In 2008, I was driving a U-Haul truck from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Eugene, Oregon. It was just me, a 22-year-old woman, and my year-old pitbull. Everything I owned was packed into the back of that 14-foot truck.

Technology was different back then. I had a simple flip phone and printed MapQuest directions. Smartphones were just starting to appear, but I didn't own one. Cell phone service was often spotty, with long stretches through the desert where I had no signal at all for hundreds of miles.

A Lone

Driver on the Texas Plains

I was deep into a lonely part of central Texas, driving along a quiet highway. It had been a very long time since I had seen any town or even an exit sign. My big U-Haul truck was running very low on gas, and I started to feel a real panic set in.

Just as my worry grew, I saw a small town appear on the horizon. It was a huge relief. I pulled off the highway and drove into the tiny settlement. I was so focused on other things that I never even noticed the town's name, but it had only about six streets in total.

I found the gas station and filled up the tank, feeling much better. My plan was to get right back on the highway and continue my journey. Little did I know, getting out of this tiny place would be much harder than getting in.

Lost in a

Town of Six Streets

After gassing up, I tried to find my way back to the main highway. It should have been simple, but I couldn't for the life of me figure it out. I circled the town about four times, growing more and more frustrated with each loop.

This was such a small town, yet I couldn't find the road that led out. I could literally see the highway in the distance, but I just couldn't get to it. It felt like a strange puzzle with no clear solution.

Finally, I decided to go back to the gas station to ask for help. When I had filled my tank earlier, I had paid at the pump and never gone inside. Now, I walked into the small store, hoping for some clear directions.

The Clerk's Unsettling Directions

Inside the gas station, I found a skinny, plain-looking man with black hair hanging down in front of his eyes. His hair looked like it needed a good wash. He wasn't overtly creepy at first glance, but he was a little rude.

He never really looked at me, keeping his eyes on a magazine he was holding. When I asked for directions, he gave me instructions that sounded completely wrong. He told me to take a road that would lead me to the highway in about 17 miles.

I was dumbfounded for a moment. I pointed out that I hadn't driven that far to get from the highway into town, so why would it be so far to get back? I reminded him that I could see the highway from where we were. He was very casual, almost as if I was just an annoyance. He offered some vague explanation about the road curving around, but it made no sense. He still didn't meet my eyes. He just waved his hand toward the door, as if dismissing me.

A Shaking

Feeling and a Desperate Choice

When I got back to the parking lot, my whole body started trembling violently. My heart began to race, seemingly for no clear reason. I climbed into the U-Haul, and as soon as I put the key in the ignition, I burst into tears.

A terrible feeling washed over me. No matter how nonchalant the clerk had acted, I knew right then and there that he had bad intentions. I didn't know what he wanted, but I was certain I would not follow his directions. My gut screamed at me to stay away from that route.

This gas station was the only store in the tiny town. Short of knocking on strangers' doors (which I definitely didn't want to do), there was no one else to ask for directions. I decided I didn't care if this town felt like something out of a scary movie. I would drive around until I found my own way out, even if it took all night.

A Texan Angel Appears

Just as I was trying to calm myself, a big, red pickup truck pulled into the parking lot. It was more rust than metal. Out of it stepped a quintessential Texan man, huge and husky, wearing a flannel shirt and work boots. Without even thinking, I jumped out of my truck.

I approached him quickly, though still cautiously. Looking into his eyes, I saw a kind human being, or at least I desperately hoped I did. I asked him if he could please give me directions back to the highway. I told him I knew it sounded silly, but I just couldn't find my way.

He looked concerned because I was visibly upset. He made me laugh a little and then very cheerfully gave me clear directions. He told me about a hairpin curve turnoff right at the end of a small concrete tunnel I had passed several times. He said it often confused travelers because it was so hard to see, and they really needed to put up signs.

The Truth

About the "Long Way Round"

With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I asked him how far in miles it was back to the highway using his directions. He laughed and gave me a funny look. "Miles, miss? I'd say it's a quarter mile at most. You can see the highway right from here."

At this point, I couldn't help it. I had to know. "What happens if I drive, " I began, and then I told him the directions the man in the store had given me. The Texan looked at me very intently and asked how I knew about that route. He said it was pretty far out and usually only locals knew about it.

So, I told him about the gas station attendant. He was quiet for a few minutes. Then he asked what the attendant looked like and if I had a map of the state. I told him I only had my MapQuest printout, which wasn't helping at all in this situation.

He went to his truck and pulled out a raggedy local map from his glove compartment. Spreading it out for me, he traced the route I described. The way the man from the gas station had told me to go led directly away from town, away from the interstate, and to what looked like the middle of nowhere.

The Texan told me that the road did go about 17 miles, right before it dead ended in the desert.

I asked him what was out there. He told me it was nothing but some junked cars and a few trailers and mobile homes. He added that they were all owned by the same family. This family was known locally as troublemakers, meth users, and heavy drinkers. And those were the nice things townspeople had to say about them.

The

Family on the Desert Road

He then revealed that the unhelpful clerk was part of this very family and lived down that dead-end road. I will never forget the serious look in the Texan's eyes as he told me this. He also told me that I was smart to listen to my instincts and advised me to be very careful traveling alone out there.

I will never know if the man from the gas station wanted what was in the back of my U-Haul or what was in the driver's seat. Thankfully, I didn't have to find out. My gut feeling, and the kindness of a stranger, saved me from a truly terrifying situation.

I learned that day that sometimes angels look like ruddy-haired Texans with scruffy faces and rusty pickup trucks. Thank you, Random Texan Stranger, you truly saved me, and I will always remember you with so much love. I am sorry I didn't ask your name, but you will forever be "Texas" to me.