Latest / Shallow Nights: Scary Bedtime Stories / Shadowed Highways: Escapes, Encounters, and Roadway Revelations

Transcript

Shadowed Highways: Escapes, Encounters, and Roadway Revelations · Shallow Nights: Scary Bedtime Stories

0:07
Driving long haul, you see a lot of weird things on the road.
0:11
Strange accidents, cars abandoned in the middle of
0:14
nowhere, people walking along the highway miles from anything.
0:19
You get used to it. You learn to keep moving, keep
0:24
your head down and not ask too many questions.
0:28
Half of them you forget, the other half you tell at diners
0:32
over bad coffee and cold eggs. But there's one story I don't
0:37
tell. It was winter 2021, and I was
0:43
driving E on I-40 about an hour outside of Albuquerque.
0:47
I had a long haul carrying construction equipment to
0:50
Oklahoma City. It was late, around 1:00 AM.
0:55
Just me, the road, and the occasional 24 hour truck stop.
0:59
No headlights in my mirrors, no St. lights, just the occasional
1:04
reflective sign breaking up the darkness.
1:07
I had the radio low, sipping from 1/2 empty can of Monster
1:12
trying to keep myself awake. The air was calm, the kind of
1:17
night that makes you feel like the only person left on earth.
1:20
And then, boom, there it was. A pickup truck parked on the
1:26
shoulder up ahead, hazard lights blinking in the dark.
1:30
Normally, that wouldn't be anything unusual.
1:33
Could be a breakdown, a flat tire, someone needing help.
1:38
But as I got closer, something else caught my eye.
1:42
The way the light from my high beams hit the pavement.
1:45
There was a glint like metal reflecting back at me.
1:49
I eased off the gas as the truck's hazard lights flickered.
1:54
The glint became clearer. A line of spikes stretched
1:58
across the road, barely visible in the darkness.
2:02
That awful pit in the stomach feeling took over.
2:06
That wasn't an accident. Someone had put them there on
2:10
purpose. Instinct kicked in.
2:14
I tapped the brakes, eyes scanning for movement.
2:18
The pickups driver side door was cracked open, but no one was
2:22
inside. That was enough for me.
2:25
I wasn't stopping. I yanked the wheel just enough
2:29
to shift into the empty oncoming lane, clearing the spikes by
2:33
inches. The moment my tires hit solid
2:36
pavement again, movement flashed in my side mirror. 2 figures
2:42
bursting from the ditch beside the road, sprinting toward my
2:45
truck. My foot slammed on the gas.
2:49
One of them had something in his hand.
2:52
I couldn't tell what it was, but he raised it like he was aiming
2:55
at me. I expected to hear a gunshot,
2:59
glass shattering, but nothing came.
3:03
I flew past them, my trailer swaying slightly from the sudden
3:07
acceleration. I checked my mirrors again.
3:11
The figures had stopped running. Instead, they stood there,
3:15
watching me, faces lost in shadow.
3:19
The pickup truck still sat there, hazard lights blinking
3:22
like some kind of sick lure. I kept my foot down until I was
3:27
a solid 10 miles up the road. Then, and only then, did I
3:33
finally suck in a breath. I pulled into the next truck
3:36
stop I could find, part still hammering against my ribs.
3:41
The parking lot was mostly empty, just a few rigs parked
3:45
for the night. I grabbed my phone with shaky
3:47
hands and called the Highway Patrol.
3:50
I told them everything. The pickup truck, the spikes,
3:55
the men who ran at me. The dispatcher was calm, almost
3:59
too calm, like she had heard it all before.
4:03
We'll send a unit to check it out, she said.
4:06
What's your current location? I gave her the details and she
4:09
told me to stay put in case they needed more information.
4:13
I sat there for a while, watching my mirrors, waiting for
4:17
that truck to roll in after me. It didn't.
4:21
About 20 minutes later, my phone rang.
4:25
It was the same dispatcher. We sent a unit out.
4:28
She said the truck is gone. No sign of spikes either.
4:33
I stared out at the empty highway.
4:36
You sure you check the right spot?
4:39
There was a pause. We checked and there haven't
4:44
been any similar reports from that stretch of Hwy. that made
4:48
my skin crawl. What do you mean?
4:50
I mean, we've never had an incident like this out there.
4:55
No Rd. spikes, no ambushes, nothing.
4:58
That didn't sit right. Not after what I had just seen
5:01
with my own eyes. So you're telling me this was
5:04
the first time? Another pause, a little longer
5:07
this time. As far as we know, yes.
5:13
I didn't like that answer. I didn't like the hesitation in
5:16
her voice. You need anything else from me?
5:20
I asked, already knowing I wasn't going to get the
5:22
reassurance I wanted. No, she said.
5:27
But if you're heading east, stay alert.
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That was the last thing I wanted to hear.
5:34
I let out a slow breath, staring out at the road beyond the truck
5:38
stop parking lot. I sat there for a long time
5:43
after that call ended, staring at the highway, thinking about
5:47
what could have happened if I hadn't seen those spikes in
5:49
time. If I had blown a tire, been
5:53
forced to pull over. Would they have just robbed me?
5:57
Or was it something worse? I didn't want to know.
6:02
The highway stretched ahead, dark and empty, just like it had
6:06
been before. Only now it didn't feel empty.
6:11
It felt like something was waiting, and worse, whatever it
6:15
was, it had picked that exact night to start.
6:20
Eventually, I got back on the road.
6:23
I finished my route, made my delivery.
6:26
But I kept thinking about it. The way those men had sprinted
6:30
toward my truck, the way they had just stood there after
6:33
watching me drive away. The way the truck was gone when
6:37
the police arrived, like it had never been there at all.
6:41
For weeks after that night, I kept my eyes peeled for anything
6:44
unusual. Every time I passed another
6:47
stranded vehicle, I tensed up, scanning for signs of another
6:51
setup. Then, about a month later, I
6:55
overheard a conversation at a rest stop diner.
6:59
A couple of other truckers were talking about an ambush attempt
7:01
on a different highway. The setup was almost identical,
7:06
spikes on the road, a fake breakdown, masked men lying in
7:10
wait. But the driver in that case
7:13
hadn't been as lucky. He stopped thinking he could
7:16
help. He got jumped.
7:19
They took everything, including his truck.
7:22
It was later found abandoned miles away, stripped clean.
7:27
No one ever caught the guys who did it.
7:31
That conversation stuck with me. It made it clear that there were
7:35
people out there waiting for an easy mark.
7:38
Now every time I see a car pulled over on a deserted
7:41
highway, I slow down. Not to stop, but to check.
7:47
Because out there in the middle of nowhere, you don't always get
7:50
a second chance. I've been delivering pizzas for
8:01
about 6 months by then. Not the best job in the world
8:05
but the money was all right and tips were a nice bonus.
8:09
The only part I really hated was the late night shifts.
8:14
There's something about driving through empty streets in the
8:17
middle of nowhere that gets under your skin after a while.
8:22
That night I was heading home after my last drop off.
8:26
It was just after midnight and I was dead tired.
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I had spent my entire shift Criss crossing Sacramento and
8:34
now all I wanted was my bed. I took the back roads home
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quicker, less traffic, and honestly it was just easier than
8:45
dealing with the drunks on the main roads.
8:49
About 10 minutes into the drive I noticed headlights behind me.
8:53
At first I didn't think much of it.
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It was a quiet 2 lane Rd. with barely any St. lights, so any
9:00
car back there stood out. But something felt off about the
9:04
way this one was moving. The car wasn't just behind me,
9:08
it was too close. I tapped my brakes lightly.
9:12
A polite back off signal. Nothing.
9:16
If anything the driver moved in closer.
9:19
All right buddy, road rage, just go around me.
9:24
I shifted into the right lane, expecting him to pass.
9:27
Instead, he matched my speed. I shot a quick look in my
9:31
mirror. His headlights were glaring,
9:34
making it impossible to see inside, but I could feel the
9:38
presence of whoever was behind the wheel.
9:40
My fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
9:44
Maybe it was just some impatient driver, someone being dumb.
9:48
I pushed my foot down slightly on the gas, easing up to 55.
9:52
He did the same, still there. My pulse started picking up
9:57
speed with the car. This wasn't normal.
10:01
I reached for my phone, still sitting in the cup holder, but
10:05
what would I even say? Hey 911, someone's driving
10:10
behind me. I tried to let it go.
10:14
Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe he swerved.
10:20
I barely had time to react before the car lurched into my
10:23
lane, cutting me off. I jerked the wheel, my tires
10:28
screaming as I swerved onto the shoulder.
10:31
My heart slammed into my ribs. What the hell?
10:36
I gasped, steadying the car. The driver didn't pull ahead, he
10:41
just slowed down. Now he was in front of me,
10:45
crawling along at 30 mph. I needed to get out of there.
10:50
I took a deep breath, forced myself to think.
10:54
If I could get to a more populated area, I'd be fine.
10:58
I'd lose him in traffic. I just needed to.
11:00
He hit the brakes hard. I stomped on mine, tires
11:06
screeching as I barely avoided slamming into him.
11:09
My whole body lurched forward, seat belt digging into my chest.
11:13
The car just sat there, no movement, no flashers.
11:19
Screw this. I threw the car into reverse,
11:23
swerving into the opposite lane. The second I did, his headlights
11:27
flashed on. Next thing I knew he was coming
11:30
right at me full speed. I didn't think, I just reacted.
11:36
I slammed on the gas, shooting forward.
11:39
My tires skidded as I swerved onto a side Rd. the turn so
11:42
sharp I almost lost control. The car followed.
11:46
I felt my breath catch. Why wouldn't he stop?
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I floored it, squeezing the wheel so hard my fingers ached.
11:54
The road twisted through empty farmland.
11:56
No St. lights, no houses, just endless darkness stretching
12:00
ahead of me and behind me, that car still there.
12:06
I could feel the adrenaline flooding my system, making my
12:09
hands shake as I tried to keep the car steady.
12:12
If I crashed, if I spun out, if my engine failed, I was alone.
12:18
I looked in my mirror again, hoping, praying to see him
12:21
turning off. Instead, he was gaining.
12:25
I took another breath, trying to keep it together, think, think.
12:31
A turn was coming up. Left or right, it didn't matter.
12:35
I yanked the wheel left. The car shot past me.
12:40
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I had space.
12:45
I didn't stop, I didn't slow down.
12:48
I just drove, tearing through the back roads like my life
12:51
depended on it. Maybe it did.
12:55
I stayed on that path for another 20 minutes before I
12:58
finally made it back to the main road.
13:01
I was shaking, my hands clammy against the wheel.
13:05
Then the headlights appeared again ahead of me.
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I almost stopped breathing. There it was, that same car
13:15
pulling into a driveway like nothing had happened.
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I slowed down just enough to see the driver stepped out.
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Just a regular guy, middle-aged, wearing a jacket.
13:28
Not a monster, not some horror movie villain.
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But when he turned toward me, he smiled.
13:35
A slow, knowing smile, like he had won.
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I didn't stick around. I hit the gas and got the hell
13:42
out of there. I don't know why he did it.
13:46
Maybe it was just some twisted game.
13:48
Maybe he was looking for an easy target.
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But that night I learned something.
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Some people, they just want to watch you panic.
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And I'll never forget the way he looked at me like he was waiting
14:03
for me to come back. Kansas is one of those states
14:15
where the highways feel endless, just miles and miles of roads
14:19
stretching through flat, empty land, the horizon blurring into
14:24
the sky. I had been driving for nearly
14:27
five hours, heading back home from a weekend visiting a friend
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in Colorado. It was spring 2020, early March,
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when the world was just starting to feel uneasy.
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The roads were nearly empty, the night air cool, and my gas tank
14:44
was running low. I had passed a few major truck
14:47
stops earlier, but I kept thinking just a little farther,
14:51
I'll stop at the next one. That was a mistake.
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Now I was in the middle of nowhere, my fuel gauge
14:58
dangerously close to empty. I hadn't seen another car in
15:02
nearly an hour, my phone signal jumping between 1 bar and none
15:06
at all. I needed to find a gas station
15:09
fast. Then, finally, I spotted it.
15:14
A small, rundown gas station sitting just off the highway.
15:20
The neon sign buzzed weakly, flickering between open and a
15:25
garbled mess of dead lights. There were no other cars parked
15:29
outside. Normally, I would have kept
15:31
driving. Something about places like
15:34
this, isolated, empty, barely functioning, never sat right
15:39
with me. But I didn't have a choice.
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I pulled in, the gravel crackling under my car.
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The station had two old gas pumps and a tiny convenience
15:50
store attached. The lighting was low, but I
15:54
could see someone standing behind the counter, an
15:56
attendant. Good.
15:58
At least I wasn't completely alone.
16:01
I parked at the first pump, shut off my car, and stepped out,
16:05
rubbing my arms against the night air.
16:08
The place was eerily quiet. No sounds of passing cars, no
16:13
wind, just the distant hum of the neon sign and the faint
16:16
buzzing of a security light above the door.
16:20
I inserted my card. Nothing.
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I tried again. Still nothing.
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Of course, a place like this probably hadn't had working pay
16:30
at the pump since the early 2000s.
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With a sigh, I walked toward the entrance.
16:35
The door chimed as I stepped inside.
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The attendant, a thin man in his late 50s with graying hair and
16:41
tired eyes, looked up from his newspaper.
16:45
He didn't greet me, just watched as I walked toward the counter.
16:49
I need to fill up, I said. Pump 1.
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He didn't move, didn't even blink.
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For a second I thought maybe he hadn't heard me.
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Then, in a low, flat voice, he said, Get back in your car and
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leave. I blinked.
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Sorry, what? His expression didn't change,
17:09
his tired sunken eyes locked onto mine.
17:13
Get back in your car and leave. Don't look back.
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I let out a nervous laugh, looking around.
17:20
Maybe he was joking, maybe this was some small town way of
17:23
messing with outsiders, but the way he was staring at me, it
17:28
didn't feel like a joke. I looked at his name tag.
17:32
Frank, is the pump broken? I asked, taking a step back
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toward the door. Frank didn't answer.
17:40
He just shook his head slowly. Not a no, Just don't ask.
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The hairs on the back of my neck prickled.
17:47
Something about this felt wrong. I turned toward the door, and
17:52
then in the reflection of the glass, I saw movement behind the
17:56
gas station. 2 shadows. I spun around.
18:00
The men stepped into the glow of the security light.
18:03
One was tall, stocky, wearing a dirty flannel.
18:07
The other was thinner, hood pulled up over his face.
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They hadn't been there when I pulled in.
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They had been waiting. My stomach twisted.
18:16
Frank took a step forward, his voice just a breath of sound.
18:20
Now I didn't hesitate. I yanked the door open and
18:24
darted toward my car. From the corner of my eye, I saw
18:27
them move fast. I fumble with my keys.
18:32
Come on, come on, come on. The tall one was already halfway
18:36
across the lot. His pace wasn't rushed.
18:39
It was confident, like he knew I had nowhere to go.
18:43
I slammed into my car, ripped open the door and threw myself
18:46
inside, locking at the second I hit the seat.
18:49
The moment I turn the key, my headlights flicked on, and
18:52
that's when I saw their faces. The tall one's lips curled into
18:56
a smirk, the hooded one looking straight into my eyes.
19:01
I barely had time to register anything when the tall one
19:03
lunged. Bam.
19:06
He slammed his hand against my window.
19:08
I screamed, slamming the gear into reverse.
19:11
My tires screeched as I whipped the car backward, nearly hitting
19:15
the second guy. He didn't flinch, didn't even
19:19
step back, just stood there, watching.
19:23
I shifted into drive and floored it.
19:25
The gas station blurred behind me.
19:28
In my mirror, I saw Frank step outside, standing at the edge of
19:32
the light. His face was grim, like he had
19:36
seen this before, like he knew exactly what would have happened
19:40
if I had stayed. I didn't stop driving, not until
19:44
I reached the next town, nearly 40 miles away.
19:47
I pulled up to a gas station with plenty of lights, parked
19:50
under a security camera, and tried to calm down.
19:53
My hands were still shaking. What the hell just happened?
19:59
I pulled out my phone, but I still had no service.
20:03
My stomach nodded. If something had happened to me
20:05
back there, if I hadn't listened to Frank, no one would have
20:10
known. Then, finally, my signal
20:14
returned. I called the local Sheriff's
20:16
Department. They weren't surprised.
20:20
Yeah, the deputy side. We've gotten a few reports about
20:24
that place, People stopping for gas and really bad things
20:29
happening to them. My skin went cold.
20:33
Did you catch them? I asked.
20:35
A pause. No, he admitted.
20:39
Every time we check, there's no one there.
20:41
I felt sick. He gave me his number in case I
20:45
remembered anything useful, but I knew I wouldn't call.
20:49
There was nothing more to say, just two men waiting in the dark
20:55
and an attendant who had seen too many bad things happening to
20:58
innocent people. I still think about Frank.
21:02
I think he was just a good guy trying to warn people and I
21:06
wonder how many didn't listen. Driving Uber at night was
21:19
usually pretty chill and drama free.
21:22
Fewer drunks than you'd expect, better fares and quiet roads.
21:26
I'd been at it for a while, mostly taking passengers to and
21:30
from the airport, picking up late night bar crowd and early
21:34
morning workers who needed a ride before sunrise.
21:38
But that night, yeah, I'll never forget it.
21:44
It started with a long pickup, an airport run about 40 minutes
21:47
out of Boise. The request came in just before
21:51
midnight, a guy heading home, apparently from a business trip.
21:56
No small talk, just a simple hey, how's your night before
22:01
zoning out on his phone. Easy money.
22:05
The drop off was in a rural area, way past the usual city
22:08
routes, a quiet neighborhood with nothing but wide open land
22:12
beyond it. No St. lights, barely any
22:15
houses. The kind of place where if you
22:18
screamed, you'd have to hope someone was outside to hear it.
22:23
As I pulled out of his driveway and headed back toward the main
22:25
highway, I saw it for the first time.
22:29
A sedan, maybe 20 yards ahead, moving slow, no hazards on, no
22:36
reason to be driving like that. At first I figured they were
22:39
lost or looking for a turn off. I switched lanes to pass them.
22:44
That's when the car swerved hard right in front of me.
22:48
I slammed the brakes. The road was too narrow for me
22:52
to go around, so I stayed put, watching.
22:56
The sedan sat there for a moment, unmoving.
22:59
Then slowly, it inched forward again.
23:02
I gave it some space, thinking maybe it was someone drunk or
23:05
confused, and tried again. I eased into the left lane and
23:11
again it cut me off. Now I was paying attention.
23:16
The sedan didn't have an Uber sticker, no company logos, no
23:20
dents or scratches that screamed junk car.
23:23
Just a plain dark colored vehicle.
23:26
I couldn't make out the driver, just a silhouette.
23:30
I checked my rear view, nothing behind me.
23:33
We were alone. I backed off and let the car go
23:37
ahead, keeping a few extra car lengths between us.
23:41
I wasn't in a hurry, I could afford to wait this out.
23:45
But then it stopped. Not at a turn, not at a stop
23:50
sign, just right there in the middle of the road.
23:55
I had that deep gut level feeling this wasn't right.
24:00
I kept my foot ready on the brake, expecting the driver to
24:03
step out and wave me down for help, maybe fake a breakdown,
24:07
but no one got out. I flicked my high beams on, the
24:13
sedan sat there, and then the reverse lights blinked on.
24:19
Nope. I threw my car into reverse,
24:21
giving myself distance. The sedan stayed put for a few
24:25
more seconds before the brake lights reappeared and it took
24:28
off fast this time. I finally breathed out, feeling
24:32
my hands relaxed. Maybe it was just some paranoid
24:35
driver, someone trying to get rid of tailgaters.
24:39
Then 2 miles down the road, it happened again.
24:44
The sedan was waiting, stopped in the middle of the road.
24:48
No hazards, no signals, just waiting.
24:52
I tapped my phone, pulling up the Uber app so I could share my
24:55
location. My last ride drop off was still
24:58
on the screen. No service.
25:02
Perfect. I checked my surroundings,
25:05
fields on both sides, nothing but open land and a few
25:08
scattered trees. No houses, no lights.
25:13
I wasn't about to stop again. This time I gunned it.
25:18
The second I hit the gas, the sedan shot forward too.
25:22
I swerved to go around, but so did it.
25:25
I honked long, loud. My heart was hammering now.
25:30
This wasn't just some lost driver.
25:32
They were toying with me. I slammed on the brakes again,
25:37
letting them keep moving forward.
25:40
The sedan inched ahead like they were waiting for me to do
25:43
something. Then out of nowhere, they pulled
25:46
off just like that. A hard right turn onto a side
25:51
Rd. No signal, no hesitation.
25:55
I hit the gas, putting as much distance between us as I could.
25:59
The next gas station was 4 miles away.
26:02
If I could just get there. Headlights in my rear view.
26:07
He was back, and this time they were gaining on me.
26:13
I swallowed the panic rising in my chest. 100 different
26:17
possibilities flew through my mind.
26:19
Was this a robbery attempt? Carjackers.
26:23
Some psycho looking for a victim?
26:25
None of those options ended well for me.
26:28
I floored it. My car wasn't built for high
26:30
speed chases, but I pushed it anyway.
26:33
The sedan stayed close. No honking, no lights flashing,
26:36
just relentless pursuit. The road curved ahead, a gas
26:41
station sign glowing in the distance.
26:44
My one shot. I swung into the lot without
26:47
really slowing down, tires screeching.
26:51
The sedan kept going, arrowed right past the station and
26:54
disappeared down the road. I didn't move for a few seconds,
26:59
just sat there, gripping the wheel, forcing my breath to
27:02
slow. Then I went inside.
27:06
The clerk looked up mid yawn, probably expecting some drunk
27:10
guy buying cigarettes. His board expression shifted
27:13
when he saw me. You OK, man?
27:18
I turned toward the windows, my stomach twisting.
27:21
The sedan was back, creeping along the shoulder of the road,
27:25
rolling past the station slowly. I stepped further inside.
27:29
Out of you? The clerk frowned.
27:32
Dude. I held up a hand.
27:34
Just hold on. The sedan rolled by, its windows
27:39
pitch black as it passed under the gas station lights.
27:43
I finally got a glimpse of the driver, a man, middle-aged,
27:47
smiling. And then he waved.
27:50
Not a mocking wave, not a casual flick of the wrist.
27:54
The way he moved like he knew me, like he was sure I'd
27:57
understand. I didn't move until the car was
28:00
completely out of sight. The clerk let out a low whistle.
28:05
That guy with you? I shook my head.
28:09
Damn, thought he was about to pull in.
28:12
I forced down the lump in my throat.
28:15
Yeah, me too. I stayed inside for nearly an
28:19
hour, watching the road, waiting.
28:21
But the sedan never came back. Eventually I pulled myself
28:25
together and drove home, taking a different route.
28:28
And now whenever I drive those lonely roads, I start thinking,
28:34
was it random? Or had they picked me on
28:36
purpose? And if I hadn't gotten away,
28:40
what would they have done next? If these stories made you
28:45
rethink your next night drive, hit that like button and share
28:50
this with someone who needs a reminder to stay vigilant.
28:54
Have you ever had a terrifying experience on the road?
28:57
Drop your story in the comments and e-mail me.
29:00
I'd love to feature it in a future video.
29:02
Don't forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so you
29:05
never miss another terrifying tale.
29:08
Stay safe, trust your instincts, and remember some roads are
29:14
better left untraveled. Thanks for watching and I'll see
29:18
you in the next nightmare.