The Diner

Music blares from the rental car as she speeds down the highway, singing along with a smile on her face.

This is her first trip abroad in years and she feels younger for it.

Messages ping up on her phone as she weaves through the other cars; messages from the friends she is due to meet up with in two days.

In the distance, the sun is beginning to set, but there is still more than enough time to reach the next city to turn in for the night.

Her music cuts off abruptly as the sat nav takes over,

“Take the next exit.”

She frowns at the screen, confused. It should be a straight run on the highway from here, and there are no signs of any construction or obstructions.

The next exit sign is just a list of two towns.

She considers ignoring it, but then she remembers the last time she ignored a sat nav on a trip and ended up getting completely lost. Lois will bite her head off if she is late to this party.

Taking the exit, she begins to follow the route. It seems as though it’s a simple route avoiding part of the highway and will rejoin it in a few kilometres. Nothing to worry about.

She zones out for a while, tapping along to a song on the wheel.

When she comes back to herself, she realises that the sat nav has died.

“Oh come on, you were in charge!”

She pulls over and tries the route on her phone.

No signal.

Throwing her hands up in frustration, she turns the car around and starts back the way she came. Hopefully, there’ll be a sign or something.

She realises quickly that she doesn’t recognise anything she is driving past.

Sure, she zoned out a bit, but even she didn’t zone out that much.

The sun has set in the sky, which means she must have been driving for at least two hours. 

Even the road isn’t a road, just some dirt track that runs alongside fields.

How did so much time pass?

How did she not notice?

The reality hits her…she’s lost. Again.

There is nothing around here for miles, just marshlands and forest. Why did she let Lois talk her into one of these sat navs when the damn things don’t even work! She glares at the offending blank screen and contemplates throwing it into the nearest body of water.

With a small laugh, she focuses back on her present situation and her smile fades.

There are no road signs, no signs of life - nothing. 

She is about to pull off back onto the main track…but the car is dead.

She tries her phone, but it is dead, just like the car. An impossibility, she charged it up mere hours ago, but the device in her hand remains off. Who would she even call? She’s in the middle of rural US, it’s hardly as if anyone could come to her rescue from halfway across the world.

Emergency services? Could her GPS even track her out here?

It has gone dark all of a sudden, increasing her anxiety.

Does she leave the car? Every instinct in her body tells her to lock the doors, to try and try that ignition again and again.

The lack of life scares her - every rustle outside sets her heart racing.

She is about to get out of the car when something thumps into her driver’s side window - she screams, unable to hold back her terror as her head whips around and looks at…a tree branch.

“Get a grip.” She mutters to herself, “There’s got to be a torch in here.”

She begins to dig through the mountain of old food packets and papers, holding her breath against the stench. She’s not opening a window in such an isolated place, not a chance in hell of that.

Her fingers eventually brush against the cool surface of the torch, sending relief coursing through her. Right, now she can-

There is a shadow in the shape of a person in front of the car.

She reels back in shock and tries to control her breathing. This is just her anxiety, this is not happening. She’s a woman alone in a secluded area, and of course, her brain is thinking of her biggest fears.

“Not real, not real, not real.”

Her eyes close as she attempts to calm herself - when she opens them, the person will be gone.

She opens her eyes slowly, and the person is gone.

Turning fast, she sees no one beside her or around the car.

“Nerves,” she chuckles shakily, “just nerves.”

The car roars to life suddenly, almost causing her to black out with fear. Her phone, once dead, shows the company symbol as it restarts itself.

“I am getting out of here. Now.”

She begins to back the car down the old road, focusing on nothing but a tiny pinpoint of light in the distance.

She reaches the fork and blinks, stopping the car.

“That…they weren’t there before. It said there was nothing around here…”

A warning sign not to go down the road.

Another sign cheerfully announces that the next town is merely 3km away.

And a sign for a highway heading north.

She shakes off her stunned lull and heads towards the town, feeling an uneasy sensation settling over her skin.

Something is wrong here.

Driving through the start of the town, there’s nothing here but a few old buildings that look like they haven’t seen residents since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

A phrase nags at the back of her skull, but she dismisses it.

This is real life.

Just as she’s beginning to lose hope, a diner sits at the end of a lot. The lights are on and it appears as though there are a few people inside.

“Finally,” she breathes, pulling in out front.

She pulls on her jacket and steps out of the car, mindful of her surroundings. The pepper spray in her pocket suddenly weighs a ton, making her aware of its presence.

The diner is a stereotypical 50s-style American place, nothing special.

The patrons in the booths don’t look up at her entrance and the waitress behind the counter merely offers her a bored glance.

“Excuse me, do you know where the highway is from here?”

The waitress stares at her blankly.

“The highway north. Do you know where it is?”

“What highway?” 

She wants to scream at this endlessly frustrating night, but she forces a polite smile,

“I saw a sign saying that the highway north is after this town. Where is it, please? I really need to get somewhere tonight, is there even a motel in town? Anything please, I’m desperate.”

“There’s no highway here and no motel. You should sit down and have something to eat, you look exhausted.”

Ah, so they won’t tell her until she’s had a drink or some food. Fair enough.

“I’m not really that hungry, so…”

Her stomach suddenly rumbles and she feels faint.

“Sure,” the waitress says snarkily, “Tell you what, I’ll do you a house combo. Burger, fries and a shake. That's good with you?”

She nods, sitting down at a booth opposite an old man.

No one looks her way or speaks, it is impossibly quiet here despite the number of customers.

She shudders, feeling a cold breath down her neck and reaches forward to shake the man opposite her lightly,

“Sir? Sir? I’m looking for the…highway.” 

The man jerks awake and lurches forward, almost startling her enough to fall off the seat. When did she become so nervous?

“Highway?” He asks thickly, tilting his baseball cap back, “Ain’t no highway here.”

“But I saw a sign on the way into this town, and it said there was a highway.”

He glares up at her with flat eyes,

“I don’t know where you’re from, but I’m telling you, there’s no highway here, there has never been a highway here and there never will be.” 

The waitress arrives and plops the food down on the counter.

“Here you are, honey.”

“Thank you,” she says blandly, “listen, is there anywhere I can charge my phone, please? I need to call my family and-”

“What phone?”

This is becoming tedious.

“My phone,” she holds it up…except it’s not there, “I brought it in, I know I did. Maybe it’s in the car…”

She stands up and everyone turns to look at her.

“But you haven’t finished your meal.”

“I know, I just need to phone…” she pauses. What was it that was so important again?

“I’m sure it can wait,” the waitress replies, “we’re closing up soon, so enjoy your meal.”

She eats the meal mechanically, not looking at anyone or anything. When the plate is clean, she goes up to the counter and hands the waitress some cash.

“Have a nice night, doll.”

“Sure thing,” she replies, pushing the door open.

For a moment, it feels like she is looking at a different world. 

She blinks and shakes her head, getting into the car - and disturbing a fine layer of dust on the seats.

“Is this some kind of joke?”

She rummages around for her phone, but it’s gone.

“Great, just great.” She says, “I guess I could ask…”

She glances up at the diner. The thing is closed and boarded over as if it hasn’t seen life in years.

“I was dreaming,” she tries to tell herself, “I just fell asleep and…I need to get out of here.”

She throws the car into reverse and heads down the main road, speeding up as she goes.

Leaving the town limits, she enters the highway ten minutes later.

As she settles back in the seat, a set of flashing lights catches her attention.

She pulls over onto the hard shoulder and waits for the officer with her hands on the wheel.

“Can I see some identification please?” 

She hands over her international permit.

“This is you?” He asks sceptically.

“Yes, sir.” She rattles off her information.

The officer looks at her and frowns,

“Ma’am…you’ve been marked as missing on our system for two years.”

“That’s not possible, I stopped over in a town back there for some food and directions. It was a little diner…”

The officer raises his hat slowly, disbelief in his eyes,

“Ma’am, there has never been a town there. Ever.”

She looks at him for a long time and begins to laugh…and laugh…and laugh…