What to Do on Road Whispering Willows - Part 1
“Hurry up, William! We’re gonna be late!”, those words came out of my mouth as I was waiting for my slug of a best buddy to get ready.
William: “It’s fine, don’t sweat it, dude!”
“It’s not ‘fine’! Today is just the interview, and we’re already late! We haven’t even been employed yet and we’re already screwing stuff up!”
William: “Dude, chill! It’s going to be alright. I know the employers, so getting the job is gonna be a breeze.”
“It’s not just that. Being late even right now is just unprofessional and… Unethical…”
William: “Unethical?”, he asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“Well, maybe not ‘unethical’, but you know what I’m trying to say!”
William: “I really don’t.”
“Ah, whatever. Let’s just go.”
And finally, after ages, we reached the company we applied to on time, which was quite a surprise.
William: “I told you there was nothing to worry about!”, he spat those words mockingly.
We get into the building, and the moment we encountered the interviewers our stomachs dropped.
At least mine did. William remained calm. For me, it was as if there were dragons spitting fire in my stomach, not butterflies.
Judging by the looks on their faces, we knew this was serious.
I mean they are supposed to appear strict, but this was different. These guys meant business. Business, business.
Employer: “Now with the position ‘truck driver’ there are specific instructions, or rather rules, that must be followed. There is a reason there are going to be two people in the truck at the same time. The rules must be followed. That is the utmost strict rule of this job. They may appear to be complex, but they’re not. They might appear to be strange, and we are not going to deny that, but some things just simply must be. If something were to happen while on the job because you broke the rules you have been given, that we shall not be responsible. Is that clear?”
“Yes.”, that ‘yes’ came out really nervous. Like there was a knot on my throat.
Employer: “Good. You may start from next Monday. Here’s the rules, or sections, in written form.”
Analyzing the rather official document they gave us, both William and I got a good laugh, and I’m known to be a rather serious guy.
Section 1: Headlight Rule
1.01. All drivers on Road Whispering Willows must keep their headlights on at all times, regardless of the time of day. If the headlights malfunction, both occupants of the vehicle must exit and change the headlights within three minutes. Both occupants must participate in the change and must not leave their co-worker alone.
Section 2: Honking Rule
2.01. When entering Tunnel Blackwaters, all drivers must honk their vehicle’s horn every thirty seconds, three times with an interval of three seconds between each honk.
Section 3: Two-Person Rule
3.01. Both occupants of the vehicle must be present at all times. Under no circumstance shall only one occupant leave the vehicle. If one occupant leaves the vehicle for more than thirty seconds, the remaining occupant may pray.
Section 4: Radio Silence Rule
4.01. All drivers must turn off their vehicle’s radio at all times during the trip. Music can be distracting and may lead to accidents.
Section 5: Hitchhiker Ban
5.01. Under no circumstance should hitchhikers be picked up during the trip. They are not humans.
Section 6: Fuel Gauge Rule
6.01. The fuel gauge must not drop below half the tank. If the fuel is consumed, the vehicle may become stranded in the middle of nowhere. If that happens, pray.
Section 7: Time Management Rule
7.01. Time must be constantly monitored during the trip. It is possible to become lost in time and space.
Section 8: Seating Switch Rule
8.01. When eating, occupants must switch places. They must not be outside the vehicle for more than three minutes.
Section 9: Door Lock Rule
9.01. The doors of the vehicle must always be locked. They must not be unlocked for more than three minutes.
Section 10: Consequences Clause
10.01. If any of the rules are broken, the company will not take responsibility for any consequences that may occur. Prayers may keep them away or anger them further.
Section 11: Three-Minute Limit Rule
11.01. Occupants must not be outside the vehicle for more than three minutes.
Who even was them? I didn’t question anything because I needed that money desperately. Both of us did.
Maybe I should have trusted my gut.
This happened the day we started working, ‘the next Monday.’
I was the one that was driving first, while William sat beside me, and two hours into it we reached Whispering Willows. I wish we hadn’t. An accident would perhaps been better.
While we were driving, we started joking about the list of rules. We thought it was some sort of prank the employers were pulling on us, but it wasn’t.
“I didn’t know those guys were such pranksters, Will!”
William: “I know right! Even I was surprised! I mean they looked kinda mean, but for what!”
They weren’t mean. They were just warning us.
We didn’t follow rules #3 and #11. While William was adding fuel, I started hearing strange noises. I told William about the tree I was hearing them behind, and he went to check them out.
More than 5 minutes had passed, and there was no sign of him. I went to look for him, but to no avail.
“William! William! If this is a joke, then it’s not funny!”
Nope. I started looking for him, and it was half an hour since I started doing that.
But that’s not the bizarre thing. I started going down the woods, behind the tree to the right, where I heard the noise, and came from the same forest left to the truck. Like I made an entire circle but I didn’t!
It’s been three hours now. I don’t know what to do… If I manage to find William and get out of this situation, I will post another update.
I’ll go say another prayer now and see what happens…