It was just after dawn when Officer Ray Collins began his usual patrol along Route 47. The road, typically quiet at that hour, stretched endlessly through the fog-covered hills. But this morning was different.
As Ray approached a bend near Mile Marker 122, his headlights illuminated a strange silhouette on the shoulder of the highway. Slowing down, he realized it wasn’t road debris or a broken-down vehicle — it was a coffin. A full-sized, wooden coffin with ornate metal handles, standing alone in the mist.
“I thought it had to be a Halloween prank,” Officer Collins later recalled. “But something about it felt… wrong.”
Cautiously stepping out of his cruiser, he approached the coffin, unsure of what he’d find. There were no tire marks, no vehicles nearby, no footprints. Just the coffin — closed, silent, and eerie.
With his flashlight trembling slightly in his hand, Ray slowly opened the lid.
What he found inside wasn’t what anyone expected.
Inside the coffin lay a lifelike mannequin, dressed in a vintage wedding dress. The figure’s eyes were made of glass but seemed to follow him. Its arms were crossed like a real corpse, and a faded photo was pinned to the chest — a black and white picture of a couple, dated 1963.
Chills ran down his spine.
But the strangest part? There was no sign of who left it there — and no explanation as to why. The tag on the coffin had no funeral home logo, no delivery markings, no name.
Ray immediately called for backup, unsure if it was a message, a warning, or something darker. Investigators cordoned off the area and took the coffin in for examination.
Later, a local historian pointed out that a bride named Margaret Elkins went missing in 1963, on the day of her wedding — never found. The photo matched her engagement announcement.
Could it be a twisted tribute? Or something more sinister?
As of today, the mystery remains unsolved, and the case has been reopened as a cold case with new leads. Locals now avoid that stretch of road at night, some claiming they’ve seen a woman in white standing in the mist.
Whatever the truth is — one thing is certain:
Officer Ray will never forget what he saw inside that coffin.
🧾 Disclaimer:
This story is a work of fiction created for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to real people, names, or events is purely coincidental. The accompanying image is AI-generated and used for illustrative purposes only.