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6 TRUE Scary Encounter Stories | Episode 618 - Southern Cannibal's Scary Stories | Wave AI Podcast Notes

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6 TRUE Scary Encounter Stories | Episode 618

Southern Cannibal's Scary Stories

Wed Sep 03 2025

Summary

The Dinner Table: A Southern Cannibal Podcast

Episode 618: 6 TRUE Scary Encounter Stories
Date: September 3, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features six harrowing true stories of unexplained encounters, near-misses, and outright horrors submitted by listeners and narrated in Southern Cannibal’s recognizable style. Each account highlights the unpredictability and menace that can lurk in everyday places—college campuses, a seemingly safe neighborhood, a late-night hookup, and even the dark corners of nightclubs. The tone is conversational but deeply unnerving, underlining the real and lasting impact of these brushes with danger.

Key Stories and Discussion Points

1. The Man on the Winter Trail

[01:05–05:57]

Story Details:
A college RA, returning to a desolate, wintry campus during COVID, describes eerie solo walks along an isolated river trail. On one outing, she encounters a seemingly normal man whose mere presence triggers intense fear. Despite acting as if everything is normal, she senses that he’s following her. Her relief on meeting a woman with a large dog is palpable, and the follower vanishes. Subsequent attempts to report the incident are dismissed by Campus Safety, leaving her feeling vulnerable and unheard.
Key Insights:
- Instincts and “gut feelings” can be powerful warnings.
- Institutions often mishandle reports, especially from young women of color.
- Trauma lingers even without physical harm.
Notable Quote:
- “The scariest part wasn’t that anything happened. It was the feeling of being trapped, not being able to run, knowing he was right behind me.” (Narrator, 05:45)
- “...as a brown girl, no one would bat an eye if I went missing.” (Narrator recalling parent response, 05:37)

2. Relentless Neighbors Turn Deadly

[07:01–15:59]

Story Details:
After years of harassment from their neighbors, a family moves to what they think is a safer small town—only to be tracked down by their tormentors, who break in and attack. The narrator’s father dies from his injuries. The narration is raw, touching on the failure of authorities, the consequences of digital footprints, and the trauma of realizing the attacker had been hiding in their home’s loft for weeks or months.
Key Discussion Points:
- The importance (and peril) of digital privacy.
- How stalkers can use even minor online exposure to track victims.
- Institutional negligence and corruption (bribery, failure to protect).
- Lasting psychological trauma and vigilance.
Notable Quotes:
- “She also registered to vote, which automatically makes your current address public. Yeah, great system we have.” (Narrator, 15:44)
- “...it was Steve all along. He must have been living up there before everything happened and used the ladder to get up and down from there.” (Narrator, 15:29)
- “I still have nightmares about it. I just hope nobody else has to go through what I did.” (Narrator, 15:55)

3. Dating App Set-Up and Robbery

[16:31–22:54]

Story Details:
A man relates how a too-good-to-be-true date via PlentyOfFish ends in a textbook set-up and robbery. After meeting a woman far out of his league in Chester, Pennsylvania, he’s convinced to walk to a Wawa at 1am, where he is mugged by men who know her; police later confirm the robbers came from the woman’s own apartment. The aftermath leaves him shaken and forever wary of people walking behind him.
Key Points:
- Danger signals/red flags are often ignored until hindsight.
- Predators can exploit digital dating’s vulnerabilities.
- Even minor thefts can produce deep trauma.
Notable Quotes:
- “Those guys who robbed me came from this bitch’s apartment. I’m pissed and astonished and felt every emotion.” (Narrator, 21:36)
- “I hope you enjoyed the $40 and the lifelong PTSD you instilled in me for it.” (Narrator, 22:41)

4. The Unlocked Apartment

[22:54–23:46]

Story Details:
An apartment dweller tries to convince her roommate of the importance of locking doors—until a stranger strolls right in and heads straight for her bedroom. Fortunately, the roommate is able to scare off the intruder. The story is a simple but memorable reminder of how easily safety can be compromised by carelessness.
Notable Moment:
- “We both found it really scary how he seemed to know exactly where he was heading—my bedroom—and it still spooks me out to think how many times he entered our unit before without us knowing.” (Narrator, 23:37)
Takeaway:
Always lock your doors, even when you think you’ll be back in ‘just a minute.’

5. Midnight Forest Encounter

[24:19–29:46]

Story Details:
Two friends biking home at 3am witness suspicious behavior involving a red car and a strange girl being followed into a forest path by two men. They decide to investigate, have a tense encounter with a waiting car, and run for help when things get too creepy. When police arrive and start asking questions, the inconsistencies and the strange behavior of the girl suggest something more sinister; the narrator is left wondering if it was a trafficking setup.
Key Points:
- The behaviors and inconsistencies suggest coordinated predatory tactics.
- Authorities can be dismissive even in potentially high-risk situations.
- Gut instinct and rapid action (screaming, fleeing) likely saved them.

6. Locked In: The Club Bathroom Stranger

[29:46–36:52]

Story Details:
A narrator recounts being lured out of a Montreal nightclub by a friendly-seeming man offering cocaine. After following him back to his apartment, he becomes trapped inside, as the host locks the door from within. The man begins acting more erratically and makes unsettling requests to take “before” photos. The narrator’s realization of danger leads to a frantic escape by screaming for help—luckily, the host lets him leave without resistance.
Memorable Quotes:
- “...he was locking the door from the inside with a key above the regular lock. And in that moment, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of dread like I had never felt before.” (Narrator, 30:29)
- “...all I can think about is Jeffrey Dahmer and all his Polaroids and what am I going to do?...every alarm bell is going off in my head now.” (Narrator, 33:12)
Themes:
- The vulnerability of party culture and trusting strangers.
- The importance of noticing and acting on subtle (and not-so-subtle) warning signs.
- The lingering self-doubt and “blaming oneself” after surviving a near-miss.

Timestamps & Notable Segments

| Time (MM:SS) | Segment / Quote | |------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:05–05:57 | College trail stalker story (“The scariest part...feeling trapped”)| | 07:01–15:59 | Deadly neighbor revenge and hidden intruder | | 16:31–22:54 | Plenty of Fish date robbery (“PTSD you instilled in me”) | | 22:54–23:46 | Roommate and the unlocked apartment (“...scary how he seemed to know...”) | | 24:19–29:46 | Potential trafficking or group danger in the woods | | 29:46–36:52 | Nightclub near-abduction (“...overwhelmed with a feeling of dread...”) |

Tone and Language

Authentic and informal: The narrators often inject honesty, self-deprecating humor, or raw emotion even while recalling trauma.
Direct warnings to listeners: Many stories end with advice or implicit reminders about personal safety, trust, and the importance of instincts.
Emotionally resonant: Several stories highlight not just the events, but the long-term anxiety, paranoia, and self-doubt these events can induce.

Conclusion

This episode of The Dinner Table Podcast delivers chilling true stories with an intimate, conversational style, focusing on themes of vulnerability, danger lurking close to home, the failures of institutions, and the critical importance of trusting your instincts. The real-life experiences serve as both cautionary tales and windows into the resilience of survivors facing life-altering encounters.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes themes of stalking, home invasion, death, attack, and psychological trauma. Listener discretion is advised.

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Transcript

Narrator (0:00)

What do you think makes the perfect snack?

AM PM Spokesperson (0:02)

Hmm. It's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

Narrator (0:05)

Could you be more specific?

AM PM Spokesperson (0:06)

When it's cravinient.

Narrator (0:08)

Okay.

AM PM Spokesperson (0:08)

Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at a.m. p.m. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a.

AM PM Voice (0:15)

Second at a.m. p.m.

Narrator (0:16)

I'm seeing a pattern here.

AM PM Spokesperson (0:17)

Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.

Narrator (0:19)

Crave, which is anything from AM pm.

AM PM Spokesperson (0:21)

What more could you want?

Lowes Announcer (0:22)

Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience.

Narrator (0:27)

AM PM Too much. Good stuff.

Grainger Maintenance Worker Narrator (0:30)

This is the story of the world. As head of maintenance at a concert hall, he knows the show must always go on. That's why he works behind the scenes, ensuring every light is working, the H Vac is humming, and his facility shines with Grainger's supplies and solutions for every challenge he faces. Plus 24. 7 customer support. His venue never misses a beat. Call quickgranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

Narrator (1:05)

It was my junior year of undergrad. That weird period during COVID when campuses were letting only a handful of students back. Since I was an ra, I returned. The campus was desolate, but I didn't mind it. My school owned a stretch of woods where the trail started private, but eventually fed into the public paths. To avoid feeling trapped in my dorm, I'd go for long walks there. It was winter and the trails were frozen. A river ran alongside the path, its surface sealed over with ice. The trails were typically empty. I'd usually have my headphones in, music blasting. But I still tried to stay aware of my surroundings. I'm an avid horror story listener, after all. I don't know exactly how long the trail is, but. But toward the end, there's a bench. In the spring, students would gather there to swim. For me, the bench was more like a marker. It meant the trail was about to get narrower and higher, with the river running stronger beside it. Even in winter, you could see the water moving under a thin layer of ice. The trail eventually ended in a public parking lot. And as I got closer, I saw a man. At first, there was nothing unusual about him. He looked normal. Late 30s, maybe 40. White with a beanie, denim jeans and a light colored jacket. Nothing about his appearance screamed dangerous. But the moment I saw him, my stomach tightened. Something in me just reacted. It was pure instinct. I don't want to walk near this man. So I discreetly Lowered my music and kept moving toward the lot. He passed me, and I let out a quiet breath of relief. Since I had to walk back the same way I came, I waited a little so the man could get far enough ahead. That way we wouldn't end up too close on the trail. When I finally started walking again, I kept my pace slow. I told myself I was overthinking it, too many horror stories in my head. But everything changed when I reached the bench. He was sitting there. It was the middle of winter, freezing cold, and he was just sitting. I didn't say anything. I just kept moving forward. After a while, I risked a casual glance over my shoulder. My stomach dropped. He was walking behind me. I still had a long way to go before I'd reach campus, and all I could think was, I can't run. Running would only alert him that I knew he was behind me. Plus, the trail was covered in ice. If I tried to sprint and slipped, I'd be done. So instead, I quickened my pace, forcing myself to not look back too often. Normally, I carried either my Exacto blade or my heavy hydro flask for protection, but that day, of course, I'd left both behind. I cursed under my breath. Sometimes there were other people on the trail, but that day it was just me. I debated calling Campus Safety or even a friend, but all I could focus on was just making it back. I think he noticed I was picking up my pace, because when I glanced back, he let out this low chuckle like he was in on a joke. I wasn't. That sound made me shiver more than the cold weather ever could. I was nearing the campus portion of the trail when I saw a woman with a huge dog. I can't even explain the relief. I had ready to tell her someone was following me, but when I turned around, he was gone. Just like that, right out of thin air. I didn't waste the chance. There are three separate entrances from campus to the trail, and I darted up the closest and steepest one, cutting straight into the quad. Even as I walked back to my dorm, I kept glancing over my shoulder, my nerves stretched tight. Honestly, if that woman and her dog wasn't there, I think he would have continued following me. Once inside, I called Campus Safety, trying to report a strange man on campus property. They literally brushed me off, said they'd sent someone out. Then they hung up without even asking for a description. The scariest part wasn't that anything happened. It was the feeling of being trapped, not being able to run, knowing he was right behind me. And now not even knowing who he was. When I called my parents, hoping for comfort, they just scolded me, told me that I shouldn't be walking in the woods alone, that as a brown girl, no one would bat an eye if I went missing. Funny enough, that didn't stop me from going back into the woods. But after that, well, I never stepped onto those trails without my X Acto blade in my pocket.

Narrator (7:01)

So the story starts quite a few years ago when we lived in our old neighborhood. It was a pretty bad area that was going downhill. Our neighbors at the time were downright awful people. They spent four years harassing us, shooting fireworks at our house, throwing trash in our yard, etc. It actually escalated to them screaming obscenities at us every time we went outside and then standing on the public sidewalk in front of our house and just staring at us, all six of them for hours on end like really? You're that bored? Things got worse and worse and I won't say exactly what happened, but between the downfall and the other issues with this area, we finally moved. We later found out this lady was paying off the prosecutor and judge, which explains why the police never helped us. Despite everything being on video, these people were literal psychopaths that couldn't leave us alone. Anyway, we moved into our new house. When we moved, I deleted all of my old social media accounts and didn't forward any mail and even had Google remove all of my info from the search results so nobody could find me. We had moved 40 minutes away to another town with a better police department and I basically just Started over. Our current neighborhood is great by the way. Anyway, we basically forgot all about these people at this point. Now it's important to know something about our house now. It's a weird layout. It's a single story ranch with a dormer bedroom upstairs on the main level. On the right side of the house is the living room as well as my parents bedroom. On the left is the kitchen and the other bedroom. And in the middle back of the house between the two bedrooms is the bathroom. And smack dab in the center of the house are the stairs to the basement. And second floor off the kitchen is a breezeway which has a bag patio door and also connects to the garage. The garage is huge with a 17 foot tall ceiling that stretches to the roofline of the house. It doesn't look that big from outside, but it's huge. Above the breezeway is a huge loft that stretches between the garage and upstairs bedroom and is only accessible from the garage. It's not easy to get to without a ladder and honestly it's just wasted space. I don't know what they were thinking when they built this house, but whatever. It's also worth noting the garage doors had to be opened by hand and one of them didn't lock at the time. The house was a rental before we bought it, so who really knows why. It's also worth noting the garage doors are very loud when they open and you can hear them opening and closing anywhere in the house. It's also worth noting that our house sits on an acre and only has one outside light, so it's pitch black around here at night. Anyway, enough with all the boring stuff and layout and onto the actual story. We have been here for roughly six months at this point and we're just starting over and finally relaxing and starting to really feel safe in our new home. Our neighborhood is the kind of place where you don't need cameras or anything like that because there's zero crime here. Literally. And we liked that. One day I was coming home from the store. I was the only one home that day. I pulled in the driveway and saw the garage door open. It was closed when I left and I knew nobody had been home. I stopped the car halfway up the driveway and called the police. They came and searched the garage and breezeway. The door to the back patio and kitchen was still closed and locked. I forgot to mention the door between the garage and breezeway doesn't lock. It has an old skeleton lock on it that doesn't even work. The police didn't find anything and nothing was missing. I did notice though, a ladder was slightly moved but brushed it off. The police left and I just went back to my normal life. My parents grew up in a time and area where crime wasn't even a thought. They're both very naive people and brushed off the event like it was no big deal. They did get a dog though a week later, which they'd been wanting anyway. And I also installed cameras in various locations including the breezeway. Despite my parents protests, things were quiet for a bit until a week later. I was sitting in the living room when I heard the garage door open and saw through the window a figure wearing all dark blue clothing and a hoodie darting down the driveway, then down the sidewalk. I checked the garage immediately and again nothing was missing but the ladder was moved again. I called the police again and checked my camera but didn't catch anything except the man darting down the driveway. The police couldn't do much and advised us to put locks on the garage doors. I once again told my parents who simply just brushed it off and didn't seem to care. A week later I was again in my living room when I heard my dog Buster, a one year old plot hound, start barking upstairs in my bedroom. I went up to see what he was going crazy after and he was staring at the wall between the bedroom and loft intently. He stopped barking when I came in. Nothing was amidst but I thought I heard scratching in the wall. I figured it was probably just chipmunks since we have a huge problem with them around here and they get in the garage and climb the walls pretty often. I simply just went back downstairs and shut the door without thinking much of it. That night though, shit hit the fan. I was awoken to both of my parents screaming in commotion and Buster barking. My parents bedroom is partially below mine so if they're loud enough I can hear things. My parents also never scream in terror. I've only heard that once before from my mom. I grabbed my baseball bat and ran downstairs. What happened next is a bit hazy. I don't remember everything exactly, but I opened my parents bedroom door and turned on the light. What I saw was absolute chaos and horrifying. Two of my ex neighbors, including the boyfriend Steve, a bald guy with a beard in his 40s, was in my parents room stabbing my dad with a knife while his girlfriend Jodi was outside the open window being attacked by Buster and screaming hysterically that she's gonna sue us. I cracked the baseball bat on Steve's neck knocking him unconscious. My mom was screaming hysterically and my dad was unconscious and bleeding very badly. Long story short, the police and EMS arrived and took the two bad guys away, and my dad was rushed to the hospital. This is where it's really painful for me. But he later died from his injuries. Yeah, I lost my father. We ended up going to court. And I raised hell because if our useless system would have taken care of these people years prior, this never would have happened. Basically, we threatened to go above our local court and take this to the Supreme Court if they didn't do anything as a permanent fix. Our prosecutor looked through current evidence as well as past reports about these people. Jodi's bribery couldn't save her this time. The judge threw the book at these people. Steve got life in prison. Jodi got 30 years on charges of stalking, harassment, bribery, and a variety of other things, too. Jodi's sister was also arrested on multiple charges for past things and got 20 years. We also got a restraining order against each of them that will go into effect if they live to be released. Now, you might be wondering how these people found our home. Well, it's my mom's fault. My mom is not a smart person. She took photos of our new house and put it on Facebook as public when we moved in. I didn't know this because I'm not friends with her on Facebook for other reasons. She also registered to vote, which automatically makes your current address public. Yeah, great system we have. I ripped her a new one for doing that because her stupidity basically cost us her husband and my father's life. We still live in this house, but I had garage door openers installed now, so the doors can't be opened by hand anymore. And I had a security system installed, too. Recently, while getting ready to do some renovations, a guy doing an estimate brought me into the garage with a concerned look on his face. He had me get on the ladder leading to the loft area, and when I looked, I then saw something gut wrenching. I saw a sleeping bag, food wrappers, and a bucket of moldy piss on the rafters. It hit me like a gut punch. The figure, the garage doors opening it. It was Steve all along. He must have been living up there before everything happened and used the ladder to get up and down from there. It was so sickening to think that he had been there. What's worse is the part of the vapor barrier that had been pulled, revealing the air vent in the bedroom, which he'd likely been watching me through. What a bunch of psychopaths, right? I'm just glad it's over and those people are gone. I still have nightmares about it. I just hope nobody else has to go through what I did.

Narrator (18:09)

And I turn around and laugh and say she ain't my girl, I just met her. And me being me, I'm friendly to anyone that walks up to me so I'm smiling like a jackass, not knowing that I'm in serious danger. No more words were really spoken and I felt something in the back of my head and this guy then says get on the ground And I then comply without even thinking. The girl then shrieks and runs off, but not so loud to where anyone can hear her. I say nothing and he pats me down and takes my broken old phone with my wallet, with my ID and social media as well as $40 cash that was in it. I'm really an idiot for even bringing that. He then says, don't look up until we're gone. I just say, you're good. Got it. They walk off and I get up and a few pedestrians ask if I'm okay. I said, yeah. And down the street, no joke, two streets down, a security card is just sitting there, oblivious to everything. Let's skip ahead a little bit. I chased her down somehow and I asked if she's okay and I forget if she even asked me if I was okay, but we walk back to her house, we get to her porch and she then says I gotta go to my brother's or that someone was coming to check on her and also insisted that she didn't want me there. More red flags that I did not pay attention to. She goes inside for like 20 minutes and I don't leave. She comes out and keeps saying the same thing, that someone's gonna be here soon. Nobody ever shows up for an hour. She offers me to come inside and it's roach infested. I'm like, what the hell? But once again I stay and I don't say a word. I'm trying to talk her into going into her room and sleeping, but her brother, who is already there, claps me up and talks to me all respectfully. But then every now and then she'll tell me that he won't allow me to stay in her room with her. This went on for an hour and I talked to him more than her. I don't really remember. But she ended up going upstairs for a while and then I'm like, I'm out. I took my bike and somehow found my way back without the GPS that I originally used. I biked to Widener College and find someone and tell them everything that happened. I guess someone in an authority position takes down my story and says he'll notify the police. I go home after this and tell my roommate and he just hugs me and says I'll be alright. I remember she texted me and said that she'll help me get my stuff back by sending money or something. As you probably know, that never happened and we stopped talking. A few days later, I get a call from someone and they say to meet at a police station. Or something, whatever the hell it was. My roommate drives me and I talk to a detective. He tells me they checked the cameras within the area and to my absolute horror, he tells me those guys who robbed me came from this bitch's apartment. I'm pissed and astonished and felt every emotion. And he told me if he found anything out, he'd contact me. He never contacted me after that, but the memory of that day made me absolutely paranoid for the rest of my life. I don't like people walking behind me after this day, no matter where I'm at, whether it's getting off a bus to go to work or anywhere. I guess I never realized how much it affected me until I really thought about it. To those guys who robbed me, I hope you enjoyed the $40 and the lifelong PTSD you instilled in me for it. This happened years ago and this encounter popped into my head today. So at this time I lived in a ground level apartment with my roommate T. Now, T. Had a terrible habit of leaving the apartment door unlocked whenever she would go out for a smoke. And I mentioned to her numerous times that she needs to be more careful about keeping the door locked at all times. Not just because we're two young females, but just because you never know who could walk through the door and let themselves into your space. She insisted that she was always super quick and it wouldn't be an issue and that I was just overreacting. Then what do you know? One day it actually did happen. T left our apartment to go for a smoke one afternoon. She's outside smoking around the corner of the building. She finishes, then goes back inside and starts walking down the hall towards our unit. She notices a tall, dark haired young guy walking ahead of her. She had never seen him around before, but didn't take much notice really well, until he opened the door to our apartment and walked right in. T charged after him, burst into the apartment and found him as he was walking straight into my bedroom at the end of our hall. She then immediately yelled, hey, what the.

Narrator (24:19)

This happened literally yesterday and I honestly don't think I fully processed it yet. Me, a 19F and my 19 year old female friend were biking home at around 3am on a dimly lit street right next to our house. On one side was a forest pitch black beyond the tree line and on the other side were a bunch of houses. From far away we had spotted a red car with one broken headlight parked up ahead. As soon as we got closer, the car started moving past us very slowly, then made a turn and drove past us again. Even in the dark it was obvious we were two girls alone at night, so we put some space between us and them. As soon as we got to the sidewalk, we had noticed a girl standing partially hidden behind a white truck watching that same red car. The car was creeping towards her. Then she ran off, running up the sidewalk and turning into a bike path that cuts through the forest. Immediately, two men got out of the car and started following her in, so we decided to follow and try and help the girl. Survival instincts hadn't kicked in quite yet. I live next to that forest. I know how dark it gets. No one walks that path without flashlights unless they have a reason. And even then it was three in the morning. The slow footsteps, the bucket hat guy, the way the car disappeared. It just all felt wrong. We reached the path entrance and saw the red car just waiting there. The driver, a guy in a white bucket hat, looked straight at us. Then he sped away far into the street. The path was pitch black that we walked in. Fence on one side, dense forest on the other side. That's when I noticed slow, deliberate footsteps keeping pace with us. Definitely not an animal and heavy enough to be a person. We kept walking on until my friend spotted the girl ahead of us. She shined her flashlight and called Out. Hey, are you okay? The girl looked over her shoulder, stared for a moment with this unreadable, creepy expression, and then took off running deeper into the darkness. At that point, our survival instincts finally kicked in. We turned and sprinted back the way we came, screaming as we ran. We called the police as soon as we got back to the street. Within minutes, the police cars arrived, they asked questions and one ghost car drove down the forest path. About five minutes later, they returned and they showed us a photo of the girl. The cops said that they found her with one guy, which made no sense because less than 10 minutes earlier, we'd seen her completely alone and running away. They also said that neither of them would identify themselves or explain why they were there. They brushed us off, saying we should just go home now. As we walked away, we then saw three people get into a police car, which made it even weirder because earlier they said it was only one guy with her. So was there really someone following us into the woods? I keep thinking, what if this was trafficking bait? Maybe the only reason they didn't go after us was because we started screaming. Either way, I can't stop replaying it in my head. This happened in August of 2013. I was visiting Montreal for their diver site weekend, which is basically like Pride, but took place the long weekend before the official Montreal Pride. My best friend at the time had met a guy at Toronto Pride a month earlier and he invited both of us to come there so my friend wouldn't be uncomfortable going to spend the weekend with someone he didn't know very well. We arrived on Thursday and the trip was going great. We went out the first night, walked the streets that were closed off to cars the next day, and our host made us a nice dinner and then we went out again Friday night. Just a quick note before I get into what happened. I partied quite a bit with drugs at this time in my life and. And I also in the past had a tendency to lose my cell phone. So for about a year prior, I stopped hacking my cell phone whenever I went out. So that Friday night we went out to a club parking which sadly has since closed, and it was another fun night. The music was great and the tequila shots were incredibly cheap. I was dancing and moving all around in the club, but would circle back and check in with my friend and our host and I would also run into people that I knew who were also visiting from Toronto and ended up taking some MDMA from one of them. I danced some more until I was completely soaked in sweat. So I went to the bathroom to wipe myself down and pee. When I got into the bathroom there was someone leaving, but it looked like I was the only one in there. I wouldn't use the stall because I was having a hard time using the Guerinal and once I came out I was quite surprised to see a man in the corner of the washroom smiling at me. He looked to be in his mid-30s, on the shorter side and a bit chubby, but he was wearing a polo shirt and jeans and had glasses and I remember thinking when I saw him he reminded me of an accountant. Not sure why that thought popped into my head. I was pretty sure I didn't hear the door, but I couldn't be sure so I just smiled back and said hello as I went to wash my hands. Hello, he responded.

Narrator (30:25)

He replied. Now obviously looking back, I realize how very dumb my following actions were and I can't imagine myself being so stupid and careless now. But without thinking about it I agreed and I left with him. The club allowed you to re enter if you had a wristband. We had chatted on the walk over to his place. He asked me where I was from because I didn't seem like I was from Montreal and what parties I had gone to and also how old I was and my name. I also asked his name but he instead responded that we had arrived. The whole walk felt like five minutes, but I honestly hadn't really been paying much attention to where we were walking. His apartment was in the building that had three floors and his unit was on the second floor and you had to climb this long narrow metal staircase and his door seemed to be in the middle of two other apartments on either side. He unlocked the door and led me in first, flicked on the lights and told me to make myself comfortable. I was walking and I noticed that he had carpet so I turned around to ask him if I should take off my shoes. That's when I noticed that he was locking the door from the inside with a key above the regular lock. And in that moment, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of dread like I had never felt before. The danger I had possibly put myself in. In another city. No phone, nobody knows where I am. And now, seeing this person locking the door from inside with a key, I just thought to myself that I'll pretend I didn't see, that I won't take off my shoes and politely hang out for a few minutes and then ask to head back. I also thought I could be having an extreme overreaction to what I saw because I was high. But as I looked around, everything inside of me was just screaming, you need to get the hell out of here. I went and sat on the arm of the couch. He said I should take off my shoes and just relax. I was getting a better look at him now on the lights of his apartment. He still looked plain and unassuming, but his eyes looked shifty. And he pulled down both of the shades on the windows that were on each side of the door. I told him that I was okay and that I was really eager to get back to dancing. So he said he would make us drinks and then we could go back. The apartment looked much bigger inside than it did from the street. It was an open layout with a living room beside the kitchen and then a hallway in the middle with closed doors painted black, and I could hear music coming from one of the doors. I asked him if someone else was there as he came from the kitchen with a glass, and he replied with no. As he handed me my glass, he looked me up and down. I wasn't wearing a shirt, by the way. He then said, with this increasingly creepy smile spreading across his face, you have.

Summary

The Dinner Table: A Southern Cannibal Podcast

Episode 618: 6 TRUE Scary Encounter Stories
Date: September 3, 2025

Episode Overview

Key Stories and Discussion Points

1. The Man on the Winter Trail

[01:05–05:57]

Story Details:
A college RA, returning to a desolate, wintry campus during COVID, describes eerie solo walks along an isolated river trail. On one outing, she encounters a seemingly normal man whose mere presence triggers intense fear. Despite acting as if everything is normal, she senses that he’s following her. Her relief on meeting a woman with a large dog is palpable, and the follower vanishes. Subsequent attempts to report the incident are dismissed by Campus Safety, leaving her feeling vulnerable and unheard.
Key Insights:
- Instincts and “gut feelings” can be powerful warnings.
- Institutions often mishandle reports, especially from young women of color.
- Trauma lingers even without physical harm.
Notable Quote:
- “The scariest part wasn’t that anything happened. It was the feeling of being trapped, not being able to run, knowing he was right behind me.” (Narrator, 05:45)
- “...as a brown girl, no one would bat an eye if I went missing.” (Narrator recalling parent response, 05:37)

2. Relentless Neighbors Turn Deadly

[07:01–15:59]

Story Details:
After years of harassment from their neighbors, a family moves to what they think is a safer small town—only to be tracked down by their tormentors, who break in and attack. The narrator’s father dies from his injuries. The narration is raw, touching on the failure of authorities, the consequences of digital footprints, and the trauma of realizing the attacker had been hiding in their home’s loft for weeks or months.
Key Discussion Points:
- The importance (and peril) of digital privacy.
- How stalkers can use even minor online exposure to track victims.
- Institutional negligence and corruption (bribery, failure to protect).
- Lasting psychological trauma and vigilance.
Notable Quotes:
- “She also registered to vote, which automatically makes your current address public. Yeah, great system we have.” (Narrator, 15:44)
- “...it was Steve all along. He must have been living up there before everything happened and used the ladder to get up and down from there.” (Narrator, 15:29)
- “I still have nightmares about it. I just hope nobody else has to go through what I did.” (Narrator, 15:55)

3. Dating App Set-Up and Robbery

[16:31–22:54]

Story Details:
A man relates how a too-good-to-be-true date via PlentyOfFish ends in a textbook set-up and robbery. After meeting a woman far out of his league in Chester, Pennsylvania, he’s convinced to walk to a Wawa at 1am, where he is mugged by men who know her; police later confirm the robbers came from the woman’s own apartment. The aftermath leaves him shaken and forever wary of people walking behind him.
Key Points:
- Danger signals/red flags are often ignored until hindsight.
- Predators can exploit digital dating’s vulnerabilities.
- Even minor thefts can produce deep trauma.
Notable Quotes:
- “Those guys who robbed me came from this bitch’s apartment. I’m pissed and astonished and felt every emotion.” (Narrator, 21:36)
- “I hope you enjoyed the $40 and the lifelong PTSD you instilled in me for it.” (Narrator, 22:41)

4. The Unlocked Apartment

[22:54–23:46]

Story Details:
An apartment dweller tries to convince her roommate of the importance of locking doors—until a stranger strolls right in and heads straight for her bedroom. Fortunately, the roommate is able to scare off the intruder. The story is a simple but memorable reminder of how easily safety can be compromised by carelessness.
Notable Moment:
- “We both found it really scary how he seemed to know exactly where he was heading—my bedroom—and it still spooks me out to think how many times he entered our unit before without us knowing.” (Narrator, 23:37)
Takeaway:
Always lock your doors, even when you think you’ll be back in ‘just a minute.’

5. Midnight Forest Encounter

[24:19–29:46]

Story Details:
Two friends biking home at 3am witness suspicious behavior involving a red car and a strange girl being followed into a forest path by two men. They decide to investigate, have a tense encounter with a waiting car, and run for help when things get too creepy. When police arrive and start asking questions, the inconsistencies and the strange behavior of the girl suggest something more sinister; the narrator is left wondering if it was a trafficking setup.
Key Points:
- The behaviors and inconsistencies suggest coordinated predatory tactics.
- Authorities can be dismissive even in potentially high-risk situations.
- Gut instinct and rapid action (screaming, fleeing) likely saved them.

6. Locked In: The Club Bathroom Stranger

[29:46–36:52]

Story Details:
A narrator recounts being lured out of a Montreal nightclub by a friendly-seeming man offering cocaine. After following him back to his apartment, he becomes trapped inside, as the host locks the door from within. The man begins acting more erratically and makes unsettling requests to take “before” photos. The narrator’s realization of danger leads to a frantic escape by screaming for help—luckily, the host lets him leave without resistance.
Memorable Quotes:
- “...he was locking the door from the inside with a key above the regular lock. And in that moment, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of dread like I had never felt before.” (Narrator, 30:29)
- “...all I can think about is Jeffrey Dahmer and all his Polaroids and what am I going to do?...every alarm bell is going off in my head now.” (Narrator, 33:12)
Themes:
- The vulnerability of party culture and trusting strangers.
- The importance of noticing and acting on subtle (and not-so-subtle) warning signs.
- The lingering self-doubt and “blaming oneself” after surviving a near-miss.

Timestamps & Notable Segments

Tone and Language

Authentic and informal: The narrators often inject honesty, self-deprecating humor, or raw emotion even while recalling trauma.
Direct warnings to listeners: Many stories end with advice or implicit reminders about personal safety, trust, and the importance of instincts.
Emotionally resonant: Several stories highlight not just the events, but the long-term anxiety, paranoia, and self-doubt these events can induce.

Conclusion

Trigger Warning: This episode includes themes of stalking, home invasion, death, attack, and psychological trauma. Listener discretion is advised.

6 TRUE Scary Encounter Stories | Episode 618

Summary

The Dinner Table: A Southern Cannibal Podcast

Episode 618: 6 TRUE Scary Encounter Stories Date: September 3, 2025

Episode Overview

Key Stories and Discussion Points

1. The Man on the Winter Trail

2. Relentless Neighbors Turn Deadly

3. Dating App Set-Up and Robbery

4. The Unlocked Apartment

5. Midnight Forest Encounter

6. Locked In: The Club Bathroom Stranger

Timestamps & Notable Segments

Tone and Language

Conclusion

Transcript

Summary

The Dinner Table: A Southern Cannibal Podcast

Episode 618: 6 TRUE Scary Encounter Stories Date: September 3, 2025

Episode Overview

Key Stories and Discussion Points

1. The Man on the Winter Trail

2. Relentless Neighbors Turn Deadly

3. Dating App Set-Up and Robbery

4. The Unlocked Apartment

5. Midnight Forest Encounter

6. Locked In: The Club Bathroom Stranger

Timestamps & Notable Segments

Tone and Language

Conclusion

Episode 618: 6 TRUE Scary Encounter Stories
Date: September 3, 2025

Episode 618: 6 TRUE Scary Encounter Stories
Date: September 3, 2025