No, these creepy stories aren't from the X-Files! From teleporting cats, mysterious women in pink jackets, to disappearing wounds, the folks in these stories describe their own head-scratchingly bizarre glitch in the matrix stories.
Mysterious Cat
“A few years ago I had to euthanize a sick and elderly cat. At that time in my life, I was going through a divorce and crying often. My cat always knew when I was crying and would comfort me by finding me to sit on my lap and purr.
My soon-to-be-ex went to the vet with me on the day of the cat’s euthanization. Before the euthanization, the vet asked, “Do you want to watch the cat being put down?” My ex said, “Yes.” I said, “No.” So my ex stayed in the exam room while I went into a hallway and cried harder than I’ve ever cried before.
After a few minutes, I was let back into the exam room to see my deceased cat wrapped in a white towel. As I looked at the cat, I heard purring. This was loud purring, as if it were being piped in through speakers. It seemed so distasteful that I was about to say, “Turn that purring off!” when I looked at the vet’s face and my ex’s face and realized that I was the only person hearing purring. It would be nice to think that the cat comforted me one final time.”
Gone In An Instant
“Encountered a strange man and child at a strange time in a strange place (for them to be), briefly interacted with them, I turned away from them for maybe a minute top, and when I was back facing where they were, they were gone.
I keep thinking about posting it here by itself but it’s just so strange I always feel like no one would ever believe it. I’ll post it here as a comment for now because it is so similar to your experience.
It was July 2. I was unloading some ladders and stuff near a block of sweet cherry trees that were to be handpicked a couple of days later. I was parked just off the road and was about to get back in my truck when I saw a guy pushing a toddler in a stroller down the road, on the side of the road closest to me (but the opposite side you’d want to be on walking that direction if that makes sense). Sort of strange, as it was mid-morning on a weekday and a pretty rural road, but there are a few houses that he maybe could’ve walked from so I didn’t think too much of it. Yet.
We said hi to each other and then he said to his daughter (I presume) something like ‘Look honey they’re getting ready to pick some apples,’ and I said no, cherries. I thought this was strange. It’s apple country mostly, there are cherries around too but that’s literally all that there is for miles around there. Farms. Apple trees and cherry trees don’t look much alike, not to mention the cherries (that he was basically looking right at) were deep red and ready to be picked, while the apples that started a few rows over were still green and tiny. The earliest apples don’t harvest until mid-late August with most starting in September. It’s a big thing around there. I can’t imagine anyone who lives around there not knowing that, but maybe he’s just visiting.
Anyways, I (being caught off guard and not thinking, and also not being a parent), picked a little cluster and crossed the small ditch along the road to give them to him for her to try. He said thanks to me and then something to her and they continued walking in the same direction. I got in my truck and had to turn around to get back onto the road. It took me maybe a minute before I was back on the road.
And they were gone. Nowhere to be seen in either direction. I cannot explain it. Never saw them before or since. There was nowhere they could have easily gone with a stroller in under a minute where I wouldn’t see them. Not sure where they could have even come from. The nearest houses were people I knew, and beyond those, it was a solid 3/4 mile to any other house. There were no other vehicles on the road at the time, just me. I know most of the locals around there, and I even described the event to a couple of relatives who know ALL the locals around there, and no one could think of who it could have been.
I cannot fathom that the event took place entirely in my head. I saw them. I talked to them. I handed him a cluster of cherries. It’s terrifying to think that one of the possibilities is that it just didn’t actually happen because I know it did.”
A Sudden Change
“So I’ve been talking to this guy for about two and a half years now. He’s a bartender and a very good-looking guy I’d say like an 8.5/10 with a nice body. I remember being impressed and pretty into hum as well as checking out his IG a few times.
We talked a lot daily and became good friends. We initially were gonna just hook up but due to his housing situation (living at a friend’s due to money) and mine (being a student sharing a home) neither of us could host but we ended up becoming friends and just enjoyed talking to each other as well as swapping pics and vids on Snap.
We stopped talking for about four months and he suddenly hit me up again but was very different. He lacked all confidence he had and immediately told me he was fat. At first, I thought nothing of it except maybe cause of COVID haha no biggie we’re still friends anyway but then I peeked at his IG again and all his pics from before were different and you could see he had like a dad bod. Even ones from way before so it couldn’t be like an elaborate prank as I thought it might be and I asked him about it and he told me he’s had the dad bod for as long as he can remember. And I 100% know it wasn’t someone else as we talked a lot and like I said actually became friends and I saw his body on his IG and thru Snapchat more than once.
Also, he claims I never wanted to meet up and that he’s lived on his own for like 6 years now and never lived with a friend of his. It’s obviously not a problem as we ended up just being friends but I have no idea what to make of this. Like I am CERTAIN of all the things i stated were about him and not someone else so it’s a real like what the heck moment to me. I could see his location before on snap maps when I would occasionally glance at the map to see what friends were up to out of boredom and he now lives across town where he says he’s always been and it’s legit making me question my sanity.”
Beyond Comprehension
“So this morning/evening I experienced what I feel was a glitch in the matrix.
I woke up around 10:30 AM, I remained in bed for about an hour, then got up to use the restroom. On my way to the restroom, I checked the time on my phone and it read 11:30. I decided I was going to get some coffee before it got too late (I don’t like to drink coffee too late in the afternoon). So I go back to my room, throw on some clothes, then hop in my car. When I turn it on, the clock read 1:00 PM. I was like ‘no way,’ then thought maybe it hadn’t been changed since daylight savings, but no, I checked my phone and it read 1:00 PM as well. Confused as heck, I still went ahead and got coffee anyways.
Fast forward to a while ago, I glance at the clock and it reads 4:30 PM. Realizing I only have 30 more minutes left to go on my shift (for more clarification my shift was from 2-5), I set an alarm on my phone to remind me to clock out at 5:00 PM. Not even 5 minutes after setting it down, the alarm goes off. I’m thinking ‘What the heck, did I set it to the wrong time?’ I look at the clock and it reads 5:00 PM. I checked my computer and tablet and they all read at the same time as well. I simply can not comprehend what has happened. It’s all really very weird.”
Just When You Think You’re All Alone…
“I was just watching a show on Netflix in my bed when I suddenly noticed a very heavy breathing obviously coming from a man in my empty room.
I turned off my show and even stopped breathing myself to make sure it wasn’t me or anything but it continued. It sounded like it was right next to me, I’m being completely serious and am currently petrified.
This just happened, I almost felt someone (or something) in my room. I’m not a particularly spiritual person by no means but I am sure of what I heard/felt. I know I heard a by the sounds of it an older man heavily breathing in my empty room. It was so loud like I was sitting on my grandpas lap as a kid but I’m 16 years old in a empty house at 3 am.
I wasn’t dreaming or falling asleep. I know what I heard and was hoping I am not going insane because I’ve noticed some very odd things going on in my house and room recently.
I’m awfully terrified and left my room and will be sleeping on the couch tonight because what I felt and heard was real I have no doubt.
I’m about to have a panic attack or call the police because I felt something or someone in my room. That was the most chilling experience I’ve ever had”
Gone Without A Trace
“I’m still curious about the event.
Yesterday I was with my brother and boyfriend in my house, we decided to go to the store to buy some food, so we went down and step into the street; because of the city we live in we have to be very aware of our surroundings, this will be relevant in a second, we open the gate of the building and the wasn’t anyone on the street, this is a residential street, so only houses and buildings in both sides of the street, we start walking on the sidewalk, my boyfriend, my brother and me, every once in a while I look behind me to check that there is no one following us and the second or third time of doing this I saw a man, it was an extremely normal-looking man, jeans, a red polo shirt tucked inside his pants, a belt, a backpack, and a black cloth mask.
Once I noticed the man I remained alert, never stop walking but constantly looking over my shoulder, the man was less than 20 ft behind us and suddenly the man was gone, at that point, my brother and boyfriend had noticed the presence of the man and were just as surprised as me to see that he was nowhere to be seen, we had just passed a park that was closed with a chain so he couldn’t have entered there, and after the park, there was a construction that was also closed.
After that we started joking about the man being a time traveler or a glitch in the matrix, then we got to the end of the street and there was a bunch of people, we got into the supermarket and forgot about it, but I’m still curious about the man.”
The Cat That Can Walk Through Doors
“I was house-sitting for my aunt while she and the rest of her fam were on vacation.
I was there a week, also watching her dog and her indoor/outdoor cat. One morning around 4:30 am when I was getting ready for work, I let the dog out to use the bathroom and the cat, after winding around my legs, went in his merry way outside to do whatever it was he did all day. I know he went out, I saw him go out the door and did not see him reenter.
As a note, He is a fairly round cat and I am not a small person, he would have had to touch my leg if he came back in. I had a nightshirt and shorts on so I would have felt him. The dog came back in and I closed and locked the back door before finishing my morning routine and heading to work. Note that I stayed there and inside for about 15 to 20 more minutes and there was no sign of this cat.
I came back at about 1 pm after getting some lunch and opened the front door. As I walked in I was shocked to see that big orange cat lounging on the steps to the second floor. I panicked and ran through the house thinking someone had broken in and the cat maybe got in through the window. Nope. All the windows closed (and with intact screens) all the doors still locked. I still don’t know how he got back in the house. There was no way for him to do so without me noticing. I told my mother and she laughed, saying he must have snuck back in with the dog. As I said, I would have seen him. He hates to be inside for too long without the back door open and would have yelled at some point in those 15 to 20 minutes. I am certain he was not inside that house when I left.”
He’s Not Even Sure He Survived
“Many of your comments helped me make sense of all this and realize all would be ok. I was so relieved by many of your comments. I appreciate it and wanted you all to know that you absolutely helped me in a moment of crisis.
I talked to my wife about it all today and she also didn’t know exactly how we made it out of the situation (there is one particular moment I have in mind that I asked about). She wasn’t quite as shaken up about it as I was. I think I just watched it all unfold from a vantage point that was a little different than hers. Also probably felt different to me because I was accountable for it.
By some twist of fate, I found my self in a situation that was eerily similar today, only ~100ft from where this originally happened. This isn’t an area I travel often but my in laws specifically asked to meet for breakfast this morning in this very area.
I’m convinced it was a nod or acknowledgment from something bigger than me, making sure I did in fact learn from this and realize just how lucky I was to have survived to see another day with my precious family. Only this time, I handled it in a way that kept my family and all others out of harms way.
Maybe this was the actual glitch.
I was driving earlier tonight with my pregnant wife and 1 year old son in the car. I got to an intersection where I had to turn left but there were “no left turns” signs, so I turned right instead. It’s a busy road, 2 lanes each way but there were no visible cars behind me or coming toward me so I made a terrible, lazy decision and decided to do a u-turn.
I was nervous as it is a dangerous road regardless, and I botched it. I didn’t turn hard enough, so I was in a position where I knew I would need to do 3-point turn to go the direction I needed and rectify our positioning. At this point our vehicle was sideways across 2 lanes with cars now buzzing right behind us at 60 mph, and I’d need to reverse to angle us correctly.
I can’t believe I pulled such an idiotic maneuver in traffic with my family.
I don’t remember what happened next. All I know is sometime after this we were closer to our destination cruising along and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it .
I’m horrified at the thought that maybe I’ll wake up at some point and we’ll be at the scene of an accident. Or maybe I got my family killed and this is just what happens when you die, there’s no noticeable lapse? Or maybe we made it out ok?
I don’t know what happened afterward, and I don’t know how to validate for sure one way or another.
I can’t believe i would do something so stupid.”
Teleporting Cats
“The other day, I was sitting on my couch with my laptop on my lap doing work, when my orange cat came up and laid next to me. I knew he was there, because he was cleaning himself and bumping into my elbow, which was quite annoying. Then he curled up in that cute cat position cats do and slept while I worked. When I was finished, I reached over to pet him, but he wasn’t there. There was only the dark blue blanket he had been sleeping on. I looked around the room and saw him sitting in the recliner in the corner, curled up on the exact cute cat position he was in just a moment before I reached to pet him.
I suppose it’s possible he could have gotten up and moved without my noticing, but he’s pretty easy to notice and I wasn’t really that deep in to work. He’s heavy and jumps to the floor with a thud, or he’s annoying and walks across people or on tables, knocking things off. He’s not stealthy. And I definitely saw him in my periphery moments before, or at least something orange. But the blanket was dark blue.
Is this a glitch, or do I just not pay as close of attention to things as I think I do?”
Creepy Algorithms
“This was easily the creepiest one of these scenarios I have encountered. I have known for a long time that Instagram will have ads about something you talked about when your phone was around. That one is proven. So I woke up this morning and was simply thinking about going on vacation. I have gone to Cancun a few times and loved it. But I want to go somewhere else and I was thinking about going to Atlantis in the Bahamas because my friend told me last year he loved it. I simply thought about Atlantis and how I would like to go. I didn’t search it on my phone, talk about it recently or anything. Then I got the ad about an hour later on Instagram for Atlantis Bahamas… what the actual heck.”
“I Don’t Remember Adopting This Dog”
“I’m 18, I live with my parents, sister, and dog. The dog’s name is Bilbo and he’s very well-behaved and rarely ever barks or acts up (despite being a puppy) we have a very close bond and I love him to bits.
I’m trying not to freak out, I’m really confused and scared. I don’t really believe in the supernatural and I’m gonna assume my brain is just messing with me but I can’t recall the day we adopted him.
It’s like that day has somehow been erased from my brain? It’s hard to explain because I can clearly remember what my life was like before we adopted him. I haven’t talked to my family about it yet but my mom has brought up the adoption day in conversations before so I know they remember it.
Also, I want to add that I’ve never done any substances or anything like that, I don’t suffer from any mental illness and I’ve never experienced anything traumatic. I’ve lived a completely normal life.
Why can’t I remember us adopting him? He’s less than a year old so it’s not like it happened a long time ago or anything. Is this some kind of glitch or am I just overreacting?
One last thing I want to say is that I only just realized this a few days ago, I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Mysterious Girl
“I was at a music festival walking alone and I saw a girl from a distance who was walking with what looked like a bf. She saw me and immediately got emotional and started crying, and she looked shocked, mouth agape, and covered her mouth. I intuitively just nodded and smiled. I felt something deep inside of me that just knew that I knew this person and that we knew each other. I feel like it possibly could’ve been someone in my soul tribe that I knew before our lives in this human body. I never saw her before and she never has seen me before, like she physically didn’t look familiar. It was more of an energy thing. I regret not approaching her and finding out more. It just didn’t feel like the right thing to do since we really were complete strangers, and she was with another man.”
He Doesn’t Remember His Wound
“I regard the experience as very surreal, even thinking about it today seems unreal. I was totally sober and don’t do any substances. Even crazier how I experienced such an undeniable reality shift with clear witnesses.
I was over at my parents’ house helping my father re-screen all the windows in the house. A lengthy process that involves removing the old screen material, measuring out the new material from a large roll, putting the screen material in the frame, then cutting off all the excess screen material.
It was during this process of cutting off the excess screen material that suddenly the Exacto knife slipped and sliced my thumb open. About an inch long with a clear red line visible. I clearly saw this. My father standing right beside me clearly saw it too. My mother saw as well but was further away. Upon seeing this my father exclaimed “Are you okay!?” and IMMEDIATELY for some reason I quickly shrugged it off saying “Oh it’s nothing.”
After a few seconds sense kicked in & I figured I should go get a band-aid as to not get blood onto the new screen material. I go to check my thumb… and nothing. No cut, no line, no redness. Nothing. I squeezed my thumb thinking that maybe it would show up under pressure. Completely smooth unbroken skin.
‘You saw that right? You saw me slice my thumb?’ I asked. ‘
‘Yeah’ my father said.
‘Well, it’s gone, look,’ I said as I held up my thumb.
Needless to say both me and my father were puzzled. Stupidly I checked the other thumb thinking that maybe I somehow confused which one I’d sliced open. But of course, I knew It wasn’t the other thumb which of course was normal.
Immediately a strange sensation washed over me. Sort of like that sense of violation you sense when you get the feeling of being watched. Like I had witnessed something I wasn’t supposed to. I also experienced a strange sense of disconnection like the present moment felt just very surreal.”
Maybe More Than Just A Technical Glitch
“That probably sounds confusing but I’ll try my best. A few years ago while texting my now ex-girlfriend I noticed something slightly off about what she had said. I said (still in text) something about it and she asked me what I was talking about. So I screenshotted the paragraph she had sent, with all of the messages around it, and sent it to her. She responded with a screenshot of her own, except the paragraph she sent was different. The messages around it, however, were all the same. The paragraph itself was actually the same, save for the last two sentences. I don’t remember what we were talking about exactly, but I remember that the different sentences actually corresponded to the story. It was one of those things where what it said made sense contextually in both cases, but changed the flow of the conversation. The next time we got together in person she showed me the messages. Sure enough, there they were, side by side, all of the messages lining up except that one paragraph which was different. It made zero sense at all and we have no idea what could have happened. Her brother was working in the cell phone industry and even he didn’t have an explanation.
I know technology “glitches” aren’t allowed but I feel like this is slightly different.”
The Girl In The Pink Jacket
“While walking my dog down our fairly quiet street, I noticed a girl in a bright pink jacket approaching. Being constantly vigilant about my surroundings, I noticed her and wondered why she wasn’t in school at 9:30 on a weekday. There are three schools within a couple of blocks radius and it is common to see kids of all ages out before school time. Again, she was wearing a NEON pink jacket, had her hair in a ponytail, and looked to be an early teen. She was also carrying a white plastic shopping bag.
My dog is very friendly and LOVES meeting new people. Naturally, she got excited to see someone coming toward us. At this point, the mystery girl is maybe, 30 feet away. I am on the sidewalk with my pooch, she is walking on the road, but on the same side as we are heading in the opposite direction. My dog is pulling at her leash, wagging her tail, putting on her typical cutest behavior to get some attention.
Now, there is one large tree on this street. As we both pass by the tree, she never comes out the other side! My dog also notices that her potential new friend is gone and we both stand staring for a few seconds wondering where this girl went.
I thought, did she cross the street? Nope. Did she come around behind us? Nope. Was she hiding behind the tree? NOPE. She was gone. GONE. Ok so maybe I am seeing things, but my dog also reacted. She too was confused and bummed her chance to get some praise was now dashed.
Could this have been a glitch? Did we witness a time traveler? A residual apparition? It was weird, man. Really freaking weird. I don’t always trust my mind, but I always trust my dog.”
The Texas Mega Murder Hornet
“So, a few months ago, we were driving from Bridge City, Texas to Houston on I-10. Doing about 75 in a full-sized truck.
Either there was something on the radio about Murder Hornets, or we had just talked about them. I can’t recall which, but I think it was the radio.
Something docked with the truck, in the upper-left corner of the windshield. That’s the only way I can describe it.
I looked at it, awestruck. Asked my wife if she saw it, and what it looked like.
She did.
‘A big wasp, honey,’ she said.
It was nearly the size of my outstretched fingers and hand. This thing sat there for about thirty seconds, long enough to become emblazoned in my mind forever, then…took off again.
So, I told her immediately that it was far bigger than a murder hornet, which wasn’t even in Texas. I had to go research these things, but, of course, it’s true.
I can find no possible explanation. The biggest wasps in Texas run around two inches, at most. This was nearly six. Even if this is a common species in Texas, insects…can’t…do…that.
I told her to remember that day as her introduction to the simulation, and we now refer to it as the Texas MegaMurder Hornet.”