Horror Short Stories - Chapter 24

Somewhere far away I could hear roaring engines. Those were probably just some impulsive youngsters trying out their new cars on the relatively empty roads. Back in the days I would do the same, but now as I got older, the right lane was also pretty enjoyable sometimes. I look ahead and see a truck going with 90 kilometres per hour. We only had around 10 more kilometres to go on this autobahn. I got into the right lane behind him and let my thoughts wander. The back had something stable, like a bastion of calm. I heard the engine sounds again. This time, they were closer. I figured that they have to drive in the same direction we do. I am on the right side anyway, so the best seat for a good show on the fast lane. I started to feel a slight anticipation to see the muscle cars that would make such sounds. Slowly they got closer. As they did, I noticed that the engine sounds are not those of normal muscle cars. They were crazy loud and had a serious tune to them. If possible, I got more excited. Those have to be professionals. The Underground car scene was terrifyingly crazy here. I saw one or two of their secret car conventions and trust me; this is not your usual tuning anymore. What those freaks do is highly illegal and dangerous to the degree, that even I would be scared to drive these cars. Nevertheless, the people driving such monsters called cars are no normal people either. The drivers are highly skilled and experienced street racers. Just watching them drive in “normal” cars was a blessing for the eyes. Witnessing one of their legendary races was a once in a lifetime opportunity for someone outside of their social circles. Even though it was illegal, I couldn’t care less at this moment. I took out my mobile phone and started recording. I was behind a truck that drove with cruise control, so when I started my own cruise control, the possibility of something happening was nearly zero. I started to zoom in on the rearview mirror. The roads were empty behind us, empty to the point that it was not normal anymore for this time of the day. The sound of the roaring engines became so loud, that they have to come within my field of vision very soon. The thought didn’t even finish forming in my head, by the time I saw the first lights. Two cars were driving side by side. It looked like a stalemate to me, but they are too far behind to really te- No it was really a stalemate. They were zooming across as if they wouldn’t drive, but float on the street. What a beautiful sight to behold. The one on the left lane was white like falling snow, the one on the right black like the night. Both of course without a license plate, but with that their fronts could be seen in their full beauty.

Looking dreamy at mobile phone, that filmed the rearview mirror, I didn’t have time to get nervous on how fast they close up to us. Furthermore I had full confidence in their driving skills. So by the time that they were only meters behind us and closed up to the point of making it impossible to get in the left lane for the black devilish car behind us I could only get shocked. Frankly looking for the solution of the situation, I took a glimpse ahead and saw the back of the truck. What gave me a sense of security in the past, was now standing before me, like an unbreakable wall, that sealed every possible escape route. Lost, shocked and hopeless as I felt, no logic thought was forming in my brain. With my mind blank, I started to stare at my mobile phone again. I don’t know if I only wanted to look the end in the eyes or was just curious about the person, that was driving this suicide race, but I looked.

What I saw was letting my blood freeze inside my veins. There was no one driving the car. There was literally not a single human being in this car. I felt like I had to laugh. When I looked back to the front time started to move in slow motion for me. With the roaring engine behind me, which sounded like dirty mechanical laugher by now, I started to move as fast as possible; Switching gear, pushing the gas pedal to the maximum, steering to the left. I knew I was going to crash, but still accelerated like the devil was behind me. Everything was better, than having a 300 km/h fast monster and 40 tons of steel in front of you. At least this way, we had an option to survive. When I finished performing this inhuman stunt, I turned my head around to look at the terrifying driverless black car. It failed to hit us. Still, although we were out of its reach, it was now in the process of hitting the truck at full speed. However what left speechless was that when it touched the trucks back, the expected crash was not happening. I had to be dreaming. The car was passing right through the truck, as if it was only a optical illusion. How? The only thing I heard before we crashed and I fainted into the airbag, was the sound of its engine disappearing in the distance, almost as if it was laughing mockingly.

When I opened my eyes blinding lights and all-embracing white welcomed me. This looked like a hospital. Why am I in a hospital?

“Where am I?”

You were in a car accident Mr. Fischer, said a voice somewhere.

“I was in an accident? Why was I in an accident?”

“You were driving home from a family dinner with your wife and son-”

“With my wife and son? Are they ok? Where are they?” My eyes instantly focused on the doctor standing beside my bed.

“Calm down Mr. Fischer. Your wife and son are fine. You were the only one that had some minor injuries. If you will allow me the comment, you were truly lucky this time, but don’t you remember what happened?”

Feeling lost, I was searching in my memories. “No no No, I don’t know what happened.”