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journey across state lines with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company I've been trading this trip for weeks as Uncle Pete had been fighting a losing battle for some time but as I hit the open road I felt this sense of relief wash right over me the funeral had been a difficult Oreal I was just glad to be leaving it all behind the drive itself was relatively painless just took a long time I had to cut across state lines in numerous counties for a total of a 10-hour trip not the worst thing in the
world but for an older guy like me I found none of it appealing Texas New Mexico many other Southwestern states are mostly but ugly nothing really to look at with huge stretches of straight highway that seemed to go on forever I will say though I was in better spirits than normal because it was the return trip and those always feel shorter for some reason as I drove the landscape outside my window changed from a bustling City to Rolling Hills and to finally the vast expanse of the Texas desert I've been driving for hours the sun
was beginning to set casting a Golden Glow over the landscape was making good time I expected to be home a little before midnight I settled in cracked the soda and prepared for the most boring finish to a drive I could ever imagine as I approached the Border I noticed a sign for a newly built rest stop I've been driving for hours I could use a break I pulled off the highway and into the parking lot expecting to find a clean and welcoming facility but as I stepped out of my car I couldn't shake the feeling
that something was just off off it was a sundown at this point the glow was rapidly fading leaving me with the heavy Twilight the external Lights of the facility kicked on and showed me the different routes into the bathroom the rest stop itself was completely deserted except for a few cars parked sporadically around the lot the building was Modern and Sleek but it seemed to loom over me casting an unending shadow in the fading light I tried to shake off the feeling of my knes telling myself I was just tired from this long drive but
as I approached the entrance I noticed something that made my heart skip a beat a group of men were just lounging against the wall eyeing me with a mixture of curiosity and hostility they weren't dressed in costumes or anything didn't represent a specific color but it was obvious that they were Gang Related patted up shaved heads the mix of Latino and white bandanas draped around their necks or hanging out of their pockets this was definitely the root of the Dreadful Sensation that I had upon arriving I nodded a brief hello that was not returned to
me I tried to avoid eye contact after that but I could feel their gaze following me as I walked toward the entrance I quickened my Pace my heart racing with anticipation I'd heard horror stories from different folks over the years border encounters that could be fatal but the gangs and cartels were all over in the towns and cities not just confined to the area that I was in I made it my mission to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible I pushed open the creaky door and stepped inside the bathroom the fluorescent
lights overhead flickering like fireflies in the darkness the air inside was stale and heavy thick with a scent of disinfectant and something else something sweet and acidic I wrinkled my nose trying to place the smell but it lingered just Out Of Reach honestly it was probably a vape EXL I just hadn't placed it yet vaping was still kind of new when this happened to me as I made my way to the Ural I looked around and found I was alone thank God not that I have a shy blad or anything but if there had been
anyone waiting for me in the restroom my only option would be to run I figured the crowd outside was waiting to snatch me up no one in the bathroom meant there wasn't any kind of plan in place I remember I saw an average Joe out in the parking lot just hope to God their presence would keep the peace I stood there for only 30 seconds but it felt much longer the whole time I was just waiting to hear gunfire spark to life beyond that freak wall and that metal door I imagine the gang shooting the
whole property up every building every car before peeling onto the highway and just disappearing forever what I heard wasn't gunfire though it was even scarier the door behind me banged open and I could hear a couple of people speaking in Spanish I didn't even bother to turn around if they were those gang members and one of my attention they would get it still I could see them in the reflection of the mirror they were dressed in black their faces obscured by bandanas and sunglasses they seemed to be sizing me up like a piece of meat
they leaned on the wall and just stared holes into my back what's up old man one of them asked me I didn't respond just did my best to ignore them hey Poppy don't make that mistake again I asked you a question the guy repeated just just stoping to use the bathroom on my way back for my uncle's funeral I explained hoping to score some pity points for why I was out there in the first place oh a funeral we had no idea he said back his voice dripping with sarcasm at this point I knew I
was in trouble I zipped up and checked my pockets but no dice no nothing nothing about my car keys which I guess was a small victory in itself still I wasn't even sure I'd locked my car in that moment we're going to [ __ ] you up Tio that same kid said his friend spoke to him quickly in Spanish and they both had a quick laugh my stomach turned to Mush bottomed out through my ass the first open threat I received in a long time and boy was I sure these kids were going to be
good for it was kicking myself over and over saying what the hell why would you even stop here in a place you know is dangerous I felt like I created this entire situation myself and honestly I was right look at me [ __ ] one of them sneered I did as I was told in that moment I saw my only option on the back side of the bathroom door was a dead bolt a big heavy one I looked over the door at a glance and it seemed like thick heavy metal locking the door was going
to be my only ticket if this didn't clear up immediately I shook my head just trying to play cool just stop for a break guys I replied my voice steady despite the fear creeping up in my throat I have no idea why I repeated my earlier statement probably just a result of the panic pulsing underneath my skin they said some more stuff to me but I don't remember any of it the blood pumping in my ears was way too loud the men nodded their faces expressionless then turned and walked out of the bathroom leaving me
feeling uneasy and unsure I Waited For a Moment hoping someone else would come in but the bathroom just remained empty the only sound was the hum of the vending machines and the distant rumble of cars on the highway in this moment I complet completely forgot about my plan with the lock just wanted to get in my car and leave the fact that they weren't kicking my ass seemed like a good sign right I washed my hands and believe it or not washed my face did everything I could to just shake off my nerves finally I
emerged from the bathroom my heart racing with anticipation as I stepped out into the evening air was met with a sight that made my blood run cold the parking lot was empty except for my car which was now surrounded by that same group of men their faces Twisted with cruel grins as they rummaged through my belongings hey what's going on here I demanded trying to keep my voice firm despite the fear creeping up in my throat looking back I have no idea what I was thinking just kind of rolled up on autopilot throughout that chaos
I'm not a tough guy pretty non-confrontational but I'll be damned if I was going to stand Idol and be robbed without at least saying something I said it loud hoping I could get the attention of some of the other folks that I saw around earlier somehow in just the 60 seconds I was in the bathroom that entire parking lot had cleared out end to end not a soul stirred in my direction none except the gangbangers prying through my stuff the men then turned to face me their eyes lit up like it was Christmas day just
having a look around amigo one of them sneered holding up my wallet I kept it in the center console on long drives as it's a thick old leather thing and starts to upset my back if I sit on it for too long I felt the surge of panic as I realized the extent of their thievery give that back I shouted trying to sound braver than I actually felt sweat started to bead and run down my brow cheeks and chest despite the cool evening air the men just laughed their voice echoing off the walls as they
continued to rummage through my car knew I had to act fast but my mind was blank unable to come up with the plan as the men closed in around me their eyes never leaving mine all right I'm I'm calling the police I shouted this time I got their full attention they immediately fanned out started closing in on me apparently my threat was enough to turn their full attention on me now at least until they could check me for aelf phone or just beat me into the ground I raised up my hands in front of me
and started to backpedal as the last form of Defense too late for that man you know what's going to happen now I turned and ran at a full Sprint for an old fart like me I was hustling pretty good I think I even surprised the gangsters because they all froze up for a second before they started chasing me immediately giving me enough time to get ahead of them retreated into the bathroom room locking the door behind me as the gang members continued to chase me they pounded on the door demanding I open up for they
started smashing it with big rocks that they found outside the door didn't bend inward or anything but it buckled with a constant barrage of pressure soon the stone started flying through the upper windows and skylights glass shattering all around me I'm still partially convinced they were discharging Firearms but the place was so loud and I was in such a panic I couldn't really say for sure fortunately the building was all brick and Center blocks concrete and between so I was actually kind of safe in there as long as they didn't get that door open I
moved into the back stall and just hunker down in the cleanest place available just in case any stray rounds ricocheted in eventually they must have gotten bored and moved off from the building but I could still hear their voices at a distance could hear them laughing and shouting sound of glass shattering and metal crunching as they tore through my belongings I felt the sense of hopelessness just wash over me trapped and helpless I listened to my car being destroyed my threat to call the police was a bold lie my phone my whole life was inside
that car so I was doomed to wait it out for as long as I had to some of them came back to the bathroom door banging on it with their fists and hollering insults and threats again you think you can hide from us another one of them sneered come see your new car another one hollered then another string of insults come on Tio you can't take a [ __ ] all night if you open up the door we won't pop the tires I cowered in the corner my heart racing with fear as the banging and
shouting continued it seemed like an eternity before they finally gave up and just took off leaving me shaken and alone this time though there weren't any distant voices it actually sounded like they loaded up and left I could even hear a vehicle drifting out of the parking lot I still had my keys in my pocket so it couldn't have been mine someone must have came to pick them up or they had a car hidden somewhere either way I was very glad to experience silence Beyond those block walls I waited for what felt like an hour
listening intently for any sign of their return the parking lot was silent the only sound of the distant hum of car ways on the highway outside I took inventory of the bathroom the shattered glass all over the floor the Rocks resting among the Carnage it's a crazy amount of damage so I figured my car could be way worse finally I worked up the courage to open up the door survey the damage it was dark but the rest stop was lit up with blinding light poles or at least a few of them some were dark with
broken glass pulled at the base those guys had managed to break some of the lights out there's graffiti too all over the restop building and signs around the area I took very quiet steps as I navigated my way back to my vehicle my car was a complete wreck windshield was smashed and half of my belongings were gone one of the the tires was flat and the body was dented and scratched they even hit my interior with the cansas spray Paine wrote messages for me all over the seats and dashboard most of it was in Spanish
so I couldn't even read it just stood there looked over the wreckage for a long time unsure of what to do I didn't want to leave before making a report of some kind but didn't have a way to do that I felt a wave of Despair wash over me as I realized the extent of the destruction the thing probably wouldn't even start and that was if I could even get the key in the ignition as I stood there trying to process everything that happened other cars began to pull in the parking lot the drivers got
out eyeing my car with the mixture of curiosity and suspicion I felt a sense of Shame and embarrassment knowing I've been so helpless to stop those gang members but also but they were also eyeballing the destroyed rest stop building behind me they probably assumed that I was the culprit being the only person here I mean I looked out of my mind I'm sure I did one of those bystanders a kindl looking older man approached me and offered me his phone to call the police I took it gratefully then explained everything that happened to the dispatcher
on the other end but as I waited for the police to arrive I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that settled over me the old man listened as I explained everything and just nodded along he had an old revolver and a leather holster on his hip probably just a 22 or a 38 but still what I would have given to have that old man there with me just an hour or two earlier when the police finally showed up they took a statement and looked over my car but I could tell they weren't taking it seriously
just a case of vandalism sir one of them said shrugging we'll file a report but wouldn't hold out much hope of catching those Purp trators I felt the surge of anger and frustration knowing I'd been let down by the very people who are supposed to protect me as I watched the police drive away from me I couldn't help but feel a sense of disillusionment with Humanity if this was how people treated each other then what was the point of even trying the other drivers in the parking lot continued to eye me with suspicion but still
I couldn't shake that feeling that horrible Sensation that had settled over me the world is a dark and violent place and I was just a small helpless part of it all and just as I suspected it wouldn't even turn over I had to ask that same old man if he knew of a towing service nearby which he did this guy turned out to be somewhat of a local he lived in the next town over he called a friend of his who sent a Rec out hauled me and the car back to town $9,000 worth of
repairs later I was able to drive the car out of the shop thankfully my insurance paid for most of it but those Punk gangsters were never brought to Justice and for obvious reasons I travel much differently nowadays as we drove away from the familiar landscape of home Beth and I felt a sense of excitement and Adventure wash right over us we were headed to Vermont to visit my grandmother and that long drive ahead of us seemed like a thrilling journey into the unknown but as the hours passed and the miles flew by our enthusiasm began
to wne the GPS had led us off the highway onto a series of winding back roads we found ourselves lost in a sea of identical trees and twisting turns we hadn't even crossed crossed into Vermont yet and already we were running into trouble I'd put a little too much faith into that GPS navigator I didn't question it when it told us to Veer off that country back road and off into the middle of nowhere the madness really came to light when the Navigator failed to lead us back out into anything familiar it just kept looping
over and over again throughout that same area it's almost something like out of a nightmare but this was just part of the adventure and Beth and I were just happy to be together for it at first we tried to just laugh it off joking about our navigation skills and the corks of a rural roadway but as the sun began to set and the Shadows deepened our worry started to boil over into Panic we've been driving for hours our gas tank was running perilously low the roads seemed to stretch on forever and ever curving and twisting
in every direction with no sign of civilization in sight being lost was honestly no trouble to me it was the low gas tank that had me sick with anxiety we hadn't seen a house a farm a building of any kind there definitely wasn't a gas station out here and we'd been up and down literally every stretch of the road that County had to offer we even tried to use landmarks like Hill Crest and tall trees to guide us but nothing really was working we could have had a map and a compass but again I really
don't think that would have helped us I gripped the steering wheel tightly my mind racing as I tried to figure out out our predicament we' taken a wrong turn somewhere but where and how could we possibly find our way back to the highway the darkness seemed to press in around us making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead I could feel Beth's anxiety radiating from the passenger seat her eyes fixed on the GPS screen as if willing it to produce a solution as the minutes ticked by our Panic grew and grew we
were truly alone out here with no phone signal and no hope of rescue the road seemed to shift and twist like a living entity determined to keep us lost I could feel my heart pounding in my chest when the gas light ticked on told me we were down to our last gallon something like 18 Mi of drifting the car itself literally jittered when the light came on oh my God Beth whispered it's okay I promise this could be way way worse I said well say that what the hell is wrong with you she shot back
I nodded and said sorry I'm just trying to be positive I promise though everything is okay oh what are we going to do she prodded well I don't know first we're going to relax and just think I explained finally with a sense of resignation I pulled over to the side of the road we held hands and just took very deep shuttering breaths as we watched the Woodland around us some rabbits scampered by an owl seemed to chase them then a fox went darting in the other direction in the moment it was kind of fun and
gave us something to admire something to take our mind off the situation at hand we continued talking for a bit then started to reason through our predicament it was easy there were very few options we would have to sleep in the car until sunrise hoping the light of day would reveal a way out of this Labyrinth nightmare it was the only thing that made sense considering how low on fuel we were we couldn't really afford to waste it driving back and forth in the dark I put the seats down in the back made us this
little place to cuddle nestled among our belongings like some duffel bags and coats we even had some dry food to snack on that really perked up our mood as we settled in for the night Darkness continued closing in around us like a shroud I couldn't shake that feeling that we were being watched by something the trees seem to loom over their branches creaking ominously in the wind I remember those animals earlier realized that yeah we were being watched the animals around here probably hadn't seen a car just stop and spend the night on the road
like that ever before the animals also offered this sense of security in the sense that if there were animals around here things had to be pretty normal right if there were rabbits and foxes there likely weren't any big predators still we were in the middle of nowhere neither of us were accustomed to that we're sleeping in a car which gave us no sense of privacy or security and on top of it all we didn't know where we were going and how to get out in the morning we were completely at the mercy of the unknown
and that was a terrifying place to be we huddled together in the darkness trying to get some sleep but unable to shake that feeling of being watched still silence was oppressive punctuated only by the occasional hoot of an owl or the distant Rumble of an airplane overhead but then without warning the silence was shattered by a series of footsteps circling the car Beth clutched my arm her eyes wide with fear what was that she whispered I I don't know I replied my voice barely audible but we need to stay calm whatever it was it carried
on down the road stopped and then came back to the vehicle my eyebrows came together in confusion it sounded like a person just 2 feet dusting up the dirt road but as they got closer I was sure of it I remained Frozen next to Beth head down in the darkness the windows loomed over us like great Wicked magnifying glasses the thing the person whatever it was stopped maybe 15 ft away from us then again it walked further down the road for a second time so we couldn't hear it anymore what the [ __ ] was
all Beth managed to get out right then a howl echoed throughout the darkness it was a sound unlike anything I'd ever heard before a primal scream that seemed to come from the very depths of the forest no way it was a person to deep and throaty too wild sounding we tensed up but also relaxed we were relieved it was just a coyote Milling around and not some kind of murderer oh my God Beth whispered her voice trembling that is terrifying I know I agreed my mind's still racing should we just go just as I said
those words could hear those footsteps again except this time they were running toward the car and I mean a full-on Sprint then a heavy sounding thump sounded on the roof of the car making us both jump out of our skin it was as if someone were banging on the car with their fist the blows coming in Rapid succession who's there I shouted trying to sound brave but feeling anything but that I was on the verge of hyperventilating but having Beth there kept me grounded and focused I couldn't let anyone in the car or hurt her
at any cost I said who's out there I hollered out again the thumping then stopped for a moment it was just silence except I could hear this weirdo breathing hot and heavy and I could see was now fogging up the glass it must have been from the running and beating up on the car next we heard the sound of someone running away into the darkness those footsteps just Fading Into the distance Beth and I looked at each other our eyes wide with fear okay we need to get out of here I said my voice firm
this time we got to risk the gas tank she agreed no questions asked Beth immediately started folding up all the bedding and organizing it as quickly as she could I climbed into the driver's seat and undid the eere fired up the engine and just waited for Beth after a minute she climbed up next to me and put her seat belt on without another word we started the car and pulled away from the side of the road driving as fast as as we could without headlights we didn't see anything as we drove but we didn't need
to we knew whatever had been messing with us was still out there watching and waiting the moon had lit up the area we were already sporting pretty heavy solid night vision as we've been Looking Through the Windows without light for a couple of hours at that point after a few miles we pulled over again this time in a small clearing surrounded by trees we tried to sleep but our minds were racing with the thoughts of what had just happened we knew we couldn't stay here for very long but for now it was the best that
we could do as we lay there in the darkness I couldn't shake that feeling again that feeling of being watched that unblinking eyes were trained on us from somewhere up in the shadows again I knew we had to keep moving I had to keep driving until we found our way back to some semblance of civilization but for now we were trapped alone and vulnerable in the darkness of that Forest I figured driving 4 miles away without any headlights on was a pretty safe bet it'd be hard to follow on foot as it were but in
the dark no less it might be impossible getting off the main road had given us a little confidence boost as well as we nestled in the car in that tree Thicket there was a road in each direction that we could use for an exit we huddled up in the back and got the worst sleep imaginable But ultimately nothing else weird happened the rest of that night as we woke up the following morning the sunlight streaming through the windshield revealed a sight that made our blood run cold greasy handprints smeared the glass A taunting reminder that
someone had indeed been messing with us throughout the night Beth let out a terrified whisper oh my God they were right there super weird to see I couldn't tell if it was from when we parked on the road or if this weirdo had indeed found us out there behind the trees I got out with a water bottle and a rag from the trunk did my best to just try to clean it off but I can't express to you how grimy and greasy this person's hands had to be it's absolutely disgusting I could see every impression
and imprint from their Palm I started the car the engine sputtering a bit as we crept down that dirt road the fuel light had been on for hours and I knew we were running on fumes Maybe 12 mil left to go but we had to keep moving as we drove the landscape began to look familiar we could see the main road sneaking its way through the hills a sign ah head beckoned promising a town just 9 mil away the gas station symbol it seemed like a Lifeline no way Beth said how the hell did we
miss this I have no idea I don't even think we passed through here I said I don't remember going through that clearing before it's okay we're going to make it she cheered but as we passed the sign a figure appeared on the shoulder of the road a young man dirty and unkempt with a wild look in his eyes he made this weird face as we passed his lips curling up with a snarl and then he started to chase us No Holds Barred sprinting down the road he looked absolutely crazy and I mean literally I don't
even think he had shoes on but he was easily clearing up to 15 mph oh my God he's following us Beth screamed I hit the gas and the car sprung forward as we sped away from that weirdo but the low gas tank had a sputtering to accelerate we didn't dare look back our eyes fixed on the road ahead as we devoured the miles finally we crested a hill and a town came into view we saw the gas station a Haven of normaly inside The Surreal nightmare as we pulled into the station we both let out
a sigh of relief we' made it we were safe but as we filled up the tank and grabbed some coffee we couldn't shake that feeling that we just experienced something truly Sinister that guy back there Beth said her voice still shaking he had to be the one that messed with us last night right I nodded my mind reeling with the implications he must have been watching us waiting for us to leave but why Beth asked her eyes wild with disbelief why would someone do that to us does he live out there I shook my head
feeling a sense of dread wash over me I don't know but I know one thing for sure we're never driving through those woods again we both laughed got back into the car and reorient oriented the GPS I got a map just to be sure this time even then we only drove a couple of hours that day before we got a motel in some quaint little town so we could actually get some real sleep I decided my grandma could wait a couple of hours longer especially after that night we just had as we sat out on
the road trip the Sun was shining bright and the excitement was palpable my little sister Emily was bouncing with anticipation in the back seat their eyes fixed on the passing landscape my parents worn out from the early morning start exchanged a tired glance in the front seat I the oldest son sat next to Emily trying to muster up some enthusiasm for this long drive ahead we were doing this lengthy road trip with a number of goals along the way visiting some various national parks seeing The Monuments and visiting my mom's sister we were in between
destinations just seeing the SES or lack thereof when I remember but mostly just teasing my sister my mom and dad sang along to something on the radio our trusty family car a weathered sedan with countless miles underneath its belt chugged along at the highway at first it seemed like any other Road Trip the usual arguments over music snacks and whose turn it was to control the air conditioning but as the day wore on a sense of unease crept in the engine began to sputter the electronics flickering like fireflies in the dashboard now this was very
unusual in fact my sister and I were so young at the time we' never really experienced any kind of car failure I remember a cold sweat all over my body thinking the car would explode engulf Us in Flames at any moment too many action movies in the80s still the chugging in the car the fireworks across the dash all of it made me feel like throwing up in the moment Dad what's going on Emily asked her voice tinged with worry just a minor glitch sweetie my father replied his brow furrowed in concern we'll get it checked
out at the next stop but as we continued driving the car's erratic behavior only got worse the radio crackled with static the air conditioning blew hot air my parents continued exchanging increasingly irritable glances their patients obviously wearing thin they didn't have poker faces so we could tell something was very wrong maybe worse than what they were letting on the signs rolled by and told us the next town was coming into sight 40 Mi away as the sun began to set we finally arrived at our rest stop for the evening a lonely hotel in the middle
of of nowhere there was a town but the hotel itself was kind of on the fringes the outskirts of it the building loomed before us its neon sign creaking in the wind we checked in a strange woman caught my eye her hair long and tattered clothes with stark contrast to the sterile hotel lobby she paced back and forth in the hallway her eyes fixed on some unknown Point who's that Emily whispered her voice full of curiosity it I leaned to hear the answer this woman had caught my eye was making me feel uneasy as I
looked over I found her now staring bullets back at us as if we'd done something wrong to her remember freezing in place and just looking down at my feet when her eyes met mine it's just another guest honey my mother replied her tone dismissive that was that we unloaded what we needed out of the car and went to our room which had two queen size beds that we would all be sharing as we moved through the hall we caught sight of that woman again who was still pacing and glaring at everything in the halls and
Lobby she was unsettling but once we closed and locked our door I really didn't think about her again we settled into our room the car's trouble seemed to fade away into the background but that feeling of unease still lingered the sense that something was definitely off the hotel's isolation that strange woman's Eerie presence presence and the car's unreliable performance all combined to create this brooding sense of dread it felt like something was for sure about to go wrong or already had we just needed to walk into it I remember just staring at the ceiling beneath
the glow of the bubble teepe playing some sitcom rerun that I can't remember now there were footsteps down the hall a hushed pitter patter and then I was asleep I had strange dreams but nothing weird happened while we were in in the room we awoke and ate a free continental breakfast one of my favorite features these long road trips to a kid what's better than unlimited milk and cereal as we packed up to leave the next morning the car barely started its engine coughing and sputtering like a dying animal my father's face darkened with frustration
while my mother tried to reassure us that we'd be finding a mechanic soon but as we hit the road once more more I couldn't help but Wonder were we driving toward our destination or into some unknown trouble the car limped along the desert highway its engine sputtering and coughing with every single mile my father's face was set in this determined Grimace his eyes fixed on the road ahead but it was no use with the final groan the car coasted to a stop on the side of the road we all sat there and and stunned silence
the only sound of the ticking engine as it cooled down my father finally spoke up his voice laced with frustration well it looks like we're stranded my sister and I were in disbelief staring at the heat waves Rising off the highway ahead of us this was truly untreed waters for us being stuck on the side of the highway I turned around and saw no one for miles in the same in the opposite direction totally toally isolated and the town we left behind was probably 20 M away dad rolled up his sleeves climbed out of the
driver's seat he popped up the hood and inspected the engine his face crunched up in concentration after a few minutes he straightened up wiping the sweat from his brow need to get some tools and maybe a new part for the engine I'll have to go find help my heart sank at his words we were miles from that last town and who knew when another car would pass by my father was always so resourceful so I had Faith he'd figure something out as the minutes tick by my mother began to fret how long will you be
gone though dear we don't have much food or even water my father hesitated his eyes scanning The Horizon I'll try to find somebody to give me a ride to the next town if not I'll just be back as soon as I can he took one of our half empty water bottles put a hat on his head and started right down on the highway I think we were in the Nevada border so it was hot and rugged out there dad looked back every few minutes and waved until he slowly disappeared over the closest hill couldn't see
him anymore after that my mom entertained us the best she could games riddles all kinds of different stuff she even knew a magic trick that she showed us with a quarter still we were worried and getting hotter than hell inside that car we had to take shifts getting out of the stiff air only to get burned up out in the sun a l lose situation but we didn't have any other option the hours dragged on our concern quickly turning to fear the sun beat down on us Relentless in its intensity we huddled together inside the
shade of the car our water bottles almost completely depleted we did keep a reserve of one bottle but promised not to crack it open until that night or even the next day whenever we seem most desperate just as we were starting to lose hope though this rickety old sedan pulled up beside us a stranger with a scruffy beard and a trucker hat peered out the window you folks need help my mother's eyes narrowed her hand instinctively reaching for a purse what kind of help my parents were very very very cautious people they were my entire
life they truly believe in stranger danger the whole nine yards of being safe we were desperate but this guy was clearly strange possibly dangerous and he knew we needed a hand in retrospect I think my mom might have saved our lives that afternoon The Stranger smiled his teeth crooked and yellow and give you all a ride to the next town or maybe even fix your car for you my father's words echoed in my mind we couldn't trust just anyone but what choice did we have right now we were stranded no food no water and with
no sign of rescue in sight the stranger's eyes seemed to bore into ours his smile growing wider well what do you say you going to take a chance on me the stranger sedan creaked to a halt beside us its engine squealing like a pig he emerged from the driver's side his eyes wild and unfocused at first he did seem friendly but as he approached the car his demeanor just turned more aggressive hey I mean it looks like you're in a bit of a pickle he sneered his voice tripping with malice my husband is going to
be back any minute he's got help on the way my mom explained to him I see I see uh well like I said I can drive you to go meet meet him it's pretty brutal out here he said my mother's grip on my arm tightened as we retreated into the sweltering heat of our car we locked the doors and hoping against the hope that that stranger wouldn't find a way to break the windows he laughed a cold mirthless sound and began to tap on the glass you're going to get baked to death in there you
know that just a few hours you'll be cooked like a bunch of rats in an oven my sister whimpered her eyes wide with fear and I tried to reassure her in the moment but my own voice was just shaking I was going in a shock at what was happening around us honestly I kind of think I was already in shock probably teetering on a heat stroke but with a new situation it had me over the edge I couldn't process the stuff that was being said the fact that we had a barrier between us and this
person just like the broken down car this was another situation that I was completely unprepared for just as things continued to escalate a truck pulled up behind us its engine roaring like a beast Our Father emerged from the passenger side looking determined looking like a godamn movie hero all of us nearly scream with relief at the sight of him the stranger's eyes then flicked to our father and for a moment I thought I saw a glimmer of fear in his then his face Twisted into a snarl he turned and ran back to his sedan peeling
out of there like a madman he left us in a cloud of dust and Terror he didn't even bother saying a word to my Father which told us all we needed to know about him my older age it's a very very scary realization Our Father rushed to our car his face completely pale are you guys okay what the hell just happened we all stumbled out of the car our legs shaking like jelly my mother embraced him tightly tears streaming down her face we thought we were going to die she sobbed all of us were red
like boiled lobsters sweat dumping down our faces as we watched that stranger sedan disappeared off into the distance I realized that our father had returned just in time whatever weirdness had been about to occur he had prevented it we got the car patched up with the help of an old man and my dad had come across on the Road he drove him to town helped him secure the tools and supplies needed and then drove him back to our car he'd gotten us back on the road and gave us good directions to the next hotel we
thanked him endlessly and never saw either of those people again the rest of the road trip had this pretty weird vibe especially for my mom the memory of that stranger's wild eyes and menacing grin will haunt me forever in the desert once a place of beauty and wonder had now become a place of horror inside my head
