The Lonely Road

I am an ardent lover of horror ever since my childhood, but I always believed these experiences were more an exaggeration rather an actual depiction of the incident. It is true that people who experience will believe and those who don't wait for their turn, I was into the latter until one such thing happened with me and my way of thinking about it changed.

It was a cold winter night, my brother had to travel by a late night train at 11:00 pm to a far off town. I decided to drop him to the station that was 15 kms away from my home. This stretch was lonely and deserted at night and a path less taken especially at night due to the mysterious happenings people encountered on that route. I had travelled on that road during daytime and it was silent and scary during the busy hours of day itself for it remained quite unused by people. It had thick bushes and big trees which made it even spooky to walk that way.

Now coming back to the story, that night me and my brother left home a little early to the station on my scooty, my cousin who was at my home wanted to join me as I had to return alone after dropping my brother. He asked me to take that lonely road for a thrill and I denied as it was long, unsafe and the shorter route to the station was the main road. We reached the station and the train was late. After almost 20 minutes of delay from the scheduled time the train finally reached the station and we bid a farewell to my brother.

After he departed, we returned to the parking and saw an old lady with a strange face staring at us asking for food. We politely told her we didn't have any and came near the scooty. My cousin told me to take the lonely road this time and I refused to take a chance at that time of night, after he repeatedly told that everything will be fine, hesitantly I agreed as he was with me and believe me that was the worst decision by me and I regret it.

Although he was with me I had vague thoughts running in my mind as there was still a chance to change my route. I told him again that it was not safe to take that road, but he persuaded saying it will all be fine. I was kind of calmed by his words and once for all forgot the spooky encounters people had taking that road.

We started off and this time my cousin was driving. Initially quarter a distance did not bother me, as he kept going I prayed all my heart, I noticed the wind growing cold and unbearable, I was so tensed even as leaves rustled on the road due to the wind. To comfort me he had just started a talk about his college and suddenly I pointed at a old lady walking that way, he stopped! I asked him why did he stop?. As the lady neared us we were shocked as she was the same old lady who we saw at the parking lot. I was hell scared and furious at the same time and told him to go.

He asked the lady what she was doing at late night on that lonely road?! She asked us back the same thing with a eerie look. She told us that she was going home and it was not safe to travel around at that time. As she talked we observed her neck which had blood stained scratches and felt weird. I told my cousin to move immediately and he accelerated fast, as we moved further I turned back and was shocked! She was not to be seen anywhere and couldn't have disappeared just like that for we had moved away only a few metres far.

My heart sank and I told this to my cousin, he drove as fast as he could almost killing me speeding on a hump! For that moment was all to flee as quick as possible. A few kms away again we saw the same old lady going and this time we did not turn towards her and sped our way knowing that something was wrong! We continued going fast and stopped only at a shop near the highway.

We were gasping for air in a state of shock for what we had seen. We ordered for tea and as we drank we told the person what happened on our way and he told us that a year ago on that road an old lady was mysteriously found dead with fingernail marks on the neck by the local police. We returned home and never told this to my parents as they would scold for this.

Even today when I remember this incident I sweat with fear for the most frightening experience of my life. That was the last day I ever took that road again.