1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,800 Hey, welcome back to the podcast. 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,400 I really hope you enjoy this episode and if you'd like to 3 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:05,840 hear more. Stories like these. 4 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:07,560 With a different background sound. 5 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:09,560 Please check the. Description to check out my. 6 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:11,960 Other two podcasts. And if you want to get rid of. 7 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:15,000 All of the ads. You can subscribe for just 299 a 8 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:16,520 month. Last thing. 9 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,320 I really appreciate you being. Here and I'd really love. 10 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:21,720 If you would follow the. Podcast and come back again 11 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:24,760 soon. Thank you so much, I hope you 12 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:32,360 enjoy. Approximately 2. 13 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:34,680 Years ago I was. Working as an engineer for a 14 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:38,480 relatively new company in my area, I hadn't been out of 15 00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:41,680 school very long, but I was excited that my degree at least 16 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:45,000 seemed to be paying off so far the company. 17 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,840 I worked for had a. Large local client base and one 18 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:50,920 of our new contracts was developing and designing a new. 19 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:52,920 Set of exhibits for our local zoo. 20 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,200 On paper, it seemed like a fairly simple job, but one that 21 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,120 I found to be quite unique. Coming out of school, I didn't 22 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:03,480 ever think I'd. Be working for or. 23 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,760 At a zoo on a job, I always envisioned larger, more 24 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:10,880 commercial properties. For this job, we were going. 25 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:13,880 To have to work overnight so that the construction didn't 26 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,160 upset the animals during the day when the. 27 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:20,240 Zoo was filled with guests. We worked for about two weeks or 28 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:21,560 so. With no issues. 29 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:24,440 We did have to make a few adjustments to our original 30 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:28,120 plans or design, but it wasn't anything the construction team 31 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,880 couldn't handle. Every night around 3:00 AM we 32 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,080 would head to a local diner for a lunch break and some needed 33 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:37,800 food. But on this specific night. 34 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,920 I decided to stay back. And work on one of the more 35 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,400 complex locking mechanisms for one of the newly constructed 36 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:48,080 exhibits. I remember finishing up about 45 37 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,680 minutes later and noticed the crew had not. 38 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,800 Arrived back yet I started. Cleaning up my area when I 39 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,840 suddenly heard a noise almost sounding like someone bumping 40 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,720 into a workstation, like a scrape against the. 41 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,160 Floor, I just figured. It was one of my crew finally 42 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,479 getting back from their longer than normal break and continued 43 00:02:08,479 --> 00:02:10,720 picking up my tools and scrap supplies. 44 00:02:11,640 --> 00:02:14,720 No more than 30 seconds. Later I started to hear. 45 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:17,440 More noises. This time it sounded like 46 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:22,240 banging on the side of a door. Slightly annoyed, I made my way 47 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,760 to the door to make sure it wasn't a staff member or worse, 48 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:27,440 someone who should not be on the. 49 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:30,160 Property. I opened the door. 50 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,120 And saw nobody. Nothing was there. 51 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,640 I made my way through. The door over to the cafeteria 52 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,680 where chairs were out of place. And several tables have been. 53 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,000 Flipped over at this. Point. 54 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,360 I thought maybe a group of teenagers had snuck into the 55 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,040 property as it was well known to the public that our company was 56 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:50,920 working overnight construction at the zoo. 57 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,160 I yelled out and asked. Who's there? 58 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,680 To no response. At this point I began to get 59 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,160 angry because any damage that occurred on my watch would be my 60 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,680 responsibility and I knew my. Team would be careful. 61 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,120 To not disrespect our client and leave a mess. 62 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:13,760 Like this, as I proceeded through the cafeteria, I started 63 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:15,760 to hear little. Shuffles coming from the kitchen 64 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,480 area behind the counter. I was about. 10 feet from the 65 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,760 counter when my. Heart felt like it, literally. 66 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:27,120 Stopped beating in my chest. What I saw made me freeze in 67 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,800 fear. It almost felt like I could not 68 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:31,240 move. Like I was. 69 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:36,720 Stuck in a dream standing in front of me was 4 monkeys or 70 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:41,280 apes From what I remember. I counted at least four and they 71 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:43,640 seemed to be exploring the kitchen area. 72 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:48,360 My yelling must have alerted them because one or two of them 73 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:51,560 were staring at. Me, I tried to slowly. 74 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,840 And calmly make my way. Back toward the door. 75 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:58,200 The animals weren't enormous. But they were a good size. 76 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:03,800 And I had no idea if they were violent or docile when I was. 77 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:05,880 Just a couple. Feet from the door, the monkey 78 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,480 started howling and screaming like crazy. 79 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,720 They were screeching and started banging on the walls. 80 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:16,720 I turned and ran as fast as I could into the main office, to 81 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:19,079 my horror. At least two of the apes had. 82 00:04:19,079 --> 00:04:22,200 Followed me and we're now banging on the door that I had 83 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:26,360 just shut behind myself. The sound of their cries and 84 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:30,240 wailing was so unsettling. I actually was starting to fear. 85 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:34,520 For my safety from the office I called my Co workers and told 86 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,440 them what happened and to stay at a safe distance upon their 87 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,720 return and I also called zoo management. 88 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,480 The authorities so they could. Handle what seemed to be wild 89 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,440 animals loose at the zoo after only about 10 minutes. 90 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,480 The proper authority showed up to take care of the situation. 91 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:55,440 At that point, the monkeys were no longer in my line of vision, 92 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:57,560 so I'm not. Sure how they captured them. 93 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:01,320 And got them back. To their exhibit after an. 94 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,960 Investigation into the matter It turns out that some of the work 95 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,760 that was being done at the zoo caused an electrical 96 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:09,920 malfunction. Which allowed a few. 97 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,080 Doors to come open at some of the exhibits. 98 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,280 Every time this story gets brought up, someone says that 99 00:05:16,280 --> 00:05:18,080 the lion exhibit. Was left open. 100 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,160 And I am lucky it didn't escape and try to eat me. 101 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,320 Alive. I also get made fun of because 102 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:26,600 of my terror and reaction to the event. 103 00:05:27,280 --> 00:05:28,880 Made the. Staff think that I was being 104 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:34,120 chased by 1000 LB gorillas when in reality it was a much smaller 105 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,720 species as much as. People like to joke about the. 106 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:41,120 Situation. It was a truly horrifying 107 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,640 experience. I know that this. 108 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,560 Is not your typical scary story, but when you're. 109 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:50,040 Staring at a wild animal. And they are looking right. 110 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,280 Back at you. It is completely rational to. 111 00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:56,520 Fear for your safety. Or even your life. 112 00:06:08,530 --> 00:06:10,650 Let me first. Preface this by saying that 113 00:06:10,650 --> 00:06:12,650 terrible things don't just happen in the. 114 00:06:12,650 --> 00:06:16,930 Movies, but in fact. They do happen in everyday 115 00:06:16,930 --> 00:06:20,130 normal life. Most people are lucky enough to 116 00:06:20,130 --> 00:06:22,610 go through life without any major encounters. 117 00:06:23,570 --> 00:06:25,490 I had an experience that I would like to. 118 00:06:25,490 --> 00:06:29,090 Share to see what people. Think was I rational in my 119 00:06:29,090 --> 00:06:31,880 choices? Did I overreact? 120 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:36,680 What would you have done? I think hearing responses will 121 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,600 be therapeutic and perhaps help me get past the events of this 122 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:44,320 story. Last year, I attended college at 123 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,040 a major university on the southeastern coast of the 124 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,960 United. States I loved it so. 125 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,640 Much mainly because I didn't have to deal with snow or the 126 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,720 cold weather. I basically at hot or. 127 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:00,320 Warm weather every day, which was a huge change from the 128 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:04,320 climate I grew up in on this particular spring break from 129 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:05,000 school. I. 130 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,600 Decided to go home and visit my parents back in Maine. 131 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,760 I decided that I was going to. Try to drive the over. 20 hour 132 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:15,760 drive straight through, perhaps stopping for brief naps or food 133 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:18,520 along the way. At first this. 134 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,920 Seemed like an awesome idea. I could get there relatively. 135 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:25,320 Quickly and spend most of the time at home rather than 136 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:28,280 traveling. I spent most of the drive 137 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:30,720 listening to music and catching up on some of my favorite 138 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:33,960 podcasts, unfortunately. The trip would take a. 139 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:38,440 Terrible turn in Pennsylvania. I was driving through 140 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,600 Pennsylvania shortly after midnight and well. 141 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:44,200 My eyes started to get a little heavy. 142 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:48,520 And I was having a lot of trouble focusing on the road and 143 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,080 anybody who has driven through Pennsylvania knows. 144 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,000 That it's a hard drive. Even when you have complete. 145 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,680 Focus. It's always foggy. 146 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:00,080 And very mountainous with many twists and turns. 147 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,160 I decided that at the next. Rest area I would pull. 148 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:08,280 Over and at least rest my eyes. For an hour or two, just to be 149 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:11,760 safe. Well, I never made it to the 150 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,560 rest area. I dozed off for a second. 151 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:18,440 And I lost control of my small car and went right. 152 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,600 Off the side of the road through a guardrail. 153 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:25,240 And down to a small drop off Miraculously I wasn't injured 154 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:28,040 too badly, but my. Car was destroyed. 155 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,040 And I was completely surrounded by trees. 156 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,159 Not sure how to get back up and onto the highway. 157 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,640 Of course it was pitch. Black outside and the trees 158 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:43,480 consumed the entire area, blocking out most or pretty much 159 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:48,760 all of any natural light. I tried to remain calm and 160 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:52,600 ignore the terrible pain I was experiencing to try and call and 161 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:57,200 get some help. One problem, I could not find my 162 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:01,320 phone, it was in my cup. Holder, but after the crash it 163 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,160 was so dark. I couldn't find it anywhere 164 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:09,280 inside or outside of my car. I didn't think I was injured 165 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,320 badly as previously mentioned, but I wanted to use the 166 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,000 flashlight on my phone to make sure I didn't have any major 167 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,760 cuts or anything. I then decided my best course of 168 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:20,760 action at this point would be to see. 169 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:22,960 If it was possible. To climb back up the slight 170 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:24,880 decline that my car had fallen off of. 171 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,640 It seemed impossible in my condition and with the limited 172 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:32,200 visibility, it just wasn't a height I could reach at the 173 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:34,320 moment. And truth be told. 174 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:36,600 I was. Lucky that I was not injured 175 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:39,680 further after my car dropped down this thing. 176 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:43,480 Thankfully, the guardrail slowed my car down enough. 177 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:48,600 Realizing that climbing, driving or calling anybody was not an 178 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:52,960 option, I began to yell and scream for help, but as you can 179 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:57,240 imagine, it did nothing. There was no one around. 180 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,760 I slouched. To the side of my car and 181 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:03,000 finally started to feel real emotion. 182 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:05,960 I was scared. And cold. 183 00:10:06,680 --> 00:10:09,200 And now the real fear finally started to make my. 184 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:10,920 Eyes fill up with. Tears. 185 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:13,640 I had no survival. Skills. 186 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:18,760 What was I going to do until morning, Just sit in a ball in 187 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:22,160 the fetal position? I decided that walking through 188 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:25,880 the wooded area until I can find an area to climb where maybe 189 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:29,240 there was a slight hill instead of the drop off where my car 190 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,680 was. Of course now in hindsight, my 191 00:10:32,680 --> 00:10:36,320 best bet would have probably been to just stay put because 192 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:39,040 somebody in the morning would have noticed the accident and 193 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,160 phoned it in. Maybe even someone passing by in 194 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,000 the night and noticing the damage at. 195 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,680 The side of the road. As I grabbed some items from my 196 00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:51,120 car, I heard a noise. It sounded. 197 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,880 Like the rustling of tree branches in footsteps. 198 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:59,760 Wait, footsteps. I hid on the other side of. 199 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:03,800 My car paralyzed in fear. What kind of animals did they 200 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,680 have in Pennsylvania? My first thought was a bear or 201 00:11:07,680 --> 00:11:11,000 something like that. Is that how it was going to end? 202 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,360 Mauled. By a bear, however, what? 203 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,760 Actually presented itself in front of me was even. 204 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:23,720 More shocking, it was 3. Men coming out of the trees. 205 00:11:24,560 --> 00:11:28,160 I couldn't make too much out, but all three of them had huge 206 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,640 beards. Looked like their clothes were. 207 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:34,200 Completely dirty and were carrying some kind of hunting 208 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,440 rifles. I wasn't. 209 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,080 Sure if I should yell for help or try to stay. 210 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:43,560 Hidden from these men for some crazy reason, my instincts were 211 00:11:43,560 --> 00:11:46,160 telling me. To stay hidden, which seems like 212 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:48,640 the exact. Opposite thing you should do in 213 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,640 this situation. One of the men who. 214 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:53,520 Looked like the tallest of the three yelled. 215 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:58,520 Out in a raspy, rugged. Voice has anyone out there? 216 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:01,760 They didn't have any flashlights or anything. 217 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,880 So I decided to quietly. Sneak around to the other side 218 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,040 of my car and make a run for it into the woods. 219 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:11,480 As I. Slowly and very quietly made my 220 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:13,240 way around the. Car I was. 221 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,920 Wrestling with the idea in my. Head that these people probably. 222 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,760 Just wanted to help me and I was probably putting myself in more 223 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:23,720 danger by running into these. Woods, but the. 224 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:26,400 Demeanor and possibility of getting. 225 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,000 Shot was a. Chance that I did not want to 226 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,840 take. I was about 5 feet. 227 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,800 Cleared from the car when I started to Sprint and of course 228 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:39,760 in no time at all I brought noise and attention to myself. 229 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:43,280 The same man as. Before caught a glimpse. 230 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:45,400 Of me as I ran into the woods and screamed. 231 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:50,040 Hey get back here. I swear I heard the loud. 232 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:52,760 Boom of a. Gunshot I didn't hear. 233 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:56,360 It hit a tree or anything, I just remember hearing a loud 234 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:59,040 boom. I don't know what else it could 235 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,600 have been. I was terrified. 236 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:03,840 I. Heard them following me from 237 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:05,840 what seemed like several directions. 238 00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:09,400 I heard one of them yelling something about private property 239 00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:12,800 or restricted land or something of that nature. 240 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:17,120 I just kept running and running for about an hour until I 241 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,560 finally saw faint light shining through the trees. 242 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:23,000 It was a road that looked like it led. 243 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,760 To a small town. Or at least a few stores with 244 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:27,960 lights. I walked. 245 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:32,120 Into the gas station, feeling and looking bloody, battered and 246 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:34,680 bruised. The worker inside looked 247 00:13:34,680 --> 00:13:36,960 baffled. And disgusted. 248 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:39,840 I told him to please call the police. 249 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:42,760 The police. Showed up in no time and my 250 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:46,440 parents were notified they were going to drive down and pick me 251 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,800 up as soon as they could, the police insisted. 252 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:51,960 I go to the local. Hospital, so my injuries. 253 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:55,320 Could be assessed. When talking to the police, I 254 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:57,640 told them everything about the three guys that came to the 255 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:00,080 scene and chased me with weapons. 256 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,800 Into the woods, the police. Said they would locate my car 257 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:04,520 and take a. Look. 258 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:07,640 To see if they could find anything or anyone. 259 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:12,880 My car was empty, everything had been stolen out of it. 260 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,600 Even some of the interior car parts had been removed. 261 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:20,080 Nothing else really came from this instant. 262 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:24,200 I didn't have any major injuries and my insurance. 263 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:27,720 Took care of the car. I now live back home with my 264 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:29,880 parents and attend school locally. 265 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,680 I try not to drive. At night if I don't have to. 266 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:36,480 I guess I have a. Phobia or something. 267 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:41,320 Now I am thankful. To be alive and well but still 268 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,360 have anxiety and terrible thoughts. 269 00:14:43,920 --> 00:15:04,290 Pertaining to that night, spring break has always been one 270 00:15:04,290 --> 00:15:05,970 of my favorite times of the year. 271 00:15:06,770 --> 00:15:09,770 As a child, I. Used to vacation to the ocean or 272 00:15:09,770 --> 00:15:14,210 sometimes even Disney World, and now as an adult, my wife and I 273 00:15:14,210 --> 00:15:17,050 go on vacations together around the time the children are out of 274 00:15:17,050 --> 00:15:20,920 school for spring break. For me, there is no better place 275 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:24,680 than the ocean at night. The way the moonlight glows on 276 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:25,880 the waves of the. Water. 277 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,920 And the sound of the waves crashing always gives me peace 278 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:33,360 of. Mind well this particular year. 279 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:37,200 My wife and I saved up a little extra money and rented a private 280 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:41,200 house right on the ocean. It was absolutely amazing. 281 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:45,520 Drinking my coffee on the ocean every morning and enjoying an 282 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:50,320 alcoholic beverage every night as the moon rose was truly 283 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,760 amazing. One day I passed out on the 284 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:55,200 beach. For a couple of hours. 285 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:58,120 Only to awaken with horrible nightmares. 286 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:03,360 They were strange and the only thing I remember is darkness and 287 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:05,600 screaming. A lot of. 288 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:08,560 Screaming my wife. Asked me if I was. 289 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:10,200 OK. And I said. 290 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:11,760 Yeah, just a little bit shook up. 291 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,480 That night, my wife. Went to bed fairly early. 292 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,920 But I could not sleep. Not sure if it was the long nap 293 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:23,640 I had taken earlier in the day or the horrible nightmares that 294 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:27,640 woke me from said nap. Either way, I wanted to clear my 295 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:30,040 head. So I decided to go for a. 296 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,680 Walk on the beach. As I kept. 297 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:36,040 Walking on the desolate beach, I approached something that 298 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:38,560 appeared to be glowing in the sand. 299 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:42,440 I started to approach quickly, but with a little bit. 300 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:45,920 Of caution. It was some sort of glowing red 301 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:48,080 ball. It's kind of. 302 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,520 Hard to describe, but I will do. The best I can. 303 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:54,240 It didn't look like cheap. Plastic it. 304 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:56,360 Literally. Was a glowing red. 305 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,240 Ball of light that didn't. Seem to have any actual? 306 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,520 Shape I. Stared rather intently until it. 307 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,119 Flashed so bright that it knocked. 308 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:07,920 Me down into the sand. The ball. 309 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:10,160 Flew up into the air. And shot. 310 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,800 Itself, out into the ocean and as. 311 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:16,520 It reached the horizon. There was a huge blast of light. 312 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:19,680 Within seconds, the sky. Looked as if it was. 313 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,480 Storming, but there was no. Rain. 314 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,880 I saw all. Sorts of colors in the sky and a 315 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:28,440 lot of red. Flashes that I could. 316 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:30,320 Only describe as looking like heat. 317 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:32,560 Lighting, but these flashes were. 318 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:35,960 Lighting up the entire sky. As I. 319 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,200 Watched all the intense. Flashes of light. 320 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:42,000 Before I knew it. I blacked out completely. 321 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:45,720 The next thing I remember is my wife waking me up the next 322 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:49,240 morning in a frantic panic because she didn't. 323 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:53,000 Know where I was I. Tried explaining to her what I 324 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,320 had witnessed but. She said I was just. 325 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:59,080 Dreaming and was upset with me that I wandered off last night, 326 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:02,200 accusing me of getting drunk and passing out. 327 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:07,600 But it's important to note that I don't get drunk and I would 328 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,000 never just wander off and not come back. 329 00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:13,760 Something I can't explain happened that night. 330 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:17,360 Can someone let me know what I experienced? 331 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:20,240 Could it have been just a vivid dream? 332 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:24,680 That I passed out has. Anyone else experienced 333 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:29,400 something similar? Either way, I know that I don't 334 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:32,200 have the same affinity for oceans and vacations. 335 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:41,520 As I did before this occurrence during the early 2000s when I 336 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:44,880 was attending law school, I worked nights delivering pizza 337 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,680 for one of the national chains. I had done something similar 338 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,920 when I was younger and attending my local Community College. 339 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:56,760 Anytime I found myself sorely in need of quick cash, that was the 340 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:00,480 avenue I would choose. Despite the many stories I have 341 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:04,280 heard questioning the safety of the job, I never had a single 342 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:08,160 run in with a thief. I'm sure back in the early days 343 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:11,400 it could be a little dangerous, but by the time I joined the 344 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:15,280 game, companies have learned that implementing practices such 345 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:19,440 as limiting the driver to $20 lowered the chance of hold UPS 346 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:22,600 drastically. Even though I was never a victim 347 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:27,200 of a robbery, I did have one or two scary incidents I could 348 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:30,080 write about. The worst of these happened to 349 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:33,880 me back in the 2000s. I was very familiar with the 350 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:35,480 city I was living in at the time. 351 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:38,680 Moving there after junior college and delivering for 352 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:42,280 several places over the last five years had made me intimate 353 00:19:42,360 --> 00:19:45,160 about almost every nook and cranny of the place. 354 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:50,200 However, one evening I would be called to an address that I, nor 355 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:53,320 any of the other drivers even knew existed. 356 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,520 When the order came in, I went straight to the map to find the 357 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:02,560 address, but it wasn't there. Not even the GPS on my phone 358 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:05,760 showed it. We didn't have any no delivery 359 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:10,040 areas at that time so I had to take it despite my misgivings. 360 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,600 Theoretically the place would have existed if the road 361 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:18,040 continued for 10 more blocks. So I turned on to said Rd. a 362 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:23,520 block before it's ending and followed it S Sure enough, a 363 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:27,400 newly paved Rd. began where the old one should have ended. 364 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:32,240 For what seemed like miles, I continued on this new section of 365 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:35,320 Rd. Nothing stood on either side of 366 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,400 it, and I didn't pass another car the whole time. 367 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:42,880 How the state managed to build it without a single report of 368 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:46,600 its creation leaked to the media had me bewildered. 369 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:51,160 The five years I've been driving all over this city, I've not 370 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:56,080 known this part existed. In one way I was very excited 371 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:00,240 seeing all of it, like a Victorian explorer tracing the 372 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:05,440 source of the Nile, but at the same time a deserted Rd. popping 373 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:09,120 up out of nowhere gave me a chill down my spine. 374 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:12,640 It must have been a good 10 minutes before the house in 375 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,280 question appeared in the distance. 376 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:19,120 I couldn't understand why someone would build a house out 377 00:21:19,120 --> 00:21:22,480 here in the middle of nowhere with no way to reach it. 378 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:26,720 When I got closer, I could see that the house had to be at 379 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:31,560 least 15 years old or more and probably had not been repaired 380 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,480 since then. No cars were around and for a 381 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:39,560 moment I thought the house was abandoned, but I could see that 382 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:43,200 the front door was wide open behind the rickety old screen. 383 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:48,360 Everything looked to be above board, so I grabbed the pizza 384 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:53,080 and headed for the door. I knocked on the screen door but 385 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:56,560 got no answer. I could see what appeared to be 386 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:58,720 a young female walking around the kitchen. 387 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:03,840 When I knocked a second time, I heard a female voice say to come 388 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:07,440 in. Despite my reservations, I 389 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:11,840 stepped just inside the house and waited in a small foyer. 390 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:16,680 I had learned from other drivers early on not to enter an 391 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:20,880 unfamiliar house, but I had yet to see anything to concern me. 392 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,600 I assumed the woman would be coming out soon to pay me. 393 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:32,080 Instead, I overheard an unseen man whisper call him into the 394 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:36,360 kitchen. When I heard that, I fled from 395 00:22:36,360 --> 00:22:40,360 the place as fast as I could. I was so freaked out. 396 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,520 I got back to the restaurant and half the time it took me to get 397 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:47,040 to the house. After I told my boss what had 398 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:49,480 just occurred, he called the police. 399 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:54,200 All the excitement had me rattled, so my boss sent me home 400 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:57,960 for the day. My phone rang a few hours later. 401 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:02,200 It was the police. They had called to let me know 402 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:07,120 what they had found. Whoever had been there was gone. 403 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:10,960 Even though the place had more than likely been abandoned for a 404 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:15,000 while, they did find evidence that people had just recently 405 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,880 been inside. This was stuff my boss had 406 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,480 already told them. However, they did shed light on 407 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:26,320 where the road came from and why the house was the only building 408 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:31,120 on an otherwise deserted area. The state had been trying to 409 00:23:31,120 --> 00:23:34,160 purchase the land on which the new section of road and house 410 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:38,400 were for 20 years, but the landowner would not sell. 411 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:43,000 They even tried to use eminent domain to get it, but a judge 412 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:48,000 blocked it around 2 years before the owner passed and his 413 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,520 children finally sold the land to the state. 414 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:54,240 They were so happy to get the land after all that time. 415 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,800 The construction on the road was started immediately. 416 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,840 It technically had yet to be formally open, but locals had 417 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:07,760 already began using it anyway. This was good to know, but I 418 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:11,040 still wondered how the two people knew about the empty 419 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:13,760 house sitting in the middle of nowhere. 420 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:17,960 This was something the officer didn't know, of course. 421 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:22,160 We could only assume they drove past it and decided it would be 422 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:26,360 as good a place as any to ambush a delivery driver. 423 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:31,720 Even $20.00 is a good score if you're desperate enough, he 424 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:33,640 said. From personal experience, people 425 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:37,880 had killed for much less. The officer left me with one 426 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,960 good piece of news, though. The county had slated the old 427 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:45,680 house to be demolished in the coming week, so no other poor 428 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:49,840 delivery driver would be let out there to be robbed or worse. 429 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:54,600 Two days later I was driving down the brand new road which I 430 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:58,320 was now using as a shortcut across town and witnessed the 431 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:02,200 houses destruction. A load was being lifted from my 432 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:06,880 shoulders right before my eyes. Never again would I enter a 433 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:12,480 customer's home or even deliver to an area in which I was not 434 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:24,120 well versed. Because my parents had separated 435 00:25:24,120 --> 00:25:27,600 before I was born, I spent my time growing up between each of 436 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:31,840 their houses. Each summer until I turned 19, I 437 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:33,800 stayed with my dad in rural Missouri. 438 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:38,040 He had grown up in the area himself and most of his family 439 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,840 still live there. Without much to do, like going 440 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:45,320 to the movies and stuff, I would fill my days hanging out with my 441 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:47,440 older cousin and getting into mischief. 442 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:51,600 Many of our long summer days were taken and wandering the 443 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:55,680 surrounding woods. On one of these journeys, we 444 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:59,800 came across a Big Lake setting quietly by itself out in the 445 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:04,000 middle of nowhere. The water was crystal clear and 446 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:06,360 filled with tons of monstrous fish. 447 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:11,360 We asked the adults if they were aware of its existence, but none 448 00:26:11,360 --> 00:26:14,880 had heard of it. That was probably the reason for 449 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:19,640 it having so many large fish. No one living in the area had 450 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:25,080 fished it and any who had in the past allowed its location to be 451 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:28,640 lost. We would fish the pond 3 or 4 452 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:32,440 times, coming away with a Stringer full of lunkers on each 453 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:36,520 occasion. On the 5th occasion we hoped to 454 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:39,240 accumulate enough for a big family fish fry. 455 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:43,480 The summer holiday was starting to wind down and we figured a 456 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,400 fish fry would be a great way to cap it off. 457 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:50,600 It was a warm Saturday morning when we headed out. 458 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:55,320 We started about an hour before sunup because the walk in took 459 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,960 over an hour. Besides, the fish stopped biting 460 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,400 by the hottest part of the day and we hoped to get back to my 461 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:06,760 dad's house by early afternoon. The beautiful side of the pond 462 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:11,040 came into view around dawn. It didn't take long for us to 463 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:15,440 get our first bites, and for the next three hours the fish came 464 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:19,600 quickly one. After another our limit. 465 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:23,880 Was caught by 10:45 and I was rearing to get going. 466 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:28,960 We had a 90 minute walk back with 2/5 gallon buckets packed 467 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:33,520 to the top with fish, so I imagined another 30 could be 468 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:37,520 added to that. To my displeasure, my cousin 469 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:40,760 thought it would be refreshing to take a dip in the lake before 470 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:43,800 we left. He tried to pressure me into 471 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:46,920 joining him but I didn't know how to swim at the time. 472 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:52,440 I just wanted to get back, but he was older than me so he was 473 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:56,000 in charge. I plopped my tail onto a rock 474 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,040 and waited while he did his thing. 475 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:03,080 There was an old rope tied to a tree, probably from 100 years 476 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:05,840 ago, and he wanted to swing from it. 477 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:10,560 It looked unsafe to me. However, my concerns were 478 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:14,600 laughed off and he stripped down to his boxers, setting his 479 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:16,320 clothes on the ground next to me. 480 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:21,200 He climbed the tree a little way and grabbed the rope, pushing 481 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,000 off. He swung out just a short 482 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:26,400 distance before the ropes snapped right above him. 483 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:31,000 He had made it out far enough to hit the deep water, but probably 484 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:36,000 not as far as he intended. When he hit the water, his body 485 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:40,560 made a dull thud sound. It certainly didn't sound normal 486 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:44,600 and likely hurt. I was planning on laughing at 487 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:49,560 him and saying I told you so. But as the seconds passed, he 488 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:53,440 never resurfaced. The situation was quickly 489 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:56,840 becoming scary. I looked around to see if he 490 00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:00,680 came up somewhere farther away, perhaps floating unconscious 491 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:05,280 because of the hard contact with the water, but still nothing. 492 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:09,960 I was beginning to panic and waited out as far as I dare, 493 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:14,760 looking into the water for him. Unfortunately, the water became 494 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:18,920 so cloudy with every step I took and made it impossible to see. 495 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:24,760 Soon it was clear to me that he had drowned. 496 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:30,400 How, I had no idea. Perhaps if I could have swam 497 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:35,320 back then, I may have been able to help him, but it was too late 498 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:38,600 now. I was helpless to do anything 499 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:44,000 more than pick up and head home. On the entire walk back, a small 500 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,960 nugget of hope lingered in the back of my mind that maybe he 501 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,920 had tricked me and he would pop out at some point. 502 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:55,720 This did not happen, however, and the dread I carried of 503 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:58,320 telling my family grew with each step. 504 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:03,000 I tried several times to find the words, but with each attempt 505 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:05,240 I would break down and choke on my tears. 506 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:10,800 Ultimately, I could only manage. Mark drowned. 507 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:16,080 They got the point and after once I was able to pull myself 508 00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:19,600 together, I LED my dad and my uncle back to the pond. 509 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:23,360 Mark's body was still nowhere to be found. 510 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:27,200 With no other options, we went into the Sheriff's Office to 511 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:30,760 report the drowning. When I realized where we were 512 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:36,200 headed, I started freaking out. In my young mind, I thought I 513 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:39,640 was going to get in trouble or be blamed for my cousin's death. 514 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:43,760 It took a few minutes, but they were able to convince me that I 515 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:47,040 was not in trouble. Even after they had. 516 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:50,920 I couldn't help but feel guilty every time I looked at my uncle, 517 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:56,080 regardless of what he claimed. I couldn't believe that he did 518 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:59,920 not blame me, even if it was just a small amount. 519 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:05,120 I explained what happened to the sheriff and the search began the 520 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:09,480 next morning. Just by chance, that was the day 521 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:14,280 I was going back to my mom's. That Monday night, my mom sat me 522 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:18,480 down to tell me that a team of divers had found Mark's body 523 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:22,920 earlier that day. When they discovered him, one of 524 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:28,200 his feet were hung up on a sunken log, so they assumed that 525 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:32,680 was why he never surfaced. I wish I could say this made me 526 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:37,400 feel better, but it didn't. It did, however, serve as a 527 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:42,600 catalyst to learn how to swim. The guilt of not being able to 528 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:46,720 help My cousin stayed with me for most of my life, and I never 529 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:49,760 wanted to be in the position of not being able to help another 530 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:56,160 person ever again. So in a twisted kind of way, his 531 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,520 death had a positive impact on my life. 532 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:05,000 However, if I had the choice, I'd prefer that he still be with 533 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:18,080 us. This is the story of the day I 534 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:20,680 learned to really trust my instincts. 535 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:24,040 What I refer to is nothing metaphysical. 536 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:27,000 But rather an. Educated gut feeling based on 537 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:30,240 our life lessons and general alertness. 538 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:34,400 I say that because my family made sure to teach me about bad 539 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:38,000 people, but I think it was my own instincts that potentially 540 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:43,480 saved me from a terrible trauma. When I was around six or seven, 541 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:47,040 my grandparents lived in a big city on an apartment building 542 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:49,080 that had three apartments per floor. 543 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:53,040 My grandma was good friends with the next door neighbor, which 544 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:55,560 was a middle-aged woman named Marley. 545 00:32:56,280 --> 00:32:59,480 She lived with her also middle-aged husband, who I'll 546 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:03,200 call Theo. When I say next door, I mean 547 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:05,720 their door was glued to my grandma's. 548 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:10,240 The corridor was small and cramped, with a security metal 549 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:14,040 door separating my grandma's and Marley's door from the rest. 550 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,720 Since the town was very dangerous, this metal door 551 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:21,720 served as extra protection for both apartments. 552 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,720 Theo was a big, quiet man with a round belly. 553 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:29,640 He had a classic mustache and never really visited my 554 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:31,600 grandma's apartment when Marley did. 555 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:36,560 Therefore, I don't think my parents nor grandparents were 556 00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:41,080 that familiar with him. I used to visit my family every 557 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:44,720 weekend and sometimes my 5 year old cousin would be over as 558 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:47,520 well. We were both generally quiet 559 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:50,520 girls and we often played together around the apartment. 560 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:55,760 Being the eldest, I was always given the responsibility to take 561 00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:58,880 care of my cousin. She could be very difficult to 562 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:03,880 control sometimes, but I tried my best and thank God I did. 563 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:08,920 One afternoon we were playing when my grandma announced that 564 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,600 she was going out with Marley. I don't remember where my 565 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:15,719 parents and granddad were, but they were not home. 566 00:34:16,679 --> 00:34:20,440 It was OK for me to stay a few hours by myself since my grandma 567 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:24,920 wouldn't take long and my mom had taught me from an early age 568 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:29,840 to be very independent. The apartment wouldn't be locked 569 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:32,520 though, because the outer metal door would. 570 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:37,760 My grandma used to say that if I ever needed any help, I could 571 00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:42,320 call Marley or Theo. I never wanted to actually need 572 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:45,560 them because that would mean an emergency or something scary 573 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:50,239 like that, but I felt a sense of safety knowing there were adults 574 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:53,920 nearby. That sense of safety could not 575 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:58,800 be more wrong. Everyone left and me and my 576 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:03,920 cousin stayed by ourselves. It was really hot that day and 577 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:05,880 we were wearing light summer clothes. 578 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:09,880 I don't recall the exact reason, but sometime. 579 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:12,920 Later, my cousin decided. She would go over to Marley's 580 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:16,640 apartment and play over there. I guess she was bored or 581 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:21,240 something like that and decided to venture over to the unknown 582 00:35:21,720 --> 00:35:25,600 as she put it. Instantly I knew this was a bad 583 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:28,200 idea. I had never been over to their 584 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:32,400 place, but something hit my gut the wrong way when my cousin 585 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:36,600 suggested that. I can't explain that feeling of 586 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:41,600 dread, but I do remember how unwilling I was to go and how I 587 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:46,480 tried to convince her otherwise. My cousin, however, didn't 588 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:50,640 listen to me and just ran over, knocking on their door. 589 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:56,080 I heard Theo's deep voice inviting us in, and we did. 590 00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:00,560 The apartment itself was very standard for the 90s. 591 00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:06,080 Wooden furniture, bad art on the walls, dinner table with some 592 00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:10,720 ugly centerpiece, et cetera. Nothing creepy about it. 593 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:16,000 What was creepy, though, was how Theo stared at us from the 594 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:18,640 start. He was sitting on a lounge 595 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:22,520 chair, wearing a white buttoned shirt with the top buttons 596 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:26,520 opened. He was sweaty and it showed on 597 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:30,600 his clothes and hair. I remember this in detail 598 00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:33,480 because I felt immediately grossed out. 599 00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:39,560 Without taking his eyes off of me, Theo greeted us, inquiring 600 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:43,400 about our visit and whatnot. Trying to appear friendly. 601 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:47,040 I held my cousin's hand as we stayed in the middle of the 602 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:52,560 living room, kind of testing the ambiance I wanted to bolt out of 603 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:54,960 there. But my cousin was very curious 604 00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:59,400 and started to walk around exploring the cabinets, tables, 605 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:03,080 and decor. All the while Theo was rambling 606 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:05,160 on about things I don't really recall. 607 00:37:06,240 --> 00:37:09,200 My cousin was still exploring and answering things 608 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:13,320 sporadically. Suddenly, Theo said something 609 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:17,440 that made my chest explode with a sudden release of tension. 610 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:21,800 He called me pretty, cute and polite. 611 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:26,360 He asked if I wanted to sit on his lap and smiled. 612 00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:31,000 I hate to recall this moment because it felt like some kind 613 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:35,760 of violence was imminent. My instincts were screaming that 614 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:37,840 this was a dangerous place to be. 615 00:37:38,920 --> 00:37:43,000 Finally, I managed to say no thanks and turned around. 616 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:45,960 My cousin was nowhere to be seen. 617 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:49,360 Anger and fear boiled inside of me. 618 00:37:50,240 --> 00:37:53,480 What if this huge sweaty man decided to grab us? 619 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:57,920 What if he did something bad or locked us up forever? 620 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:02,480 These were possibilities in my head while I looked for my 621 00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:06,680 cousin and called her name. I finally found her looking at 622 00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:11,520 something in the kitchen. She asked why I was crying and 623 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:13,400 that's when I realized it myself. 624 00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:17,080 This was how nervous I felt around Theo. 625 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:21,120 I think he might have been calling for us, trying to lure 626 00:38:21,120 --> 00:38:24,520 us back closer to him, but I don't remember. 627 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:29,280 I guess he had a bad leg or knee because he didn't move much or 628 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:32,640 get up. All I know is that I didn't run, 629 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:36,720 but firmly grabbed my cousin by her arm and dragged her back to 630 00:38:36,720 --> 00:38:41,600 our grandma's apartment. I couldn't lock the door so in 631 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:45,640 my childish desperation I created a barrier with a bunch 632 00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:48,400 of chairs and waited until my family came home. 633 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:52,920 My cousin was upset but she quickly forgot about it. 634 00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:58,800 When my mom arrived I was very nervous but managed to tell her 635 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:02,440 for some weird reason I felt really ashamed. 636 00:39:03,160 --> 00:39:07,280 However, she wasn't mad at me but was incredibly concerned and 637 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:10,920 told me I did the right thing because any adult who did 638 00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:14,040 something like that was not to be trusted. 639 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:18,400 Of course, we were consequently prohibited to go over to Marley 640 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:21,320 and Theo's apartment or even talk to them. 641 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:26,440 I didn't mind one bit. I actually welcomed this 642 00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:29,960 decision. So far, the encounter would have 643 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:34,200 been creepy enough to any child or teenager, but it got worse. 644 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:38,600 A few years later, after my mom had a chance encounter with 645 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:43,400 Marley when she was on vacation, my mom was traveling with my 646 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:46,720 aunt and they were having breakfast at the hotel when they 647 00:39:46,720 --> 00:39:51,360 spotted Marley from a distance. Mom tells me that she didn't say 648 00:39:51,360 --> 00:39:55,720 hello, just pointed Marley out to my aunt and nothing more. 649 00:39:56,440 --> 00:40:00,160 But then my aunt casually mentioned that Marley was alone 650 00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:04,800 because her husband Theo had been arrested a few years back. 651 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:09,160 He had been given a long sentence, so the case was pretty 652 00:40:09,160 --> 00:40:12,120 serious. He was arrested for being a 653 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:15,600 predator. My mom was shocked because she 654 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:19,840 had no idea he was in jail. She called me right away and 655 00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:24,840 told me I was already a teenager but still felt a knot in my 656 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:27,440 stomach. Remembering that afternoon with 657 00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:30,840 my cousin. Marley even tried to say hello 658 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:34,760 to my mom, but my mom just ignored her and stepped away. 659 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:41,240 It serves Marley right, because the story is that she knew what 660 00:40:41,240 --> 00:40:47,280 Theo did and kept quiet. To this day, whenever I think of 661 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:51,760 that tense, dreadful encounter with Theo, I am drenched with 662 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:57,040 disgust, but thankfully, also with relief. 663 00:54:11,640 --> 00:59:21,120 Yeah. Yeah. 664 01:02:50,760 --> 01:03:21,800 Yeah. Yeah.