I had a neighbor a few years ago who was your classic friendly neighbor. He’d sometimes bring pies he made over, offer to help shovel the driveway when the snow got bad, and he even babysat me as I was growing up, since I live in my parents home and we are right next door. One thing however always struck me weird about him, and that was the fact that he would always tell me “It’s okay to be afraid”. No context and completely out of the blue. I always saw it as weird but kinda just shrugged it off like some sort of weird advice.
Another strange memory that comes up is when I went into his house one time for a Halloween party, and he didn’t have a costume on, just a T-shirt and jeans. I asked why he wasn’t and he said “What do you mean? I’m dressed up as hiding in plain sight!”, and he started laughing. At the time I thought it was kinda funny, a little dry but funny. Before I walked away, he winked and said “It’s okay to be afraid”, and disappeared into the kitchen. Again, kinda weird and out of context, but nothing too concerning.
The party went on and eventually came to an end like normal. My parents and I were getting ready to head back home when our neighbor comes up to me and says “Are you afraid of me?”. I was kinda shocked at first because well…who asks that? I responded of course not, and he says yet with a big toothy grin “It’s okay to be afraid you know, sometimes it’s a good thing”. I smiled, said thanks for the party, and booked it the hell out of there.
A few days later, my parents told me our neighbor needed someone to house sit for him because he was leaving for a road trip. Seeing as I was 16 and unemployed at the time, they figured it was gonna be some good side money for me. They volunteered me and told me I start the next morning. I was grateful for the money but in all honesty, something felt…off. Ever since the party I was kinda put off by the guy and his house. I kept telling myself I was just being paranoid and that I could use the money.
The next morning I headed over to the house, but I couldn’t open the door. Not because it was stuck or the key was wrong, but my gut just kept telling me not to open it. I felt like someone or something was behind that door and I didn’t want to meet them. I walked back home, but I noticed something strange in the woods behind our neighbor’s house…his car was there. It was clearly trying to be hidden, but wasn’t done very well. Considering he was supposed to be on a “road trip” his car would be a pretty key item in that aspect. So, he was either with someone else or he was home.
I told my parents the situation, and they said that it was strange but not to worry about it. If I wasn’t comfortable though, they said that they would go over instead. I thanked them and said that I would go over as long as I wasn’t alone. I felt safe because well, my father is a big man, about 6’4 or 6’5 and hits the gym daily…and I couldn’t be more grateful.
When we entered the house, everything seemed normal, but when we headed upstairs we heard the front door close and lock. My father motioned me and my mom behind him, and then the neighbor came upstairs, but he looked like he had seen a ghost. He looked at us and said;
“Oh I…I thought only your son was taking care of the house”.
My father I could tell was filled with rage, and he began screaming at the neighbor asking why he lied and wanted me to go over alone, to which he didn’t respond. My father then tackled him to the ground, and rolled him on his stomach like an officer would to a suspect. Our neighbor put up no resistance, and a box cutter fell out of his pocket. He remained silent for a while, and my mom called the cops. Suddenly he looked directly at me, opened his mouth, and said;
“I knew you were here but you left, were you afraid?”
I didn’t respond and my father told him to shut up until the police arrived, which he did. The police handcuffed him and all he said before he left was;
“Hey kid…see why it’s okay to be afraid?”, and he let out this sinister laugh, one of those choking on your own spit kinda laughs. This shook me to my core, and I couldn’t stop shaking in fear on the walk home with my parents.
I found out after his trial and my testimony, that he was also found responsible for the disappearances of several different people, all around my age. He wouldn’t admit where he took their lives, but they were clearly all people he had known.
I’m not sure why he kept telling me “it’s okay to be afraid” or why he dressed as “in plain sight” for Halloween if he was trying not to get caught. Those were the only things that kept me alive. I know what would have happened if I walked in that house, and I know now that being afraid just might save your life.