a dark lonely road...(just more fiction)

The night was dark, no stars in the sky and the thick cloud cover held the moon at bay. This was the kind of night that one didn't want to be out driving out here on the peninsula. The old growth forest draped over the roadway and blotted out any signs of civilization. Of course, out here civilization was a relative term. One lane, desolate roads wound around and through the protected forest. In the daytime the giant trees were something to marvel at, but on a night like this it felt like the moss covered behemoths were actually leaning toward the road ready to snatch the unsuspecting passerby in their mighty branches. The wind giving life to the huge limbs of the giant western hemlocks and Douglas firs lending another layer to the illusion of movement to these sentinels of the rain forest. She really disliked these late night drives through the dense woods at this time of year and she wasn't sure why she was out here in the first place. She kept on driving.

The northwest part of Washington state in the shadow of the Olympic mountain range cradled a unique environment which collected the moisture laden storms coming in off the Pacific ocean and funneled them inland. The result was an area which is drenched in over twelve feet of rain per year. This temperate rain forest of the Olympic National park was designated in 1988 as a wilderness area, part of the national wilderness preservation system. She marveled as she continued along highway 101 out of Port Angeles that the darkness seemed to swallow her headlights. It was well after midnight and the twisting winding road that took her passed Crescent Lake seemed almost alien. A few solitary lights on in a few homes on the lake brought her a little solace. As she glanced to the left at the lake it looked as if a wave was pushing across the water, coming toward the road. At this time of night no boats were out and the shores where rocky along this side of the lake. No one who knew this lake would be driving their boat at night without any running lights directly at the road in any rate. She slowed her car to see if she could get a better look. The wind was surely rippling the surface, but there was definitely something in the water and it was coming right to the cove below the road where she was now. Braking to a stop, she leaned over to the passenger side of the car and rolled down the window to get a better view and maybe hear something. What she heard made the hairs on the back of her neck raise and sent a chill down her spine.

Heavy breathing, almost panting as the water pushed forward toward the shore. Other than the deep intake of breath and the harsh exhale, the swimmer made hardly a sound in the water. She fumbled around the in the glove box looking for a flashlight that wasn't there. Quickly reaching under the seat in search of the light came up empty too. By the sound in the water whatever it was, was getting closer. Water began breaking on the rocky bulkhead supporting the shoulder of the road where her car was parked. Her heart racing, her pulse quickening she scanned the water for the source of the wave and noise. The wind gusted and the branches of the trees danced between her and the water. Then suddenly, the huff of breathing was no longer to be heard. Had she imagined it? Was the fact that she had been up all day driving with no apparent destination in mind causing her mind to manufacture something that wasn't there? Maybe it was just a large elk cutting across the lake rather than walking all the way around? She couldn't be sure, the night was dark, the moon was trying to break through, but she had only seen the wake in front of whatever had been late night swimming. She had felt compelled to pull over, unsure why it was just another question in a long string of many that had manifested in her life today.

Ever since she had been roused out of bed this morning at 4:30am by the blaring of her alarm clock, things had been a little off. She didn't remember setting the alarm and she had apparently went to sleep still in the jeans and t-shirt she had worn the day before. A little strange, considering yesterday was a Wednesday and she should have been dressed more appropriate for work. But upon arising she had felt compelled to put on her shoes and coat and drive. So far, she had driven almost 600 miles, stopping only for gas and food. Now nearly 20 hours later still driving and wearing the same clothes she found herself parked on the side of a deserted road, next to a lake looking at what? Her mind was not cooperating with her, she just felt the need to drive, but the distraction of the water had drawn her out of her compulsion. The cold wind continued to blow and helped her gain a little sense of normalcy. What was she doing? Why was she sitting here? This was like a scene in one of those horror movies that the audience keeps yelling at the heroine to get the car moving. Chuckling to herself, she began to roll up the window.

The odor that blew in was putrid and smelled of rotting meat and wet dog. It almost gagged her to the point of vomiting. Her eyes blurred as tears welled from the overwhelming noxious vapor. Without finishing to roll up the window, she turned to put the car in drive. As the gear shift in her hand nearly engaged, she looked again toward the water and nearly lost consciousness. The reflection in the glass was so unexpected and so utterly otherwordly that she could hardly breath. The lack of ambient light made any actual description almost impossible. A huge mouth, what looked like a nose and heavily lidded eyes looked in at her. Her mind reeled as the grotesque visage leaned near the window to peer in at her. The penetrating gaze locked with her eyes and she wasn't able to look away. The fear welled up in her chest. Her lungs full of air that she was unable to dispel and a light headedness that threatened drop her into unconsciousness combined to essentially paralyze her.

It was then that a feeling of well being stole over her. Where once overwhelming fear and revulsion reigned, now a sense of peace and serenity washed over her. Still locked in the stare down of unreality, the presence on the other side of the glass took on a somber countenance. The eyes were not full of menace as she had originally feared, but sadness. It was a sadness for her, she could almost feel the empathy the creature had for her. It put a huge hand on the glass and she felt the car gently rock. She wasn't sure how or why she knew, but she knew that there was no harm to come. Everything was going to be all right. The feeling of oneness with the thing outside seemed to be natural. This was a being whose nature was good, whose purpose was helpful and had enormous power, both physically and mentally. She could feel in her soul that she had been called to this encounter. She had been driving to this very spot all day long without ever realizing it.

Another gust of wind whipped the branches in the trees around them, she heard a loud crack as one of the great trees dropped a branch. Involuntarily, she turned her head at the sound of the breaking limb and when she turned back the creature was gone. The moon found a hole in the racing clouds and illuminated the space around her car. There was nothing to be seen, she was all alone. Had she imagined that disembodied face? What was it anyway and why had it come to her out of the darkness?

Remnants of the emotional rollercoaster she had ridden all day long left her feeling drained. Trying to hold onto the feeling of sanctuary and goodness that had washed over her after her initial shock, she slumped back against the headrest and put her shaking hand on the steering wheel. The headlights of her car lighting the fir trees in front of her provided little in the way of insight. Again she began to question what was happening to her and why? The one redeeming fact being that she knew she was going to be all right. Her eyes closed as sleep overtook her and a deep sense of well being filled her with joy. Her dreams were filled with fantastic sense of serenity and happiness. The rain forest around her alive and full of life and her being a part of it all. The emptiness and sadness inside that she had been running from replaced by a fullness of love and light.

She was awoken by the sound of tapping on the glass window. Struggling to regain consciousness, she shook her head, trying to remember where she was. The stiffness in her body making her groan as she opened her eyes. Her stomach growled in hunger. Outside the car, a Clallam county sheriff stood looking down at her.

"You alright ma'am" the sheriff inquired. "Would you mind rolling down the window?"

"Uh, sure, no problem," she stammered as she pushed the button the lower the window. "I'm fine, just a little stiff from sleeping sitting up, that's all."

"Have you been drinking?" the officer asked, as he leaned down to take a look inside the car.

"No, no I haven't, it was just a long day yesterday and I pulled over and just fell asleep, is there a problem?" she hesitantly replied.

" Can I see your license and registration please?" he said in a tone that made it more of a statement than a question.

Digging through her purse in the passenger seat she found her license and flipping down the visor she took out the registration and handed them both the to officer. It was then that she looked out the passenger side of the car and saw the partially rolled up window and what looked to be a giant hand print there.

"You're a long way from home miss," the sheriff looked down at her, "what brings you all the way out here?"

"Truthfully officer, I'm not sure, this is just where I ended up, I don't have a good reason for being here other than I just am. Wednesday I was at work, then yesterday I woke up and felt like I needed to drive and now today here I am."

"Let me get this straight, Wednesday you were at work, yesterday you woke up and felt like driving and this morning I find you on the side of the highway asleep in your car, is that what you just said?" he said with a look of confusion on his face.

"Yes sir," she replied with a hint of trepidation. Why did he seem confused?

"Ma'am, you think today is Friday then?" the sheriff asked.

"Well that's what day it is, yesterday was Thursday, I drove around for awhile and then I ended up here with you waking me up just now, Friday, so it's Friday morning."

"Is there someone you can call, I think we need to have a talk at the station. Today is Monday."