Officer Ashton tucks into his plate of eggs and bacon on his table for one. He wasn’t a stranger to eating out alone; he liked the fact he was able to process his thoughts a lot more clearly. Then suddenly, just as he was chewing on his salty bacon, he noticed a little boy walk inside the cafe, his bright blue eyes staring straight at Ashton.
For some strange reason, an uneasy feeling hit the pit of Ashton’s stomach. Ashton didn’t know it at the time, but this blue-eyed boy was about to change his life forever.
For as long as he could remember, Ashton Tovey was determined to become a police officer. His father was one, as was his uncle. Loyalty and bravery was a family trait.
And so, after years of hard work, finally Ashton Tovey became Officer Ashton Tovey. He wore his badge with pride, but this dedicated officer had no idea what was coming to him.
Ashton had been a police officer for four years now, and every morning he woke up with a smile on his face. As hard as it could be, Aston truly loved his job.
He knew he was making a difference in someone’s life every time he walked out the door. But one dark night, an event took place that tore Ashton’s world apart.
One of the greatest things about Ashton’s job wasn’t the ability to help others, or its pretty-good pay. It was his two best friends Felix and Marcus, who were on the force with him.
The trio had started their police journey together, they were all roommates at the police academy. They had gone through so much together and were inseparable (both inside and outside of work.) But that was soon about to change.
Ashton was fast asleep when he first got the call. It was from his boss, and on the fifth call finally, Ashton woke up and answered it.
A tired Ashton said hello while yawning and rubbing his eyes. After a moment of silence, his boss responded. And what he said shook Ashton’s world.
You see, Felix and Marcus (Ashton’s best friends) were on duty while Ashton was asleep. While patrolling the neighborhood, Felix and Antony stumbled across a fight in the middle of the street.
Unfortunately, during the fight, Felix and Marcus were hurt and they passed away. This left Ashton devastated and angry, he didn’t know what to do.
A few months had gone by since Felix and Marcus passed away that fateful night. For Ashton, he was still heartbroken.
He was hardly sleeping or eating. He wondered how things could ever go back to normal, knowing his two best friends wouldn’t be there at work to greet him with a hi-5 and a fresh coffee. How was he going to carry on?
Ashton decided to focus his time purely on work and helping others. But as hard as he tried he couldn’t really get over the fact he had lost his two best friends.
And so, four months after the loss of his friends, Antony decided to go for lunch one warm summer day. But he had no idea what was about to happen to him.
The sun was shining in his small town and Ashton decided to take his lunch break. He loved to support small businesses so he went to his local cafe.
As soon as he set foot inside the cafe, the smell of freshly baked treats lingered in the air. He thought it was just going to be an ordinary lunch break. He was so wrong.
Ashton sat himself down in the corner and ordered his food. He liked to eat alone, he was able to sit and process his thoughts a lot more clearly than the busy staff room at the police station.
His food was swiftly brought over and as he tucked into his eggs and bacon, he saw a little boy standing outside. Ashton didn’t know it at the time, but this boy was about to change his life.
The little boy walked inside the cafe while looking straight at Ashton. He joined the queue with his mom, and they waited to be seated.
As Ashton was eating his food, and sipping on his coffee, the boy was still staring. Did Ashton have something in his hair? Or on his face? Ashton was soon about to learn why this boy was curious about the officer, and he wasn’t prepared for the truth.
Ashton smiled at the boy and he swiftly turned away. The officer carried on eating and brushed off the little boy’s stares as nothing serious.
But this boy was staring at Ashton for a reason that would leave the officer with a shiver up his spine.
Ashton finished his food and left cash for the waiter, as he always does. But as he got up from the table, suddenly the little boy came walking over to him.
Ashton never could have imagined how this meeting would turn out.
“Excuse me,” the little boy said with a gigantic smile, “can I have a picture?” He asked. Ashton was stumped, “who, me?” Ashton replied.
“Yes, you,” the little boy said. Suddenly, Ashton’s world lit up. This little boy had well and truly turned Ashton’s smile upside down.
Ashton posed for the picture with the little boy and even his mom had a tear in her eye as she took the picture.
Ashton was so moved by this little boy, and he decided to post the story online, as a way for people to see that not all cops are bad guys. But Ashton never could have expected the response he got.
Within a matter of hours, Ashton, the little boy, and their selfie went viral. Thousands and thousands of people all across the globe had seen the selfie and read the story of Ashton and the little boy.
For Ashton, it was reassuring to know he was doing his job well. And as a police officer, that’s all he could ask for. But not all cops’ encounters with civillians are so easy.
He had been following the SUV for twenty minutes now. The vehicle drove down the interstate highway. Its driver uneasily swerved as they overtook other cars.
Was the driver sick or under the influence? Knowing he needed to stop them, he turned on his siren and stepped on the gas. He couldn’t believe what he had found.
Marcus Solomons had been a state trooper for the last decade and a half. He knew the ins and outs of the Utah highway system and enjoyed helping folks as they drove to their destinations.
Marcus had seen almost everything the highway had to offer. He’d been in car chases before, but nothing would ever top what happened to him that morning.
For Marcus, a typical day as a state trooper involved patrolling the interstate highway in Utah. Marcus loved his job. Every morning, he would wake up stocked for the adventures that waited for him on the road.
Even though he didn’t know it, what would happen that day would forever change his perspective on being a trooper.
That day began as every other did, with a cup of coffee and a drive down to the station. After a bit of housekeeping and paperwork, Marcus hopped into his cruiser.
The Interstate 15 (I-15) was part of his route that day. Marcus could feel it call to him. He kicked his cruiser into gear and slid out of the driveway. He had no clue what he was driving into.
Patrolling the interstate was usually a calm endeavor. Yet today, Marcus felt like something big was about to happen.
He was cruising down the almost clear highway when an SUV swerved ahead of him. The vehicle lumbered down the road unsteadily. What’s this? Marcus wondered. Something wasn’t right.
Marcus had driven along this highway for two decades. He had seen a lot, but not what he was looking at now.
The SUV before him jerked forward. Its driver steadied it. The vehicle wobbled on the road as it overtook a pickup truck. But that’s not what struck the state trooper as odd.
Marcus could’ve sworn he’d seen no one on the driver’s seat. He wiped his eyes. Was he in some prank, or were his eyes playing tricks on him?
He flicked his turn signal and overtook the pickup truck, steadying his cruiser behind the SUV. Marcus craned his neck, trying to better look at the SUV’s driver. What he saw almost made him veer off the road.
There were many stories about ghosts plaguing highways all over America. Marcus grew up with some of those stories.
The idea of a driverless car wasn’t new to him. Cars driving themselves didn’t cripple his spine with chilling fear. But this vehicle made his blood cuddle and his forehead run wet with sweat.
Marcus tried to rationalize the situation. There was an SUV before him with no visible driver. It was overtaking other cars but barely keeping to the road.
It might be one of those electric self-driving cars. Marcus had seen some in the city, and they were a better pick than ghosts. He had to stop the vehicle.
Thirty minutes had already passed since Marcus started pursuing the SUV. He needed to stop it now. As he accelerated toward the car, a thought hit him.
Maybe the vehicle had a driver, but they were sick and needed medical help. Marcus assisted many travelers on this road daily. If this driver needed help, he’d willingly offer it.
Marcus turned on his siren, hoping the phantom or driver inside the SUV abided by road laws. The vehicle shook. As it settled back on the road, Marcus finally caught a glimpse of the driver’s seat.
A person was driving the car. Marcus laughed at himself. Ghost driver, what was he thinking? But as he got a closer look, his smile faded.
A child stood behind the wheel, barely looking over the dashboard. Marcus blinked severally, his jaw slacking. A ghost driver would’ve made more sense than this.
“Pull over,” he spoke into his PA system. He’d have to be gentle as traffic was picking up around them. Spooking the child might’ve resulted in countless accidents.
As gently as he could, Marcus drove alongside the SUV. He cracked open his window and smiled at the kid, urging him to pull over.
The child nodded, returning Marcus’ smile with a nervous one. “It’s alright,” Marcus said over the window. “Just stop the vehicle, son.” He was not ready for what the child did next.
The kid, who couldn’t have been over six, slowed the SUV and pulled it to the side. Marcus couldn’t believe it.
He rushed out of his cruiser with a first aid kit. Where were this child’s parents, why was he on the road, and where did he learn to drive at such a young age?
Marcus took the kid and called the station. He explained the situation, and the department contacted the child’s parents.
As they drove back to the station, Marcus asked the boy something that had been gnawing at his mind. “Where were you going and why?” “My mom wouldn’t buy me a Lamborghini, so I was going to California to buy one,” the boy shrugged. “Look,” he fished three dollars out of his pocket, “I even have the money.”
