It started a few days ago, on the return trip from a weekend out of town, in the countryside. Jake and his girlfriend Renee like to get away to the lake. It’s really fun. They have lovely friends out there, and they go whenever they can.

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On the way back, Jake’s car started acting up a little. The electrical system was going a little wacky. It seemed like the solenoids were misfiring, intermittently, and electrical features inside the car were flickering, and turning on and off on their own.

Jake and Renee were trying to comb through their experiences to see if they could pinpoint anything that could have induced this. The car is only a couple of years old and should not be having any troubles like this. Renee noted that often, electrical issues in vehicles can be from critters, getting in the engine compartment and chewing wires. They did a thorough investigation and the wiring was sound.

Another consideration is moisture. If there’s a lot of rain, or merely heavily humid conditions. It can cause issues. Jake recalled the evening they were having a fire with neighbors on Saturday night. It was very foggy. So much so, in fact, that it precipitated a round of campfire ghost stories. “That may have been what started this.” Jake said. “At least now there is something to tell the technician at the auto dealership. It will likely help him troubleshoot.”

“That railroad ghost lady story really freaked me out a little.” Renee said. “That was perfect timing.” Jake said. “It happened on a foggy Saturday night.” Renee interjected. “That’s enough. When the train passed through, I nearly fainted.”

They made an appointment for after dinner. They’d to go to the dealer, leave the car in the customer parking area, and pick up a loaner left for them. As they pull into the lot, the dash lights and dash cam indicator flicker. “Here we go again.” says Jake. “You know, it’s been a while since we’ve checked the dash cam footage.” Renee says.

They start forwarding through the footage stills, as they get the images of their driving, including the weekend away. They slow it down to recall the fun weekend. “Did you turn the car on during the campfire at some point? I didn’t.” Jake says. “Me neither.” Renee responds. They can see the footage on the foggy night.

“Slow it down. What is that in the fog, by the train crossing sign?” Renee asks. “I don’t know.” Jake responds, “it’s definitely thicker and brighter than the fog, though.” Just as a local train blasts its horn, they watch the screen as the wispy figure in the fog dissipates into the path of the Saturday night train at the lake.

Renee nearly fainted.

461 Words.

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