Video - The Hitchhiker Named Sam

Last night, I was driving home from a late shift at work when I saw a figure on the side of the road, thumb out, hitchhiking. Against my better judgment, I pulled over. The guy was disheveled, but he had a kind face. He told me he was just trying to get to the next town over. I felt a pang of sympathy and let him in. We made small talk for a while. He said his name was Sam, and he was trying to get home after his car broke down. I told him about my job at the diner and how I’d just finished a double shift. Suddenly, Sam asked me to pull over by a wooded area. My heart raced, but I did as he asked. He got out, thanked me, and disappeared into the trees. Confused and a bit freaked out, I drove off quickly. When I got home, I googled "Sam hitchhiker" out of curiosity. The first result made my blood run cold: a local news article about a man named Sam who had gone missing exactly one year ago today, last seen hitchhiking on the very road I picked him up on.