The road less traveled...

The road less traveled...

He lowered his sunglasses as he drove into the setting sun. Not sure of where he was going, only sure that he would know when he arrived. His thoughts drifted back to the town he left behind and the people still there. "I need to get away, I have to get out of this town. Come with me...let's leave this place." His words fell at her feet, as she turned and walked away. His heart shattered, already cracked from the years of frustration and hardships that seemed to find him. The last tie to this dead end town was now severed.

As the night air turned cooler...he found himself zoning out. The sounds of the tires on the highway and the lack of input was finally getting to him. The eyes felt a little heavy, and he knew a rest stop would be needed soon. The last sign he past read...23 miles to rest area.
This one read...rest area next right.

He pulled the road weary vehicle into the rest area, and shut off the ignition.
Silence.
His head pounded with a lack of sleep throb, he needed some food, and rest soon. As he got out of the car, he noticed he seemed to be the only one here on this long stretch of highway. No other signs of life other than sound of the fluorescent lights hum. The rest area had the classic visitor building, the map with the big "X" saying you were here. He laughed to himself, thinking this was the only time in his life, he truly knew where he was. Shuffling past the vending machines and tourism info he walked into the men's room.

"I have got to get a shower..." He said to himself.
Looking at his sunken eyes in the mirror.
Splashing some water on his face, he rubbed his eyes and hit the bathroom.

As he was leaving the bathroom, he walked past the ladies restroom.
His ears picked up on the faint sound of a woman crying.

He stopped to listen. "That can't be right..." he thought. " I'm the only one here."
But his ears would not let him move on. The sobs were indeed coming from the women's restroom. As he wrestled with himself on what to do, he was knocking on the door before he realized what he was doing. "Hey...are you OK in there? Do you need any help? Hello...Miss?"

Looking back toward the parking lot, seeing only his car, he knew he couldn't just leave.
"Miss...I'm trying to find out if your OK." His hand pushed the door open slowly. "Miss?...I'm coming in OK?" He pushed his way into the bathroom...

As his eyes met the bathroom floor, there she was.
Her clothes tattered and torn, and her hair matted to her head. She was wearing a dress, it looked like an old gown of some kind. His first thought was a prom dress, and that she had been left behind. "Miss..." His voice low and full of compassion. "Miss, can I help you?" She looked up at him, as her eyes met his, he knew something was not right there. They were black...black as pitch. She stretched out her hand as if reaching for him. His heart pounding out of his chest now, his feet not willing to run, but content on staying put.

"You wanted to help me..." Her voice sounded like is was laced with the wind itself. He was unable to move, or talk. He was completely entranced with what he was seeing. "You...you cannot help me." Her Erie voice said.
"It's too late for me you see...I'm already beyond help." His flesh crawled with goose bumps.

She stood before him now...

"You must go...you must leave...NOW!!" Her scream snapped him out of the trance.
"I...I...want to help you." He voice shaking with fear, but still concerned with this creatures well being. "You can't help me!...now go!...go before he finds you to!" Her words echoed off the bathroom tiles.

As her words sunk in, she let out a horrible scream. It twisted his guts into a knot.
"It's to late...he's here."
His ears picked up on the sound of footsteps.
His heart sank into his chest now, his breathing was shallow and slow.

"You...you...need to go then, let's get you out of here" He said.
Her sobs stopped, only to let out a little laugh.
"You don't understand...." she said. "I can't leave, I'm always here, always. He won't let me go." Her words made no sense to him. The footsteps were getting closer, they walked across the rest areas tile floor toward the woman's bathroom.

"He's almost here...It's to late for you now as well...".

"SARAH!"
A voice never before imagined in his most wicked of dreams, was calling the woman's name.

"Please...please go." She said to him, the tears streaming down her face. "You can't stop him, no one can." He reeled around to face the bathroom door, waiting for his arrival.
His inner voice screaming at him to leave. But he stood, waiting for the man who had caused this woman so much pain.

He looked one more time to the woman, she looked at him and whispered..."Please, please go."
He smiled at her, and turned to face the door.

"SARAH!"
The bathroom door flew open in a rage.
He stood before them...

All he could do was look at the enormous form of her tormentor. He was seething with rage and anger. She screamed.
The last thing he remembered was yelling at the top of his voice to stop.

Then the light.

It filled the room with a pure white light so intense, he couldn't open his eyes.
Then it subsided, and he opened his eyes slowly.

She was standing there before him.
Her clothes were pristine now, her hair brushed and well kept. And for the first time, she was smiling. "You stayed...she said." His body still shaking from the fear.
"You stayed and because you did, you have freed my soul." Her words were like an angels voice in his ears. The light that shone around her brought tears to his eyes.

"Thank you, thank you for staying, for being more than you could have imagined."
"Your act of unselfishness, will never be forgotten."

And with that she kissed his head, and faded away.

He stood there for what seemed like hours, trying to digest all that had taken place.
He walked to door and stepped out of the bathroom.
The morning sun was rising now...the birds were singing of the days promise, and all was well. He walked across the parking lot to his car, and got in. He stared at the rest area and wondered if it all had just been a dream. As he rubbed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair he saw it, siting on his seat...

A news clip about a girl named Sarah. Sarah was murdered here, 10 years ago by her boyfriend who chased her here. Witnesses say they heard commotion coming from the restroom that day, but none stopped, none helped. They continued on their way, not wanting to be involved. They're complacence led to her death, and ultimately to her souls torment.

His heart skipped a beat. Understanding now what he had saw, what he had stopped.
He turned the key, and the engine roared to life. His eyes still fixated on the clipping.
He folded it, and put it in his pocket. Then put the car into drive and left...Swearing to never walk past again.

As he drove into the new day, a woman stood beside the road for a brief moment.
Her beautiful gown flowing in the breeze of the new day. Always watching over him she would be. And forever grateful for the man that said "No."

The End

Awesome story. S&F for you, my friend. You deserve it.

I don't think much else needs to be said, except there's a lesson here for everyone...even if they only need to be reminded of what they can do.

reply to post by AfterInfinity


Thank you so much. I had written that a while ago, but for some reason, I felt like I should post it that night.
Again, thank you.