Hands

The Swamp Road Chronicles^®

"Hands"

Dear Sally,

One night last Fall, my mom, my sister Tibby and I were coming home from Target. It was 2 nights before Halloween, so I asked Mom if we could go down Swamp Road, just for fun. It was a little out of the way, but I had been hearing about Swamp Road from my classmates and I wanted to see it. We had just moved to the area, so, I had never been on Swamp Road. And, I wanted to tell my friends at school that I had been there. Mom said, "OK, I guess we can."

It was dark, but Mom was with us, so I felt plenty safe enough. And of course, we were in a locked car. Mom always insisted that the doors be kept locked.

As we turned onto Swamp Road and began to travel slowly down the road, I was staring intently out of the driver-side backseat window. I was looking as hard as I could because I really wanted to see something scary.

After a few minutes my sister reached over and held my hand, I assumed she was a little frightened, she was 2 years younger than I was (I was 12), and it was pretty creepy out there, so it was understandable. I noticed that her hand was cold. We held hands for a couple of minutes; as we neared the end of Swamp Road, I said to my mom, "Well, I guess we aren't going to see anything tonight." Mom said, "I guess not." I looked to the right at my sister, but she wasn't there! No one was holding my hand either.

Then I remembered that my little sister had been sitting in the front seat all along, I had been too focused on trying to see something out in the swamp. And, I couldn't see her because she was so small and the seat backs were so tall. I totally freaked out! I screamed "Oh My God!" I kept shaking my hand as if I had something nasty on it. I got over against my car door as far as I could. I just kept saying, "Oh My God! Oh My God!"

Mom, of course, yelled at me to tell her what was wrong, but all I could say was "Oh My God! And shake my right hand furiously. She stopped the car and I insisted that I sit in the front seat with Tibby.

My mom says it was just my imagination, but I don't think so. I wanted a paranormal experience and I got it. Was it Sally? Maybe, I don't know, but I've had enough Swamp Road to last me for a very long time.

As submitted by Jeni Carol James 5-28-22 Pataskala, Ohio

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