The strange girl
Driving through torrential rain one night, I tried to keep my eyes focused on the road. It was hard work. The surface water was pooling and it was like trying to drive across the surface of a lake. I had to keep a tight grip on the steering wheel, the wipers on hi-speed, as I peered out into the slowly descending gloom. Then I saw a girl at the side of the road with her thumb upraised more in hope than expectation. She was soaking wet. She was only wearing a thin jumper and her long dark hair was bedraggled and hung like dead limp snakes down across her oval face. I drove past, slowed, and came to a stop. I put the hazzards on and reached over to open the passenger door. I glanced in my rearview mirror – I couldn’t see the girl. But then, after a moment, she appeared by the side of my car. She stooped and slid effortlessly into the passenger seat. She said: “Thanks!” And I suddenly felt like the nicest man in the world.

I set off, I asked her where she wanted to go. And she replied: “Anywhere. I don’t mind.” I explained I was driving to Oxford and she said: “That’ll do fine.” I could see she was shivering. She was cold, soaked to the bone, so I turned up the heating and explained there was a travel blanket on the back seat, she was welcome to dry herself with it. She thanked me and reached over, and in doing so her hand stroked my shoulder. And it was freezing cold. So cold I felt a strange tingle spread from that point down my arm and across my chest. It was like a sudden and violent internal frost in my body.

I physically jumped. She was startled too. She apologised for touching me and explained she’d been on the road for quite some time. I glanced over at her. She was so pale, so incredibly pale. I asked if she felt ok, and she nodded curtly. “As good as can be expected.”

After half and hour or so we reached Oxford city centre. I didn’t want to sound sleezy, but I asked if she’d like to come round to my place to get warmed up. She said: “No thank you – you can drop me here,” and I pulled over, she opened the door and went to leave. But before she went she reached out and grabbed my hand. Again, the terrible cold. Then without a word, she left, closing the door quietly behind her. And as I drove off I checked my rearview; the girl was nowhere to be seen. She’d gone. Vanished.

Later, when I returned to my house, I opened the front door and found the local paper on the mat. I picked it up – and there – framed by adverts for this and that - was a familiar, oval shaped face on the front page. A young woman. The headline read: Twenty years ago today, Emily Young was hit by a car and killed on the A34, her family remembers, service held today in Oxford.

My god! I thought. I just couldn’t believe it. I scanned the front page again. Shaking, I went to the phone and called my best friend, Simon. He answered and I said, with a quivery voice: “Simon, have you seen todays Oxford Mail? You’re not going to beleive this,” I clutched the paper, scanned it again, read it over and over, “they’ve got an advert on the front page for Fitness First – free membership for a month!”

Simon was elated. So was I. We both like going to the gym.
(Pastabator earned his brown wings with your girlfriend on, Tue 14 Jul 2009, 14:34, 8 replies)

Have a click
for a story of true terror and a genuine near-death experience- trying to stop Fitness First from billing you for subsequent months...
( uberdeity Wondered why Owen Lars knew of the term "hell" on, Tue 14 Jul 2009, 14:39, closed)

Lovely
*clicks hard*
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Tue 14 Jul 2009, 14:40, closed)

Great Story!
Had me on the edge of my seat!

Only problem is that there isn't a Fitness First in Oxford...

Still gets a click though!
(The Kwyjibo A big, dumb, balding North American ape., Tue 14 Jul 2009, 15:02, closed)

That's why I was shaking so much
eerie, innit?
(Pastabator earned his brown wings with your girlfriend on, Tue 14 Jul 2009, 15:47, closed)

Great comeback
:)
(The Kwyjibo A big, dumb, balding North American ape., Tue 14 Jul 2009, 17:09, closed)

Clicked
At first I thgought it would be a spanky mingy porn effort.

Then I thought it could be a pun.

Eventually you'd won me over with this amazing true ghosty story.

Then you hit me with it you bastard.
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Tue 14 Jul 2009, 17:48, closed)

love it
*phantom click*
(anotherlogan and the whit he shites, Tue 14 Jul 2009, 18:44, closed)

Like this
*click*
(Big Smurf Brush me daddy-O, Tue 14 Jul 2009, 19:18, closed)