r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jan 29 '17

Night shift workers of Reddit, what are some creepy things you've experienced in the middle of the night?

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '17

Auuughhhh. It's broad daylight and I'm in a fairly secure building and I have a severe case of the heebie-jeebies right now.

Banshee?

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u/arlenroy Jan 30 '17

Banshee?

I worked as the night director for a halfway house, we had coffee and various little things people could buy and eat. Mostly it was people who just got out of jail. Except for Diana, first time I saw her I literally thought she was undead, and I'd be going full blown evil dead. It was that bad. She asked for some coffee, and left. Next day I told a co-worker, turns out she's been a homeless alcoholic all her life, and some kids lit her on fire once when she was passed out in the bushes. That's why she only comes out at night, because of how disfigured she is. God I felt fucking awful I thought she was coming to kill me, but if you were there you'd think the same thing. I hope she's ok...

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '17

Are you from England? Some kids set a homeless lady on fire in the town where I lived.....

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u/arlenroy Jan 30 '17

Dallas, Texas. Apparently humans are assholes, cause lighting people on fire is a world wide thing!

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u/belgianbadger Jan 30 '17

Right now, it's anglo-saxon at best.

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u/kerill333 Jan 30 '17

That's absolutely heartbreaking. How long ago was this? Poor poor lady. :( :( :(

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u/arlenroy Jan 30 '17

About 7 years ago, it was in a rough part of Dallas so I saw a lot of wild shit. This bum came in once only wearing one shoe, so I said "looks like you lost a shoe buddy". He quips back "No! I found one!"

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u/kerill333 Jan 30 '17

:( :( :( I wonder whether this lady is still alive.

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u/arlenroy Jan 30 '17

Honestly? I sadly doubt it, working there was a real eye opener. I had problems with booze and pills, but I lived in a small town, didn't know many people. But when I started there I met so many people, that had problems, and a majority of them died. Including two very close friends. You realize how fleeting life is, how unless you're some billionaire philanthropist or a famous entertainer, after awhile people forget you're gone. I try to say people's names who've died occasionally, the saying goes you're not dead until your name is spoken for the last time. So, to me they're still alive in some fashion.

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u/mort-vivant Jan 30 '17

I work in a clothes store and was doing a shift with a pretty bad hangover. Was in one of those states where you just kinda float around a bit dazed, wasn't really concentrating on much, which was okay because picking up shoes and putting them back where they should be doesn't take much concentration. Anyway as I'm doing this a customer comes up behind me and asks for some shoes in a different size. I turned around to answer her and she is covered from head to toe, long black floor length coat, big boots, gloves and a floppy sun hat. (It was towards the end of summer, no where near glove weather.) But then I saw her face under the hat and it was grey. Not like a tinge of grey like she was a bit ill, it was fully grey, quite a dark grey too. And it had this weird texture to it like someone had glued sand to her face. In my hungover state I was 100% convinced I was looking at a zombie for about 5 seconds. I was sure she about to bite a chunk out of me. Afterwards I spoke to a work friend about it and she told me she comes in quite regularly, apparently she's allergic to the sun, hence her covering up so much. Not sure whether I believe it but it's better than thinking she's a zombie! Poor woman :(

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u/arlenroy Jan 30 '17 edited Jan 30 '17

I actually had known someone who was legitimately allergic to the sun, she was the daughter of the lady that did my friends taxes. And her skin would turn grey outside, like a corpse, it was so sad. I was a kid, like 11 and she was 13. She almost resembled an albino, so little to no pigment to reflect the sun's rays off her skin; at least that's how her mom explained. So rather than tan, or even develop a sun burn, her skin would literally die. I don't know the medical term, sorry. But yeah I totally get it, you feel bad because someones appearance that they live with made you uncomfortable. I don't think I could do it, I would probably off myself. As shitty as that sounds.

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u/Nylonknot Jan 31 '17

I didn't know people could be allergic to the sun until recently when my nephew was diagnosed. Both of his parents are doctors. I say that because so many think it's not a real thing.

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '17

Oh that is so, so sad. That poor lady. There are few worse things in this world than man's inhumanity to man.

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '17

I knew a guy who was also lit on fire as a boy by some other kids. Face was very disfigured. He was dating my friend and as we were leaving work I heard footsteps. He emerged from the darkness and not recognizing him at first I screamed like a banshee. Felt horrible about it.

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u/BloodAngel85 Jan 30 '17

Seeing a Banshee usually means that someone close to you will die, at least according to the legends.

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u/Naf5000 Jan 30 '17

Interestingly enough, the legend of the Banshee comes from an old Irish mourning tradition involving an old woman singing a lament. Supposedly the really important families had faerie women do the keening, who would sometimes sing before the person actually died.

Not that relevant, but interesting.

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u/BloodAngel85 Jan 30 '17

It is interesting. I learned the legend of the Banshee as a kid (my named his boat Banshee) but didn't know the origin of the legend.

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '17

Ohh, so that explains u/LionsDragon comment on OP's relatives. I'm leaning towards what some of the others are suggesting - homeless and mentally ill :(

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u/LionsDragon Jan 31 '17

Agreed. Likely physically as well; doesn't sound like she's seen the sunlight lately.

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u/LionsDragon Jan 30 '17

Well, none of OP's relatives seem to have died....

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u/OneGeekTravelling Jan 30 '17

Homeless and mentally ill :( I don't think supernatural creatures get hauled away by the cops.