Try Rocket Money for free: RocketMoney.com/creepcast #rocketmoney #personalfinance Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get $5 off off your Starter Pack (that’s over 40% off) with promo code CREEPCAST at ShopMando.com ! #mandopod
@@TheRealFoxMadness I broke down at the end of it, after my shift finished up I finished the story end of immediately hit me and my employees were all wondering why I was sad all the sudden because I was happy all day
I just moved out to the NC countryside about a year ago and how dark it is at night still freaks me out. I’ll be working on stuff in my shed/workshop late at night and book it back to the house in the dark cuz it’s so spooky. It always feels like there’s something watching you and when the local coyotes start howling and barking makes it even scarier. Of course as I’m writing this, smoking a cig on the porch, my dog sitting next to me starts barking and growling at something I can’t even see. Mf scared the piss outta me
@pen1sman I feel that as well. I think it's something primordial in us that says somethings in the dark and, therefore, could harm us, and we need shelter and / or light and it affects us all to some extent.
@@pen1sman I live in Appalachian NC, just across the mountain from iceberg boi and I also get spooked by bumps in the night that I’d call silly if it happened to anyone else 😂
I like the way this story captures how mishandling hard truths with kids puts them in more danger. If the mom had explained to the protagonist that there was someone stalking him, what she had seen, maybe things could have gone better. Her reactions are rational, but showing that intense fear to him as a child and panicking, then never talking about it again, made him hide things from her. When she made rules to keep him safe, he didn't understand the stakes. It's a realistic depiction of a lot of parents, they want to protect their kids from the truth.
Agreed. There ARE age-appropriate ways of teaching even incredibly young girls children about serious and sensitive things without overwhelming them. The intentions are noble, but in practice actions (or lack there of, as you mention) such as these hurt more often than they help
Yeah. I'm not going to say it's easy, far from it, but man... his mom hid everything from him, something that he almost certainly could've handled or at least understood, and because of that someone else's two kids end up buried.
this story was horrifying but i couldn’t stop cracking up at the fact that wendigoon is like on the verge of tears having ptsd flashbacks to his childhood and hunters just like “damn that’s crazy”😭😭
When meat screamed "YA GET IT? MY COCK!" I was in Walmart and busted out cackling. I was wearing wireless earbuds so got side eyes and probably looked like a psycho
Something that’s really scary to me is the fact that when he sits next to the protag at the theater, it’s after he has Josh captured and has been keeping him for over a year at this point, but he still wanted to see the protag while he knew he had his best friend still
I love the detail that the stalker gave the "for stamps" dollar to the kids because he knew he didn't need it for stamps anymore, now that he knew where they lived.
Penpal is so incredible with the small details. Details that alot of the time needs a second read to actually realize how horrifying they really are...
Reading too much into it IMO. He's a forest hermit. He probably had no money. That's probably all he had to pay with. He could have done it intentionally, he regularly says things like 'SEE YOU SOON' and stuff. But I doubt he tipped his fedora and was like 'now i don't need a stamp m'boy'.
He sent pictures to the school before the snow cone scene. Wouldn’t he have needed stamps for that. Even if he hand delivered them it probably would have gotten him caught after hand delivering 50 envelopes to a child. I think his obsession made him keep it as a treasure and when he gave it back it made him feel a connection to the main character
@@tequilarama wendigoon makes young horror fans look like quivering pussies no offense to the dude but like every 5 minutes he says he's gonna cry or lose it
4:00:00 So I work in law enforcement and have done training with what we call "pig digs". This is where we search the woods for pig carcasses that have been buried (fully clothed) years prior. Searching for unnatural divots in the woods is the first thing we look for. Seeing a strangely shaped dip in the middle of the woods is something that gives me a visceral response.
I think the reason the mom was so spiteful about "tell them about the damn balloons" was that she'd figured out that the ENTIRE mess only started because of, well, those damn balloons. If he'd never been in that class or the class had never done that stupid activity, this creep in the woods would've never found out about or became obsessed with her kid. They never woulda been stalked, there never woulda been any abductions, there never woulda been any deaths. At least 3 people and 1 cat died from this freak stalking her kid, & if those damn balloons had never been sent, it never woulda happened. Just my take on why she was so mad about the balloons. They started it all
fr though that balloon project was the most horrible freaking thing ive ever heard of. it's literally like posting a picture of your kid on the internet. those teachers should have asked for permission from the parents or just THOUGHT PAST GO!!!!!!
@@CidiusIncarnate bro I was gonna make a joke about Schrödinger's cat in response & that made me realize why boxes was named "boxes"... God is real and Boxes got away from the murderer as far as I'm concerned. ty for giving me a new lease on life 🙏
@@owlomen2662this is extremely frequent in schools tho tbh. Not the pictures but atleast getting penpals. I know in high-school in all the language classes (German,French, and Spanish) that one of the things they do every year is establish a penpal with a foreign student to work on their language skills.
I think I disagree about Balloons being the start of the stalking, because the narrator got Boxes before he started school, and I believe that him mentioning Boxes trying to look at something over his shoulder, being the stalker most likely, happened before school also
i felt like him picking him up from the top to bottom bunk was testing to see if he would wake up if he picked him up, maybe was testing how far he could bring him a couple times before getting the confidence to bring him all the way to his forest
@itsmxdivatoyou i think it could be both. he tested in his bunk bed to see if he could take the boy into the woods and he took the boy into the woods to test if he could put him in a grave. the monster was already escalating his crimes throughout the story as many criminals do and i think it serves to really show the reader that he was doing that
Wendy literally sounding like he was in tears for the last couple paragraphs of this story had me feeling so emotional. And now, right after hearing him read the last few lines and hearing him sniffle after, I'm in actual tears myself. That is heartbreaking.
I was at a loss for words the minute Hunter started talking once the story was over. Wendi always chimes in while Hunter speaks, even in small utterings. But with this story, he's genuinely nerve-wracked.
Something terrifying is that the stalker sent hundreds of photos to the protagonist’s phone from Veronica’s phone before the “I love you” from Veronica. The stalker didn’t know the photos wouldn’t send so the entire time the protagonist thought he was dating Veronica the stalker thought that the protagonist knew exactly what was going on and approved.
I also love that we don't know what he sent. Like a lot of creepypastas in that era would have gone so over the top with the descriptions whereas this story let's our imagination make us the most scared.
@@averie8815there was an investigation but because there was no eye witness of the guys face and he lived in the middle of the woods it went nowhere. Josh saw his face once at the house but like the story said they never told it to anyone in fear of getting in trouble, and josh was the one later kidnapped by him so that lead was dead in the water.
Wow tht shit sent chills down my spine i didnt think of tht i was wonderin if he was mimicin the child lyk how he did in the woods byt fuck tht takes the cake
Another awful thought. He kills Veronica while Josh is still alive. That leaves the possibility that Josh was shown pictures of his sister after she was hit, or worse, he could have been in the car when it happened.
One of the comments mentioned that apparently in the book version, it's heavily implied that Josh WAS in the passengers seat when Veronica was hit and like....man.
@@salemcrow5078 that feels like an after-the-fact detail the author added, probably taken from responses to the story because if it were intended to be so in the original version, there would definitely be noise coming from the car from Josh trying to contact his friend
he's joked about her being a goth or having a particularly gothic aesthetic quite a few times on his channel, and that she's very tall, so she's possibly a tall goth doctor wife married to a Sunday school teacher turned cryptid and creepypasta TH-camr (among many other things, Isaiah is a bit of a Renaissance man).
This one hit so much harder than borrasca for some reason. I feel like it might be the way its written like a guy genuinly recounting his life, with the hopping around different times and such as he remembers more, or the way i started to feel connected to the characters by the constant feeling of dread, interrupt by funny moments that make you feel like youre living it. I am in literal tears rn so i think that might be a testiment to how good this is lmao
It hit harder because there's no good ending. In Borrasca, they get the bad guys. The people who did all of the horrible shit get taken down. Penpal ends with the monster getting what he wanted. Maybe not exactly what he wanted, but close enough. He won. And all that's left is trauma. Our MC doesn't gain anything. He doesn't get a triumph. Just the realization that his friend died in a horrible way, and that the man who did it won.
Part of this is possibly because Borrasca involves an entire conspiracy in a town to the point it feels almost unbelievable and feels otherworldly. Penpal is just a single person being targeted (and those around him being effected) but is also far more realistic feeling in how it's executed. Borrasca isn't a bad story but it doesn't feel nearly as realistic or scary especially with how some of the people in it act and talk. Borrasca also just feels strange since everyone's reaction feels somewhat unreal and odd, the entire town is in on what's going on except for the main characters. It feels too much like the plot to a movie or a story and less like something that could just happen. Penpal feels less like a plot or a pitch and more like an actual series of events. The events of Penpal also could have been mostly mitigated if the mother just spoke up instead of being too afraid to speak, but that's a real reaction people have. Borrasca starts to fall apart with this as with the sheer scale of it and how horrible it is, it feels like SOMEONE would have at some point decided that what was going on was bad and left without a word bringing the horrible events to light. As powerful as money is and as much as unlikely it is that the government is going to believe some random person off the street going to the FBI and the news media would absolutely get some kind of ball rolling, it's been that way for decades even before the time period Borrasca is set in. People who are actual Mothers and Fathers know that there is nothing you wouldn't do to try to keep your children safe, everything else in the world and beyond be damned and your own life being forfeit, and the fact that things just continued with no real attempt at escape or shutting it down is unbelievable. The way Penpal focuses on a singular person as it's target of terror makes the whole thing feel much more personal, it also doesn't help that it's an exaggeration of some very real and terrifying scenarios. Borrasca isn't as personal due to the fact that, while it follows a main character, it's focus is on an entire town doing terrible shit. It could be said that a single murder feels more important and memorable, that person will be in the news for weeks but when numerous people die in a single event you don't usually know who any of them are as they're all just labeled as "the victims" and the story peters out in a few days at most.
Like everyone else said, it’s because this feels so random and personal, like it genuinely could happen to anyone. Borrasca needs an entire town to stay silent for what unfolded to happen, but this story only needed the mother to stay silent
@@Of_infinite_Faith People spoke out about Diddy and Epstein for years prior to stuff happening but that got buried by their money and influence. Borrasca was literally just a mining town that was on the verge of financial collapse until they started doing their 'selling kids' business. It was a story written to be 'creepy' but it turned into something that felt somewhat unbelievable and like it was made just for shock value.
In the end i remembered that Josh and protagonist have similar voices and faces and only thing that mom of protagonist used to tell them apart was the hair. The level of detail is insane. I feel so sad for Josh.
Jesus Christ I literally forgot all about that! The attention to detail in this story is insane! I did end up wondering why the predator was just okay with having Josh since his obsession seemed so deep that I wouldn't think he'd just take any kid that was the same age and easy to capture. But thanks to your comment it makes so much more sense. Holy hell
the moment that was mentioned i had to pause because i needed a minute after saying "the stalker took Josh on accident". i was kinda waiting for Wendigoon Or Meat to make mention of it.
I would argue that putting multiple lives at risk to rescue a cat that only has a few years of life left is the most cat owner thing I’ve ever heard. Ik I have an old cat and I would go to the ends of the world to save his ass lol
@@brittnay279this isn’t cute or funny. It’s selfish and reckless. Having a stronger bond with a pet than a stranger is natural but doing what you’re describing, actually risking multiple human lives for a singular feline is either make-belief or extreme narcissism/other personality disorder/trauma/et cetera.
@@alfredandersson875 it's called being a kid and also not knowing that you're risking lifes. After all, Josh decided to enter the house, he tried to stop him. Remember that they thought the house was not only alone but abandoned and that they only realize there is someone living (illegally) there when the monster found Josh.
@@alfredandersson875 jesus christ, it's fucking fiction. Hope you're not a therapist but only a sad dude at home that watches videos of Jordan Peterson and think to be a psychology expert
Interesting detail I need to highlight: Ether gas was used to ‘put people under’ for anesthesia, and the inclusion of the ether in the burial site is absolutely deliberate. It’s not just any drug, or any type of high: this is the kind of gas that causes intense dreams and tremendously deep sleeps when breathed-in. This removes the supernatural/unbelievable area of “sleepwalking” across the story, as someone with access to this kind of gas definitely explains the weird ‘time skips’ where Josh or the author woke up in strange places. Insane extra layer of realism that reallllly made me pause and freak out a bit more.
I can't get over how much was left for the reader to fill in by the end. Irl they would be investigating the monster and it just really seems like a missed opportunity to create some crazy lore/backstory. Seems really unlikely someone like that would come from someone completely stable beforehand. Also, they really used a barebone number of characters too. I did enjoy the story, but I felt like I got soprano'd again at the end
@@JK-gm6kk I disagree. On the one hand yes, one would think there would be an investigation and an uncovering of who this guy was and where he was hiding and all that. Like some kind of Poughkeepsie Tapes situation. On the other hand, the lack of information makes it all the more creepy to me. There is no big revelation, not really. There's not even a real resolution; by the time the story ends, it had been over for 10 years. The window for justice closed a long time ago.I see how that can be unfulfilling, but I think the way that uneasiness just settles in your gut adds to the sheer discomfort of the story in a good, creepy, unsettling way. It's a feeling of helplessness.
@JK-gm6kk Disagree, the fact that we dont really know who the man is adds another layer of horror as someone like that doesnt need to look like a monster or a stereotypical creep, it can be just a man, a person who can blend among the crowd, such is reality
The author's ability to paint such vibrant and relatable moments/atmospheres of joy os probably why the dread and horror works so well. We taste the honey and long for it. More and more as the story gets darker- and less fantastical in the hindsight of adulthood.
I was laughing too, also the part where he was voicing the senile old lady saying they can come back anytime and they both had to just pause and laugh. It had me cracking up @ 2:07:50
The monster didn't know that the protagonist couldn't receive his pictures from Veronica's phone. After sending the pictures and with the protagonist still being so affectionate (to Veronica) and saying back "I love you too" to him for the first time, the monster feels like his love is finally being reciprocated. So he makes the move to meet him in person for the first time (while he's awake) at the theater, but the protagonist doesn't even recognize him and says the seat is taken. After this final rejection he decides to take his own life and the life of the protagonist's surrogate so they could be together forever in that way.
@@a-spicy-amemeball8063 exactly like why did he take a picture of Veronica just to then try and kill her he clearly wasn’t obsessed with her as far as we know. So what up with that
this is the first time a horror story has made me sob so genuinely, like , usually i put myself into the shoes of the characters during emotional scenes , like when MC found veronica after being run over , i cried really hard because of that but because i imagined myself as him , i imagined how i would act in that situation and i ended up crying really hard because of it. but the ending of this story , i didn’t have to put myself into the shoes of the characters, the last few lines just caused me to start sobbing, a story has NEVER done that to me before. these authors need to be locked up or something cause there’s no reason for them to be this good at writing this story was so good and so well written and honestly the best i’ve ever heard. good lord
boxes not having claws was basically his death sentence, he could have torn out the bag or fought back against the man but he couldn't.. thats so tragic..
I begged my neighbor not to declaw her cat. Several 3 vets wouldn't even do the surgery. She finally found one who did it. About 2 months later the cat escaped her house and they found him dead in yard. Their dogs mauled him. He couldn't fight back, he couldn't even climb the porch to get away. He had NO defense! All because that selfish witch didn't want claw marks on her furniture. I said don't get a cat if you're worried about furniture
@@TruecrimeWithAlicia I had something similar happen. One of my classmates let slip that her mom declawed their cat, which is illegal in my state, and got annoyed that the cat was starting to trust her. She said she didn’t want a black cat and wanted a sphinx cat, which is very high maintenance, but because her parents didn’t want one, she was debating putting Nair one her cat in winter. After she blurted this out to the ENTIRE class everyone started to slowly avoid her.
The fact that the stalker was so obsessed with the protagonist that he will brutally murder anyone who gets on his way (Mrs. Maggie, Veronica), but he will not hurt the protagonist, just sit by his side at the theater in silence; he wants to bury himself with the protagonist but will not dare hurt the object of his obsession, instead choosing to hurt with his lookalike 😖
There was a mention of a bottle in the grave too- I looked it up- it's a sedative. Its probably the case that he drugged Josh to get him in the grave, chugged the sedative to kill himself, then Josh woke up to the already dead man on top of him@@JackedUpEntertainment
i think it’s overlooked that when they find the monster in the forest along the river they called out hello and then started making fun of eachother before the monster replied hello almost seemed like he was joining in with the mockery of it and trying to become part of their friendship which is just vile and then once they ran away from him the monster thought that he could never be with them together so he’d have to take one of them instead
how human do you think the monster was? was it a malicious human or someone, like sick in the head? i think it was slowly corrupted by it's own innocence.
When I was a child I used to be scared of passing by a cemetery in my town. One day I told it to my grandmother, she chuckled and with a serious look said “you shouldn’t be scared of the dead, they’re already gone. The living are the ones you should fear, they are the dangerous ones”. I never forgot those words or the way she said it.
Josh putting the board back in the hole might have saved the narrator's skin, if the guy had seen the hole uncovered he for sure would've checked there first
The format of Wendigoon reading the story and Papa Meat doing the voice acting absolutely kills and the soundboard was the cherry on top. It's a shame you couldn't use it more because of the technical difficulties.
A subtle but disturbing detail is that the man knew his handwriting. We know this because he is able to recreate it on the running-away note that is left on the bed, and this note is able to fool is mother. Makes you think about just how many times that man read and examined the letter from the ballon…
The story is from the child’s perspective she could have known it was fake and was just trying to keep her child safe and lied to him she did that the whole story. She had the cops there so she could have told them one thing and told her son a different story
@@kennylinnell7602 that could be true, but Josh’s family seemed to believe that letter that was left when Josh was kidnapped. And considering Josh wasn’t even his obsession, and yet the stalker could recreate his handwriting (possibly from the writing on the map?) I would assume that the stalker would be able to recreate our protagonists handwriting perfectly. Additionally, the way our protagonist identifies that the latter is fake is by the spelling of his own name, namely with it being different. If he was paying close enough attention to the letter to notice that detail, he would definitely have noticed if it was not his own handwriting, but since he doesn’t mention that, I assume that the handwriting was pretty convincing
What I love about the ending of Footsteps is the fact that in order for the kidnapper to even spell his name wrong is that they must have _heard_ it. Like they've been following him enough to have heard his name, _thats_ why its miss-spelled
that’s the only inconsistency from the intended one parter and the rest tho ig, cause the mc would have written his name on the first letter. but still stalker bro could just be bad at spelling
the one thing that always bugged me is that the mom didnt notice the mispelling either unless she was too much in a panic to think about it. you'd think they'd also try to compare the handwriting but of course I'm being nitpicky here
@@AlessaParker I think you nailed it though; She was probably very panicked. Especially with how she acts through the rest of the story. Mc's mom stays consistently a little spazzy.
@@AlessaParkerYeah, the mom not noticing the name is misspelled is a little weird. Even at 6 years old a kid's name is the one word they're almost guaranteed to spell right. I think it would've been better if the kid noticed that it wasn't his handwriting but no one believed him because his writing is always messy and hard to read regardless.
Considering the part at the end where the guy dyed Josh's hair connecting to the mom joking about how she could only tell them apart by their hair color. Josh encountering the man at the abandoned house is even more horrific. The protag describing their meeting as "A terrified scream met by a scream without fear". Almost like the guy thought his plan of using the cat to get to the protag worked, thinking Josh was him.
I read it more as him being angry and verbally lashing out due to a combination of the specifics and implications of the meeting. 1.) protag didn’t come alone for an easy capture. 2.) being spotted by other character hence complicating his schemes. 3.) lustful frustration at hearing footsteps, getting excited, and not seeing protag. 4.) assuming Boxes was the moving thing inside of the bag, he may have “wasted” his most effective bait. Consequences of previous points: 5.) realizing his work may be ineffective at getting what he wants (protag). 6.) having to involve another party in his scheme (may or may not know about mother’s knowledge which may or may not make this point even more frustrating. A secret is more likely to be revealed the more people know about it). 7.) having to act more aggressive due to having “spent” his bait (Boxes) or fearing being exposed due to Josh’s knowledge of him. Seen during the fourth story, “maps”, which is the first time he’s actively pursuing protag in a more reckless and obvious way. Also first time he speaks to him. Also when he moves even closer, i.e. “moving in” with mrs. Maggie. 8.) believing he is running out of time which is why he starts to target Josh instead, leading to Josh becoming distant and eventually “disappearing”. Believing he wouldn’t catch protag, he imagined Josh as the closest thing to his “object of worship” - protag. Killing Veronica was a lash out as he hadn’t successfully caught protag for almost a decade and his perverted fantasies were either a.) losing his interest as protag grew up, assuming it was specifically a child “thing” for him, or b.) seeming unattainable as he failed to capture protag over the years and was afraid of being caught, assuming it wasn’t a child “thing” and more so an obsession with protag. It was also a retaliation as he saw Veronica get the attention he craved so easily. Meeting protag in the cinema was a horrendous last ditch attempt at realizing his fantasy. Josh “ran away” at the age of 13 according to Veronica. He was found when protag was 15, meaning Josh was around the same age. Stalker kept him, panicked after having Josh see his face and identity in protag’s old home. Not knowing what to do or having no idea what to do or acting upon perverse fantasies, he finally gives up after the cinema plot fails. It seems almost para social in the way that the stalker doesn’t even try to connect during the cinema, assuming it was him, almost mimicking real life para social delusions of having a stranger “being in love” with you. Like he believed everything would click for protag when he sat down next to him and protag reciprocating his “love” which is so far warped beyond any normal understanding that it is an incomprehensible connection to protag.
1:41:07 "-One of the shutters had partially broken loose and was rocking back and forth in the breeze" Just want to point out that this is written like some small piece of scene building but literally this is a cue of the man breaking in to the house, and I just love that because at first glance you would have just thought of it as "oh imagine this creepy dilapidated house" but its not; its months old. love this story it's so well written
2 notes I have: 1. the moving bag in the abandoned house was probably boxes… 2. I believe the monster didn’t attack the main protagonist or kidnap him because it’s almost painful to be close to the source of obsession, in case it ruins the fantasy. He loves him, so doesn’t want to hurt him or more importantly, spoil his desire. However, Josh is a perfect object to project his fantasy, because he is friends with the object of his fantasy. That’s what I think anyway.
And josh looks like the protagonist and sounds like him as well. The only difference is their hair. I think you’re completely right my guy. I will stalk you now because of this send balloon please
What makes sense to me is that the minster specifically took John because he looks so much like the protagonist, and maybe he was jealous of their friendship. Same reason he killed Veronica, he was jealous.
I think the most tragic thing about this story (other than Josh) is the fact that the narrator was just a regular kid that was struggling to make friends, and had his whole childhood and even teenage years ruined because of the obsession of a random monster
I mean he was an awkward teen flirting with a girl, all ruined because she was a risk or an opportunity for a monster. I mean she seem to genuinely like the MC, and she maybe found a way to bury the lost of her brother or get over it, being with someone who knows the pain of who Josh was...but killed because a monster. Not said, but from other people I know, I bet the MC always had difficulty or feared dating, seeing how she died. Like forever fucked or a hurt mess,because a monster just wanted her gone
I'd say he ruined his entire life he's going to carry that guilt of so many people dead or suffering with grief even though it's not his fault because his balloon was chosen
That's the part that got me. I started sobbing when the final chapter started. This profound sadness got worse when Josh's dad found him completing the map. Fucking disgusting. I wish I could see the Monster experience the most foul, disgusting, fear-inducing torture. But most importantly, I'd love to see a story where Josh and the protagonist just get to live out their lives. Same with Kyle and the protagonist from Borrasca.
SPOILERS FOR ANYONE LOOKING AT THIS yeah like when he heard boxes under his bed i was like “no way!” with a smile on my face but by the time we got to josh’s dad driving over unlevel ground i just stared on in horror, and then the map :(
I remember when this first came out it brought a few tears to my eyes. Revisited it many times as years went on and it still does. I'm glad they are covering it.
Loved the episode, but you guys missed a huge detail. There wasn't really a gap in the stalking, during that "quiet period" after the Boxes incident HE WAS FOLLOWING JOSH. That's why they grew apart and he was acting so weird at the party, remember the phone number thing? Josh's family also moved away while they weren't talking. Most importantly that's why the last chapter put so much emphasis on the fact that the protagonist and Josh looked so similar that his mom couldn't always tell them apart. He realized the issue after kidnapping Josh, that's when he found the protagonist again and the movie incident happened. But he couldn't just let go of Josh, obviously, so once the deforestation started and his place in the woods could be exposed, he settled for being buried alive with Josh, dressed up like the protagonist with the picture pinned to him.
The worst moment for me was the car crash. All fibers of my being were ready for the main character to get attacked while he was alone, doing his business. The moment I realized he wasnt the one in danger, my heart sank.
Yeah. That's the moment when this story goes from being a thriller to a horror-tragedy. Obviously there's more tragic twists at the end, but it's a gut punch that braces you for what the stalker did to everyone around the main character.
Is was the guy in his car, and he drove into her before she could get into her car. By the time protagonist got there, the villain had already driven away.@@Zman44444
One thing I noticed is that the monster's car has a noticeable crack in the back window. Since we can assume he needed some way to transport Josh, it's most likely that the crack in the window was from Josh trying to escape. Furthermore, since he doesn't own anything else, it's likely Josh was being kept in the car while his sister was being murdered by the very vehicle he's in.
i was considering this, but i think Josh would've made a lot of noise in the car if he were able to see out the windows and see his friend. maybe he just took Josh to his "site" with the car, but kept him there somehow.
@@orang1921 yeah it just seems too messy for the stalker to keep Josh in the car. I think other than the forested area he inhabited he also frequented the protagonist's old house. Since he made Josh look similar to the protagonist he probably imprisoned him there.
1. I love the format of Isaiah reading narration and Hunter reading the voices. I thought the flow was so good! 2. I prefer the longer episodes, I was hooked too!
@@GrievousReborn that's fair. If you haven't, you should leave a comment (rather than a reply) so that they can see it. They did ask for feedback, so definitely share your opinion! Maybe they can do it both ways, switching every other story or something?
It was the protagonists Mum that called in the stalking threat to the police! Remember in 'Balloons' when the kid finally put all the photos together and realised he was in all of them, then showed his Mum and she immediately ran and made an urgent phone call? That was her talking to the police to report someone stalking her son.
What really creeps me out is that after the guy stole Veronica's phone, he sent a bunch of pictures to the protagonist's phone, which he couldn't view since his phone was so outdated. This was during the time that he had Josh captive, I can't help but wonder if among all those unsent pictures were photos of what he was doing to Josh.
… Jesus Christ man. Your right. That’s horrific. Who knew a novel that originally started off as a creepy pasta would make me feel so sick to my stomach (which is what the author’s aim was, so props)
What do you think the pictures are out of curiosity. You say doing things to Josh, but what do you think that might be if you're comfortable saying. I'm curious because Like Papa Meat Ingot more paternal vibes from the dude. Like a very confused, distorted but semi innocent sense of love from him. So I don't personally imagine them being particularly... nsfw yk? Also I kinda don't want to haha. But I'm curious as to what you might have been speculating
@@luci-musix3012 If I had to speculate.. they were probably photos of Josh in the protag's clothing, like Josh was found wearing. Possibly posed around the protagonist's old childhood home, like the stalker was playing house with Josh as a protagonist stand in. Potentially showing the protagonist what he wanted his life to be like with him through Josh.
I think that the stalker may have worked in the hospital. He had a car, $100 to pay Josh’s dad, money for gas, and money to buy a ticket to the movie. He also had access to Ether and somehow managed to get Victoria’s phone after she was in the hospital.
and that's why she died the last day the protag visited, too. she was stable, if in a bad shape, capable of conscious discussion. but the protag kissed her on the forehead, showed her affection, and the killer couldn't handle that, or her talking about what happened to josh. fucking brutal.
Another thing to think about is, remember the fact that Josh and the main character apparently grew so close that they started to sound like each other. Josh pretending to be the main protag on the phone with the others mother. The main protags mother joked about the only way she could tell them apart was their hair color...Josh was just close enough to the original.
When the stalker dyed Josh's hair was chilling, especially when you read about how the mom could only tell them apart because of how they had different hair color 😮
@@Killdust99I took it more as the guy couldn't get to the protagonist so he took Josh as the next best thing and then made him as much like the protagonist as he could. Either way, it hurts. 😥
@@Fesquishety I have a theory that he wanted the mc but couldn't bear him dying in a twisted love type of way so instead chose to use josh as a substitute, since there were many times where the mc could've been taken
I like that he ends part 1 saying that his name was spelled wrong on the running away note, & then he starts part 2 by mentioning that he was the best at writing his name correctly...Nice touch.
That’s what I thought Isaiah was going to bring up- great writing, great catch Wendi! So, imagine my surprise when he instead gifted us with “pool floats are the balloons of the water.”😂
I really appreciate that both Hunter with Borrasca and now Isaiah with Penpal are not afraid to show how they feel with this type of stories, and how deeply they are affected by the topics. It's refreshing to see two people being this sincere, when they laugh they laugh, when they like something writing-wise they expand on it, and when they are moved by things they show it with honest maturity, all in the same content.
Borasca freaked me out and disgusted me as a woman, but something about the ending of this story is so, SO devastating. a whole family destroyed, for an insane grown mans obsession with a 5 year old boy. the connections between each story all returning at the end-- nauseating.
At least for me (as a man), the difference between the two is this made me cry out of devastation for what happened. With Borassca, it made me sick for like a week because not only is what they did disgusting, but the lack of closure gives you the primal urge to want to go help all those women. You then realize "oh its just a story" BUT then you remember that stuff like tbat still exists and trafficking is a major problem. (There are currently more slaves on earth than any other time in human history, and while there are still a few third world countries mostly in the middle east and Africa that still practice "typical" slavery, the vast majority of slaves on earth are illegal sex slaves, to the tune of millions.)
Borasca is horrific in a way that lets you rage. It gives you a bad guy to root against, it leaves you with a thirst for justice. There's still a place for closure. The protagonist of Penpal says it himself. This story has been concluded for a decade by the time we hear it. There is nothing to do, there is no place for a final heroic act. There is no grand finale. Josh is dead, his parents lost both their kids. And the one responsible died happy.
The way this is written is probably my favorite of the posts. The way he wrote his differences in age through dialogue and the whiplash of comedic breaks to straight suspense so good.
I think I finally understand how smug Wendigoon felt during Borrasca because every time they said “it’s not gonna go there! It’s gonna be fine!!” I kept giggling because it was, in fact, gonna go there
The opposition of watching them laughing and joking about it to nearly sobbing is retrospectively hilarious. I might make an edit to show their total change in disposition 😂
One interpretation I always found interesting about this story is that whenever the old lady tells him "maybe later" that could also be interpreted as her being aware that something isn't quite right. There are people who have gone into far greater detail on it than I have, but saying "Maybe" also implies there's a chance that it won't happen later as well, it's a term of uncertainty. Which with the actions of the character she's not shown to have uncertainty at all, so a sudden shift in her character indicates that some part of her has been put on guard even if she isn't able to completely understand why.
Yes exactly this! I saw it the same way. Alzheimer’s may have made her accept the stranger into her house as her husband, but there’s no guarantee that the illness kept her believing it was him sustainably. I think she was protecting the protagonist and Josh- like maybe deep down she knew something wasn’t right. The stranger may have asked her to invite them in and when she didn’t he went into a rage and killed her.
I know you guys mentioned not recording these so late at night anymore, but in all honesty, the authenticity of you guys being creeped out is really human and adds a really comfortable, casual element to the podcast. You guys are awesome, and I think one of Creepcast’s greatest aspects is how “real” it feels. It’s so obvious that you guys are friends who are just chilling out and enjoying scary stories together. None of it feels performative, and it really feels like the dynamic would be the exact same if the camera was off.
i agree whole heartedly. The reason why I started to watch this podcast is because I knew of both of these creators previously. If I came to the podcast and it had more of performative tone like you mentioned, I would not be able to watch for 5 hours. I'm sure it would be good, but this kind of content is the type that I can have going on in the foreground or the background, whilst enjoying wholeheartedly either way. If I were new to these people I'm sure I would like this aspect, the more comfortable conversation vibe, the most as well.
I did the balloon project in the 3rd grade, I grew up in Illinois and it was incredible to see how far the balloons went. I got a reply from a family in Louisiana, but the farthest one really was incredible. One of my classmates ended up getting a response from France! Apparently the winds traveled in such a way it was able to maintain its helium enough to go all the way overseas. I really regret not continuing to keep up with that family, it was a really cool concept that I remember to this day.
Christ, that makes it so much worse... he was either knowingly capturing the MC's comfort animal or Boxes was unlucky enough to be... tortured? eaten? worse?
@@dante_0962 came down here to see if I should stop listening as soon as the cat was mentioned. I cannot handle animal death or cruelty. DO I stop here?
You don't know why the protagonist saying something wracked with guilt, in the end of the story, towards his friend that died in his place, made you cry?
Something that is super haunting you guys missed. Josh’s lasts words to our main character we’re “you left me.” But remember, the main character left several years prior to them growing distant, so that wasn’t the real kick off. I think the monster began stalking Josh prior too kidnapping him making the map. Hence why he has become withdraw. When Josh said “you left me.” I think the subtext is ‘you left me alone with the monster’
i dont think hes fully aware that he is being acively stalked. also the last line is "i have been sleepwalking" or something. you are right about the fact tha tjosh has been getting the same treatment as the narrator for months now, which 10)% contributed to him feeling withdrawn and lonely, especially without his best friend
@@aryan7767 definitely agree I don’t think he’s fully aware either, just maybe a bit older so slightly more aware of how bad the situation is when he starts “sleep walking”
Technically, the last words he said were 'I think I've been sleepwalking'. He was definitely being stalked though, as obviously the sleepwalking was like the Protagonist and it was the monster taking him at night etc. But yeah, still haunting.
I fully believe that he was experiencing what our mc faced in footsteps where he was in the woods for no reason and recollection except this time he experienced it 2 times and the 2nd time he got taken
yes, it's likely that the monster made him the substitute simply because he was more accessible, probably due to living in a more rural part of town closer to the woods, while mc had moved to an area where the monster could not access him. He was large and would've stood out traveling across town too frequently, but he may have been spying on Josh's family enough to hear Veronica mention mc or something, leading him to steal an old car just long enough to follow him to his date with her.
The two biggest things for me is that the monster and Josh died after the protagonist had texted Veronica’s phone “I love you.” And then the main charecter and the monster “met” at the movies. The monster also sent hundreds of photos to the protagonists phone while he had Josh captive making me think that they were pictures of him and Josh but because the protagonists phone was so bad he never knew.
@fatload3286 don't belive he did because the man died with Josh. So if he was dead how was he supposed to hurt Veronica. I think you got mixed up, it's kinda alot of time skips so I get it.
When he said joshes hair was dyed it made me think back to when he said "the only way to distinguish them was their hair". It makes me wonder if the "monster" thought it was the main character but needed to make his hair right. Once that was done the monster felt complete and had the real josh. So josh saved him from that fate by looking and sounding so similar. This story broke me it was so sad.
HUNTER you voicing Josh's dad has me in tears. Jesus christ, you did not have to read those parts so well. May this podcast continue for as long as they enjoy making it.
I actually prefer the longer episodes to cutting them up because as a listener I can still just come back any time, and since you both are still engaged in the story for a single sitting it makes even better analysis at the end
Two things I noticed - I think the reason why the man left him in the pool float is because in his original penpal letter, the protagonist lists "swimming" as one of his favorite things - about the 15/16 number written in the drawing of them holdings hands the man leaves in his pants after him and Josh go in the river: the man starts trying to contact the protagonist when the protagonist is 15 (the I love you card on his birthday) like he's sending the message that they'll be together by then
Weren't they lighting off Roman candles at him? And the last one went into the water what if it was 15 candle shots out of 16? That's the only thing that makes sense to me
HOLY SHIT UR SO RIGHT and that means he was planning to “do the deed” from the very beginning at that time too which gives him not acting more outright on his obsession in the meantime make a lot more sense
This was genuinely the most gruesome and heartbreaking conclusions to any story that I have ever heard. Thank you for spending the time to read out all of this. Also, the brief commentary in between helped soften the blow of some of these traumatic themes. You guys are great!
This story is absolutely crushing. The end always makes me cry. It all started out as just another creepy story, a great story of course, but the end becomes such a disgustingly heartbreaking story of a man who lost his best friend in the probably one of the worst ways imaginable. A horrendously well written story. And so real in a lot of ways.
i interpreted "the monster" killing the old lady was that he killed her out of anger or a punishment for her not inviting the protagonist into the house since he convinced her he was her husband a ploy to get to the protagonist
Called like 'Booo! Berry and the picture on the front is a melting snow cone, but the shaved ice is in the shape of a skull, little droplets running from the sockets.
I can see the book cover. A slightly transparent kid holding a snow cone from the perspective of someone behind the snow cone stand, the title is like "Never Sell A Ghost A Snow Cone!"
What a devastating story. When the dad was talking about how he was the one to bury his own son alive with that man. 🤢 My stomach. And the fact that he killed his attacker but couldn't escape is so horrifying and tragic. Fantastic story beginning to end.
For the old neighbor I was thinking about her "not tonight." I am a cna and work with residents with dementia. Something I have learned is that residents tend to go off of vibe. I need to be very mindful about the energy I'm bringing into a residence room when I do cares because if i'm frazzled, they feed off of that. I wonder if when the stranger entered her house, she got the feeling that something nefarious might happen. Maybe she was protecting him by not allowing him in the house, or maybe she just knew that something bad might happen to her.
I got that vibe when they ignored her and set sail on the raft. Almost as if she would have warned them away from the deep woods. Like she knew something. It felt different from the normal interactions detailed earlier.
Oh God, what if the monster sent her there trying to get her to invite the kids to the house but when he asked she said no because she forgot she was told to. Then he got mad
I have a theory on that. I think the predator was one of the older woman's adult children. They both never visit and pay for everything, but the idea one of them could be a predator that had a sick obsession with a child makes some sense. What makes more sense in my head is that she said her husband was home. She could easily think her child, now fully grown, was her husband in her mental state. He could pretend that, get invited in, and try to be there when the kids were invited in. When that didn't happen, he killed his mother and left.
The horror of it isn't necessarily that he just "doesn't remember" but more that he didn't connect the dots until he was an adult. As a kid these were all independently weird/fucked up, but now that he's old enough to understand the real danger he was in as a child on top of finally getting the truth from his mom, he's finally realizing it was all connected. Sure, he might've known he was in danger, but it's only now that he's realizing he was in INFINTELY more danger than he initially thought, and that there were so many instances where this guy had so many opportunities to take him away and take him for good, but for some reason didn't.
The alzheimer's part got me. My papaw had alzheimer's and one day my cousin and I were playing on the porch and he asked us where Madeline went. We were around ten years old at the time and my cousin immediately said, "I think she went to a horse show." I was confused because Mamaw Madeline had died before I was even born. Papaw left and went for a drive, and my cousin told me that sometimes he gets confused and thinks she's still alive, but that going for a drive helps his memories. When Papaw came back an hour later, he had tears running down his face as he went into the house.
My Grandad had Alzheimers too, it took absolutely everything from him in the end; memory, personality, even speech. He was completely nonverbal and immobile when he died. The last words he ever said were to me. He was in a care home, and we'd come to visit. There was a moment when my dad had to leave his room to speak to a nurse about something or another, and it was just me and my Grandad. All of a sudden his hand shot out and grabbed me by the wrist, and he looked right at me with this look of wild fear in his eyes. 'Don't go!' He said. 'I won't Grandad. I won't.' But of course, I did. As soon as we left the care home I broke down, just a blubbering mess. After that I just couldn't bring myself to go back, I guess it hurt too much, or maybe I was scared. He died not long after, I never did keep my promise. Don't know that I'll ever forgive myself for that.
4:25:59 I think a potential reason he wanted the dad to do the burying was that, in a twisted sense, it’d be like the dad is signing off on it. As if the act of covering it up was what sealed the deal (aren’t tombs also “sealed”?)
the distinct mention of the predator not being some sort of terrifying monster- just a man- really hit close to home. these people aren't hooded creatures hiding in the shadows. they're just people. monsters hiding in plain sight. god this story hit hard
Exactly. That’s why it’s so unsettling. People who can go after children like that look just like anyone else. They may seem odd, but you don’t always know their true intentions. They can exist in society or on the outskirts. They often get away with their actions or attempts even if they’re arrested. They can be a family member or someone you know. That’s the scariest thing.
Calling them monsters is a hope to try and keep these horrible actions in the world of fiction, as we all know monsters aren’t real so maybe their actions aren’t either
The description the mother gave is gonna stick with me for a while. (This isn’t the exact quote I’m too lady’s but it’s close enough) “Throughout the years I thought a lot about what this evil man might look like. I envisioned this hideous monster, but reality was even more disturbing. He was just a man.” And then she talks about how he was smiling and it seemed like genuine smile. Fuck.
That ending was so tragic it made me cry... "I'm sorry you picked me"... willing to resign from his best friend ever just to save his life... that's love
@@senLuno I hope you're not criticizing them for feeling something from this story, and you're genuinely interested in whether or not they cried. Because if not, you could stand to gain some empathy instead of criticizing other people for having some.
I read this story a long while ago on r/nosleep, and while listening to this episode I realized something from the night Veronica got hit. The protagonist mentions that the car that was tailing him had a broken back window. Knowing that it is the monster’s, I wonder if Josh had broken it in an escape attempt in the couple of years he was with the monster. My heart dropped to my stomach with that thought. This story is so impactful, I was hoping you all would cover it, just an amazing read
I was thinking it could've been how he got the car, like it doesnt make much sense for a homeless man that lives under a kids house and eats cat food to have a car, so maybe he broke out the back window, climbed in and stole it
My best friend since 2001 lives far away so I don't get to see him often enough. He's about to move even further away so I went to see him yesterday. I downloaded this podcast to listen to on my road trip, but I only made ot about 2 hours in. I spent an awesome day with him. I'm home now just finishing this up and goddamn I wish I could hug him again now.
I thought Boxes destroyed me enough, then Screens came in…then Friends. I see why this and Borrasca are held high in the upper echelon of scary stories. Straight chills
I think what really did it for me was the description of the mom looking at the "monster's" face. This is a man who has been stalking her son for years, maybe the better part of a decade at that point, and she desperately wanted it to look like a demon, a monster, sharp teeth and pointed ears, demonic eyes with cat-like pupils or something like that, but all she sees is a man. A regular human that anyone can imagine. And I think the fact we never get anyone's physical descriptions greatly improves this aspect of the story. It's just a bunch of kids, the type you see on your way home playing around their houses after school. A pretty girl who grows into a pretty teenager. And a man who looks like everyone else, butdeep inside is the worst kind of monster there is.
Try Rocket Money for free: RocketMoney.com/creepcast #rocketmoney #personalfinance
Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get $5 off off your Starter Pack (that’s over 40% off) with promo code CREEPCAST at ShopMando.com ! #mandopod
ok kings
ok kings
ok kings
Hell no
Around the 1 hour mark Wendigoons voice echoes
Imagine being the teacher who screened the letters getting like 45 pictures of a kid in your class and not reporting it to someone
L I t e r a l l y y
Thats exactly what I was thinking😂 like they were looking at these pictures and didnt call the cops!?
Did we get an answer as to why the mom didn't seem to report the man living under her house to the authorities?
@@xopasstheaux6617 she did. It was alluded to that she “made a few phone calls” aka probably the police
Where were the police during this entire fucking story actually??? Like at every point
As someone who lives underneath Wendigoon's house, this story is very relatable.
Dude are we roommates or something? Because I live in his walls
that's crazy- me and the raccoons are currently in a turf war for his attic
@@duejsssnnowlet the racoons stay, they’re good at stealing food… or food
Dude I live under his stairs….? How have we not met yet? We need to get together and hang out sometime!
@@_ma88s_should have taken the spot in the sofa I got tv
I love the chemistry between Wendigoon and his elderly grandfather
So nice of our funny cryptid school teacher to spend time with a 86 year old man on his last days ❤
TH-cam's favorite Dad and Granddad
So wholesome.
Whos wendigoon? That's the iceberg boy
Sometimes i forget wendigoon is like 23 and paoameat is like 43
"we were explorers"
"we were adventurers"
"we were friends."
immediate sob. holy crap, 10/10 story. i have never cried at a book until this.
me neither, i just broke down in the middle of my shift
@@TheRealFoxMadness I broke down at the end of it, after my shift finished up I finished the story end of immediately hit me and my employees were all wondering why I was sad all the sudden because I was happy all day
@@Nathan_Affronti bro i swear, literally everyone was staring
💯👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🙌🏽
@@TheRealFoxMadness i didn't cry i just stared at the floor while there were just a whirlwind of dark thoughts in my head. ruined the rest of my day.
im crying at hunter thinking the narrator is 6 at the movie theater trying to flirt with veronica
Haha yeah. Honestly i get it tho, i kept losing what age the guy was all the time 😅
That's so weird that literally at the moment I decided to check the comments this section was happening right as I read your comment.
@@M_reaprhappens so often to me too
he was really ready to accept a 6-year-old catching a late showing of Scanners and having a beer
Happened in star wars i guess 😂
After finishing the story I really miss when they were joking about ghosts covered in bedsheets buying snow cones😭
Is it another Kyle at the funeral situation
@@Alex-pq2fv just you wait 💀
Oh no is it another ‘borrasca’ situation?! I’m only an hour in😢
@@ck-0662ooh goddddddd
WAIT, did they remove that? WHY??!
I relate to these two grown men admitting they sometimes get scared at night when they’re alone.
I just moved out to the NC countryside about a year ago and how dark it is at night still freaks me out. I’ll be working on stuff in my shed/workshop late at night and book it back to the house in the dark cuz it’s so spooky. It always feels like there’s something watching you and when the local coyotes start howling and barking makes it even scarier. Of course as I’m writing this, smoking a cig on the porch, my dog sitting next to me starts barking and growling at something I can’t even see. Mf scared the piss outta me
@pen1sman I feel that as well. I think it's something primordial in us that says somethings in the dark and, therefore, could harm us, and we need shelter and / or light and it affects us all to some extent.
Same i live in the middle of nowhere and by myself. Just glad i have some boom sticks
You know what would make you feel safer? A big caveman wooden club
@@pen1sman I live in Appalachian NC, just across the mountain from iceberg boi and I also get spooked by bumps in the night that I’d call silly if it happened to anyone else 😂
I like the way this story captures how mishandling hard truths with kids puts them in more danger. If the mom had explained to the protagonist that there was someone stalking him, what she had seen, maybe things could have gone better.
Her reactions are rational, but showing that intense fear to him as a child and panicking, then never talking about it again, made him hide things from her. When she made rules to keep him safe, he didn't understand the stakes.
It's a realistic depiction of a lot of parents, they want to protect their kids from the truth.
Agreed. There ARE age-appropriate ways of teaching even incredibly young girls children about serious and sensitive things without overwhelming them. The intentions are noble, but in practice actions (or lack there of, as you mention) such as these hurt more often than they help
yesss this is exactly how i interpret the story!!! the dangers of hiding and sugar-coating things to kids
Yeah. I'm not going to say it's easy, far from it, but man... his mom hid everything from him, something that he almost certainly could've handled or at least understood, and because of that someone else's two kids end up buried.
“I’m sorry that I did Borasca to you!” - Wendigoon
“A pool float is truly the balloon of the water.” - Wendigoon
The duality of man.
Honestly 90 percent of earth could wither away and I would be fine as long as these 2 keep making episodes
I hope they start to shower us with stoner wisdoms every episode. 😅 #majonaise
Such wise wisdom.
“”,,,,,,, time to be brave
this story was horrifying but i couldn’t stop cracking up at the fact that wendigoon is like on the verge of tears having ptsd flashbacks to his childhood and hunters just like “damn that’s crazy”😭😭
Well yeah cuz I'm sure Hunter doesn't remember much of his childhood since it was like 70 years ago
@@rolltideroll8458 😂😂😂
Died laughing at this comment
@@rolltideroll8458 💀
*Wendi struggling to breathe* Hunter: Right
The emotional whiplash between “two shakes” and Veronica getting hit is my new Funeral Kyle / The Stables
Why is this a thing 😂
It hit me like a truck
i cannot get over Funeral Kyle😭
When meat screamed "YA GET IT? MY COCK!" I was in Walmart and busted out cackling. I was wearing wireless earbuds so got side eyes and probably looked like a psycho
And the snow cone bedsheet ghost
Something that’s really scary to me is the fact that when he sits next to the protag at the theater, it’s after he has Josh captured and has been keeping him for over a year at this point, but he still wanted to see the protag while he knew he had his best friend still
OH GOD I FORGOT THATS WHERE THAT FITS IN THE TIMELINE
I almost threw up. This guy is a FREAK 😰🤢
I love the detail that the stalker gave the "for stamps" dollar to the kids because he knew he didn't need it for stamps anymore, now that he knew where they lived.
Had a brain break reading the comment and having the realization lmao
Penpal is so incredible with the small details. Details that alot of the time needs a second read to actually realize how horrifying they really are...
Reading too much into it IMO. He's a forest hermit. He probably had no money. That's probably all he had to pay with. He could have done it intentionally, he regularly says things like 'SEE YOU SOON' and stuff. But I doubt he tipped his fedora and was like 'now i don't need a stamp m'boy'.
@@BlueProphet7 he paid off josh’s dad to “cover the hole” on the property in the end. He probably had a stash.
He sent pictures to the school before the snow cone scene. Wouldn’t he have needed stamps for that. Even if he hand delivered them it probably would have gotten him caught after hand delivering 50 envelopes to a child. I think his obsession made him keep it as a treasure and when he gave it back it made him feel a connection to the main character
Hunter doing the voices while Isaiah narrates has been the best format so far. I feel like you guys are finding your groove with that direction.
I swearrr it felt so right
Definitely enjoyed it alot, papa meat is already an amazing va and im so used to listening to wendigoon talk for 9 hours that it just sounds right
Is his name isiah?
@@someonekool8222 wendigoon is isiah and hunter is papa meat
Isiah is a nickname. His True Name is “Wendell Goonington”
Wendi: crying and trying not to break into a sob
Papa meat : … Damn
That’s how I react to everything if I’m not alone experiencing it lol …. Damn
I also cried lmao 😂😔😭
when wendi keeps calling papa old man its like you can actually see the young reaction vs old reaction in their levels of intensity in their fear
I mean, what else is there to say? That ending puts you in a deep hole where the only proper response is just...damn
@@tequilarama wendigoon makes young horror fans look like quivering pussies no offense to the dude but like every 5 minutes he says he's gonna cry or lose it
4:00:00 So I work in law enforcement and have done training with what we call "pig digs". This is where we search the woods for pig carcasses that have been buried (fully clothed) years prior. Searching for unnatural divots in the woods is the first thing we look for. Seeing a strangely shaped dip in the middle of the woods is something that gives me a visceral response.
That is hilarious, awful, but hilarious
2:58:57 The visceral reaction to the mention of the boyfriend and the complete 180 when she mentions they broke up is a golden moment 😂
I wish the author made the character acknowledge that. Just a simple "Her choice of words feels like a roller coaster" or something like that. lol
This story is an emotional rollercoaster in many ways
THAT WAS SUCH A HIGHLIGHT IN THIS DISTURBING AND INCREDIBLY WRITTEN STORY BRO OH MY WORD
It went from "it's so over" to "we're so back"
If only she had stayed with her previous boyfriend...
I think the reason the mom was so spiteful about "tell them about the damn balloons" was that she'd figured out that the ENTIRE mess only started because of, well, those damn balloons. If he'd never been in that class or the class had never done that stupid activity, this creep in the woods would've never found out about or became obsessed with her kid. They never woulda been stalked, there never woulda been any abductions, there never woulda been any deaths. At least 3 people and 1 cat died from this freak stalking her kid, & if those damn balloons had never been sent, it never woulda happened. Just my take on why she was so mad about the balloons. They started it all
technically the cat was never confirmed dead 🤓
fr though that balloon project was the most horrible freaking thing ive ever heard of. it's literally like posting a picture of your kid on the internet. those teachers should have asked for permission from the parents or just THOUGHT PAST GO!!!!!!
@@CidiusIncarnate bro I was gonna make a joke about Schrödinger's cat in response & that made me realize why boxes was named "boxes"... God is real and Boxes got away from the murderer as far as I'm concerned. ty for giving me a new lease on life 🙏
@@owlomen2662this is extremely frequent in schools tho tbh. Not the pictures but atleast getting penpals. I know in high-school in all the language classes (German,French, and Spanish) that one of the things they do every year is establish a penpal with a foreign student to work on their language skills.
I think I disagree about Balloons being the start of the stalking, because the narrator got Boxes before he started school, and I believe that him mentioning Boxes trying to look at something over his shoulder, being the stalker most likely, happened before school also
i felt like him picking him up from the top to bottom bunk was testing to see if he would wake up if he picked him up, maybe was testing how far he could bring him a couple times before getting the confidence to bring him all the way to his forest
thank you for bringing in more creepiness to this story, holy shit that makes sm sense
Also, and i might be reaching here, i think it could maybe be practicing putting him in the grave like he did with Josh
@itsmxdivatoyou i think it could be both. he tested in his bunk bed to see if he could take the boy into the woods and he took the boy into the woods to test if he could put him in a grave. the monster was already escalating his crimes throughout the story as many criminals do and i think it serves to really show the reader that he was doing that
That's so horrifying
oh man i hate that idea, it makes so much sense ouf
Wendy literally sounding like he was in tears for the last couple paragraphs of this story had me feeling so emotional. And now, right after hearing him read the last few lines and hearing him sniffle after, I'm in actual tears myself. That is heartbreaking.
I was at a loss for words the minute Hunter started talking once the story was over.
Wendi always chimes in while Hunter speaks, even in small utterings.
But with this story, he's genuinely nerve-wracked.
Something terrifying is that the stalker sent hundreds of photos to the protagonist’s phone from Veronica’s phone before the “I love you” from Veronica. The stalker didn’t know the photos wouldn’t send so the entire time the protagonist thought he was dating Veronica the stalker thought that the protagonist knew exactly what was going on and approved.
that's terrifying
I also love that we don't know what he sent. Like a lot of creepypastas in that era would have gone so over the top with the descriptions whereas this story let's our imagination make us the most scared.
Do they get that far in this episode? I didn’t think they’d finish it
And the fact the cops wouldn’t have investigated it?!? Ugh acab even in creepy pastas😂😂😂
@@averie8815there was an investigation but because there was no eye witness of the guys face and he lived in the middle of the woods it went nowhere. Josh saw his face once at the house but like the story said they never told it to anyone in fear of getting in trouble, and josh was the one later kidnapped by him so that lead was dead in the water.
I just came to the realization that the “scream that wasn’t full of fear,” was a scream of happiness. He thought Josh was the main character.
Wow tht shit sent chills down my spine i didnt think of tht i was wonderin if he was mimicin the child lyk how he did in the woods byt fuck tht takes the cake
OMMGGG this just made it click for me because he said they looked so similar 🤯
I thought it was a scream of pain, as if Josh attacked and hurt "the entity."
But your interpretation is much more unsettling.
I thought it was rage at disturbing his “shrine.”
Oh noooooooooo no noooooooo
This story would've been over pretty much a lot sooner if Boxes had a gun
Why didn’t boxes keep that blick on him? Is he stupid?
Glock-ses
Based asf...
Too unrealistic, since cats don't have fingers. It'd have to be a small, back-mounted artillery piece. A 'meowitzer', if you will.
Or if he wasn’t declawed 😔 (not even trying to be preachy)
"Sometimes I wish that he never sat across from me that day in Kindergarten." I'm officially crying! Never thought I would get hit this hard.
Another awful thought. He kills Veronica while Josh is still alive. That leaves the possibility that Josh was shown pictures of his sister after she was hit, or worse, he could have been in the car when it happened.
oh. my. god.
One of the comments mentioned that apparently in the book version, it's heavily implied that Josh WAS in the passengers seat when Veronica was hit and like....man.
@@salemcrow5078 just the last little twist of the knife post stab. Cant forget to put it in there!
Hence why her picture was taken...
@@salemcrow5078 that feels like an after-the-fact detail the author added, probably taken from responses to the story because if it were intended to be so in the original version, there would definitely be noise coming from the car from Josh trying to contact his friend
I had no idea Mrs. Wendigoon was a doctor and now somehow the duality of Surgeon wife and Famous spooky internet guy husband is hilariously fitting.
he's joked about her being a goth or having a particularly gothic aesthetic quite a few times on his channel, and that she's very tall, so she's possibly a tall goth doctor wife married to a Sunday school teacher turned cryptid and creepypasta TH-camr (among many other things, Isaiah is a bit of a Renaissance man).
yea i believe she is a veterinarian, very very cool and beautiful woman
@@bekah779 the more we learn, we more we stan 😌💅✨
I can't stop thinking about how their dynamic is set up so perfectly for a cartoon lol
@@mosstits it is! lmao I've thought the same thing
Nothing hits harder for me than the final "I'm sorry you chose me." Utterly breaks my heart into a thousand tiny pieces.
me actively sobbing about that line rn
sobbing so hard when the map fell out of Josh's pocket 😭
that was probably the saddest line in the entire story for me - just complete sorrow
just got to the end and can confirm this line was more than heartbreaking😭😭 it conveys his guilt so well
Holy shit how many hours in do I need to be to get this???
This one hit so much harder than borrasca for some reason. I feel like it might be the way its written like a guy genuinly recounting his life, with the hopping around different times and such as he remembers more, or the way i started to feel connected to the characters by the constant feeling of dread, interrupt by funny moments that make you feel like youre living it. I am in literal tears rn so i think that might be a testiment to how good this is lmao
It hit harder because there's no good ending. In Borrasca, they get the bad guys. The people who did all of the horrible shit get taken down. Penpal ends with the monster getting what he wanted. Maybe not exactly what he wanted, but close enough. He won. And all that's left is trauma. Our MC doesn't gain anything. He doesn't get a triumph. Just the realization that his friend died in a horrible way, and that the man who did it won.
Part of this is possibly because Borrasca involves an entire conspiracy in a town to the point it feels almost unbelievable and feels otherworldly. Penpal is just a single person being targeted (and those around him being effected) but is also far more realistic feeling in how it's executed. Borrasca isn't a bad story but it doesn't feel nearly as realistic or scary especially with how some of the people in it act and talk. Borrasca also just feels strange since everyone's reaction feels somewhat unreal and odd, the entire town is in on what's going on except for the main characters. It feels too much like the plot to a movie or a story and less like something that could just happen. Penpal feels less like a plot or a pitch and more like an actual series of events.
The events of Penpal also could have been mostly mitigated if the mother just spoke up instead of being too afraid to speak, but that's a real reaction people have. Borrasca starts to fall apart with this as with the sheer scale of it and how horrible it is, it feels like SOMEONE would have at some point decided that what was going on was bad and left without a word bringing the horrible events to light. As powerful as money is and as much as unlikely it is that the government is going to believe some random person off the street going to the FBI and the news media would absolutely get some kind of ball rolling, it's been that way for decades even before the time period Borrasca is set in. People who are actual Mothers and Fathers know that there is nothing you wouldn't do to try to keep your children safe, everything else in the world and beyond be damned and your own life being forfeit, and the fact that things just continued with no real attempt at escape or shutting it down is unbelievable.
The way Penpal focuses on a singular person as it's target of terror makes the whole thing feel much more personal, it also doesn't help that it's an exaggeration of some very real and terrifying scenarios. Borrasca isn't as personal due to the fact that, while it follows a main character, it's focus is on an entire town doing terrible shit. It could be said that a single murder feels more important and memorable, that person will be in the news for weeks but when numerous people die in a single event you don't usually know who any of them are as they're all just labeled as "the victims" and the story peters out in a few days at most.
Like everyone else said, it’s because this feels so random and personal, like it genuinely could happen to anyone. Borrasca needs an entire town to stay silent for what unfolded to happen, but this story only needed the mother to stay silent
@@attaug we have Diddy and ep Stein and yet y'all think Borrasca was too much? Lol
@@Of_infinite_Faith People spoke out about Diddy and Epstein for years prior to stuff happening but that got buried by their money and influence. Borrasca was literally just a mining town that was on the verge of financial collapse until they started doing their 'selling kids' business. It was a story written to be 'creepy' but it turned into something that felt somewhat unbelievable and like it was made just for shock value.
In the end i remembered that Josh and protagonist have similar voices and faces and only thing that mom of protagonist used to tell them apart was the hair. The level of detail is insane.
I feel so sad for Josh.
Oh my God.... you horrible person why'd you make me know that😭😭😭. God that makes too much sense and it is so sickening
Jesus Christ I literally forgot all about that! The attention to detail in this story is insane! I did end up wondering why the predator was just okay with having Josh since his obsession seemed so deep that I wouldn't think he'd just take any kid that was the same age and easy to capture. But thanks to your comment it makes so much more sense. Holy hell
the moment that was mentioned i had to pause because i needed a minute after saying "the stalker took Josh on accident". i was kinda waiting for Wendigoon Or Meat to make mention of it.
Oh my god realizing this too when they're connecting the dots is dreadful
Woww..
naming a cat boxes is the most realistic cat owner thing i've ever heard
I would argue that putting multiple lives at risk to rescue a cat that only has a few years of life left is the most cat owner thing I’ve ever heard. Ik I have an old cat and I would go to the ends of the world to save his ass lol
@@brittnay279 oh me too ur right actually,, very realistic cat ownership in this one all around
@@brittnay279this isn’t cute or funny. It’s selfish and reckless. Having a stronger bond with a pet than a stranger is natural but doing what you’re describing, actually risking multiple human lives for a singular feline is either make-belief or extreme narcissism/other personality disorder/trauma/et cetera.
@@alfredandersson875 it's called being a kid and also not knowing that you're risking lifes.
After all, Josh decided to enter the house, he tried to stop him.
Remember that they thought the house was not only alone but abandoned and that they only realize there is someone living (illegally) there when the monster found Josh.
@@alfredandersson875 jesus christ, it's fucking fiction. Hope you're not a therapist but only a sad dude at home that watches videos of Jordan Peterson and think to be a psychology expert
Interesting detail I need to highlight:
Ether gas was used to ‘put people under’ for anesthesia, and the inclusion of the ether in the burial site is absolutely deliberate. It’s not just any drug, or any type of high: this is the kind of gas that causes intense dreams and tremendously deep sleeps when breathed-in. This removes the supernatural/unbelievable area of “sleepwalking” across the story, as someone with access to this kind of gas definitely explains the weird ‘time skips’ where Josh or the author woke up in strange places. Insane extra layer of realism that reallllly made me pause and freak out a bit more.
I can't get over how much was left for the reader to fill in by the end. Irl they would be investigating the monster and it just really seems like a missed opportunity to create some crazy lore/backstory. Seems really unlikely someone like that would come from someone completely stable beforehand. Also, they really used a barebone number of characters too. I did enjoy the story, but I felt like I got soprano'd again at the end
So true… I think you just described exactly why I liked this story so much compared to other internet horrors @JK-gm6kk
unsorts your cheese
@@JK-gm6kk I disagree. On the one hand yes, one would think there would be an investigation and an uncovering of who this guy was and where he was hiding and all that. Like some kind of Poughkeepsie Tapes situation. On the other hand, the lack of information makes it all the more creepy to me. There is no big revelation, not really. There's not even a real resolution; by the time the story ends, it had been over for 10 years. The window for justice closed a long time ago.I see how that can be unfulfilling, but I think the way that uneasiness just settles in your gut adds to the sheer discomfort of the story in a good, creepy, unsettling way. It's a feeling of helplessness.
@JK-gm6kk Disagree, the fact that we dont really know who the man is adds another layer of horror as someone like that doesnt need to look like a monster or a stereotypical creep, it can be just a man, a person who can blend among the crowd, such is reality
The author's ability to paint such vibrant and relatable moments/atmospheres of joy os probably why the dread and horror works so well. We taste the honey and long for it. More and more as the story gets darker- and less fantastical in the hindsight of adulthood.
Wendigoon: avoids and censors any swearing in the stories
also Wendigoon: pulls out a literal gun
To be fair, the Lord prohibits violent speech but guns are just a tool lol.
gotta remember hes from kentucky
And that's why I love Wendigoon 🙂
Don't worry. It's just an airsoft gun.
Murica 🇺🇸
Wendipoons laugh after Papa Beef says "I shouldn't have sold that snow cone to that ghost" had me in tears
heheheh wendipoop hehehe
omg i was in tears laughing too when he said that! absolutely absurd and totally hilarious hahaha
why did i hear this laugh as peter griffin's😭😭
I was laughing too, also the part where he was voicing the senile old lady saying they can come back anytime and they both had to just pause and laugh. It had me cracking up @ 2:07:50
he just fucking died
The monster didn't know that the protagonist couldn't receive his pictures from Veronica's phone. After sending the pictures and with the protagonist still being so affectionate (to Veronica) and saying back "I love you too" to him for the first time, the monster feels like his love is finally being reciprocated. So he makes the move to meet him in person for the first time (while he's awake) at the theater, but the protagonist doesn't even recognize him and says the seat is taken. After this final rejection he decides to take his own life and the life of the protagonist's surrogate so they could be together forever in that way.
We still don't even know what those pictures were.
@@a-spicy-amemeball8063wouldn’t you like to know lol ☠️
@@a-spicy-amemeball8063 exactly like why did he take a picture of Veronica just to then try and kill her he clearly wasn’t obsessed with her as far as we know. So what up with that
@@Novsev9069 maybe it was about jealousy or something because he obviously had a crush on veronica
The protagonist sounds so dope bro said this seat is taken to a child predator murderer and then watcged a whole movie with him and went home
this is the first time a horror story has made me sob so genuinely, like , usually i put myself into the shoes of the characters during emotional scenes , like when MC found veronica after being run over , i cried really hard because of that but because i imagined myself as him , i imagined how i would act in that situation and i ended up crying really hard because of it. but the ending of this story , i didn’t have to put myself into the shoes of the characters, the last few lines just caused me to start sobbing, a story has NEVER done that to me before. these authors need to be locked up or something cause there’s no reason for them to be this good at writing this story was so good and so well written and honestly the best i’ve ever heard.
good lord
boxes not having claws was basically his death sentence, he could have torn out the bag or fought back against the man but he couldn't.. thats so tragic..
I didn't think about that until I read this comment but that parallels with Josh's fate later on in the story..
I begged my neighbor not to declaw her cat. Several 3 vets wouldn't even do the surgery. She finally found one who did it. About 2 months later the cat escaped her house and they found him dead in yard. Their dogs mauled him. He couldn't fight back, he couldn't even climb the porch to get away. He had NO defense! All because that selfish witch didn't want claw marks on her furniture. I said don't get a cat if you're worried about furniture
Boxes was in the bag...
@@TruecrimeWithAliciathat's so horrible, i hate people who declaw their cats. thank you 4 fighting 4 that kitty man
@@TruecrimeWithAlicia I had something similar happen. One of my classmates let slip that her mom declawed their cat, which is illegal in my state, and got annoyed that the cat was starting to trust her. She said she didn’t want a black cat and wanted a sphinx cat, which is very high maintenance, but because her parents didn’t want one, she was debating putting Nair one her cat in winter. After she blurted this out to the ENTIRE class everyone started to slowly avoid her.
The fact that the stalker was so obsessed with the protagonist that he will brutally murder anyone who gets on his way (Mrs. Maggie, Veronica), but he will not hurt the protagonist, just sit by his side at the theater in silence; he wants to bury himself with the protagonist but will not dare hurt the object of his obsession, instead choosing to hurt with his lookalike 😖
It also says a lot that even though Josh was tearing through his neck with his teeth he still didn't seem to lay a finger on him
There was a mention of a bottle in the grave too- I looked it up- it's a sedative. Its probably the case that he drugged Josh to get him in the grave, chugged the sedative to kill himself, then Josh woke up to the already dead man on top of him@@JackedUpEntertainment
@@adriannanancy7403 4:20:40 wendi cry :(
omg, you put it together better than everyone else. this is so spot on. this comment should be pinned.
i think it’s overlooked that when they find the monster in the forest along the river they called out hello and then started making fun of eachother before the monster replied hello almost seemed like he was joining in with the mockery of it and trying to become part of their friendship which is just vile and then once they ran away from him the monster thought that he could never be with them together so he’d have to take one of them instead
God dude yeah
how human do you think the monster was? was it a malicious human or someone, like sick in the head? i think it was slowly corrupted by it's own innocence.
@@pros_0143 I think it the monster was so human that he didn't even realize how evil he was being.
Thank you for not making a disgusting parasocial comment.
@@pros_0143the part at the end with the coffin I think signifies it was just a human.
The mom even says she thought he looked like just a normal man.
When I was a child I used to be scared of passing by a cemetery in my town. One day I told it to my grandmother, she chuckled and with a serious look said “you shouldn’t be scared of the dead, they’re already gone. The living are the ones you should fear, they are the dangerous ones”. I never forgot those words or the way she said it.
Josh putting the board back in the hole might have saved the narrator's skin, if the guy had seen the hole uncovered he for sure would've checked there first
Omg THIS IS such a genius thought
The format of Wendigoon reading the story and Papa Meat doing the voice acting absolutely kills and the soundboard was the cherry on top. It's a shame you couldn't use it more because of the technical difficulties.
10000%!!! Commenting to boost
Yesssss the soundboard went crazy the immersion so fun
1000% agree!!!!!
I got CHILLS from the walkie talkie radio effect. Wished they'd have been able to use it.
Yes! Figure this shit out and use it all the time!
A subtle but disturbing detail is that the man knew his handwriting. We know this because he is able to recreate it on the running-away note that is left on the bed, and this note is able to fool is mother. Makes you think about just how many times that man read and examined the letter from the ballon…
The story is from the child’s perspective she could have known it was fake and was just trying to keep her child safe and lied to him she did that the whole story. She had the cops there so she could have told them one thing and told her son a different story
@@kennylinnell7602 that could be true, but Josh’s family seemed to believe that letter that was left when Josh was kidnapped. And considering Josh wasn’t even his obsession, and yet the stalker could recreate his handwriting (possibly from the writing on the map?) I would assume that the stalker would be able to recreate our protagonists handwriting perfectly.
Additionally, the way our protagonist identifies that the latter is fake is by the spelling of his own name, namely with it being different. If he was paying close enough attention to the letter to notice that detail, he would definitely have noticed if it was not his own handwriting, but since he doesn’t mention that, I assume that the handwriting was pretty convincing
6 year olds don't really have their own handwriting. It's all trash
@@sillysissyphus4877 they still have a discernable pattern in their writing
He obviously didn't study the kids note super well to misspell his name lol. Or it was intentional to torture the mom and scare the crap out of em
...
“We were explorers. We were adventurers. We were friends.” Hit me so unbelievably hard, words CANNOT describe the feels that washed over me
What I love about the ending of Footsteps is the fact that in order for the kidnapper to even spell his name wrong is that they must have _heard_ it. Like they've been following him enough to have heard his name, _thats_ why its miss-spelled
that’s the only inconsistency from the intended one parter and the rest tho ig, cause the mc would have written his name on the first letter.
but still stalker bro could just be bad at spelling
the one thing that always bugged me is that the mom didnt notice the mispelling either unless she was too much in a panic to think about it. you'd think they'd also try to compare the handwriting but of course I'm being nitpicky here
@@AlessaParker I think you nailed it though; She was probably very panicked. Especially with how she acts through the rest of the story. Mc's mom stays consistently a little spazzy.
@@AlessaParkerYeah, the mom not noticing the name is misspelled is a little weird. Even at 6 years old a kid's name is the one word they're almost guaranteed to spell right. I think it would've been better if the kid noticed that it wasn't his handwriting but no one believed him because his writing is always messy and hard to read regardless.
Ms. Spelled
Considering the part at the end where the guy dyed Josh's hair connecting to the mom joking about how she could only tell them apart by their hair color.
Josh encountering the man at the abandoned house is even more horrific. The protag describing their meeting as "A terrified scream met by a scream without fear".
Almost like the guy thought his plan of using the cat to get to the protag worked, thinking Josh was him.
I thought so too, but then he should've knew that he didn't have the protag because of the movie date
I read it more as him being angry and verbally lashing out due to a combination of the specifics and implications of the meeting.
1.) protag didn’t come alone for an easy capture.
2.) being spotted by other character hence complicating his schemes.
3.) lustful frustration at hearing footsteps, getting excited, and not seeing protag.
4.) assuming Boxes was the moving thing inside of the bag, he may have “wasted” his most effective bait.
Consequences of previous points:
5.) realizing his work may be ineffective at getting what he wants (protag).
6.) having to involve another party in his scheme (may or may not know about mother’s knowledge which may or may not make this point even more frustrating. A secret is more likely to be revealed the more people know about it).
7.) having to act more aggressive due to having “spent” his bait (Boxes) or fearing being exposed due to Josh’s knowledge of him. Seen during the fourth story, “maps”, which is the first time he’s actively pursuing protag in a more reckless and obvious way. Also first time he speaks to him. Also when he moves even closer, i.e. “moving in” with mrs. Maggie.
8.) believing he is running out of time which is why he starts to target Josh instead, leading to Josh becoming distant and eventually “disappearing”.
Believing he wouldn’t catch protag, he imagined Josh as the closest thing to his “object of worship” - protag. Killing Veronica was a lash out as he hadn’t successfully caught protag for almost a decade and his perverted fantasies were either a.) losing his interest as protag grew up, assuming it was specifically a child “thing” for him, or b.) seeming unattainable as he failed to capture protag over the years and was afraid of being caught, assuming it wasn’t a child “thing” and more so an obsession with protag. It was also a retaliation as he saw Veronica get the attention he craved so easily. Meeting protag in the cinema was a horrendous last ditch attempt at realizing his fantasy.
Josh “ran away” at the age of 13 according to Veronica. He was found when protag was 15, meaning Josh was around the same age. Stalker kept him, panicked after having Josh see his face and identity in protag’s old home. Not knowing what to do or having no idea what to do or acting upon perverse fantasies, he finally gives up after the cinema plot fails. It seems almost para social in the way that the stalker doesn’t even try to connect during the cinema, assuming it was him, almost mimicking real life para social delusions of having a stranger “being in love” with you. Like he believed everything would click for protag when he sat down next to him and protag reciprocating his “love” which is so far warped beyond any normal understanding that it is an incomprehensible connection to protag.
@@alfredandersson875THANK YOU
The moment it described their hair colors, I figured it all out. Weird how that works
1:41:07 "-One of the shutters had partially broken loose and was rocking back and forth in the breeze"
Just want to point out that this is written like some small piece of scene building but literally this is a cue of the man breaking in to the house, and I just love that because at first glance you would have just thought of it as "oh imagine this creepy dilapidated house" but its not; its months old. love this story it's so well written
My god, ya
I did not expect to cry after reading this omg. It was so good but so tragic.
I was watching this alone at night and I genuinely was holding back tears when this was over.
2 notes I have: 1. the moving bag in the abandoned house was probably boxes…
2. I believe the monster didn’t attack the main protagonist or kidnap him because it’s almost painful to be close to the source of obsession, in case it ruins the fantasy. He loves him, so doesn’t want to hurt him or more importantly, spoil his desire. However, Josh is a perfect object to project his fantasy, because he is friends with the object of his fantasy. That’s what I think anyway.
And josh looks like the protagonist and sounds like him as well. The only difference is their hair. I think you’re completely right my guy. I will stalk you now because of this send balloon please
Point 2 makes too much sense and I hate it
What makes sense to me is that the minster specifically took John because he looks so much like the protagonist, and maybe he was jealous of their friendship. Same reason he killed Veronica, he was jealous.
It’s more likely that the mother just stayed on top of his whereabouts because she was aware of the man the whole time
It’s actually a pretty common trope with serial killers that they’ll use proxies for their victims for reasons similar to this
I think the most tragic thing about this story (other than Josh) is the fact that the narrator was just a regular kid that was struggling to make friends, and had his whole childhood and even teenage years ruined because of the obsession of a random monster
I mean he was an awkward teen flirting with a girl, all ruined because she was a risk or an opportunity for a monster. I mean she seem to genuinely like the MC, and she maybe found a way to bury the lost of her brother or get over it, being with someone who knows the pain of who Josh was...but killed because a monster.
Not said, but from other people I know, I bet the MC always had difficulty or feared dating, seeing how she died. Like forever fucked or a hurt mess,because a monster just wanted her gone
I'd say he ruined his entire life he's going to carry that guilt of so many people dead or suffering with grief even though it's not his fault because his balloon was chosen
That's the part that got me. I started sobbing when the final chapter started. This profound sadness got worse when Josh's dad found him completing the map. Fucking disgusting. I wish I could see the Monster experience the most foul, disgusting, fear-inducing torture. But most importantly, I'd love to see a story where Josh and the protagonist just get to live out their lives. Same with Kyle and the protagonist from Borrasca.
This story was full of the “oh no…” moments that just make your stomach and heart drop. One of the most dreadful and tragic stories I’ve ever heard
SPOILERS FOR ANYONE LOOKING AT THIS
yeah like when he heard boxes under his bed i was like “no way!” with a smile on my face but by the time we got to josh’s dad driving over unlevel ground i just stared on in horror, and then the map :(
I remember when this first came out it brought a few tears to my eyes. Revisited it many times as years went on and it still does. I'm glad they are covering it.
Loved the episode, but you guys missed a huge detail. There wasn't really a gap in the stalking, during that "quiet period" after the Boxes incident HE WAS FOLLOWING JOSH. That's why they grew apart and he was acting so weird at the party, remember the phone number thing? Josh's family also moved away while they weren't talking. Most importantly that's why the last chapter put so much emphasis on the fact that the protagonist and Josh looked so similar that his mom couldn't always tell them apart. He realized the issue after kidnapping Josh, that's when he found the protagonist again and the movie incident happened. But he couldn't just let go of Josh, obviously, so once the deforestation started and his place in the woods could be exposed, he settled for being buried alive with Josh, dressed up like the protagonist with the picture pinned to him.
The worst moment for me was the car crash. All fibers of my being were ready for the main character to get attacked while he was alone, doing his business. The moment I realized he wasnt the one in danger, my heart sank.
Yeah
Yeah. That's the moment when this story goes from being a thriller to a horror-tragedy. Obviously there's more tragic twists at the end, but it's a gut punch that braces you for what the stalker did to everyone around the main character.
Im kinda confused with the crash. She was parked no?
What did she hit?
@Zman44444 she was hit by the monster while she was heading for her car.
Is was the guy in his car, and he drove into her before she could get into her car. By the time protagonist got there, the villain had already driven away.@@Zman44444
One thing I noticed is that the monster's car has a noticeable crack in the back window. Since we can assume he needed some way to transport Josh, it's most likely that the crack in the window was from Josh trying to escape. Furthermore, since he doesn't own anything else, it's likely Josh was being kept in the car while his sister was being murdered by the very vehicle he's in.
The ending didn't get me but the image of him being tied up watching the man mangle his sister with his car is making me tear up
OH MY GODDDDDD The grim and gruesome details of this story just never stop coming
@@gagebaker3251Yeah the Veronica section definitely gets me the most
i was considering this, but i think Josh would've made a lot of noise in the car if he were able to see out the windows and see his friend. maybe he just took Josh to his "site" with the car, but kept him there somehow.
@@orang1921 yeah it just seems too messy for the stalker to keep Josh in the car. I think other than the forested area he inhabited he also frequented the protagonist's old house. Since he made Josh look similar to the protagonist he probably imprisoned him there.
1. I love the format of Isaiah reading narration and Hunter reading the voices. I thought the flow was so good! 2. I prefer the longer episodes, I was hooked too!
100% agree!!! their production is getting better every episode!!
One hundred million thousand percent
True!!!
I disagree I prefer them alternating between reading the story
@@GrievousReborn that's fair. If you haven't, you should leave a comment (rather than a reply) so that they can see it. They did ask for feedback, so definitely share your opinion! Maybe they can do it both ways, switching every other story or something?
It was the protagonists Mum that called in the stalking threat to the police! Remember in 'Balloons' when the kid finally put all the photos together and realised he was in all of them, then showed his Mum and she immediately ran and made an urgent phone call? That was her talking to the police to report someone stalking her son.
What really creeps me out is that after the guy stole Veronica's phone, he sent a bunch of pictures to the protagonist's phone, which he couldn't view since his phone was so outdated. This was during the time that he had Josh captive, I can't help but wonder if among all those unsent pictures were photos of what he was doing to Josh.
… Jesus Christ man. Your right. That’s horrific. Who knew a novel that originally started off as a creepy pasta would make me feel so sick to my stomach (which is what the author’s aim was, so props)
I had this exact thought!! Actually makes me nauseous to think about
What do you think the pictures are out of curiosity. You say doing things to Josh, but what do you think that might be if you're comfortable saying. I'm curious because Like Papa Meat Ingot more paternal vibes from the dude. Like a very confused, distorted but semi innocent sense of love from him. So I don't personally imagine them being particularly... nsfw yk? Also I kinda don't want to haha. But I'm curious as to what you might have been speculating
@@luci-musix3012 If I had to speculate.. they were probably photos of Josh in the protag's clothing, like Josh was found wearing. Possibly posed around the protagonist's old childhood home, like the stalker was playing house with Josh as a protagonist stand in. Potentially showing the protagonist what he wanted his life to be like with him through Josh.
Some of those pictures might include Veronica immediately after the accident. She did mention that the perpetrator took a photo of her...
I think that the stalker may have worked in the hospital. He had a car, $100 to pay Josh’s dad, money for gas, and money to buy a ticket to the movie. He also had access to Ether and somehow managed to get Victoria’s phone after she was in the hospital.
I think that's probably the best answer to what job he had my biggest question still is how he moved the kids in there sleep?
@@thespudtato6009kids sleep deeply. You’ve never seen a parent carry their kid into the house when they fall asleep on a car ride ?
@@wndt Josh's dad was paid 100$ to fill in the holes by the guy. This is why his dad recognised him.
@@DreadedEnding I guess but how did he get into the house? Could he get in from a loose bit for floor?
and that's why she died the last day the protag visited, too. she was stable, if in a bad shape, capable of conscious discussion. but the protag kissed her on the forehead, showed her affection, and the killer couldn't handle that, or her talking about what happened to josh.
fucking brutal.
Another thing to think about is, remember the fact that Josh and the main character apparently grew so close that they started to sound like each other. Josh pretending to be the main protag on the phone with the others mother.
The main protags mother joked about the only way she could tell them apart was their hair color...Josh was just close enough to the original.
"Sometimes it's just easier to replace things than haul them all over the city" and then the immediate mention of Josh afterwards. Okay.
When the stalker dyed Josh's hair was chilling, especially when you read about how the mom could only tell them apart because of how they had different hair color 😮
I forgot about that but definitely! How the narrator said they starting talking like one another and were incredibly similar. Horrifying
Almost makes you think that he “got the wrong one”
@@Killdust99I took it more as the guy couldn't get to the protagonist so he took Josh as the next best thing and then made him as much like the protagonist as he could. Either way, it hurts. 😥
@@Fesquishety I have a theory that he wanted the mc but couldn't bear him dying in a twisted love type of way so instead chose to use josh as a substitute, since there were many times where the mc could've been taken
@@Killdust99 remember the "15 16"? Protagonist was 15, josh was 16. He was after josh the whole time imo.
Both Borrasca and this story have something in common: a supernatural level of evil carried out by a man.
This is an excellent point. Excellent!
Multiple men in Borasca, but yeah.
Multiple men in borrasca, both from the stable, the baby-buyers and the townspeople, but yeah
@@Naharu.Prescott is the main bad guy so mostly one man
@@bravdoebuddy the father is insane he was rapping on the beat with his daughter for a decade
I like that he ends part 1 saying that his name was spelled wrong on the running away note, & then he starts part 2 by mentioning that he was the best at writing his name correctly...Nice touch.
That’s what I thought Isaiah was going to bring up- great writing, great catch Wendi! So, imagine my surprise when he instead gifted us with “pool floats are the balloons of the water.”😂
Nice catch
I've been listening to this on my drives to and from work, and the fact that it's been drawn out like 5 days is making me incredibly anxious.
Dude same I keep laughing at the same damn stamp jokes
I really appreciate that both Hunter with Borrasca and now Isaiah with Penpal are not afraid to show how they feel with this type of stories, and how deeply they are affected by the topics.
It's refreshing to see two people being this sincere, when they laugh they laugh, when they like something writing-wise they expand on it, and when they are moved by things they show it with honest maturity, all in the same content.
Agreed!
Except saying "I'm so scared" every 10 fuckin minutes. Got grating after a while.
YES every single time I've revisited Penpal I openly sob. It's nice to see people not try and be tough and spooky. Just being like 😮 with us
Genuinely the only podcast I actively listen to, stellar stuff
It's one of the big reasons I wanted them to cover it!
Borasca freaked me out and disgusted me as a woman, but something about the ending of this story is so, SO devastating. a whole family destroyed, for an insane grown mans obsession with a 5 year old boy. the connections between each story all returning at the end-- nauseating.
absolutely agree. something about this one just feels so much more personal and heart-wrenching
At least for me (as a man), the difference between the two is this made me cry out of devastation for what happened. With Borassca, it made me sick for like a week because not only is what they did disgusting, but the lack of closure gives you the primal urge to want to go help all those women. You then realize "oh its just a story" BUT then you remember that stuff like tbat still exists and trafficking is a major problem. (There are currently more slaves on earth than any other time in human history, and while there are still a few third world countries mostly in the middle east and Africa that still practice "typical" slavery, the vast majority of slaves on earth are illegal sex slaves, to the tune of millions.)
Borrasca scared me as a woman
Penpal terrifies me as a possibly future mother
Borasca is horrific in a way that lets you rage. It gives you a bad guy to root against, it leaves you with a thirst for justice. There's still a place for closure.
The protagonist of Penpal says it himself. This story has been concluded for a decade by the time we hear it. There is nothing to do, there is no place for a final heroic act. There is no grand finale. Josh is dead, his parents lost both their kids. And the one responsible died happy.
@@urlsisi you put it perfectly. the fact that he died happy... ugh.
“It was just a man” has to be the truest statement I’ve ever heard. It’s not all, but it can be any. Stay safe, guys. This story shook me to my core.
The way this is written is probably my favorite of the posts. The way he wrote his differences in age through dialogue and the whiplash of comedic breaks to straight suspense so good.
I think I finally understand how smug Wendigoon felt during Borrasca because every time they said “it’s not gonna go there! It’s gonna be fine!!” I kept giggling because it was, in fact, gonna go there
You people are sick.
borasca was not even good im not sure why the non meat papa guy rates it so highly
Bro doesnt know what personal opinion means
The opposition of watching them laughing and joking about it to nearly sobbing is retrospectively hilarious. I might make an edit to show their total change in disposition 😂
@@lg6707”the non papa meat guy” 💀💀💀
One interpretation I always found interesting about this story is that whenever the old lady tells him "maybe later" that could also be interpreted as her being aware that something isn't quite right.
There are people who have gone into far greater detail on it than I have, but saying "Maybe" also implies there's a chance that it won't happen later as well, it's a term of uncertainty.
Which with the actions of the character she's not shown to have uncertainty at all, so a sudden shift in her character indicates that some part of her has been put on guard even if she isn't able to completely understand why.
Yes exactly this! I saw it the same way. Alzheimer’s may have made her accept the stranger into her house as her husband, but there’s no guarantee that the illness kept her believing it was him sustainably. I think she was protecting the protagonist and Josh- like maybe deep down she knew something wasn’t right. The stranger may have asked her to invite them in and when she didn’t he went into a rage and killed her.
@@jflyiii1682 I didn't even think about the possibility of the stalker attempting to have the old lady lure the kids inside!
Maybe she was aware enough in this moment to keep the kids out of her house and away from the man.
I think the stalker may have been her son
As I listened I got the very same idea. I think she was subconsciously trying to protect those kids
I know you guys mentioned not recording these so late at night anymore, but in all honesty, the authenticity of you guys being creeped out is really human and adds a really comfortable, casual element to the podcast.
You guys are awesome, and I think one of Creepcast’s greatest aspects is how “real” it feels. It’s so obvious that you guys are friends who are just chilling out and enjoying scary stories together. None of it feels performative, and it really feels like the dynamic would be the exact same if the camera was off.
Yes, I love how there's no loud creepy music or over-the-top narrating like most creepy pasta channels.
comfortable for us, deeply uncomfortable for them :P
i agree whole heartedly. The reason why I started to watch this podcast is because I knew of both of these creators previously. If I came to the podcast and it had more of performative tone like you mentioned, I would not be able to watch for 5 hours. I'm sure it would be good, but this kind of content is the type that I can have going on in the foreground or the background, whilst enjoying wholeheartedly either way.
If I were new to these people I'm sure I would like this aspect, the more comfortable conversation vibe, the most as well.
Yeah they honestly should keep doing this at night so the environment feels authentic.
I did the balloon project in the 3rd grade, I grew up in Illinois and it was incredible to see how far the balloons went. I got a reply from a family in Louisiana, but the farthest one really was incredible. One of my classmates ended up getting a response from France! Apparently the winds traveled in such a way it was able to maintain its helium enough to go all the way overseas. I really regret not continuing to keep up with that family, it was a really cool concept that I remember to this day.
Boxes did NOT go back to the wrong house. The man took him. Boxes was in the bag.
Christ, that makes it so much worse... he was either knowingly capturing the MC's comfort animal or Boxes was unlucky enough to be... tortured? eaten? worse?
@@neutraltim9418 i like to think he knowingly took MCs cat. He had been photographing him for quite a while, he'd know boxes
I hate when something bad happens to a pet or an animal.
Yeah, didn't it say the bag was moving, like something in it was as he was dragging it and thudding about?
@@dante_0962 came down here to see if I should stop listening as soon as the cat was mentioned. I cannot handle animal death or cruelty. DO I stop here?
“Im sorry you chose me” i have no fucking clue why that got me so but i immediately started bawling.
You don't know why the protagonist saying something wracked with guilt, in the end of the story, towards his friend that died in his place, made you cry?
@@mrshadowguy1999 well i know why but it still caught me hella of guard xD
@@jenniferinglis4836 hahahahaha sorry I was being a shithead. It made me cry too
me too man 🥲
@@mrshadowguy1999 Aye no worries Pal
Something that is super haunting you guys missed. Josh’s lasts words to our main character we’re “you left me.”
But remember, the main character left several years prior to them growing distant, so that wasn’t the real kick off. I think the monster began stalking Josh prior too kidnapping him making the map. Hence why he has become withdraw.
When Josh said “you left me.” I think the subtext is ‘you left me alone with the monster’
i dont think hes fully aware that he is being acively stalked. also the last line is "i have been sleepwalking" or something. you are right about the fact tha tjosh has been getting the same treatment as the narrator for months now, which 10)% contributed to him feeling withdrawn and lonely, especially without his best friend
@@aryan7767 definitely agree I don’t think he’s fully aware either, just maybe a bit older so slightly more aware of how bad the situation is when he starts “sleep walking”
Technically, the last words he said were 'I think I've been sleepwalking'. He was definitely being stalked though, as obviously the sleepwalking was like the Protagonist and it was the monster taking him at night etc. But yeah, still haunting.
I fully believe that he was experiencing what our mc faced in footsteps where he was in the woods for no reason and recollection except this time he experienced it 2 times and the 2nd time he got taken
yes, it's likely that the monster made him the substitute simply because he was more accessible, probably due to living in a more rural part of town closer to the woods, while mc had moved to an area where the monster could not access him. He was large and would've stood out traveling across town too frequently, but he may have been spying on Josh's family enough to hear Veronica mention mc or something, leading him to steal an old car just long enough to follow him to his date with her.
“I shouldn’t have sold that snow cone to a ghost” what a sentence of all sentences. 😂
The two biggest things for me is that the monster and Josh died after the protagonist had texted Veronica’s phone “I love you.” And then the main charecter and the monster “met” at the movies. The monster also sent hundreds of photos to the protagonists phone while he had Josh captive making me think that they were pictures of him and Josh but because the protagonists phone was so bad he never knew.
I hate you for making me think about this
Magnitude 10 bruh moment
Josh died 2 years prior to the veronica events
@fatload3286 don't belive he did because the man died with Josh. So if he was dead how was he supposed to hurt Veronica. I think you got mixed up, it's kinda alot of time skips so I get it.
@@affarinoxamy bad misunderstood the timeline
wendigoon waving a gun and reassuring himself that he's gonna be okay is gold that i can relate to while scared and alone
Wait what is the time stamp here 🤣
@TheAngryMarshmallow 2:27:53
I'm more concerned why its so decked out with attachments
@@_____Astral_____you’re more concerned because it has a light.. and a red dot?
@@sammytweedy7655 bless thank you!!!
I was mid episode when it got taken down, call it edge cast
Same
me too lmfao
Oof
Bruh same
xdddddd
When he said joshes hair was dyed it made me think back to when he said "the only way to distinguish them was their hair". It makes me wonder if the "monster" thought it was the main character but needed to make his hair right. Once that was done the monster felt complete and had the real josh. So josh saved him from that fate by looking and sounding so similar.
This story broke me it was so sad.
HUNTER you voicing Josh's dad has me in tears. Jesus christ, you did not have to read those parts so well. May this podcast continue for as long as they enjoy making it.
easily my favorite part, too!
@Sekhem the end of this story kinda bugged me tho. It was like the end of the sopranos, kinda.
Yeah... Made me shred a tear. Damn.
Which, damn it, better be forever
How did the dad not see the 2 bodies in the hole while he was working there...
I actually prefer the longer episodes to cutting them up because as a listener I can still just come back any time, and since you both are still engaged in the story for a single sitting it makes even better analysis at the end
Two things I noticed
- I think the reason why the man left him in the pool float is because in his original penpal letter, the protagonist lists "swimming" as one of his favorite things
- about the 15/16 number written in the drawing of them holdings hands the man leaves in his pants after him and Josh go in the river: the man starts trying to contact the protagonist when the protagonist is 15 (the I love you card on his birthday) like he's sending the message that they'll be together by then
I thought that's how old the Monster man was at the time at first. Cause a large teenager could seem huge and adult like to a kid under 10.
@@Skylord_Fno cause towards when they reveal he killed josh they said he was a big grown ass man bigger than Josh’s dad
Weren't they lighting off Roman candles at him? And the last one went into the water what if it was 15 candle shots out of 16? That's the only thing that makes sense to me
Thats disturbing, and makes it feel like a predator saw a boy he thought he would like at a specific age like most pedos.
HOLY SHIT UR SO RIGHT and that means he was planning to “do the deed” from the very beginning at that time too which gives him not acting more outright on his obsession in the meantime make a lot more sense
This was genuinely the most gruesome and heartbreaking conclusions to any story that I have ever heard. Thank you for spending the time to read out all of this.
Also, the brief commentary in between helped soften the blow of some of these traumatic themes. You guys are great!
This story is absolutely crushing. The end always makes me cry. It all started out as just another creepy story, a great story of course, but the end becomes such a disgustingly heartbreaking story of a man who lost his best friend in the probably one of the worst ways imaginable.
A horrendously well written story.
And so real in a lot of ways.
Fr same, I absolutely ugly cried during the last letter.
Was definitely not ready for that.
Hell yeah
i interpreted "the monster" killing the old lady was that he killed her out of anger or a punishment for her not inviting the protagonist into the house since he convinced her he was her husband a ploy to get to the protagonist
i agree! i think she was killed because he didnt need her anymore. it was his opportunity to get the mc alone and she messed it up on him
“I shouldn’t have sold that snowcone to that ghost!” Sounds like a goosebumps plot, ngl
Called like 'Booo! Berry and the picture on the front is a melting snow cone, but the shaved ice is in the shape of a skull, little droplets running from the sockets.
@@RoosterFloyd perfect
I was damn near in tears from laughter multiple times this episode. Goddamn it was funny and tragic
I can see the book cover. A slightly transparent kid holding a snow cone from the perspective of someone behind the snow cone stand, the title is like "Never Sell A Ghost A Snow Cone!"
What a devastating story. When the dad was talking about how he was the one to bury his own son alive with that man. 🤢 My stomach. And the fact that he killed his attacker but couldn't escape is so horrifying and tragic. Fantastic story beginning to end.
For the old neighbor I was thinking about her "not tonight." I am a cna and work with residents with dementia. Something I have learned is that residents tend to go off of vibe. I need to be very mindful about the energy I'm bringing into a residence room when I do cares because if i'm frazzled, they feed off of that. I wonder if when the stranger entered her house, she got the feeling that something nefarious might happen. Maybe she was protecting him by not allowing him in the house, or maybe she just knew that something bad might happen to her.
Thats what I was thinking! That she was trying to protect the protag because she kind of knew what was about to happen
I got that vibe when they ignored her and set sail on the raft. Almost as if she would have warned them away from the deep woods. Like she knew something. It felt different from the normal interactions detailed earlier.
Oh God, what if the monster sent her there trying to get her to invite the kids to the house but when he asked she said no because she forgot she was told to. Then he got mad
@@jeffreyfuerst1065 I really need to stop reading the comments, cuz holy shit. This broke me for the 80th time.
I have a theory on that. I think the predator was one of the older woman's adult children. They both never visit and pay for everything, but the idea one of them could be a predator that had a sick obsession with a child makes some sense.
What makes more sense in my head is that she said her husband was home. She could easily think her child, now fully grown, was her husband in her mental state. He could pretend that, get invited in, and try to be there when the kids were invited in. When that didn't happen, he killed his mother and left.
The horror of it isn't necessarily that he just "doesn't remember" but more that he didn't connect the dots until he was an adult. As a kid these were all independently weird/fucked up, but now that he's old enough to understand the real danger he was in as a child on top of finally getting the truth from his mom, he's finally realizing it was all connected. Sure, he might've known he was in danger, but it's only now that he's realizing he was in INFINTELY more danger than he initially thought, and that there were so many instances where this guy had so many opportunities to take him away and take him for good, but for some reason didn't.
The alzheimer's part got me. My papaw had alzheimer's and one day my cousin and I were playing on the porch and he asked us where Madeline went. We were around ten years old at the time and my cousin immediately said, "I think she went to a horse show." I was confused because Mamaw Madeline had died before I was even born. Papaw left and went for a drive, and my cousin told me that sometimes he gets confused and thinks she's still alive, but that going for a drive helps his memories.
When Papaw came back an hour later, he had tears running down his face as he went into the house.
😮
One of the most cruel conditions the nature has come up with hands down
Damn.
Talk to him about driving, you don't need him hurting himself or anyone behind the wheel
My Grandad had Alzheimers too, it took absolutely everything from him in the end; memory, personality, even speech. He was completely nonverbal and immobile when he died. The last words he ever said were to me. He was in a care home, and we'd come to visit. There was a moment when my dad had to leave his room to speak to a nurse about something or another, and it was just me and my Grandad. All of a sudden his hand shot out and grabbed me by the wrist, and he looked right at me with this look of wild fear in his eyes.
'Don't go!' He said.
'I won't Grandad. I won't.'
But of course, I did. As soon as we left the care home I broke down, just a blubbering mess. After that I just couldn't bring myself to go back, I guess it hurt too much, or maybe I was scared. He died not long after, I never did keep my promise.
Don't know that I'll ever forgive myself for that.
4:25:59 I think a potential reason he wanted the dad to do the burying was that, in a twisted sense, it’d be like the dad is signing off on it. As if the act of covering it up was what sealed the deal (aren’t tombs also “sealed”?)
like he was a suitor asking his dad for his kids hand in marriage, "bought" it, and Josh, for 100 dollars. Fuck that's so revolting
the distinct mention of the predator not being some sort of terrifying monster- just a man- really hit close to home. these people aren't hooded creatures hiding in the shadows. they're just people. monsters hiding in plain sight. god this story hit hard
Monsters aren’t we all, just takes a lil push for most to make a horrifying leap. Most humans have weak spirits easily broken sadly.
Exactly. That’s why it’s so unsettling. People who can go after children like that look just like anyone else. They may seem odd, but you don’t always know their true intentions. They can exist in society or on the outskirts. They often get away with their actions or attempts even if they’re arrested. They can be a family member or someone you know. That’s the scariest thing.
Calling them monsters is a hope to try and keep these horrible actions in the world of fiction, as we all know monsters aren’t real so maybe their actions aren’t either
@@corbis7765 monsters are defiantly real, in many ways, even the fantastical.
The description the mother gave is gonna stick with me for a while.
(This isn’t the exact quote I’m too lady’s but it’s close enough)
“Throughout the years I thought a lot about what this evil man might look like. I envisioned this hideous monster, but reality was even more disturbing. He was just a man.”
And then she talks about how he was smiling and it seemed like genuine smile. Fuck.
That ending was so tragic it made me cry... "I'm sorry you picked me"... willing to resign from his best friend ever just to save his life... that's love
😢 my heart shattered at that line for the same reason. The purest kind of love 🥺😢😢💔
You cried?
@@senLuno I hope you're not criticizing them for feeling something from this story, and you're genuinely interested in whether or not they cried.
Because if not, you could stand to gain some empathy instead of criticizing other people for having some.
@@Nomblies don't care
@@senLunoso you’re a sociopath?
I read this story a long while ago on r/nosleep, and while listening to this episode I realized something from the night Veronica got hit. The protagonist mentions that the car that was tailing him had a broken back window. Knowing that it is the monster’s, I wonder if Josh had broken it in an escape attempt in the couple of years he was with the monster. My heart dropped to my stomach with that thought. This story is so impactful, I was hoping you all would cover it, just an amazing read
WAIT I HATE THIS. It's brilliant and heartbreaking and a fabulous connection to make. But I hate it because it's SO SAD 😭
BRB gotta go cry my eyes out
I was thinking it could've been how he got the car, like it doesnt make much sense for a homeless man that lives under a kids house and eats cat food to have a car, so maybe he broke out the back window, climbed in and stole it
My best friend since 2001 lives far away so I don't get to see him often enough. He's about to move even further away so I went to see him yesterday. I downloaded this podcast to listen to on my road trip, but I only made ot about 2 hours in. I spent an awesome day with him.
I'm home now just finishing this up and goddamn I wish I could hug him again now.
I thought Boxes destroyed me enough, then Screens came in…then Friends. I see why this and Borrasca are held high in the upper echelon of scary stories. Straight chills
Was this your first time hearing this story
@@jorgefranco3179 Yup. It’s my first time hearing PenPal. Wanted to get into it but they beat me to it
@@jorgefranco3179 yeah but even so it still is crazy to look back now and then
Wendigoon pulling out the strap halfway through the story, saying "Whatever happens, I'll be alright" was actually hilarious
ye, the was funny
When is this I need to see it lol😂
@@techtemplar42480yes please timestamp I listen with my phone locked lol
I keep thinking of that one clip where he gets tricked like 3 times in a row that someones knocking on the door 😂
When was that 😂
I think what really did it for me was the description of the mom looking at the "monster's" face. This is a man who has been stalking her son for years, maybe the better part of a decade at that point, and she desperately wanted it to look like a demon, a monster, sharp teeth and pointed ears, demonic eyes with cat-like pupils or something like that, but all she sees is a man. A regular human that anyone can imagine. And I think the fact we never get anyone's physical descriptions greatly improves this aspect of the story. It's just a bunch of kids, the type you see on your way home playing around their houses after school. A pretty girl who grows into a pretty teenager. And a man who looks like everyone else, butdeep inside is the worst kind of monster there is.
A landlord?
@@ericbaker8781 worst: a telemarketer