Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast - 6x04: The Scenic Route - Let's Not Meet

Episode Date: April 26, 2021

Stories in this episode: -I Never Spent The Night Alone In that House Again - Elin (0:57). -Don't Take The Scenic Route - anon (8:03). -Acquaintance From High School - Ashley Lynn (16:56). -The T...ime I Thought I Was Going To Die - Steph (27:44). -The Panera Bread Solicitor - Lauren (41:25).  All of the stories you've heard this week were narrated and produced with the permission of their respective authors. Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast is not associated with Reddit or any other message boards online. To submit your story to the show, send it to letsnotmeetstories@gmail.com.  Get access to weekly bonus episodes of Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast, ad-free versions of the free shows and a bunch of other great exclusive material and merch at patreon.com/letsnotmeetpodcast. This podcast would not be possible to continue at this rate without the help of the support of the legendary LNM Patrons. Come join the family! Go to Stamps.com, click on the Microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in MEET to get a special offer that includes a 4-week trial PLUS free postage and a digital scale. No long-term commitments or contracts. Try Acorn TV free for 30 days, by going to Acorn.tv and use my promo code MEET. You can save $50 on your new Embr Wave bracelet by visiting embrwave.com/meet. - Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/433173970399259/ - Twitter - https://twitter.com/letsnotmeetcast - Website - https://letsnotmeetpodcast.com - Patreon - https://patreon.com/letsnotmeetpodcast - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/letsnotmeetcast/ - Twitch - https://twitch.tv/retroxpizza/  

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 When you love a good barbecue but want some fireworks of your own, troly sour gummy worms are there to give you a thrill. With varieties like troly sour bright crawlers, the worms soft and chewy texture, surprising flavor combinations, and neon bright colors will give your fourth that extra pop. So when burgers and dogs don't quite do the trick, troly sour gummy worms are the perfect way to add some extra neon color this fourth. Shop now for any trolley that crawls your way.
Starting point is 00:00:30 This podcast contains adult language and content. The stories in this show can be frightening and disturbing for some. Listener discretion is advised. If you have a story to share, send it to Let's Not Meet Stories at gmail.com. Enjoy the show. My name is Andrew Tate and this is season 6 episode 4 of Let's Not Meet a True Horror My niece and I, who are both very nocturnal, love to go for nightly drives and listen to
Starting point is 00:01:34 the podcast. And to make it even scarier, we usually take the most desolate and darkest roads we can find. Okay, so onto the story. It takes place in Norway in the mid-90s, right before everyone had cell phones. I didn't get a cell phone until the year after. I was a 20-something female student,
Starting point is 00:02:00 and I shared a house with three other students. All of my housemates had boyfriends or girlfriends who often stayed over, so there usually weren't a lot of people in the house at night. However, this particular evening, there was no one there when I got home. One of my housemates was abroad on vacation and I figured the other two were arriving late,
Starting point is 00:02:25 or possibly spending the night at their boyfriend's house. I had never been alone in that house at night before, but I thought nothing of it, and just went to bed. My bedroom was on the second floor. The living room, bathroom, and kitchen were on the ground floor. I had just started dozing off when I heard someone moving around downstairs. I didn't hear anyone talking. I just heard quiet footsteps and things being moved or used. Again, I didn't really think anything of it.
Starting point is 00:03:01 I just figured it was one of my housemates who had come home and was making some food or something. But after a while, I noticed that they never sat down whoever it was, they were still walking around and touching things. If someone were making food and then getting ready to go to bed, they would have been done by now, or at least they would have sat down for a while to eat and not constantly walk around.
Starting point is 00:03:35 So I tensed up and tried to listen to what was going on. I was too afraid to move so I just laid there in bed listening intensely. I was still hoping that it was one of my housemates, but I had a sneaking sensation that it wasn't. After a while, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. My room was the first room to the right off of the stairs. I was too scared to even move from my bed, so I held my breath and tried not to move a muscle. Then my bedroom door opened, slowly. My bed was behind the door,
Starting point is 00:04:19 so I could not see whoever it was until the door was fully open. All I could do was lay there and watch as the door slowly swung open and the silhouette of a tall, skinny man appeared in the doorway. My room was dark, but there was a light on in the hallway outside the bedroom. I really couldn't see his face though, but I knew that this person was someone I had never met before, and that he had no business opening my bedroom door. What do you want? I almost spat the words out in order to sound as intimidating as possible. Upon hearing my voice, he stopped in his steps and said,
Starting point is 00:05:11 Oh, this isn't where the party is? No, get out, I said, still trying to sound tough. But inside I was shaking. I was completely defenseless. I was completely naked under my duvet, and I figured they must have been in all the other rooms in the house by now, and knew that I was the only one home. If you wanted to harm me, this was the perfect opportunity. Luckily the guy backed off, closed the door, and I could hear him walk down the stairs.
Starting point is 00:05:49 I was so scared, I laid there for at least a minute, and tried to figure out if he had left the house. I couldn't hear anyone, but I hadn't heard him leave either, so I couldn't be sure. I mustered up the courage to get out of bed, throw on a bathrobe, and look for something that I could use to defend myself with. The only thing that I could find was a traveling iron, which is a very teeny tiny iron, much smaller than the normal iron, and it wouldn't do much damage to any attacker. But it was the only thing that I could find.
Starting point is 00:06:29 So I grabbed it. Looking back, I could have at least taken a few minutes to heat it up first, and it could have been useful in a fight. The phone was downstairs in the living room, so I had to get down there to call the police. This teeny, tiny traveling iron in hand, I tipped toad as quietly as I could down the stairs. They squeaked with each step. I was so scared. I was afraid that they would hear my heart pounding. I didn't see anyone in the living room, but I wasn't sure if they were even downstairs or they were watching me through the porch window. I managed to call the police and they stayed on the phone with me until there was a handsome police officer in my living room. I was very relieved when I saw him. He searched the house
Starting point is 00:07:23 I was very relieved when I saw him. He searched the house and the guy was gone. I noticed that most of my housemates, CD collection and some cash were both missing. The police officer left a while after and since it was in the middle of the night, I didn't want to call anyone and wake them up. So I tried to go back to bed, but I don't think I slept at all that night. I was far too scared to even close my eyes. I jumped at every sound. When my roommates got back the next day,
Starting point is 00:07:57 they noticed that more things were missing. The police report was filed, but they never figured out who it was. I never spent another night alone in that house again. To the guy who decided to rob our house, on the one and only night, I spent a 12-year-old girl living in a small town in rural Ohio. We had two traffic lights, a pizza place, a gas station, a dairy freeze, and even a small grocery store. For reference, I'm four foot ten inches tall, and until I quit smoking in my 30s, I was pretty thin, so I probably looked more like nine or ten years old, but I felt really grown up from my age. I was born in that place and always felt very safe. Everyone knew everyone, and I was always riding my bike and
Starting point is 00:09:14 walking alone even after dark now and then. Nothing bad ever happened there. One day I was down at the park with a couple of my friends. We were just messing around and trying to find something to get into without success. It was getting dark and it was time to go. We said our goodbyes and parted ways. They lived towards uptown and I lived a ways down the street. My usual route was through the park, then I would turn right, down the street a little ways, then across the tracks and all the way down near the end of the street. But I was feeling bored this time, so I decided to take the railroad tracks or rather the scenic route as my mom would say.
Starting point is 00:10:06 I crossed through the park all the way to the end where it meets the railroad tracks, then walked in between some bushes and down into the ditch line and onto the tracks. Before I knew it, there was a man right behind me. He was on me so fast that I couldn't even process it. My eyes darted around in all directions as my brain struggled to figure out where he came from. I swear I could feel his breath on the back of my head as he told me how pretty he thought I was and how my hair was so soft. How long had he been there hiding, maybe even watching me and waiting? I knew it was very possible.
Starting point is 00:10:54 I was in deep shit. My stomach dropped to my feet and I froze as if I were encased in cement. He was stroking my hair and telling me he liked me a lot. But I froze as if I were encased in cement. He was stroking my hair and telling me he liked me a lot. My brain began screaming at my feet and my lips to start moving now. I slowly began to move away, telling him thank you, but I really have to go because my brother was home from the service. He lived really close by, but I was already late for our family dinner.
Starting point is 00:11:30 If I wasn't home like real soon, they would send my brother looking for me if they hadn't already, and he was a real asshole. I turned to walk away, and he grabs my wrist and tried to pull me closer to him. I looked at him for the first time, really, and told him as firmly as I could manage to let me go. His eyes were flat and dark. He wasn't very tall. His hair was shabby and looked greasy.
Starting point is 00:12:06 He calmly said, no. He stink, smelled like sweat, old and new. I was terrified. My heart was pounding so hard I was sure that he could see it. The noise in my ears was deafening. I felt I could hear my heart pounding and the blood rushing through my body. He told me he wasn't going to hurt me. He just wanted to buy me an ice cream cone or something and then talk a while. He said, please, and again stated that he would never hurt me. Even my 12-year-old brain knew that if a strange man was telling me he wasn't going to hurt me, he was almost
Starting point is 00:12:55 surely thinking about it and wanted to. Panic overtook me, and I'd started yelling, go away, go away, over and over again. Startled, he dropped my wrist and slowly started backing away. He signaled me to be quiet, but I just kept yelling as loudly as I could, which is pretty loud. He then quickly turned and started briskly, walking away, down the ditch line. I turned and almost ran the tracks onto my street and all the way home. I never looked back. Once inside I locked the door behind me and ran to my room, collapsing on the bed and sobbing. They were tears of relief as well as fear and anxiety. I knew in my heart that I had just escaped a horrible fate. Despite everything, I didn't tell my mom
Starting point is 00:13:54 or anyone else that I can remember. My 12-year-old brain had his priorities. I did not want my mom to go all over protective on me besides. I learned a lesson and no real harm done, right? Wasn't that the most important thing? I never took the railroad tracks home after that, and I never encountered that man again. However, several months later, I saw his face in the paper. The article said that he had been jailed for sexually assaulting his biological daughter during their weekend visitation.
Starting point is 00:14:31 She fled through his bathroom window and ran to the neighbor's house for help. I know he went to prison, but for how long I don't know. I'm sure it was not long enough. I never tried to follow up on him, though. I just put the whole thing behind me. So, do that creepy pervert on the tracks? I hope you met Baba and all his friends in prison, but let's not meet again. When you love a good barbecue but want some fireworks of your own, trolley sour gummy worms are there to give you a thrill, with varieties like trolley sour bursting crawlers.
Starting point is 00:15:20 The worms soft and chewy texture, surprising flavor combinations, and neon bright colors will give your fourth that extra pop. So when burgers and dogs don't quite do the trick, trolley sour gummy worms are the perfect way to add some extra neon color this fourth. Shop now for any trolley that crawls your way. When you love a good barbecue but want some fireworks of your own, troly sour gummy worms are there to give you a thrill. With varieties like troly sour bright crawlers, the worms soft and chewy texture, surprising flavor combinations,
Starting point is 00:15:54 and neon bright colors will give your fourth that extra pop. So when burgers and dogs don't quite do the trick, troly sour gummy worms are the perfect way to add some extra neon color this fourth. Shop now for any trolley that crawls your way. It was September of 2016 and I had just graduated high school earlier that year. I was 18 at the time and I am a female. I was currently attending a local university, and I decided to stay on campus in the dorms. Some of my friends from high school also attended this university,
Starting point is 00:16:33 but none of them decided to live on campus. So I got paired up with the girl I had never met before. I'll call her Abby. Abby and I actually ended up becoming good friends, and we still keep in contact to this day. One night, we decided to go drinking at Abby's boyfriend's house, which was off campus, but pretty close. About five miles away.
Starting point is 00:17:01 So we get ready to go, and I drive us over in my car. Once we arrive, we're greeted by her boyfriend and his roommate. We're taking shots, playing beer pong, and listening to some really loud music, drunkenly singing the words all together. As the night goes on, I'm getting more and more intoxicated. And so is Abby. She decides that she wants to stay there with her boyfriend and extends an invite to crash on the couch.
Starting point is 00:17:35 I really want to go back to the dorm and sleep in my own bed. I look around at everyone else and I'm very aware of the fact that none of us should be driving. In my drunken state, I start scrolling through my contacts, looking for someone that would be able to give me a ride. At the time, there was this guy who I'll call Henry. I wouldn't say that we were talking, but we had been snapchatting for a few days. Henry attended a high school
Starting point is 00:18:06 in a small town not too far from mine. He had dated a girl I used to be friends with in high school, but as far as I was concerned, that was old news. Plus, I didn't keep in contact with that friend following graduation. Anyways, I knew that Henry also attended school at my university now, so I sent him a message asking him if he wouldn't mind coming to pick me up and dropping me off back at my dorm. He said it was no problem. I informed my roommate that I found a ride and proceeded to wait for him. He arrived. I said my goodbyes, and we left. In the car, everything seemed normal. Well, as normal as it could be considering that I
Starting point is 00:18:53 was pretty drunk. We exchange a few words about how crazy it is that he's giving me a ride, and how he has had a crush on me for a while. At the time, I was pretty naive, and I liked the attention that I received from men, so I didn't see any red flags. He pulls up to a house on campus, on the opposite side of the campus, then my dorm. I look around and realize that we're at his fraternity house. It's embarrassing to admit just how naive I was considering how this wasn't a red flag either. I'm excited to keep partying, honestly. He tells me that we won't be here long,
Starting point is 00:19:37 so I leave my things in the car. To my surprise, no one was partying. There were a handful of guys there, but not a lot going on at all. Odd, but I've had to use the restroom all night, so I ask where it is, and I head upstairs. The bathroom was occupied, so I knocked and waited in the hall, examining their strange, frat boy decor. Once the guy in the bathroom was finished, he came out and gave me a very intrigued look. He said, oh, hey, and slurred out and, uh, hey, excuse me, as I slid past him and locked the door behind me. I don't know what clicked, but now it's all hitting me like a pile of bricks.
Starting point is 00:20:35 I'm not in a good situation. How can I be so stupid? I'm that girl in scary movies that's so oblivious that she willingly walks right into a trap. I'm doing my best not to panic. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe he doesn't have ill intentions. naive. I start thinking of an escape plan,
Starting point is 00:20:59 but it's a long walk from here to my dorm plus. I'm drunk. Plus it's raining. I quickly decide that I don't care about any of that. I'm leaving now. I quietly open the bathroom door and sneak down the hall towards the stairs. I scope out the living room on the first floor, seeing no one. So I bolt out the door. I run down the steps of the large porch and remember that I left my bag in his truck. Shit.
Starting point is 00:21:32 I started to panic at this point. I'm yanking hard on the door handle, almost in tears. Henry and some other guys step outside and they see what I'm doing. Henry shouts, hey, get back inside. What are you doing? I say, I just want to get back. Can you unlock the door, please? His face now looks irritated as he shoots back. We will leave in a minute. Just come back inside. It's raining. Come on. Fear is shot through my body. I shout it. Unlock this fucking door.
Starting point is 00:22:11 Still tugging at the door handle. He screams back. Fine. And hits the unlock button on his keys. I grab my bag and shut the door. When I looked back over to him, he slammed the door shut to the house and locked it. Normally, this would have seemed offensive, but I was just so relieved. Now I've got a long wet drunken walk to the other side of campus. To make matters slightly worse,
Starting point is 00:22:43 I wore those tennis shoes with the hidden wedge, so I end up walking barefoot. I don't care though. I rushed back to my dorm and went to bed. In the morning, I had my dad come pick me up and take me back to my car. Once I was sober, I brushed it off as a weird misunderstanding. Maybe I had just been overreacting, and he was going to bring me back untouched. Well, a few months passed by, and I keep going out to drink with my roommate, pretty much forgetting about Henry and the entire night. Until I get a message from a high school friend that had known Henry mutually, she told
Starting point is 00:23:28 me that I needed to go on Twitter and see all of the posts being made about Henry. I was shocked. So many other girls were speaking out about him. Every tweet was a personal experience that these girls had had with him in the past. And he turned out being a huge creep, some saying that they were raped by him. He was expelled from his fraternity and the university. He transferred schools to a town hours away from mine and basically fell off the grid after all of those girls spoke out against him. mine and basically fell off the grid after all of those girls spoke out against him. I don't know what his intentions were. Had I stayed longer that night. But I am very
Starting point is 00:24:13 thankful I wasn't there to find out. So Henry's never meet again. When you love a good barbecue but want some fireworks of your own, Trolley Sour Gummy Worms are there to give you a thrill, with varieties like Trolley Sour Bursting Crawlers. The worms soft and chewy texture, surprising flavor combinations, and neon bright colors will give your fourth that extra pop. So when burgers and dogs don't quite do the trick, Trolley Sour Gummy Worms are the perfect way to add some extra neon color this fourth. Shop now for any trolley that crawls your way. Amplify your career through training
Starting point is 00:25:12 and development solutions specifically designed for federal government professionals, from courses to help you attain or retain certification to individualize coaching services, to programs that hone your leadership skills and business acumen, management concepts optimizes your professional development, online in person, individually or groups.
Starting point is 00:25:32 It's training that's measurably better. Learn more at managementconcepts.com. That's managementconcepts.com. I am a server at a fast food establishment. The customers stay in their cars outside, order through us, and we bring them their food. I've had plenty of odd and weird encounters, but this experience was extremely terrifying. Names will be changed for protection. So I'm Steph, a 20-year-old 4-foot-8 female, 120 pounds.
Starting point is 00:26:08 This will be important later. One of my co-workers, Fay, had her cousin Joseph put in an application and soon enough he was hired as a cook, and then his girlfriend Claire was too soon hired, as a switchboard answer and drink maker. Joseph is 6'6", 200 pounds. He's practically skin and bones, most likely from meth. Claire is 5'2", 230 pounds. A lot heavier set. Joseph is known for his anger issues, and he even gave Claire a block eye once.
Starting point is 00:26:50 Now the first couple of days I didn't speak to them much. It's Thursday now, but of course things change, like Claire screaming at a customer for asking a small question. My sister who works there and is a manager, holds her to the side and very nicely said, you can't talk to customers like that. Let's just try and be nicer, okay? Everyone makes mistakes, it's no big deal.
Starting point is 00:27:17 Of course, Claire snapped back and yelled, that we can't tell her how to do her job. This is one of the few incidents to come. 45 minutes later, a customer pulls me aside and asks me not to let Claire make her drinks because she was sucking on her fingers. I'm mortified. I run inside and ask her to wash her hands to which she replies, no. I say awkwardly, but as sweetly as I can, it's no big deal. We have to wash our hands off in any way.
Starting point is 00:27:51 Within seconds, she's three inches from my face. You're going to be nicer to me. She yells. I stumble back and my sister quickly gets between us and says, you aren't going to talk to her like that. Claire's response is, she's been a bitch to me since day one. My sister replies, she's the sweetest person in the store, and she's nice to everyone.
Starting point is 00:28:19 Claire storms back to the stock room saying, I hate that bitch. I'm just not peppy like her. When she comes back up front, she throws her headset in yells. I'm not answering anymore. The GM turns around and goes, excuse me. No idea what happened there, but my sister and I, she being 27, were both given an apology afterwards. Saturday comes and it's the first time seeing her since our incident. The manager Max, 5'2", maybe 150 pound mail, asks me to hold back on talking to her, which is fine. Claire did try to give me attitude a couple of times, but
Starting point is 00:29:06 I always returned with an awkward smile. A few hours passed, and it's 8.35 pm. There's a car event going on, so it's pretty busy. Joseph comes and asks Max for a smoke break. Max says in a moment when it slows down. Joseph shrugs and goes back to the kitchen. A moment later, Max tells Claire, we no longer have an item and to stop letting the customers order it. We hadn't ever had this item. Claire freaks, storms to the back, and tells her boyfriend we are disrespecting her.
Starting point is 00:29:43 Now shit, absolutely escalates. Joseph storms up front and begins yelling, what the fuck? You're working me like a dog. I deserve some respect. Joseph looked possessed just completely inhuman. Max turns around and says, excuse me, you're not going to speak to anyone like that. Joseph storms to the back screaming, come and fight me you little bitch, I'll beat your ass bloody. He rips off his shirt, throws boxes everywhere, and kicks the back door open and storms out. Now, once that back door closes, it's locked. So I say, okay, I'm calling the cops. I
Starting point is 00:30:28 grab my phone and start dialing 911. Claire laughs and says, he's not dangerous. He'll be fine if you just talk to him. Absolutely not, I thought. Maybe he would go on a rampage and kill everyone if he did. He was acting like a wild animal, screaming that he was going to kill Max and a lot of other things. And of course, Claire ran back there and opened the door and let the raging monster back inside. Claire comes back up front and realizes, I was serious. You can hear Joseph yelling things that I do not wish to repeat, but here are a few things. I'm going to beat your ass bloody, you bitch. Get back here.
Starting point is 00:31:17 I'm going to beat you over and over again. Throwing things, slamming stuff. The customer can literally hear him. Everyone is leaving. Eventually, he storms out once again. I tell everyone to stay in the front where I can see them, knowing that he's in a blind rage like he would easily injure someone or even kill someone. I knew I needed to protect the poor petrified kids. While this is going on, Claire starts yelling. Can't you cut him some slack he's on probation? Please guys, he's not dangerous.
Starting point is 00:31:51 Please just talk to him. Excuse me? What the actual heck? All of the other employees, me, Max, the two cooks, the two other girls, we'll just stare at her. I finally, oh, I don't care. We're in danger. He wants to fight. She cries out, he doesn't want to fight you.
Starting point is 00:32:13 He only wants to fight Max. He's honestly not even dangerous. Just go talk to him, please. This isn't okay. She runs to the back. There are two ways to that spot. So I grab a box knife and attempt to run back there to stop her from letting him back in.
Starting point is 00:32:32 Max grabs me and pulls me back not letting me get my ass beat. Obviously. Claire yells. They're calling the cops. If you're going to do something, do it now. Wasn't she just worried about the cops, if you're going to do something do it now, wasn't she just worried about the cops and him going to jail? Then my heart dropped when I heard him scream. I'm coming up there to beat your ass bloody, you bitch,
Starting point is 00:33:00 and screams racial slurs at me multiple times. I'm clutching my knife prepared to help defend Max. But thankfully, he never came back to the front. He storms out again. The entire time, I'm trying to stay calm. The petrified teens around me certainly did not need to see one of the two adults have a full-blown panic attack. Although the only thought in my head was, I'm going to die. I want to see my mom and my dad was, I'm going to die. I want to see my mom and my dad. The operator is talking to me, still telling me what to do, asking questions.
Starting point is 00:33:33 I ask Claire if he has weapons and she yells, I'm not telling you. The operator responds with, I'll take that as he is. I also tell her that he's known to hit and get physical. We know Claire is not going to give us any information to help, so we pull up his employee file and tell her the info that she needs. The cops are finally here. Claire yells, I'm leaving. I'm not letting you talk to the cops.
Starting point is 00:34:03 You're all liars. I say, if you talk to the cops. You're all liars." I say, if you step foot out there, you're fired too. She sighs and Max goes and asks for him to be removed from our property. As the insane man is still banging on the back door demanding to come back in, Claire starts yelling, you're a dumb bitch. You shouldn't have called the cops. No one was ever in danger. I was pretty sure I was going to die. I get up in her face this time and point at her. Girl, honey, he punched you in the face and gave you a black eye. He told everyone about it. He is dangerous. She scoffs and went, excuse me. Max asks us to stop knowing this altercation could be even worse. I back up and roll
Starting point is 00:34:55 my eyes. Claire yells, she can't talk to me like that. She doesn't need to. Max tells her to shut up. He doesn't need to. Max tells her to shut up. She says, this is just ridiculous. I say, yeah, it is. Get out. You're fired. Now I have no authority to do this. So why is she listened?
Starting point is 00:35:16 I have no idea. Joseph is still throwing a fit and tears up his shirt in the parking lot next door. Our GM finally goes to talk to them, to tell them that they're not allowed to come back inside. Joseph asks, Claire still has her job, right? He says, no. When your final checks are here, say he needs to get them,
Starting point is 00:35:38 or you have to wait in your car, you cannot come back in. So payday rolls around. Claire is texting Faye demanding that I give an apology for calling the cops and Talking to her like I did. Faye reminds her she can't come in or she'll go to jail for trespassing. Claire says, I deserve an apology. She can come out here. That little-ass girl doesn't need to be scared. I won't hit her. So she shows up, stays in her car, the GM takes her the checks, and she quite shockingly
Starting point is 00:36:16 doesn't say anything to him. He then told them they weren't welcomed back. So to the crazy people who think what happened was okay, let's not meet again. This is the smell of a warm three-day old egg-solid sandwich in a wimpy trash bag. Wimpy, wimpy, wimpy! And this is the smell of that same sandwich in a hefty ultra-strong trash bag with new Fabuloso lemon scent. H hefty, hefty, hefty! Smell the difference? When life gives you stinky, get hefty ultra strong with new Fabuloso lemon scent. It smells like clean, freshly picked lemons.
Starting point is 00:37:09 So no matter what's inside your trash, you can stop the stink and smell the lemon. Don't let the summer heat bake in road grime any longer. Hand to your nearby Zips Car Wash to clean up and cool off. And listen to this. Now when you buy your next car wash online at zipscarwash.com, you pay even less. That's right, we save you money off our amazing washes plus you also get to skip the line and use our express lane service. When you're ready to shine, skip the line and save time and money with your online wash code. Find your nearest location
Starting point is 00:37:40 at zipscarwash.com, then drive and shine today. This happened in 2010 when I was 28 years old and single. I'm a five foot four attractive African American woman. This till actually begins a week in advance. One Friday evening, the majority of my family were hanging out at my grandmother's house, which isn't unusual. And we decided to order soup and sandwiches from Panera Bread. My aunt and I were designated to pick up the carry-out order.
Starting point is 00:38:14 And we arrived at our local Panera Bread at approximately 7 pm. We lived in Chicago, and it was unseasonably warm that November evening. It was almost 60 degrees. As we emerged from my aunt's vehicle, we noticed a male dressed in all black, standing in front of the panera bread. It was wearing a black kufi skull hat, a black short-sleeved shirt,
Starting point is 00:38:40 black jeans and sneakers, as well as black leather gloves that were open at the fingertips. He looked a bit creepy. Although it was warmer than usual outside, it was definitely leather jacket or at least windbreaker weather. As we approached the entrance, I noticed the guy had an object in his hand. It looked like a tiny, colorful notebook, but I didn't pay too much attention
Starting point is 00:39:05 to it. I was immediately aware of the way that he glared at me, though, as eyes were dark and crazy. He looked pretty wired. He was also sweating profusely. As we were passing, he said in this low, raspy voice, as if he were trying to catch his breath. Do you want to buy some books? I've got all the books you could want right here. I just ignore him and proceed into the restaurant. When I turned to open the door and let my aunt enter first, she wasn't behind me. She stopped to say to the guy, I don't, but maybe she does. She's a teacher. First of all, the book he was holding at second glance looked like a preschool book. I teach high school. In fact, my aunt was very much
Starting point is 00:40:00 aware of, plus, who stands in front of a restaurant selling a single children's book. It was very odd. Our local Panera bread is a popular meeting spot with free internet. It's always busy with college students, high school students, families, and Chicago police officers, but it was odd for someone to solicit there, especially in front of the restaurant. That was something I had never seen before. The guy was about six foot four, maybe over two hundred pounds, and again, those gloves without fingertips really made me a bit uncomfortable. The way that he stared at me freaked me out as well.
Starting point is 00:40:43 It was as if he were trying to look into my soul with his piercing wicked eyes. For the life of me, I don't know why my aunt addressed him. After we entered and placed our orders, I looked outside the door and he was gone. And that was that. Or so I thought, fast forward to a week later. It was the night of a parent teacher conference,
Starting point is 00:41:07 and it was customary to grab drinks at this bar that's about four blocks from the school. I'm a teacher, in case you missed it. I'm what you consider a lightweight when it comes to drinking, though. I rarely drink anything but wine, but that night I was drinking rum and coke, and it was pretty strong. I wasn't drunk, but at some point I was definitely pretty buzzed.
Starting point is 00:41:33 A little after 11 p.m., we decided to leave the bar, and although it wasn't that late, it was past my usual bedtime on a school night. After we sent our goodbyes, we headed to our vehicles. I was parked on the street because I didn't like the parking lots that have angular parking spaces. It's a silly pet peeve of mine. Everyone else parked in the lot next door to the bar. I could have asked someone to walk or drive me to my car since it was very desolate on that street. But I figured I I'm about a block away. And this is a safe neighborhood.
Starting point is 00:42:08 Again, I wasn't really thinking logically. But once I passed the barking lot, I was out of view. I couldn't see the barking lot or my colleagues, and they definitely could not see me. As it began to walk, there was not a soul in sight. Every business I passed was closed. That encouraged me to increase my speed. Suddenly, I feel like someone is watching me, and I quickly scanned my surroundings.
Starting point is 00:42:35 I continued to look around out of fear and that feeling of being watched. Then there, across the street, separated by four lanes of traffic was a figure in all black. I couldn't see his face, but I knew it was a male, and his head was aimed in my direction. I had noticed him before. It was eerily quiet. There wasn't a car in sight, and I was really starting to get uncomfortable. I increased my speed and started walking in the direction, which I was headed, but on the opposite side of the street, I wondered if he's waiting for the bus, why is he walking
Starting point is 00:43:19 down the street? I had my cell phone in my pocket and my keys with mace attached in my hand, but I was still scared. All I wanted to do was make it to my car. My heart skipped several beats. The adrenaline began to pump, and then I took off running, sprinting in my four-inch heels, and very fitted pencil skirt. But my feet were headed in different directions, and I dropped my keys to the ground. Within seconds, I scrambled to pick them up and started running again. But now the guy was running too in my direction.
Starting point is 00:43:57 He started to cross the street. The closer I got to my car, the closer he got to me. I pressed the unlock button on my remote several times. In a matter of seconds, he was just a few feet away from me. And as I jumped in the driver's seat, closed and locked the doors, the guy slammed against the driver's side window with such a force that I felt the entire car move. I looked at him and screamed at the top of my lungs. Those eyes, I've seen those eyes before. And a matter of seconds, the key was in the ignition. I shifted into gear and made an illegal U-turn without checking for oncoming vehicles. I know that
Starting point is 00:44:40 was extremely dangerous, but there wasn't a car in sight. I ran every light until I reached a major intersection. And when I finally stopped, tears were streaming down my face. And just at that moment, I realized that the guy who chased me was the same guy who attempted to sell me children's books at Penera Bread just a week earlier. I arrived home and told my family what had happened. While they encouraged me to call the police, I didn't. I was a little embarrassed at how much I drank that night
Starting point is 00:45:13 and how I handled it. My family asked why I didn't return to the bar and call home or the police to ask for help. I don't know. Again, while I only had a few drinks, clearly my judgment was impaired. A few weeks later, a flyer was distributed to the staff and students at my school
Starting point is 00:45:36 to be aware of a male, fitting the description of the guy who chased me. The drawing depicted him wearing a black kufi hat, face stubble, him wearing a black kufi hat, face double, and wearing all black. He attempted to assault a woman a few blocks from our school. Now I really wished that I would have reported the incident, and thank God that that woman escaped. However, I have learned to never leave restaurants or bars alone at night, no matter how close I think I parked the car.
Starting point is 00:46:09 And I limit myself to one drink no matter the occasion. To the guy Clad and all Black who was planning to do God knows what, to me, I pray we never meet again. 18T Fiber presents A Straight Forward Moment Your wine? Thanks. I'll pretend I know what I'm doing before saying it's good. And I'll pretend I don't know you're pretending. Are you a Gigillionaire?
Starting point is 00:46:44 Yeah, I have AT&T Fiber. The straightforward pricing has inspired me to be more straightforward. Me too. Ugh, this wine. I'll fetch you a better one. Straight forward is better. No equipment fees, no data caps, no price increase at 12 months. Live like a Gagillionaire with AT&T Fiber.
Starting point is 00:46:59 Limited availability in select areas, visit AT&T.com slash Hypergate for details. AT&T Fiber presents a straightforward moment. You're one. Thanks. I'll pretend I know what I'm doing before saying it's good. And I'll pretend I don't know you're pretending. Are you a Gagillionaire? Yeah, I have AT&T Fiber.
Starting point is 00:47:16 The straightforward pricing has inspired me to be more straightforward. Me too. Ugh, this wine. I'll fetch you a better one. Straight forward is better. No equipment fees, no data caps, no price increase at 12 months. Live like a Giga-Gillionaire with AT&T Fiber,
Starting point is 00:47:29 limited availability in select areas, visit atct.com slash HyperGig for details. Thank you for listening to this week's episode of Let's Not Meet, a true horror podcast. This week you have heard, I never spent the night alone in that house again by E ...Elene. Don't take the scenic route. By a listener that asked to remain anonymous. A acquaintance from my school by Ashley Lynn.
Starting point is 00:47:52 The time I thought I was going to die by... ...staff. And finally, the Panera Bread Solicitor by Lauren. All of the stories you've heard this week were narrated and produced with the permission of their respective authors. Let's not meet. A true horror podcast is not associated with Reddit or any other message boards online. If you have a story to share on the show, send it over to Let's Not Meet Stories at gmail.com.
Starting point is 00:48:16 And if you want to get access to all of the bonus content, we have half hour bonus episodes every week plus a bunch of other additional content, as well as exclusive merchandise and things like that. Head over to patreon.com, forward slash let's not eat podcast or follow the link in the show notes to support the show today. The show is not possible without all of the wonderful supporters over at the Patreon. I'll see you all next week for a brand new episode of Let's Not Meet, a true horror podcast. Stay safe. 18T fiber presents a straightforward moment. Your wine?
Starting point is 00:49:23 Thanks. I'll pretend I know what I'm doing before saying it's good. And I'll pretend I don't know you're pretending. fiber presents a straightforward moment. Straight forward is better. No equipment fees, no data caps, no price increase at 12 months. Live like a GIGGLIONaire with AT&T Fiber. Limited availability in select areas, visit AT&T.com slash Hypergate for details. AT&T Fiber presents a straightforward moment. Your wine?
Starting point is 00:49:53 Thanks. I'll pretend I know what I'm doing before saying it's good. And I'll pretend I don't know you're pretending. Are you a Gagillionaire? Yeah, I have AT&T Fiber. The straightforward pricing has inspired me to be more straightforward. Me too. Ugh, this wine. I'll fetch you a better one. a Gigillionaire.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.