It was Spring. That time of year when the cold days seemed long past, and young leaves had just unfurled, beginning to gather strength on the trees. Sparse clouds drifted lazily across the sky, and the soft glow of a bright, grey-blue moon dispelled the night's darkness. The night air had long since cooled, offering a light, refreshing crispness.

At the dark edge of the forest, in a small clearing, one could observe a bustling nocturnal world, if they looked closely enough. Many species of insects, inhabitants of the dense vegetation, carried on their active lives. A tiny white moth, startled by a field mouse scurrying past, fluttered its wings and soared high above the clearing. The visible world below, for it, was an entire universe. Its enormous eyes fixed on an unusual light in the distance, so much like the sun's, and the insect immediately flew towards it, towards where cars ceaselessly traversed the wide intercity highway, tearing through the darkness with their headlights.

The fresh green thickets below quickly gave way to the dead, alien desert of the road. All the insect's receptors screamed for it to immediately flee this perilous place, but a suddenly appearing colossal iron monster left it no chance. The sharp gust of air from the speeding car was impossible to resist. Only a fraction of a second's wing turn altered its flight path, and the moth sharply swept past, its wing barely brushing the radiator grille, a mere millimeter from instant death. Time stood still as the cold, chrome radiator grille, speckled with the yellow-green remains of hundreds of its smashed brethren, flashed past the tiny insect, accompanied by the hellish roar of a superheated engine powering the enormous rig. The turbulent force managed to rip a small section of its wing, carrying it deeper into the radiator, mingling it with other tiny creatures, just as suddenly annihilated. The air current carried the moth further, along the long body of the semi-truck speeding down the highway, pressing the insect to the metal and carrying it into the unknown.

Here, on the Moscow-Saint Petersburg highway, even in the Novgorod region, traffic never stops. On the road, yellowed by electric lights, among the sparse cars, this red American truck with its long trailer stood out. Beneath the entire rig, blue neon lights glowed, dramatically illuminating the road. Behind the wheel, a stocky, burly man in his forties was clearly enjoying the drive tonight. Sergey was an experienced long-haul trucker with many years under his belt. He was very proud of his truck, having installed the neon lights himself, loved doing everything with his own hands, and adored his job. And the romance of the open road... His mood was excellent. He had managed to get a good night's sleep the day before and successfully picked up a load for St. Petersburg. Moreover, he'd passed Moscow without traffic jams and was ahead of schedule, having already gone past Tver. The Leningrad Highway was calm tonight, the road dry. Sitting in his comfortable leather armchair with armrests, Sergey listened to jazz emanating from the eight speakers of an excellent sound system.

The truck was now passing a smooth, well-lit stretch of road. On this section, a lone figure stood clearly visible in the distance, by the roadside. Interesting... Settlements with rest stops were far away. Sergey slowed down and began to peer intently at the approaching figure. In less than a minute, he discerned the silhouette of a thin young guy with a backpack on his back. The guy raised his hand. Should I just drive past? But he suddenly felt quite sorry for the kid, who was visibly cold and slightly hunched. Quickly making up his mind, Sergey pressed the brake pedal. The semi-truck hissed indignantly, and after a few meters, it swerved a couple of times, kicking up dust, and came to a stop on the roadside. Sergey leaned across the seat and opened the left door.

"To Chudovo?" the guy asked, breathless. "Hop in," Sergey was glad for the company. The guy quickly settled into the passenger seat. "You can take off your backpack, there's plenty of room." Sergey looked at the young man, a smart student, he thought. Tall, lean, about twenty. His long hair was almost white, and intelligence gleamed in his expressive blue eyes. "I'm comfortable like this," the guy pulled out headphones from his pocket and, with a familiar gesture, put them in his ears. Well, so much for conversation... Sergey was disappointed. Maybe he doesn't like jazz. Fine, let him rest. He thoughtfully turned up the heat on the air conditioner and shifted gears. He let a car pass and smoothly pulled forward. What could anyone be doing out in this desolate place? The driver set the cruise control and occasionally glanced at the student, who was dozing beside him. Monotonous, dreary villages drifted by. How do people live here? Some settlements looked completely abandoned, with crooked fences and old log houses. Often now, the road had unlit sections, with a grey, slightly blurry forest landscape, which the night lent a certain mystery. Only the headlights of passing cars snatched trees and the road from the darkness.

They had been driving in silence for quite a while. An overtaking lane appeared, and Sergey confidently passed a lumbering Niva. The road began to climb uphill; there were no other cars, and he had to switch on his high beams. In the distance, at the top of the hill, a lone car stood visible on the roadside. A Land Rover, that silhouette is unmistakable, thought the trucker. The headlights picked out two figures inside.

The student, who seemed peacefully asleep, suddenly opened his eyes and pulled out his headphones. "Definitely asleep," he stated. "Yeah, a lot of people rest on the road at this hour. How did you end up out here yourself?" The driver was pleased by the conversation. "Really wanted to ride in a truck." The semi-truck was already passing the car. "Time to wake up!" With these words, the guy suddenly reached for the steering wheel and pressed the horn. A loud, prolonged blast, like a train whistle, echoed. The surprised driver didn't react immediately, but regaining his composure, he sharply pushed the guy's hand away from the wheel.

"What are you, crazy?! Don't touch anything here!" The truck was speeding along, but a sudden surge of fury made Sergey slam on the brakes. The road train continued for a moment by inertia, then swerved a few times, raising dust, and stopped on the roadside. Sergey leaned over the seat and opened the left door.

"Get out! Get the hell out of here!" The student silently jumped out of the cab. The trucker turned off the engine and caught his breath. The anger passed as suddenly as it had come. Alright, I'll give this idiot a ride. He opened the door and called the kid. The reply was an unusual silence.

"Come on, hell with you, don't be scared, let's go!" Sergey got out onto the road and walked around the truck. There was no one on the road. The moon illuminated the highway and the fields around, only in the distance behind the trailer did the dark spot of the standing car remain. Strange... where did he go? A chill ran down his spine. The driver looked under the truck and, glancing around, approached the cab. "Hey, well, God be with you." Sergey climbed into the seat, turned on the ignition, and sharply pulled onto the road. What a strange one... and where did he go? Thoughts of the kid kept bothering him.

The road train quickly cut through the night air. After a while, the road began to curve to the right, and on the next straight section, semi-trucks were visible parked on the opposite shoulder. A truck stop. The driver realized. Suddenly, from their side, a black tractor unit, without a trailer, pulled out with a spin, its whole body turning. Sergey flinched in surprise. Headlights reflected off tinted windows. The vehicle sped past in the oncoming lane and disappeared from the mirror. He didn't even turn on his headlights or running lights, what another idiot, Sergey thought. His mood was completely ruined.

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