Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. And today’s podcast features 3 stories that demonstrate that. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.

Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:

• #3 -- "Rest Stop" -- You never know who you might run into (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIvIBKiQhVM)
• #2 -- "Luggage" -- A real life James Bond is found in an impossible place (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWWWMdm9ZY4)
• #1 -- "The Bear, the Plane, and the Duffel" -- The crazy true story of the rogue bear in Georgia (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrkrdozOMoQ)

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a special bonus episode of "You Can't"

Today, I’m going to tell two stories about how an idea that might seem brilliant in the moment… can quickly turn out to be the worst thing ever.

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On a cold winter night in 1999, a man drove down a dark street towards his house in a small Iowa town. Suddenly, he saw something glowing in his headlights, and he slammed on the brakes. He got out of his car. And there, in the lights, he saw a dog standing all by herself. And she was making this soft squeaking sound like she was scared. The man slowly approached, talking to the dog as he walked. He knew everyone who lived in his neighborhood, and he’d never seen this dog before. He knelt down and kept trying to calm the dog. She didn’t look hurt and she didn’t have any tags. Slowly, the man coaxed her to follow him into his house. And over the next few weeks, he would try to locate her owner. But the man had no idea that this dog hadn’t just wandered off… and that she was the key police desperately needed to solve a gruesome murder.

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s podcast will feature 3 stories about terrifying discoveries people made that would change their lives forever. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel and has been remastered for today's episode.

Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:

• #3 -- "Cutting it Close" -- A stark reminder to never get into a car with a stranger (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNbRksDBLHw)
• #2 -- "The Boxxx" -- A woman receives a mysterious box from her neighbor... Would you look inside? (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsKSqWj3HpQ)
• #1 -- "What’s That Smell?" -- Dad discovers a horrifying secret in his family's apartment (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP5mWDCPQOw)

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1984, in a small city in northeastern China, a security guard stood outside of a warehouse, working an overnight shift. The guard heard a noise coming from some bushes nearby, but he didn’t think much about it. This was a safe town, and usually the hardest part of his job was staying awake. But suddenly, two thieves in ski masks emerged from the bushes, and rushed the guard. They grabbed him, and slammed his head against the outside wall of the warehouse, and the guard fell to the ground in a daze. One of the thieves quickly gagged the guard, bound his hands and feet, and said he needed to keep his mouth shut if he wanted to stay alive. Terrified, and struggling to keep his eyes open, the guard watched as the two thieves opened the warehouse door and ran inside. This robbery would shake the local community, but it was nothing in comparison to the horrific crimes it would set off, and the gruesome discovery the police would soon make on the outskirts of town.

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s podcast will feature 2 horrifying stories that both take place on the open sea. The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.

Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:

• #2 -- "The Perfect Bait" -- Fishing trip turns into a nightmare (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocMkM1MM1A8)
• #1 -- "The Gray Blanket" -- A Japanese fisherman endures a two week long nightmare that would mark the first time in history that humans experienced a particular terrifying phenomenon (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0CgN8mvqzA)

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A seven-year-old boy cowered in the closet of his family’s suburban home in Florida. He was buried beneath jackets and sports gear, listening to screams coming from down the hall. When they stopped, the silence that followed was far worse. Then heavy footsteps approached and a shadow passed beneath the door. The boy braced for it to burst open, thinking he was about to be found, but the shadow moved on. The boy held his breath until he heard the front door to his house open and shut. The boy wanted nothing more than to stay where he was, but his mother and brother were in danger. So he swallowed his fear, pushed through the coats, and stepped out. The house was silent and still, no broken furniture, no blood – at least until he reached the bedroom. There was a figure on the bed. The sight was too much to process, and he immediately looked away. His gaze fell on a phone lying on the blood-soaked sheet, its screen glowing, and then a voice rose from the speakers… Someone was on the line.

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Every now and again, I’ll find a story that’s just really upsetting to me. Now, obviously a lot of the stories I cover are all quite distressing. But today’s story, which is about a missing hiker named Mike Turner – it just really upset me. It actually made it really hard to record this episode. So, consider this your warning that I personally believe this is a very upsetting story, but an important story that we would not be covering if there wasn’t some real weight behind it. And I think the moral of this story, ultimately, is you really need to treasure your family while they’re still around.

Story name, preview & link to original YouTube video:

• #1 -- "Closer to God" -- A man's hiking trip turns into a nightmare (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3doPbW2VS3Q)

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.