A Creepy Encounter at the Gas Station

Scene 1:- Heading to Pet Sit

Last year, I was heading to this lady's house to pet sit. After I stopped for gas afterward, I was going to meet one of my friends to have her follow me and stay the night while I dog-sat. I stupidly waited until nighttime to get my gas and stopped at the pump farthest from the store.

Scene 2:- A Suspicious Stranger

I like to think I'm a pretty observant person or just completely paranoid. So, I immediately noticed an older guy to my right walking around as I waited for my tank to fill up. I politely smiled to avoid awkward eye contact, and he quickly approached me.

He stopped a few feet in front of me and said, "Hey, I was wondering if you could give me a ride. I don't have a car and I'm not going that far from here." I said something along the lines of "I'm sorry, I can't." And then he started to get a little agitated, acting strange. I nervously eyed him before he said, "Oh, that's all right. I got a granddaughter, and I guess I wouldn't want her picking up strangers, either. Have a good night."

Scene 3:- My Background

I'm a college student who loves animals, which is why I like to pet sit. It's an easy way to make extra side money while doing something I enjoy. From my childhood, my parents have taught me to be cautious about strangers people, and surroundings and especially when I am alone at night. I usually don’t go out late, but I had no choice because I was low on fuel.

Scene 4:- A Strange Encounter

I didn't understand why he would ask in the first place if he knew it was creepy, but I shrugged it off and put the cap back on my gas tank, but I didn't take my eyes off him. I got into my car and started driving away.

When I glanced in the rearview mirror, I noticed him getting into the driver's side of an old battered pickup truck, parked in an unlit and secluded area beside the gas station. I immediately got nervous because he had just told me that he didn't have a car.

Scene 5:- The Gas Station

The gas station was not busy or you can say there was no one there. It had a few pumps and a small convenience store. There were bright lights near the store, but the area where I was parked had very little light. There was an old dirty pickup truck which was parked in a corner where it was dark and the light was dim and flickering. It was hard to see which made me even more uneasy.

Scene 6:- Escaping the Creep

I was meeting my friend just across the street at the McDonald's, so there wasn't a huge window of opportunity for me to lose him. I kept watching the truck as I parked at the McDonald's and quickly texted my friend to hurry up. As I was sitting in my car, I saw the old truck slowly pull into the McDonald's and go to the opposite side of the parking lot.

Nervously, I tried to brush it off as a coincidence. But as I looked back towards where he had parked the truck, I noticed the old man walking around the building to where I was parked. As soon as he saw my car, he crouched down behind a bush, and I assumed he was waiting for me to get out.

Scene 7:- A Close Call

I started freaking out, and as soon as my friend pulled in a few seconds later, I told her what had happened, and we hauled ass out of that parking lot as quickly as possible. I will never forget looking over and seeing him crouched in the grass next to the road waiting for me to leave. Gas station creep, let's not ever meet again.