For Valentine’s Day, we created a map of local stories sharing where our readers fell in love and made memories. We asked for your help compiling everything from proposals to making friends. You did not disappoint.
But what about those date stories that still haunt you to this day — you know, like if you were ever ghosted or thought you were getting ready to meet the love of your life but ended the night with a date night story that your friends still bring up + will never let you live down?
Well, gather ‘round, Soda Citizens. Turn off the lights and cue the perfectly timed lightning — it’s time to share your top horror date night stories that took place around Columbia; just in time for Halloween.
Here are the rules
- This is supposed to be a commiserative + fairly light-hearted story. Unburden yourselves of embarrassing date nights, cringe moments you’ll never forget... etc.
- Keep your stories PG-rated.
- Don’t use real names. Keep everyone anonymous; even you will be kept anonymous.
Pro tip: For bonus points, use some classic Halloween character names like “Charlie Brown,” “Casper,” “Frankenstein,” “Wednesday,” “Carrie,” “Sabrina”… etc. You get the picture.
Share your local horror date night stories with us + your story may be featured in an upcoming newsletter.
Your horror date night stories
We asked and you answered, Columbians. To celebrate Halloween, we’re sharing several of your submitted date night stories that still haunt you to this day. Warning — some of these may send shivers up your spine.
The one about the ex
“I was out on a date with a guy I met on Hinge, and we were talking about where in Columbia we live. As we were chatting, we realized that my date’s ex-girlfriend was my next door neighbor! He then proceeded to spend the rest of the date asking me for updates about her, (i.e. ‘Have you seen her lately?’ ‘Has she seemed busy?’) Talk about being haunted!”
Jack the skipper
“We met in the most promising way; via Hinge. Six grainy pictures and very little information about him later, he decides to surprise me for our second date. Tall, lanky, and very much not the man for me, this Jack-o-lantern type of guy decided he would take me on a tour of USC’s campus. To be clear, this was two years post us graduating from our respective colleges.
So Jack had my 24-year-old self walking up inclines and in blistering heat, giving me a tour of the buildings we couldn’t go inside all while students were on their way to class. Jack showed me places he once ate at, a parking garage he took one class in, and an area by the library where he would cry. After three hours of this and sweating profusely, I wanted to leave.
He takes my hand as we walk towards our cars and starts swinging them. Jack then asks the most horrifying thing, ‘Should we skip the rest of the way?’ I couldn’t control my disgust. I walked to my car and never talked to this man ever again. I should also mention there were red flags you could see from a mile away, like Jack wearing a puka necklace and being a SoundCloud rapper, but I too like a fun story to tell my friends.”
Dawn of the dead
“My former roommate, Count Chocula, had a ghoulish guest over for the night once in college. Upon waking up, we discovered that our near-full bottle of Dawn dish detergent had vanished like an apparition; only for it to re-appear on our doorstep two weeks later, but now completely empty...”
Talk about overstaying your welcome
“This was back when I was 18 and still living with my parents. I (18 F) met someone on Tinder (22 M), let’s call him Fred (Scooby Doo). We exchanged numbers and talked for a while and decided we wanted to go on a date. Fred lived on a military base somewhere in NC, normally not the type I go for, but he seemed nice. I lived close to Conway.
It was a two-hour drive. My parents were really strict so I had to have a detailed plan mapped out before I asked them if Fred could drive over here and pick me up for a date. Surprisingly they said yes. The plan was Fred was going to drive down, we’d get food, watch a movie, and then he would drive back. This would be my first time meeting him in person. Fred and my parents knew the plan.
The problem was as soon as we stopped at the restaurant, I could tell I was not into this guy. I wanted the date to end as soon as possible. We went to the movie and then went back to my house. I was waiting for him to get in his car and leave, but he wanted to stay. By this time it was 11:00 p.m., and I just wanted this date to end. As well as, Fred had to drive back two hours. So I kept coming up with excuses as to why he couldn’t stay.
Fred kept coming up with more things to do. Fred showed me stuff in his car and it was very obvious he was trying to keep the date going. Eventually, I told him about this barn my parents have with a pool table. Mind you he wasn’t going to leave anytime soon, so I at least wanted to physically do something and not just stand outside. We played pool until 3 or 4 a.m. and Fred would not leave.
Eventually, he left and 20 minutes into driving away, Fred called me and said he couldn’t make the drive back. He was falling asleep at the wheel. So he came back. My dad saw his car leave and then when my dad saw his car come back in the driveway he panicked. Fred was in the bathroom and my dad was about to knock down the door. Fred STAYED OVER and slept on our couch and left the next day around 1:00 p.m. Talk about overstaying your welcome.”
Note: Each entry + character was submitted completely anonymously. And if you’ve found a boo worth celebrating, treat them to a thrilling date night.
