17x05: I'm Your New Neighbor!

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[00:01:29] [SPEAKER_01] This podcast contains adult language and content. The stories shared in this podcast are told from the perspective of the authors. Their accounts and opinions are personal and do not reflect the stance of the production team. If you have a story to share, send it to letsnotmeetstories at gmail.com. Enjoy the show.

[00:02:12] [SPEAKER_01] I used to live in Orlando, in a somewhat shady part of town. There were five deadbolts on my apartment door which should have raised some flags, but I was a student and there were a lot of students in the area and I was young and not yet wary. Our less nice part of town bordered a very nice part of town. There was a four to six lane road that ran through the area and a jogging path that ran

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_01] alongside it. The apartment complex I lived in was right next to the road and the trail. And a little further down the road was a local gas station where I would usually walk once a day to buy cigarettes and other things. Because of the layout, it was easy for me to walk out my door, step on the path, and walk the ten minutes to the gas station. I often ended up taking this walk at night. Sure,

[00:03:07] [SPEAKER_01] I was a girl walking alone, but the path bordered this huge road with a lot of traffic. And right across the street was a busy strip mall with fast food places and such. So it wasn't like a dark path in the woods or anything like that. And hey, I always brought pepper spray, paid attention to my surroundings, etc. One night, I headed to the gas station at around 11pm. As I was walking along the path,

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_01] I heard something behind me. I turned around and noticed, about 30 yards behind me, there was a car on the trail. It had pulled off of the road and pulled up onto the path. I stopped and stared since this was a pretty uncommon. The guy got out of the driver's side and walked around the grass between the trail and the road as though he were looking for something. I thought to myself, something must have

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_01] fallen out of his car and he pulled over to search for it. So I kept walking. As I was walking, I heard something behind me again, so I stopped and turned. The guy was now 15 yards behind me, creeping up the path. I don't know what he was doing, but he was driving really slowly, like he was trying to be quiet, and he

[00:04:26] [SPEAKER_01] was driving without headlights. After I turned, he stopped the car. And again, he got out and started looking like he was searching for something in the grass, but since he was closer, I was starting to get creeped out. I wasn't very close to the gas station either, so I picked up my pace. The next time I turned around to see what he was doing, his car was even closer to me, and he was in his car when I

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_01] turned to look. But he stopped when I did this. This time, however, he didn't get out of his car. I didn't want to take off running. I didn't want him to know that he scared me. But I was absolutely power walking by this point. My pepper spray was also in my hand, but what can pepper spray do against a car? I then threw a look over my shoulder, and he was only a few yards behind me.

[00:05:21] [SPEAKER_01] He didn't stop his car this time, so the distance was closing. Fuck it, I finally thought, and I took off. I judged the distance to the gas station to be too far along the trail. But there were some trees and stuff on the other side of the path from that road, so I bolted to them. I ran right through them and through a little ditch towards the light of the gas station, which was up ahead. Once I took off, I felt like the guy in the car was going

[00:05:50] [SPEAKER_01] pretty fast. I looked behind me as I was running through the ditch, and I saw him through the space and the trees. He then slowed down, and he was just cruising along the section of the path I left. I continued my sprint to the gas station, where I knew I'd be safe. The owners and employees all know me. I made it out front, and I was catching my breath. I watched the part of the jogging path that meets

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_01] the intersection. I clearly saw the car for the first time. It was one of those brown car-slash-truck combos with a tan stripe along the side. The guy drove up the trail to the intersection, flipped on his lights, and floored it onto the main road, disappearing. Up until that point, I was running on adrenaline. Once I had made it inside the gas station, I pretty much broke down, shaking. I still don't know what that guy's intentions were.

[00:06:46] [SPEAKER_01] Maybe he didn't even see me, and he really was just looking for something. Maybe he was planning to hit me with his car and drag me off. Maybe he was an asshole who was just trying to scare me. In any case, I had my boyfriend come get me from the gas station, and I haven't walked alone at night

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_01] since. I'm a 23-year-old female, and I took my two dogs on a walk on a nature trail near my home.

[00:07:33] [SPEAKER_01] My car was the only car parked in the lot when I arrived, so no one else was on the trail. The trailhead has one entrance, and the trail itself is flanked by thick forests on either side. My dogs and I started walking, maybe three-quarters of a mile in, and a man on a bike approached me from behind. I moved to the side with my dogs to let him pass me,

[00:08:01] [SPEAKER_01] and when I did, one of them lunged toward him. I held her back, but it was just unusual behavior for her. Around five minutes after the biker passed, he passed by again, going the other way toward the exit, and again my dog lunged at him. Now, I thought it was extremely odd that he decided to turn around so quickly since he couldn't have gone much more than a mile,

[00:08:30] [SPEAKER_01] which seemed like an extremely short bike ride. He was dressed in biking gear and had a professional bike. It just seemed like he turned around very quickly after he saw me. After he passed by for a second time, I decided to stop and let my dogs rest. I FaceTimed my boyfriend to tell him about the odd encounter. My boyfriend agreed to stay on the phone with me

[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_01] while I walked back to my car because things just sounded a bit too unsafe. Then, my dogs and I turned around and started heading back to my car. About half a mile into our trip, both my dogs lunged at something inside the tree line off to the side of the trail. They barked and growled as they tugged on their leashes towards the area.

[00:09:22] [SPEAKER_01] I didn't see anything there, but my dogs definitely sensed something that I couldn't. We moved on and made it to the parking lot, and I saw one other car there with that man's bike hanging on the bike rack of the trunk of the vehicle. Once I got closer to the car, I realized nobody was inside. I have a bad feeling that that man had very bad intentions.

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_01] I think he had biked back to his car after seeing me, walked back to that spot on the trail, and hid in the woods, waiting to do who knows what. Then he might have had second thoughts because I was on my phone with my boyfriend and had my two big dogs with me. But it makes me sick thinking about it. Something about it felt sinister, and my dogs sensed his energy from the start.

[00:10:17] [SPEAKER_01] This situation made me realize that walking alone on a rural trail, even with two big dogs, isn't safe for me. It might not be safe for anyone. Please stay safe. Trust your instincts, or at least your dog's instincts.

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[00:12:15] [SPEAKER_01] promo code MEAT. This story doesn't involve me directly, but I was there when everything went down. It happened about a year ago. I used to spend every day at my best friend's apartment building, which had a bit of a weird setup. When you walk into the apartment from the hallway, there's a living room and kitchen area. From there, there's a hallway that leads to all of the rooms

[00:12:44] [SPEAKER_01] which are lined up next to each other. She lived in a big apartment building where each unit was set up similarly, and the units shared a balcony with the apartment next door. Both units have glass doors that lead onto this balcony. Now, due to the layout, for each bedroom to have a window, there's a little space the width of the balcony between the two neighboring units that share it. This also means that your bedroom window looks directly into

[00:13:14] [SPEAKER_01] your neighbor's bedroom window from about 15 feet away. Now that I've explained everything, let's go to the story. My friend and I were in the living room watching a movie on a Saturday night when one of her roommates scurried into the living room looking terrified. Her roommate exclaimed, there's a man staring at me from the window next door. She explained that all of the lights in the apartment had been off for the weekend,

[00:13:43] [SPEAKER_01] so she had assumed that all the girls next door had gone home. It was a set of college apartments in a dangerous neighborhood. She had the blinds cracked open and was lying on her bed when she saw some movement in the dark room next door. She looked over and there was a pair of eyes staring at her from the dark. At first, she thought that she was imagining things, but a minute later,

[00:14:12] [SPEAKER_01] she saw a large arm pressing up against the glass and she saw this person's eyes emerge again. The lights were already off in the living room and we all crouched down and gathered around the glass door out back to watch the window of the apartment next door to see if anyone was inside. Sure enough, after a minute through the blinds, we saw someone moving around and flicking lights on and off. This made us nervous

[00:14:42] [SPEAKER_01] because he could easily walk out onto the back porch and then the only thing standing between him and us would be the glass door. We were all freaked out, but reasoned that maybe one of the girls had given her boyfriend a key card and that's who was inside. On the other hand, the apartments were super easy to break into. You swipe a card down the lock and get inside, no problem.

[00:15:12] [SPEAKER_01] There were about 50 units in the building and there was a huge problem with robberies. The next day, I was over again and we heard the girls come home. We went out onto the back porch and knocked on their door. When we told them what happened, their faces went pale as they explained that nobody was home and nobody should have been inside the apartment. After informing the building manager of what happened, they all gathered their belongings

[00:15:42] [SPEAKER_01] and went somewhere else for the night. Unfortunately, the building manager didn't give a shit or do anything about it. However, a few months later, everyone moved out. Nobody knew who the man was or how he got into the building in the first place. This was especially concerning because there's a security guard sitting at a desk by the front door. So to the creepy guy who broke into the apartment next door

[00:16:10] [SPEAKER_01] and stared through the window, let's not meet. I'm a 32-year-old male. I'm over 6 feet and 180 pounds. I've been going through a divorce and my wife moved out of our house. I've put our house up for sale

[00:16:40] [SPEAKER_01] and I've also moved out into my own apartment. Not long ago, I was physically assaulted by someone who was quote-unquote hired by my soon-to-be ex-wife. So I'm a little under the weather. I have 38 stitches, a concussion, and I just got out of the hospital. So I'm not in any kind of shape for anything right now. I have not forwarded my mail or changed my address

[00:17:09] [SPEAKER_01] to my new apartment for safety reasons. I have my mail going to a P.O. box instead just to be secure. This is an important part of the story though. I was lying on my couch watching baseball one day waiting for the game to resume due to the rain delay. While I was waiting, I was flipping through the channels when my doorbell rang. It was almost 8 p.m. and I wasn't expecting any visitors nor did any

[00:17:39] [SPEAKER_01] of my friends tell me that they were going to be stopping by. I ignored the doorbell and turned the TV down even though the volume was already extremely low. About five minutes later, the doorbell rang again so I got up and tiptoed to the door because the floor creaks a bit when you get close to the door. I looked out the peephole and I saw this unassuming looking petite woman who was around 5'5".

[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_01] She looked to be in her mid-twenties and she just stood there waiting. Without taking the chain off of the lock, I opened it so that the door wouldn't be fully open. She immediately greeted me saying my name. I didn't recognize her so I responded, And you are? She held up a pie and said, I'm your neighbor. I live in C2. My name is Alicia.

[00:18:37] [SPEAKER_01] For reference, C2 is the unit diagonally across the hall from mine. I looked at her door then back at her and I hesitantly undid the chain. Then I took the pie and I looked down at it. I asked, How do you know my name? She let out a bit of a giggle and answered, One of your pieces of mail accidentally wound up in my box. I made a skeptical face

[00:19:07] [SPEAKER_01] and there was a pause before I said, I don't receive mail here. She then waved an envelope in front of my face that was just a personal letter addressed to me. Nothing professional like a bill or anything viable. There was no return address on it. It was just addressed to me with my name and a new address. I took it and I told her that I had never seen her there.

[00:19:37] [SPEAKER_01] I said that I had met the guy who lives there but I had never seen her. She giggled again, then said that she had just moved in and then extended her hand to shake mine. I usually give a firm handshake but this time I have to admit I did a pretty wimpy one. She gave me a huge grin, raised the tone of her voice a bit and said it's nice to meet you. When I didn't respond she

[00:20:07] [SPEAKER_01] lowered her tone and said neighbor. Then she looked me up and down for a moment and then looked me dead in the eye with a straight face. As she stepped away from the door she waved. She then went down the hall to the elevator instead of back to her supposed apartment. I threw the pie away and opened the letter. It was unsigned. None of it was relevant to me. The only

[00:20:37] [SPEAKER_01] thing that was accurate was my name and new address. I'm pretty creeped out but wondering if I'm just being paranoid. This episode is sponsored by Better Help. I've talked about Better Help for a long time but I don't know that we've ever talked about how much people

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[00:22:36] [SPEAKER_01] This happened a few years ago when I, a 35-year-old woman, was out with my friends from work. We were saying goodbye to one of us who was moving away for a new job. It was initially just dinner, but we ended up going clubbing. To be honest, I'm normally not the most sensible person when out for the night, but as the clubbing wasn't planned, I had driven, so I wasn't drinking. I was a bit annoyed about being out clubbing as the only one not drinking,

[00:23:06] [SPEAKER_01] but in hindsight, it saved me. For clarification, I've always had an eccentric appearance, especially when it comes to the color of my hair. At the time, my hair was blonde with blue and pink tips. I often wore in pigtails. I also had a pair of knee-high boots that I loved. I bought them in two colors, black and white, so that I could wear one of each. On this night, I was in my boots and pigtails, wearing

[00:23:35] [SPEAKER_01] fishnets and shorts, and even a Harley Quinn graphic t-shirt. I started getting into dancing and spent a fair bit of time looking after my smashed friends. The drag queens at the local gay bar loved my outfit, and despite being sober, I was getting hyped and really enjoying myself. I eventually made sure my drunk friends got into rides safely and started walking back to my car, which, unfortunately, I hadn't put in a parking structure.

[00:24:05] [SPEAKER_01] I was cheap. I left it parked on the side of the street. I will never do that again. The streets were brightly lit and fairly populated, but I kept my keys in my fingers, just out of general practice. I had received a wolf whistle or two, and someone called out Hey Harley, but I was kind of used to catching attention from the way that I dressed, so I ignored it, wanting to just get to my car.

[00:24:35] [SPEAKER_01] I heard someone call out Harley again, but I it was a different voice. I didn't look because I didn't want to engage or make an opening for a conversation. Don't ignore us, bitch, they said. That was when I turned to look across the street and I saw three men. I shook my head to show that I wasn't interested and kept walking. There were three other people out there on the lit street, so I figured these guys

[00:25:04] [SPEAKER_01] wouldn't do anything. I was wrong, though. They crossed the street to come over to me. I'm just heading home, guys. Sorry, I said as I started speeding up, but they followed me. We just want to talk a second, one man said. The other agreed. You don't have to go home yet. We'll take you home, the third man said. My heart was racing at this point. I looked at the small handful of other people on the street. Some were

[00:25:34] [SPEAKER_01] stumbling, probably shit-faced, and most either ignored or didn't even notice the situation, as people shouting at that hour in that part of the city was common. I didn't care if it looked like I was overreacting. I made a split decision and I clutched my keys and ran. I had hoped that that would make them realize they were coming across as creeps and they would just back off. Or if something had to be said, I figured they'd just call me a crazy bitch

[00:26:04] [SPEAKER_01] and let it go. They called me a bitch all right, but that wasn't all. My blood ran cold as I heard them chasing me. I'm not a fast runner, and though my boots had wide heels, the heels were very tall, and I kept picturing myself tripping and dropping my keys, which would easily allow them to catch up to me. I stayed focused, though. I didn't dare look back, especially since I knew how clumsy I am and that I couldn't risk it.

[00:26:35] [SPEAKER_01] When I rounded the next corner, the street was empty, but my car was under a street light. I was holding back tears as I reached the door. I took a deep breath to steady my fingers, adamant not to be that close to safety only to screw up by panicking and dropping my keys. I opened it, got inside, slammed the door, and then locked it just in time. One of them tried opening my door. I was shaking and I couldn't make out what they were saying as they shouted and kicked at my car.

[00:27:06] [SPEAKER_01] As they were cursing at me, calling me Harley, I peeled out of there, almost hitting one of them. After five minutes of driving, enough to get a safe distance, I pulled aside, since I was shaking and crying too hard to even drive safely. The next day, I got a haircut. My Harley Quinn phase was officially over after that. It took a while for me to be comfortable dressing in my own style again. This isn't

[00:27:35] [SPEAKER_01] the only time I'd been harassed by men, but this was the only time that it was a group, and I had never been chased or had someone show explicitly violent intent like this group had that night. If I had drank anything, or let panic cause me to fumble, well, I don't want to think about what they might have done to me. But sometimes I just can't avoid thinking about the possibilities.

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[00:29:50] [SPEAKER_01] life. I am a 32-year-old wife and mother. One of my favorite things to do when I need a little time to myself is go on long hikes through the woods. I love being surrounded by nature, away from the noise and responsibilities for a few hours. Unfortunately, I hadn't been able to do that for over a year. I was pregnant, then I had a newborn, and between

[00:30:20] [SPEAKER_01] taking care of my son and recovering, hiking, had been put on the back burner. My son had recently turned one, and I had been focusing on getting back into shape. For Mother's Day, my husband asked me what I wanted to do, and I told him honestly that all I wanted was to get lost in the woods for a few hours. The irony of that statement was not lost on me later. I live in rural Oregon. I

[00:30:53] [SPEAKER_01] miles up the road. It borders thousands of acres of BLM land. For those unfamiliar, BLM land is public land, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Depending on the area, it can include forests, rivers, trails, and old logging roads. This particular area was somewhere my friend and I had spent years hiking and riding horses. I knew the trails well, and I felt comfortable being alone there.

[00:31:24] [SPEAKER_01] Normally, I wouldn't have gone without my dog, but she had passed away when my son was four months old. I considered bringing my friend's dog, but she was locked inside while my friend was at work. I wasn't too concerned, though. I always carry when I'm out in the wilderness, and I felt confident in my ability to handle myself. The hike had started normally. I followed the fire road toward the river, crossed over, and took the trail

[00:31:53] [SPEAKER_01] that climbed toward a ridge. It was a beautiful day and everything felt peaceful. I was enjoying being alone again. That changed when I heard voices. I didn't want to run into anyone, but I did prepare myself to say hello and keep moving politely. As I came around the trail, I saw three men walking toward me. They looked to be around my age and were casually making their way down the trail. I want to

[00:32:23] [SPEAKER_01] be clear, there is nothing wrong with encountering men while hiking. Most people are just out enjoying nature. But when you're a woman, alone, in the middle of nowhere, and you're suddenly outnumbered, your instincts tend to become a little sharper. I stepped aside and said something like, on your left, and gave them a polite nod as I passed. That was when one of them reached out and grabbed my arm, not aggressively, but enough to stop me.

[00:32:55] [SPEAKER_01] He put his hand under my elbow and gave me a little nudge, almost like he was trying to keep me from walking away. At first I assumed maybe he had stumbled, but then he started talking. He introduced himself, asking where I was from, commenting on what a beautiful day it was. He tried making small talk. I don't remember everything he said because my brain was focused on getting out of the conversation. I kept slowly walking while he

[00:33:25] [SPEAKER_01] talked. The other two men chimed in occasionally, and I tried several times to politely I would say things like well have a good one or nice to meet you and try to continue on my way but they wouldn't let the conversation end. Every time I increased my pace they matched it. Every time I tried to separate myself one of them would ask another question. Eventually my gut started screaming at me that something wasn't right.

[00:33:55] [SPEAKER_01] I then began asking questions of my own trying to figure out what they were doing there. When I asked where they were headed they all exchanged a quick look before one of them answered that they were going to the waterfall. That immediately bothered me. I knew that area extremely well. The waterfall that they mentioned wasn't anywhere near where we were or where the trail was taking us. Maybe they were confused. Maybe they were lying. I didn't know.

[00:34:25] [SPEAKER_01] But what I did know was that I didn't like what they said. A bit further down the trail we reached a steep section where you had to climb up using rocks and the large root of a tree. The three men stopped and tried to convince me to go with them to the waterfall and I said no. At that moment I decided I wanted them

[00:35:07] [SPEAKER_01] one one the men immediately noticed his expression changed. He stared at me in a way that made my skin crawl. I don't remember exactly what I said after that but I managed to keep my composure climb up the steep section ahead of them and put some distance between us. The second I reached the top I ran. I didn't look back I didn't stop to listen and I didn't care if I dropped something or lost my belongings I just ran. Luckily

[00:35:37] [SPEAKER_01] I knew enough about the area to find a small deer trail that cut away from the main path. I took it weaving through thick brush and trying my best not to leave an obvious trail behind me. My plan was simple get downhill reach the bottom of the ridge and make my way back to the access road except things did not go according to plan. I eventually ended up on another trail but I had no idea where I was. After walking

[00:36:07] [SPEAKER_01] for what felt like forever the trail disappeared. When I turned around that direction led to another dead end deer trail and the next thing I knew I was lost. That was when the fear really set in. I tried to stay calm and tell myself that the men were probably long gone but I couldn't stop thinking about them. I couldn't find the spot where I had left the original trail and I could feel myself beginning to panic.

[00:36:38] [SPEAKER_01] Eventually I found a place to sit down and eat lunch while I figured out what to do next. I guess tuna sandwiches are pretty effective at attracting attention because while I was sitting there trying not to cry two huge dogs came walking up the trail. They had no collars but they were incredibly gentle. They came right over to me sat beside me and stayed with me. I truly believed those dogs found me when I needed them the most when I was crying.

[00:37:09] [SPEAKER_01] After I calmed down they stood up and started walking and they led me. Now I know how strange that sounds but they took me through the woods along a route that I never would have chosen myself. They guided me down deer trails across a rocky area and into a valley that eventually connected with the access road. They walked with me all the way until I recognized where I was. From there those

[00:37:39] [SPEAKER_01] angel dogs followed me to my friend's house where I called my husband. We decided to call the non-emergency line and report the strange encounter three men. I gave them as many details as I could remember. I am thankful that nothing happened and I made my way out of there safely because something about those three men felt so wrong. I still think about how uncomfortable I

[00:38:19] [SPEAKER_01] So if you happen to have two great Pyrenees who occasionally disappear into the woods and come home late just know they might be out there helping someone who needs them. We already know that you love true horror stories chilling

[00:38:49] [SPEAKER_01] real and deeply unsettling stories and every week Red Handed unpacks different murders disappearances and criminal conspiracies with the razor sharp research and depth that each case deserves. Red Handed is the UK's number one true crime podcast dropping new episodes three times

[00:39:19] [SPEAKER_01] a week. If you're looking for a place to start I would recommend their recent episode on Robert Willie Pickton who was Canada's most evil murderer. It can get pretty dark but I know you guys can handle it. Follow Red Handed on Apple Podcasts Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts and tell them who sent you. This happened in 2022 when I moved from my home state of Pennsylvania to Jacksonville Florida for school. I had only been there

[00:39:49] [SPEAKER_01] for about a week and I spent most of my free time exploring local parks. Ever since I was a kid I had been fascinated by Florida's subtropical swamps and wildlife and I was determined to see as much of it as I could. I was 20 years old but I hadn't made any friends yet so every day I visited a different park by myself. It was also the first time I had ever truly been on my own and I finally felt

[00:40:19] [SPEAKER_01] comfortable dressing the way that I wanted to. I wore crop top hoodies cute shorts and considered myself a femme boy. I've also always been told that I look much younger than I actually am. That may not seem important but I think it played a role in why this encounter still unsettles me. One afternoon I drove to another park hoping to finally spot an alligator. I can't

[00:40:49] [SPEAKER_01] remember which park it was. I had just gotten out of my car and started walking toward the entrance which was framed by a welcoming wooden fence and surrounded by thick trees. A couple was walking just a short distance ahead of me when I heard a quiet voice to my right say hey I ignored it and kept walking. A few seconds later I heard it even louder hey I

[00:41:19] [SPEAKER_01] turned to see a man probably in his forties wearing a grey t-shirt and cargo shorts he was walking toward me quickly before I could even react he was standing uncomfortably close he told me not to go into the park because there had recently been gang violence and drug busts there at first I

[00:41:49] [SPEAKER_01] that was when he stepped directly between me and the trail he told me he knew the park well and that there was a quieter quote unquote secret path he wanted to show me instead my stomach dropped I looked around trying to spot where he could possibly be talking about but from the parking lot there weren't any obvious alternate trails while he was insisting that I follow him another person casually

[00:42:19] [SPEAKER_01] walked into the park the man didn't say a word to them he didn't even glance in their direction his eyes never left me trying to stay calm I thanked him again and I told him that if the park was really that dangerous I would just leave then I started backing away toward my car he matched every step he kept insisting that I go with him at

[00:42:49] [SPEAKER_01] that point I gave up trying to be polite I turned around and walked quickly back to my car but he stayed right beside me the entire time as I opened my driver's side door I repeated that if the park wasn't safe I was just going to leave before I could even close the door he grabbed to the top and wedged himself between the door and the frame preventing me from shutting it that was the moment I genuinely became

[00:43:19] [SPEAKER_01] scared he finally stopped trying to convince me to follow him and instead asked for my phone number he said he wanted to make sure that I stayed safe I was doing everything I could not to panic I remember fighting back tears and trying not to scream I asked him to move but he wouldn't realizing I was not getting out of this conversation anytime soon I gave him my old cell phone number

[00:43:49] [SPEAKER_01] that was no longer in service as he looked down to type it into his phone and send me a text I finally had an opening I slammed the door shut locked it immediately started the car and threw it I just nodded hoping that he would believe me and drove away as fast as I could just before leaving the park I looked back one last time

[00:44:20] [SPEAKER_01] instead of the fact that he ignored everyone else entering the park tried to lure me into a secret trail followed me back to my car

[00:44:49] [SPEAKER_01] blocked my door from closing and refused to leave until I gave him my number makes me myself wondering what might have happened if I had followed him down that secret path let's not meet

[00:45:19] [SPEAKER_01] again this happened when I was 12 or 13 years old it was summertime and I had woken up early just before 6 am my mom had asked me to take the dogs for a walk and although I wasn't exactly thrilled about getting up that early I did it anyway

[00:45:48] [SPEAKER_01] the morning was strange normally the sun would be coming up by 6 am but that morning the streets felt darker and more desolate than usual I was walking along with my dogs when I reached an intersection I was walking straight and there was nobody else around everything was completely silent that was when I saw him this man was approaching from the opposite side of the road he was lanky probably

[00:46:18] [SPEAKER_01] about 5 6 and his movements were very strange they were quick almost jerky like he was rushing somewhere for some reason my instincts told me to stop so I did and almost immediately he stopped as well a feeling of uneasiness washed over me he looked directly at me his face was pale and his expression was unsettling

[00:46:48] [SPEAKER_01] now I was young and I didn't exactly understand what was going on but something about him made me feel like I needed to be careful he then walked up to the crosswalk button and pressed it this was the button that would allow him to cross the street directly toward me I was standing there frozen I remember feeling my body tense up I was shaking scared and trying to figure out what else to do he stood there pacing and muttering to himself before

[00:47:18] [SPEAKER_01] finally starting to cross still looking in my direction I was preparing myself for the worst my dogs were small lap dogs so I knew they weren't exactly going to protect me if something happened I remember thinking that I might have to defend myself suddenly he then stopped he turned away and continued walking in the direction he had originally been going I felt a bit of relief but I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong I decided to

[00:47:48] [SPEAKER_01] cross the street and continue walking a few moments later when I was farther ahead I noticed something that made my stomach drop he had changed directions and was now following me again at that point I was certain he was following me I was terrified and I remember quietly crying trying not to panic I didn't have my phone with me which made me feel even more helpless I crossed the street again and kept walking then I turned the corner and he disappeared I didn't

[00:48:18] [SPEAKER_01] know if he had stopped following me or if he had simply gone somewhere that I couldn't see whatever the case may be I decided not to take any chances I waited for a bit then quickly walked back home I never saw the

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[00:50:27] [SPEAKER_01] dot com promo code meet for 20% off stock when I was 17 I met a friend from my old school who was three years older than me she left before we graduated because she moved to the capital city of our country to live with her family she invited me to spend a couple of days at her parents house and

[00:51:05] [SPEAKER_01] by the time summer rolled around I managed to save just enough money for a train ticket and that was all I needed because my friend insisted that the rest of the expenses would be on her now my mom was against this trip because she couldn't give me enough money to book a hotel in case something went wrong she also didn't really know my friend well enough to trust her we were in a terrible place financially we literally had just enough money to buy some food and

[00:51:35] [SPEAKER_01] keep a roof over our heads but that was about it however since I was a stubborn teenager who didn't like being told no I kept pushing until I finally persuaded her to let me go I took an overnight trip to arrive at the capital I did this so that I would show up in

[00:52:20] [SPEAKER_01] the work I went walking for hours I did this until my legs hurt but I was overwhelmed with excitement the evening came and I was standing outside her place but she wasn't answering my calls I knocked and knocked to no avail she finally picked up the phone just to say that she was sorry she explained that there had been a family emergency and she told me that she was on her way back to our hometown

[00:52:50] [SPEAKER_01] she even stated she was already at the house because she traveled there by plane my friend then said that she got bad news in the middle of the day so she went home to collect her things in a fog forgetting about me completely this totally caught me off guard but I guess I couldn't blame her I had some extended family who lived in the capital city so I called them but nobody answered later

[00:53:19] [SPEAKER_01] I learned that they were all on holiday in Spain so by then I had nowhere to go I was all alone in one of the biggest cities in the world and I didn't know what to do I didn't even was a ticket to return home in four days this was exactly what my mom was afraid of where was I going to spend the next four nights I went back to the station and tried to exchange my ticket for a closer return

[00:53:49] [SPEAKER_01] date but there were no seats available on any train summer is high season so it was naive to expect anything else I then tried to buy a ticket on 100 kilometers away from it which was good enough but to purchase the bus ticket I needed to return my train ticket and get the money back the queue was long and while I was contemplating the bus had

[00:54:19] [SPEAKER_01] departed and it was officially night time I went back to the station and sat in a chair thinking that it would be safer than outside the station was big well lit and had police patrolling after all a few unfortunate people were loitering around like me they seemed stranded most of them were sleeping with their hands wrapped around their bags before this I had never traveled alone and I had never been alone at night

[00:54:48] [SPEAKER_01] the situation was a huge shock for me I was terrified and panicking it was about midnight when I began crying I was crying silent tears that rolled down my cheeks I wiped them away immediately but it was enough for someone to notice me in fact I think that I was noticed before that a man came up to me and asked what was wrong I was so desperate that I told him everything he started grinning and then he introduced himself as Noah

[00:55:17] [SPEAKER_01] he said that he would help me but quickly became pushy and invasive I didn't like it so I got up and sat a few rows down feeling even more scared I then saw another guy looking at me his eyes locked on to me as he approached when he sat down next to me he said he watched my interaction with Noah and he told me that I did the right thing getting away from him the

[00:55:49] [SPEAKER_01] he would get me to the main bus station in another part of town where he would make sure I had a ticket home he even promised to give me money in case I didn't have enough to pay for a ticket the bus sounded like a good idea it would be less comfortable than the train but the odds of successfully buying a ticket were higher because people rarely traveled such long distances by bus James even said he was sure there would be plenty of empty seats he also said I reminded him of his

[00:56:19] [SPEAKER_01] younger sister and overall he gave off a vibe that was good and trustworthy kind of a guy from next door so I calmed down and I believed everything was going to turn out well James and I were talking for about an hour Noah disappeared somewhere so I no longer saw his eyes drilling holes into us James said that we both needed to eat and rest a while before morning came so he suggested that we go into

[00:56:49] [SPEAKER_01] another hall of the station that hall was unlike the place where we had been sitting for the night this area was meant for sleeping as it was quiet and dimly lit with an enormously high ceiling that we could barely see due to the scant lighting about ten people were there in chairs sleeping in front of the hall was a small cafe and a restroom at the end of it James asked the waitress

[00:57:19] [SPEAKER_01] for hot water then offered me noodles and tea just then I suddenly remembered that every couple of hours an announcement was advising people not to eat with someone that you didn't know to avoid having your drink or food spiked I immediately told James that he had to eat half my bowl and I would eat half of his he was taken by surprise but he complied with my request after we ate I felt much better and then James

[00:57:48] [SPEAKER_01] and I sat in our chairs and started talking again at about 2 AM but Noah reappeared out of nowhere and attacked James he was yelling being very rude and telling James to leave me alone James then calmly got Noah to talk somewhere else I watched them move just a couple of rows back and sit down I

[00:58:18] [SPEAKER_01] expected James to get rid of Noah quickly but their conversation lasted way longer than I expected it took about 15 to 20 minutes during which James looked at me while listening to what Noah was saying he nodded from time to time but his gaze was cold it

[00:58:52] [SPEAKER_01] two more guys appeared out of nowhere Noah smirked and said that they were his friends I was freaking out James then patted my knee and squeezed it at that moment I was happy I was wearing jeans because I would have hated for him to touch my skin all four of these guys were then looking at me laughing but talking some kind of gibberish reminding me very much of hyenas they were probably thinking that there

[00:59:22] [SPEAKER_01] was no way out for me and right then it was hard to disagree the oldest then said something to me that I didn't quite understand so I looked at him uncomprehendingly they laughed again and Noah said you didn't understand that because it was prison lingo he's been to prison hasn't he what were you do something bad to a girl like her he smirked at me and then all four of them burst into laughter again

[00:59:53] [SPEAKER_01] I was trying my best not to look scared and I don't think they bought it who wouldn't be scared in this really got to me it was disgusting it threw me in such a fit of rage that I pulled my leg back

[01:00:22] [SPEAKER_01] and nearly punched him I then screamed don't touch me don't you dare I leaned over and I swear I was ready to kill him with my bare hands he looked me in the eyes backed away almost scrambling across the floor I saw terror in his eyes and for course I could never fight him but this unexpected move from a teenage girl who was nearly scared to death really

[01:00:52] [SPEAKER_01] seemed to take them by surprise these men were no longer laughing they suddenly almost seemed ready to leave me alone and they left me with Noah sitting near once they were starting to distance themselves a bit I realized what was happening and my whole body started shaking I couldn't stop it as Noah continued to fix his gaze on me it seemed full of hate for me and something else I wasn't able to discern

[01:01:23] [SPEAKER_01] anyway I couldn't contain my panic anymore so I got up and slowly went to the exit of the hall I tried my best to keep my pace very slow even though I wanted to run I felt that if I ran it would only provoke the men they didn't stop me because I had nowhere to go I still didn't want to go outside since I figured there were probably more of them waiting for me even if there weren't it was still too dangerous for me to try so I continued walking around the station mindlessly

[01:01:54] [SPEAKER_01] then like a mirage in the desert I saw the police sitting on a bench that the cleaner had moved from the other hall while doing her job I practically ran to the officers and I told them this story they didn't seem phased at all one of them yawned and pointed to an empty space on the bench and said that I could sit with them if I wanted the police in my country are pretty corrupt so it was the

[01:02:29] [SPEAKER_01] best James approached us and he was alone he greeted the police and they seemed to know each other by then I wasn't surprised by anything about the situation really what were these guys doing loitering around the station for the whole night there weren't any trains coming or going from 1.30 to 4.30 a.m none of them even had bags they weren't sleeping or anything they

[01:03:00] [SPEAKER_01] it was very possible that they were doing all kinds of illegal stuff there and the police probably knew and probably never intervened that's why I honestly don't trust the police but I was hoping that they wouldn't let the gang kidnap me or do whatever they were planning on doing right in front of them anyway James sat with us and the officers joked is this your fiance they

[01:03:30] [SPEAKER_01] well after that they returned to discussing their business while James tried to persuade me to go back to the dark end hall I

[01:04:01] [SPEAKER_01] continued sitting on the bench with the police while the men either wandered around or sat in various chairs in the main hall for the next couple of hours every minute I was afraid that the men would come for me and it would be over for me I'm all my mom has left and I was worried that she would never see me again so I prayed begging to be saved praying helped how to get out of the

[01:04:31] [SPEAKER_01] station and the capital as soon as morning came a part of my extended family lived in a city three hours from the capital and trains departed to their station every two hours tickets to get there were cheap I had never met them but my granddad was on very good terms with them I only needed to call my mom and ask her tell my grandpa to call his family to ask them to pick me up I

[01:05:10] [SPEAKER_01] was anxiously at me with these hungry eyes as they greeted the police and shook hands with them again no surprise they passed us probably wanting to meet the first morning train it was coming from the capital city of the country where Noah said that he was from after another hour had gone by James asked me to go back to the other hall again and this time I complied since police had moved on and I was alone plus I noticed that Noah

[01:05:40] [SPEAKER_01] and his buddies had left the hall and most importantly more people were arriving at the station for 6 a.m. trains when we were back in the darker hall James laid his bag across his knees and offered to let me rest on he then crouched over his bag

[01:06:09] [SPEAKER_01] and eventually fell asleep I decided to wait not knowing if he was genuinely asleep or just wanting to avoid confrontation as he was sleeping I figured I could go to the bathroom and I could find a woman to ask for help or try using a big open window to escape I thought it would be much better if I could sneak out while he was as I thought through scenarios I waited for an entire hour pushing it pretty close but

[01:06:39] [SPEAKER_01] I wanted the hall to be as crowded as possible in case he woke up right after I made my move when I finally got up he was still sleeping I took a few steps looking over my shoulder and he stayed

[01:09:41] [SPEAKER_01] produced with the permission of their respective authors. Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast is not associated with Reddit or any other message boards online. We'll see you next week. Everybody stay safe.