5 TRUE Scary Scary Stories That Happened in Texas! | Episode 575

Summary

Summary of "5 TRUE Scary Scary Stories That Happened in Texas! | Episode 575"

The Dinner Table: A Southern Cannibal Podcast presents a chilling compilation of true horror stories set in the heart of Texas. In Episode 575, released on March 19, 2025, the host delves into five spine-tingling tales narrated by individuals who have experienced frightening events firsthand. This summary captures the essence of each story, highlighting key moments, insights, and conclusions, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.

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1. A First-Grader's Encounter with a Mysterious Stranger

[01:29]

The episode opens with a harrowing account from a narrator reflecting on a terrifying experience during their first grade in DeSoto, Texas. The young narrator describes the turmoil of parental divorce and the subsequent neglect from their mother, leading to an unsettling incident at school.

Key Points:

• Parental Divorce and Neglect: The narrator's parents divorced when they were in first grade, resulting in their mother becoming preoccupied with a new relationship and less attentive to their daily routines.
• The Mysterious Man: One morning, while waiting at school, the narrator notices a man approaching them aggressively. The fear is palpable as the child runs inside, seeking refuge.
• Overwhelming Fear: The narrator recounts, "I don't think I've ever been that afraid in my life and it was a powerful internal fear. It was like my body told me to immediately run."
• Police Involvement: A week later, a police detective interviews the narrator, hinting at a possible connection to a local incident, though specifics remain vague.

Insights: This story underscores the profound and lasting impact of childhood fears and unresolved tensions within familial structures. It also touches upon the eerie nature of unexplained encounters and their lingering effects on individuals.

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2. The Metal Detectorist and the Hidden Murder

[05:32]

In the second narrative, the storyteller shares their passion for metal detecting and a fateful encounter in the secluded woods of San Angelo, Texas.

Key Points:

• Metal Detecting Adventure: The narrator, an avid metal detectorist between 2008-2014, explores an old military trail near the South Concho River.
• Encounter with a Stranger: Upon discovering an abandoned campsite, the narrator meets a distressed man claiming his wife was recently murdered and buried nearby.
• Unsettling Aftermath: Two years later, the man is apprehended for his wife's murder, revealing that the encounter was on the very day of the crime.
• Unanswered Questions: The storyteller reflects on the eerie timing and the harrowing realization that they inadvertently met a murderer.

Notable Quote:
"He then suggested that I not go behind his campsite because he had recently used the bathroom back there. Whether there was fresh fertilizer back there or not, no way I was going to be hanging around much longer."
[06:10]

Insights: This story highlights the thin line between routine hobbies and unexpected danger. It serves as a cautionary tale about the unpredictability of human interactions and the hidden darkness that can exist even in seemingly mundane activities.

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3. An Army Veteran's Midnight Journey and Haunting Encounters

[14:10]

The third story is a deep dive into the unsettling experiences of an Army veteran navigating the lonely highways of Texas post-service.

Key Points:

• Departure from Fort Hood: In July 1996, an Army veteran leaves Fort Hood at midnight, eager to return to Wisconsin but plagued by anxiety and sleeplessness.
• First Picnic Stop Incident: At a secluded picnic stop near Denton, Texas, the narrator encounters a suspicious man in a red sweatshirt who later is identified as an accomplice in a local murder.
• Repeated Menacing Encounters: A second picnic stop reveals more supernatural-like disturbances, including menacing men and the resurfacing of missing persons warnings.
• Close Call in Oklahoma: The story builds tension as the veteran narrowly escapes an encounter with armed men, reflecting on fear and survival instincts.
• Unresolved Mysteries: The narrator remains haunted by these events, pondering the fate of the perpetrators and the inexplicable nature of the encounters.

Notable Quote:
"The road did go about 17 miles right before it dead ended in the desert. I asked him what was out there and he told me it was nothing but some junked cars and a few trailers and mobile homes all owned by the same family."
[17:45]

Insights: This narrative encapsulates the isolation and vulnerability experienced during solitary travels. It also delves into the psychological impact of facing unexplained and menacing occurrences, highlighting the thin veil between safety and danger on deserted roads.

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4. A Solo Road Trip and the Double-Edged Rescue

[22:11]

The final story recounts a young woman's perilous journey from New Orleans to Oregon, marked by encounters with suspicious characters and a deceptive rescue.

Key Points:

• Road Trip Challenges: In 2010, a 24-year-old woman undertakes a long drive with her pit bull, contending with low gas and limited cell service.
• First Suspicious Interaction: Upon entering a tiny Texas town, the narrator receives confusing directions from a rude gas station attendant, heightening her anxiety.
• The Texan Rescuer: A helpful stranger in a rusty pickup truck provides accurate directions, saving her from a dangerous detour suggested earlier.
• Uncovering the Danger: The narrator later discovers that the incorrect directions led to a treacherous area inhabited by a problematic family, revealing the attendant's sinister motives.
• Questioning Memory and Perception: Reflections on the incident lead to personal revelations about trust, assistance, and the unpredictability of human nature.

Notable Quote:
"This family was known locally as troublemakers, meth heads, and alcoholics, and these were only the nice things townspeople had to say about them."
[34:50]

Insights: This story emphasizes the importance of trusting one's instincts and the value of genuine human kindness in the face of potential danger. It also explores themes of memory, trauma, and the lasting impressions of near-miss encounters.

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Conclusion

Episode 575 of The Dinner Table: A Southern Cannibal Podcast masterfully weaves together personal anecdotes of fear, survival, and the inexplicable darkness that can surface unexpectedly. Each story serves as a testament to the unpredictable nature of life in Texas, where ordinary settings can become the backdrop for extraordinary and terrifying events. Through vivid storytelling and emotional depth, the podcast invites listeners to ponder the thin lines between safety and danger, trust and deceit, and the enduring impact of true scary experiences.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "I don't think I've ever been that afraid in my life and it was a powerful internal fear."
  [01:29]

• "He then suggested that I not go behind his campsite because he had recently used the bathroom back there."
  [06:10]

• "The road did go about 17 miles right before it dead ended in the desert."
  [17:45]

• "This family was known locally as troublemakers, meth heads, and alcoholics, and these were only the nice things townspeople had to say about them."
  [34:50]

These quotes encapsulate pivotal moments in each story, highlighting the intense emotions and critical turning points experienced by the narrators.

Transcript

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[Narrator 1]

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[Narrator 2]

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[Narrator 1]

I have never shared this story except, strangely enough to my teacher at the time. I was in the first grade at Northside elementary in DeSoto, Texas. We lived about three long blocks down, as my mother liked to call it. I personally feel like it was a lot more My sister and I were brought to school on a regular basis and walked home. My parents decided to divorce right at this time. My dad moved out and we started seeing him every other weekend. My mom began dating someone else and I remember she no longer became interested in taking us to school as much. She became very preoccupied with her new relationship and I remember that she often had me walking to school as well as coming home. Thinking back on it now, I'm not sure why I was late. There might have been a doctor appointment or something. I remember that it wasn't very late at all, maybe just an hour or so after school had started. My mom pulled up in the car and I got out. I remember hoping that she would wait there to watch me go up the flights of stairs and inside, but she drove right off to my dismay. And this is when I saw him. A man, pretty normal looking stepped out of a car looking directly at me. My mom had pulled off and this man was the only person around at this point. He crossed the street quickly at an angle, coming directly towards me. I remember turning and running up the steps. There were three flights of stairs with landings in between. When you're a little girl, these stairs seem much bigger. I remember looking over my shoulder and he was literally running up the stairs after me and I had that horrible gut reaction and ran as fast as I could. I remember the double doors in front of me and I panicked thinking I wouldn't make it at that young age. I felt the energy coming from this otherwise normal looking person who looked like a dad. I remember the huge intrinsic feeling of doom and urgency to go through those doors and I did. I immediately turned around and saw him standing on part of the second set of stairs and he just stood there looking at me as I looked at him in return from inside the building. He then looked very frustrated, then turned walking away back to his car. I remember telling my teacher about it. Maybe a week later a police detective showed up to interview me about what happened. This makes me think that it may be connected to something that happened in that area at the time. I don't think I've ever been that afraid in my life and it was a powerful internal fear. It was like my body told me to immediately run.

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[Narrator 1]

Geico's motorcycle expertise gives me the coverage I need. Like 24. 7 claims I'm on cloud nine.

[Narrator 2]

Disclaimer Clouds are wholly unable to support the weight of an adult human.

[Narrator 1]

What's happening?

[Narrator 2]

Furthermore, clouds are not numbered. Even if you procured a jetpack and searched, you'd find no cloud number nine. However, at that altitude, you'd likely befriend a flock of migrating snow geese. Geese who'd encourage you to leave your 247 GEICO motorcycle claims insurance behind as they would take you in and even share their dinner of crickets and clovers with you. Geico assumes no liability for any indigestion that may occur from a clover cricket dinner. Geico expertise for your motorcycle.

[Narrator 1]

In college 2008-2014 I was an avid metal detectorist. I knew of an old military trail and river crossing way back in a secluded portion of woods that I knew not many others were aware of. I finally decided one winter morning that I was going to go and metal detect it finally. The trail is about a mile or two from a city park along the South Concho river in San Angelo, Texas. I parked my truck, got all my gear and began my trek through the raw woods and brush for the trail. About halfway into the trees I get into a clearing and find a tent and campsite about 40 yards back from the river and very isolated. There's cans laying all around it, some clothes and some other stuff that made it evident that someone was using it. I didn't hang around it for long and I just kept on my way. As I was getting past the tent, this haggard looking guy came out of the brush just a few feet away from me. I startled him as much as he startled me and after some innocent chit chat back and forth, he asked what I was doing in the woods. I told him about the old trail by metal detecting stuff and lied that it was a pretty well known site for hobbyists like me. The latter seemed to get him a bit anxious. He starts asking me if I've messed with this campsite and I told him no except for accidentally stepping on one of the cans. He was mostly concerned if I had looked in the tent itself though, which truthfully, I hadn't. The guy related that his wife had kicked him out of their apartment a few days ago and he was just staying in the woods until he got back on his feet. Didn't really add up in my head, but I didn't ask anything else about it. Finally I told him that I was going to get on my way and with a weird look on his face, he then suggested that I not go behind his campsite because he had recently used the bathroom back there. Whether there was fresh fertilizer back there or not, no way I was going to be hanging around much longer. Regardless, I went a little further towards the trail that I wanted to metal detective, but I never felt quite comfortable so I made a quick Turn towards the river and headed back to my truck fairly rapidly. Never saw the guy again until about two years later. His picture was in the local news for being apprehended by authorities for the murder of his wife. He killed her and then he buried her in the exact area of the woods where I encountered him on that very day. Apparently, even though I can't recall, it was the very day of the crime or not, he had just completed the crime right when we met. When I was 10 years old, I lived in a relatively small town in Texas in a small house with my mom. My mom has always had a very caring heart for those in need. So when my uncle called her one night and told her that he ran into a homeless girl at the local park, my mom had offered to help her out for a day or so. Just to help get her back on her feet, that sort of thing. When the girl arrived at my house, she said her name was Laura. Laura told us that she was 16 at the time. She seemed like a shy girl. When my mother had asked her what she was doing on the streets. Laura told us that she had been kicked out of her home by her mom because her mom had accused her of sleeping with her boyfriend. Laura then told us that allegation wasn't true at all. She told us her mother's boyfriend was the one who came onto her. My mom gave Laura a place to sleep in the guest bedroom that night. The next day, after breakfast, Laura had asked to use my mom's house phone to call her mom to see if she could get some of her things from her mom's house. Laura's mom never answered the phone and we felt bad for her. As a 10 year old girl, I couldn't imagine what she must have been going through. Later that day, I remember watching TV in the living room and just minding my own business. But I could feel someone staring at me. So I turned my head where I felt the gaze. Laura was sending me a glare so cold that if Lux could kill, I would have dropped dead. I was confused and a little startled. I turned my head away from her quickly and went back to watching tv. But I could feel Laura's cold gaze. I couldn't understand what I had done to her to cause her to look at me with so much hate. The next day it happened once more. I was in the kitchen getting a glass of water when I could feel someone looking at me. I turned my head to the side and I saw Laura's head peering around the corner at me. Her eyes were Dark and laced with hatred. It frightened me, and I felt so confused as to why she was looking at me like this. I didn't want to cause any trouble, so I didn't bring up Laura's death glares to my mother at all. Later that night, my uncle had joined us for dinner. He had stopped by to see how everything was going with Laura and if we had any luck finding her a place to live with one of her family members. After dinner, I was washing my plate in the sink when I heard a loud growling sound coming from the dining room. I turned my head to see Laura shaking and growling like some sort of wild animal. My mom and uncle looked disturbed and worried. Laura then threw herself onto the floor and began thrashing around and screaming as if she were possessed or something. I was absolutely terrified. It was a scary thing to witness. I grew up very religious. My mom and uncle began praying out loud for Laura while I ran to my room and just closed the door. This went on for two hours, but it felt like an eternity of horror. I could hear Laura screaming like a madwoman and growling like some sort of deranged beast. I don't think any of us knew exactly what was going on. After my mom and uncle had prayed for Laura for what felt like forever, Laura told us that she was free from an evil demon that had taken over her. None of us were sure what caused her behavior. None of us were sure what had even happened. I peeked out of my room to see Laura smiling happily while she had curled up on the couch with a blanket. Her eyes opened and she shot a cold glare at me. I then quickly closed my bedroom door in fear. I placed a chair in front of my bedroom door and then went to sleep. I was woken up the next morning by my mom waking me up. She told me that she was taking me out to eat to my favorite restaurant. When I asked her if Laura was going too, she gave me a serious expression and spoke. Your uncle's gonna take Laura back to her mom's house. He slept on the couch last night after what happened. He and I were talking when the two of you had gone to sleep. And we pieced together that Laura had made the entire performance up last night. She then continued. She's not stable, and we think she's dangerous. As I heard my mother say those words, relief washed over me. I got dressed and went to the car to go to the restaurant with my mom. When we got into the car, we saw Laura and my uncle getting in his truck with her. Laura looked angry. Her expression was of a child's when you don't give them what they want. She got into my uncle's car and they drove away. I'm 22 now and I've never forgotten about this horrific incident that happened in my life years ago. After that day, I never saw Laura or heard anything else about her ever again.

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[Narrator 2]

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[Narrator 1]

It happened 24 years ago in July of 1996. I had finished my term of service for the Army. I was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas and decided at midnight I would out process and travel back to Wisconsin. All day I was so anxious to go that I had trouble sleeping. Finally, at 11:45pm I got out of bed and went to sign out with the desk sergeant. Of course, knowing people wanted to sign out at midnight, he decided to do his rounds. You can't leave until you get your final sign off with the sergeant and then turn in your room key. So I waited and waited and finally at 2:45am he returned. I turned my key in, got the sign off, and at 3:30am I was on my way. At first I was so full of adrenaline that I felt like I could drive for days. Unfortunately, that adrenaline didn't last long and by the time I was getting through Dallas, I was nodding off. I decided just past Denton that I would pull over at the next rest stop and take a quick nap until the sun came up. I could barely keep my eyes open. When I came to a stop, I pulled over and Got out of my car to get some fresh air and throw something away and to get a good look at my surroundings. There were only about three other cars and two semi trucks there. It was a picnic stop and not a rest stop, so no restrooms. I threw away my trash and glanced at a poster for a few missing persons, but I really didn't pay any attention to it. I went back to my car, which was just a basic geometro. No radio, no power windows, no power locks. I cracked the windows and turned on the boombox that I had for some tunes and laid down to get some sleep. I was only asleep for maybe five or ten minutes when I felt my car shake just slightly. I cracked open an eye and looked, but I didn't see anything. So I blew it off and went back to sleep. I then heard what sounded like my door handle being pulled and scratching on the door key. I then sat up quickly but didn't see anyone there. I looked at all of the windows and didn't see anyone. So again I shrugged it off as just me being tired and I laid back down and turned up the radio. Being a Texas night in July, it was hot, but I was so tired I just laid back down. A few minutes later I heard the door handle again and the car really shook. I sat up quickly and I saw a man standing at the passenger side looking in. Even though it was hot and humid. He was wearing a red sweatshirt with the hood up and I couldn't see his face. Being young and dumb and just out of the military, I yelled at him, hey man, what the hell do you want? He just stared at me. So like an idiot, I got out of the car. Mind you, I'm only 5 foot 6 but I was pissed. He just walked off towards the picnic tables like nothing had happened. All the while I'm yelling at him that if he came back I would take him out. I decided I would just drive on from there. I got back and went on my way even though I was so upset. Only about 10 miles down the road, I was super tired again. Luckily, about another 10 miles down I35 there was another picnic stop. Not sure why North Texas doesn't have any rest areas, but they don't. I pulled into the second picnic stop and backed into a spot just in case I needed to leave quickly. Not sure why, but there was only one other car there and no semi trucks this time. I once again locked the doors, cracked the windows and turned on my boombox. I fell asleep right away and about 30 minutes later I Had heard a loud thud on my driver side window. I jumped up and looked around and no one was there. I then got out of the car, which was very stupid, but I had my macho military attitude going but no one was around. I assumed it was just my nerves from the other stop. I got back into my car and locked the doors again and closed my eyes. This time I was too amped to fall asleep so I laid there with my eyes closed. I felt that someone was looking at me and I opened my eyes and I saw the guy standing there again with the red sweatshirt hood up. I couldn't see his eyes, but I could see he was smiling at me. I popped up quickly and tried to quickly open the door and bump into him. Being a cheap go, since the doors were locked, it didn't open. He walked backwards still staring at me. By the time I got out, he was about 30ft away facing me. It was fairly dark, but as I looked him over, he looked real skinny but was about 6 foot 2 or maybe 6'three but I still feel like I could take him with my military experience. Yeah, I know what an ego I had. He was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and green tennis shoes. For some reason I thought his shoes looked odd. I could see something shine every now and then as he stood there staring at me. I believe it was a machete. I quickly reached into my backseat and grabbed my baseball bat and then started yelling at him too. Come get some bro. Not even sure why I said that. He started walking towards me and I took a few steps towards him, not really thinking as I got about 5ft from my car and he was about 15ft from me. A yellow van pulled up real quick and parked off just to the side of my car. I finally realized what was really happening and I saw two guys also wearing hooded sweatshirts in the van. Before they could get out, I ran back to my car. I had left the keys in the ignition. Since I had backed in, I was able to cut it hard right and peeled my car out of there. I was so lucky, it being a manual car. I did install the car because the other two guys were out of the van and the first guy was just about at my car. I jumped back on the interstate and I didn't stop until I was about 20 miles into Oklahoma. I stopped for gas and to use the restroom. In the restroom I noticed that same flyer that I barely glanced at at the first picnic stop. It was basically a flyer with several missing persons on it and warning people to not stop for long periods of time at the rest areas. It described a possible suspect as being possibly 6 foot, wearing blue jeans, green shoes and a red hooded sweatshirt. I went completely white. Needless to say, since it was daylight, I drove the rest of the way to Wisconsin wide awake. Not sure why, but I never reported it to the number on the flyer or told anyone about it. I now live in North Texas and pass those two picnic stops every day on my way to work and I think about it quite often. I wonder if they got anyone else or if they caught them. I tried looking it up, but I didn't find any stories about it on the Internet.

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[Narrator 1]

From Takona in Tulum to Sushi in Tokyo, make every bite rewarding with gold from Amex. Wherever you dine four times Membership rewards points at restaurants worldwide are piling up. Learn [e-mail] Explore Gold terms and points cap apply In 2010 I was driving from New Orleans, Louisiana to Eugene, Oregon. It was just me, a 24 year old female and my 2 year old pit bull in a 14 foot U haul truck with everything I owned crammed into the back along with a fancy flip phone in my printout MapQuest directions. I think the first smartphones actually came out around that time, but I didn't have one. Cell phone service was also much spottier and there were long stretches through the desert where I had zero service for hundreds of miles. I was driving a lonely stretch of highway through central Texas when I realized I hadn't seen a town or exit for a very long time and my giant U Haul was really low on gas. Just when I'm starting to freak out and seriously run out of gas, I see a small town coming up. I pull into this town and it's tiny. I was so worried about other Things that I never did pay attention to the name of the town, but there were only about six streets in the whole place. I gas up and I'm ready to get back on the road. Except I can't for the life of me find my way back to the highway. I circle the town about four times and start getting so frustrated. Because this is such a tiny town, how can I not find my way out? I can definitely see the highway, but I can't get to it. I return to the gas station to ask for directions. Now when I got gas, I painted the pump and never went in. When I enter for directions, there's a skinny, nondescript guy who has black hair hanging down in front of his eyes that looks like he could use a good wash. He's not particularly creepy, but a little rude. He never really met my eyes. He was looking down at a magazine. He gives me directions that don't sound right at all. He's telling me to take a road that'll get me to the highway in about 17 miles. For a moment I'm dumbfounded. Then I point out that I didn't drive that far to get from the highway into town. So why so far to get back to the highway? I can literally see it from the town. He's so casual, almost like I'm just an annoyance and can follow his directions or not. Why should he care? He gives me some explanation about the road curving around that doesn't really make any sense. He still doesn't look at me, just whatever. When I got into the parking lot, my whole body had started trembling violently and my heart started racing, seemingly for no reason. I got under the truck and as soon as I put the key into ignition, I burst into tears. I had the most terrible feeling that no matter how nonchalant he acted, this man had bad intentions. I didn't know that, but I knew right then and there that there was no way I was going to follow his directions. Yet this was the only store in this little town and short of knocking on doors, there was no one else to ask for directions. I decided I didn't give a crap if this town seemed like something dropped out of the twilight zone. I was going to drive around until I found my way out, even if it took me all damn night. Then a big red beater of a pickup truck, as much rust as metal, pulls up and disgorge this quintessential Texan man, huge, husky and in a flannel and work boots. Without even thinking about it, I jumped out of the truck and approached him quickly yet wearily. Looking into his eyes, I saw a kind human being, or at least I was hoping I did. I asked if he could please give me directions to the highway. I told him I knew it was silly, but I just couldn't seem to find my way back. He looked concerned as I was visibly upset, so he made me laugh and very cheerfully gave me directions for a hairpin curve turn off right at the end of a small concrete tunnel that I had passed several times. He said that it often confused travelers because it was so hard to see, they really needed to put up signs, etc. With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I asked him how far in miles was it back to the highway? He laughed and he gave me a funny look. Miles, miss. I'd say it's a quarter mile at most. You can see the highway right from here. At this point I couldn't help it. I had to know what happens if I drive and I gave him the directions the man in the store had given me. The Texas man looked at me very intently and he asked me how I knew about that route. It was pretty far out and usually only the locals knew about it, so I told him. He was quiet for a few minutes. Then he asked what the attendant looked like and if I had a map of the state. Nope, just my map quest, which wasn't really helpful in this situation. He goes back to his truck and he grabs a raggedy local map from his glove box, spreading it out for me. He traces the route that I described. The way the man from the gas station had told me to go led me away from town, away from the interstate and led to seemingly the middle of nowhere. Texas man told me that the road did go about 17 miles right before it dead ended in the desert. I asked him what was out there and he told me it was nothing but some junked cars and a few trailers and mobile homes all owned by the same family. This family was known locally as troublemakers, meth heads and alcoholics, and these were only the nice things townspeople had to say about them. And the erstwhile clerk was part of this family and lived down that road. I'll never forget the look in Texas Man's eyes as he told me this. He also told me that I was smart to listen to my instincts and he told me to be careful traveling out there. I don't know if the man from the gas station wanted what was in the back of my U Haul or what was in the driver's seat, but thankfully I didn't have to find out. Oh, and I learned that sometimes angels look like ruddy haired Texans with scruffy faces and rusty pickup trucks. Thank you random Texan stranger. You really saved my ass and I will always remember you with tons of love. I'm sorry I didn't ask you your name. You're forever Texas to me now. I talked to my mom and I realized that I was wrong about the year it all happened. She also helped me finally figure out why I couldn't place where this happened, even though I've made this drive several times. But the circumstances that took me off the beaten path across Texas were so bizarre that I guess I blocked them out of my memory until she said something. Update 2 I had a ton of questions about where the events on my other post happened. It has nagged in my mind ever since. I should have had a general idea, but just kept drawing a giant blank. I'd driven that same route many times and didn't remember anything remotely close to where I found myself at that time. I eventually called my mom and I asked her if she remembered me saying anything about it. First she pointed out that I had the wrong year and then reminded me that I'd started out with a passenger. Suddenly it all came flooding back and I knew exactly why I was so lost and on edge. I had just quit my job at the casino and I hated my new job. It didn't pay like it was supposed to and my boss was a condescending jerk. My roommate of four years and I had a falling out. I was crashing in my cousin's room. I couldn't find an affordable place, so when my mom called and said she was having surgery and really needed me to come manage her shop while she recovered, I jumped on the chance to get out of the city and out into the forests of the Oregon coast. I didn't have a ton of money, but I figured my savings and a little help from mama would help me get there. However, every 10 foot U haul in the city was reserved or rented. I had to take a 14 footer which was much more expensive. Suddenly the money situation was looking grim. So when an old friend from high school in Oregon had called me asking if he could crash on our couch for two weeks to check out New Orleans in exchange for paying gas and hotels for part of the trip, I was super relieved. He wanted to be dropped off at his extended family's place in Texas, southwest of Dallas. He could help me drive too. I quickly agreed. He purchased his plane ticket to come down. I called My best friend from Oregon, Katie, told her I was coming and told her how Dan was going to help me to Texas. The three of us and his long term girlfriend had been really close, so I expected her to be excited. Instead, I was met with long seconds of silence before she then asked me if I knew about his accident. I didn't. A few years before, Dan had wrecked his bike while not wearing a helmet. He was in a coma for several years. Katie told me that when he woke up he was like a completely different person. She said none of our old group would have anything to do with him anymore, but wouldn't really elaborate further. She would only repeat that he was just different. I felt a little nervous after this conversation, but the plane ticket was already bought. When I knew him before, Dan was hands down one of the best people I've ever met. He was genuine, generous and truly cared about everyone. You could trust him with anything. I realized that the way he acted later was at least partially the result of the trauma and I will try to be respectful of this fact. However many things he did catapulted over the line of decency, I admit that I could have handled this much better, but in order to be honest, I had a lot of trouble finding understanding as his inappropriate behavior escalated. Once he arrived, my cousin and I noticed that he was slightly out of it and had no filter. Okay, whatever. We can deal with that. Then he says he forgot to transfer his money from his savings to his checking and his bank was giving him trouble about transferring it over the phone. He assured me he would get it straight before we left. Now he's the guy on the couch whom I'm responsible for feeding and covering bar tabs for. I had plans for goodbye blowouts with friends and my aunt didn't want him there if I was out. I wasn't missing the chance to see all of my people one last time, so I was stuck with them. He promised he would pay me back. Then he started getting more and more handsy with my cousin. Natalie and I. We made it very clear that this was unwanted and inappropriate. He would walk into our room unannounced, especially at times we were getting ready and likely to be undressed. We actually had to install a lock because he ignored every demand that he knock and wait for a response. He would stroke at our feet as he walked by while we were laid out, relaxing on the bed stand so close we could feel him breathe, touch us every time we walked by, rub on our shoulders and touch our hair. By the time I caught him smelling my hair and secretly taking pictures of our butts while we were walking. I was officially creeped the hell out and working toward furious. I was about to be alone with him in a hotel miles from anyone I knew. I grew increasingly stronger in my reactions to what he was doing, trying to discourage him from his behaviors. He would apologize, then rinse and repeat. Two weeks later we were on our way, crossing a bridge right before Shreveport. He reached over and slid his hand across my upper thigh. He went for the money and his fingers were brushing my lady parts. I swerved, smacked his hand away, and promptly began ripping him a new one. Suddenly, the inside of the U Haul was filled with flashing red and blue lights. Images of everything I own being impounded filled my head. Luckily, the officer caught the byplay between us and he let me go without a ticket. He cast a significant glance at Dan, who was acting like a total weirdo, wandering around talking to either us or himself, who knows, and just simply told me, good luck. Yeah, thanks, Shreveport cop. I appreciate your understanding. Once we got to Shreveport, I stopped for gas. Dan claimed that he had the money in his account now, so I asked him for it. He had started freaking out, saying he lost his wallet. Funny, I hadn't seen him pull it out once in over two weeks, so not sure how he lost it. But I pay for the gas as I'm climbing back into the truck. I'm 4 foot 11 by the way. I really had to boost myself up because I had started to slip from the odd vantage point this put me in. I could see the top of his wallet crammed in the space between the tall dashboard and the side window. I didn't believe him when he told me he hadn't put it there on purpose. It was wedged in too firmly for all that nonsense back on the road. I am a very introverted person. In treasure calm moments, Dan talked and talked and talked for hours. It was about ridiculousness, mainly how he was great in so many ways and he kept trying, horribly I might add, to seduce me. I was completely over him. Twice I almost kicked him out, but I kept reminding myself that he had suffered severe head trauma and I couldn't leave him alone in the middle of nowhere with no money and still call myself a good person. It became my mantra. At the next gas station, he admitted that his family had never put money into his account. I was now seriously worried that I was going to run out of money before I could get to Oregon. I had been worried about that before I'd started supporting a grown man, for the last several weeks now, I was approaching frantically when we stopped to sleep at a hotel. I could only afford one room, but made sure there were two beds. I'm laying down, trying to get some rest. He gets in the shower. A long shower, but I'm okay with that. At least he's out of my space for a bit. Hopefully he'll whack it and stop harassing me for my booty, was my thought at the time. Suddenly, the bathroom door, which was a few feet from the side of my bed, flew open. A great cloud of steam billowed out. I have never witnessed so much steam after a shower. I'm still thinking to myself, what the hell? When the steam clears enough for me to see him, he's standing right inside the bathroom door, hands on hips, completely naked. I start stammering, asking what the hell he's doing. Get dressed. He just struts out naked and starts dancing, causing his penis to jump and twirl, pulling the blankets up protectively and calling my dog to me. I had started to feel real fear of this man who had once been my friend for the first time. Once he saw his strip show was not having the desired effect on me, his whole countenance changed. His expression darkened. I saw open anger on his face. He starts screaming and ranting at me about how great he is and how hard he's been trying to show me. But I just don't get it. He's a wonderful man, a perfect man with a perfect penis right here, awaiting my pleasure, and I'm just insistent on being blind and ignorant. He continues calling me names while simultaneously trying to convince me I'm stupid for not being with him while I have the chance. He was naked the whole time he was yelling. Thinking back on it, I believe he took a hot shower to make it look bigger, which really does crack me up. People are so strange. It took forever to get him calmed down and get dressed. I was trying not to show how scared I was. The reality of my situation hit me hard. I was alone in a hotel room, far from everyone I knew, with a mentally unstable man, one who felt that I owed it to him to have sex with him. I already knew he had no boundaries. I lay there holding my dog all night, listening to every rustle coming from his side of the room. I was terrified that if I fell asleep, I would wake up to him trying to rape me. Thank God for my pit bull. I'm sure she was a major deterrent. I didn't sleep a wink, and my dog catching the mood wouldn't even leave my side to eat her dinner or breakfast. The reasons I didn't leave him there the next morning were one he would be gone before I had to get another room and two he promised his family he would give me some cash when we got there. I needed it desperately, mainly because of him. It's the last day with him. We're off the main interstate and heading south. He was allegedly going to help me drive for the trip but neglected to tell me that he actually didn't have a license. No way that was going down. So I take off on zero sleep and pure nerves now. I wanted to put his drop off location in my mabquest itinerary to make it easier for me since I never strayed from the main interstate before. However, I was never able to get him to give me the actual address of where I was taking him. He continually assured me that it was easy peasy, no way I could get lost, etc. Until I gave up in exasperation. I'm still furious and shaken about the night before and he immediately got us lost for about an hour and a half. Once we got headed back the right way, I decided to stop before we hit the main road to let my dog out to pee. We stopped in a park area with a playground in some tiny town that I didn't pay attention to the name of. I was walking her, having left Dan in the truck with the air on. The seven guys are walking by adjacent to the park. When they see me they all stop, talk a second and almost as if they're all one, they give me the same creepy ass grins. They turn off the street and walk across the park to the playground area a few hundred feet in front of me. They lean on the equipment in a loose horseshoe centered on me, still smiling. They didn't say anything or signal to me, only occasionally speaking slowly to each other. They were all dressed the same way, ranged from early teens to early 30s, and just generally gave off bad vibes. They were all staring me down until I felt like a rabbit that saw a fox. My dog, who usually loves everyone, had started trying to drag me back to the truck in the opposite direction of the guys. I trusted her and followed, trying to act calm and confident. I felt neither. When I got up to the U haul, Dan had the back wide open. I tried to tell him to close it, we need to go now. But he was oblivious to all of my distress signals. He kept insisting that we need to try to feed the dog since she didn't eat her Last two meals. Okay, okay, but feed her in the truck. We have to go, I told him. A quick side glance showed the men were still by the playground, staring, but now they weren't leaning on the equipment. They were standing close together, talking and watching us. This is when Fantastic Dan informs me that he lost the keys. What the hell? Really? You've gotta be kidding me, I said. I feel a sinking in my stomach and demand that we search right now. Quickly. As I scour the ground, I see the men have separated. Two are in the same place. Two are circling wide to the right, the other two doing the same on the left. They're all still staring at us, and I've lost track of one of them. I finally spotted him. He must have started circling to the left before the other two because he was now almost directly behind the U Haul, maybe a hundred feet back. He was hidden from my sight where I'd been searching. I was officially losing my grip on myself. Full fight or flight mode was now taking over. I knew that I had searched every inch of space. Dan could have possibly been around several times, even running my hands across the ground just in case. These guys were circling us and we couldn't get away. Our phones were locked in the cab for a minute. Time seemed to slow down and I just stared off, thinking how totally screwed we were. I think all the stress may have overloaded my system. For a moment. My eyes strayed to the bag of dog food, the whole reason Dan had gotten out of the cab in the first place. No way. Not possible. But maybe. Time snapped back into regular focus and I practically dove for the dog food bag, cursing and threatening Dan the whole time like a maniac. I yanked it up and dumped it all over the back of the U Haul. And there they were, the key shining silver in the wave of brown kibbles. I could have killed Dan in that moment, twice even, but I just slammed and locked the back and got us the hell out of there. The rest of the trip where I dropped him off is a blur. I know he got us lost again for about two hours this time. I used that time to scream at him. Admittedly not my best moment. Eventually he had me drop him off on some random main street in a little town that looked like all the others. He didn't even tell me it was his destination until he had me pull over. I was angry that he wouldn't take me to his family to at least get some money for taking care of him, giving him a place to stay and driving him so far. We had a truly marvelous fight, but I eventually gave up. I was just so happy to get rid of him. I was exhausted but too overstimulated to sleep, so I decided to try and get a few more hours in to make up for the lost time and get back into familiar territory. My next stop for gas was where this story started, where the gas station attendant tried to send me to his family enclave in the desert, and when Mr. Texas saved me. So while I still don't know exactly where that creepy attendant lived, I do know it was south of Dallas, a little to the west and way out in nothingness, not off the interstate as I mistakenly assumed before my mom reminded me of my hellish detour with a crazy ex friend.

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