Paved Roads

[00:00:00] Welcome to Scary Story Podcast. In these stories, we skim the surface of some mysterious tales at Linger, from figures that appear in the night to premonitions. My name is Edwin. Here's a scary story.

[00:00:21] It was a good thing that the staircase in that house was made out of tile and cement. Instead of those creaky old wooden ones that I was slowly starting to get used to. Everything was sort of the thing that people knew me by.

[00:00:34] Then as a traveler, adapting to new places was a thing to be proud of. Secretly though, I hated it. Whenever I would show up to a hostile or old hotel somewhere and I was with a group of people,

[00:00:47] you know, friends that you meet on the road and such, they would not complain about absolutely anything. Cold water to shower? Well that's fine. Roaches crawling on the bed when you turn on the lights in the room? No worries. I don't know what they were thinking.

[00:01:02] I mean, obviously I couldn't expect the luxury of a hot shower everywhere I went. But there were certain things that I simply could not understand and refuse to get used to. So when I finally got the chance to live in an Airbnb-type place, I jumped on the opportunity.

[00:01:18] The house was a little away from this city but right along a river that would make room for the most amazing morning walks. One of the rooms was rented, the one across from mine. And it was where some guy from California lived.

[00:01:32] Even though he was nice and everything, I avoided him because some days I simply didn't want to talk or see anybody. At the time I used to think that something was wrong with me.

[00:01:42] But now I know that I was simply tired of the whole routine and being by myself. Day in and day out, I would have to actively try and find something to do in order not to drive myself crazy.

[00:01:54] And sometimes I would stay up late at night thinking about why or how I ended up here in some random city in South America, away from all my friends and not knowing where I was going to go next.

[00:02:05] Well, my rent was paid for, at least for the next month so at least I knew that far ahead. Galandrina was the name of the dog that would roam around with me for most of the day and she belonged to the owner of the house.

[00:02:19] If I wanted to go down to the ATM down the paved road, right where the cart with the woman who sold fried rice would set up in the afternoons, Galandrina would follow me.

[00:02:29] If I wanted to sit down on the curb and watch people pass by, she would sit right next to me and wait for me to stand up. I always felt like she knew where I was going and she would follow me for that reason.

[00:02:41] But honestly, I think she was just as bored as I was. She had her limits though. Galandrina would sometimes stand by the edge of the house, looking right at me, but taking a few steps back, whimpering slightly whenever I would go down to with the river walking path.

[00:02:59] Some dogs are afraid of water, I get that. Whenever I'd come back to the house and cross the dirt road that separated the house from the river, she would walk up to an invisible barrier she had made up all by herself and stop.

[00:03:14] Once I crossed it, she would start wagging her tail and follow me back into the front yard of the house. When I brought it up to the owner, he sort of brushed it off. He never walked along the river either.

[00:03:27] That night, I could hear the sounds of a frying pan in the kitchen, and if I played this right, I would be able to go out the door before the roommate would see me. And then I'd be in the clear.

[00:03:39] When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I looked out toward the kitchen, peeking my head around the corner. Just my luck, he was sitting right on the couch in the living room, probably waiting for his food to finish cooking or something. Hey man, you're leaving?

[00:03:54] He asked me. I told him I was going out for a walk. It was something about going out for food that late that I was ashamed about. I don't know where that stems from, but somewhere along my timeline, someone

[00:04:06] told me that I shouldn't eat right before going to sleep. Just late, he asked, insisting on starting a conversation. Yes, I told him. It was hot in the room and I wanted to grab some fresh air.

[00:04:20] I was imagining the grilled chicken and potatoes from the man by the store that sold grains, fruits and vegetables around the corner. My mind was also wondering how I would hide the takeout plastic bag if I hadn't brought my jacket or backpack. It was too late now.

[00:04:36] I couldn't go back upstairs and risk another awkward conversation. I shut the door behind me and caught a glimpse of Galandrina waking up right outside the door. She wagged her tail in and let it drop as usual, and then walked with me to the

[00:04:50] gate and toward the dirt road. I was looking at her through the sides of my eyes that she simply stopped, let out a whimper, and took a few steps back. I looked at her and tapped on my thigh to encourage her to follow me, but she turned away.

[00:05:08] She did one of those dog sneezes and took two more tiny steps back. I stepped out into the dirt road, hardly any cars passed by along this stretch, most opting to go down the paved road one more street over away from the river.

[00:05:23] But still, maybe it's a city person type thing, but I didn't feel comfortable walking down a road, even if it was made of dirt and even if it was always empty. There was something about it, though. The eerie feel of the cold wind that rushed along the river

[00:05:40] with faded lights out in the distance that will let you look up through the old trees and be able to see the stars and the moon both in the sky and reflecting off the flow of the water. It was that, the thing that I liked.

[00:05:55] It was nice to have the option to avoid the paved roads for once, instead of being forced to take the only path to wherever I was going. Life always stopping me with those crosswalk signs telling me where to

[00:06:07] cross and what might have been my sense of alertness at the time, but I could hear a strange chirp or beep coming from where the darkness started up ahead. You know, that point where your eyes can no longer see what's in front of you?

[00:06:24] I would always hear it, sometimes late at night when I slept with my window open of the second floor. It would wake me up sometimes, a strange series of sounds like cries, a very specific pattern, like the ones that birds learn to sing time and time again.

[00:06:45] I hadn't heard it clearly in a while. Despite it being familiar, I still felt the urge to either turn around or head back toward the well-lit road on the other side of the block. But I was halfway between two streets, cornered by the river itself,

[00:07:00] so I tried to ignore those chills I was getting knowing that the same sounds could be coming from an animal I had never seen before. Lots of tales were told around there, from the strange creatures from the trees

[00:07:12] to the tiny goblins that make homes out of little caves in the rocks. I tried not to let them get to me as I saw the orange light from the corner just a few steps ahead. I turned into it and kept walking, slightly relieved and slightly rushed

[00:07:28] by the adrenaline that I had been feeling the whole way. I made it. I got my food to go and hesitated a little on going back the same way, but hey, that's what a traveler does, right? Adventure and that sort of thing?

[00:07:43] So I walked back to the dirt roads stopping on the corner, wondering how I would discreetly bring the food up to my room, even though there was nothing wrong with it. That same old anxiety was settling back in.

[00:07:58] My mind was lost in thinking that maybe if I kept the bag off to the side of me and just climbed up the stairs without making too much noise, I'd be fine. I even thought about eating outside by the trees in the dark,

[00:08:11] so I scanned the area for a tree stump or rock or something. But I quickly changed my mind. The strange high-pitched sound somehow grew right in front of me this time. And that's when I knew that the sound was not an alarm or a bird,

[00:08:28] but rather the laughter of a child. I looked around and my eyes already pretty well adjusted to the darkness of the place when, up by the trees, right on the edge of the river, was the tiny figure of a girl.

[00:08:47] Her white dress extending past her neck and over her head. She twisted her body to the left and then to the right, as if she were dancing. Her laughter echoing through the trees. I picked up the pace for a second before realizing that I could get to the

[00:09:05] lit road faster if I turned around. I stopped in place, turned around. I kept my eyes on that strange figure just across the street from me. She didn't seem to notice that I was around her. I ran to the street and turned the corner.

[00:09:23] I made my way back to the paved road. That would take me straight home. I moved in with my friends during college and we had a blast. I mean, we would stay up late sometimes and still make it to our classes and generally things were going really well.

[00:09:51] When we found the apartment, that was the only one that didn't get a chance to visit and I didn't get to pick my room. But the one that was assigned to me had a nice view to the courtyard

[00:10:00] and the playgrounds for the families that also lived in the complex. Our neighbors were all chill and had no major issues. The upstairs people were also kind of young and cool with us, telling us that they usually went out on the weekends

[00:10:14] and that music or parties would be alright on Friday and Saturday nights since they usually worked early during the weekdays. We took them up on their offer several times, but eventually we kind of tired them out. I was the first one to notice

[00:10:30] since I would usually head back to my room first and could barely hear the music and chatter from our friends that we'd invite, but I could hear the conversations upstairs. It started off with one of them cursing and sounding very frustrated. Didn't seem like them.

[00:10:46] I could never tell what they were saying, but it happened several times. We were having a get-together one time on a Friday evening and it was supposed to be a calm night for the most part.

[00:10:58] I was feeling super tired that night and left my room a little early. I shut the door and realized that for once we weren't being that loud, so it surprised me to hear the same voices again from upstairs, upset over something. In my mind at the time,

[00:11:16] I thought that they simply wanted to go to sleep but didn't want to come bother us in order to keep coming off as a chill people that we thought they were. I was lost in my thoughts about perhaps going up to them the next morning

[00:11:28] and apologized or asked them if everything was alright. Suddenly, I heard loud thuds and things breaking upstairs. It sounded like furniture was being knocked over, literally vibrating our walls enough for the entire living room of our apartment. Silent. I came out of my room once again.

[00:11:51] I hadn't even changed yet and I got to see everyone looking at each other, saying that they heard a scream coming from upstairs. All I had heard was the loud thuds. I found one of my roommates out on the balcony area and asked them to come with me

[00:12:06] but I was going to ask if they were alright. He suggested that we call the police and let them take care of it but I know that it would turn into a big deal and the neighbors would come out and everything

[00:12:18] so I said that I would do all the talking but to please come with me. He agreed and he walked outside past everyone standing around awkwardly when suddenly, you heard the sounds once again. I swear it sounded like an earthquake,

[00:12:33] the deep rumble of a voice shaking the entire unit. One of the girls screamed before covering her own mouth and sitting down. I could tell that this situation was getting worse on its own so I walked ahead of my roommate

[00:12:47] and went outside and up the staircase to their apartment. The lights were off. I knocked three times on the wooden door expecting a light to turn on or to hear the chatter from the couple who lived inside but there was nothing.

[00:13:02] I knocked again, a little harder this time still... nothing. Silence from the apartment upstairs just like the silence that was coming from ours. I went back downstairs and out toward the parking lot just to check if their car was there but the spots was empty.

[00:13:21] There weren't any cars. This is why you get your neighbors phone numbers, I guess. It was a long rest of the night and the next day until late Sunday night when I heard the upstairs neighbors doors opening. I was in the living room waiting around for them

[00:13:38] while doing some of my schoolwork so I immediately moved my laptop next to me on the couch and ran outside and up the stairs. Hey, I said. The young woman opened the door again slightly and upon realizing that it was just me

[00:13:53] she opened it all the way and greeted me as if nothing was happening. I was lost for words when I asked her if everything was alright and that we had knocked on their door that night. My heart nearly dropped when she told me

[00:14:07] that they had been out camping for the weekend. If there was anything that they could help me with to just let her know. She was a little shocked but not as much as I thought she would be when I told her about the noises we had heard.

[00:14:22] Then she explained why. The neighbors that lived where we used to live had said that they had heard the same things but nobody knew why. We started talking about it for a while. They were curious enough to suggest that we should call the owner.

[00:14:42] So that night they called him and they found out the story of the tenants who used to live upstairs before they got there. It was a lone woman who absolutely hated loud noises and parties. Though it was sad, some of the neighbors were relieved

[00:15:00] that she would no longer be there. When she died. Well, I guess she never really left, did she? The following story is called Shadow Wing and it's coming up right after a quick message from sponsors that helped pay for this project.

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[00:16:45] Again, that's betterhelp.com slash scarystory. Though I can't say that it still happens. For a while, I was going through a point where I could see or hear things before they happened. Started at simple things like, for example, one time I was walking into a Denny's diner,

[00:17:12] a couple of friends when I suddenly heard the words, oh no worries, hun, I'll get you some more napkins. And I remember this clearly, the tone and everything. And as we were getting closer to our table, we passed by a booth that had a family sitting together

[00:17:28] along with their two kids. Then out of nowhere, one of them spills a glass of orange juice or soda and the waitress that was leading us through our table suddenly stopped. She walked over to them and began wiping down the table saying, oh no worries, hun.

[00:17:48] I'll get you some more napkins. The exact same voice. Though small and a bit insignificant to think about, I knew it was happening more often when I would be able to know what commercials were coming up next on TV and on the radio.

[00:18:06] A friend who was a complete skeptic when it comes to this sort of thing also told me that they were probably just cues or messages that I was catching due to my brain being on high alert or something. Just picking up unconsciously

[00:18:18] without actually letting me know that I was doing so. He said that the napkin incident could be me imagining the phrase because the glass of juice might have been about to fall and part of my brain picked that up without me becoming fully aware of it.

[00:18:33] That explanation made the most sense to me for a time. Then more bizarre things started happening. I could tell when the phone was about to ring and when my alarm was about to go off. In the middle of the night, I would wake up for no reason

[00:18:48] and then I'd hear some random sound outside or I would get a text message immediately after. It was strange. The thing that was the hardest even for me to believe was a dream that I had about a man who would chase me around the house.

[00:19:03] No matter where I hid, he'd always find me. Dreams reminded me of a nightmare that I used to have as a kid and it was intense. I remember running away from a bearded man right when I got off of school.

[00:19:18] I'd somehow always managed to make it home safely. Then, he'd start knocking on all the windows and doors peeking in through the blinds and the gaps between our curtains. I would wake up sweating and nearly screaming. Though these other times as an adult already, they were different.

[00:19:40] It was a shadow that would roam around the house someone that I knew was there. I somehow always managed to get away. Either I would wake up just in time or the shadow would just disappear. I looked up what shadows mean in our dreams

[00:19:57] and I found so many mixed messages about things regarding protection and others that people were trying to hurt me. Still, I had no idea what to do and for a while, I didn't even want to leave my room. It was almost impossible for me to get anything done.

[00:20:14] I just didn't want to hear or see any more messages. That's what I called them. But I had no idea of what they were or what they meant. Priminitions is what my friends used to call them, but still, they happened only a few seconds

[00:20:28] before they manifested in real life. And I haven't found a single explanation for it. One night, I woke up after hearing an alarm sounding down the hallway. But when I was fully awake, I could no longer hear it. Since I had gotten used to it,

[00:20:45] I stayed alert for a few seconds when there it was. The smoke alarm started going off. Everything was fine. I think someone was smoking in the house or something. But still, the whole thing was getting creepier to me. Soon after, I had the same dream

[00:21:03] about being chased by a man's shadow around the house. So I was cornered by him and a large piece of furniture. I had no way to escape. It was my eyes, part of me knowing that this was all a dream, but still not letting go of the idea

[00:21:19] that it could have been real. I opened my eyes to look at it when suddenly the man in front of me opened his mouth wide as if he was about to scream. I had never been that scared in my life.

[00:21:34] I tried to run, but my legs wouldn't work. I was completely paralyzed. But then, almost like in a puff of smoke, the man disappeared. It was around that time when all of these premonitions stuff started to go away and I stopped receiving messages.

[00:21:55] To this day, I have no idea what it meant or what it was about. Scary Story Podcast is written and produced by me, Edwin Covarrubias. If you have a true scary story you want to tell, please send me a message. It could end up on my other podcast

[00:22:21] called True Scary Story. You can submit it by going to truescarystory.com and typing a short summary about it. If you have any that listened to that show, be sure to check it out. They are true stories told directly by the people who experienced them.

[00:22:37] Also, premium ad-free episodes are becoming available for this podcast and you can be one of the first to get access. Be sure to click the premium link on the description of this episode to find out more or check it out on scarystorypodcast.com.

[00:22:53] Until next time, thank you very much for listening.