Night Ride (standard:horror, 1487 words)
Author: pjlawton	Added: Sep 15 2003	Views/Reads: 3656/2399	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A young man walking along a deserted highway accepts a ride from a mysterious stanger.

Night Ride 

By P.J.Lawton 

It was just about sunset on a sultry summer evening as I slowly walked
along US Highway 79 in Southwest Arkansas. I was hot, tired, and pretty 
much depressed. I really wasn't looking forward to a long night on a 
dark deserted highway.  A sudden whisper of tires on pavement came up 
from behind and a big mysterious antique looking Cadillac slowed to a 
crawl then stopped beside me. A darkly tinted window slowly lowered 
with the soft whir of its electric motor. As I bent to look inside a 
hushed voice with a soft southern drawl said, “Where you headed son? 

I couldn't see the driver very well but I could tell it was a man. “Well
Mister, right now I'm headed for Memphis.” 

I heard the click of the door locks and the voice continued. “I'm headed
in that direction myself. Stow your gear in the back seat and hop in. 
It's a pretty long drive and I could use some company. 

I placed my backpack and guitar case in the back and eased into the
front passenger seat. Without another word, the driver put the car into 
gear and drove on. 

We rode in silence for a while. The driver was quietly humming a
familiar song. After about ten minutes he turned to me. “Been walking 
long? Don't see to many folks out walking on such a lonely stretch of 
highway. It's not always safe to be out alone you know. There's been 
talk of some strange happenings around here.” 

The lights from the dash provided me my first good look at him. His look
could only be described as haunted. His long gray hair was swept back 
in a retro 50's ducktail. His cheeks were sunken and his flesh sort of 
hung loose, like someone who had been sick for a long time. His eyes 
were bright and shiny like coals of fire they danced in slightly sunken 
eye sockets. There was something familiar about him. I thought about it 
for a second then mentally shook my head. No, it couldn't be. I simply 
stared at him. 

I guess he sensed my unease and spoke again in that soothing soft drawl.
“Relax son, everything is okay. I just thought you might like to tell 
your story.” 

“Sorry Mister, guess I'm a little tired. I've been on the road most of
the day. It's not much of a story really. It started with a call 
yesterday afternoon.” 

For the next few minutes I told my tale.  I had been down in Bossier
City, Louisiana working as a freelance guitar player and singer at some 
River Boat Casinos. Yesterday I had received a call from an old friend 
whose band was playing at a club on Beal Street in Memphis. He needed 
some temporary help. That was Thursday, this was Friday, and I had to 
be there tomorrow, Saturday. I told him I would be there, packed my bag 
and hit the road. 

My old car had been pretty much done in. Two hundred seventy thousand
miles will do that. It had finally taken its last breath about five 
miles up the road from where I had been walking. I had simply pushed it 
off the road and left it. 

The driver made a sidewise shift of his eyes. “So, are you just about
helping out a friend or is it something more?” 

“Yeah well, I am going to help him out for a while but I do have bigger
dreams.” 

“Yes, well most do son, most do.” With a slight pause he turned slightly
toward me. “Look, I know you must be tired. Just relax there and rest 
awhile. We'll talk more later.” 

I was suddenly very tired. Even though I fought it, I couldn't keep my
eyes open. As I settled a little deeper into the seat the last thing I 
heard was the driver humming that song again. 

I awoke with a start. We had stopped. A quick glance around showed that


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