Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-24248644-20150115223237

I sent on an important business trip. My boss told be if I pull this off well, I would get a huge promotion. Eager to get it after two years in the company, I immediately accepted the offer. I was to leave three days from now, drive to the company brach on the other state, attend a business meeting, and come back. My company even provided hotel, gas, and fees for any other expense.

The day came, I turned on my car, and left my house. The weather was beautifully sunny, perfect for feeling the breeze from the open windows. The traffic was very slow that day, though. I had to come to a complete stop every now and then. At this rate, I wasn't going to make it in time for the meeting. To make matters worse, once I got out of the highway I was lost. I had to go through a mountain range, and mapquest really wasn't helping. As I struggled to find my way, I noticed a sign for a rest stop w/ diner.I pulled my car into the parking lot for a late lunch. I also needed some directions. After a surprisingly great meal, The waitress came over to pour coffee into my cup. I thought this would be a good time to ask for directions.

"Um, excuse me," I asked as I showed her my map "But what would be the quickest to get to this  city?"

That's when I saw her face suddenly turn dark.

"This tunnel would be quickest...." she said "but I would rather recommend taking this path going around the mountain."

"Why? The tunnel is-"

"You don't want to got through the tunnel during night. And its getting pretty late"

"Huh?"

"That'll be $12.67, sir. Thanks you and please do come again"

After I was back on the road, I couldn't shake off the bad vibe. What did she mean I didn't want to go through the tunnel? My superstition got better of me, and I planned to take the road around the mountain. But what people said was true; It got dark really quick in the mountains. I was running out of time. The buisness meeting was in 8 hours, and I still didn't had time to wash, prep, or even sleep. I had to take the short cut through the tunnel when I came across the fork in the road.

The tunnel entrance looked like giant gaping maw of a monster. The greenish blue lights attached on each sides of the tunnel were glowing dim. As I drove through the tunnel, nothing out of the ordinary happened. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, It probaly was me being supersiticious." I told myself as I chuckled.

When I was about half way through the tunnel, my car suddenly shutted down. It completely stopped in the middle of the tunnel. I kept turning my keys, but the engine wouldn'y even start. Then, from each ends of the tunnel, the lights went off one by one. The loud sounds of lights going off sounded like giant footsteps. Fear began to creepy into deeper part of my mind as I desperately attemped to start my car.

Soon the last set of lights went off, and I was alone in the darkness. My right hand uncontrollably continued to turn the keys. That's when I heard loud tapping on the window. The tapping came from the back. I covered my ears and screamed, hoping it would blot out the sound. But no matter how hard I pluuged my ears, no matter how hard I screamed, the tapping noise would not go away.

It must have been 30 minutes of tappping noise. The lights in the tunnel began to come back on, and soon the car started again. I stepped on the accelorator as hard as I could, and I was out of the tunnel within seconds. I didn't know how I got to the hotel with the reserved room. All I wanted was to lie down and sleep.

The next morning after I checked out of the hotel, I noticed some hand marks on the backseat window. A chill rolled down my spine as it reminded of what happened last night. I went to the near by car wash, and asked the employee to erase the marks. After few swipes with a rag, he said,

"Sir, these hand marks....They are from inside" 