I went for a drive late one night. The events of that day will always bother me.

"Oh, man, before I forget. Do you think you could help me with something?"

The checker was a kid with pimples who looked to be in his late teens or early twenties. He looked up from putting the Marlboro, two drinks, and a bag of potato chips into a plastic bag. He stood there for a moment, as if he were frozen in the middle of something. Then he finally replied. "Hey, man, what's up?"A sigh that was hard to hear came from me. To put it nicely, I was afraid that I would be told to go for a long walk off a short pier. I felt better and reached into my back pocket to find what was there. "See, I guess I've... gotten lost out here. I went for a drive late at night and got lost on all these two-lane back roads. I spread out the map and put it on the counter so that both of us could see it before we went on. "So I was hoping you could give me a rough idea of where we are on this map?" How do I get back to the main road? What's more important?"

After a long period of quiet, the kid started to laugh, first softly and then more loudly. "Dude, a map on paper?"“Are you for real? ” he finally said between wheezes. Do you think this is 1993?"As for me, I just let out a sigh of resignation." I had a bad feeling that someone his age would respond this way, and it looked like I was right. I could have seen it coming. He looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "Bro, really, don't you have GPS in your car or something?""Why?" he asked. Right away, I put my thumb over my shoulder and pointed out the glass door at the beige car that was sitting at the petrol pumps. "Not in a 1979 Honda Accord," was my simple answer. I could tell he was going to say something else as he looked back at me as I walked out the door. It was probably something about how I should get a newer car. He did keep it to himself, though, which was good. He smiled softly to himself as he leaned over the map and started to look at it. He then snapped his fingers a short time later. "Ha! I still get it!"We're right here, about six or seven miles outside of Vegas," he said with pride as he pushed his finger down to the middle of the map and looked up at me. I leaned over the bar to see what he meant as he pulled his finger away. "Here?He nodded, and I took a pen out of my pocket and drew a circle around the area to help me remember when I left. I then looked at the map some more. Well, it looks like I could take more than one road to get back to I-5, right?The kid nodded again, but the slightly annoyed look on his face showed that he was already getting tired of the strange interaction. He just said "Sure" and put my bags on top of the map. "This will cost $14.50 and petrol will cost $28.50."

With three twentys in my wallet, I took them out of my pocket and gave them to him. As the register opened, it made its usual ding sound. He put the bills in it and then took them out and gave me my change. I picked up the bag and folded the map back up before putting it and my cash back in my pocket. I said "thanks for the help" as I left. He spoke to me and said, "Yeah, no problem" as I walked to the front door and opened it. As I stepped outside and let the door swing shut behind me, a small bell on the inside handle jingled. The hum of the freezers and the soft buzzing of the fluorescent lights were replaced by the sounds of a forest in the summer at night. The buzzing sound of the lights above the pumps was almost drowned out by the loud crickets and cicadas in the grass around the shop. The trees were filled with the loud hooting of an owl and then the call of what had to be an elk. Before going down the steps to my car, I took a deep breath of the clean air. I opened the door to the driver's seat and took one last look around before getting in. "Did you figure out where we are?""Someone in the passenger seat asked." I felt confused and scared for a split second, and I spun around in my seat. It was quickly replaced by a wave of shame that got stronger as my friend started to laugh deeply. "Dude, were you in there for so long that you forgot I was waiting for you outside?"I shook my head because I didn't want to accept that I had done that. "No, bro, not that. Just, having to deal with that kid in there was a real pain." He nodded in agreement. Lee was a good friend of mine. We clicked with each other right away when we met, and we've been together ever since. We both loved going on late-night drives to nowhere, just driving around with no plan, listening to the radio, and sometimes sharing a joint that one of us bought. Yet, this is the first time we've ever been lost. I reached into my bag, took out the Pepsi bottle, and gave it to him. I just said "Here" and then took out the Marlboro and threw the rest of the cards into the back seat. I took the key out of my pocket, slid it into the ignition, and turned it. The car's buzzer went off, and the lights on the dashboard came on. The inline four then quietly came to life with its usual burble a moment later. I tore open the package, took out a cigarette, and stuck it in the corner of my mouth. Then I reached for the cigarette lighter in the car and pushed it in. I quickly turned around and looked back at the shop. & froze. When I saw that the kid was standing at the door and looking out at us, I got a little chill. What the hell is going on? Lee looked at himself when he caught my eye. "Dude, what the hell is wrong with him?"The lighter popped back out, which meant it was ready to use. I shook my head." Once it was lit, I pushed the red coil against the tip of the smoke for a moment and then put it back in its place. I took it out of my mouth and let out a cloud of smoke before answering. I was feeling pretty scared.

I took one last look and said, "I don't know, but man, that's pretty creepy." The kid hadn't even blink; he was looking out the window with an unsettling focus. Lee said, "Come on, let's get out of here," which made me think of the same thing. I put the car in first gear and let go of the clutch. The car started to move forward. We slid out from under the lights and into the dark. I caught a glimpse of him turn and shoot the bird at the kid. He said "prick" in a low voice. We went back the way we came after I turned the car left. Yes, I did find out where we were, which was good. I took the map out of my pocket and gave it to my friend. I heard him fumble for a moment. Then I saw a small torch turn on as he pointed it at the map. "Man, how did we get so close to Vegas?""He asked with a bit of surprise in his voice. I replied, "Longer drive than usual, I guess." I then rolled down my window to get rid of the smoke ash.

I quickly looked at the analogue clock on the dashboard. It said 2:45.

I sighed a little. Good, Ruby is probably very worried about us right now. Me in particular. Since the beginning of our relationship five years ago, my girlfriend has been worried about the long drives I take at night when I can't sleep. That I would crash into something, like another car, a tree, or an animal, was always her worst fear. Most of the time, when I got home, she was sitting up, waiting for me. Her beautiful blue eyes showed that she was worried. I bit my lip a little. Do you think I should text Ruby to let her know everything is fine?"Lee asked. He snorted, which I heard. "Be honest, bro? No. That woman really cares about you, and I'm glad she does, but she needs to understand that you're smart. Also, you two need some space. That's way too much time for you two to spend together. I threw the cigarette out the window and let out a snort of my own. I made fun of him and said, "Dude, it's called being in love. You should try it sometime." He laughed. "No, thank you; I like being single too much." I shook my head and looked out the windscreen as the headlights led the way. As I looked out at the two-lane road that stretched out in front of us, I felt a little uneasy. The trees above our heads hid the moon almost entirely. At least two hours had passed since I saw another car on the road. What did you expect, Douglas? You went way out into the middle of nowhere; there are only empty towns here. The next time, why not drive all the way to Idaho? I shook my head and fiddled with the centre panel for a moment before getting a mixtape out. I think some music would make me feel better. I put it in the car's tape player and pressed "play." Soon after, Eminem Rap God started blasting through the speakers with its heavy bass and sounds. Lee let out a loud whoop of joy. "Hey, YES!" That's the music we need for this drive!He rolled down the passenger window and stuck his head out to holler and whoop into the night. I shook my head and couldn't help but smile at his pranks. You stupid jerk.

The fun atmosphere helped calm my mind, and I could feel the stress leaving my body and going out the window as I relaxed into my seat. For a short time, things were like that: the road stretched out in front of us and then disappeared into the darkness behind us. The radio was playing loud music, and in the background, the engine was making a soft roar. I took another picture of the black-and-white clock. It now says five minutes to three. We'll be on the highway soon. The thought let go of the last bits of stress in my body. I fumbled around in the backseat for the bag and caught it with the tips of my fingers. The cap on my drink bottle broke when I took it out of the car and held it up to the steering wheel. I put it to my lips and sipped it. For a split second, I looked away from the road and set my head back. I looked at the road again—

And almost threw up all of it on the windscreen. As soon as I stopped looking, someone walked out into the road. "HOLY CRAP!"I yelled and stomped my feet as hard as I could on the brake and clutch. The car's back wheels locked up, and the sound of the tyres screaming filled the cabin. I was shocked when the back end of the car started to slide out. Oh, no, nononononoNO! The world around us was a blur of shapes and colours for a moment, and I thought we might hit a tree or start rolling at any time. Thank goodness, the car finally stopped, but not before the suspension made a loud noise. We turned around and went back the way we came. The black lines on the road showed me where my tyres had been. My heart was racing so fast in my chest that I had a death grip on the steering wheel. I took short, shaky breaths. For a short time, there was silence in the car. Then Lee reached forward and turned off the music. "Man, what the fuck?!"He yelled at me, and his face looked just as pale as mine does!" I didn't say anything to him. Instead, I slammed on the brakes, took off my seatbelt, and almost kicked the door open. When I got out onto the sidewalk, I walked quickly to the front of the car until I was right between the headlights. First I looked at the road in front of me, then at the trees on either side. There wasn't anything there. What the heck? I turned around and looked over the car's roof at what was going on behind me. The headlights' red glow lit up the area a few feet in front of them, but there was nothing but darkness beyond that. I turned around again and looked out at the darkness beyond the trees. There was no sound except for the quiet hum of the car engine, and the trees and branches were still. I turned my head away. Did...did I just make things up? I gave it another shake. That's not true; I'm sure I didn't see things. Someone WAS there. When I turned around, I saw Lee get out of the car because the door had opened. He walked right up to me while leaving the door open and said, "You have twenty seconds to explain to me what the hell just happened before I lose it, bro!""He screamed." I had to fight for a second to find my voice, but then I spoke up. "Hey, dude, I'm not crazy." Someone came out of the trees and onto the road. It seemed like a chick. I really wanted to hit her!I saw that I had been holding my breath and let it out, desperately trying to calm down. Lee asked me what was going on. "Are you sure, man?"I said "yes." He took the torch out of his pocket that he had used to read the map and turned it on. He then pointed it at the treeline on one side of the road and then the other. He did this a few times and then turned back to me and said, "Well, whoever it was, they're not there anymore." He frowned. "But...why is a girl out here in the middle of nowhere?"He said it to himself more than to me.

I still replied. "Guy, I don't know. It's really Kim K. There are a lot of nice people out here, but there are also a lot of weirdos. "I heard my friend laugh and answer, but something caught my attention. A feeling that hit me like a Peterbilt. It felt like eyes were looking into the back of my head. I turned around and looked back at the car, but there was nothing there. But the feeling didn't go away, and I didn't like it at all. Especially when the feeling came back from the direction I had been looking at before. As I came to terms with what was going on, I felt a chill go up my spine along with a flicker of fear. "Oh...shit," I said in a whisper. Lee looked at me and asked, "What?""He asked when he saw the look on my face. He did it again. "What?!Though my voice was a little weak, I looked up at him. "Let's go back to the car now"

Thank goodness he didn't argue. I sped up to keep up with him as the feeling of being watched grew stronger. He was already moving towards the open passenger door. As if someone were coming quickly from the woods. Oh no! I ran for the last ten feet, then ran as fast as I could until I ripped off the door handle and almost jumped into the driver's seat. I slammed the door shut behind me and pressed hard on the lock. Lee did the same thing. He turned to me. I couldn't see his face because it was dark, but I could picture it perfectly in my mind thanks to his words. "Who the hell was that guy?""The tone of it made it clear that he had felt the same fear and dread I had, even if it was only for a moment. "Do you remember those videos of people driving on dark, empty roads in the middle of the night. Someone would then step in front of them and tell them to stop?""I inquired. The person in the passenger seat took a sharp breath in before he replied, which ended my thought. "Then a bunch of people appear out of nowhere to attack them...oh, hell no!"

"Exactly what I was thinking; it's time to go!" I let go of the parking brake, tightened my seatbelt, and slammed the car into first gear. When I stepped on the gas, the tyres chirped, and in an instant, we were moving faster. As we did it, the feeling of being watched quickly went away, and I was able to let out a sigh of relief. We drove for a few more minutes without talking before I finally spoke up again. Lee laughed softly and said, "I think we're safe now, man." "Thank fuck for that," I said with a nod. Then I reached for the soda that had fallen and gotten stuck on the parking brake. I grabbed it, took off the cap, and took another sip. The cool liquid felt great going down my throat. Taking it back and putting it in the back seat behind me, I laughed to myself. "I don't want to be negative, Lee, but I think I might take a break from driving late at night for a while after this." "This was just too much for me." There was silence for a while, longer than I thought, and then he spoke. "I get how bad that is, bro. No trouble at all"

At first, I thought I heard a little sadness and something else I couldn't place in his voice. But then I heard him stand up straight. "Hi Jake!"He asked with a bit of worry in his voice now." "Yeah?I heard him take a deep breath. "Shouldn't we be on the highway by now? Or at least be able to see the lights of cars going by?Before he spoke, all I could focus on was the next stretch of road in my headlights. But when he spoke, I quickly turned my head to look up. What the hell is going on? He had a point. It should be possible to see the bright lights of cars and trucks going by on the motorway in the dark. I was sure I saw the white and red glows zipping by both ways in my sideview mirror as we turned off the highway and onto the road. They were about the same distance away as we were now. That was no longer the case. I could only see darkness in front of us. It was dark, and there were trees on both sides of the road. I took my foot off the gas for a moment to let my brain wander. I let the car slow down a bit. He's got to be wrong; I've got to be wrong too. We're almost at the highway, but not quite yet. Douglas, you know these old roads. Most of the time, they are longer than they look at first. I told Lee out loud because the thought made me feel a little better. Even though he nodded, I could tell he wasn't sure. Also, I couldn't fully convince myself, no matter how many times I said it to myself in my head. Perhaps seeing the woman step in the road had scared me more than I thought. I stepped on the gas again, switched to fourth gear, and watched the speedometer play with 55 miles per hour. We drove in silence for a few more minutes and neither of us saw anything else. After that, Lee cried. "There it is!" What a light!"

There was a brief moment of hope in me, and I leaned over the driving wheel to see the highway. It was crushed when I saw that it was just a streetlight standing alone on the side of the road like a guard. A very old, worn-out sign stood below it. It looked like it had been hit many times with both BB pellets and real bullets. As the car got closer, I slowed down a bit so I could read it. And felt a wave of being lost wash over me. Golden is two miles away. "What the fuck?Lee let out a breath as he read the sign. It went by us quickly, and for a moment, the streetlight lit up the inside of the car, revealing his confused and worried face. "How in the world did we get to Golden?""Golden is a ghost town, and every year people come to see the buildings that are still there." It used to be a mine town with about a hundred people living there. But when the jobs stopped up in the early to mid-20th century, it turned into the empty town it is now. Its biggest claim to fame these days is that it was on Ghost Adventures a few years ago. Lee asked me the same question again, but I couldn't answer him. My mind was full of thoughts that were going fast. No way! Golden is many miles north of Vegas. From what I saw on the plan, there are no roads that connect the two places. Besides that, we've been driving straight since we left the petrol station. "I really don't know, man," was my final answer, and my voice showed how scared I was. He put his head in his hands while the car was dark inside. I fumbled around for my pack of cigarettes and pulled out another one with shaky hands. I then pushed the lighter into the pack. Then, right away, the turnoff for the ghost town flashed by. I briefly saw the dark, huge shape of the church's tower rise out of the darkness. After that, it was behind us. The lighter came out, and I put it on the smoke, lit it, and then put it back in. I chose to do something to try to ease the stress that was building inside the car. We can't be too far from the highway now, man. I don't know how we got here. Let's stay calm and not lose our cool. When we get back to my place, Ruby, you, and I can laugh about this. Does that sound good?My friend took a big breath and then let it out quickly. "Okay, that does sound like a plan." He laughed softly and tapped me on the shoulder. "Thank you, Douglas. You really are a great friend. "I'm glad I have you." I nodded, but then I thought he might not be able to see it in the dark. "That's okay, man," I replied. I saw the time.

3AM. It had only been five minutes since I last looked at it. Still, it felt like thirty years had passed. When you're stressed, things look different. There was only darkness for a short time. Then, in the distance, a light showed up. "Ha! Let's go!"I burst out. I watched for the sign for the on-ramp to show up. I got a chill down my spine when the sign for Golden flew by again. That's what? In the passenger seat, Lee stiffened, but he didn't say anything. That told me he had seen it too. It started to feel like something was building up inside me as the streetlight and sign went out behind us. As I remembered that it was the same feeling I'd had when we got out of the car, I got another chill. The thought of having eyes on me. I looked over at the blur of trees on either side of the car, but I didn't see anyone. It was getting close to the turnoff for the empty town again. I heard Lee take a deep breath again. He just said, "Douglas, please pull over." He was shaking his head, and I didn't want to stop, but I did. I pulled over just before the turnoff. He tore off his seat belt, pushed the door open, and got out of the car. He walked to the front of the car and stood there for a minute. I could tell he was upset because he started to shake a little. When I looked at the time, I took off my seatbelt and reached for the door handle. & froze. It was still 3AM on the clock. There was no movement at all in the hands. I felt shocked all at once as I tapped it with my fingers to make sure it wasn't just stuck. However, it wouldn't move again. "Okay, what the fuck is going on?""I told myself in a whisper. I took my phone out of my pocket, turned it on, and pressed the screen. It also showed that it was 3AM, just like the clock. It felt like someone was watching me more, and I caught a glimpse of Lee standing in the dark. Then I looked down and started to type a text message to Ruby. Hey, little girl. I hope all is well with you. Lee and I are fine. Our goal is to return to the highway, but we seem to have lost our way out here. Please text me back in fifteen minutes if I don't text you again, okay? I care about you. I put the phone back in my pocket. I knew I should have been more honest, but the strange situation was making me feel a little scared. I did not want to worry her more than necessary because it would make me more scared. I pushed the door open, got out, and walked around until I got to the front light on the right. "Hey, are you okay?"After a while, I asked him. He didn't answer, but he didn't seem to be shaking anymore, which was good. I asked my question again. After the second and third calls, he didn't answer. This made me feel something different. A strong mix of fear and dread. "Hey Lee. You're really creeping me out, dude. "Please say something." When he finally looked at me, I could see that his face had turned a little pale in the half-light of the headlights. He just pointed with his finger and didn't say a word. "Look"

Where he had pointed caught my attention. It felt like someone had poured a bucket of ice water over my head. I let go of my cigarette, and it fell to the ground as it hung there. A person could be seen standing about fifty feet away, just inside the trees. In a flash, I realised it was the same woman who had almost wrecked me. It was very dark. Oh, man, fuck me sideways. I took a deep breath and found my voice. "Well, I guess we should. Lee, we should get back in the car. He almost immediately agreed. He answered with a shaky voice, "I think you might be right." We slowly moved back until we reached our own doors and climbed in, not taking our eyes off the figure. I didn't even put my seat belt on. I slammed the shifter all the way into first gear and sped up. Behind us, dirt and grit flew out, and the car sped forward onto the road. I didn't let up on the gas this time. As I put the car in third and fourth gear, I kept my foot firmly on the gas pedal. The engine started to roar. As I put the car into fifth gear, the speedometer hit sixty. With each passing second, I felt like I was being watched more and more. I prayed that I would see something, anything, in front of us. It's an intersection. A home. I mean, really, a payphone that you can't even use? After that, my blood turned to ice when I saw a light ahead of us. The same one as before, but with a sign on the bottom. When I looked at the clock, I felt scared because it looked like it was still stuck on the same time. Lee said from the passenger seat, "This isn't good, bro." I agreed with him, but I didn't say it out loud. As the speedometer hit eighty, I kept my foot on the floor. The off button showed up again. I wanted to scream when I saw what I did. The woman was getting nearer to the road. She was no longer by herself. I saw other people behind her. The shapes of other people. Several dozen. Maybe even more. All of them stood with their backs to the road. Seeing us fly by. After that, they were no longer seen in the rearview mirror. I let out a "fuck" as the light and sign went by again. This time, there were even more people close to the road. The woman stood in front of them all, and the headlights lit her up for a split second. When I saw the river of blood running down the front of her nightgown, which looked like it had been worn for decades, my blood froze again. "What the heck are we going to do?""Lee asked me. His voice was calm but full of fear, just like mine. I didn't say anything. What could I say but "I don't know, man"? It was just starting to get light on the street when I felt my phone move in my pocket. I almost hit the brakes quickly to stop. As I searched my pocket for it, Lee looked over at me and said, "I texted Ruby when we stopped." She was told to answer in a few minutes. "I think I'm going to tell her to call the police or something." He didn't answer, instead turning to look out the window at the light coming on. As we sped past the light, I forced myself not to look at the off switch. I kept moving my eyes back and forth between the phone screen and the road. There was something scary about seeing how close those...ghosts...demons...were to the road. As the light came back on, I flipped my finger to move the lock screen out of the way and tapped on the message button. As soon as Ruby's message came through, I felt a rush of relief like I had never felt before. I felt like I had a small bit of normality back. I went cold. I didn't even look at the road. I was unable to. I kept reading the same line over and over again. I felt so confused that I had to speak out loud. "What the fuck?Lee stood up. "What? What did she say?I didn't answer. My mind was going a million miles an hour as I tried to figure it out. But I felt like I was hitting a wall in my head. As another thought came to me, I tried to think of something else. But I kept getting the same block. As it did, I felt a new wave of fear come over me. One for a completely different reason than the scary loop flying by outside. The speedometer now read 90 miles per hour. Then Lee spoke. "Man, may I ask you a question?"

Every vein in my body was filled with ice. Not at his question, but at the way he spoke. It wasn't the same. The worry and fear he had just a minute before were gone. His voice was now...flat. Not flat. I don't know why, but his voice almost made me think he was smiling. As I finally forced myself to answer, another chill went up my spine. My mouth was as dry as cotton. "What?"He replied as we took off under the streetlight. "Do you feel scared?"I didn't know why, but the question made me look at him as the light flashed over us. For a short second, the inside of the car was lit up again. I looked into his eyes. The light went by quickly. It was time to turn off again, and for a split second, I looked up and saw the woman right next to the road, fully lit up by the headlights. I could finally see her face. The car then swerved to the right, and I screamed as my fingers tore at the door handle. Something flew at the windscreen and hit it. I did not think. I pushed the door open and jumped out. The ground shot up quickly to meet me.

Lack of light. I woke up in a hospital room with one arm in a sling and a bandage on my head. Also, my chest felt like it was on fire. First thing I saw was Ruby. She broke down in tears when she saw me wake up and put her arm around me. The doctor came in a short time later. He told me I was lucky because I should only have had a cut in my head that needed stitches, badly bruised ribs, and a broken arm. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Shocking for having jumped out of a car at what looked like tremendous speed." After that, he told me that the cops wanted to talk to me. He let them in, and two police officers came in and asked me a lot of questions. I told them everything that had happened...well, almost everything, except for two small facts. They seemed to be interested in my story and said they would look into it. "We've heard some reports like yours, sir," one of them said in a hesitant voice. After that, they told me how they found me. How, a nearby petrol station owner and his son were driving around and saw first my wrecked Honda, which was wrapped around a tree and then some, and then me, asleep in the green ditch. They didn't say who they were. But I had a pretty good idea of who they were. Well, at least the son.

It's been three months since that night. I've been resting and getting better at home the whole time. I've had a lot of time to think. A lot of time to think about...everything. I do my best not to think about that night. Almost any of it. If I do that, I think I'll lose my mind. What's more, the cops told me they didn't find anyone else at the accident scene. The passenger door is the only one that is open. But I had to because I got an email from a strange address. The kid I saw at the petrol station that night said he was the son. He told me some things. Things his dad said he had seen for years. That he had no faith in at all. Up until that night. When he looked at my car from the door. At that point, he called his dad very quickly. As I type this, I can feel myself shaking very hard. Seeing the woman's face flash in the headlights, it was clear that it was a ghost. She waved her arms wildly at me to get my attention and had a horrified look on her face. The same look that everyone else must have had. I can still remember seeing Lee's smile when I turned to look at him as the light flickered. A smile bigger than a person's could be, with teeth that looked like shark teeth and hungry black eyes staring at me. It was the same shark-like smile the kid told me he saw when I pulled away. I mostly remember the one line of text Ruby sent me, though. What made me scramble my brain, desperately trying to remember my friendship with the person sitting across from me? I felt horrified when I realised I couldn't remember a single memory. What will make me never drive late at night again? These are the three words that I will always remember. Hey, sweetheart. Who is Lee?