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The Long Walk

In The Middle Of Nowhere

By Susan F WeimerPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 6 min read
11

On the wrong road in the middle of nowhere, driving in the dark during a snowstorm, my anxiety was at an all-time high. Although it was only 5 pm, it was getting dark early because we were well into November. I missed my last turn off on my way to my sister's new house because of the heavy snowfall. I could barely see the road.

"Why did you have to move out in the boondocks?" I asked no one because no one was in the car with me. "I need to find somewhere I can turn around."

Of course, I knew the answer to my question. She was starting an animal sanctuary, and she needed acres, lots of acres.

Dorothy, who was a veterinarian, had a windfall. She hit the lottery and, as she always said she would, she was starting an animal sanctuary. Her house was next to the sanctuary, therefore in the middle of nowhere. And, she picked today of all days for a grand opening/housewarming.

And now I'm on a one-lane road looking for somewhere to turn around.

Suddenly, I saw a sharp turn ahead of me, but I was approaching the turn too fast. I applied the brakes, but that sent me into a skid. Screaming, as my car slid over the embankment, I thought I was going to die in a place where no one would find me. It was a relief when the car turned on its side, rocked back and forth, then stopped moving. 

Why didn't I use the GPS app on my phone instead of just following her directions? I thought.

I grabbed my flashlight out of the glove compartment, then climbed out of my car, out of the ditch, and onto the road. I brushed the snow off my coat and jeans and looked at my surroundings.

Luckily, the temperature was above 30 degrees and I had bundled up for the tour of the sanctuary, so I had no fear of freezing to death. The storm came on fast and wasn't even in the forecast. Well, it was, but the forecast was that it would arrive later tonight. Therefore, I thought I had plenty of time to get to Dorothy's house. And would just spend the night and go home after the storm had ended the next morning.

I pulled my phone from my pocket, removed one of my gloves, and called my sister. The phone rang and rang, then switched to voice mail.

"Hi sis, guess what? I'm in a ditch. I think I'm close enough to walk the rest of the way, so don't worry." After I called Dorothy, I pulled up my GPS app to see where I was. I could see on the map where I missed my turn. I just have to backtrack to there, then finish the trip as planned. According to the map I was about two miles away.

"I can manage that," I said to myself confidently. I could see a bit better being on foot because the snow was coming straight down. The snow appeared to be flying straight at my windshield while I was driving making it difficult to see.

I heard an owl screeching nearby. I looked up and saw a beautiful barn owl sitting on the branch of a snow-covered tree.

"What are you doing out in a snowstorm?" I asked the owl knowing full well I wouldn't get an answer. It gave another hoot and flew off in the direction I was headed. Strange for an owl to be out in a snowstorm, I thought.

As I walked I marveled at the beauty of the snow on the tall pines. In the light of the full moon, the snow sparkled on the tree limbs which bowed slightly under the weight of the snow. The snow on the trees is so lovely, I thought as I passed acres of pine trees.

The snow was building up on the road and getting high enough that I could feel it settling into my boots. My boots came up well above my ankles so the snow was getting deep. They must not keep these roads plowed very well, I thought. I haven't seen a snowplow this whole time.

I heard an owl screech again. I looked up and saw a barn owl perched on a tree limb. I wondered if it was the same barn owl from before.

"Are you following me?" I asked the owl. "That's kind of creepy if you are." The owl gave another hoot and flew off ahead of me. "Or maybe I'm following you. In which case I'm being creepy."

As I continued walking I was starting to feel the cold seeping in through my coat. I hope I'm getting close, I thought. I checked the GPS app. I still had about a mile to go. Trudging through this deep snow is slowing me down, I thought.

I came to a stream that formed a charming small waterfall just before it ran into a ditch and disappeared under the snow. I imagined it flowed into a culvert and continued under the road. The water flowed gracefully over several rocks down the side of the bank. As I watched the water dancing over the rocks, I heard another screech. As I looked up, I again saw the barn owl. It was sitting in the tree looking directly at me.

"Okay owl, you are officially a stalker and giving me the creeps," I yelled shaking my gloved finger at the owl. I immediately felt silly for yelling at an owl.

Up ahead I could see my sister's house. What a relief it was to finally be within sight of the house. "Oh, thank God," I mumbled. I was shivering uncontrollably, the first sign of hypothermia. As I got to the driveway, I saw the gate propped open. The fence the gate was attached to surrounded the entire property to keep the animals from wandering off. I imagined that it was propped open so the guests wouldn't need to stop and open it.

I saw the barn owl perched on the post that the gate was attached to. This time it just stared at me as I approached the fence. I looked at it as it gazed at me.

"You're one creepy-ass owl," I said as I neared the owl.

It screeched, took off, and flew into the barn behind the house.

"Beautiful," I said as I watched it fly away.

I walked to the house and knocked on the door. I felt a waft of warm air as Dorothy opened the door. Ah, I made it, I thought as I stepped inside.

The End

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The Night Stalker by Caitlin McColl

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Short Story
11

About the Creator

Susan F Weimer

I live in a rural area in upstate New York with my fiancé and three dogs. Mine is a simple life filled with simple pleasures.

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