Stories Not Quite Scary Enough To Tell In The Dark, But Still Nearly Chilling

Engine Light

It was too late to be out on a canyon road. Emma rolled her eyes. Since when had reason ever influenced her decision making? She gripped the steering wheel, scanning the edges of the road for wildlife, jumping every time a reflective rock or bright spot caught her eye.

"Where there's a deer, its family is right there!" Had been her father's last words in this life. Alone, tired, and still very far from home Emma was determined they wouldn't be hers.

The radio buzzed for a moment as the scanner caught a stray signal, then went back to looking for a station. She hit the button for AM hoping to find anything to keep her awake. Even that station that played Mexican Banda loud enough to horn in on the adjoining stations frequencies would be welcome at this hour.

Suddenly a yellow icon lit on her dash. What was that? She slowed down and tried to stare at it with one eye while driving with the other. It was a little yellow Lego with a plus and a minus sign hovering at each top corner. What in the world? What was Old Bill trying to tell her? They'd been through a lot together. A graduation gift from her grandparents Old Bill had taken her through college without a hiccup. "Hold on Bill. Keep it together."

Two hundred miles, just three and a half more hours and Bill's tires could fall off. Well not really, but just 200 miles and she would be home and could take care of this Lego thing in the morning.

The radio blared again, this time with 80's rock that quickly turned to a buzz before cutting out. The little box picked at her brain like a tic on a dogs ear. Should she pull over? Should she get out and look at her engine? What would that do, she would have no idea what she was looking for. No better keep going. Just keep going and deal with it in the morning.

"Where there's a deer its family is right there!" Emma slammed her breaks sending her car swerving over loose gravel on the road. Old Bill lurched then bucked throwing her back in her seat. Emma looked out her passenger window to see a toppled reflective road marker on the other side of the ditch. Sheepishly she let her foot off the brake and accelerated. Better safe than sorry.

The canyon opened up and the road descended into an empty valley, a T in the road offered the choice of a small town ten miles in the wrong direction or a hundred and twenty miles towards home. Just keep going. She told herself. Just keep going. Where there's a deer... Just keep going. What does that light mean? Everything seems fine. What is Old Bill trying to tell me? Just keep going.

A warm voice on the radio rang out over the AM buzz. "This is KUAR, the station of the stars..." A jazz orchestra began playing something Emma referred to as dead people music. At least it was better than silence: Or was it. The music made her eyelids heavy, but the silence would be worse. She rolled down her window hoping the cold air would: Yes, that was better.

She drove on song after song, the melodies blending together in her mind like so many ropes of sticky licorice. She hated licorice. The music faded and a new voice boomed out over the speaker. Slowly her brain woke to hear what it was saying.

"At least one and maybe more confirmed criminals have escaped from the State mental hospital. All travelers be on the lookout for..."

Emma gulped and stared at the Lego light on her dash.

"All that and more on tonight's episode of When Radio Used to Be!"

The audible sigh of relief escaping her lips surprised herself. Just keep going... Where there's a deer... What does that light...

Another square illuminated on her dash. This time with a loud "ding." It looked like a bottle tipped over with a fan glued to its side. What the cuss was that?

"Is that a hitchhiker up ahead Ron? Why yes Mary I believe it is. He's limping, he looks like he needs help. That's a strange jumpsuit he's wearing... Don't pull over Ron, Who knows who that could be at this hour! Now Mary I can't just drive by and pretend I don't see-" That's exactly what you do Ron. Just keep going and deal with it in the morning.

The sound from the radio was slowly beginning to fade now. Was that a person up ahead. Something was in the road. Emma could hardly here what was being said now. Suddenly the clock on the radio began to flicker just as the dash lit up ringing repeatedly now with all kinds of lights blinking on and off as if it were a Christmas display. No. no. NO! Not here. Please Bill not here. Not now. Just keep going! The engine sputtered and though she had the pedal all the way to the floor Old Bill drifted to a silent stop. The last think Emma saw in her yellowing headlights before they cut out was a deer staring at her in the middle of the road.

"Pardon me for blocking your way." The deer walked up to Emma's open window. "But have you seen my family?"

Emma shook her head, she didn't know what to say to a talking deer.

"No surprise, I haven't seen them either since they put me in the asylum for shoving the neighbors in front of an oncoming train."

Emma jumped! Her eyes fluttered and she woke she found herself alone, her car still at the T in the road. Ten miles the wrong way to a town in the middle of nowhere, or one hundred twenty towards home? What a horrible set of options. If only she'd payed more attention all those times her father had blabbed on about car maintenance. She growled at the road unsure which direction to choose.

What was it? All this fuss over a silly yellow box! What was that stupid light trying to tell her...