Driving on the gravel seems to wake you out a lull that you seem to have been in. The rocks kick and ding against your truck making this road a bit louder to drive on. Every now and then you hit a pothole or have to go around one of those rock mounds you seem to be surrounded by.

A very large hole on the right comes into view and you swing your steering wheel left coming into contact with a rock formation. You strike  the mound almost head on throwing you forward and the seat belt jerking you back but not before your head strikes the dashboard making your vision blur momentarily.

A low, gutteral sound comes from somewhere close by... almost like a shriek.

All goes quiet...

Your head begins to throb as you try to get out your truck. The door is wedged into the side of the what is left of the rock formation. You feel a cold substance dripping down your left arm.

"Oh, no...Am I bleeding?" you think.

Slipping to the passenger side you make your way out of the truck.

You stagger over to the front and find the headlamps are still working but the engine is now off. You notice a black substance spattered against the side of the truck. It looks like oil.

The last thing in the world you need now is no transportation.

Off in the near distance is the flashing light still beckoning you to come hither.

You have no choice...well, you could go back to the main road and try hitchhiking with the first car that comes by...which might never happen.

"Hey, what about my cell phone...Yeah, I got triple A." you think.

You try hitchhiking back at the main road.

It doesn't take long before you to see headlights coming down the main road.

You never thought you would be doing this but you stick your thumb out and motion the car toward you.

Something magical happens...the car pulls over as it slowly passes and the passenger door flies open. Two quick honks of the horn for you to get in.

You get in the car

Closing the car door behind you, you get a big whiff of smoke. It's very dark inside the large car but you make out the silhouette of the driver smoking a cigarette or something.

"You shouldn't be out here." the driver states in a "matter of fact" tone.

"Goblin Valley is not safe at night." he says. "You know how it got it's name?"

You stop to ponder this man's motives. He hasn't even stopped to introduce himself or anything. I guess beggars can't be choosers.

You shake your head "NO."

"The legend of Goblin Valley dates back to the 50's where some archeologists found fossilized bones in some caves out here." " They were said to be those of gargoyles."

A laugh escapes your lips and you pucker up real quick to stop anymore from coming out.

"I'm not kidding." says the mysterious driver aounding a little angry at you.

" It was said that at night they would fly around trying to find human females to breed with and then ... keep them in the caves until giving birth. This process would usually kill the female humans.

"Is this guy crazy." you think. Maybe he just likes scaring hitchhikers he picks up out here.

You try an change the conversation

"Where are we headed?" you break into his conversation.

"Gold Flake" he responds after a short pause.

"I can't wait to get there....anything is better than listening to this guy go on about gargoyles. you think."

....think again.

You to Gold Flake...this way...

The sun starts to come up over the horizon as you enter the town of Gold Flake.

The driver, you now notice, is an old man chewing on a large cigar.

"This is it." he says with a growl. He stops the car in front of a old wooden sign marked "GOLD FLAKE."

You are glad to get out and smell fresh air for a change. As he drives off, he kicks up dust making it hard to see.

You wave to the old man with only your middle finger outstretched.

Turning toward town, you look for any signs of life. Maybe you can get somebody with a working phone to call your uncle.

You notice a saloon nearby and see if anyone is around.