This is my entry for Zaratan's Halloween contest. I hope everyone enjoys it!
Headless Road
Kim Possible and her boyfriend/partner, Ron Stoppable, were cruising down a winding mountain road in the middle of a foggy night.
The two had just finished a comfortable vacation in the mountains and were heading back to Middleton. They had enjoyed themselves thoroughly, but they still couldn't wait to get back home.
"The first thing Rufus and I are going to do when we get back is order a cheese buffet from Bueno Nacho!" Ron said, shaken with anticipation by the very thought of it.
Rufus popped out of his pocket, mimicking his excitement. "Mmmmm, Cheese!"
Kim smiled at Ron's simple tastes. They may seem weird, but that's what made Ron—Ron.
"This fog is thick. I can't see anything past the headlights." Kim squinted, but still the heavy fog blanketed the Sloth and the entire road. Kim was driving slowly. Some of these mountain roads were dangerously close to cliffs and steep hills that could spell doom to anyone who was unfortunate to fall into them. One mistake and she and Ron were toast.
"I don't remember the weather report saying anything about fog," said Ron.
"That's because our resident weather guru, Summer Gayle, said it would be a crystal clear night." Kim huffed, but then smiled. "At least there aren't any mutant snowmen this time."
The two shared a laugh. As they did, a whining sound started coming out of the Sloth's engine, smoke followed, and finally a complete stop of the car.
Kim groaned. She opened her door and got out. Ron followed her. The two popped the hood and immediately more smoke billowed out of the car.
Ron coughed and had to back away before he suffocated. Kim peered through the haze, but couldn't see anything wrong. She wasn't an expert on car engines and neither was Ron. She checked the water, oil, and engine coolant since those were the only things she knew to check.
Kim finally admitted defeat and flicked her wrist to activate her Kimmunicator.
Wade's face popped up on the screen. "What's up guys, did you enjoy your vacation?"
"It was great Wade, but the Sloth broke down on our way home. We're stuck on this mountain road, in this blanket of fog," Kim replied. "Could you call a tow truck for us?"
Wade typed on his computer for a moment. He looked at Kim with confusion. "Uhhh Kim? Where are you?"
"We're on interstate nine, why?"
"I can't pick up your signal. You aren't on interstate nine," the boy genius stated.
Kim called Ron over and had Wade repeat himself.
"But we haven't run into any forks in the road," Ron informed. "We've just been driving down the same stretch of road.
"Is there a route marker, or a sign anywhere to tell you where you are?" Wade suggested.
"We'll call you back." Kim turned off the Kimmunicator. She took Ron's hand and together they started going down the road — navigating through the heavy fog.
They made sure to count their steps so they knew how far away from the car they were. They also hugged the side of the mountain in case a car passed by. Ron held Kim's hand tightly, afraid that she might disappear in the fog.
After two hundred and seventy-two steps, they encountered an old weathered sign on the side of the road. It was once painted green, but the paint was peeling and most of the reflectors had come off. The words were painted white and they too were weathering away.
"Headless Road," Kim read aloud.
"Creepy name," Ron observed. Rufus shivered a little on Ron's shoulder.
Kim tried activating her Kimmunicator, but nothing happened. She tried again, but still it wouldn't come on.
"We must be in a dead zone," she groaned.
Ron's fearful eyes looked at her.
"No—I meant we're in a area where the Kimmunicator's signal is blocked," she quickly assured him. "I didn't actually mean dead."
Be careful what you say, Kim Possible. Your bf can be timid in these kinds of situations.
The fear in Ron's eyes lessened. He understood what she meant. He just didn't like the word dead.
Ron and Kim started back towards the Sloth. Once they were back by the car, they could call Wade because the signal worked there. Holding hands like before, the couple counted their steps back.
After another two hundred and seventy-two steps Kim and Ron stopped. But the car was gone! They looked around, but only saw empty road on both sides.
"Two hundred and seventy-two steps, right?" Kim asked Ron for assurance.
Ron nodded.
No one could have stolen it because Wade had fitted the car with the latest security gear. Only Kim, Ron, and their family could drive it.
"Let's keep going and see if maybe we counted wrong." Kim knows they didn't count wrong, but it was better than standing in the middle of the road.
Rufus tried to help by scanning the road ahead.
After three hundred and eighteen steps, they were tired of searching and walking. Kim had tried the Kimmunicator several times along the way, but to no avail.
"What do we do?" asked Ron.
Kim shrugged. "The only thing I can think of is to walk back and keep walking until we find a payphone or something."
She was ticked that someone could've run off with her car, but just the thought of being on an empty road, in the middle of nowhere, on a foggy night like tonight made it a little scary. It reminded her of those classic horror movies where some ripper would pop out of the fog and tear them apart.
Ron wrapped his arm around Kim's waist. The warm touch comforted Kim's tense body. She leaned on the shoulder that didn't have Rufus on it and sighed.
At least I have you to protect me Ron Stoppable.
Just then, they heard the sound of a vehicle. It was a motorcycle from what Kim could tell. It sounded like Ron's moped, just with a stronger engine. They peered into the fog and started to see a dim light. Gradually the light became brighter and the noise became louder.
"Someone's coming!" Kim squealed gleefully. "Let's stop him and ask for his phone, or a ride."
Ron and Kim started yelling and waving their hands from either side of the road.
The motorcycle was slowing down!
Ron went back beside Kim and eagerly awaited the motorist's arrival.
The cycle stopped just in front of them.
"Thanks for stopping, our car broke down and—" Kim stopped when she saw the motorist.
His leather jacket and white t-shirt looked normal, even his jeans weren't anything special, but there was one thing that wasn't right: his head was missing. His neck was flat and it looked as if his head had been severed cleanly from his body.
Ron screamed his head off and Kim's eyes were as big saucers. The biker turned and faced them, as if sizing them up. If he had a head it would be looking directly at them. Then he sped away from them and quickly turned around. He revved up the bike a couple times and charged straight for the heroes.
Kim and Ron dived to evade. The headless biker missed them by inches. Kim could see something in his hand as he passed them. It was along curved sword — similar to a katana.
Ron saw it too and together they started to run away. Rufus decided this was too scary for him and dived back into his best friend's pocket.
The motorcycle revved up again and the decapitated biker came at them.
Kim looked back. The sword cut through the fog like one of Dementor's lasers would cut through a steel door. The biker raised his hand and slashed at her.
Ron tackled Kim, saving her. The biker sped on and disappeared into the fog.
"Ron?" She saw Ron's face contorted in pain. Her hand felt warm. She quickly turned him over and saw Ron's back. The sword had cut through Ron's shirt and into his back.
Blood was coming out of the wound and it covered her hand, but to Kim's relief it was not deep.
"You're going to be okay Ron," she assured him through tears. "It isn't deep."
Ron nodded and smiled. "I…couldn't…let you…get hurt."
Kim helped the blonde up. She draped his arm over her shoulder.
Suddenly a noise came from behind them. The headless biker was coming back — the roar of his motorcycle becoming louder and louder.
Kim had to think fast. She and Ron could outrun him and she couldn't get close enough to fight him while he had a sword in his hand. She looked around and stopped at the wooden guardrail that separated the road from the rest of the mountain.
Kim looked over and could see a small slope that leveled into a forest. She looked at Ron with concern.
"Ron, are you strong enough to walk?"
"Sure KP," he responded.
"Hop over," she ordered.
Ron quickly lifted his legs over the guardrail and held on so that he wouldn't fall down the slippery slope. Every step made his back ache.
Kim followed just as the biker emerged from the fog. He hit the guardrail and swung his sword at the young couple — trying to cut them in half.
Ron ducked, but lost his footing, and his grip on the guardrail. Kim reached out to grab him, but his weight caused her to lose her grip as well. The two tumbled down the hill.
A tree stopped Ron. Some bushes stopped Kim a few feet away from him.
Ron's back was screaming in pain now. He fought the urge to faint and started walking towards Kim at a slow, stumbling pace. He fell next to her and called her name.
"KP, are you all right?"
She didn't answer. Ron saw her eyes closed and feared the worst, but was relived when he felt her pulse. She was just unconscious.
Ron felt his body for Rufus, who was still in his pocket. The naked mole rat was a little dazed, but unharmed. Suddenly Ron could see a light shining over the guardrail. The biker's engine was revving up again.
He wouldn't!
Ron's fearful thoughts turned to terror when the headless biker jumped over the wooden barrier and barreled towards him and Kim.
Ron could see he was in a pinch. He was too hurt to pick up Kim and run, let alone get up himself. It seemed like all hope was lost.
But Ron refused to let his girlfriend, or his buddy, get turned into sushi by this guy. Ron felt around for anything to grab onto. In the darkness it would be hard, but luckily the biker's headlight made the ground visible for him.
Ron found a rock and immediately threw it at the sword-wielding biker. To Ron's astonishment, the rock went through him, as if he was smoke. Ron found another rock and tried again, but got the same result.
Panicking, he and Rufus began grabbing whatever they could find and throwing it at the biker, who was getting closer.
Rocks, sticks, dirt clots, even pine cones, everything passed through him. Ron couldn't understand it, but then again, a headless biker didn't make much sense either.
The biker was only a few feet away now. Ron had only one more throw. He felt behind him and found a hole under the tree he was propped against. He glided his hands around and found another rock.
He pulled it out, but to his surprise it wasn't a rock: it was a human skull. The skull's mouth was wide open, as if trying to speak to him. Its surface was covered with dirt and grim. This grisly item repulsed Ron, but seeing the biker, now upon Kim and him, Ron threw it without thinking.
He quickly shielded as much of Kim and Rufus as he could, closed his eyes, and waited for the sword to come down and end his life.
Ron, Kim, and Rufus awoke to find themselves on a stretch of road. They were all initially confused as they sat up. They looked down the road. The fog had disappeared and the road was clearly visible now. The headless biker was gone.
Sitting a few feet away was the Sloth. It looked fine, in fact, it looked as if nothing was wrong with it.
Ron quickly noticed that he didn't feel any pain on his back. Kim took a quick look and was shocked to see his wound gone. His shirt was also no longer cut. They couldn't explain it.
To Kim, she didn't care at the moment. She was just happy to see Ron okay, and voiced her happiness by showering him with kisses. Ron repaid her kisses with kisses of his own.
After ending their short make out session, the two stood up. Rufus hopped back into Ron's pocket and the couple took each other's hands, and started towards the car.
After giving it a quick inspection, and finding nothing wrong with it, they climbed in. Kim put the key in the ignition and looked at Ron with wishing eyes. She turned the key and the car roared to life. No smoke.
Ron gave Kim a kiss as a small celebration in the starting of the car. The screen on the dashboard suddenly lit up and Wade's worried face appeared.
"What the heck happened? I've been trying to reach you for half an hour. I thought something might've happened to you."
"It's a long story, Wade," Kim replied.
As the car rolled down the road, Kim and Ron explained their ordeal with the headless biker. Wade was fascinated by the story. He was even taking notes.
Kim was very proud of Ron after hearing his bit about the way he handled the biker coming down the hill. Though when she found out he threw a skull, she was even more impressed that he didn't freak out.
He's one in a million, Kim. Don't ever lose him.
After the story was over, Wade said he wanted to do a little investigating.
A few days later, Ron and Kim sat on the Possible couch and listened to Wade's findings.
It turns out, fifty years ago a biker gang controlled most of the mountain roads. The leader was notorious for carrying a sword, which he swung at people when he rode by. Apparently, he liked to show off, thinking he was special because he could drive and swing a sword at the same time.
A rival gang decided to get even with him for injuring their leader and strung up some wire along Dickerson Road, which was usually foggy at night. They inadvertently decapitated him. The police came and took away the body, but his head was never found.
Dickerson Road was re-named Headless Road, after the accident, but it soon became synonymous with the legend. Locals claimed that the biker's headless ghost roamed Headless Road, trying to find his head; or take someone else's. He would come under cover of fog and use his sword.
Kim and Ron were shocked to hear that they had encountered a ghost. They were happy, however, to still be alive, and have their heads. They also understood why the ghost didn't kill them: Ron found the ghost's head. With it, he now rested in peace.
Wade was bothered by one thing though.
"You guys said that you were on Headless Road when you encountered the ghost?" He asked.
Ron and Kim nodded.
"Yeah, there was an old sign we saw on the road," Kim said.
"That's what's confusing, because Headless Road doesn't exist anymore."
The two exchanged glances. "What do mean?" Ron asked.
"Headless Road was destroyed in a mudslide over ten years ago," the boy genius informed. "Interstate nine was built in a different location to replace it."
Kim's jaw dropped. "Uh, Wade. Are there such things as ghost roads?"
I hope you all enjoyed my story! I had heard different versions of this legend and thought I'd put my twist on it. Please review and Happy Halloween!!! KingOAnime
"Brrrrainnnssss..."