๐๏ธ blue_tidal ยท 1224 points ยท Posted at 07:00:02 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
About five years ago I lived downtown in a major city in the US. I've always been a night person, so I would often find myself bored after my roommate, who was decidedly not a night person, went to sleep. To pass the time, I used to go for long walks and spend the time thinking.
I spent four years like that, walking alone at night, and never once had a reason to feel afraid. I always used to joke with my roommate that even the drug dealers in the city were polite. But all of that changed in just a few minutes of one evening.
It was a Wednesday, somewhere between one and two in the morning, and I was walking near a police patrolled park quite a ways from my apartment. It was a quiet night, even for a week night, with very little traffic and almost no one on foot. The park, as it was most nights, was completely empty.
I turned down a short side street in order to loop back to my apartment when I first noticed him. At the far end of the street, on my side, was the silhouette of a man, dancing. It was a strange dance, similar to a waltz, but he finished each "box" with an odd forward stride. I guess you could say he was dance-walking, headed straight for me.
Deciding he was probably drunk, I stepped as close as I could to the road to give him the majority of the sidewalk to pass me by. The closer he got, the more I realized how gracefully he was moving. He was very tall and lanky, and wearing an old suit. He danced closer still, until I could make out his face. His eyes were open wide and wild, head tilted back slightly, looking off at the sky. His mouth was formed in a painfully wide cartoon of a smile. Between the eyes and the smile, I decided to cross the street before he danced any closer.
I took my eyes off of him to cross the empty street. As I reached the other side, I glanced back... and then stopped dead in my tracks. He had stopped dancing and was standing with one foot in the street, perfectly parallel to me. He was facing me but still looking skyward. Smile still wide on his lips.
I was completely and utterly unnerved by this. I started walking again, but kept my eyes on the man. He didn't move.
Once I had put about half a block between us, I turned away from him for a moment to watch the sidewalk in front of me. The street and sidewalk ahead of me were completely empty. Still unnerved, I looked back to where he had been standing to find him gone. For the briefest of moments I felt relieved, until I noticed him. He had crossed the street, and was now slightly crouched down. I couldn't tell for sure due to the distance and the shadows, but I was certain he was facing me. I had looked away from him for no more than 10 seconds, so it was clear that he had moved fast.
I was so shocked that I stood there for some time, staring at him. And then he started moving toward me again. He took giant, exaggerated tip toed steps, as if he were a cartoon character sneaking up on someone. Except he was moving very, very quickly.
I'd like to say at this point I ran away or pulled out my pepper spray or my cellphone or anything at all, but I didn't. I just stood there, completely frozen as the smiling man crept toward me.
And then he stopped again, about a car length away from me. Still smiling his smile, still looking to the sky.
When I finally found my voice, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. What I meant to ask was, "What the fuck do you want?!" in an angry, commanding tone. What came out was a whimper, "What the fuuโฆ?"
Regardless of whether or not humans can smell fear, they can certainly hear it. I heard it in my own voice, and that only made me more afraid. But he didn't react to it at all. He just stood there, smiling.
And then, after what felt like forever, he turned around, very slowly, and started dance-walking away. Just like that. Not wanting to turn my back to him again, I just watched him go, until he was far enough away to almost be out of sight. And then I realized something. He wasn't moving away anymore, nor was he dancing. I watched in horror as the distant shape of him grew larger and larger. He was coming back my way. And this time he was running.
I ran too.
I ran until I was off of the side road and back onto a better lit road with sparse traffic. Looking behind me then, he was nowhere to be found. The rest of the way home, I kept glancing over my shoulder, always expecting to see his stupid smile, but he was never there.
I lived in that city for six months after that night, and I never went out for another walk. There was something about his face that always haunted me. He didn't look drunk, he didn't look high. He looked completely and utterly insane. And that's a very, very scary thing to see.
[deleted] ยท 125 points ยท Posted at 19:48:43 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
[deleted]
๐๏ธ blue_tidal ยท 66 points ยท Posted at 00:00:08 on April 8, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
You have no idea! To me, this was the creepiest part of the entire ordeal.
The dancing was at least strangely graceful and fluid. The creeping was entirely scary. Sinister, even.
That was the moment when I went from scared to completely frozen with fear.
Benditlikebaker ยท 21 points ยท Posted at 01:09:37 on April 27, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I love walking like that.. but I am pretty sure I am not creepy. I think?
I would have died though. Terrified of the dark and the people in it.
[deleted] ยท 7 points ยท Posted at 08:48:32 on June 21, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
[removed]
Brutalitor ยท 66 points ยท Posted at 05:08:48 on July 23, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I imagined it more like this.
SoftShock2294 ยท 25 points ยท Posted at 08:40:39 on July 28, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Nailed it. Holy shit.
aef1991 ยท 21 points ยท Posted at 05:56:21 on August 12, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
yes thank you for adding to the already utterly horrifying images in my head.
adamwilliam ยท 4 points ยท Posted at 03:04:49 on September 17, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
makes me think of the sims hahahahah
selybelle ยท 5 points ยท Posted at 02:35:30 on August 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I found that same sentence oddly funny, but that just may be my immaturity because I love this story, it's so creepy and I was like :holy fuck" the entire time reading it
๐๏ธ blue_tidal ยท 99 points ยท Posted at 23:49:46 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Thanks to everyone who took the time to read!
The first time I told this was to my roommate, who was appropriately mortified. The second time was to a friend who simply joked, "Sounds like he was just trying to party with you." Most of my other friends seemed to agree that he was either on drugs or going out of his way to try and mess with me.
And to people comparing him to Slender Man, I should add: he was tall. Normal tall. It probably doesn't help my perspective that I'm short!
It was weird to write this out, since I've only ever told it to people in person, where I don't have to try and explain his movement, but can simply act it out.
And to anyone doubting the truth in the story, I assure you it happened. I'm not afraid of ghosts, devils or monsters. It's people that frighten me.
angrybane ยท 42 points ยท Posted at 04:33:26 on June 12, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Gosh this! I know this is slightly old but I imagined almost a Spy vs. Spy type person and suit. Frickin' terrifying
QWERTYMurdoc ยท 15 points ยท Posted at 23:57:49 on July 9, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I imagine him like this
[deleted] ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 15:40:19 on July 30, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
What is this from?
QWERTYMurdoc ยท 6 points ยท Posted at 19:33:51 on July 30, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
It was the cover from a Batman issue. I'll give you more details in just a sec.
EDIT: It's the Joker from issue #13 by Snyder and Capulo.
[deleted] ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 20:41:11 on July 30, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Wow, thanks :)
I_AM_LAW_SCHOOL ยท 148 points ยท Posted at 09:09:32 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I think this may be the best post I've read in this subreddit. Your description of the man was incredible, but I'd still really like to see a picture of this guy.
[deleted] ยท 141 points ยท Posted at 03:41:39 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
But of course
bunbunbunbun ยท 48 points ยท Posted at 05:41:11 on April 8, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I'm so glad that when I clicked that I didn't need to turn my light back on again. If it would have been those blue smiling guys from Buffy, I think I would have cried myself to sleep.
[deleted] ยท 64 points ยท Posted at 03:48:16 on April 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I have no idea what you mean - what's wrong with the gentlemen?
bunbunbunbun ยท 48 points ยท Posted at 03:51:38 on April 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
WHY THE FUCK DID I CLICK THAT.
I'm not even joking I almost peed myself. Fuck you. Fuck you to hell.
[deleted] ยท 36 points ยท Posted at 04:42:17 on April 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Oh c'mon! They're not as creepy as this guy.
bunbunbunbun ยท 30 points ยท Posted at 05:01:53 on April 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Nope.
I'm going to bed. If I die in my sleep, it's entirely your fault.
[deleted] ยท 48 points ยท Posted at 05:08:59 on April 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Sleep tight.
SquareIsTopOfCool ยท 30 points ยท Posted at 14:29:32 on April 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
NopenopeNOPE.
...Where is that from, so I can terrify myself more?
[deleted] ยท 10 points ยท Posted at 15:20:13 on April 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Here's the "list" I got it from.
Taihappy ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 06:01:34 on April 14, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
why did i click that
[deleted] ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 07:23:29 on April 14, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This will help you think of something else, I promise.
Taihappy ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 03:22:51 on May 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
ahahha
twcaiwh ยท 11 points ยท Posted at 18:17:38 on April 24, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
The original source is a horror short from Fewdio (great stuff) called "Bedfellows." Happy noping.
vanillapep ยท 13 points ยท Posted at 19:12:35 on April 12, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
NOPE (I wish I had bigger caps for this)
BeautifulDisaster247 ยท 6 points ยท Posted at 00:34:25 on September 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Okay so I watched it, and I wasn't too scared of the creeper in the bed, but the fact the girls name is Rachel... My name is Rachel. I don't wanna go to sleep tonight.
Tinyassfeet ยท 13 points ยท Posted at 08:43:16 on January 6, 2013 ยท (Permalink)
Oh god my names Rachel. Well fuck us right?
BullshitUsername ยท 8 points ยท Posted at 06:38:14 on February 9, 2013 ยท (Permalink)
Sure!
glamotte14 ยท 8 points ยท Posted at 18:01:40 on May 20, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
http://chzgifs.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/funny-gifs-nope.gif
PsychicBacon ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 22:49:00 on September 24, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
That is literally the scariest thing I have ever seen in my life.
nxtfari ยท 10 points ยท Posted at 05:40:47 on November 4, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Buddy, you haven't seen anything yet.
PsychicBacon ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 05:41:25 on November 4, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Bring it.
nxtfari ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 05:45:57 on November 4, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Goddamn, I want to so badly. but I can't. there is one image out there that terrifies me more than anything. I have only seen it once and have never dared to see it again. It took me weeks to shake out of my memory. I am so terrified of that image that I can't even link it to you because that would require searching it up. If you want to find it yourself, google "smile.jeff". it's actually kind of funny that it fits so well with OP's story. I recommend rereading that before googling it.
that's the scariest thing I have ever seen. but I don't doubt the potential of the internet. There is bound to be far, far scarier images out there, if I dared to search for them. Buddy, I haven't even seen anything yet.
PsychicBacon ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 05:51:55 on November 4, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I will search for this later as it is 5:30 in the morning here and I want to be able to sleep.
nxtfari ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 23:07:03 on November 4, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I'm waiting on a mfw.
PsychicBacon ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 20:12:21 on November 5, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Got it. http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/smilejpg
nxtfari ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 22:41:21 on November 5, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
http://i.imgur.com/816uC.gif
ThePositiveAsshole ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 10:06:02 on November 8, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
http://comic.naver.com/webtoon/detail.nhn?titleId=350217&no=31&weekday=tue
ChildishSerpent ยท 7 points ยท Posted at 00:39:35 on June 12, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Oh, I know this guy! Where do I know this guy from?
[deleted] ยท 6 points ยท Posted at 03:39:06 on June 21, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Buffy.
lovelesschristine ยท 9 points ยท Posted at 14:40:35 on August 20, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Best episode ever. Joss wanted to prove that he could make an episode where over half the episode had no dialogue.
[deleted] ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 17:57:32 on August 20, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Agreed. I love "Once More With Feeling" and "Tabula Rasa" as well. :]
Hell_Child ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 04:01:02 on September 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
What is that from. I cannot for the life of me remember.
JoeyJoeJoeJrShabidou ยท 6 points ยท Posted at 19:40:26 on June 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
hush
assbomb22 ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 04:54:54 on August 14, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Ah yes! I love this show :)))))
EvilExGirl ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 19:52:48 on August 26, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Oh my god. I totally thought of the gentlemen.
[deleted] ยท 32 points ยท Posted at 14:16:28 on April 15, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
THIS IS HE
peesinpools ยท 28 points ยท Posted at 23:11:11 on May 17, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Holy shit, that's exactly what I was picturing. For some reason though, I had thought of him wearing a big, flamboyant zuit suit, like in The Mask.
I_AM_LAW_SCHOOL ยท 7 points ยท Posted at 23:54:05 on April 15, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
woooooahh, that dude is creepy
Boognish80 ยท 18 points ยท Posted at 04:48:32 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I agree. Maybe one of my favorite posts on Reddit so far.
Cornered_Animal ยท 0 points ยท Posted at 09:38:04 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Yes, because when insane motherfuckers are following you around scaring the crap out of you. HEY! LET'S TAKE A PICTURE!!!!!!!1
I_AM_LAW_SCHOOL ยท 31 points ยท Posted at 09:46:37 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I'm not calling him into question or doubting him. I'm not saying he should have taken a picture either. What I'm saying is: the description of this f*cking guy is extremely creepy, and, as such, I want to see what he actually looks like.
Cornered_Animal ยท 30 points ยท Posted at 09:48:03 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Ahh I see, I take back my smart-assery ;)
chagrinning ยท 61 points ยท Posted at 01:34:34 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Freaky Fred, anyone?
Morganx139 ยท 19 points ยท Posted at 03:42:18 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This show
used toscare the shit out of me.agentfreelancer ยท 8 points ยท Posted at 17:57:26 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
it was a freaky ass show
[deleted] ยท 14 points ยท Posted at 03:11:19 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
[deleted]
parsifal ยท 15 points ยท Posted at 16:51:34 on April 11, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Yeah, that show was classic. Funny, yet somehow frightening and existentially worrying.
UnicornsArePeople ยท 10 points ยท Posted at 03:55:31 on April 17, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
"You've been.... naughty..." That guy was creepy as fuck...
That one episode with Courage's parents blasting off to another planet made me bawl my fawking eyes out when I was younger.
COURAGE <3
BroccoliRaab ยท 9 points ยท Posted at 22:55:11 on April 27, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This exact character came to mind while I was reading the story, particularly the tip-toeing.
djaglet ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 05:17:12 on June 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I too post said link. I should have read the comments better.
fionacinelli ยท 41 points ยท Posted at 13:14:00 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This could be a movie scene. Your description was haunting.
TwistedNipple15 ยท 51 points ยท Posted at 05:04:01 on April 11, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I was in bed reading this on my phone right before I fell asleep. When i read 'he was across the street in 10 sec...' and got slapped awake by the imagery alone. I whimpered and went to wake my sister and shove my phone in her face to make her read it. Now we are both in the living room watching 'Happy Feet' cuz I was an idiot and checked this subreddit before sleep... thank you sir. Have my last up vote for the night.
๐๏ธ blue_tidal ยท 18 points ยท Posted at 23:34:39 on April 12, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This might have been my favorite reaction yet! I hope you two enjoyed the movie :)
TwistedNipple15 ยท 6 points ยท Posted at 23:38:09 on April 12, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
We did! Ty!
vanillapep ยท 27 points ยท Posted at 19:17:31 on April 12, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
"Regardless of whether or not humans can smell fear, they can certainly hear it. I heard it in my own voice, and that only made me more afraid. But he didn't react to it at all. He just stood there, smiling."
This. is the stuff my nightmares are made of.
PsychoBob78 ยท 42 points ยท Posted at 07:25:14 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
You should definately post this to r/nosleep... btw, have you ever heard of a brujo? I kept thinking of Carlos Casteneda's accounts of his experiences with brujos/brujas while reading this.
๐๏ธ blue_tidal ยท 12 points ยท Posted at 07:44:10 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Beyond knowing that a brujo/bruja is more or less the equivalent to a witch, I can't say I know much about them. You've peaked my curiosity though, so I'll be doing some reading on Mr. Casteneda before I sleep!
PsychoBob78 ยท 15 points ยท Posted at 08:22:10 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Yeah... they're known for strange, sometimes seemingly impossible movements... like when the guy had suddenly crossed the street and was crouching. The strange dancing motion while moving toward you, but never looking at you, and the grin also make me think "brujo".
peesinpools ยท 12 points ยท Posted at 23:14:33 on May 17, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
*Piqued
(Not trying to be a smart-ass, but little mistakes like this can be the kiss of death on, say, a resume or something like that.)
๐๏ธ blue_tidal ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 01:55:40 on May 18, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Thanks, that was pointed out to me about 5 minutes after I posted it, but I never got around to fixing it.
cheesy18 ยท 37 points ยท Posted at 07:08:51 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Oh dear god. That's scary as fuck! I'm near tears and it didn't even happen to me. This would be good for r/nosleep. Fuck...
brigodon ยท 19 points ยท Posted at 17:15:24 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Can you at least tell us which "major city in the US" so we can decide to not move there? Yeah, that would be great, thanks...
strebornator ยท 14 points ยท Posted at 14:07:27 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Holy crap. Never has a written story instilled so much fear inside of me. Ack! .__.
esssjayyyennn ยท 12 points ยท Posted at 02:24:33 on April 8, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This would've fit in perfectly with "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark"--those books from when I was a kid. I literally had nightmares for years after reading them...and now your story is added to my mental inventory... Absolutely frightening.
reziful ยท 7 points ยท Posted at 20:02:11 on April 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Me and my friends would always rent out those books at our school library. We would have sleepovers and read them in the dark. None of them really scared me, except for the one with the "scare-crow" dummy. - If you remember that one.
OT: I really enjoyed this story, but it doesn't scare me as much as it seems to scare the other people who read it. I'll probably wake up at 2AM and remember it, and never go back to sleep.
Brosendorfer ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 22:05:33 on April 24, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
The one where the scarecrow skins the guy? Terrifying.
[deleted] ยท 11 points ยท Posted at 02:48:12 on April 9, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
[deleted]
parsifal ยท -12 points ยท Posted at 16:52:14 on April 11, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Ha, check out my tag for you: http://cl.ly/2E1T0s1m0Z1p0F1t2a2e
tetrisman95 ยท 6 points ยท Posted at 06:33:55 on July 23, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Just so you know why this got downvoted, that's not your tag for him, that's his flair.
parsifal ยท 5 points ยท Posted at 14:35:47 on July 23, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Ahh... Thank you.
danielsmith46 ยท 8 points ยท Posted at 16:38:48 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
that's a great story! your description of his body shape doesn't match, but just the general behavior reminds me of Pierrot le Fou from Cowboy Bebop.
iambic9poetry ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 08:24:29 on April 13, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Yes! I instantly thought of Pierrot le Fou
phalseprofits ยท 10 points ยท Posted at 01:53:02 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I want to call shenanigans, and tell you to put this in /nosleep, but that's mostly because my brain doesn't want to accept the idea of something like this ever occurring in real life.
I didn't see this in your post, but, was he old or young?
๐๏ธ blue_tidal ยท 39 points ยท Posted at 02:18:19 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Oh man. There are two things I'm bad at estimating: distance and age!
Middle age would be fair. He was white and had color in his hair (meaning he may have been greying, tough to say in the lighting, but he definitely had most of his color).
I think the reason some people might find the story unbelievable is that I told it in a dramatic fashion. In the past I've told people the short of it and it completely loses it's impact. To say, "Some crazy guy was dancing on the sidewalk and started chasing me!" just doesn't do it justice.
It was genuinely terrifying, and I've had nightmares about it occasionally since (including a really creepy one where we're dancing together and we're both smiling like that).
I also left a lot of details out on purpose. I've always believed that any gaps a story teller leaves will be picked up by the reader's imagination. And the reader will almost always imagine something more frightening than you can describe! Especially if you're not a writer, which I'm not.
Lunaris84 ยท 12 points ยท Posted at 08:47:12 on April 11, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Have to compliment, as a writer I have always desired exactly this effect. To see it used in this story was amazing, and it left me with chills. I can't imagine what it must've really been like, but my mind certainly made it all the more horrifying.
Kudos.
SleetFleet ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 23:19:08 on April 12, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I have to say, I find the notion of this dream quite funny, although I appreciate you may not have done - I'm sorry! It just dulls the horror in a comical way for me... Generally I find the theme of my nightmares really funny the day after, when you're thinking rationally again.
Having said that: Jesus, your story immobilized me with fear.
saraquael ยท 11 points ยท Posted at 07:47:55 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Thank god I read this after turning out all the lights and right before going to sleep.
Allenberg ยท 18 points ยท Posted at 14:04:42 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Wow. Just to relate one thing, what you said about the unrelenting smile, neither on drugs nor drunk, is something that really is unnerving. For me it was in a public bathroom where an obvious pervert was peeking down at guys' dicks in the stall next to him. How he survived with no one decking him, I have no clue. I was already at the stall doing my business when that dude gives me the weirdest "smile". I looked at him quite sharply, yet that smile persisted. Its unnerving because you know he doesn't really see you. There is something going on in his head that makes him completely impervious and that comes through in that sort of disconnected "smile".
Second thing, I was once at the other end of the spectrum where a stranger was scared of me one night, and its interesting how amusing that can be from the other perspective. I'm a pretty tall dude and was walking home one night. I usually don't wear hoodies but that night I wore one and sure enough that evening it started drizzling. So here I was about five minutes from my apartment when I put up that hoodie feeling ridiculous, because it just isn't my style. Well, across the street about 15 or so yards in front of me is another dude and he sees me walking in the rain behind him. I sort of see him, but when he turns around a second time in what seems to be a bit of panic, I really start noticing him. Wait, is he afraid? Well, he turns around a third time, this alarmed look on his face. Now, you have to realize that you can't see my face at all underneath that hoodie, especially in that distance in the rain. He must have projected all sorts of nefarious criminality in there. Anyway, I realize what's going on and find it hilarious. Part of me wanted to just remove the hood and say chill out, man, another part enjoyed the show and the unwanted "power" it gave me. I just kept walking, making sure not to cross the street and give the guy a heart attack.
When the man in your story felt your fear he probably got a kick out of it as well. In all likelihood he was probably harmless but when someone is obviously afraid of you it becomes funny and you feel a sense of fleeting power. Throw in the fact that he may have also had mental issues and then he will try to actually capitalize on it by running at you, knowing it will freak you out. If you had stood your ground, he probably wouldn't have even known what to do anyway, just would have gotten back into creeping stance probably. Good job running away though and not trying to find out.
๐๏ธ blue_tidal ยท 20 points ยท Posted at 23:56:04 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
You know, I've spent a lot of time pondering what his motives were. He never came close enough to be able to touch me, and he obviously gave up pursuit when I ran (with the difference in our height, I have no doubt he could have caught up with me before I made it back onto the main road).
But with that said... looking at his face (and I got a really good look at him), there was nothing harmless about the expression on his face. As you said, it's better that I ran away rather than try to find out what he would have done had he caught up with me. But to be perfectly honest, it's like a hangnail in the back of my mind. There's a small part of me that really wishes I hadn't ran, just to find out what he would have done when he reached me.
Dlg_kat ยท 13 points ยท Posted at 15:06:12 on April 16, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
i kind of know where you're coming from. It was definitely very scary, and the way you told the story totally worked, but I know what you mean about wanting to find out more about his motives. I get the feeling that he was very much like a lifeless puppet, wandering around with a smile like that yet obviously not conscious of what he's smiling about, almost carries a hint of sadness. The way you describe his movement when he turns around slowly after you yell is very puppet-ish, and that desperate run...but obviously I'm just romanticizing the story because HOLY FUCK NEVERMIND THE MOTIVE I WOULD HAVE RAN LIKE HELL TOO.
sweetdreamers ยท 8 points ยท Posted at 19:06:00 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
It's normal to get chills through your body, but I got them in my face just reading the story and now I have a headache.
Mostly_Paranoid ยท 10 points ยท Posted at 03:48:34 on April 9, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
It's things like this, my friend, that make me never want to leave my house again.
cjpoop ยท 7 points ยท Posted at 11:43:06 on April 9, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Your name helps too.
Mostly_Paranoid ยท 4 points ยท Posted at 06:11:26 on April 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Perhaps...
[deleted] ยท 8 points ยท Posted at 01:35:29 on July 30, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Reading this made me feel like I just ate a whole roast NOPE with a side of NOPE, smothered in NOPE sauce, with a tall glass of NONONO to wash it down.
[deleted] ยท 7 points ยท Posted at 05:14:59 on May 26, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
[deleted]
Upsilon667 ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 01:44:52 on July 9, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Definitely applies to me too (both the being late and the scared-ness). I read horror fiction all the time but nothing has actually elicited the same response from me that this did. Well done, OP.
[deleted] ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 23:48:43 on July 27, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Hell. I live on 3rd floor, you can't see me unless I'm stood by the window looking down, yeah. I just crouched to the window, closed the curtains and went on reddit under my blanket. ...It's 25c in my apartment atm.
origamigiraffe ยท 8 points ยท Posted at 10:57:57 on July 28, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
As a writer, I have read about 200 r/nosleep stories and many, many scary stories to date, and I have to say that THIS one by far was actually the only one that scared me. It's daytime in the forest on the second floor of my well-lit house. Oh god. Excellent work.
krc1130 ยท 6 points ยท Posted at 02:44:33 on August 14, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Sorry to be 4 months late, but we sure it wasn't this man? (http://www.zeldawiki.org/images/thumb/4/4c/NewSakon.png/120px-NewSakon.png)
If so, did you happen to be carrying a bag of bombs OR a wedding mask?
(joking aside, this was really fucking creepy)
Martholomule ยท 13 points ยท Posted at 11:42:47 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This is haunting. All I keep thinking is "this sub is for non-fiction!" and then I remember that the first two paragraphs exist. My mental picture of this guy is terrifying, but something tells me it's not even remotely scary enough.
Xasf ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 12:20:40 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Yeah I thought the same thing, had to check the subreddit to make sure, and then I was really creeped out.
brigodon ยท 19 points ยท Posted at 17:12:09 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Slenderman comes to call...
kati7109 ยท 7 points ยท Posted at 07:58:54 on April 21, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Didn't need to sleep tonight anyways...
parsifal ยท 11 points ยท Posted at 16:49:04 on April 11, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
PCP is a hell of a drug
CrystalKU ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 13:50:39 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Great story, I don't think sounds fictional or too exaggerated at all, I think you tell it wonderfully with just the right amount of detail. I shutter to think of myself in your shoes but laugh at the picture of the man I have created in my mind. Being scared at the same time you are amused is the best type of horror.
DrunkyBear ยท 4 points ยท Posted at 17:35:25 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Really good story! Iยดve had similar shit with regular-looking bums and addicts but they were clearly high as fuck. I would shit if a similar character would greet me on an empty dark street. Somebody also said that this should be a movie scene. I couldnยดt agree more.
derpturtles ยท 5 points ยท Posted at 07:02:45 on April 19, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This is definitely not a good story to read at 1am with the lights off.
That being said, you are a fantastic storyteller and the writing style definitely fits with the story. It sounds absolutely, positively terrifying. In fact, it's so good that it could be fiction... and that's what scares me the most about this.
brb having nightmares for the rest of my life
micheesie ยท 4 points ยท Posted at 02:50:10 on May 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
NOPENOPENOPE
[deleted] ยท 5 points ยท Posted at 18:22:45 on May 17, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Maybe you were just getting trolled?
I've done similar "wtf" things to people like that, just to fuck with them.
Shit. Maybe I'm insane.
katbobat12 ยท 5 points ยท Posted at 06:48:59 on July 22, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Uggggh, the man you described reminds me of Freaky Fred from Courage the Cowardly Dog!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXlsC2NooAE
Gives me shivers. Just for context, are you a man or a woman?
Edit: oops, seems like some one has mentioned Freaky Fred already. my apologies.
[deleted] ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 23:45:53 on July 27, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
God Courage.. THAT shit scared the fuck out of me, not as a kid but as a fucking adult.
whengaysattack ยท 4 points ยท Posted at 19:05:42 on August 4, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
NOPE.
[deleted] ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 09:42:01 on August 15, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Have you heard about the grinning man? Was the first thing I thought of after I read your story.
[deleted] ยท 4 points ยท Posted at 04:14:03 on September 1, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
At first reading the description of his face, I immediately thought of Nicholas Cage.
[deleted] ยท 4 points ยท Posted at 15:37:00 on September 18, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
The way you described him felt like someone I knew so much but couldn't put my finger on it. Then I remembered:
http://www.thefancarpet.com/uploaded_assets/images/gallery/834/The_Mask_9729_Medium.jpg
The mask. The way he walks in that ^ picture just fits in with this story completely. Take away the green playdough on his face and he could fit your story perfectly.
marchmello ยท 6 points ยท Posted at 08:58:40 on May 12, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This is by far the creepiest thing I've ever read in all my 27 years of life....
twitchundtalias_elf ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 21:04:42 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This scared me more than much of the stuff on r/nosleep... dear lord that must have been frightening!
Spoonaroo ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 00:05:13 on May 22, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I would've like shat in my hands from being scared, and then would've thrown it on him. That'll show a happy-go-lucky mime practicing his act at night!
No, in all seriousness, he could've been criminally insane, and that sounds terrifying. I'm glad you made it out fine.
songshell ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 08:28:54 on May 29, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This is the scariest thing I've read on reddit and at this moment, I think, anywhere else. Seriously, I feel a little sick now.
Good God...
[deleted] ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 07:29:05 on July 28, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Ya, this shit was scary as hell. Anyone who "likes" this should read The Man in the Black Suit by Stephen King. I would have just made sone bathroom in my pants and let him eat me
superbunniix3 ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 06:23:03 on July 29, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Nope nope nope nope nope
King_Pumpernickel ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 23:26:05 on August 20, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I maybe might have just shit my pants maybe.
KayCato ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 07:12:24 on September 3, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This was utterly fucking terrifying. This is the only thing that I had to force myself to read.
Nova1 ยท 3 points ยท Posted at 12:38:39 on September 24, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
[deleted]
Julienb ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 14:43:25 on April 8, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This gave me goosebumps. How terrified you must have been.
strawburries ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 04:55:17 on April 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
why does sander cohen come to mind when i read this?
eeelisabeth ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 17:24:46 on May 9, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Oh god, yes. I knew I hated him.
UnicornsArePeople ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 03:58:17 on April 17, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
That is fawking scary as SHIT D:
It doesn't help my room is pitch black and it's 10:57 PM... Even my hand's silhouette scares me DX
upvoteupvoteupvote.
riddlesgirl08 ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 02:59:26 on April 29, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Freaky...
Totesmcgotes702 ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 11:48:50 on May 8, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
...this belongs on nosleep. Why the hell did I decide to read this before bed. Dammit.
eeelisabeth ยท 6 points ยท Posted at 17:23:30 on May 9, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Dude, it's 1:30 pm here, and I'm bloody terrified.
kittycatcatkitty ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 07:07:57 on May 12, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
i was able to picture this all perfectly. bravo. i've shit my pants.
TheEnterprise1701 ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 17:45:45 on June 4, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Wow great imagery! I could see everything you described very vividly.
djaglet ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 05:15:21 on June 10, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Did he look like this? That's the only person that came to my mind... CtCD was a messed up cartoon.
anonymauz ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 16:45:06 on June 19, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This most definitely reminds me of Pierrot Le Fou, from Cowboy Bebop. Awesome show, scary ass story.
[deleted] ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 23:23:49 on July 1, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Damn it, now I'm more freaked out.
[deleted] ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 01:46:29 on June 29, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Ah fuck. Fuck. That's fucking scary
[deleted] ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 00:00:29 on August 16, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
The fact that he was smiling is what makes it most scary for me, actually. My mom was a bit mentally unbalanced, and slightly abusive. Sometimes she would just stare at me, not doing anything, and then begin to smile ever so slightly. Words cannot explain how fearful that can make you. I'm not sure if you've ever seen the movie Fatal Attraction, but Glenn Close does a terrific job smiling that exact same kind of smile in one of the scenes. Scary!
John243 ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 06:46:11 on August 21, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=emil+nier&num=10&hl=en&safe=active&biw=1517&bih=741&as_qdr=all&tbm=isch&tbnid=5KSYGSqBCfVeyM:&imgrefurl=http://www.2d-x.com/easter-x-list-the-6-most-noble-self-sacrifices/&docid=bphLTt3SHUPkRM&imgurl=http://www.2d-x.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/emil_nier.jpg&w=269&h=272&ei=bC4zUL-VCsH6rAH-7oGICQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=422&vpy=139&dur=328&hovh=123&hovw=124&tx=120&ty=78&sig=103936673982296784822&page=1&tbnh=123&tbnw=124&start=0&ndsp=34&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:81
I pictured this thing the whole fucking time
KillinFoCoons ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 19:59:40 on August 22, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Fuuuuuck that!
[deleted] ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 02:24:46 on September 11, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
After reading this I had nightmares and I was all paranoid! I can't imagine what you went through after this happened to you! I probably would have stood there like a dumb ass. I'm not good when I panic, because I already know I'd never be able to out run anyone. xD but still. Eek. I got shivers.
babygoku69 ยท 4 points ยท Posted at 23:11:40 on May 12, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
This is the scariest shit I've ever read. fuck you.
yesiluvsyew ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 20:23:46 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
:o thats... thats fucking scary... i pictured all of this happening as i read it, i applaud you sir/ma'am! great story c:
LuisDrumz ยท 2 points ยท Posted at 00:30:44 on April 18, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I enjoyed this creepy story, but i busted out laughing when I got to the 4th paragraph and immediately sung in my head "I see a little sillhouetto of a man"
melt1011 ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 20:33:53 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Wow, I could totally picture this guy in my head, dancing & smiling away. Very, very creepy!
gatorfan8898 ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 04:57:51 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Creepy story! Also could probably be reposted on /nosleep because of the unnatural attributes and movements of this man.
sparklePUNCHbam ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 21:53:55 on May 30, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
RE: Enderman from Minecraft
dutchess-of-bacon ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 06:08:44 on June 26, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Who put these onions here?? Jesus, that's creepy.
[deleted] ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 12:29:44 on July 18, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
I dunno, I immediately pictured this guy, complete with the movement :p
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/314/5/9/tongpu__the_mad_pierrot_gif_2_by_vergildvs-d32k9b5.gif
windwaker9 ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 02:52:53 on July 19, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
It's like you met the evil Mr Bojangles.
1dle_Hands ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 08:04:50 on August 15, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Sounds like the mad perriot from cowboy bebop
eatmybum ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 13:46:02 on August 15, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
For some reason I picture him as Stephen Merchant, maybe it's the tall and lanky part; and he usually has a stupid smile on his dial.
nerdysweet ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 16:54:06 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
ew nope nope nope
sweetdreamers ยท 1 points ยท Posted at 23:49:37 on April 6, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
pussyclaut!!! mi frighten nuh bumboclaut woah dat guve mi shivas woah me ah go ah mi bed now wid di light dem tun off
yell0wdart123 ยท -7 points ยท Posted at 01:11:57 on April 7, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Eh, he probably just took too much acid.
martinez_geoffrey ยท -1 points ยท Posted at 16:47:54 on August 26, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Ran into Slender
lovelesschristine ยท -2 points ยท Posted at 14:30:06 on August 20, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Just slender-man going for walk. Nothing to be scared of.
chaix ยท -18 points ยท Posted at 17:58:16 on April 9, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
TL;DR
Upvote.
alx429 ยท -10 points ยท Posted at 17:11:44 on July 9, 2012 ยท (Permalink)
Does this sound like a guy having fun while not really doing anything very creepy to anyone else but me? I just see this guy having a good night (maybe just an oddball or on LSD or something) dancing around the city at night, smiling at the beauty of it all. Then he sees a woman and decides to dance up to her. Not for any reason other then the fact she's there. If I had to bet I'd say that the story ends when he dance walked away, it just doesn't seem in line with the story that he charged her at the end and it would also seem like an ideal end to a story that felt creepier than it really was.