The Ghost of Dome Rock Road

The Gathering Storm

Jessie swung the Jeep down Lake Havasu Road and stopped to get his bearings. Danny glanced over at a billboard sign with a big arrow pointing down Lake Havasu Road. Havasu Landing RESORT AND CASINO. Slots and Table Games - Lakefront Campground. The sign was old-school, faded by the elements. It wasn't like the bright, flashy lights you usually see pointing to other Indian casino destinations. At the bottom of the sign, Danny thought he saw a flashing marquee in bright red letters. It read, Danger Ahead. Warning!! Danger Ahead. "Hey, guys. You see that sign over there?" he asked. Everyone nodded. "Looks like your standard old billboard to me," Jessie said. "You don't see it?" Danny asked. "See what?" Jessie asked. "What d'ya see, Danny?" Lizzy asked. "Never mind. It's just my imagination, I guess," said Danny. He took a quick picture of the road sign with his phone as Jessie wheeled the Jeep back onto the road and sped off.

A few minutes later, Danny began to question what he saw. He pulled out his phone, opened his photo app, and swiped to the photo he'd taken. Sure enough! It was right at the bottom of the sign, Danger Ahead. Warning!! Danger Ahead. Except in the image on his phone, the words were still flashing. Danny did a double-take. He looked again to make sure he hadn't inadvertently taken a video instead of a still photo. It was a photo, alright. 'Strange... very strange!!' he thought. So odd that he didn't feel comfortable putting the phone back in his pocket, laying it face down on the seat.

"You ok Danny?" Lizzy asked from the front seat. "Ah... yeah... I'm fine." Danny replied. "We should keep our eyes peeled, just in case when run into any trouble on this road." "Yeah, it looks like some big thunderheads are building up over the mountains," Jessie said. "Yeah, the monsoon is running late this year. We should watch for flash flooding ahead," Danny said, thinking, 'Flash floods are probably not the only thing we need to be worried about.'

"I'm glad you have this four-wheeler, Jessie," Lizzy said. "When I told Bonnie where I was going, she insisted I take the Jeep, Jessie replied. "She told me we might need the four-wheel-drive going up into the mountains." Jessie and Lizzy looked for the painted boulder that marked the road to Jack Willis's property. "There's the boulder, Jessie," Lizzy reported as Jessie turned the big Jeep onto the unpaved road. As they started down the rocky road, something caught Danny's eye. "Uh-oh, look at that, you guys," Danny said. A massive roiling brown cloud, fifty feet high, hurtled towards them. Jessie stepped on the gas, thinking he could reach Jack Willis's trailer before they got swallowed by the giant dust cloud. Just when they were able to spot the silver trailer, the massive wall of dust broadsided the Jeep. The force of the dust cloud was so strong it almost lifted the big Wagoneer onto two wheels, prompting Jessie to stop the car.

They were engulfed in swirling dust. You couldn't see two feet outside the windows. A roaring noise surrounded the vehicle, reminding Jessie of his sound on YouTube videos when people got stuck in a tornado. Then, they started to hear the faint sounds of people screeching in great pain. At first, the screams were barely noticeable above the din of the howling wind, but soon it built into a crescendo that seemed to encircle them. They were distracted at first by the noise. They didn't spot a dark grey smoke seeping into the Jeep through the air conditioning vents. The vehicle was now rocking back and forth as the wind outside gained strength. The grey smoke filled the interior - first the front seat, then the back seat. No one could see even a few inches in front of their face. There's this god-awful putrid smell that Lizzy and Danny both recognized.

Lizzy shouted, "It's here! It's right here in the car with us!" "What's here, Liz- "but Jessie was abruptly silenced by a thunderous, low growling voice. "You goddamn right I here!" Danny wanted to reach forward to check on Lizzy, but he was frozen with fear. "You no belong here. You need go home...never cum back," the voice growled. With every word the ghost spoke, the putrid smell in the car got worse. At the same time, all three occupants had a feeling like something was pressing against their throats - making it harder and harder to breathe. Lizzy, determined to push through her fear, gained her composure and shouted out, "Where's my dad? You need to let him go!" Then, she heard what sounded like a fearful voice in her head. At first, she thought it was one of her companions... maybe her dad... But suddenly she realized it was the voice of the ghost. It was like the voice of a scared little kid who was suddenly all alone in the dark. She focused her thoughts, 'Yes, it's worried we will find out it's not as powerful as we think it is.' Then suddenly, the voice was gone as Lizzy realized the ghost discovered she was listening to its thoughts. The wind suddenly died down, and the grey smoke whooshed back out through the air vents. Everyone inside the car felt the pressure on their neck relieved.

Just then, there was a tap on the driver-side window. Jessie checked on his passengers then turned to look out of the window. The tapping was coming from the end of an ornately carved walking cane. Lowering the rod, the man outside motioned for Jessie to lower his window. It was Jack Willis. "Everyone is, ok?" the old man asked. "Ah... yeah, I think so, Mr. Willis," Jessie replied. Jessie pushed the door lock button, and the old man jumped in the back seat as they took off down the road. "Testing you, he is," the old man said after a long moment of silence. "More tests will come if we are to help your father." "You know, I think it's scared, Yawaka," Lizzy said. "I could sense fear in its thoughts." The old man looked at Lizzy, then cracked a slight grin. "Fear and anger are its power, young one. They are two sides of the same coin. The evil spirit feeds on that power, but he cannot fully control it. So, yes, fear? Yes, he is afraid!" the old man said. "Can we use that against him?" Lizzy asked. "Maybe we can, young one... maybe we can..." the old man said.