The Spot off the Side of the Highway

This episode of The Truth includes strong language. The Truth. There's a spot off the side of the highway where people disappear. Chill, Justin. Please, you have to listen to me. Leave David alone, okay? He's driving. Thank you. But my wife, you don't understand. She vanished. Look, guys, guys, we're getting close. My wife! Hey, what are you trying to do, kill us? No, the spot's gonna kill us, bro. We are on the fucking highway, Justin. What if we hit someone? We're supposed to be on an adventure here. You know how wild my brother went last year? Okay, well when I want to compete with Calvin and those losers, I'll let you know. Sure. Hey, drink anybody? Just wait until we're out of the car. You're driving. I'm vibing. Is that a text from Sean? Yeah. What's he doing tonight? He's fine. He didn't want to come? Well, I just thought you wanted it to be the four of us, actually. Oh, yeah. I guess I did. Yeah, I just thought it was something we used to talk about so much when we were kids that it would be cool to, like, have a moment before we all go... Plus, we don't have to spend every night together, you know? They definitely don't. What does that mean? Shut up, Justin. Wait, I don't get it. Kat, I'm not trying to be a jerk. Really? But even you've heard these rumors by now. Okay, if you're talking about Kelsey McKenzie, they're just neighbors, okay? He gives her rides and people are making a whole big thing about it. He gives her rides? Fuck off, Justin. Sorry, I didn't know. Well, there's nothing to know. Sean seems really cool. I mean, we're not in a lot of classes together, but when I see him around like in the hallways or at lunch or sometimes in the parking lot, he always... He is cool. That's awesome. Thanks. What about you? Are you dating anyone these times? Wait! Wait, we're here! Pull over! Oh, my ears. Here? Yes, right here. Are you sure there's not really... Yes, this is it! Okay. car. Everybody close your eyes. Okay. The word? The spot. It's close. Can you all feel it? Okay. First things first. How much beer did everyone bring? Everyone's heard this story, but not everyone believes it. Which means that no one quite agrees on what this night is supposed to be. Or who it's really for. This is The Truth, I'm Jonathan Mitchell. And this story is about growing apart. And what happens when you realize it's too late. To hear all of our stories ad-free, go to thetruthpodcast.supportingcast.fm. Now back to The Spot Off the Side of the Highway. Are you sure this is the right place, Soph? Of course I'm sure. Well, my brother did this after graduation. The place that parked looked different. Where are you going? Yeah, see, it's the wrong intersection. What? It's the wrong intersection. No, it's not. It's 650. No, it's 600. It's 650. When Calvin did it, it was 600 and I know that because he got busted by the cops for drinking and had to run for it and Ended up hiding in Amberly's barn. For real? That guy is like a shotgun for every day of the week. Yeah, but he hates cops more than he hates Teenagers. Well, you'll remember that Calvin and his friends never found the spot, did they? So if we're actually looking- Justin, where are you going? To find the right place? This is the right place. Just come back here. Is this how it starts? I'd say so. So, just out of curiosity, like, what are we doing here, Kat? What are you talking about? It's senior year, we're spot hunting, there's beer. Yeah, no. Fair. But, you know, Kat, I just... If you and Sean were in a fight or something and you needed to talk, like, I'm always here. Well, I appreciate that, but, like, we're really fine, so... Okay. I just... It just never seemed like you cared much about the whole spot hunting thing. Not since you were kids. Now suddenly you're texting me to come help you find it. Honestly, Soph wanted us all to hang out, okay? She was calling me about it and my mom answered. Alright, she thinks we're all still ten years old. Your mom does or Soph does? Well, I guess both of them, actually. And I figured with you and Justin, it might actually be fun. You say so. Let's go, you guys. I want to start hunting before the sun sets. Okay, let's take a vote. Where are we going to start drinking? Beer. Are you kidding? Good pick. Come on, hurry up. It's this way, you guys. She brought a compass. That's really awesome, Soph. What was your plan for finding it, Kat? I don't know. Look around. Whatever, Justin, can I get a beer? Yes, ma'am. I think it's really smart thinking of yourself. Industrious. Thank you. Hey, fun fact, this stretch of highway has the highest number of reported missing people in the state. How do you know that? I didn't know that, and now we're just going to walk into it? It's not a fun fact. That's not even true, okay? Plenty of people have come out here and come back with nothing but hangover, so... Those guys didn't find the right spot. Okay, so you're saying you want us to go missing. What? No, obviously you don't want us to go missing. I'm just saying, I mean, isn't that why we're all out here together? Because we want to find it? Like, did you just come out here to judge everything, Kat? No, I didn't, okay? I'm a spot freak. I love the spot. I want to get killed by spot like everybody else. None of us want to die. We're not actually here to die. Oh my god, I'm kidding, Soph. What's guiding you, anyways, with the compass, Soph? Oh yeah, so do you remember how in the clips we used to watch in Justin's basement about Charlie's warnings? My wife, she vanished, I swear. One second, she was there, and then the next, she was not there. Yo low my favorite was when he interrupted literally the basketball finals during the national anthem That one was good My favorite was the store Remember how pissed the cashier was Okay so there was a pretty clear story of what happened from those like how far Charlie was from the highway and where the spot might be within like just a few mile stretch. A few miles is a lot of miles. Not when you take the time to look. So, I took the time. No one cares. All right, hey, time to start recording our historical moment here. Everyone, hey, get in frame. Get in, get in, get in. Cat, can you smile for once? We're not kidnapping you, alright? Hey, oh, wait, shit. What? What? I don't have signal. Whoa. Neither do I. Yeah, that's because we're getting close. I need service today. Calvin definitely had service. Oh, Calvin? That's funny, because he never found the spot. Soph, breathe. You all know this. We learned about it together. We would get ice cream and walk to Justin's and watch. You really don't remember any of this. Yeah, I guess not, Soph. Why don't you remind us? You have to remember. Okay, well, some of us have had other things going on. It wasn't that long ago. What? I'm sorry, okay? It's creepy out here. Sorry. I... Soph. After Charlie's wife disappeared into the spot, he tried to call the police, but his phone wasn't working. He didn't have service near the spot. He was too scared to move. He didn't know what would happen. Is this all just a joke to you guys now? Because if it is, we can just go. We don't have to spend the night here. No, no, it's not a joke. Well, no, no, we want to be here. We all want to be here, right? Bet. What he said. Charlie, he could sense the spot nearby, right? Even though he couldn't see it, he could hear a... A reverberation. A reverberation. And he stood there, perfectly still on the side of the road until someone came to help him. Kat? Come on. Well, they got him to the police station, and then he told them what happened, but they couldn't find his wife. Or any trace of her. Ever again. You know he probably killed her, right? Oh my god, can we not joke about that while we're standing in the same field he was in in the sun setting? He didn't kill her. Hey, I'm just saying, when a man's wife goes missing, he killed her. He didn't kill her, he loved her. You can see it in the videos if you really watch his face. God, I mean, imagine someone just missing you like that. We'd miss you if you disappeared, Soph. Maybe. You haven't missed me much while I've been here. I still say he probably killed her. That or the wife, like, ran off with somebody. Shut up. Look, can we build, like, a camp and stuff before it gets too dark? So we have a place to, you know, hang in between the hunt? We're not there yet. Yeah, look, I'll be right back. We can't stop. We're not there. Fine, whatever. I just, I need service for a sec, so I'll be right back. What's up? Where are you going? I'm going back to the service zone. Nowhere. Jesus. Seeing if Sean called? Called? How old are we? Does it call you? I like the sound of your voice. Oh my god, get over yourself. All I'm saying is that I'd miss you if you disappeared. Oh wow, so she convinced you then? The spot's real. Most deaf. Okay, gotta be magic. How else do you explain how it got all of us to hang out again? Apparently a monumental task. Oh my god, I know what was that. I don't remember missing like a million texts from her the last four years, but apparently I'm the asshole because I grew up and I got a boyfriend. No text from your boyfriend? No. Are you sure you have service? I can help you try to connect. He's just really good about boundaries. Right. Actually, Kat, listen, while we're here... We can just leave. No, wait. There's just something I've been meaning to tell you, but it's hard, right? Like, because you can't, once you say it, you can't, you know what I mean? like once... Holy shit! He didn't. Cut it out! Fireworks, Justin? You brought fireworks? We're gonna have to be able to see the spot in the dark. Oh, and fireworks are the best way to do that bullshit. You're just trying to get chased by the cops like your brother. I'm trying to curate a fire night, okay? Like, isn't that what you guys want? A night the four of us will remember forever? No, but that's not why we're here. We are gonna get arrested. Hey, come on, Kat. I'll let you light the next one. I don't want to light one. One wrong move with those things, and then your fingers are gone forever. So vanilla. Guys, come on. It really isn't far now. Tell me this isn't more fun than hiking in the dark, David. I mean, I'd be down to stay here for a little bit. No, we can't. We have to... Come on. Fine. You know what? Justin, can I have one? Sick. Yeah, of course you can, Sophie. I have something I want to show all of you. Are you watching? Be careful, all right? When you light it, you got to... Yeah, okay. No, no, no. You want to have it straight. Wait, why didn't it go off? Where'd it go? Do you get it yet? Get what? It went into the spot. We'll continue in just a moment. To hear all of our stories ad-free, go to thetruthpodcast.supportingcast.fm. Now back to The Spot Off the Side of the Highway. Wait, are you being for real right now? You're saying the firework went into the spot? Yes. No, come on. I can easily do it again. Soph. Okay, do it again. Okay, are you all watching? This is a trick. It's faulty. Justin. No, this is not me, man. Okay, hold on. Soph, are you saying you already found the spot? And then you brought us here? Yeah, I wanted to surprise you guys. I knew how much it meant to all of us. That's crazy. No, it's not. Yo, wait up, wait up. I got a way we can test it out. Wait, you don't need to test it out. I just... Sparklers. Oh my god. Don't go too close. I marked the ground around it the other day, see? Don cross it I throw it Testing Testing Whoa Holy Do it again I'm wilding right now. Let me do it. Shit. Yep. Shit. It's real. And we found it, just like we said we were- We should go. We should go. We should tell someone. Are you joking? We found the spot. We have to document this. Calvin never found the fucking spot. Oh my god, this is so lit. We don't know what it is. I don't like it. This is crazy. We need to make like a perimeter or something. No, look, I carved lines around it to make a border. This is crazy. Okay, it's getting really dark and I can already barely see those. And I don't know, guys, I'm just freaking out a little bit. We'll use the beer. What? We'll use the beer. Roll the beer over. Aim for the border Soph made. And we'll make it clearer. Okay. Okay. Better cat? Okay, wait. Don't roll too hard. We don't want to push him out. No, you're wasting the beer. I'm sorry. Sorry. What are we doing? This is insane. Well, how high up does it go? It doesn't matter. Don't go near it. I don't want to move at all. Don't. Let's just all sit here for a while, right? I mean, just take a breath. This is a big moment. You guys can take a breath. I am going to capture this. We don't have service. Who cares? I'll post it later. Justin. I'm being careful. Relax. You brought a phone stand? Always be prepared. Hey, guys. It's your boy, Justin. And I am here with my friends. And we just discovered something that, I'm telling you, goes so hard. You know the spot? Like, the spot that Crazy Charlie is always talking about? Well, yo, you gotta check this out and uh Hey guys, can you give me some lighting here? I need your flashlights. I don't like this. Please cat. Can you just do it? This is crazy. I thought we could maybe do something sort of symbolic like we could write down things We want to release and toss them up and like throw them in together. So please. I'm sorry, but no one wants to do that Okay, I'm telling you this is gonna be so clutch, but it's not gonna work if no one can see it. I'm not moving Okay, Soph. Hey Soph, what are friends for? Fine, how's this? Yeah, good. Okay, just a little closer. A little that way. Yeah, yeah. This way? No, step back. Okay, I'm sorry. You're moving her towards it. Wait, what? Okay, don't freak out. Justin! I'm sorry, chill. I'm just messing with you, all right? You're perfect there. Okay. That was not funny. Okay, quiet on set. All right, guys. Check this out. You know the spot, right? Like the spot she is real okay and to prove it I'm gonna toss this sparkler and Hey, watch it disappear No, did you see that did you see that that is so tough more beers there before show it again for the haters in case you miss Justin I know you're thinking. Oh, this is AI, but check the receipts could AI sparkle like this watch again Justin, get away from it. I'm recording, alright? Can you not? No, can you just get away from it? I'm being serious. Look, I think the sparklers are, like, making it expand or something. So, back me up. I don't know. I can't really see. Kat, this is the most exciting thing that's ever happened in this town, okay? And I'm going to prove that it happened to us. Ow, shit. Damn it. That one burned fast. Shit, that stung. Justin! Justin, move! Oh, wait, did I even get that in the... Oh, my God. Holy shit. What? Holy shit. Why? What? What? Where did he go? Why did we let him do that? Where did he go? Oh, my God. Why did we let him do that? Justin, man. David, don't move. It's a joke. Come on. It's a joke. What do you mean? Where could he be? Come on out, man. Justin, come out. Come out. Where? There's nothing here. What the fuck? Where is he? Stop moving closer, David. He's gone. Justin, this isn't funny. This isn't funny. He's not moving closer. I need to see where he went. He's nowhere. He's... So now what? What do you mean? How do we get him back? We don't. What do you mean? I mean, it's the spot. Spot. And you know all about the spot. And you brought us here, and you knew it was real, and you brought us anyway, and you don't know how to get him back? Well, I said to be careful. Be careful? What are we even doing out here? We used to talk about it, and in Justin's basement, I thought, I mean, I wanted it to be like that. You're supposed to go to a concert next week. That was in fucking middle school, Soph. Did you not make any other friends? What if we took like a rope or a stick or something? No, no, no, no, no. It'll just disappear and probably you too. You can grab on. You don't know that. So then what are we supposed to do? Nothing. Can you stop saying that? Is that what this is? You brought us out here to get some kind of sick fucking revenge because no one likes you anymore. No, no. I told you. I wanted it to be like it was when we were younger. Then fix it. I can't fix it. Then it should have been you. All right? It should have been you who fell in there. because you're the one who wanted to come here anyway. I'm sorry, Kat. I, I, I, guys, I didn't think this would happen. He wasn't, he wasn't supposed to do that. The phone stand. What? It's a joke. No, David. Think about it. Why else would he bring a phone stand with us? Seriously. Like, his phone's been recording us the whole time. It's rolling now. It's just from... It's a joke. Justin is always pulling shit like this. Like, fucking with us. He thinks he's going to fuck with us. and freak us out? And then we're going to be stuck here wondering how we're supposed to tell his parents that they're never going to see him again? David. You know what? Fuck that, Justin. I'm not giving you the satisfaction. I'm leaving. David. David. Wait. David. I'm really sorry, Kat. David. David, come back. No, this isn't happening. I want to get the fuck out of here. David! We shouldn have even been here We were just supposed to get drunk and then hang out and we Slow down down David You shaking Come on stop it I okay Get off You not okay You don have to be okay okay Just stop Come here He can't be gone, Kat. I know. He can't be. I know. I was there. What are we going to tell Calvin? This wasn't what was supposed to happen. Tonight was... This wasn't what was supposed to happen. Shh. Come here, okay? It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay. I'm sorry. We shouldn't have come. I'm so sorry. We were just supposed to... I know, I know. Fuck! It's okay. I'm here. I'm with you. It's okay. We're gonna be fine. Oh. What? David. What? David, you're just really upset right now, I think. No, I know, but... No, you can't kiss me, David. Kat. I have a boyfriend. He's cheating on you. Everyone knows that. No, I don't know that. And it's not like that with us, okay? It's not? So what's happening? Why are we here? Why did you invite me? What are you talking about? You could have been with Sean, but you came here with me. With the group. You know there's something between us. I don't know that. Oh, come on, Kat. Everyone knows it. They talk about it all the time in front of us. Just because people say it doesn't mean it's true. Just because you ignore it doesn't mean it's not. Oh, so you thought I came out here to get drunk and cheat on my boyfriend, and then the other people were what? They were just going to watch us? Did you actually think the spot was real, Kat? Because if you thought so, you can explain to Calvin that you knew something would kill Justin and you came out here anyways. Okay, so those are my only two options. I came out here to fuck you or to watch my friend die. Well, I don't think you came out here to keep some old friendship pact with a stupid loser that you haven't talked to in like freaking four years. I told you, my mom was guilting me and I guess I thought, you know what? It would be nice to hang out with three of my oldest friends before we graduate. Except we're not friends anymore, okay? And you fucking know it. I did not know that, actually. What do you mean? You and me, we're not actually friends, are we? I don't... This is so fucked. I have to go, Kat. Fine, I'll get soap. No, I have to go now, okay? I just... Well, David, you drove us here, so... You broke my fucking heart, okay? And Justin, I have... I can't wait. I have to go. Well, I can't leave her here. Fine, whatever. David, come on. You're better than this. David, don't do something that you can't take back. You know, you're abandoning two teenage girls in the middle of nowhere. Shit. Hi, Katie. How's it going? Hi, Mom. Having a good time with the old gang? Not really. Oh, not too bad. I remember when y'all used to be inseparable, having adventures in the backyard. There was one time I thought I was going to have to call the fire department. Mom, can you come pick us up? Pick you up? Me and Soph, um, we had, well, there was an issue and then David had to go, so we're just a little stranded right now. We're at the intersection of Route 50 and County Road 650. Wait, you're, what? You were okay. Jesus, uh, okay, honey, I'll be right there, okay? You girls stay put and stay together, alright? Okay, we will. You said Route 650? Jesus. Um, okay, don't take your eyes off each other, I mean it, alright? I'll be right there. Thanks, Mom. I love you. I love you too Soph Soph Soph my mom's coming to pick us up Soph if you can hear me Can you start coming this way I really don't want to get close to that thing again And we should stay where we have service For when she Soph Soph where are you Are you mad at me or... I'm sorry about what I said before, okay? I was just scared and... This whole thing is so scary and I... I just think I'm so mad at myself about Justin and David and... My mom's coming so... Soph! Soph. Shit. I'm sorry about what I... Soph! Soph. Please. Please be here. Because I would miss you if you disappeared, Soph, I promise. Please be here. Please be here. Please. Please be... We make these stories independently, and premium subscriptions directly support the writers and actors who bring these stories to life. You can subscribe to our ad-free feed at thetruthpodcast.supportingcast.fm. There's also a link in the show notes. The Spot Off the Side of the Highway was written by Mary McDonnell and directed and sound designed by me, Jonathan Mitchell. It was performed by Anna Aubrey as Soph, Shemba Vyrovin as Kat, Brendan Dooley as David, John Hudson as Justin, and Mary McDonnell as Mom. It was recorded by Christian Cuccinello at Silversound in New York. To hear more original stories like this, go to thetruthpodcast.com. I'm Jonathan Mitchell, and you have been hearing The Truth.