MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

Episode: “Nightmare Fuel” (November 27, 2025)

Overview

In this episode of the MrBallen Podcast, host John Allen (aka MrBallen) presents three terrifying true stories titled “Face,” “Just Teeth,” and “Hell on High Water.” Each tale explores real-life horror and the inexplicable, all delivered in MrBallen's signature engaging, suspenseful storytelling style. The episode provides a journey through eerie roadside encounters, gruesome farm mysteries, and a haunted ship with a lethal secret—stories guaranteed to give listeners “nightmare fuel.”

Story 1: Face

[02:19 – 11:20]

Key Points & Insights

• Setting: Live Oak, Florida, 2004—Misty Tasker, a 16-year-old, and her mother drive home from church along a desolate, forest-flanked dirt “highway.”
• Strange Sight: Misty spots what appears to be a little girl sitting on the roadside, legs up to her chest, rocking back and forth—an unusual sight in an isolated area.
• Mother’s Reluctance: Misty's mother, already anxious about night driving, is hesitant to turn around but agrees after Misty's insistence.
• The First Encounter:
  They find the girl—actually a teenager—still rocking. Oddly, she does not acknowledge the car even as they slowly pass.
• The Second Encounter:
  After losing sight of the girl in the exact area, they resume driving home. But at a distant intersection, the same girl appears—impossibly far ahead, in the same position.
• Misty’s Panic:
  Sensing something is very wrong, Misty begs her mother not to stop. While her mother insists on checking on the girl, Misty curls into the footwell, traumatized.
• Terrifying Reveal:
  When Misty's mother tries to talk to the girl, she recoils in horror and peels away from the scene, refusing at first to explain.
• “She didn't have a face”:
  After persistent questioning, Misty's mother finally describes what she saw:

  “She didn't have a face. It was hollow. There was nothing on her face when she looked at me.” – Misty’s mother ([10:35])

• Aftermath:
  They rush home, call 911, and the police search the area, but the girl is never found.

Notable Quotes

• “Mom, do not stop. I got a bad feeling about this girl.” – Misty ([07:45])
• “She didn't have a face. It was hollow.” – Misty’s mother ([10:35])

Memorable Moment

• The sheer terror described when Misty’s mother locks eyes with the girl and discovers the faceless void: a classic MrBallen “chill up your spine” moment.

Story 2: Just Teeth

[11:57 – 16:35]

Key Points & Insights

• Setting: Rural Oregon, September 25, 2012—Farmer Terry Garner, 69, known for his deep affection for his animals, especially his massive pet pigs.
• Daily Routine:
  Terry feeds his chickens, goats, and finally his beloved pigs, some of which were immense (up to 700 pounds).
• Mysterious Disappearance:
  Later that day, a family member comes looking for Terry when he doesn’t return calls. Terry is nowhere to be found, though all the animals are present.
• The Gruesome Discovery:
  The only trace of Terry is in the pig pen: his false teeth grinning up from the mud, along with clothing and scattered body parts.
• Investigation:
  Authorities theorize Terry may have had a medical emergency or fell, rendering him helpless—his pigs then devoured him.
• Chilling Uncertainty:
  It remains unclear if Terry was dead before the pigs began eating him or if he was alive and incapacitated.

Notable Quotes

• “[The family member] knew for sure what they were looking at. And as soon as that truth sunk in they turned, ran to the house and called the police.” ([13:10])
• “Those teeth, along with several pieces of his body and his clothes, were all that was left of Terry.” ([13:50])
• “Officials were not able to actually figure out whether or not Terry was dead before he began being eaten, or if he was just incapacitated and very much alive when his beloved pigs began to eat him.” ([15:30])

Memorable Moment

• The striking image of “just teeth grinning back at him” in the mud underscores the horror and grim irony—his beloved pigs responsible for his gruesome end.

Story 3: Hell on High Water

[16:35 – 36:10]

Key Points & Insights

• Setting: The Russian steamboat “Perrier,” March 1907—In the Pacific, heading from Hong Kong to California.
• The Ship’s Secret:
  Veteran sailor Nels Nelson and Captain Kavinsky are the only crew who know the Perrier’s terrifying legacy. The previous crew all deserted at the last port due to the “dark secret” aboard.
• The First Incident:
  As night falls, Nels senses dread. After a sudden warm breeze, crew members below deck begin screaming uncontrollably in perfect unison, their bodies rigid—“like they weren’t there.”
• Mass Hysteria:
  Screaming spreads throughout the ship. Nels and another sailor attempt to quarantine the victims, but chaos erupts, with crew running and screaming, some fighting, others hurting themselves.
• Possession and Death:
  The hysteria peaks when a possessed sailor stops screaming, moves on all fours, and leaps overboard to his death—immediately breaking the trance for the others.
• Repetition of Horror:
  This nightmarish sequence repeats every night for four nights; each time, a crew member dies, usually by throwing themselves off the ship. Eventually, the Captain takes his own life.
• Aftermath:
  By the time the Perrier reaches San Francisco, the crew is on the verge of mutiny. Several abandon ship at the first sight of land, and the ship is ultimately left deserted in Santa Monica.
• The Origin:
  The curse traces back to fall 1903 in Bombay, where an officer allegedly killed a man while on shore (possibly the inciting event). Soon after, the “thing” began—the warm breeze always the herald.
• The Toll:
  Over its history, 23 people die due to the Perrier’s curse: 20 sailors drown after being compelled to leap overboard; 3 captains die by suicide. The ship never sails commercially again.

Notable Quotes

• “The previous entire crew of the Perrier minus Nels and the captain had all deserted because of this secret.” ([18:25])
• “It was like his body was being possessed by something. And then it was like without even trying, suddenly the loudest scream that had ever come out of Nels came out of his mouth, and he was completely powerless to stop it.” ([23:00])
• “The screaming stopped, and it was eerily quiet. And one by one, each of the crew who had kind of broken out of their trance now began looking around, having no idea how they just wound up on the deck and what was even going on.” ([24:40])
• “All told, the thing, or the dark secret of the Perrier, claimed the lives of 23 sailors... The three others that passed away were the ship's captains who all killed themselves.” ([35:07])

Memorable Moments

• The menacing onset of the curse always heralded by a warm breeze, leading to pure “hell on high water.”
• The tragic image of a possessed sailor galloping on all fours before hurling himself into the sea.
• The pervading, cumulative psychological terror as the surviving crew become desensitized to nightly suicides—an atmosphere of utter, supernatural dread.

Episode Highlights with Timestamps

• The Faceless Girl (“Face”) – Haunting roadside encounter (04:00 – 11:20)
• A Farmer Devoured (“Just Teeth”) – Unthinkable demise among pet pigs (11:57 – 16:35)
• Ship of Screams (“Hell on High Water”) – Repeated supernatural mass hysteria and death aboard the Perrier (16:35 – 36:10)

Tone & Delivery

MrBallen’s pacing and detail heighten the horror and mystery in each segment. His tone is urgent yet calm, drawing out suspense and emphasizing bizarre or chilling details. He frequently uses direct quotations from the people involved, further immersing listeners in each story.

Concluding Notes

• All stories are based on true events, though names may be changed and some dramatization is admitted for storytelling purposes.
• MrBallen credits his research and production team at the end, maintaining the authentic, community-driven vibe of the show.

For fans of true, chilling tales with a supernatural twist, this episode of MrBallen’s podcast truly delivers on its promise of “nightmare fuel.”