The Swamp Road Chronicles®
"Skylar"
Dear
Swamp Road Chronicles,
Last
Summer I was out at a friend's house on Palmer Road, very near Swamp Road. The
party had lasted until nearly 4 a.m. so, I was headed home pretty late, or
early, I guess. My girlfriend Tyann was driving because I had been drinking. We
were in my 1976 Jeep. We had the top off and the doors off too; maybe not a
good set-up for driving up Swamp Road at night. Swamp Road was, by far, the
shortest way to get home, so, up Swamp Road we went.
Of
course, anyone growing up around this part of Ohio is familiar with the legend
of "Sally". We weren't concerned, we had never seen her, though our
friends claim they have, and besides, it was nearly dawn. It was too late for
ghosts. Right?
It wasn't too dark, the Moon was
shining and the sky was clear, but, it was a little foggy, but that's normal
for Swamp Road in the summer.
About 3/4 of a mile up the road and
suddenly, Tyann stopped and turned off the car. "What the heck are you
doing," I asked her. "Let's sit here quietly for a minute and see if
anything happens; maybe we will see something," she replied. I was tired
and sleepy and not in the mood, but what are you going to do? I said,
"OK."
I swear, we weren't there for 10
seconds when she said, "What's that?" "What's what?" I
said; I didn't see anything at all. She pointed up the road and there, about
100 yards away was a human figure walking toward us. We both knew instantly,
instinctively, it was "SALLY". "Back up!" I yelled.
"Get us out of here!"
She tried, but the Jeep wouldn't start.
Just like in a horror movie. She kept cranking it and pumping the gas, but it
wouldn't start. I had visions of my mom finding my mutilated body by the side
of the road with my throat chewed open and my brains eaten out. They would find
Tyann with her hair turned all white and chewing on her own arm, unable to say
a word. She would spend the rest of her life in a mental hospital muttering
something like "White eyeballs, white eyeballs" while holding her
blanket to her cheek and drooling.
Sally got closer and closer and I made
Tyann switch seats; I couldn't start the darned thing either. Tyann started to
cry and I was starting to get a little emotional myself. Remember, we had no
doors, no windows to roll up and no roof either. Sally kept up her relentless
approach; she was only about 30 feet away and looking at me. I could see the
whites of her eyes, in fact, the whole eye was white! It was too much! I was on
the verge of jumping out and running to get help. I shouted, "I'll be
right back!"
Just then, praise God, we heard a
rooster crow at a nearby farm house. Sally froze, turned her head in the
direction of the farmhouse and like a piece of glass she shattered into a
million tiny pieces that fell away toward the ground, but faded away before
they reached it. She was gone. We were saved!
I tried the Jeep again and, of course,
it started right up. I was a nervous wreck for 3 days. We spoke very little
about that night, it was too terrible. Tyann broke up with me. She said I was
going to abandon her to Sally that night, but honestly, I was just going for
help.
As submitted by
Skylar Lutz Outville, Ohio 3-3-2023
© Copyright 1992-2023, Randal Lenn Hall, All Rights Reserved.