The Phantom Passenger

It was late at night when Derek was driving home from a long business trip. The road was deserted, the only light coming from his headlights, casting eerie shadows on the empty stretch of highway. As he neared a lonely bend in the road, he saw a figure standing at the side of the highway—a hitchhiker.

Feeling sorry for the person, Derek slowed down and offered the man a ride. The hitchhiker, a thin man with dark, hollow eyes, climbed into the car without a word, and Derek continued on his way.

The passenger didn’t say anything for a long while, just staring out the window. Derek attempted small talk, asking where the man was headed, but received no response. The silence felt uncomfortable, but Derek tried to ignore it.

As the minutes passed, Derek felt a strange chill in the air, as if the temperature had dropped suddenly. He glanced at the rearview mirror, and for a brief moment, he saw the hitchhiker's face distorted, his eyes black, mouth wide open in an eerie grin. Derek blinked and looked again. The man was sitting motionless, his eyes now normal.

Confused, Derek tried to brush it off. Maybe he was just tired. However, the sense of dread continued to grow. Every time he glanced at the rearview mirror, he saw the figure’s reflection moving strangely, jerking unnaturally. Derek’s palms began to sweat, and he felt a chill creep up his spine.

After what felt like an eternity, Derek turned a corner and saw a sign for a small town ahead. He was almost relieved, thinking of stopping and getting out of the car for a break. But as he approached the town, he turned to speak to the hitchhiker—only to find the seat next to him empty. The man was gone.

Suddenly, the car swerved violently, as if something or someone was pulling it off the road. Derek struggled to regain control, his heart racing. When he finally managed to stop, he looked around. The highway was empty again, not a soul in sight. He breathed heavily, trying to calm himself, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

Later that night, Derek stopped at a gas station and asked the attendant about the hitchhiker. The attendant’s face went pale when Derek described him. “That man… you saw him?” the attendant asked, his voice trembling. “He’s been dead for over twenty years. His car crashed here, and he’s been seen hitchhiking on this road ever since.”