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Get your tickets Cedar point.com. Paranormal.

1:05

Experiences don't really work

1:07

to a time scale

1:09

and therefore we invite

1:12

you. To listen. To

1:15

it down Minister. Hello!

1:26

Everyone and welcome back. To

1:29

our twentieth dark many send.

1:31

For. Any new listeners or

1:33

anyone unfamiliar with the format

1:36

these episodes our experiences which

1:38

are truly amazing but sadly

1:40

were a bit too short

1:43

for a full episode of

1:45

The Dark Paranormal. When.

1:47

We receive experiences of this len.

1:49

They find a home in one

1:52

of two places, either, right here

1:54

on in Minnesota where we can

1:56

look at them individually on their

1:58

own merit. Always. them over

2:00

to our Patreon for our Patreon

2:03

Podcast Dark Bites, where

2:05

we will sew together a series of

2:07

shorter experiences and deliver them in one

2:09

30 minute podcast. The

2:12

one thing we ensure that we never

2:14

do is duplicate what you will listen

2:16

to. So, if you

2:18

are a Patreon and you're listening to

2:21

this mini-sode, you won't have heard this

2:23

experience before. And,

2:25

by the same merit,

2:27

if you join our

2:29

Patreon at patreon.com/TheDarkParanormal, every

2:32

experience that you hear on our

2:34

weekly Dark Bites episodes will never

2:36

have been aired on the main

2:39

feed. This way we

2:41

can ensure that the experience that you

2:43

listen to today, or indeed on any

2:45

edition of Dark Bites, you

2:47

will have not heard before. And

2:50

therefore we keep things fresh.

2:52

And speaking of fresh, today's

2:54

mini-sode takes place in the

2:57

outer wilds of the highlands

2:59

of Scotland, a place

3:01

where the weather itself can be

3:03

both angelic and demonic. It

3:06

truly is a place where

3:08

nature will remind you of both

3:10

its beauty and how ferocious it

3:12

can be, turned up to 11.

3:15

But, and

3:17

I very rarely, if ever,

3:19

do this. I

3:21

want to give a quick mention

3:24

to the upcoming Dark Paranormal episode

3:26

for Friday. What you

3:28

will hear on Friday is

3:30

sincerely one of

3:32

the most tragic, heartbreaking and

3:35

terrifying true experiences we may

3:37

have ever covered. And

3:40

I'm trying to give you pre-warning

3:42

in terms of the actual sadness

3:44

in the episode, but

3:46

also the utter terror.

3:50

And the episode itself, believe

3:52

me, it's 100% genuine.

3:56

Though the writer of the

3:58

submission has wished quite rightly

4:01

to remain anonymous, they've

4:03

provided me personally with

4:05

links to news reports

4:07

regarding several different aspects

4:09

of this one experience.

4:13

It's so rare for me to thank

4:15

a submitter in advance of a yet-to-be-earned

4:17

episode that I don't think I've ever

4:19

done it before, but I genuinely

4:21

feel the need to do so on this

4:24

minisode for what you're about

4:26

to hear on Friday as

4:28

it's arguably the most personal

4:31

episode and experience we'll

4:33

have ever done. But

4:35

that's for Friday's episode. Right

4:38

now, let's draw our attention to

4:40

the Highlands of Scotland and

4:43

an email from one of our

4:45

listeners named Lucy. And

4:48

Lucy writes, Hi,

4:51

my name's Lucy. I'm

4:53

now a married 40-year-old mother of

4:55

two, but my

4:58

experience is from 20 years

5:00

ago, when I first passed

5:02

my driving test. From

5:05

the very beginning of my driving

5:08

journey, the roads have

5:10

never felt like a friend. As

5:13

a naturally nervous person, the

5:16

very act of sitting behind the wheel

5:18

filled me with a sense of dread. I'd

5:22

failed my test four previous

5:24

times, and

5:27

each attempt layered more anxiety and

5:29

doubt on my belief that I'd

5:31

pass. The

5:34

thought of merging into busy lanes,

5:36

the blare of a horn, or

5:39

those impatient drivers who seemed to

5:41

just go right behind you. They

5:44

just fueled my apprehension. But

5:48

despite these challenges, driving

5:50

was not a mere convenience.

5:53

It was essential. a

6:00

non-viable option. So

6:03

I'd often resort to taxis

6:05

or lifts. And

6:07

often asking for lifts would wear

6:09

my colleagues patience thin and

6:12

paying for taxis was wearing my

6:14

purse thin. But

6:17

friends would often help out and my partner

6:19

would pick me up when he could, but

6:21

it was essential I learned

6:23

to drive. So

6:26

when I finally did pass, on

6:28

my fifth try, the

6:31

relief was palpable. And

6:33

my partner, ever understanding,

6:36

decided to celebrate this hard-won

6:38

victory by buying me a

6:40

car, a symbol

6:42

of my independence, and

6:45

a gesture of his faith

6:47

in my apparent newly found

6:49

confidence. It was

6:51

meant to be a new chapter, an

6:54

end to the cycles of depending on other

6:56

people, and a start

6:58

towards a journey of self-assurance on

7:01

the road. Little

7:04

did I know, that car

7:07

that was meant to be a harbinger of freedom

7:10

would soon reveal itself to

7:12

be anything but ordinary.

7:16

As I ventured out into the world

7:18

of solo driving, the gift

7:21

that was meant to give me wings gave

7:24

me nightmares, shadows, and

7:27

spectres. And

7:29

here in the heart of rural

7:31

Scotland, nestled between the

7:33

foggy hills, I found

7:36

myself the owner of an ordinary car

7:39

that was anything but

7:41

ordinary. My

7:43

partner, always the pragmatist, had presented

7:45

it to me with a proud

7:47

smile. It was

7:49

a second-hand charm, or

7:52

so we thought. A

7:54

slate grey hatchback, and

7:56

it looked decent for my back and

7:58

forth to work. and daily errands.

8:02

It was an old car,

8:04

but it seemed reliable enough, and

8:07

my first few drives were quite

8:10

uneventful, except for the

8:12

few quirks you would expect from an

8:14

old car. But

8:16

it wasn't long before

8:19

peculiar things began to

8:21

happen. The

8:23

indicators would flick on without

8:25

my prompting. Now

8:27

remember, this is not a modern

8:29

car. It would take

8:32

a physical flick of a switch to

8:34

put the indicator on. And

8:36

that's what would happen. The

8:40

radio began switching stations at a

8:42

whim, and every

8:44

now and again, particularly at

8:46

night, I would

8:48

be convinced in my rear-view mirror, I

8:51

would see a shadow sat in the

8:53

back seat. Of course,

8:55

I'd pull over and spin my head round,

8:58

and nothing would ever be there. It

9:01

was an unsettling feeling that began to creep

9:04

over me, especially of a

9:06

night when I was in that

9:08

car alone, because I never

9:11

quite felt alone. One

9:15

chilly evening, my curiosity

9:17

got the better of me, and

9:20

over dinner I said to my partner, where

9:23

did you get this car? He

9:27

hesitated, his fork halfway

9:29

to his mouth. I

9:31

got it from that secondhand place down the

9:33

road. It's all legit like. Is

9:37

there anything wrong with it? I

9:39

asked. He paused.

9:42

Well, I mean, it was

9:45

written off after an accident, but

9:47

all fixed up, it's perfectly legal

9:49

and safe love. Written

9:52

off, I exclaimed. Yeah,

9:55

yeah, but don't worry, there are

9:57

loads of different types of being written off.

10:00

It just needed a few bits, honestly.

10:04

He then walked out the room and came

10:06

back with a pile of paperwork showing that

10:08

the car had indeed been written in, and

10:11

another two documents, one showing

10:13

that the car was indeed now

10:16

legally drivable, and the

10:18

second documents showing that he'd had a

10:20

mechanic look over the car prior to

10:22

sale. Well, his

10:24

reassurances did very little to

10:26

soothe me. There

10:29

were a series of nerve-wracking

10:31

tests, and countless hours spent

10:33

gripping the steering wheel like

10:35

a lifeline I thought

10:38

I was getting rid of my

10:40

anxiety. However, this

10:42

gift from my partner was

10:44

now bringing it all back. This

10:48

was meant to be my sanctuary, a

10:50

space I would finally feel in control

10:52

of. However, it

10:56

soon morphed into a stage for

10:58

a series of inexplicable events

11:02

that genuinely freaked me

11:04

out to this very day. Hey

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11:40

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11:43

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11:45

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11:47

like a racetrack and the shoulder like

11:49

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11:51

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11:54

based on you with DriveWise from OffCake. Woodbury

12:00

Birthday in some states participation drive I love all cities

12:02

or diving data for purposes of rating well in some

12:04

states are a. Could increase with i was driving generally sacred

12:06

I bristle say but I was also burned as interns coming

12:08

in philly sorts but Illinois. Something's

12:11

happening in Envy. You know that feeling

12:13

when you hear a new song and

12:15

you just know nothing will ever sound

12:18

the same. Or when you see a

12:20

performance so stirring that it gives you

12:22

chills. A city can be like. After.

12:26

Decades of dreaming big in

12:28

the has arrived. Schedule

12:30

experienced and for yourself. If

12:33

you have no you no

12:35

find you're can offer a

12:37

president A.com. One.

12:40

Evenings I found myself anxiously peering

12:43

through the bedroom curtains that the

12:45

car parked in the dim light

12:47

of our driveway. And

12:50

it was then that I saw is.

12:53

Or. Should I say then.

12:56

First was the rather

12:58

unmistakable shudder we outline.

13:01

Of. A cigar in the driver's seat.

13:04

It. Was now unmistakably that

13:06

other young girl. Her.

13:09

Movements was slow and deliberate as it

13:11

she would turn it around in the

13:13

seat. To. Tend to what I

13:15

could make out. A small heads

13:18

in the phone. What?

13:20

I would imagine what had children.

13:23

While that site routed me to the spot.

13:26

It caught the breath and my throat. The

13:29

sick is was states. Ghostly.

13:32

Engaging and what looked like

13:35

he the red telling golf

13:37

or some quiet on third

13:39

conversation. Compelled

13:41

by a mixture of fear

13:43

and determination, I eventually

13:46

forced myself to move. My.

13:49

Heart pounded as I hurried down

13:52

the stairs. Each

13:54

step seemed too loud.

13:57

Despite. me trying to hurriedly

13:59

creep Reaching

14:01

the front door, my hands fumbled

14:03

clumsily with the latch, the

14:06

metallic clinking of the lock

14:08

again frustratingly loud. My

14:11

thoughts being that if

14:13

these were actual people sat

14:16

in my car, I didn't

14:18

want them to hear me and be scared off.

14:22

Finally, I took a deep breath,

14:25

swung the door open and grabbed a torch

14:27

that we kept on the electric meter cupboard.

14:30

I stepped out into the cold night

14:32

air and I do mean

14:35

cold, like I see,

14:37

see your own breath cold. I

14:41

slowly approached the car, my

14:44

tentative steps circling the vehicle,

14:48

peering in through the windows with the

14:50

torch. The

14:52

beam cut through the darkness inside

14:54

the car and

14:57

revealed empty seats, the

15:00

benign disorder of my untidy day

15:03

to day life. A

15:06

few scattered CDs, a

15:08

crumbled up parking ticket, a

15:10

lone glove. Yet the

15:12

normality of seeing these items did nothing

15:15

to ease the chill that was creeping

15:17

up my spine. I

15:20

opened the driver's door and

15:22

the interior light flickered on

15:24

hesitantly. As

15:26

I leant in, I scanned the

15:28

seats and the back, but

15:31

every shadow seemed to twitch and

15:33

every sound I heard felt

15:35

like a whisper. I

15:38

closed the door, locked the car

15:41

and stood back, staring

15:43

in bewilderment and

15:45

astonishment. But

15:48

then came the overwhelming feeling

15:50

of being watched from

15:53

within the car and

15:56

it was growing stronger, as

15:59

if different heads were all now

16:01

turning to face me, although

16:04

I could see nothing at

16:07

all. It freaked me out so

16:09

much I felt like I should be the

16:11

one looking away. A shiver

16:14

coursed through me, as chilling

16:16

as if someone had walked

16:18

over my grave. Reluctantly I

16:21

turned to head back inside, this

16:24

feeling of unease clinging to

16:26

me. No

16:28

sooner had I closed the front door behind

16:30

me than the car alarm

16:32

erupted into the night, a

16:35

blaring siren that shattered the

16:37

silence and sent a spike

16:39

of adrenaline through my already

16:41

rattled nerves. I

16:44

ran back to the window and I

16:46

saw nothing but the car, now

16:50

clearly empty. Although

16:53

it was rocking slightly,

16:57

as if caught in a strong wind, yet

17:01

I'd been out there seconds before and there

17:04

was no wind. It

17:07

was as if it was convulsing with a life

17:09

of its own. The

17:11

sound of the alarm pierced the air

17:14

still, relentlessly, no

17:16

matter how many times or how hard I

17:19

pressed the button on the key fob, until

17:22

suddenly, just as

17:24

inexplicably as it started, it

17:27

ceased. Standing

17:29

there in the e-requite that

17:32

followed, I could

17:34

not quite shake the feeling that this

17:36

car, with its mysterious

17:38

former life, held

17:41

far darker secrets than

17:43

its boring exterior suggested. The

17:47

concern gnawed away at me, so

17:50

without wanting to look like a

17:52

weirdo, I described everything

17:54

that had taken place to my

17:56

partner over breakfast. My

17:59

voice wavered as I described

18:01

the phantom figures and the sudden

18:04

inexplicable behaviour of the car. He

18:07

listened, his expression

18:09

a mixture of concern and

18:12

scepticism. Spooky!

18:15

He smiled sarcastically. ''But

18:18

it's probably just an electrical issue?''

18:21

he said, trying to reassure me.

18:24

''These old cars can have

18:26

wiring problems that look like

18:28

they cause a load of

18:30

strange glitches'' he

18:33

said, strange with air quotation

18:35

marks. ''I'll

18:37

take it back the mechanic this week, I'll get

18:39

him to look over it again.'' His

18:43

rational explanation and calm demeanor

18:45

were meant to be comforting.

18:49

Yet a part of me couldn't quite

18:51

shake the sense that what was

18:53

happening with the car went

18:55

way beyond a mere electrical fault.

18:59

Days turned into weeks and he always

19:02

had an excuse to never take the

19:04

car to the mechanic. The

19:06

football was on, I'm too

19:08

hungover, I've got too much on

19:11

at work, blah blah blah. And

19:13

although some days will be fine, eventually

19:16

the car's behaviour grew

19:19

increasingly erratic. The

19:22

headlights would randomly flash in the

19:24

dead of night, startling me

19:26

as I tried to sleep, as

19:29

I'd see the bright light on the bedroom wall.

19:32

I'd jump up and check and

19:35

always catch the headlights dimming, as

19:38

if IT knew I was about

19:40

to check. Then

19:42

one afternoon, as

19:45

I drove past the local cemetery

19:47

of all places, the

19:49

car doors locked and unlocked

19:52

repeatedly, and

19:54

over the radio came a

19:56

crackling static. I

19:59

pulled over my heart. Hammering. I

20:01

turned the radio off. On. I put

20:03

my head of my hands. But.

20:06

A few seconds later, There.

20:08

Was a click. On the radio

20:10

was back home. This

20:12

times the static blaring a

20:15

full volume. I

20:17

turned off the engine, pulled out the

20:19

keys, got out of that car, and

20:21

sat in India by bus stop until

20:23

I'd calm down. But. The

20:26

final straw came one saw blade

20:28

and morning. I. Was

20:30

driving to work and just going through

20:32

the outskirts of town. Then.

20:35

Without warning. The

20:37

accelerator jammed. My.

20:40

Heart raced as I was speeding

20:42

towards a red light. By

20:45

some miracle, although I went through the

20:47

red light, I missed a lorry by

20:50

a split second. On. I

20:52

coasted to stop just beyond the

20:54

traffic lights. Breathing.

20:56

Heavily I pulled over, turned off

20:59

the engine and the car sell

21:01

silence. As I was

21:03

catching my breath. I looked

21:05

up on the steering wheel began

21:08

to rapidly jarred by itself

21:10

from side to side. Like

21:13

some theory on, Guy did sense.

21:16

Then. My seatbelt snack open

21:18

of it's own accord. While

21:21

I got out of that call,

21:23

my hands trembling a my breath

21:25

uncontrollable, I thought I'd percent. I.

21:28

Sat on the roadside and called

21:30

my partner. My voice was shaking

21:32

as I recall what had just

21:34

taken place. He came

21:37

quickly. Concern etched in his brow.

21:40

And we waited by the roadside. The.

21:43

Car ominously quiet in front of

21:45

us. Then as

21:47

it to remind us that we

21:49

were not alone, that we were

21:51

not alone. The

21:53

hazard lights blink, don't. stink

21:56

and orange glow on the pavement

21:58

and our faces He

22:01

drove me home to the warmth of our house, a

22:04

stark contrast to the non-weather related

22:06

chill that was still coursing through

22:09

my bones. A

22:11

while later he called a friend and

22:13

asked him to go with him to

22:15

retrieve the car. On

22:17

the proviso, after me

22:20

insisting that the friend

22:22

took the car to his house and

22:24

not ours. I

22:27

didn't see that car again and

22:29

my partner sold it shortly after. Although

22:33

I never saw the car again,

22:35

the memory of that spectral

22:37

young girl and

22:39

her silent tiny companions

22:42

haunts me to this day. I

22:46

wonder now if the car was

22:48

really fixed, I

22:50

mean mechanically maybe, but

22:53

I do wonder if some remnants of

22:55

its tragic past were beyond

22:57

repair. Imprinted

22:59

if you will, in

23:01

its mechanical soul. Well

23:04

thank you for reading my experience, I

23:07

hope it makes the show and I

23:09

have a much longer experience from

23:11

my husband that I'll hopefully

23:13

type up and send one day. In

23:17

the meantime, thank you Lucy.

23:20

Lucy thank you so much

23:22

for providing our dark minisode

23:24

episode 20, that's one

23:27

hell of an experience and

23:29

as something of a nervous driver myself,

23:32

I completely empathise. Thankfully,

23:34

the only sort of terror I've had

23:37

to deal with is down

23:39

to my bad driving and not the undead.

23:42

As ever, thank you to everyone listening

23:44

for choosing to spend your time with

23:46

me on this minisode, and

23:48

I cannot wait to deliver one of

23:51

our most personal, tragic

23:53

and forgive the

23:55

acronym WTF

23:58

episodes we've made. possibly ever

24:00

done. Until then, stay

24:03

safe and take care. Some

24:35

people just know the best rate for you is

24:38

a rate based on you with all-spo. Not one

24:40

based on the driver who treats the highway like

24:42

a race track and the shoulder like

24:44

a passing lane. Why pay

24:46

a rate based on anyone else? Get one based on

24:48

you with DriveWise from Austin.

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Douglas is one of many who found a new life through

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Seattle's Union Gospel Mission. I

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was living on the streets when I heard

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this guy talk about how he got clean

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and sober at the mission. So I decided

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to give it a try. I could feel

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something working inside of me and I knew

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I was getting better. Today, my number one

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goal is to stay clean and sober. To

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hear more, volunteer

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or donate.