Welcome to Dr Hill's Channel I know you play these videos before going to sleep but before we dive into the world of horror leave a comment telling us where you're watching from or what time you found this video now let's begin first story The Silent passengers Bill Thompson was no stranger to Long Haul Trucking he'd spent two decades behind the wheel of his trusty rig Crossing countless miles of Highway the job had It perks the Solitude the freedom but it also had its share of eerie Lonely Nights Bill had seen plenty of strange things on
the road over the years shadowy figures disappearing into the distance lights that flickered on abandoned highways he chocked most of it up to exhaustion or overactive imagination but nothing could have prepared him for the night that changed everything it was late Autumn the air crisp and damp from the drizzle that had Been falling all evening Bill had been driving through the back roads of Nebraska opting for a quieter route to avoid the busy interstate traffic His Radio crackled Softly playing static laced country Tunes as his headlights cut through the darkness ahead it was the kind
of night when the road seemed endless stretching out into Infinity with only the occasional flicker of a street light or distant Farmhouse to break the Monotony he was about halfway through his shift when he saw them at first he thought it was was just a trick of the light a shadow playing across the wet asphalt but as he drew closer the shapes became clearer a woman and a small child standing by the side of the road just outside the reach of his headlights they were soaked from the rain their clothes clinging to their bodies as
they huddled together under a dim flickering Street Lamp Bill's instincts kicked in he had a Soft spot for folks in trouble especially out on these desolate roads he slowed the truck pulling over to the shoulder and rolled down the passenger side window hey you folks need a lift he called out trying to sound as reassuring as possible the woman looked up her face pale and gaunt as if she hadn't slept in days the child a boy no older than seven or eight clung to her side his head down his small hands gripping her dress tightly
neither of them spoke the woman Simply nodded a slow deliberate movement before taking a step toward the truck Bill hesitated for a moment there was something off about them something he couldn't quite put his finger on but it was a cold wet night and leaving a woman and child stranded on the side of a back road didn't sit right with him come on in he said reaching over to unlock the door the woman helped the boy up into the cab first then climbed in herself settling into the seat next to him they Were drenched water
dripping from their clothes and pooling on the floor bill turned up the heat hoping to warm them up but neither of them seemed to react to the warmth the woman sat still her eyes fixed on the road ahead while the boy stared down at his lap silent for the first few miles Bill drove in uncomfortable silence he tried to make conversation asking where they were headed if they had family nearby but neither the woman nor the boy responded They simply sat there unmoving their silence growing heavier with each passing minute Bill glanced in the rearview
mirror trying to catch the woman's eyes something about her face was unnerving her skin was too pale almost translucent under the dim glow of the dashboard lights and her eyes they seemed Hollow empty as if there was nothing behind them a shiver ran down his spine but he brushed it off it was late he was tired and the road had a way Of Playing Tricks on the mind he focused on the the road telling himself that everything was fine that he'd drop them off at the next town and be done with it but the further
he drove the stranger things became the radio which had been playing softly in the background suddenly cut out replaced by a low droning hum bill fiddled with the dial trying to bring back the music but the static only grew louder more distorted then just as he was about to turn it off Completely he heard it a faint whisper almost too quiet to be heard stop the truck Bill's hand froze on the dial he glanced at the woman but she hadn't moved her face was still turned toward the windshield her expression blank the boy hadn't moved
either they sat there like statues unblinking unmoving stop the truck The Voice whispered again this time clearer louder it was coming from the radio but it wasn't any station he knew it sounded Like someone was right there in the cab speaking directly into to his ear Bill's heart raced he pressed his foot harder on the accelerator trying to shake the growing sense of dread that clawed at his chest the road stretched endlessly ahead of him the rain now coming down harder blurring his vision he needed to get out of this stretch of highway needed to
find a town a gas station anything but the voice wouldn't stop stop the truck it repeated over and over Growing more insistent with each pass second Bill gritted his teeth refusing to give in to the fear that nod at him he glanced again in the rearview mirror and that's when he saw it the woman's face had changed her skin once pale was now gray almost corpse-like her eyes were no longer Hollow they were gone replaced by empty black voids that seemed to suck in the dim light of the cab the boy too had changed his
head was now Twisted at an unnatural angle angle His face obscured by a mass of wet matted hair and both of them were staring directly at him stop the truck The Voice hissed one final time this time louder than ever echoing in his skull Panic surged through Bill his hands tightened on the wheel Knuckles white with fear he slammed his foot on the brakes the tires screeching as the truck skidded to a stop in the middle of the empty road and then nothing the woman and the boy were gone Bill blinked his heart hammering in
his chest the passenger seat was empty dry there was no sign of water no Trace that anyone had been there at all his radio had returned to its usual static filled hum and the rain outside had slowed to a light drizzle for a long moment bill just sat there staring at the empty seat beside him his mind racing had he imagined the whole thing was it just a hallucination brought on by exhaustion but as he sat there trying to make sense Of what had happened a cold realization settled over him he wasn't alone slowly he
reached for the rearview mirror his hand trembling He adjusted it angling it to see the back of the cab and there in the reflection were the woman and the boy they hadn't left they were still there their Twisted faces watching him waiting Bill slammed the truck into gear his foot pressing the accelerator to the floor as he sped down the highway desperate to escape the nightmare that Had taken over over his cab but no matter how fast he drove no matter how many miles he put between himself and that lonely stretch of road he knew
one thing for certain they were never going to leave every time he glanced into the mirror every time he closed his eyes he would see them silent waiting watching and Bill knew deep down that no matter how far he ran he could never outrun the horrors that had found him that night Story The endless Road it was the type of job that paid well for the patient but came with its risks Steve Collins a seasoned trucker knew this all too well long lonely Halls across desolate stretches of Highway at night could mess with anyone's mind
but he loved it the Solitude gave him time to think to reflect to be alone with the road and he prided himself on knowing the highways better than most tonight though something felt different Steve was Hauling a load through the Arizona desert the kind of place where the land stretches out forever and the sky feels like it's pressing down on you his GPS showed him on a straight path nothing out of the ordinary and the dashboard clock blinked 2:45 a.m. in dim green light ahead the road disappeared into the Blackness illuminated only by his headlights
but as he drove he noticed something strange the the road signs were starting to look Familiar at first it was just a fleeting sense of deja vu then after passing the same Sunridge Motel 25 Mi signed for the third time Steve knew something was wrong his GPS didn't show any turns or loops and there were no exits for Miles yet somehow he was passing the same landmarks again and again this can't be right Steve muttered to himself turning the GPS off and on again hoping it was just a glitch but the screen blinked the same
coordinates showing him on the Correct Highway he glanced at the clock again it was still 2:45 a.m. impossible he had been driving for over an hour since he last looked at the time yet the clock hadn't moved a cold sweat started to form on the back of his neck he rubbed his eyes thinking maybe fatigue was playing tricks on him but when he looked up the same Motel sign flashed by once more his heart began to pound he was caught in some kind of loop and he had no idea how to get out the Highway
stretched endlessly before him and each mile felt like the last the landscape Barren and featureless offered no clue as to where he was or why the road seemed to be repeating itself Steve's thoughts raced was it some kind of hallucination a dream he couldn't wake from he decided to pull over thinking he might need a break maybe he was just too tired and a few minutes of the rest would snap him out of it he parked on the shoulder the engine Humming Softly As He stared out into the empty desert the Stillness of the night
was suffocating no wind no sound just the soft ticking of the cooling engine and the distant faint howl of a coyote the stars above twinkled faintly indifferent to his growing unease he reached for the bottle of water by his side took a long drink and looked at the dashboard clock again 2:45 a.m. his breath caught in his throat it hadn't moved the realization Hit him like a freight train time itself had stopped or at least it had for him his mind scrambled for answers but none came the road was playing tricks on him or maybe
it was something far worse determined not to give in panic Steve restarted the engine the Roar of the truck gave him a sense of control however fleeting he pulled back onto the road hoping that somehow by driving he could break free of whatever this was but deep down he feared that he was Trapped as the miles ticked by Steve started noticing other strange details the road ahead though Straight had a subtle Shimmer to it like heat waves Rising off asphalt except it wasn't hot the air around him felt dense pressing down on him like a
physical weight his hands tightened on the steering wheel as the same Sunridge Motel 25 M sign appeared once again he screamed at the top of his lungs slamming his fist on the dashboard in Frustration his voice echoed in the cab the sound of a man fighting an invisible force that refused to let go suddenly in the distance he saw headlights relief washed over him another vehicle another person who could help he flashed his high beams signaling to the oncoming truck as it got closer Steve realized it was another rig much like his own he prepared
to slow down hoping to flag the driver down and explain his situation but as the other truck approached Something about it seemed off the headlights were too dim flickering like an old bulb ready to burn out and the truck itself rusted beaten looked ancient like it hadn't been on the road in decades the other driver a shadowy figure barely visible through the dirty windshield didn't acknowledge Steve's signals the truck rumbled past him disappearing into the darkness behind him without a word Steve looked in his rearview mirror Expecting to see the truck's tail lights Fading Into
the distance but there was nothing the truck was gone vanished as if it had never been there a cold chill ran down Steve's spine something unnatural was happening something far beyond a simple Road glitch or a malfunctioning GPS he was trapped in a place where the normal rules didn't apply LLY time crawled by or maybe it didn't Steve could no longer tell how long he had been driving hours days the Clock still blinked 2:45 a.m. its green digits mocking him his mind was a whirlwind of panic confusion and exhaustion but he forced himself to keep
driving hoping against hope that the road would eventually change that he would find an exit then as if an answer to his silent he saw something up ahead an old rusted road sign pointing toward a town he didn't recognize cold water 10 mies he didn't remember seeing this sign before Maybe this was it maybe he had finally broken free of the loop desperation pushing him forward Steve veered onto the narrow road leaving the endless Highway behind but as he drove the road narrowed even further the darkness pressing in from both sides the headlights of his
truck seemed weaker barely piercing the Blackness ahead the desert was gone replaced by dense gnarled trees that twisted and Tangled together casting long skeletal Shadows Across the road the air grew colder sharper biting into his skin even through the closed windows Steve's heart raced something was wrong the road which had seemed like an escape now felt more like a trap leading him deeper into a place he didn't want to go he wanted to turn back but the narrow Winding Road left him no room to maneuver his massive rig he pressed on hoping to find a
way to turn around but as he rounded a Bend his headlights Illuminated something that froze him in his seat in the middle of the road stood a figure a man tall and thin dressed in a tattered coat stood perfectly still staring directly at Steve's truck his face was shadowed hidden beneath the brim of an old wide brimmed hat Steve slammed on the brakes the truck skidding to a halt just feet from the figure the man didn't move Steve's heart pounded in his chest he honked the horn but the man remained still watching him with those
Shadowed eyes the silence was deafening Steve's breath came in short panicked gasps as he fumbled with the gear shift desperate to reverse to get away from this place but as he glanced in the rearview mirror his blood ran cold the road behind him was gone there was nothing but Blackness an impenetrable void that seemed to swallow the world whole and in the mirror standing just behind his truck was another figure silent watching The Man in the road Began to move toward him slow deliberate steps echoing in the silence Steve's mind screamed at him to move
to do something but he was frozen Paralyzed by fear as the man's face came into the light pale emotional with eyes that seemed to see right through him the last thing Steve heard before everything went black was the sound of his own heart pounding in his ears as the man reached out toward the cab and the world around him disappeared Into the void third Story the cargo from the other world Jack Reed was used to strange Halls after 15 years of driving rigs across the country he transported everything from frozen food to exotic animals but
this time it was different different this time the cargo came with strict instructions under no circumstances was he to open the container or even look inside jack had received the job through a shadowy logistics company he hadn't heard of Before the money was too good to turn down and after some initial hesitation he figured it was probably just another government contract or some high tech prototype that needed to stay classified the pickup location was at a remote non-descript Warehouse in the middle of the Nevada desert when Jack arrived it was close to dusk the sun
hung low on the horizon casting Long Shadows across the barren landscape a small group of Men In Black suits and Sunglasses loaded the container onto his truck they gave no explanations only handed him a stack of paperwork and the warning that he must stay on a designated route they never once made eye contact with him as Jack climbed into his cab he felt an odd unease creep over him the container roughly the size of a small trailer was locked with heavyduty clamps and reinforced steel there was no marking No Label indicating its contents it just
sat there ominously Silent he shook off the feeling telling himself he'd done weird jobs before what was one more mysterious load he hit the road following the GPS coordinance provided which led him deep into the desert toward the west coast the Knight swallowed the landscape quickly and soon Jack found himself driving under the cover of Darkness the only light coming from his headlights cutting through the inky Blackness the first few hours were uneventful just the Hum of the engine and the endless ribbon of asphalt ahead of him but as midnight approached something strange began to
happen Jack noticed a low hum in the air almost like static from a radio that wasn't quite tuned in he glanced at his dashboard checking the radio to see if it was picking up some Rogue signal but it was off the hum however grew louder vibrating through the truck and into his bones he slowed down pulling the truck to the side of the road there was no Civilization for miles only the vast empty desert stretching out on either side he stepped out of the cab the cool night air hitting his face that's when he realized
the hum wasn't coming from the radio or the truck for that matter it was coming from the container back hesitated for a moment his curiosity peaked despite the warnings he walked around to the back of the rig standing just feet from the sealed container the sound was faint but persistent like a Doll vibration that seemed to pulse in time with his own heartbeat he leaned in closer trying to get a better sense of what it could be then without warning the hum stopped the sudden silence was deafening the absence of noise unnerving Jack stood there
staring at the container waiting for something to happen his instincts told him to get back in the truck and keep driving but he couldn't shake the growing feeling of dread that something was terribly wrong He climbed back into the cab and started the engine determined to finish the job as quickly as possible but as he drove strange things began to happen the headlights flickered briefly and the GPS which had been guiding him Faithfully suddenly glitched showing his location as a blank spot on the map no roads no landmarks just an empty void where the desert
should have been damn thing Jack muttered tapping the screen but the more he tried to reset the GPS the more Erratic it became until finally it blinked out entirely leaving him with nothing but the open road and the uneasy feeling crawling up his spine he turned on the radio to drown out the silence but all he got was static it was then that he noticed the temperature had dropped not just a slight slight chill but a bone deep cold that made his breath visible in the cab the dashboard thermometer confirmed it the temperature outside had
plummeted to near freezing An impossibility in the desert night suddenly there was a loud bang from the back of the truck Jack's heart leapt into his throat it was unmistakable the sound of something slamming against the inside of the container his first thought was that something had come loose but then he remembered the instructions nothing inside was supposed to move he pulled over once again this time with his heart racing the desert was utterly still a Vast expanse of nothingness under the pale light of a crescent moon Jack grabbed a flashlight and cautiously approached the
container as he drew near he could feel a strange pressure in the air like the atmosphere itself was heavier his breathing became labored and a sharp metallic taste filled his mouth there it was again a loud thud followed by a slow scraping sound from within Jack froze his hand resting on the cold metal of the Container's side whatever was inside wasn't supposed to be alive but now it was making its presence known he stepped back his mind racing was it some kind of animal had he been lied to about what he was transporting his hands
itched to open the container to see what the hell was going on but the warning echoed in his mind under no circum cumstances should you open it suddenly his truck's headlights flickered wildly then cut out completely the engine died leaving Jack In total darkness his heart pounded in his chest as he turned in a slow Circle scanning the surrounding desert with his flashlight the oppressive silence pressed down on him thick and suffocating even the wind had stopped then he heard it a voice faint barely a whisper but unmistakable Jack he spun around the beam of
his flashlight darting across the container nothing his breath came in Shallow gasps now his mind screaming at him to leave He fumbled for his phone but it was dead the screen completely black then came the second voice this time it was louder closer Jack it wasn't coming from the container it was coming from inside the truck Panic surged through him he ran back to the cab yanking open the door the interior was bathed in a dim unnatural glow his hands shook as he climbed inside slamming the door shut behind him he reached for the keys
to restart the Engine but as his hand brushed the ignition the truck's lights flickered back on by themselves the dashboard blinked to life but something was wrong the dials spun wildly the radio crackled with distorted voices and the GPS which had been dead moments ago displayed a message Mage that sent a chill down Jack's spine do not open Jack stared at the message his pulse racing the voices on the radio grew louder merging into a cacophony of Whispers all chanting his Name in unison he glanced over his shoulder toward the container it stood there silent
and still but the air around it seemed to warp distorting the night like a mirage he had to move he had to get out of here his hands trembled as he gripped the steering wheel and slammed his foot on the gas the truck roared to life and he sped down the highway the desert whipping by in a blur but no matter how fast he drove the voices followed growing louder More insistent Jack open it he gritted his teeth shaking his head no he whispered to himself I can't but the pressure was building the voices now
a deafening Roar inside his head open it Jack's grip on the wheel tightened he could feel something pulling at him some unseen Force urging him to break the lock to see what was inside the Temptation noded at him but he fought it with everything he had then without warning the container banged violently Louder than before shaking the entire truck Jack slammed on the brakes skidding to a halt he was done he couldn't take it anymore with Trembling Hands he grabbed the bolt cutters from his emergency kit and stepped out into the cold night air the
wind had returned howling through the desert carrying with it the Whispers of countless voices he stood before the container the bolt cutters in his hands his mind racing everything inside him screamed not to do It but the voices had grown too loud too powerful to ignore with one swift motion he snapped the lock and threw open the doors what he saw inside defied all logic all comprehension the container was empty but the space within was wrong it was like looking into a void an endless swirling Abyss that seemed to stretch out into Infinity the air
around it warped and twisted pulling at Jack drawing him toward the darkness the voices now clear and distinct echoed From within the abyss thank you Jack and then the world around him collapsed into Blackness when the highway patrol found Jack's Truck the next morning it was abandoned on the side of the road the container was empty its doors wide open but Jack was nowhere to be found he had disappeared swallowed by the void he had been hired to transport and the only clue Left Behind was the strange distorted message still blinking on the GPS screen
do not open fourth story The Vanishing road the road stretched out before Greg Harrison like a long unbroken ribbon of asphalt cutting through the endless trees of the Appalachian Mountains he had been driving for for what felt like hours without seeing another vehicle or even a road sign it wasn't the first time he'd taken back roads to avoid congested highways but something about this particular stretch of road didn't sit right with him there was an unsettling Stillness to the place like the world around him had been paused Greg was a trucker through and through with
20 years on the road under his belt he prided himself on knowing most of the country's highways and side routes but this one this one wasn't on his usual radar the GPS had routed him this way due to some construction on his regular path but the more he drove the more he wished he had just stuck with what he knew his hands gripped the wheel a Little tighter as the dense forest on either side of the road seemed to close in casting long shadowy fingers over the pavement the trees here were ancient their Twisted Trunks
and gnarled branches swaying lightly in the evening Breeze the sun was setting casting a soft orang orange glow Over the Horizon but that warmth didn't reach this road the Shadows here were deep the kind that made the skin on the back of Greg's neck prickle he glanced at the clock on the Dashboard 6:45 p.m. he'd been driving since early that morning and fatigue was beginning to weigh on him he decided to look for a place to pull over maybe a gas station or a rest stop but so far there had been nothing just mile after
mile of uninterrupted for forest and asphalt as the minutes ticked by Greg noticed something peculiar the scenery wasn't changing the same dense trees the same Curves in the road the same occasional scatter of fallen leaves it Was as if he were driving in a loop passing the same stretch of road over and over again he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen the same Crooked Tree at least three times now he glanced down at his GPS hoping for reassurance but the screen had gone blank the system had been working perfectly when he started but
now it was completely unresponsive showing nothing but an empty map he tapped it a few times but the GPS remained stubbornly Dead great he muttered under his breath frustration gnawing at him still Greg wasn't one to panic easily he figured he was just tired that maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him a quick stop would set him straight but as he continued down the road Ro the unease only deepened the radio which had been playing softly in the background began to cut in and out eventually dissolving into static Greg flipped through the channels but
all he got was the same low Buzzing hiss come on he muttered smacking the dashboard in frustration it was then that he saw it the faint outline of a sign up ahead his heart leapt with relief finally a sign meant he was nearing something as he got closer he squinted trying to make out the words but as the truck's headlights illuminated the old weather-beaten sign his stomach sank the sign read Cold Creek 5 miles he swore under his breath Cold Creek wasn't on any of the maps not on the GPS and not in his own
memory he hadn't seen any signs for it earlier in the trip either was it some old forgotten town that wasn't marked he wasn't sure but he had no other options he needed to stop even if it was in some Backwater Town he'd never heard of Greg pressed on and as the truck rumbled deeper into the forest the road began to change it became narrower the asphalt giving way to rougher more uneven Pavement the trees closed in even tighter their branches scraping against the sides of the truck like bony fingers the sense of isolation was suffocating
now he glanced down at the clock again it still read 6:45 p.m. Greg blinked his brow furrowing in confusion there was no way the clock could still be stuck at the same time he had driven miles since he'd last checked it yet the clock hadn't moved his stomach Twisted as he realized something was very very Wrong a few minutes later he saw it the faint glow of the street lights in the distance relief flooded him as the first signs of civilization appeared small flickering lights just beyond the curve of the road as the truck rounded
the bend the town of Cold Creek came into view but it wasn't like any Town Greg had ever seen the streets were empty eerily so and the buildings though intact looked ancient as if they had been frozen in time there were no cars No people just rows of dilapidated houses and storefronts their Windows dark and lifeless the air itself seemed stagnant Untouched by wind or sound even the trees that lined the streets Stood Still as if frozen in place Greg pulled the truck to a stop and what appeared to be the center of town the
engines idle the only sound breaking the silence he looked around half expecting someone to emerge from one of the buildings but there was no movement the entire town Felt abandoned yet preserved as if everyone had simply vanished one day leaving everything behind a chill ran down his spine he needed to stretch his legs maybe get a closer look but a deep sense of her boating held him in his seat something about this place didn't feel right and every Instinct screamed at him to leave but where would he go he hadn't seen another town or sign
of life for hours and his GPS was dead for a brief moment he considered turning the Truck around and driving back the way he came but as he looked into the rear view mirror he saw something that made his blood run cold the road behind him was gone where there had once been a winding stretch of asphalt there was now only dense forest it was as if the road had never existed his heart pounded in his chest as Panic set in he threw the truck into reverse slamming his foot on the gas but the wheel
spun uselessly against the dirt he was trapped Greg jumped out Of the cab his boots hitting the gravel with a crunch he spun around scanning the area looking for anything that could explain what was happening the town stood silent and still like a painting Frozen in Time his breath came in short shallow bursts as he approached one of the buildings a small Diner its neon signs still flickering weakly he reached for the door but it wouldn't budge the glass was covered in a thin layer of dust and as Greg peered inside he saw That the
interior looked untouched like the place had been abandoned in the middle of a meal plates of food sat untouched on the tables and the chairs were neatly tucked under them yet there was no sign of anyone it was as if the entire town had been frozen in the middle of an ordinary day the people Vanishing Without a Trace Greg backed away from the diner his heart pounding in his chest he needed to get out of here but every direction he turned led Him back to the same place Cold Creek an impossible town that shouldn't exist
he ran to the edge of the street where the road had had once been but there was nothing but trees his truck stood there still and Silent a Lifeline that now felt useless suddenly the air grew cold an unnatural chill that made Greg's skin crawl the wind picked up howling through the empty streets and for the first time he heard it a low guttural whisper carried on the breeze he couldn't make Out the words but the sound sent a shiver down his spine he spun around searching for The Source but there was no one there
The Whisper grew louder more insistent and as Greg turned back toward the truck he saw something that made his heart stop a figure stood in the road silhouetted against the dim light of the Street Lamp it was a man tall and thin his features obscured by the Shadows he stood perfectly still watching Greg with Unblinking eyes the whispering grew louder and as the figure took a step forward Greg stumbled backward his pulse racing who are you Greg shouted but the figure didn't respond it took another step and then another its movement slow and deliberate like
a predator stalking its prey Greg's breath came in ragged gasps as he backed away his eyes locked on the figure he turned to run but the moment he did The Whispers stopped silence enveloped him once more heavy And oppressive he glanced over his shoulder the figure was gone Greg froze his heart hammering in his chest where had it gone it had been right there watching him and now it was just gone he sprinted back to the truck his feet pounding against the gravel as Panic surged through him he yanked the door open and climbed inside
slamming it shut behind him his hands shook as he turned the key in the ignition praying the engine would start But the truck remained silent desperation clawed at him as he tried again and again but the engine wouldn't turn over he glanced out the window half expecting the figure to reappear but the street was empty and then in the reflection of the rearview mirror he saw it the figure was standing directly behind the truck Greg's blood ran cold he wanted to move to do something but his body was frozen in place the figure stood there
unmoving its dark eyes Boring into him through the mirror and then without a sound it vanished once more Greg slammed his hands on the steering wheel Panic giving way to helplessness he was trapped with no way out no explanation for what was happening the town of Cold Creek had claimed him just as it had claimed the others and Greg knew deep down that he would never leave this place fifth Story the highway patrol Tom Bennett had driven more miles than he could count in His 25 years as a long haul trucker he'd seen it all
strange weather patterns bizarre roadside encounters even a few close rushes with death but tonight something felt different as he cruised down an isolated stretch of highway through the Great Plains a gnawing sense of unease crept into his bones the highway was eerily empty not that Tom wasn't used to the long desolate stretches of road that crisscrossed the American Heartland but This particular route a seemingly endless expanse of flatland felt like it was missing something cars gas stations even distant farmhouses it was just him his rig and the oppressive quiet of the night his headlights cut
through the darkness Illuminating Nothing But The Faded yellow lines on the asphalt and the occasional tumble weed blowing across the road he checked the time 2:37 a.m. only a few more hours until he reached his Destination his next stop was a small trucker rest area just outside a town called Wellington a place he had never been before the name sounded quaint but Tom knew these backroad towns were often little more than a couple of gas stations and a diner with questionable food still it was a place to rest and that's all he cared about at
the moment just as he was beginning to think the night might pass uneventfully he saw something in the Distance a pair of flashing lights red and blue the unmistakable sign of a police car it was parked on the shoulder headlights facing the road as if it had been waiting for him Tom slowed down easing off the gas as he approached there were no other cars in sight the Cruiser's lights flashed more insistently now signaling him to pull over Tom sighed and turned on his blinker guiding his truck to the side of the road he watched
in the rearview Mirror as the officer stepped out of the car and slowly approached his cab the man was tall with a Stern face and dark eyes that seemed to gleam even in the dim light he wore a standard Highway Patrol uniform his hand resting casually on the holster at his side Tom rolled down his window trying to appear relaxed evening officer everything all right the officer didn't answer right away he just stood there staring up at Tom his face unreadable license and registration Please the officer finally said his voice low and even Tom frowned
but complied reaching into his glove compartment for the paperwork as he handed it over he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off the officer's demeanor was too cold too detached usually they'd make small talk ask where you were headed crack a joke to ease the tension but this guy he was like a statue completely devoid of any emotion the officer took the documents And glanced at them briefly before handing them back step out of the vehicle he said his tone flat Tom hesitated is there a problem step out of the vehicle the officer repeated
more firmly this time a knot tightened in tomk gut something wasn't right he had been through routine traffic stops before but this didn't feel routine still he didn't want to escalate the situation so he reluctantly opened the door and climbed down from the cab the Moment his feet hit the pavement the cold night air wrapped around him like a shroud the officer took a step closer his eyes locked on Tom's unblinking there was something unsettling about his gaze something too intense turn around place your hands on the truck the officer commanded tomk heart started to
race wait hold on he said raising his hand slightly what's going on did I do something wrong the officer's expression didn't change just do it Tom turned Slowly pressing his hands against the cold metal of the truck he could hear the officer's footsteps crunching on the gravel behind him slow and deliberate his breathing quickened as the sound grew closer each step sending a spike of fear through him he felt vulnerable exposed what's this about Tom asked his voice shaky no answer the footsteps stopped directly behind him and for a moment everything was still the silence
stretched on Growing more unbearable with each passing second then without warning Tom felt something cold and hard press against the back of his neck it wasn't the barrel of a gun it was something else something metallic but thin almost like a needle his entire body went rigid as a strange numbness began to spread from the point of contact slowly crawling down his spine what the hell are you doing Tom gasped trying to turn his head but his muscles wouldn't Respond his arms felt heavy his legs like lead it was as if his body was shutting
down the officers voice came again but this time it was different it was distorted like a recording played at the wrong speed stay still Tom's heart pounded in his chest adrenaline flooding his system but he couldn't move his vision blurred as the world around him seemed to tilt the numbness was spreading faster now overtaking his limbs leaving him Completely paralized through the haze he could barely make out the figure of the officer standing behind him but there was something wrong terribly wrong the man's face was changing melting as if his features were being rearranged like
clay the eyes once cold and human were now black bottomless voids his skin rippled unnaturally as though something beneath it was trying to break free and then just as quickly as it began it stopped Tom's body collapsed against the Side of the truck his legs giving out beneath him the paralysis was gone on but the terror remained he scrambled to his feet his mind racing desperate to get away he turned to face the officer but the figure was gone the patrol car the flashing lights everything had vanished leaving only the empty stretch of highway behind
him Tom stumbled back toward the truck his breath coming in ragged gasps he threw himself into the cab slamming the door shut behind him His hands shaking as he fumbled with the keys the engine roared to life and without a second thought he floored the gas pedal desperate to put as much distance between himself and whatever the hell had just happened as the truck sped down the highway Tom kept glancing in his mirrors half expecting to see the patrol car reappear behind him but the road remained empty dark and for boing his heart continued to
race his mind Struggling to process what had just occurred but the nightmare wasn't over about 10 mil down the road Tom saw again flashing lights in the distance red and blue just like before his stomach Twisted into knots he slowed down dread creeping up his spine as he approached he could see the same highway patrol car parked on the shoulder its lights flashing rhythmically in the night no Tom whispered his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel this can't be Happening he drove past the car slowly his eyes locked on the rearview mirror but
this time the officer didn't step out the car just sat there its lights flashing in the darkness like a beacon calling him back for a brief moment Tom thought about stopping about turning around and confronting whatever it was but then his instincts kicked in the same instincts that had kept him alive on the road for 25 years keep driving don't look back he pressed down on the Gas the truck picking up speed as the highway stretched out endlessly before him him the flashing lights disappeared into the distance swallowed by the night Tom didn't stop until
he reached Wellington pulling into the empty parking lot of a small dilapidated rest stop his hands were still shaking as he shut off the engine and leaned back in his seat trying to calm his racing heart the faint glow of fluorescent lights flickered overhead casting Long Shadows Across the deserted lot he wasn't sure how long he sat there staring blankly at the darkened Windows of the rest stop his mind kept replaying the events of the night over and over trying to make sense of it but no matter how hard he tried the only thing he
could remember clearly was the officer's distorted face and the cold Touch of that metallic object against his neck the clock on the dashboard read 4:15 a.m. he had lost nearly 2 hours since the encounter and Yet he had no memory of that time just a gaping void where it should have been Tom closed his eyes taking a deep breath he didn't know what had happened on that highway or who what had stopped him but one thing was certain he would never take that route again and in the Silence of the deserted rest stop as the
first light of dawn began to break on the horizon Tom swore he could still hear the faint hum of flashing lights behind him waiting in the darkness just Out of sight sixth story The Disappearing Highway Ben Marshall had driven these roads hundreds of times the monotonous highways cutting through the vast expanses of the Midwest had become second nature to him he liked the isolation the quiet of the open road but tonight there was a tension in the air something that felt off in the way the darkness pressed against his headlights it wasn't just the typical
fatigue that came from driving long hours this was Different an unsettling sense of wrongness that had been creeping up on him for the last hour Ben checked his GPS again though he already knew the route he was supposed to be nearing a rest stop one of those small desolate places where you could grab a coffee use the bathroom and maybe stretch your legs he had passed it before on this same stretch of highway but tonight it didn't seem to be showing up the GPS was adamant he was heading in the right Direction but the miles
ticked by with no sign of the rest stop the silence in the cab was oppressive even the usual static of of His Radio had fizzled out leaving only the faint sound of the tires rolling over the asphalt Ben shifted in his seat his hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter the vast emptiness of the planes outside his window stretched endlessly the sky above a solid black void no stars no moon just darkness After driving for what felt like an eternity he finally spotted it the dim glow of a neon sign flickering in the distance
relief washed over him as he saw the small isolated rest stop appear on the horizon the sign barely legible from years of neglect read last chance Cafe 24-hour service Ben pulled off the highway and into the gravel parking lot his tires crunching on the loose Stones the place looked deserted a rundown building with Peeling paint and a single gas pump that looked like it hadn't been used in years but the neon open sign in the window flickered faintly and Ben was too tired to care he needed a break he climbed out of the truck the
cold night air biting at his skin and walked toward the entrance the door creaked as he pushed it open the sound echoing in the Stillness inside the place looked even worse than he had expected the lighting was dim casting Long Shadows across the Cracked lenium floor a few booths lined the walls their vinyl seats torn and faded and an old jukebox sat in the corner silent and covered in dust behind the counter stood a man he was tall and gaunt his face pale and drawn with deep set eyes that seemed to watch Ben as he
approached the man wore a faded Diner uniform his name tag barely readable Bill coffee Ben asked his voice sounding unnaturally loud in the quiet of the diner Bill nodded silently and turned to Pour a cup from the pot sitting on the burner behind him Ben glanced around the diner again it felt wrong like a place caught in time forgotten by the rest of the world the clock on the wall ticked slowly the second hand moving with a deliberate slowness that made him uneasy he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off where is everyone Ben
asked trying to break the silence Bill placed the cup of coffee in front of him his expression unreadable it's a slow Night he said his voice low and grally Ben took a sip of the coffee grimacing at the bitter taste he set the the cup down and rubbed his eyes exhaustion creeping over him he just needed a few minutes to clear his head and then he'd be back on the road how far's the next town Ben asked hoping to make some conversation Bill's eyes flicked toward the window then back to Ben you're a long way
from anywhere he said his voice almost a whisper Ben frowned a chill Running down his spine something about the way the man spoke sent a wave of unease through him he GL glanced outside noticing for the first time how utterly dark it was the highway the surrounding land it all seemed to melt into the night as if the rest of the world had disappeared Ben stood up abruptly his nerves on edge I think I'm just going to get back on the road Bill didn't respond just watched him with those Dark Hollow eyes as Ben walked
out of the diner the Cold hit him again sharper this time he hurried back to his truck eager to get away from the place he climbed into the cab and started the engine the comforting Rumble filling the silence but as he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway something strange happened the road was gone where there had once been a clear stretch of asphalt there was now only Darkness the headlights of his truck illuminated nothing but an endless black void Ben Slammed on the brakes his heart pounding in his chest he looked
around Panic Rising as he realized he was completely surrounded by darkness no Road no signs just an empty featureless void he turned the wheel trying to backtrack but the truck didn't move the tires spun uselessly the engine revving but going nowhere Ben's breath came in short gasps as he fumbled for his phone but there was no signal the screen flickered and died leaving him completely cut off he Looked back at the diner its dim neon sign barely visible through the darkness it was the only thing left the last point of reference in an otherwise endless
void with a Sinking Feeling Ben realized that he was no longer in the world he knew he was trapped caught somewhere between reality and something else he stepped out of the truck the silence around him deafening the diner's lights flickered weakly but it was still there he started walking toward it each Step feeling heavier than the last as though the darkness was pressing down on him trying to pull him into its depths when he reached the door it opened on its own creaking on rusty hinges the diner looked the same as before but something had
changed the air was thicker the Shadows longer and Bill was still behind the counter watching him with that same expressionless stare you can't leave Bill said softly his voice echoing through the empty Diner not now Not ever Ben's heart pounded in his chest what is this place Bill smiled a slow Eerie smile that never reached his eyes it's the Edge of Time he said his voice barely above a whisper a place for those who get lost Ben backed away his mind racing I have to get out of here you're already too far gone Bill said
his eyes gleaming with something dark and terrible once you come here the road never lets you go the diner began to warp around Ben The walls stretching and twisting the ceiling growing impossibly High the clock on the wall ticked slower the hands moving backward the lights flickered and the air grew colder heavier like the weight of time itself was pressing down on him Ben turned and ran bursting out of the diner and Into the Dark Void but the highway was gone swallowed by the endless nothingness that stretched out in every direction his truck was no
longer there and the Only light came from the flickering neon sign of the diner growing fainter with each passing second he stumbled into the darkness his heart racing his mind spinning with fear and confusion but no matter how far he ran he couldn't escape the feeling that he was being pulled back drawn to the diner to the place where time had stopped as the last glimmer of the neon light faded Ben's footsteps slowed his legs growing heavy as if the void itself was claiming him And as the Darkness closed in he realized that bill was
right there was no leaving not now not ever seventh Story the rest stop at the Edge of Time Caleb Fletcher had been driving the same route for over a decade he knew the roads like the back of his hand every curve every pothole every rest stop along the way but tonight something felt wrong the desert road stretched endlessly before him the pitch black sky above offering no Solace as he pushed His truck through the Nevada Wilderness the only sound was the low Rumble of the engine accompanied by The Faint hiss of the wind outside Caleb
checked the clock it was just past 2:00 a.m. and he'd been on the road for nearly 12 hours his eyelids were heavy and his mind was foggy from fatigue a rest stop was just up ahead according to the sign he had passed 10 m back he could almost taste the bitter coffee he was planning to grab when he got there the glow of a Small rest stop appeared on the horizon its flickering neon sign cutting through the darkness Caleb let out a sigh of relief and pulled into the gravel parking lot it was an old
place one he'd been to a few times over the years isolated and quiet the kind of stop that wasn't much more than a gas station and a small Diner as he turned off the engine a wave of unease swept over him the lot was empty save for a few abandoned cars that looked like they Hadn't moved in years the diner's lights flickered weakly and the neon sign that once proudly read open 24 hours now barely held on to its glow Caleb stepped out of the truck and stretched the cold Desert Air biting at his skin
the quiet was Eerie the Stillness almost unnatural he walked toward the diner hearing nothing but his own footsteps crunching against the gravel inside the diner looked Frozen in Time the booths were empty the counters Dusty an old radio Sat on the counter playing a faint crackling tune behind the counter stood a woman her back to him wiping a glass with a rag the faint smell of stale coffee hung in the air evening Caleb said his voice breaking the silence the woman didn't turn around didn't even acknowledge his presence he glanced around the empty Diner feeling
an odd tension building in his chest he stepped up to the counter and cleared his throat just a cup of coffee please the woman Finally turned to face him and Caleb's heart skipped a beat there was something off about her her skin was pale almost waxy and her eyes seemed distant unfocused she nodded slowly and turned to pour him a cup from the pot behind her the glass clinking softly against the counter as she set it in front of him thanks Caleb muttered feeling a chill crawl up his spine he took a SE at one
of the booths facing the small TV mounted on the wall the news was on Though the volume was turned down low the screen flickered as a news anchor droned on about something Caleb couldn't make out he took a sip of the Coffee wincing at its bitter burnt taste he set the cup down and turned his attention back to the TV hoping to distract himself from the growing sense of unease that had settled over him but as he focused on the screen his stomach dropped the news anchor was talking about a truck accident his truck a
sense Of dread washed over him as he stared at the footage on the screen there was his rig mangled overturned on the side of a highway the camera panned over the scene showing emergency vehicles surrounding the wreckage red and blue lights flashing in the night his heart raced as he watched in disbelief the Anchor's voice cold and detached continued the driver Caleb Fletcher was pronounced dead at the scene authorities believe the accident occurred after he fell Asleep at the wheel veering off the road and crashing into a ravine Caleb's breath caught in his throat what
the hell he whispered feeling the blood drain from his face the woman behind the counter hadn't moved her back still turned to him the entire Diner seemed to grow colder the lights dimming slightly as the weight of the news report sank in Caleb stood up his legs shaky and approached the counter hey he said his voice unsteady there's Some mistake I'm right here the woman didn't respond her back remained turned her form eerily still Caleb's pulse quickened as Panic gripped him he turned toward the door intending to leave but something stopped him something dark something
he couldn't explain the TV flickered again and Caleb looked back at the screen his photo was now displayed next to the wreckage his his name his face his obituary it felt like the world had tilted off its axis Caleb's mind Raced trying to make sense of what he was seeing this couldn't be real he was alive standing here drinking bad diner coffee but the images on the screen told a different story he stumbled out of the diner the cold night air hitting him like a slap his truck was still there parked in the lot but
everything else seemed wrong the neon sign was completely dark now the diner's lights flickering like a dying pulse and the highway the highway was gone in its Place was a thick impenetrable fog that stretched out into nothingness Caleb's heart pounded in his chest he rushed toward his truck his hands shaking as he fumbled with the door handle he climbed inside and slammed the door shut his breathing ragged he turned the key in the ignition but the engine didn't start he tried again nothing the dashboard lights flickered weakly before going dark completely come on Caleb shouted
slamming his fist Against the steering wheel he looked up and through the windshield he saw something that made his blood run cold a figure stood in the fog barely visible through the thick Haze it was a man dressed in the same clothes Caleb was wearing he was standing perfectly still his face obscured but Caleb didn't need to see it to know who it was it was him him the figure took a step closer moving silently through the fog Caleb's pulse raced as he frantically tried the Ignition again but the truck remained dead the figure was
closer now almost at the front of the truck its form barely distinguishable from the surrounding fog Caleb's chest tightened Panic gripping him as the reality of his situation began to settle in the diner the news report the fog it all made a sick twisted kind of sense now he wasn't supposed to be here he wasn't alive the figure reached the front of the truck and stopped its blank shadowed face Staring directly at Caleb in that moment the fog seemed to close in on him the weight of it pressing down suffocating Caleb's breath hitched as the
figure slowly raised a hand pressing it against the hood of the truck and then everything went black when the local sheriff's office responded to the crash early the next morning they found Caleb Fletcher's rig at the bottom of a ravine the truck was a total loss its cab crushed beyond recognition the official Report stated that the driver had likely fallen asleep at the wheel veered off the road and died on impact but the deputy who arrived on the scene first swore he saw something else he said that through the morning fog he saw a figure
standing by the wreckage watching a man who looked an awful lot like Caleb Fletcher but by the time the deputy reached the truck the figure was gone and all that was left was the Eerie Silence of the Desert eighth Story the cargo from the other world Jack Connelly had hauled a lot of strange loads over his 15 years on the road but this job was different from the start he was accustomed to all sorts of vague instructions government contracts mysterious shipments and cargo that was off limits to curious eyes but this time the silence surrounding
the assignment had felt heavier he was wasn't given any details about what was inside the container strapped to his Truck the only instruction was clear do not under any circumstances open it the pickup had been from a remote Warehouse in the Nevada desert a place so isolated it felt as if the rest of the world had forgotten it no company logos on the building no questions asked the few workers he saw wore non-descript uniforms and no one spoke as they loaded the container onto his rig Jack had dealt with shadowy jobs before so he wasn't
phased by the secrecy but Something about this load unsettled him the container itself was different larger than most but more than that it felt wrong the metallic surface was ice cold to the touch even in the scorching Desert Sun and every now and then Jack thought he could hear something a faint hum like the soft vibration of Machinery deep inside but every time he stopped to check the trailer The Sound vanished the route they gave him wasn't standard either the GPS coordinates directed him Through long isolated highways far from the usual busy routes the lack
of other cars or truckers on the road was unnerving just Jack his rig and the vast expanse of desert stretching endlessly in all directions as night began to fall the sky turning a deep purple Jack felt the isolation even more keenly his CB radio usually buzzing with the chatter of fellow truckers was dead silent he tuned it up and down the frequencies but there was nothing no Static no voices just silence the first sign of trouble came just after midnight Jack had been driving for hours when the truck's engine suddenly sputtered his heart skipped a
beat as the Dashboard Lights flickered the entire rig seemed to lose power for a second then roared back to life but the moment blackout had rattled him he glanced at his rearview mirrors scanning the dark desert behind him but there was nothing must be tired Jack Muttered trying to shake the growing unease gnawing at his gut but the longer he drove the worse it got the hum from the container had returned louder now like it was vibrating through the entire truck he gripped the wheel tightly trying to focus on the road but the noise was
impossible to ignore his gut told him something was wrong that maybe he should pull over and check the cargo he knew the instructions were clear don't open it but the noise was getting Unbearable his head was pounding from the constant hum and something in his mind whispered that he needed to stop just for a minute just to see what the hell was going on back there against his better judgment Jack pulled the rig over to the side of the road the desert was completely still no sign of life for Miles he stepped out of the
C AB the night air C against his skin as he approached the back of the truck the hum grew louder a low frequency vibration That seemed to thrum through his bones he hesitated for a moment staring at the locked container just a peak he whispered to himself just to make sure it's all intact he retrieved a crowbar from the truck's toolbox and approached the heavy padlock securing the container his hands trembled as he slipped the Crowbar into place and pried the lock open the hug was almost deafening now pulsing in syn with his heartbeat the
lock snapped open with a loud clang and Jack felt a strange sense of relief wash over him he slid the container doors open just a crack enough to peek inside at first he saw nothing just darkness but as his eyes adjusted he saw something inside the container was a large metallic structure almost like a machine but it didn't resemble anything he had ever seen before the surface of the device was smooth featureless and it seemed to pulse with a faint Eerie light strange symbols were etched into the Metal glowing softly in the dark the hum
was coming from this thing growing louder as Jack stared at it what the hell Jack muttered his mind racing this wasn't just some top secret government Tech this was something else something beyond anything he had ever encountered before he could make sense of what he was seeing the ground beneath him started to shake Jack stumbled backward grabbing onto the side of the container to steady himself the air around him Felt thick oppressive like the atmosphere had changed and then he saw it the light inside the container flared brighter and the symbols on the machine began
to shift rearranging themselves in a pattern that made no sense the humming grew louder almost unbearable and Jack realized with horror that it wasn't just sound it was a voice low guttural speaking in a language he couldn't understand the symbols on the machine twisted and moved forming shapes that Burned themselves into his mind suddenly the machine emitted a pulse of light that shot out into the night Illuminating the desert around him in a blinding flash Jack staggered back shielding his eyes his heart racing in his chest and then just as suddenly as it started the
light vanished the desert was dark again and the hum was gone Jack stood there breathing heavily trying to make sense of what had just happened his mind was reeling his heart still Pounding he shut the container doors with trembling hands and locked them back up his gut screaming that whatever he had just seen was beyond his understanding he climbed back into the cab his hands shaking as he gripped the steering wheel the truck's engine roared to life and Jack drove faster than he ever had before desperate to put as much distance between himself and that
thing as possible but no matter how fast he drove he couldn't escape the feeling That something had changed the air around him felt charged like the atmosphere was buzzing with energy and then the hum returned faint at first but growing louder with every mile it was coming from the truck from the cargo Jack's heart sank as he realized he couldn't outrun it he glanced in the rearview mirror and for a split second he thought he saw something an outline a shape moving inside the container the hum grew louder more insistent and Jack Knew he was
in trouble he grabbed his phone desperate to call for help but the screen was dead no signal no connection he was completely alone as the hum reached a fever pitch the truck's headlights flickered and the engine sputtered again Jack's breath quickened Panic rising in his chest he looked out at the empty desert road and for the first time in his life he felt truly lost suddenly the radio crackled to life static hissing through the speakers Jack's heart leapt maybe it was help maybe someone had found him but as he listened his blood ran cold through
the static he Heard a Voice Low distorted like a transmission From Another World return the cargo Jack's grip tightened on the wheel his knuckles white what the hell he whispered his voice shaking The Voice came again clearer this time louder return the cargo the Dashboard Lights flickered wildly and the truck began to slow even though Jack had his Foot pressed hard on the gas The Voice filled the cab now echoing in his head return the cargo or you will never leave Panic surged through jack as the truck rolled to a stop the engine dead the
hum from the container was deafening now vibrating through the entire vehicle Jack's heart raced as the voice continued Relentless inescapable he was trapped and as the desert KN closed in around him jack realized with a sinking dread that there was no Escape he had Opened the container he had seen what he wasn't supposed to see and now whatever was inside wanted to go back or it would take him with it ninth Story the night watcher Mark Lawson had been driving the same route for years the long stretches of lonely Highway winding through the heart of
the Appalachians had become as familiar to him as the back of his hand it was an isolated Road known for its endless curves dense forests and the Deep darkness that swallowed the road After sunset for Mark the Solitude was a welcome break from the chaotic life outside his truck it was just him the open road and his thoughts the night started out like any other Mark had been hauling a shipment of Machinery from North Carolina to Ohio winding his way through the Foggy Mountain Roads the radio crackled with static unable to find a station in
the deep valley he was passing through the only sounds were the steady hum of his truck's engine and the Occasional rustle of Wind Through the Trees the clock on the dashboard read 11:48 p.m. and Mark was already feeling the weight of a long day on the road his eyes were heavy but the promise of a small truck stop just ahead kept him going he knew the spot well nothing more than a couple of gas pumps a diner and a few parking spaces for overnight rest he figured he'd pull in grab a quick coffee and push
through the last stretch of his route as he rounded a Bend his Headlights caught something on the side of the road at first he thought it was just an animal a deer maybe but as he got closer he realized it was a person a man standing still in the darkness barely visible against the backdrop of thick trees the man's face was turned away from from the road his form unmoving as though he were waiting for something Mark's instincts told him to keep driving but something about the man's Stillness unnerved him he slowed The truck squinting
through the windshield for a brief moment the man turned his head and their eyes met Mark felt a jolt of cold run through him the Man's eyes were wide unblinking and empty like he wasn't really looking at Mark at all but through him then as quickly as the moment came it passed Mark shook his head convincing himself it was just his imagination Playing Tricks on him after a long day on the road he pressed down on the accelerator Eager to reach the truck stop and shake off the Eerie encounter the truck stop came into view
a few miles later Mark pulled into the gravel lot parking his rig next to the diner which was still lit up despite the late hour the place was mostly deserted save for a couple of trucks parked at the far end of the lck he stepped out of the cab the night air cool and quiet around him the diner was as he remembered it worn a bit run down but still standing a flickering neon Sign buzzed softly in the background casting a faint glow over the entrance inside the place was empty except for a waitress who
looked up as he walked in she was an older woman her tired eyes showing the weariness of the night shift coffee she asked her voice horar mark nodded sliding into one of the booths by the window he stared out into the parking lot as she poured his cup the faint hum of the fluorescent lights above filling the silence as he sipped His coffee Mark glanced at the old TV mounted above the counter it was playing the local news on mute the images flickering in and out of focus he wasn't paying much attention until a headline
caught his eye mysterious disappearances continue on Mountain Roads his interest peaked mark turned his full attention to the screen the anchor was discussing a series of strange disappearances that had occurred over the past few months along the very same route he had been Driving truckers hikers even locals people were Vanishing without a trace the report showed footage of an abandoned truck its door left open with no sign of the driver Mark felt a chill crawl up his spine he leaned in closer watching as the reporter interviewed a State Trooper who spoke of strange sightings figures
appearing by the side of the road only to vanish when approached the images shifted again showing a stretch of highway eerily Similar to the one Mark had just driven he shook his head forcing himself to look away he'd heard all sorts of wild stories during his time on the road ghosts creatures unexplained phenomena they were the stuff of Legends passed between truckers to fill the long Lonely Nights This was just another tall tale he told told himself the waitress shuffled over refilling his cup you hear about those disappearances she asked her voice low yeah just
saw it on the news Mark replied trying to keep his tone casual she nodded her eyes distant they say people see strange things out on those roads things that shouldn't be there mark raised an eyebrow you believe in that stuff the waitress Shrugged her expression unreadable I don't know what I believe but something out there watching waiting she paused looking out the window into the darkness you be careful okay those mountains have a way of swallowing people her words lingered In the air long after she walked away Mark finished his coffee in silence annoying unease
settling in his chest he glanced at the clock on the wall it was nearly 1 a a.m. time to get back on the road as he paid for his coffee and left the diner the night felt colder the darkness heavier he climbed back into his truck the Cab's interior a welcome Refuge from the Eerie quiet of the rest stop but as he started the engine and prepared to Pull out something caught his eye in the rearview mirror the man from earlier the one he'd seen on the side of the road was standing at the edge
of the parking lot Mark froze his blood running cold how could he have gotten here there was no way anyone could have walked that distance in such a short time and yet there he was was standing perfectly still watching Mark's heart raced as he tore his eyes from the mirror and floored the gas the truck lurched Forward speeding down the highway he glanced in the mirrors again but the man was gone vanished as if he had never been there at all the road ahead seemed darker now more oppressive Mark couldn't shake the feeling that something
was wrong that something was watching him from the Shadows the truck rumbled through the winding mountain roads and every time he looked in the mirror he half expected to see that man standing there again then Without warning the radio crackled to life static filled the cab followed by a low distorted voice mark his breath caught in his throat it wasn't just a random voice it was his name mark come back the voice was faint barely audible over the static but it sent a wave of fear through him and his hands gripped the wheel tightly as
he tried to focus on the road his heart pounding in his chest he reached for the radio dial twisting it frantically but the voice Persisted come back Mark come back the headlights flickered and for a brief moment Mark saw something in the road ahead a figure tall shadowy standing directly in his path he swerved narrowly missing the figure and the truck skitted to a halt on the side of the road his pulse raced as he tried to catch his breath his eyes darting wildly to the mirrors there was no one there the road was empty
the voice on the radio fell silent leaving only the soft crackle of Static Mark sat there his hands trembling on the wheel his mind racing he couldn't explain what had just happened but one thing was clear he wasn't alone on that road as the darkness pressed in around him Mark realized with a sinking dread that whatever was watching him wasn't done and it wouldn't stop until he was gone too a week later when authorities searched for Mark Lawson's truck they found it abandoned on the side of the Road the door was open the keys still
in the ignition but Mark was nowhere to be found just like all the others 10th story The Vanishing passenger Danny Phillips had seen his fair share of strange things in his 10 years on the road as a long haul trucker he'd picked up his share of odd hitchhike ERS seen the strange lights in the skies and driven through stretches of Highway that felt more like a dream than reality but nothing had ever left him shaken like The night he picked up a passenger on an isolated Road in the middle of the Arizona desert it was
a quiet night the kind of night where the road seemed endless stretching out into the Blackness under a starless sky the clock on Danny's dashboard read 2:30 a.m. but time felt meaningless on nights like this the hum of the engine and and the steady Rhythm of the tires rolling over the pavement had lulled him into a trans-like state the road was empty save For his rig cutting through the dark he was on his way to deliver a shipment of auto parts to a small garage outside a Flagstaff a route he'd driven dozens of times before
the desert had always felt Eerie to him too vast too empty the way the Horizon seemed to disappear into nothingness unsettled him especially at night but it it wasn't the desert itself that would haunt him after this night it was the man he picked up on the side of The road Dany first noticed the figure standing just beyond the reach of his headlights a small silhouette against the void he almost didn't stop he usually didn't pick up hitchhikers especially not this far from civilization but something about the man's Stillness Drew him in he slowed the
truck as he got closer the figure coming into view under the faint glow of his lights the man was standing at the side of of the road his back to Dany Staring out into the desert he was tall wearing a long coat and a wide brimmed hat that cast a shadow over his face Dany felt a chill run down his spine but he shook it off whoever this guy was he clearly needed a ride Dany pulled the rig over and leaned out the window need a lift he called the man didn't respond at first he
just stood there unmoving then slowly he turned to face the truck Dany couldn't make out much of the the man's face in the darkness but there was Something strange about the way he moved deliberate almost too slow after what felt like an eternity the man nodded and walked toward the truck he climbed into the passenger seat without a word his hat pulled low obscuring his features Dany watched him out of the corner of his eye as the man settled into the seat his silence unsettling where are you headed Dany asked trying to break the tension
the man didn't answer right away he just stared Straight Ahead his hands Resting in his lap then in a low grally voice he said just drive Dany frowned but he didn't argue there was something about the man that made him uneasy and he figured it was best not to push it he put the truck in gear and pulled back onto the highway the empty road stretching out before them once again for the next few miles the cab was filled with silence broken only by the rumble of the engine and the occasional Creek of the truck
as it Rolled over bumps in the road Dany kept glancing at the man trying to make sense of him he hadn't said much hadn't offered any details about where he was going or why he was out here in the middle of nowhere it wasn't until they had been driving for nearly 20 minutes that the man spoke again do you believe in Fate The Man asked his voice soft but clear the question caught Dany off guard he shifted uncomfortably in his seat not sure how to respond I don't know he said Finally I guess I've never
thought about it much the man nodded slowly still staring out the windshield Fate has a funny way of catching up to you he said almost to himself no matter how far you run no matter how hard you try to avoid it it always finds you Dany didn't know what to say to that something about the way the man spoke made his skin crawl he glanced at the clock on the dashboard it was still 2:30 a.m. The same time it had been when he picked the man up that didn't make any sense he'd been driving for
nearly half an hour the time should have changed his hands tightened on the wheel as a wave of unease washed over him he glanced at the man again but he hadn't moved his face still hidden beneath the brim of his hat the air in the cab felt colder now and Dany could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end what's your name Dany asked trying to break the Silence again the man didn't respond his head turned slightly and for the first time Dany got a glimpse of his face his skin was
pale too pale and his eyes were dark almost black staring at Dany with an intensity that made him shiver Danny's breath caught in his throat there was something wrong with this man he couldn't explain it but every Instinct he had screamed at him to stop the truck to get out to leave this man behind but when he tried to take his Foot off the gas he found he couldn't it was as if his his body was no longer under his control the man leaned in closer his voice a whisper now you shouldn't have stopped Danny's
heart pounded in his chest he wanted to ask what the man meant but his throat was dry his voice gone the truck's headlights flickered for a moment casting strange Shadows on the road ahead suddenly the radio crackled to life static filling the cab Dany hadn't turned it on but now through the stat he could hear something voices faint and distorted he couldn't make out the words but the sound sent a chill through him the man's hand moved slowly reaching for the radio dial as he turned it the static grew louder the voices more distinct they're
coming the man whispered dany's hands tightened on the wheel his knuckles white who's coming he finally managed to ask his voice barely A whisper the man didn't answer instead he sat back in the seat his face hidden once again beneath the brim of his hat the static on the radio intensified and now Danny could hear the voices more clearly he's been marked the words were clear unmistakable dany's blood ran cold the man turned toward him again and this time his face was fully visible his eyes black and empty bored into Danny's and his skin was
pale and tight like something pulled too thin over bone his Lips twisted into a smile that didn't reach his eyes you shouldn't have stopped the man repeated his voice low and cold Panic surged through Dany he slammed his foot on the brakes the truck skining to a halt on the empty Highway he turned to tell the man to get out but the passenger seat was empty the man was gone Danny's heart pounded as he scanned the darkness outside the truck there was no sign of the man anywhere no trace of him at all it was
as if he had never Been there Dany took a deep breath trying to calm his racing heart maybe he was just tired maybe he'd imagined the whole thing but as he glanced at the clock on the dashboard his blood ran cold once again it still read 2:30 a.m. shaking Dany put the truck back in gear and drove faster this time desperate to get off the highway he didn't stop again until he reached the garage outside Flagstaff the sun just beginning to rise over the horizon he never told anyone About the man he had picked up
that night but every time he drove that route he couldn't shake the feeling that the man was still out there waiting for him and he never stopped for anyone again
