Chapter 2: Ghosts in the Rearview

It took forever for everyone to calm down. The adrenaline buzzed in the cab; everyone’s breathing was quick and shallow. Natalie stroked her daughter’s hair, whispering, “You’re okay, baby,” while Caleb fidgeted with his jacket zipper, eyes glued to the floor mat. The faint scent of stale coffee and road salt clung to the air.

Marcus snagged another cigarette from my pack, hands shaking as he exhaled smoke out the cracked window. “Thank you, Derek,” he said, voice rough with relief and fear.

“Why does it keep chasing us?” he asked, eyes pleading for an answer I didn’t have.

Lillian, huddled in her mom’s arms, hugged her knees to her chest. “We didn’t do anything to it,” she whispered, voice trembling, hands shaking so badly her brother reached over and squeezed her fingers.

Natalie’s gaze caught mine in the rearview, her voice dropping low. “Could it be here to take someone’s place?” The words hung in the air, cold and sharp. I saw the fear ripple through the kids.

“Didn’t we just hear about a crash here? The driver of the red sports car died at the scene?”

Natalie’s tone was almost apologetic, like she was talking to herself and wishing she wasn’t.

She leaned forward, searching my face. “Derek, do you know what happened after? How many people died in that wreck?”

“Mom—” Lillian’s voice cracked as she clung to Natalie, her whole body shaking.

Natalie pulled her in tighter, hands trembling as she stroked her hair.

Marcus cut her off, voice sharp. “Not now, Nat. Don’t scare the kids, okay?”

Natalie lowered her head, brushing tears from Lillian’s cheeks as the headlights caught the glint in her eyes.

Caleb pressed his forehead to the window, bumping it in time with the truck’s jolts, lost in his own world.

“I don’t remember exactly how many,” I said, voice steady. “But I think there was a girl riding with the red sports car driver. She went into a coma after the crash.”

The cab went quiet, only the engine and the wind whistling past the windows breaking the silence. It felt like even the mountain was holding its breath.

Outside, the headlights cut a narrow path through the black, the only light for miles. The guardrail shimmered against the drop-off, pine trees looming close, their branches scraping the shoulder and filling the air with the sharp scent of resin.

The shadows danced across the road, swaying with every gust, reaching for us like bony fingers.

I tried to lighten things up. “Miss, what’s your name?” I asked the girl, my tone gentle. She blinked, surprised, tucking her hair behind her ear but hesitated.

“Your brother’s Caleb. What about you?” I offered a friendly smile. “Bet you’ve got a story or two, huh?”

She opened her mouth, but Natalie’s arm shot out, pulling her back. Natalie’s eyes darted, protective, grip tightening just a bit.

“My daughter’s Lillian—like the flower,” Natalie said, voice soft and strained. “Her grandpa picked it. Said lilies were for hope.”

Lillian nodded, stunned for a moment, then pressed her cheek to the cold window, watching her ghostly reflection blur past the trees.

It was way past midnight. My phone clock glared 12:47 AM. The world outside was nothing but black, the heater humming, turning the cab into a bubble of warmth against the night pressing in.

Suddenly—

“Someone!” Lillian shrieked, her voice raw and terrified. Everyone jolted. She sat bolt upright, hands shaking, knees drawn up, her brother grabbing her hand.

Natalie and Marcus craned their necks, squinting into the dark, but there was nothing out there but trees and shadows.

Natalie stroked Lillian’s hair. “There’s no one out there, honey. You’re just spooked.” But her voice wavered, eyes darting nervously.

“No!” Lillian’s voice cracked. “I saw her—a girl in a floral dress, just standing by the road, watching us!”

Caleb’s voice piped up, panic rising, “Could it be that girl from the red sports car?” Marcus went paper-white.

“Stop it!” Marcus snapped, then turned to me, trying to cover his fear. “Sorry, Derek.”

I chuckled, trying to break the tension. “Happens to the best of us. The night messes with your head out here.”

Marcus latched onto the distraction. “Derek, what are you hauling so late? You handle this beast like a pro.”

“Not much. I’m up here looking for someone.”

“Looking for someone?” Marcus sounded surprised. “Why a truck?”

“It’s inconvenient, but it’s safe,” I said, half-smiling. “Sometimes you need some extra steel between you and the world.”

Natalie grinned, shooting Marcus a look. “Derek’s a better driver than you, babe.” Caleb let out a weak laugh. Even Lillian managed a shaky smile.

Marcus rolled his eyes, but the tension eased a hair. Natalie turned to me. “You got family up here, Derek?”

“No, just here for a client. She asked me to find her friend.”

As I spoke, a chill crawled up my spine. Out of nowhere, headlights caught a flash of white—a girl in a dress, frozen by the roadside, eyes locked on us.

Everyone sucked in a breath, the cab going dead silent. My foot twitched on the brake. The world slowed, headlights sweeping over her—a girl in a white dress with red flowers on the sleeves.

She looked so real, I braced for impact. But the instant we reached her, she vanished—just a flicker in the night, gone like a bad dream. The heater’s hum was suddenly too loud, my hand trembling as I checked the mirror.

Caleb pressed his face to the window, voice cracking, “Is it her? Is it her? She’s back!”

Marcus’s voice cut through, sharp as a blade. “Enough!” His hands shook as he gripped his knees.

Natalie clung to Lillian, whose face was full of confusion. “Mom, I think I just heard someone calling me,” she whispered, her voice faraway.

Natalie covered her ears, voice trembling. “Don’t listen. It’s nothing good.”

I forced a smile, heart pounding. “We’re probably all just jumpy after what happened.”

Marcus jumped in, words rushed. “Yeah, Derek’s been driving for years. He knows more than us.”

“Mom, I’m cold,” Lillian whispered, hugging herself, lips nearly blue. Her hands shook, the heater barely taking the edge off.

Natalie stripped off her coat, wrapping it around her. “Here, sweetheart.”

Suddenly, Lillian jerked back, eyes wide. “Mom, you’re bleeding!”

I checked the mirror—no blood, but her panic was real. Marcus grabbed her arm, voice gentle but strained. “There’s no blood, just the coat pattern. You’re just scared.”

Natalie bundled herself up again, shivering. “I’m fine, honey. Just cold. Why don’t you sit up front? The heater’s stronger.”

They helped her scoot up next to me. I cranked the heat, offering my Buc-ee’s travel mug, the coffee inside still warm.

Lillian took it, cradling it with both hands, fingers tracing the bunny on the front, eyes going soft with memory—a flash of childhood, her mom bringing her cocoa in a mug just like it at a sleepover years ago. For a moment, the terror faded.

She looked at me, a small smile breaking through. “You kinda look like The Rock, you know that? Just, like, more trucker.”

I laughed, flexing my arm. “Well, I’ll take it. Haven’t had a workout like this in years.”

She sipped the coffee, warming up. “I think I have a mug like this at home…” she murmured, lost in thought, remembering safer nights.

I leaned in, mug still warm between us. Outside, the woods pressed closer. Whatever happened next, we’d face it together—or not at all.