 I've always been a bit of a lurker, but I'm coming to the one place I think can help me now. Something seriously wrong in my hometown. I've always been an explorer, and after having spent most of my younger years being raised and educated in Ohio, I struck out on my own. After five years in DC, and almost one year in Florida, I've been relatively happy with my choices. But I do miss Ohio in the fall time, cold weather and all. My family all lives in Tuscaroras County, which is a small county about an hour south of Akron. So it's never an issue when I want to go home for long periods of time. And after living on an island most of the year, it's nice to go somewhere that has a large landmass for me to explore and hike and whatnot. Which brings us to two weeks ago, when I called my mom and asked if she'd be willing to put me up for a week so I can come see friends. She, being a typical mother, happily obliged. We talked about the comings and goings of small town Dover, Ohio, and the typical neighbor gossip when she said the area is just changing. Me being from there dismissed it. Something was always going to happen, but it never quite materialized in my small hometown. I drove up a week later, happy to be home and seeing family and friends. I spent the first two days bouncing all around the county. But one night, I couldn't sleep, and I hopped in the Jeep and decided to take a night drive, driving like a bat out of hell across those winding roads, until I ended up back in town. I stopped at the local Circle K for a pop. This is the first time I noticed something off. As I walked out of Circle K and into the parking lot, I noticed a man standing in his front yard next to the Circle K, just standing there, staring straight ahead at the empty street in front of him. I assumed he maybe had AirPods on or something, but he made no noise, just stood, never once turning his head. I brushed this off and of course hopped in my Jeep. Once started, the radio blared to life louder than I had remembered having it. I turned it down and once again looked toward the man. He was still standing, but his head had shifted to the left and he was now staring at my car, staring at me. I could feel it. Needless to say, I noped out of there really quickly and got to my mom's, convinced myself that it was just a weird guy, and fell asleep. The next day, I happened to drive past the house again, and the man was gone. Though I have expected to find him still staring ahead, I told myself to quit being paranoid and just enjoy my time here. Two nights later, I was at my sister's and we were talking about it. I told her about the man I'd seen and to my surprise, she said the same thing my mother had said weeks earlier. Yeah, Zach, the area is changing. I asked her what she meant and all she said was, just is. After a bit more catching up, I hopped in the Jeep again and took off to my mom's. Driving through town late at night was always peaceful as the roads were usually barren, barring the occasional late night driver or two. You tend to zone out except for when you see the random red lights. Something felt off and uneasy though to me. I came to a red light and that's when I saw them. The house is lining the street on the block before me had people standing in front of them. At least one person in front of every single house, all of them standing in their front lawns, uniform, staring straight ahead. I turned off the radio, rolled down the window and slowed down in front of one of the houses where two people, a man and a woman stood. You guys okay? I managed to say. Nothing. What's, uh, what's going on? I stammered, trying to put some bass in my voice. Still, nothing. Their eyes weren't even focused on me, just staring straight ahead. Their heads didn't even move. Screw this, I thought, and sped off. Further down the road I went, desperately trying to get to my mom's and shake the creepiness factor. However, as I continued and turned off the main street, I noticed that more people were out in front of their homes. It wasn't every house, but probably one out of every three. All of them staring straight ahead. To my relief, my mother's street was not experiencing this. I ran into the house. Mom, you gotta get up. Something's going on. Zach, it's 1230. What could possibly be going on? I told her the story and she looked at me incredulously and it was obvious she didn't believe me. I begged her to come with me and I could show her. I finally coaxed her out and we got in the jeep and I went to the areas where I'd seen the people. No one was there. The streets deserted like they usually were at this hour. My mom was annoyed and complained about being pulled out of bed. I told her I knew what I'd seen and that it was weird and something felt off in this town. Zach, the area's changing. She said coldly. Just as if it wasn't in her voice. I asked her what that meant. But she gave the same answer my sister had hours earlier. Just is. I pressed her for more, but she didn't say anything till we got back to her home. She told me goodnight and went to bed. I couldn't sleep. Something felt off and I felt as though those people were still out there. The next morning I left for Cleveland as planned to see some friends over the course of two days. I stopped at Speedway to get gas that morning and was tired due to lack of sleep the night before. I went in for a coffee and to my surprise, the man standing behind the counter was the same man I'd seen at the start of all this. I froze, unable to move. Does he recognize me, I thought? No, no, there's no way. I walked up with my coffee and he looked at me before asking, anything else? No. I stammered. He was different, fidgeting and tapping his fingers on the counter. So much movement compared to who I saw the first night. I had to say something, anything to him. I had to know if he knew me. Hey man, I think I saw you the other night. I managed to say, my eyes avoiding his, where at? He asked, I think I saw you standing outside your house the other night around 11.30. I muttered out, nah, man, it couldn't have been me. I opened the store and I go to bed pretty early. He replied, oh, must have been someone else. I managed to say, not really believing it. This was sure as shit, the same guy. Lots of new people moving here, man. Don't know the whole town like I used to. The area's changing, that's for sure. As he said it, his eyes got very distant for a moment before shifting back to his cheerful demeanor. The words sent chills down my spine. What the hell was going on? My sister, my mom, and now this guy all had the same reaction with the exact same words. I grabbed my coffee and I got out of there, ignoring his, have a good one, brother. As I walked out the door, being in Cleveland was wonderful for those two days. And I felt as though a giant weight was lifted off my shoulders. Life was normal again. My college friends and I went to a Cavs game, hung out and drank ourselves stupid, and overall had a great time. All of those weird experiences, while in the back of my mind, felt like a distant memory. Which brings us to tonight. My mom called me around four and asked if I was heading home. I told her I'd still be there tonight, but she should leave the door unlocked in case I leave late. I told her I'd text her when I left Cleveland prior to the two hour drive. I felt a bit of paranoia leaving the city, something's off back home, right? Is my mind just playing tricks on me? I did my best to push this feeling down, but I couldn't shake it. This ominous sense of dread as I rolled down I-77 to a place that now terrified me. I pulled off the interstate and onto the exit around 1130. My anxiety was borderline overwhelming. Like this impending sense of dread. I went past the gas stations and turned back into the town towards my mom's place. And I wasn't prepared for what I saw. Every house. Every single house had people in front of it. All of them standing lockstep in their front lawns. I couldn't believe it. It was as if the road was a red carpet and they were lining it for me in my jeep to drive down. No one moved. No one even acknowledged the car as it rolled down the street. They all just stared straight ahead, speeding through the quiet streets. The faces didn't acknowledge me. Just the same blank stares, fathers, mothers, children. Everyone just staring straight ahead. What was this? Why the hell are all these people out here? I finally came to my mom's street and I saw what I dreaded most. Her and my stepfather were in front of their home, like all the others. Standing there, straight-eyed at the street. I got out of the car and onto the street slowly. Just as if I was afraid a sudden movement would cause the various neighbors to descend upon me. Hell, maybe even my own parents. Who knows what the hell this is? Mom? You okay? I asked. Nothing. They just stared straight ahead. I was so scared in that moment. What was causing this? Why won't they acknowledge me? I'm her son. Terrified and shocked. I grabbed my mom by the shoulders. We got to get the hell out of here, I said. She blinked. The first movement I'd seen, her head jerked sideways almost inquisitively as if she was trying to sort out what was happening. She opened her mouth and let out a slight gravelly breath. The air is changing. She said, it wasn't her voice. Suddenly I heard the sound of movement and the entire street was looking at me. All at once they opened their mouth and let out a wail. It sounded like there's no way to describe it. Dozens of wails from these people, these neighbors, like dozens of people were all crying out in agony and the sound kept increasing. Almost as if the whole neighborhood was all crying out in one tortured scream. I ran across the front yard as fast as I could away from my own mother and I jumped in the car and sped off. As I drove, the screams continued. It was the whole town now. They were all looking at me, their faces shifting as my jeep sped down the road, but all of their voices projecting out this tortured noise. I have never heard anything like that and I pray I never will again. I jumped on the interstate and I got the hell out of there. I drove for an hour to Akron and I checked into a hotel where I'm writing this. I don't know what to do. Do I go back in the daytime? Do I call the police? I have to do something. My whole family is there. I tried calling my sisters and no one answers. I hope they're safe, but I dare not attempt to go get them now. Not until daylight. The area may be changing, but I'll be damned if my family is going to change with it.