The Road Beyond

By Michael J Bryant

In life, there are many roads in which to travel down. Some become roads to success while others may go well beyond then normal. The Road Beyond is a collection of six different spine-chilling short stories pertaining to strange occurrences, real haunted places and perhaps the supernatural.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Feb 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781105566202

Book preview

By

Michael J Bryant 

Copyright 2024 Lulu Author,

Michael J Bryant

All Rights Reserved

ISBN 978-1-105-56620-2

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events portrayed in this book are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All contents herein, ideas, fictional events, characters, story lines, and anything else pertaining to this story of The Road Beyond belong to the author Michael J Bryant, exclusively written and designed for this book alone.

  Written By: Michael J. Bryant

                Copyright By: Michael J. Bryant 

            Copyright July 07, 2011. All rights reserved.

              US Copyright Office Washington, DC 

Dedication:

Never give up on a dream or a prayer because they do come true and be careful of the road you choose.      Jeanne Marlene Bryant

Table of Contents 

Living in the past  # 1

Bird Island  # 2

Ghost of a Tale      #3

Eighteen Wheels    # 4

Haunted      # 5

Space Debris    # 6

  Introduction

                In life, there are many roads in which to travel down. Some become roads to success while others may go well beyond the normal. The Road Beyond is a collection of six different spine-chilling short stories pertaining to strange occurrences, real haunted places and perhaps the supernatural.

Is traveling forward or backward in time even possible or is it just wishful thinking? Do the roads we choose lead us into unnatural situations and could we have avoided some endings? Ever feel like you have already done a certain thing or been to a certain place before?

Living in the Past # 1

It was an extremely hot humid day back in the deep south. Michael had just gotten off work and was more than ready to do something besides building aircraft all the time. Happier than usual, he started his truck in the parking lot at work and turned on the air conditioning full blast. Glad to finally be off, he now proceeded home to shower and get ready to start his long-awaited vacation.

Where was he planning on going? He was heading home to the high desert of Southern California from South Carolina. Living in the south for the past eleven years, and having to drive home for this visit, he figured the drive from the eastern coast to the west coast would be a three to four-day trip at best.

                Soon arriving at his mobile home, he shut off the truck and climbed out. Michael then opened the front door to his single wide and after shutting the door behind him, he began unbuttoning his uniform shirt. A cold glass of sweet, iced tea from the refrigerator was the priority. Next, Michael went into the bedroom and began peeling off those hot damp working clothes and boots. The trailer was air conditioned and the cooler inside air felt relaxing on his bare skin.

                I don’t really feel like moving a muscle, he complained, sitting on the edge of his bed, Maybe I should wait and start this trip in the morning?

                Then again, maybe not, he finally grinned.

                After relaxing and taking in the cool air for a few more minutes, he reached over to the nightstand for his iced tea. Michael took a long swallow, set the glass back down and finally stood up to head on into the bathroom to start his shower water. Being more than anxious to be around family again, he felt a quick burst of energy. He climbed under the spraying water and started soaping up. When he finished showering, he dried off, shaved at the sink and was soon dressed for the road.

                Popping a microwave dinner into the oven, he sat down near his typewriter at the kitchen table where he had been working late nights on his second novel. Oh yes, he was also an author even though he had not yet been published. Michael’s first manuscript was called the Jeanne Blue. It was a high-flying adventure story that involved a flight crew wanting to continue their flying careers after being discharged from military service.

Deciding on naming one of the aircraft in this story after one of Michael’s high school girlfriends he had not seen for years but thought of often, the aircraft’s name became The Jeanne Blue. Yes, Michael was an aircraft mechanic by day and an author by night. 

                The second manuscript was called the Exuma Sound which was nearing its end. The chapter that was not finished was still in the typewriter. With tons of ideas for stories, Michael also wanted to do a western series soon. Oh yeah, he often dreamed of quickly becoming an established author so he could retire from manual labor to do what he loved best, which was writing. Always actively seeking a publisher but not finding any bites yet, this little setback did not detour his motivation at all.

                Good thing I didn’t quit my day job to write, Michael grinned looking over all the paperwork sitting on the table.     

                Once the small frozen dinner was heated up, he ate figuring that if he got hungry later, he could just stop somewhere on the roadside. After setting the inside air-conditioning thermostat up on high so his trailer would not get too hot or too cold while he was gone, he locked the front door on his way out. He climbed back up into his 1986 Ford F150 four-wheel drive pickup truck.

                The truck was exceptionally clean, baby blue and new looking with its large mud romping tires. The truck was complete with its mud flaps, cb radio for communication and a large whip antenna. The antenna was mounted on the toolbox located in the bed right behind the cab. Michael had even installed reflectors on the mud flaps, so the truck was very visible at night for either off-road or on road driving. Some of the other additions to the truck were tinted windows and a decal of Woody Woodpecker on the back window which came along with the glass pack mufflers he had installed.

                You could sure hear the rumbling of the new glass packs kicking in when he finally fired up the truck. Setting the air-conditioning to a comfortable temperature, Michael now pulled out of the driveway and headed on up toward the highway. He was finally free to do whatever he wanted to do for the next two weeks.

                California and mom’s house, here I come, he said while rolling down the highway.

                Being such hot weather, he was dressed in a sleeveless tee-shirt with a pocket to carry his smoke’s in. Wearing an L.A Dodgers cap, he also had on his jeans and cowboy boots. While heading toward I-85, he decided to turn on the cb radio to monitor the airways. Passing truckers would always announce where the speed traps were located and even warn you of traffic accidents and roadblocks up ahead.

For that reason, Michael never liked traveling without a radio. He seemed to be a guy of many talents though. He was also a trucker himself, part time of course. During layoffs in the aircraft industry, he would drive 18 wheelers until being called back to work. During his last lay-off back in 1992, Michael drove over the road for a local transport company located in Greer, South Carolina and he kept his CDL’s current.

                Later that evening, the blue F-150 was driving through the Blue Ridge Mountain passageway in the dark and on into Tennessee. Michael suddenly noticed an 18-wheeler barreling down on him at a fast pace from behind. This always made him a little nervous because from his own experiences he knew all too well that it was impossible to stop something the size of a locomotive on a dime. The mountain pass was now heading down hill at a rather good grade.

                Picking up the mic to his cb radio, he pushed in the button and asked, Hey big truck, everything okay back there? You’re coming toward me at a mighty fast pace.

                A voice soon came back asking, Is that you ahead of me in that blue four-wheeler?

                10-4, driver, he quickly replied, You want me to move over to let you by?

                Might be a good idea, the trucker announced, My brakes are running a little hot because of all of these mountains and I’m carrying a lot of weight.

                Roger that, Michael replied, pulling his pickup over into the slow lane.

                Once the big truck passed him as if he were sitting still, Michael then asked, Are you going to be able to stop that freight train, bud?

                Oh, hell yes, the driver replied, We’re nearly at the bottom of the grade and thanks for getting out of my way. I would have felt bad squashing you like a pancake.

                Don’t sweat it, Michael told the man with a laugh, Hell, I’m a trucker too and I know a little about burning brakes and downhill grades.

                Oh, well who do you drive for? the trucker wanted to know.

                Before being called back to work in the aircraft industry, I was making deliveries for a local transport service back there in the Carolina’s, he informed the man.

                Oh, a Swift driver probably? the trucker replied with a giggle, I pass those guys up all day long.

                I hear that, Michael had to agree, I remember a time when I was hauling a load of Budweiser out of Bougainville New York, I think it was. Had my last wife riding shotgun and we were coming out on a small two-lane mountain-pass. Just outside of Bougainville my brakes started getting red hot, and smoking. Steadily going downhill for a time, it got to where I couldn’t even stop that rig and thought I was a goner for sure.

                I know that helpless feeling all too well. The other driver replied.

                What did you end up doing? He wanted to know next.

                I had my emergency flashers going and I was blowing the air horn continually as people on both sides of the highway dove out of my way, Michael explained, I had no brakes at all, just smoking red hot wheels. Anyway, we finally got into a saddle between the next set of hills and that thing finally came to a rolling stop on the side of the road.

I too have had my airbrakes smoking red hot before, the other driver admitted, And it isn’t a fun feeling.

When I got out to inspect the rig and trailer for damage, that was when I noticed that the brake drums were smoking red hot, Michael explained, Right before hitting the saddle though I looked over at my wife and said if you believe in God honey, now is the time to say a prayer.

                I heard that, the other driver commented, These big ass trucks can sure get away from you on these steep grades.

                Yeah, they sure can, Michael admitted, I told my wife I had no brakes and that we were in some serious trouble. The way we kept picking up speed it was a miracle I didn’t flip that thing and there weren’t any emergency truck ramps either.

                God must have been listening that evening, the trucker told him, Thank God I have never had a serious accident in this thing, and I have been driving about twenty years now.

                Yes sir, God must have been listening, Michael agreed.

                So, where you are heading now? the trucker inquired next.

                Watching the image of the truck ahead of him becoming smaller and smaller, Michael announced, I am finally on vacation and I’m heading out to the high desert in California to visit the family.

                Is your wife traveling with you? he wanted to know.

                Nope, I’m traveling alone, he informed the trucker, We’ve been divorced now for a few months even though I still can’t seem to get her out of my life yet.

                Well, it looks like I’m leaving you in the dust partner, so have a safe trip and God bless, the trucker announced.

                Thanks, same back at you, Michael informed the guy as he hung up the mic on the dash.

                There was not much traffic out this late in the evening. It appeared to be mostly truckers and a very few cars occupying the road going one way or another. On the horizon heading toward music city, lightning flashed ahead warning of an oncoming storm. Michael was planning on trying to make it all the way to Nashville before stopping at a truck stop for the night. There was a TA truck stop located just outside of Nashville which also had a motel facility located on the property. He would be able to eat, sleep and fuel up for the long road ahead.                                     

                Several more hours went by when he finally pulled into that truck stop somewhere around 3am in the early morning hours. The smell of rain was in the air and lightning flashes were becoming more frequent above. After filling up the truck and then paying for a room for the night and after grabbing a little something to eat at the restaurant area, he finally came back outside to the fuel pumps and fired up the pickup.

                Before he could even pull away from the fuel pumps an extremely cute young lady came up and started knocking on the driver’s door window. She did not look very tall, but it was because of his F-150 sitting so high up. Turning down the local country music station on the radio and having to turn down the cb radio volume as well, he proceeded to roll down the window. To his surprise, it was one of the cutest long-legged girls. She was wearing her daisy duke shorts and a bikini top which exposed at least half of her firm breasts in the process. She was sporting a pink cowboy hat and flip-flops. What a combination, he thought?

                Smiling down at the feast before him, he had to ask, What’s up, little lady? Is there something I can help you with?

                I was about to ask you the same thing, baby, she admitted, Got an extra smoke?

                Sure, he replied, pulling out the pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket.

                Here you go, he told her, extending his left arm out the window to give her the cigarette and to also light it for her. 

                After puffing enough to light up her cigarette, she then asked, Where you heading to so early in the morning sweetheart?