Hitchhiker

It happened on a hot summer night. I was on my way to my farmhouse when my car broke down. I got out of the car to check what was wrong. I had filled the whole gas tank before heading out, so it couldn't be out of gas. It was too hot outside, and the road cut right between a vast stretch of barren land.

I was still fixing my car when the air around me suddenly got colder. I ignored it and kept working. Then, I heard someone whisper my name. I turned around quickly. There was no one there. I got into my car and turned on the ignition. The car was finally fixed. I got out again to shut the car hood, when I heard the whisper again. Feeling creeped out, I got into the car and drove away.

A few miles ahead, I stopped when I saw a hitchhiker. It was a little girl, no more than twelve years old. I stopped by her, and the air suddenly felt cold. She had her face down, and she was wearing a red scarf and woollen clothes. "Can you drop me at this address?" She whispered, and handed out a crumpled piece of paper. I nodded, and she got into the seat beside. As soon as she got into the car, it got even colder. I switched off the AC. It was a short drive, and none of us spoke at the time.

When we reached the address, I asked her to stay in the car and went to the door. I knocked on the door, and an old lady opened the door. "Can we help you?" She asked in a tired voice. "I found a girl in the middle of nowhere and she gave me this address. Can you confirm that, miss?" I said politely. "Was she wearing a red scarf?" She asked. Slightly taken aback, I nodded.

"Yes, she was our daughter. She's dead now. Why don't you come in and tell us everything?" I stepped in and told them everything. They told me that their daughter died about twenty three years ago, and that every year someone like me picked her up and came to the address. I walked out of their house, my mind still buzzing with weird thoughts about how that was possible. I got into my now empty car, and looked at the passenger seat. There lay a red scarf there, and a new piece of paper. I picked it up and read, "Thanks for the ride."