Fear Over Caution: A short story for Halloween by Sienna
Strange things happen in our lives from time to time, which are unexplainable...
It was dark, almost midnight and the road I was travelling on seemed endless. There were trees on either side bordering open farmland, although in the darkness it was hard to tell. All I had was my headlights guiding me along the road and in the time that passed, not one car moving in the opposite direction did I see.
All I had for company was a CD playing continuously. Once it was my favourite, but for some reason during that days driving I had saturated myself with it. The music had become repetitive and I began to yearn for a welcoming change. But still, it was company and I was glad I had it.
The long journey was the longest I had ever undertaken so far in my life. I was warned about the distance and the alternatives I should have considered. It had been a long day getting as far as I had and now I was in the wild open countryside miles from any large towns or cities only a few hours away from my destination. I was running two hours behind schedule thanks to unpredicted traffic problems on the highways that afternoon. I needed a rest. I was tired and hungry. But soon I would reach the place I was heading for, which made me feel as if I had achieved something so far. It kept me going.
If only nature would be in perfect balance. My head was set on reaching that goal, my body was now telling me something different. I drank too much bottled water earlier and was beginning to feel the effects, almost desperately. I was beginning to drift in my thoughts, trying to overcome the quickening anxiety I was beginning to feel. The darkness outside and being so far away from home suddenly began to hit me. It was so very late and I was alone.
Then I saw him. He stood in the distance waving me down with both arms frantically as the headlights shon on him in the middle of the road. I slowed down to a stop and waited for him to walk towards the car. I was unsure at first, keeping the window tightly closed with both my hands firmly gripping the steering wheel. He knocked on the window with his knuckle a few times and spoke;
"Can you help me? Please?"
I looked at him. He was in his thirties and quite well dressed in a grey suit. His necktie was open and my first thoughts were that he might have been a traveller like me, with his car broken down somewhere. But where? Although possibly desperate for somekind of help he seemed calm and pleasant. I rolled down the window leaving a slight gap, enough to hear what he had to say clearly. I was cautious of strangers in strange places and my safety was paramount in my mind.
"I have got myself lost it seems. I've been walking along this road for hours looking for a village or service station. So far, nothing." He explained, with a cute smile that complimented his looks. "Please, can you help me?"
I knew there was nothing in the direction I had come from. The last thing I remembered was a tiny farmhouse miles back and before that, an unknown village even further. I wondered which way he was heading, so I asked him and he pointed in the direction I was going.
"Have you broken down?"
"Sort of." He replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Please help me. I know I'm not far from Hinchcliffe Hall, just further up the road. And that's where I guess you are heading?"
"I am yes. Are you a guest?"
"Not quite. But I will be when I get there." He started to grin, making light of his comment as if it was meant to impress me. "Look all I need is a lift. It must be a few miles away, that's all."
I started to think. He was looking for a village or service station. Now he was telling me he was heading for the same location as me. I was probably over cautious. I looked at him and then turned off the music.
"If you have broken down, then where is your car?" I asked. He stood up straight and shrugged his shoulders again, this time in frustration. He placed his hand on the roof of my car and leaned to stare at me.
"Look, miss, all I am asking for is a lift. Look at me." He pointed a finger at his face. "Do I look dangerous to you? I mean do I? Come on! Give me a break will you." I gripped the steering wheel harder and thought. Maybe he was harmless and maybe, just maybe I was being over cautious. I looked back at him and nodded for him to get in.
He sat beside me rubbing his hands. "Fantastic!" he shouted. "You don't know how much I appreciate this. If only you knew how much trouble I've gotten myself into today trying to get where I'm going. Things just seem to have got from bad to worst in the past few hours."
I started the car moving again, picking up speed to a reasonable pace and just listened to what he had to say;
"When I started out this morning I thought, Jackie boy today is going to be a good one. And I was wrong. Nothing is good about this day I tell you." He seemed friendly, talkative and so full himself. "You know what I mean? Of course you do. I am so pleased you came along right now when you did. I really do appreciate this."
"Are you on the course at Hinchcliffe Hall?"
"Is that what it is? A course?" he replied. He slapped his thigh. "Of course, I should have known. That's why you are going there, right?" His reply was certainly weird, but I played along with him and nodded. "You are a student, right?"
"Not really. I am a researcher. The company I work for sent me on a refresher course. What about you?" I was not letting him take advantage with his questions. For some reason he seemed to be searching for information. He was stranger than I thought, knowing very little about what was happening at our destination. He remained silent for a while, thinking, then he replied;
"You know, this area is so strange to me. I have never been here before."
"Me either. I'm not used to these far away places in the countryside. I am used to the city."
