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A young couple just returned from their vacation in California and now, along with their three-year-old daughter, were returning to their house in Oregon. Determined to make it up there in two days, the couple alternated on the driving every 6 hours until they reached home. At this point on the first day of their trip home it was the third shift, at 11:00 that night, and the husband, Paul, was driving. Paul’s eyes were really weary; he could barely keep his eyes on the road. He turned to his wife, Morgan. She was fast asleep against the door of the old station wagon. He looked in the review mirror at young Franchesca in her car seat. She looked so angelic sleeping there that, despite the fact Paul needed the company, he decided against waking up either of them.
Paul continued driving along the deserted road, when suddenly, his high beams picked up a man in a trench coat. As Paul approached the man, he noticed his thumb was extended and he had a small carpetbag off to his left. As Paul continued driving, closer and closer to the hitchhiker, his mind raced on whether or not he should pick him up. He really needed the company, and there was no one else on the road. The poor guy wouldn’t get picked up for hours. Then again, Morgan would really disapprove. She had a thing for never picking up hitchhikers, since the discussion had risen before in their 6-year relationship. Also, what type of person would try to hitchhike in the middle of the night like this? He had to have been some sort of lunatic. Paul quickly passed the guy, in a way relived that he wouldn’t have to pick up that psycho. Not to mention, the guy looked somewhat less than sane. He had this crazy glare on his face, which wasn’t exactly comforting.
As Paul was going on through the last 40 minutes of his shift, about 20 minutes after the hitchhiker experience. Paul noticed some steam coming out of the hood of the car. “Oh Great!” Paul said as he pulled the car off to the side of the road. He quickly hopped out and popped the hood to the station wagon. He looked around at the engine and noticed that the radiator hose had burst and water was spraying everyone. “How could this have happened?” Paul said aloud. “I just got the car back from the shop.” As soon as those words escaped his mouth Paul noticed a man in a trenchcoat about 200 yards away. “That cant be the hitchhiker!” Paul exclaimed. “Its humanly impossible to go 30 miles in 20 minutes without some sort of vehicle. He’s just walking too. How could he…” Paul didn’t have time to think of this, he had to fix that hose and fast, that’s all he knew. Paul raced to the trunk searching for the duct tape. He scurried about looking for it, where could it have been? He grabbed a rubber box and found the duct tape inside. As he ran back to the front of the car, he looked back and saw that the hitchhiker was only about 75 yards away know. How could he go that fast in 30 seconds? Paul didn’t know who the hitchhiker was or what the hitchhiker was, but he had to improvise the radiator hose fast, Before that “thing” got to the car. Paul quickly found the hose and taped it up as fast as he could and jumped back into the car. As he found his keys, he tried starting up the car, but it wouldn’t start. He tried again, but still it wouldn’t start. He looked behind him and saw the hitchhiker was right next to the car, making a grab for the door as Paul started up the car and sped off, leaving the hitchhiker in the dust. Paul gave a sigh of relief, if only Morgan and Franchesca knew how close they were to possible murder. He decided against telling them when it was time for Morgan to drive. He turned to the sleeping passenger, instead to see the grinning face of the hitchhiker, with a long bloody knife in his hand.
