Hitchhiker

Heavy rain falls against a car windshield as a young woman with long, dirty blonde hair travels down an old country road. The repetitive sound of windshield wipers slowly sliding back and forth prevents her from dozing off. As the back road drifts right, two red tail lights appear in a sea of darkness, along with a tall man dressed in a dark green poncho; the distant figure stands with his right thumb held high.

In a quick decision, the young woman drives past. Her eyes quickly move from the road to the rearview mirror. Suddenly, the car comes to a screeching halt. The young woman grips the steering wheel as she feels her throat constrict. Her eyes watch the tall figure approach the passenger side of the worn-down vehicle.

Suddenly, a concerned look slowly fades into a polite smile as the side window slowly rolls down. From the dark unknown, a pleasant-looking man no older than thirty-five emerges into the warm glow of the car interior.

"Can I help you?" The young woman yelled, attempting to speak over the heavy downpour.

"Yeah, my car broke down about an hour ago. I was gonna try to walk into town, but then the storm rolled in, and well... It didn't seem like the best idea." The man spoke in a soft southern draw; his eyes never wavered, and even when shouting over the harsh weather conditions, you could hear a sense of kindness in his voice.

"What's wrong with it?"

The hitchhiker quickly glances toward the broken-down car and then back to the young woman. "To be honest, I don't know... It just kinda died on me..."

"Have you called anyone? I can try to get ahold of a tow truck if you want."

"There's not gonna be any service for about 15 miles, so there's not much point."

"I see..." The young woman said in a wavering tone.

The hitchhiker raises his hands, slowly backing away from the passenger side widow. "Listen, if it's too much trouble, I understand."

The young woman quickly replies before the hitchhiker can back away any further. "No, it's fine, I promise."

"Are you sure? The last thing I want to do is cause any trouble."

"No, really, it's fine. Hope in!"

As the passenger side door is unlocked, the hitchhiker quickly climbs in from the pouring rain. While attempting to catch his breath, the hitchhiker speaks. "Thank you... For a second, I thought I was gonna be stuck out there all night."

"Well, I'm glad I could help. I'm Kelly, by the way." The two shake hands as they both let out an awkward smile.

"Nice to meet you, Kelly. I appreciate it. You from Maryland?"

Kelly gives the man a confused expression. "Excuse me?"

"Your license plate, it said, Maryland."

"Yeah, I'm visiting family..." Kelly begins to drive as the two continue to talk.

"Sounds nice."

"What about you?"

Suddenly, the man seems timid. "No, I'm just passing through. I don't like sticking around one place too long. After a while, even the most interesting of places become mundane. At least that's what my dad always said..."

"Did you move a lot as a kid?"

"Yeah, he was military, so we didn't really have a choice."

"I'm sure it wasn't all bad."

She said, letting out a comforting smile.

"Yeah, some places were better than others, but it always taught you some interesting things."

"Like what?"

"How to make friends fast..." For the first time in their conversation, the hitchhiker looks away. Suddenly, the man let out a slight laugh. "There was always a game we played, and no matter who I played on, we'd always be friends by the end. Would you like to play it?"

"Sure." She replied in an eager tone.

"Okay, listen closely. This game is comprised of two parts. First, I'm gonna ask you a series of questions, and no matter what they are, you have to answer them honestly. If you lie, I'll know. Understand?"

"Yup." She said, giving a slight nod.

"Good. Okay, question one: Where are you from?"

"Maryland."

"Wrong answer." The hitchhiker said bluntly. "Where are you originally from?"

Kelly gives a brief pause before answering. "Oakland..." She said in a soft, concerned voice.

"Correct!" The hitchhiker shouts excitedly. "Second question: what's your name?"

"Kelly..." She said before breaking eye contact with the road and turning toward the hitchhiker. As his dark, wet hair obscures his eyes, his once-kind smile now feels oddly off-putting.
"Also correct. Very good, Kelly you're off to a great start. Now for our third question: Do you have any pets?"

"I did."

"You did? Well, what happened to him?"

"He died." Kelly said in a soft, somber voice.

"How'd he die?" The hitchhiker said bluntly.

Kelly begins to stutter as she talks in a reminiscent manner. "I don't know, he was old..."

The sound of the windshield wipers slowly scraping back and forth fills the cramped car. "Take a guess..."

"What?" She said, confused.

"I asked you how he died, you said you didn't know, so take a guess..." She gave a strange look to the hitchhiker before her attention was once again consumed by the empty country road.

"A heart attack? I don't know." Kelly seems agitated, but the hitchhiker is unfazed.

"Wrong answer. Next question."

"What?" The car suddenly begins to slow down as Kelly looks to the hitchhiker.

The hitchhiker speaks in a cold, almost emotionless voice. "We're moving on to the next question, Kelly."

Tears begin to form around Kelly's eyes as she struggles to catch her breath. "I think I'd like you to get out of my car..."

"Well, don't stop now, Kelly, we're not done just yet... Eyes on the road. Fourth question: What's one thing you wish you could have done before you died?"

Kelly now speaks in a broken voice. "I don't know..."

The hitchhiker begins to scream. "IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO A QUESTION, WHAT DID I SAY TO DO?"

"I would have liked to have gotten married."

The hitchhiker let out a quick scoff before rubbing his face with his right hand. "Interesting. Do you have anyone you care for?"

Suddenly, the car windshield begins to crack. Kelly speaks in a soft tone and with almost no emotion. "I used to..."

"What happened?"

"He left..."

The hitchhiker responds quickly, leaving almost no time for thought. "Was it your fault?"

"No."

"Was it his?"

The car windshield continues to crack as the harsh sounds of the empty highway fade through. "No."

The hitchhiker looks puzzled. "Well, if it wasn't your fault and it wasn't his... Who's fault was it?"

"It wasn't anyone's fault, we just kinda..."

"Just kinda what?" Suddenly, the heavy rain stops. The car is left completely quiet.

"We just kinda fell apart..." Kelly looks to the hitchhiker. The man who once seemed so kind and welcoming now seemed less than human.

"Well, isn't that sad..." He said bluntly, showing almost no sympathy whatsoever. "Kelly, I have one more question. Are you ready to die tonight?"

End.