I've always liked the isolation of trucking some folks can't handle the endless stretches of Road and empty landscape but for me it's peaceful it's just you your rig and the road you don't have to deal with anyone and you can get lost in your thoughts or at least that's how it normally is I had been driving somewhere in the middle of Nevada on a deserted Highway with no real sign of life in any direction it was one of those stretches of road where you could go hours without seeing another vehicle let alone a town it was close to midnight when I started noticing something was off with my rig the engine made a faint sputtering noise barely noticeable at first but enough to catch my attention I looked down at the dashboard nothing seemed wrong no warning lights no signs of trouble but the noise persisted a quiet regular cough from the engine as if it were struggling I had another 2 hours before the next truck stop but I figured I'd make it there before anything serious happened at least that's what I thought about 20 minutes later the sputtering turned into a full-on stutter and before I knew it the engine just died the truck coasted to a slow halt on the side of the road the hum of the engine Fading Into nothing leaving me in the oppressive Silence of the night I sat there for a moment gripping the steering wheel wheel I'd maintained my truck religiously and it hadn't given me any issues before I turned the key hoping it was just a fluke but the engine wouldn't turn over just that awful clicking sound of a dead engine great I flicked on the hazard lights and stepped out of the cab the night air hit me like a wall of heat even though it was well past Sundown desert nights are supposed to be cool but there was something strange about the air I popped the hood and grabbed my flashlight from the toolbox shining it over the engine I'm no mechanic but I know enough to spot the basics everything looked fine no obvious leaks no signs of damage but something wasn't right it didn't matter how many times I tried to start the truck it wasn't going anywhere I grabbed the CB breaker 1 n anyone out there I'm stuck on the side of the highway rig's dead anyone nearby my voice echoed through the cab but the response was only static I tried to again a little louder this time my unease growing come on someone's got to be out there I could use some help nothing no crackle of a distant voice no sign of another driver just static I stood there for a minute the quiet pressing in on me my phone didn't have a signal and the nearest town was too far to walk to I was stuck in the middle of nowhere with no one to call and no way to fix the truck I felt an eerie tingle climb the back of my neck that feeling you get when when you know something's wrong but you can't quite put your finger on it I was about to get back into the cab when I saw a pair of headlights in the distance faint but growing closer relief flooded through me maybe it was another trucker someone who could help or at least give me a ride to the next stop as the vehicle got closer I could see it was an old beat up pickup truck it rolled to a stop a few yards ahead of my rig and a man stepped out he was tall and lanky his clothes worn and Dusty like he'd been on the road for days there was something about him that immediately put me on edge you need some help he asked his voice grally and low for a second I wasn't sure how to respond something about him felt off but what choice did I have I was stranded in the middle of nowhere and I couldn't afford to be picky yeah my truck broke down I said forcing a smile I'm not sure what the problem is it just died the man nodded slowly his eyes flicking toward my rig mind if I take a look I hesitated but what was I going to say no I was stuck and this guy was the only person around sure go ahead he walked over to the Truck moving with a strange deliberate slowness and I felt my unease grow he didn't ask any questions about the truck didn't seem all that interested in the engine he just stood there peering under the hood his back turned to me something about the whole situation felt wrong like I was missing something obvious the hair on my arm stood up and I took a step back trying to keep some distance between us the man stayed under the hood for longer than seemed necessary he wasn't moving much just standing there his head tilted slightly as if he was listening to something I shifted on my feet feeling more uneasy see anything wrong I asked trying to break the silence he didn't respond at first just stood there still as a statue when he finally turned to face me looks like you're in a bit of trouble he said his voice low and almost amused but I can help there's a place not far from here just off the highway I've got some tools there we can tow your rig and get you fixed up my gut was shouting at me to refuse there was something in his voice something in the way he looked at me that felt wrong like he wasn't offering help at all but something else something darker I appreciate the offer but I think I'll just wait for a toe shouldn't be too long before someone comes by the Man's eyes narrowed slightly for a moment we just stood there staring at each other in the dim light from my truck's headlights you sure he asked taking a step closer it's a long way to the next town could be hours before anyone else comes through I could feel my heart beating in my throat something was very wrong here and I knew it but I couldn't afford to show fear not yet I'm sure I said forcing a smile thanks for stopping though the man stared at me for a long moment his eyes cold and calculating like he was weighing his options then without another word he turned and walked back to his truck but the way he did it slow and deliberate made it clear this wasn't over I watched as the man climbed into his truck but he didn't drive away he just sat there his engine idling I backed up toward the cab of my rig my hands shaking as I fumbled for the door handle I climbed in and locked the doors the man's truck hadn't moved he was still sitting there waiting I tried to tell myself it was fine that he'd leave soon but the uneasy feeling in my gut wouldn't go away it felt like he was planning something like he was waiting for the right moment minutes passed then an hour the man's truck still hadn't moved my Palms were slick with sweat my nerves fraying with every second that ticked by suddenly the man's truck lurched forward pulling up alongside my rig my stomach Twisted with Drad as I saw his silhouette through the window his face illuminated by the dim glow of his dashboard lights he was watching me his expression unreadable but there was something in his eyes that gave me an eerie chilling feeling he rolled down his window and leaned out you sure you don't want that help buddy I didn't answer my heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest I reached for my phone again hoping against hope that I'd somehow gotten a signal but the screen was still blank the man got out of his truck leaving the engine running and started walking toward my door my hands fumbled for the keys desperately trying to start the engine but the truck still wouldn't turn over as he drew closer Panic surged inside me that same slow deliberate walk that had set off alarms in my head from the start I grabbed the tire iron from under the seat gripping it tightly in my trembling hands if he tried to get in I'd have to defend myself there was no other option he reached the door and knocked hard open up he said his voice low and menacing let's have a talk I didn't move didn't breathe just sat there clutching the tire iron my pulse roaring in my ears he knocked again harder this time don't make this difficult the truck's engine still wouldn't start my mind raced trying to figure out what to do but there were no good options I was trapped then just as he reached for the door handle I heard the sound of another engine in the distance headlights appeared in my rearview mirror and I felt a surge of Hope another truck was approaching its lights cutting through the darkness like a beacon the man froze his hand still on the door handle his eyes narrowing as he looked over his shoulder at the approaching vehicle for a moment I thought he was going to try to break in anyway but then he turned and walked back to his truck without another word he climbed in slammed the door and peeled out speeding off into the night the other trucker pulled up behind me I was too shaken to get out at first too stunned by what had just happened but eventually I forced myself to step out to wave down the driver he was a fellow Long Haul trucker just passing through when I told him what had happened he offered to stay with me until a tow truck arrived I don't know how much time passed before help finally showed up but the man never came back I've been driving trucks for years but that night was the closest I've ever come to real danger the man on the highway may have seemed like he was offering help but I know now that his intentions were anything but good and to this day whenever I'm driving through a deserted stretch of highway I keep my eyes on the road and I never ever stop for strangers sometimes the people who offer help are the ones you need to fear the most for close to two decades I've on the road as a long haul trucker you get used to the Solitude the long hours and the isolation that comes with it I've driven through every kind of weather on roads that seemed like they stretched forever and into towns so remote they barely existed on a map but in all those years there's only one particular night that continues to haunt my nights I was on a CrossCountry Hall from Arizona to Georgia it was late October and I just made it past the New Mexico border when I real realized I needed to pull over for the night I'd been on the road for nearly 11 hours straight and my eyelids were getting heavy you know the feeling your brain starts to slow down and before you know it you're nodding off at the wheel not safe I wasn't near any major truck stops though just a long empty stretch of highway with nothing in sight I figured I'd keep an eye out for the next rest stop and pull over there for a few hours of sleep it wasn't ideal but I've done it plenty of times before 4 that's when I saw the sign rest stop 2 mil perfect timing I slowed down as I approached the exit and pulled off the highway as I rolled into the rest stop I could already tell something was off the place was practically abandoned there were only two other trucks in the lot both of them parked at the far end their cabs dark no signs of Life inside the rest stop itself wasn't much to look at just a few parking spaces a couple of picnic tables and an old beat up restroom building there were no lights except for a single flickering Street Lamp near the entrance casting Eerie Shadows across the cracked pavement I parked my rig near the middle of the lot not too close to the other trucks but not too far either something about the isolation didn't sit right with me but I figured I was just being paranoid I cut the engine and sat there for a minute letting the Silence of the desert settle around me it was unnervingly quiet no wind no crickets no dist Stant hum of traffic just dead suffocating silence I grabbed my thermos and took a long Swig of coffee hoping it would shake off the uneasy feeling creeping up my spine but it didn't after a few minutes I decided to stretch my legs and use the restroom before settling in for some sleep I grabbed my flashlight from the glove compartment and stepped out of the cab the night air was cold and the ground crunched under my boots as I walked toward the restroom building the restroom was in worse shape than I expected the door hung slightly off its hinges and the walls were covered in graffiti I pushed open the door and stepped inside the smell hit me first musty damp like the place hadn't been cleaned in ages I flicked on the light switch but nothing happened I pointed my flashlight at the cracked tiles and peeling paint trying to find the least disgusting stall to use as I was doing my business I heard it the sound of footsteps soft at first then louder like someone was walking slowly around the building circling it I froze the rest stop had been empty when I pulled in no other cars had arrived and the trucks parked at the far end were still dark and silent so who the hell was walking around I quickly finished up and stepped out of the stall I listened carefully straining to hear but the footsteps had stopped maybe it was just my imagination maybe it was the wind or an animal or something else I opened the door shining my flashlight around the lot nothing just the same Eerie silence and the dim glow of the Street Lamp flickering in the distance I took a deep breath trying to calm my nerves and made my way back to my truck I was halfway back to my rig when I saw him a man standing by one of the picnic tables I could barely see him in the dark he was with his hands stuffed into the pockets of a heavy jacket his face hidden by the hood pulled over his head I stopped in my tracks my heart skipping a beat he hadn't been there when I'd gotten out of my truck I was sure of it I hadn't seen or heard anyone else when I pulled in so where had he come from I kept my flashlight trained on him but he didn't move he just stood there completely still I couldn't make out his face but something about his posture the way he stood there like he was waiting for something made my skin crawl I forced myself to keep walking not wanting to show any sign of fear as I got closer to my truck I looked over my shoulder the man hadn't moved he was still standing there watching me I climbed into the cab locking the doors behind me and sat there for a moment my hands were shaking I told myself it was nothing just some guy passing through another trucker maybe but why hadn't I seen him pull in and why was he just standing there I peaked out of the window but the man was gone I tried to relax telling my myself that everything was fine that I was just tired I lay down on the bed at the back of the cabin figuring I'd try to get some sleep but the unease I felt earlier had only grown worse I couldn't stop thinking about the man by the picnic table the way he'd been standing there watching me in the shadows I turned off the interior light and lay in the darkness of the cab listening to the silence outside I couldn't escape the nagging feeling that I was being watched every time I closed my eyes I pictured the man's silhouette standing Motionless in the dark I don't know how long I lay there but it must have been close to an hour I was starting to drift off when I heard it again footsteps this time right outside my truck I shot up I grabbed my flashlight and shined it through the window but there was no one there just the empty parking lot the flickering Street Lamp and the endless Blackness of the desert the footsteps continued circling the truck now slow deliberate my stomach Twisted with fear this wasn't my imagination someone or something was out there I listened as the footsteps stopped right outside my door I held my breath waiting for something to happen but the next sound I heard wasn't footsteps it was a knock soft at first almost polite like someone tapping gently on the door I didn't move I couldn't then the knock came again louder this time more insistent I leaned forward trying to peer through the window without making it obvious but I couldn't see anyone just the edge of the truck bathed in the dim light of the Street Lamp then from the other side of the cab I heard it again another knock like someone or more than one person was tapping on both sides of the truck at once I grabbed my phone hands trembling as I dialed 911 but there was no signal I cursed under my breath knowing how remote the area was of course there was no service out here the knocks continued more aggressive iive whoever was out there wasn't just messing with me they wanted in I debated getting out trying to scare them off but something told me that was a bad idea there was more than one person out there I could feel it and they were waiting for me to make a move I don't know what made me do it but I reached over and slammed my fist against the horn the loud Blair echoing through the empty rest stop for a moment the knocking stopped I waited my breath caught in my throat listening for any sign of movement then I heard it a car engine headlights Illuminating the darkness as another vehicle pulled into the lot its bright beams sweeping across the pavement and Illuminating the Shadows that had been lurking outside my truck three figures stood there scattered around my rig they were all wearing dark clothes their faces hidden by hoods when the car's lights hit them they froze then quickly scattered disappearing into the darkness of the desert I didn't waste any time I turned the key started the engine and peeled out of that rest stop as fast as I could my heart was racing my hands shaking as I gripped the wheel I didn't look back I didn't want to I drove straight through the night not stopping until I hit a well-lit truck stop a few hours later even then I didn't feel safe I couldn't stop thinking about the figures knocking on my doors I told a few other truckers what had happened and one of them told me he'd heard rumors about that rest stop apparently it wasn't the first time something like that had happened there people had gone missing trucks found abandoned but there was never any proof just stories I never stop at rest stops that remote anymore you never know who or what might be waiting for you in the dark and the worst part I still hear those knocks sometimes I've been a trucker for over 20 20 years and let me tell you I've seen some strange things out on the road long stretches of Highway at night can play tricks on your mind sometimes you see Shadows that aren't really there or your tired eyes start to blur reality you get used to the isolation the endless miles of nothingness but there was one night one stretch of road that I'll never forget it was a late November night and I was hauling a load through Texas heading down a remote Highway that cut through miles of empty desert the road was as straight as an arrow with no towns for Miles no gas stations no rest stops just pitch black on either side of me I usually don't mind the Solitude it gives me time to think to clear my head but that night something felt off the air was Heavy the kind of weight that sits on your chest and makes it hard to breathe my headlights Illuminating nothing but the cracked Asphalt in front of me I looked at the clock on my Dash 11:47 p. m. I still had a few hours to go before I'd planned to pull over for the night but I wasn't feeling tired there was an uneasy energy in the air that kept me alert like my body knew something was coming before my mind did it must have been another hour of driving when I first noticed the car at first it was just a pair of headlights in my rearview mirror far in the distance I didn't think much of it it's rare to see other vehicles out on roads like these at that time of night but it's not on her of maybe another trucker maybe someone driving cross country I kept an eye on it though it's a habit I picked up over the years knowing what's behind you is just as important as watching what's in front but the car didn't seem to be gaining on me it stayed back keeping the same distance after about 20 minutes of this I started to get a little suspicious I'd been driving at a steady pace around 65 mph and any car behind me should have caught up by now or at at least gotten closer but this one stayed exactly where it was I did my best to dismiss the discomfort growing in the pit of my stomach I told myself it was just some guy who didn't want to pass maybe nervous about being out here alone still I couldn't help looking back at the mirror every few minutes waiting for the car to either speed up or fall behind but it didn't it just stayed there another 30 minutes passed and the car had budged my Palms were starting to sweat and I couldn't focus on the road ahead of me all I could think about was those headlights in my mirror my heart started beating faster even though nothing had really happened yet but something deep down was telling me that this wasn't normal this wasn't just some guy driving through the desert at night there was something wrong I took a deep breath trying to steady myself I'd been through worse I'd driven through blizzards nearly jacknifed on icy Road roads and been stuck in dead zones where I couldn't get help for hours this was just my imagination I told myself but no matter how many times I tried to push the fear aside it kept creeping back in like a cold hand gripping the back of my neck I turned up the radio hoping to drown out my thoughts but all I could find was static of course out here stations are few and far between I switched it off and tried to focus on the road but that damn car was still in my mirror a a pair of unwavering eyes that never blinked I'd had enough I decided I was going to slow down and let the car pass me if this guy was just messing with me I'd call him out if not maybe he'd finally get the hint and go around me I eased off the gas and watched the car in the mirror expecting it to get closer but it didn't I slowed down more down to 50 mph than 40 the car stayed exactly where it was not getting closer not falling behind my heart was racing now now this wasn't possible I slowed down even more until I was barely crawling along at 30 mph but still the headlights in the distance didn't move it was like they were glued to that spot in the mirror what the hell was going on I pressed the brakes bringing my truck to a complete stop in the middle of the road I sat there staring into the rearview mirror waiting for the car to catch up but when I looked again it was gone the road behind me was empty no headlights no car just darkness stretching out for Miles I leaned forward squinting into the mirror trying to see if the car had turned off or maybe pulled over somewhere I hadn't noticed but there was nothing a car couldn't just disappear like that not out here on this dead straight road with no turnoff no exits no place to go I must have missed something I had to I threw the truck into gear and started moving again faster this time my hands were slick with sweat and I I could barely keep my grip on the wheel my mind raced with explanations maybe the guy had turned off his lights or maybe I just imagined the whole thing but no matter how hard I tried to rationalize it I had a nagging feeling that something was very wrong I'd been driving for about 15 minutes when the headlights reappeared in my mirror my stomach dropped the car was back same distance same exact spot in my rear view it was like nothing had happened like it had never disappeared at all my hands trembled on the wheel and I could feel the Panic rising in my chest I didn't know what to do I couldn't just stop again not with whatever was happening behind me and speeding up didn't seem to make a difference either I tried to stay calm tried to focus on the road ahead but every few seconds my eyes flicked back to the mirror watching those headlights like they were some kind of Predator stalking me I thought about pulling over at the next gas station but there wasn't one for another 40 m and something told me stopping wouldn't help that's when the car started moving I blinked not sure if I was seeing things right but no it was getting closer now slowly at first but then picking up speed my heart slammed against my ribs as I watched it approach it wasn't swerving wasn't flashing its lights just coming straight for me Steady and fast I floored it speeding down the highway at 70 80 mph but no matter how fast I went the car kept gaining on me it was like something out of a nightmare the headlights filled my rear view so bright I had to squint to see the road in front of me then the car was right on me so close I could almost see the shape of it in my mirrors I couldn't breathe I couldn't think I just knew I had to get away but just as quickly as it had appeared the car veered off into the darkness disappearing from my mirror I didn't stop until I hit the next gas station a small decaying place the sort that looks like it's been untouched since the 70s but I didn't care I pulled into the lot jumped out of my truck and ran inside my legs shaking so badly I could barely stand the attendant looked at me like I was crazy but I didn't care I just needed to be around people to feel like I wasn't alone anymore after a few minutes of pacing I told the attendant what had happened he just Shrugged and gave me a knowing look you're not the first trck to see something strange on that road he said happens more than you'd think some folks say there's a haunted car that follows drivers out there but it never actually does anything just scares the hell out of you I didn't know what to say haunted that couldn't be it but then again I couldn't explain what had happened either I stayed at that gas station for an hour long enough for my heart to stop racing and my hands to steady I didn't want to get back on the road but I didn't have a choice Choice eventually I forced myself to climb back into my truck and keep driving I haven't taken that route since I avoid it like the plague because no matter how much I try to tell myself it was just my imagination there's a part of me that knows whatever was out there that night it wasn't normal and I'm not sticking around to find out what happens if it catches you I like to think of myself as a person who values practicality working Long Haul Trucking for as many years as I have you deal with things headon flat tires bad weather endless nights on empty highways but there was one night one stretch of road that still haunts me to this day it was about 6 years ago and I was driving through the appalachin mountains I'd been on the road for hours running a late night Hall from North Carolina up into West Virginia the job was simple enough pick up the load drive through the m mountains and deliver by morning I'd done the route a dozen times before and I wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary but that night let's just say something was different the weather had taken a turn for the worse earlier in the evening a thick fog rolled in the kind that clings to the ground and makes it feel like you're driving through a dream or a nightmare my headlights cut through the Mist but barely visibility was terrible I could only see a few feet ahead of me the winding road disappearing into the fog like it was leading me somewhere I wasn't supposed to go still I pressed on I had a delivery window to make and I wasn't about to let a little fog slow me down I tried to focus on the road but something about The Silence felt oppressive it wasn't just the lack of sound it was the way the fog seemed to swallow everything around me leaving me completely isolated it must have been around 2: a.
m. when I first heard it a whisper so soft it nearly blended with the sound of my truck's engine at first I figured it was just my mind messing with me long hours on the road can mess with your head make you hear and see things that aren't really there but the whisper didn't go away I turned my head slightly listening trying to make out the sound it was soft like someone was murmuring right behind me I looked into the back of the cab but of course there was no one I shook my head telling myself I was just tired that I needed a break but deep down I knew that wasn't it it wasn't just in my head it was like it was inside the truck with me lingering just behind my ears slipping through the cracks of my sanity I turned up the heat hoping the warmth would wake me up a bit the fog outside was thick as ever and I couldn't afford to let my mind wander but the whisper didn't stop it grew louder more insistent I couldn't make out the words but the tone it was cold almost angry my skin prickled with unease I tried to focus on the road to push the sound out of my mind but it was like trying to ignore a persistent itch it was there nagging at the back of my brain making it impossible to think about anything else about an hour later things started to get worse I was rounding a sharp curve when I caught movement in my rearview mirror just a flicker of something a shadow disappearing into the fog behind me I nearly slammed on the brakes my heart jumping into my throat for a moment I thought it was an animal or another vehicle but when I looked again there was nothing there just the roads stretching behind me empty and swallowed by the Mist I took a deep breath trying to calm my nerves you're seeing things I told myself you're tired and the fogs Playing Tricks on your eyes but that explanation didn't sit right with me the shadow had been too distinct too human and it wasn't just that I'd seen something it was the feeling that came with it that prickling sensation on the back of my neck like someone was watching me I checked the rearview mirror again my eyes scanning the empty road behind me nothing just fog and darkness I gripped the wheel Tighter and tried to shake off the feeling but it wouldn't go away by the time 4:00 a. m.
