By: Jeremy R. Rutherford
One night, not too long ago, a man was driving along an Oklahoma backroad from going into town, Choctaw main, specifically. It was very late at night and very dark. All the roads around that town and the surrounding areas are mysteriously dark, like they are covered by some looming, ominous cloud. Strange shadows and forms are often seen and reported along the sides of these roads.
Now, this was one such night, foggy and moist, the humid air still and the night inexplicably murky, darkened despite the streetlights.
The man had just passed 10th street and was driving past the Choctaw High School to his neighborhood inlet. Up ahead, just to the side of the road, he saw her.
Long, black hair, reaching to the small of her back. The young woman, he noticed as he got close, slowing down was wearing jeans and a light grey T-shirt, but it was the white sneakers he noticed the most.
Her legs and feet, didn't quite move correctly. Small, close, circular steps, not in a stride. She also had her hands clasped together in front of her, and did not seem to be in a hurry. As she shuffled and kept walking, he saw that she was possibly 19 or 20 and as to help, it being so late, he pulled up. "Hey! It's kind of late to be walking out here, are you okay?" Shuffle, shuffle, he could hear the side gravel grinding, as if she were taking heavy, dragging footsteps.
Her head turned and he was taken aback, mostly by her eyes, which were very large and seemed to be almost shining. Her grin was also disturbing, except it was more of a rictus or forced motion than a grin, too wide, too many teeth.The voice came out, slow, hollow, dragging sound, but whispery. "Yesssss..."
She turned her head, still grinning, back to facing forward. She continued moving in that odd, disturbing way. Barely walking forward. He saw that only her feet were moving, not the rest of her. This was starting to alarm him. "Do you need a ride somewhere? It's pretty late out here.." He trailed off, as she turned that frightening gaze upon him again. Shuffle, shuffle, "Noooo...", again, the same strange vocals. Then, she faced forward again. Shuffle, shuffle. "Well, alright, be careful out here."
He rolled his window up and drove on, as he looked in his rearview mirror, seeing something that got his blood running cold. There was no one by the side of the road. He noticed something strange in his backseat, out of the corner of his eye, then it was gone. It looked like a person for a moment.
You know, I don't mind my passenger so much. Every so often I'll see her. But it's that damn sound that gets to me. Shuffle, Shuffle....
-Fin-
