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The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/Ilikecoolness132 on 2024-10-19 21:47:17+00:00.

I know this is going to take long time to explain. I’m not going to shorten it down or summarize it. Every detail needs to be said, even if this is the last thing I write.

My name doesn’t matter. I’d tell you which street I’m on if I even knew. I don’t, though. It could be anywhere, and I’ve been driving so long that I don’t even remember much on which street I was on. It’s no use going back, I suppose. I’ve already tried that, multiple times. My texts and calls aren’t going through, and even this is slow and laggy to type. I don’t know what else to do, as I know I probably won’t leave this road. But I’ll tell you how it happened, or at least all I remember.

My job is not desirable. It’s just to get by, really. The night shift at the front desk of a motel. I have fellow co-workers, and I’m not scared of staying there at night. Plus, I enjoy the peace and quiet of the sleepy motel. Working with families complaining about too much noise in their room is the bad part. It happens too often, people mad at me for their neighbors. My job is what started all of this, really, if you think about it.

I had a pounding headache as I drove the 25 minute drive to work. I wasn’t paying full attention to the turns. It isn’t exactly fun to have to be at work at 8:00 pm every night and then finally get home at 5:00 am every night. That’s why I figured I had a headache. Too much work, not enough sleep. I finally took a turn which set me off.

I drove on for a while, car rattling and bumping on what I thought was was my familar gravel road that meant I was getting close. I never saw anyone else on it. Just thick, calming, darkness all around my car. This road meant I was close, and just in time. I pulled out my granola bar to nibble on to hopefully ward off the hunger for a while. Just as I was ripping the ticked green wrapper, something caught my eye.

Just so everyone knows, the road is barely wide enough for two normal sized cars side to side. It is a back road, too, so usually no one walks or even drives on it. But things were different that day. There was a tiny body, one of a child, maybe, walking on the side of the road. It was kicking rocks as it went, little kid style, and swinging its short arms. This made me smile for a short second, before feeling a bit uneasy. Why was a child out on a nearly deserted road in the middle of the dark? I slowed down a bit to look closer. Maybe this wasn’t a child at all? Maybe I’d got it all wrong?

No, this was clearly a little kid. Not only because of height, but the scrawny, awkward, shape of kids. I don’t know how to describe it, but that was clearly a child. I felt this sense of dread as the little child stopped, staring at by car. His eyes were barely visible, but his head was turned in a way it was apparent. Then he started walking up to my car while I was still moving. I quickly pulled over, feeling a strange sense of dread.

The child stopped at my window, head down and shoulders sagging. He looked ashamed. “Mrs.” he murmurs quietly, “get off the road.” I frowned, a bit surprised at the kid’s bluntness.

“I can’t do that buddy,” I said slowly, not sure what else to do, “Are you alright?” I’m a bit socially awkward, so I talk slowly and strangely sometimes, saying words I don’t mean. Talking to children is even worse because of their honesty and tantrums, but I can’t just leave one in the dark.

The kid looked up. His eyes were green and his hair was a curly black, matted into a rug on his tiny head. I nearly gasped at his bruised and dirt encrusted face. His lips were dry, cracked, and bleeding with multiple sores. I couldn’t believe the shape he was in. Dirty, bruised, and pale-looking. His lips opened, making a choking sound that turned into words. “No,” the boy smiled a bit. He was missing multiple teeth, and the remaining ones were tainted a sickly yellow. “I like my job.”

I couldn’t even process the words. My throat was too dry to cough out even a few words, so I just stared. The disheveled boy’s smile morphed into a toothy grin. I wanted to speed off, but couldn’t. I was frozen, watching the boy.

“Fine,” he said cheerfully, “Keep going then.” I couldn’t just leave him here, right? He had to be in pain, at least a little. But I couldn’t carry that boy in my car. My lips didn’t let me say anything. My arms stayed as still as stone, not letting me open the door for the kid. I felt a feeling of dread, something not allowing me to let the dirty child in.

So I didn’t. I stiffly nodded and revved my engine. The kid backed off, grinning almost creepily. I wish I would’ve listened to the kid before speeding off into the night.

I was speeding about two miles per hour over the speed limit. My phone ticked steadily over 8:00, so I was late. And though I was going fast, nothing changed. The forest around the gravel road stretched on infinitely, not thinning out at all. The turn I remembered being there was gone, and the fork that I knew should be there didn’t come up. Maybe I’d gone the wrong way?

I slowed down to only a few mph, and pulled up my phone. It opened to the password screen, which I briskly typed in. 8:16. I was very late. Quickly, I swiped to my home screen. A blurry picture of my rolling dog. It didn’t make me smile like always. I swiped up again, opening my apps. My dog remained in the back round of all the colorful icons.

After scanning my screen for a moment, I found the multi-colored icon of Google Maps. With one quick finger I tapped it. Suddenly, my screen was engulfed in light.

And I saw it.

The normal screen, showing the streets, was gone. It was a gray line against the white background. My icon indicated I was traveling along the gray line, normal and shining blue. But there were no other streets around. Just this one, a straight line. It’s hard to describe just seeing something so blank that is usually full. And to top it off, the street doesn’t have a name marked across it. And it looks all too long. There are no destinations posted along it, making it seem eerie and outright scary.

I gasped a little, looking up at the infinite stretch of gravel ahead of me. A shape cut through the darkness. Two small blobs of light, accompanying a vaguely humanoid shape. Except taller, with long and skinny legs and arms. It was clear it was looking at me, the blobs of light straight where a face would be. I let out a little squeal, turning around quickly.

I don’t know how long it’s been. I’ve tried calling 911, but it’s not going through. Texting just pops up a red text saying my message hasn’t been sent. My phone time isn’t moving, staying at 8:26 pm. I’m not sure what to do. I’m terrified, seeing that thing everywhere I turn. It towers over the car, at least eight feet tall.

I need to stop. I feel weak, like I might vomit. I’m flying across the road, seeing that figure running with me. I think I might crash, but I’m trying to control the car. I’ve slowed as I’m typing this, trying to find a way out. But it just keeps going. I remember something else happened, but it feels like it’s been days, yet it is still pitch dark.

And every time I look, that thing is running closer and closer.