The Hitchhiker (standard:Suspense, 1299 words)
Author: Jennifer Cahill	Added: Apr 23 2012	Views/Reads: 5051/2974	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
The story involves a young soul who unwittingly becomes a victim in a situation that starts out innocent but the very innocence that is so soothing ends up putting the character in a terrifying position.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

vivacious, buoyant expressions on the faces of the crowd sitting and 
enjoying their lunch, and the atmosphere seems quite animated. He  
approaches the counter and ask the gentleman, all three hundred greasy 
pounds of him, if there is a public phone in the diner or nearby. “Only 
if you call me Al, can you use my own phone.” The heavyset gentleman 
grins. He smiles, “A million thanks, Al.” Chris walks behind the 
counter to the dial phone with a winding cord, and plop himself down on 
a stool as he decides who he should contact (there are seats behind the 
counter as well). As he is dialing his half- brother John, out of the 
corner of his eye he thinks he sees the odd character who gave him the 
ride slinking outside a side door. Chris is curious, but he tries not 
to let it bother him. After he has contacted his half- brother John and 
agrees to wait the day's journey for me to be picked up, after, of 
course, getting directions from the diner's owner, he rearranges 
himself to get a good look at the menu. Chris thinks there must be some 
mistake. The menu boasts of nothing but stews: rabbit stew, raccoon 
stew, a stew of squirrels?  Meals all consisting of small animals that 
can be hunted, of course...but could also be road kill. He shudders, a 
chill running up and down his spine as he remembers the man who gave 
him a lift, and who may very well be walking around the town. As he is 
pondering the oddity, he realizes a hush has descended upon the crowd. 
He turns to observe, when, to his horror, he sees outside the window 
the stranger who picked him up drive slowly by in his very own white 
and black jeep! The stranger is grinning wickedly at him. He looks 
around, noticing everyone quietly watching him, most with the wild and 
knowing smiles of the predator. Chris has become their prey. It is too 
late for the hitchhiker, the stranger among strangers on the highways 
and back roads of small town America. 


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