The man who was under my bed (Note: this is a 100% true story. I swear it is. The names have been changed but everything else here I promise is true.)

To all my fellow Florida folk here, I'm sure you've heard of Florida as a whole being shitty in terms of safety. Cops only want to stop you for your licenses - they will pass on a dude carrying a rifle in the middle of the night. Cops don't give a shit. The worst part is this: no one gives a shit about anything here. <br><br>I was nineteen and still in college when this happened, when I was thrown into an apartment with two classmates, Steve and Sam. It was a 3-bedroom place, so all was good and cheap, what with us splitting the utilities and the rent. <br><br>The thing that I remember about the house was the sockets. Something was wrong with them, because they would regularly blow and we'd lose power. The first time this happened was not long after we moved in, and during a thunderstorm. We called the landlord to see if we could get an electrician out, but even though it was, again, the middle of the night, they didn't give a shit. <br><br>Steve and I lit candles and went around the house to see if there was anyone who could help us. This being Florida, everyone around us was a drunk ass. We were still searching when Steve switched on a light and it didn't turn off. "Oh, weird," I thought. Little did I know, this was something that would save my life. <br><br>After we got back to the apartment, I gave up. I turned off the lights and I went into my room and I went to bed. I was ademic and falling asleep easily. As I turned over onto my side, I noticed I had a shadow on the wall. I thought nothing of it, assuming it was a plant. Then I heard a scratch. Then I heard a hiss. I looked up and I saw a man coming out from under my bed. <br><br>When I got up and ran I didn't stop. I was so fucking terrified I shook and I didn't stop for a long time. When I heard Steve and Sam, I ran to them, curled up, and didn't move. I didn't tell them what I saw. The police I called didn't believe me either. They didn't take me seriously. I got the idea that the police in Florida didn't give a shit about anything. So I didn't tell them about the man. <br><br>I told them when I moved out. The guy who replaced me was a guy I told. A guy I trusted and respected. Steve worked in the army in the 1980s, and had been in a few battles. I trusted him. I didn't tell him about the man. He was my protector. <br><br>When we moved out, I relaxed. I could finally stop worrying about the police. No one had thought about it since then. No one had ever seen the man. <br><br>No one believed me, I thought. <br><br>I was in town one day, showing Sam and Steve around, when we walked past the apartment. "Who lives there now?" I asked. <br><br>"Actually, you would know this guy. He was in your class. His name is Joshua, I think. That's all I know about him. And yes, you did tell him about the man." <br><br>I was not expecting that. I did not remember that. I had been so scared when I told him. I blocked that out. <br><br>Steve and Sam knocked on the door. I thought it was a bad thing to do. They told me to shut up. They were in the army; they were trained. Even if they didn't believe me, they knew what to do. Joshua, the new tenant, came out. "Hey, what's up?" he said. <br><br>Joshua was the person who finally validated me. He nodded reassuringly. "So you're the person who told me about the man," he said. <br><br>"Yes, I am. Was he real?" <br><br>"He is. The night before last. He was actually under my bed." <br><br>I gasped. I couldn't believe it. The man was real. <br><br>The police believed Joshua. They didn't believe me. At the time of writing this, they have still not caught the man. But I was finally validated. I was finally believed. <br><br>And that I guess is my point. If you are a victim of something, and no one believes you, just wait. The truth will come out. The law is not perfect. Sometimes people fake injuries. You have to protect yourself. <br><br>Just remember, if you are telling the truth and someone doesn't believe you, don't let it define you. I let it define me. Never let it define you. <br><br>lyr.TimeUnit.DAYS.toUnitMS(1)<br><br>Edit: Oh my god, this blew up. First of all, let me address a few things. I know what you guys are saying. You just made this up to get karma. This didn't happen at all. You're psychotic. This is who you are and you have no respect for anyone. HATE TO BREAK IT TO YA BUT I AM PSYCHOTIC. I have been diagnosed with several mental illnesses. I do consider myself a little fucked up. First thing you do is to insult and make fun of me. Now, I can't tell you not to make fun of me. I did say I was psychotic. But you are so desperate to make fun of me that you would dehumanize someone just to get upvotes? Grow up. Or as you call it, stop being a baby. Now, about the karma. I thought this was a story people on this chamber would appreciate. I didn't think fake stories were allowed here, but you are so desperate to make fun of me that you would allow yourself to look like a dick, just to get one more upvote, one more karma point. You will do anything. Now, about the story. I am telling you this. This is a true story. I'm sorry I didn't believe you. But that doesn't mean this isn't true. I didn't believe it at first either. I couldn't believe that I thought I saw a man under my bed. That's crazy. And Joshua, the new tenant. We didn't know about each other. And you think he and I were colluding? That's ridiculous. We don't even like each other. And the sceptics. First thing you do is insult and make fun of me. Why? Now, about the sceptics. Yes, I know that in the real world, the cops normally don't fuck up. But this is Florida. I'm sorry if you don't believe me, but I have lived here for 20 years and I know what I'm talking about. And the story. Yes, I know this sounds like a story from your everyday ghost story anthology. I'm sorry if this sounds ridiculous, but this is a true story. And I'm sorry if you are insulted, but I am telling you, this is true. Something happened. And I'm sorry if this sounds ridiculous, but Florida is a shitty place and cops don't really care. If you are going to live here, you have to know that. And lastly, to all those who did appreciate it, I would like to thank you for the respect and kindness. You people are the beacon of hope. I'm sorry if I seem a bit bitter in this edit. That's because I am. Some of you guys really made me feel like shit.