Short Horror

Gas Station Promise

Yes mom! I'm on the road now and finally on my way to you..Yes I know it's a 8 hour drive I'll try to make it there by morning I told her..ok mom I have to put my phone on the car charger now I'll call u in a few hours. Okay love you to and hung up the cell phone. I managed to find the portable car charger and get the phone plugged in while driving with my knees. My name is Oliver Johnson as most of my friends call me O.J. For short not connected with the infamous o.j. Simpson but I tend to flow with it from time to time jus sorta grew on me. I'm headed home after my first year of college and decided I wanted to spend my summer back at home in Nashville,Tennessee there's a few friends and family members I wanted to catch up with. So I packed up most of my things in my dorm and threw them in my car and withdrew some fast cash from our schools ATM machine and hit the road. I don't really have any friends at the college I attend here at the university of phoenix here in Arizona so it didn't bother me as much jus to pack up and hit the road. So as I'm driving about an hour in I see that I needed to stop and get gas. As the almost empty light was jus about to click on the sun was jus beginning to set as it was almost 7:30pm on a cool Friday evening. I came up on an next exit sign that had several gas stations on it right off the free way. Which was great to say the least get some gas and get right back on the highway. So I came up on the exit and got off as I followed the road to the right off the free way and drove at least a 3 miles up the road I seen a ole run down gas station with no cars but one parked in the front must be the gas station clerk. I looked out my driver side window trying to get a familiar view of the area and I've never seen it or even come across it on the maps gps in the car...none of the less I needed gas so I put on my blinker to signal to turn left into the gas station and I pulled in right up to the nearest pump. And shut the car engine off. I open the center console of the car and got out a wrinkled twenty-dollar bill and closed the console back. And open the driver door and took my keys out of the ignition. And hit my door locks to make sure my car was locked and closed the door behind me as I began to walk up towards the gas station entrance I looked back towards the street and I noticed there wasn't a single car or pedestrian in sight..which was rather strange I looked at the gas prices sign to see how much gas was here and it was $2.34 a gallon for regular gas. Which was pretty decent I guess I finally made it to the entrance and pulled open the door as it made a loud creaky sound as if the bolts need greasing or oiling. The inside of the gas station was dim the overhead ceiling lights wasn't bright at all. And the store had a old smell to it as if it was mold or old water sitting some where and yet again not a person in sight either. "Hello..? I said out loud is anyone here.? What can I help you with said a voice from behind the counter I turned around in surprise to see there was a older lady sitting behind the corner in a old fashion rocking chair. Rocking back and forth quietly flipping threw what seemed to be a old magazine from at least 6 months ago by the dust it had smeared all on it. Yes mam I would like 15$ on I look out the gas station window to see what pump I was parked on which it was number 6. On pump six u told her she got up out of the rocking chair and went to the register press some buttons and I handed her the 20$ I had gotten outta my front pants pocket she took the twenty and put it in the register and gave me back a 5$ where you from son.? The lady asked Tennessee I replied to her. Oh really country boy she said not quite I chuckled "Are you headed home.? She said yes mam I replied I'm outta school for the semester and wanna visit my folks...Awwww do you now the lady said as she went and sat back down in the chair. Not to many people come threw these narrow parks to much any more she said it's always good to see a new face every once in awhile what's your name she asked ummm....Oliver I said getting kinda of nervous that's a nice name. You know Oliver there's a shortcut but 1/2 mile up the road that'll get u to the interstate a lot quicker than the way you came she said really wow that would be great I said it took me forever to get here. Yea it's bout a half mile up the road and take the first right you can't miss it. It was good seeing you son take care now she said! Thanks mam that'll save me a lot of time..as I put the money in my pocket and started to walk towards the door "hey I started to say to the lady as I turned back around to her I didn't catch your name.? I said when I turned around the lady was gone... the chair was still there but she was gone that fast hello.? I said mam.? I looked around the gas station nothing complete silence...okay something's not right here I said to myself I quickly ran out of the gas station and went over to the pump and open the gas tank door to my car unscrewed the gas cap took the nozzle of the gas pump inserted it into the slot into the car gas tank and began to pump the gas. I stared at the gas pump watching the numbers go up and how many gallons on the gauge go up thinking about what jus happened... the gas handle made a click sound letting me no it was finished pumping I put the nozzle back on the pump and I screwed the gas cap back on and closed the gas cover door on my car got my keys out unlocked my door slick frighten a little got in closed and locked the door behind me I started up the car and grabbed my cellphone as I looked at it said No Service. FUCK!! I yelled and slammed it back down. I put the car in drive and as I began to drive off I glanced back at the gas station one last time and outta no where the lady was starring at me from the gas station door with a big ole smile on her face..... I heard my tires screech as I got on the gas What the fuck!! I said out loud where she come from the store was completely empty I don't get it....so I decided to take the ole bats advice and drove half a mile up the road and took the first right and there it was the on ramp to interstate as I came to a stop light... I see a police car approaching with his lights on and seems like he was coming straight towards me and he was...he pulled up to my driver window and signaled for me to roll down mines...Can I help you officer I replied....Good evening son are you alright he asked yea I'm okay I said jus a little freaked out I said The reason why I stopped you and asked you that because your driving with your lights off and it's dark out he said ohhh I jus got gas and forgot to cut em on when I pulled off. You jus got gas from where he said there's not a gas station on this side of town for miles on end when you got off the interstate the only gas stations are to the left not the right that gas station has been closed for bout 20 years now... he said you can't be right I said I jus got gas from the ole gas station a half mile back. Son look at me the police officer said strongly there's no way you got gas from there the woman who owned the gas station died years ago he said she was a nice lady and kept to her self at times he went on....So you don't believe me I asked him Sorry son it jus seems a little far fetched the police officer replied did the lady who owned the gas station sit behind the counter in a rocking chair.? I asked him...his face expression changed immediately "How did you know that he said because I jus saw her she was the one who told me to take this short cut I told him she vanished into thin air for a minute then when I pulled off from the gas station she was smiling at me through the gas station windows I told him the police officer looked as if he seen a ghost. Suddenly a call came through from his dispatch he picked up the radio I could barely make out what he and the dispatch was talking bout but it seemed bad. Son I have to go he said hanging up the radio there's been a fatal pile up on the highway right where u first got off at couple feet ahead some cars caught fire and a few people burned to death. You be careful getting to where your going now he said Yes sir I replied hey what was the lady name who owned the gas station I asked him no one really knew he said but it's pretty odd that you manage to get gas and see her around the exact time the wrecks and fires took place he said I believe she came to you for a reason...she had kids of her own I think but u take care son and he drove off headed in the direction of the wrecks. I picked up my cellphone and managed to now have some service I got back on the freeway and had been lucky enough to be a few exits up from the wreck so it was no traffic. I called my mom back and she could hear the sound of terror in my voice Oliver are u alright she asked me.? After explaining to her the whole situation what she said next will stick with me for the rest of my life...the lady at the gas station was an old friend of my great grandfather when he went to college up here as well and was an off duty emt when he was bout 25 the lady was pregnant at the time my great granddad so happen jus like me had to stop for gas and saw the lady laying in the floor behind the corner bought to give birth he immediately sprung into action and delivered the baby which was a girl right there in the gas station there wasn't anyone in sight or around she was the only one working that day. Very odd jus like tonight my great granddad had driven an old pick up truck so he went out and used his cellphone to call an ambulance and this what really got to me as my mom was telling me the story he pulled out an old rocking chair he said that his boss told him throw in the trash on his way home. He took the chair inside and a couple old emt shirts he had and wrapped the baby up and help the lady into the chair...he placed the baby in her arms and she began to rock in the chair back and forth. As the paramedics arrived my great granddad said he has to go now and the lady told him thank you sir if it wasn't for you me and my baby would have died I'll repay you one day sir I promise you!!! She said and smiled at my great grandfather he gave her a hug and he left the gas station he told his wife the story soon as he got home that day he said his wife had never seen him cry a day in his life but that day the lady truly touched him. And she kept her promise by saving you tonight my mom said. Mom I said to her yes she said what ever happened to the daughter I asked her....there was silence Mom I said are you there.? I'm here she replied did you hear me.? I asked her I heard you she said....So what happened to the daughter I said again what you mean she said like did anyone see what happen to her or look after her have anyone speak or spoken to her since....I said "Your speaking to her now" she replied.