She smiled at him and said, “Can
The Stranger you take me home? I only live a mile
by Sue Baugh
If you saw someone standing by the road on
a cold, rainy night, would you stop to help?
One young man does – and gets a real
surprise!
Late one Saturday night, a young
man was driving home on a deserted stretch
of road. He could hear the rain beating
against the roof of his car. His headlights
cut through a cold mist that clung to the
trees on either side of the road. In the
flashes of lightning, tree branches seemed
like ghostly hands grasping for his car. He
could feel the steady drum roll of thunder.
What a night to be out! He shivered and
wished he were safe at home.
Suddenly, as he rounded a curve, his
headlights lit up a young woman standing by
the side of the road. Her hair and white
dress were soaked from the rain. She looked
so alone. He couldn’t just leave her there.
The young man skidded to a stop,
then backed up until he could see her face in
the window. He leaned over and opened the
door.
“Would you like a ride?”
She nodded and he reached out his
hand to help her into the car. He shivered at
her touch – her hand was so cold!
away.”
Now that she was sitting beside him,
he could see how beautiful she was. Dark
hair framed her face, and her eyes seemed
unusually large and sad.
“Sure,” he said. “You must be
freezing.” He took off his letter jacket and
gave it to her.
“I’m always cold,” she said, and held
her hands up to the heater.
He drove ahead, and glanced at her.
“Why were you walking home?” he
asked. “Did you have a fight with your
boyfriend?”
She didn’t answer. Instead she
gazed out the window as they passed a
school and a small church. He turned the
corner onto a tree-lined street whose
cheerful homes seemed warm and safe in the
storm.
She sat up. “There’s my house, the
two story one on the corner.”
He stopped the car next to the walk
leading up to the house. He circled around
to the passenger side and helped her out.
Her hand still felt like ice. He walked her to
the front door, wondering what it would be
like to kiss her. They stood on the front
porch for a moment, then suddenly she
leaned over and kissed him! Before he She’s buried in the church graveyard around
could say anything, she stepped into the the corner. Go see for yourself – she’s in
house and closed the door. the third row from the front.”
He stood staring after her, too The young man walked down the
astonished to move. Then he turned and road to the church. He realized it was the
walked slowly back to his car. It wasn’t same one they had driven past the night
until he was behind the wheel that he before. The small graveyard was behind the
remembered his letter jacket. She was still church. He found what he was looking for
wearing it. in the third row.
He looked back at the house, but it A white marble headstone was
was dark, and her parents were probably inscribed with the name Laura. The date of
asleep. He didn’t want to wake them up and death was exactly one year and one day ago.
get her in trouble. Then he smiled. The Then he saw something that chilled his
jacket gave him the perfect excuse to see her blood. There beside the headstone was his
again. letter jacket, neatly folded on the wet grass.
The next morning he drove back to
the house and rang the bell. An older
woman answered the door. She had the
same dark hair and sad eyes as the girl.
“Excuse me, can I talk to your
daughter?”
“My daughter?” The woman’s eyes
filled with tears. “Laura died a year ago last
night, in a car accident. It happened about a
mile from here.
The young man gasped in disbelief.
“But …but I gave her a ride home last night!
I walked her to the door, right here. I saw
her go inside the house.”
The woman shook her head. “That
Laura
can’t be. She died a year ago, young man.