The Darkened Highway

The Darkened Highway Chapter Nine

Ben and I looked to the highway ahead, and over the next few miles, we sat in silence. Ben was deep in thought about someone breaking into the RV motorhome stealing my stuff. I imagine what he was thinking. Some perverted freak from some shack in this forest had gotten inside, taking his girlfriend's personal things. Not to mention she was alone all night in the woods. That animal she saw could have been a crazy lunatic! But I hadn't told Ben that the animal had felt me up. That would have sounded crazy. I don't believe whatever that creature was could be some freaky man. It wasn't human but an animal, yes.

It was about midday by now. We'd been driving for about a half-hour. Ben slammed on the brakes, nearly giving me whiplash. A giant sequoia tree abruptly fell onto the road just yards in front of us. The sequoia redwood tree blocked the road ahead and there was no way around it.

"Shit, that was close! Are you okay, sweetie?" Ben said.

"I'm fine, honey. What just happened?" I asked.

"We nearly got crushed by that tree. I noticed it leaning towards the road when it fell."

"How are we supposed to get around it?"

"I'm going to need to use the jeep to wrench it out of the way."

"Can you do all that by yourself?"

"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem."

"Maybe we should turn back?" I questioned.

"I don't think that's a good idea at this point." He answered in a serious voice.

"What do you mean?" I stuttered.

"If someone is following us and stalking you. Then it could be dangerous to turn back, and we might run into him or them." Ben stated.

He leaned over to my side, giving me a kiss, holding it for a long time. I held him tight before he exited the front cabin. Happy jumped out behind him as he shut the door. He'd locked all the other doors earlier. I don't think he wanted me to get out, either. Fifteen minutes later, the jeep pulled around, stopping beside the cabin. Ben got out and came over to my side, knocking on the window. I let it down to hear what he wanted.

"I need you to drive the jeep while I hook it up to the tree."

"Okay!"

I got out, locking the door as I closed it. Ben had the keys, so we were good. A strong wind hit me, blowing my dress over my face the moment I took a step. My entire nude body shivered in the icy breeze. Ben pulled my dress down, holding me tight. We stood there for a moment, embracing each other. I had the unceremonious feeling I'd just exposed myself to some creepy and strange thing. The feeling of being watched again hit me in waves. Only this time there was this erotic tone to the feeling. Like someone had just gotten aroused at my expense.

Ben held my hand as he led me to the jeep. A warm, proactive aura came from him. Something was bothering him, and he was more alert than I'd ever seen him. I got in the jeep along with Happy. He'd jumped in, taking the passenger's seat. I maneuvered the jeep into position for Ben. It was tough, but I made it work. He pulled the chain from the wrench out enough. A few minutes later, he'd secured the chain around the tree. He gave me the signal to pull. I shifted the gear to reverse. The tree lurched a few feet before he waved for me to stop. I waited for a few minutes while he was checking behind the jeep.

"I'm going to have to cut some of these trees down to make room for you to turn around. This might take a while." he said after returning to my side.

"What do you want me to do?" I said.

"I want you to keep that beautiful behind of yours right here!" he said jokingly.

"Sure thing, babe!"

Ben disappeared from my view. We had tools we brought along for emergency purposes and for maintenance reasons at the cabin. I leaned back in the seat, thinking about Ben. He was worried about our situation. Were we in any kind of trouble? There was no proof except for the missing items. My mother would probably turn back at this point. She was very loving and very protective of me when I was younger. The only guy she ever let near me was Ben. She really took a liking to him. My mother would say that Ben reminded her of my father. Saying that he would do anything for me. I had fond memories of my father. We traveled often as I grew up and I had become accustomed to long trips. We never stayed in one spot too long, but I appreciated getting to see the world.