A follower

“One time I turned around to see what was behind me just out of intuition, and I saw someone step behind a tree rather quickly and try to hide from me. I stood there for a second to confirm this, then I speed-walked home. Fuckin creepy” — THCRANGER

A kidnapping or a joke

“There was one night where a car stopped up the road, a girl got out, yelled for help, then got back in and they drove off. I have no idea of it was serious or not, considering she got right back in the car…” — abetherigg

White van

“Walking home from a late night gym session at 24hr fitness. A white van past by me, slowing down. Slowly took a right turn in front of me. A couple minutes later I reach the turn and see the van stopped at the exit of a parking lot. It’s facing back my way. It’s like 4am and nothing else is going on and I’m creeped out. The van starts coasting forward slowly after I make the turn and I sprint across the street to a gas station and into this small dead end water/air pump station and press my body against an area of the wall that the van can’t quite see me. It literally pulls into the air/water station and stops. I hear the engine running right fucking next to me but they never get out of the van. I just stand there pressed against the wall until they pull out and drive around the gas station into the lot on the opposite side of the wall. I hear the van lingering for some time before it goes silent. Still I wait a while longer before I leave and run the rest of the way home.” — clark_kent25

The screaming

“During winter in a rural no cell service kind of area. Completely dark, no street lights nor anyone in sight. Temperatures were around 20 and it was snowing.

I was walking my dog with a flashlight. Then I heard someone start screaming bloody murder. Flight or fight kicked in; it truly sounded like someone was being stabbed to death for what seemed like forever.

I chose to find out what the hell was going on.

What I found instead was beyond anything I expected. He was a 5 year old boy wandering down the road all alone. All he was wearing were light flannel pants and a thin t-shirt. No shoes or hat. And screaming so loudly it echoed through the hills.

I dropped my dogs leash and walked up to him slowly; gently and repeatedly telling him that I’m a mom and that he’s going to be ok.

I wrapped him into my arms and carried him to a neighbors home to warm him by the fire and call for help.

The boys parents were visiting friends. The boy got up at night to look for his parents (who’d left him and his sister home) while they were out drinking. He got lost in the dark and just kept walking and screaming. Originally thinking I’d get in the crosshairs or witness some bloody domestic fight is what put my mind in the scared shitless head space. Plus dark, no cell phones no weapon.” — BlueRaining

Sleepwalking

“I worked night shift for 7 years. One night a young, thin blonde woman was walking down the street at 2am with no pants or underwear on and a button up shirt open. I tried to ask if she needed help and she just stared forward, slowly walking staring forward. I called the police and they came and stood in front of her and she slowly walked into the cops hand and stopped. I didn’t stay and went back to work.” — IndIka123

Attempted kidnapping

“I almost got kidnapped near a train station. Some dude drove up to me hella quick and insisted that I was some “missing Canadian child” and that he’d “take me home”.

Coincidentally, a motorcycle cop happened to drive by, and immediately pulled over after I waved him down. He approached the guy in the car very aggressively and told him off.

The cop didn’t arrest the guy or anything (the guy apparently told the cop the same “I thought he was a missing child” story), but he did walk me over to the train station and stayed with me until the train actually arrived.” — [deleted]

He realized I wasn’t a woman

“I am male and used to walk home after a night out drinking. I had long hair and was quite skinny when I was in my early 20s and one time at about 2am, in a dark location and I was walking and some guy slows his car right down and drives next to me staring. I told him to fuck off and at that point I think he realized I was a man and drove off. I am pretty sure if I had been a woman things wouldn’t have ended up well.” — Menamanama

Trolling for prey

“One time I was walking around my relatively safe neighborhood with two of my friends after midnight (we were probably 16 at the time). This loud red truck speeds by us, which is normal for the road we were on. Then a few minutes later the same red truck drives by the opposite way going much slower. Again just a couple of minutes later he drives by but this time stops a hundred or so feet away from us and just sits there. Realizing that this is not normal we booked it through the yard to the next street over. For the next 20 or so minutes we see this truck creeping up and down the neighborhood while we hid behind some bushes and when we finally thought he was gone, we booked it to my house. He turned the corner onto my road just as we were about to open my front door.” — mattyb584

Dead bodies

“Dead body on the side of the street with a sign around its neck saying “I’m a cellphone thief, don’t be like me.”

This was maybe 20 years ago in Manila, Philippines.” — Godfreee

Georgie

“I once saw tiny hands reaching out of a sewer grate. Took me a minute before I realized it was a raccoon.” — realbigexplosion

Crimes

“Almost 100% sure I witnessed a kidnapping. I was going to get my mail late at night while living in an apartment complex and on the way back I noticed a woman in her pajamas surrounded by a few men right by a car. There was an argument and looked like they forced her in the car and drove off, I found her slipper nearby on the grass. I of course called the police and they came and I let them know what I saw but I never found out what actually happened.” — kinetochore21

Trapped

“In high school, late at night walking home from a friend’s house maybe a mile away. Halfway car comes cruising super-slowly down the street. I hear someone screaming in the car. I was sure they were calling for help. I start following the car, and as I get on the phone with the cops the car starts pumping the gas, so I just run after them and try to follow them, but I lost them pretty quickly. Never learned what really happened.” — danieltkessler

Ghosts?

“Was up on a hill in the countryside at midnight when a man with a rifle came out of nowhere, ran right past me, and wasn’t seen again. I went home shortly after that.” — WindingLostWay

Kangaroos

“A 7ft tall male brown kangaroo in the middle of the footpath. Buff as fuck just staring me down. You bet your ass I turned and went the other way, he just went about his business” — curryandmilk