[Lauren]

My dad used to be an investor in a private day nursery in the middle of this weird posh forest place, and he used to go in on a weekend when no-one was there to tidy up the garden and stuff.

Well one weekend I went with him, and I was only about 10, so I used to play in the older playrooms with slides and things. It was an old converted castle with a tiny little basements all around with cool things in. So I went in one of the tiny basements to get some stationary and crayons, there was only a little lantern and the stone staircase was narrow... I was finding some crayons when I looked to the top of the staircase and there was a strange man just standing there looking at me crying.

I almost died with shock. He started coming down the stairs, so I screamed for my dad who thankfully was in the next room above ground and rushed to grab the man (who then fainted...). So my dad locked me in the dayroom and told me to wait 10 mins whilst he found out who the man was and phoned the police. So I waited by the door, almost in tears with shock when I felt the door trying to wiggle open. I saw my life flashing before my eyes, I managed to glance through the little window of the door and saw two eyes looking back at me - imagine that moment in a nightmare when you're being chased by someone scary and they're almost there? - thats how it felt.

My foot gave way and the door opened, my heart was racing, I turned around... there was my dad. RELIEF! It was him trying to open the door all along but I'd stopped him with my foot.

Turns out the man was a depressed alcoholic paranoid schizophrenic who'd just broken up with his wife, was confused, lost and drunk and close to death so my dad drove him to the hospital and gave him food and stuff.

Scariest and weirdest day of my life, EVER.
And a very long story, whoops.