I stepped out of Maureen's car as she handed me my sleeping bag. She asked, "Are you sure about this? You do know what happened out here?"

"Maur, if I don't do this, then Layla and the rest will think I'm just a coward and never allow me to live it down. Besides, I don't believe in all those stories. There isn't anything out here except a road with a name that scares people."

"I don't think so, Rach. I've heard all the stories since I was just a kid. I was always warned about being out here after dark. Someone or something is creepy and roams this road each night. "

"I think that your parents just didn't want you out here."

"Since I can't change your mind, do you have everything you need? Your cellphone is charged, right? You can call me at any time. I'll come to pick you up and not think any less of you."

"Yes, mom," I said sarcastically. "I have everything in my backpack. Now get going. I only have to be out here until daylight."

With a wave, Maureen left me at the side of the road. Behind me was a clearing that led to the lake. I thought it would be an excellent place to settle for the night. 

There was about another half hour of daylight left, and I watched as the sun sank lower on the horizon. I unrolled my sleeping bag and unpacked my supplies. 

From my bag, I pulled out a magazine called 'Weird New Jersey,' which related all the legends about this area.

According to one of the articles in the publication, the road was named after early 'Highwaymen.' They would wait in the thick trees for their victims. Then they would rob them and cut their throats. They would also fight and molest any women who came around these parts. These fights would often end in the death of one of the fighters, hence the name Shades of Death Road.

Another legend told about the many murders which had occurred in the area. This further enhanced its lurid reputation. One of these supposed murders was a robbery where a man was hit over the head with a car jack. A woman had also supposedly beheaded her husband and buried his body parts along both sides of the road. Lastly, a local man had been shot and buried in a mud pile.

The road ran next to Jenny Jump State Park, which had a legend of its own. According to what I'd been told, a young girl had been picking berries when confronted by some Lenape Indians. Her father yelled, "Jump, Jenny, Jump," from the bottom of the mountain. He thought he could save her. Jenny jumped to her death off the cliff. 

The lake before me was called Ghost Lake. As dusk crept up, an eerie mist rose above the water. It gave me the chills as I looked at it. 

I decided to take a walk along the road before it was completely dark. While I walked along, I was fascinated with the way the trees arched over the road. It made you feel as if you were hidden away from the rest of the world. If I hadn't known that men had been hung from those limbs, I might've found it romantic. 

The unseasonal chill made me head back to my makeshift camp. Grateful for the coffee I'd grabbed before I left, I wrapped the sleeping bag around me as best I could. Warmer clothes would have been nice, but it had been in the nineties earlier, and Maureen had driven me here right from the pool at the camp. My bathing suit was wet, so I only threw on my shorts and tank top when I changed. My nipples hardened against my shirt as a breeze rustled the leaves of the trees.

How I ended up here is another story. That Layla and her group of wenches just knew how to get under my skin. I'd only lived in this area for about a year. During that time I'd heard all the legends about this place. I'd worked with those girls since May at Triple-brook campground about ten miles from here. I'd never believed in ghosts or the paranormal, but Layla kept goading me for weeks. Then today came the dare to camp out near the road overnight. Without a thought, I accepted. I grabbed my bag. Maureen helped me gather what I needed, and here I was. 

The cicadas and animals were noisy around me. I knew from working at the camp that fox and coyotes, and bears were in this area. I just hoped they didn't come out. 

As I drank my coffee, I heard a noise. It sounded like breaking branches. I curled my knees up to my chest and sat still. After a few minutes, there was nothing but silence again. 

'Come on, Rach, get a grip,' I told myself. 'There isn't anything out here.'

After my pep talk to myself, I pulled out my flashlight and my cell phone. When I looked at my phone, I saw there wasn't any service. That was weird because there was service at the camp and when Maureen dropped me off. 

When I reached into my bag for a snack again, I heard branches crunch behind me. While I looked around me, I hoped it was just a small animal. With my snacks gone, the only thing I could do was sleep. The quicker I went to sleep, the quicker I could get out of here. At least that's what I told myself. 

When I laid back, the sky was dark. There weren't any stars to be seen here. It was darker than I would have liked. All I wanted was to do was fall asleep and get this night over with. 

As my eyes grew heavy, I thought I saw a shadow. Not wanting to let on that I saw anything, I lay very still. Hoping whatever was there would believe I was asleep. The crunching sound got closer, and I began to shiver with fright. 

Opening my eyes slightly, I saw what looked like the shadows of two men fighting. They were not far from me, and I thought I could hear mumbling. Then I heard a gunshot, and one of them hit the ground. 

Nervous and scared, I tried to hunker down into my sleeping bag. Whoever those shadowy figures were, I prayed they wouldn't notice me. 

What felt like a moment was longer, as I must've fallen asleep. I don't know how long I slept. Suddenly I sat up groggily and looked around. It was uncannily quiet. Even the wildlife was silent. 

My arms had goosebumps as a chill fell over me. I had a feeling that someone was watching me. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I looked around. I saw a shadow only a few feet from my camp. 

Whoever or whatever it was made me wish I hadn't accepted this stupid dare. The shadow moved towards me. There wasn't anything near me to use as a weapon. I felt like a sitting duck. 

A gruff voice broke the silence, "Please don't be scared. I mean you no harm."

"Wh… who are you?" I whispered. 

"My name is Jacob. You may call me Jake. May I sit closer and I will tell you how I ended up here. What is your name?"

"My name is Rachel. You can come closer, but not too close," I quietly told him.

"Thank you. I've been watching over you since you fell asleep, Rachel. Some people would do you harm."

"I appreciate that, but where did you come from?" I asked with a bit more confidence in my voice. 

"For the past hundred years or so, I've walked this land. I used to own a small piece of land here with a little house. I had a wife, but she didn't like it here. She wanted to be in a larger city. She only cared about superficial things and what others thought of her. I was just a simple man and was happy with my land, my home and my work."

As I listened to Jake, I moved out of the sleeping bag and sat closer to him. He seemed like a gentle person, and I was very grateful he'd watched over me. 

"Please continue," I urged. 

"Allison was beautiful. She had dark hair down her back. Her body was lean, and she had a beautiful figure. She looked very much like you."

I blushed and crossed my arms in front of me to try to conceal my figure. 

"I'm sorry I don't mean to embarrass you. I haven't talked to anyone in quite a long time. I wanted you to know how beautiful you are to me, Rachel."

"Thank you, please tell me more." I was fascinated to hear what had happened to this kind man. 

"Allison found a rugged man that promised to take her anywhere she wanted. He was not a good man. He made a living by robbing anyone he could. Allison told him where my meager savings were hidden. She explained my daily routine. They made a plan to steal everything I owned. That day I finished my work early because it was snowing. When I walked in, they were in a compromising position on our marital bed. I couldn't believe what I saw. There was a fight between us. Allison kept trying to get between us. In the scuffle, she was pushed back. She was next to my night table. She knew that was where I kept my gun, and before I knew what happened, she shot me. Before I blacked out, I heard her scream. Then they took off."

"Oh, wow. I'm so sorry. You seem like a lovely man. Why do you roam this area?"

"My body was not found until after the thaw. My spirit was restless, and my soul could not find peace. I needed to know that I was not a bad man. That woman didn't think I was not loveable. Every year on this day, I can be seen. I continue to look for someone to free my soul."

"I don't understand. What do you need to do to free your soul?" 

"I must find a woman who will love me to be free. A woman ended my life, and a woman will allow me to rest in peace. In all these years since I was shot, you are the first woman I've run into when I am allowed to be back."

"Earlier, did you shoot someone?" I asked.

"That was not real. It was the ghost of two men that died here many years ago. I kept an eye on them to make sure they stayed away from you. I didn't want them to frighten you away. You might be the only chance for my soul to be freed from this eternity of torment," Jake told me, shyly. 

"How could I do that?"

"I don't know. I've always felt that my only salvation would be to have a good woman care for me."

"I can't just care for you like that, Jake."

"I know. It's a pretty hopeless quest," he said with a quiver in his voice.

I felt my heartstrings tug. I could feel his sorrow, but I was not ready to care for a stranger no matter how kind he seemed, let alone for a ghost.

"Well, Jake, it's been a long day. I'm going to get back into my sleeping bag and try and get some sleep before day breaks."

"Sleep well, Rachel. I'll be near just yell if you need anything. I will return to the spirit world at daybreak. I will return here next year if you want to chat again."

With that, I crawled back into my sleeping bag and watched as he went back into the bushes. I lay there thinking of his sad tale, wondering what it would be like to live in that type of shadowy excuse of existence he was trapped in.

My eyes grew heavy, and I started to doze when I suddenly felt a cold feeling throughout my body. I woke with a start and opened my eyes. On either side of me was a shadowy form of a man with a devilish gleam in their eyes. They grabbed me and pulled me out of my sleeping bag.

I was transfixed with fear and could not even yell. I was so scared. They ripped my shirt, exposing me to their gaze as they cackled and pawed at my breasts. Their clammy hands were all over me. Their stench was revolting. 

They then attempted to pull my jeans down, and I mustered enough courage to yell. I got out one screech before they stuffed a dirty rag in my mouth. Despite my struggles, they finally had me on the ground pinned under their weight, clad in only my panties while their hands fondled my body.

I closed my eyes, and my last thought before I passed out was that I might be joining Jake in his eternal quest.

I came to sometime later warmly wrapped in my sleeping bag. I was still naked, but it seemed that I had been cleaned up, and Jake was sitting next to me. I began to sob, and he gently brushed his fingers through my hair.

"Sshhh. They're gone," he said as he caressed my hair and my face. 

"Did they…?" I asked.

"Rachel, I don't think so. They were about to when I hauled them off you."

"Now, just close your eyes and relax. I'll be here till daybreak."

"Please, Jake, come lie down next to me. I'm scared."

He crawled in next to me and wrapped me in his arms. I felt him caressing me and the feeling of genuine care he was exhibiting as he caressed me.

I turned towards him and felt his erection rampant against my stomach. Reaching down, I shyly caressed his cock through his jeans.

"Are you sure, Rachel, that you want to do that?" he asked.

My answer was to unbuckled his belt and reached in, and rubbed his cock. He lifted his hips, and I removed his jeans to feel his warm body against mine.

My body shivered in anticipation as I felt my pussy ache with need.

I moved my body very deliberately so that I was on top of him before spreading my thighs on either side of his hips.

"Jake, I want this with all my heart. Please let me give myself to you and end your life in the limbo that you have been living in."

I parted my pussy lips and slowly and deliberately impaled myself on his erection. As his cock slid into me, a great joy filled my heart. This was the first time I was giving myself to a man without any reservations. 

Jake's hips lifted to meet my downward thrusts, and his hands worshiped my breasts. He handled them as a virtuoso handles a fiddle getting me to squeal with delight. My pussy was clenching around his cock as I drove it deep into me.

I felt myself on the brink of orgasm as he throbbed deep in me. "Jake, I'm going to cum," I moaned.

"Cum for me, Rachel," he moaned in return as I felt him erupt into my core. The feeling of his stream of cum set me off, and I erupted almost simultaneously.

We lay in each other's arms exchanging kisses and caresses till we fell asleep entwined together.

I woke up to light filtering through the trees and the feel of Jake lying next to me.

I opened my eyes, and his bright blue eyes were staring at me. "Jake, it's daylight, and you are still here!"

"Yes. Rachel, I was wrong. The spell is broken, but not in the way I thought it would be. It was not to be broken by a woman falling in love with me but by me falling in love with a woman."

"Are you saying you love me?"

"I guess I am."

"Oh, Jake, my darling man. My hero and savior," I said with a smile before moving my face to his and giving him a kiss.

Jake and I eventually got up. He helped me gather my things, and we walked down the road to where Maureen had parked and was waiting for us.

She gaped at us when we came into view. "Maur, this is Jake, my new boyfriend," I said as we climbed in the car.