Podcast Summary: Scary Stories For A Rainy Night – Ep. 309 – "Yellow Brick Road"

Podcast: Scary Stories and Rain
Host: Being Scared
Date: January 9, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Scary Stories and Rain immerses listeners in chilling, true accounts of terror, delivered in the host's signature calm narration over the soothing backdrop of rain. Episode 309, "Yellow Brick Road," features a gripping collection of personal horror stories—ranging from brushes with dangerous strangers, supernatural encounters, to harrowing mysteries encountered in everyday life. Each tale summons the thrill of urban legend and the intimacy of confessional storytelling, perfect for sleepless nights or those drawn to the macabre.

Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. The Boy on the Road (Starts ~08:30)

• Summary:
  In 2005, a 17-year-old girl in rural Wisconsin stops to help an 8-year-old boy walking away from a seemingly broken-down car. After offering him a ride, a man from the car frantically pursues her, insisting the boy is dangerous. Trusting her gut, the narrator gets authorities involved, ultimately discovering she may have prevented something sinister.

• Notable Moments:

  • The narrator’s offer to provide her ID and phone for safety—showcasing caution and compassion.
  • The alarming turn when the supposedly broken car speeds after her:

    "Then the car that was pulled over that couldn't move suddenly screeched out of its spot and raced after me..." (12:05)

  • Feeling validated that her actions led to the boy being brought home safely.

2. The Irish Specter (~18:45)

• Summary:
  A man recounts his only supernatural experience from his childhood in Swords, Ireland, circa 1986. He saw a haunting, inhuman old woman glowing on a neighborhood boulder, her eyes locked on him before she grew larger and more menacing.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "She wore a plaid cloak with an immense collar of shaggy fur... Her face was abominable. She was shockingly pale... her eyes weren’t the eyes of a human—more like a wild beast." (22:20)
  • The dread lingers decades later:

    "I never saw anything of that weird woman again, and I have been greatly glad of it." (24:00)

3. The Haunting Hotel Room (~25:00)

• Summary:
  Hart, a housekeeping supervisor in a small city, recounts discovering a hotel guest, Russ, dead by suicide after unnerving delays in checking the room. The details of the scene and personal theorizing offer both a procedural and an emotional dimension, as Hart attempts to piece together the guest’s final moments and motivations.

• Notable Quotes:

  • The confrontation with trauma:

    "As I opened that door, I saw a sight I have never seen before in my life. The gruesome body of the late 40s man was laying face down... with a huge jagged knife." (30:10)

  • Personal reflection on aftermath:

    "I couldn't sleep last night because I have all these thoughts in my head about what happened. Not to mention the gruesome scene I witnessed." (36:45)

4. The Blueberry Bag Follower (~39:30)

• Summary:
  A Canadian listener shares a chilling memory of being stalked across a football field at night by a strange man with a blueberry-patterned bag, leading to a frightening late-night trek and later sightings around town.

• Memorable Moment:

  • The realization that danger persists even in seemingly closed encounters:

    "The following Monday my dad was driving me to my local pool. We stopped for a pedestrian. Guess who it was. The blueberry bag guy. He turned to look at me... and gave me the same creepy smile." (43:10)

5. Scout Encounter with an Unknown Beast (~46:30)

• Summary:
  During a Boy Scouts leadership training in the California Sierras, a group faces a night of terror as they're stalked by a bizarre, humanoid creature with white, hairless skin, capable of mimicking voices. The encounter is corroborated by legends and odd discoveries around an abandoned logging camp.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “...completely hairless and white as printer paper... Its arms looked human, but... elongated oddly... Each were thinner and longer than normal and tapered off into large claws.” (51:20)
  • "Then it said the thing that most disturbed me. This thing calmly said, 'come out and play.' Then the thing was gone." (54:10)

6. Home Intrusion at the Window (~56:40)

• Summary:
  Braden describes a late-night incident during his sister’s sleepover. A group of men—some familiar from school—attempt to enter the house, peering into windows and trying to lure the residents, only for Braden’s vigilance to avert disaster.

• Key Observations:

  • The vulnerability created by modern social media (Snap Map), and the importance of quick thinking.
  • The chilling visual:

    "The gate was wide open... I immediately turned off the light to reveal who was on the other side of the window. Right when I turned off the light, they scattered into the darkness of my backyard." (59:35)

7. Exploring the Abandoned Asylum (~1:02:10)

• Summary:
  A mental hospital worker, fascinated by the supernatural, recalls sneaking into the abandoned adolescent ward of a historic psychiatric hospital. A series of unnerving events, culminating in a direct encounter with a shadowy specter, force her to confront the limits of bravery.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “As I approached the ward... I got extremely cold. I felt my heart drop to my stomach again and my goosebumps returned.” (1:08:05)
  • “I had to find out what was going on down in that adolescent ward. I went to the back door and flung it open... As soon as I stepped inside, I pointed my pen light up at the ceiling so it would illuminate more. It allowed me to see about 4ft in front of me, clear as day. Anything beyond that was fog.” (1:09:25)
  • On the spectral encounter:

    "I saw the shadow at the end of the hall... It lunged in my direction. I swung a perfect right hook, but hit nothing. The shadow passed right through me..." (1:11:50)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "I am so glad I stopped my car. I know I did play a part in saving that kid from something." – (16:35)
• "Whatever she was, she had been aware of me before I of her. It was a nightmarish sight, a vision of wickedness." – (23:15)
• "I heard it try to mimic my voice... Then it said, 'Come out and play.' Then the thing was gone." – (54:00)
• "That night was the scariest moment of my life." – (1:13:00)

Episode Tone & Atmosphere

The episode maintains a calm, haunting delivery underscored by ambient rain sounds, reinforcing an eerie, contemplative mood. The stories themselves move naturally from real-world fear to the supernatural, with the host and narrators blending understated storytelling with moments of visceral, as-it-happened detail.

Final Thoughts

"Yellow Brick Road" is a rich tapestry of real horror and near-misses drawn from the lives of ordinary people, each story layered with suspense, regret, or a lingering dose of the uncanny. Whether rooted in reality or the supernatural, the terrors explored this evening are heightened by their everyday settings and the storyteller’s introspective narrations—making this episode a haunting listen for dark and stormy nights.

For timestamped access to specific stories, refer to the bullet-pointed "Key Stories & Discussion Points" section above.