Hop in

The blinker played in the background as Sam waited for an answer. He'd asked if the man needed a ride into town.

"I said, are you heading to Pleasantville…"

"Yes, that's right."

He kept his distance from the car. Sam got a good look at him: dirty boots, worn jeans, and no wristwatch.

"Hop in. Put your bag in the backseat."

"I don't have any money."

"That's ok," Sam said, "it's just for a few miles anyway."

The guy smiled and opened the passenger door. A stale smell drifted in the air. He cracked the window open discreetly. Sam checked his mirror and floored it.

"So what are you in town for? I've lived here all my life. We all know each other. It's a small place, quiet too. It can get boring sometimes but it's peaceful."

The man listened. He nodded from time to time agreeing with what his host said.

"Look at this sunset. I bet you don't get these in the big city."

"It's beautiful. I'm not exactly from a big city but I'm near one. The busses run there at all hours."

"Not here, man. These roads are lonely at night. This is bear county. "

"Really?"

He shifted in his seat hearing what Sam said.

"You're lucky I came along. It's gonna get dark soon. These woods are scary at night."

Sam pulled a cigarette from the pack that rested on the dashboard. He gestured to his passenger but the man shook his head.

"I gave those up."

"Now who told you to do that? It wasn't your wife, that's for sure."

"No, I'm not married. How can you tell?"

Sam flicked ash out the window.

"You don't have a wedding ring."

"Oh, right…" The hitchhiker laughed. "How do you know I'm not one of those guys who take off their wedding ring in a bar?"

Sam looked straight ahead. His voice struck cold and serious.

"There's no tan line."

Sam never made eye contact while talking. This didn't go unnoticed by the younger man. He brushed it aside thinking he's a safe driver who never takes his eyes off the road.

"Can't wait to get some rest…Is there a hotel in town?"

"There is actually. Most of the time it's half-empty. Folks around here work at the lumber mill. We don't get many visitors. Are you looking for work?"

"Oh no, I'm on my way to Springhill for the music festival. Is it far from Pleasantville?"

"Springhill you say? Yeah, it's pretty far but there's a bus leaving each morning towards Tolburn. Once you get there it's not far."

He checked his phone.

"I can't get any signal. I can't go online, can't use GPS. That's why I wondered out here. There are two days of the festival left and I hope I can make it."

Sam veered onto a dirt road. It was pitch black. The car drifted deeper inside the thick pine-tree forest.

"Phones don't work inside the bubble."

"The bubble?"

"The ground is to blame. It's rich in metals that block out radio waves. The governor is trying to get funding for a mine. If he can do it he's got my vote. Lots of new jobs for folks and we need it, let me tell you."

"We've been driving for some time now. Are we close?"

Sam kept talking, not paying attention to the guy.

"It's been a tough year for all of us. But we powered through it like we always do. I'm so grateful for my family. They're all I got right now."

"You're married, huh. Do you have kids?"

"No kids. I don't like them."

"I see, does your wife-"

"I never touched any kids. People lie and make up shit. They don't understand how hard I have it. But I never touched any kids, man."

All was quiet in the car for a long minute. Sam stared ahead navigating the bumpy road. 

"My name's Michael by the way," he said, trying to break the silence.

Sam said nothing.

"Hey thanks for the ride but I think you can drop me off here. I bet the town isn't far from here. Do you have a flashlight I can borrow?"

"You're not going anywhere, " Sam said.

Michael's heart sank. He glanced at the man's hands. A shiver went through his body when he didn't see a ring.

"Look, just stop the car. I'll get out and you'll never see me again. No one will know what happened. I won't tell anyone, I swear."

"Shut up. Don't make this harder than it has to be." 

Sam pulled a gun out. 

"We're almost home. It's time to meet the family."

Michael froze. He squeezed his seatbelt holding his breath. Sam cut the engine off. The headlights shone on a cave inside a massive boulder. He pushed Michael out the door and onto the muddy forest floor. 

"Wait a minute, don't do this, " he said, holding shaky hands above his head.

"Get in there. The others are waiting."

"Please, don't do this!"

Michael fell to his knees, sobbing. Sam watched him plead for his life. He placed the barrel up against Michael's forehead. The gunshot crackled through the woods. Sam dragged the body inside the cave. The stench of death from inside would make anyone's stomach turn. Sam didn't mind. He plopped the body onto a wooden table and sat down. A cloud of flies buzzed in the air, gobbling up the lamplight. Sam nudged a chair with his boot making sure the rotten corpse wouldn't fall over. 

"Everyone, meet Michael. He likes music, isn't married, and gave up smoking. He's a gullible city boy."

He grabbed Michael's phone and unlocked it with his finger. Sam scrolled through the photos. 

"What an interesting life you have, Michael. Let's take a group photo to mark the beginning of your new life."

Sam laughed and lifted the young man's head off the table. 

"You're right, Joe. He does have a kind face. You know what? I think it would look better on you.