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Creepy Childhood Memories
9 years ago
General
A fairly pointless journal, but I thought it might be interesting for some people to reflect on events from their younger days from an adult perspective and perhaps see just how creepy some of those events are.
This journal may, or may not, be inspired by some creepypastas I've been listening to. Although, unlike most creepypastas, these are actual events that I remember.
When I was elementary school age, about 8 or so, probably younger, I would walk too and from school. Living in a small town where everyone pretty much knows everyone, neither my parents or myself had much fear that anything would happen. Nevertheless, the lessons of "don't talk to strangers", "don't take candy from strangers", and "don't accept rides from strangers" were regularly addressed.
One particular day, while walking back from school, a guy in an older sedan (probably later 70s) stopped in the road next to me while I was walking home and told me that my aunt had sent him to pick me up. My aunt lives in the same town, but I had no memory of there being any kind of get together planned for that day. I also thought it was weird that she would send anyone to pick me up when I lived so close to the school anyway. And this was someone I had never seen before. Why didn't my Grandpa Jack do it?
I was wary, but not really scared or creeped out. It just seemed weird. I turned him down, saying that I didn't really need a ride and he randomly mentioned being one of my aunt's coworkers (as if he felt he needed to explain why he wasn't familiar to me without me having to say so) and once again said that he had been sent by my aunt to give me a ride. I declined again, deciding to walk to the other side of the street rather than keep talking to him. He drove off and I never saw him again.
I don't think I mentioned the strange driver back then, but I brought it up once years later and it very much unsettled my parents. Looking back on it now, the implications are fairly unpleasant. I highly doubt my aunt would have sent anyone to drive me home when I lived only a few blocks away, and considering that I never saw that man again, he likely wasn't from the area.
Around that same age, my best friend at the time was named Michael. My mother worked with his dad, Bill, and Michael and myself went to the same summer daycare, so there was no trepidation about our spending a lot of time together. He was really the only friend I had around that age, so I was eager to hang out as much as possible. His dad was also fairly successful, so Mike had all the cool toys growing up - the Ninja Turtles Sewer Playset - the TMNT Blimp - even "The Black Seas Barracuda" set from Lego (which, to this day, I still desire to own).
I never felt ill at ease at Mike's house, and most of the console experience I have from back in the day came from when I would hang out with him (he had a NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, eventually an N64...all the good stuff). Occasionally his dad would drive us both to the only McDonald's in town (this is back before McD's had playplaces) for hamburgers that still came in yellow, non-biodegradable Styrofoam containers.
It was only weird once, and it took me many many years before I looked back at it and realized just how weird it was.
While riding in the back of the car, Bill (Mike's dad), asked me out of the blue if I had any hair "down there". I said that I hadn't. To which he replied: "Oh, you blondes...it always takes a while to tell.".
At the time, I wasn't creeped out by it. It seemed like just another gross pre-teenage, growing up sort of question - like being asked if you thought girls were pretty yet (when at that age they're usually still gross). So once again, I didn't think anything of it for over a decade. Looking back at it though, what the heck kind of question is that to ask an eleven year old?
I never had any other incidents with Bill, and Mike was my best friend right up until I moved away from that town. Bill passed away in 2015, likely from complications to his diabetes, and I don't hold anything against him. Perhaps his comment was meant innocently, but looking back at it from an adult perspective, it's just...creepy.
So do any of you have any memories that, in reflection, were strange or creepy? I'm not too concerned with TMI, but respect should be given when it comes to details like names and addresses (I hope I've been appropriately vague with mine).
I like telling stories.
This journal may, or may not, be inspired by some creepypastas I've been listening to. Although, unlike most creepypastas, these are actual events that I remember.
When I was elementary school age, about 8 or so, probably younger, I would walk too and from school. Living in a small town where everyone pretty much knows everyone, neither my parents or myself had much fear that anything would happen. Nevertheless, the lessons of "don't talk to strangers", "don't take candy from strangers", and "don't accept rides from strangers" were regularly addressed.
One particular day, while walking back from school, a guy in an older sedan (probably later 70s) stopped in the road next to me while I was walking home and told me that my aunt had sent him to pick me up. My aunt lives in the same town, but I had no memory of there being any kind of get together planned for that day. I also thought it was weird that she would send anyone to pick me up when I lived so close to the school anyway. And this was someone I had never seen before. Why didn't my Grandpa Jack do it?
I was wary, but not really scared or creeped out. It just seemed weird. I turned him down, saying that I didn't really need a ride and he randomly mentioned being one of my aunt's coworkers (as if he felt he needed to explain why he wasn't familiar to me without me having to say so) and once again said that he had been sent by my aunt to give me a ride. I declined again, deciding to walk to the other side of the street rather than keep talking to him. He drove off and I never saw him again.
I don't think I mentioned the strange driver back then, but I brought it up once years later and it very much unsettled my parents. Looking back on it now, the implications are fairly unpleasant. I highly doubt my aunt would have sent anyone to drive me home when I lived only a few blocks away, and considering that I never saw that man again, he likely wasn't from the area.
Around that same age, my best friend at the time was named Michael. My mother worked with his dad, Bill, and Michael and myself went to the same summer daycare, so there was no trepidation about our spending a lot of time together. He was really the only friend I had around that age, so I was eager to hang out as much as possible. His dad was also fairly successful, so Mike had all the cool toys growing up - the Ninja Turtles Sewer Playset - the TMNT Blimp - even "The Black Seas Barracuda" set from Lego (which, to this day, I still desire to own).
I never felt ill at ease at Mike's house, and most of the console experience I have from back in the day came from when I would hang out with him (he had a NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, eventually an N64...all the good stuff). Occasionally his dad would drive us both to the only McDonald's in town (this is back before McD's had playplaces) for hamburgers that still came in yellow, non-biodegradable Styrofoam containers.
It was only weird once, and it took me many many years before I looked back at it and realized just how weird it was.
While riding in the back of the car, Bill (Mike's dad), asked me out of the blue if I had any hair "down there". I said that I hadn't. To which he replied: "Oh, you blondes...it always takes a while to tell.".
At the time, I wasn't creeped out by it. It seemed like just another gross pre-teenage, growing up sort of question - like being asked if you thought girls were pretty yet (when at that age they're usually still gross). So once again, I didn't think anything of it for over a decade. Looking back at it though, what the heck kind of question is that to ask an eleven year old?
I never had any other incidents with Bill, and Mike was my best friend right up until I moved away from that town. Bill passed away in 2015, likely from complications to his diabetes, and I don't hold anything against him. Perhaps his comment was meant innocently, but looking back at it from an adult perspective, it's just...creepy.
So do any of you have any memories that, in reflection, were strange or creepy? I'm not too concerned with TMI, but respect should be given when it comes to details like names and addresses (I hope I've been appropriately vague with mine).
I like telling stories.
For me the creepiest thing I remember was back when I was in grade 4 (Catholic school) when I had my first male teacher. Every Wednesday we had swimming classes where we were bussed to another school that had an indoor YMCS sized swimming pool. The class was always fun but afterwards not so much as our teacher would always shower with us boys. This was the first time I had ever seen a full grown 40-something man completely naked just a few feet away from me and to make it worse he was uncut which to me made it look like someone hacked off the end of his tiny little dick. Remember, it was a Catholic school so all of us boys were cut and that is what I was used to seeing so this pretty much traumatized me as a child. He was gross and now every time I see an uncut dick I see him. I never told my parents that my teacher showered with us since at the time I was more disturbed at what I saw than the fact that he showered with us. :/
Your story of you not taking that ride also reminded me of a time when I was driving home from a friends place. It was stupid late, probably 1 or 2am and I took the back roads. At one point I came across what looked like 4 cars parked on the side of the road facing the oncoming traffic all with their high beams on so you could not see anything ahead of you for being blinded. This was years ago before cell phones and I began to panic. I decided not to stop for fear of getting mugged or worse so I floored it and drove on through the blinding light hoping I stayed on the road and did not hit anything or anyone.
While I did go to a Christian elementary school, it was Protestant Lutheran (Missouri Synod), so not quite as intense as what I've heard about Catholic schools. We never had events like that, but my over-the-summer daycare went places all the time. Swimming twice a week at the public pool, then roller rink twice a week with bowling one day and mini golf occasionally. But we never had to use public showers, and never with other adults.
I suppose it's possible he just didn't think it was a big deal to all shower together, but it certainly is weird, and creepy, that he would think it was appropriate.
The most similar thing I can think of to your high beams story is the time I had a car follow me from a party. I know they were following me because after a while, I deliberately made a U-turn and they did the same. I only noticed at first because it was very late at night and there were almost no other cars on the road, which made it weird that this one older model Ford pickup was following so close behind me. I switched lanes, but he did the same moments after.
I was creeped out, but never truly scared, since I was pretty sure my 92' Nissan could outrun his 80s pickup if it came to it, and so long as I didn't stop, whoever they were couldn't get to me unless they pulled out a gun. I drove in a circle for a while until it was obvious that I knew they were following and weren't going to stop (just in case they thought otherwise) and after one of the turns I made, they just kept driving.
No idea what their intentions were, but I had my club (steering wheel lock) and my phone ready just in case.
One trip I had just made a delivery about 350 miles from home and was on the return trip almost out of West Virginia and stopped at a rest stop to stretch and it was just getting dark. As I always did, I was armed then with a small 380 in a "Virginia carry" at the small of my back.
Anyway, im out of the truck stretching my legs when over the berm that separated the rest area from the interstate comes some guy walking. Im not interested really, wondering why and how he came from there somewhat, but its a rest stop, folks get out and walk around. Except, he homes straight in on me by the truck.
He comes up and then sits on the grass right in front of where i was standing by the truck. I said nice evening as it was a perfect temp spring day, and he just says " I got a friend"...
So flags fly half mast for me but i try to get what he means and ask him Is he a good friend?
and the reply I get is " I dont know his name yet."
and he reaches out fast and cups my groin.
I slap his hand away while reaching my dominant hand to the 380 at my back, but he jumps up and walks off muttering " it could have been fun if I knew its name..."
At that point i just jumped back in the truck and hauled ass for home.
Even as someone at that time that knew I was gay, that was just so off the charts and creepy. If i was in a club somewhere looking for weird, OK. Been there, done that... but on the side of the interstate highway out of the blue... Not happening.
This went on for a few minutes and when I looked down at the floor I realized I could see him doing something between his legs. When I got older I realized he'd been playing with himself but at the time I had little clue what was going on. That's when he stopped. Nothing happened for a few minutes but I could hear the sound of heavy breathing. Then I heard more scuffling and saw him moving around. By that time I was scared to death figuring I was going to be kidnapped. Then I saw something come from under the stall. It was a slip of toilet paper. I dunno what possessed me but instead of running out of there I took it and read what he'd written on it.
It read, "Would you like me to play with your penis?"
I may have been young but I kinda had an idea of what the note was implying. I began to really get nervous because now I knew the guy in the next stall wanted to mess with me. That's when my uncle came in looking for me. I got off the seat and ran out with my belt undone and toilet paper stuck to my sneakers. I never said anything to my aunt or uncle about it or ever had anything like that happen to me again. I think I was really fortunate that day. My one regret is that I never said anything. I don't think about it too often but every now and then I'll worry my not saying anything might have led to them doing something to some other kid but I was 8 and never got a look at him so it's not like I could have done much, anyways.
I remember one time I was in a convenience store, I gave a kid a dollar so he could buy some candy he was eyeing, and a minute or so later, his mother came back up to me with her boy in tow, gave me the dollar back and told me neither she nor her son wanted anything from me. From the look on her face, and the tone of her voice, I could tell that she thought I was a pedophile.
Maybe it was rude/creepy of me to be handing out money to a kid, but it's still sad that any random act of kindness suddenly becomes suspicious.
As for your story, it really bothers me. I've never had such an experience, and I hope I never do. It disturbs me that someone would be so brazen - so disgusting towards a child. I'm glad you had someone there to get you out of that situation.