Southern Cannibal's Scary Stories

Episode 619: 7 TRUE Scary Small Town Horror Stories
Host: Southern Cannibal
Date: September 15, 2025

Episode Overview

In this chilling episode of Southern Cannibal's Scary Stories, the host shares seven true horror stories set in small towns across the United States and beyond, all submitted by listeners or sourced from Reddit. Each story dives into the unnerving, everyday scenarios that could happen to anyone—reminding us how the seemingly ordinary can quickly become terrifying.
The focus of the episode is how small town environments, often romanticized as safe and mundane, can be the scene of some of the most disturbing and inexplicable events.

Story 1: The Diner Stalker

[01:40 - 10:05]

Key Points:

• The narrator, a worker at a small diner, encounters a strange woman with a distinctive look—long blonde hair, a sunflower-stitched jacket, pale skin, and green eyes—acting oddly.
• The woman sits without ordering, watches the narrator intensely, and makes disturbing comments suggesting she’s been observing the narrator outside of work:

  "You look different in person." (03:09, Woman)
  "You were outside your house last Thursday. You looked tired." (04:17, Woman)

• The woman’s actions and words hint at prior stalking and potentially dangerous intent; she exhibits an uncanny, almost non-human focus.
• After being asked to leave, the woman says:

  "I just wanted to see if you'd remember. You forgot last time." (05:23, Woman)

• The narrator calls the police, who review footage showing the woman eerily never blinking.
• The diner worker describes the lingering psychological effects: sleeplessness, anxiety, reluctance to share the story, and seeking therapy to process the encounter.
• Quote on therapy and the experience:

  "Sometimes people get fixated. Maybe they'd been watching longer than you knew..." (08:45, Therapist)

• The story ends unresolved, with the narrator hypervigilant and haunted by the question: What did I forget?

Story 2: Kidnapping in 1969 Texas

[10:08 - 22:21]
by Dakota B.

Key Points:

• Set in rural Texas in 1969, Dakota recounts being kidnapped by violent twin sisters (Bessie and Tessie) driven by envy and hatred for the wealthy.
• Vivid, atmospheric setting with context: Vietnam War, civil rights era, Southern social tensions.
• Dakota is abducted at knifepoint after grocery shopping; the twins taunt her, referencing her family's wealth and expressing racist and hateful views.
• Notable taunt:

  "This little piggy went to market. This little piggy never made it home." (13:30, Tessie)
  "We're going to put you up for ransom. When your father gives us the money, we will probably kill you and flee the country." (14:30, Bessie)

• Dakota's boyfriend "Cowboy" (Cody) and his dog Apollo covertly follow and ultimately rescue her after a dramatic basement confrontation.
• Dakota and Cowboy subdue the attackers with courage, resourcefulness, and some humor:

  "Remind me to never make you angry honey." (20:04, Cowboy)

• Authorities arrest the sisters, who have a criminal background. Dakota and Cowboy go on to graduate, marry, and reflect on the violence of their era and their luck in surviving.
• Closing reflection:

  "I for one will always be grateful for Cowboy and his dog Apollo for saving my life. Thanks for listening to my story that happened a long time ago in Texas in 1969, and stay safe out there everyone." (22:15, Dakota)

Story 3: Cash Trap in a Louisiana Parking Lot

[22:24 - 25:13]

Key Points:

• Female narrator in her early 20s recounts an unsettling experience after closing up her jewelry store inside a Walmart.
• She finds a $20 bill on her car’s trunk late at night, immediately recognizing it as a potential lure or kidnapping attempt.
• Her awareness is heightened from listening to true crime podcasts, so she avoids touching the money, quickly gets in the car, and drives to safety.
• Reflection on vulnerability:

  "You never expect things like this to happen to you until they do." (24:50, Narrator)

• Shares the encounter to raise awareness, especially for other young women.

Story 4: Whisper App—Predator in the Park

[25:14 - 33:45]

Key Points:

• The narrator, a teenage girl who matured physically early and felt isolated, begins using the anonymous Whisper app.
• Unknowingly starts chatting with a 27-year-old man who manipulates her.
• He pressures her into meeting at a public park; the encounter quickly turns threatening:

  "The first thing he tells me is that I'm hot. The second thing he does is ask me for a hug." (28:28, Predator)

• He becomes physically inappropriate and emotionally manipulative, escalating toward potential danger in a secluded area.
• The narrator begins to panic and works on keeping the man occupied to avoid escalation.
• A timely intervention by an observant older woman walking her dog ensures her escape.
• Afterward, the man berates her online; she blocks him and deletes the app, struggling with guilt and self-blame.
• She closes with a crucial reminder:

  "Don't blame yourself for someone else's twisted actions." (33:40, Narrator)

Story 5: The Mysterious Knocking—Oregon Family Ranch

[33:46 - 44:46]

Key Points:

• The narrator, around 12 or 13 at the time, details two nights of unexplained, loud knocking at the family’s remote rural house in eastern Oregon.
• The entire family, including her mother and brother, experience the knocking, which can't be explained by animals or wind.
• Her mother bravely checks the back door, only to find no one there.
• The pattern repeats the next night, this time witnessed by her skeptical father, who is equally baffled.
• The narrator investigates the property’s history—nothing out of the ordinary is found, though strange artifacts turn up from prior residents.
• The knockings never happen again but leave a lasting feeling of unease in the family.
• Notable moment:

  "Just what the hell was it?" (43:23, Narrator)

• Friends later report being unsettled in the home as well.

Story 6: Cartel Truck—Ceballos, Durango, Mexico

[44:48 - 49:11]

Key Points:

• A woman recounts a grisly horror after noticing an abandoned, new truck near her home for days.
• A strong, ever-present undercurrent of cartel violence is noted.
• Eventually, authorities open the truck and discover the decomposed bodies of three victims who had been tortured and decapitated—an event that shocks the small town.
• The incident contributes to the narrator’s decision to leave Mexico.
• Powerful reflection on survival and trauma:

  "They later determined it to be cartel related... I have to say this for sure played a part in my farewell to Mexico." (48:35, Narrator)

Story 7: Missing Man in the Store

[49:12 - 52:00]

Key Points:

• During a closing shift in a northern small town, the narrator notices a man enter the store and head for the bathroom, but never sees him leave.
• She and her manager check everywhere, review surveillance cameras, and see that the man appears entering—but there is no footage of him exiting.
• Both are deeply unsettled and leave together, still unable to account for the missing person.
• The event has just happened, and the narrator is unnerved:

  "The cameras never even recorded him leaving. I've been terrified since..." (51:58, Narrator)

Notable Quotes

• "You look different in person."
  — Strange Woman, Story 1, [03:09]

• "You forgot last time."
  — Strange Woman, Story 1, [05:23]

• "This little piggy went to market. This little piggy never made it home."
  — Tessie, Story 2, [13:30]

• "Don't blame yourself for someone else's twisted actions."
  — Narrator, Story 4, [33:40]

• "Just what the hell was it?"
  — Narrator, Story 5, [43:23]

Episode Tone and Atmosphere

Southern Cannibal delivers each story with a trademark calm, slightly ominous tone, letting the darkness of the tales speak for themselves. The episode maintains a sense of realness and respect for the storytellers’ trauma, threading together snapshots of horror in everyday life. The collective effect is an unsettling reminder that evil—or the inexplicable—can find its way into the quietest places.

For Listeners:

If you have a story of your own, you can submit it to Southern Cannibal at SouthernCannibal.com for a chance to be featured. As always, these stories serve as reminders to remain vigilant—no matter how "safe" your town may seem.