[Music] about 2 months ago I asked my mom if I could move into an apartment she checked if it was a safe place or not and when she saw that it was she said it's okay for me to go she helped me pack my things but my dad couldn't join us because he had surgery he was recovering and couldn't lift heavy stuff thankfully my mom and I were strong enough to move everything I met the landlord and he gave me the key to the apartment the landlord suggested that I should meet some of the people who live in the apartments he mentioned that many of them are very friendly it was my first time having my own place and I didn't have many things to move in so getting everything inside was fast and not too hard once I was alone in my apartment I thought it would be nice to take a quick shower after that I planned to meet up with three or four neighbors I had chatted with during the move I jumped into the shower made it a speedy one got dressed and was all set to meet my neighbors when suddenly I heard a knock on my door I walked up to the door and opened it there was a tall man maybe in his 30s I noticed he was wet but not from taking a shower but from swimming in a pool of some sort of as I could smell the chlorine on him he greeted me with a high and mentioned how happy he was to see a young girl like me moving in I grinned and made a joke about feeling sorry for whoever had to be my neighbor and we both laugh then we started talking sharing our interests and personal stories as our conversation flowed I invited him inside and he agreed once in I offered to make some coffee and as expected from most adults he happily accepted now I don't really drink coffee I like tea better so I made him a cup of coffee and myself a cup of tea we talked about different things and then he mentioned he had to go because he was tired of smelling like chlorine I said goodbye before leaving he said in a nicer tone it's great to have a nice sweet girl like you in these apartments not some old folks I blushed because I'm a shy girl and then he left later that night my phone buzzed and it surprised me when I checked I saw a friend request on Facebook from the guy I just met I accepted it and that's when I noticed his name but then then I started thinking I couldn't remember telling him my Facebook or even my name for a second I felt a bit weird about it then I just Shrugged it off thinking maybe I forgot to say it during our chat since it was getting late I changed into my pajamas I wore really short shorts and a crop top trying to get comfy for the night after all that I just relaxed and didn't worry too much about the Facebook thing next next morning I collected the dirty clothes in a basket and carried it down to the laundry room and guess who I saw there Aaron the guy we were talking about wearing shorts and no shirt I blushed when I saw him it was kind of nice to notice he was strong and in good shape I felt relieved knowing I had a friend who could help me out if I ever needed it I did my laundry and I noticed he was watching me I waved to say hi and he blushed a bit he told me I could head back to my room and he'd bring my clothes when they were done I gladly agreed and returned to my apartment after some time I heard a knock on my door I called out it's open so Aaron opened the door coming inside he handed me my clothes and mentioned that I shouldn't leave the door unlocked and asking what if it wasn't me I replied I'd scream as loud as possible and asked him what he would do he said he'd run as fast as possible to help me later I went to bed but in the middle of the night something woke me up I heard a noise in my room like something was moving as I woke up slowly I reached for my bedside lamp to see what was happening I switched on the light and the first thing I noticed was my clothes scattered everywhere on the floor like they just exploded then I saw a man standing there it was scary because I thought I was alone but someone had broken in I screamed and the man looked at me I could only see his eyes because he had a pair of my underwear against his mouth and nose taking a big gross breath in why was this guy acting so weird he lowered the piece of clothing and I could see that it was Aaron the guy I had just met and thought was nice he smiled at me still holding on to my clothes then he started walking toward me and said I know you want me it's so clear why else do you think I'm here what I said I barely know you we just met so what I saw the way you looked at me he snapped back at me he pushed me down onto my bed and I screamed again tears streaming down my face I felt foolish why did I let him get so close why did I flirt and trust someone I hardly knew all of a sudden really bright lights were pointed at us and a strong voice said let go of her get down on the ground now it was the police they arrested Aaron but I felt so scared and broken I cried all through the next day and I stayed at my parents house for a while after that it was really really hard for me to go back to my apartment but there was this nice person who lived in the same apartment complex he saw someone breaking into my place in the middle of the night so he called the police I can't help but think about how bad things could have been if he hadn't helped it's a scary thought so be careful and don't trust anyone you don't know well and it's better to be safe this happened about 5 years ago when we stayed in a small group of apartments in North Topeka with my sister dad stepmom and my German Shepherd Coco we also had neighbors like the metal heads living above us in apartment 12 Ceno in apartment 4 just one apartment away then some weird guy named Harold in apartment 3 a few weeks before this incident Harold walked over to our apartment and said hey Robo you got a cigarette we couldn't help but laugh at the way he said it my dad being a nice guy handed him a cigarette and then the two of them sat outside smoking and talking as they spent about half an hour chatting sharing stories about what's going on in their lives and their families but then out of nowhere Harold asked the creepiest thing Harold looked at my dad and said hey Robert I was wondering can your daughter spend time with me in my apartment sometime this really bothered me Harold was way older maybe in his 40s and my sister was just 13 back then the air around us felt weird suddenly my dad got up grabbed Harold and pushed him away shouting no go away what's wrong with you Harold walked off laughing and smoking his cigarette then he looked at me through the window a couple of years passed my sister who was 15 at the time went to the nearby Walgreens a few blocks away out of the blue Harold showed up and started following her Harold shouted at her saying hey honey you're looking pretty good today your dad said you could spend the night with if you want and I've got some booze too our neighbor Ceno who was a cool guy helped us out whenever he could and luckily at that moment moment he was outside having a beer when he saw Harold bothering my sister he quickly dropped his beer and rushed over to Harold Ceno said what's your problem she's only 15 leave her alone you weirdo I walked outside in time to catch the ending of that situation only to see Harold's face he was staring at my sister's body now my sister was one of those girls who didn't develop until she was 17 or 18 she looked several years younger than her age so this Disturbed me even more the way he looked her up and down like a Hungry Wolf and he smiled like he knew he was going to win one day it chilled me to the bone on the next Saturday night at about midnight the scariest thing happened thankfully my sister was at a friend's house and my stepmom was at work out of nowhere some guy started banging on the back window the window to the room where I was sleeping it was a loud banging and scraping sound like the man was really trying hard to break through the thin steel window cover on the outside that's when he screamed at me asking where is my wife I'm under my blanket trying to stay as quiet and still as I can my dad yelled back at the man trying to scare him off by saying Harold get out of here I've called the police but he kept trying to break through I told my dad to call the police but he said firmly just stay quiet Zach I know how to handle this a few minutes passed and I heard the first rip through the steel window cover the thing that's supposed to keep him out can't hold him now I started crying a little while later my dog Coco came running and stood in front of me facing the window she was growling ready to attack the man if he came in the noises at the window stopped suddenly there was a loud crack and we realized he was now breaking in through the front door he started screaming again saying where's my wife if you don't give me my wife they won't find a single piece of you my dad finally called the police yelling for them to come quickly 10 minutes later the police arrived and started asking the man why he was doing what he did they also questioned my dad asking do you have his wife my dad got really mad and said are you dumb he's talking about my 15-year-old daughter he thinks she belongs to him he's not right in the head a few more minutes went by and they found a crowbar and some Sharp Tools thrown in the grass the next day he got charged and a few weeks later after going to court we learned he ended up in a mental Asylum as he had a disability and he stopped taking his [Music] medicine when I was 17 I did a lot of babysitting in Manhattan some people found it controversial since I wasn't a full-grown adult but surprisingly I got hired by many I wasn't a pro just a regular person using a Craigslist ad my aunt assisted me in making the ad adding pictures and sharing info about my experience it wasn't too fancy just enough to let people know I was responsible and good with kids and it was the one thing I felt confident doing even though I was still pretty young unlike the idea of working at places like Walmart Target or a gas station once I turned 18 I know it might sound a bit strange but the truth is I lik the idea of spending time with kids making sure they were safe and having fun it wasn't just a job to me it was something I genuinely enjoyed usually when I chose the families I worked for it was just one family at a time they'd share their situation and let me know what they needed help with taking care of kids isn't too tricky especially when it feels natural to you I remember this one time when someone messaged me through the ad they explained that they had a son and a daughter and needed someone to look after them they said their son was eight and their daughter was nine they explained they were going away for the weekend at first I felt unsure about replying because the profile was Anonymous I didn't know what they looked like and they didn't even have a name if I remember right their profile name was just a bunch of numbers I don't know how that was allowed but back then and somehow it was I decided to meet this guy on a Friday evening he shared the address and I didn't check it beforehand it just wasn't my habit that night my mom drove me there and when we pulled up outside I have to tell you the place looked like an empty abandoned house even my mom turned to look at the house then back at me she didn't say anything for almost 10 seconds just stared at me looking confused we both thought it might be some kind of prank or joke so she decided to wait at the edge of the sidewalk while I walked down the driveway it was a long driveway with weeds and plants growing up through it on each side of the front yard imagine grass that's about 2 ft High seriously like a mini jungle the whole scene gave me a weird feeling but I took a deep breath and walked down the driveway way trying to stay calm I walked up to the entrance just about 10 m away from the front door two windows were cracked and one had a wooden frame covering it up I peaked inside but it was dark and there wasn't a single light on it was dead quiet no noise at all standing there I started seriously regretting my decision to walk down this driveway after a few seconds I heard no behind the door it was like someone playing with metal or banging it together then I figured out it was someone trying to unlock the goddamn door but having trouble finally the lock popped and the door creaked open it was a man with Messy frizzy hair wearing tall sunglasses and what seemed like a suit a very dirty and partly ripped one as soon as he spots me he says loudly ah it must be you I was waiting for you I turned to face him looking towards the lawn the front yard because I was ready to run back to my mom if things seemed weird I nervously asked um is everything okay the whole situation feels odd and I can't shake off the uneasy feeling the guy seemed a bit crazy I mean what was he wearing it reminded me of my friend who had autism she always wore sunglasses thinking of her made me feel a bit better as he gestured for me to come inside at first the things that worried me were calmed because he was surprisingly kind and welcoming it felt a bit strange but I started to think maybe I misjudged him as he seemed really nice when I walked in he closed the door then he started singing whistling and tapping his feet like he was on top of the world I couldn't tell if he was just in a good mood or maybe having a trip right away I noticed the floorboards of the house were making creaky sounds because they were old there wasn't any carpet or wood on the floor it seemed like old boards like they tore up the original flooring as soon as you walked in on the right side was the staircase the steps were just wooden with some Nails sticking out on either side like someone had ripped up the carpet he guided me through whistling to himself eventually he takes me to the back room where he has a light on the whole room was empty just a mattress with his bedding and a few pillows then he says make yourself at home and start skipping around the room while whistling I didn't know what to think this guy was making me feel completely uneasy but at the same time I wasn't really scared of him right now he seemed like a total maniac to me but I still hadn't texted my mom to tell her to leave yet while he's hopping around the room whistling I ask him so where are your kids where are the kids you want me to babysit sir then he suddenly stops and says ah yes just a moment would you like a drink I can make you a drink if you want I tell him no I'm fine thanks I had some dinner and a drink before I came here but he seems more interested in offering me a drink than showing me where his kids were he told me to wait in his room the big one downstairs with the mattress on the floor while he went to make himself a drink after a few minutes he comes back but he left his drink in the kitchen so he has to go get it on his way out of the room he starts talking like he's calling up to his son Daisy Brandon the babysitters here so I thought finally I was going to meet his kids and that's why I came here once I met the kids and understood the situation then and only then would I text or call my mom and tell her to leave but there was no sign of Daisy or Brandon in reality he came back with his drink which also looked moldy and just sat on the mattress he sat sipping it whistling to himself swaying back and forth while holding his knees I walked a bit closer to him and kneel down I asked him where are they are they coming down he didn't answer me instead he just ignored me sitting there rocking back and forth taking occasional sips from his mug of coffee I decided to walk out into the hallway to call his son and daughter hello is anyone up here I'm here to babysit you do you want to come down there was no answer there was also no light I walked back to the guy still doing the same thing on the mattress I told him should I go up and get them and he turns and looks at me he says good idea you go and get them so that's what I do I climb up the creaking staircase and notice there's not a sing single light on upstairs upstairs there are doors for four separate rooms one is a bathroom two are bedrooms and one looks like it used to be an office there was no sign of a daisy or Brandon there was no one once I'm in the second bedroom that's it I decide I'm going to leave so I take out my phone from my left pocket I open the text window to my mom and type I'm coming back out this doesn't seem right then I turned the phone onto airplane mode and put it back in my pocket well as I turn around the guy stands in the doorway whistling and tapping his feet against the floor I asked the guy where are they they're not up here and he looks at me and says what are you talking about they're sitting right here he lifts his right finger and points to the old crooked ripped apart bed frame at this point I got Shivers up my spine and tingling around my head my mom knew I was coming out but I had to get out first I'm 5'1 and 17 years old and this guy looked about 40 years old at least 6 tall and seemed absolutely crazy the problem was he was blocking the doorway the only way in or out of the bedroom I was standing in so I had to think fast really fast I came up with the idea of going along with what he said to save my own life I tell him Daisy asked for a drink I said I'd make it for her he looks back at me in a confused crazy way still leaning on the door frame and tapping his feet on the floor when I say feet he had these big chunky cowboy style boots he looks at me and says oh well I made her one earlier if she wants you to make it then that's fine with that he takes two steps back guiding me out of the bedroom it was at this moment where I realized I had my chance I turned to the bed and signaled to absolutely nothing that I'll be back in a minute to bring a drink then I turned back to the door and walk out slowly at this point I was now a few steps ahead of this guy I was at the top of the staircase and he was still just leaning against the wall near the entrance of the bedroom door I took my last look at him and began running down the stairs almost at the exact same time I heard An Extremely Loud scream coming out of his mouth it was one of the craziest screams I have ever heard in my entire life once I got to the ground floor I turned the door knob but it was stuck extremely crooked and creaky I pulled it open enough and it made a creaking noise just like it did when he opened it for me I ran down the driveway for my life I used to run track and field back in high school my 100 meter personal records weren't bad but I wasn't wearing spikes and I wasn't wearing trainers but I definitely set a new record that night when I got back to the car my mom knew something major was going on as she already had the engine running and looked completely terrified I got in the passenger side and slammed the door shut then she pushed the gas pedal to the floor I took one last look down the driveway before we took off I saw the man standing there in his suit cowboy boots frizzy hair and sunglasses waving goodbye to us to this day I don't babysit anymore but I kept my regular clients for another 2 years after this happened I never took on new clients though it really scared me on one of our drives back to coner from Texas we had a bad trip to me every trip was bad as I hate cancers one time we ran over a dead body clean and simple it had a red and black shirt and Gans it was a two-lane highway going north we were in the right hand lane and the body's bottom half was toward the right edge of the lane and what used to be the head was to the left where which would happen towards the middle of the two lens going north you could tell it had already been run over several times the left hand lane where the head was pointed towards looked like someone had slung a bucket of red paint there I'll never forget the sound of the crunching bones as we ran over them this happened about 2 years ago and even now I still can't forget it I was stunned in sh shock it was probably about 3: or 4:00 a. m. I don't know if we were still inexus or Oklahoma my husband used to get off work at 3:00 a.
m. and we went to cels frequently to see his kids on those nights he would try to get off early sometimes 12:00 a. m.
