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Hey, welcome to Scary Stories and Rain. Before we begin, be sure to check out my brand new podcast, Scary Stories and Fire. If you would prefer the same great stories but with a super relaxing campfire background, the link is in the description. Also, if you haven't yet, I highly recommend you subscribe to this podcast. If you enjoy listening to Relax or Fall Asleep hundreds of hours of stories and rain for $2.99 a month. That will get you access to all episodes with zero ads. Consider subscribing and I hope you enjoy this episode. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance Fiscally Responsible Financial Geniuses. Monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations this was when I was still living on a farm. Back then I was too young to understand what really happened, but thinking about it now, it was not just my imagination. There was always an uneasy feeling in that house. It always felt like you were being watched. As a child, I could never stand to look out my window when it was dark because it felt like something was waiting for me to see it. I always believed that if I sleep with my face to the wall, nothing would harm me. Until that night. I was getting into bed when I noticed that my curtains weren't completely closed. So of course I went to close it when something caught my eye outside. I saw the moon and it was glowing red and lighting up our backyard. That's when I saw it. There was a dark figure standing in the tree line. The fear I felt was so strong it made it hard to breathe. I'm just standing there keeping my eyes locked on the dark figure, hoping that I'm not really seeing what I think I'm seeing. Then it started to move towards me. I finally got my body to move and I ducked and closed the curtains, just trying to catch my breath. When I finally got the courage to peek out again, it was gone. I ran to my dad's room, waking him up frantically. He got his weapon and checked around the house. He came back after a while and told me that there was nothing to go back to sleep. I tried to protest, but he said it must have been my eyes playing tricks on me, so I decided to believe him and I went to bed, laying awake and listening to the sounds from outside. I must have fallen asleep because the next moment I heard a loud bang that woke me up. I was fully awake, but when I got out of bed to check if anyone else heard it. Everyone was still asleep. Thinking it must have been nothing, I went back to my room. I got into bed, but when I turned out my lamp, I saw the moon shining through my curtains. And there it was. The dark figure was inside my room, slowly coming towards me. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. It was like all the air in my lungs were stolen. I was frozen in fear with my mind hitting blanks. I was a sitting duck. I finally just pulled the covers over my head, hoping it would help. I felt its presence right next to me. I couldn't breathe. I felt the weight of whatever it was sit down next to me on my bed. All I could do was cry. It felt like I was stuck with that thing for hours. I kept telling myself it's just my imagination or a dream, just begging for this not to be reality. I peeked out from under my covers to find nothing. Just my teddy bear next to me. I don't know how, but I somehow fell asleep again, as per usual, with my face to the wall. A while later, I awoke again. And as soon as I opened my eyes, I saw the figure crawling from under my bed. Grasping the wall. It grabbed onto me. I was paralyzed. Its cold claws were holding my face. It was trying to tell me something. I couldn't understand it. I couldn't do anything. Then, as suddenly as it all started, it ended. I woke up and realized it was a nightmare. I heard my dad telling me to get up and get ready for school. While just a moment ago, that thing was inches away from my face. I never saw it again. But there were some small things that happened throughout, throughout our time living there, but nothing like what I experienced that night. To this day, I have no idea what it was or what it was trying to tell me. This happened when my family and I had just moved into our new home. It's located on 11.5 acres of land and has a pond and many trees. So as you could probably imagine, it was huge. Once we got there, we began cleaning and putting some camping chairs and air mattresses in just until we were able to get our furniture in. And everything was great for the first couple days. Tiring, but great. Soon enough, we made it a habit. Sit around the end of the kitchen, near the living room and in front of the two decently sized windows facing the deck and the backyard of the land. We usually gather there at night and talk for a couple hours before going to bed. And this night in particular, nothing was different. We gathered around as usual and began chatting about daily things as my mom washed the dishes. It was about 10:30pm There was a window above our sink facing the back part of the land as well, but when it was night you couldn't see a thing. Just pitch darkness. As we were talking, my mom suddenly screamed, thinking she had seen a giant bug. I didn't think much of it. That was until I heard what she said right after there's a man outside. My mom described it as looking up and just seeing a white face staring directly at her. She said that once she looked at him, he motioned for her to come outside. My dad got up and headed straight for the door, opening it without hesitation and confronting the man while me and my brother stood quietly in the kitchen. It was still a terrifying situation and not being prepared for anything like this, we had no idea what to do. I kept my thumb over the emergency call button as I listened to my dad speak to the strange man. How did you get in here? My dad asked. The man didn't give a specific answer, but we knew he had jumped the fence and the gate. But he only said that he drove up to the gate and wanted my dad to sell him the tractors that were on our land when we first purchased it. You need to leave, man, I heard my dad say. Didn't want any trouble, I heard the man reply in a quiet and eerie tone, I'll come back on Friday. And that's when he left. We watched him walk to his car, get in and drive away. And if you're wondering, no, he didn't end up coming back. Which makes me think he wasn't really here for the tractors. This story takes place in 2012. I was 22 years old and stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs. Myself and a few of my army buddies had decided to head to one of the local bowling alleys on a Saturday night. Nothing crazy, just wanted to get out of the barracks for a bit. A few games and a few beers later, one of my friends n shot out the idea to our group. Who wants to go to Gold Camp Road? I heard a few sighs and looked to see myself as well as a few others had a what are you talking about? Look all over their faces. It's haunted, it's creepy, and it's better than bowling. Come on, who's in? Most of us agreed. Myself, I loved anything and everything spooky and paranormal, so I wasted no time in throwing in my hell yeah. So it was settled. We finished our drinks and headed out the door. By now I was getting really excited. What was turning out to be just a dull, regular Saturday night at a local bowling alley was now turning into something way more interesting. There was two vehicles carrying all of us. So as we headed towards this infamous Gold camp road, I was told the story that goes with it. Because there's always a story, isn't there? Whether there's any actual truth to the story I'm about to tell you, I'm not sure. But what we experienced out there did happen. Tucked away in Teller county and running through North Cheyenne Canyon, the road is 8.6 miles one way. It has an eerie history. It's said to be haunted. Set into the hills of Colorado Springs, Bear Creek park. In the 1880s, a railroad was built from Cripple Creek to Colorado Springs during the gold rush. In 1922, it ceased its activities and was converted into a Highway. In 1924, the new road had three tunnels. One of them is said to have collapsed around 1988 when a school bus full of orphans collided with it, killing the driver and all the children aboard. After the incident, the tunnels are said to be severely haunted. And while this is just superstition, the threatening claws of the fence guarding one of the tunnels aren't doing anything to discourage the stories. While most of these claims have been made about the closed third tunnel, others have reported strange occurrences in the two remaining as well. The collapsed tunnel is sealed off by huge gates and located past where cars can easily drive. This location is a popular hangout for high schoolers, toddlers and teens, especially on summer nights. Various stories surround what makes these tunnels haunted. When the tunnels were built in the 1800s, it's said that many workers died in actually building the tunnels. There have been rumblings of a school bus accident ranging from a suicidal driver to an oncoming train. Nowadays, hikers report hearing laughter in the area and cars able to get close enough have found tiny handprints in window fog. Today, people drive through the second tunnel waiting for the car to be moved after putting it in park and turning off the lights. Others have claimed to see apparitions of men in cloaks. The third tunnel you are not able to drive through. But many peer in, wondering the secrets of this spooky spot. As we slowly climbed the one way dirt road, I was told the story about the kids and the bus. I'm not going to lie, most of it wasn't really hitting. Every town has a story like this, right where you go on this road and on this night and stop here and you'll see the ghost of Xyz it's always a road or a bridge. I've spent a lot of my life checking out creepy abandoned places, graveyards, supposed haunted locations. So this was just going to be another I add to my list. That was really cool to see, hear the story, then be on my way a few hours later with nothing of note happening. As we went through the first tunnel, I was excited and really in awe of how long this road was and beautiful the city looked as we drove higher and higher. Same result as we went through the second tunnel. Now before we got to the third tunnel, there was a spot to park because I was told we can't drive through the third and we would have to get out and walk. We all got out and were just talking, laughing and had a few more beers. A few of my buddies and I even shot off some guns. Stupid I know. I was 22, a little drunk and not using my best judgment. After all that died down, myself and two of my army buddies walked over to the third tunnel and they showed me how it was gated up, but you could squeeze behind it. There was a lot of trash and beer cans around, looking like there had been plenty of people coming out here for a while doing the same thing we were. Again, nothing of note. It was cool to see, but no scary ghost ghost sightings, no phantom bus or kids screaming. So after 15 minutes or so we walked back to our cars and not long after that we talked about just heading out since nothing was happening and it was starting to get pretty late. I'd say it was around 2:30am at this point it took us at least 25 to 30 minutes to climb up this mountain. It's pretty much a one way road that winds into curves, so you have to drive very slowly. So I think we were all just over it and ready to head back down. Not long before we jumped back in the vehicles. D one of my friends kept reiterating that he was hearing something off in the distance. Kids, I swear I can hear something that sounded like a kid. I was laughing at him like, okay dude, dude, yeah, sure you did. N came out to our vehicle, started dumping baby powder all over our cars. J the driver was like, what are you doing? He stated that the lore and legend says if you put baby powder on the cars as you drive up or down the mountain, you will see handprints all over your car afterwards. So we rolled our eyes and let him finish and then jumped in. N and a few others were in an SUV in front of us and we were in a sports Car. They were a decent distance ahead of us. So it was weird when all of a sudden two headlights appeared around the bend following us. At first we were asking one another, was there another car up there? No, there wasn't. We were all the way at the top and there was no other vehicle. Vehicles parked up there with us. And the last and third tunnel was gated off. You can't get any sized vehicle through it. At this point, Jay is a little freaked out and I'm uncomfortable with that thought. The car would fly right up on us, would almost hit us, and then would back off. Repeating this over and over for about 10 minutes. I'd say driving down a curved and windy one lane road road without guardrails is nerve wracking enough, but with a vehicle right up on you, it made it 100 times more intense. Finally, the car backed off with the headlights disappearing about halfway down the mountain. We looked at one another exchanging the WTF was that about? Glance. And right as I looked back toward the road, we saw it. A man walking up the mountain. 2:45 in the morning. And there was a man walking up this mountain. His head was down and he had a beard and long hair, so his face was covered. The one thing about all this that stood out was that he was wearing one of those green and yellow reflective jackets as well. We both verbally were like, whoa, what? What is that guy doing? As we continued down. I'm now actually kind of freaked out because there's too many things happening that are just downright weird. There was no sign of another vehicle parked off the side of the road as we drove on. Like the guy parked off and just wanted to go for a late night walk up a mountain. As weird and as crazy as this sounds, he looked like a bus driver. I don't think either of us ever, ever said that out loud to one another, but I know we were both thinking it. Jay and I finally make it down the mountain. 10 or so minutes later, nerves are shot and we are ready to just go back to the barracks and call it a night. Jay wanted to stop and get some gas, a drink to calm his nerves. So we stopped at a nearby gas station. I walked inside as he was getting gas and grabbed us two waters. As I came back out, I stopped to dead in my tracks as I got up to the rear of his car. Jay, you gotta come see this man. Dude, what? What are you talking about? As he twisted the cat back on and closed his door to the gas tank, he looked at me and then slowly turned to see what I was staring at. Jay's back windshield was completely, completely covered in small, tiny handprints. All that baby powder that N dumped on his car earlier. It was there. It really happened. I was at a loss for words. Was I really seeing this? J immediately said, oh heck no. Took the water from my hands and dumped it all over them and wiped it all off. He kept muttering to himself, heck no, heck no under his breath as he wiped it off. He and I got back in his car and we never spoke about it again to one another for some reason and we never again went back to Gold Camp Road. Have you ever spotted McDonald's hot crispy fries right as they're being scooped into the carton and time just stands still. This episode is brought to you by Shopify Upgrade your business with Shopify Home of the number one checkout on the planet. Shop pay boosts conversions up to 50%, meaning fewer carts going abandoned and more sales going cha ching. So if you're into growing your business, get a commerce platform that's ready to sell wherever your customers are. Visit shopify.com to upgrade your selling today. This episode is brought to you by Meundies Underwear Drawers are like the Wild West. You never know what you're gonna pull out or what shape it's in. So upgrade your collection with the buttery, soft comfort of Meundies. Meundies signature fabric is as soft as a warm hug from your favorite sweater. Plus, it's breathable and oh so comfy, making it ideal for wear. Get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping at MeUndies.com Spotify with code Spotify that's MeUndies.com Spotify code Spotify Back in 2017, my husband and I were touring homes for sale with a family member. On this particular day, we toured a home that was once a duplex and had since been converted into a large family home. It was an older home that needed some cosmetic work, but it was a beautiful space with a large front porch, a large yard, and even a garage with a workspace. Despite admiring the charm of the old house, I started feeling ill almost immediately after arriving. I thought it was strange, but brushed it off and continued to check out the rest of the home. We toured room after room without any problem until we reached one of the upstairs bedrooms. There was a large closet tucked away in the far corner of the bedroom. My husband and I decided to check it out while our family member and the real estate agent looked over the rest of the room. My husband opened the door took a step inside and proceeded to pull the chain on the closet light. As he reached for the chain, a chill suddenly ran down my spine. Almost as soon as the light turned on, there was a loud pop. The light surged and quickly went dark. My husband turned around to look at me and his face went white. I whipped around to see what had caused him to react this way, but I saw nothing. He refused to say what he saw. In the presence of the realtor and our family member, we finished touring the upper floor, my husband and I growing more antsy to leave as time passed. The realtor then led us into the basement. As we moved down the stairs and into the middle of the space, the ill feeling I had had since we arrived suddenly intensified. I felt nauseous, weak and short of breath. My limbs felt heavy and I was sure I was going to pass out. I told my husband I didn't feel well and I needed to leave. We excused ourselves and made our way to the porch. As I sat on the front steps, the ill feeling was gone, but my entire body was shaking. The realtor and our family member soon joined us. The realtor offered to show us the garage. My husband and I declined and asked to meet up at the next home. Once we were back in the car and driving away from the property, I was completely fine, as if the whole incident in the basement had never happened. My husband then looked at me with wide eyes and told me what he had seen when the closet light went out. When he turned around to look at me, there was an old man with large glasses standing directly behind me with an incredibly angry look on his face. He was there only for a split second, and by the time I had turned around, he was already gone. The rest of our day touring Holmes was completely normal. I never felt that ill feeling again, and we had no other odd experiences. Several days later, my husband told a coworker he was close to about the weird experience we had had in the house. As it turned out, his co worker knew a middle aged man who lived in that home several years prior. He was a trade worker who enjoyed his solitude, didn't appreciate being bothered by outsiders, and apparently had a pretty bad temper. He was very protective of his home and of his space, especially the workshop in his garage where he had spent a lot of his time. He died of a heart attack in that garage. Looking back on that day, I'm thankful we chose to pass on the rest of the tour. After what we experienced in the house, I don't want to imagine what it would have been like to intrude in his favorite place. 26 year old Deborah Deanne Poe grew up in Northern Virginia near Washington D.C. eventually moving to Orlando, Florida in late October of 1989. Whilst in Orlando, Deborah rented a duplex with a female roommate, fostering dreams of purchasing her own home with the profits she had hoped to make from her fledgling catering company. In order to realize said dreams, Debra worked two jobs in the Orlando area, one being in a sales department of the Orlando Sentinel newspaper and the other working five nights a week as a clerk at a Circle K convenience store on the intersection of Hall Road and Aloma Avenue, where she was entirely alone. Whilst on the job, Scott Iagi, another clerk at the Circle K, who also happened to be Deborah's boyfriend, handed over his shift to her at around 11pm on February 3, 1990. Two hours later, Scott returned to the Circle K to see how Deborah was holding up. She was relatively new to the company and was blessed that her boyfriend was willing willing to put time aside to assist her in her nightly duties. Once Scott was sure that she would be okay, he drove home to get some rest, expecting a call from Debra once she had finished her shift at around 7am yet he never received one. Shortly after 3am on the morning of February 4, a friend of Debra's happened to be driving by the Circle K store. She attests that she saw Debra behind the camera counter, clearly recognizing her distinct hairstyle from some distance away. However, around a half hour later, a customer parked up in her vehicle in the Circle K's parking lot and walked inside of the store to buy a pack of cigarettes. This particular customer was a regular visitor at the time of night, given that she too worked the late night shift at her job. So even though Debra had only worked there for a short time, she had become accustomed to seeing the sleepy eyed young clerk behind the counter. But to her surprise, when she walked in that night, it wasn't Debra on duty. In fact, the man who stood behind the counter didn't appear to be an employee of Circle K at all, given that instead of the usual uniform, he was wearing a black Megadeth T shirt emblazoned with a fire breathing dragon. The customer inquired if he was a new employee, to which the strange man replied in the affirmative. She then asked where Debra was and was confused when the strange man didn't seem to know who she was. After all, the Circle K team were a close knit bunch and included a romantic couple. But if this young man was indeed a new employee, it was perfectly understandable that he might not be entirely familiar with his colleagues yet, so his answer didn't arouse too much suspicion. The customer shrugged it off, then asked the clerk for a pack of their favorite cigarette brand. Yet not only did the strange man not seem to be familiar with where the cigarettes were located or which brand was which, he seemed to have a great deal of trouble operating the register, too. Yet as with her previous inquiry, the customer simply put it down to the teething pains of a new hire and call calmly waited for her change as the strange man pushed one button after another before the cash register finally popped open. As she left the store, she heard the strange man lean over the counter and say, you really shouldn't smoke, you know, in a tone that left her feeling distinctly creeped out. Then, just another half hour later, another customer walked into the Circle K, only to find it completely deserted. They called out for service, but no one came to their assistance. Something didn't sit right with them at all, and so they made the decision to call the local sheriff's department to warn them that something bad may have happened. Police arrived a short while later to discover that Debra's red Toyota was still in the parking lot, all locked up. Yet strangely, they found that not only were her purse and paycheck still in the car, but also that her actual car keys were locked inside, too. On inspecting the interior of the Circle K store, the cops then found what they assumed was Debra's Circle K uniform, folded and neatly placed behind the counter. The register was secured. There was no obvious sign of theft of either cash or pro product. Nothing was remotely out of place. It was as if that night, Debra had simply vanished into thin air. A K9 police unit was called in, and the dog handler gave his K9 a whiff of Deborah's uniform, instructing it to follow the scent. The search dog then rushed around to the rear of the store building, alerting on two distinct spots in a section of pavement. The first was a patch of concrete behind a derelict business just next to the Circle K. The other seemed to be through a gap in a large wooden fence that led into the parking lot of a neighboring apartment complex. After that, the search dog seemed to lose her trail. The sudden loss of the scent trail led investigating sheriff's deputies to conclude that Debra had either willingly entered a vehicle which promptly drove off, or had done so under duress. But since Deborah hadn't returned to either her job, her boyfriend, or her rented apartment, the only real question was who might want to abduct the hard working and personable young woman. What quickly became obvious to investigators was the solitary nature of Debra's work made her a very easy and obvious target for kidnapping. She was an attractive young woman working alone in a gas station in the middle of the night at a time when there were no CCTV cameras present to record the interior or exterior of the business. According to her boyfriend, there was also no shortage of bothersome customers to include on the list of suspects, some of whom harmlessly flirted with Debra. Others, she complained, had made some legitimately predatory remarks to her when they came in drunk in the wee small hours. Her boyfriend told the police on one particular incident that Debra complained of, which occurred just a fortnight prior to the apparent abduction. According to her, a semi naked man ran into the Circle K and hopped over the counter where he then attempted to indecently assault her. Debra was then pursued around the store for a few minutes, then chased outside to the gas pumps where she was able to evade the man and make it back to the store before him, where she promptly locked the doors to keep him out. It was only when Debra had secured a full time sales position at the Orlando Sentinel that her family and boyfriend pleaded with her to quit working at the Circle K, citing the dangers of working alone in the middle of the night. However, Debra refused, arguing that she needed the extra hours in order to raise funds to put towards starting up that dream catering business of hers. As a kind of compromise, Scott began to accompany her to work, remaining in his car while she worked and drinking coffee to stay awake so that he could keep an eye on her. But this only irritated Debra, who complained that she didn't need to be chaperoned, especially when her boyfriend should be at home home getting the sleep he needed to complete his own full time hours. After collecting statements from various eyewitnesses, police decided their investigation should focus around the creepy sounding Megadeth fan who was behind the counter when the smoker arrived to buy cigarettes. The Orlando Sentinel ran a missing persons ad in the classified section every day for 11 years after her abduction ending in December, December 2001. But information yielded from the ads proved useless. Yet after more than 30 years and hundreds of tips from the general public, this man has yet to be identified. There were also some doubts that he was even involved in her disappearance at all, given that he could have walked into the store possibly drunk, saw that there was no one behind the counter, and decided to play at being a clerk for an hour or so. But it would have to be something of an extraordinary coincidence that he had been present in the store Just a matter of minutes after she was supposedly abducted. Either way, police were never able to identify or question the man, and so his identity and level of involvement remain a complete mystery. In the immediate aftermath of Debra's disappearance, Police were not in a position position to go public with all of the information they had to hand, since they were worried that it might frighten their suspect into fleeing the area altogether. But after three months of no luck in their investigation, Orange county sheriff's department held a press conference in which they revealed a composite sketch of the so called Megadeth man. He was believed to be aged between 19 and 25, with long, wiry dark hair and brown eyes. Aside from the Megadeth T shirt he was wearing on the night in question, A witness had described him as wearing a skull ring on his left hand, along with a crucifix piercing dangling from his right ear. But perhaps most importantly, A black van had been parked outside at the time of his appearance, One with a large, colorful Megadeth mural airbrushed into the side. It was believed that this detail would make him easy to identify, since such a vehicle was likely to be very memorable and somewhat unique. Then, In August of 1990, a man riding an ATV made a grisly discovery near Aloma Avenue, A road that was only two miles away from where Deborah was last seen alive. It was a decomposing human corpse, Mostly skeletal, and due to the geographical and physical similarities, it was believed to be Deborah's. However, much to the relief of her family and friends, the jewelry on the corpse was found to bear no similarities to that which they knew that Debra owned. And after a comparison was made between the corpse's bite pattern and Deborah's dental records, the possibility of it being the missing clerk was ruled out. It gave her family hope. Hope that she might still be alive. Over a year after the corpse's discovery In November of 1991, Deborah's case was featured on the popular TV show Unsolved Mysteries. Over 150 viewers from all over the country Called in with fresh information, Most of which involved the identity or location of the Megadeth man search seen behind the counter. That night, Orange county police also received a call from law enforcement officials up in Virginia who told them they were investigating a remarkably similar case and actually had a suspect in their custody who matched the physical description of the Megadeth man. However, despite the physical similarities, Detectives were unable to charge the man up in Virginia and were forced to investigate other suspects during the following few years, One of which was an Ex boyfriend of Deborah's who she had broken up with, citing mental instability. Another came to the attention of detectives as late as 1998, following reports that he would talk constantly about Debra's disappearance with an apparently unhealthy interest. But once he was confronted by police, the man simply lawyered up and refused to talk about it anymore, subsequently dodging a charge for her abduction. Almost 12 years later, in March of 2002, a large team of Orange county sheriff's deputies and volunteer search and rescue personnel assembled in an empty lot behind the Chapel Hill Baptist Church on Trevarthen Road in Orlando. They spent around 14 hours intensively searching the one acre lot, which was only around 53 and a half miles from the Circle K gas station. Having identified it as a possible location for Deborah's remains, their reasoning was that it was in close proximity to the home of a new suspect in the case, but refused to say just who that was in reference. To that day, five of the six search canines present alerted to there having been human remains in an overgrown section of the field. Yet the 12 hours of excavation that followed yielded nothing of significance, although that didn't rule out that Deborah's body had been buried there following her murder and then moved at some point during the early stages of the investigation into her disappearance. However, terrifyingly enough, local news reporters discovered that this location was close to the apartment of none other than Deborah's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance. Scott Iagi, the very same man who had been so insistent that the blame lay with the men harassing her, was now the prime suspect in what was by that point assumed to be her murder. Yet he too was never officially charged with any crime. It has been more than 30 years since Deborah Diane Poe disappeared from her job at the Circle K gas station in Orlando, Florida. 30 leads of dead ends, bad leads and failed charges. There have been no human remains discovered that have ever been successfully identified as belonging to her. No one has ever come forward claiming to be her, and no one has ever confessed to her murder. For intents and purposes, Deborah simply vanished from thin air that night. Night. Never to be seen again. Even as the world ventured into the era of camera phones, Internet media, and communities of people obsessed with unsolved mysteries, there have been no significant developments in her case. Thirty years later, the question remains, just what exactly did happen to Deborah Deanna Po A dark place. That's where I loved to be. It made me feel safe and helped hide my secret. But it wasn't a normal secret, like kissing a girlfriend in a closet or trying to take sexy pictures of myself. No, I didn't care for that. What I cared about was smoking a cigarette, which was actually what I was doing. The closet where I was hiding smelled like cigarette smoke and I coughed hard because of that smoke. I then sighed softly, thinking about how I got to this point. I never wanted to smoke, but everywhere I had been or gone, I saw people smoking and one day I figured out I should try it for myself. And that's where the problems began. Instead of buying groceries or important stuff, I would buy cigarettes of any kind I could lay my hands on. Just then the closet door swung open and my mother, a nice blond haired lady, stood there with a dark glare on her face and her arms crossed. Jackson, what on earth are you doing? My mother snapped at me. I looked away from my mother. I didn't want to tell her and I knew she already knew. Mom then grabbed me from under the arm before taking me out of the closet and marching me into the living room. Then mom threw me onto the couch and she ripped the cigarette out of my hand and blew it out. I thought we agreed you wouldn't do this anymore. Mom said holding up the cigarette. But I knew I couldn't stop because I had been smoking ever since my dad died when I was 18. My dad had died in a car crash and I felt horrible seeing my mother upset and knowing that my dad wouldn't see me grow up anymore. Jackson, you're 21 years old and you're still freaking smoking. You know I hate the house smelling like smoke. Mom snapped at me. Well, you shouldn't have let dad drive the car when he was drunk. I shouted at her. Mom gasped at what I had said and she even seemed shocked. I then got up from the couch and headed out of the room. Mom followed behind me, explaining that she was sorry for what she said. But I didn't care. All I did was just shrug her off, saying I would be home later and then walked out the front door, slamming the door behind myself. It's not your fault Jackson. None of it is. I mumbled under my breath as I walked down the street. I then headed to the park. It had a place in my heart, a dark place because it's where I had my first cigarette. The day seemed clear in my mind. Me and a couple of friends were hanging out at the park when one of them broke out a pack of cigarettes. When they asked if I wanted one, I said no at first, but then after some peer pressure, I took one and started smoking it. The first time I sucked in the smoke, it made me cough and my friends laughed at me. But after that first one, I got used to it and then all the rest was history. When I sat down on a bench, I pulled out my pack of cigarettes from my jacket pocket. Oh crap. I hissed when I realized the cigarette pack was empty. I then remembered I had used that last one when I was sitting in the closet. So instead I just decided to sit on the bench and let the outdoor noises noises fill my ears. Maybe my life would be better if I wasn't alive. Maybe my mom would be happier if I had died along with Dad. A few hours later, I stood up and decided to head home. But first I wanted to stop by the store and grab another pack. As I was walking, I suddenly stopped and looked up. I noticed I was standing in front of a small group grocery store. Without another word, I walked into the store and looked around. It was dusty and old. Looking inside, I noticed there were spiderwebs in the corners and then I thought I saw a rat run past my feet. When I got to the front counter, I noticed no one was there, but I noticed there was a silver bell sitting there. Hello, hello. I shouted out loud. No one answered so I hit the bell ringing it. Then I waited. Suddenly an older man appeared from nowhere. Welcome to Supernatural Stuff. I'm your wonderful shopkeeper, Mr. Knight. How may I help you, young man? The man grinned and asked. I didn't say anything. I was just looking at the man. He had black and gray hair and one eye was completely white and he was wearing all black. Um, do you have any cigarettes? I asked nervously. Yes, I do. Mr. Knight replied with a smile. A few seconds later, Mr. Knight placed a pack of cigarettes in front of me which I picked up. The box was white and gold and then I noticed in bold black letters the word Pleasure on the front of the box right in the middle. Do you like them? Mr. Knight asked in a mysterious voice. I just nodded then reaching into my pocket and pulled out my wallet, ready to pay the man. Oh no, young man, they are free of charge. Just think of it as a gift from me to you. Mr. Knight said holding up his hands. I don't have to pay you? I asked him confused. No you don't young man. But I would wait until you get home to use them. Mr. Knight said. I nodded before looking down to put the cigarettes in my pockets and when I looked up, Mr. Knight was gone. What? Where did he go? I mumbled under my breath. I didn't stick around. I then headed home to think about what had happened in the store. When I got home I heard people talking and laughing and I growled under my breath. My mom's friends were over and they were probably chatting and drinking tea like they always did. So I headed to my room where I shut the door behind myself and sat on the edge of my bed. I pulled out the strange cigarettes, looking at them, wondering what Mr. Knight meant by what he said. I opened the pack and pulled out a cigarette and I noticed it looked like a normal one, which confused me. I then lit the cigarette and started smoking it. When I blew the smoke out of my mouth I noticed it was black. What? I mumbled under my breath. I then coughed hard and rolled my eyes. Then I continued smoking it and a minute later I was done. I sighed softly, thinking about going downstairs to see my mom's friends, but I didn't want them to smell smoke on me. Suddenly I felt tired. I looked up, my brain felt like it was going numb and I looked at the pack that was sitting next to me on the bed. I need another one, I said without emotion in my voice. When I blinked, I jumped off the bed, breathing heavily. The box of cigarettes was now on the ground and all of them were scattered all over the place. I then placed a hand on my chest and noticed that I felt like a zombie for a short time, which made me feel worried. Just then there was a knock at my bedroom door and I gasped before I started picking up the cigarettes. Honey, are you doing okay? I heard mom ask me. I didn't say anything. After I picked the box and all the cigarettes cigarettes up. I hid them in my sock drawer before my mom could come in. Then I opened the door and smiled weakly at my mom who stood there looking worried. Hi. Are you okay? Do you need something? I asked, smiling again at her. I came to ask if you were okay. Did you calm down? Mom asked me. I nodded and yawned. I felt tired and then rubbed my eyes, wanting to fall asleep. Honey, are you sure you're doing well? You look really tired, mom said, sounding concerned. Mom, chill. I'm fine. Maybe I just need to get some shut eye and I'll feel better in the morning, I explained without another word. I closed my bedroom door and kicked my shoes off, then fell asleep in my bed with my clothes still on. A few hours later I bolted upright and looked around, confused at first and then I rubbed my eyes. It was dark inside my room and dark outside. I grabbed my phone, which was on my nightstand and looked at the time. It was three in the morning, which made me confused and made the phone fall out of my hand. I slept for that long. I mumbled under my breath. Then I thought about going downstairs to eat something or getting a glass of water to wash it down my throat. I then got out of bed and headed downstairs, noticing that mom was sleeping in her room too. I then got to the kitchen, turning the small overhead light on and turned on the sink faucet, getting myself a glass of water. Jackson, a voice behind me said. I turned around with the glass in my hand. I was expecting to see my mom standing there, but no one was there. Suddenly I heard something breathing heavily behind me and I felt confused. Don't you want another one? A voice whispered in my ear. I jumped out of fear and dropped the glass on the ground, which caused it to shatter. A few seconds later I heard footsteps and my mom ran into the room and stopped when she saw the glass all over the floor. Jackson McCormick, what on earth did you do? Mom shouted. I don't know. I was just getting a glass of water and then something someone whispered into my ear and then I dropped the glass. I explained, looking around. The next morning I was sitting on the couch. I had an argument with mom about the glass and when I told her what happened she didn't believe me. What happened last night? I mumbled under my breath while rubbing the glass back of my neck. I heard mom talking on the phone, probably with one of her friends, and I sighed quietly. Then without another word, I stood up and headed out of the house and headed to my spot in the park. I took out one of the Pleasure cigarettes and examined it, attempting to figure out how it worked. I started trying to break it or unroll it, but I stopped. I had the same feeling wash over me the first time I smoked one of those cigarettes. I can't hurt them, I said in a dazed voice. I looked at my hands and then I stopped messing with the cigarette. I lit the cigarette, sticking it in my mouth like I always did. I was smoking, looking at the ground, wondering what had happened to me last night, and I coughed hard again. I stopped when I heard laughter. I looked up and noticed there was a little girl standing in front of me wearing all black. Hello Jackie, do you want to play with me? She asked, grinning at me. I just. I cut myself off and started staring at the girl suddenly. Suddenly the little girl started laughing. At first it was cute, but then it started to get dark and seemed more evil. Then the girl abruptly coughed and black goo shot out of her mouth, which was also running down out of her nose. She then lunged at me which caused me to scream in fear and I fell off the bench and landed on the ground. The girl was on top of me. Her eyes were completely black now and the black liquid was running down her face and out of the corners of her mouth. The black liquid was dripping onto me and some landed on my cheek which caused me to scream in pain because it was hot. Only one a day. Remember that? The girl hissed at me. More black liquid landed on my face and I cried out in fear and pain telling the girl to stop and to leave me alone. But she just kept laughing darkly. More black liquid hit my face and I cried out. Then the little girl giggled and when I opened my eyes she was gone. I immediately jumped up, dusted myself off and rubbed my cheek and I knew it hurt. I then ran home. Home and when I got into my house I leaned against the wall breathing heavily. I hoped my mom was still at work, but she walked into the front hall and she was wearing an apron. Jackson. Jackson, where did you go? Mom asked and looked confused. I didn't say anything. I noticed there was flour on Mom's apron and I tried to cover covered the burnt part of my cheek. Oh my gosh. What happened to your cheek? Mom cried out running over to me. My mother grabbed me by the face and gently touched the burned area. I groaned under my breath and my mom looked very worried. Mom. I said looking at her. But mom wasn't listening. She was trying to fix the accident that had happened on my cheek. I tried to get her attention again but it didn't work. She was complaining to me about my accident. Mom. Mom. Mom. Leave me alone. I shouted shoving her away from me. Jackson, what on earth are you doing? Mom asked. What are you doing? I'm not a baby anymore. Stop treating me like one. I'm fine and I've already told you I'm fine. I shouted at her. I headed for the stairs and mom followed behind me talking without stopping. Mom. Shut up. I yelled at her so loudly that it hurt my throat. I then headed to my room and slammed the door before sitting on my bed and I growled under my breath. Just then the door was thrown open and my mom was standing there with a glare on her face face. Before I could say anything, she walked over to me and grabbed me by the ear which caused me to cry out in shock. We're going to the doctor and you're not going to argue with me or I'm grounding you until you're 60. Mom shouted. Then she took me outside and shoved me into the car and I noticed she didn't have her apron on anymore. Please, Mom. I was cut off by another one of her glares and I looked away. As we were driving, I looked out the window, rubbing my burned cheek. I was trying to think of who that little girl was. Both of us were in the main doctor's office area a few minutes later and I rubbed my aching ear. Then I was called back into the checkup area and mom told me she would stay back here and listen to the doctor when I got there. The assistant told me to wait in the room until the doctor came and I nodded. But right when the lady left, I got up and then ran out of the room and silently walked down the hall, hoping no one would see me. I ran down the hall until I found a door open and I ran into the room. I went into the empty checkup room and then I shut the door and sat on the checkup bed. I can't take us anymore. I just can't, I said, breathing heavily. I then stuck my hands in my jacket pocket, stopped, and then pulled it out. I opened my hand and sitting in my palm was a pleasure. Cigarette. How the heck I didn't have one in my pocket, I said in a shocked tone. I reached into my other pocket and pulled out a hidden lighter. I knew it was mine because it had a basketball picture on the front. Do it. A voice hissed into my ear. I then remembered what that little girl had said. Only one a day. I figured out that it must have meant only one of these strange cigarettes a day. But I felt weary as I looked at the cigarette. My head started hurting and I felt like passing, passing out. Suddenly the door opened and I looked up and saw a doctor standing there looking at a clipboard, and when she looked up, she made eye contact with me. Who are you? The lady asked. I jumped and the cigarette flew out of my hand and then I looked at the lady and didn't know what to say. Get her. A voice hissed into my ear. Suddenly. Suddenly I jumped at the doctor and she screamed out in fear and shock, but I covered her mouth and grinned at her. Darkness covered my face. Be quiet. They won't care if you die. I said in a dazed voice. I took my hand off the lady's mouth and then headed for her neck, starting to choke her. Please let me go, young man. Please let me go, the lady said, sounding worried. Just then the door burst open and a few security guards and a different doctor were in the room. I looked up at them and everyone gasped in shock and surprise. And one of them commented, his eyes are black. Young man, stop this nonsense right now. The other doctor shouted. A few hours later, I was back at home, lying in bed. I felt sick and that's what the doctors told me. I had actually thrown up twice and mom had made me hot tea to calm down my throat, but it only made me feel worse. Mom came into the room to check my temperature and she was shocked. You're burning up. I have no clue what's happening. Maybe you're getting a virus and that's why you're acting so strange, mom explained. Mom, there's something I need to tell you. I said, sounding weak. What is it, honey? Do you feel better? Mom asked me. I actually. I stopped and grabbed my head in pain. I screamed in pain too. My mom gasped and ran over to the side of the bed telling me to calm down. I tried and I actually did fall asleep. Suddenly I awoke and jumped up. Heading into the bathroom, I felt like I needed to throw up. I got to my toilet and I let it out. When I was done, I wiped my mouth and when I looked down down, I gasped. It was pure black, like the goo that had come out of the girl's mouth. And then it came out again. And then something else came out of my mouth and I looked down into the toilet and my eyes went wide in shock. I pulled a tooth out of the toilet bowl and I stood up. I felt inside my mouth and felt the missing spot where the tooth had come from. What the. I said, sounding completely terrified. I ran into my room and then noticed my drawer. My sock drawer. I opened it. The cigarette box was gone. I looked around and then noticed the cigarette box was on my bed. I ran over to it, grabbing it. When I looked inside, I noticed there was only one left. I then grabbed my lighter and I had an idea. I headed downstairs and out of the house. I didn't hear my mom shout my name and then I stopped at the corner and I grabbed the cigarette. One more, I said, grinning darkly. I then lit it and and sucked the good stuff from the cigarette and when I blew it out of my mouth, I laughed. But it was a dark laugh coming from my mouth and I didn't care. It felt too good to stop. Then I threw down the cigarette and stomped it out with my bare foot. It burned. I didn't care. I just stood there thinking about something and I shoved the empty pack into my pocket. It's time. I mumbled under my breath. I then noticed a big 18 wheeler was headed down the road near where I was and then without thinking about it, I walked into the middle of the road and stood there with my back to the truck. Everyone will be happy, I said, feeling better about my life and everything else. I heard the horn from the truck but didn't turn around or do anything. I just stood there ready to die. Then I blacked out and I felt my mind and feelings slip away from me. I felt the ground beneath me. I was probably dead. I groaned under my breath and when I opened my eyes I was staring at a ceiling and the lights were blinding me. He's awake. I heard someone say. When I opened my eyes, I saw my mother and two police officers standing there smiling gently at me. What's going on? I asked as I sat up in the hospital bed. You're lucky to be alive, young man. You apparently walked out in the middle of the street and almost got hit by a truck, one of the police officers said. The doctors and EMTs found a box of cigarettes on you called Pleasure, mom said, sounding concerned. I then told everyone in the room what had happened to me while messing with the Pleasure cigarettes. Well, we actually found out that those cigarettes had an experimental drug in them and you were the first victim of it, the other cop explained. A few days later I was out of the hospital and I was sitting in the living room when I smiled. I had actually quit smoking for the first time and I actually felt happy. I looked over and saw my mom reading a book. The doorbell rang and both of us looked at each other puzzled. I got up and headed to the front door and when I opened the door and looked around, no one was there. I then looked down and noticed something on the ground. It was a bottle of wine. I picked it up. Glamour, the bottle said. Jack. Who is it? Mom asked. The only sound heard was the sound of a wine bottle being open.