15 Chilling Stories That Put Hollywood Thrillers to Shame

If you think Hollywood thrillers are the most chilling stories out there, think again. These 15 stories take suspense to a whole new level—some are mysterious, some are strange, but all of them will leave you with goosebumps. You might even find yourself leaving the lights on tonight!

• A few months ago, I was out with friends and lost track of time. When I finally decided to head home, the streets were almost empty. Luckily, I found a taxi, and the driver—a tired-looking, middle-aged man—agreed to take me to my place.
  At first, we chatted about the usual things, like work and the weather. But then, out of nowhere, he asked, “Do you ever feel like someone’s watching you when you’re home alone?” I laughed it off, thinking he was joking, but he didn’t laugh back. Instead, he stared straight ahead and said, “I used to feel that way when I lived on your street.”
  I felt a shiver but didn’t say anything. As we reached my apartment, I went to pay, but he shook his head. “No charge,” he said softly. “Just be careful tonight. Lock your windows.” Feeling puzzled, I thanked him and watched him drive away. The next morning, I noticed something that made my heart skip a beat: my bedroom window, which I always locked, was wide open.

• I was in college at the time, in my shared room at my fraternity house. I was sitting on the couch watching TV when the other couch moved 3 feet to the right, stopped, and then moved 3 feet back to almost the exact same spot. © chrisschuyler / Reddit

• My brother and I were alone at home when, all of a sudden, the hair dryer turned on for about 30 seconds and then off. This happened like five times, and the weird part was that the dryer was unplugged and no one was in the bathroom. © Unknown author / Reddit

• I went hiking late at night with my buddy when something big and bright flew right over us above the tree line. It was so bright we couldn’t even look at it, and whatever it was, it didn’t make a sound. Actually, it was probably the quietest moment of my life.
  I remember saying, “What is that?” but no sound came out of my mouth. It only lasted a few seconds, and then it was over. © s9nister / Reddit

• A glass exploded on my parents’ counter. It was sitting top down on the counter just above the dishwasher. My mom had washed the glass by hand a few minutes prior because the dishwasher was loaded. I assumed it was the heat from the dishwasher below, but when I tried to recreate the event with another glass of the same kind, nothing happened. © Final-Map-4009 / Reddit

• A lady in her 60s called 911, panicked, saying she heard footsteps from upstairs and she lives alone. When the police arrived, her door was unlocked. They found her sitting calmly, not moving or blinking. There were no signs of breaking.
  However, one policeman noticed that she was smiling. When he started to question her, he finally understood that the woman didn’t feel threatened in her house. She simply was alone, didn’t have anyone to visit her, and was yearning for some human company. The only solution she could think of was creating this lie to get some attention.
  What she did was wrong, but the police understood her loneliness and made sure that someone visited this lady once a week to check on her and keep her company.

• One night, we were all staying in a friend’s lake cabin. There were about 7 or 8 of us, and we were settling down to bed after a night of partying. Suddenly, all the light bulbs started to shatter or spark out, one after another. We all decided to leave immediately—it was really creepy. © hairofbrown / Reddit

• Ten years ago, I met a young homeless guy who acted like he knew me. When I said I had no idea who he was, he said, “Isn’t your name Eamon, and you work in radio broadcasting?” I got freaked out. He was right, and I had always secretly dreamt of working in radio. I asked, “Who are you?”
  He smirked and said it wasn’t important and to ignore him, as sometimes he gets confused between the present and the future. Then he just left.
  I never saw him again. It threw me off completely. I abandoned the idea of going into radio almost out of fear. © beardmonger / Reddit

• One night while living in central California, my mother and I woke up so she could give me a ride to work at 3 am.
  We’re at a red light, and we both look to our right at the exact same time. The moon is like 200 times larger than we’ve ever seen it. It’s almost hard to explain, but it looked like it was sitting on the edge of the earth. Somehow, I’ve never met anyone else who has seen it or anything like it. © believeandachieve33 / Reddit

• In 6th or 7th grade, we were outside for recess playing football when a gigantic bird—at least 8 feet long with a neck as long as my leg—came swooping down and flew within about 2 feet of a kid’s head. It just swooped down, did a flyover, and then swooped back up without even flapping its giant wings. The entire playground went silent, and we never figured out what kind of bird it was. © Unknown author / Reddit

• My dad, sister, and I all saw something that wasn’t an animal and wasn’t human. This was in the winter of 2015 in rural Saskatchewan. We were driving, and it ran out in front of us on the road.
  It was so fast that it appeared as a dark blur, but we all agreed that we saw long, gangly limbs like a deer. However, it had human-looking “arms” and “legs.” We still talk about it to this day. © doometteowo / Reddit

• A few years ago, I moved into an old apartment with vintage charm—creaky floors and all. While unpacking, I found a small, old key hidden between the floorboards. I had no idea what it opened, so I checked every lock I could find. Just when I was about to give up, I discovered a rusted lock on a forgotten closet. The key fit perfectly. Inside was a dusty shoebox filled with black-and-white photos of people I didn’t recognize. But in the last photo, I saw something that made my heart race. It was me, standing in my apartment, holding that very same key. I moved out the next day.

• My room is directly across from the bathroom in my house. Well, one night a couple of years ago, while I was lying on my bed, I glanced over to the bathroom and watched the shower curtain unhook itself and fall to the floor. I have no idea how it came unhooked—those rings are a pain to remove manually. © magichobo3 / Reddit

• My college girlfriend and I were sleeping when my bedroom door was smashed off its hinges. I looked around, but no one was there. Even if it was just the house shifting, it scared us half to death. © TeleGuy2002 / Reddit

• Last October, I was driving home on a deserted country road, barely able to see through the heavy rain. I felt so relieved when I spotted the flickering lights of a little diner. I pulled over, hoping to wait out the storm. Inside, it was empty except for a tired-looking waitress. I ordered a coffee and tried to relax. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something strange. A man was standing just outside in the rain, completely still, just watching. I pointed him out to the waitress, but when she turned to look, he was gone. She gave me a puzzled look and said, “You’re the third person this week to see him.” I didn’t even finish my coffee.

There comes a time when we all face a moment that feels unreal. Sometimes it’s because of sleepless nights, other times it’s as if the universe is creating a story we’d never expect. Check these mystery stories that sound like a plot for a bestseller.