I was going for a drive through Arizona on a Sunday afternoon. The sun was scorching, a blazing inferno hotter than hell itself. I watched as pink canyons the color of evening sunsets rolled past my review mirror, trying to focus on the state’s natural beauty rather than the sweltering heat. I realized I didn’t pack nearly enough water to keep my thirst quenched, and the car’s AC unit wasn’t enough to keep me cool either. It was like the heat had been invading my car from the outside in somehow, a zombie apocalypse.
As I came to a particularly deserted highway, I noticed a young boy around the age of twenty lying down on the side of the road. His limbs splayed out like a spider web, and he was bleeding heavily from his abdomen, a pool of scarlet blood stark against his white t-shirt. Naturally, I was curious. I’d never seen anything like this before.
I rolled down my window and called out to him. “Hey, kid, you okay?” I wondered, poking my head outside the car.
“Please help me, I was attacked!” He cried, moving his arms over his head. I could see large, deep gashes leading from his wrists to his forearms, bloody as a horror movie. I could see chunks of bone sticking out, causing me to gag violently. It was a miracle he wasn’t dead. “I-it was a man,” he stammered, “a-about yay high,” he gestured with his hands, “and he had a knife. He stabbed me, but he got away.”
“You’re going to be alright,” I assured him, clambering out of my vehicle and jumping out onto the side of the road. “You want a ride home?” I extended my hand towards his chest.
Slowly - agonizingly, his pale, bloody, shaky hand met mine; spindly fingers intertwined. “Y-yes please, that would be great.” He replied, mustering a meek smile upon his sickly features.
I noticed part of his left ear was missing and his nose was bleeding. The closer I got, the more I saw. I desperately wanted to help - poor kid. He didn’t deserve any of this.
I pulled him up and led him into the backseat of my car, lying him down gently. “Is this okay? You in any pain?” I queried knowingly, watching him groan in agony.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He smiled. “But I have a question.”
“Sure, kiddo. Fire away.”
“Aren’t you afraid of letting a stranger into your car? Isn’t it a bit, you know, dangerous? How do you know I’m not, like, a killer or something?”
I paused for a moment, grinning. “Well, how do you know that I’m not a killer? Wasn’t very wise of you to get into a car with a stranger yourself.”
I pulled out a large dagger from my pocket, sharp with jagged sides. “I’m pretty damn hungry, too, and it looks like you’ve got a meaty physique.”
His eyes widened with terror, his mouth agape. “Dude, what the hell!” He shrieked, cowering to the side of the car. “You’re sick!” He tried to escape, but it was too late - the door was locked.
I drew closer to him, placing the knife beside his stomach. “Oh, shut up. You’re about to die anyway. If anything, I’m doing you a favor, kiddo.”
“I swear to god, if you don’t drop that knife right now I will call the p-”
I’d already stabbed him before he had the chance to finish.
I got out of the car, opening the door on the hitchhiker's side and dragged his lifeless, dead weight of a body out into the road, feeling the cool, peaceful breeze blow through my hair.
I had a pretty good road trip.