It’s terrifying when your intuition starts telling you that things around you are off, yet you can’t articulate why exactly this is happening.

So to learn more about this phenomenon, Redditor u/inferno2808 asked other users: “What was your scariest ‘something’s not right” moment?‘” and as you might expect, people have submitted plenty of chilling stories.

From creepy followers to deadly acts of nature, continue scrolling and check out why it’s sometimes a good idea to trust your sixth sense.

Read More: 30 Times People’s Intuition Did Not Fail To Spot That Something Wasn’t Right

#1

When I was 10 years old, my grandma was watching my younger siblings and me while our parents were at a weekend-long work conference.

We were sitting in the living room eating pancakes, and my siblings were watching cartoons while I read the newest Harry Potter book, which had just come out the day before.

My brother asked my grandma for more pancakes and she started to get up. I was only half paying attention because I was engrossed in my book, but out of the corner of my eye, I felt like she was taking longer than usual.

She tried to get up, but her leg wouldn’t move. She tried to pick it up with her hands, but one of her hands wouldn’t move. I knew something was wrong and I put down my book.

Then she fell out of her chair onto the floor. I screamed and she tried to tell me that she was fine, her leg had just fallen asleep and she tripped, but her voice was coming out all slurred and only half of her face was moving. I recognized signs of a stroke from The Baby-Sitters Club.

I ran into the kitchen- she had no cell phone back then- and called 911. Well, first I called my best friend, the only phone number I could remember, and asked her mom if I need to dial an area code before 911. THEN I called 911. Meanwhile, my siblings got the handyman who was mowing the backyard to come in and help out.

The ambulance arrived and they took her to the hospital, and I don’t remember much else. My best friend’s mom must have somehow gotten hold of my parents because they did eventually show up at the hospital.

But here’s the good news: because she was treated so quickly, she made a full recovery and is still alive and in good health almost 20 years later!

Image credits: Friendly_Coconut

#2

TL;DR: Saved my dad’s life off a 2am hunch I had that something was ‘off’.

During the UK’s first lockdown I hadn’t seen my dad who lived on his own for 3 months – but we spoke on the phone everyday religiously. One night whilst I was drifting off to sleep at 2am I suddenly started feeling overwhelming anxiety, sweating and just feeling like something was ‘off’. I could not get back to sleep due to worry so I decide to ring my night owl dad as I knew he’d be up and answer the phone… but to my suprise no answer.

I woke my partner and told him something was really off and my dad hadn’t answered his phone which had my anxiety running tenfold at this point. He suggested if he still hadn’t answered the phone in the morning we would drive over and check on him. However, I could not shake this feeling so at 3am my partner and I got in the car and drove 3 hours to my dad’s home.

When we arrived at my dad’s house I walked in to find my dad staring at the wall, grey/yellow in colour, slurring his words and utterly confused about where he was. I immediately phoned an ambulance and he spent the next 4 weeks in hospital with acute kidney failure from undiagnosed end stage liver cirrohsis. I’ll never forgot the Doctor telling me if I had arrived at his home a few hours later I would have been calling an undertaker and not an ambulance.

Due to the sudden and random confusion caused by cirrhosis he genuinely believed the TV remote was his phone hence why he didn’t/couldn’t seek treatment. Kidney failure comes on so rapidly that the two together are fatal within hours so me turning up that morning was crucial to him getting the treatment at the right time.

As I’m typing this my dad is driving over to my house to spend the Christmas here with us and the cirrhosis symptoms remain under control – a happy ending! Sometimes anxiety can be a life saving gift.

Edit: Wow I am humbled by your support and awards – thank you so much! A bit more context for extra feels… I lost my mum and stepdad 6 months before this took place so my dad is my rock and I’m extra grateful for everyday he is healthy and happy. Even though his cirrohsis is not going away we still have time on our side 🙂

#3

Late at night, I was sitting in my car waiting for my boyfriend to finish his shift. A guy walks past and we make eye contact. I feel this sense of danger but figure I’m overreacting. A few minutes pass and the fear won’t go away. I finally decide to move my car away from the edge of the parking lot to the front of the restaurant in the customer parking area. I start up my car and just as I’m putting it into drive, the guy rushes out from behind and tries to yank open my door, pulling on it really hard. I hit the gas and he trails me for a second, then hits my window with a rock. I keep going and he throws the rock at me then runs away. I was shaking so badly I could barely steer. Pretty sure he was sneaking up on me just as I decided to start my engine.

Image credits: Thin_Host

#4

I was sitting on the beach alone and noticed that a man walking along the water was staring at me. I tried to shake it off thinking maybe he had friends or family somewhere behind and wasn’t actually looking at me.

He started walking up from the water and walked right up to me, but didn’t stop and circled around me. I felt awkward so I didn’t make eye contact. He walked away. I’m thinking at the time, maybe it was in my head.

About an hour later, he came back and did the same thing. Went down to the water, looked at me, then started walking up to me. He came right up to me again and as he starts to circle me I look at him and notice he’s staring not only at me but also at all of my things, like he was taking inventory of what I had with me. I finally said, “Can I help you?” And he seemed surprised that I spoke up and says, “oh no, no, no!” And walks away.

After he walked away, I couldn’t shake the uneasy gut feeling. They say when you know something is wrong, not to ignore your gut feeling. And I can’t explain it but I KNEW.

I was too scared to walk back to my car alone, so I ended up walking over to another man nearby who had been keeping to himself and told him what had happened and that I just wanted someone to walk back to the parking lot with so I wouldn’t have to walk back alone. He confirmed that the man was in fact totally watching me the entire time I was there – he noticed and said he saw him creeping around a couple other girls as well.

That beach is ruined for me. As I walked back with the kind stranger I still felt like I was being watched and I was paranoid my entire drive home. I’m so thankful for that kind stranger.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and if you feel like you’re in danger, don’t ignore that feeling!!

Image credits: sheworewhat

#5

Few weeks ago, baby woke up in the night. I settles him but instead of going back to bed like normal, I sat outside his room waiting for him to settle. I thought he wasn’t settled because the movement icon on the monitor was flashing.

Fun fact: it also flashes if the cot is empty of a breathing creature.

I poked my head in, thinking “why is he moving so much”?. Except it was silent in his room. The voice in my head sounded. Something is NOT right. I went to put my hand on his back and found he wasn’t breathing. I managed to get him back but I think I had a tiny stroke from the fear. I’ve never been een more terrified.

If I’d gone back to bed, my baby would not have woken up the next morning. I am grateful for mom instincts and I listen to them hard-core now. I don’t give a royal sh*t if people think I’m paranoid. My gut saved my boy.

#6

I was walking to school in middle school and this lady with a car pulled over next to me and called me Linda. That’s not my name, but was close enough I looked up.

She apologized and explained she thought I was her grandkid. Then she offered me a ride to school. Except that I was already standing on the school grounds. I had a half block walk before I needed to turn to walk into the building.

When I said no she tried to demand I get into the car. I said no thanks and took off running. It occured to me much later that she probably had no intention of dropping me off at school.

Image credits: depressivedarling

#7

I was working on a radio system in the local water tower of a pretty remote outback town. It was a beautiful late spring day in October when I got there, but after about 2 hours the bird noises stopped, the breeze stopped… I took my equipment out of Standby and flagged it as live test because I had the weirdest feeling I didn’t have time to fully test it and went outside to sit in the car. About ninety seconds later there was a direct lightning strike on the tower I’d just left, it was the highest point in 200km. It was literally the loudest thing I’d ever heard. Ever.

Image credits: Stewyg86

#8

It wasn’t me that noticed “somethings not right”. Once a women came up to me on a train that I had gotten on and said “I just wanted you to know that man there is following you” and he was. He followed me (in a quiet way) when I changed trains and I ended up asking a cop to walk me home. It was one of the creepiest experiences of my life. In hindsight I shouldn’t even have gone home. I’m pretty sure he stopped following me when I spoke with the police officer. But still.

Image credits: Sprmodelcitizen

#9

Watching the water leave the harbor

Image credits: ThatCoyoteDude

#10

My mom awoke from a dead sleep and had a horrible feeling so she checked on her children all fine and asleep cause it was like 2 in the morning.

Feeling stupid for worrying over nothing she decided to smoke a cigarette to calm her nerves before she went to bed.

As she was trying to light it she noticed something out of the corner of her eye, Before going to the bar my dad has made himself some ramen on the gas stove and he’d turned the flame off but left the gas on. Horrified she snapped it off and threw open the doors and the windows not daring to smoke inside until 2 days later out of paranoia

Image credits: 3milyBlazze

#11

I planned to visit my Dad in the afternoon. Called him in the morning to ask if he needed anything because I was about to go to the store anyway and could easily pick up some things for him. He didn’t answer. A little weird for him but not too uncommon. But I had that thought in the back of my head. So I tried again like 30 minutes later. Again, nothing. Neither land line or mobile. So I decided to drive over there early and check. Can’t really explain it but I just knew that something had happened. Found him dead in his house. He fell and cracked his head open.
To this day I don’t actually know what was worse: finding him like this or the 30 minute long drive where the feeling grew that I was going to walk into something like that.

Image credits: DrPCox85

#12

I was a teenager around 15 babysitting 4 younger cousins eldest was about 8. I was watching TV in the living room when there was a knock at the door. It was late and I knew it was odd. I approached the door with a “Hello?” A male answered and asked if someone random was there I said no. They then said can you open the door I need a light for a cigarette. I replied no again. I walked back into the living room and saw two faces trying to look down the side of the curtains. Then they started knocking again. I walked into the kitchen to arm myself as I walked in there, there was already someone half inside and another behind him. I went into protective mode thinking I won’t let them get to the children, I picked up a large knife on the bench and charged towards them they stumbled and ran off. Shaking I picked up my cell phone, knocking was still coming from the front door asking to be let in. I called the police on my mobile. I explained I have 4 children in the house and there’s 4 people trying to break in. They told me to remain calm and go somewhere safe with the children. A bathroom I could lock until the police arrived. I shut the back entrance and returned to the front. I looked out the side of the window and they were stood menacingly at bottom of the garden whilst I was on the phone to the police. The police came with helicopters and police dogs. They were never caught.

#13

It’s a long story, but I caught some creepy guy trying to expose himself to my 11 yr old daughter. It was a gut feeling to go check on her (I was in another part of a store and walked up just in time). Always follow your instincts and trust your gut.

Image credits: Sickofusernames95

#14

When I was about 19 I was waiting for my then boyfriend to get off of work at the mall, standing outside near the employee entrance. It was close to 10pm and the mall had already closed so the parking lot was fairly empty. This car drove up to the curb, probably fifteen feet from where I was standing at the wall and the window rolled down, the driver was the only person in the car and he asked if I knew how to get to X road. That road was the one visible from where I was standing so I pointed at it and told him the exit onto that road was right across the way. He kept looking at me and said, “I’m having trouble hearing you.” So I walked five feet closer and shouted it at him. He said, “Could you show me? I’m terrible with directions.” I immediately decided this man just wanted me to either get close enough to grab or to get into his car and just pointed to the road and said, “Drive that way, you can’t miss it” and walked right into the employee entrance to wait for my boyfriend instead. I wasn’t supposed to be in there but figured getting yelled at by security was way better than getting kidnapped by a guy in his forties.

#15

Text my friend Katie the night before and never got a response which was unlike her. I had a gut feeling something was wrong based on that. Later in the day my other friend said we needed to talk and I instantly knew my friend was dead.

She had died in a car accident the night I text her and I knew deep down before anyone told me. Miss you Katie! RIP.

Image credits: Mister_JayB

#16

I woke up an hour and a half before my alarm and couldn’t go back to sleep, so I got up to make my partners lunch. I got up and the front door was open and the living room light was on. My mom was staying with me and had her dog so I assumed she took her outside, but the air around me felt really weird. So I started making the lunch and realized she still hadn’t come in. I open the door to look outside and she’s at the bottom of my porch steps laying in a pool of blood. I thought she had gotten shot. Turns out she tripped up walking down my stairs and cracked her head open. Spent a week in the hospital with a brain injury. She’s okay now. The doctors actually had found a spot in her leg where her cancer had spread and found it earlier than they would have if she hadn’t fallen.

#17

One day I was in a parking garage across the street from a courthouse after filing a document (I’m a paralegal). As I’m me, I get off the elevator where I THINK my car is parked and it’s nowhere to be found. This is not unusual so, I start wondering around pushing the button for it to beep. After about a minute of wondering I notice a guy walking around too. He doesn’t appear to be following me but, he’s giving me the creeps anyway so, I keep an eye on him. There is no one else on that level except him and me.

Finally I determine that my car must not be on that level and get in the elevator to go down a level. I get off the elevator and keep an eye on it for a second. The guy doesn’t appear so I brush it off as my paranoia. I start walking around pushing the button again. Then, as I turn the corner, there’s the guy again. So, this time I KNOW he’s following me. I head for the elevators, then I notice that he’s heading that way too and is on par to cut me off and I start to panic. Again, we’re alone on the level.

Just then the elevator doors open and two guys in suits get off. I run up to them and say “THERE you guys are. I’ve been looking for you all over this level and the one above. Where the hell did you guys park?” and I laugh. The guys kind of look at me weird but, to their credit, they don’t even blink and one of them responds with “Oh, sorry, we’re on this level but we brought Tom’s car instead of mine and I forgot to tell you. We’re parked over here” and they lead me away. I see the guy that had been following me stop, stare, then start down the stairs beside the elevator. Once he leaves I tell the guys what had happened and they helped me find my car (it was on the first level, I just never got close enough to hear it beep) and I was safe. To this day I know that guy was waiting for me to find my car so he could do something nefarious.

I avoid parking garages at all costs now. If I’m forced to park in one, I take a picture of where I park so I don’t get lost anymore. I also carry pepper spray on my keychain.

#18

I was living about five hours away from my parents and spent Easter with them. The plan was to take Monday off work and drive back that day, but for some reason, I decided to go back on Sunday night.

Woke up about three to a weird noise and hit the touch lamp next to my bed. It made a loud popping sound and turned off. Thinking hm, something isn’t right here, I got up and grabbed the bedroom door handle. It was so hot that I immediately pulled my hand back. As it turned out, my entire apartment was in flames.

My living room caught fire from a faulty electric outlet and it spread to the dining room by the time I got up. The only ways out were through the living room to the front door or through the dining room and kitchen to the back door.

I used whatever strength I had to shove my headboard away from the window, broke the window out with my glass, and just screamed. My landlord was letting a guy illegally live in a storage room. He heard me and ran right down the block to the fire station. They actually got me through the window and then put out the fire.

I was hours away from my family, had no money or ID, lost my cell phone and car keys in the fire, and it was only like four am. I ended up losing pretty much everything. My neighbor was nice enough to let me shower at her place and give me some clothes until my parents made the drive.

Image credits: BlackCatMumsy

#19

I was home alone and someone rang my bell door, it was dark and I could see a person, but I was unable to see his face ( only like a shadow ). I didn’t open the door because he never answered so I went back to playing, however my dog would look straight at the door like he know something was not right. After like 2 hours my parents arrived and told me there are 2 police cars on our street. Apparently, that person was a burglar and he knocked out one of my neighbors and stole from his house. This happened 2 years ago but I still feel unsafe because I am probably the only one that was able to see his face.

Image credits: Cheevvyy

#20

Not me but my brother was walking home when he was about 7 or 8 and a man pulled up demanding to take my brother to the hospital because he was limping and was starting to push him into the car (he had foot surgery previously). Our neighbor, whose kids we used to play with, suspected something was up and yelled at the man and took my brother inside her house. The police didn’t catch the guy and years later come to find out the guy and his car matched the description of the man who kidnapped Steven Stayner a short time later, which was a famous incident in our parts. Life could have been very different if our neighbor hadn’t been paying attention.

I wanted to add that Timothy White became a sheriff but unfortunately died of an an aneurism. I like to think he did some good before he passed.

Image credits: 2515chris

#21

I took a class on, among other things, lighting in a theater. One day I was using a single person lift to put myself 20 meters above the floor to change one tiny thing on one light. As I raised the lift closer to the light I had this feeling and then it got progressively worse. Literally every single safety thing that could be wrong on this very heavy light 20 meters above the crossroads of multiple walkways was wrong and about as wrong as it could be. It is a miracle this light hasn’t fallen off and killed someone yet and it was about to. Moreover, whatever idiot managed to screw it up this badly(who had also somehow been competent enough to be certified to use a two person lift even though I saw every single person in a 45 person class of predominantly 14 year olds do a better job on a light the first time they ever touched one) also managed to touch the power coupling to the crazy hot light and make it stay there and the power coupling was melted and somehow still functional and it’s a miracle the entire auditorium hadn’t burned down whenever this idiot did this. It was extremely scary to me as I’ve been doing extracurriculars in that auditorium for the past nine years and I don’t think this light had been touched in nine years so every one of the thousands of times I had used that path my life had been in danger.

Well, I fixed the light so it’s safe now and had every single other light in the auditorium checked so it wouldn’t be possible for another light done this badly to continue like this. Every other light in the auditorium was perfectly fine.

Image credits: Igor_InSpectatorMode