It Follows

All sorts of stories are told about bridges and things following you as you drive alone down a dark, winding road in the middle of nowhere. The world is a strange place with strange occurrences that people blame on some divine entity(ies) or Science! The answers we will never know in our life time. I hope humanity never finds them or else the wanderlust is gone and automatons rule the world. (Literally.)

In my county, as I have done research for a big project for my art studio, I've discovered all sorts of old bridges going over the ancient muddy rivers of the South. The best ones are the old metal train trestles. They're hard to get to and surely unsteady from disrepair and decades of disuse.

I found myself on my to one with my husband. Our studio spaces aren't far from the old Piedmont and Northern Railway. (In fact, our building use to be part of the train yard.) The day was strangely cool for the beginning of May down here. Usually by then its too humid to breathe in the shade.

The rail splits off to cross a different trestle that isn't covered. Following a working railway is highly dangerous and I do not recommend it if there is no safe distance between you and the running lines. If you haven't seen Fried Green Tomatoes or read Fannie Flagg, you need to.

We had stood off to the side on a grassy hill as we watched a train go slowly past. At the split line, another train was waiting. If I had had my sense about me, I would have recorded it. Its interesting to watch.

While we were standing there, waiting for the trains to go about their way, Jason kept hearing a rustling in the maples 10 feet up the rest of the bank. I noticed his nervousness and looked behind us. I never saw anything. I paid it no mind since deer are the state quadruped for the area.

"We need to move." Jason touched my elbow and edged me back the way we had come. He normally doesn't do this, even when he's uncomfortable. For some reason he just powers through.

I wasn't going to argue. We hurried past the waiting train engine and kept our eyes on the path ahead. We both jumped and shouted as the train horn suddenly sounded. It was several quick bursts. The other train was still passing by so what was the engineer thinking?

In the silence that followed, just past the ringing in my ears, I heard the growling of something in the woods. A chill ran down my spine and we quickened our pace. The train engine sounded its horn again and we took off running as a crash came from the treeline.

Jason had to work hard to keep pace with me. The man is nearly 6 feet and I'm only five three. I'm thankful he didn't leave me behind.

"The other train is through! Cross the tracks! Hurry!" The engineer or someone at the engine was yelling at us. We heard the hiss of breaks releasing and the engine puttering to speed. We cut across the tracks, against our better judgement, and ran until my lungs burned. The pace of the train behind us and the horn kept me going. The walk was long and the run should have been shorter, it felt like eternity. We ran for the train crossing where cars were waiting.

People were exiting their vehicles and yelling at us. The train picked up speed and a sickening crunch had me worried for Jason. I ran until I slammed into someone's hood. Jason grabbed me up in a big hug. We watched the train pull to a halt. The front of it was plastered with dark brown.

The workers got out to check the wheels and to see what they had hit. No one found anything. The guy who was yelling at us walked up and removed his hat.

"In all my years running cars, I have no idea what that was. Are you two OK?" The man looked sickened and worried.

"We're fine. Thank you." I squeaked out.

Jason was lighting a cigarette to the side and exhaled. I kind of wanted one at this point myself. The woman whose car we slammed into looked like she had seen many things into her ripe old age. She finally spoke up after giving me the grandmotherly attention I looked to need. "Quick thinking sounding the horn. You won't find anything though. No one ever does. People hit it with their cars all the time and usually you don't find the people. Just the cars."

Jason and I looked at each other and I hugged the old conductor. "When I saw it run from the tree line on all fours, I had trouble understanding what I saw. Its back was hunched up like an angry cat, but its face. Its face was a sunken snout with hollowed eyes and the teeth. The teeth were--." He took a deep breath and wiped his brow. "Maybe I should retire. As long as everyone is all right we'll go. I might tell my grand children when they grow up."

I shook his hand again and looked at the woman. "We have an art studio just over there. Would you like to join us for some tea and tell us exactly what that was?"

She winked at me. "No, dear, we don't talk about it. Just get inside for a while and be careful when you leave." She kissed the top of my head and watched us walk a safe distance from the waiting cars.

As the gates went up, everyone who was waiting looked at us in either pity or awe. When it was safe, we finally crossed the road and the tracks to our studio.

We spent several hours there working on various projects. By the time we left, it was after 10 and pitch. The orange street light cast long shadows on the lonely road. We took a deep breath and exited together. I carried my sharpest scissors and kept watch as Jason lowered the gate over the door and put the lock on.

He was smart enough to unlock the car and we rushed in. He slammed the gear in reverse and we backed up. The taillights broke the darkness and in it stood that beast. Jason threw it in drive and slammed his foot on the gas. We took the straight road and outpaced it. The thing had four long skinny legs and stood my height. It had no ears and its back looked like its spine was disfigured. I braced myself for impact and tightened my seat belt. We were coming to a stop sign at a highway.

We flashed across 6 lanes and made it to the other side safely. The thing stopped chasing us as we made it to a better lit area with heavier traffic. Jason pulled into a parking space and stared out the windshield. I stared at the lights decorating the trees.

"You know it has our scent." I looked over at Jason as he spoke these words. He was distant.

​"I know."