Diary Entry….’Haunted’ Hicks Road

Hicks Road has always been on my radar. I didn’t grow up in Los Gatos, but I have a few friends who did. Tessa introduced me to ‘haunted’ Hicks Road when we were about sixteen (fifteen?) during a sleepover she hosted.

She shared all kinds of crazy stories about Hicks Road including albino cannibals, a screaming ghost, and the ‘devil’s door’. Naturally, I was intrigued. If I’m not out logging miles somewhere, I’m usually digging into anything crazy, spooky, and/or supernatural.

In the immortal words of Lady Gaga, ‘I was born this way.’ I’ve always had a thing for the stuff. While other kids were reading ‘Where The Red Fern Grows’, I was reading Stephen King’s ‘The Shining.’

Mom shoulders some of the blame for this. Mom’s knack for all things that go bump in the night has only encouraged my natural inclinations. She’s the parapsychologist of the family. As it turns out, I also share her gift of the ‘buzz’ as well.

She should be joining me on Hicks Road today. We’re supposed to be doing this ‘road trip’ together. We’ve been planning it for years. It was supposed to be a ‘mother/daughter’ bonding thing. But, the fates conspired.

Actually, it was the ‘dark side’ that conspired. Some ghosts are mischievous. Some are just lost. Some need a little help. Then, there’s the ‘dark’ kind.

Less of a ‘ghost’ and more of a ‘demon’, the dark kind simply exist to cause harm. Fortunately, they’re few and far between. But they’re bad news. They want what the living have and are prepared to do anything to get what they want.

Mom stopped one of these demons from possessing me. Her efforts saved my life, but left her near death herself. She hasn’t been the same since.

I’m choking back tears as I write this. I hate the idea of heading out on this road trip without Mom. She tells me she’s ok with it. But, I don’t know if she’s being honest with me.

For so many years Mom has made it her mission to save lost souls. I’ve assisted her on more than a few of these ‘soul crusades’ as she often calls them. I suppose hitting some of the most haunted spots in the Bay Area and saving some lost souls is at least a way to honor her (and keep my mind occupied).

It feels all too appropriate to cover this road trip with my own two feet. Mom inspired me to move at an early age. Together we’ve logged so many miles walking, hiking, and running. Logging miles with Mom has always been a salve for so many of my childhood and adolescent wounds.

I don’t have any illusions my solo road trip will heal Mom. But, maybe it will lift her spirits to know I’m following in her footsteps. I have to do ‘something’ and I don’t really know what else to do!

Welp. It’s time to lace up and get this road trip started. Haunted Hicks Road, show me your worst. Jess Cohen is ready! Should you be reading this, something spooky likely happened to me…..