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The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/Severe-Actuary9562 on 2024-07-01 05:29:56+00:00.

It was back in 03. The plan was to make it to Vancouver from Calgary overnight. 1000km of driving through the majestic Rocky Mountains. Back in 03’ some of the roads weren’t as developed and certain points along the stretch could prove to be seriously risky. Any rational person would have waited, but I was young and stupid. My only focus was on the mind blowing Plaid Bandana concert that would be taking place in exactly 24 hours.

I had waited for years to see them; after Vin Stricklet broke up I never thought I would get a chance to see them play. I was ecstatic when I heard they were forming a new group with a new singer. Well not just any singer, it was Blake Blackington from Leather Hammer. Their album was called an instant classic and as soon as I heard they were going on tour I waited outside the ticket seller and camped for hours.

Unfortunately nobody I knew was into the group so I was making the trip alone. I had been studying the maps all day at work (you have to remember in 03’ we didn’t all have cellphones and GPS) and was confident it would be smooth sailing. People on the message boards just said to watch out for trucks and make sure you refill because gas stations could be few and far in between.

I packed light and headed out, I would only be gone for a couple nights. I didn’t even bring a change of clothes. I stopped and grabbed some burgers and a filled up a 1 litre flask with coffee, I liked it black. My car was an old Japanese import from the 80s but it had never failed me. I had brought every Plaid Bandana and Vin Sticklet cassette and CD I had. Their discography would be enough to get me through the night.

I glanced at the city lights in my rear view as they faded into darkness. Plaid Bandana’s first album blared in the background. I was probably driving too fast. The cool night air whirled around me through the crack in the driver side window. The stars were out and traffic on the road was sparse. It was basically smooth sailing, at least for the first few hours or so.

I started thinking about how remote it really was out there. I mean I was safe in my car but what if my car failed? I was in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the woods, in the midst of the Rocky Mountains. I didn’t have a phone, or pager, and the cars that passed were getting fewer and fewer.

Then like it was on cue the lights in the vehicle started to flicker. At first they only turned off for a second, almost unnoticeable, then again and rapidly, finally the entire vehicle shut off.

You have got to be kidding me.

I quickly shifted into neutral to try and coast down the downhill stretch I was on, all the while trying to restart the ignition. It wouldn’t give. I started out onto the road in disbelief as I guided the vehicle onto the shoulder. I slammed the steering wheel in anger and got out of the car. I heard my voice echo through the mountains, taunting me, my curse reverberating back to me.

Clouds had rolled in and it was DARK out. I realized quickly, just because there was a paved road here didn’t mean I wasn’t alone in the woods at 1 in the morning encircled by remote wilderness. The last town was an hour back and the next on probably a 4 hour walk. I stared into the deep woods surrounding me on all sides, ears straining at every twig snapping, or leaf rusting. Wearily anticipating at any moment a cougar to pounce from the brush.

I wasn’t going to make it to the show, I would have to wait here until tomorrow probably and get towed to the nearest shop. The whole trip was a wash. I popped the hood and looked over the internals but nothing seemed out of sorts. I put my hands on my head and walked defeatedly. Suddenly I was jostled out of my absent minded self pity as a massive 18 wheeler whizzed past, the gust of wind nearly knocking me over, knees weak from almost being turned to pavement pâté.

‘HEY WATCH IT!’ I screamed as it zoomed off over the crest of the hill. Why didn’t he stop to help? How did I not hear or see him? I was shaking from the adrenaline. How stupid could I be? I was in black jeans and a black leather jacket. He probably didn’t even see me.

Suddenly my car started up. My jaw dropped. I was confused because I didn’t even turn the ignition on but I wasn’t about to question the inner workings of vehicle mechanics. I hopped back in, ecstatic, the record that was playing resumed at full blast. I was in disbelief, but in my excitement didn’t question how weird it was. I just put my foot on the gas and made up for the time I had just lost.

It was only about another half an hour or so when I saw it.

“ROAD CLOSED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION, PLEASE USE FOREST SERVICE ROAD DETOUR IN 100M FOR NEXT 1KM FOR REROUTE”.

“What…” I said in shock. Route detour? Forest service road? Out here? I had no other option. I had no idea if my vehicle would break down but I was also running low on gas and wouldn’t make it to that last station if I turned around. I tried to make out the map in the little moonlight there now was. I couldn’t see the FSR on my map but I looked over the geography and figured if it was only 1km it was probably fine.

What other option did I have? Give up? Park here and wait and miss the show? It would be unreasonable. I apprehensively slowed as I approached the road blocks and turned off onto the dirt road. There was flagging tape on the trees marking the route. I looked into the utter blackness that surrounded me, it was almost hypnotizing.

How long had I been driving, surely it had been a kilometer by now? In the corner of my field of view I could see something in the dark, but every time I turned to try and catch a glimpse of it, it would disappear. I was starting to get paranoid. I needed to get out of this section of road and fast. I started to worry; did I miss a turn? I no longer saw any tape on the trees. Out of nowhere like a flash I thought I saw a tattered man with a lantern and old time clothes. It was so quick it was almost imperceptible. I slammed on the brakes and looked around the vehicle.

There was no one. Was I losing it?

Thankfully then, I saw a break in the woods and light up ahead, It was the exit. I reentered the roadway relieved I was out of the engulfing black of the wood. Did I just imagine that figure? The relief was short lived. The road felt different. Nothing tangible, but nonetheless it just felt different. The road was climbing, higher and higher. Suddenly a dense fog seemed to roll in out of nowhere. Then I noticed the guard rail had vanished. No guard rail on a foggy mountain pass? The road also seemed to be getting narrower.

I flipped off the music to focus as a I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. I could hardly see a foot in front of the vehicle. I set the emergency brake and looked at the map again. There was no way that this was the condition of the road! This was supposed to be a main road, this didn’t make any sense.

I drove painstakingly along the death trap of a ‘road’, inching along meter by meter. Suddenly I saw some rocks roll down the mountain wall in front of me. I thought about turning back but there was no way I could reverse here.

Another group of rocks or more so boulders rolled down the face of the cliff to my left across the road and then off the other side into the foggy oblivion to my right. I miscalculated and in my error twitched and drove over a large stone. The entire vehicle jerked towards the edge of the cliff.

“NO!” I screamed at the top of my lungs tears forming. All I can remember thinking is ‘not like this, not like this!’. Surely my mistake had cost me my life. I closed my eyes as I felt the tires roll of the ledge and the undercarriage scrape along the stone.

A sensation of falling…

THWACK-

I was still screaming as I felt myself slam downward into my seat. I opened my eyes, my vehicle at a standstill, engine idling, the fluorescent road signs ahead of me reflecting my head lights.

‘ROAD WORK, DRIVE WITH CAUTION’

I was back at the detour… except this time there were no road blocks. I looked at my self in the mirror and pinched myself. Was I dreaming? There was no way. I had been drinking coffee and blaring music the entire drive. But… I must have slipped off to sleep, there was no other explanation. I felt my entire body shiver, it had been all too real.

For the next hour I drove in utter silence, finally snapping out of it as I heard the sound of ambulance sirens approaching. Several trucks whizzed past in the direction I had just came from. In tow a police cruiser. He was driving the opposite way, but his lights flashed and he slowed indicating for me to pull over. I was too despondent to wonder why. I turned the crank on my door and rolled the window down as he slowly sauntered over, his boots clacking along the pavement.

His hand rested on his firearm casually, slowly mashing the piece of gum he was chewing on. He stood outside my door in silence for a few uncomfortable seconds. I greeted him and asked if everything was alright.

I still remember what he said to this day.

“Yep… A-okay. The reason I stopped you, is because well, I just wanted to remind you to drive safe out here. About half an hour that way was a serious accident. Semi truck was going too fast and rammed a car off the side of the road into the gorge. We don’t expect there are any survivors” he paused and took a breath.

*'Just keep your eyes peeled, we don’t n…

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