The sun was slowly sinking toward the horizon, and a golden-orange glow spread across the Mumbai–Pune highway, washing over the road and trees as if the world were caught in some strange fire. Riya and Aarav sped forward in their car, slicing through the wind. But as the sun dipped lower, the sky darkened gradually, and the shadows of the trees grew longer, swaying uneasily.
This was supposed to be the most memorable road trip of their lives—traveling through the country’s vibrant landscapes and cultures, the strange aromas drifting from roadside dhabas, the occasional whisper carried by the wind, laughter mixed with a faint thrill of fear. Their final destination was Goa—where they planned to sink their feet into the cool sea waves and watch the sun set with a beer in hand.
They had packed everything into the car—a small bag of snacks, an exciting playlist of their favorite songs, and an adventurous excitement that grew with every mile. The car raced joyfully down the highway, mile after mile disappearing beneath the tires.
But as evening began to spread its spell, an odd, silent tension crept between them. As night descended, the road and the world around it transformed into something strange and mysterious. The road ahead looked exactly the same—as if time itself had frozen. Trees and bamboo groves blurred past, and the roadside signboards felt eerily familiar, as though a shadow were following them.
“I swear, we’ve seen this dhaba before,” Riya said, her voice tinged with unease as her eyes stayed fixed on the flickering neon sign. It felt as if she could see a shadow moving within that trembling light.
Aarav glanced behind them, his brows tightening. “No, that was miles back. We’ve been on this road for hours. Something should have changed by now… but everything looks the same.”
Riya sank back into her seat, biting her lip. A strange, icy sensation ran through her chest.
“We should stop at a petrol pump,” she said softly. “Maybe freshen up… maybe this journey—or this place—is messing with our minds.” Fear and confusion were clear in her eyes.
Aarav nodded slowly and turned the car toward the next exit, heading for an old, deserted petrol pump. The place looked worn down and abandoned—paint peeling off the signboard, dim lights above the pumps flickering unsteadily, as if they could die at any moment. A lone attendant stood near the door, his gaze fixed on the dark edge of the road, his face carrying a strange, unreadable emptiness.
Aarav began filling the tank while Riya silently walked toward the small, dim store. Each step echoed unnaturally in the oppressive silence, like the footsteps of some unseen presence.
The doorbell rang with a long, hollow chime as Riya moved toward the counter. The middle-aged clerk behind it—his hair stark white—looked at her with a crooked, unsettling smile. His face seemed unnatural, like a blurred image flickering on an old, broken television. His eyes locked onto Riya’s—lifeless eyes filled with nothing but emptiness and a chilling cold.
Riya’s breath quickened. She blinked and looked away, but the unease only deepened, as if an invisible hand were reaching inside her chest. The shadows in the store suddenly seemed darker, longer, and it felt as though the walls, shelves, and hanging items were watching her from the corners of her vision.
“Can I help you?” the clerk asked.
His voice was slow, hollow, distorted—like an echo coming from a deserted tunnel. Each word carried an unnatural chill.
“Just… this,” Riya muttered, her trembling hands placing a packet of chips on the counter.
She forced herself to look up again—and this time the clerk’s face appeared even more distorted, like a living fragment of a nightmare. She rubbed her eyes, hoping it was just her imagination. But when she looked again, every feature had changed—his nose twisted, mouth warped, and his eyes filled with a deep, hollow silence that planted pure fear inside her.
Her heart began pounding violently. Her hands shook as she dropped the money, grabbed her things, and rushed toward the door. As she stepped outside, she felt a strange rustling in the air—like an unseen shadow moving behind her. Her footsteps echoed loudly as she fled back to the car.
Aarav was already inside, waiting. His eyes widened in fear and disbelief.
“You won’t believe this,” he said quietly. “I talked to the attendant, but something was wrong. He kept repeating the same thing over and over, like a broken record. And each time, the words felt… more mysterious.”
Riya slumped into her seat, her hands still trembling. Her heart raced as she stared at the dark road ahead.
“Something’s wrong, Aarav,” she whispered. “Let’s just leave. As fast as we can.”
They sped away, leaving the ghostly petrol pump behind. But as the road stretched on, the atmosphere grew even more unnatural. The air inside the car felt heavy, cold, suffocating. Night had fully settled, and dense trees loomed on both sides of the road. Their branches swayed like twisted fingers, reaching out to grab the car.
Riya nervously turned the radio dial—but every channel played the same strange song. It crackled like a dying gramophone record. Between the notes, faint whispers slipped through, as if someone were calling their names.
Hours passed—or at least it felt that way. The clock seemed frozen. The road stretched endlessly in one direction, without turns, without change. It felt like they were trapped in a loop.
And then—a glowing neon sign froze their blood.
“That… that dhaba…” Riya’s voice shook. “It’s the same one. We’ve seen it before.”
Aarav tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his palms soaked with sweat.
“No… that’s impossible. We never turned back.”
But his words felt as hollow as the endless darkness ahead.
As they passed the dhaba, Riya stopped breathing. Her eyes locked onto the scene.
Inside, Aarav saw someone sitting.
Another Riya.
Same face. Same hair. Same clothes. Except her eyes were dead—black, empty, lifeless.
Across from her sat a man—Aarav’s exact reflection. But his face was slightly twisted, lips stretched into a strange smile, eyes staring straight through the car window.
Riya grabbed Aarav’s hand with trembling fingers.
“Aarav…” she whispered. “That’s us. Sitting there.”
Aarav slammed the brakes. Cold sweat ran down his forehead. Both figures inside the dhaba turned toward them—and suddenly, all the lights went out, as if darkness itself had fallen.
“Get us out of here!” Riya cried.
Aarav sped away—but again, the same dhaba appeared.
“Stop the car!” Riya screamed.
The tires screeched as the car came to a halt. Outside, their own reflections sat inside the dhaba—laughing, sipping tea like it was an ordinary evening. Same smiles. Same gestures. But their eyes were empty voids.
“What is happening?” Aarav whispered.
Riya shook her head in terror.
“Every time we pass… they look more alive. More horrifying.”
The headlights flickered. Shadows appeared on the windshield—as if the doubles were approaching.
“We have to keep going,” Aarav said desperately. “There has to be a way out.”
He accelerated again—but the world grew more nightmarish. The same twisted trees. The same broken billboard, now dripping red like blood. And again—the same petrol pump, with the flickering lights and empty-eyed attendant.
“This road isn’t taking us anywhere,” Riya whispered. “It’s consuming us.”
The fog thickened. Time itself seemed to coil around them.
Then the whispers returned—fragments of their own conversations, distorted.
“…petrol pump… don’t stop… something’s wrong…”
Riya froze.
“Do you hear that?”
“Yes,” Aarav replied, knuckles white.
Shadows stretched toward the car. The moon loomed above—huge, unnaturally close, blood-red.
“We’re going in circles,” Aarav said. “If we don’t escape this road…”
His words were cut off by whispers from the back seat.
Every attempt to exit failed. The road bent back on itself.
Aarav jerked the steering wheel—but it wouldn’t respond.
Riya screamed as the car spun out of control—and then—
A violent impact.
No shattered glass. Just a deafening echo, like countless voices screaming at once.
Then darkness.
When Riya woke up…
She was still in the car. Aarav was alive—barely conscious.
“We… crashed,” Aarav whispered. “But… something feels wrong.”
The car was intact. No damage.
But the air smelled burnt.
Outside, the sky was unnaturally black. Trees looked like clawed creatures dripping black sap.
And then they saw it.
Their car—crashed, overturned.
Inside it—their own dead bodies.
The truth hit them like ice.
They weren’t lost.
They were dead.
The accident had happened ten years ago.
They were trapped—reliving the same night. Forever.
No escape. No end.
The engine roared to life on its own.
The road stretched ahead—unchanged. Infinite.
Their twisted shadows smiled from the forest behind.
This road was their grave.
And this journey—their eternal punishment.
The journey began again.
And it would never end.
If this story sent chills down your spine… trust us—many more terrifying stories are waiting.
Follow Storyantra Horror Stories and turn every night into a nightmare.
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
0 Comments