The Missing Parking Lot (Part 1)

A friend and I started a Youtube channel over a year ago that is on an indefinite hiatus due to something we stumbled into and now find ourselves involved in. We both enjoyed watching videos of urban exploration, “urbex” as it's known in short. Being the first in perhaps decades to walk inside a long forgotten hidden space was exciting to us. 

With a newfound excuse to hangout, Andy and I kept busy and did some research over equipment, what to be prepared for, and places of interest in our area. Buying the best gear we could find within our budget, we were off recording making our own videos soon after. 

We went to various locations that piqued our interest including a closed off parking garage, abandoned overgrown house and an old run down apartment complex to name a few. Looking back it was this complex that made us start to see urban exploring as more than a hobby.

The complex was 3 stories high and very run down. It felt and looked like we were in a horror movie as we recorded. Locations were getting a little repetitive for us at the time and this was the change of scenery we had been looking for. Unfortunately, owners had just installed cameras near the entrance we had failed to notice.

We were kicked out 20 min in by police. 

Cop’s asked us for our I.D’s and addressed us with our formal names Andres and Pedro which Andy particularly disliked. We told them we were photographers and they seemed fine about us snooping around but said the place was falling apart and was soon to be demolished and fenced; we were asked to leave for our own safety.

The video of us at the complex and getting caught by police got us some actual views and subscribers, even though it was our shortest upload yet. Suddenly hooked and in need of help we hit up Dario, a mutual friend to operate another camera and give our videos more perspectives.

No longer were we after simple dilapidated places. We were now in search of places that we were most likely not allowed to be in. Unique locations that might be unsafe, that could get us fined and or worse, all to keep our viewers invested.

An old church rumored to be haunted was next. Members of a skate park blocks away from the forgotten place of worship mentioned how they had often seen a ghostly figure there, and very recently. Lying or not, thanks to them we got a good setup for the video with footage of eye witness accounts and proceeded to go check the place out. 

This ghost turned out to be nothing more than a homeless man wearing an oversized sweatshirt. Even then the footage we recorded wasn’t any less terrifying. The bum had chased us out and broken through the rotted floor. Falling a full story through on the basement floor below, we assumed he was seriously hurt.

Looking down through the ruptured wooden flooring Andy focused his light on the man’s face, who was seemingly unconscious. Suddenly covering his sight with one hand and clearly drunk, the man got up and started yelling obscenities. All while vigorously giving us the finger with both hands. 

Glad he was unhurt, we chuckled, told him sorry and that we would leave a flashlight behind for him. We left it by the door along with some cash and the man again yelled for us to get out. We ran back to the car before he finished walking up the basement steps.

This upload was eventually our most lucrative and the video that put us on the youtube algorithm with many viewers watching weeks after upload. The top comment mentioned how considering it was a church, the man had landed in a very fitting position with his arms spread to either side and legs close together. This made us laugh.

In spite of this video's success most of our audience accused it of being staged. This frustrated the three of us but we decided to run with it, whichever way it was perceived, they still tuned in.

Our last stop to date and the origin of our current dilemma started at an abandoned junkyard.

Trying to break the routine with the goal to go on a hike right after, it was located over an hour away from us, surrounded by forest. There were a few houses on the way but the place was in the middle of nowhere, the closest gas station was 20 minutes out. On our way early we got there before noon. 

With our gloves on, we climbed in through the old front gate that had fallen inwards and was leaning on a few cars. Once inside we made our way towards a small house in the premises that we could maybe check out; taking good footage of the few cars we recognized and some that had been almost completely swallowed by foliage. 

Checking the place out we suddenly heard a car coming and hid behind a few cars looking out and recording towards the fence. 

The three of us then saw a white truck blasting country music park near the fallen gate. Out walked a heavy set man, after he stepped out we saw his dog jump off. It looked to be a bully breed of some sort, the dog started barking the minute it stepped out of the truck.

“What is it boy?”, the man asked the dog. He took a quick look at his surroundings before reaching in his truck and pulling out a rifle. 

The dog clearly had our scent and we needed to get out soon. The man whistled as he walked around the fence, hearing the rattle of keys, we started to quietly walk back the way we came. The screech of a gate being open as the dog continued barking was what made us take off running. 

“Hey”!! The man yelled when he saw us. I looked back and saw a cloud of dirt form as his dog came running after us.

Panicking we each took off in separate directions.

Dario jumped over the fence from the rooftop of an old truck and hurt his ankle on the landing. I climbed over the fence so fast a nail caught on my palm under my thumb and cut my hand open. Landing on some grass outside the fence I held my hand tightly to stop the bleeding. 

Andy tore his jeans open when he climbed up two stacked cars. The dog then jumped and bit his jean threads. Trying to pull him down, Andy's pants luckily ripped further until the dog managed to rip the whole back off one of his jean legs, revealing his boxers. 

Andy continued climbing with his shredded jeans and jumped and ran over a section of the fence that had just about fallen over, leaning similarly to the gate we had entered through. When he made it out he yelled at the man that we weren’t stealing and meant no harm. That we were just photographers, he held out his camera as he caught his breath. 

“I don’t care who you are, I just bought this property and don’t want to see you creepin’ round here”. The man said after laughing loudly. He then called his barking dog a good boy and continued laughing. 

“Ya'll better take off now fore’ I call the police”, he yelled pointing at us with his rifle in one hand before walking out of view into the small house.

I got up as Andy walked towards us shaking his head and cursing. He was still breathing heavily, with what was left of his pants swaying in the wind. We both saw that Dario had still been recording. 

“I recorded the whole thing boys” he said through the pain as Andy helped him up and walked him over to our car. Taking out the first aid kit we patched up my hand best we could. 

Needless to say we called off our hike and headed to the nearest hospital. Unfortunately that meant driving further into the town, as I was bleeding quite a bit. I was treated quickly and didn't need any stitches, just surgical sutures and a tetanus shot.

It took Dario much longer to get treated and x-rayed, while he was in a lot of pain, it was just a badly sprained ankle. Andy had another pair of pants that he changed into. Our past ventures had taught us to bring extra sets of clothes just in case. During the time we got treated he scouted out the area and got us some decent food to eat. 

When Andy came back to the hospital with the food, the TV in the lobby was tuned to the local news mentioning the identities of some teenagers who had last been seen a week earlier. Search efforts were taking place nearby with many volunteers and family of the victims asking for help.

Waiting in line to be asked who he was visiting to be let in, he overheard some folks talk about lesser known disappearances from many years back, majority of which still remain unsolved. How people used to refer to the town as a small disappearance hot spot until the major improvements in infrastructure and arrival of GPS helped with traversal.

“Avoid evening and late night travel is what people used to tell me,” an older gentleman said.

“Both on foot and by car” A lady added. 

“Considering the cars of most local victims also vanished I would agree” another lady replied.

“I was always told growing up to behave or whatever was in the woods would come get me. I'm still a little scared to this day”. Another man said. Some laughed at his remark as he was quite obviously the oldest one in the conversation. 

Theories were thrown out and many attributed the disappearances to an arrested serial killer that frequented a nearby area. Evidence was never found to suggest this but many believed it to be true. It was at this point Andy got the idea to come back for our next video, he wouldn't need to convince us, we would have plenty of reason to return. 

Conversation was still ongoing when Andy was eventually allowed up to Dario’s room where he and I waited for the food. By the time we ate and were out of the hospital it was past 3pm. 

Back in the car we finally went over footage of the three cameras. Dario had done well in recording, his footage was the one that clearly showed what we had just gone through. The way Andy’s pants ripped and how he almost got pulled down by the dog reminded me of a Charlie Chaplin film. 

Dario and I barely managed to keep a straight face and not laugh, Andy cursed at the dog as he watched it bite his pants. 

Quickly brainstorming ideas for the upload, we planned to show pictures of both my healing cut and Dario’s swollen ankle in the video. Taking a long break was unavoidable but at least it was harder to claim it as fake. 

With our injuries treated and feeling better we decided to check the area out further before heading home. 

Andy had seen places that might work for future videos. Intending to drive by an old warehouse he took a wrong turn and we ended up at a beautiful forested suburban area taking in the scenic sights and recording while driving through.

“This makes up for our lost hike,” Dario said as he took footage of our surroundings while in the car. 

Andy then began to tell us about the conversation he heard in the hospital and the news of the missing teens as he drove. Forced to turn around a few times after hitting some dead ends in the maze-like neighborhood, we were suddenly pulled over by an officer.

Andy had his license and registration in hand before the officer walked up to our car. After running it through the database and not finding anything of note he told us he had stopped us because a local resident had seen us driving back and forth and grown suspicious of us. 

“Most homeowners in the area are wealthy, retired, and very wary of strangers. Many houses are vacation homes and empty for extended periods of time. Local properties make for perfect targets.” he told us. 

Officer then proceeded to do some small talk asking what we were up to and where we were headed. We told him we were photographers looking for a good spot.

Conversation was going well until he saw my bandaged hand and asked me how I got hurt. I had to think for a second before I told him I simply fell hiking; he read my bluff and asked me to step out of the car. 

Things escalated quickly and before I knew it, I was in handcuffs.

Andy and Dario tried asking the officer why I was arrested while I was in his cruiser. The ranger just told them they were both also suspects and called for backup. Due to limited resources in the rural area they were to be escorted in their car to the ranger station 30 min away while I rode in the back of the cruiser. 

I was taken to the ranger station and put in an interrogation room. I waited there for an hour before an officer came in and asked me where I was 2 nights before. 

“I was at work away from this stupid town", I told him before asking for a lawyer. The officer then said a lawyer was on the way for me before walking out. 

15 minutes later my lawyer walked in. Told me to call him Frank and proceeded to tell me the details and what I, along with my friends, was believed to be involved in. One of the recent break-ins had apparently happened 2 nights before we showed up. The suspect had left a blood trail that started by the broken window of the house.

It looked like the culprit had most likely cut themselves on exiting the premises and ran into the forest with the stolen goods.

I told Frank that my injury had happened that morning and that I could get doctor's notes and proof of hospital visits from just a few hours earlier. He wrote that down on a notepad. 

“Is there anything else you can tell me, Pedro? The police report states that you and your friends are photographers. Are there any pictures, any proof that might show where you and your friends were recently?” He asked.

I thought to myself for a bit. I didn’t realize I was spacing out until he started talking again.

“If nothing comes to mind I’m afraid we will have to perform and wait for blood samples to come through to see if you are indeed a match, that could take anywhere from 2 days to a week. Keep in mind you will probably have to wait in town, I’ll do my best to stop them from keeping you in a holding cell”.

“I know you and your friends are a ways out from home. Do your best to clear your mind and think of something, okay Pedro?”. He asked.

No way I’m staying in this town for another day I thought to myself before telling my lawyer the truth.

I told Frank that we weren't just photographers. I told him we were urban explorers that had snuck into a local junkyard and that's how I had gotten hurt. 

“Look Pedro this doesn’t help your case in any way, was it private property? " he asked.

“Yes, I cut myself jumping over the fence”, I answered.

“So you’re telling me you didn't break into the house you're being framed for but you broke into a nearby junkyard?” he then asked.

“Umm, yeah” I answered, realizing I sounded more guilty now than before.

“I’m assuming your friends have proof you were there this morning?” he asked, taking notes.

“Yes, we actually have a few recordings, even one that shows how everything happened”. I said

“Okay I will get with them, I’ll take a look at that recording and see if that helps your case. You hang tight I’ll be back in a bit”. Frank then walked out while I waited and eventually fell asleep.

I woke up to an officer shaking my shoulder and telling me I was free to wait out in the lobby. I could tell he was holding in a laugh. My friends were happy to see me out and said that they had been waiting for 2 hours while my case was being processed. Both had also received a pat down and officers had inventory searched all our backpacks.

When asked about the recordings, they had tried to play dumb but Frank said he knew about them and they were likely the fastest way my charges could be dropped. Once the videos were analyzed in a private office room they could hear how it made my lawyer as well as a few officers laugh and completely change their demeanor. 

Both my lawyer as well as the station had made copies of the recordings for future reference in the case. I’m sure they all would have had a blast if they were ever able to show the video to friends and family. 

As we caught up, Frank walked out of a room along with an officer and said that thanks to our recordings my charges for breaking and entering/theft were being dropped. They were just to perform a police search on our vehicle and a welfare check on our “friend” the junkyard owner.

The car inspection took less than 20 min, it was the check up on the junkyard that took longer as the owner was not there. Cops performed a full survey of the premises, concluded everything was in order and reported back to the station. 

Frank again spoke to us and said we were no longer suspects in the case, but I was likely still in hot water for lying to an officer and trespassing if the junkyard owner decides to file a report. We waited in the station for another hour before we were finally told we could leave and handed back our car keys. 

Officers didn’t even try to hide it, they had gotten a kick out of Dario’s Recording and said that it had made their week. I’m assuming it was the reason all our charges were dropped so soon. The only thing was we could not upload or do anything with the footage until further notice. 

Following Frank out we thanked him, he gave us his card to keep in touch if anything else came of the proceedings. As we spoke outside a few officers ran out of the station, each took off in separate cruisers.

“I wonder what’s going on”, Andy asked. Frank then mentioned the teenagers that had gone missing a week before and that maybe something had come up in the search that was currently being held.

Frank then said he had to go, shook our hands and wished us good luck. He walked away giving Andy a pat on the back and smirk telling him to bring proper equipment next time he goes climbing.

“Take care now, you boys drive safe”. He said getting in his car and driving off.

“God I’m never gonna hear the end of it once we upload that video, I don’t even want to upload it anymore”. Andy said as we saw Frank drive off.

“Oh we’re uploading it no matter what, you getting your pants ripped by that dog was the best thing that happened to us today”. I replied.

“Not a chance I’m letting my footage go to waste”. Dario Added.

“Shut up,” Andy said, walking to our car. Dario waddled his way, following us on his crutches. 

Finally back in our car it was just about 8pm when we started our drive back home. The night had an eerie vibe with fog beginning to form. I took some pain medication to stop my hand from pulsating and hurting. The three of us were hungry and tired at this point and just wanted to have a relaxing normal drive.

It was gonna take about 3 hours to get back home thanks to the “detours” we had endured. Both Dario and I would have to call off from work the next day. Debating over getting a hotel or driving back home, ultimately we decided on driving back home due to our injuries and unpleasant experiences in the town.

Andy was okay with driving the full 3 hours as he was off the next day and said he had taken a decent nap while in the station. He of course didn’t have much of a choice, Dario and I were still injured. 

I was starting to doze off when we came to a full stop and I opened my eyes to the blinking lights of 2 police cruisers. They were parked blocking the road in front of us. 

“What now?” Dario asked from the backseat. 

“You guys see that?” Andy asked as he looked out his window to our left. Out in the distance we could see some parked cars and flashlights flickering and bouncing through the trees. We had run into the search party for the missing teens.

Still looking to our left, we were suddenly startled by the tapping of my passenger seat window. It was one of the officers that had run out of the station as we spoke to Frank outside earlier. I then rolled my window down.

“Sorry gentlemen this road is blocked, you are gonna have to go back the way you came and take a detour.” He said leaning on our car. “You all have a physical map handy?” he then asked.

“Yeah I think so” Andy said, pointing for me to pull it out of the glove compartment.

The officer asked us where we were headed, then wrote and drew on the map. He told us phone reception was usually very bad in the area and gave us directions for an old logging route to take. It was a dirt road primarily used for hiking during the day, a few officers knew of it and used it from time to time. 

The road ended on an uphill hard right turn that would be harder to see at night; if we stayed at or below the speed limit we'd be fine. We were skeptical but based on where we were headed the officer calculated it would save us 20 minutes. The alternative was driving more than half an hour back around the town.

Normally there’d be no reason to take that road at night but he recognized our predicament and would allow it. 

Before turning the car around Andy asked the officer if the flashlights in the distance were the search party. Officer confirmed it was them and that the roadblock was ongoing because of evidence they found. Said some volunteers decided to continue the search later than usual hoping something else would turn up in the area.

After thanking the officer we drove off towards the shortcut eventually driving by a forensic van. Our suspicion that the search party had likely found a body being all but confirmed. We were obligated to turn on our high beams at this point as the fog was getting much worse. 

I opened maps on my phone for another perspective and just like the officer had said there was no record of such a road, it was only when I switched to satellite view that I was able to see it. Following the officers directions as well as my phone we slowed down after driving by a closed campground entrance and kept an eye out.

 Sure enough the small road suddenly came up on our left. 

“Is that enough signs or what?” I said as we stopped and looked at the entrance. There were 4 signs posted: A drive with your lights on, a very old logging grounds sign, a fog area sign, and a subject to flooding sign.  

“We have our high beams on, we already knew it was a logging ground road, we can clearly see the fog, and the area is completely dry”, Andy said pointing at each sign he referenced as he spoke.

“We’ll be fine, this baby’s 4 wheel drive”. He added tapping the dashboard. Dario and I agreed and we drove inside the unknown road presuming everything would be okay. 

We entered the dirt road and the darkness around us increased drastically giving the illusion that the forest was closing in, slowly swallowing us. The dirt and dust combined with the fog was severely affecting our visibility. All three of us were fully concentrated on the drive looking straight ahead.

“I can’t see anything! I feel like I’m driving recklessly and I’m not even hitting 20 mph!” Andy said loudly. The crunching of the dirt and bouncing and rattling of the car seemed to get worse all of a sudden.

“Holy shit, This is making my ankle hurt” Dario said from the middle of the back seat, he was holding on to both front headrests to keep himself more steady. We were all still focused on the drive looking forward when in an instant a large black mass moved in front of us from the right.

“Watch Out!” I yelled as it first came into view from my passenger window.

Andy hit the brakes and simultaneously honked. The car came to a full stop in just enough time to avoid collision, we looked at whatever was in front of us intently. 

“What the hell is that?” Andy asked in a frightened tone. Whatever it was it moved slightly revealing its horns and we realized we were looking at the rear end of an elk. 

“That’s a big boy,” Andy said, still holding his chest from the scare. 

“Yo Pedro, let's try to get good pics of it,” Dario said, handing me my camera.

I struggled to turn on the camera but snapped a couple shots of the animal.

“We aren’t gonna get very good shots of the animal with all this fog, plus I can’t really operate my camera well with my bandaged hand” I said while still taking pics.

“Yeah, I’m mostly getting its ass, I can barely see its horns and head” Dario said while also getting shots.

“Just get out and take some better pictures of it you guys” Andy said jokingly.

“Oh hell no I’m not going out there” I answered.

“Are you crazy, I can’t even stand?” Dario asked mid laugh. 

Andy also laughed and again honked at the animal. It was seemingly startled by the horn except it didn't budge; it just stayed there looking on, frozen in shock. With its back still towards us and facing forward, it turned its head to look behind itself and we saw its eyes catch the light of our high beams. 

“Come on big guy, buzz off, get off the road!”Andy said loudly as he switched the car headlights on and off a few times to see if it would finally make the elk move. 

It seemed to work as the animal continued down the road for a few feet and then made a left turn into the forest, out of the range of our headlights. Just like it came into view it was gone in an instant.

We inched forward, moving even slower than before. Dario joked they should add a wildlife crossing sign to the road entrance and we laughed. None of us said a word for a few minutes. I could sense a bit of tension forming between us, like we were all understandably anticipating something else to happen. 

It had been a rough day and we were all understandably on edge. Laughing at our predicaments gave me relief and helped us tremendously. The three of us just wanted to get back to an area we recognized, sick of being on the road in an unfamiliar place far away from home. 

For a second I lamented taking the shady road after everything that had happened to us but I recognized we were desperate to get out of this town and save time. Looking for my phone that had flown out of my hands when we hit the brakes, I found it stuck between my seat and the right side of the car. 

After I managed to yank it out I tried to access maps and quickly realized I had no service of any kind. I asked Andy and Dario to check their phones and they also had no service. My anxiety only grew as I unfolded the paper map and we continued onwards.