growing up in a small town you tend to notice things people in my Village kept to themselves but everyone still knew each other's business our street was quiet lined with old houses and tall trees that whispered in the wind my family lived in a small house with a white picket fence but our neighbor's house was different bigger newer and always spotless it looked out of place the owner of that house Mr Collins was a wealthy man who lived there with his wife Mrs Collins and their 2-year-old daughter Stacy Mr Collins was an odd man he
didn't speak much and kept to himself but what stood out the most was his obsession with his car he owned a sleek black sports car the kind you only see in magazines every weekend without fail he would be outside polishing and cleaning it as if it were made of gold he would spend hours on that car making sure every inch was perfect sometimes I would watch him from my window wondering why a car could mean so much to someone Mrs Collins was the complete opposite of her husband she was always kind and friendly often waving
at me when she passed by sometimes she would even stop to chat asking about school or offering me some of the cookies she baked Stacy was a happy little girl always giggling and playing in their yard the sight of them together was comforting a rare bit of warmth in our otherwise quiet neighborhood but then one day everything changed Mrs Collins and Stacy disappeared it was like they vanished Into Thin Air I remember the day the police came to our door asking if we had seen Mrs Collins or Stacy they said Mr Collins reported them missing
claiming his wife had left him and taken their daughter with her my parents were shocked but there wasn't much we could tell the police we hadn't seen anything unusual and like everyone else we just assumed Mrs Collins had left on her own weeks passed then months and there was no sign of them the whole town buzzed with rumors each one wilder than the last some said Mrs Collins ran away with another man While others whispered about something far darker I tried to push it out of my mind but I couldn't shake the feeling that something
wasn't right every time I saw Mr Collins polishing his car a chill ran down my spine it felt wrong like he was trying to distract himself from something horrible one day a few months after Mrs Collins and Stacy had disappeared something strange happened my dad was in the garage fixing up his old truck when he noticed something odd in Mr Collins's garage the door was slightly open and inside barely visible was Mrs Collins's white Jeep it was covered in dust like it hadn't been touched in months my dad called my mom and me over to
see and we all stood there staring at it in shock if Mrs Collins had run away why would her car still be here a few days later we noticed the jeep was gone Mr Collins had sold it or at least that's what we guessed he didn't say anything to us but the way he started acting was even stranger he stopped going outside as much and when he did he seemed nervous constantly looking over his shoulder like he was being watched The Once spotless car now had a layer of dirt on it and his yard which
used to be Immaculate was beginning to look neglected then one night something happened that I'll never forget my parents and I were having dinner when we heard a loud crash from Mr Collins's house my dad grabbed a flashlight and told us to stay inside as he went to check it out from the window I watched him walk across the yard and knock on Mr Collins's door it took a long time for Mr Collins to answer and when he did he looked pale almost sick my dad asked if everything was okay but Mr Collins just nodded
and said he had dropped something my dad came back inside but he looked unsettled he told us he had seen something strange when Mr Collins opened the door in the dim light of the hall way he saw a pot of some kind of liquid on the stove and next to it a gun on the kitchen counter he couldn't explain it but something about the scene had Disturbed him deeply after that night things seemed to spiral out of control Mr Collins became even more reclusive and The Whispers around town grew louder some people believed he had
done something terrible to his wife and daughter but there was no evidence no proof just suspicion and fear I started having nightmares about it about what what could have happened behind those closed doors the thought that something terrible might have taken place so close to home was terrifying years have passed since then and I've grown up moved away and tried to leave those memories behind but now and then I think about Mrs Collins and Stacy I wonder what happened to them where they are now and if they ever found safety I'll never forget the sight
of that white Jeep in the garage the look on Mr Collins's face when my dad knocked on his door or the fear that gripped our town in the months that followed sometimes late at night when the world is quiet I still feel that chill running down my spine I'll never know for sure but I fear the worst and I hope wherever they are that Mrs Collins and Stacy are safe far away from the man who spent so much time polishing his car I had been delivering food for a few months now driving around the city
and getting to know every corner of of it most nights were routine pick up the order follow the GPS drop it off and move on to the next one but this night was different it was late maybe past midnight and I had just received an order from a part of town I didn't recognize the GPS led me away from the familiar roads and into a neighborhood I had never seen before the houses were spaced far apart and the streets seemed to twist and turn in ways that didn't make sense Each corner I turned seemed to
take me deeper into the m Maze of narrow roads and dark alleys the street lights were few and far between casting long Eerie Shadows that made the entire area feel off the further I drove the more I felt like something was wrong the roads didn't seem to match up with the map on my phone I would make a turn and suddenly the GPS would tell me to turn back as if the streets were changing while I drove my hands gripped the steering wheel tighter a sense of unease growing in the pit of my stomach but
I knew I had to deliver the order that was the job finally after what felt like an eternity the GPS announced that I had arrived I slowed the car and looked at the house it stood at the end of a culdesac a tall narrow building with peeling paint and broken windows the lawn was overgrown the grass reaching up to my knees and there was no sign of life it looked abandoned I hesitated my hand hovering over the gear shift ready to put the car in reverse and get out of there but then I thought about
the order about the customer waiting for their food maybe it was just an old house and someone still lived there maybe they were just too busy or too tired to fix it up I tried to shake off the unease that clung to me like a cold fog I got out of the car taking the bag of food with me the air was thick and heavy almost suffocating as I walked toward the house the gravel crunched under my feet the only sound in the Silent Night the closer I got the more I felt like I was
being watched my skin prickled with the sensation of a chill running down my spine when I reached the porch I noticed the front door was slightly a jar it creaked open with the slightest push revealing a dark hallway that stretched into the unknown I could barely see a few feet inside the darkness swallowing everything beyond that hello I called out my voice trembling slightly there was no answer just the echo of my voice bouncing back at me from the empty Hall something deep inside me screamed to leave to drop the food and run back to
the car but I took another step forward peering into the darkness that's when I heard it a faint rustling sound like leaves being dragged across the ground I turned to look back at the street and that's when I saw them figures emerged from the Shadows stepping out from between the houses and around the corners they moved silently almost like they were gliding across the ground my heart started pounding in my chest each beat echoing in my ears as they got closer the first one stepped into the dim light of the porch and I could see
it it was a person but their face was hidden behind a blank white mask the mask had no features just smooth cold porcelain the others followed all wearing the same Eerie expressionless masks they surrounded me their presence pressing in on me from all sides I tried to back away but I was trapped against the porch railing my breath came in quick shallow gasps my mind Racing for a way out one of them reached out and I flinched dropping the bag of food to the ground their hands were cold as ice as they grabbed me pulling
me toward the house I struggled trying to break free but they were too strong the more I fought the tighter their grip became they didn't say a word didn't make a sound as they dragged me inside the door slammed shut behind us plunging me into darkness I was blind my other senses taking over I could hear their footsteps around me soft but purposeful I could feel their cold hands on me searching through my pockets taking my wallet my phone and my keys I wanted to scream to call for help but the sound died in my
throat it was as if the darkness had swallowed my voice my mind was spinning trying to make sense of what was happening but nothing made sense all I could feel was the overwhelming dread the terror that gripped me as they continued to strip me of everything I had finally they let go of me and I collapsed to the floor trembling I could hear their footsteps fading away the creek of the door opening and closing again and they were gone leaving me alone in the pitch black house I stayed there for what felt like hours too
scared to move my mind replayed the events over and over trying to understand but there was no understanding it was like I had stepped into another world a place where the rules didn't apply where nothing made sense eventually I forced myself to stand up my legs shaking beneath me I found the door pushed it open and stumbled out into the night the street was empty no sign of the masked figures no sign of anyone my car was still there untouched as if nothing had happened I had been robbed not just of my belongings but of
something more my sense of safety my trust in the world around me I drove away from that house as fast as I could the streets still twisting and turning leading me in circles until I finally found my way out when I reached the main road I didn't look back I just kept driving trying to escape the memory of those blank masks of the cold hands that had pulled me into the darkness but I knew no matter how far I drove I would never truly escape the fear would always be there lurking just out of sight
waiting to drag me back into that twisting endless Nightmare before we get into the next story if you come for the first time please make sure to subscribe to our Channel and press the Bell icon for upcoming scary stories we need your support please share these stories with your friends and family thanks the hospital was quiet at night almost too quiet I wasn't orderly and my shift always seemed to drag on forever the endless White Walls the soft hum of the fluorescent lights and the distant beeps from machines made the place feel eerie when the
sun went down the only real Escape was the basement office a small dimly lit room where I spent most of my nights when things were slow the office was right next to the morg a place I tried not to think about too much it was a around midnight maybe a little after and I was sitting in the office with another orderly we weren't doing much just passing the time with idle conversation and the occasional glance at the clock waiting for our shifts to end the air was thick with the scent of disinfectant the kind that
clings to your clothes and fills your lungs the only sound was the faint buzzing of the overhead light and the distant Rumble of the air conditioning suddenly I heard Footsteps in the hallway they were slow and deliberate not like the rushed steps of a doctor or nurse the sound caught both of our attention and we turned to look at the open doorway a man was passing by his eyes flicking toward us as he walked there was something off about the way he looked at us something Shifty and unsettling he didn't say anything just kept walking
but I felt a strange chill creep up my spine a few moments later the man came back this time he stopped at the doorway and looked at us he had a pale almost sickly complexion and his eyes were wide as if he hadn't slept in days his clothes were neat but outdated like something out of an old movie he didn't seem like he belonged there like he was out of place in the sterile modern hospital do you have access to the morg he asked his voice low and raspy I exchanged a glance with the other
orderly we both assumed he was doing a pickup for a funeral home it wasn't entirely unusual though the time of night made it strange yes I said cautiously wondering what he was doing here so late the man's expression didn't change but there was a glint in his eyes that made me uneasy I couldn't put my finger on it but something about him just wasn't right I expected him to mention a name or give some sort of explanation but he didn't instead he just stood there staring at us with that unsettling look then he said something
that made my heart skip a beat I'll pay you to let me in just for an hour I need to be alone with the bodies the words hung in the air like like a bad smell and I felt the wave of nausea wash over me the other orderly and I exchanged another look this one filled with disbelief and unease the man didn't seem to notice our discomfort his gaze was fixed almost desperate like he was waiting for us to say yes I could feel the tension in the room thick and suffocating my mind raced as
I tried to process what he was asking who would want to be alone in the morg at this time of night and why the whole situation felt wrong like a seen from a nightmare we can't do that I said my voice sounding more confident than I felt it's against Hospital policy the man's expression darkened and for a moment I thought he might argue or try to persuade us but then he seemed to realize that we weren't going to budge his eyes narrowed and he clenched his jaw the muscles in his face twitching slightly he didn't
say anything just stared at us with a look that made my skin crawl finally he turned and walked away his footsteps echoing down the hallway the other orderly and I sat there in stunned silence the gravity of what had just happened slowly sinking in my heart was pounding and I couldn't shake the feeling that we had narrowly avoided something terrible we should tell security I said after a few moments the other orderly nodded and we quickly made our way upstairs to the security office the hospital felt even more ominous as we walked through the empty
Halls the Shadows seeming to stretch and grow in the dim light when we reached the security office we found the guard on Duty and explained what had happened as soon as we described the man the guard's expression changed he leaned forward his eyes narrowing with recognition did he say anything about wanting to be alone in the morg the guard asked his voice tense yes I replied the unease in my stomach deepening the guard let out a heavy sigh and shook his head he's tried this before we've had a few run-ins with him over the past
couple of months he always disappears before we can catch him but we know he's up to something the man had done this before what could he possibly want with the bodies in the morg my mind conjured up all sorts of disturbing possibilities none of them comforting the guard assured us that they would increase their patrols and keep an eye out for the man but the whole experience left me shaken as I made my way back to the basement office I couldn't shake the feeling that we had come dangerously close to something dark and twisted the
hospital didn't feel safe anymore not like it ever really had had but now it was different now it felt like a place where the Shadows hid secrets too terrible to imagine for the rest of my shift I couldn't stop thinking about the man his pale face his desperate eyes the way he had asked to be left alone with the dead it all played over and over in my mind like a broken record even after my shift ended and I went home the unease lingered like a shadow that refused to leave I never saw the man
again but the memory of that night stayed with me every time I walked past the morg I felt that same chill the one that reminded me of how close we had come to letting something monstrous slip through our fingers in 2019 when I was 13 years old my dad took me hunting in the pine Barons we had been there before but this time it felt different it was darker and the trees seemed closer together like they were trying to trap us the air was Heavy filled with the smell of damp leaves and pine needles it
was so quiet that even the wind barely made a sound we arrived Just Before Sunset setting up near the edge of the forest my dad always told me the best time to hunt was at night when the animals were more active I wasn't scared I had been hunting with my dad before and I trusted him but as the sun dipped below the Horizon and darkness swallowed the trees I began to feel uneasy the Shadows stretched longer turning the forest into a maze of dark shapes we walked deeper into the woods our boots crunching Softly on
the leaves my dad had his rifle and I carried a smaller one he had given me for my birthday I held it close to my chest feeling the cool metal against my Palms the deeper we went the thicker the trees grew blocking out the Moonlight soon the only light came from our flashlights now and then we would stop listening for any sign of movement my dad was good at tracking animals and he would often Crouch down to inspect the ground but that night we didn't hear or see anything no rustling leaves no snapping Twigs it
was like the forest had gone completely still after an hour of walking I started to feel tired my legs achd and I wanted to rest my dad noticed and suggested we sit down for a bit we found a small clearing and sat on a fallen log the forest was so quiet that I could hear my heartbeat my dad whispered something about waiting for the right moment but I barely heard him I was too focused on the dark Ness around us suddenly there was a sound it wasn't the usual rustling of leaves or the snapping of
a twig it was a low growl deep and guttural like something big was watching us my heart sped up and I looked at my dad he was staring Straight Ahead his face pale he slowly reached for his rifle motioning for me to do the same the growl came again this time closer it echoed through the trees making the hair on the back of my neck stand up I gripped my rifle tighter my hands shaking my dad stood up slowly his eyes scanning the trees he didn't say a word but I could see the fear in
his eyes whatever was out there it wasn't something we had ever encountered before then from the Shadows a figure appeared it was tall much taller than any animal I had seen before its body was hunched over and its eyes glowed faintly in the dark it had the shape of a wolf but much larger almost like it didn't belong in this world the growling grew louder more aggressive the creature's breath was visible in the cold night air and I could see its sharp teeth glinting in the faint light of our flashlights my dad whispered for me
to stay still but my legs felt like they were going to give out I didn't move Frozen in place as the creature slowly stepped closer its growl turned into a snarl its yellow eyes locked on us my dad raised his rifle aiming it at the creature but he didn't shoot it was like we both knew that shooting wouldn't help us the creature circled us moving through the Shadows every time I thought it was gone it would appear again its glowing eyes watching us from the dark I could barely breathe my chest tight with fear we
were trapped surrounded by darkness in this terrifying creature the creature let out a loud bone chilling howl so loud that it seemed to shake the trees around us my dad grabbed my arm pulling me to my feet without thinking I ran I could hear my dad running behind me and the creatures growls echoed through the forest the trees blurred as we sprinted through the underbrush branches scratching at my arms and face my lungs burned and my legs felt like they were going to collapse but I didn't stop we ran deeper into the forest not caring
which direction we were going all I knew was that I had to get away from that creature but the more we ran the more lost we became the familiar Trails had disappeared and every direction looked the same just endless dark trees and shadows after what felt like hours we stopped to catch our breath my heart pounded in my chest and my legs shook from exhaustion my dad leaned against a tree his face pale and sweaty the growling had stopped but the silence that followed was even more terrifying we need to keep moving my dad said
his voice barely a whisper but I didn't know where to go we were lost in the pine baronss and that creature was still out there watching us we wandered through the forest for what seemed like hours trying to find our way back to the truck every noise made me jump every shadow looked like the creature my flashlight was starting to die its beam growing weaker the thought of being stuck in the forest in complete darkness terrified me just when I thought we would never find our way out we stumbled Upon A Familiar path it was
narrow and overgrown but I recognized it from earlier my dad let out a sigh of relief and we followed the path back to the truck when we finally reached it I felt a weight lift off my shoulders I climbed into the passenger seat my hands still shaking my dad started the engine and we drove away the dark trees of the pine Barons Fading Into the distance we didn't speak on the ride home the encounter with that creature was something neither of us could explain and I didn't want to think about it anymore but as I
looked out the window I couldn't shake the feeling that we weren't alone in the forest that night we made it out unharmed but I knew one thing for sure I would never go hunting in the pine Barons again I've been working the night shift at this gas station for about a year now the place sits on the edge of town far enough away that we don't get too much traffic during the late hours it's a quiet job most of the time I just sit behind the counter ring up the occasional customer and watch the clock
slowly crawl towards morning the night this all happened was no different from the others it was around 2:30 a.m. and I was getting ready for the end of my shift the store was empty as it usually is at this time the lights outside cast Long Shadows across the parking lot and the only sound was the faint hum of the air conditioning inside the store I had been counting the cash from the register making sure everything was in order my manager always told me to be careful especially at night you never know who might come through
that door she'd say I didn't think much of it then I thought I had everything under control I had just finished counting the last of the bills when the front door suddenly slammed open the sound was so loud I nearly jumped out of my seat before I could even register what was happening a man stormed inside he looked rough dirty clothes wild eyes and he smelled like he hadn't showered in days he didn't say anything his eyes were locked on the cache I was holding in my hand my body froze for a second and everything
seemed to slow down I knew I should have done something but I just stood there without warning he lunged at me grabbing the cash from my hands it all happened so fast one second I had the money in my hands the next it was gone and the man was already halfway to the door that's when my instincts finally kicked in I don't know what came over me but I wasn't going to let him get away with it I bolted from behind the counter and ran after him shouting for him to stop the adrenaline pumping through
my veins drowned out any fear I might have felt the guy wasn't moving too fast he stumbled as he reached the parking lot his movements unsteady I figured he had to be on something drugs maybe I could see the money sticking out of his jacket pocket as he tried to make his Escape stop right there he turned around panic in his eyes he tried to run faster but his body wasn't cooperating I closed the gap between us and without thinking I grabbed him by the arm he struggled trying to shake me off but I held
on WE wrestled for a moment before he broke free and started running again but he wasn't getting far my heart was racing but I wasn't about to give up I fumbled for my phone and dialed 911 my hands shaking as I explained the situation to the operator I told them where I was describing the man and what had just happened they told me officers were on their way I kept following him keeping a safe distance now I didn't want to Corner him who knows what a desperate man might do he didn't seem to notice that
I was still trailing him he was more focused on running though it was clear he wasn't going to get far his Pace was slowing and he kept looking over his shoulder after what felt like hours though it was probably only a few minutes I heard the distant sound of police sirens the man heard it too he stopped dead in his tracks his whole body tensing up I stayed back not wanting to Spook him any further within moments the police cars pulled into the lot their lights flashing two officers got out guns drawn ordering the man
to get on the ground he hesitated for a moment but he knew it was over slowly he dropped to his knees and put his hands behind his head the officers moved in cuffing him and pulling him to his feet one of them came over to me asking me for details I explained everything still trying to catch my breath my hands were trembling but I tried to stay calm as I recounted what happened they searched the man and found the cash still stuffed in his jacket one of the officers told me that the man was homeless
and likely on drugs which explained his erratic Behavior he had probably been desperate looking for anything he could get his hands on I watched as they led him to the back of the squad car his head hanging low a part of me felt sorry for him living on the streets addicted to something that was ruining his life but at the same time I was relieved that the whole ordeal was over the officers thanked me for my quick response telling me I did the right thing by calling them they said that chasing him wasn't the safest
option but they understood why I did it I nodded still shaken by the whole thing after the police left I went back inside the gas station the place felt different now what was once just another quiet night on the job had turned into something I wouldn't forget anytime soon I sat behind the counter trying to calm my nerves my hands still feeling shaky I looked at the clock my shift was almost over but I wasn't counting the minutes like I usually did I just sat there staring at the front door half expecting someone else to
burst through the rest of the night was uneventful but I couldn't shake the feeling of how close I came to something worse when my shift finally ended I grabbed my things and left locking the doors behind me as I walked to my car I couldn't help but think about the man life had beaten him down and in his desperation he made a choice that landed him in the back of a police car but as I drove home I realized something I was lucky things could have gone a lot worse that night the road stretched out
before us dark and winding as we drove through the forest it was supposed to be a weekend of fun just me Devin and our friends Bethany and Seth heading out for a camping trip the College semester had been brutal and we all needed a break the thought of sleeping under the stars roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories by the fire made us all excited but something about that night felt different the trees seemed to loom closer to the road their branches reaching out like Twisted fingers the Moonlight barely pierced through the thick canopy above casting
strange Shadows that danced across the pavement I tried to shake off the unease that settled in the pit of my stomach convincing myself it was just the excitement of the trip we were laughing the radio playing our favorite songs when suddenly a sharp turn came out of nowhere Devon who was driving tried to Swerve but the car skitted on the wet Road the world spun around us as the tires screeched and the car went off the road crashing into the trees I heard Bethany scream and then everything went black when I opened my eyes we
were all standing outside the car it was crumpled against a tree the front smashed in Steam rising from the engine I felt strange like everything was muffled distant Bethany stood next to me her face pale and Seth was on the other side staring at the wreckage is everyone okay I asked my voice sounding oddly flat Bethany nodded slowly but she didn't look at me Seth was silent his eyes fixed on the car I turned to see what he was staring at and that's when my heart dropped inside the car still strapped into our seats were
our bodies I blinked unable to process what I was seeing there I was slumped over in the passenger seat a trickle of blood running down my forehead Devon was still gripping the steering wheel his face Twisted in pain Bethany and Seth were in the back their faces ashing we're outside the car Bethany whispered finally looking at me her eyes were wide with fear but we still in there I didn't know what to think it felt like a nightmare but everything was so vivid so real I reached out to touch the car but my hand passed
right through the Metal Panic started to build in my chest are we dead Seth finally spoke his voice trembling I didn't want to answer the thought was too horrifying too impossible but what else could explain what was happening we were standing here outside our bodies unable to touch anything unable to feel anything the forest around us seemed to grow darker the trees closing in the air thick with something I couldn't describe it felt like we were being watched like something was waiting for us in the shadows I tried to move to walk away from the
car but my feet felt heavy as if something was pulling me back we have to get out of here I said trying to sound brave but my voice cracked maybe maybe there's a way to fix this but where could we go we were in the middle of the woods Far From Any town or help the only thing that seemed real was the car and the broken bodies inside time passed in a blur I don't know how long we stood there staring at ourselves trapped in that sinking vehicle the night seemed endless the darkness pressing in
from all sides every sound in the forest every rustle of leaves or snap of a branch made my heart race it felt like the trees themselves were Whispering mocking us telling us that we didn't belong in this world anymore at some point I started to feel dizzy like I was being pulled into a deep dark hole my vision blurred and the sounds around me faded I could hear Bethany crying and could see Seth's terrified face but it all seemed far away then everything went black again when I opened my eyes I was in a hospital
bed the bright lights above me stung my eyes and the beeping of machines filled the room I turned my head slowly feeling groggy like I was waking up from a long terrible dream Devon was in the bed next to me his eyes half open and I could see Bethany and Seth in the room as well all of us hooked up to monitors bandages covering our wounds we were alive I whispered not quite believing it a nurse came into the room checking our vitals smiling warmly you all had a nasty accident but you're going to be
okay she said you've been unconscious for a couple of days but you're out of danger now I could hardly process her words my mind was still reeling from what we had experienced I looked at Bethany who was staring back back at me with wide eyes Seth was silent his face pale but there was relief in his expression it had felt so real the crash our bodies trapped in that sinking car the fear that we were ghosts but now lying in this hospital bed I wasn't sure what to believe had it all been a dream some
kind of shared nightmare brought on by the trauma of the crash as the nurse continued to check on us I felt a shiver run down my spine it didn't feel like a nightmare not entirely the memory of that dark Forest the sinking feeling of being trapped outside my own body lingered in my mind too Vivid to ignore but as I looked at my friends safe and alive I tried to push the thoughts away we were okay we had survived the nightmare was over after a long exhausting shift as a pizza delivery driver during a heatwave
all I wanted was to finish my last delivery and head home my shirt was sticking to my back my hair was D damp with sweat and my legs felt like they could give out at any moment the sun had long set but the heat still lingered thick and oppressive like a blanket you couldn't kick off my throat was dry and my mouth tasted like cardboard from too many hours without water but the worst part I desperately needed to use the bathroom I checked the address one more time as I pulled up to the house the
place was dark with no lights on inside or outside the house looked like it hadn't been lived in for years Windows dir dirty paint peeling and the front lawn overgrown I parked my car and grabbed the pizza box hoping this would be quick but something about the house made me uneasy it felt abandoned like a place forgotten by time the kind of place where Shadows seemed to move on their own I walked up to the front door and the silence was deafening no crickets no distant traffic not even the rustle of leaves in the breeze
I rang the doorbell but no one answered I rang again waiting feeling the sweat drip down my neck still nothing I pulled out my phone and called the number on the order after a few rings a woman's voice answered out of breath and apologetic I'm so sorry she said I'm on my way please just wait a few minutes her voice was shaky like she was trying to hide something or someone I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off but I nodded even though she couldn't see me okay I said forcing my voice to stay
calm I'll wait but the need to relieve myself was growing unbearable I gled around hoping to find some sign of Life a neighbor maybe even a stray cat anything that would make this place feel less creepy but the street was empty it was just me in this old Eerie house I couldn't wait any longer there was a large Bush near the front of the house thick with leaves it was dark enough to give me some privacy so I walked over glancing around one last time before unzipping my pants relief washed over me as I let
go the tension in my body finally easing but then something moved a rustle in the bushes right in front of me my heart skipped a beat and I stumbled back almost falling over as I zipped up my pants in the dim light I saw a figure someone crouched low in the bush their face hidden in Shadows I had just peed on a man the man suddenly bolted out of the Bush sprinting away before I could even process what had just happened he didn't look back just ran like his life depended on it disappearing into the
darkness of the night I stood there Frozen my heart hammering in my chest my mind raced with a thousand questions who was he what was he doing hiding in that bush and why did he run I looked down and saw something glinting in the faint light a bag half hidden in the leaves I reached down hands shaking and pulled it out it was a small worn backpack and when I opened it my stomach dropped inside was a roll of duct tape a knife with a serrated edge and a length of rope my breath caught in
my throat this was no ordinary bag this was something a person would carry if they had bad intentions I stumbled back my mind reeling this man the one hiding in the bushes wasn't just some vagrant or a thief he was planning something something terrible and I had interrupted him my hands shook as I grabbed my phone and dialed 911 the operator answered quickly and I tried to keep my voice steady as I explained what had happened I told them about the man the bag the woman who was supposed to be coming to the house they
assured me help was on the way but it felt like an eternity before I heard the distant whale of sirens I paced the front yard eyes darting from Shadow to Shadow expecting the man to return at any moment then I saw her a woman walking quickly down the street looking over her shoulder every few seconds she was the one who had called the customer she was pale her eyes wide with fear and when she saw me she broke into a run you have to help me she said her voice trembling as she reached me he's
after me my ex he's dangerous I didn't need to be told twice I grabbed her arm and pulled her towards my car get in I said trying to sound calm even though my heart was racing we'll wait for the police here she nodded tears streaming down her face as she climbed into the passenger seat I locked the doors my eyes scanning the dark Street waiting for any sign of movement minutes felt like hours but finally the flashing lights of police cars filled the street officers poured out and I waved them over explaining everything as quick
quick L as I could they moved swiftly searching the area but the man was long gone the only thing left behind was the bag I had found the woman was safe and they took her statement reassuring her that they would do everything they could to find her ex I watched as she was led to one of the police cars her face a mix of relief and lingering fear as for me I drove home that night and the image of that man in the bushes burned into my mind I couldn't stop thinking about what could have
happened if I hadn't been there and if I hadn't needed to relieve myself at that exact moment it wasn't just luck deep down I knew I had been meant to be there and the thought of how close that woman came to something terrible left me deeply shaken I'll never forget that night the way the Shadows seemed to move the oppressive heat pressing down on me and the feeling of cold fear creeping up my spine a few years ago my best friend Kevin and I I made a plan to explore an old abandoned house on the
edge of our town we had heard many stories about it being haunted but we didn't believe them we thought it would be fun something thrilling to do on a boring weekend little did we know that decision would change how we saw things forever the house was on a hill far from any other buildings it looked ancient with cracked walls and broken windows the roof had caved in at some spots and Vines covered most of the house making it look like it was being swallowed by Nature as we approached I felt an uneasy feeling in my
chest Kevin always The Brave One walked ahead confidently we'll just go in take a look around and leave Kevin said trying to sound calm I nodded though a strange sense of dread was creeping up on me the air around the house felt heavier and colder like something was wrong I shook off the feeling and followed Kevin through the broken gate the front door was hanging off its hinges creaking as we pushed it open inside the house was dark and smelled of dust and Decay the floor was covered in dirt and old furniture lay scattered broken
and forgotten the silence inside was suffocating broken only by The Faint sounds of the wind blowing through the cracks in the walls Kevin started walking around looking at the old furniture and the peeling wallpaper I stayed close behind him my eyes scanning every corner of the room something didn't feel right but I couldn't put my finger on it as we moved deeper into the house the feeling of being watched grew stronger my heart pounded in my chest and I kept looking over my shoulder half expecting to see something lurking in the shadows Kevin on the
other hand was still acting like nothing was wrong we reached a narrow staircase that led up to the second floor Kevin turned to me with a grin let's check upstairs he said I hesitated maybe we should just look around down here I suggested trying to keep my voice steady but Kevin was already climbing the stairs the old wood creaking under his weight I sighed and followed him gripping the railing tightly the second floor was even darker than the first the windows were either boarded up or too dirty to let in any light as we walked
down the hallway I noticed something strange the air up here was colder and there was a foul smell like something rotten I wanted to tell Kevin that we should leave but before I could say anything we heard it a low deep growl echoed through the hallway Kevin froze and I felt my blood turn to ice the sound was coming from behind a door at the end of the hall it wasn't an animal growl it was something much more Sinister we need to leave I whispered my voice shaking but Kevin stubborn as ever started walking toward
the door it's probably just the wind or something he said though I could hear the uncertainty in his voice as he reached for the door the growling grew louder more menacing my heart was racing and every Instinct in me screamed to run but my feet felt glued to the floor Kevin slowly pushed the door open and what we saw inside made my stomach churn the room was dark but in the corner we could see a shadow a figure that wasn't quite human it was hunched over and its eyes glowed faintly in the darkness the growling
stopped and for a moment there was complete silence then the figure spoke in a voice that made my skin crawl leave or never leave again the words hung in the air like a curse Kevin and I didn't wait to see what would happen next without a second thought we turned and bolted down the hallway way the house seemed to come alive around us the walls groaning and the floor creaking as if something was chasing us we stumbled down the stairs barely keeping our balance and sprinted for the front door the air around us felt thick
like it was trying to pull us back but we didn't stop we ran out of the house through the broken gate and didn't look back until we were far enough away to catch our breath when we finally stopped both of us were gasping for air our hearts pounding in our chests we we stood there in the empty field staring at the house in the distance it looked the same as before quiet and still but we knew better now we never talked about that day again but the memory of it stayed with me I couldn't shake
the feeling that we had escaped something dangerous something that didn't want us there the words of the figure echoed in my mind leave or never leave again to this day I don't know what we encountered in that house but one thing was certain we had come too close to something beyond our understanding something dark and twisted lived in that house and it had made sure we knew it from that day on I avoided that Hill that house whatever was in there I didn't want to find out we were lucky to escape but not everyone might
be as fortunate and I never forgot the warning leave or never leave again
