Back in my food delivery days, I had my fair share of strange encounters, but one night stands out as the weirdest of them all.
I was working for Door Dash, just after high school in order to make some extra cash. I enjoyed the job because it let me drive around and relax. I also liked the idea to be by myself for a while, as I lived with my parents and 2 brothers at the time. Most shifts went by pretty quick and on some days I made good money from all the tips. One snowy winter night I was working late and it was just after midnight when I decided to take one last order and call it a day. It was quite a big order so I thought I might receive a good tip. I picked up the food from the restaurant and started driving. The roads were mostly empty. I jumped onto the highway and followed the app to where it said the place was.
The address led me to an old, run-down apartment building on the outskirts of town. I had never been in that part of town before but It was one of those places that had seen better days. The apartment building looked old and withered. I parked on the street near the entrance, grabbed the food from my car and entered the building. Immediately I was hit by a lingering musty smell and the lights were flickering. I went up the stairs and headed to the third floor of the building, where the customer’s apartment was located.
I walked down a long dark corridor where only one lightbulb seemed to be working but it was dim. When I reached the door, I could hear faint murmurs from inside the apartment. It sounded like multiple people were talking in hushed tones. I knocked, and everything immediately went silent. I waited for what felt like an eternity, but no one came to the door.
I took my phone out to call the customer, but just as I was about to dial, the door creaked open slowly, revealing a dimly lit apartment. A middle-aged man with messy hair and a worn-out bathrobe stood in the doorway. His eyes were red, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days.
He didn’t say a word, just extended a shaky hand to take the order. I told him the total, and he handed me a crumpled wad of cash. As I counted the money, I couldn’t help but ask, “Is everything alright in there?”
He hesitated for a moment, then mumbled something about having a “family gathering” and abruptly closed the door. I turned to leave, but as I walked down the hallway, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
As I reached the stairwell, I heard the door of the apartment burst open, followed by a chorus of voices raised in conversation. I froze in my tracks, debating whether to go back and check on the man.
Before I could decide, the man reappeared at the door. He looked even more disheveled than before and had a weird, terrified look in his eyes. This time, he spoke more clearly, “You need to get out of here, now!”
I didn’t need any further convincing. I bolted down the stairs in a hurry. As I reached the ground floor, I heard the man’s frantic voice shouting at me from above, “They’re coming for you too!”
I left the building and ran through the snow back to where I had parked. I jumped into my car and sped away from that apartment building as quickly as I could. On the drive back I felt unnerved and anxious. I couldn’t sleep at all that night.
I told my friends about the encounter the next day and they said that it was probably just some crazy guy off his meds. While that may have been the case, I still can’t figure out who all those people were in there with him and why he seemed so distressed.
I never found out who “they” were or what was going on in that apartment, and I never delivered to that address again. To this day, I can’t help but wonder what I narrowly avoided that night. The encounter left me with more questions than answers and a lingering sense of unease.
This is my own personal story which happened last year. I created a new youtube channel where I narrated it along with some others from other people. If you want to check it out or have your story featured, let me know! :)
https://www.youtube.com/@MidnightJournals