Author and avid Twitter user Grady Hendrix, @grady_hendrix on Twitter, decided to share a childhood story that will make all of the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.
As it turns out, sometimes those super spooky things kids say might be true.
Grady began his Twitter storytime by expressing a desire to get in on the spooky story action which began with the triumph of sneaking around the house as a kid for some questionable sounding snacks.
When I turned 9 I realized I could sneak downstairs after everyone was asleep and eat anything I wanted in the fridge. No one ever noticed!
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
I could make a peanut butter, Cheez Whiz, & mayo sandwich, eat leftover pizza, scrape off the icing from birthday cakes – as long as I was careful I could do anything!
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
Attaining these late night treats wasn’t always easy, though.
Creeping down was the hardest part. I had to navigate the pitch dark house all the way downstairs in total darkness like a tiny ninja.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
The quest for a particularly tasty treat one evening would prove rather more difficult, and terrifying, than Grady was planning for.
One night in May, ’81 we ordered from Fish & Shrimp House. I waited until everyone was asleep & crept downstairs to eat the leftover sweet n’sour pork.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
It took forever. I finally stepped into the totally dark den & let down my guard. All of a sudden I heard a fork click on the counter. I froze. The microwave clock light showed the outline of a man sitting at our kitchen counter.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
This person was definitely not supposed to be in the house.
He couldn’t see me, but I saw him: a skinny guy, eating our leftovers, and drinking our milk from the carton.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
The incident really got to the 9-year-old Grady.
I can’t explain how terrifying it is for someone to BE IN YOUR HOUSE. I slooooowly backed away, crept upstairs, and woke up my mom & dad.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
Unfortunately, his parents weren’t much help.
They made way too much noise & took way too long & by the time they got downstairs the kitchen was empty.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
Everyone said I read too many horror comics so they blew off what I said. But no way was I pouring milk on my cereal.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
Young Grady remained ever vigilant, always checking to see what was out of place in the house.
I started tracking the position of everything in the kitchen. One day the paper napkin holder was on the wrong side of the counter. Another day a mug was in the sink that was NOT there the night before.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
He also lived in fear of the dark figure.
My bedroom door didn’t lock so I kept a steak knife under my pillow. I must’ve stabbed myself in the hand 1000 times checking to make sure it was there.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
Then things got so much worse.
Then in August, I was in my room reading when I looked up. There’s an A/C vent over my bed. Behind the vent a pair of eyes were watching me.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
Unfortunately, raising a fuss didn’t help. Grady’s parents still wouldn’t believe him.
I freaked & raised hell until my parents searched our attic and the crawl space under our house. Nothing. I wasn’t very popular for a few weeks.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
An unpleasant odor would eventually vindicate Grady, but in the worst way possible.
The last week of August our house started to smell. One night, rice fell out of the vent over my bed. Maggots. The A/C people said something had probably crawled into our vents & died.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
Turns out what had crawled into our vents & died was the guy. We lived in an old house with lots of space between the walls & big ducts. He’d been living in them since May. At least.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
Somehow it got even worse.
He’d put a foam pad beside my bedroom vent so he’d be comfortable while he watched me. The police said he’d made lots of “drawings” but when I asked they pretended they hadn’t said anything.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
No one ever identified him. He was buried as a John Doe. To this day I can’t look inside the vents in houses.
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
A little paranoia seems like a pretty natural response here.
But sometimes when I’m at someone’s house I’ll smell a little BO coming from their central air conditioning, and I’ll wonder who’s living back there in their ducts. Who’s living in the dark?
— Grady Hendrix (@grady_hendrix) October 30, 2019
Folks who read Grady’s tweets were more than a little bit freaked out.
…I’m gonna go…stab my walls.
— Sen Ya Out the Door! (@endlesscalendar) October 30, 2019
— Dustin Ramsey: The Man Who Laughs????????#MenForChoice (@TAscendedSaiyan) October 30, 2019
Boy, am I glad of baseboard heating and a lack of vents! Yay apartment!
— Julie Morris (@JulieMoJAPLM) October 30, 2019
*turns on lamp, pulls out knitting*
Okay, Google, play Walkin’ on Sunshine Playlist
*stays awake forever, avoids all vents*— ????????London is a Goblin until Nov 1???????? (@LMOberleas) October 30, 2019
This is why I keep a houseful of dogs and cats. pic.twitter.com/jwFuXJEdq0
— Kimberly Willardson (@kimberrry) October 30, 2019
Now that we’ve read this, does anyone want to join me on a one-way trip to the center of the sun?
— Rykie Belles and the Sp00py Nickname ???????????? (@withaYKIE) October 30, 2019
Grady has authored a plethora of both fiction and non-fiction.
So the jury is out on whether this particular story is fact or fiction, but that almost makes it more terrifying.
Hendrix’s book Horrorstör: A Novel, is available here.
Their book My Best Friend’s Exorcism: A Novel, is available here.
