I live in a small town situated in the outskirts, a lengthy five hour drive from the main city of [Redacted]. It is a relatively small town with around two thousand people living in it. We have to drive around 10-15 miles to buy supplies and groceries. The children here go to the same school that’s near the town park and then they move out to pursue college.
It’s a simple, quiet and quaint life, until it isn’t. There’s a stretch of road before you enter the town that’s surrounded by light bushes and trees. It’s not scary or anything but people generally avoid that area during nightfall. There’s a few coyotes that sometimes show up but that’s about it. Until the great Uncle one day came knocking to our door, out of breath and his visibly shaken; his eyes void of any emotions.
He sat down on the sofa after gulping down the glass of water and stared into the fireplace for a few minutes before he spoke, he said-
“In my mind, there’s a continuous vision of her that won’t let go. It’s like she’s still near me, whispering into my ear while her breath feels the back of my neck. Do you think I’ve gone crazy Emma?” He looked at my mom.
Mom looked a bit troubled, ‘What happened, did somebody attack you?” She asked, holding the empty glass of water.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“I wish I knew. I know it wasn’t anyone from the town. She said her name, h-her name was Minerva.” Great Uncle could barely speak her name.
It’s been seven years since Uncle passed away, his experience stirred up a legend in our town about Minerva Beauchamp; a supposed spirit that haunts the stretch of road that leads into the town. They say she shows up once it’s past 10. I didn’t believe it, until Tyler went missing.
Tyler did. He did go missing. Trust me, won’t you? They said he ran away but I know better. He told me has going to look for her, that he wasn’t scared of her. He grabbed his torch and sat on his cycle and rode towards the road past 10, smirking while he yelled “I’ll prove it to ya” to me.
He came back an hour later, “She isn’t fucking real. I knew it. Great uncle was schizophrenic” I laughed. Maybe he was, who knew. But it made for a pretty good story in the town.
Then he rode there everyday after 10, hoping to find her. He came back everyday and laughed about it.
Then one day he didn’t. I went looking for him in the morning and my heart sank like a rock; there it was, his cycle abandoned in the middle of the road, helmet dangling off the right handle. Truth be told, he might’ve ran away given his abusive step-dad but I don’t think he did.
I get this urge everyday to go looking for him, to find Minerva and just know that it isn’t real and Tyler ran away into the city, for a better life. I wanted to. And I was going to.
I grabbed my phone, fully charged, put my coat on and made sure Mom was in the kitchen so she wouldn’t notice me sneaking out the front door. I made a quick dash for it and sure enough, I was out.
The town looked very silent at night, the park which was full of smiling, happy people was a graveyard of trees and fireflies. The school looked abandoned.
I started walking towards the stretch of road, which was a good seven-eight minute walk from our house. More I got closer the more I had this urge to turn back, but NO, I was going to find Tyler or Minerva. I kept walking and walking until the stretch of road was clearly visible. ‘Fuck” I muttered under my breath.
There was an air of suspicion that surrounded the place.
I could see the entire path up ahead and the surrounding forest and trees. The clouds shrouded the sun in darkness and there was a light rainfall. The night grew colder.
My phone buzzed. I took it out of my pocket and glanced at it, a text from my mom “Where are you Kate? Not home? It’s late”. Fuck. I ignored it and put the phone back into my pocket and stared straight ahead; did I really want to do this?
Something in me refused to go any further, I just couldn’t. I couldn’t move my legs, they were stiff as a stick.
I turned around and ran towards my home, I heard a faint laughter behind me, of a man. An old man.
“Where did you go this late at night? Tyler came to ask about you.” Mom was waiting for me by the door. “You should’ve told him you were going for a walk, he seemed upset.”
“WHAT?! Tyler? He’s alive?” The words left my mouth louder than I’d hoped it would.
“What do you mean by he’s alive? You hang out with him everyday, even last night you both were watching television downstairs. Are you on drugs?”
“You’re joking with me? Tyler went missing like a week ago while trying to find the thing that drove the Great Uncle mad? Remember?”
“Alright, what drugs are you on Kate? You’re grounded for a month, no ifs and buts. Go sleep on the couch, I’ll be watching”
“Mom what? I swear—”
“There is no ‘Great Uncle’ that we know of and there is no Minerva Beauchamp that he made up. Go sleep on the couch.”
Damn, was I hallucinating or was it all a bad dream? Anyway I’m glad I was just dreaming all this up and Tyler is still here, I miss him. Mom went into the kitchen to bring me dinner and I crashed onto the couch. My eyes started to close and I almost snoozed until I realised…
If there’s no Great Uncle, how did Mom know about Minerva? My eyes shot open and I was in my room, in my bed and it was morning. I’m typing this in my phone because I want to know if you guys have experienced anything similar? Was I hallucinating? Was it a bad dream?
I hear her footsteps drawing closer.