Sometimes you just know something weird is up. Maybe you can't quite put it into words, but there's this feeling inside that something's just not right with the universe. Some weird, unsettling feeling that something is going wrong. Or maybe it already has and there's nothing you can do about it. These people found out that their worst instincts were true.
(Content edited for clarity.)
Some People Just Give The Wrong Vibe
“My husband/then-boyfriend were watching our nieces and nephew plus a few of their friends (ages 5-10) overnight. His step-brother at the time brought over some friends (we and the step-brother were 19-20, his friends were 24-27). One guy walked through the kitchen and I immediately felt uncomfortable. They made the excuse that step-brother needed to get something.
I rounded up all 12 kids into one bedroom I knew had a working lock and no window ‘to tell scary stories’ (which I knew would convince all of them to listen). My husband followed the group of guys through his dad’s house until the one I didn’t like threatened him.
It turns out step-brother knew we’d be alone with a dozen kids and decided to rob the place and creepy friend planned to ‘get to know’ my 10-year-old and 7-year-old nieces. I heard a fight, told the kids to lock the door behind me after whispering the password, saying don’t open it until I say the password. I stood outside that door until the cops showed up.
Husband ended up with a broken nose and two dislocated fingers. I ended up getting dragged from the door and earned a dislocated shoulder fighting back. Creepy friend had several warrants for inappropriate acts with children. Father-in-law divorced very quickly when step-brother’s mom defended it.
The kids called us their bodyguards for a long time after that.”
Sometimes Instinct Isn’t Enough
“My friend and I were trying to reach another friend to hang out and chill.
Friend 2 didn’t answer his phone. Went to knock at his house; his mom told us he wasn’t home.
Friend 2 wasn’t feeling so well mentally in those times. On the way back, Friend 1 and me looked at each other and we only needed to cross gazes to know we were thinking the same thing. We took care not to mention it directly for some reason.
We took out our bikes in the grey, foggy evening and rode under a light rain, and tried to think of and go check every ‘meaningful’ spot Friend 2 could have thought about when deciding to do the thing. Knowing him at that time, it only made sense it was going to be some kind of meaningful place. Another gut feeling we couldn’t quite explain.
After a whole evening of not finding him, it was way past dark and we kinda forced ourselves to believe that everything was most likely alright, we were panicking for nothing and we’d see him the next day. Maybe the gloomy atmosphere of that night gave us ideas? We didn’t know. We went home.
Later, the three of us had an honest conversation about our suspicions at the time. Friend 2 confirmed to us that, on that very night, he was standing at the only very obvious meaningful spot that we were stupid to forget to check, rope in hand, staring at the tree he had chosen. He also managed to convince himself he was OK and went back home that night too, no thanks to us.”
When You Don’t Know Why, But You Know Something’s Up
“My house was robbed. I had gotten off work, pretty late as usual, and was driving home. Just as I turned the corner, I got the biggest sinking sensation in my stomach and all I could think was ‘The house was robbed.’ And this is the first time this type of feeling was so specific and ominous.
I’m putting the keys in the door, feeling full dread, and opening the door, everything is everywhere – broken, turned over, missing. And I just stood in the doorway looking around at how surreal that feeling was.
That night I couldn’t figure out why I felt that as I was pulling up to my house. Maybe I had left a light on and my brain subconsciously recognized that the light wasn’t on anymore, or maybe I had overheard/saw something in the neighborhood when I was sleeping the night before/taking a walk/leaving for work.
It just really freaked me out, having that all come true, with such an intense feeling of inexplicable dread leading up to it.”
Being Wary Can Keep You From Getting Too Close For Comfort
“I used to manage a coffee shop. I was closing one night with a female on my staff. We were never busy at night as we were on the outskirts of town.
A guy was standing outside eating a chicken sandwich from McDonald’s, but he kept peering in the windows. Like, with his hands cupped around his eyes as if it were dark and we might be closed. He paced around out there for a while. I noticed he was wearing a shirt from a local high school but the car he drove up in was from a different state; I suspected he had stolen the car but I didn’t call the cops because I had no proof. I told my employee to go in the back and I would help him if he came in.
He did come in.
He asked me why everything was so expensive; I could tell he was aggravated. I was pleasant to him and even gave him a sample of our product. It was a tiny chunk of food but he asked for a fork and sat at a table to eat it. He then said, ‘I’ll be right back’ and walked out to his car.
He did not come back luckily. Instead, he drove down about a mile away from where he murdered someone to steal their car and continue his killing spree. The next day, the girl I was working with that night called me and told me I needed to get a newspaper right now.
The front page was my freaky customer’s mug shot.”
Temporary In-Laws Can Be Permanently Creepy
“When I was five, my aunt was engaged to be married. I was at my grandmother’s house when she brought the guy to meet her. They talked all their boring grown-up talk for a while when the guy noticed me playing in the corner.
He was so creepy. He was like the human version of a Ken doll. Artificial tan, not-too-short-but-not-too-long blond hair, white and straight teeth. Yeah, it freaked me out as a kid just how perfectly handsome this man was. And even though I was only five, I had ‘liked’ boys before, so I shouldn’t have thought he was icky – but he was.
And he spoke to me like an adult would talk to an adult. Not like how grown-ups talk to kids with the fake, sweet voice they attempt so they don’t come off as threatening. Like, this guy was already sure I’m was gonna be cool with him. Confident. But creepy.
He breathed on me. A hot breath blew right on my shoulders and neck. He smelled like expensive cologne and hair product, but faintly, at first, until he got very close to me. I couldn’t even give him eye contact because all I could see was the knitting of his sweater and the start of his five o’clock shadow.
I didn’t like him. I told that to anyone who would listen. But the opinions of your 5-year-old niece when you’re 35 and child-less don’t call off rushed marriages with wealthy men.
My mom made us spend time with them. I don’t know if it was their nice condo in a rich neighborhood or that my mom honestly had missed her sister when she was out in San Diego for a few years trying to find a man. During one of these visits, my soon-to-be uncle told me that the hot tub would boil me into a soup and I should stay with him in the pool while my aunt and mom were in there. I didn’t want to be around that guy, though, so I followed my mom.
The wedding was beautiful. I envy it to this day, I swear! It was at the local botanical gardens at night so it was lit by little, white lights. Every girl under the age of twelve that was even a little related to us was a flower girl, including me, my cousins, my mom’s cousin’s daughter I never heard of who traveled over 2000 miles just for the wedding, my uncle’s sister-in-law’s daughter, and a few of girls from church. I think there were 6 or 7 of us in all? It was extravagant.
A month later my aunt walked in on her husband touching himself watching some kids playing outside. They got divorced just as quickly as they married.”
When You Fear The Worst And It Actually Happens
“Two days before my mom died at the age of 43, we were on our way to Florida for my spring break. I was 15 and really looking forward to spending some time with her since she’d been diagnosed with cancer three years before and promised that this trip would be like she wasn’t even ill. She promised we’d talk about boys, she’d show me how to do my hair and my make up, and we could stay up late and talk. Basically, all the stuff that having cancer and undergoing aggressive chemotherapy makes really difficult for a mother to do with her kids.
We ended up stopping on our way out of town — it was a 12-hour drive — for a bathroom break and she started having a panic attack. Her panic attack ended up lasting for two hours in this tiny town. My aunt, her sister who was traveling with us, called my step-dad and told him to meet her at the exit to pick up my mom. She said she’d get plane tickets so my mom wouldn’t have to drive since my mom had always been more comfortable flying.
My step-dad comes, picks up my mom, and she’s calm and cheerful again. She opens her door before they leave and asks my brother and me to give her a kiss and a hug, promising she’ll be down there to see us in two days.
When I went to hug her, I kissed her lips — yeah, we’re that family — and her lips were cold like ice. I remember thinking immediately, ‘I just kissed a dead woman.’ Instead of saying anything, I pulled back, hugged her again, we pinky promised about Florida, and then she left.
Two days later, at 4 a.m., six hours before her flight was supposed to take off, she died. I ended up spending my spring break driving back from Florida to bury my mom. It took me a few years to tell my family about how her lips felt when I kissed her goodbye. I wasn’t able to shake that feeling that she was going to die even while we were prepping the place we’d rented and were making plans around the idea of her joining us soon.”
It’s still unnerving.”
Animals Have Instincts Too
“I was volunteering at an animal rescue. One evening, when I was cleaning up after everybody else had left, a woman walked in wanting to look at our puppies. I was relatively new, so I didn’t think anything about it. But the dog I later adopted did not like this woman. Every time she picked up a puppy, my soon-to-be dog would just stare at her and low-growl.
The next time I was in volunteering, I told the director about it, and she asked me to describe the woman. It turns out this woman had been banned for life from adopting dogs from the organization due to animal abuse. I trusted that dog’s judgment for the rest of her life.”
Sometimes Instincts Kick In But It Doesn’t Matter
“I work hospitality and am in fine dining. Unlike the majority of food and beverage staff, I’ve stayed put for a long time and haven’t left this restaurant for three years.
I’ve had two deliberate walk-outs in this time, both by the same person. The first time our bartender chased him down the road. Our bartender was a big guy I would not mess with but this guy told him to go away and just kept walking. Anyway, we found some photos online on some community Facebook pages as he had done it from previous places.
Anyway, two years later, I had a man who looked very different but behaved very similar to this guy. The first thing he did was sit at a table with people he didn’t know, which was odd for a five-star hotel. He also ordered the exact same drinks, which I somehow remembered. Anyway, I had a hunch this was the same guy, so I informed security and the duty manager. We physically blocked the two exits while our security talked to this guy to determine if it was him.
It was. And he got pissed off, and pushed past us, only to realize he was trapped in. We called the police, only to be told it was a civil matter to be dealt with internally — nonsense — as his tab was only $70. In the end, he just pushed a few people and kept walking. He probably won’t be back anytime soon.
The day we almost caught a notorious dine-and-dasher.”
Trusting Your Gut Can Save You A Lot Of Hassle
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“Once, when I was about 18, I was drinking with my older friends (24-27-years-old).
We were hanging at one of their friend’s place, and these dudes were kinda seedy. Like, lots of underaged kids, and a whole lot of illegal substances on the table.
I got this dirty feeling and I bailed with some lame excuse.
Bam! An hour later there was a hostage type of dealio. The dude who owned the house had flipped on something trivial and starting exercising his 2nd amendment rights.
Luckily no one got hurt and the dude turned himself in after an about hour, but still terrifying in the moment.”
She Knew Even When Everyone Else Couldn’t Tell
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“I went to middle school with a dude who always gave me the creeps. I was told (both by other students and by adults) that I was being ‘mean’ and I should be friends with him even though he made me uncomfortable. It was a small private school and there was a big push for everybody to play happy family regardless of circumstances. He had this fake smile/grimace he’d do that just made my skin crawl, and I couldn’t stand even trying to make eye contact with him.
Well, most of a decade later, it comes out that he’s a repeat-offender, including violating and beating his girlfriend and posting photos of it when she tried to break up with him. When the news broke, I emailed a bunch of the people we used to go to school with about it, and their response was pretty much uniformly, ‘She’s clearly lying to try to ruin his life, he’d NEVER do something like that!’
Seriously? You can’t fathom that the dude who was already making inappropriate comments to female classmates at age twelve (which the teachers never shut down and just considered funny/quirky, by the way) and would ‘joke’ about harming animals could possibly be a predator?”
She Was Up To Something
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“My online friend used to have a girlfriend who raised all the little red flags in my brain. One day he comes to me, so excited to tell me that his girlfriend was pregnant! I told him I was happy for him, but something didn’t seem right. I sat on it the next few days while I was in school processing what I was feeling. Maybe I was jealous or something, probably should have been focusing more on my biology teacher to be honest.
He comes to me later that week, devastated. She miscarried. And it was twins. This poor man had been reduced to tears and turmoil and I could hardly console him because I lived states away. But that odd feeling of mine hadn’t gone away yet.
Oh, but it doesn’t end there. No no no. Not long after that, he comes back excited because apparently only one of the babies had died and there was still a chance for the other one. At this point, I knew something was up.
It was either later that day or the next where he tells me what happened next: his girlfriend lied. All of it was fake. There was no baby, just some actually insane woman lying to the man that loved her to make him stay, which mind you, he had not suggested leaving her. She knew he wanted kids and she abused that knowledge.
Yeah, they don’t talk anymore. I’ve trusted my intuition since then.”
Sometimes You Just Know Something’s Up
“I am a 19-year-old male security guard. I was chilling, watching people come in and out from the store I work at, chatting with coworkers, etc. I remember watching this one dude who was acting very suspicious, carrying two plastic bags (from our store) full of food and miscellaneous goods and a rolled up blunt in his mouth. I ask him for a receipt or any proof of purchase. He makes this excuse about how he doesn’t have it and needs to go because he has a bike and is afraid of getting it stolen. I begin to chat with him about bikes to see if he was high, was nervous, or was going to put some words into my mouth.
At the end, I tell him he needs to go get the receipt re-printed by the cashiers, and he says, ‘I thought you said I was okay?’ Nope. Not at all. Told him again to go get the receipt and he leaves towards the registers. A couple of minutes later I see him with the assistant manager, constantly eyeing me down while arguing with her.
Turns out I was right, he was stealing. He took about a hundred dollars worth of food. She tells me that she asked all the cashiers and no one had had him in line or saw him. What did he do? He paid for a Dr. Pepper and double bagged it. He used the second bag to add more items and attempt to walk out. Luckily, not even a month before, I had the same event happen, so I was able to catch on.”
When You Have No Idea What Could Have Happened
“I drive for Uber/Lyft and picked up this woman one Saturday night. I confirmed the name and she was the only one on the street near the flag, so I thought we were good. I could tell she’d had a few drinks, but she seemed pleasant enough, so we took off. We passed by a college bar with a line outside and she was all, ‘What’s that? What are they doing? Is that a musical theater? What goes on in there?’
I got a vibe off of her and about a minute later I get a call from the real woman I was supposed to pick up. I told the woman in my car that she was in the wrong Uber/Lyft and I was taking her back to where I picked her up. We were only a few blocks away and she was fine.
We get there, and she starts to freak out a bit. ‘You’re kicking me out? What the heck?!’
I explained, again, that this wasn’t her ride, it was the other woman’s ride. She got out but then started freaking out on us both. The other woman, who’d actually called, informed me that her and her friends saw this crazy woman try to take a few other Ubers this evening.
‘This is my Uber, see?’ The crazy woman showed us her phone and she was just then downloading the app. We offered to call the police, and she said, ‘Fine, I’ll call them too!’
I told her to close the door and we’d pull up to a parking space and wait. We just left. I knew she looked a little off, but then everyone at 1 AM outside a bar is a little off. I’m guessing there was a combination of mental illness and a lot of drinking going on. The other woman said she’d attempted this a number of times. I’m wondering if she was just lonely and wanted someone to talk to. We were both curious as to what she would have done had I taken her all the way to where the real passenger was going; 30 minutes away to a karaoke bar.”