1 00:00:06,759 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: I work over nights as a gas station clerk in 2 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,839 our small town. Our station is located off the highway 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,160 that leads out of town, and so usually most of 4 00:00:17,199 --> 00:00:19,800 the cars and trucks that come by are on long 5 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:24,239 drives across the state. This makes most night shifts that 6 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:28,120 I work to be unpredictable. Sometimes there would be a 7 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,600 lot of cars and trucks coming through, but other times 8 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:36,479 it would be mostly empty. This night was definitely on 9 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:39,840 the slower side, but still had some cars stopping by 10 00:00:40,039 --> 00:00:43,640 every once in a while. Thankfully, to keep me busy, 11 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:46,240 my boss had left me a bunch of tasks to 12 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,320 get done during my shift. I had to reset one 13 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,039 of the shelves, which meant taking everything off and repositioning 14 00:00:54,119 --> 00:00:59,479 the racks, then placing everything back. It's not hard or complicated, 15 00:00:59,759 --> 00:01:05,200 but just time consuming. An hour into the night, I 16 00:01:05,239 --> 00:01:09,000 heard some thunder in the distance, and checking the forecast, 17 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,120 it said it was going to start storming soon, So 18 00:01:12,239 --> 00:01:15,079 I paused what I was doing and quickly went outside 19 00:01:15,159 --> 00:01:17,480 to take care of the trash bends so I wouldn't 20 00:01:17,519 --> 00:01:21,680 have to do it later while I was raining. While 21 00:01:21,719 --> 00:01:24,879 I was out there, I saw a car's headlights in 22 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:29,159 the dark. About a quarter mile down the road they 23 00:01:29,159 --> 00:01:32,480 were parked, but there was nothing out there other than 24 00:01:32,599 --> 00:01:37,120 large empty fields. It could have been nothing or a 25 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,480 flat tire possibly, but I went on with my work 26 00:01:40,719 --> 00:01:48,120 and got back inside not too long after it started 27 00:01:48,159 --> 00:01:53,040 pouring outside. I continued on working on the shelves, but 28 00:01:53,159 --> 00:01:56,120 as the storm got worse, I had to actually lock 29 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,879 the entrance doors because the wind kept swinging them open. 30 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,760 Nobody had come into the store all night anyway, and 31 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:08,319 now at the storm there were barely any cars out either. 32 00:02:09,759 --> 00:02:12,719 While I locked up, though, I saw that the headlights 33 00:02:12,759 --> 00:02:17,479 were still out by the field and hadn't moved. This 34 00:02:17,719 --> 00:02:20,840 kept my mind occupied for the next little while as 35 00:02:20,879 --> 00:02:24,960 I worked, but then through the rain, I heard the 36 00:02:25,039 --> 00:02:30,719 door shake louder than usual. I turned around, seeing a 37 00:02:30,759 --> 00:02:33,439 guy with his face right up to the door and 38 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:39,840 staring right at me. He looked probably early forties, wearing 39 00:02:39,879 --> 00:02:43,319 a hood over his head and having a very tired look. 40 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,560 I unlocked the door and opened it for him, making 41 00:02:47,599 --> 00:02:51,159 a comment about the bad weather, but he ignored me. 42 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,560 The guy just stood there and looked at me as 43 00:02:55,719 --> 00:02:59,639 water dripped from his face. Then he walked past me 44 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,360 and started walking through the aisles like a normal shopper. 45 00:03:05,199 --> 00:03:08,199 Really confused by the way he was acting, I just 46 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:10,599 went around the counter and waited for him to be 47 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:16,000 done shopping. He walked around for a few minutes, glancing 48 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,879 over at me a couple times before walking out the door. 49 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,840 I don't think he stole anything either, He just walked 50 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:30,000 around and then left. Considering the weather, that was really 51 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,000 unusual and had me almost creeped out in a way, 52 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:39,479 wondering why he even bothered coming inside. I looked out 53 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:42,400 the window and saw the man walking past the gas 54 00:03:42,439 --> 00:03:45,879 pumps and out to the road. Then he stopped on 55 00:03:45,919 --> 00:03:51,879 the corner and waited. A moment later, the headlights down 56 00:03:51,919 --> 00:03:56,039 the road started moving, coming toward the gas station and 57 00:03:56,159 --> 00:04:00,719 stopping right next to the guy. While I walked, the 58 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:04,639 front doors started swinging open again, reminding me to go 59 00:04:04,719 --> 00:04:08,400 over and lock them. I then watched from the door 60 00:04:08,759 --> 00:04:11,599 as the guy started walking back toward the gas station 61 00:04:12,159 --> 00:04:17,360 and the car followed, driving into the parking lot. They 62 00:04:17,439 --> 00:04:20,120 parked by the front and another man got out of 63 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,319 the car, and then both of them came walking up 64 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,079 to the door. The first man pushed on it as 65 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,639 if expecting it to have still been unlocked, but instantly 66 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,920 got angry when it didn't open. I was only a 67 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,560 couple feet from the door, but he still banged aggressively 68 00:04:38,639 --> 00:04:43,680 on it while looking right at me. This was far 69 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,319 beyond what any normal customer would do, so at this 70 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:51,120 point I knew there was more to this. I ran 71 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:53,879 to the desk and triggered the alarm to notify the 72 00:04:53,879 --> 00:04:58,519 police station, then just watched as they both tried kicking 73 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,439 the door down for a minute before getting in the 74 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:08,240 car and speeding away afterward. In those minutes before police 75 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,959 showed up, it was just so unreal how everything felt. 76 00:05:12,439 --> 00:05:17,079 With only the sound of the storm outside, there was 77 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,040 no doubt what was about to have happened, but it 78 00:05:20,079 --> 00:05:24,480 doesn't make it any less terrifying. If it wasn't storming 79 00:05:24,519 --> 00:05:27,560 that night and the wind wasn't blowing the doors open, 80 00:05:27,959 --> 00:05:31,519 I probably never would have even locked them, meaning they 81 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:33,839 could have just walked in and there would have been 82 00:05:33,879 --> 00:05:37,240 nothing I could do. Maybe it would have been just 83 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:41,199 a regular robbery, but there's no denying that it probably 84 00:05:41,199 --> 00:05:43,480 would have been easiest for them to just take me 85 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:49,959 down and then rob the place. Unfortunately, they were never caught, 86 00:05:50,240 --> 00:06:08,160 so I still find myself getting nervous on every overnight shift. 87 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,680 I live in a small, four story apartment complex. I 88 00:06:13,759 --> 00:06:16,079 used to have a roommate, but they moved out a 89 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,800 few months before this, and I decided it would be 90 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,560 easier for me to just stay at the apartment rather 91 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:25,680 than finding a new place. The other people living in 92 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,439 the building were mostly older couples, but I'd never really 93 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:33,120 met any of them. We all kept to ourselves, which 94 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:37,879 I actually liked anyway. I was getting home from work 95 00:06:37,959 --> 00:06:42,839 late one night, entering the complex around eleven pm. It 96 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:45,879 was quiet as I walked up the stairs to my room, 97 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,639 but when I rounded the corner into the hallway, a 98 00:06:49,759 --> 00:06:54,160 man was standing at my door. He immediately noticed me, 99 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,040 and before I'd even had the chance to react, he 100 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:01,959 started apologizing and saying he'd mixed up doors. He then 101 00:07:02,079 --> 00:07:07,399 turned around and went into the apartment right across from mine. 102 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,360 I'd never met him before or even seen him, but 103 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:13,839 seeing that he lived in the unit across from me, 104 00:07:14,399 --> 00:07:17,279 I figured maybe he did actually mix up the doors, 105 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:22,199 especially if he'd just moved in. It was still really weird, 106 00:07:22,319 --> 00:07:25,240 though I didn't know why he would just be standing 107 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:27,720 outside of the door if he did think it was 108 00:07:27,759 --> 00:07:31,360 his or why when he saw me, he suddenly knew 109 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:35,240 that he was at the wrong door. Whatever the case, 110 00:07:35,439 --> 00:07:38,240 I went inside and locked the door behind me, not 111 00:07:38,319 --> 00:07:41,439 sure what to make of the scenario. It was so 112 00:07:41,639 --> 00:07:44,680 late and I was really tired, so maybe I should 113 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:47,000 have been more worried than I was, but I just 114 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:50,680 didn't have the energy to think about it. I made 115 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,000 a quick meal, then sat on the couch for a 116 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:58,000 bit and watched some TV. About thirty or so minutes 117 00:07:58,079 --> 00:08:02,680 went by until I heard something outside my door. It 118 00:08:02,759 --> 00:08:06,279 was just a quiet shuffling sound, but it sounded almost 119 00:08:06,319 --> 00:08:09,519 like it was up against the door. I got up 120 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,199 and went over, listening for a second before opening it. 121 00:08:14,759 --> 00:08:17,879 No one was there. I then stepped into the hallway 122 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:22,519 and looked down, not seeing anyone, but heard footsteps going 123 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:27,199 down the stairs. I went back in and closed the door. 124 00:08:28,399 --> 00:08:31,720 Maybe I was overthinking it now, but I started thinking 125 00:08:31,959 --> 00:08:34,639 that the man could have leaned against my door to 126 00:08:34,759 --> 00:08:38,679 listen into my apartment. It would explain the shuffling sound 127 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,440 I heard, and how they knew to leave as soon 128 00:08:41,519 --> 00:08:45,759 as I started walking up again. I could have just 129 00:08:45,799 --> 00:08:49,399 been imagining the worst case scenario, but I was definitely 130 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:53,360 more shaken for the rest of the night. I didn't 131 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,600 get in bed until one am, but I fell asleep 132 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:01,279 soon after. Nothing else that I know of happened that 133 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:05,519 night or in the morning. I went to work and 134 00:09:05,639 --> 00:09:08,399 again got back to the apartment to a round eleven. 135 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:12,120 Walking in, I was a bit more cautious than the 136 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:16,519 night before. I walked up the stairs and looked down 137 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:21,200 the hallway, but no one was at the door still. 138 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:25,000 For some reason, I got a strange feeling seeing the 139 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:30,480 hallway empty, and I didn't know why. I quickly went 140 00:09:30,519 --> 00:09:34,120 inside and locked the door behind me, only to turn 141 00:09:34,159 --> 00:09:37,440 around and be face to face with the man from 142 00:09:37,519 --> 00:09:40,960 last night. He was standing in the doorway to my 143 00:09:41,039 --> 00:09:44,679 bedroom and immediately started telling me to be quiet and 144 00:09:44,759 --> 00:09:47,720 do as he says, trying to direct me into the 145 00:09:47,759 --> 00:09:52,559 living room. I took my chances, turning back around and 146 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:55,600 trying to get the door open, but the man grabbed 147 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,200 my arm and started to pull me back. Just when 148 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:01,159 I got it open. He yelled as loud as I 149 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:05,559 could as he tried covering my mouth, but being unsuccessful, 150 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:10,600 he let me go. As I ran down the stairs, 151 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,600 I heard him leaving as well. I went straight to 152 00:10:14,639 --> 00:10:20,600 my car, driving away and calling the police. When they 153 00:10:20,639 --> 00:10:24,720 got there, the man was gone. Of course, I told 154 00:10:24,759 --> 00:10:27,039 them that he lived in the room across from mine, 155 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:32,720 but it turned out to be a vacant unit. The man, 156 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:37,559 whoever he was, didn't even live in the building. I 157 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:40,759 don't know how he got into the building, or into 158 00:10:40,799 --> 00:10:45,159 both mine and the vacant room, but clearly he had 159 00:10:45,279 --> 00:10:50,480 access that he shouldn't have. What he wanted to do 160 00:10:50,639 --> 00:10:54,200 by breaking into my apartment and waiting for me is 161 00:10:54,279 --> 00:10:58,679 something I hope to never find out firsthand. With him 162 00:10:58,759 --> 00:11:01,519 still being out there, though, all I can do is 163 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:19,159 pray he wasn't targeting me in particular. This happened a 164 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:23,360 few months ago. I'm thirty two and live in a 165 00:11:23,399 --> 00:11:26,799 small house alone. It was one of my days off 166 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,759 of work, so I was at home trying to relax 167 00:11:29,919 --> 00:11:33,679 and enjoy the day. It was about four pm and 168 00:11:33,759 --> 00:11:36,759 I had just started cooking dinner when a knock came 169 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:41,120 from the front door. I put everything down and went 170 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,360 up to the front. There was a man standing on 171 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:48,159 my porch and behind him was a small gray van 172 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:53,600 parked on the curb. I opened the door. How can 173 00:11:53,639 --> 00:11:57,639 I help you? The man had a delayed reaction, but 174 00:11:57,799 --> 00:12:00,720 then said he was doing free home inspect in the 175 00:12:00,759 --> 00:12:04,080 neighborhood and wanted to offer me a free inspection from 176 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:08,600 my house. The whole time he was speaking, though, it 177 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:12,840 wasn't even like a typical salesperson. He said it all 178 00:12:12,879 --> 00:12:16,840 in a monotone voice and with just a blank expression. 179 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:22,360 Even if he was normal, though, it seemed kind of sketchy. 180 00:12:22,799 --> 00:12:25,360 So I said I was okay and closed the door. 181 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:30,200 I went back to the kitchen and continued cooking, But 182 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,080 after a few minutes I started getting a really weird 183 00:12:33,159 --> 00:12:36,000 feeling about that man that came to my door and 184 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,840 what he was up to. I walked back up to 185 00:12:39,879 --> 00:12:43,039 the front to make sure he'd driven away, but when 186 00:12:43,039 --> 00:12:45,840 I looked out the peephole, the man was still on 187 00:12:45,919 --> 00:12:50,480 my porch. He looked spaced out, staring at the door 188 00:12:50,759 --> 00:12:54,799 and not moving. By now I was sure there was 189 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:58,639 something wrong with him. Maybe he was drunk or high 190 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:03,360 or just not mentally there. But what he was actually 191 00:13:03,399 --> 00:13:08,200 doing at my house I still didn't know. Not wanting 192 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:11,399 to take any risks, I went back to the kitchen 193 00:13:11,639 --> 00:13:14,840 and called the police to report the strange man staying 194 00:13:14,879 --> 00:13:19,080 outside my house. They said an officer would arrive in 195 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:22,639 a few minutes, so I went back and kept watching 196 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:27,320 the man. About a minute later, though, he walked off 197 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:31,320 my porch and into his van, then drove away just 198 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:36,240 before the officer made it. The timing of that was unfortunate, 199 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:38,600 but at the end of the day, I was just 200 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:42,240 happy he was gone. I gave a description to the 201 00:13:42,279 --> 00:13:45,639 officer just in case, then went back to trying to 202 00:13:45,799 --> 00:13:50,840 enjoy the rest of my night. At least a couple 203 00:13:50,879 --> 00:13:55,159 hours passed with no more conflict. It was eight or 204 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:57,759 nine pm and I was resting in my bed on 205 00:13:57,759 --> 00:14:01,919 my phone, but through the open window I heard the 206 00:14:02,039 --> 00:14:05,799 rattling sound of an old vehicle pulling up and parking 207 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:10,840 outside my house. Once I heard someone getting out, I 208 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:14,480 quickly went out to the window. It was that same 209 00:14:14,639 --> 00:14:18,720 old van, but I didn't see the man anywhere. He 210 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:23,159 must have rushed away as soon as he got out again. 211 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,679 I quickly got my phone and called nine one one. 212 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,840 But after reporting it, and just as I hung up, 213 00:14:30,159 --> 00:14:35,080 there was a loud thump downstairs. It felt like I 214 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,200 could almost feel the walls shake a little, so I 215 00:14:38,279 --> 00:14:42,960 knew the man was likely trying to break in. I 216 00:14:43,039 --> 00:14:46,080 opened my bedroom door and went out into the hallway, 217 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:51,240 then looked down the staircase and tried to listen. It 218 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:56,480 was now eerily quiet. I walked down a few steps 219 00:14:56,759 --> 00:15:00,759 and looked around. All of the lights were off, but 220 00:15:00,879 --> 00:15:04,200 I saw the curtains by one of the windows slightly 221 00:15:04,279 --> 00:15:09,159 swaying in the wind. I looked closer, seeing the window 222 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:14,559 had been forced open. My whole body tend stup as 223 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:18,159 I tried to control myself. Knowing the man was likely 224 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:22,960 somewhere in my house right now, I carefully and quietly 225 00:15:23,279 --> 00:15:26,840 went back up the steps, then hid in the bedroom closet. 226 00:15:28,519 --> 00:15:31,919 I didn't hear anything until a few minutes later, when 227 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:36,000 two officers knocked on the front door. I ran down 228 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:39,879 and let them in, But still we didn't hear anyone 229 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:44,679 trying to run away or anything. It only took a 230 00:15:44,679 --> 00:15:48,200 few seconds for the officers to find the man hiding 231 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:55,000 behind the kitchen counter. He gave up without a fight. Disturbingly, though, 232 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,639 he was holding a large hammer, which he'd used to 233 00:15:58,759 --> 00:16:03,159 force open the window. Apparently, when they tested him at 234 00:16:03,159 --> 00:16:07,279 the station, he wasn't high or drunk, but he still 235 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:12,960 had that eerily vacant personality. He never said his intentions, 236 00:16:13,519 --> 00:16:16,919 almost like he didn't even remember that anything had happened. 237 00:16:18,559 --> 00:16:20,919 It's hard for me not to think about the other 238 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:24,120 ways this could have gone, though. If I'd gone to 239 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:26,919 sleep and not heard him get in, I might have 240 00:16:27,039 --> 00:16:31,000 come to a horrible fate in the morning, or possibly 241 00:16:31,320 --> 00:17:10,000 not even been given the luxury of waking up.