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Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

The Haunting of Midnight Fuel 
by Kathleen McCluskey 

In the heart of nowhere, where the road stretched endlessly, stood an abandoned gas station. Its once vibrant red and white paint had faded into a sickly gray and the rust had reclaimed the edges of its canopy. Tall grass, dry and yellowed swayed eerily in the whispering wind. The sky above was an oppressive deep black, heralding in a new wave of ferocious storms. It seemed as if the heavens themselves had abandoned the forsaken place. Yet despite the eerie silence that enveloped the area, there was a sense of something lingering, something unseen. Something forbidden yet palpable in the air.

As the clock struck midnight, a lone traveler stumbled upon the gas station, his car sputtering to a stop as if drawn by some unseen force. Ignoring the warning bells ringing in his mind, he stepped out onto the cracked concrete. His footsteps echoed in the stillness.

The interior of the gas station was one right out of a nightmare. Dust-covered shelves with long expired goods, shattered glass littered the floor and a thick layer of grime coated every surface. But it was the feeling of being watched that placed the traveler on edge. Unseen eyes bored into his soul and sent shivers down his spine. As he cautiously explored the abandoned building strange noises echoed from the shadows. Whispers carried on the wind that seemed to speak to long-forgotten secrets and untold horrors. Just as he reached the decrepit cashier’s booth, he saw it. A flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye, a shadowy figure lurking just beyond his edge of vision. His heart pounding he turned to flee, only to find himself face to face with the darkness itself. Eyes glowing with malevolent intent stared back at him from the depths, a chilling voice resonated in his head. Icy tendrils of fear ran their icy tips through his body.

At that moment the traveler knew he was not alone. He was trapped in a nightmare from which there was no escape. A twisted realm where the lines between the living and the dead were blurred into nothingness. As the darkness closed in on him, he knew that some secrets were never meant to be uncovered, some places never meant to be explored

For in the heart of nowhere, where the road stretches endlessly into the darkness, the abandoned gas station stands as a reminder of the horrors that lay in the shadows. They wait for unsuspecting souls to stumble upon their lair. Once you enter their domain, there is no turning back.

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Fiction © Copyright Kathleen McCluskey
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com 

More from Kathleen McCluskey:

The Long Fall: Book 1: The Inception of Horror

Lucifer always cunning and intelligent challenges father to a battle of wits. Being the angel of light he casts a judgemental eye upon mankind. He begins a war with his fellow archangels and God. Michael, along with his siblings defend their home and mankind from their deranged brother. Broad swords and hand to hand combat drench heaven in blood. The four apocalyptic steeds are released, each having their own destructive power. Betrayal and lust are at biblical levels. Understand the very creation of evil and the consequenses that transpire in the first of THE LONG FALL series.

Available on Amazon!