Halloween is right around the corner, so why not horrify ourselves to the very core? No, I’m not saying we need to rally up and go see the second It movie. I’m referring to the real-life scary stories—y’know, the ones where you have “surefire chemistry” with someone, but then said person leaves you on read with no explanation.
Why are these scarier than a clown you might find hiding in a sewer? Well, let’s face it: Even if that It movie really manages to petrify you, you can still make yourself feel better by reminding yourself that none of it’s real. It’s just some scary clown that some dude made up in his head. It’s fiction.
But a real-life ghosting story is more terrifying than any fictional Stephen King novel-turned-movie could ever be. Think about it! A ghost is a legit human you once knew who decides to legit disappear into thin air, leaving you wondering WTF happened. Sometimes, they even go so far as to haunt you by watching your stories and Liking your pics. And, unlike that It movie, you can’t reassure yourself by saying it’s a made-up story that will never happen to you.
Hell, I’ve been in a relationship for three years and my boyfriend could just up and ghost me on the spot right now. No one is safe. And, on that cheery note, let’s get to 11 horrifying ghosting stories that are legit scarier than any friggin’ weak scary movie in theaters rn. ’Tis the season!
1. The ghost who had the balls to go for the double whammy.
“I met this guy on Hinge and we went on two dates. I responded to one text, but he didn’t respond for two weeks. Then, finally, he responded in the screenshot you can see below, and when I responded to that, he just never responded back. Nice chatting with you!” — Ella*, 25
2. The ghost who bailed after the best first date ever.
“I started talking to this dude off of Tinder a few weeks ago, and we finally met at a bar on Thursday. When we met, the date went great. We had pleasant conversation and exchanged flirty banter. We ended the night with a hug and kiss goodbye, and he even asked me out for a second date for the following Sunday.”
“But on Saturday around 5 p.m., I received a text asking if we could push back brunch to a late lunch/dinner as a ‘friend’ from high school was in town, to which I responded accordingly (see screenshot below). And that was the end of our conversation. I never heard back from Casper to follow up or reschedule our brunch plans, and I don’t plan on following up since he clearly had no intention of meeting up again. What a flaky weirdo!?” — Nadine*, 32
3. The ghost who pulled a Cardi B and legit left her on read.
“I met an Australian guy at a bar and we had a good time, but he was studying for a big test, so we were just texting for a while. He said after his test, he wanted to take me out, but that clearly never happened.” — Shannon*, 25
4. The ghost who went from 100 to 0 real quick.
“This guy and I messaged on Bumble, and in the app he asked me to get drinks. I was like, ‘Damn, okay, aggressive!’ But I didn’t really mind. Then, he suggested we ‘Take this off the app.’ When it came time to make conversation via text, he was dumb and didn’t even engage in the conversation. And thennnn he just peaces out, lol.” — Nicole*, 26
5. The ghost who was only down for hooking up on foreign terrain.
“I met this guy in Iceland but he was from New York—just like me. We wound up hooking up in Iceland, but he didn’t text me once we were both back in the city. Womp.” — Danielle*, 25
6. The ghost who asked the wrong friend for the scoop on her.
“This guy bailed on our date and never rescheduled. Typical. But I did, however, find out that he asked my friend who was a mutual friend about me. I guess that friend didn’t have anything nice to say…” — Layla*, 25
7. The ghost who bounced because she was…tired?
“I made out with this guy at a party. We went on a date, err, I guess more group hangout, to the movies a week after making out. I sent a follow-up text and then he ghosted me. Just like Miranda Hobbes said, ‘He’s just not that into you.’ I obsessed about it for a few days, but now when I see him, I play it super cool and flirt with his friends, lol.” — Sara*, 20
8. The ghost who she was never even that into.
“I went on a date with this guy and just didn’t have a good time at all. He was really weird…but then, HE ghosted ME. I was so shocked, lol.” — Jessie*, 25
9. The ghost who disguised himself as a “bad texter.”
“I met this guy out at a sports bar and we ended up going out on a few dates. He was a bad texter and didn’t really reach out unless we were planning dates, so I didn’t think much of it at first when he was slow to respond. But in the end, he obviously turned out to be a ghost.” — Alice*, 25
10. The ghost who was all about it until they were in the same country.
“This was the first time this has happened to me! I met him on Hinge when I was out of town in Japan, but told him I would be back in a week. He gave me recommendations of things to do in Japan and everything! But when I came back, we were talking for a week and this happens, lol.” — Marisa*, 24
11. The ghost who disappeared after making it official.
“I dated this guy on and off over a two-year span. Last time we were together, it got more serious. I let him live out of my Chicago apartment with me for three months while he was working a remote job. During that time, he even asked if he could finally introduce me as his girlfriend. Well, we both had plans to go back to New York in the same month. But the week I got home, he disappeared. He didn’t answer my texts or calls—his friends even reached out to ask where I’d been! Now, I understand he was evasive to everyone in his circle. No one could get a straight answer from him.” — Zoe*, 26
