It's getting to be that summer break time of the year and families going on road trips. Nothing more vulnerable than the open road? This week, I'm going to give you the creepiest road trips, the scariest things that can happen, and get you really unsettled. Your might re-think how much you hate taking flights.
You're vulnerable as hell on the roadways, especially in the open west where you can drive hours without another soul in sight.
You don't know who you'll run into.
Or what they might do to you.
Have you ever had a scary road trip happening? I had one when I was driving to Tucson and a dust storm came. It was open desert, so the dust storm had nothing to slow it down. First, a huge tumbleweed got caught on the grill of my car and I couldn't see over it as I drove, pushing the damn thing down the highway, then the wall of dust came, huge orange beast, on me in seconds.
With a semi in front of me and a car on my bumper, I did what I was instructed to do when you live in the desert, I pulled off the road and turned off my lights so no one would see my lights and try to follow me. I sat in the small car, being pummeled. The vents were off, but I inhaled the faint musty scent of desert powdery dirt forcing its way.
The car rocked wildly and the tumbleweed became dislodged and rolled up and over the car and just as it did, I saw something dark at the passenger front corner of the car, stepping through the orange wall of dust. It appeared to have legs, arms, like a person in a black duster coat and boots, stepping towards the car, only feet away from it. Then, it stopped. Billows of dust blocked it from my view, but I could catch glimpses in the insanity where the wind slowed briefly and allowed me to see the dark figure, but always only part of it, the top, the side, the bottom. But, it looked definitely like a person.
My mind raced, thinking it might be the semi driver having climbed from his cab. But why? I leaned across the passenger's seat, thinking of opening a window and then thought better of it. If the person was truly lost, they would bang on the window for help. But he didn't move.
For the briefest moment, the wind took a breather and I saw a dark figure quite clearly with a dark head, and a billowing coat, turn away and step towards the desert. Another gust hit, blocking all view outside the windshield. And, then the wind stopped. The dust fell like fluttering sparkling granules. And, the dark figure was nowhere. The open desert presented itself, a slice of sunshine starting to warm it. But, there was no man in a coat with dark hair ambling away.
And, to my shock, no cars parked in front of or behind me.
I'm getting into 'road-trip' mode. I'm just deciding on where to go... the Florida Keys are really speaking to me, but so is Utah and the Moab area...
ReplyDeleteAUGH!!!
Decisions, decisions, decisions!!!!
~shoes~