it was Thanksgiving night November 28th a chilly Thursday in Los Angeles my name is Nicole and like many families across the city we were gathered around the dining table enjoying the warm glow of family and food the smell of roasted turkey and pumpkin pie filled our house blending with laughter and clinking dishes my mom had outdone herself this year her stuffing was perfect and even my picky little brother Max couldn't stop eating dad was telling one of his usual jokes mid-sentence when the loud knocking shattered the moment it wasn't a polite knock but heavy and
Urgent rattling the front door everyone froze we weren't expecting anyone my dad frowned setting down his Fork mom whispered who Could That Be At This Hour I'll get it Dad said pushing back his chair my little brother Max watched wide-eyed from his spot next to me I remember holding my breath as dad walked toward the door when he opened it there stood an old man bundled in a tattered coat his face was gaunt his cheeks Hollow and his Gray beard was scraggly he looked frail like he hadn't eaten in days please the man said his
voice raspy and weak I haven't eaten in 2 days I'm homeless and I don't know where else to go my heart sank he looked so pitiful standing there in the cold mom walked over to the door and glanced at Dad they exchanged one of those silent looks parents have the kind that says everything without words we can't just leave him out there mom said softly dad nodded reluctantly all right come in he told the man stepping aside to let him into the warmth of our home the man smiled faintly almost sheepishly and shuffled inside he
seemed harmless enough just another unfortunate soul down on his luck thank you he muttered glancing around our home as if couldn't believe his eyes Mom set a plate for him and he sat at the table hunched over like he didn't belong there we all returned to our seats though the atmosphere wasn't quite the same I tried to eat but I kept glancing at the man his hands trembled as he shoveled food into his mouth eating like he hadn't seen a meal in years for a while we just let him eat in silence then far off
in the distance we heard it a police siren it wasn't unusual in Los Angeles but something about the way the man stiffened caught my attention his hands froze midair and his whole demeanor changed the faint smile he'd worn was gone replaced by something darker his eyes darted toward the front door what's wrong Mom asked cautiously the man didn't answer instead he reached into his coat and before we knew it he pulled out a gun my blood ran cold he pointed it at us his voice low but commanding nobody moves nobody opens that door the room
went silent my dad raised his hand slowly trying to stay calm look we don't want any trouble quiet the man barked his voice was different now sharp menacing he wasn't the frail helpless man we'd let in this was someone dangerous I sat Frozen my heart pounding so loudly I thought he might hear it my mom grabbed my hand under the table squeezing it tightly I could feel her trembling Max wasn't at the table anymore he'd gone to the bathroom a few minutes before the man had shown his true colors I didn't dare look toward the
hallway afraid the man might notice but I hoped Max had the sense to stay hidden the siren grew louder closer the Man's eyes flickered toward the door again he was growing more agitated his grip on the gun tightening if anyone makes a sound he growled I'll before he could finish a soft Creek came from the hallway my heart sank Max he must have moved but I couldn't turn to see him the man's head snapped toward the noise and for a moment I thought he was going to get up then we heard it a faint click
front door Max must have managed to open it the man's face Twisted in Fury and he bolted toward the door no he yelled but it was too late as he yanked the door open he froze standing there were two police officers guns drawn drop it one of them shouted the man hesitated his hand twitching as if he was deciding whether to shoot or run but the officers didn't give him a chance they moved in quickly grabbing him him and wrestling him to the ground the gun clattered to the floor out of his reach the man
let out a string of curses as they cuffed him I finally exhaled realizing I'd been holding my breath the whole time Max peaked out from the hallway his face pale but determined one of the officers noticed him and gave him a reassuring nod good job kid he said it was only after the man was hauled outside that we learned the full story one of the officers stayed behind to talk to us his tone serious but kind you're lucky he said this guy's been targeting families on Thanksgiving he robbed a family a few streets down tonight
and held them at gunpoint during dinner they managed to call us after he left and we've been tracking him since the officer glanced toward Max who was now clinging to Mom's side your little brother probably saved all of you he added my hands were still shaking as I wrapped an arm around Max you're a hero I whispered and for once he didn't argue or tease me he justed Ed later that night after the police left and the house finally quieted down we sat together in the living room too shaken to return to the dining table
The Leftovers went untouched I kept thinking about how close we'd come to something terrible how easily the night could have ended differently before we get into the next story if you come for the first time please make sure to subscribe to our Channel and press the Bell icon for upcoming scary stories we need your support please share these stories with your friends and family family thanks in 2019 my family decided to invite our new neighbor Justin to Thanksgiving dinner Justin seemed like a kind man he lived alone in the small house across the street he
had a friendly smile and always waved when he saw us my mom thought it would be nice to include him in our holiday celebration since he didn't seem to have any family nearby Thanksgiving was cozy with the smell of turkey filling the house Justin arrived right on time holding a small pie he had baked himself he thanked my mom for inviting him and sat at the table with the rest of us me my little brother my dad and my mom he didn't talk much at first mostly listening while we shared stories and laughed but as
the evening went on something felt strange Justin started bringing up details about us that we hadn't shared with him he mentioned my dad's work schedule and commented on my brother's habit of leaving his bike in the yard he even knew the exact color of my mom's car including the small scratch near the back tire it wasn't just friendly neighbor talk it was specific like he had been paying close attention for a long time we laughed at off assuming maybe he'd just been observant my mom didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable so we didn't say
anything about it the dinner ended without incident and Justin thanked us for a lovely evening we watched him walk back to his house disappearing into the darkness a few days later my mom was in the living room folding laundry when she noticed something odd Justin was standing near his window staring at our house in his hands he held a camera he was pointing it straight at us my mom froze unsure of what to do she closed the curtains quickly and called my dad who was still at work he told her to keep the doors locked
and not to worry it was probably nothing but it wasn't nothing over the next week we spotted Justin out inside his house more often always watching sometimes he would stand near his front porch and wave like everything was fine other times he'd Linger by the mailbox looking toward our house my Dad brushed it off as Justin being lonely but my mom seemed uneasy she started double-checking the locks every night before going to bed one night when my dad was working late my mom was Home Alone it was stormy outside with rain pounding against the windows
I was staying at a friend's house and my brother was asleep sleep upstairs our dog bendy a little beagle with a loud bark was lying near the fireplace suddenly bendy sprang up and started barking like crazy he ran to the front door growling and scratching at the wood at first my mom thought it was just the storm but then she heard it footsteps outside slow and deliberate crunching against the wet gravel her heart raced as she peaked through the curtains Justin was standing in the garden near the side of the house his clothes were soaked
from the rain and in his hand he was holding something it was too dark to see what it was grabbing an umbrella my mom decided to confront him she opened the back door cautiously letting bendy rush out ahead of her Justin she called out over the sound of the rain he didn't answer instead he took a step closer his face partially hidden by the Shadows whatever he was holding in his hand glinted briefly in the dim light Panic set in and my mom ran back inside slam cling the door shut behind her she locked it
and leaned against it her breath coming in short gasps Justin started knocking on the door softly at first then harder please he called out I need your help let me in my mom grabbed her phone and called the police her hands shaking she didn't dare move from the door afraid he might try to force his way in bendy barked furiously from inside his little paws scratching at the door the knocking stopped suddenly and everything went quiet except for the rain moments later flashing blue lights illuminated the yard as the police arrived they found Justin still
standing in the garden drenched and Silent in his hand was a small notebook filled with notes and sketches of our house the police took him into custody and for the first time that night my mom felt like she could breathe again a few days later the police came back to our house to share what they had discovered Justin had been watching our family for months they found hundreds of photos of our house taken at different times of the day there were pictures of us in the yard pictures of the windows and even pictures of my
brother riding his bike his notebook was filled with details about our daily routines like when my dad left for work and what time the lights went out at night the worst part was that the police couldn't figure out his real intentions there were no obvious plans written down no threats just an eerie collection of observations and photos they said he might have been planning to break in but they couldn't be sure Justin never came back to his house the police said he was being evaluated by professionals but we didn't ask for more details my mom
insisted we get new locks and security cameras and my dad agreed without hesitation from that point on we were more cautious curtains stayed closed and we always made sure the doors were locked Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday it's the one time of year when our family comes together in our old farmhouse a relic of the past sitting on Acres of fields and surrounded by dense Woods the house belonged to my grandparents who passed it down to my father every year we'd gather there to eat laugh and share stories but last Thanksgiving something happened
something I still can't explain the day started as usual my parents my younger brother Jason my Uncle Frank and I arrived at The Farmhouse around noon the house looked the same as always a sturdy but aging structure with its creaky wooden floors and faint smell of old wood it was comforting in a way nostalgic the early part of the day was normal my mom and Uncle Frank took over the kitchen while Jason and I ran around outside the cold November Air nipped at our faces as we played catch in the open field behind the house
I remember looking at the house its Windows catching the soft glow of the Setting Sun for a moment I thought I saw something in the upstairs window just a flicker of movement I brushed it off it was probably the curtain swaying or a shadow from a tree as evening fell we all gathered in the dining room for the big Thanksgiving meal the room was warm lit by a chandelier that flickered occasionally adding to the old world charm we laughed over stories of past holidays and stuffed ourselves with turkey mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie but as
the night wore on I started to feel off it was hard to explain like the air in the house had grown heavier it wasn't cold exactly but there was a chill that seemed to creep up from the floorboards I noticed Jason kept glancing toward the hallway that led to the stairs when I asked him if he was okay he Shrugged and mumbled something about hearing Creeks after dinner we settled into the living room to watch a movie my dad lit a fire in the old stone fireplace and the flickering Flames cast Shadows across the walls
it was cozy but that uneasy feeling lingered The Creeks Jason mentioned became more noticeable soft rhythmic sounds like footsteps coming from the second floor probably the house settling Uncle Frank said when I pointed it out around 10: p.m. Jason and I went upstairs to the room we always shared when we stayed over it was a simple room with two twin beds and a small window overlooking the backyard the Moonlight streamed in creating a pale glow on the wooden floor we got ready for bed but Jason was unusually quiet after a while he said do you
think there's someone in the house I laughed nervously what are you talking about he hesitated before saying I thought I saw someone standing by the barn earlier but when I looked again they were gone I didn't want to scare him or myself so I brushed it off probably just your imagination let's get some sleep but sleep didn't come easily the wind outside howled and the old farmhouse groaned as it always did but there was something different that night around midnight I was jolted awake by a sound a loud thump like something heavy falling upstairs Jason
was already sitting up in his bed wide-eyed did you hear that he whispered I nodded my heart pounding stay here I'll go check I grabbed my phone and turned on the flashlight the hallway outside our room was dark and silent but the uneasy feeling was back stronger than before I tiptoed toward the stairs leading to the attic that's where the sound had come from the attic door was slightly a jar swaying gently as if it had been pushed open moments ago I shined my flashlight up the narrow staircase the beam catching the dusty wooden steps
and cobwebs clinging to the low ceiling hello I called out my voice trembling no answer just the wind whistling outside and the faint Creek of the attic door I climbed the stairs slowly each step creaking under my weight when I reached the top I pushed the door open wider and peered inside the attic was cluttered with old furniture box boxes of Forgotten belongings and piles of blankets everything was still but the air felt wrong oppressive I was about to turn around when I saw it in the far corner of the attic near an old rocking
chair stood a shadowy figure at first I thought it was just a trick of the light or my eyes playing tricks on me but then it moved it wasn't walking it was gliding unnaturally smooth the figure was tall and featureless just a dark silhouette against the dim light filtering through the small Attic Window I froze my breath caught in my throat the figure stopped and turned toward me though it had no face I felt an overwhelming sense of dread like I was being pulled into a black hole my legs refused to move and for a
moment all I could do was stare then without warning the figure darted toward me it didn't make a sound but its sudden movement snapped me out of my paralysis I turned and bolted down the stairs nearly tripping over my own feet Jason was waiting for me at the bottom of of the stairs his face pale what happened what did you see just just go downstairs I yelled pushing him toward the living room by the time we got there the rest of the family was awake alarmed by the noise I tried to explain what I'd seen
but I could tell they didn't believe me my dad and uncle Frank went to check the attic but they found nothing no shadowy figure no sign anyone had been up there we ended up staying in the living room for the rest of the night to too scared to go back upstairs I didn't sleep at all every Creek and gust of wind making my heart race the next morning we packed up and left earlier than usual as we drove away I glanced back at The Farmhouse for a moment I thought I saw something or someone standing
in the upstairs window watching us leave I haven't been back to The Farmhouse since that night and I don't think I ever will whatever I saw in that attic wasn't human and the thought of it still gives me chills Thanksgiving will never feel the same again
