My name is Sarah and I’m about to tell you the time I was nearly kidnapped. I’m a 20-year-old college student and I like to do my grocery shopping late at night when the store isn’t busy. I was browsing Walmart when I came across a big rough-looking man with a large gut and long thin wiry hair that started to bald. He wore a store vest signaling that he worked there. He eyed me in a way that made my skin crawl.
He then proceeded to follow me down each aisle, staying a couple of feet back as he pretended to straighten up the shelves, all the while his gaze lingered on me. I could feel his eyes covering every inch of my skin. I was starting to get worried. The store seemed to be empty other than him and a few other workers.
I started to walk through the store in a very random and erratic way. He followed me everywhere I went. Even in the women’s clothing department. I decided to head to the self-checkout even though I wasn’t done shopping.
He followed me and then he proceeded to lean up against the checkout only inches away from me. We were the only two people at the registers. “Hey there girly. You here all alone?”
The way he addressed me made me feel a bit queasy. I shook my head no, I couldn’t even muster words. “Where’re your friends?”
I looked around, hoping to God someone would come to save me, but there weren’t any other employees. He smelled of something foul. “You know, I’m about to get off work, I could show you a good time.”
I didn’t even answer them as I quickly tried to ring up my items. My hands were shaking so badly that I couldn’t get the milk I was holding to scan. “Are you going to answer me?”
He was easily 250 pounds and I was only 120. I had no chance of fighting him. “Look at me!”
I felt so small and vulnerable. I forced myself to look up at him. “You’re not trying to steal something, are you?”
I shook my head adamantly no, but that didn’t deter him. “I think you are. I think you’re going to need to come with me.”
He grabbed my arm and proceeded to drag me. But we weren’t going to any office. He was taking me outside. I felt my heart drop as he tried to drag me to a big truck. I tried to struggle and started shouting. He had a vice grip on my hand.
“Is there a problem?” I looked over to see a female officer walking up to us. My heart leaped in relief.
“He’s trying to kidnap me!” I shouted!
The officer proceeded to pull out his firearm. “Let go of her right now and step away with your hands up!”
The man reluctantly let go of me and took a step back. “Hey, this is a big misunderstanding. She was trying to steal.”
“Get down on your knees and place your hands behind your head,” the officer demanded. Hesitantly, the man complied. She then proceeded to cuff the man. I was saved. My heart was beating so fast inside my chest, I felt sick.
I then found out that the man who tried to take me didn’t even work there. He assaulted an employee and took their uniform. They found pictures of me in his car and apparently he had been stalking me for some time. He knew I’d come here shopping this late and had planned this out. I have never been more horrified in my entire life. The officer who saved my life is named Hallie Everett and I am truly thankful for her.
To this day, I shop at the busiest time of the day for things I can’t order online. I will never go to a box store at night ever again.
The End
You’re never safe in the dark.
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Being a parent is never easy. We often find ourselves obsessing over every painstaking detail of our children’s lives, especially when it comes to their safety. With the internet, the world has become a much more dangerous place. I know the hard way about the dangers of raising children. The story I’m about to tell you was a nightmare that came true.
My name is Lexi and I’m a mother of the most amazing daughter any parent could ever ask for. She had just turned 14 and I couldn’t be more proud of her. She was on the dance team and an honors student. Life hasn’t always been perfect, we’ve had our fair share of arguments, but even with our feuds, I would give anything to keep my daughter safe. That’s why what I’m about to share with you is beyond the worst moment of my life.
It was a day in the fall where school had just started up. Even though my daughter was involved in several after-school activities she decided to take the bus home real fast to get something to eat and change before going on to her dance practice. I worked from home and I remember this day perfectly. I was watching the news at that moment in the afternoon. They were going over a brutal murder.
“What we are about to share with you is not suitable for kids. Police have discovered the body of Calvin Nichols this morning. The MO follows closely to 3 other murders. It seems the man had been subjected to some kind of compound that turned his skin a dark blue. It seems he was tortured. They’re in the process of running an autopsy. However, what links this with the other 3 murders is a junk drive that was wrapped around his neck. They found a video of the victim who was under duress but admitted to sexually assaulting 4 teenage girls. These murders seem to be similar to the Ghost murders, however, the difference is that in these cases, the victims were subjected to chemical compounds earning this killer the name The Chemist. Each victim was either registered sex offenders or was charged but never prosecuted with sex crimes,” the reporter said over the TV as I quickly made my daughter a salad while watching the window for her arrival. Whenever she takes the bus, she always gets dropped off at the corner of the block which is a few houses down.
I remember something was off that day. There had been a white van parked down the street. It just looked out of place and I remember seeing it there a few times before. It just looked suspicious. If only I had reported it to the police…
The bus finally pulled up and my daughter got off as normal. She had her sporty outfit on with a matching pink shirt and pants. She radiated with happiness which filled me with joy. I was just imagining what kind of day she had at school, hoping it was a good one. But then she came across the white van. Her face contorted in fear as the side door slid open and a man in a mask grabbed her and yanked her in. I dropped what I was doing and screamed.
Panic gripped my heart as I grabbed my cell phone and rushed out the door as the van started to drive off while I called the police. It felt like I just got stabbed in the stomach. I could barely form words as the van drove off. It had no license plate on it. I was hysterical as I tried to tell the operator what had just happened. I could barely form a coherent sentence. I had just watched my baby girl get taken. My heart was racing so fast, I thought I was having a heart attack. I couldn’t breathe. The operator was telling me to calm down as another car drove by as I frantically told the person on the phone that they took my daughter. Tears were falling down my eyes as they said they were sending a patrol car over now.
After I got off the phone with them, I quickly called my husband and tried to tell him everything. He said he was on his way home. I felt like the air had been sucked out of my lungs. I was in shock. It felt like some horrible nightmare. The police arrived just before my husband. I frantically told them what happened. A few more police showed up and I believe one of them was a detective. I remember her name. It was Hallie Everett. She was very calm and went over the details. My husband was a complete mess as he paced around, trying to pull out his hair.
Detective Everett said they put out an APB on the van and they’d do a thorough investigation as if that would make us feel any better. Our daughter was taken by only god knows who for who knows what means.
“You need to find her. You need to find her,” I said hysterically. I felt like everything was spiraling out of control. They told us to remain here in case she or her kidnappers tried to contact us. James, my husband wouldn’t just stand by as some maniac made off with our daughter. He took his truck and went out to search for her while I waited by the phone, praying to god to hear her voice one more time. They stationed a patrol car outside our house. Praying desperately not to hear the worst news any parent could ever hear. I just couldn’t face that fact. I won’t accept it. I just had to pray she’d be returned to us safely.
It was worse than any nightmare. I had to just wait there while some psychopath had my daughter. I’ve never felt more helpless in my life. Every second that passed by felt like an hour as I just stared at my phone, waiting for it to ring. I had the TV on with the news so I could have something to drown out the fears running rampant in my head.
Each and every minute that went by felt like my daughter was falling farther and farther away. I broke down and cried. I finally broke as the fears ate at me. All I wanted was to hold my baby girl. I just wanted to reassure her everything was going to be okay. God, how could this happen? She looked so happy when she got off that bus. I should’ve been there waiting for her. If only I had been there. I could’ve stopped it or at the very least I’d be with her.
Hours went by and it was well into the night and still no phone call. I was starting to lose my mind as all the terrifying possibilities burned into my thoughts. Where is my baby girl? I pray that she’s still alive. I pray that no harm has come to her. If something happened to her, I… I could never forgive myself.
Then the phone finally rang. My heart stopped as I stared at it filled with dread. The second ring pulled me out of my trance as I hastily picked it up and answered it. It was Detective Everett. They found her. She’s safe. I felt like I could breathe again. They brought her to the station.
I rushed to my car and called my husband while I sped to the police station. I met my husband at the police station where we found our baby girl. She looked so afraid and worried. She ran to us immediately as we both held her in our arms. Tears fell from my eyes as I held her tight. I never felt so relieved in my life. To have my baby girl safe back in my arms is beyond anything a mother could ever hope for. I felt so filled with joy at that moment, nonstop tears ran down my face. When we finally settled down, the detective pulled us aside. I thanked her profusely as I tried to calm myself. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling.
She then told us what happened. Apparently, someone called the police and reported the van. However, when the police arrived the scene was horrendous. They found the man that took my daughter strapped to a chair. His face had been melted off and there was a junk drive tied around his neck. They found my daughter in a bedroom upstairs with headphones on her ears. She had not been harmed.
She told them that after they arrived at the kidnapper’s house, he took her to the bedroom. She was crying and pleading with him. He took off his mask to reveal an old man with long grey wiry hair that was starting to bald. He had a thick gut and a scar on his left eye. He started to unbuckle his pants when someone broke in downstairs. He went down to investigate when a struggle broke out. A few minutes later a man she didn’t recognize walked up. He was kind, untied her and he gave her headphones and he told her to put them on and listen to music because he didn’t want her to hear what he was going to do to the man who took her. She held the headphones tight to her ears as she heard terrifying screams come from downstairs. He said all the terrible things he did to other girls, but she tried not to listen.
Before she knew it, he came back up and told her to wait here. The police would arrive shortly and she’d be reunited with her family and then he left. Not long after the detective arrived to find the perp strapped to a chair with his face melted off and he was dead. She found our daughter in the bedroom.
The news broke the story that night after we got home. They reported about the kidnapping of our daughter and how the Chemist had struck again, saving our daughter.
To the Chemist, if you are reading this, whoever you are… Thank you. Because of you, our daughter is safe now. I will never forget this. I don’t think there is anything we could ever do or say to show our gratitude for saving our daughter. To all the parents out there, just please, keep your children safe. The world is a dangerous place. If you see something suspicious, report it. Don’t second guess, don’t hesitate, take action.
The End.
Remember, you’re never safe in the dark…
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This story is unlike my others because it is loosely based on a true story of a video interview I saw on Instagram. That being said, obviously, the characters within the story are fictional and created from my own imagination even though the events of the story are based on truth. I think it’s important to always remain vigilant. The world is a dark and dangerous place.
Lilly Ross
What I’m about to tell you is one of my worst fears that nearly came true. My name is Lilly Ross and I am a mother of 3 amazing children. What happened is proof that you must always stay aware of your surroundings. It all happened while I was at a grocery store with two of my 3 children. My oldest was at home, being at an age where he could watch himself. My younger 2 children are both girls 3 and 7.
I normally like to park near the back because getting the stroller out can be quite a hassle and I just like to do it where there aren’t a whole lot of other people so I’m not in the way. Anyway, I was getting my children out of the car, putting my youngest in the stroller while my older daughter waited impatiently in the car. That’s when I noticed a couple parked not far from me. They stayed in their car for the longest time and I couldn’t help but think they were watching me and my kids. At first, I thought they were going to offer help because I was clearly struggling with the stroller and they were staring at me, but after a few minutes, they just stayed in their car watching. I thought nothing of it at the time, however, once I got my youngest in the stroller and got my oldest out of the car, we made our way into the store and I noticed the couple get out behind me. They followed us into the store. Again, I thought nothing of it.
As we went about our way, picking up essential items, the couple continued to follow us, however, they didn’t appear to be shopping. They had nothing in their hands and they were clearly watching us. Whenever I looked over at them, they’d quickly glance away.
While I turned the corner and came into the next aisle, that’s when I heard them talking. They were clearly speaking about my children. I could hear them saying the details and characteristics of my kids. Brown hair, green eyes, one’s about 4 years old and the other’s about 7, both girls. My heart raced as I listened to their conversation. I was truly mortified. I thought for a second, that I wasn’t hearing them right, but when they turned the corner into our aisle, I saw the man talking on the phone and his eyes darted straight towards my kids before quickly glancing away.
It was at this point I realized the severity of the situation. I quickly pulled out my phone and called my husband. I told him exactly what was going on with clear panic in my voice. To make matters worse, he was at least an hour away for business. My heart was racing so fast, I felt like I was having a panic attack. I quickly took my kids and rushed for the checkout. The couple followed. I saw the man grab something off the shelf and made it for the checkout line behind me. Fortunately, a woman in front of me let me cut. Even though my kids were behaving well enough, she saw that I only had a few items and was very kind enough to let me go ahead of her.
I quickly checked out and rushed into the parking lot. I saw the couple discard their items and take off behind me with a brisk pace. To my horror, there was a big white van parked next to my car. I quickly put my older daughter in the car first and got my youngest out of the stroller and got her buckled in next. I considered leaving the stroller and items as I saw the couple approach. They practically circled the car. As I clicked open the back trunk to quickly throw my stroller and the few items I had bought, I lost sight of the couple. I was in a panic as I locked the doors to the car so they wouldn’t be able to take my kids without taking the keys from me. I heard car doors open and shut from the van. My heart was pounding inside my chest. My hands were shaking as I struggled to get the groceries in and quickly break down the stroller. I kept fumbling with the locks on the stroller as I kept looking up to see if the couple were still lurking.
An old man and a younger woman pulled up across on the other side of the rear of my car. I saw the old man’s eyes go wide and to my relief, he quickly shouted if I needed any help. I said yes immediately. As I turned around for the stroller I nearly had a heart attack. There were two men standing behind me. They backed away immediately as the old man and whom I guess was his caretaker or daughter quickly made their way over. The two men tried to act as if they were coming to help but quickly walked over to the white van, got in, and drove away. The couple also got into their car and drove off.
If it weren’t for that old man’s kindness, I could’ve lost my children that day. Looking back, there were so many things I could’ve done differently, but when you’re in the moment and filled with fear, you don’t act rationally. Since that day, I’ve started to take many precautions. I park as close as I can, I now carry mace and I’m in the process of getting a carry permit. I also should’ve called the police immediately. I will never put myself or my children in a situation like that ever again.
The End.
Remember, you’re never safe in the dark…
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Every mother’s worst nightmare is having some sicko take their child away from them. Especially in today’s day and age, you can never be too careful. What I’m about to tell you is a nightmare that almost came true. I’m a mother to a 13-year-old daughter. I’m not going to tell you her name for obvious reasons.
We had always been close as she grew up and I love her dearly. Recently, she seemed to distance herself. I wasn’t sure if it was just because she’s now a teenager or if there was something else going on. She seemed wrapped up with her cellphone that I recently gave her for her 13th birthday, but what teenager isn’t?
I of course didn’t want to be one of those parents that invaded my daughter’s privacy, but I was starting to worry about her. She wasn’t eating, she spent most of her time in her room and she stopped talking to me. I wasn’t sure what I should do, but I couldn’t just do nothing.
I’ve read many different articles and Reddit posts about cyberbullying and I was afraid that my daughter was being bullied online.
One day while my daughter went out to visit a friend, I was doing laundry and I went into her room to get her dirty clothes when I saw a message pop up on her phone. She must’ve forgotten her phone, which I had found was so unlike her. I couldn’t resist the urge to look. The message I saw really was horrible. I quickly opened her phone and discovered something truly disturbing. My daughter had been chatting with a stranger she had met online. He was grooming her and had resorted to blackmailing. Apparently, he managed to convince her to take photos of her and now he was using them to blackmail her with.
That’s when I read a text message that truly made me feel sick. He told her to come over to the address today or he would show everyone the pictures of her. I quickly called my daughter’s friend that she said she’d be with and to my horror her friend’s mother said she never came. I quickly called the police and told them exactly what I read in my daughter’s text messages, giving them the address as I rushed to get my keys, bolting to the car.
I punched the address into my GPS and floored down the road. I had gotten there just after the police. They had a man in handcuffs and I found my daughter sitting with a policewoman. I raced over to her and she was visibly shaken, but fortunately, she wasn’t hurt. If I had acted any later than I had, the story might have been different.
Apparently, this man was apart of a sex trafficking ring and there’s no telling what would’ve happened to my daughter if I had not read her messages. It just goes to show how dangerous this world really is, especially with technology.
The End.
Remember, you’re never safe in the dark…
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I will never hitchhike ever again. The story I’m about to tell you is the reason why you shouldn’t either. My name is Holly and I was 15 years old at the time that this happened. I had just recently gotten into a fight with my mother. I don’t even remember what we argued about, it was over something stupid and petty.
Anyway, I packed a bag and left just like that. I was so mad at her I couldn’t bear living there anymore. Fuming with anger, I decided to hitchhike and get as far away from the shitty town I was trapped in as possible.
The roads were unusually empty on a normally busy highway and it was really hot out. Probably one of the hottest days we had in a long time. It wasn’t long before I broke out in a sweat under the grueling sun.
I had been walking for some time now when a car finally came my way. I stuck out my thumb, praying whoever was driving was kind enough to stop and hoping they weren’t a psycho. To my relief, a man in a Ford Taurus stopped and rolled down his window. He must’ve been in his early thirties and had a charming smile. I’ll admit that I found him rather hot. He had wavy brown hair and smoldering blue eyes. He had a small scar on his left cheek which gave him a bad boy look.
“Need a lift?” he asked me.
“That would be great!” I said and I hopped in.
He took off. “So, where are you heading?”
“Anywhere but here,” I said.
“Ahh, so you’re on the run, are you?” He asked with a smile that made me feel warm inside.
“Yeah, you could say that,” I said.
“Who are you running from? Parents?” he asked.
“Yep. Got in a fight with my mom,” I said.
“How old are you?” he asked, eyeing me suspiciously. I felt a sudden tension.
“I’m 15,” I said.
“Oh you don’t say,” he says with a slight curve to his lips. Something about the way he said it made me feel a little uneasy.
We went a few more miles in silence when I finally spoke up. “So where are you heading?” I asked.
“Anywhere but here,” he said with a laugh. I smiled politely but I didn’t find the answer all that amusing. There was something odd about him. I couldn’t place it, but I felt that I may have seen his face before.
I heard something bang in the trunk. “What was that?” I asked.
“Nothing…” He said and then he turned the radio on.
“About 6’1’’, brown hair, blue eyes with a small scar on his left cheek. He is armed and dangerous and if you see this man you need to call the police immedia…” He quickly turned the radio off and eyed me suspiciously. I could feel my heart sink into my stomach. What was that about? I made sure not to look at him as I felt frozen in my seat. Armed and dangerous? And that description matched this man sitting in the driver’s seat almost perfectly.
Who the fuck did I just get into a car with? My heart was beating faster as we continued to drive down the road. 100s of different possibilities raced through my mind. What if he was a serial killer? Or a rapist? I thought for sure I wasn’t going to survive the trip with this man. He could easily pull off on some back road and end my life.
I made sure to keep my eyes on the road as we drove in completely nerve-wracking silence. Neither of us spoke a word. All I could hear was the engine of the car and the beat of my own heart. I began to sweat even though it was rather cold with the AC on. I can’t believe this is happening!
The argument I had with my mother seemed so stupid now. I really wanted to apologize, but now I felt that I might not ever see her again. I’m pretty sure the last thing I said to her was that I hated her. God, I’m so stupid! The worst part is that I didn’t even have a cellphone. She took it from me. So I had no way of calling the police. I’m also pretty sure he has someone in the trunk. I keep hearing thumping and pounding going on back there.
To my relief, I saw that he was low on gas and he eventually pulled off to the nearest gas station. He looked at me and his once smoldering blue eyes seemed cold and malice. “You should stay in the car.”
I nodded, but my mind was racing with thoughts on how to get the fuck out of my current situation. As he got out and started to fill his car I saw my chance as a police car pulled in. I saw the uneasy way he shifted as he saw them. He quickly finished pumping gas and walked in to pay. I rushed out of the car and ran to them. I immediately told them everything that happened and to my relief, they went in to question him. I quickly went in to see what was going to happen. That’s when I saw a picture of his face on the top of a newspaper. It said he was wanted for rape, murder and was extremely armed and dangerous.
There was a loud crash in the gas station. I looked up to see the police had tased him and were now arresting him. They looked into the man’s trunk and there was a young woman about my age tied up. It happened to be her car and he managed to sneak up on her after she got out of work. The police were nice enough to give me a ride home. I quickly went up to my mother in tears and hugged her, telling her I was so sorry and I loved her.
I couldn’t even imagine what could’ve happened if the police hadn’t shown up at that gas station. Never will I ever again get into a car with a stranger.
The End.
Remember, you’re never safe in the dark…
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What I’m about to tell you is why I will never use a dating site ever again. I was going to college at the time and was in my third year. A little about me, my name is Alexis, I’m a female and I’ve been told I’m attractive. I was 21 at the time this happened.
For whatever reason, I really had a hard time with men. I attributed this to being busy with classes, but I was getting a little lonely and a bit depressed. I decided to give online dating a try. I made a profile and uploaded some really nice photos before writing up a halfway decent bio. I had a bunch of matches, however, most of them seemed to only have 1 intention, to hook up. I wanted something more serious.
I finally matched on a really hot guy who had a great smile and dark silky black hair. We hit it off instantly. We had a series of long deep conversations about life and philosophy. We had similar views on politics and things were going really great. One thing led to another and he ended up asking me out on a date.
Of course, I accepted. We met up at a very nice restaurant. To my relief, I hadn’t been catfished. He looked exactly like his pictures and he had the most amazing smile.
We hit it off great. There never seemed to be a pause in the conversation. We just went from one topic to the other in a flow of interesting subjects. He had captured my interest. However, at one point I had to use the restroom. When I got back, he had ordered us drinks.
We continued the conversation without missing a beat as the evening led on. We had a few more drinks when I noticed something very odd. I was starting to feel very out of it. I felt like I was slowly losing control. I quickly got up and excused myself to the bathroom once more. I pulled my phone out and texted my best friend and told her I think I had been drugged. I shared with her my phone’s location. My memory got a bit hazy after this.
I remember walking out of the restroom and… I think he was waiting for me there. Next thing I knew I was in his car. When I woke up next, I was strung up by a hook. As my eyes adjusted I noticed I was in some kind of warehouse. There seemed to be dried blood everywhere. My heart began to race as I started to panic. I began to cry hysterically.
“Oh shut up, no one is going to hear you so you can scream all you like,” that familiar voice said. I looked over to see the guy I was on a date withstanding over by a table. He was wearing an apron and appeared to be sharpening a knife. My heart sank into my stomach and I felt nauseous. Tears fell from my eyes. I tried to talk, but I was gagged. “You’re probably wondering why I have you tied up in the middle of an old warehouse. Well, as it turns out I have somewhat of a gruesome fetish. I like to carve people open and watch them bleed. I’ve tortured and murdered loads of women just like you. It never gets old.”
His laugh made me want to throw up. I was helpless and now I was about to die in such a horrifying manner. I sobbed hysterically as he walked up with a really sharp long knife. I recognized it as a filet knife my dad would always use to clean fish. I felt very queasy as he brought the knife up to my skin.
Suddenly the sounds of sirens pulled his attention away. The police suddenly burst into the warehouse with their guns raised. They somehow managed to arrest him. I was freed from my bindings by a detective. She said if it wasn’t for my friend using my location tracker I sent her with my phone, they would’ve never found me.
It turns out he has tortured and murdered over 15 other women before he kidnapped me. I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened if I didn’t get that text off. I haven’t been on another date to this day.
The End.
Remember, you’re never safe in the dark…
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I have just recently tried online dating and I will never try another online dating site ever again. What I’m about to share with you has left me living in fear and hopefully will warn you about the dangers of online dating. I just turned 23 not that long ago and I moved out on my own after I graduated college. And for context, I am a female. I dated a bit in college, but after I left, I focused on my work and my social life fell to the sidelines.
After a series of lonely nights on Netflix, I had made an account on one of the major online dating platforms. After uploading a few really cute photos and writing a really nice bio, I started swiping left and right on potential guys. I went through over a hundred profiles before I finally had a match with a really hot guy. He was tall, dark, and handsome with a head of wavy dark brown hair.
We hit it off instantly, messaging back and forth. It turned out we had a lot in common. We both had the same taste in music and it turned out he loved to read just as much as I did. We talked for hours about Nicholas Sparks’ books and the latest Ariana Grande track. I had never met a guy who shared my taste in music and liked to read the same books as me. It was a nice change of pace.
Our conversations lasted from dusk till dawn. However, I felt like I was doing most of the talking. He was a really good listener. I told him all about my life at work and the latest gossip about my coworkers. I shared facts about myself that I never told anyone. I felt so comfortable with this guy. I felt like I could tell him anything.
He started to ask if I wanted to meet up. At first, I was a little apprehensive. I realized I didn’t know much about him. I did most of the sharing while he listened and asked questions, but I really wanted to meet him. I really liked talking to him so I agreed to meet with him in person.
He mentioned coming to pick me up, but I didn’t feel comfortable with that. I suggested we meet at a nice coffee shop I usually went to on weekends. He said he preferred to go somewhere less crowded. He suggested we go for a hike in the woods. I wasn’t so sure about this but I reluctantly agreed. We made plans to meet at 4 o’clock on Saturday.
I got there a bit early and stayed in my car. For some reason, I just felt odd about it all, but I was hopeful with the conversations we had, but I still kept my doors locked. I turned my car off but kept the radio on. I waited until I got a text asking me where I was. I told him I was in the parking lot and asked him where he was.
He said he was on his way. He said he’d meet me by the entrance to the trails. I was very apprehensive about this and decided to wait in my car until I saw him pull up. Thank god I did. I noticed a white van parked not too far from me with a man and a girl inside. They were watching me intently. They looked very out of place.
After waiting for 10 minutes or so, I shot him a text asking him how far away he was? He said he already pulled up and was waiting at the trail entrance. I thought there was no way he could have slipped by me as the park was empty besides me and the people in the van. There was no way I was getting out of my car. I waited there a bit longer and received several messages from him. He asked if I was coming.
I asked him to come to the parking lot, he refused. That’s when I saw something strange. I clearly saw the girl in the van texting and as soon as I received a text message she’d look up over at me. I don’t know if this was a coincidence or if she was the one who was texting me after all.
The text I received said he was waiting for me and if I didn’t come soon he’d leave. At this point, there was no way I was getting out of my car. I then decided to facetime him. That way it’d prove he is who he said he was. As I started the facetime, I looked over at the van and saw the woman’s phone light up. They immediately canceled the call.
I then decided to call the police and report everything. They said they’d send someone out to where I was. I got a text saying if I didn’t come out, he was going to leave. I didn’t fall for it. Instead, I said I’d be there in a minute. Just had to fix something. I was trying to stall for the police to get here. That’s when the back door to the van opened up and two men in masks got out. By now I was truly freaked out. I tried to start my car but to my horror, the battery had died. It wouldn’t even turn over. I was not truly terrified as the men walked over to my car. My heart was racing as they told me to roll down my window. I refused. They tried to open my car door and thank god I kept it locked. One of them headed back to the van and pulled out a crowbar. I was now on the verge of tears as he walked up to the passenger side of my car and started to bash the window.
I pleaded with them to leave me alone. I was now crying hysterically as the man continued to hit the window with the crowbar, it started to crack. The other man was making threatening gestures and was telling me all the things they were going to do to me. I truly thought they were going to take me as the crowbar managed to smash my window open.
As he unlocked the door and proceeded to get in my car, to my relief a police car pulled up right then and there. Two officers got out with their weapons drawn. Another police car pulled up behind them as the men raised their hands.
They were all arrested. What was truly horrifying is what they found in that van. There was chloroform, rope, handcuffs, duct tape, and weapons. Everything you needed to kidnap someone. Apparently, the girl was the one texting me. She had our entire conversation on her phone. It turns out they were part of a huge human trafficking ring. It scares me to imagine what could’ve happened if the police didn’t arrive when they did. I haven’t been on a dating site ever since.
The End.
Remember, you’re never safe in the dark…
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Being a parent is never easy. However, in the age of the internet things have become even more frightening. I’m a mother of 3 children. My only son just turned 16, my oldest daughter is 10 and my youngest daughter is only 7. I won’t tell you their names obviously. You can never be too cautious on the internet. I learned this the hard way. What I’m about to tell you is every parent’s worst nightmare.
Ever since my son turned 16, we had gotten him a phone because we didn’t want him to get stranded with car problems out in the middle of nowhere. However, now that he has a phone, he’s created social media accounts. My biggest fear is him meeting some stranger on the internet and having it turn out to be some psycho murderer or something. Ever since then, I have created fake accounts to monitor his online activities. I know, I know, it’s such a grievous violation of his privacy, but his safety must come first.
Anyway, I was on one of my social media accounts doing my due diligence when I came across something that made me sick to my stomach. It was a picture of my youngest daughter posted by some random stranger. I immediately clicked on the profile and to my horror, there were more photos of her. They were taken while she went about her day. There were some of her at school, some while she was getting on the bus and others while she was at home. She wasn’t the only girl that was being stalked. There were hundreds of photos of other girls. What’s worse were the comments. I was expecting to see people as horrified as I was, but some were saying some pretty disgusting things. Things I will not repeat. They were sexually objectifying a 7-year-old. It made me nauseous. I ended up throwing up.
What’s worse was there was a link to a website. That’s when I found something truly horrifying. They were not only selling photos of children, but there were auctions where you could buy kids that were most likely kidnapped. Once again, I found myself puking. I went straight to the police with this.
They were able to get the website shut down and even made a few arrests. However, not even a week later I stumbled upon another website with photos of my 10-year-old. I once again reported them to the police hoping to put an end to this. I’ve never been more horrified in my entire life.
It’s safe to say after this terrifying ordeal, I kept a close watch on my kids. I drove them to school in the morning and picked them up right after. I made sure not to let them out of my sight and I kept an even closer watch on my surroundings to make sure no one was watching them.
One day after school had parked to pick up my kids and to my shock and horror, I saw a strange black car with all its windows tinted parked outside the school. I reported it immediately after I saw the camera of a phone poking out of a crack from the window. Thank god the police were not far. They pulled up behind the car. The car tried to drive away but was cut off by another patrol car.
They were able to arrest the man right then and there. However, what they found inside his car had given me nightmares to this day. They not only found his phone was full of pictures of not only my own kids but hundreds of others, they also discovered chloroform, rope, weapons, and all sorts of things that are common items used in kidnapping.
I haven’t had a good night’s sleep ever since. This just proves you can never be too careful when it comes to the safety of your kids. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect my children.
The End.
Remember, you’re never safe in the dark…
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The story I’m about to tell you is a perfect example of how dark this world really is. I was a 15-year-old high school girl at the time and I finally convinced my parents to give me a smartphone. I started an Instagram account not long after.
I had been posting on it for almost a year, mostly about my day to day life with loads of selfies, nothing special, when one of my best friends, Collin, messaged me a link to another profile. When I checked the profile out my stomach tightened. This profile was dedicated to me. It had reposted all of my photos. But what really gave me the creeps were the videos and photos that had been taken of me by someone else. I didn’t recognize the photos. They had been taken without my knowledge.
There were loads of them. Some of them while I was at school. Some of them while I played basketball. There were even some with me at home. A few were taken while I was changing in my room. I was horrified. I immediately reported the account. I even went as far as to reach out to my parents who reported it to the cops.
However, it didn’t end there. It wasn’t long after that the account was deleted another account popped up with even more photos and videos of me. They were new ones. Whoever had taken them was still stalking me.
Even worse, they started to DM me. The messages were really disturbing. Telling me how they loved to watch me change and they sent me a video of me sleeping. I was truly freaked out. Once again, I went to my parents who filed another police report. However, this did nothing to dissuade my stalker.
They continued to create more accounts to harass me. The DMs continued to get even more disturbing. They said how they would love to get their hands on me and what they’d do once they got me alone with them. The things they said I can’t repeat. This went on for months. Every time I’d report them, their account would be deleted and a new one would spring up with even more photos of me. Of course, I made sure to close my windows at home and make sure they were locked. I even went as far as to delete my own account and all my other social media accounts.
Somehow they got my number and continued to harass me, sending me more photos and videos of me that were taken while I was unaware. Every time I blocked their number, they’d text me with a new one. It got to the point where I became afraid to leave my house, not that I felt safe there either.
They started texting me how they were going to kidnap me and all the terrible things they were going to do to me once they’d taken me. It felt like no matter what I did, I couldn’t escape them. I just wanted it all to stop.
One day I noticed something about one of the videos they sent me. I could barely make out a reflection in the video. And who I saw truly made me sick. In that reflection was my best friend Collin’s face. I went straight to my parents and they took me to the police. They brought Collin in and searched all of his electronic devices. Sure enough, they were filled with photos and pictures of me. They even found a shrine of me in his closet. I never felt more betrayed in my entire life. It just goes to show that you really don’t know who you can trust.
I went to his hearing and he lost it, yelling at me that no one would love me as he could. Only he deserved to have me. No one else. I had a hard time trusting people after that. Collin went to juvie for a long time. However, I just recently heard he’s going to get out soon.
I’ve gone to extreme precautions to distance myself from him. I even went to the lengths to legally change my name. It’s safe to say I haven’t been on social media since.
The End.
Remember, you’re never safe in the dark…
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“God, you wouldn’t believe it. That same creep was at the bar last night. He makes my skin crawl,” my girlfriend Gracie says as she fixes breakfast.
“Is it the same weirdo that orders the fuzzy navels?” I ask as I pack my suitcase.
“No, that’s Donny, he’s a sweetheart,” she says.
“This guy orders a bloody mary every time and he always just stares at me with this hungry stare. He says the creepiest shit too,” she says as she puts her long blonde hair in a ponytail before flipping the pancakes. “He asked me if I enjoyed pain once. Who does that?”
“Oh, I think I know the one you’re talking about. Yeah, he is a weirdo,” I say, trying to get my luggage zipped up. “Do you want me to come by once I get back and teach this asshole some manners?”
“No, Chelsea says that if he continues to harass me, she’ll sick Stewie on him,” she says, dishing up our plates. “I totally understand your mother is sick and I can empathize. I just wish you weren’t going to stay there for the next few nights. I really don’t want to be here all alone.”
“I’ll only be a little over an hour away,” I say.
“Still… I just feel so freaked out about this guy,” she says.
“I’m sure he’s just that way with every girl,” I say.
“You’re probably right,” she says.
She sets both our plates down and I pop a squat next to her. I take a bite of her special blueberry pancakes and my mouth has an orgasm. “Fuck, babe, these are so good.”
She blushes her normally warm honey skin blemishes into a rosy pink hue. “Aww, thanks, babe. They’re just how you like them.”
After we finish eating, I quickly help her clean up. I swat her on the butt, before wrapping my arms around her. She laughs. God, I love her laugh. It’s such a sweet melody. She turns to me as she leans back and I plant my lips on hers.
We finally had to break apart. She sticks out her bottom lip at me. “Please come home as soon as you can.”
“I promise I will,” I tell her as I grab my suitcase and head for the door. She gives me one last final kiss. I take one last look into those ocean blue eyes and savor the taste of her lips. “I’ll call you as soon as I get there.”
She blows me a kiss and I head out. The drive to my mother’s house is uneventful. Hopefully, I won’t have to stay there too long. My brother usually is the one to watch her, but he had to go with his wife down to her family, so I agreed to watch her for the next few days. She’s deathly ill with a rare form of cancer.
As I arrive at the house, I call my girlfriend telling her I made it before I walk in. My mother has her head wrapped in a scarf and looks very sickly. She has lost a lot of weight since I last saw her and her skin seems to cling to her bones. God, it’s so sad to see her like this. She used to be so vibrant and full of life. She pulls me into a hug as I walk in. “Oh Josh, I’m so happy to see you, dear.”
“You too mom,” I say.
“How is Gracie? It’s too bad she couldn’t get off work to come as well,” she says.
“She’s doing well. She’s very close to finishing up her degree,” I say.
“Well, the sooner she graduates and gets a good job, the sooner she can quit that terrible bartending job. I don’t like her working there. A lot of filth and scum go there to drink,” my mother says.
“I know, I don’t like her working there either,” I say. My brother walks over with his own luggage already packed.
“Hey Josh, I’m glad you’re here. I’ve got to get going,” Damon says as we hug. I follow him outside. “Her medications are already organized by day. You need to make sure she takes them. You have to stay here. She hasn’t been doing well and I’m afraid it’s not looking good. You constantly have to check up on here. I left the number of her nurse on the table. If you have any questions, just call me. Obviously, for emergencies, call 911. If you have to leave, Catherine, next door might be able to watch her. We are going to need to talk when you get back by the way. I think mom’s showing early signs of dementia.”
“Alright. I think I can handle it. We can talk about it. Maybe get her into a neurologist. Don’t take too long,” I say.
“Oh don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it,” he says, giving me a salute before he gets in his car and takes off. I head back inside with my mother and she lays down for a nap as I clean up around the place. I took a look at her meds and she’s on quite a few. Having a background in biochem as my job is a biochemical researcher, I have a pretty good idea of how these drugs interact.
As the day turns into night, my girlfriend texts me.
You wouldn’t believe who showed up tonight! Her message read.
The same creep? I text back.
Yes! Josh, I think he’s been watching me. He asked where you went. I have never told him anything about my life. She replies.
Did you tell Chelsea? I ask.
No, she’s not here. She had to leave for a few days! I’ve got to go, it’s starting to get busy.
Our conversation left me a bit on edge.
“Where’s Damon?” my mother asks, nearly giving me a heart attack. I see her standing in the hallway naked. How did she sneak up on me like that? Why is she naked?
“Damon had to go see his in-laws. Don’t you remember? He left earlier,” I say, hurrying up to grab her robe and get it around her.
“He said he was going to play me some music. You know how good he is at that piano,” she says. Damon hasn’t played the piano in years. In fact, we sold the old piano we used to have here. Besides, nobody took care of it ever since dad died and it was constantly out of tune. Damon was right, she’s really slipping. We need to get her looked at. “Where’s Herald? He was going to tune that piano up for Damon.”
“Mom, dad died years ago,” I say.
“That can’t be, I was just talking to him,” she says. This night just keeps getting weirder and weirder. I help my mother eat her dinner and take her meds, before putting her to bed. Then I get a call from Gracie.
“Hey babe, what’s up?”
“He followed me home, Josh. His red pickup is parked out in the street. I don’t know what to do. I’m freaking out right now,” she says. She’s breathing hard. I can’t tell she’s flustered.
“Don’t panic. Did you make sure all the doors and windows are locked?” I ask.
“Yes, I double-checked them all,” she says.
“Call the police,” I tell her.
“Baby, can you please come home. I’m really scared right now,” she says.
“I can’t leave my mother alone. I think she’s got dementia. She said she had a conversation with my dad and he’s been dead for years,” I say.
“Babe. I’m freaking out right now. Oh my god. He’s standing in the yard looking into the house. He’s watching me,” she says. I can hear her start to panic. She sounds like she’s hyperventilating.
“Baby, I’m going to call the police. You need to barricade yourself. I’ll see if I can get my mom’s neighbor to watch her. Just hide somewhere,” I say.
“Okay. Just please call me right back,” she says.
“I will, I promise,” I say.
I quickly hang up the phone and call the police. I tell them exactly what’s going on.
“I will try and get someone out there, but currently all officers are busy,” the operator says.
“What do you mean all officers are busy?” I yell at her as I scramble to get my shoes and coat on. I rush out the door while I try to get any help from the operator. I finally give up and hang up the phone. My phone vibrates with a text message.
He’s in our house! He broke a window! Please hurry!
My heart starts to race as I bang on Catherine’s door and she finally opens it in her nightgown.
“Josh? Josh Bennett, it’s been a long time. How are you doing, dear?” she asks with a smile.
“Hi, Ms. Catherine. I have an emergence back home with my girlfriend and I need someone to look after my mother for the moment. Could you please help me?”
“Oh of course. What’s wrong?” she asks.
“My girlfriend is in trouble. I need to get there as fast as possible,” I say.
“Okay, I understand. You get going, I’ll head over and watch Sharon,” she says.
“Thank you so much,” I say before rushing over to my car. I get in and floor it out of there. I drive like a madman back home, going well over the speed limit. I try to call Gracie, but she doesn’t answer.
A minute later I get a text message. I’ve locked myself in the bathroom. He knows I’m here. I’m so scared.
I text back. I’m coming. I’m on my way!
My heart’s racing as fast as the car as I max it out. I try calling the police once more, but they’re no help. They say they’re sending someone as soon as they can. Fuck! I can’t lose her. She’s everything to me.
She calls me. I pick up immediately.
She’s crying hysterically. “He’s trying to break the door down! I don’t know what to do.”
“Is there anything you can use as a weapon?” I ask.
“I don’t know. I… I’m scared.” In the background, I can hear the banging on the door.
“You better open up, slut. If I have to break this damn door down, it won’t end well for you!” the man shouts in the background.
“Hold on. I’m coming.”
“Please hurry,” she whimpers. This can’t be happening.
I’ve got the pedal all the way down to the floorboard. “Baby, I love you!”
I hear a loud crash. She screams. “Don’t you dare hurt her!”
The line goes blank. My heart explodes in my chest. Fuck! Fuck. I’ve got to get there.
I race home and get there within the next 20 minutes. The cops are there, which gives me some relief. I rush over to them and try to explain who I am. A woman officer tries to get me to calm down. “Let me speak to my girlfriend.”
“I don’t know how to tell you this…” she looks at me with a stern cold stare. My heart sinks into my stomach. “We found no signs of her or her assailant.”
“What do you mean? He took her?” I say as the blood drains from my face. I feel sick.
“Don’t worry. We’ll find her. We’ve got our best officers on the job,” she says.
“Why couldn’t you come sooner? I called over a half-hour ago. If you would’ve come sooner, this wouldn’t have happened,” I shout out. A sudden nauseous feeling takes over.
“I understand how you feel. It’s been a really hectic night. We’re doing all we can to help find her,” she says. I start pacing back and forth. This can’t be happening. I fall down to my knees and as everything starts spinning and throw up on the ground. I need to find her. He couldn’t have taken her far.
“Is there anything you can tell us that will help with our investigation?” she asks.
I pull myself to my feet and look up into her eyes. “Yeah, she said he drove a red pickup. She said he’d always show up at the bar she works at. You have to find them. I can’t lose her.”
“We will. I promise,” she says. How can she make that kind of promise? She couldn’t even get here in time to prevent this from happening. As if I can talk. While she was being kidnapped, I was with my mother.
—
Weeks had gone by, but still no word on Gracie. Every day I go out searching for her. I put up signs all over town. I go door to door asking if anyone had seen her. I haven’t been sleeping.
One morning, I got a call from the police. They asked me to come down to the station. I feel a dreadful pit in my stomach as I head down there. Walking in there felt like I was walking through a funeral home. The police officers stared at me with concern. The same woman who was there that night greeted me with a grim expression.
“We think we’ve found her. I’m sorry to tell you this, but we found a body that matches your girlfriend’s, Gracie Wilson’s description dumped off in the woods off Highway 66. We still have no suspect and the evidence on the body leaves no trace as to who was behind it,” she says. Her face remains as still as a wall. I feel dizzy. My stomach clenches as if I ate something rotten. I follow her mindlessly down to the morgue.
There laying on a medical table was unmistakably Gracie. Her lifeless body is full of bruises and cuts. Her skin has a sickly blue color to it. I feel that nauseous, knife-wrenching feeling in my stomach. I quickly rush for the closest trash can and dry heave what little substance I have in my gut. I find I can’t fight the tears falling from my eyes. I feel the officer’s hand on my shoulder. That man… he’ll pay for the things he did to her. I swear it.
—
The tv blares in the background as I sit at the table of the old house I shared with my Gracie. It was the first house we bought together. The only house we bought together. The news anchor goes on about a man named Henry Losborne they found tortured to death. They said he had been tortured by some chemical compound. He was the son of a wealthy businessman. They had a video of him confessing all the horrific things he had done to so many women chained to his neck on a junk drive.
It had been 5 years since the brutal murder of my girlfriend. 5 long miserable years. My mother passed away not long after that terrible night. I take a long pole from the bottle of whiskey in my hand and slumb over the kitchen table. I had done so many terrible things to many horrible people over these 5 long years. I look at my reflection in the window and I don’t even recognize the man I’ve become. A beard has grown wild on my face. My eyes now carry bags under them and I’ve lost weight. Too much weight.
It took me 5 long years, but I finally found the bastard that took Gracie from this world. The things I did to him… Well, let’s just say my degree in chemistry really paid off.
I miss her very much. I don’t know what to do anymore. I feel like there’s only one thing I can do. Tears stream down my face as I grab the gun lying on the table. I close my eyes as I put it to my temple and…
The End
Remember. You’re never safe in the dark.
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