The Blendings -

Dottie eased onto the main road that led to the four-lane highway,
merging into traffic. She signaled and pulled into the passing lane to avoid a slower moving farm truck that had pulled onto the highway,just ahead of her. It was then she noticed a small red car speedingdown the road, closing the distance between them. With a tractor trailer on her right, and one in front, she was definitely boxed in.

The small car began drafting her rear bumper so closely that Dottie held her breath in anticipation of being hit. In the rearview mirror she could see that the driver was in a rage. He flicked his lights at her impatiently.

He began to swerve left and right.  Dottie tried to stay a safe distance from the trailer in front of her in case the red car hit her. She didn’t want to end up sliding beneath the big rig’s heavy load. Finally, in a moment of near panic, there was a break in the traffic in the right lane. Quickly signaling, Dottie moved into the other lane. As soon as she did, the red car sped along side. Briefly glancing to her left, she was startled to see an elderly man behind the wheel. It was obvious that he intended to keep pace with her vehicle, neither passing nor dropping behind. Now Dottie was scared. The driver behind Dottie must have realized there was a problem because he immediately backed off to put distance between his vehicle and the dangerous situation developing.

For a split second the elderly man looked Dottie squarely in the eye. She had the strangest sensation of another figure in the vehicle, although it was clear the man was alone. She could see him distinctly as he mouthed, “You stupid b----!” Simultaneously he floored it, the engine roaring and the car fishtailing as he flew past Dottie. In the rear of his car she saw a skeletal face, framed by hazy vapor expanded across the window, quickly forming, like a blast of arctic air. She blinked hard and the image was gone.