Life

These Creepy Stories From People Who Worked Graveyard Shifts Will Terrify You
A sign at an entrance of a restaurant in Nakano, Tokyo
Takahiro Yamamoto/Moment/Getty Images

If you've ever worked the night shift, you know that some... weird stuff can happen when you're on the clock. And if you haven't? Well, you probably still know that weird stuff can happen when you're on the clock, because stories of creepy things people saw working the graveyard shift are plentiful on the internet. In a recent AskReddit thread, for example, folks who have spent at least part of their careers working at night shared the creepiest and inexplicable things they experienced while on the job — and you guys? It is the stuff of nightmares. I mean it.

The most recent data the Bureau of Labor has on shift workers is unfortunately from 2004, so I would bet cold, hard cash that it is no longer accurate; for what it’s worth, though, at that time, around 15 percent of full-time wage and salary workers worked an alternative shift (that is, a shift outside of what we consider normal business hours). About 4.7 percent of the total worked evening shifts (classified as between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.); 3.2 percent worked night shifts (between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.); 3.2 worked irregular schedules; and 2.5 percent worked on shifts that rotated.

When we think of “the graveyard shift,” we’re usually thinking of people who work what the Bureau of Labor calls the night shift; however, there’s room for overlap, so it’s worth bearing in mind that “the graveyard shift” might also encompass the end of an evening shift or the beginning of an early morning one. You’d also be surprised the number of industries for which overnight shift work is part of the deal: Yes, it includes doctors, emergency personnel, and security guards; however, folks at, say, energy plants, in the service and hospitality industry, and in entertainment are also likely to have some graveyard shifts in their work histories.

Indeed, the stories from this AskReddit thread come from a wide variety of industries and workplaces — but what they all have in common is that they are incredibly creepy. The following 17 tales gave me the wiggins above all else, but there's plenty more where they came from, if that's your jam; check out the full thread here.

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1

The Guy With The Nail Polish

Hard pass. (Also: MANAGEMENT, PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.)

2

Who Turned Off The Lights?

And this is why you don't watch exorcism movies alone at night. (Or maybe it's exactly why you watch exorcism movies alone at night. Related: I recently discovered that The Exorcist steps in Washington, D.C. are actually labeled on Google Maps as "'The Exorcist' Steps," and that is amazing.)

3

Who Turned ON The Lights?

Lights behaving oddly: Always freaky, no matter what they're actually doing.

4

The Thing In The Water

6

Are You My Mommy?

This one is a long one, so what you see here is just an excerpt; click over to the permalink for the full story. I guarantee you that you are not prepared for the reveal.

7

The Voice

Hark! Who calls?

8

Then Who Was Phone?

This one is another excerpt; Redditor u/EMS_Princess' story is quite long. She works as a medic, primarily on the night shift, which means she's seen a lot of freaky stuff on the job — but this? This is by far one of the weirdest. The stuff both before and after this part of the tale are also incredibly strange. Check out the full story here.

9

"Congratulations"

Another one from u/EMS_Princess, this one involved transporting a death row prisoner, only to have the ambulance die on them midway through the trip. u/EMS_Princess was in the early stages of a pregnancy at the time and hadn't widely shared the information. Read the full story here.

11

Wile E. Coyote

Nature: Not even once.

12

Disturbing Behavior

I mean... to each their own?

13

The Office Ghost

But what if it needs its ball bearing back?

14

Benched

I like that he takes so much care with the bench. Good man.

15

Technical Difficulties

At least this one has a solid explanation, but I mean, talk about a literal ghost in the machine. (For the curious, this is a profiling bed, as demonstrated by the link in the comment.)

16

The Falling Body

NOPE.

17

Into The Woods

Redditor u/Quick_Everyone_Panic's story is lengthy, so here's an excerpt; head on over to the permalink to read the full story. Also, consider this your reminder not to go into the woods alone at night.

Want more? Click here. Just don't plan on sleeping tonight.