When Aaron received a text that said, “I think it’s dead—and it’s in your backyard,” he didn’t expect it to lead to one of the most unexpectedly moving encounters of his life.

What began as a grim discovery turned into a quiet reflection on empathy, loss, and the humanity that can show up in the most unlikely places. In this 7-minute true story, Aaron meets a man whose job is to remove what’s been left behind—but whose heart reveals something much deeper.

🎙️ Listen to Aaron tell stories and talk with special guests live during Night Stories on its new ⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠—these late-night sessions go live every Thursday starting @ 9:30PM EST and going into the late night hours...

And as a 7 Minute Stories listener, you get first dibs: ⁠⁠⁠skip the ads on YouTube and unlock VIP access to Aaron’s audio-only private studio! ⁠⁠⁠It’s like having your own radio feed in your pocket. Get year-round, commercial-free access to Night Stories—and join the amazing community we’re building—just by subscribing to the 7MS Newsletter.

The Team:

Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato

Senior Audio Engineer:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ken Wendt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Additional vocals: Cori Calafato

Artist in Residence: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Whitehead ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke

Additional Soundscape Design: Isaac Gehring

Special Thanks:

Rob Montague Jr

Kyle McCarthy

Dania Khalife

*Additional sounds on cleared list and used with paid license via artlist.io