These People Are Confessing the Times They Felt Utter, Heart-Stopping Fear

1. True Horror

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Hopefully we all travel through his world with happiness and health - never knowing what it's like to truly fear for our lives. But for some, that's just not an option.

These people experienced truly heart-stopping fear and lived to tell us about it.

2. Airliner

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I was flying an airliner. We were maybe 1,000 above the ground while on approach to land at a smaller airport.

There were thunderstorms in the area and we ended up in a microburst with zero visibility.

We got a wind shear warning in the cockpit and started to go around. At full throttle and the nose up we were still sinking at around 400ft/min.

Everything seemed to be running in slow motion both me and the other pilot were running through our required actions and call outs due to the training.

In the back of my mind all I could think about was I can’t see the ground and we are falling.

I know there is a hill out here somewhere, this is where I am going to die.

The plane got down to around 400ft off the ground before it finally started to climb. This was the most fear I had ever felt in my life.

121guy

3. Coughing Blood

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The time I got into bed with my girlfriend and immediately started coughing up blood.

Ran into the bathroom and held onto the sink for dear life, every breath I tried to take I just ended up wheezing more blood out of my lungs.

By the time the ambulance got there I had pretty much come to terms that this was how I died. Then it slowed down and finally stopped by the time I got to the ER.

Long story short it turned out to be hodgkin's lymphoma.

Had chemo for 6 months and am cured now with minimal repercussions. Scariest time of my life.

emf3rd31495

4. In Bed With You

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When i was trying to sleep at around 3 and felt someone press on my bed. Then bag on the chair started shaking.

Then again i felt something on my bed. Finally I had the courage to switch on light and found a giant rat on my bed.

jakewang1

5. Snake

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I was riding my bike home from work along a pretty busy main road (I live in the city).

I got to a downhill and started to pick up pace when I noticed a brown snake, which are very deadly, lying across the bike just lane ahead of me.

There was a car in the lane next to me and it was too late to stop, but I somehow managed to dodge the snake and kept riding.

About 50 metres later, just as I thought I was safe, I heard a very loud hissing and felt something rush past my leg and thought the snake had somehow caught up and bitten me.

It turns out my back tyre burst but in the moment I was absolutely terrified.

danpra

6. ATV Accident

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When my mom and then- 5 year old brother got in an atv accident.

They were driving slow through the woods and a large, dead tree fell alongside the trail, knocking down a smaller tree, which hit them both in the head. Freak accident.

My other brother and I were outside filling the pool and we heard my mom yelling something.

I didn't know what it was but my stomach dropped. We both ran to the head of the trail across the yard, and she was carrying my little brother, both covered in blood. She ran half of that mile-long trail carrying him.

They were both in the hospital for a week.

Mom got some stitches in her face, and my brother's skull was shattered, requiring surgery and a metal plate put in.

He's graduating high school next year and doing well.

Milayouqt

7. Roller Coaster

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I was on a 360 degree roller coaster and you go around and around but it got stuck at the very top and the ride shut down for 5 minutes so I was upside-down and I was verylittle and it was terrifying.

Bulletbill7597

8. Bathroom Visitor

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I was 6 years old and went to take a leak. I was at my grandma's house in a small village in India. The bathroom was an outhouse.

Just as I was about to start, I noticed a cobra hissing at me. I ran like hell.

AmanLovesSanDiego

9. Hanger Accident

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The morning of my mom's wedding. Everyone relaxing. Eating breakfast. Clothes everywhere. Cousins running around.

All of the adults are on their porch chilling.

I hear my daughter SCREAMING. I run in the dining room. There were clothes draped over the back of a dining room chair.

The clothes had a metal coat hanger on them. She had gotten the hook of the metal hanger under her eyelid.

I grabbed the back of her head and slowly pulled the hook out.

Put a little ice on her eye for a bit. Luckily, it hadn't hit her eyeball at all.

SailingmanWork

10. On The Roof

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I used to measure roofs for a solar company.

One time I went up on a very steep roof of a two story house alone, and without a harness.

This roof plane was too steep to walk and the shingles were old and crumbing so I had to crawl so I didn't slide down towards the edge.

After about an hour of crawling around, the sun began to bake the shingles so they were too hot to touch, so I decided to bug out.

As the roof was too steep to walk, the only way to the ladder was by scooting on my butt with my feet pointed towards the edge.

Every time I'd skid toward the edge my heart exploded in fear because it was hard to stop from moving. I had to use my hands to slow myself down and they were getting burned.

All I could do was to rub my palms on my legs to transfer some of the heat, but they were being scorched. Imagine putting your hand on a hot frying pan full of grit.

I was completely alone, in a faraway town, with no one to call. It took forever to get to the ladder and by the time I did I was shaking and drenched in sweat.

When I finally got back to the ground some people came out from a nearby house and said they saw me and were ready to call 911.

I had burn blisters on both palms and I never went on a roof like that again without a helper or PPE.

BarcodeNinja

11. Fear For Your Child

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When they told me my 12year old has a stroke during brain surgery. Fear.

iamagirl1

12. Blood Clots

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It was 5 years ago almost to the day. I was home with my two daughters who at the time were 3 and just over 1.

I was giving them a bath, kneeling on the ground and all of a sudden it felt like something exploded in my heart.

I remember thinking just get the kids out of the water, nothing else matters. I got them out of the water and was able to call an ambulance.

I was taken to the hospital and long story short I had blood clots in both lungs and my right knee.

They think a piece of the knee blood clot broke free and passed through my heart.

I am very lucky to be alive and so grateful I was able to get my daughters out of the tub.

I found out I have multiple blood clotting disorders and am on blood thinners for life, but I am alive!

mkrzemin

13. He Went Out

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My first time doing truffles, we were in our hotel room plus another friend who was in Amsterdam with us at the time for a total of 3 guys.

I was just hanging out being an jolly idiot in the bathroom looking at the tiles.

Walked back into the bedroom and Friend 1 is in a fetal position staring at our wide open window, we're on the top floor so pretty high up.

I can't see Friend 2 anywhere so I ask after him, only to get a thousand yard stare and the answer "he went out".

I say that I didn't hear the door when I was in the bathroom.

"He didn't go out the door" says Friend 1.

So I sidle my way over to the window and can't see anything, I'm absolutely freaking out.

All the thoughts about what we're going to have tell his family, what do we do, etc. etc.

I sit down on the bed next to Friend 1 and just felt cold.

Then Friend 2 just slumps out of where he was, being an idiot curled up in the wardrobe of the room.

I don't think I've ever cried in relief before that or since.

Hick2

14. Calling Your Name

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When I was alone in my house and I heard something call my name.

It was probably some weird bird or something outside but I was 11 and dumb so I was terrified.

KGShaw

15. Toxic Relationship

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A few years back I was in a toxic relationship with an individual suffering from several mental illness. He refused to take medications.

I had not a clue how bad it had gotten until he was driving us back to our apartment.

He started rambling about how God chose him to save my soul and I was a fallen angel. He would send me back to heaven.

He floored the gas on a short dead end road and almost drove into a cement wall. I remember briefly wondering if I should jump put the car at 50 mph, or stay in and pray the airbag saved me.

He slammed the brake last minute as I was about to open the door and jump.

Absolute fear. I ended up hospitalized a few days later due to other s**tty relationship related events and never saw him again.

Hands down, one of the more terrifying moments of my life, but not the only one I experienced by being with him.

heros_soup

16. Light From Outside

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When I was little, me and my brother were sleeping, and my mother came in the room telling us to get down on the floor quietly.

We then saw a light from outside. Someone looked at our window exactly. I felt huge fear. I took a metal pipe because I knew I couldn't run away, so I had to fight. The lights were gone.

My mother got outside while I thought she'll die. Turns out it was my dad pranking us.

01001101c

17. Panic Attack

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The first time I had a panic attack. I was sure I was going to die.

giatokalomou

18. In The ER

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I was sitting in the waiting room of the ICU talking to my Aunt. My Dad has just been moved from the ER to the ICU that morning. My Mom was with him but I had to go to the waiting room while they got him settled in. All of a sudden, I hear "CODE BLUE ICU ROOM XYZ".

I didn't even know what his room was but I just had this terrible feeling. My entire body goes numb. I look at my Aunt and say I am going back there. As soon as I open the ICU ward door, a nurse looks at me and says, "Are you the daughter of so an so?" with a very empathetic look on her face. And I say, "Yes. OMG is that my Dad? is that my Dad coding?" She says come with me.

We sprint down the hall to the back of the ICU and I turn the corner to see a room full of people. My mom is standing in the corner. In complete shock.

My 100% genuine fear? Standing in the corner of the ER watching nurses perform CPR on my Dad. For 17 minutes.

CPR is nothing like you see on TV. Any medical professional will agree with me. It is violent and intense.

There were about 15 people in the room and it is intense. Organized chaos. It is one of the worst memories I have but talking about it somewhat helps. I miss you Dad.

2019purpledrank

19. Stuck In Open Water

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Running out of gas in my boat with my girlfriend in open water during a storm. Ended up on a shoal trying to hold the boat while a friend brought us more fuel.

Honestly thought the waves would wash us away and drown.

SendItRicky

20. Where Did They Go?

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Anytime you turn around and your child isn't still behind you

brownbagtreecake

21. Stolen Key

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Once my mother called me on the phone telling me that a copy of our house keys was stolen that afternoon from the lobby and someone might be in the house.

This happened in the exact moment I was entering the house. Pretty scary but no one was there thank god

the_soup_whisperer

22. Beginning Driver

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When I was still a beginning driver, I basically misjudged a turn at a highway exit when it was raining.

My car swiveled and turned around. Somehow I managed to get it to stop, but I ended up bumping the side railing with the back of my car, and the car turning more than 180 degrees on the road before coming to a halt.

This is a very busy exit, and if someone had been right behind me I'd have been dead.

Somehow I managed to gather my wits, restart the car, turn it around, and drive off before another car hit me.

I stopped at the earliest possible parking opportunity, and that was when I felt it - the fear. I just started shaking uncontrollably.

Kay_Elle

23. Glass Floor

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when i walked across a glass floor. It wasnt even that high. But HOLY was my gut not liking that

derpenking

24. Labor Complications

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I was in labor with my son and my blood pressure kept bottoming out. First I lost my vision. It came back.

Then I lost my hearing. While I was unable to hear, all of the medical staff in the room suddenly had very concerned looks on their faces and rushed to the monitor tracking my baby’s heartbeat.

I then started to pass out and as I was losing consciousness I saw a nurse thrust an injection into my leg but I felt nothing (because of the epidural.)

All of that combined was probably the scariest moments of my life.

Both my son and I were okay and he’s a healthy 1 year old now.

bexallday

25. Fear Of Mother

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It's hard to remember, but there was one point in the past where I was utterly terrified of my mother. I was in my room and terrified that she'd come in. Pure fear.

Kraft__

26. Boyfriend In Emotional Slump

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My SO was in kind of a slump emotionally for a bit, and while I was at work he texted me and seemed pretty down.

I asked him what was up, he didn't respond. I tried calling but he denied my calls, then suddenly he just wrote "I don't feel too good mentally.", and just went offline on ALL platforms at once and shut off is phone.

I just slammed my work laptop shut and ran as fast as I could to the subway to get home. When i finally reached the apartment he wasn't even there.

I was so freaked out, i was just screaming his name like madwoman, somehow hoping he'd respond.

Everyhting turned out just fine in the end and he apologized for scaring me, but OH MAN.

I was so sure I was gonna be the one to find his body that day.

kerpoople

27. Snooping

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I once helped out my a female friend's family by taking care of their cat for a week.

Every day for a week, I would go over there and snoop around their house.

I found my friend's diary, and proceeded to read the entire thing.

I used this information to get her to like me, and she is currently my wife.

ThrownAway2389

28. No Shame

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I once took a s**t In the bathtub and then realising what a horrible mistake I'd made, I flung poo Into a hole In the wall.

My parents renovated and patched up the hole.

So now there Is a ~15 year old turd in between the bathroom and kitchen wall of my childhood home.

Not even using a throwaway because I have no shame.

29. Fake Girl

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Well, it's more of a secret to my friends that I've made recently. Some background first:

I don't like being touched or hugged, and I'm incredibly uncomfortable with intimacy in general.

When I was in the 8th grade, a bunch of girls in my class convinced me they had a friend who fancied me (they said she had seen me somewhere and thought I was cute).

Faked a MSN account and they talked to me every night for a few months, invited me out to the movies and (obviously) didn't show up, then revealed to the whole grade that I had been tricked into having an 'imaginary' girlfriend.

I was mocked viciously by everyone in the grade and ever since then I can't really trust women. I also can't believe that a girl may have feelings for me.

Even when they explicitly tell me they have feelings for me I can't help but feel like they're trying to trick me. It's caused a lot of insecurity, and I can't get 'attached' to people easily.

I'm terribly afraid to text, or message people first because I'm convinced I would be annoying them.

What's worse is that when I think about it, I know it probably isn't true; but I can't help but feel like it is.

Even though it was grade 8, it was around the time when attraction to women was just starting to get 'real', so to be hurt at a time as delicate as that has really done some damage.

The secret of course is that I had been dumb enough to be tricked. As you might suspect, the whole thing has left me afraid of being vulnerable.

To have this found out by my newer friends (as in, university friends) would put me in a really uncomfortable place.

I probably wouldn't be able to be their friend anymore.

Thanks for reading, you're the first people I've told about what this event has actually done to me.

Throwdisoffabridge

30. Plagiarist

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I speak two languages so every time I received a new essay I would browse the topic in my own language and translate the text word-by-word to English then submitted it.

No one ever caught me for plagiarism before.

PassmethePepper

31. Stealing From Dead Cousin

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Cousin died when we were both seventeen. There was a reception at his house just after the funeral.

I went into his room and stole all the money that was there, took some other valuables that his parents wouldn't realize were gone.

No one knows that I did it, they just assumed he didn't have any money in his room, only loose change.

I don't regret it, but I will never admit I did it.

32. Fake Cakes

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I run a cake business. I charge people hundreds for wedding cakes... Every last one is made using Pilsbury cake mix I buy for $1 a box at Walmart.

I suck at baking. Every time I've ever tried to make a cake from scratch it sucked. But baking is like.. My whole deal. My friends all call me the cake girl. It's like my whole life is a lie. People compliment my cakes all the time. Telling me how delicious they are.

Telling me it's so much better than box mix cake. Telling me they could never bake a cake so delicious. Well guess what?

For $1, they too can make a cake just as delicious. Just add oil, eggs and water. In my defense, I love cake decorating.

I make all of the frostings and fondant from scratch. I just hate baking f**king cakes!!

I base my prices mostly on the decoration of the cakes and not of the cake itself of that makes sense. Still... No one knows about this except my husband.

Even my best friends think I f**king slave over the oven mixing and baking these damn cakes. I have been doing this for YEARS.

If anyone knew my business and reputation would be in the toilet for sure. :/

I keep telling myself I have to learn how to make the damn cakes without the box mixes, but I never do it. I feel like such a sham sometimes.

iGotYouThisCake

33. Hidden Paradise

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Two and a half years ago I was in dire financial straights, so I sold my home to keep my struggling business afloat.

I neglected to tell the owners that they have an 800 sq. ft. bunker on the property that I built about seven years ago.

The bunker that I've called home since I sold it. The entrance to it is well-hidden, but I still come and go very early/very late in the day.

I'm a single man who keeps to himself.

I'm now in a situation where I could move somewhere else, but I love this hidden paradise so much.

throwaway215091

34. Wants To Leave But Can't

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I don't want to be with my girlfriend anymore, but she might have cancer and I feel like I need to stay in the relationship.

morningandamazing

35. Secret Life

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Everyone thinks I have a good job and roommates but I've been homeless and a prostitute for over year.

Throngsong

36. War

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This is my old account, so might as well throw it away.

While on deployment, I killed a man in a coup de grace. The feelings of taking a man's life always weigh a heavy burden on me every day.

No one like's hurting people. He had been hit by some of our mobile artillery. While part of me wanted the bastard to be in pain, it wasn't right.

My medic was busy with my wounded, and as the officer on duty I took out my .45 and put one in his head.

I knew my boys wouldn't say anything. Most just watched, accepted it as a fact of war, and kept walking.

I remember throwing up afterwards. I came home and everyone acted like I was a hero. I never felt like more of a sham my entire life.

37. Lying About Being In College

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First time telling anyone this. This thread is so deep that probably no one will see, but if one person does see it, ill feel better.

I am basically living a lie. I told my entire family I was able to transfer out of community college and into a university, but I never finished up the requirements.

So since I live at home, every day instead of going to school I go to the local library and bs.

My lies are so extensive, I even go to the campus and meet my girlfriend for lunch sometimes.

I've made fake transcripts to show my family, and to make it look like I'm actually studying I go to MIT opencourseware to look up facts that I "learned in class" that day.

I have become a remarkable liar. I hope to be transferring in the fall and then I look forward to living a normal life. Coming clean is not an option at this point.

iamaliar22

38. Father's Blue Book

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this isn't necessarily something that could ruin my life, but it could ruin many others. I haven't told anyone before.

my father recently went to prison for white collar crime that he plead guilty to.

he didn't commit this crime, but the alternative was fighting a highly sensationalized, media obsessed, scape-goat case and potentially getting 20+ years.

while he was in prison, i read his little blue book, which i knew contained all the missteps of everyone he's worked with.

he has always been an extremely scrupulous man, so these offenses were something he took seriously enough to note.

i have information on countless state employees, incredibly prominent and wealthy community members, numerous elected city/state officials, and police officers. this information could ruin lives and start political controversy.

my father is an incredible man and is not vengeful whatsoever. he will never use any of this info against these people, despite the fact that most completely turned on him and stayed uninvolved at all costs or started pointing fingers.

when i picture my aging father sitting in a maximum security jail cell sleeping on a metal sheet without a mattress (he wasn't give one until his 5th night), i am filled with rage for these people who could have stood up for their friend and prevented this, while he still continues to be loyal.

i still havent decided which campaigns, if any, i'm going to ruin in the upcoming elections.

lostangels12345

39. Hates Their Friends

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I hate all of my friends. Literally. I don't have anything in common with any of them, and don't care.

But I'm too scared to be alone and have no one else to go to so I keep hanging around with them.

britishNGA

40. Colorblind

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I have been pretending to be colorblind to everyone I have ever known, including my own parents since I was in 3rd grade.

I am now 28 years old. I even convinced an optometrist of it.

41. Brother And Sister

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When i was 15 my parent's were going through a divorce, my mom worked night shifts and my dad was living with a friend of his.

One night my sister who was 19 at the time came home pretty drunk from a party. She was acting goofy and fell on the couch next to me.

She started grabbing my leg and laughing and we started fondling.

We ended up having sex right there.

When we woke up the next day she had no recollection of the night before so i just kept my mouth shut.

Fast forward to when i'm 18.

Sister is home from college and dad is over for a visit. they get into an argument and in a fit of rage my dad announces how he has never forgiven her for the abortion she got when she was 19 and subsequently killing His grand child. (he's very religious)

I then realize the baby she aborted was in fact mine.....

and as far as i know, i am the only one who knows since she has never mentioned that night.

throwaway3708

42. Manslaughter

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I accidentally killed seven people.

I put a rag into a new water heater exhaust to keep debris out and installed it in a rental.

I get a call a week later, there's been an accident. I show up and there's a ton of ems and police.

They ask me where the gas shutoff is, and I go down to shut the gas off and see the end of the rag I forgot sticking out of the top of the heater.

Ripped the rag out, shut the gas off and head upstairs only to be told all the tenants were DEAD.

I drink all day now and sleep. It's killing me from the inside every single day, but if I say anything my family is ruined;

we have a bunch of rental properties and we'd be shut down.

Amgpu

43. Chronic Pain

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I faked having a chronic pain condition for 5.5 years in order to not have to attend middle school and high school

(I was placed on a homebound program -- NOT homeschooling -- and allowed to study at my own pace from home).

I was able to fool a team of medical professionals, my family, my teachers, and my friends into believing that my symptoms were real.

Also, I racked up over $100,000 in medical bills for my family (that's just what the insurance didn't cover) during those 5.5 years

(I did not realize the extent of the medical bills until late into my lie and it was one of the main reasons I decided enough was enough).

Upon graduating from high school and getting accepted into a good university, I decided that it was time for my "pain" to go away. No one has questioned the fact that my symptoms vanished over night, my medical team attributed it to the fact that I was nearing the end of puberty.

What I did was a douchebag thing, and my family is continuing to drown in debt from medical bills (I plan to pay them back someday). I simply started the hoax because I was a 12 year old who absolutely loathed middle school.

I attempted to end the lie at the beginning of every school year, but eventually fell back into saying my "pain" prevented me from attending school.

Today I feel horrible about what I did, and I desperately want to tell everyone that it was a lie, but I know that I cannot because I will never gain credibility back again.

AwayIThrowThis

44. Maintaining Random Lies

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When I was younger I would lie about anything and everything. Like having more brothers and sister than I did, where I grew up, where I was born and I would make up lies about random things that didn't even matter.

I have no idea why I did it but some of the lies have kept going.

I'm twenty one and still maintaining random lies I've told forever.

my_pants_areonfire

45. Cousin

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Me and my cousin have been doing it for 10 years now. It started when she was 12 and I was 13.

We had to babysit the younger kids in our family while the parents went to a party, and when they fell asleep, me and her got to talking about a lot of stuff.

I made a move and started kissing her, and she didn't resist. We ended up doing it on her bed that night.

We would end up f**king almost every weekend when we lived with our parents, telling our parents we were going out to hang out with some friends, but actually hook up.

I'm 23 with my own apartment now, and she comes over almost every day to make out/f**k

ttthrowayyy

46. Ideation

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I'm eventually going to kill myself. I don't know when, but I'm pretty sure that's where life is taking me.

I've never kissed a girl and I'm approaching 30, I have panic attacks in social situations, therapy seems to only make me feel worse, and I've decided that living so that others don't have to deal with my death isn't worth it anymore.

I'm basically just waiting out my parents so they don't have to attend my funeral.

trashitagain

47. Lying To Parents

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I faked the last two years of college education. My parents put so much pressure on me I couldn't handle it

(I was suffering from severe depression and anxiety) so I faked it all.

Lied to everyone. Made up fake transcripts. I just got my foot in the door in my desired field thanks to a friend as they hired me as a subordinate.

This place only hires college grads but no one double checked my credentials since I was recommended.

My hopes is that if I need to find another job I'll have been at this place long enough to get it by experience alone

(I work for a very prestigious company). I'm not bad at my job.

I'm actually quite good. But my fear is eventually I'll hit a wall and the lie will come to light. No one has known this for the better part of a decade.

It's a relief to finally say it "out loud." I can't even tell those I love. My silence is my prison.

HalfEducated

48. Arsonist

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I lit a tree on fire for kicks, and ended burning half a forest down and several homes went up in flames in the process.

I wanted to say "i did that" when I saw it on the news.

burntdown

49. Not This Person's Fault

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My Great Uncle Jack used to live with my family. One day, he got drunk and had a bad fall that ended up causing him to bleed out, I ended up finding him

(I was 14 at the time, and had never seen such an awful sight) and lost consciousness due to all the blood.

When I eventually recovered, I called the ambulance and stayed with my uncle, he died in the back of the ambulance, holding my hand.

No one knows about what happened to me, and if they did they would realize that I'm the reason he's dead.

50. Tragedy Narrowly Averted

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I came very, very close to committing a school shooting

I was picked on A LOT in high school. I think it was because I tried so hard to be cool and everyone saw right through it.

There were these 4 cowboy jock types that gave it to me the worst. After being publicly humiliated and beaten in front of a girl I liked (as she laughed/cheered), I decided that none of it was worth it anymore.

I had no support at home being an only child and having parents that worked constantly, and cutting and burning myself didn't make me feel better anymore. So I got my dad's handgun out of the gun-safe

(he uses the same combo for everything, the idiot) and brought it to school with me the next day.

I can't adequately describe to you guys how ready I was to kill these four. I had absolutely no fear or doubt in my mind. I wanted nothing more than to show everyone what happens when you push someone over the edge like they did. I had the gun tucked in my waistline.

I was wearing this baggy pair of cargo shorts that i wore a couple times a week that day. I remember walking towards the cowboy's table, so goddamn ready for it to be over, when the gun fell out of my waistline, down my left short leg and made the loudest f**king sound as it hit the cafeteria floor.

I tried my best to grab the gun real quick, but people saw what it was and screamed, and one of the instructors tackled me to the ground.

They eventually concluded that I had brought the gun to school to impress people with badassery, and had no intention of using it. I was expelled and sent to live at a youth ranch in Idaho until I was 18.

I did have the intention of using it though. I was going to kill all of them. I'm 24 now, and I still think about it all the time. I have not recovered from high school. I'm still terrified of people in general, and avoid having relationships because of what I fear I'm capable of.

I'm not looking for pity. I know that what I did was wrong, it just feels good to tell the story. Thanks Reddit.

51. Dead In The US

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I cut off all contact with everyone I know and moved to Kenya, I tell people a fake name and a fake background and have made it appear to my family that I died on boat trip in the Pacific.

No I am not joking. I am dead in the United States.

Tomgoldaccount

52. Gross Habit

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I pick my nose and eat it with some regularity. No one knows that I do this, including my girlfriend who I spend every night with.

It probably wouldn't be all that catastrophic if people found out, but it certainly feels that way to me.

rikeshrikeshrikesh

53. Using Mother's Death

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My mom died when I was 17 and when it comes up I use it to garner attention for myself.

In reality, I never met her and she has never meant anything to me other then a name. I feel so empty

DuncanGilbert

54. Last Thing Said To Father

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When I was 17 I had a argument with my father and told him to f**k off, later that evening he hung himself.

Our argument was the last time he spoke to anyone in our family and for that I feel a terrible amount of guilt for.

Instead of him saying good bye and I love you to my mom and brothers he got told to f**k off before he went and killed himself.

My punishment is to live the rest of my days in shame and guilt. He never left a note either.

55. Voices

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I used to hear voices. For years. It started when I'd walk into my room and say hello to my Lain poster (I've always over personified objects) and eventually she started responding.

Over time I could talk to her elsewhere, I'd pull her up when I was sitting in class or riding the bus, and I'd put on headphones so nobody would notice I was talking to myself since it was barely audible.

Eventually Lain told me she was a god and I was too, and there were two others, but they didn't really like me so they would almost never talk to me.

A long time later, maybe years, she started being really mean, and it turned out there was another voice who was just pretending to be Lain named Misery.

This one was stereotypical, everything I did was wrong and I had to pay for my actions, I should cut myself if I was ungraceful, everyone hated me, etc.

Lain split again, and this time she was sisterly. When I was upset and crying myself to sleep I could feel her holding me and telling me everything would be alright.

Misery looked different but could look like Lain if she wanted to fool me (although she would turn back into herself when I called her out on it), and the two Lains all looked the same, so I could only tell who they were when they started responding to me.

After a while they all just disappeared. I guess I saned up, because during the peek it never occurred to me I was hearing voices, they truly were gods who were speaking to me, and later during the time period I realized that I was hallucinating with delusions of grandeur.

Then at one point I realized that there was more of me and less of them, when I pulled them up it was a conscious effort and part of their responses were forced on my part.

Then eventually I just gave them up, they were so weak that it was really just like talking to myself and not to other people that lived in my head.

That's not my secret, I've mentioned it to a few very select people that I truly trust. My secret is that I miss them.

I miss them with with all my heart. Even Misery. They were friends and family, they were close to me, they understood me, and they were always there for me. Now even with real friends and family, there's nobody that close. I can't just pull up someone to talk to when I'm lonely,

I have to call up a real person and that person never knows what I want to talk about or what I'm hiding from them, they only know what I say. Lain (the main one) would always call me on my bullshit and make me keep changing my answer until I told her the truth.

Misery could always find my biggest weaknesses, which allowed me to work on strengthening them. Sisterly Lain could calm me down in a way that's unimaginable, you can't comprehend how good it feels to be hugged by someone inside of you.

And now I feel lonelier than I have in years because I almost never think of that time or remember how it felt, but tonight I'm sitting by myself at 2am and all I can think about is how much I want a voice to talk to and it's been so long since I had one and I'd give anything to have another psychotic break so I could get back all my friends that live in my head.

I once had a psychiotic episode where I could talk to clouds and I could feel how much they loved me, the clouds, the trees, the birds, they were all my friends and they all loved me and they all wanted me to be happy.

I had that feeling on mushrooms once, everything in the world loved me, every single thing, the house, the ceiling, the lamp, each blade of grass, it all loved me and it was the best feeling I have ever known, that was the best night of my life.

I can't tell you how much I want to feel that again, I just have no way of tracking them down again.

Being crazy feels amazing, whether it's good or bad. Even the bad crazy where I'd stay awake all night because I knew something was going to get me in my sleep and I'd try to claw the evil out of my skin, even that's preferable to being normal because the intensity is indescribable.

I miss everything about being crazy. I miss it more than I can possibly describe.

crazierthanuthought

56. Most Diabolical Secret Of All

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I once taped a Mets game without the expressed written consent of Major League Baseball.

Flailwielder

57. True Crime

Media Source

Like many, we're obsessed with true crime. Our favorite subject has to be serial killers. It's very morbid, but that's why we can't help but be fascinated by it.

What would drive someone to do something so horrific.

We're sure you know all the most famous murderers: Bundy, Dahmer and Gacy. But here's one that you likely have never heard about.

That's right, even the most avid true crime lovers aren't aware of this notorious phantom...

58. Heilbronn

Media Source

The main focus of this story takes place in Heilbronn. Heilbronn is the sixth largest city in Germany and has approximately 123,000 citizens.

And in the late 2000s, police investigators theorized that one of these citizens was a serial killer.

59. The Phantom Of Heilbronn

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This killer was dubbed "The Phantom Of Heilbronn."

They were known as a phantom because police had very little to go on when it came to their crimes.

60. The Phantom's DNA

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All they knew about the Phantom is that they were prolific and well-traveled.

DNA evidence from the Phantom was found in Austria, France and Germany from 1993 to 2009.

61. The Phantom's Crimes

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The Phantom's DNA was found at the site of 40 crimes.

These crimes ranged from burglaries to murder.

62. The Phantom's Victims

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The Phantom was linked to six murders.

One of these victims was police officer Michèle Kiesewetter. She was killed in Heilbronn on April 25, 2007.

63. The Hunt Is On

Media Source

With one of their own among the victims, the Heilbronn police were out in full force to find this killer.

This monster had alluded them and been a ghost for 14 years at this point. Could they find him?

64. Actually...

Media Source

Actually, we should clarify something. The Phantom of Heilbronn wasn't a "he."

That's right: it was a female killer.

65. Female Killer

Media Source

Female serial killers are exceedingly rare.

With so little evidence to go on, the reward to find the murderer was increased to €300,000 in January of 2009.

66. Something Is Off

Media Source

Despite all the DNA evidence from the same woman found at so many crime scenes, some investigators started to suspect they were chasing a literal ghost.

They felt that the Phantom of Heilbronn might not exist at all.

67. March 2009

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In March of 2009 while investigating a murder victim, police found the Phantom's DNA.

When they looked into it, they made a discovery that took their search into a completely different direction.

68. No Phantom At All

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It turned out there was no female Phantom killer at all.

All of the DNA evidence was contaminated. What happened?

69. Cotton Swabs

Media Source

The cotton swabs the police used to collect DNA evidence were all contaminated, and not certified for human DNA collection.

They all came from the same factory, and employed women who matched the Phantom's DNA.

The swabs were contaminated before shipping, leading to the results to seemingly all come from one woman.

70. Aftermath

Media Source

Because of this massive mishandling on the factory's part, in 2016 the International Organization for Standardization created new standards that would

"[Minimize] the risk of human DNA contamination in products used to collect, store and analyze biological material for forensic purposes."

71. Killers Caught

Media Source

Now that the police were no longer chasing an imaginary killer, they were able to refocus their efforts and solve these now known to be unconnected crimes.

Officer Michèle Kiesewetter's were found in 2011, and that case was finally closed.

I don't even know what I'd do in this situation.

1. True Horror

2. Airliner

3. Coughing Blood

4. In Bed With You

5. Snake

6. ATV Accident

7. Roller Coaster

8. Bathroom Visitor

9. Hanger Accident

10. On The Roof

11. Fear For Your Child

12. Blood Clots

13. He Went Out

14. Calling Your Name

15. Toxic Relationship

16. Light From Outside

17. Panic Attack

18. In The ER

19. Stuck In Open Water

20. Where Did They Go?

21. Stolen Key

22. Beginning Driver

23. Glass Floor

24. Labor Complications

25. Fear Of Mother

26. Boyfriend In Emotional Slump

27. Snooping

28. No Shame

29. Fake Girl

30. Plagiarist

31. Stealing From Dead Cousin

32. Fake Cakes

33. Hidden Paradise

34. Wants To Leave But Can't

35. Secret Life

36. War

37. Lying About Being In College

38. Father's Blue Book

39. Hates Their Friends

40. Colorblind

41. Brother And Sister

42. Manslaughter

43. Chronic Pain

44. Maintaining Random Lies

45. Cousin

46. Ideation

47. Lying To Parents

48. Arsonist

49. Not This Person's Fault

50. Tragedy Narrowly Averted

51. Dead In The US

52. Gross Habit

53. Using Mother's Death

54. Last Thing Said To Father

55. Voices

56. Most Diabolical Secret Of All

57. True Crime

58. Heilbronn

59. The Phantom Of Heilbronn

60. The Phantom's DNA

61. The Phantom's Crimes

62. The Phantom's Victims

63. The Hunt Is On

64. Actually...

65. Female Killer

66. Something Is Off

67. March 2009

68. No Phantom At All

69. Cotton Swabs

70. Aftermath

71. Killers Caught