I’m sure you all have heard the tales about the trucker who was driving late at night and stopped to pick up a woman on the side of the road and the woman turns out to be a ghost. Right? Well, I’ve got a story for you that trumps that one.
I was driving my rig one night. I had a load I picked up in Texas and was bound for California. It was about 12:30 a.m. and I was a little tired, but I had to keep it going, at least to get to the next truck stop. I was rolling along I-10, passing through New Mexico. Now I don’t know what you know about New Mexico but there is hardly anything out there. So the road was really dark and I was a little nervous because it’s not unusual for some animals to wander into the road.
So there I was, trucking along, a little slower than normal, trying not to wreck my truck. I could see up in the distance, about fifty yards out, there was what appeared to be a figure walking along the side of the road. From the looks of it, it looked like a woman as it appeared to be wearing a dress.
Being the type of man I was, I was not about to pass a woman that’s potentially stranded in the middle of absolutely freakin’ nowhere, without at least stopping to offer some help. I started to down-shift my rig until it came to a complete stop. During all that, with all the weight I was hauling, I passed you up but about 20 yards. At least it was a safe stop. I sat there for what must have been about five minutes. I kept checking the passenger side mirror, to make sure she was still coming. It was about the third time I checked and I noticed she wasn’t there anymore. I swung around to look out the mirror on my left, just to see if she had crossed over to the other side of the truck. For what reason she’d do that, I don’t but I checked just the same.
Sure enough there she was walking in the middle of the road as she passed my truck. I rolled down the window, and hollered, “Are you Okay?” She didn’t say anything and just kept walking. I called out to her again, figuring she couldn’t hear me over the roaring idle of my engine. Still, she didn’t answer me. Confused a bit, and kind of miffed because she was ignoring me. All I was trying to do was to offer some help if needed. The least she could have done was answer back with, “I’m Okay, or no thank you.”
I started to put the truck in gear and go on my way, but something inside me said to try again. I moved up a little to get up beside her again. Once I got up to her, she stopped. She didn’t turn to look at me, she just stopped. Right there in the middle of the road.
“Ma’am,” I called out. She turned and looked at me with a blank expression on her face. She was pale, and gaunt. It was as if she hadn’t eaten in days. She just stood there looking at me. I asked again, “You okay?” Still, no response. “Do you need a ride somewhere?”
“Down the road,” She finally answered.
“Do you mean the next town?” I asked. She halfheartedly nodded. I said, “Well hop in, I’ll get you there.” The next town, of which she indicated, was Deming. It was a small town. There wasn’t much there, but I suppose if that’s where she wanted to go, she must either live there or have some good reason for trying to walk there so late at night.
She slowly walked over to the other side of the truck, and I reached over and opened the passenger side door. I reached out my hand to help her up but she ignored my outreach and climbed up and got in by herself.
“Okay,” I said. Once she was properly seated, I put my truck in gear and started down the road.
As we traveled, things were quiet and very awkward. She sat there and didn’t say a word. I tried making conversation, by asking questions.
“So did you have a breakdown in your vehicle?” I asked. She didn’t respond. “Do you live in the town where you’re going?” Still, she sat silent, not uttering a word. “Look, I’m not someone you have to worry about.” I stated. Silent and unflinching, she sat there. “I’m no deviant or anything if that’s what you’re worried about.” I added. It was like talking to a wall. Discouraged, I decided to just let it go, and kept on driving. Then I made one last ditch effort. “Do you mind if I turn on the radio?” I asked, “you know just to break the silence.” I figured that at least with the radio going, I don’t have to sit in this cloud of awkward rigidity. Plus, hell, this is my truck and I’ll do what I want.
I reached over and hit the button on the radio. An old Hank Williams song came on and It was static-filled and the signal phased in and out. Then I remembered where I was. The only radio station in that area that I could get was an old classic country station. So I grabbed a random CD from the console and popped it into the slot. The song that came on was “No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley.
“Ah, good ol’ Bob Marley,” I uttered. I looked over at her and asked, “Do you like Bob Marley?” She still wouldn’t budge on a single word. “Have you heard of Bob Marley?” I followed up. Nothing back, still. “Okay, fine, you just sit there and ride, and be comfortable.” I told her. “We’re almost there.”
We rode along not saying a word. There was nothing else going but the sound of the radio. Then I start to see the lights of Deming. I was kind of relieved because I wouldn’t have “Little Miss Talks-a-lot” making my truck uncomfortable. However, at the same time I was a little disappointed because it would just be driving down this lonely road. It was nice to have some company even if it was the equivalent of a stuffed animal.
As we neared Deming, she belted out a scream from hell. I nearly wrecked my truck, it startled me so much. I immediately slammed on the brakes and tried not to jack-knife the rig. When we came to a complete stop. I was livid. How dare this lady get in my truck and not say a word, and then pierce my eardrums like that. I wanted to give this chick a piece of my mind, but when I turned to look at her and let her have it, She was gone.
I was completely dumbfounded. “Where the hell did you go?” I uttered, shaken and confused. I thought maybe she ducked into the back of the cab, scared or something. I pulled back the curtain that separated the sleeper from the cab, and it was completely empty. She wasn’t there. Then I jumped out of the truck to look for her in case she jumped out. She was nowhere to be found. My ears were still ringing from that awful scream she let out, so I knew she was actually there. “How could she not be there and she was there, just a minute ago?” I thought.
I stood there in the middle of the road, scratching my head. I stood there looking around trying to see if I could catch a glimpse of her walking down the road or hiding somewhere on the side. I even looked under the trailer of my truck. She was nowhere to be found.
Soon after that, I got frustrated and dusted my hands. I was then angry because I was behind schedule. I climbed back into the truck and put her in gear. I tore off, like a race, but of course with the weight I was hauling, and the fifteen gears to traverse, It didn’t take off that way. I barely got the tires to spin out. I was off, and my truck was rolling. After about a minute my heart slowed down and so did my breathing. The ringing in my ears was still there but not quite as bad as before. I began to yawn. I was feeling tired by now. It was about 2:00 a.m. by then, so I decided to stop over in Deming to catch a little sleep.
Upon entering the charming little town of Deming, I didn’t see a truck stop right off the bat. So I decided to stop at a motel and rent a room for the night. I didn’t feel much like sleeping in the truck. So I found a Holiday Inn, right there on I-10. I knew I could get right on the road when I was ready to get going again. So to the Holiday Inn I went.
I got the room and got in there, and tried settling down to sleep. I just threw my back on the floor
beside the bed. I took off my shirt, and then my boots, and I collapsed onto the bed. I didn’t bother to
fully undress because I was just that tired.
Everything was quiet, dark, and peaceful. I was just on the brink of sleep until I was jolted awake. Throw out of REM and into wake by that horrific scream.
Howl!
I jumped up, looking for the source of that noise. When I turned to the direction of that howl, I was mortified by what I saw. That woman was standing there near my room door.
Howl!
All the blood flushed from my face, and I felt faint. The room shook from the volume. It would not stop.
Howl!
I caught myself on a chair as I nearly fell to the floor. I was not about to let whatever this thing was get the better of me. “Shut up!” I yelled.
Howl
“Stop it, you banshee!” I commanded. But the noise would not. It was absolutely excruciating.
Howl!
“What is this thing?” I asked myself. “A ghost? A demon?”
HOWL!
The screams grew louder. My head exploded in pain and dizziness began to take hold of me. I knew I had to do something to get this out of my room. Out of my head. Then I remembered what my dear mother and my father taught me.
“When you’re oppressed by the presence of evil, just call on Jesus.” I remembered.
HOWL!
I gathered my senses, mustered as much strength as I could to center myself. My lips parted and I called out, “Jesus…”
The screaming stopped. She was gone. Just as quickly as she appeared, she was gone. Relieved and exhausted, I fell to the floor, on one knee and then to both. My head hung low as I waited to catch my breath. I was thankful, for the silence, and for deliverance. I was also thankful that there was no one in the rooms on either side. Mostly I was thankful that my parents taught me how to trust in Jesus. I raised my hands to the heavens and gave a great big word of thanks. Then I felt guilty that I hadn’t been to church in a while.
I got up off my knees, dusted myself off and climbed back in the bed, knowing I was going to sleep well.