In my early 20s, when I first started earning a steady income, I made some pretty careless decisions with money. To be honest, I became quite overconfident. My biggest mistake was leasing an expensive car instead of a cheaper one, even though I lived with my parents. To make some extra money, I would do small side jobs. I often visited my friend Dom’s dog, Willard. Dom had to go out of town on weekends for work, and since he had no family, he trusted me with the dog’s care. I had been doing this job for almost six months, and honestly, I enjoyed taking care of Willard. Willard was a golden retriever, and he had a very calm temperament. Dom’s neighborhood was also nice and safe.
That evening, like usual, I was playing with the dog. I didn’t take him for a walk and returned home around 9 PM. I usually went to bed by 10 PM, but that night I was watching Inception, which ended after 11. After the movie, I let Willard outside and started getting ready for bed. Since I found it odd to sleep in Dom’s bedroom, I decided to sleep on the couch. As soon as I comfortably lay on the couch, the doorbell rang. It was around 11:01 PM. At first, I thought it might be one of Dom’s relatives, since who else would ring the doorbell at that hour? I walked to the door, and when I looked outside, I saw a young man standing there. He looked around my age, dressed neatly, and didn’t seem dangerous at first. I opened the door while ensuring the screen door remained closed. I inquired, ‘How may I assist you?’ and he responded with confidence, ‘I have your food.’
Now, the thing to note is that this was a time before food delivery apps like Zomato or Swiggy existed. To order food, you had to pay in cash directly. I told him he had the wrong address and that I hadn’t ordered any food. We talked for a bit, and then he realized he had come to the wrong place. He apologized, and I relaxed. But then I noticed there were three other people in his car, which felt a bit strange because usually, delivery drivers come alone. I didn’t overthink it and closed the door. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang once more, this time in a frantic manner. I looked through the window, and there was the delivery guy, looking more anxious. I asked, “What now?” He stated, “I accidentally collided with your car. Before I could respond, he lowered his head and said, ‘I should have checked it; there’s a little damage.’”
I was angry and, without thinking, I went outside to his car. But as soon as I got near, I noticed that the car, which had been full of people moments ago, was now empty. That’s when I realized something was off. I made an excuse, saying I would go put on my shoes, and quickly headed back toward the house. But then, I saw two people coming out from behind the bushes. I immediately ran towards the door, but one of the guys lunged at me. Luckily, he was a bit too far away and didn’t catch me. As soon as I got inside the house, I slammed the door shut, and they started banging on it. I noticed one of the guys had a tiger tattoo on his neck. I called the police, explained everything, and gave them the description of the delivery driver and the others. Sadly, the police never caught them. To this day, I don’t know why they targeted me, and the scariest part is that I still don’t know who they were or what their intentions were.
This happened when I was 18 and on my way to college. I packed all my belongings into the trunk and backseat of my SUV. It wasn’t just my first long road trip; it was also my first time being away from my family for an extended period. The college was 600 miles away, so I decided to split the trip into two days of driving. I planned to reach the hotel by 11 PM, according to my map. By 7 PM, the sun had set completely, and most cars had disappeared from the road. Occasionally, a car would pass, and I would watch its headlights fade. As the night progressed, my fatigue intensified. Around 10 PM, I decided to stop at the next gas station. After about 10 minutes, I arrived at a gas station in the middle of nowhere—no towns or houses around. It had only a few fuel pumps and a small convenience store. There were no other cars, and no lights from nearby buildings. I parked at a pump and got out to fill my tank. As I looked around, I felt uneasy because a strange man was walking toward me. He was much larger than me, probably in his 50s, and looked homeless. Still, there was no one else around, and his small smile made me even more uncomfortable.
“Can I help you?” It was a one-way road, and the situation appeared illogical. He stopped a few feet away from my car, glanced around, then pointed toward the exit I had come from and told me to go back onto the highway. Confused, I agreed, but I still didn’t understand why he was telling me to turn around. It was a one-way road, and it seemed illogical. I looked at the ramp I was supposed to take, and there were no signs of construction or any obstacles—just an empty ramp. As I got back in my car and drove toward the highway entrance, I noticed all the streetlights were out. I slowed down, thinking it might be construction or something else, trying to be cautious. Suddenly, a pickup truck appeared out of nowhere, stopping right in front of my car. Four people jumped out, armed with knives and metal rods, rushing toward me. They didn’t cover their faces, and their expressions were emotionless. I quickly reversed my car, and to my shock, I saw more people emerging from the roadside. Some even tried to chase me. I swerved my car and drove away, stopping when I felt safe enough to call 911. However, I never heard back from them, and it felt like they didn’t investigate at all.
I still wonder if that old man at the gas station had been trying to warn me, urging me to turn around and avoid those people. I consider myself lucky because I still don’t know what their plan was or what would have happened if I hadn’t escaped.
In today’s modern times, we have the luxury of ordering almost any food online. From pizza to chicken sandwiches, it is delivered directly to our doorstep. On the other hand, we can also earn some extra money by becoming delivery drivers. As a single mother, any extra income is always welcome. A few weeks ago, I did a delivery in a nice suburban area, one of those neighborhoods you see in Disney Channel shows, with clean picket fences and big houses. As with every delivery, I had to place the food at the door, take a picture to prove it was delivered, and then leave. I placed the order on the small porch, stepped back to take the photo, and then started walking toward my car when suddenly, a woman from the house across the street stormed out, yelling at me. She accused me of trespassing on her private property. I tried to explain that I was just delivering food and taking a photo, but she wouldn’t listen. Every time I tried to say something, she only got angrier. Ultimately, I decided to get into my car and drive away to avoid the confrontation. But as soon as I sat in my car, she began slamming her hands on the hood. I panicked and quickly got out to check if the car was damaged, but she quietly walked back to her house. Although there was no real damage, I was shaken. I ended my shift right there and went home to spend some time with my daughter. We dined, engaged in games, and watched a film together. When my daughter went to sleep, I was watching my favorite show around midnight when I heard a loud knocking at my door. When I peeked outside, it was the same angry woman from earlier in the day. How did she find my house? The thought made my skin crawl. I didn’t open the door, staying quietly by the window to see what she would do. Then, I saw her pick up a rock from the front yard and hide it behind her back. She started knocking again as if she was hiding something. Without wasting any time, I shouted that I had called the police. Maybe hearing that scared her because she threw the rock and ran away. I did call the police and told them what had happened, but by the time they arrived, she was gone. The police came, but nothing much happened. I thought the ordeal was over, but things only got scarier from there.
A week later, I visited the grocery store and encountered the same woman. She didn’t cause a scene; she just stared at me from a distance. After that, I saw her several times near my car, but there was never any confrontation. Still, it felt strange. I talked to my friend, whose husband is a police officer, and she said I might be overthinking it because I knew her now. Maybe I was just noticing her more. But one day, when I was outside pulling weeds from the garden, I saw her standing right in front of me. She picked up the same rock and, in a quiet but angry voice, said, “You’re a monster for calling the police. You trespassed on my property.” A wave of fear washed over me, and without thinking, I ran inside and slammed the door. I called the police again and told them she was back, and this time, she tried to attack me. The police came and finally arrested her. It turned out that the woman had mental health issues and had a record. I don’t know what will happen to her, but the last time I saw her was in the police car. I hope this ends here, and she gets the help she needs, so I never have to see her face again.
It was an ordinary day when my aunt went out of town for a few weeks and entrusted me with taking care of her house. I wasn’t the kind of girl who was interested in partying. My life routine was simple: go to work, eat, clean the house, and sleep. But that night, I thought I would relax a little, so I ordered a pizza. I didn’t know that such a small thing as ordering pizza could take such a strange turn. I called to order, and a little while later, the delivery guy arrived. When I went to the door, I noticed that the man seemed a little strange, but I didn’t pay much attention. I just signed and took the pizza. However, he then began asking me unsettling questions. He asked if I was alone, where my aunt was, and if I lived here alone. I began to feel uneasy, but not wanting to appear impolite, I offered a strained smile and attempted to close the door. But as I went to close the door, he pushed it back open and said that he needed to use the bathroom. I told him no, but he insisted. I thought maybe I was being paranoid, so I let him in, but I stood by the door as he walked toward the bathroom.
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I was nervous, not sure what to do. As he walked down the hallway, I quickly locked the door behind him. Then, I went to the window, keeping an eye on the man through the blinds. I saw him look around, trying to figure out what to do. I locked the windows and waited by the front door. When he came out, I said I was calling the cops. He immediately tried to bolt, but I locked the door before he could escape. He was frantic, throwing himself against the door. He eventually calmed down, sat down on the couch, and refused to leave. I called the police, and within 10 minutes, they showed up. They arrested him, and I found out that he had been casing houses in the neighborhood, looking for an easy target. The police said he had a history of robbing people. I was lucky, but I was also thankful I had trusted my instincts.