Your Local Video Store

I used to order DVD rentals from a local video store in my hometown. They usually promoted family movies like “Air Bud” or “Shrek.” I usually ordered horror movies though, for example: I ordered a rental of all of the “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th”movies.

But a few months ago I ordered a Disney movie to watch with my ex, I think it was “Lion King.” I didn't receive the movie. After about three weeks I called the store. This didn't help much, they told me they were out of the movie. I didn't order another, I just took my girlfriend out for dinner. I slept over at her house. When I came back to my house, I felt a little uneasy from the night before.

I shrugged and checked my mail. Junk, bills, and a DVD from my local video store. I was surprised, they sent me “Lion King,” or so I thought. The DVD has no graphic on the front, it had scratches on the bottom, and it had “Y...Tim-” on the front. I shrugged and said it must be an old burned copy. There was no menu or trailers. I was uneasy.

The DVD started playing the movie, it was a home movie. It looked like either a higher-end digital camera or a low-end HD camcorder. The camera was on and recording inside of a car. It was sitting down, not moving. I hear a mumbled sentence but couldn't make out what it said, it sounded like a large male. The camera then started to move. I saw my driveway. Someone was walking towards my house.

The video then cut and showed my front door. The person holding the camera put the camera on his shoulder, it must have had a strap. It showed him forcing my door open. I paused the video and checked my door, I saw that there was in fact a dent on my door. I locked both doors in my house. I started the video again. It was night so it was dark inside of my house. The camera man moved towards my bedroom door and opened it. He was empty handed. He was videoing me sleeping. I froze as I watched the person videoing me while I slept. He hurried out of the house making sure every door was back like it was.

I was freaked out. I immediately called the video store and told them that I want to meet the manager about a DVD I rented and that I wanted to send it back. They agreed. I received a call the next day, the store was closing and they told me to send back the movie. I tried to send it back and the Postal Service denied the return because their inbox and P.O. Box was closed.

I threw out the DVD and called my girlfriend. I slept over at her house that night. When I returned to my house in the morning I told my landlord that someone broke in the other night, he called the police and they checked my house. No one was home. No sign of forced entry, I said ok and went into my house. I checked my mail again, I received another DVD in the mail. There was also a letter from the video store. I watched the DVD. It was the same as the other, except it was a different day. There was a date on the video also, the previous day's date. The person not only got into my house easier, he also had a knife in his hand. He opened my bedroom door, I wasn't in there. I took out the DVD, packed all of my stuff, paid my landlord my month's rent, and left. I didn't read the letter until later that night at my girlfriend's house.

It said, “To whom it may concern, we sent you a DVD and it hasn't been returned. Our manager stopped by to retrieve it last night. You were not there. Please, return our movies or your account will be canceled. Thank you, have a nice day.”

It did not look like a business letter, it was written in red ink.