TLDR;
This YouTube video by Midnight Nightmare features a collection of true scary stories about the unsettling experiences people faced after moving into new homes. The stories explore themes of stalking, hidden secrets, and the violation of personal space, highlighting the idea that the sense of safety in a new home can be easily shattered by unexpected and disturbing events.
- The first story involves a woman who receives cryptic letters warning her about a man trying to get into her house, followed by unsettling encounters with a stranger at her doorstep.
- The second story tells of a man who discovers a hidden shed in his backyard filled with strange items, leading him to believe his property has a dark past and is still being watched.
- The third story recounts a woman's experience with an unseen presence in her new home that repeatedly unlocks her back door, leading her to take extreme measures to protect herself.
- The fourth story describes a man's unsettling interactions with his neighbor, who seems to know too much about his house and eventually enters it without permission, causing the man to fear for his safety.
The Letters [0:08]
A woman buys a small bungalow outside Milwaukee and starts receiving handwritten letters addressed to the previous tenant, Lorraine Hensley. The letters, which lack a return address, contain warnings like "Do not let him back in" and "Jean is not allowed." The woman learns Lorraine rented the place for seven years and has no forwarding address. She then experiences a series of unsettling events, including late-night doorbell rings and a man on her doorbell camera asking, "Did she forgive me yet?" The man eventually speaks to her through the door, claiming Lorraine said he could return if he got better and tries to open the door. She calls 911, and the police arrive, but the man is gone. She then finds a pillowcase with toiletries and a note saying, "Back at 11 p.m." in the basement utility closet. The police investigate but find nothing conclusive. The doorbell rings again at 11:17 p.m., but the man is gone when she checks. She installs a floodlight, and he never returns. The woman continues to live in the house, but it never feels quiet, and she remains vigilant about checking her locks and security.
The Shed [9:36]
A man buys a three-bedroom ranch house and discovers a small brass key taped under a kitchen cabinet. The key unlocks a rusted tin shed in the overgrown backyard. Inside the shed, he finds three Rubbermaid totes containing children's shoes, photos of house interiors with notes, and a duffel bag full of counterfeit hospital IDs with the same face on each. He also finds a fresh ID badge with his street name on it. He calls a patrol buddy, and they record the findings before calling detectives. The detectives confirm the IDs are counterfeit and the photos don't match any open cases. A month later, the man finds the shed lock cut and the floor swept clean. He welds the door shut and installs more lights and cameras. His wife plants oleander along the fence to hide the shed, but he still feels like that part of the yard is an open file.
The Locks [16:39]
A woman buys a little blue house and finds the back door unlocked on multiple occasions despite her careful routine of locking it. She installs a smart deadbolt that tracks every click, but the app log shows the door being manually unlocked at 2:43 a.m. She sets up a dime trap and dusts flower on the tile, discovering evidence that someone has been testing the lock. She camps in the living room and hears someone tampering with the door, hitting the siren and calling 911. The police find a lipstick-stained cigarette butt and a hotel key card in the alley. She installs latch guards, flood lights, and a doorbell cam. The neighbor across the alley reports her dog going crazy around 3 a.m. She finds a fresh scuff mark on the basement utility closet door and resets the dime trap. After hearing glass tap the wall, she uses the doorbell cam's two-way mic to warn the person away. She finds a dusty footprint with pink flecks by the back mat and leaves a voicemail for the detective line. She confronts the intruder by saying, "You are not allowed in here." She continues to live in the house, always checking the lock and keeping the dime as a reminder of her experience.
The Neighbor [24:49]
A mechanic buys a stucco box house in Tucson and meets his neighbor, Ron, who offers him a spare key. Ron is always around, making comments that suggest he knows too much about the house. The man comes home one day to find his AC set lower, a spoon in the sink, and his dog sleeping on a blanket he doesn't own. He checks his security camera and sees a baseball cap brushing the edge of the frame. He confronts Ron, who gives him a key back but denies being in his house. The man changes all the locks and finds a bag of salsa verde on his doorstep, the same brand he had bought. He calls the non-emergency dispatch and reports the incidents. Ron puts a for sale sign in his yard and moves away. The man warns the new buyers to re-key the locks. He continues to check the cameras, learning to never assume neighborly means harmless and to change the locks when someone offers a favor that gives them access to his life.