Imagine booking a cozy getaway in Portland, Oregon, and arriving at an accommodation that seems straight out of a horror movie.
For two young tourists, Tierra Burris and Scarlet Wolf, this was the unfortunate reality. The modern age of digital rentals brought them face to face with the dark side of home-sharing.
Having paid a hefty sum of $3,500 for a two-week stay, the young duo eagerly approached their booked home, hoping for a dream vacation.
Instead, a series of alarming discoveries left them deeply shaken.
To begin with, they were mistakenly given the wrong address for the property.
One might forgive such an oversight, assuming it a simple clerical error. Yet, when they finally made it to the correct location, the oddities quickly piled up.
At first glance, the home appeared ‘gorgeous,’ as the girls described. Yet, the front door was strangely inaccessible.
After praising the beauty of the kitchen – a redeeming factor, one might say – the narrative took a more sinister turn. The lack of blinds on the windows was the first of many unsettling features. An unusable front door with a peculiar alarm system further raised eyebrows.
In a bizarre twist, the duo revealed in their now-viral TikTok video, which garnered almost 5 million views, that they were directed to use a backdoor that led directly to a bedroom.
They had been handed a key, but an additional key was found outside, raising serious concerns about security and intention.
@tierrasaurusrex Quirks and Charm @C @airbnb #scaryairbnb ♬ original sound – Tierra
The host later claimed to have no knowledge of this mysterious key.
However, what followed was nothing short of the stuff of nightmares. As Burris took the viewers on a tour of the house, a series of disturbing finds came to light.
There were tunnels, holes, and strange routes throughout the house.
One such peephole discovered in the lower level led straight into the bedroom.
The existence of this hole, coupled with the fact that there was space enough for a person to hide next to it, amplified the horror.
The terror of the home’s features took an even darker turn when Burris mentioned the unsettling context: they were in a city where a possible serial killer, identified as Jesse Lee Calhoun, was at large.
This detail intensified the already mounting fear and speculation.
Further explorations unveiled more harrowing discoveries: doors with former external locks, secret tunnels, concealed rooms, and nooks that the duo wouldn’t dare enter. The basement emerged as the epicenter of the terror with the revelation of a door that once had an external lock.
Burris hauntingly narrated, ‘This door leads to God knows where… There’s just this little wood block that’s used to be turned quite regularly keeping it closed with an open vent above it.’
The online community rallied around the two tourists, expressing shock and concern.
Comments poured in, highlighting how the discovery of the second key alone would’ve been enough for many to leave. Concerns about security, privacy, and potential harm were evident, with many emphasizing the chilling peephole leading to the bedroom.
Despite the trauma and palpable danger they felt, getting a refund from Airbnb proved another battle for Burris and Wolf. The duo had to fight for their money, underscoring the challenges consumers sometimes face when dealing with digital platforms.
However, after sharing their story, the platform did eventually return their money in full.
The incident serves as a chilling reminder in the age of digital home rentals: what appears idyllic on the surface may conceal a maze of horrors within.
It stresses the need for stringent checks and a robust redressal system, ensuring that users’ safety isn’t compromised.
After all, a vacation should be an escape to paradise, not a plunge into a real-life horror story.
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