Not my story but my granny's.

Back in the 30's when she was a little kid they lived in a big old house in the countryside about 5 or so miles from the nearest village. Their house had no electricity and no working phone. Her father was in the army and away at the time, meaning his wife and 5 kids were home alone. Her mum went downstairs in the middle of the night to get a drink and heard a weird noise outside, saw the outline of a huge man muttering to himself. She calmly went upstairs, locked my granny and her 4 siblings into the master bedroom and told them to hide under the bed and be quiet or a monster would get them, snuck out the back door and cycled, YES cycled to the nearest village to wake up the police officer and get help.

By the time they came back there was no-one to be found, but the next day they found a meat cleaver among the flowerbeds. Did I mention there was an asylum and a convent run home for the "disabled and disturbed" within walking distance of the house. Luckily they were all okay, and they moved house shortly after, but that story clearly traumatised my granny as she was around 10 at the time and vividly remembered it until her dying day!