NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone, especially today!:) Spooky tale featuring Jay(Christian) and Luke Harper. Part of my Angel series. Here, they're already in an established relationship. Story is set in Crowley, Louisiana, same as the stories from my Angel series.
Angel On The Road
By Debwood-1999
"We should stop at Fat Mama's for some takeout," Jay sighed, as he wrapped his long-sleeved striped shirt around himself to ward off the chill. For late October in Louisiana, it was surprisingly cold. "I really don't feel like cooking tonight."
Luke turned to his passenger. "It's a little out of our way. Popeye's is closer."
"I'd rather have barbecue," Jay shrugged. "Besides, Mama's isn't a chain restaurant. They have better chicken."
"Whatever you say," Luke sighed, as he swung the big Ford truck into traffic. He didn't want to admit it, but Jay was right about Fat Mama's having better food. The thought of a full rack of barbecue ribs and fries made his mouth water, and he was sure that Bray and Erick would appreciate a good fried chicken dinner.
Luke and Jay had just pulled out of the Walmart parking lot after finishing their grocery shopping for the next two weeks. They made it a point to pick up staples that could be eaten quickly, or stored for extended periods of time without spoiling; beef jerky, cheese, crackers, cans of soup, canned fruits and veggies, carrots, celery, a couple of heads of lettuce for salads, raisins, mayonnaise, pickles, a few cases of Coke. Even a few bags of cookies.
They slowed up for the intersection where the business loop met Hwy 90, and were about to merge onto the highway on their way to Fat Mama's when Jay suddenly barked, "Luke! Stop the truck!"
Luke jammed on his brakes, sending him and his passenger forward a few inches; had it not been for his seat belt, Jay would have hit the dashboard, or worse yet, the windshield. "Jay, you'd better have a good reason for me to stop," Luke grumbled.
Jay jerked a thumb towards the back of the truck. "We passed someone on the side of the road. Hitchhiker, I guess. Maybe she needs help."
Luke glanced through the rear-view mirror. There was a dark-haired young woman standing on the shoulder of the road with her thumb out. She was wearing a red dress, matching sandals and a black jacket. "I don't know. How do you know she's not gonna try to roll us?"
Jay snorted. "A couple of big guys in an old truck? If anything, she should worry about us doing something to her. Of course, we wouldn't, but..."
Luke sighed and put the truck into reverse, and backed up to where the girl was waiting patiently. A hopeful smile crossed her face as she approached the truck.
"Hi," Jay smiled, rolling down his window. "Looks like you need some help."
"I could really use a lift," the girl said. Her voice soft and rather low-pitched. "Need a ride home."
Jay opened his door and pulled the back of his seat forward so that the girl could climb into the back of Luke's truck. It was an extended cab, with seats in the back, but only two doors. "No room up here in front," he explained, gesturing for the hitchhiker to climb in.
"Thanks," the girl said, flopping down in the back seat. "I really appreciate the ride."
"What's a young lady like you doing out here all alone at this time of night?"
"It's a long story," said the girl. "Can you take me home? I'll explain everything there."
"Where do you live?" Luke asked.
The girl settled back in her seat and rattled off an address in an old section of town. "It's a yellow house on the corner of Spruce Street. Across from the cemetery. House has a carport, you can't miss it. I hope it's not too far out of your way," she added, closing her eyes.
"It's not too far," Jay assured her when he saw the hesitation in Luke's eyes. "You shouldn't be out here alone this late."
Luke grunted. How could he say no? Jay had him wrapped around his little finger in so many ways. Without another word, he set the truck in motion. He drove carefully to the address the girl had rattled off. A few minutes later, he pulled up in front of an old-looking but well tended yellow house. The lights were on in the house, and there was a car parked in the carport.
Jay turned, a kindly smile on his face. "Here we are," he announced. "We'll wait until you get..." His voice trailed off when he noticed something very wrong. The back seat was empty!
"What the hell?" he gasped. "Luke! She's gone!"
"What?" Luke turned around. Sure enough, the girl wasn't in the back seat. "She couldn't have fallen out, could she?"
"Luke, there's no possible way she could have fallen out of this truck. And she couldn't have just disappeared." Jay pondered for a moment. "Wait for me," he said finally, climbing out of the truck and approaching the house.
Jay rang the front doorbell, confused and bewildered and a little spooked. A moment later, he heard a dog barking, and footsteps clomp down the hall to the door.
"Walter, shush!" barked an older male voice before the front door opened. A gray-haired gentleman dressed in a t-shirt, sweatpants and a maroon colored robe answered the door. "Hello, may I help you?"
"Hi," Jay answered, hesitating slightly. "Uhmmm, I know you don't know me, but my...partner and I picked up a young woman in a red dress on Hwy 90. She gave us this address..."
~~~ANGEL~~~
When Jay climbed into the truck a few minutes later, his face was pale enough to give Luke pause. "You okay?"
Jay nodded. "The girl's name was Rachel."
"Was?" Luke pulled away from the curb and headed back to the highway.
"Yeah. She lived here. Three years ago, she was on her way home from a homecoming dance. The car she was riding in was hit by a drunk driver at the same spot we picked her up. She died in the accident. Every so often, she'll show up and a motorist decides to be a Good Samaritan and give her a ride home. Only problem is, when the Good Sam pulls up at the house, Rachel's not in the car."
"So she never makes it home?"
Jay chuckled wryly. "Actually, she does make it home."
"What do you mean?"
"Remember what she said. Her house was right across the street from a cemetery."
It suddenly dawned on Luke. "That's where she's buried."
"Yeah." Jay shuddered and then glanced out the window. "Y'know, maybe we should hold off going to Fat Mama's until tomorrow. Suddenly, I don't feel like eating, and Erick and Bray can fend for themselves..."
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Google Vanishing Hitchhiker Story, and you'll figure out what this story is based on. It's an urban legend, and a rather cool one. I may want to add chapters in the future, but for now, this can stand on its own as a one-shot.
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