Scary Stories For A Rainy Night - Ep. 292 - "Dead Town"

Date: November 19, 2025

Host: Being Scared (Dane)

(Scary, true stories narrated quietly, with rain ambience)

Episode Overview

This episode features a chilling mix of allegedly true, user-submitted stories centered around frightening encounters in dead or haunted towns, with themes of human trafficking, ghostly apparitions, disturbing discoveries, and brushes with the unexplained. True to the podcast’s style, Dane narrates these accounts in a calm, measured tone, letting the unsettling events speak for themselves — perfect for a rainy night.

Key Stories, Discussion Points, & Memorable Moments

1. Disturbance at the Hotel: A Brush with Trafficking

(00:55–08:30)

• Summary:
  A couple attends a Comic Con in an unfamiliar town and checks into a hotel, only to soon notice a foul smell and the sound of a child screaming from a nearby room. As anxiety builds, they report the incident to the front desk. The hotel manager reveals suspicious circumstances about the tenants in question, including month-long occupancy, blocking housekeeping entry, and multiple previous complaints. Just as dread peaks, sirens arrive, and police remove neglected children, arresting two adults for suspected trafficking.
• Notable Insights:
  • Power of trusting gut instincts when "something isn’t right."
  • Trafficking can be hidden in plain sight, even during routine trips.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • "The scream that stopped both of us in our tracks... the blood-curdling scream that still sends chills through my body to this day." – [01:54]
  • "That child could just be throwing a tantrum, of course, but what if it was much worse than that?" – [06:10]
• Timestamps:
  • Suspicions raised: [02:30]
  • Front desk conversation: [04:00]
  • Children rescued: [08:15]

2. Paranormal Encounter in Guatemala

(08:31–13:30)

• Summary:
  After a near-tragic family accident, the storyteller visits relatives in rural Guatemala and becomes embroiled in tales of family ghosts and local hauntings. One evening, they witness a mysterious, cloaked, gliding figure, which shifts between solid black and translucent, and seems detached from reality. The encounter leaves a profound psychological mark.
• Key Elements:
  • Firsthand confrontation with a classic ‘shadow figure.’
  • Blending of cultural context (Rooftop dogs, folklore) and personal skepticism.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • "Even though it was right next to the light post, I could not make out any details. It was just this bulky black entity." – [10:54]
  • "It feels like its energy still lingers around me." – [12:50]
• Timestamps:
  • The sighting: [10:40]
  • Aftermath and lingering effects: [12:30]

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[13:30–15:03]

3. The Body Behind the Shed

(15:03–17:35)

• Summary:
  What begins as a mystery smell in a suburban backyard soon reveals a horror: a decomposing body is discovered behind the neighbor’s shed after a week of sweltering heat. The narrator gives a vivid, sensory-rich account of the scene and the lasting psychological trauma.
• Key Insights:
  • Ordinary moments interrupted by horror.
  • The long shadow of trauma from a graphic encounter with death.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • "He was wearing a red flannel shirt tucked into his blue jeans and work shoes, flies coming out of his mouth, his nose and his ears." – [16:23]
  • "The image is stuck in my head and plagues my dreams." – [17:04]
• Timestamps:
  • Discovery: [16:00]
  • Police response and emotional aftereffects: [17:20]

4. Worrying Signs at a Cleaning Job

(17:36–20:40)

• Summary:
  A residential house cleaner finds a once orderly family home in complete disarray: dirty dishes, moldy food, flies, and unclaimed belongings everywhere. With both family cars present and no answer from the usual communicative homeowners, the narrator’s unease grows. She considers calling for a welfare check but hesitates, unsure of the right step.
• Key Points:
  • The psychological build-up from an uncanny break in routine.
  • The burden of “just feeling something’s very wrong.”
• Memorable Quotes:
  • "Two of the biggest red flags I saw though were plates of food cut up...getting moldy on the counter." – [18:25]
  • "At this point now where I don't know what to do. Should I report this to the police?" – [20:35]
• Timestamps:
  • Initial discovery: [18:10]
  • Increasing concern: [19:40]

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[20:40–25:51]

5. The Staring Man at Burger King

(25:51–32:46)

• Summary:
  In a small town in Northern California, a teenage narrator recounts a deeply unsettling encounter: while driving to a Burger King with family, they notice a man staring intensely into their car, his eyes “unnaturally wide.” The man appears to follow them, triggering panic and a tense plan to escape. Later, speculation connects the event to possible human trafficking, highlighting how danger can masquerade as eccentricity.
• Key Insights:
  • Retrospective terror; blending urban legend and real possibility.
  • Communal family response in moments of fear (adrenaline, “fight or flight”).
• Memorable Quotes:
  • "The part that I can still see so vividly in my mind, was his eyes. They were wide open, unnaturally open. I swear it looked like something from the torture scene in A Clockwork Orange." – [26:38]
  • "My mother whipped around and very angrily told me, ‘Lily, stop it. You're scaring Robbie.’...It felt like she was telling me I wasn't allowed to feel scared." – [29:30]
• Timestamps:
  • The stare: [26:30]
  • Panic in the drive-thru: [28:00]
  • Theory about trafficking: [32:00]

6. Occult Encounter in the Psychiatric Hospital

(32:47–end)

• Summary:
  The final tale offers an atmospheric, well-detailed account of two teens sneaking into an abandoned psychiatric hospital in Michigan — a rite of passage for local kids. After noticing a smoky incense odor, they stumble upon an active occult ritual scene with candles, a dead bird, and two threatening adults. A terrifying chase ensues, and the experience leaves them vowing never to return.
• Key Elements:
  • Urban exploration blending into urban legend made real.
  • The unique horror of encountering living people in forbidden places.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • "We found a large ring of red votive candles and burning incense circling a drawing of a pentagram with a sigil of Baphomet. In the center...a dead, bloodied bird surrounded by black feathers." – [34:55]
  • "While the duration felt infinite, I'm not sure how long we stared at the occult scene before hearing a man's low and ominous voice behind us saying, ‘Welcome, friends.’ I promise you that there was absolutely nothing friendly about the way that guy greeted us." – [35:50]
• Timestamps:
  • Discovery of the ritual: [34:45]
  • "Welcome, friends.” and chase: [35:50]
  • Aftermath: [37:10]

Structure, Tone & Listener Takeaway

• Tone & Delivery: Calm narration heightens the stories’ dissonance—routine, even mundane moments suddenly swing into the surreal and terrifying.
• Themes: The persistent sense of dread emerges from not just the possibility of supernatural but also the often-overlooked evil of human actions. Questions about when to intervene (as a bystander), listening to intuition, and the thin barrier between the known and unknown pervade throughout.
• Notable Moment: Numerous stories indirectly warn: "Trust your instincts, don’t ignore the feeling that something is ‘off,’ and act when the situation seems wrong — you might just save a life or your own."

Key Quotes (Chronologically)

• “The scream that stopped both of us in our tracks… the blood-curdling scream that still sends chills through my body to this day.” – Hotel Encounter [01:54]
• “Even though it was right next to the light post, I could not make out any details. It was just this bulky black entity.” – Guatemalan Shadow [10:54]
• “He was wearing a red flannel shirt tucked into his blue jeans and work shoes, flies coming out of his mouth, his nose and his ears.” – Body Behind the Shed [16:23]
• “At this point now where I don't know what to do. Should I report this to the police?” – Disturbance at a Cleaning Job [20:35]
• “The part that I can still see so vividly in my mind was his eyes. They were wide open, unnaturally open…” – Burger King Encounter [26:38]
• “We found a large ring of red votive candles... and a dead, bloodied bird… While the duration felt infinite, I’m not sure how long we stared… before hearing a man's low and ominous voice behind us saying, ‘Welcome friends.’” – Occult in the Hospital [34:55–35:50]

Timestamps for Significant Segments

• 00:55 – Hotel Disturbance & Trafficking Uncovered
• 08:31 – Paranormal Shadow Figure in Guatemala
• 15:03 – Discovery of the Body Next Door
• 17:36 – Cleaning Job’s Red Flags
• 25:51 – Burger King Stalker Incident
• 32:47 – Occult Ritual in Abandoned Psychiatric Hospital
• 37:10 – Aftermath and closing thoughts on the final story

Final Notes

Each story stands alone yet collectively builds an overwhelming sense of unease both supernatural and all-too-human. Listeners are left contemplating the importance of acting on gut feelings, the reality of darkness lurking beneath everyday life, and the comfort — or lack thereof — in the sound of rain outside their window.