The Old Road

The rain has been sinking steadily all night and was only getting worse. I was driving home from work and decided to take a shortcut. It was late at night, two lane highway, dispersed traffic. The road ahead was beeline, so I sped up a little. Taking the bypass I entered a lone road, lined with old gnarled trees on both sides. It began as a whispering in the air, something moving in an exaggeratedly effeminate manner making a sibilant sound, as small waves washing on the shore. It was someone breathing. Recoiled, I looked through the rear view mirror and there was nobody. Maybe I'm beat, thinking I kept on truckin'.

The road was liquefying into that eerie darkness of the night - quiet and slack. Night was settling, moon illuminating this shadowed place and bald plots. The place looked disparate - it was like entering into a dingy adit. It's been an hour long that I have been driving. Flashing back I put on the radio, clicked some pictures while hopping on to the music and sent them to my girlfriend. She instantly reacted asking "who are you bringing with you?" No one, why? I answered. Who's this little girl in your pictures? She asked. Blanched, I looked through the pictures. I slammed on the brakes and drifted to a stop. Turned to check the back seat, straight through where she was sitting in the photographs. There was nothing, no one in the car and no one on the road. That incident gave me heebie-jeebies. I dashed on the accelerator and zoomed.

Minutes passed, yet it insinuated like hours and days. It was about dead of night and I on edge. The farther I traveled, drearily it seemed to get. I was feeling tucked up as when this horrid static started to crackle through the radio speakers. The car making this odd clanking noise. Panic-stricken, I stopped the car. It's dark, only a single street lamp pitching a dim yellow light on the sad visage of the road. Gripping on to the flashlight, I stepped outside the car to check. The night chill oozed through my jacket. Wind breathing through the branches and swishing the leaves. The rain sharpened the smells of gas and earth. Tuned in sharply I marched onwards, it ringed like a child crying. On spur of moment I heard footsteps rushing towards me. A shiver of fear ran up my spine. I began to walk faster to get away from the noise of footsteps. The light of the flash jittered into darkness casting a smoky glow, leaving the corners in shadow. I could feel a cold sweat passing over me like a ghost at seance. The sheer creepiness pounded me and smoothly without making any hurried movements I reached down and started my car.

I drove away from there as fast as I could. When I felt safe enough to breathe, a voice from the backseat said, "Leaving so soon?"