1. A rapist tried to lure me to his house

“When I was about 6 or 7, we had this neighbor that would regularly try to invite me over for cake and candy, or to play with the dogs he owned. My parents didn’t trust him, so of course, invites were declined. Years later, we learned that he regularly raped his 12 year old stepdaughter and got her pregnant. When he went to trial, it was revealed that there were four other young girls in his past that he had abused.

The guy used to decorate his house like a haunted mansion every Halloween, and kids would go crazy for it. I’m so glad that my parents wouldn’t allow me to go there.” — katjalove

2. My father threatened to kill me

“I was home for the summer from college, and my mother and brother had just headed out for a few day trip to visit colleges. This meant I was to take care of my father. Dad… something was clearly wrong but we couldn’t tell what. He had Parkinson’s but it was more than that. But we figured I could handle him.

This is when I came to realize something in his broken mind hated me with a passion. He wouldn’t listen to anything I said. Now I admit I was pissed off so I wasn’t doing a terrific job but even simple things like getting him food was an hour long ordeal that ended with us shouting. This last time, I called mom on the house phone because at least he’d listen to her. I gave him one phone and I was on another, yelling at each other through it even though we were five feet apart. Poor mom trying to referee from a few hundred miles away.

Finally, dad hangs up his phone and hands it to me. “Oh, he’s done, thank god,” I think. But then he tries to take the still active phone from my hand, which I refuse. And that’s when it happens.

It gives me chills to this day. A change came over him. It was subtle, but he stood slightly straighter. It was like for a moment someone else was in his body. He stared at me, and in the most calm, cold voice I have ever heard, said:

“I’m going to kill you.”

There was no emotion behind it. There was no energy. He said it as fact. I was stunned. Mom heard it over the phone. As I stood there, paralyzed, her voice broke through in a whisper. “Kii, run.” I threw the phone at dad, rounded the corner and grabbed my keys. My car screamed out of the driveway. It was pure animal instinct for me at that point. I had to run. Because if I stayed there…

Dad didn’t really remember what happened. He was confused as to why I was suddenly gone. I have no idea what went on in his head at that moment, but I stared into something back there.” — Kii_and_lock