Death Drives An Impala

Another twist on an urban legend...this time, the hitchhiker

Death Drives An Impala

Daniel slowly opened his eyes. It took him a full minute to focus as he looked around, blinking. His head throbbed and his neck muscles felt sore turning his head this way and that. He wasn't sure where he was at first. The last memories he had were a bit fuzzy. Putting a hand to his forehead, he felt something odd. His other senses kicked in and he determined it must be a bandage of some sort. The spot where the bandage lay stung when he applied pressure to it. He winced and drew in a breath.
        "Easy there, son." came a voice from near him.
Daniel turned his head toward where the voice had come from. The image was blurry for a moment, then became more clear. He was able to make out the short hair, dark complexion, and white clothes of what he could only guess was a doctor. Concentrating more, details followed. The doctor looked about in his mid fifties, a tad a gray speckled his hair more noticeably. He appeared to be an African-American, handsome by what means a guy could be to another guy.
        Rubbing his eyes, everything else started to become more clear to Daniel. He could read the posters that lined the walls of the room he was in, not to mention the people who were walking by every so often.
        "Where�am I?" asked Daniel.
        "You're in the intensive care unit of St. Mary's Hospital." replied the doctor.
        "But how did I�" Daniel began to ask.
        As he did, though, he brought his arms up to help extenuate his words. However, his left arm came up short as it seemed to be attached to something. Looking down, Daniel noticed that he was hooked up to an IV. At first, he was out of sorts, not sure where he was. Now, he was starting to nervously wondered what was going on.
        "You were picked up by a couple passing by. They happened to see you lying halfway in a ditch." answered the doctor. "We haven't been able to call anyone when you arrived since you didn't seem to have any ID on you. It is our policy, however, to at least make a courtesy call to the police in situations like this. Before we do, though, we'll need you to fill us in on anything that might help us help you."
        "Okay" was all that Daniel could muster at this point.
        "Let's start with how you wound up in the ditch in the first place." probed the doctor.
        Daniel thought for a minute. Thoughts and images raced through his head. Little by little, the events leading to that moment began to unfold in his mind.

        Daniel shut the door behind him, and locked the door. It was dorm policy to make sure that everything was locked when you left your dorm, if only for the moment. He knew his roommate would be back soon, but he could still get in trouble if he did not obey the rules. Earlier that month, another kid had been careless and left it unlocked while we left for a midnight fast food run. When he got back, he found the paramedics and the city, not mention college, police at his dorm. Someone had walked in on his roommate while he was asleep, beat him up to near unconscious, and left. So, the new policy was enacted by the dorm manager.
        As Daniel turned and walked down the hall and passed an open dorm door, Ozzy, one of the guys that lived two doors down from him, yelled out.
        "Dude! You gonna be around for the Halloween party tonight?" Ozzy was holding up a beer.
        "No, I'm going home for the weekend. Mom and Dad need help tomorrow morning with the combine." Daniel said, smiling. He liked Ozzy, but he wasn't a partier by any means. Daniel grew up on a farm, which meant he had hard work instilled in him from birth. Not that he didn't mind a beer now and then, he just didn't do the whole city boy bar hoppin'. Besides, not having the money for a car, he would have to find a way to get home again. Usually, he had a few friends that went home the same time he did. They would drop him off on their way through, then pick him up on the way back to college. This weekend, however, would be different. It seemed that EVERYONE was staying for this huge Halloween party. Daniel pushed the button for the elevator, and patiently waited for it to arrive.

        Daniel arrived at the bus station shortly before 6pm. The wind had picked up a bit and the sky was starting to cloud over. He hoped, for the children's sake, that it would not rain like it appeared to prepare for. Tonight was trick-or-treat for many area towns, and he did not want the kids to miss out.
        When Daniel went to enter the station, he practically ran into the door. He looked down, and noticed that the door had not opened when he had pulled on the handle. Confused, he looked up and noticed a sign that read: "Closed". Below the sign, the station's hours had been posted. Daniel read that the hours for this particular evening, and found that the station was not due to close till 6:30pm. The last bus leaving at 6pm.
        "Just great..." thought Daniel.
        If it were not for the fact that Daniel had already used the taxi service in town on occasion, he would have called them. However, experience had taught him that even if it would not take him forever to get a taxi during this night, being a party night, it would not take him even a quarter of the way back home. In fact, there was not another taxi service or bus stop till you got back to his hometown.
        Daniel sighed, hung his head, and decided the only other choice he had�was to start walking and hope that he could find a friendly face along the way to give him a ride. He knew that it was dangerous, and wasn't found of the notion. He also knew if his parents found out, they'd be very upset with him. What options did he have, though? Daniel picked up his duffle bag and started off.
        
        An hour later, Daniel found himself along a long stretch of highway. On both sides, evergreen trees lined the as far back and in front as he could see. This wouldn't have bothered him, except for the fact that the clouds hadn't cleared yet, nor the wind for that matter, either. It was a bit chilly, but he had on a sweatshirt underneath his hooded jacket. He was comfortable, temperature wise. As long as it didn't rain, he would be fine.
        Daniel�
        
Daniel stopped dead in his tracks. Did he just hear his name? It sounded like someone whispered it. That was crazy, though. It was just the wind. Daniel didn't spook easily. He had lived on a farm where you were constantly hear sounds and seeing shadows. When you live on a farm, you always had to be aware of the local wildlife. In some parts you had coyotes, in others, you had bears, and others yet�wolves. Then you had the sounds that the country produced at all hours of the day, and all times of the season. Wolves and coyotes howling at the moon, owls hooting, the scratching of squirrels and other small animals climbing around the roof of your house and the trees out front. All of them were completely normal and easily identifiable, unless you were the kind of person who liked to watch scary movies. Then, they were no longer the noises and sounds of nature, but the sounds and sights of the supernatural. Ghosts, monsters, and psycho, mutant, back-hill serial killers lurking in the shadows and amongst the trees. None of that ever bothered, Daniel, though.
        The night was starting to get dark enough that Daniel was having trouble seeing past the first few trees alongside the road. He hoped that if any drivers came along, they would see him�more for his protection than anything else. This was not the time, nor the place, to be the victim of a hit and run.

        Daniel�
        
There was that sound again. This was getting ridiculous. The wind was getting on his nerves. It was bad enough that it was playing jokes on him, now, but he would not be able to hear any oncoming vehicles from behind until they were right on top of him. At that though, Daniel turned and checked. Nothing but blackness stared back at him.
        Daniel continued on, though starting to wonder whether he should have just called his parents up and told them the predicament and asked to come home the next day. While pondering, he thought he felt something hit his cheek. He touched his face and felt the miniscule remains of something wet. Then another hit his other cheek, then the back of his hand, then his forehead. A loud boom thundered over head, confirming the inevitable. Unfortunately, the weather could no longer wait for Daniel to find shelter for the night. It began to sprinkle lightly. Within a few min, it became a drizzle, and after about five minutes, turned to a small downpour. Before Daniel had a chance to react, he heard a sound coming from behind him. Looking up, he noticed a pair of headlights approaching.
At this point, Daniel decided that it was time to do the one thing that he knew he would regret down the road. He held up his hand, and stuck out his thumb, pointing it toward the direction he had been walking. He made sure that he stood just enough out of the way that if the driver had been messing with the radio, talking on their cell phone, or eating a ham sandwich, he could avoid being hit.
As the lights grew closer, he could hear the faint, but deep, sound the vehicle made. It sounded like an old muscle car of the 70's or 80's. When the vehicle reached within half a yard from him, Daniel could see that it was slowing down. The headlights were much larger, now; the light emitting from them so bright that Daniel had to shield is eyes. He could see the drops of rain, now darkened against the headlights, falling faster than what he realized at the time. The sound of millions of tiny drops of water hit the vehicle's hood. The sound reminded him of the sound a machine gun made when the various gangsters on television would end the life of their rivals.
Daniel adjusted his hand so he could at least make out the type of vehicle that was now stopped just in front of him. It appeared to be an old Impala. He could tell by the way it sounded, since his father also had one. It hadn't run in years and just sat around the barnyard, but at it's prime, it would have sounded amazing. Daniel could tell that whoever this was, he took care of his car.
He stood there, captivated and unaware that he was still standing there. Suddenly, the driver gave a short honk. The sound made Daniel nearly jump out of his skin. Feeling kind of stupid, now, he grabbed his bag and made his way around the passenger side of the car. The driver had already rolled the window down, and was just sitting there at the wheel. He had on a dark trench coat, and tweed hat. Gloved hands continued to grip the steering wheel, as the driver stared straight ahead toward the road. Daniel could see a few strands of gray hair dangling from the sides of the hat and side of the driver's head, which blocked his view of the driver's face. Not even noticing he did it, Daniel swallowed hard, took a breath, and leaned his head near the inside of the car.
"He�hello." he managed to sputter. "I wouldn't be a bother asking for a ride, would I?"
The driver said nothing. Continuing to stare forward, he reached one gloved hand up towards Daniel and motioned for him to come in. The driver's hand seemed impatient, as if to say "Hurry up and get in already!".
Daniel opened the car door, hearing it creak loudly as he did. Quickly, he sat down and slammed the door shut. The door creaked loudly again and thudded closed. The sound of the rain outside was much quieter while sitting in this car. The low rumble of the exhaust was muffled as it idled. Daniel turned to the driver, unsure what to say.
"Thank you�what was your name?" he asked, hoping to alleviate the feeling of butterflies in his stomach.
The driver just sat there, not moving, and not making a sound. It was if the driver was unaware that he had climbed in and was still waiting. Daniel's eyes unwittingly darted back and forth between the driver and the seat. He took another breath and tried again.
"My name is Daniel. Everyone calls me Danny, though." Daniel could hear the nervousness in his own voice. He could hear the words coming out in an increasing flow. Just as quickly as he started talking, the driver all of a sudden reached up and put the car into gear. Daniel could feel the car lurch forward as the driver pushed down the gas. He was starting to wonder why in the world he had gotten in this car. Maybe the guy, had to be a guy, was tired and not in the mood to talk, especially to a kid who was soaked to the bone and getting his nice leather interior all wet. Daniel looked all around where he sat.
"I'm sorry about all the water all over the inside of your car." he said, hoping to hear any response at all�but none came.
Daniel was starting to regret his decision and thought about how maybe the rain wasn't so bad after all. The only question, now, was how was he going to tell that to this nice, though creepy, guy who was decent enough to give him a lift? Daniel thought, and said the first thing that came to his mind.
"I'm supposed to meet this girl at the next gas station up the road, here." he hoped he sounded sincere. No response came from the driver.
"I know it sounds kinda stupid, but my car is in the shop right now, and we promised to meet each other there at a neutral place. Can't be too careful, ya know." Daniel gave a chuckle, hoping to sound a little more convincing. Again, no response from the driver. Daniel was getting more nervous out by the second. Random thoughts flashed in his head, much liked flashes of light during a thunderstorm. Thoughts about the things that could go wrong tonight. Thoughts of pain, fear, embarrassment, and worse. Stories he read in the newspapers and on TV about college students being kidnapped or jumped in dark alleys and forced to engage in all kinds of gruesome rituals. Daniel's heartbeat started to increase. He could feel it beating, harder with each passing thought running through his head. Hoping to calm himself down, he attempted to engage the driver once more.
"My parents don't live too far away from the gas station, thankfully. So if this doesn't pan out, because she doesn't show, or because she's a real dog or something, I can just call them up and make something up as to why I'm there."
Daniel finally got what he was hoping for�almost. The driver turned his head slightly, yet not enough to make out any facial features. Daniel could only think of giving an awkward smile. The driver turned his head back toward the road, and as he did, his foot moved slightly. The car roared slightly. Daniel stole a glance at the speedometer showing through the dashboard, behind the steering wheel. The needle was moving slightly in the clockwise direction.
Okay, thought Daniel to himself, just keep your mouth shut. You probably pissed him off, rambling on about some stupid thing you just did, that technically you lied about to begin with.
Up ahead, Daniel could see the glow of a small gas station. He was never so happy to see a sign that read: Unleaded: $3.49/gal. He sat up a little straighter, now. He was starting to breath a little slower. Salvation seemed to be reaching them faster and faster, now.
"There it is. You can just let me off there. That's where I'm meeting her." Daniel said, pointing.
However, as they approached the gas station, Daniel noticed that the car didn't seem to slow down at all. Then, his heart sank and nearly crashed through the floor the of the car as it zoomed up to and past the gas station. With a squeak in his voice, now, Daniel spoke, raising his voice, as if the driver might actually be partly deaf and hadn't heard a word he had said since entering the vehicle.
"Ummm�I missed my stop. You can just stop right here and I can walk back. Hello?" Daniel's voice sounded shaky to him, now. Panic began to envelop him. Daniel's thoughts raced about possible ways out of this ill-fated ride. The only thing he could come up with, was to jump from the car and hope the driver didn't come back to get him. However, when he yanked on the door handle, nothing gave. There was no click that came with latch coming open. Instead, the handle flopped up and down, the realization that the door was locked.
"Please�" Daniel began to wail. Dread was now boiling over his body. He could feel the tears from his eyes run down his cheeks. "Don't kill me. What do you want with me?"
he driver sat for a moment, not moving from his stance in the seat. Then, slowly, the driver's head turned. It turned more than it had the past few times that Daniel had seen, but never enough to see his face. Now, however, the driver's head was fully facing him. Fear clutched at Daniel's heart and nearly stopped it as he looked at his captor. Yet, he was still unable to see anything. For when he peered into the driver's face, past his matted torn hair, all he saw was pure blackness. How was that possible? Just then, a bolt of lightning flashed bright overhead. As it did, it seemed to be the only thing that was able to break the darkness in front of him. At that moment, however, Daniel had wished it hadn't. He would have rather it not shown him what had made him curious about the driver. As the interior of the car lit up, it shown a face that could only have come from Hell itself. The face looked as though someone had ripped the skin and muscle from it, along with it's eyes, tongue, and nose. Blood seemed to trickle from the eye sockets. Once the light flickered out of existence, darkness once again clouded the face that had seemed to Daniel to be a death omen. The driver lifted a hand at that moment, and only pointed at him. Daniel's last thought was that he must have hitched a ride with Death, the Grim Reaper. That was the last thing Daniel was able to consciously bring to his mind.
All of a sudden, the driver turned back towards to road, as if he just realized that he was speeding dangerously down the road, in a storm, and wasn't paying any attention to what was going on in front of him. Daniel looked out of the windshield, and caught a glimpse of a figure standing in the middle of the road just as another bolt of lightning struck. It seemed to be putting it's hands up as if trying to stop the car. Only, the car continued to speed past where the figure had been standing. No loud crash or thud came. Daniel wondered if the figure had jumped to the side, or if they had been run over.
A commotion caught Daniel's attention. He turned and noticed that the driver seemed to be struggling with the steering wheel. It was if someone or something was trying to take control of this night ride, which was not what the driver apparently had in mind. The car started to weave back and forth on the road, sending Daniel slamming into the passenger side door. He had to hold on to the door handle to keep from sliding up against the driver every time the car weaved to the right.
Finally, it appeared that the invisible force was able to overpower the driver. The car lurched to the left, fishtailed slightly, then crossed the yellow line in the middle of the road. It flew at wildly across the road and headed towards the nearest evergreen tree. Daniel put his hands up in front of his face, knowing that this act along was not going to be enough to keep him from being thrown from the car and, more than likely, killed. He heard a loud crash. The sound of metal against wood and of glass shattering as the windshield exploded in front of him. Daniel felt only a slight jolt of pain. From what, he was not sure. Then, there was only darkness, coldness, and then stillness.

As Daniel related the story to the doctor, he had gotten goose bumps. It all seemed so real, yet, how could it have been? When he finished his story, or what he could remember of it, he paused. He wondered what the doctor would say. He would probably not only be tested for alcohol and drugs in his system, but he would also more than likely be recommended to see a psychiatrist. His eyes raised and met the doctor's face. The doctor gave him a look, exhaled, and shook his head.
"Well, that does sound terrifying. The only problem, is that there was no car where you were found. No glass, no nothing. We just figured that you had either been dumped there by some college kids as a prank, or that you simply passed out walking."
Daniel looked puzzled. "It was real. I wasn't imagining it. I wasn't drugged or anything. I haven't even been drinking!"
"Well, you seem to be okay to be released. If you can just give us your parents phone number, we'll call them up and let them know where you are and they can come pick you up." said the doctor, smiling sympathetically.

Right then, a police officer knocked on the door. Daniel and the doctor turned their heads, confused. The officer took off his hat, and held it in his hands. He approached Daniel, a look of concern in his eyes.
"Are you Daniel Kerchek?" he asked.
Daniel nodded.
"I'm afraid that we won't be able to make a phone call to your parents after all. Your mother has just called the paramedics. Apparently, your father passed away sometime tonight in his sleep. Your mother is here in the hospital if you'd like me to take you to her."
Daniel was overwhelmed with grief. His eyes swelled with tears. He nodded, as the doctor called in a nurse to help detatch him from the IV still left in his arm.

A short while later, Daniel found himself with his mother. They both hugged each other tightly. It had been a long and scary night for both of them. Daniel not told his mother the entire story of how he had come to be at the hospital. He had only told her that he had tried to walk home, and was hit by a car that had swerved slightly. He did not want to scare his mother any more than she had already been tonight.
"Was it a heart attack?" Daniel asked his mother.
"I believe it was." she said. "It must have been during a nightmare of some kind, bless his soul. When I found him, his hands were raised up above his head, palms open. Whatever he was dreaming of, he must have been trying to stop it."
Daniel froze. He still wasn't sure of tonight's events. Only that now, at least one thing made sense. His father had died in his sleep trying to protect him. Somehow, his father new he was in trouble, and in his death, had stopped him from some horrible fate. Daniel squeezed his mother even tighter. He only wished that this was the last time his family would encounter the driver.

The End
        

Author's Note

ignore grammar

Reviews

[deeps]

Wow! This is awesome!
If you have more of this I would like to read it.
This is really good honest.
You can get a hold of an idea and go with it.
Foun dit full of action and gumption.
Your charcters are wonderful as well.
Very well written story here.