She Loved The Attention
She loved the attention she got whenever she posted anything online. She was always excited to see which friends, family members and even strangers had liked or commented on her photos.
Over the years, she had gathered a nice following on social media. But one post was unlike any of the others. It went viral, and at first, she had no idea why. So, what was up with this photo?
Dreams
Olivia Nunn had special dreams of being a star when she was small.
She loved keeping up with the latest news and trends. She was an avid fan of most reality TV shows and kept up with every A-lister. But since she was raised in Middlesbrough, UK, she felt she would never achieve her dreams.
Aspiring Influencer
By the time she reached her early adulthood Olivia had gotten a huge following on social media.
She had learned from watching any makeup tutorials that she could along with anything that would improve her look. After learning these skills she posted the results to Twitter, but one of her photos would gain traction for all the wrong reasons.
Friday Night Lights
One Friday, Olvia decided to go out for an unforgettable night out. She put the makeup tutorials to good use and dolled her self up as best as she could.
She wanted everyone to crane their necks looking at her. She was a young, single girl, why couldn't she flaunt what she had? But the selfie she took the next morning would have people scratching their heads.
The Life Of The Party
Grace loved her outfit when she opened the door to see Olivia. They to of them ubered to the most popular places in town. They wanted a night they could remember.
Olivia always saw herself as the soul of every party. She would shamelessly flirt with anyone and dance to her heart's content. With her favorite music playing and her favorite cocktails coming one after the other, nothing could stop her.
A Rude Awakening
But Olivia would feel the pain of the previous night whenever she woke up the next morning.
She'd have a pounding headache from the night before and would lie in bed scrolling through social media. But she could never have anticipated for something to happen.
In The Background
She decided that she would take a photo of herself and post her shame online. She was still in the same outfit as before including all of her makeup. She had found a hoodie to keep her warm since it was cold.
But there was something hiding in the background of the photo that she wouldn't see. But her friends would be trying frantically to warn her once they saw the photo.
Unhappy-Snap
She wanted her friends to feel sorry for her. She wasn't feeling well after a night of drinking and wanted to get as many like as she could.
In her selfie she was staring at the camera with a tired expression. But her innocent photo would have an uninvited guest hiding in the background.
A Dark Figure
She sent the photo to her friends as well. She wanted them to see how she was feeling and hoped they could agree that they felt the same. But then they saw it in the photo.
It was only a few inches away. It was hiding in the dark where she couldn't see it. Her friends had to let her know before it was too late.
Going Viral
The photo has since gained over 47.7K likes and 3.7K retweets, leaving thousands of users in utter disbelief. Olivia had become an internet sensation overnight.
But what could she have unwittingly captured that had viewers so equally enthralled and revolted? Well, it’s most people’s worst nightmare. And it was hiding right in the hood of her hoodie.
The Post
Grace shared the photo online and the views racked up in a matter of minutes. Later, she made a comment on her friend’s photo that left Olivia amazed.
In the post, Grace said: "Nearly 24 hours later I still cannot get over Olivia sending a hungover selfie in the group chat and there's a spider just chilling in her hood." But how did Olivia react?
Her Reaction
Now you might think that when Olivia realized the truth about her unexpected guest, she reacted the way that most people would on discovering a creepy crawly in such close proximity.
But instead of quickly whipping off her hoodie or screaming, Olivia’s reaction to the spider that was just inches from her face was absolutely priceless.
An Overreaction?
Twitter users were quick to voice their opinions on the matter, and hilarity soon followed. It seems as if everyone overreacted to Olivia’s unwanted guest.
One user said: 'No can u imagine anything worse especially hungover,' Another user stated: 'Literally, I'd cry for the next 10 days.' But was Olivia really in any danger?
Painful, But Not Deadly
“There are only three species of spider in the UK that can bite a human – these are the cellar spider, the woodlouse spider and the false widow spider. No UK spiders are poisonous and there are no killer spiders living in the UK,” According to heart.co.uk.
“However, their bites can be nasty and cause hours of pain for the victim.”
Spider Season
Unfortunately for arachnophobes, spotting spiders indoors in the UK during early September is a common occurrence. When the weather begins to cool, droves of spiders seek shelter indoors so that they can breed. This period is known as “spider season.”
Prof Adam Hart, an entomologist at the University of Gloucestershire, told the BBC that at least "80 percent of the spiders people see are males".
Panic In The Twitterverse
More and more comments flooded in on the post as more people saw it. Other hilarious comments included 'My soul would have left my body,' and 'It's the fact it's got her trapped in there like Ryan Reynolds in Buried... nowhere to run. Can’t take the hood down, can’t move, can’t blink, nothing.’'
But how would Olivia respond?
Nonplussed
While no one would blame her for screaming, burning down the house, or burying the hoodie in concrete, Olivia remained calm.
In fact, in response to a friend’s comment asking how she was coping with the “trauma,” Olivia reassured her followers on social media saying: "Feel fine tbh spiders are my friends.” She really has nerves of steel!
A Similar Experience
One user saw Grace’s post and shared a similar experience after he too had taken a picture of himself and didn’t realize that a spider was crawling right along the lining of his jumper.
Sharing a spine-chilling photo revealing a giant black spider crawling across his collar, he wrote: ‘I’ve been there trust me.’
A Common Fear
According to studies, “Arachnophobia tops the list as the commonly diagnosed of all phobic disorders. Large-scale population surveys indicate that nearly 5% of the global population suffers from arachnophobia… of those people, the majority tend to be women.”
But what can we do to stop these eight-legged nightmares from terrorizing our homes?
Don't Panic
While Twitter users were disturbed by Olivia’s close encounter with a spider, there is no need to panic. There are ways to “spider proof” your home during spider season, experts advise. On the top of the list is to make sure you vacuum your house regularly. It is also advisable to remove any webs you see to discourage spiders from taking up residence in your home.
One woman, however, captured something much creepier than a spider in the background of her photo...
Something There
After the photos went viral, she looked again, baffled. There were photos of her friend, and her friend’s cousin — taken at different times. Nothing unusual. But then, she saw it.
In the background of one of the photos was something she would never be able to unsee. Her heart began to race and her blood turned to ice. She couldn’t explain what she and her friend had found up there, but now everything made sense.
The Mystery Of The Peak
Dundas Peak in Canada is a popular spot among hikers. It boasts a scenic viewpoint that overlooks the city of Hamilton, in Ontario, and is also home to the tallest waterfall in Hamilton, Tew’s Falls.
Due to the Peak’s terrifying beauty, this spot has become popular among social media users looking to capture a share-worthy photo. But within the wilds surrounding the peak, something lurked. And now, she had proof.
Perilous Landscape
Indeed, authorities reported that there was a sharp rise in people going missing on the peak. Most were never found.
Despite the dangers, Dundas Peak has had more than 140,000 visitors since 2016. And one of these visitors was about to spark one of the most bizarre chapters in the area’s history. But he wouldn’t know it until much later.
The Photo
The man’s photograph of himself in the popular pose on the edge of the peak didn’t look like anything out of the ordinary, at first. In fact, his souvenir snap resembled the thousands of other photos taken in the very same spot.
The man is wearing a dark jacket and jeans. He is sitting on the edge of a rocky outcrop, with one leg dangling into the abyss below. Nobody had noticed what was in the background… yet.
Recreation
The man’s cousin, Kim, subsequently saw the daring photo. Just a few days later, she’d booked a babysitter for the weekend and made her way to the peak with one of her closest friends, hoping to recreate the picture in the same spot.
After hiking the 2.4-mile circular trail, the women found the spot easily and took turns posing for their own photos, unaware that they were about to uncover something sinister.
A Glint From Below
Taking in the panoramic views from the peak, the women perched precariously close to the edge. Suddenly, the light caught a glimmer of something below. But it wasn’t the water rushing through the gorge beneath them, it was something much closer.
Dangling on a branch 3 feet below them hung a set of keys.
Who Did They Belong To?
Kim leaned over the edge as far as she dared — whoever had lost the keys surely needed them. She lay down flat on the rock and reached to retrieve them, unaware that she had just made a crucial discovery.
She inspected the bunch of keys and noted that one of the keys was for a car — a Hyundai Elantra.
Alone
As dusk began to creep along the peak, the friends decided that it was time to start making their way back. The park would close soon, and they didn’t want to be in these mountains after dark. They were all-too-aware of the reports.
They hurried back down the trail, suddenly worried that they couldn’t see any other hikers. Then, all the hairs on their arms rose.
Getting Out Of There
The women made their way back to the parking lot with a growing feeling of unease. Then, they spotted the car. But parked beside it was the only other car in the lot — a Hyundai Elektra. It was eerily quiet, and the driver was nowhere in sight. The car was dirty — as if it had been parked there for a long time.
Not wanting to wait around while it grew dark, they left the keys they had found on the car’s roof, on the driver’s side. It was only a week later that they saw the car on the news.
A Mystery
According to the police report, a female tourist had gone missing in the area. Her car had been recovered from the park’s parking lot, but the woman’s whereabouts remained a mystery.
Kim and her friend were shaken by the incident. A month passed, and they had all but forgotten their souvenir snaps. Until a Reddit user made a bizarre observation. And the incident was about to put Dundas Peak firmly in the spotlight once more
A Clue
Kim couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Suddenly, the respective pictures of her friend, her friend’s cousin, and herself on Dundas Peak, posted side-by-side on social media, had racked up thousands of views, shares, and comments.
Everyone had noticed a crucial detail in the background. And when she saw it, it made her blood turn to ice. She turned to Reddit with her unsettling story, hoping for some answers. And they weren’t the ones she had been hoping for.
A Viral Post
“So a little backstory. Around a month ago, my friend and I went hiking at Dundas Peak in Hamilton, Ontario…” She wrote.
“She suggested this location because her cousin went there a few days before us and posted an Instagram of him sitting on the edge of a cliff looking over Hamilton and the Niagara Escarpment. When we got there, we took turns recreating the photo.”
Something Else There
“Today, she messaged me when she noticed something obscure in the background in her cousin’s photograph…” She continued.
“Way below the edge of the trail, where the slope is too steep to stand on, there appears to be a thin person standing unnaturally straight with no visible face.” That there was another person in the photo wasn’t unusual on its own, but the most unsettling detail was still to come.
The Missing Woman?
“I know you’re probably thinking that is probably just a brave hiker,” she continued, “…but trust me, that spot is completely inaccessible. Maybe it isn’t a person? But I’m not sure what else it can be. I was hoping those who have also been to Dundas Peak and have taken a similar picture could share it. Hopefully, we can figure out what… we’re looking at.”
The police report on the missing woman described her as being tall — and she was wearing jeans and a light grey sweater.
An Anomaly?
The most intriguing detail is that the figure does not appear on any of the other photographs taken at Dundas Peak. If the ghostly figure was an anomaly of some kind or a trick of the light, why didn’t it appear in the other 10,000 photographs taken in the same spot?
Soon, the comments were flooding in.
Was It Supernatural?
Many people were quick to suggest that there were numerous people who had gone missing in and around Dundas Peak. They argued that it was entirely possible that the ghostly figure was a hapless hiker who had met a grisly end in the hills.
Although the minority of people found the photograph disturbing, there were many others who argued that there must be a logical explanation. But what could have caused such an anomaly?
A Trick Of The Light?
One user insisted that the “figure” was an illusion caused by the shadows playing on the rockface. Another suggested that melting ice was to blame.
Then, someone came up with the most likely explanation: “Sorry to burst all your bubbles, but there’s a trail that leads up to that area and goes around the escarpment just under the rocks. That is, most likely, a person hiking around.”
A Simple Explanation?
In fact, a Reddit user by the name “tharchitect42” went as far as to claim that they themselves had caused the confusion. The poster claimed that they often went hiking at Dundas Peak. And, furthermore, they had been hiking on the same day that the creepy photograph had been taken. But that wasn’t all…
They also recalled wearing dark jeans and a gray top – an outfit whose appearance would match that of the mystery figure.
A Tragedy
Of course, none of these explanations satisfied everyone. And as the story was shared thousands of times, it was soon picked up by international media outlets. But it was only when the story was published on MailOnline’s website that someone shared another theory.
The commenter pointed out that there had been a fatal train crash below Dundas Peak one Christmas Eve.
Lost Souls
A total of 15 people lost their lives that day in 1934. Many people believe that their souls still haunt the peak. Although the locals have taken the story with a pinch of salt, the photograph continues to circulate and send chills up people’s spines all over the world.
While SlicedUpBeef often goes back to the cliff, she can never forget the strange photo her friend’s cousin took at that same spot. It reminds us that even in the most everyday moments there might be something strange happening.
Old Memory
Many people started commenting on their memories of the train crash. Most people remember stories that they heard from their grandparents. Kim's Reddit post started a whole history lesson on the crash and its effect on the people of the time.
Two commenters actually had first-hand experience of the crash. They also had photographs of their family members and newspaper cuttings from all the articles ever written about the crash.
Still Relevant Today
The comments drew an audience from all across the globe. Many people who had hiked at Dundas Cliff, were shocked to learn about the site's past. This shows that many people don't do much research before going on an outing.
Even Locomotive experts were interested as the story about the crash had made a few rounds in the locomotive industry circle. It was a tragic accident due lack of judgment from the train conductor.
A Moment In Time
In 1853 the first railway station was erected over the escarpment of Dundas Hills. The Grand Trunk Railway took over the Great Western Railway in 1923. Later on, it was taken over by the Canadian National Railway. Unfortunately, there was a huge fire in 1988, and they had to close down.
The Canadian government had to fix the railway system and started by laying down one rail, then the next year, they laid another as well s an additional sidetrack later on.
Dundas Hills
The peaceful town of Dundas encircled the quiet train station. Who knew what horror would unfold on the hills of Dundas on The Christmas night of '34.
The Dundas Train station in Ontario was situated just off Highway 8. It was a small community, so there was not a lot of traffic at the train station. But because it was the Christmas Holidays, an extra train had been brought in for the returning holidaymakers.
Specials
These extra trains were called "Specials." At 9:10 PM on Christmas Night, one of the eastbound specials pulled onto a sidetrack 400 yards beyond the station due to technical problems.
The conductor had to radio in about a hot crank pin and notified the relevant authorities that he would stop the train to cool down. He hoped that this would help cool the engine.
Overheating
After 10 minutes of being switched off, the crank was still boiling. The conductor and brakeman decided to phone Hamilton to order a replacement engine. It would not be safe for them to start the train again. The second brakeman (unnamed )was sent to the phone in the request.
As the second brakeman was walking back to the train, he noticed another train, the Maple Leaf Flye, fast approaching from the east track.
A Big Mistake
He was afraid that the Flyer would ram into the stationary special on the main line, so he acted quickly. Completely oblivious to the specials' location, he made a hasty decision that would cost many lives.
The Flyer drove straight into the back end of the special, smashing the wooden cars into smithereens. Passengers, wood, and metal were falling everywhere. People were screaming. The lights went out.
Fast Action
The Flyer conductor had only a few seconds to act at this moment. He quickly applied brakes to slow down, but he was going too fast, and the impact was certain. The engineer promptly advised him to disconnect the passenger carts, which he immediately did.
This fast thinking saved all the passengers on the Maple leaf Flyer; nobody on board was seriously hurt.
The Damage
Two rear cars of the special were destroyed; unfortunately, the passengers in them died on impact as well. There was a total of 15 deaths and 33 injuries. Paramedics had to turn the baggage room at the rain station into a makeshift emergency theatre.
Many people tried to he those injured as they waited for transport to the General Hospital. It was utter chaos. In contrast, the fit tried to assist the injured; the dead lay among the broken cars and splinters, waiting to be seen.
Holiday Time
The special holiday train was an older model made primarily from wood. So when the Flyer, a modern, more robust steel-made train, crashed into the special, all its cars started to buckle and fold upon impact like an accordion. Passengers were trapped inside in the dark.
The light connection was run on gas, and on the trains impacted, the connection was broken, making everyone more paranoid about the leaking gas and impending fire.
The Aftermath
The crash site was littered with baggage, toys and Christmas presents that would never see who they were meant for. Family members cried as they tried to collect pieces of their family members' belongings.
The only gift the resident of Dundas got was grief and pain this year. What was supposed to be the happiest time of year turned into the greatest tragedy.
A Sad Christmas
Slowly, the influx of injured passengers seemed to calm down. There were fewer screams and cries for help. The living could attend to the dead. One by one, paramedics and policemen helped to find limbs and legs and placed them in the baggage room to be identified.
A happy holiday turned into a horror show just with one unconscious decision.
Another Survivor
When sorting through rubble and debris, a rather cute surprise was found. A cat was safely snuggled inside a luggage bag, still alive. When the railroad workers opened the bag, the frightened cat jumped out and ran around.
The workers were given a bit of a runaround but eventually managed to return the cat to the owner.
Real or Fake
Is it the latest lost hiker woman or an old lost train soul? Perhaps it's both. Maybe it's a space where the ghosts are trapped and can only attain salvation if they are indeed seen. One thing remains, it is a spooky place where strange things happen.
The area is notorious for loss and death. It has a negative aura around it, so those that travel there or hike on those trails should do so with heed.
The Truth
Travel and Tourism companies have used the scary stories on the Dunda Hills to attract passersby. The town has nothing else to offer but beautiful scenery, so they cannot afford to lose their yearly income.
The mayor does not want the town to suffer any more losses because of a bad reputation. There are big plans in store for the future of Dundas Hills as a historical Canadian- American Town.
Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.