The Hitchhiker (short story)

THE HITCHHIKER

If I never graduated. If I never took that road trip by myself. If I never took that "shortcut". If I never saw that shadow on the side of the road. If I never got mom's compassion. If I never slowed down. If I never stopped to pick up that shadow. Maybe, just maybe I would not have been put in this situation.

It was a little past sunset. The sky was still pink and purple. The shadows quickly attached themselves to the trees making them look eery. I remember my car lights glinted off something strange. I rolled my passenger window down as I crept my car along side the figure. I remember I asked her where she was going. She said anywhere. She was real pretty; blond hair, grey eyes. She looked distressed. I told her she could ride with me for a while. She got in. We talked about nothing for about half an hour when I saw a little restaurant off the side of the road. Even with her protests I was hungry so I pulled into the parking lot.

The diner, now that we were closer, didn't look too friendly. The green fluorescent light blinded us and every light in the diner was on. The stranger and I exchanged glances but walked through the rusty, squeaky door. The windows were covered in out-of-date advertisements and where they weren't covered it was smudged with grease. Inside wasn't much better. The buzz of the lights filled the small area. A heavy set woman scuttled out from behind the back when the bell rang. I remember that southern accent. Reminded you of an innocent time with mama. She took our orders and disappeared.

See, we were really in the middle of nowhere so you could imagine our astonishment when we saw a car pull into the lot. Two figures climbed out of the car and walked into the diner. I couldn't tell you much about what they looked like because the lights went out. The sound of the diner door closing was the only thing you could rely on. A sharp pain on the back of my leg and a scream filled the night. I came to in the dark.

There was breathing next to me. Then I felt clammy hands fumbling around. I grabbed them. It was the stranger I had picked up. There was a gag around my mouth and my hands were zip tied together, to what I could figure as a water pipe connected to the wall. I moved slightly. My whole body responded. No, not all of it. My left leg didn't move. That's odd. I can't feel it. In fact I could only feel my hip. It stung. The light came on and I cringed. The fat lady walked towards us. She stood in front of me. I whimpered but to my surprise she started changing bandages on the leg I couldn't feel. I looked down. My leg had been cut off at the hip. I started crying.

The big lady laughed. I remember her saying how they used human meat for their locals. I remember suddenly she was screaming at the woman next to me. Something about the stranger's mother being upset. She needed to come home but no one will love her no more. No one! You must be punished! The big woman started laughing. I will never forget that laugh. Nasally and crazy. This woman was insane! I remember for the next few weeks I was fed and watered like a dog. They took the stranger into a different room. Every once in awhile I could hear the agonizing screams from the stranger which sent chills through my body. I prayed that when they started in on me I would just bleed out. The sirens... I swear to you that god sent them. They saved me but when I asked about the stranger they told me they searched the whole place and couldn't find any evidence of another hostage. She was gone. No one could have saved her. Not even the police. And to think that I was going to be next.