Urban Legends Turned Real

Throughout the years, I've listened to many urban legends, rumors and general superstitions about phantoms seen on abandoned roadways. Quite often the stories seemed so incredible I figured they had to be real with the way the stories gave me goosebumps.

Yet tonight, while driving home from a community meeting, alone, I turned off Highway 18 (in Auburn, WA) onto 304th Street. Then I turned again onto a long stretch of old country road that's beginning to see residential development off in the distance. That's when, I suddenly noticed a super big off-road monster truck (bigger than my red Toyota Tacoma pickup) riding my bumper extra close.

Amazingly, I did not feel frightened with that 4X4's sudden appearance; not even with its very bright light-bar (with flood lights) making the inside of my cab glow brightly. I did not even feel nervous when the truck grew so close to my tailgate only the top part of its headlight's were visible. There was no telling what color that truck was; not with the dark of night and its bright lights blinding me from seeing much more than its outline.

Then, just as soon as it had appeared, the truck and all it's glowing disappeared again.

With the sudden darkness returned around me, I yanked my head around to see where that monster vehicle had vanished (e.g., in a ditch?) but the truck was nowhere to be found; not turning down any driveway and there was no place for it to hide behind any trees. Only a sedan-shaped vehicle could be seen a way off in the distance.

At first, when I absolutely could not figure out where the big 4X4 must have gone, I questioned whether I had actually seen it. Then I realized how I would never make up such a ridiculous scenario. (I never fantasize about vehicles and I'm not that imaginative.)

While I am now convinced it was a phantom vehicle -- I'm marveling at how much easier it has been for me to believe other people when they say they have seen such marvelous things, than it was for me to believe my own eyes; at first.