WEBVTT - The Old Man On The Bridge

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<v Speaker 1>Appodchape Production.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome back to The Chills, the Spooky Story Podcast. It's

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<v Speaker 2>hard to believe unless, of course, it happened to you.

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<v Speaker 2>Here's a story from Maria, who didn't want to appear

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<v Speaker 2>on the show. Now. I don't know if it's because

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<v Speaker 2>the story is completely made up, although she doesn't want

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<v Speaker 2>to bring back the bad juju. Either way. When we

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<v Speaker 2>read this story, it gave us the chills. If you've

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<v Speaker 2>got a story that can do the same, email us

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<v Speaker 2>at the Chills at podshape dot com to read Maria's email.

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<v Speaker 2>We've used a voice actor in some parts to help

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<v Speaker 2>us out. So let's start Maria's spooky story. Maria was

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<v Speaker 2>riding her motorbike home from a friend's place near Gimpi,

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<v Speaker 2>which is near the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Her ride

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<v Speaker 2>was about thirty five minutes back to her house near

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<v Speaker 2>the coast. It was nearly midnight and a friend said

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<v Speaker 2>that she could stay if she wanted. But there was

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<v Speaker 2>one thing that Maria really really wanted.

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<v Speaker 1>I just wanted to sleep in my own bed. I

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<v Speaker 1>hate sleeping anywhere that's not my house.

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<v Speaker 2>Maria said. It was one of those nights where everything

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<v Speaker 2>just felt a little off. The roads were quiet, too quiet,

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<v Speaker 2>and the cold seemed to cut right through her, which

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<v Speaker 2>is a bit odd for Queensland.

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<v Speaker 1>The drive was long, and the road wound through bushland

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<v Speaker 1>that seemed to go on forever. Every now and then

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<v Speaker 1>I'd catch a glimpse of a kangaroo or a possum

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<v Speaker 1>in my headlights, but mostly it was just me and

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<v Speaker 1>my bike. After what felt like ages, I came up

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<v Speaker 1>to a bridge. It's an old iron bridge and locals

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<v Speaker 1>always have stories about it, how it creaks and groans,

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<v Speaker 1>and how people have had strange experiences there.

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<v Speaker 2>The area Maria was riding through was pitch black except

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<v Speaker 2>for one flickering street light the start of a bridge.

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<v Speaker 2>I know this sounds like a scary movie. It cast

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<v Speaker 2>these long, creepy shadows that made everything look a bit distorted.

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<v Speaker 1>As I got closer, I noticed an old man standing

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<v Speaker 1>under the light. He looked a bit rough, with worn

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<v Speaker 1>out clothes and a leather bag. He waved me down,

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<v Speaker 1>asking if I could give him a lift. He said

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<v Speaker 1>he'd missed the last bus to Kilkevan and was stranded.

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<v Speaker 1>It was cold and he seemed desperate, so I told

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<v Speaker 1>him to hop on the back of my bike. When

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<v Speaker 1>he climbed on, he put his hand on my shoulder.

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<v Speaker 1>It was surprisingly strong, almost like he was holding on

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<v Speaker 1>for dear life.

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<v Speaker 2>So Maria takes off on a bike with a stranger

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<v Speaker 2>on the back. It's the middle of the night and

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<v Speaker 2>it's dark. I mean, I wouldn't pick him up, but

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<v Speaker 2>Maria did so good on her That's when things get

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<v Speaker 2>a little spookier.

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<v Speaker 1>As we reached the other side of the bridge. I

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<v Speaker 1>suddenly remembered that I had my phone and purse in

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<v Speaker 1>my backpack. I started to worry, what if this guy

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<v Speaker 1>tried something. I decided to slow down and move my

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<v Speaker 1>backpack to the front. But when I reached back, I froze.

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<v Speaker 1>The guy was gone, but I could still feel his

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<v Speaker 1>hand on my shoulder, cold and heavy. My heart was racing,

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<v Speaker 1>and I didn't dare look back. I just kept driving

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<v Speaker 1>faster and faster, as if I could outrun the fear

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<v Speaker 1>that was gripping me.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I've definitely got the chills. I think I now

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<v Speaker 2>know why Maria didn't want to relive the story again.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's join her back on her bike alone, except of course,

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<v Speaker 2>for the feeling of a man's hand on her shoulder

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<v Speaker 2>cold and heavy. Maria keeps riding. She said she saw

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<v Speaker 2>some lights up ahead. It's a small town near Pomona,

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<v Speaker 2>where she'd been a bunch of times as a kid.

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<v Speaker 2>She pulled up to the first shop and jumped off

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<v Speaker 2>a bike. As she spun around. There was no one there.

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<v Speaker 1>The weird thing was the cold feeling on my shoulder, lingered,

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<v Speaker 1>like something had really been there. I went into the

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<v Speaker 1>shop feeling shaky and probably looking a bit freaked out.

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<v Speaker 1>The shopkeeper gave me a concerned look, but I just

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<v Speaker 1>mumbled something about needing to use the phone. I called

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<v Speaker 1>my friend back in GIMPI, trying to make sense of

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<v Speaker 1>what just happened. When I told them, they went quiet.

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<v Speaker 1>Then they told me something that made my skin crawl. Apparently,

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<v Speaker 1>years ago, an old man was hit by a car

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<v Speaker 1>on that same bridge. He'd been walking home late one night,

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<v Speaker 1>and the driver was never found. Ever since, people have

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<v Speaker 1>claimed to see his ghost asking for a ride and

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<v Speaker 1>then disappearing when they crossed the bridge. I didn't stick

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<v Speaker 1>around after that. I got back on my bike and

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<v Speaker 1>headed straight home. These days, I avoid that bridge whenever

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<v Speaker 1>I can, and if I ever see someone standing by

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<v Speaker 1>the road, late at night, I remember that icy hand

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<v Speaker 1>on my shoulder and I just keep riding.

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<v Speaker 2>If you've got a story that can give us the chills,

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<v Speaker 2>and send it in the chills at podshak dot com.

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<v Speaker 2>See you next time.