The Xinjiang Highway's Spectral Toll

The desert stretched endlessly before him, a relentless expanse of sand and rock, the kind that seemed to eat the sun whole. Li Wei, a seasoned truck driver, had always been the soul of reliability. But today, on the Xinjiang Highway, he felt an eerie sense of dread. The road, known locally as the Spectral Toll Road, had a reputation that preceded it—a legend whispered by the locals about spirits that demanded a price for passage.

It was dusk when Li Wei first saw the sign, its letters weathered by time and the elements, warning of the highway's dangers. He had dismissed it as a local superstition, but as the sun dipped below the horizon, the air grew colder, and the shadows began to stretch longer.

^{Li Wei}:“This is just a joke, right? The Xinjiang Highway, a ghost story? I’ll show them.”

The engine roared to life, and he pushed the throttle down, the truck lurching forward into the darkness. The road, straight and barren, seemed to beckon him on, a silent promise of adventure.

^{Li Wei}:“I’m not scared. I’m a man of the world.”

The headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the road ahead, but the further he drove, the more he felt the weight of the silence. No sound of wildlife, no sign of other travelers, only the relentless monotony of the highway.

^{Li Wei}:“This place is dead. Literally.”

Then, out of nowhere, a figure loomed in the headlights, a silhouette against the night. Li Wei braked hard, the tires screeching on the asphalt. The figure was a driver, his face twisted in a grotesque grimace, his eyes wide with terror.

^{Li Wei}:“Who the hell are you? What’s going on?”

The driver didn’t respond, his hand reaching out, a pale, almost translucent hand that seemed to want to touch Li Wei’s truck. Li Wei felt a chill run down his spine, his heart pounding in his chest.

^{Li Wei}:“Get away from my truck.”

The driver stumbled backward, his eyes rolling up into his head. Li Wei watched in horror as he fell, his body crumpling into a heap on the road. Li Wei’s mind raced, trying to make sense of what he had just seen.

^{Li Wei}:“This is nuts. I’ve got to get out of here.”

But as he turned the wheel, the truck’s engine failed, sputtering and dying. Li Wei’s heart sank. He was stranded, alone, in the middle of nowhere, with the ghostly figure of the driver still nearby, its eyes fixed on him.

^{Li Wei}:“This can’t be happening.”

He tried to restart the engine, but it was no use. The truck was dead. Li Wei got out, his hands shaking as he looked around. The figure of the driver was still there, its presence overwhelming.

^{Li Wei}:“I don’t know what’s real anymore. But I can’t stay here.”

He began to walk, his footsteps muffled by the sand. The figure followed, its presence a constant threat. Li Wei felt a chill grip his spine, the hair standing on the back of his neck.

^{Li Wei}:“This is nuts. I’ve got to get out of here.”

He stumbled forward, his legs growing weak. The figure seemed to loom closer, its eyes burning into him. Li Wei felt a sudden burst of energy, and he ran, his heart pounding in his chest, the figure close behind.

^{Li Wei}:“I’ve had enough of this.”

He reached a small hill, its top partially obscured by darkness. He climbed it, his breath coming in gasps. At the top, he saw a small, abandoned cabin, its windows boarded up, the door locked.

^{Li Wei}:“This has got to be it.”

He pounded on the door, his knuckles bleeding. No one answered. He looked around, the figure of the driver still in sight, its presence a constant threat. Li Wei knew he had to act quickly.

^{Li Wei}:“I’m going in.”

He kicked the door in, the wood splintering under his foot. Inside, the cabin was filled with dust and cobwebs, the air thick with decay. Li Wei searched for something, anything, that could help him survive.

^{Li Wei}:“I can’t stay out here. I can’t.”

He found a flashlight, its beam cutting through the darkness. He turned it on, illuminating the room. The figure of the driver was there, standing in the corner, its eyes fixed on him.

^{Li Wei}:“This is it. This is my last stand.”

He raised the flashlight, pointing it at the driver. The driver’s eyes widened in terror, but it was too late. Li Wei’s hand moved, and the flashlight beam cut through the air, striking the driver in the face.

The driver’s body crumpled to the ground, its eyes rolling back into its head. Li Wei took a deep breath, relief washing over him. He had survived the Spectral Toll Road.

^{Li Wei}:“I made it. I made it out alive.”

He collapsed onto the floor, the weight of his survival finally taking its toll. He closed his eyes, the sound of the desert around him a comforting presence.

^{Li Wei}:“Thank you, God. Thank you.”

He didn’t know how long he lay there, the darkness a comforting blanket. When he finally opened his eyes, the cabin was still, the figure of the driver gone. He got up, his body aching, and looked outside.

The sun was rising, casting a golden glow over the desert. Li Wei smiled, a sense of peace washing over him.

^{Li Wei}:“I made it out alive. And I’m never going back.”

He walked back to his truck, the engine still dead. He climbed in, turned the key, and the engine roared to life. He drove away, the Xinjiang Highway behind him, its spectral toll paid.

^{Li Wei}:“To Xinjiang, and back. Never again.”

And with that, he disappeared into the rising sun, the Spectral Toll Road a distant memory, its legend a tale told by the old, but never to be believed by the young again.