Growing up in a small town, teenagers often found ways to entertain themselves, such as driving up and down Main Street until curfew. If mischief was even considered, we had to venture out of town to avoid our parents finding out before we even did anything. If cell phones were a thing back then, I can only imagine the text messages my mother would have sent. In a nearby town, there was a road on the outskirts that was unpaved, with trees creating a canopy in some areas making the road appear dark and mysterious, where strange occurrences would sometimes occur.

There is a tale that circulates along this road, its accuracy is uncertain but it adds a sense of mystery to the area. The story revolves around an old farmhouse, now in ruins after being burnt down. According to legend, a young widow had left her children in the care of a babysitter while she went into town for supplies. Upon her return, she discovered the house had been broken into and the babysitter was nowhere to be found. Tragically, her children were found dead inside. Overcome with grief, she took her own life at the site. It is said that the ghost of the widow, wearing a white dress, can be seen wandering along this road, seen sobbing by the side of the road.

There have been reports of dogs being heard getting closer but never appearing, as well as children playing in the cemetery at the end of the road where they were allegedly buried. There have also been sightings of red eyes in the trees and piles of dead rats along the road. It seemed like a perfect place for teenagers to scare each other. However, when I yelled for Nicola to slow down, she laughed and dismissed our concerns. Gabby worried about us ending up in a ditch, but Nicola brushed it off, questioning if we were really that scared of the “ghost lady” coming to get us.

Nicola, a non-believer, was determined to prove her beliefs even as she drove erratically. As we reached our destination, I observed the sign for “Fallen Bluff Road” through the windshield. The sign, weathered and filled with bullet holes, indicated our arrival. I felt a slight wave of anxiety, perhaps due to nerves. Nicola joked as we turned onto the dirt road, prompting laughter from Gabby. We set out to find the canopy in the trees as Nicola cleared the windshield for better visibility.

“That’s strange, why is the windshield fogging up?” She remarked quietly. “Perhaps it’s because you’re full of hot air,” Gabby teased. She paused in wiping the windshield to glance sideways at Gab. “I suppose I asked for that, consider it a freebie,” she replied with a smile. “Everyone, please be quiet and look!” I pointed out the window towards the tree line. Nicola pressed a bit firmly on the brake.

The road was lined with trees on both sides, creating a canopy over the gravel path. We stopped the car in the middle, the headlights casting a yellow glow. Curious, she leaned over to look up at the full moon. I decided to step out of the car, disregarding Gabby’s pleas to stay inside. Nicola followed suit. “It’s a full moon tonight, isn’t it?” she remarked. I agreed, but wondered why it was unusually dark. As I took a step away from the car, I struggled to make out my surroundings in the darkness. It felt eerie, unnatural. Suddenly, I realized Nicola was no longer beside me. I turned to see her walking along the road. Confused, I called out to her, “What are you doing?”

She gestured behind her as Gabby got out of the car, watching her closely. I turned to Gabby and inquired about Nicola’s actions. Gabby simply shrugged and commented that Nicola was behaving inappropriately. I hesitated about whether we should follow her, and Gabby suggested we wait in the car instead. I agreed and returned to the driver’s seat, realizing Nicola had the keys. Gabby questioned my request for the keys, and I explained the situation, feeling resigned. We decided it was better to stay together and began walking in the direction Nicola had gone. As we searched for her, we heard a scream that made us stop in our tracks. Looking at each other in alarm, we ran towards the source of the sound, calling out for Nicola.

The sudden scream ceased abruptly as our pace slowed to a stop. The car had vanished from sight, and the automatic headlights shut off as we continued on foot. The darkness and silence that enveloped us felt almost eerie. I rested my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. “Perhaps we should return to the car,” Gabby suggested in between breaths. I straightened up and looked at her, saying, “And what would we do there? Sit and hope that wasn’t Nicola screaming?” My tone was harsh, and I regretted my words. “I’m sorry, that was unkind. But we must find her,” I added, noticing the hint of tears in Gabby’s voice. “You know Nicola, she’s probably just ahead waiting to startle us,” I tried to sound more confident than I felt. Gabby seemed to calm down, so I let the topic drop. “Hey, Lil! Can you see that ahead of us?” Gabby pointed out, her tone hopeful. I looked in the direction she indicated and noticed an orange glow. “Perhaps it’s a house!” I exclaimed, feeling a surge of hope. We made our way towards the glow, which grew brighter with each step. As we approached, I urged Gabby to stop as we finally caught sight of each other. “Do you smell that?” I asked quietly. “Yes, it smells like a bonfire,” Gabby replied. “It’s definitely fire up there,” my chest tightened with panic. Gabby’s eyes widened, and we called out for Nicola once again. Quickly, we found ourselves at an old farmhouse, its dilapidated appearance suggesting it had been abandoned for years. Nicola stood before the house, gazing at it with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. The orange light that had led us there vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.

As I approached, I could smell the scent of charred wood and saw the burnt remains of the house. “Nicola,” I whispered quietly, not wanting to disturb the eerie scene. “Hmm?” She didn’t break her gaze, and I noticed tears streaming down her cheeks. “Are you crying?” I inquired. She looked at me, but it seemed like she was not fully present. It was my childhood friend, but her eyes seemed empty, as if she had momentarily stepped away. “They’re gone! Can’t you see that?” She grabbed my arms tightly, causing me pain. “Ow! Nicola, stop!” I exclaimed. She continued to shake me, shouting, “They were just babies!” “Nicola! Who? What are you talking about?” I could hear Gabby crying behind me, and I felt overwhelmed with emotion. Suddenly, Nicola’s grip loosened, and she whispered, “They’re coming! Shh! We should leave.” She started walking towards the house. “Nicola!” I called out, following her. She halted at the front door, turned towards me, and locked eyes with me. I felt a sudden sense of unease, struggling to catch my breath and feeling lightheaded. Everything started spinning, and the next thing I knew, I heard Nicola whispering in my ear, urging me to leave before they found me. The sound of dogs barking grew louder, and then everything went dark. When I opened my eyes again, the bright hospital lights made them sting. Blinking away the discomfort, I looked around as a nurse entered through a green curtain. “Look who’s finally awake!” she exclaimed cheerfully. “What happened?” I inquired calmly.  “You sustained a blow to the head, resulting in a minor concussion, but you will be fine,” she reassured me, before walking away. “Where are my friends?” I inquired. Her expression turned somber as she replied, “Gabrielle is down the hall, if that is who you are referring to.” “And Nicola?” I pressed, feeling my heart rate increase. “Please remain calm. There were only two of you in the car,” she responded sternly. Confusion set in as I explained, “I was outside near a house and must have blacked out. Nicola was with us, it was her car.” She sat by my feet and gently informed me, “Nicola has not been located yet. It appeared that she lost control of the car and drove into a ditch, but there were no signs of her besides footsteps leading away from the vehicle. The area has been searched multiple times, but her whereabouts remain unknown. I am sorry.” Tears welled in my eyes as I processed the news. Nicola was never found. Gabby and I chose to keep the events of that night to ourselves, as we knew it would be unbelievable to others. If you ever hear of a remote dirt road in rural Minnesota, I advise you to avoid it at all costs.