3 TRUE Creepy Neighbor Horror Stories

Welcome To Dark horror Diaries my friend before the show starts do WR below where are you from let's [Music] go I never thought I'd end up in a place like this out in the middle of nowhere where the only thing between me and total silence was the wind pushing through the trees but I needed the job the ad had been simple caretaker needed for an offseason Lodge room and board Provided must be comfortable with Solitude it wasn't exactly a dream position but after months of rejection letters and dwindling savings I didn't have the luxury of

choice so I packed up and drove out to Black Hollow Lodge a massive structure built decades ago tucked deep into the Pennsylvania Wilderness the place had been a retreat once catering to artists and Wealthy eccentrics who wanted to commune with nature but those days were long gone now It s empty most of the Year its Windows dark and its Halls silent I met the owner a man named Richard Callaway Just Before Sunset he was old with watery eyes and a thin precise voice not much to it he told me leading me through the main hall

keep the place clean make sure no pipes burst the generator is a little temperamental so be mindful of that he handed me a ring of heavy Keys No One comes up here in the winter no one supposed to that last part stuck with me Not expected but supposed to I almost asked what he meant but Callaway had already started for the door eager to leave before night fell I watched as his car disappeared down the only Road leading in or out leaving me alone with the wind and the sprawling empty Lodge the first night was

uneventful I moved through the Grand Halls running my fingers over the dust coated banisters flipping light switches just to see if they still worked there was something Surreal about being the only person in a space that had once been alive with laugh and conversation the air smelled stale and every footstep echoed like I wasn't really alone by the second night I started noticing small things a chair that had been slightly pulled out from the dining table a door at the end of the hall that creaked open just a little wider than I remembered I told

myself it was my imagination that I was letting the isolation get to me but then I found Something I couldn't explain something that sent a shiver up my spine in the hallway near my room written in the on the mirror were three words let me out I stared at the words on the mirror my breath clouding the glass let me out the letters had been traced through the dust uneven and Jagged like they'v been scrawled in haste my first instinct was to wipe them away pretend I hadn't seen them but my hand hovered inches from

the glass a deep Sinking Feeling settling in My stomach I was alone or at least I was supposed to be I forced myself to check the doors the windows everything was locked the only way in or out was the long Winding Road I'd watched Callaway Drive down yesterday I tried to reason with myself maybe it was an old message left by a previous caretaker maybe the dust had shifted revealing something that had been there for years but deep down I didn't believe that that night as I lay in bed I started hearing the Noises it

was faint at first a light tapping sound like tree branches scratching against the windows but as the hours dragged on the tapping grew more insistent a steady rhythmic scratching and it wasn't coming from outside it was inside the walls I sat up heart hammering the scratching moved shifting from one side of the room to the other pausing then starting up again closer to my bed something someone was in there I grabbed my flashlight and got Out of bed my bare feet C against the wooden floor the scratching stopped the second I moved I pressed my

ear against the wall holding my breath silence just when I started to convince myself I'd imagined it a whisper slithered through the dark I see you I stumbled back knocking over a chair in my Panic the flashlight trembled in my grip as I Shone it around the room nothing no Shadows no movement just my own ragged breathing I didn't sleep that night I Sat in the corner of the room Back Against The Wall staring at the darkness the scratching never returned but as Dawn broke I found something new a long thin crack running along the

baseboard just wide enough to slip a finger inside and something had been pushed through from the other side a tooth I didn't touch it the small yellow tooth sat on the floor like it had been placed there deliberately waiting for me to acknowledge it my stomach Twisted as I Crouched down the flashlights beam shaking as I brought it closer it was real no doubt about it a human tooth I backed away my mind scrambling for explanations that didn't involve someone watching me from inside the walls maybe it had fallen from an old rat Nest maybe

some kid had lost it decades ago and it had somehow worked its way out of the wood but I didn't believe that instead of running I grabbed a screwdriver from the kitchen and wedged it into the crack The wood grounded as I pried the baseboard loose revealing a narrow dark Gap the stench of damp rot and something sour hit me immediately I coughed waving a hand in front of my nose but didn't stop I widened the Gap just enough to fit my flashlight inside and that's when I saw it a small tunnel a space barely

wide enough for a person to crawl through leading deeper into the walls my breath hitched something had been in there the dust was Disturbed pushed Aside by movement crumpled food wrappers old and brittle were shoved into the corners scratches lined the wood deep grooves where fingernails had dug in my vision blurred for a second my brain refusing to accept what I was seeing someone had lived in there I yanked my flashlight back and scrambled away heart pounding the walls fell too close the House suddenly too small I needed to leave get out tell Callaway I

was done with this place but then I heard it a Slow deliberate inhale not from the tunnel from behind me I turned pulse hammering so hard I thought I'd pass out the closet door was open and a pair of eyes wide and unblinking stared at me from the darkness inside I couldn't move my body locked up my breath caught somewhere between my throat and my lungs the eyes didn't blink they didn't shift or Dart away like a startled animal they just stared then slowly agonizingly slow the door creaked open wider a shape Unfurled from the

darkness long limbs impossibly thin like a person stretched too far a head tilted at an unnatural angle joint stiff as it stepped forward bare feet soundless against the wooden floor the flashlight trembled in my grip I wanted to scream run do something but all I could do was stare back locked in place like an animal caught in a trap the figure took another step and then it smiled a slow cracking grin that split its face like an old wound reopening the Breath I'd been holding finally escaped in a ragged gasp my legs snapped free from

their paralysis and I bolted I didn't think didn't plan just ran down the hallway toward the front door but the floor shifted beneath me something underneath the boards moved a hollow thump a scraping sound like hands dragging along the wood from inside my ankle caught on the uneven floor and I crashed forward my flashlight clattering away I rolled onto My back scrambling to push myself up but the thing was already there it was faster than it had any right to be it crawled out of the closet on all fours moving like a spider it's head

too low arms bending at unnatural angles my stomach flipped as I scrambled backward who who are you my voice was barely a whisper the thing tilted its head as if considering the question and then it answered I live here the voice was wrong scratchy and dry like Dead Leaves Rustling together my hands found the Fallen flashlight fingers shaking as I raised it again the beam landed on its face it wasn't just a stranger it was Mr web or what was left of him his skin hung loose his eyes sunken deep into his skull his clothes

tattered and stained clung to his skeletal frame but worst of all was his mouth that awful stretching smile exposing Jagged teeth some missing some too sharp he took another step closer and I did the only thing I could I threw the flashlight at his face and ran I didn't look back I couldn't if I did I might see him gaining on me those two long limbs carrying him across the floor in a way no human should move my feet pounded against the wooden planks breath ragged as I sprinted down the hallway the door I needed

to get to the front door but as I reached for the knob something slammed against the wall behind me the impact rattled the old house and a deep scraping noise followed Like nails dragging along the wood I twisted the knob it wouldn't budge locked no no no no then I heard it the sound of floor boards creaking right above me I tilted my head up a thin bony hand was reaching through a vent in the ceiling long fingers writhing stretching toward me like they had a mind of their own I stumbled back my spine hitting

the wall my mind raced there had to be another way out the windows the basement I turned and ran tearing through the House past the kitchen down the stairs the air grew colder the deeper I went the musty scent of old wood thick in my lungs the basement door groaned as I pushed it open the darkness inside swallowing me whole I reached for the light switch nothing the bulb overhead flickered once then died a sound something shifting in the shadows I wasn't alone down here I fumbled in the dark hands outstretched searching for anything I

could use my fingers brushed Against a toolbox and I grabbed the first thing I found a rusted Hammer my pulse pounded in my ears as I backed against the wall for forcing myself to stay still to listen silence and then tap tap tap not from the stairs not from the walls but from inside them a whisper followed curling through the dark I never left something slammed into me from behind and the world turned to Black I woke to Darkness a thick suffocating kind my head throbbed my Thoughts slipping in and out of focus like a

radio struggling to find a signal I was lying on something hard my my cheek pressed against rough wood then I heard it breathing slow steady deliberate not mine I pushed up on shaky arms my fingers searching blindly wood narrow space a wall I wasn't just in the basement anymore I was inside the walls a sharp inhale too close the sound of fabric shifting bare feet brushing against wood he was here in this space With me I held my breath forcing my body to go still my eyes adjusted just enough to make out the faintest outline

of movement ahead Mr web hunched and twisted his gaunt face barely visible in the dim light filtering through a vent he was watching me waiting I gripped the hammer tighter think Grace think then I remembered the gas line slowly I shifted inching my way through the narrow passage web stayed still his head tilting slightly as if he could hear my Heartbeat rattling against my ribs I bit down on the inside of my cheek to keep from making a sound there The Gas Pipe I reached out fingers brushing cold metal feeling for the valve web moved

a sharp hiss of breath he lunged I twisted the valve open the scent of gas hit me immediately sharp and nauseating web snarled his thin hands grabbing at my wrist fingers digging into my skin like claws I swung the hammer metal met flesh with a sickening crack he reeled back Hissing through his teeth teeth I didn't wait I scrambled toward the basement's opening shoving at a loose panel of wood squeezing through as the passage filled with gas I burst into the open space lungs burning ears ringing my hands fumbled through my pocket the matchbook web's

voice slithered from the dark you can't leave me Grace I struck a match the flame flickered once then I tossed it in the explosion ripped through the walls the blast throwing me forward as Fire erupted behind IND me I hit the ground hard rolling coughing smoke filled the house curling along the ceiling like fingers grasping for something unseen then the scream started high pitched inhuman whales echoing through the walls as the fire consumed everything inside them I stumbled to my feet crashing toward the front door this time it opened I ran by the time the

fire trucks arrived the house was already collapsing the walls caved in Flames licking hungrily at the remains and yet no sign of web no body pulled from the wreckage days later as Ethan and I packed to leave town I found myself staring at the charred remains of the house one last time the basement had caved in completely nothing but blackened Rubble where the floor used to be almost one section stood out a raised piece of the foundation almost like a trapo it was open and web was nowhere to be found I think my neighbor is

going to kill me 3 months ago someone strange moved into the apartment next to mine I've lived in this apartment for about a year and I always thought it was a safe and comfortable place to live it's the kind of place where parents let their kids play outside after school and neighbors are always willing to lend a hand I've always lived a boring life ever since getting out of school and moving out on my own it's always the same day in and Day out I wake up to the Dreadful screeches of my alarm clock already

exhausted I go through the mundane morning routine of brewing coffee when I'm still half asleep and doing the bare minimum to look presentable and keep up with personal hygiene I go from my dull boring apartment room to an even more dull and boring office job where I spend 90% of the time playing solitire or something on my computer I go home feeling drained and God forbid I have to Run any errands before I can go home and lay on the couch to watch mind numbing TV shows while eating whatever leftovers I have in the fridge

day after day the cycle just repeats there's no denying how much of a recluse I am I almost embrace it so having apartment 106 at the end of the hall with no one occupying the one next door was ideal to me without voices or music or other sounds being heard through the thin walls I felt like I was tucked away in My own quiet Corner which is comforting to an introvert like myself one day after another born shift I noticed someone new had moved into the apartment next to mine Apartment 105 I saw him as

I turned the corner to my hallway he slipped a key from his pocket unlocked the door and walked straight into 105 I hadn't seen any moving trucks or anyone loading boxes as I headed out to work but when I came home I discovered I had a new neighbor Already unpacking it was like no one was there and now they were seemingly coming from nowhere other than that nothing was strange at first first other than the fact of having someone I could bump into I only saw him a handful of times since he moved in and

when I would he seemed cold and lifeless like someone in a dream the people in my complex are fairly friendly and will say hi when they see me and typically exchange pleasantries with each other but it Seemed no one even bothered to interact with him they treated him like he wasn't even there which was different from the generic welcome they gave me when I moved in I guess it was mutual as he seemed shut in and wouldn't even look at people passing by treat others how you'd like to be treated I suppose the odity started

only 5 days after he swiftly arrived for the first 5 days I only heard the sounds of shuffling and I assumed he was moving around furniture And was just getting settled in the apartment nothing out of the ordinary the fifth day was when the music started I was washing dishes when I heard the familiar tune reverberating through the walls for the first time I froze standing in front of my sink my eyes became glossed over as the reality of me all grown up in my apartment melted away into fuzzy memories of my childhood I saw

my mother dancing by herself in the living room Waltzing in and out of the Soft golden sunlight that spilled Through the Windows like a spotlight The Nostalgia consumed me and made me feel sick my hands began to tremble and the loud crashing of the bowl that slipped out of my hands and hit the sink startled me enough to jolt me back to the present the song I heard being muffled through the walls was a song my mother would play a lot when I was a child it's been a long long time by Kitty Kalen the

song was bittersweet Reminding me of the short time I spent with her but also reminding me that she's gone now the music would start playing at the same time every day right when I would settle in after work I kind of liked it at first as it had brought up fond and warm memories I had hidden away from myself and didn't resurface until I heard the song again it felt warm to remember her to come to terms with loss and grief every day I heard it faintly play through the walls multiple Times over and the

warm effect it had on me began to fade as the last rays of sunlight disappeared and darkness overtook as night approached the music would still play it would only play three times at night I thought it was odd playing the same song at the same times over and over but I wouldn't be surprised if people considered me to be a fairly odd man so guess I have no room to speak it wasn't loud enough to keep me from sleeping and I'm not the type to Confront him about it it was when the music became eerily

distorted was when I started getting scared it was another dull boring night after another long day at work I got home pulled my clothes off and threw them in the same Pile in the corner I always do I plop onto the couch and turn on the TV and like clockwork the music starts this time those sentimental and wistful memories didn't flash behind my eyelids this time it had the same flat effect on me as everything Else did in my Bland monotonous surroundings I reached for the remote and increased my volume to where I could barely

hear the song now that the song was buried under the dramatic voices blaring through the TV speakers I allowed myself to zone out and become consumed by whatever senseless drama was being fed to me on this reality TV show I dozed off and was jolted awake by some overly enthusiastic infomercial making empty promises still slumped on the Couch and my eyelids half open I switched off the TV I was just about to let myself drift off to sleep again again but something wouldn't let me something kept me up waiting for me to become aware of

it again that's when I realized that it didn't stop my eyes darted to the clock on the microwave the time 11:32 illuminated in green this sent a chill through me it always stopped after the third Loop but 5 hours after it started and the song was still Playing I sat up eyes wide open but staring at nothing in particular I listened to the music intently but it didn't sound the same it always had it sounded like the record had been warped and scratched like the record had been bent producing a wobbly sound with more pronounced

stutters all my senses zeroed in on the Sinister feeling of the distorted sounds and that is when I heard it a short burst of a petrifying scream cut off by the sound of a moist Meaty thud followed by silence the world went quiet after that the only sound being that Dreadful deformed tune ringing in my ears the sounds I heard that night must have put me in some sort of catatonic State I couldn't even recall going through with my nightly routine I must have been on autopilot or something I snapped out of it as I

was laying in bed not tossing and turning but laying completely still staring up at the ceiling I contemplated calling The cops that night but I couldn't work up the courage I racked my brain of the possibilities of what I heard or what I thought I heard what if I was wrong but also what else could it have been the thought of the gruesome events that could have occurred just a couple feet away from me that night only separated ated by a shared wall sent chills down my spine and left me paralyzed in fear but I

didn't want to look like an idiot and have the man living next to me Thinking I'm a nosy paranoid nuisance of a neighbor so for the sake of sleep and my sanity I convinced myself to brush it off maybe his TV speakers were better than mine and I had mistaken a movie for real life [ __ ] I even thought it could have all been in my head I didn't want to think about it too much and scare myself so I didn't 2 weeks after that incident is when I saw him again it was about

1:00 a.m. and I had left my lighter in my car so I decided to go out And get it and while I was walking out to my car far in the back corner of the lot I saw him dragging a large bag it looked body sized leaving a red streak trailing the end of the black trash bag I froze and strained my eyes to try and see better scared to move an inch I held my breath as my eyes and brain scattered to make out the dark shapes and shadows I saw moving in the distance

the whole scene made me feel uneasy the the sounds of the bag dragging along the concrete And the faint squelching sound as he lunged and gave the bag another pull my eyes were still glued on him I stood there paralyzed in fear I started to feel lightheaded and I lost my balance and stumbled backwards he stopped the bag slouched to the ground as his head slowly rotated toward me even in the thick Darkness it seemed as if his eyes pierced through it pointing straight toward me I turned around and started walking back to my apartment

feeling his Eyes on the back of my head the the entire time I got back to my apartment and locked the bolt and the chain and tried going to sleep every time I would close my eyes I could see his beady eyes staring back at me there was no denying something was going on but I couldn't bring myself to do anything about it what if I got in trouble for taking so long I just couldn't do it the fear was too great and I just wanted to forget about it I didn't want to be right

the Music started again after that night the sound of the static overwhelming the music itself the Tempo much slower giving it a haunting sound when it would start playing I just sat there and cried waiting for it to be over I heard a faint scratching noise on the wall bordering our rooms it was faint and I almost couldn't discern where it was coming from the light scratching turned into a louder scraping sound the sound of a Sharp metal Edge the scraping Turned into tearing as I could hear the wallpaper start to tear at that point

I'm sitting there balling and overwhelmed with fear and anxiety knowing I'm next I I was happy to go to work the next morning just happy to be away from him somewhere he couldn't hurt me I drove to work with an uneasy feeling I felt like I was being watched I almost crash my car when I see him staring at me with the same glare wearing the same greasy wife beater and Stained jeans he was on the side of the road just staring like a predator stalking his prey I finished up work and walked out of

work uneasy I checked my Corners before fully exposing myself from them and sprinted to my car I I drove back home more anxious than usual not knowing where he could have been I finally made it back and parked as close to the hallway as I could closing the distance between my room and the car I felt tense and hyperaware as I stepped Out of my car and looked back to the spot I had seen him last night a sense of relief came over me seeing he wasn't there but that feeling soon turned to a crippling

Terror as my focus shifted to my car I saw him sitting in the back seat of my car with a grin spanning from ear to ear the disturbing sight of him made me jump and I tripped over my own feet stumbling to the ground but keeping my eyes on the top of his head it's all I could see from the ground as I pushed My body closer and closer to the hallway hearing my clothes tear and rip as it hooked onto the concrete I made it to the hallway and could barely get back onto my

feet praying he wasn't going to charge me I broke into a Sprint still trying to keep my balance I made it to my door and started feeling for my keys I checked each and every pocket and don't feel the sharp ridges of them my heart was racing faster than it ever has my keys must have fallen out of my Pocket or something when I fell to the ground I turned my head and the reflection of my keys caught my eye as I glared down the hall without thinking I Sprint to the end of the hall

and grabbed them once the car was in my view I noticed he wasn't there anymore I didn't waste any time getting back to my room barreling down the hall I unlocked the door got in my room then shut and locked the door the moment the last lock latches he started pounding on my door The noise echoing through my small apartment sending Shivers through my entire body at this moment I know I can't wait any longer I didn't care if I was wrong about it I needed to call the cops I reached in my pocket and

struggled to get it out while he was banging at my door once my phone was in my hand and I went to turn it off my face went pale and my hands began to shake my phone was dead without hesitation knowing time wasn't on my Side I rushed to my room and put on the charger the second I plugged it in the banging stops and the music started it was louder than ever filling my ears with a haunting slow tune barely recognizable from the song I once loved the melody of the song starts looping as

it Loops faster it got louder turning into a droning noise as I hear a faint scream that grows in volume piercing my ears and tickling my brain I sat there shaking and crying I felt the faint Buzz Of my phone coming back to life I turned it on and started dialing 911 as soon as the dialing stopped and the operator picked up I heard their voice asking me questions but in my panick state I could not listen or comprehend their words in the midst of all this chaos I felt so overstimulated that my mind seemed

empty but so full and Scattered at the same time making it impossible for me to form any coherent thoughts let alone sentences a spew of Frantic word vomit streamed out of my mouth and I didn't care if what I said was comprehensible I just remember screaming and pleading for for help begging for someone to come and save me to make it all stop take him away the operator's staticky voice suddenly got drowned out as the banging resumed seemingly coming from every wall and the music became almost deafening my hands began to tremble and my phone

fell to the floor and slid across the room Making whatever the operator is saying completely inaudible now I collapsed onto the ground curling into a ball and pulling my knees tight to my chest trying to make myself as small as possible my thoughts were drowned out by The Haunting music that swarmed my head until it felt like my skull was going to explode from the inside out my nails dug into my scalp as I gave up screaming for help and silently cried everything stopped then the banging on the door Resumed but it wasn't the same

as before a wave of relief rushed over me when I heard police open the door I gathered myself and ran to the door frantically telling them what had just happened I pointed to the room and told them he's in there they nodded and told me to stay put an officer sat with me calming me down while they banged on his door police open up we need to speak with you they yelled through the door as they bang on it I eagerly waited to hear a Response silence we know you're in there this is the police

open the door and come out peacefully silence we've tried calling out to you but there's been no response for your safety and the safety of others we are now preparing to enter the premises stand back and keep your hands visible they said before they busted down the door they swarmed the room with their guns drawn I waited with an officer outside of the room they came out of the room and reported that no one Was inside I glance inside myself and see that there is no furniture no signs of anyone living there the police contacted

the landlord to get the name of the resident nothing came back and they told me the apartment has been vacant for months that happened a week ago I decided to tell this story because the music started playing again and I don't know what to do Megan and Chris had dreamed of a quiet life for years after years of city Noise and Relentless schedules they finally found it an old house nestled at the edge of a large forest in a sleepy Suburban town the house a modest two-story with faded white paint and a wraparound porch seemed

perfect the price was right too far below what they would have paid for something similar in the city it felt like an answer to a prayer a fresh start for their family A place to raise their two children in peace the previous owner Mrs Hargrave Had disappeared under mysterious circumstances a few months prior the neighbors didn't say much about her but there was an unsettling tension in the way they avoided the topic Whispers circled about her odd behavior and the strange happenings that had been reported during her final years in the house some said she

had been involved in something unnatural but nothing concrete was ever confirmed at first Megan didn't pay much attention to the rumors the House itself had a calming atmosphere the creek of the wooden floors the smell of dust and old furniture it all added to its charm it was everything she had wanted quiet secluded and full of potential for the first time in years she felt like they had found their place but then the night started to feel strange it began subtly almost like she was imagining it a faint whistling a soft sound that seemed to

drift through the walls coming and going like the wind Megan dismissed it at first assuming it was the house settling or perhaps the breeze sneaking through the cracks in the old windows but as the days passed the sound persisted growing more distinct with each night it wasn't just the wind it was a rhythm a pattern something deliberate Megan mentioned it to Chris but he Shrugged it off it's just the house mag he said eyes glued to his phone as he settled into the couch after a long day at work old places make Weird noises still

Megan couldn't shake the feeling that something was off the whistling wasn't random it had a tone to it almost like someone was trying to get her attention and it wasn't just that it was the silence that followed there were moments usually just after dusk when the air seemed unnaturally still as if even the woods around them had stopped breathing the first time she heard the whistling again she she stood by the window trying to pinpoint its source the Dark woods outside were nothing but a shadowy maze of trees their Twisted limbs barely visible in the

Moonlight the sound came from there she was sure of it deep within the forest where no one ventured it was distant yet somehow close enough to feel personal like it was waiting for her the feeling noded at her the next few days pulling at her every thought what if it wasn't just the house settling what if it was something else something that had been there Before before they arrived something connected to Mrs Hargrave the Curiosity gwed at Megan Moore with each passing night the whistling had become louder clearer and more urgent it wasn't just some

odd noise or the wind it was deliberate someone or something was trying to get her attention the question that kept echoing in her mind was why one evening after Chris had gone to bed and the kids were fast asleep Megan found herself standing by the window Once more staring into the Dark Forest beyond their backyard the moon hung low in the sky casting Long Shadows across the clearing and the faint rhythmic whistling drifted toward her like a call it was impossible to ignore it any longer with her heart racing Megan grabbed her jacket pulled on

her shoes and slipped out the back door careful not to wake anyone the night was cold the air crisp with the scent of Pine and damp Earth as she made her way toward The woods the sound grew louder more distinct her steps quickened almost as if the sound itself was urging her on the trees swallowed her as she entered the woods their thick branches blocking out most of the Moonlight the whistling was louder now close enough that she could almost feel it vibrating in her chest Megan's mind raced with questions but she didn't stop to

think she had to know what was making the sound it was like an invisible force was guiding her Deeper into the woods further than she had ever gone before her feet stumbled over roots and uneven ground but she pressed on driven by a strange mixture of fear and determination the further she walked the louder the whistling became until it felt like it was all around her closing in the woods felt alive and Megan couldn't shake the feeling that they were watching her that they knew she was coming finally she came to a clearing the trees

parted and There standing just inside the circle of moonlight was a figure Megan froze the figure was tall its features obscured by the shadow of a large wide brimmed hat the figure didn't move but the whistling sound stopped as soon as she saw it for a moment everything was silent who's there Megan called her voice trembling but the figure didn't respond instead it tilted its head as if sizing her up Megan stepped forward her breath shallow what is this she whispered her eyes Scanning the figure for any sign of recognition it was then that the

figure spoke you shouldn't have come here a voice rough and low said Megan 's stomach dropped it was Mr Thompson the quiet neighbor who lived across the street she hadn't recognized him at first his face was pale his eyes wide with fear as though he had been waiting for her he took a step toward her his hand shaking I've been trying to protect you he said his voice strained this is Bigger than you know you're not supposed to be here before Megan could respond he grabbed her wrist pulling her away from the clearing and deeper

into the woods Megan's mind raised as Mr Thompson led her deeper into the woods she tried to pull away but his grip was tight his fingers digging into her skin his urgency was palpable and something about his frantic expression made her heart pound in her chest she didn't know what she expected but this wasn't it where Are we going she asked her voice shaky but her curiosity was overpowering her fear he didn't answer immediately his eyes darting back and forth through the darkness you don't understand you need to leave now it's too late for you

to turn back his words sounded desperate as though he were fighting against something much larger than himself the further they walked the denser the trees grew until the path was nearly impassible the air grew colder the Faintest Mist clinging to the ground Megan felt her breath catch in her throat a strange pressure building in her chest she couldn't shake the feeling that they were not alone that something was watching them waiting finally they reached a small clearing hidden deep in the woods in the center stood a circle of stones worn and ancient surrounded by symbols

that Megan didn't recognize there was a strange Stillness in the air as if the forest itself had grown quiet As though holding its breath Megan's eyes widened as she took in the scene before her the clearing felt wrong unnatural it was as if time itself had been warped here the Earth beneath her feet heavy with dark history the symbols on the stones were crude etched in a language that she could not decipher but there was no mistaking the energy in the air something malevolent had been here this is where it all happens Mr Thompson said

quietly his voice barely a whisper He let go of her wrist his hand trembling as he pointed toward the center of the circle this is where they summon it summon what Megan asked her voice low as she took a cautious Step Closer the sense of dread was overwhelming but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the circle The Whistler he said as if the words themselves were a burden to speak it's an ancient being something not of this world we've been trying to communicate with it for years The rituals the whistling it's all part of

the process we've almost succeeded Megan's stomach Twisted in horror you're saying you've been calling something something that's not human Mr Thompson nodded grimly it's not just us the others in the neighborhood they're part of it too people come and go but we've been here for decades waiting for the right time and that time is now his eyes locked with hers you need to leave before it's too late Megan felt a shiver Run down her spine as she absorbed his words the stories about Mrs Hargrave the disappearances the strange happenings it was all connected but what

was worse she realized was that she was standing in the heart of whatever this was the Whistler was real and whatever power it held it was close to being Unleashed she needed to stop it Megan's mind was spinning her pulse quickening with every word Mr Thompson uttered The Whistler a being of such power that it could shift The very fabric of reality and the cult this group they had been building towards this moment for years drawing closer to their goal she could see it in their eyes that fanaticism the belief that they were on the

cusp of something enormous something dangerous what happens if you succeed Megan asked her voice barely above a whisper she wasn't sure she wanted to know but she had to ask Mr Thompson's face grew even more solemn chaos destruction The Whistler Has the power to unravel the world around it to bend time space and the very essence of life itself it's not just a creature it's a force a force we can't control Megan's chest tightened and she fought to steady her breath she had to stop them she had no choice the town her family everyone she

cared about was at risk she could already feel the weight of what was to come pressing down on her suddenly a rustling sound came from the trees breaking her out of her Thoughts she turned scanning the dark woods around them Mr Thompson's eyes widened in alarm they're coming he muttered Panic creeping into his voice you need to leave Megan now but it was too late from the Shadows emerged figures Silhouettes moving swiftly gliding through the trees like Phantoms they wore long dark robes their faces obscured by hoods the members of The Cult they had gathered

ready to complete the ritual Megan's heart hammered in her Chest as she took a step back I can't leave not now I have to stop this Mr Thompson reached for her arm but she pulled away you don't understand Megan they'll kill you if you try to stop it they won't let anyone interfere I'm not leaving Megan said firmly her voice strong you may think you're controlling this but I won't let you bring it into the world as the roped figures closed in Megan's gaze fell upon the circle of stones again it was as if the

ground Itself was alive with a terrible energy vibrating under her feet the air felt thick charged with something sinister in the center of the circle a large Stone altar stood its surface cracked and worn from years of use a strange symbol was carved into it glowing faintly in the Moonlight without thinking Megan ran forward hoping to disrupt whatever ritual was about to take place she grabbed the nearest Stone and tried to pull it from the circle but as soon as Her fingers touched it a searing pain shot through her hand forcing her to let go

stop she screamed her voice desperate you have no idea what you're doing one of the cult members stepped forward his face obscured by the hood of his robe you should have stayed away Megan he said in a low menacing tone you've interfered with things you can't comprehend you've sealed your fate the circle around them seemed to pulse the symbols glowing brighter and Megan Realized with horror that it was too late to stop them the air crackled with an unnatural energy a palpable tension thickening as the cult members closed in on Megan she could feel the

force of the ritual its power drawing her in tugging at the edges of her mind it was as if the very Earth beneath her feet was shifting bending and she knew deep down that the Whistler wasn't just a myth or a story it was real she backed away her heart hammering in her chest as she Scanned the group each robed figure was eerily still their eyes locked on the altar completely absorbed in the Chant that was rising in volume becoming more insistent the symbols on the stones flickered shimmering as though alive and the air seemed

to vibrate with an unseen Force Megan's legs were shaking but she steadied herself thinking quickly if she couldn't break the ritual physically she would have to disrupt it another way she scanned her surroundings search Searching for anything that could help her stop what was happening her eyes fell on a small sharp Rock On The Ground enough to break the chain but the pain in her hand from before reminded her of the danger Focus she told herself her breath coming out in shaky bursts she could do this she had to without another thought she lunged toward

the stone altar her hands shaking as she grabbed the sharp Rock the chanting continued A Chorus of low voices that filled the Woods with an otherworldly sound she could feel it now the presence of something ancient something far too powerful for them to control she swung the rock down onto the altar surface a deafening crack echoed through the woods and the air around them seemed to split the glowing symbols on the stones shattered the light flickering violently and for a brief moment everything went dark no someone shouted from the group but the voice was distant

muffled as Though coming from underwater the world seemed to stretch Bend and warp around her the ground beneath her feet trembled and the wind whipped through the trees rustling the leaves in a cacophony of Whispers then with a horrifying Clarity Megan saw it the Whistler it was nothing like she had imagined no creature of Flesh and bone no Beast of nightmares but an embodiment of something far more terrifying it wasn't just a physical presence but a force a void she could Feel it pressing in on her its shape an endless swirl of Darkness its form

constantly shifting it was as though the the world itself was unraveling Fading Into nothingness no Megan gasped stumbling back the cult members had fallen silent their eyes wide with fear as they watched the manifestation of the Whistler begin to take shape in the center of the circle one of them the leader stepped forward his voice trembling it's it's here we've summoned It but it wasn't just there it was everywhere in every rustle of the trees in the howl of the wind in the very air they breathed it was inescapable a whispering endless sound a whistling

that filled her ears her mind her soul The Whistler reached out no it invaded wrapping around her like tendrils its presence suffocating and with a final Earth shattering Screech everything seemed to freeze then as suddenly as it had appeared the darkness began to pull Back the air cleared the ground stopped shaking and the forest was once again still Megan stood Frozen her body trembling with the adrenaline of what had just happened happened she turned slowly to look at the cult who were now kneeling their faces pale their eyes wide with fear the ritual had failed

but the question lingered had they truly stopped the Whistler or had they simply triggered something far worse something that even now was beginning to shift Back into the Shadows waiting for its next moment to emerge the calm that followed the ritual felt unnatural like the silence before a storm Megan stood in the midst of the clearing her mind racing to compr comprehend what had just happened the Whistler had it really been there or had it all been a terrible illusion a trick of the Mind the air around her seemed clearer now but the haunting whistling

lingered in the back of her mind like a melody she couldn't Escape the cult members remained motionless their faces Hollow and drained of color Megan's breath came in Shallow gasps as she approached them her every Instinct screaming at her to run but she couldn't not yet she had to understand what had happened duu what was that she whispered her voice trembling with both fear and disbelief the leader a man with a gaunt face and Trembling Hands finally spoke it was the Whistler we we failed his voice was Barely audible barely a breath we tried to

summon it to control it but we were never meant to it's more than we thought more than we could comprehend Megan's heart pounded so it's still out there it didn't vanish did it it's just waiting for another chance the leader shook his head his eyes filled with Terror we don't know we don't know if it's gone or if it's just hiding but we're not safe anymore none of us are Megan's gaze flickered to the rest of The group their eyes vacant lost they were all consumed by the terror they had Unleashed unable to fully comprehend

the consequences of their actions and she knew deep down that their failure had only sealed their fate as she backed away her hand instinctively reaching for her phone Megan's mind spun what should she do now the police would want answers they would want to know everything but how could she explain any of it how could she make them understand something That even she wasn't sure about Megan a voice called out she froze her heart leaping into her throat it was Mr Thompson his eyes wide and frantic as he stumbled toward her he was breathing heavily

as if he had been running and his clothes were torn as as if he had been caught in something far darker than just the woods it's not over he rasped we we didn't stop it it was never supposed to be stopped his face Twisted in panic as he continued you have to Listen to me the Whistler is is more than a creature it's a force a manifestation of something ancient and we we can't control it no one can it's tied to this land tied to this town it can never be truly banished Megan took a

step back feeling her stomach turn then why did you do it why did you try to summon it Mr Thompson's expression darkened we thought we could harness its power we thought we could control it make it work for us but we were wrong so Very wrong is it still out there Megan's voice was horse filled with Dread his lips trembled and for a long moment he didn't answer then his voice barely above a whisper he said it's waiting suddenly a a piercing whistle filled the air sharp eerie and unmistakable it cut through the night sending

a shiver of dread down Megan's spine the whistling sound was back it was the same rhythmic tone she had heard before but now it was louder more insistent it wasn't coming From the woods it was all around them and in that moment Megan realized the horrible Truth The Whistler had never left it had never been fully banished it had only been waiting for the right moment to return as the whistling grew louder a wave of unease crashed over her and she knew that no matter how hard she tried she would never be able to escape

it the town the forest the very land they stood on was bound to the Whistler Megan turned and ran her legs pumping Furiously her breath ragged in her chest behind her she could hear The Whispers somewhere in the dark in the trees and the wind always just Out Of Reach the whistling echoed in her mind a constant reminder of the creature the force that could never be truly stopped no matter how hard she fought no matter how much she wanted to leave it all behind Megan knew that the Whistler was always waiting waiting for the

next chance to emerge from the shadows and as she Disappeared into the night she understood the one undeniable Truth The Whistler was never gone it was always here the porch was tidy a few flower pots vacant for the the winter and a small porch swing swayed gently in the wind I must admit I was nervous as I turned to see the gravel road winding through the hills my house was nearly 15 Acres away from my closest neighbor whose door I was standing in front of after all country life was new to me I Gently knocked

on the door the sound of a television coming from the other side I waited a moment but no one replied as I turned I saw an old Silverado its red paint dusted with a light gray layer of gravel I knocked again and waited patiently but after a minute I turned and began walking down the stairs can I help you fella I heard behind me as the door creaked open slightly I turned back around to see a man with graying hair And a mustache peering out from behind horn rimmed glasses his eyes were a nearly wooden

Brown hey there my name is Jake I said awkwardly I'm your new neighbor who moved in a couple of weeks ago and I was just wondering if I could ask a favor and what might that be I just ran out of sugar I was wondering if I could borrow a cup just to use in my coffee whole lot of sugar for a cup of coffee I'd say he replied with a slight unapproving frown you'd be fixing to Bounce off the pastures with that much sugar I chuckled nervously well I'm not going to use the whole

thing on my coffee just enough to get me by until I get to town to buy some you going to bring me a cup and a half back he asked stepping out onto the porch and locking eyes with me me taller than me and built like a barrel he wore thick denim jeans and an even thicker green and black flannel shirt confused by his response I Shrugged searching for The right words a cup and a half you know it's charging interest he answered that's usually how stuff works when you borrow you know well I guess

borrowing was a poor choice of word I corrected could I have a cup of sugar please the man grunted he took a step forward his gaze intense I offered a gentle smile hoping to disarm him he tilted his head back and let out a hearty laugh that echoed around us I'm just Josh and you man he chuckled come on in and let's get You a cup of sugar can't have any man starting their day without coffee thanks sir I replied What's Your Name by the way I'm jebadiah but most people just call me Jeb he

responded extending his hand for a firm handshake pleasure to meet you Jake likewise all right come on in and let's get you fixed up he said gesturing for me to follow him inside as I walked through the door I noticed the wood panel walls were adorned with various hunting trophies and the wooden Furniture featured taxor me wild animals don't worry they don't bite Jeb chuckled noticing my stare at his collection I've lived here almost my entire life you knew who owned my house before me yes sir mabell she was an odd duck oh yeah she

wasn't very neighborly Jeb replied as we walked into his meticulously clean kitchen with four plates perfectly staged on the table we talked a few times but I missed the days when people were neighborly you know I wish I could Say I did but I'm from the city I replied as he searched through a cabinet of labeled mason jars pulling out one filled with white sugar didn't even really know my neighbors that's a shame I remember growing up stuff like this happened all the time like what this right here a neighbor coming over for a cup

of sugar or asking for some eggs yeah never much of that where I grew up I admitted even growing up I hardly knew my neighbors simpler times I Guess Jeb added as he filled a smaller mason jar with sugar for me carefully avoiding spilling any on his counter so what brought you to live down this way well I work remotely so I figured I'd get out of the city to somewhere more affordable and settle down what do you do IT project management oh one of them Computer Guys Jeb chortled I don't know much about all

that fancy Tech stuff I still use an old flip phone nothing Wrong with retro sometimes I said as I looked around Jeb's kitchen and saw a couple of guns sitting next to his back door a rifle and a shotgun sometimes I'd forget where I moved and this was totally normal so it's just you in the house Jeb turned with a Jar full of sugar in his hand and nodded yep the kids are all grown up now and the wife ran off a few years back oh I'm sorry to hear don't be I'm better off without

her nagging my ear off women you Know Jeb chuckled again you live by yourself right yeah I said slightly caught off guard by his assumption as he handed me the cup of sugar it was more than a cup thanks Jeb no problem that's what good neighbors do the only sound was the clicking of my keyboard when I heard a faint knock at the front door I continued typing hoping to get the last email sent off but the knocking grew louder more insistent and finally aggressive one second I'm coming I Shouted hitting enter to send the

email it must have been the 30th time I'd hit send but the knocking stopped before I reached the door as I opened it I saw Jeb marching angrily over to an ATV and retrieving a shotgun he pointed it in the air pulled the trigger and a boom erupted across the air what the hell I screamed startled Jeb who had noticed me at the door grinned widely he placed the gun on the ATV and shuffled over to me that's called a holler doorbell he Explained okay I've never heard of that I replied but I would appreciate

it if you didn't do that his grin vanished replaced by a blank expression how was I supposed to get your attention then he asked bluntly the knock got my attention I said I was on my way to the door I was just in my office office I saw your car figured you were home he stated standing inches from me peering into my doorway sorry I know you're new around here I didn't think it through it's okay I Guess I said so what's up Jeb I was just wondering if you have a stick of butter he

asked his gleeful grin returning my nerves however were still a little rattled mind if I borrow some are you going to bring a stick and quarter next time I awkwardly tried to joke he looked at me in silence for almost 10 seconds but then his head tilted back and he laughed loudly even harder than the time he used the same joke good one sir all right let's get you a stick of butter I Replied starting to feel a little more at ease as I walked inside Jeb followed his eyes darting back and forth as if

he was soaking in my house really gave this place a facelift didn't you yay I've owned it for a couple months before I moved in I answered as we walked through the house towards the kitchen it just needed a little modernizing you know by golly it almost feels like I walked into the future Jeb chortled as the two of us stepped into my kitchen as I opened the Refrigerator and pulled out a stick of butter handing it over to him nothing too fancy I assure you I said while handing him the stick of butter he

continued to scan everything around him silently as held on to the butter so got any plans for the weekend just going to be watching college games ah are your kids coming over he sneered and said they don't come around Jake oh sorry I just thought why would you bring that up he asked coldly his face blank do I ask You about your dumb family excuse me sorry I shouldn't have said that he replied his grin returning though it felt unnerving all right well I am sorry if it feels like I am rushing you out the

door I replied but I have to get back to work I get it you got to get back to that fancy moonman job Jeb said with a hearty laugh thanks for the better neighbor it's no problem I said as we walked to the front door he patted me on the back a couple of times but Something about his eyes when he did it was off as if he was wishing he was slapping me all right I will see you around sometime yay yay see you around I said nervously as I watched him walk down to

his ATV he turned around one last time giving the big wave with an even bigger smile before mounting his vehicle and revving the engine loudly I wasn't sleeping well the sound of ATV engines and wheels kept creeping into my dreams waking me up my phone displayed 3:45 ANM I got out of bed turning on the light before heading downstairs for a glass of water I hoped hydrating would allow me to fall back asleep as I returned to my bedroom I debated for a moment whether to go back to sleep or simply start my day early

as I walked over to my window I gazed out at the scenery it was was an adjustment from City life but I was slowly starting to appreciate the quiet however that appreciation was brief as I scanned the Field and saw something in the distance there standing in the pasture sitting on an ATV and looking directly at my window was Jeb what I quickly turned off my light to feain sleep but I could hear it maybe it wasn't a dream could Jeb have been circling my property with his ATV all night no that's crazy but so

is sitting in a field at 34 45 ATM it was a faint but slow Rumble in the distance as I stood Frozen in the dark bedroom it inched closer each second sending a Thuing Tremor through my chest before I knew it I heard a knock at the door a few seconds later another knock this time heavier and more aggressive maybe he'll think I'm asleep no I'm an idiot for even thinking that he's clearly unhinged I needed to call the cops but I didn't want him to see me move so I did the only thing that

came to mind I crawled the knocking growing angrier and louder slowly inching on my knees towards my nightstand to reach my phone Then came the loud bang I was stiffly on my hands and knees as glass rained down on me I looked up to see my bedroom window shattered from the shotgun blast oh looks like my late night doorbell might have been a little off center Jeb yelled with his hearty laugh you blew out my window I yelled back so you are awake anyone would be awake with an ATV drive by suppose oose you're right

about that Jeb responded you think I can grab a beer no it's almost 4: in the morning Well I was going to do some smok and takes about 12 hours I don't care I screamed you shot my window out and I am calling the cops it was silent for a moment giving me the slight bit of hope that my threat to call the police would make him go away but after another one of his laughs Jeb said that's not very neighborly of you to call the cops you shot my window out I yelled crawling over

to where my phone lay and beginning to dial 911 seriously Jeb go home and wait for the cops there you know how far out we are Jeb responded with a cold tone we are about 45 minutes away from town and if you're lucky just maybe they have a trooper station down at the exit but around this time he's usually at the buck ease watching YouTube videos and eating jerky Jeb I am calling them now I yelled one more time but was greeted not by a response but another shotgun blast that shattered the remaining window Frame

I just need a beer Jake Jeb screamed hell I'll even bring you a platter of what I'm smoking I don't have any beer what kind of man lives in the country and doesn't have beer me this guy the one who had his window shot out and is about to call the cops I don't believe you he shouted no I am actually calling the cops I shouted back not about that Jeb hurled back about the beer I know you got one in the the fridge what I want to see for myself Jeb Screamed I want to

know if you are just lying and not being a good neighbor I am not letting you in I countered loudly fear gripped me as I heard an ATV engine Roar to life peeking out the window I braced myself for the worst Jeb was revving his engine he launched himself towards my house and a tremendous thud shook the front door I knew I had to get out and quickly I ran downstairs and dialed 911 911 what is your emergency the Operator's voice crackled my neighbor he's trying to break into my house with his ATV he's been

shooting at me I screamed the sound of the engine deafening as Jeb rammed the front door the wood splintered and the frame groaned under the pressure from the ATV sir are you somewhere safe the operator asked no he's trying to break in sir try to find a safe place I am dispatching someone now the operator replied I fled towards the kitchen past the Refrigerator and towards the back door desperate to escape my own home from Jeb it was frigid outside but I heard the front door finally succumb to the constant assault as I scrambled further

into the biting cold I had to escape I started running towards the edge of my property but then I heard Jeb shout you were right you didn't have any beer I turned to see him standing at my back door but all I could do was run my ribs achd with every pounding step but the Sickening Roar of the ATV grew louder horror gripped me as I saw Jeb approaching his face a mask of grim determination I'm going to get you he bellowed his voice echoing through the pastures and woods I called the cops I shouted

back but my words seemed to only fuel his Pursuit he slowed momentarily as if toying with me before unleashing the ATV again I could hear His Manic laughter in the distance all right this time I'm really going to get you the Engine roared propelling him forward with renewed speed I pushed myself harder my eyes fixed on the creek embankment My Last Hope of Escape you think you can get away Jeb shouted his face inches from mine as we raced side by side don't you know what it's like to be a good neighbor he stared at

me then swerved his head realizing we were both heading towards the creek bed Panic flared in his eyes he slammed on the brakes attempting a sharp turn but the ATV flipped throwing Jeb off as a barrel rolled several times into the field field I stopped running my sides burning an eerie silence descended broken only by the distant whale of approaching Sirens a loud moan pierced the air I approached Jeb who laid on the ground his head bleeding profusely his legs Twisted in unnatural ways a chilling grin spread across his face be a good neighbor now

he groaned and call an ambulance 2017 was was the last year my Family went on our yearly ski trip it was a family tradition and one of the few times I'd see some of my siblings as most of them are all much older than me and have lives of their own I remember my mom suggesting we'd stay at an Airbnb that year as it was cheaper and not far from the ski hill and we all thought that was a great idea so my mom my dad my younger brother Jackson and I piled into the car

to meet my older brother Isaac and my old sister Megan and her Husband Drew I was so excited to see them Jackson and I jumped out of the car the second we arrived eagerly looking forward to picking our shared room race y Jackson screamed while barreling ahead of me hey no fair I laughed chasing him but just barely keeping up he pointed to a room on the top floor and motioned for me to follow him to it I followed him to the room it was amazing it had a big Loft with our beds on on

it and a hugee TV plus there was a giant window on the Loft level this place is awesome Jackson shouted while climbing up the ladder to The Loft I followed and peered out the window into the enchanting winter Forest just behind the cabin I had the feeling this trip was going to be amazing I was wrong a few hours after we arrived my 18-year-old brother Isaac came he marveled at the cabin's Beauty and charm and so did Megan and Drew when they arrived the first few days were great we all drove to the ski hill

together my Dad would take us boys skiing while my mom and sister relaxed in the lodge since my sister was pregnant with my first nephew at the time it was on the third night that something strange began to happen I woke up at around 2: in the morning to the sound of sticks or something being thrown at the huge window in Jackson and I's room I sat awake and listened for a few moments while staring at the window even though there was a thin curtain covering the Window the light from the Moon allowed me to

watch the Silhouettes Of The Sticks hitting the window they weren't big they were thin and small but big enough to make a distinct tapping noise every time they hit tap tap tap Dylan Jackson called tiredly stop with that noise it's not me look I whisper shouted to him while pointing to the window now he was watching the sticks hit the window what is that he whispered let's find out I whispered while Creeping out of bed I turned back to see if Jackson was following me he hesitated but curiosity overcame him and he crept after me

I rolled the curtains up and gazed down into the darkness I couldn't see anything despite the big bright moon just a stick being tossed from the darkness below and hitting the window every few seconds Jackson and I opened the window the stick tossing ceased hello Jackson called for a few moments it was quiet but then someone responded Hey Jackson hey Dylan The Voice called I recognized it immediately it was Drew Drew has a very thick Australian accent as he lived there most his life so it wasn't very hard to conclude it was just drew pranking

us funny prank drew Jackson said playfully then he closed the window and climbed back into bed isn't that kind of weird I asked Jackson hey he's just playing around Jackson replied nonchalantly I agreed and went back to sleep the next day was Normal Drew didn't mention anything about the prank but it was in the back of my mind now however that night I was awoken Again by the same tapping on the window at the same time as the night before I immediately looked over at Jackson we both got up and opened the window again all

I saw was Darkness but this time I could hear Drew giggling hey Drew I said a bit aggravated guys Drew said between Giggles come out here Jackson and I exchanged glances we Can't Mom and Dad will get mad Drew's giggling stopped his tone got urgent and serious quickly you got to see this come down here no I said come down here Drew screamed angrily a rock flew from the darkness it just barely hid me it fell through the window onto the floor Jackson and I looked at each other in fear normally Drew was a polite

and calm guy he's always been kind and loving towards Jackson and I he never raised his voice he never took things too far I Knew him as a voice of reason and he had become even calmer after learning he was going to have a baby I'm getting Megan Jackson cried he rushed away Drew's screams grew louder and more aggressive get out here now Drew screamed louder than ever I fell to my knees balded up on the floor in Terror while tears flowed out my eyes that's when I heard Jackson come running into the room with

Megan Dylan come down here now Megan called from below the Loft quickly I Went down the ladder and ran into my sister's arms Drew was still screaming from outside I had my eyes closed while my sister hugged me when I opened them I realized the terrifying truth Drew was standing right there but who was currently standing outside our cabin screaming then the person was still screaming for Jackson and I thoughts swarmed my mind who was out there how did it know my name and why did it sound just like Drew We all stood in fearful

silence the voice stopped but then a huge Jagged rock is big as my head flew through the window off the Loft and straight at my sister her real husband pulled her back quickly she still screamed at the top of her lungs which made my parents and Isaac rush into the room they comforted my sister and that's when I noticed this humanoid thing climbing through the still open window I screamed while everyone else Began noticing it that's when we all booked it to the car everyone piled in my parents' car and we left the other cars

behind my mom was on the phone with the police for a lot of the drive they searched the whole house and woods outside the house to no avail it's been years since that happened the baby my sister was pregnant with is in school now but I still wake up in a cold s at night thinking I Heard a Voice call me and tell me Dylan come out Here at the end of January 2022 I reserved this place under the search setting entire Cottage I expected this Cottage to be entirely available to us for 2 weeks

at the time of the reservation there was no mention on the description that this was a four-bedroom apartment on the main floor of the house there was still no mention in this description of a tenant living upstairs this was information buried under a large amount of text under house Rules at the bottom of the page on the reservation page the description said only entire home entire Cottage and you'll have the cottage for yourself the picture of the entire Cottage was there on the main page the rental also came up under a search for entire home

there was no no mention in the description at the time of my rental that this was a forzo bedroom apartment on the main floor on a house after a few days I accidentally found out on the web looking for the Address from an old sale listing that the cottage actually has two apartments I went back and searched on the side of the cottage and I found the house manual where it was indeed mentioned under a long text about house rules that usually is read just before checking in that there was another apartment upstairs with a

live in tenant this is not what I wanted to rent for 2 weeks as a cottage retreat by then the cut off for free cancellations had passed by a few days I Contacted the host and told her that unfortunately the cottage is not what I had in mind when I rented and that I would like to cancel she said it was fine and I went on and cancelled then I asked if she could confirm that I can be fully refunded given the situation the host did not answer for 3 days and then I requested the

refund through the resolution center I was charged one600 Canadian dollar although I cancelled 23 days prior to check-in date and the host Rented the unit for the majority of the two weeks to other people I cancelled 3 or 4 days after the cut off date and I explained what the misunderstanding was I was left with this huge bill for nothing while the host got one $600 and rented her cottage for additional income during that time frame what followed was a two-month long exchange with different employees from Airbnb ambassadors supervisors and I was told a manager

although I could not verify that I was Indeed talking to a manager I have asked to escalate the case further at each step I have now waited for almost another month for someone to contact me to no avail at all these levels I was told that the host did nothing wrong that Airbnb allows for such important information as the type of the house to be under house rules and that I am to respect the Airbnb cancellation policy and that Airbnb apologize for the inconvenience the inconvenience being That I am left with this huge bill I

have been made to wait to start talking with ambassadors all over again in one case I had to insist to have my case escalated and in the last instance the case had been closed even though I had requested to talk to a higher employee it has been a nightmare to deal with Airbnb employees for the most part I have asked for verification that the description did not contain the information apartment on the main floor Of the house at the time of my rental nobody followed up on this I find this situation deeply unfair to me

I have been an Airbnb customer for 10 years have excellent reviews and could very well be called a super guest if such a category existed I know how to look for rentals on Airbnb and never had any problem I was misled by the description on this rental property never in my 10 years of experience was such important information the type of lodging and Whether there were other tenants hidden under house rules a quick look at this category over other rentals showed that usually house rules are additional rules for when entering the house while the description

part at the top of the page right next to the rental details contains all that is essential to know I have never expected a cottage listed as entire Cottage to have another unit in the same house while I understand that the host is protected under the Airbnb Policy I feel that customers are not this is a case that might be okay by the Airbnb book but it is a case that shows how some loopholes in the Airbnb policy can be used intentionally or not to mislead customers if the host is not at fault in this

case I feel Airbnb should take responsibility and reimburse me I also feel Airbnb should apologize to me for the way I was treated lack of transparency for the most part having to go in circles and explain my case all Over again no followup of simple verification demands it's been 3 months of dealing with Incredible frustration loss of money long waight times and frankly quite poor customer support and understanding more than a month ago I booked accommodations for my wife and her cousin in San Diego at a property owned by a group called Saunder seems they

own a lot of properties on Airbnb about a month before this day I Changed from my originally booked location called The Baker to one called the Leo this change was confirmed by Airbnb the second property had room for two and a kitchen as the checkin date approached I was concerned as I had not received an email with building and Room codes I contacted the host through airbnb's message center they said the emails were going to an email other than my account email but would not specify which red flag hash one so they resent Them I

noticed right away that the message referred to the baker property not the revised property I contacted them again the first agent ended the call as soon as I explained the situation red flag 2 I called back and was told that no the information was correct and that although it said the Baker on the message the address and entry codes were for the Leo I even messaged again and asked them to confirm again because my wife and her cousin Were arriving at 11:30 p.m. and I did not want them to have nowhere to go turns out

that they outright lied the property was still the Baker and the Leo was not even available as it was being renovated red flag hash3 of course after over 7 hours on the phone trying to figure this out it is not even possible to find a room at a similar rate in San Diego on such short notice s won't even respond to my comment to which they lied outright Airbnb is working on a solution but their solution is no refund the host won't agree and Airbnb protects them the host will provide a substitute yes one that

has horrible reviews and is located directly above a loud bar property called The Marin but don't worry they will provide earplugs and a white noise generator so you can sort of sleep I am cancelling my Airbnb account as of today I made and paid for reservations for a farmhouse outside of Frederick Maryland for a weekend stay in summer 2020 so that my siblings and their children could all be together when we buried my mother's ashes at Mount olivit Cemetery in Frederick the pandemic caused us to postpone our stay until the summer of 2021 after paying

an additional amount representing the difference between the 2020 and higher 2021 rates several months prior to our 2021 day my brother-in-law informed me he had a scheduling conflict and because He is a preacher and my mother specified that she wanted him to officiate at her burial I informed my host that we had to to postpone until summer of 2022 she said she had no problem as long as dates were available and they were using airbnb's website I attempted to make the date change fully expecting to pay an additional amount representing the difference between the 2021

and the higher 2022 rates once I started the process of making the change the website Informed me that the stated rates were only good for a short specified period of time and if I didn't complete the transaction within that time the rates would go up the problem was I could not complete the change of date transaction without first paying full price for the new 2022 reservation the website was not giving me the option of applying the funds from the fully paid for 2021 reservation I sent the host a message asking for guidance and while she

had Always gotten right back to me prior to this moment for some reason I did not hear back from her prior to the transaction deadline I went ahead and charged the full 2022 reservation on my credit card assuming that of course the already paid full 2021 reservation amount would be refunded to me I wasn't trying to rip anyone off but at this point I had now paid the full amount twice for a weekend stay at The Farmhouse I thought surely I'll be Refunded the funds for the cancelled 2021 stay I mean I was using airbnb's

website and the host didn't respond to my request for guidance I contacted airbnb's customer service department who told me the host had to agree to me receiving a full refund of the cancelled 2021 reservation I contacted the host who agreed to the full refund and I informed airbnb's customer service of the hosts agreement the customer service Representative explained how my full refund would consist of two amounts the amount paid for the original 2020 reservation Wy 98087 and the additional several hundred I paid for the 2021 reservation representing the increase in rates between 2020 and 2021

the customer service representative repeatedly used the term full refund which frankly were the only two words I was listening for within minutes I Received a full refund on my credit card for the smaller several 00 increase in rates amount as the minutes ticked by and the bigger W900 8.87 amount never showed up on my credit card account I started to get worried when I called Airbnb customer service back I was informed the full refund of 1 98.87% a future use of their choosing Airbnb customer service did suggest a possible resolution I could cancel the 2022

Reservation and make a new reservation and apply the credit for future use funds toward that I pointed out that their suggestion would certainly resolve the credit for future use funds left over from the 2021 reservation but now I'd be stuck with a new credit for future use from the cancelled 2022 reservation they suggested I work it out with the host I called the host and explained to her what had transpired she seemed to be sympathetic but she asked Me to have Airbnb customer service call her and walk her through the process of fixing the situation

because she didn't want to make any mistakes which I could understand after trying to use the badly coded change of reservation dates section of the Airbnb website when I contacted Airbnb customer service again I pointed out that this all could be resolved within seconds but the customer service representative insisted it couldn't be done the next time I called Airbnb customer service I got a garbled recording stating that the number I was calling had been disconnected or was no longer in service I figured I must have made a mistake punching the numbers when I made the

call so I called again and again got the garbled recording once I picked my jaw off the floor and pondered the thought of a customer service to Department of a major American corporation having a disconnected number and no apparent new or forwarding number I was at a loss it just didn't make any sense then a truly ridiculous thought entered my head they didn't block me did they to shoot down that ridiculous notion right away I decided to call Airbnb customer service using my landline phone and not my cell phone the number on my Airbnb account

Bingo no garbled disconnection message when I called using my landline I got into customer service that is if you call answering a few questions put to me by a Machine and being ultimately referred to an online fact page as customer service that is pathetic I was blocked by Airbnb customer service now I know what you're thinking I'm a hothead and I was speed dialing into Airbnb customer service 24/7 hurdling expletives at meek and Mild customer service reps not quite I called Airbnb customer service maybe four times total I was always civil and most of the

time I was simply requesting information the most confrontational if You can call it that was when I was told by the customer service representative it can't be done in reference to the promised full refund I very politely pointed out that actually it could be done it was promised a partial refund was accomplished within seconds after the first time I called in in and a full refund of the remaining funds could be done within seconds so as it stands now I supposedly have a credit for future use for 98087 even though there is nothing in my

account that indicates that I guess I'd have to contact Airbnb customer service in order to access that credit except they blocked me I didn't go to business school but I can't imagine there's a business school out there that teaches business people that it is better to lie to and cheat a customer a customer who is using your services so that he can bury his mother's ashes and turn the customer into a lifetime enemy of your Company than to put in perhaps 20 seconds worth of effort to push a button to issue a refund check whenever

I hear someone utter the word Airbnb believe me I let them know of my experience with them my family and I were traveling to New York for my graduation from wou we arrived to the Airbnb around midnight and found the room unlocked and dirty the sheets on the beds looked slept in they were stained with white and there Was a white powder on the table as well my six-year-old nephew was joining me the next morning and God knows what would have happened if he tried to taste it the floor was unswept there were hair balls

everywhere and counters were not clean the bathroom had been used with used towels hanging it was entirely unacceptable we were tired from flying coast to coast and did not expect to arrive to a mess I tried to contact the Dorman then they told me to speak to the Host I asked the host for a solution she offered new not washed sheets that we would put on the beds ourselves I asked for a refund and she essentially said we had no choice but to stay there because places nearby were booked I reached out to Airbnb who

had me take photos and explain what had happened after investigating the Airbnb support representative told me that the host told him that I had other guests that left the room in that condition when I Had literally just arrived I was appalled my family and I immediately tried to find places to N aail I spoke with the Airbnb representative a few times and was ready to leave but my family and I had nowhere to go and we slept on the fitted sheets of the bed that night I was promised a refund of the nights I would

not be spending there and compensation on a hotel I ended up booking the next day came and the Airbnb representative told me I could only get A refund for the rest of the nights and no compensation for the hotel I ended up booking which cost me over two times more than for what I booked the Airbnb they also tried to force my hand and authorizing a solution by saying I had 30 minutes to an hour to accept a partial refund I tried to escalate the issue to a supervisor for which they told me I would

have to wait a business day Airbnb hasn't tried to assist and compensate for an experience that was Unforeseen and unplanned I came to celebrate an achievement with my family and did not expect to have to worry for my family and my safety this entire experience cost my family sleep and plans I had with them 2 days later I am still waiting for a resolution I posted a review on Airbnb of the drama but they took it down stating I posted sensitive content but have yet to tell me what that is the host sent me an

email with an address that was not the Actual address of his unit he lied there were multiple codes to enter the elevator and the unit that didn't work all the time either there were also signs posted at the elevators stating that they do not allow Airbnb our flight was delayed due to weather issues we had to overnight in Nashville I told the host and he said to call when we arrived in Miami a full day after our initial check-in time we arrived it was when I called a second time notifying him of Our arrival that

the host revealed that he purposefully emailed me the wrong address the real address was two blocks away not only that he said we could not all enter the building at the the same time could not bring all of our bags in at once nor could we talk to the staff if they did speak to us we were to say we were his cousins the Airbnb ad also said there was free parking there was no free parking on the street or in the building just $45 per day there was Pubic hair in the sheets and pea

stains on the mattress fingerprints were on most surfaces the light switches were dirty there were wet towels in the washing machine years of dust and dirt built up in the Lou doors to the laundry closet the bed sheets were dirty crumbs specks of glitter pen and marker on sheets and makeup marks on the door frame of the master bathroom the toilet cover and seat looked around 50 years old the toilet bowl was not completely Clean there were dry food pieces in the microwave the high chair back had no screws refrigerator was dirty there were fingerprints

on the sliding glass door to the balcony that had two metal folding chairs blinds were missing pieces and not even long enough to cover the glass on the door that lead to the master bedroom a few random suspect sheets to change out but nothing matched the towels looked recycled there were only three washcloths recycled from a Car wash I suspect the host had the nerve to tell us his man who was supposed to clean did not have time to finish how is that even possible when we were a day late he had the nerve to

asked us to wash the sheets and finish drying the wet towels we immediately went to Walmart and picked up sheets and cleaning supplies beforehand he promised to reimburse us for parking the day we lost and Walmart costs the time we lost doing this and standing in the longest Line ever can never be repaid we told Airbnb about these issues but the first thing they said to us was we should have called within 24 hours of checkin how can we call when we didn't find out until after the time expired despite proof of the legitimate flight

delay and proof that he waited 24 hours to reveal the real address Airbnb refused to refund us outright instead they said the host would have to agree which of course he did not the guy even sent me a Threatening text message a week after his refusal I put up a review they take it down do they take down his bait and switch post nope airbn B is completely complicit in his scam I am going to pay the arbitration fee and go through the process which is required by their terms of service before you sue Airbnb

I will never use this service again to make matters worse the unit wasn't even cheaper than a hotel it was just a busy weekend in Miami and we couldn't get Anything else close by all of the events we were going to for my sister's birthday trip one of my friends I see every day we live 2 seconds from each other ride the same bus to school hang out in the mornings the other lives about 30 minutes away and goes to a different school so I don't see him often when we do see each other we

make it a two-day event we get snacks play games stay up all night and have a genuinely good time Usually one leaves early in the morning and the other and I go hang out in the nice little clearing in the the forest by my townhouse it's a usual hangout spot for the kids in the neighborhood and the teenagers that go there to smoke and it's split into two sections the right and left side the right side is a small path that leads to a lake and the left is a smaller path that leads to a

perfect circle with a path leading the complex over these have been like this Since I moved in 6 years ago and never changed until today this morning my buddy call him M left early in the morning to go home so me and my other friend be and I went to the woods we were just hanging out and chilling by the lake when I noticed a new deviation from the circular path going up into a hill but I couldn't see what was back there past the trees bee and I are stupid so we decided to explore

when we got up there we found the Gated off area And a new clearing with a great tide to a tree acting like a door be and I got curious so we went inside and chilled out now now someone was here recently cuz there was a makeshift fireplace but that's not what gave me a bad feeling on the tree opposite the makeshift fireplace there was a green rope with some weird stains on it not blood but like goopy orange kind of like sap weirdest part being is that it's Autumn and our trees are so dead

that don't Produce sap bee didn't really care and started building a Hut I ignored my bad feeling but em had woken up so we went to his house to get him and bring him back back because he's much bigger than us and be started to get a bad feeling when we got him we walked back into the graded off area and they started building but I had an awful feeling I was hearing weird [ __ ] and random whooshes like Footsteps in a place where nobody else was around a fact about me Is my ears

he really weird weird pitches others can't hear and I swear the entire time we were in there I heard a sort of were somewhat like a helicopter taking off but higher basically a very high rotation speed sound I started to lose my sense of constant kind of like when you're coming down off of a high and you just space out across from this was an island and this was the most horrifying thing I saw I [ __ ] you not I saw three smiling faces peering at me from that Forest they didn't move they didn't

blink they didn't budge three smiling faces that did not have any defining features no wrinkles hair no pupils I looked away away but they were still there I don't scare easily but I almost pissed myself I could not look away I literally tried but I couldn't because I felt cold freezing as soon I knew it be was tapping me on the shoulder and he had to leave em and I walked back his house and be left nobody else had seen Or experienced what I saw or they ignored it that really bothers me because they know

how I am ever since I've gotten home I've felt sick to my stomach I feel like something has changed around me I kind of feel like I'm in a bubble I keep coming to weird Consciousness in random places of my house and seeing random shadows in the corner of my eye and weird outlines kind of like cellophane and Reflections my friends want to return next week but I Feel like we went somewhere we were just not meant to go I mean I get I live in a bad place and I could have gone to a

drug hangout and picked up residue of something that made me hallucinate but something rubbed me the wrong way about it and it was genuinely scary for me I'm going to buy a trail cam and see what happens there overnight I just want to know if anyone knows what this might be or if anyone else has seen something like this I plan to update with whatever I find it's not as exciting as it sounds I've just always enjoyed people's reactions when I lead with that I was bornn in the early 80s in a small town Hospital

there were only two doctors that did deliveries and they've been nicknamed by the locals as Dr Hatchet and Dr baby killer I think those names are self-explanatory it also gives you an idea of the sort of quality Establishment the hospital was which puts the rest of my story neatly into context my mother went with Dr Hatchet it was an easy delivery for which my parents parents were deeply thankful considering the reputation of the doctors that were on hand to deal with any emergencies Dr Hatchet tried to keep my father out of the delivery room at

which point my father threatened to not pay him and there was no time left to argue For I was coming into this world regardless of who was or was not present I was born my dad cut the umbilical cord and I was quickly whisked away my mother saw me for a few fleeting seconds in the delivery room when she was settled in a hospital bed they brought her a baby put it in her arms and left her to bond with her new child she told me when I was old enough to understand the story that

she kept looking at the infant and thinking there Was something off she hadn't seen me long enough to know for certain but she had a bad feeling that this wasn't her child she called the nurse handed the baby back and said it wasn't hers the nurse apologized and left she came back with another child handed it to my mother and after some consideration my mother handed this child back saying that this too was not her baby and this was really not funny and the nurse had better come back with the correct infant This time they

got it right on the third try and a few days later my parents left the hospital with me their newborn daughter we moved to a different state when I was five I only have a couple memories of that place of standing next to a juniper Bush and pulling the chalky blueberries off and dropping them onto the ground of a glowing dashboard of a car and a woman's painted fingernails as she drove me home from my first sleepover when I woke up at 11: at night Crying for my parents there's nothing else I used to pretend

that someday my real parents would come for me and take me home however I looked and acted too much like my older brother so much that we were commonly mistaken for twins he was born in the city hospital where they were better at keeping track of what baby belonged to what mother I also did 23 anme with my dad for Father's Day several years ago the genetics proved out this is not a story about how I Found out who my real parents are this is a story about how I lost my birth certificate I'll be

honest as a young adult I did not have my life together certainly I'd graduated college and had a successful career my housing situation was stable and I had all my bills on autopay however my organizational skills and ability to remember things outside of work was a complete disaster I lost things I misplaced things I threw things out that I shouldn't in my frenzied Cleaning when my own chaos became too much to bear I'm not entirely sure at what point my birth certificate went missing but it did I have my social security card and at one

point I used that to get a passport so I'm fairly safe with having identifying documents however now that I've gotten my act together and am in far better control of my life I felt I should be diligent and get a fresh copy of my birth certificate I contacted the Vital Records Office in The state of my birth and was told they didn't have certificates for my county and I would have to contact them instead she gave me the number to call and that office told me they didn't collect the ones for my town and I

would have to talk to them this was deeply frustrating and somewhat unusual from what I'd read online about how to get a copy of my certificate I wrote it off as a problem with small towns finally I called the town where I was born and asked the Clerk how I could get one mail to me he hesitated then put me on hold I was on hold for almost half an hour and I had to keep reminding myself that this was a small town and things moved with a little less urgency finally the man got back

on the line again and told me that they couldn't mail it I would have to show up in person to pick it up his tone was monotone as he said this flustered I explained that I didn't live remotely close and would either need to get a Plane ticket or drive for a couple days to get there he merely repeated that he couldn't mail it in that same maddening monotone and hung up I confessed that I was angry and my decision to take a long weekend and make a road trip was partly fueled by Spite I

was not going to let Petty bureaucracy get between me and what I wanted fortunately I enjoy road trips I'm a sucker for weird local attractions but drugs is currently at the top of my bucket list I booked an Airbnb in a nearby City and started driving it felt strange to return to the state of my birth like going home in a way except I had almost no memories of the place a haunting sense of nostalgia like a phantom limb I checked into where I was staying late in the afternoon on the second day I'd go

get dinner I reasoned and then crash for the night I was exhausted from driving I found a hole in the wall Ethiopian restaurant and enjoyed a delicious if somewhat Confusing meal I'd never had Ethiopian before and had to ask the waitress why there was an enormous piece of spongy flatbread and no silverware the next day I showed up at the Town Hall where the records were supposedly kept it was not a large building a couple stor stories made of red brick with a bell tower the air inside was stale and musty like old furniture the

clerk was a man close to my age with a pinched expression and beady eyes he stared at me with open Suspicion as I approached I told him my name and that I needed a new copy of my birth certificate he didn't answer instead he stood pressing the tips of his fingers down onto the surface of the desk his stance seemed almost predatory and I resisted Ed the urge to take a step back for a long Awkward Moment We stared at each other then he turned around and walked away through a door on the far wall

and I saw rows of filing cabinets before it swung shut behind him He took a long time to return I Fred wondering if I should go after him or if that would get me thrown out there were no chairs for guests and I kept shifting from foot to foot trying to keep my knees from locking while I waited I dabbled on my phone and while I was checking my Facebook yet again for anything interesting I caught a glimpse in the faint reflection of the phone screen something obscuring the doorway I turned the doorway was empty

I walked Out into the hallway and looked up and down empty back in the clerk's office I again pulled out my phone but this time I turned the brightness down so that the glare behind me better illuminated the reflection I considered the selfie camera but told myself that was bordering on paranoia this was a reasonable compromise I thought not quite giving in to what was surely my imagination but allowing for the possibility of being wrong I was wrong Again a shape obscuring the doorway I didn't turn this time even though the hair stood on the

back of my neck and my instincts screamed that I was being watched I opened the camera app and swapped it to selfie mode and that clerk burst in through the door he threw it open hard enough that it bounced off the door stop and I jumped dropping my phone and fumbling to catch it halfway to the floor when I straightened he had finished seating Himself at his desk a quick glance at the doorway revealed it was empty we don't have it he said primly are you sure you were born in this town I'm positive I

said trying to keep my eye or under control getting angry would only make him more difficult to deal with there were two doctor I was delivered by the one I hesitated then figured that Honesty was my only recourse that didn't have any infants die during Delivery his eyes narrowed well I don't know which one that was but I do know about doctor baby killer yes I'm still using his nickname in this account I don't want to share his real name it doesn't seem right bit of a town Scandal the clerk continued we've all heard about

it at some point those infants didn't die of negligence he killed them it was a bit of a shock to hear that I thought of my mother trapped in this Tiny Town counting the Days until her due date and worrying that perhaps something would go wrong and either I or her or both wouldn't survive what happened to him I asked they killed him obviously what death penalty did this state even allow capital punishment I had no idea the clerk continued talking though if you're curious we've got all the newspapers down in the basement I can

let you in I agreed apparently the way to secure the clerk's favor was to Show an interest in small town gossip he took me through the building and down a cement staircase ending at a heavy metal door that screamed on its hinges as he pulled it open the lights flickered a moment before deciding they would stay on the room was long and narrow Arrow allowing two rows of metal shelves that ran on and on across the lolium floor the walls were cement blocks painted chalky white it's a little creepy he admitted newspapers are over there

don't Take anything out of here and check in with me before you leave are you staying close by no his eyes narrowed but I didn't say anything else I don't know why but I felt I shouldn't tell him where I was staying then he left and I was was alone among the rows and rows of metal shelves and cardboard letter boxes they were categorized by year and I started with a year of my birth and worked my way up I found a newspaper announcement about my own birth which I Set aside in the hopes that

I could convince the clerk that I was born here and he just needed to look a little harder then about 8 years later in the records I found what I was after an announcement that Dr baby killer who has served the community for the past last 20 years was retiring Dr Hatchet would absorb his practice as there was no other op to take over the clerk had said he'd been killed I stood staring at the paper wondering if I should ignore the Clerk's admonishment and stuff it in my purse while I was contemplating theft I

happened to glance up someone was staring at me from the other side of the room I shrieked in Surprise and stepped backwards hitting the shelf behind me he quickly raised his hand fingers spread and Palms facing me a big man Broad shouldered and wearing khaki work pants sorry he said hastily I'm sorry you scared the [ __ ] out of me I gasped putting a hand over my hammering heart I Saw the lights were on it's odd to have someone down here I'm from out of town and I'm researching my family history the clerk let

me in oh so you are from here he nodded absently looking away from me well okay I'll leave you to it sorry to startle you it's fine has anyone told you that you walk really quietly he didn't answer just turned and walked away this time I heard his footsteps and the scream of the door as he opened it to leave I should have Heard that when he entered I thought was he in the room when I arrived how long had he been watching me clearly it was time to leave I didn't steal the newspaper I

took a photo of the article with my phone instead then I returned to the clerk and gave him the newspaper announcing my birth see I said pointing at my name that's me I was born here he reluctantly took it and asked for further identification on my part I wondered why he hadn't asked for it Earlier but complied the clerk studied my driver's license and eventually admitted that yes the name matched and maybe they did have my birth certificate he'd check again he said and he'd look more thoroughly I should come back tomorrow he'd have it

by then surely if he'd known I was actually coming in advance and he said it like an accusation then he could have prepared better it was the best compromise I would get I thought I thanked him and Left the man with the khaki pants was outside in the parking lot as I exited the building smoking a cigarette I felt him watching me as I got got into my car initially I'd planned to look around downtown maybe find someplace quaint for lunch and do some shopping if any was available however my encounter in the records room

had left me shaken and I did not want to linger any longer than I had to there was one errand left to me I drove until I found the pharmacy it was Attached to a general store and while it was certainly no but drugs it had some old-fashioned charm with wooden floors and a candy display of bottle caps gummies and rock candy I lingered around the prescription counter for a few minutes until I saw an older pharmacist near the counter I asked her about Dr Hatchet I was tracking down some family history I said he

knew my mother then armed with an address I went to visit he no longer practiced medicine happily Retired she'd said his house sat on the outskirts of town surrounded by a couple acres of flat Open Fields a modest one-story building built in perhaps the 70s with drab brick facing and a long patio on the front the man that answered was old perhaps in his ads and His Hands trembled violently Parkinson's he said when I couldn't help but glan at them as they shook on the door frame I gave him my name and got no further

for his arm shot out and his withered fingers closed On my shoulder come inside he said urgently please inside bewildered I went with him certainly they tell you to not enter a stranger's house but I feel I posed more of a threat to him at that moment he shut and locked the door behind me peering out the window looking up and down the street I glanced about the house tidy with dated Furnishings no pictures anywhere none on the walls or the shelves I thought that peculiar I know You he said and he sounded so relieved

I thought he would cry I stood there entranced by the sudden emotion in his voice watching as he tottered closer to where I stood in the entryway he took my hand in his own his fingers stroked the back of my hand like I was a fragile precious thing his skin felt like tissue paper You're the One That Got Away he whispered I remember your mother and your father he wouldn't let me keep him out of the delivery room we try to take The babies away right after delivery so the parents couldn't get a good look

but she knew and I thought one baby wouldn't matter so you got away I thought what did he mean that I got away but I didn't want him to stop talking so I remained silent they were so angry we had a deal they said and I told them that no they had me under duress that a bargain in which one's life is at stake is not a fair agreement they shouldn't expect me to try too hard on their Behalf he shook his head slowly and the trembling in his hands increased what they did they made

sure it it stick and I didn't let any of the others get away after that I was such a coward he let go of my hand and began to walk away back to the kitchen with its scuffed paret floor I drifted behind him like a shadow bewildered and horrified by what I was hearing who are they I asked what are they he corrected I don't know I was just happy to have a job somewhere to Start paying off my med school debt then they came to me and said they wanted the babies I went to

Dr baby killer and he told me to just do what they said poor man he killed those babies so they couldn't have them you know I think he hated himself but he did it anyway and eventually they figured it out I found the newspaper it said he retired of course that's what the newspaper said Dr Hatchet scoffed those might get read by Outsiders they killed him everyone that Wasn't one of them just thought he' moved away but they couldn't have taken all the babies I protested you can't hide something like that and my parents never

said anything about missing children he turned around and for a moment standing there in the kitchen one hand on the back of a chair for support he drew himself upright and his trembling ceased they switched them he said like what happened with your mother that nurse tried to get her to take a Replacement but she wouldn't do it she knew she knew it wasn't her baby none of those other parents did they took the baby they were given and never questioned it so many children replaced with I'm not sure I don't know what they were

they looked like normal infants but he lifted his head trailing off and listening intently as a car passed by the house we stood there in silence as it approached the house then passed by and vanished on down the road Dr Hatchet Was clearly unnerved and that small incident seemed to break him for he stumbled towards me eyes wide grabbing my arm and pushing me towards the door you need to leave he said urgently go home don't come back his frail body lacked the strength to make me move but I didn't want to resist the old

man's desperation I need my birth certificate I protested they said they'd have it for me tomorrow you can't come back they'll be waiting for you and you won't get Away they were so unhappy when I sent you home with your mother and even more unhappy when your family moved away I'll mail you your birth certificate I can get it for you but you need to leave don't stop anywhere else in town keep driving until you're at least 100 miles away all those children we switched they're grown now they're grown and this town belongs to them

I don't know what they'll do if they catch you I thought of the clerk's odd Behavior and the Man In the khaki pants they were both around my age I allowed Dr Hatchet to push me out the front door and then mouth dry with fear I hurried to my car glancing about to see if there was anyone else around there was not I wondered what they would do if they found out that I'd visited Dr Hatchet I guess I believed him at that point his Terror was genuine I did as the elderly doctor asked I

drove and drove stopping only at my Airbnb to gather my bags and inform my Host there had been a family emergency and I had to leave I'd still pay for the nights I reserved I said and they said that wouldn't be necessary that they'd refund me I suppose my fear bled through and made my lie sound real I'm home now that town is far far away I haven't talked to my parents about what happened I only told them that the clerk couldn't find my certificate and were going to keep looking and mail it to me

when they found it yesterday I received an Envelope in the mail inside was a fresh copy of my birth certificate I never gave Dr Hatchet my address I did however give the clerk my driver's license albeit briefly to prove my identity the package included a postcard a picture of the Town Hall was on the front on the back written in Black Ink were the words we'll see you again soon and at the bottom of the envelope wrapped in a handkerchief was a withered severed finger with skin like tissue Paper thanks for listening if you like

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