10 Real-Life Events That Are Scarier Than Fiction

Some stories are so disturbing, they feel like they have to be made up. But every event in this list actually happened, and that’s what makes them so terrifying. From chilling coincidences to real-life mysteries with no explanation, these true stories blur the line between fact and fiction.

• There was a moment where I had sleep paralysis and all of a sudden my right ear starts ringing. The ringing gets louder and louder, and eventually it feels and sounds like someone is screaming in my ear. All while under sleep paralysis. Scariest, most paranormal thing I have ever experienced. © Vulcrux / Reddit
• One evening, I tried calling my aunt but couldn’t recall if her area code was 310 or 312. I picked one at random. A woman answered. I apologized, said wrong number.
  She then asked, “Is this (my name)?” Shocked, I said, “Who is this?” She whispered, “You have no idea who I am, right?”
  I just got scared and hung up. To this day, I still have no idea who that was.

• I dropped my mug onto the floor accidentally. Heard no noise when it hit the floor, go to pick it up, and it’s gone. I honestly went to bed and pondered what happened and slept feeling incredibly uncomfortable. © The_Quial / Reddit
• One afternoon in college, I came back from classes and decided to sit on the couch and have a snack. After that, I just passed out. I had a nightmare of some bloody faced demon-ish thing screaming in my ear at the top of its lungs. Woke up and went about the rest of my day.
  My roommate comes back later that night and goes into his room as I’m sitting in the main living area. At some point he lets out this random startled scream which leads to me running down the hall to see what’s going on. He looks at me and goes, “I swear to god, someone with a bloody face just walked from your bedroom into the bathroom.”
  I never told him about my nightmare I had earlier in the day. I didn’t sleep for 2 days. Nothing ever happened again. © CrispyConan / Reddit

• My brother and I were home alone one night watching TV. My mother was working a night shift and father was out. Father came home and pushed the door ajar and poked his head through to say hello, we both turned around and said hello back, father closed the door.
  30 seconds after, another man opens the door to say hello, we both turn around and say hello back, a man closes the door. We assume a friend of my father has come back to the house too.
  Anyway, about 5 minutes later I head into the kitchen where my father was, making dinner or whatever, and I’m expecting to see his friend again. I see that he’s alone making dinner and assumed his friend was upstairs in the bathroom.
  I ask my father who his friend is. My father looks at me and asks me, “What friend?” I reply, “The guy who came back with you.” Dad looks at me, thinking I’m some sort of weirdo. He says, “I came back home on my own.”
  Biggest “what?!” I’ve ever experienced. My brother was freaked out to the max. Remembering the man’s face, he was pale looking and bright white hair. © ZPM89 / Reddit

• When I was in college, I house sat for my parents. I’m a bit of a scaredy-cat, so I locked every door leading up to the bedroom when I went to bed at night. I had the weirdest dream that someone unlocked each door and turned on every light, I felt cold and woke up to my dog barking.
  All of the lights in the house were on and every door open and unlocked. My dog wouldn’t stop barking at nothing in the hallway. I sat in the shower with my dog and a phone the rest of the night, scared to death. © bajashrimpwithmango / Reddit
• My grandmother’s house had a very distinct smell. Nothing bad though, just a grandmother’s house smell. Anyway, when she came to visit us, she always used to sit in a specific chair in the living room.
  Shortly after she passed away, my father, my older sister and myself came home and when we walked into the living room, and we all smelled her. My Dad said “Hello Ethel” and the smell disappeared. I would be skeptical if just one of us experienced this, but it was all 3 of us. © WorldWideDarts / Reddit

• My grandfather passed away when I was 8 and my little brother was 2 or 3ish. He had this big lazyboy chair in the living room that he always planted himself in. Everyone knew this chair was “grandpa’s chair.”
  Anyway, we went down to my grandparent’s house in Florida for a long weekend to attend the funeral, etc. We’re all chatting the first night there in the living room, and my mom was sitting in the lazyboy chair.
  My little brother goes up to my mom and says, “Grandpa wants his chair back.” My mom asks him where grandpa is, thinking he probably didn’t understand death, to which he responds, “He’s right behind you.”
  My mom bolted off that sofa immediately. © dasuberblonde / Reddit

• A lady’s voice coming from my closet asking for help. My closet door was cracked and she said, “Help Me. I see you through the cracks.” Every synonym for the word scared was coursing through my body.
  I went and checked to see if there was a woman in need of help, but nothing was in there but my clothes and shoes. © Unknown Author / Reddit
• The night before my neighbor moved out, he left an old book in my mailbox. I didn’t think much of it at the time and set it aside.
  Weeks later, the police showed up asking questions. When I finally opened it, what I found inside chilled me to the bone. It said, “If anything happens to me, give this to the police.” I stared at it, heart pounding.
  I handed it all over the next day. The officer didn’t say much, but I could tell by his face it meant something. He asked if my neighbor had seemed paranoid. I said I thought he just kept to himself.
  I tried to follow up on the case, but police didn’t say anything, and I kind of let it go after I moved. Still, I don’t know what happened to him.

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