At night

 It was a dark and stormy night, and Emily was driving down a deserted country road. She was on her way home from a friend's house, and the rain was coming down in sheets, making it difficult to see. Emily had never been scared of storms before, but something about this one felt different.

As she drove on, she noticed a figure walking along the side of the road. It was a man, dressed in old-fashioned clothes, and he was carrying a lantern. Emily slowed down to get a better look, but as she passed him, she felt a chill run down her spine. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about him.

She drove on, trying to put the strange encounter out of her mind, but as she approached a bend in the road, her car suddenly skidded out of control. She tried to regain control of the vehicle, but it was too late. The car careened off the road and came to a stop in a ditch.

Emily sat there for a moment, stunned, before trying to assess the damage. That's when she heard it - a faint tapping on the window. She turned to see the man from before, his face twisted into a grotesque grin, tapping on the glass with his lantern.

Emily screamed and tried to start the car, but the engine wouldn't turn over. The man continued tapping on the window, his grin growing wider and more menacing with each passing moment. Emily was trapped, alone and vulnerable, with this sinister stranger.

Just as she thought things couldn't get any worse, she heard a loud creaking sound. The man's lantern flickered and went out, plunging them both into darkness. Emily's heart raced as she fumbled for her phone, praying for a signal. She managed to dial 911, but the line was dead.

Suddenly, the tapping resumed, louder and more frenzied than before. Emily could hear the man's ragged breathing, could smell his putrid breath. She was sure she was going to die.

But just as she was about to give up all hope, she heard the distant sound of sirens. Relief flooded through her as she realized that help was on the way. She turned to look out the window, and that's when she saw him - the man, standing just a few feet away, his eyes glowing in the darkness.

Emily screamed and covered her face, waiting for the inevitable, but when she opened her eyes, he was gone. The police arrived shortly after, but despite an exhaustive search, the man was never found. Emily never forgot that night, and she never drove down that road again.