At times, real life can feel like something out of a scary movie.
The people in these stories experienced moments so bizarre, unsettling, or unbelievable, they could hardly accept they were real.
From strange noises in the dark to inexplicable sights, these 14 true stories will make you reconsider turning off the lights.
Story 1
I woke up at 2 a.m. to drink water. The TV was on. I heard my daughter asking, “Daddy, can you get me a blanket?”
Half-asleep, I took one and tossed it on the couch.
As I returned to bed, it hit me—my daughter was at a sleepover.
I ran back and froze when I saw the couch empty. Then, all of a sudden, I heard a loud voice coming from the TV, confirming it was indeed on. I rushed to wake my wife and told her what happened. She reminded me our daughter was gone and admitted she’d forgotten to turn off the TV.
It all made sense later… but the memory of that voice in the dark still sends chills down my spine.
Story 2
I was six, playing in my room, when my grandpa walked in. He chatted with me for a few minutes, kissed my forehead, and said, “Be a good girl for Mom.” Then he left.
A few minutes later, Mom burst into the room crying. My grandpa had passed away overnight—two states away.
© shayluhhh / Reddit
Story 3
When I still lived at my parents’ house, a small sign with my name had been glued to my bedroom door for years.
The night before moving out, it suddenly fell off—on its own—in the middle of the night.
No one touched the door. No wind. Just the sound of it hitting the floor, as if the house itself knew I was leaving.
© Veezerick / Reddit
Story 4
One night, while our parents were out, I heard a music box playing. My sister and I huddled together, terrified, until it stopped around 5 a.m.
When we finally looked, we found an old music box in the trash bin outside. It looked ancient.
Over the next few nights, it kept playing. I opened it to take out the batteries—there were none.
© PurpleSkinTag / Reddit
Story 5
When I was a kid, I came home from school and found the house empty, which was normal.
The moment I stepped in, the radio suddenly blasted at full volume. I screamed and ran outside.
When I gathered courage and went back in, the radio was off. Completely silent.
I still think about it to this day.
© mikemikebungee / Reddit
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Story 6
A friend and I were walking home from a late movie when we saw a man ahead of us wearing an old-fashioned hat. He turned down a narrow alley, and since that was our route too, we followed—only to find the alley completely empty.
No doors, no exits, no sound. Just the lingering scent of pipe smoke.
We laughed it off at the time, but a week later, I saw an old photo in the local newspaper archives—same hat, same face. The man had died there in 1947.
Story 7
I was visiting my grandfather’s grave for the first time when a golden retriever appeared out of nowhere. He sat beside me quietly, resting his head on my knee.
As I got up to leave, I turned around—and he was gone.
I know it was probably just a dog, but I still like to think my grandfather came to say goodbye.
© objetdel / Reddit
Story 8
I was around ten and secretly playing my Nintendo DS under the covers when a deep male voice in my head said, “Go to sleep.”
I froze. The door never opened, no footsteps, no whisper—just that voice.
I shut the game off and immediately passed out.
To this day, I have no idea who or what that was.
© seanproctor / Reddit
Story 9
My boyfriend told me that when he was little, he used to hear whispers from one particular room in his house.
One night, he went inside to prove it was all in his head—then something hit him so hard he blacked out.
When he woke, there was a red mark across his back shaped like claws.
It never faded.
© ruri7218 / Reddit
Story 10
My ex and I were chatting in our bedroom one night. The bathroom sink, right across from the bed, suddenly turned on by itself.
I’m a plumber. Faucets don’t do that—ever—without someone moving the handle.
To this day, I can’t explain it.
© InMemoryofJekPorkins / Reddit
Story 11
A coworker was prepping food early in the morning in an empty restaurant. He went to the restroom and heard the patio door creak open and slam shut.
He ran out—but no one was there.
When he checked the security footage, it showed him entering the bathroom. Then the feed turned to static for three minutes—until it came back on, showing him running out in panic.
I saw the footage myself. Creepiest thing I’ve ever witnessed.
© Humblepoptart / Reddit
Story 12
When I was twelve, I used to talk to an “imaginary friend” named Nora. She’d tell me stories about the old house we lived in.
Years later, when I was helping my parents move out, I found a box of old papers in the attic—letters written by a girl named Nora who had lived there before us… and died at age twelve.
I stopped reading after that.
Story 13
My roommate found a strange key lying on the passenger seat of their locked car.
No one else had the key, and the car hadn’t been driven for days.
The key didn’t match any of our locks.
We still keep it in a drawer—none of us have dared throw it away.
© Ryukotaicho / Reddit
Story 14
In second grade, I suddenly started seeing everything in black and white one morning. I felt dizzy but waited until lunch to eat.
As soon as I started eating, color flooded back into my vision.
The nurse sent me home with a fever, but no one believed my story.
It happened once, never again—and I still wonder if my brain glitched that day.
© bennettr08 / Reddit
