Scary ghost stories and stuff (1)

It's a long road

I drive it every month when I go to visit my folks. Most of my friends don't really visit their parents anymore, but I think it's important to see them once in a while. Share a meal, have a talk, be involved. It's what I'd want my kids to do for me, especially if I lived so far out.

It's a long road sure, and not a lot to see for most of the trip, just flat open countryside until you reach the old gas station at the turn-off. I always stop there and buy myself a hot coffee to keep me warm for the last stretch. The barista even knows me by name now, I guess they don't get a lot of regular customers.

Anyway, when you're on a road this long and you see someone walking along with their thumb in the air, you can't help but feel sorry for them. The drives already hours long, and it's got to be a hell of a lot longer on foot with not one rest stop from one end to the other. It's a mystery how anyone could get stranded so far along in the first place, but I wasn't thinking about that when I saw a man walking slowly backwards along the edge of the road, I was thinking how cruel of me it would be to just drive on by like he didn't exist.

He looked fair enough I suppose- a bit scraggly maybe, but being out alone on a road like this will do that to you. So I slowed down, rolled down my window and said "Hey, you need a lift?"

And he just smiled at me and said "sure pal, looks like we're going the same way"

I thought he seemed mighty cheerful for someone stuck out in the middle of nowhere, but I figured he just didn't want to scare away someone who was offering him a ride. So I let him in, and he sat in the the back.

That was about ten minutes ago, give or take. He hasn't spoken a word since, and neither have I. I can hear him breathe, but only inwards. I can see his face in the mirror out of the corner of my eye, but I can't bring myself to glance up, to meet his gaze. His eyes look like they're bulging out of his head, and his mouth is hanging open loosely, as if his jaw muscles all disappeared. I don't want to do anything but drive. I'm worried that if he thinks I've noticed, if I react at all; something will change. So I'm just going to keep driving, and pretend that nothings wrong. I've got another two hours until I reach the gas station, and I think his breathing is getting louder. I just have to keep driving.