" I’m a NIGHT CLERK at a Gas Station on Route 66...There are STRANGE RULES to follow! "

I've always been a night owl but even I wasn't prepared for the kind of solitude that comes with working at a gas station in the middle of nowhere when I say nowhere I mean it Amboy California a forgotten spec on Route 66 surrounded by miles of desert the sky littered with stars you'd only ever see in a planetarium sounds romantic it's not there's a heavy Stillness out here that clings to you a quiet that isn't peaceful but oppressive as if the sand and the wind are Whispering secrets to each other that no one else should hear the job seemed straightforward enough when I found the ad online night clerk needed no experience necessary competitive pay I'd just been laid off and and wasn't exactly drowning in Opportunities so I jumped at it my first clue that this place wasn't ordinary should have been the lack of an interview they just sent me a confirmation email with the instructions show up by 10 p. m. your duties will be explained the gas station itself is a relic from another time a squat battered building with peeling paint and a flickering neon sign that hums like a dying insect the pumps are ancient the kind with spinning dials instead of digital readouts it's the kind of place that feels like it's been forgotten by the world and yet it's still standing as if refusing to let go of whatever history it's clinging to the owner a wiry old man named MrGrady didn't stick around long enough for pleasantries he handed me a set of keys pointed me to the counter and muttered don't go snooping around just do your job before I could ask what that entailed he disappeared into the desert night his truck kicking up a trail of dust I thought I could handle it I'd worked graveyard shifts before and I figured it' just be me a pot of stale coffee and the occasional lost traveler but something about this place felt off the way the Shadows seemed to stretch just a little too far the way the hum of the fluorescent lights seemed to sink with my heartbeat and then there was the gas canister it Sat by the pumps riddled with bullet holes the metal rusted and Pock marked I only noticed it when I went outside to sweep up some sand when the flashlight beam hit the pooling gas underneath it words shimmered in the reflection like heat mirages at first I thought my mind was playing tricks on me but as I stepped closer the words sharpened each letter etched in shimmering liquid rules it was a list of rules I didn't know it then but those rules would be the only thing standing between me and a night I'd never forget the words in the reflection didn't make any sense at first they shimmered faintly shifting slightly as if written on water refusing to stay still I crouched Ed down my knees digging into the cracked asphalt and angled my flashlight over the pooling gas beneath the bullet riddled canister the rules came into focus and my stomach Twisted into a knot rule one do not touch the gas canister after 11:13 p.

m. rule two if a car pulls in but no one exits fill the tank without question rule three do not look directly into the side mirrors of any vehicle rule four if you hear whistling from the desert turn off all lights and hide rule five never under any circumstance read this list aloud I felt a cold sweat creep up my spine a prank I thought someone's idea of a joke maybe MrGrady was testing me though I couldn't figure out why an old man would bother with this level of effort I I stood up brushing dust off my jeans and glanced around the desert stretched on a void in every direction illuminated only by the sickly yellow glow of the station's flickering lights the canister groaned as if shifting slightly I stumbled back heart pounding I could have sworn it moved but when I looked again it was exactly where it had been the pool of gas reflected the Stars overhead now the rules gone as though they'd never been there get a grip I muttered to myself maybe it was the heat messing with my head even at night the desert clung to its warmth like a jealous lover I went back inside locking the door behind me the gas station's interior was just as Eerie as its exterior rows of Dusty shelves stocked with canned goods and snacks that looked like they'd expired sometime during the last Millennium the counter was scratched and sticky in places with an ancient cash register that seemed to sigh every time a key was pressed a single clock hung on the wall its second hand ticking louder than it had any right to in the oppressive silence I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched not by a person I'd have heard them but by the building itself the walls seemed to lean in slightly lightly and the humming of the lights felt too synchronized with my breathing as though the gas station were alive waiting for something at 11:10 p. m.

A car pulled into the lot I glanced up from the counter expecting to see someone step out but no one did the car sat there headlights on engine idling its windows were tinted black and even under the neon glow I couldn't make out a single detail I Waited For a Moment the seconds ticking by too slowly my gut told me to stay inside but my feet didn't listen the rules they came flooding back if a car pulls in but no one exits fill the tank without question the words echoed in my mind like a mantra I couldn't ignore grabbing the pump handle I stepped out into the night the air felt thicker now each breath heavy in my lungs I walked up to the car avoiding its side mirrors out of instinct my hands trembling as I unscrewed the gas cap the tank gurgled as the fuel flowed in no movement from the car no sound but the rhythmic clicking of the pump I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end every Instinct screaming that something was wrong but I didn't dare stop the rules didn't say what would happen if I didn't follow them I wasn't about to find out when the pump clicked off signaling the tank was full I screwed the cap back on and stepped away the car didn't move for a long agonizing moment then without a sound it rolled out of the lot and disappeared into the desert night I stood there staring at the spot where it had been my breath fogging in the cold air my hands were shaking and for a moment I thought about quitting right then and there but something held me in place fear curiosity I couldn't tell I walked back inside locking the door behind me again the clock on the wall read 11:15 p. m. 2 minutes past the time the rules had warned me about I glanced outside at the canister half expecting it to have moved it hadn't but the pooling gas beneath it shimmered faintly reflecting nothing but the empty night I sat down behind the counter staring at the clock my shift had barely started and I already felt like I was losing my mind I spent the next hour pacing the narrow confines of the gas station glancing at the clock every few minutes the rules were etched into my mind now each one looping like a warning Bell I tried convincing myself that I had imagined the car's Eerie Stillness or the way the gas shimmered unnaturally but it was no use something was wrong with this place the desert outside was oppressively quiet even the usual chorus of nocturnal insects and distant howls seemed muted as though the world had taken a collective breath and held it at 12:30 a.

m. the Bell above the entrance chimed I froze I hadn't seen headlights or heard an engine approach slowly I turned toward the door a man stood there dressed in a dusty coat and wide brimmed hat that cast a shadow over his face his boots left faint prints on the cracked tile floor and when he moved it was with a stiffness that reminded me of an old marionette evening he said his voice low and grally his hat tilted slightly as he looked around the station quiet night uh yeah I stammered my throat felt dry what can I get you he walked to the counter his boots clicking unnaturally loud in the silence up close I noticed his face was too pale the skin stretched tight over sharp cheekbones his eyes were hidden beneath the brim of his hat but I could feel them watching me dissecting me just gas he said sliding a crumpled Bill across the counter I hesitated something about him set my nerves on edge but I forced a smile and nodded sure thing pump one the man didn't answer he just nodded once and turned heading back outside I watched him go his silhouette almost disappearing into the dark Darkness the Bell chimed again as the door swung shut behind him when I stepped outside I realized there was no car I stood there gas pump in hand staring at the empty lot the man was gone and so was the money he'd handed me my heart thudded painfully against my ribs as I looked around hoping to see tail lights or footprints in the dirt there was nothing just me the gas station and the canister the rules my mind raced back to the rules trying to remember if there had been one about people walking in without a car I couldn't remember my breathing quickened as I fumbled with the pump staring at the spot where the man had disappeared I swore I heard faint laughter carried on the wind I went back inside locking the door behind me once again my hands trembled as I reached for my phone hoping for a distraction no signal of course the isolation of the gas station wasn't just physical it was total the clock ticked louder now or maybe I was just imagining it 12:45 a. m.

the air felt heavier pressing down on me like a weight I sank into the creaky stool behind the counter my mind spinning with questions I couldn't answer then from somewhere outside came the faint sound of whistling it started low almost imperceptible but it grew steadily louder more insistent my pulse quickened as I turned toward the windows the desert outside was Pitch Black the faint glow of the station's lights doing little to pierce the darkness the rules my mind latched on to them again desperate for guiding if you hear whistling from the desert turn off all lights and hide I scrambled to my feet flipping switches and plunging the gas station into darkness my hands were shaking as I crouched behind the counter heart hammering in my chest the whistling grew louder circling the building accompanied by The Faint crunch of footsteps on gravel I covered my mouth to stifle my breathing squeezing my eyes shut as if as if that would make it go away the footsteps stopped just outside the door the Bell didn't chime the door didn't open for a long agonizing moment there was silence then a whisper you're breaking the rules I froze every muscle in my body locking up the voice was low almost a growl and it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once I didn't dare move didn't dare breathe the seconds dragged on like hours and when the footsteps finally faded I collapsed against the counter gasping for air the lights flickered back on bathing the gas station in their sickly glow I sat there shaking as the clock ticked toward 1:00 a. m. I didn't know what would happen next but I had a feeling the night was far from Over the gas station's clock ticked toward 1:15 a.

m. and though the whistling and footsteps were gone the unease lingered my pulse thudded in my ears and the fluorescent lights above hummed with an almost Sinister Cadence every shadow in the store felt alive shifting slightly when I wasn't looking directly at them I was just about to convince myself to stand up when a loud crash shattered The Fragile silence the sound of breaking glass ripped through the night echoing like a gunshot in the empty station my head whipped toward the source the front windows where shards of glass now littered the tile floor my heart sank as I realized the center window had been smashed from the outside someone or something was trying to get in I grabbed the flashlight from beneath the counter flicking it on with trembling fingers its beam cut through the darkness casting harsh Shadows across the room I took a tentative step forward my sneakers crunching over broken glass outside the desert was as black as ink its emptiness swallowing the weak light spilling from the station the wind had picked up rattling the metal sign above the pumps but there was no sign of anyone or anything near the broken window as I crouched to examine the shards I saw it the gas canister it sat directly outside the broken window positioned neatly on the cracked pavement the bullet holes glinted in the Moonlight and dark liquid oozed from one of the punctures pooling at its base but it wasn't gasoline it was too thick too dark it looked more like blood I scrambled back the flashlight slipping from my hand and clattering to the floor the rules my mind screamed for me to recall the rules searching for anything that might explain this if the gas canister moves do not approach it lock all doors and wait my heart seized I had already approached it the canister had been near the pumps earlier I was sure of it my body moved on autopilot as I scrambled to lock the front door pulling down the Rusted dead bolt and flipping the sign to close closed I backed away from the door keeping my eyes locked on the window the canister hadn't moved but something about it felt menacing as if it were watching me I had to do something anything to get a grip on my nerves I returned to the counter and grabbed the radio flipping the knob to scan channels static hissed through the speakers occasionally interrupted by faint blips of noise I I had no idea what I was searching for help maybe or just a voice to reassure me I wasn't losing my mind the static gave way to a whisper faint and garbled like someone trying to speak through a mouthful of water I froze holding the radio closer to my ear breaking rules I dropped the radio the voice had been low guttural and unmistakably inhuman my Brea breathing hitched as I stared at the radio its static continuing to hiss mockingly the Bell above the door chimed my stomach dropped the door was locked wasn't it I turned slowly the flashlight in my trembling hand the door was still bolted but the Bell swayed gently as if someone or something had passed through it my gaze fell to the floor where a single set of footprints bare wet and impossibly large LED from the door to the gas canister I staggered back gripping the counter for support the rules I clung to them like a Lifeline my mind desperately trying to recall what to do next but the words blurred slipping through my grasp like sand I didn't realize I was crying until a tear dripped onto the counter the footprints stopped just outside the broken window but I had no doubt they would return the canister sat in the same spot its dark liquid now seeping toward the gas station's entrance like it had a will of its own the night wasn't just hostile it was alive and it was watching me the night deepened each minute dragging like an eternity the station was unbearably quiet except for the low hum of the lights overhead and the occasional Creek of the old metal sign outside my hands trembled as I clutched the flashlight its weak beam darting nervously between the gas canister outside and the door that still mercifully held shut I sank to the floor behind the counter pulling my knees to my chest trying to slow my breathing the rules swirled in my head fragments of them surfacing like debris in a storm if the gas canister moves do not approach it lock all doors and wait I had locked the door I had waited but the canister hadn't moved yet the thought brought little Comfort I must have dozed off for a moment my body succumbing to exhaustion despite the terror coursing through my veins when I blinked awake something felt wrong the station was darker than before the fluorescent lights dimming to a sickly yellow glow the air felt heavier pressing down on me like an invisible weight and then I saw it the canister was no longer outside the window my heart leaped into my throat as I scrambled to my feet the flashlight beam darting frantically across the cracked pavement it was gone I pressed my face against the window squinting into the darkness hoping praying that I had imagined it a faint metallic scraping sound echoed from somewhere behind the building the kind of noise that sets your teeth on edge I spun around the flashlight shaking in my grip the sound grew louder closer like nails being dragged across concrete I backed away from the window my legs trembling the rules repeated in my head like a mantra but they offered no guidance for this what do you do when the thing you're supposed to avoid is already here the scraping stopped a deafening silence followed so profound that I could hear the blood rushing in my ears I held my breath waiting for something anything to happen and then slowly the gas canister rolled into view from the dark hallway that led to the store room I froze the canister stopped in the middle of the room its bullet holes glinting faintly in the weak light the dark liquid that oozed from it formed a slow moving puddle on the floor spreading like a stain of malevolence and then it moved again the canister tipped slightly to one side as if something invisible had pushed it before rolling a few inches closer to me the puddle of liquid followed creeping toward my feet stay away I whispered though my voice sounded small and pathetic in the oppressive silence the canister rolled again I stumbled backward nearly tripping over the counter my flashlight flickered the beam sputtering out for a heart-stopping second before reigniting when the light returned the canister had stopped moving but now the dark liquid on the floor had begun to shift it slithered like a living thing snaking across the tiles with unnatural purpose it wasn't heading for me it was heading for the door no I muttered my voice cracking no no no the liquid pulled at the base of the door seeping into the cracks like it was searching for something or someone my breath came in Shallow gasps as I watched it crawl upward inching toward the lock the deadbolt began to Rattle the metal vibrating as if struck by invisible hands I darted forward my instincts screaming at me to stop whatever was happening I grabbed the radio off the counter frantically turning the knob to scan the channels static filled the air punctuated by faint Whispers and distorted voices help me I shouted into the radio my voice echoing in the empty station please someone help me the static hissed in response and then a voice cut through you broke the rules my blood ran cold the voice was low and and rasping filled with an unnatural Menace it wasn't coming from the radio it was coming from the canister The Voice echoed in my mind long after it had stopped I stared at the canister Frozen in place my thoughts scattered my grip on the flashlight tightened until my Knuckles turned white the liquid had stopped climbing the door and now pulled silently on the floor dark and motionless as if it were waiting the room was deathly silent except for my shallow breaths and the occasional flicker of the overhead lights I glanced at the clock on the wall 3:27 a. m.