Scary Stories and Rain — Episode 249: Scary Stories For A Rainy Night – The Man In the Woods

Host: Being Scared
Date: October 5, 2025
Theme: True unsettling stories delivered with calm narration against a backdrop of soothing rain, exploring the real-life horrors that lurk in everyday decisions, chance encounters, and the unknown.

Episode Overview

On a rainy night, Being Scared presents a collection of chilling, true stories. Unlike traditional horror, these accounts draw their fear from reality: tragic choices, dangerous strangers, brushes with crime, and events that haunt storytellers for years. The episode’s signature blend of gentle voice and ambient rain makes the fright more intimate and the solace more bittersweet, perfect for the sleepless or those seeking shivers before bed.

Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. Joyride Gone Wrong (02:47–12:21)

• Summary:
  A young man recounts the summer of 2020 after his mother's death, seeking friendship and solace amid pandemic lockdowns. A reckless, alcohol-addled Jeep ride with new friends quickly spirals into catastrophe.
• Key Events:
  • Reluctance to spoil the fun leads the narrator to join the ride despite obvious dangers (rain, intoxication, unsafe vehicle).
  • Chaos breaks out when the Jeep crashes at high speed:
    • One passenger is ejected (Aiden), and others are severely injured.
    • The narrator describes raw panic trying to find Aiden, only to discover him fatally wounded.
  • Realization settles in: no supernatural or evil force is to blame—just one tragic, preventable mistake among friends.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “There was no villain in this story, no creepy home intruder, no spooky ghost. Just dumb young adults who made a life ending decision because of liquor and peer pressure.” (12:09)

2. The Man on the School Roof (14:00–21:22)

• Summary:
  Two sisters’ nighttime playground visit turns nightmarish as rocks begin pelting the area.
• Key Events:
  • Subtle sounds escalate: non-natural objects (rocks) are deliberately landed near the girls.
  • They discover a tall, hooded man standing motionless on a rooftop, throwing rocks at them.
  • The man emits an otherworldly, guttural scream—“like something out of a horror movie”—causing them to flee.
  • Upon returning home, there are no further incidents, but the trauma lingers.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “The man let out the most bone chilling, screechy yet bellowy scream… as if the sound had found its way into my body to rattle my organs.” (19:53)
  • Advice to listeners: “Remember that… your pranks and jokes are totally harmless, you never know how they might affect someone when that someone feels that they are genuinely in serious danger.” (23:44)

3. The Man in the Basement (23:46–25:18)

• Summary:
  As a child left briefly home alone, a storyteller repeatedly finds a basement light on and door unlocked, despite turning them off.
• Key Events:
  • Eventually encounters a “shadowy figure” in the basement—initially thought to be a ghost.
  • Months later, the family discovers a man has been entering the house through a crawlspace.
• Memorable Reflection:
  • “Recognizing I had been alone in that house with him on at least one occasion was one of the worst most terrifying realizations I've ever had in my life.” (25:18)

4. The Mop Game (25:18–32:32)

• Summary:
  Two boys play a “prank” game, yelling nonsense at passersby from hiding. After targeting a potentially unstable, disheveled man, they’re pursued into the woods.
• Key Events:
  • The pursuit is a terrifying, near-miss experience for both boys.
  • The narrator regrets the “stupid thing” and apologizes for their behavior.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “I would say he got his revenge simply because of how scared we were.” (32:32)

5. Stranger at Grandma’s House (32:51–40:10)

• Summary:
  A rural Texas family deals with a nighttime intruder.
• Key Events:
  • After visiting his grandmother, the storyteller leaves, soon receiving a panicked call from his brother—someone is snooping near the sheds.
  • Brother arms himself, confronts the stranger, and fires a warning shot. The intruder flees.
  • No police involvement due to rural isolation, leaving lingering questions and unease.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “Was he watching me as I walked out to my car? ... I really don't like to use my imagination thinking about the possibilities.” (40:01)

6. The Discord Server’s Chilling Tale (40:29–48:45)

• Summary:
  The host retells a story originally shared on a scary stories Discord server.
• Key Events:
  • A child home alone hears knocking, then the window shatters as someone tries to break in.
  • After escaping, police show his mother a found photograph: the child, sleeping in bed (“taken days before the break-in”).
  • The revelation: the predator had secretly entered their home and photographed him as he slept.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “What was in that plastic bag was a photograph. A photograph of a young boy curled up in bed, sleeping soundly. And that boy was our storyteller.” (46:06)
  • “The whole family was absolutely terrified, and it was all down to the piece of evidence ... that made her turn ashen and squeeze our storyteller in a big, trembling bear hug.” (46:08)
  • “It’s weird how we seek out scary stories ... but end up being genuinely traumatized ... by things that we know could have easily happened for real.” (48:45)

7. Search and Rescue Whistle (49:15–56:41)

• Summary:
  A 1990s deputy recounts a harrowing search for a missing man and child.
• Key Events:
  • Search dogs lose the trail inexplicably; campers' belongings remain undisturbed.
  • At night, the narrator hears “wolf whistles” circling the camp.
  • Dawn brings the sighting of two tall, mysterious silhouettes, too tall to be the missing child, which vanish into the woods.
  • The search ultimately yields no resolution; the case remains an unsolved mystery.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “It was as if someone plucked these guys up from their campsite and placed them in random sections of the forest…” (52:01)
  • “We couldn’t see any features or clothing … I have wondered all these years what happened to those two and if the two silhouettes had something to do with their disappearance.” (56:24)

8. A Mob Victim’s Awakening (56:41–end)

• Summary:
  A murder detective-in-training shares a story from their country’s dark, post-Soviet era.
• Key Events:
  • Three boys go fishing and catch not a fish, but a human head—the remains of a mob victim, once missing.
  • The trauma affects everyone: the boys, the principal, the family, and the narrator reading the case over two decades later.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “The boy who was holding the fishing rod threw up when he saw that he had caught a human head ... There was a human head on the line. Yes, a rotting human head.” (60:51)
  • “Me now reading their statements after more than 20 years got me to tears. How terrible it must have been for the boys to discover the head and for the man's family to hear that their son had been discovered in pieces.” (61:48)
  • “Some cases ... gets me crying also. That just gives me the motivation and strength to find and fight these horrible people.” (end)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On peer pressure and tragedy:

  • “There was no villain in this story ... just dumb young adults who made a life ending decision because of liquor and peer pressure.” (12:09)

• On pranksters and unintended terror:

  • “Remember ... your pranks and jokes are totally harmless, you never know how they might affect someone when that someone feels that they are genuinely in serious danger.” (23:44)

• On the aftermath of survival:

  • “It’s weird how we seek out scary stories ... but end up being genuinely traumatized not by the spoopy skeleton stories, but by things that we know could have easily happened for real.” (48:45)

Notable Timestamps

• Joyride Crash: 02:47–12:21
• Playground Stalker: 14:00–21:22
• Man in the Basement: 23:46–25:18
• Mop Game Gone Wrong: 25:18–32:32
• Farm Intruder: 32:51–40:10
• Discord Predator Story: 40:29–48:45
• Search & Rescue—Whistles: 49:15–56:41
• Mob Fishing Horror: 56:41–end

Closing Thoughts

This episode is a showcase of how real-life danger, the consequences of impulsive youth, and moments of profound vulnerability often produce the most unforgettable frights. Each story proves that the scariest things are not ghosts, but the mistakes and malice of living people—and that a single moment can change lives, or end them, forever.

The rain may soothe your nerves, but these stories will haunt your thoughts.

For more: Listen to “Scary Stories and Fire” or “Scary Stories in the Dark” (links in the episode description). If you enjoyed this summary, consider following Being Scared on Spotify or Instagram for more exclusive content and giveaways.