 1: couple of years before nine to, eleven but in my
51:20
Speaker 1: little town there there was still animosity towards anyone, different
51:24
Speaker 1: and with My british accent and the fact of WHERE
51:27
Speaker 1: i grew, UP i was pretty. DIFFERENT i only had three, Friends, Joe,
51:32
Speaker 1: nathan And. Kenny joe lived on my bus, route though
51:36
Speaker 1: he was way out in the middle of the, country
51:39
Speaker 1: so he and his two younger brothers were always the
51:41
Speaker 1: first on the bus in the morning and the last
51:44
Speaker 1: off the bus in the. Evening our day always followed
51:47
Speaker 1: the same. SCHEDULE i would get on the, bus go
51:49
Speaker 1: sit next To joe and we talked for a little
51:52
Speaker 1: bit until we got to. School then we would hang
51:54
Speaker 1: out With nathan And kenny for a bit and go
51:57
Speaker 1: to our separate. CLASSES i was in advance placement classes
52:01
Speaker 1: and they were in the regular, ones SO i didn't
52:04
Speaker 1: share any with. Them but every other day our lunches,
52:07
Speaker 1: coincided so the four of us would get to eat.
52:09
Speaker 1: Together then in the, Evenings kenny And nathan would get
52:13
Speaker 1: picked up And joe AND i would take the bus.
52:16
Speaker 1: HOME i don't really remember how we started. DATING i
52:19
Speaker 1: Think joe told me that he liked, me AND i
52:22
Speaker 1: said THAT i liked him, back and then our routine
52:24
Speaker 1: would change ever so, slightly and that we would start
52:27
Speaker 1: holding hands on the bus and at lunchtime While kenny
52:31
Speaker 1: And nathan teased us. Relentlessly it was so, innocent even for.
52:35
Speaker 1: Fourteen joe was sweet and thoughtful and completely non. Threatening
52:40
Speaker 1: he was the type to always make sure you had
52:42
Speaker 1: the better half of, something always the first to offer
52:45
Speaker 1: his coat when you're, cold and always pulling out chairs
52:48
Speaker 1: and holding doors.
52:49
Speaker 2: OPEN a real.
52:50
Speaker 1: Gentleman this went on for, weeks though it stayed strictly at.
52:55
Speaker 1: School we weren't able to see each other outside of
52:58
Speaker 1: school because he always had to go straight home or
53:00
Speaker 1: his mother would be. Furious sometimes he would come to
53:04
Speaker 1: school with, bruises but he always said it was from
53:06
Speaker 1: rough housing with his, brothers AND i didn't really have
53:09
Speaker 1: a reason to doubt. Him then one, day there was
53:13
Speaker 1: an upcoming half day from, School joe suggested that he'd
53:16
Speaker 1: come over my place and we could have our first afternoon.
53:20
Speaker 2: Together we were both.
53:21
Speaker 1: Excited he would take the bus to my stop and
53:24
Speaker 1: then either walk or my parents would drive him home.
53:27
Speaker 1: Later it was going to be. GREAT i was beside
53:31
Speaker 1: myself with. Excitement everything went smoothly until the actual half.
53:36
Speaker 1: Day one of his brothers had found out about his
53:39
Speaker 1: plan and told his. Mother she then called up to the,
53:42
Speaker 1: school apparently shrieking like a banshee and demanding that he
53:46
Speaker 1: come home not a minute late or he would be
53:49
Speaker 1: in a world of. Hurt he told me at my
53:52
Speaker 1: stop that he would go, home talk to, her and
53:55
Speaker 1: then be back as soon as he, could even if
53:58
Speaker 1: he had to. WALK i was, worried but he kissed
54:01
Speaker 1: my cheek and said everything would be all right and
54:03
Speaker 1: that he would be there in an hour or. So
54:06
Speaker 1: SO i went inside and, waited and WHEN i finally
54:09
Speaker 1: got tired of waiting, INSIDE i went out with my
54:11
Speaker 1: dog and. WAITED i thought about calling, him but the
54:15
Speaker 1: one TIME i tried that, before his mother had spewed
54:18
Speaker 1: a bunch of venom at me for daring to call their,
54:20
Speaker 1: house and the idea made me, cringe SO i just. Waited,
54:24
Speaker 1: eventually the sun went down and he never showed up
54:28
Speaker 1: and never. CALLED i was, disappointed BUT i decided it
54:32
Speaker 1: was probably for the, best and went about my evening as.
54:35
Speaker 1: Usual the next, morning WHEN i got on the bus for,
54:39
Speaker 1: school the bus driver looked at me and suddenly started.
54:42
Speaker 1: SOBBING i thought that was, odd but it was kind
54:46
Speaker 1: of a dreary day in, general so MAYBE i was
54:49
Speaker 1: reading too much into. IT i started heading for the
54:52
Speaker 1: back of the school bus and noticed That joe wasn't.
54:55
Speaker 1: There neither were his two. Brothers that was. ODD i
54:59
Speaker 1: was starting to get, worried BUT i thought that maybe
55:02
Speaker 1: their mother had taken them to school. Herself that. Day
55:06
Speaker 1: the bus route went along as normal for a, while
55:09
Speaker 1: until we came to a heavily forested area where the
55:12
Speaker 1: driver pulled. Over she was shaking and crying and just
55:15
Speaker 1: not acting like. Herself almost, IMMEDIATELY i looked out the
55:20
Speaker 1: window and see three policemen walking up to the. Bus
55:23
Speaker 1: apparently they had pulled up behind. Her she talks to
55:27
Speaker 1: them for a, moment and then one of them leads her,
55:29
Speaker 1: off the other takes the, wheel and the third comes
55:33
Speaker 1: and sits by. Me NEAT i get to sit next
55:36
Speaker 1: to an, OFFICER i, Thought and THEN i thought THAT
55:39
Speaker 1: i was in, trouble especially since there were so many
55:43
Speaker 1: other open, Seats but he was very nice and we
55:46
Speaker 1: chattered about school and life until we got to the.
55:49
Speaker 1: Campus then both of the remaining officers followed us inside
55:53
Speaker 1: and went into the. OFFICE i went to meet up
55:56
Speaker 1: with the boys WHERE i usually, did But joe wasn't there.
56:00
Speaker 1: Either neither of them had seen. Him we just hoped
56:04
Speaker 1: that he was okay and went about our morning and first.
56:07
Speaker 1: PERIOD i received a page to come to the. Office,
56:10
Speaker 1: IMMEDIATELY i thought it was about some SCHOLARSHIPS i had
56:14
Speaker 1: been working, on BUT i thought it was where they
56:16
Speaker 1: pulled me out of. Class WHEN i got, there the,
56:20
Speaker 1: principal the, counselor and the police were all. THERE i
56:24
Speaker 1: suddenly felt like a caged. Rabbit and then they told
56:28
Speaker 1: me what. Happened the night. Before When joe got, home
56:32
Speaker 1: he had told his mother that he was coming to
56:34
Speaker 1: see me and that was. Final, obviously they argued about,
56:38
Speaker 1: it she grounded, him and it came to. BLOWS i
56:41
Speaker 1: found out later that his mother had been very abusive To,
56:44
Speaker 1: joe which doesn't excuse what, happened but it does add some,
56:48
Speaker 1: understanding at least to. Me after the confrontation was. Over
56:53
Speaker 1: he laid in bed all night planning on what he would.
56:55
Speaker 1: Do he decided that he was going to wait for
56:58
Speaker 1: his brothers to go to the school bus and hang,
57:00
Speaker 1: back telling them that he would drive himself to, school
57:04
Speaker 1: which wasn't too far out of the. Ordinary once they were,
57:07
Speaker 1: gone he would take a butcher knight from the kitchen
57:10
Speaker 1: and finish his argument with his mother once and for.
57:14
Speaker 1: All the next, morning everything when as planned for the most.
57:18
Speaker 1: Part he got his brothers up and dressed and out
57:21
Speaker 1: for school and watched until they were at the end
57:24
Speaker 1: of the long driveway to wait for the. Bus, then
57:28
Speaker 1: while his mother was, sleeping he went into her room
57:31
Speaker 1: and stabbed her multiple. Times, meanwhile on the other side of,
57:35
Speaker 1: town the gloomy weather was causing troubles with the. BUS
57:40
Speaker 1: i don't know the, details BUT i know that it
57:43
Speaker 1: was a few minutes late starting its. Route one THING
57:46
Speaker 1: i realized while riding this and That hollywood seems to
57:49
Speaker 1: miss half the, time is that when you stab someone
57:52
Speaker 1: while they're, sleeping they tend to wake.
57:54
Speaker 2: Up and she.
57:55
Speaker 1: Did she screamed and tried to fight, back but it
58:00
Speaker 1: was too determined and too. Strong since the bus was running.
58:04
Speaker 1: Late the brothers were still standing on the side of
58:06
Speaker 1: the road waiting when they heard the. Screaming they both
58:10
Speaker 1: turned and ran back to try to. Help they tried
58:13
Speaker 1: to defend their, mother But joe turned on, them slicing
58:17
Speaker 1: one of them across the palms and the other in the.
58:20
Speaker 1: Gut then he. Ran when the bus, arrived she saw
58:25
Speaker 1: one of the brothers staggering up the, driveway covered in
58:28
Speaker 1: blood and her, panic she kept going and called the.
58:31
Speaker 1: Police eventually he made it to the corner store a
58:35
Speaker 1: little ways. Away some stories say he crawled, there BUT
58:39
Speaker 1: i can't really confirm, that nor DO i really want.
58:42
Speaker 1: To after the police finished questioning, ME i was sent.
58:46
Speaker 1: HOME i remember lying on my parent's bed staring at
58:50
Speaker 1: THE tv while live coverage of his capture, played or
58:54
Speaker 1: maybe it was a. REPEAT i don't, remember BUT i
58:58
Speaker 1: do remember seeing the news chopper fill as the police
59:00
Speaker 1: helicopter followed After. Joe as he ran across the, field
59:05
Speaker 1: there was a cop perched out the, door embraced on
59:08
Speaker 1: one of the landing. Struts as the chopper got, lower
59:11
Speaker 1: he jumped out and tackled. Him that was the last
59:15
Speaker 1: TIME i ever Saw. Joe the part that creeps me, out,
59:18
Speaker 1: though was what happened. Afterwards he pled guilty and was
59:21
Speaker 1: sentenced to forty years for the murder and twenty for
59:24
Speaker 1: the assault on his. Brother not long after the letter.
59:28
Speaker 1: STARTED i never kept any but they were, long crazy
59:33
Speaker 1: ramblings about how he would be together, forever how he
59:36
Speaker 1: did it for, me and how he truly loved, me
59:39
Speaker 1: and he would do anything to be with. Me no,
59:42
Speaker 1: regret no. Remorse he was happy about what he did
59:46
Speaker 1: if it MEANT i was. His we moved awhile later
59:50
Speaker 1: and the letter. Stopped i'm happily married now in getting
59:54
Speaker 1: on with my. Life but every TIME i think about,
59:57
Speaker 1: HIM i remember he's up for parole and twenty. Twenty
1:00:01
Speaker 1: what happens when he gets, Out what happens if he
1:00:05
Speaker 1: comes looking for. Me this story is told from the
1:00:12
Speaker 1: point of view of a. Female this happened a few
1:00:16
Speaker 1: years ago during my first year of. University i'm from
1:00:20
Speaker 1: THE uk AND i studied In, york which is generally
1:00:24
Speaker 1: considered a pretty safe. CITY i was with my friends
1:00:27
Speaker 1: on a night out, clubbing and as often happens on nights,
1:00:30
Speaker 1: OUT i lost. THEM i was, tipsy but by no means,
1:00:34
Speaker 1: drunk and at this point my friends weren't answering their
1:00:38
Speaker 1: phones AND i had had, enough SO i decided to walk.
1:00:42
Speaker 1: Home my house is only around a twenty minute walk from,
1:00:45
Speaker 1: town and we always walked, home SO i didn't think
1:00:49
Speaker 1: much of walking home by. Myself WHEN i start, walking
1:00:52
Speaker 1: this guy starts walking next to. Me he Was, asian
1:00:56
Speaker 1: maybe around twenty, four so not too much older than.
1:00:59
Speaker 1: ME i was nineteen at the. Time york is a
1:01:03
Speaker 1: pretty friendly, city and tipsy students talking to other tipsy
1:01:06
Speaker 1: students they don't know is just the, norm SO i
1:01:09
Speaker 1: assumed he was just like, me just another alcohol infused
1:01:13
Speaker 1: person making his way. Home he started chatting to me
1:01:16
Speaker 1: about the usual, crap asking me WHAT i studied and
1:01:19
Speaker 1: things like. That we'd only been walking for a couple
1:01:23
Speaker 1: of minutes when he started asking me IF i had a.
1:01:25
Speaker 1: Boyfriend at this, POINT i started feeling. Uncomfortable we weren't
1:01:30
Speaker 1: in a secluded, area but it was around three in
1:01:33
Speaker 1: the morning and there were no cars or other people.
1:01:35
Speaker 1: Around my mind didn't instantly label him as some crazed serial,
1:01:40
Speaker 1: killer but a boy just trying his, luck which again
1:01:44
Speaker 1: is pretty common when you're a. Student it wasn't really
1:01:47
Speaker 1: a big, deal BUT i didn't want to walk with him.
1:01:50
Speaker 1: Anymore we'd only been walking together for around five minutes
1:01:53
Speaker 1: at this, point SO i tell him it was nice meeting,
1:01:57
Speaker 1: him and THAT i was at my. HOUSE i step
1:02:00
Speaker 1: outside some random house and stood there waiting for him
1:02:03
Speaker 1: to walk. Away BUT i think he KNEW i was,
1:02:06
Speaker 1: lying and he didn't. Leave this is WHEN i started
1:02:10
Speaker 1: to feel really. Unnerved he smiled at me and, said
1:02:14
Speaker 1: my car is near.
1:02:15
Speaker 2: Here do you want to lift SO i can make
1:02:17
Speaker 2: sure you get home. Safely when he said, THIS i became.
1:02:21
Speaker 2: Terrified my chest was so TIGHT i couldn't even. SPEAK
1:02:26
Speaker 2: i just sort of shook my head and mumbled some incomprehensible. Answer,
1:02:30
Speaker 2: next he comes right over to me and grabs my,
1:02:33
Speaker 2: arm saying that he just wants to help me get.
1:02:36
Speaker 2: HOME i remember feeling numb and LIKE i wasn't a
1:02:39
Speaker 2: part of my own body. Anymore it felt as THOUGH
1:02:42
Speaker 2: i was watching it happen to somebody else and not.
1:02:45
Speaker 2: ME i always thought THAT i would fight back if
1:02:48
Speaker 2: something like this ever happened to, me but INSTEAD i
1:02:51
Speaker 2: was frozen in. FEAR i don't remember where the car
1:02:55
Speaker 2: was or how long it took us to get. THERE
1:02:58
Speaker 2: i just remember feeling kind of floppy and letting myself
1:03:01
Speaker 2: get tugged. Along the next THING i remember was him
1:03:04
Speaker 2: opening the passenger door and me getting. IN i think
1:03:08
Speaker 2: he asked me WHERE i, live BUT i couldn't. Answer
1:03:11
Speaker 2: at this, point he started telling me what a pretty
1:03:13
Speaker 2: GIRL i was and how he just wanted a nice
1:03:16
Speaker 2: girl to talk to at. HOME i sat completely still
1:03:20
Speaker 2: and staring. Ahead he then put his hand on my
1:03:24
Speaker 2: thigh and started stroking, it and then began touching my
1:03:27
Speaker 2: breast while continuing to drive one. HANDED i felt disgusting and,
1:03:33
Speaker 2: guilty but at the same, TIME i THOUGHT i deserved
1:03:36
Speaker 2: it for getting in the car in the first, place
1:03:38
Speaker 2: SO i just let it. HAPPEN i remember THINKING i
1:03:42
Speaker 2: should fight him off or try to get out of the,
1:03:44
Speaker 2: car BUT i honestly couldn't even, speak let alone summon
1:03:48
Speaker 2: the energy to. STRUGGLE i had no idea where he
1:03:51
Speaker 2: was taking, me BUT i knew that we were heading
1:03:54
Speaker 2: away from the university. Area after around ten, MINUTES i
1:03:58
Speaker 2: seemed to unfreeze and it really hit me what was.
1:04:01
Speaker 2: HAPPENING i genuinely THOUGHT i was going to die in that.
1:04:05
Speaker 2: CAR i asked him IF i could get, out but
1:04:08
Speaker 2: he just kept smiling at. Me i'm only five' one
1:04:11
Speaker 2: and built. PRETTY small i didn't really stand a chance of,
1:04:14
Speaker 2: overpowering him, AND honestly i was still too scared to.
1:04:19
Speaker 2: Try anything at, this point my cell phone. Started ringing
1:04:23
Speaker 2: I'D forgotten i even had. A phone i've never answered
1:04:26
Speaker 2: anything so fast in. My life it was one of
1:04:29
Speaker 2: my HOUSEMAIDS who i was on the night, out with
1:04:32
Speaker 2: asking ME where. I was i didn't even look to
1:04:34
Speaker 2: see if the guy, was responding but the NEXT thing,
1:04:37
Speaker 2: i know he's pulling over and telling me to get
1:04:40
Speaker 2: out of.
1:04:41
Speaker 1: THE car i had no IDEA where, i WAS so
1:04:44
Speaker 1: i walked around looking for a street name and rang.
1:04:47
Speaker 1: A taxi i was sobbing and told the taxi driver,
1:04:51
Speaker 1: what happened and he told me to tell the police
1:04:54
Speaker 1: and even offered to take, me THERE but i couldn't
1:04:57
Speaker 1: bring myself to, do IT and i didn't want to
1:04:59
Speaker 1: stay in in that car any LONGER than i. HAD
1:05:01
Speaker 1: to i got dropped off at home and PROMISED that
1:05:05
Speaker 1: i would inform the police in. THE morning i never
1:05:08
Speaker 1: told anyone else about what happened, that NIGHT and i
1:05:11
Speaker 1: blame myself for being stupid enough to, walk home and
1:05:14
Speaker 1: for not being strong enough, TO fight i pretty much
1:05:17
Speaker 1: willingly gotten his stupid car and let myself. GET assaulted
1:05:21
Speaker 1: i could have been raped. Or murdered this whole incident
1:05:25
Speaker 1: has made me very distrustful. OF men i, have, depression
1:05:29
Speaker 1: anxiety and issues with self harm which were triggered by.
1:05:34
Speaker 2: What happened.
1:05:38
Speaker 1: This story is from the point of view of. A
1:05:41
Speaker 1: female a few, YEARS ago i held, two jobs one
1:05:46
Speaker 1: at a, taco place the other at a small. General
1:05:49
Speaker 1: store the taco place was. Always busy we were separated
1:05:53
Speaker 1: from the customers, by encounter which was about. Elbow height
1:05:57
Speaker 1: interactions with customers was pretty much kept to a man
1:06:00
Speaker 1: so we could be fast and focused on making food
1:06:03
Speaker 1: and moving on to the. Next customer working at the
1:06:06
Speaker 1: general store was a. Lot different it was much, slower
1:06:10
Speaker 1: paced except, around noon when every old person in town wanted,
1:06:14
Speaker 1: to shop. IT seemed i usually worked nights at the
1:06:17
Speaker 1: general store and days at the. Taco place the work
1:06:20
Speaker 1: at the general store consisted of cleaning and unpacking boxes
1:06:24
Speaker 1: to stock, the shelves and the majority of my chores
1:06:28
Speaker 1: didn't involve me being behind. The counter this led to
1:06:31
Speaker 1: a lot more interaction with the customers in a more.
1:06:34
Speaker 1: Friendly environment it was HERE that i had the encounter
1:06:37
Speaker 1: with the. Crazy man he was, a bald white guy
1:06:41
Speaker 1: somewhere in his thirties. Or FORTIES since i didn't have,
1:06:44
Speaker 1: A car i was getting rides to my college on
1:06:47
Speaker 1: the other side of town by, my boyfriend who is now.
1:06:50
Speaker 1: My husband the FIRST time i saw, this creep he
1:06:53
Speaker 1: was walking along the. Sidewalk blindfolded it was a busy
1:06:58
Speaker 1: road with lots, of traffic and he.
1:07:00
Speaker 2: Had on a.
1:07:01
Speaker 1: FUCKING blindfold i guess he thought he was cool or
1:07:04
Speaker 1: something by showing off his ability not to stumble, and
1:07:07
Speaker 1: die but he just looked like a. Crazy person when
1:07:11
Speaker 1: my boyfriend couldn't, DRIVE me i had. To walk it
1:07:14
Speaker 1: was only a couple blocks from, my apartment so it wasn't.
1:07:17
Speaker 1: Too bad the ONLY time i had to walk in
1:07:19
Speaker 1: the dark was at the end of a, closing SHIFT
1:07:21
Speaker 1: so i was never. Too worried, ONE day i was
1:07:24
Speaker 1: working at the taco place and the blindfold man tries
1:07:28
Speaker 1: to talk. TO me i brushed him off and get
1:07:30
Speaker 1: back to work helping the, next customer only giving him
1:07:34
Speaker 1: a brief comment and then. Dismissing, him apparently this made
1:07:38
Speaker 1: him mad because he stuck around hoping that work would,
1:07:41
Speaker 1: slow down but. IT didn't i didn't see him again
1:07:44
Speaker 1: until a few days later he came into the general
1:07:47
Speaker 1: store wearing the. Blindfold again he took it off to
1:07:51
Speaker 1: shop and then came up to the register. To pay
1:07:54
Speaker 1: he didn't, Say anything he just stared at ME as
1:07:56
Speaker 1: i rang up his items and told him. The total
1:07:59
Speaker 1: he handed me a wad, of sweaty crumpled bills that
1:08:03
Speaker 1: he pulled out of. HIS pocket i gingerly put them
1:08:06
Speaker 1: in the register and gave him. HIS change i handed him,
1:08:09
Speaker 1: his bags and he stared at me some more and.
1:08:12
Speaker 1: THEN left i washed my hands and then continued on with.
1:08:15
Speaker 1: MY day i had forgotten all about him until a
1:08:19
Speaker 1: week later he shows up at my job at the
1:08:21
Speaker 1: taco place with a yellow plastic bag from the. General
1:08:25
Speaker 1: store he had obviously gone there first and then came
1:08:29
Speaker 1: to the taco place looking for me. For once you
1:08:32
Speaker 1: were slow at the, taco place he called me over to.
1:08:34
Speaker 1: THE counter i know, your mom. HE said i honestly
1:08:39
Speaker 1: didn't doubt that my mom was into some heavy shit,
1:08:42
Speaker 1: back then and this guy seemed to be. A tweaker
1:08:45
Speaker 1: suddenly he pulls out an envelope full of twenty dollars
1:08:48
Speaker 1: bills and throws it on. The, Counter smiling he backs
1:08:51
Speaker 1: away towards, the door not saying. Anything else what's? This
1:08:56
Speaker 1: for he shrugs, AND says i want to help you.
1:09:00
Speaker 1: GUYS out i take the money and look. AT it
1:09:03
Speaker 1: i then test it with the pens we have by.
1:09:06
Speaker 1: The registers it was. All real he had actually given
1:09:10
Speaker 1: me a want of cash that came out to be five.
1:09:13
Speaker 1: Hundred dollars don't get, ME wrong i, was GRATEFUL but
1:09:17
Speaker 1: i was also sketched the. Fuck out after, MY shift
1:09:20
Speaker 1: i walked over to the, police department which also was
1:09:23
Speaker 1: in the same lot as my other. TWO jobs i
1:09:26
Speaker 1: rang the intercom and they eventually sent out two. POLICE
1:09:28
Speaker 1: officers i explained. The situation they didn't really take. Me
1:09:32
Speaker 1: seriously THEY thought i was being some paranoid girl trying
1:09:36
Speaker 1: to FriendZone some. Nice guy they told me that there
1:09:39
Speaker 1: wasn't anything he had done wrong and that money.
1:09:41
Speaker 2: WAS mine i.
1:09:43
Speaker 1: Had been willing to give up the money as evidence
1:09:45
Speaker 1: in case it was stolen or obtained due to selling.
1:09:48
Speaker 1: Heavy drugs the guy did claim he knew. My mom
1:09:51
Speaker 1: that of course turned out to be. A lie the
1:09:54
Speaker 1: cops left and nothing more came. OF it i had
1:09:57
Speaker 1: put the incident behind ME until i saw. Him again
1:10:00
Speaker 1: it was at the STORE and i was ringing. Him up,
1:10:03
Speaker 1: this time instead of staring and, saying nothing he asked
1:10:07
Speaker 1: me for my. Phone, number, now guys never hit on
1:10:11
Speaker 1: a girl who works in. Customer service she is obligated
1:10:15
Speaker 1: to be polite, to you but that doesn't mean she
1:10:17
Speaker 1: likes you just because she's. Being, nice plus it's an
1:10:21
Speaker 1: extremely uncomfortable situation to. Be, IN anyway i came up
1:10:25
Speaker 1: with the FIRST excuse. I could i don't have. A
1:10:28
Speaker 1: phone he didn't. Even blink he just went from standing
1:10:31
Speaker 1: there to suddenly leaning over the register and growling in.
1:10:35
Speaker 1: My face what's? The matter you don't? Like me you
1:10:39
Speaker 1: think you're too good. FOR me i gave you all,
1:10:42
Speaker 1: that money what's wrong? WITH you i took several. Steps
1:10:47
Speaker 1: back what the? Actual FUCK then i heard my boss
1:10:51
Speaker 1: call my name from across, the store asking ME if
1:10:54
Speaker 1: i could help her adjust. Some shelves the guy then
1:10:57
Speaker 1: walked off and left. THE store i took a moment
1:11:00
Speaker 1: to call my boyfriend and have him come pick me
1:11:02
Speaker 1: up at the end of. MY shift i realized that
1:11:06
Speaker 1: was good thinking on, my part because the guy was
1:11:09
Speaker 1: standing outside the stoor smoking a cigarette and waiting. For me,
1:11:13
Speaker 1: AFTER that i have my boyfriend pick me up and
1:11:16
Speaker 1: drop me off every DAY until i finally get a
1:11:19
Speaker 1: vehicle to drive. To work, later on everyone at the
1:11:22
Speaker 1: taco place was talking about a stabbing that happened. Last
1:11:25
Speaker 1: night they told me that the guy waited under someone's
1:11:29
Speaker 1: car while wearing. A blindfold once they were about to open,
1:11:33
Speaker 1: their door this fucker stabs him in the ankle and
1:11:36
Speaker 1: slides out from under. THE car i guess he didn't
1:11:39
Speaker 1: realize that there were other people in the same, parking
1:11:41
Speaker 1: lot because as soon as he, saw them he took.
1:11:45
Speaker 1: OFF running a few, DAYS later i went into my,
1:11:48
Speaker 1: second job and, my supervisor who had been with me
1:11:51
Speaker 1: the night the creep was waiting, for me showed me
1:11:53
Speaker 1: a picture in the newspaper and an article a few
1:11:57
Speaker 1: towns over this guy had stabbed, someone else but he
1:12:00
Speaker 1: had actually killed them. This time he stabbed a woman
1:12:03
Speaker 1: thirty two times before he was arrested. On sight he
1:12:07
Speaker 1: hadn't seen anyone around this time with. His blindfold my
1:12:11
Speaker 1: guess is that there was enough light that he could
1:12:13
Speaker 1: make out the outlines of people the, first time but
1:12:16
Speaker 1: the second time he chose, a darker more. Secluded location
1:12:21
Speaker 1: so lucky, FOR me i didn't become a victim of.
1:12:24
Speaker 1: This creep but it's just scary to think that someone
1:12:28
Speaker 1: this crazy actually lived in the same town. As me
1:12:31
Speaker 1: it's really something else when you wonder about how many
1:12:34
Speaker 1: killers or would be killers you might. Come across hunting
1:12:42
Speaker 1: is an avid hobby, of mine and it runs in.
1:12:45
Speaker 1: My family my favorite animals to hunt are deer, and
1:12:49
Speaker 1: boores as they are quite a CHALLENGE and i love.
1:12:53
Speaker 1: A challenge i also love hunting in general and camping in.
1:12:56
Speaker 1: The woods it's therapeutic for me as you're in nature's,
1:13:00
Speaker 1: natural habitat which can be greatly appreciated when you're. By
1:13:03
Speaker 1: yourself accompanying this are the type of people you meet.
1:13:07
Speaker 1: WHILE hiking i have met people who have shared their
1:13:10
Speaker 1: food and campfire, with me but most of the time
1:13:13
Speaker 1: it's your animal friends who. ACCOMPANY you i wish the
1:13:17
Speaker 1: story was all, about that but things took a turn for.
1:13:21
Speaker 1: THE worst i had recently completed an ASSIGNMENT which i
1:13:24
Speaker 1: would describe as long winded and, quite boring even though
1:13:29
Speaker 1: it was my favorite topic. Human biology due, TO this
1:13:32
Speaker 1: i descended to take a five day hike across a
1:13:35
Speaker 1: vast stretch of woods that were brilliant. For hunting as a,
1:13:40
Speaker 1: HUNTING enthusiast i decided to hunt for some deer and
1:13:43
Speaker 1: possibly some BORES if i came. Across ANY so i
1:13:47
Speaker 1: prepped my, water filter packed my tranquilizer and, hunting equipment
1:13:52
Speaker 1: as well as my pop up tent and. SOME snacks
1:13:55
Speaker 1: i took the three and a half hour drive to.
1:13:57
Speaker 1: MY destination i was STOKED as i could wind around
1:14:01
Speaker 1: nature and enjoy the atmosphere the. WOODS provided i arrived
1:14:06
Speaker 1: at what looked like an abandoned parking lot around THREE.
1:14:09
Speaker 1: Thirty pm all of the bays, were empty and the
1:14:12
Speaker 1: ranger's office looked as if it had been unoccupied. FOR
1:14:15
Speaker 1: years i brushed it off park and began. My hike
1:14:20
Speaker 1: the place gave me a very, uneasy vibe as if
1:14:23
Speaker 1: the woods beyond the ranger station were kind. OF sinister
1:14:28
Speaker 1: i can't really describe what gave me, this UNEASINESS but
1:14:32
Speaker 1: i honestly just chalked it up to the place being abandoned.
1:14:35
Speaker 1: And creepy, EITHER way i headed out onto the path
1:14:39
Speaker 1: and began scouting the area. For animals these woods were.
1:14:43
Speaker 1: Quite exquisite the sun was shining through the trees and
1:14:47
Speaker 1: the animals were up. AND active i came across a,
1:14:50
Speaker 1: few deer but. No. Boors unfortunately fast forward to eight.
1:14:55
Speaker 1: Thirty pm it was an eventful and it was getting.
1:14:59
Speaker 1: Pretty DARK now i need to Add that i'm quite a,
1:15:02
Speaker 1: paranoid GUY as i was robbed at the age, of
1:15:05
Speaker 1: fifteen and even though all was okay in, the end
1:15:09
Speaker 1: that paranoia of something or someone lurking in the shadow
1:15:12
Speaker 1: stayed with me in the back of my mind and
1:15:15
Speaker 1: especially makes itself Known when i'm out alone. At, NIGHT
1:15:19
Speaker 1: anyway i whipped up, a fire cooked up, some marshmallows
1:15:22
Speaker 1: and warmed up, some beans minding my. Own business, AFTER
1:15:27
Speaker 1: this i decided to go on a late, night HUNT
1:15:30
Speaker 1: as i did a two week course and how to
1:15:32
Speaker 1: hunt prey in the woods when, it's DARK and i
1:15:35
Speaker 1: think it really. Paid off fifteen, MINUTES later i put
1:15:39
Speaker 1: the fire OUT as i prepared, to leave but then
1:15:42
Speaker 1: my blood ran as cold as ice and my hand
1:15:46
Speaker 1: started to SHAKE when i saw the silhouette of a
1:15:49
Speaker 1: person about one hundred meters away. From me it, was
1:15:53
Speaker 1: UNEXPECTED so i internally freaked the fuck out as well
1:15:58
Speaker 1: AS this i noticed a knife in their, left hand
1:16:01
Speaker 1: and it looked like they were crouching and stalking something
1:16:04
Speaker 1: as they had their knife at. THE ready i believe
1:16:07
Speaker 1: it was a man about six, foot tall and his
1:16:10
Speaker 1: back was, facing ME so i believed that he DIDN'T
1:16:13
Speaker 1: notice i. Was there after, shooting bricks while watching this
1:16:17
Speaker 1: man for about, five minutes he disappeared into the. INKY
1:16:21
Speaker 1: night i got over it. PRETTY quickly i figured it
1:16:25
Speaker 1: was just another hunter. LIKE myself i honestly wished that was.
1:16:29
Speaker 1: The case fast forward about. An hour it's around nine
1:16:34
Speaker 1: forty five Pm and i'm feeling confident enough to go
1:16:37
Speaker 1: back out and into the black wilderness and catch a deer,
1:16:41
Speaker 1: or two or maybe even. A boar i pinpointed where
1:16:45
Speaker 1: my tent was on the map and went on my
1:16:47
Speaker 1: way with my. Hunting equipment ten, Minutes later i'm practically
1:16:51
Speaker 1: in no. Man's land everywhere around me was, pitch BLACK
1:16:55
Speaker 1: but i KNEW what i. WAS doing i was stalking
1:16:57
Speaker 1: a deer which had noticed me and was about fifty
1:17:01
Speaker 1: meters in front, of me just. WANDERING around i grabbed
1:17:05
Speaker 1: my tranquilizer and placed the deer in. My sights THAT'S
1:17:08
Speaker 1: when i heard a. Twig snap my, eyes darted my
1:17:12
Speaker 1: legs turned, into JELLY and i jerked my neck towards
1:17:15
Speaker 1: the source of. The noise there was a fucking silhouette
1:17:18
Speaker 1: that appeared out of a tree to the left, of
1:17:21
Speaker 1: me about fifty, yards away and just. Watched me not,
1:17:26
Speaker 1: the deer. But me his size told me that he
1:17:30
Speaker 1: was the same guy. From before six foot roughly two.
1:17:34
Speaker 1: Hundred pounds he stared, at ME and i. Stared back
1:17:38
Speaker 1: my body was still as, a stone but a sudden
1:17:41
Speaker 1: outburst of adrenaline was causing me. TO shake i couldn't
1:17:44
Speaker 1: see his face as it was. Too dark fuck was
1:17:49
Speaker 1: he some kind of late night? Human BUTCHER will i
1:17:52
Speaker 1: ever see?
1:17:52
Speaker 2: Daylight?
1:17:52
Speaker 1: AGAIN um i just about. Choked out? WHO'S there i
1:17:58
Speaker 1: tried to say in the CALM voice, i could but
1:18:01
Speaker 1: the fear was obvious in. My voice the man raised
1:18:05
Speaker 1: his hand with the knife and pointed his index finger.
1:18:08
Speaker 2: At me that.
1:18:10
Speaker 1: WAS it i fucking, bolted it almost tripping myself up
1:18:14
Speaker 1: and hitting my head on some. Tree branches twigs snapped rapidly.
1:18:19
Speaker 1: Behind me the son of a bitch was. CHASING me
1:18:23
Speaker 1: i looked back once and saw his right hand brushing
1:18:26
Speaker 1: tree branches to the side, of him his knife gripped
1:18:29
Speaker 1: tightly in his. LEFT hand i then REALIZED that i dropped.
1:18:33
Speaker 1: My tranquilizer, FUCK it i can buy. ANOTHER one I
1:18:37
Speaker 1: know i should have just shot, the guy but it's
1:18:40
Speaker 1: amazing what one can forget in a, horrifying situation even
1:18:44
Speaker 1: if it's. A gun i wasn't going back. FOR it
1:18:48
Speaker 1: a ton of thoughts were going through my HEAD while i.
1:18:50
Speaker 2: Was fleeing, why me what does?
1:18:53
Speaker 1: He?
1:18:53
Speaker 2: Want?
1:18:54
Speaker 1: Money food that WAS when i HONESTLY thought i, pissed
1:18:57
Speaker 1: myself as he said in a, rapid tone isn't? This
1:19:02
Speaker 1: fun he then had the audacity to start laughing in a,
1:19:06
Speaker 1: patronizing WAY and i couldn't take. IT anymore i, sped
1:19:10
Speaker 1: up and let me, tell you it's amazing what the
1:19:13
Speaker 1: human body can do when adrenaline an instinct. Takes over
1:19:17
Speaker 1: i've never ran so fast in. MY life i made a,
1:19:20
Speaker 1: hard rite dived into some, nearby bushes and eventually lost.
1:19:25
Speaker 1: THE guy i heard his footsteps go in the, opposite
1:19:28
Speaker 1: way and it turns OUT that i went in a huge.
1:19:31
Speaker 1: Fucking CIRCLE as i could see my tent about fifty.
1:19:35
Speaker 1: METERS away i was fucking shaking and tears were starting,
1:19:39
Speaker 1: to FORM but i. STAYED strong i tuned in my
1:19:43
Speaker 1: ears to the, inky BLACKNESS and i. HEARD nothing i.
1:19:48
Speaker 1: SAW nothing i was not going to turn on my,
1:19:51
Speaker 1: phone light as it would make me a. VISIBLE target
1:19:54
Speaker 1: i carefully made for my tent and checked. My watch
1:19:58
Speaker 1: it was now ten. THIRTY pm i sat still in,
1:20:01
Speaker 1: my tent listening to every SMALL noise i could from.
1:20:04
Speaker 1: THE woods i held my BREATH as i heard a
1:20:14
Speaker 1: twig snap, behind me and with that it was accompanied.
1:20:18
Speaker 2: By, a low. Sinister voice you think you? COULD run?
1:20:22
Speaker 2: I win?
1:20:23
Speaker 1: With that my tent was, sliced open and the fucker
1:20:27
Speaker 1: popped his. Head in he was fucking licking his lips
1:20:31
Speaker 1: and his eyes were wide open and locked. With mine,
1:20:35
Speaker 1: you lose he screamed as he pulled out. His knife
1:20:39
Speaker 1: fighting was not my, strong point but going to the
1:20:42
Speaker 1: gym made me a pretty. Able guy so as he
1:20:45
Speaker 1: tried to, STAB me i grabbed both of his arms
1:20:47
Speaker 1: and fended, off him plunging the blade into. MY torso
1:20:51
Speaker 1: i tried to disarm, the fucker and he laughed during.
1:20:54
Speaker 1: THE process i thought he was trying to. Intimidate, ME
1:20:58
Speaker 1: however i was ready to. Kill him to, DEFEND myself
1:21:01
Speaker 1: i restrained his, left wrist but his knife was inches
1:21:04
Speaker 1: away from going into, my FOOT so i stepped onto
1:21:07
Speaker 1: his right hand and pulled back on his. Left wrist,
1:21:11
Speaker 1: then snap his left wrist. Was broke he let out
1:21:15
Speaker 1: a blood. CHILLING scream i now had the, upper HAND
1:21:19
Speaker 1: and i took advantage. OF it i got the knife
1:21:22
Speaker 1: from his shattered hand and gave him a taste of his.
1:21:24
Speaker 1: OWN medicine i sunk the knife deep into his right
1:21:27
Speaker 1: hand and. HE screamed i landed a, few PUNCHES and
1:21:31
Speaker 1: I think i broke. HIS nose i grabbed my arm
1:21:34
Speaker 1: in pain as he fought back and bent it in an,
1:21:37
Speaker 1: awkward POSITION but i honestly couldn't afford to care about.
1:21:40
Speaker 1: My injuries he tried to, kick ME but i punched
1:21:44
Speaker 1: him in the face until he. WAS unconscious i then checked,
1:21:47
Speaker 1: my phone. NO service i picked up the fucker into a,
1:21:51
Speaker 1: fireman's LIFT and i remembered my way to the, ranger's
1:21:54
Speaker 1: office as it was exactly west from. My tent after
1:21:58
Speaker 1: an hour of struggling with a potential killer on, MY
1:22:01
Speaker 1: shoulders i found the, ranger station and to, my surprise
1:22:05
Speaker 1: a young man around twenty years old. WAS there i
1:22:08
Speaker 1: collapsed on to my KNEES and i explained, the situation
1:22:12
Speaker 1: and as it, turns out the guy had slashed my,
1:22:15
Speaker 1: left bicep but the adrenaline numbed me to. The pain
1:22:20
Speaker 1: the ranger called. FOR backup i don't know how long.
1:22:23
Speaker 1: IT took i left. MY belongings i was not going
1:22:26
Speaker 1: back up there to. Retrieve them the ranger offered to
1:22:29
Speaker 1: drive me to the nearest hospital in, my CAR and.
1:22:32
Speaker 1: I did i took him up on. His offer the
1:22:35
Speaker 1: night stalker was taken away. Semi unconscious the, NEXT day
1:22:40
Speaker 1: i woke up on a hospital bed to an officer
1:22:42
Speaker 1: sitting next, to it and what he said next was
1:22:45
Speaker 1: burned into, my memory never to. Be ERASED when i
1:22:49
Speaker 1: first saw, the killer his back was, towards me knife
1:22:53
Speaker 1: in his, left hand and. Was CROUCHING as i, mentioned
1:22:55
Speaker 1: earlier it turns out he was stalking another hiker who
1:22:59
Speaker 1: he brew totally murdered. And mutilated they found chloroform at,
1:23:03
Speaker 1: the scene hence me not hearing any screams or cries.
1:23:07
Speaker 1: FOR help i vowed from then onwards to never go
1:23:10
Speaker 1: hunting by. Myself again the NEXT time i went hunting
1:23:14
Speaker 1: was six months after this incident with four. Other friends
1:23:18
Speaker 1: although the woods can have a, beautiful atmosphere never judge
1:23:22
Speaker 1: a book by, its cover as the tables can turn
1:23:25
Speaker 1: within the blink of. An eye for all of you
1:23:27
Speaker 1: going camping, and hunting stay safe, and remember don't think
1:23:32
Speaker 1: these things can't happen.
1:23:34
Speaker 2: To you.
1:23:39
Speaker 1: This did not happen, to me but to my boyfriend
1:23:42
Speaker 1: a few, years BACK and i decided to share. His
1:23:45
Speaker 1: experience we used to live in a small farm town
1:23:49
Speaker 1: where the largest store to Visit, was walmart so often
1:23:52
Speaker 1: we would want to buy clothes and other things, like
1:23:54
Speaker 1: that we had to drive an hour to a larger
1:23:57
Speaker 1: city where there were malls and. Other options, one day,
1:24:01
Speaker 1: my boyfriend we'll Call, him carl and His, friend Edgar
1:24:05
Speaker 1: and edgar's Little brother fabio decided to head out to
1:24:08
Speaker 1: the city and go to the mall to buy. Some
1:24:10
Speaker 1: clothes they decided to head out around six and Jumped
1:24:13
Speaker 1: in edgar's car and began. The drive not even thirty
1:24:17
Speaker 1: minutes into, the drive the car starts to make a
1:24:19
Speaker 1: weird noise and started, to Smoke so edgar pulled the
1:24:23
Speaker 1: car over to see what was. Going, on now keep
1:24:26
Speaker 1: in mind that this road is completely isolated and only
1:24:30
Speaker 1: has one gas station near the entrance of, our town
1:24:33
Speaker 1: but other, than that it's just. Empty countryside after checking,
1:24:37
Speaker 1: the car they decided there was nothing they could do
1:24:39
Speaker 1: about it and would have to call. For, help now at,
1:24:42
Speaker 1: the time none of these guys, had phones so that
1:24:45
Speaker 1: meant hiking back up the road to the, gas station
1:24:48
Speaker 1: which would take about an hour or more to. Get
1:24:50
Speaker 1: to edgar tells his little brother just to stay behind
1:24:53
Speaker 1: and wait in the car while they went to the.
1:24:55
Speaker 1: Gas station his brother was only twelve, years old so
1:25:00
Speaker 1: probably not the smartest idea, for HIM but i guess
1:25:03
Speaker 1: in their minds it. Was, Okay anyways Carl and edgar
1:25:06
Speaker 1: began to hike up the road and decided that if
1:25:09
Speaker 1: they cut across some fields they would reach the gas
1:25:12
Speaker 1: station in half, the time and after quite a bit,
1:25:14
Speaker 1: of walking they arrived at the gas station and used
1:25:17
Speaker 1: the phone To call. Edgar's dad, of course his dad
1:25:20
Speaker 1: was angry that the car was in. Bad shape it
1:25:23
Speaker 1: was even more Pissed that edgar had left his little brother.
1:25:25
Speaker 1: All alone he told him and carled to head back
1:25:28
Speaker 1: to the car and he would drive down the road
1:25:31
Speaker 1: and meet them there. After work so they, hung up
1:25:34
Speaker 1: thanked the guy at, the counter and head out on
1:25:36
Speaker 1: the long walk back to. The car by this point it,
1:25:40
Speaker 1: was dark and when they arrived they were exhausted and
1:25:43
Speaker 1: just ready to. Go home they walked up to the
1:25:46
Speaker 1: car to get in and then Noticed that fabio was
1:25:50
Speaker 1: gone and the front window had been smashed open and glass.
1:25:54
Speaker 1: Was everywhere Carl and edgar both began to freak out
1:25:58
Speaker 1: and yell for his brother while looking around the area
1:26:01
Speaker 1: to see if anyone. Was nearby the two of them
1:26:04
Speaker 1: both began to freak out and yell for his brother
1:26:07
Speaker 1: while looking around the area to see if he was.
1:26:09
Speaker 1: Anywhere nearby they decided to turn on the car so
1:26:12
Speaker 1: that the headlights would illuminate the street and hopefully help
1:26:15
Speaker 1: them look to see if they could find his little
1:26:17
Speaker 1: brother or what may have caused. The damage they soon
1:26:21
Speaker 1: heard the sound of a car coming up and turned
1:26:23
Speaker 1: around To see edgar's dad pulling on the side of
1:26:25
Speaker 1: the road beside. Their car once he found Out that fabia,
1:26:30
Speaker 1: was missing he began to freak out. As well they
1:26:33
Speaker 1: were so busy being frantic that they didn't notice someone
1:26:37
Speaker 1: was walking towards them from The direction edgar's.
1:26:40
Speaker 2: Dad had just.
1:26:40
Speaker 1: Come from It. Was fabio he was confused and wondering
1:26:44
Speaker 1: why everyone, was yelling and they explained because they thought
1:26:48
Speaker 1: he had. Been kidnapped fabia was surprised to see the window,
1:26:52
Speaker 1: was broken since the car had been in perfect condition
1:26:55
Speaker 1: when he had headed to the gas station to get something.
1:26:57
Speaker 1: To eat Edgar and carl then really that that was
1:27:00
Speaker 1: why they never, encountered him since he had taken the.
1:27:03
Speaker 1: Main road things quieted down as the guy started to inspect.
1:27:07
Speaker 1: The engine it was only then that they began hearing a.
1:27:11
Speaker 1: Rustling noise everyone went quiet. And listened edgar's dad yelled
1:27:16
Speaker 1: for whoever it was to. Come out he grabbed the
1:27:19
Speaker 1: tire iron And handed Karl and edgar two other random
1:27:22
Speaker 1: tools to hold on to as he walked towards. The
1:27:25
Speaker 1: brush it was then that a stranger emerged from. The
1:27:28
Speaker 1: leaves he was tall, and skinny and By what carl,
1:27:32
Speaker 1: told me he looked to be strung out on some
1:27:34
Speaker 1: type of drug with, bloodshot eyes and his movements were.
1:27:39
Speaker 1: Just off edgar's dad asked him what he was doing,
1:27:42
Speaker 1: out there to which he replied out for. A walk
1:27:47
Speaker 1: edgar headed over to the stranger and started yelling at
1:27:50
Speaker 1: him for breaking into. His car the guy became very
1:27:53
Speaker 1: defensive and started yelling back about how he didn't. Do
1:27:56
Speaker 1: it at, This point karl was still across the Street
1:27:59
Speaker 1: with fombia when he noticed more movement in, the brush
1:28:03
Speaker 1: and as he, looked closer he noticed that there was
1:28:05
Speaker 1: another guy and girl trying to Sneak behind edgar and.
1:28:08
Speaker 1: His dad it looked like the girl was carrying a
1:28:11
Speaker 1: large bag and the guy a. Long pipe carl cried
1:28:16
Speaker 1: Out to edgar and his dad and they quickly turned
1:28:18
Speaker 1: around to see the two people just crouching down. Behind
1:28:22
Speaker 1: them carl said he wasn't quite sure. What happened carl
1:28:26
Speaker 1: said he wasn't quite sure what happened next since it happened,
1:28:29
Speaker 1: so fast but a fight broke out. Between everyone as the,
1:28:33
Speaker 1: Scene unfolded carl was Still beside fombio and the car
1:28:37
Speaker 1: and was getting ready to join in when everything. Went
1:28:40
Speaker 1: silent it was then they Noticed that edgar had a
1:28:43
Speaker 1: gun pointed at his face from the drugged, out guy
1:28:46
Speaker 1: who was just shaking and stammering that they would. Shoot
1:28:49
Speaker 1: them he kept pointing, the gun First at, edgar's face then,
1:28:53
Speaker 1: his dad and then. Back again he told him that
1:28:56
Speaker 1: they would let them go and not, follow them or
1:28:59
Speaker 1: else he would shoot the both of them in. The
1:29:01
Speaker 1: head he and the two others walked across the street
1:29:04
Speaker 1: and into, the field disappearing into. The darkness edgar and
1:29:08
Speaker 1: his dad were bloody from the scuffle And told Carl
1:29:11
Speaker 1: and fabio to get into his car and that they
1:29:13
Speaker 1: would come back tomorrow to fix. The engine everyone piled
1:29:17
Speaker 1: into his car and they. Took off carl said that
1:29:20
Speaker 1: the car ride home. Was. SILENT now i asked Him
1:29:23
Speaker 1: if edgar's dad ever called, the cops and, he said to,
1:29:26
Speaker 1: his knowledge they. Never did carl was dropped off at
1:29:29
Speaker 1: his house around one am and called me right. AFTER
1:29:32
Speaker 1: that i remember thinking how close he had been to
1:29:35
Speaker 1: to never. Coming home carl thinks back to that day
1:29:38
Speaker 1: sometimes and thinks about how lucky he is to. Have survived,
1:29:42
Speaker 1: that year there were a lot of car, break ins
1:29:45
Speaker 1: and we all wondered if it was the same group.
1:29:47
Speaker 1: OF people i guess we'll.
1:29:49
Speaker 2: Never know there's always a reason to. Be afraid