[00:00:06] Good evening. I'm Ben, and welcome to the show where you and I gather around this campfire to hear some of our fellow campers scariest experiences. So whether you're a new or returning camper, I'm happy to have you. Tonight, we're headed to Ithaca, New York, to hear Kayla Mitchell's story about the time a quiet girls night at college took a terrifying turn when a mysterious figure appeared during a storm in a story that will leave you wondering who or what is really out there, lurking in the dark. Before we begin, if you wanted to check out our camps monthly bonus episodes, get ad free episodes and more, head over to patreon.com. do you want to hear a ghost story? Now, without further ado, do you want to hear a ghost story?
[00:00:56] I was a junior at Ithaca College and was super excited to be living off campus for the first time with my two closest friends, Emma and Lauren. We managed to snag this old house just a few blocks away from campus, and though it had its quirks, creaky floors, a drafty front door, and a basement none of us ever dared enter, it quickly became our home, a refuge for us away from the ruckus of college life. Well, not all the ruckus, I suppose.
[00:01:27] It was a Friday night in the middle of the fall semester. The weather had been dreadful. The rain had been relentless all week, turning the usually lively streets into a series of puddles and rivers. Instead of going out that night, we all decided that it would be better to have a girls night, order a pizza, watch her homcom, drink some wine. It seemed like the perfect way to unwind from this hectic week. We were halfway through our movie when it happened. A quick flash of lightning followed by a clap of thunder that shook our house. And just like that, our power went out. The hum of our refrigerator stopped, our tv went black, and the only light left was the faint flicker of a candle we had lazily lit earlier. Emma, the more cautious of the roommates, immediately jumped up to go grab the candle. Now, Emma would never admit it, but of the three of us, she was definitely the most afraid of the dark. She kept a nightlight in her room, and though she'd always claim it was because she loved the ambiance, the second those lights went out, she rushed over to the candle.
[00:02:34] Lauren, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. She was a creative writing major with a flair for the dramatic. In the moments the light went out, I could practically see the wheels turning in her head.
[00:02:47] You know what we should do? She said. Her voice dripping with mischief. Lets tell ghost stories.
[00:02:55] Seriously, Emma said, hugging the candle closer to her chest as if it would protect her from whatever these scary ideas Lauren had in mind. Oh, come on, Lauren said, grabbing the candle away from Emma, holding it up under her chin so that her faith became bathed in those spooky, flickering shadows. It's Halloween season, and what better time than when your lights go out during a storm in the middle of the night? I laughed, figuring, you know, it couldn't hurt to let Loren indulge herself. Besides, it was better than sitting in the dark doing nothing, waiting for the power to come on.
[00:03:32] Lauren wasted no time diving into her story, a ridiculous but surprisingly scary story about a haunted dorm room on campus. Emma kept rolling her eyes and groaning, but I could see her nervously glancing around at the windows whenever the wind howled up against them. Just when Lauren was getting to the climax of her tail, there was a knock at the front door. We all froze.
[00:04:01] Who's out in this storm? Emma said to us. I stood up, trying to appear braver than I felt.
[00:04:08] Probably just the neighbor coming to check on us, I said, even though I wasn't so sure. I walked to the door, peering through the peephole, expecting to see, well, someone. But there was no one there. The porch was empty, just the rain pouring down.
[00:04:25] Weird, but not entirely impossible.
[00:04:28] I shrugged and returned to the living room. No one's there, I said. Lorne was about to make some joke about the ghost stories getting to us when another knock came, this time from our back door. Now this was unsettling because the back door led to our small, fenced in yard. No one ever came through there.
[00:04:51] I exchanged a look with my roommates before we all headed to the kitchen.
[00:04:56] Cupping my hands around my face, I peered out the window.
[00:05:00] Nothing. Just darkness in the rain. And then, as if on cue, a flash of lightning lit up the yard and I saw him standing in the middle of our backyard. I gasped, stumbling back from the door in the next flash of lightning. There was no one there, my heart now racing. There's someone out there, I said, barely able to get my words out. What? Emma asked, her face going pale. She hurried over to the candle and grabbed it, clutching it as close to her as if it was her lifeline, Emma peeking out through the glass. Well, there's no one there now, she said, locking the door. But just to be safe.
[00:05:44] Emma was practically shaking at this point. Should we.
[00:05:49] Should we call the police?
[00:05:51] Maybe it's just kids messing with us. I don't know. The frat down the street, Lauren suggested, but I could tell even she was shaken. But just putting on a facade, we all retreated back to the living room, held together at the center of the house, where we felt safest.
[00:06:08] Emma insisted that we now stopped it with the ghost stories, and neither lore nor myself argued. But just as the tension of this event began to fade and we got back into talking about normal things, our midterms. Coming up, boys. Whatever. There was a rattling sound. We went silent, just listening. It was faint at first, barely noticeable over the rain, but it was unmistakable. The back door handle, as if someone was trying to wiggle it open. I made sure I locked it, Lauren whispered to us. The rattling stopped, only to start again a moment later. This time at the front door. Again we froze. I hadn't checked that lock when I looked outside earlier. What if it wasn't locked?
[00:06:56] Emma was already grabbing her phone and dialing 911. Hello? Yes, someone's trying to break into our house. The rattling continued, growing more frantic. And then, as if the situation couldn't get worse, the back door again began to rattling, becoming in sync with the rattle of the front door. Two people. There must be two people outside.
[00:07:18] Lauren, usually the brave one now huddled beside me on the sofa, her face pale. Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. She began muttering under her breath.
[00:07:29] At this point, the police were on their way. But every second felt like hours. The knocking, the rattling, the storm outside, it was all too much. I thought my heart might explode from the sheer terror of this night. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we could see the faint glow of blue and red lights of the police car illuminating our front yard. And just like that, everything stopped. Now all we could hear was the sound of the rain. There was another knock at the door. This is the police, a voice said from outside. I walked to the door and peered through the peephole, looking down to see that the door was in fact unlocked. I opened it and the police entered. They took a quick look around the house.
[00:08:14] We didnt see anyone out there. It was probably just some kids playing a prank, one of the officers said Loring, as if immediately finding her confidence again. Seed, I told you it was just someone playing a prank.
[00:08:28] But it didn't feel like a prank. Not to me, and definitely not to Emma. Whoever or whatever was outside that night scared us all half to death. We never did figure out who knocked on our doors that night, or how they vanished so quickly into the storm. But every time there was a knock on my door on a rainy night. I remember that evening and I take my time answering the door.
[00:08:56] Thank you Kayla for allowing me to share your story. I love this one. Maybe because as I am making this episode tonight there is a storm and reading your story has made the night come alive for me, but also because this story plays on fears beyond the paranormal. Maybe it was a prank or maybe it was something else, but I think its safe to say that something wanted into your house that night. Im glad for your sake it never made its way inside.
[00:09:26] There are a few show announcements tonight. I know I had previously mentioned how hopefully by tonights episode, episode 15, I would be able to increase the number of stories per show. Unfortunately I was unable to make that deadline. I do not have the time yet to do that, but I am still working towards that. So I have not abandoned that goal. So fret not, it is coming, just not this week. I have no new patron shout outs tonight, but if you would like your own shout out, access to bonus episodes and more, check out patreon.com. do you want to hear a ghoststory?
[00:10:00] I will leave you here for the night. I am glad to have you all as campers on this journey. Please keep sharing the show with anyone you think might like these stories or someone you are just trying to scare. If you're enjoying the show, go ahead and leave a review. I would love to hear from you. If you have a story, please send it to do you want to hear
[email protected]? check out the episode description for more details. Until next time.
[00:10:25] Bye.
