| Ghost Girl of Hwy. 104 by Betty H. One late night in the summer of 2002, my husband and I were leaving from our friends' house in Ararat, Virginia. It was about 12 at night and it was raining and foggy. We were coming down Hwy. 104 toward the North Carolina-Virginia line, and I spotted a girl walking on the side of the road. I passed her by... but my conscience got to me; after all, it was dark, late at night and it was raining and pretty chilly. So I turned around at a gas station and went back to ask the girl if she needed some help. I stopped where she was. She was pale and tired looking with dark hair and thin. I calmly asked her, "Do you need a ride?" And she replied, "Yes, to Mt. Airy." I said, "Ok. Let me turn my truck back around and I will be right back." She did not say a word. She just nodded her head yes! My husband, who I thought was asleep, had roused about the time was I turning the truck around in the closest driveway. I was not so far out of site that I could not see the girl. I started back in her direction and stopped right where I left her. She was GONE! While I was turning around, there were no other vehicles that passed - NONE whatsoever, so she could not have gotten a ride with someone else. I even called out to her and no one answered. I went back to the store on top the hill and turned around again and went back just to make sure. I repeated this two times, and still no one could be seen! My husband, who remained speechless through the whole ordeal, looked at me said, "Honey, I believe you were talking to a ghost." I replied, "Well, at least you saw her, too." A week or so passed and we were at our friend's house again, and I told him what happened and described the girl. His face got pale and he simply said, "You stopped to pick up a GHOST." He went on to tell me about a local high school girl who was coming home from a school function, and no one saw her until a few days later. She was found murdered and along side the the road on Hwy. 104! My mother, who works with several ladies who lived in Ararat and are familar with that area, verified that several people have stopped to pick up the girl and she simply disapears. I saw that girl for a reason - like she was trying to tell me something. I just wish I knew how to help her find peace. I feel like she will haunt that strech of highway untill her murder is solved! |