i wrote this short story in several hours to fill space in Rapid River magazine back in Nov 1998

Radio: There’s a killer on the road.
His brain is squirming like a toad.

Driver: “Where ya’ headed?”

Hitchhiker: “Old Fort.”

“I can take ya’ as far as Black Mountain. Get in.”

“Thanks, mister.”

Take a long holiday.
Let your children play.

“You picked one helluva night to be out on the roads. Wet, cold, and dark.”

“Well…”

“But at least I can get you a good hour closer.”

“‘Preciate it mister…a lot.”

If you give this man a ride,
sweet memory will die.

The wipers swished back and forth on the windshield, harmonizing in a soft lullaby with the hiss of the tires on the rainy road. The passenger sat back, pressed his back into the seat and shifted back and forth a little. He was rubbing a little niche in the seat for himself so he could get comfortable.

I got just under an hour to make my move. Time enough to get my head all warmed up and glowing…its better that way. Hadn’t planned on a customer this soon but I’m not complaining.

“Mind if I turn on the radio?”

“Hmm?”

“The radio…?”

“Oh, of course not. It’s your car.”

The driver shot a quick, lopsided grin at the passenger and clicked on the radio.

THIS IS WSQC, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO AND I’M YOUR HOST TORREY WINDOFF. COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR WE WILL HEAR CLASSICAL MUSIC FROM BACH’S CELLO SUITES AND ALSO EXCERPTS FROM ORF’S CARMINA BURANA. BUT FIRST THE LOCAL NEWS. THE TOP STORY TONIGHT: THE SERIAL KILLER KNOWN ONLY AS “JACK” STRUCK AGAIN LAST NIGHT ON INTERSTATE 40 NEAR CANDLER.

LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES STILL REFUSE TO OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT “JACK” IS A SERIAL KILLER, BUT THEY DID ISSUE A WARNING: IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING I-40 OR ANY OTHER HIGHWAY IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY, TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY, OR HENDERSON COUNTY -AVOID STOPPING ON THE ROADSIDE EXCEPT DURING EMERGENCIES. IF YOU MUST STOP, STAY ALERT AND USE EXTREME CAUTION. IF YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE, NOTIFY THE HIGHWAY PATROL BY DIALING STAR-HP, LOCK YOUR DOORS, AND STAY IN YOUR CAR.

The passenger winced and glanced sideways at the driver.

Damn media. Can’t keep their mouths shut for nothing. Jack? Like Jack the Ripper? What a laugh. Can’t they come up with anything better than that? They think they’re so clever and all they’re gonna end up doing is arousing suspicion and getting in the way of men performing their duties. “Jack” is just doing his job. Leave him alone.

“JACK” HAS BEEN LINKED TO THREE DEATHS ON I-40 IN THE PAST FIVE WEEKS. ALL THE VICTIMS WERE KILLED WITH A *CLICK* YOU NEED COOLING, BABY, I’M NOT FOOLING, I’M GONNA SEND YA-a, BACK TO SCHOOL-enh.

“Hope you don’t mind that I switched stations. I don’t feel like listening to that garbage.”

“Of course not. Like I said. It’s your car.”

“Where’ ya coming from?”

“Oh… I started out in Tennessee this morning. Knoxville.”

“Really? I just set out from Knoxville about two and a half hours ago. Coming back from a business convention.”

“Hmm.”

“Headed home to my wife and kids. I’ll be glad to get back.”

Yeah, I’ll bet. I’ll bet you can’t wait to get home and run straight to the shower so you can wash off the smell of the woman you slept with in Knoxville. Bet your wife knows anyway. Women are good like that. Yeah, she’ll know anyway. And if you ain’t sleeping around on her you’re guilty of something else. You and everybody else. You’re all guilty. I bet you picked up some good ways to cheat on some business deals or was it ‘new-and-improved tax evasion techniques’? Who knows? Who cares? You’re all guilty.

“You married?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you married?”

“Do I look like I’m married?”

“Henh. Guess not.”

Yeah, you’re all guilty. And you all want to be punished. Everyday, deep down inside where your conscious mind can’t get to – no matter how hard you try – no matter how hard you want to – that’s where you’re begging for punishment. It’s up to me to show you the way.

Like that girl. Her eyes all wide and her neck all strained cause she was trying so hard to move her throat away from the knife. But she couldn’t move. She couldn’t move ‘cause inside she wanted it. She knew it. And I knew it.

‘Do you want to die?’
‘…no…’
‘Then say so.’
‘… I don’t…I don’t wanna…die’
‘You expect me to believe that?’
‘…y-yes…’
‘You’ll have to do better than that.’
‘D-Don’t…d-don’t…kill me.’
‘You didn’t say please.’
‘…puh…puh-please don’t kill me.’
‘Again.’
‘…puh-please don’t kill me.’
‘Three is a magic number…’
‘Please don’t kill me.’
Liar.

She got it all right. She got exactly what she wanted. I gave it to her right across the throat. That’s the place to do it. That way they know they’re goners but they can’t do anything about it.

They just sit there looking real dumb with their mouth working back and forth like they’re trying to talk and their hands pressed on their throat like they’re trying to hold the blood in. Yeah, real stupid. It’s not until right at the end when they understand. That’s when they know they’ve been redeemed and they just let it all out. Let it all out right there in daddy’s arms. They just let it go.

“‘Hush, little girl, it’s all better now. Yes.'”
“‘Quiet now, son. It’s all over. You’re clean now. Clean.'”

Everybody wants to be a victim. Everybody. The way they’re all screaming all the time about who did this to them and who did that. Everybody wants to be a victim so they can get an easy ride.

So they can be excused for their actions. So they can hear: “‘It’s all right. You only did it cause you didn’t know any better. ‘Cause of what they did to you. ‘Cause nobody ever called you up just to say hello and see how you were doing. ‘Cause you had to sleep all alone all those nights. ‘Cause nobody would give you a decent job just ‘cause of the way you looked. ‘Cause of what your father did to you. ‘Cause of what your mother did to you. ‘Cause of what society did to you. ‘Cause of what the government did to you. ‘Cause. ‘Cause. ‘Cause. ‘Cause you’re a victim and everybody knows victims can’t be blamed for what they do.

“Hello?”

“Hunh?”

“Man, where were you?”

“Oh. Thinking.”

The heads all glowing now. Yes. It’s real bright now. Feels good right in there behind the eyes where it should.

“Why are we stopped?”

“Flat tire. I told you I was pulling over. Man, you really were way out there weren’t you?”

“I guess.”

It’s brilliant now. The sound’s there too. The sound of angels. They sound so beautiful when they cry like that. The sound of the happiness of misery. Like it always is when the time is here.

The rain had let up and was now drifting down in a soft drizzle. The passenger got out of the car and came around to the driver’s side. The driver was already out and rummaging in the trunk. He could hear him grunting a little as he shifted things around back there.

I’m gonna take him when he’s down on his knees fixing that flat. I’m just gonna reach around and let him have it when he’s down there like he’s praying for it. Praying for redemption…hunh? What’s going on? I don’t understand.

The passenger kneeled down next to the tire and squinted.

Hey! This tire’s not flat!

*WHAM*

Why are there green stars floating under the car? With little re d tinges…and…and why is my face wet? …and why does my head hurt? Everything’s …all jittery. Can’t see…straight. The radio…on the radio…”JACK” HAS BEEN LINKED TO THREE DEATHS ON I-40 IN THE PAST FIVE WEEKS. ALL THE VICTIMS WERE KILLED WITH A…with a…with a carjack!

*WHAM*

…Thank you…thank you, Jack. Three
…is a magic number…Jack.

*WHAM*

Rapid River Volume 2, Issue 3 November, 1998 7

on dec 16 2018 i randomly discovered this:
Pretty Little Miss (7 minute film)
as referenced here on Reddit (forum)

which led me, in one way or another, to other links:
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Murder (youtube film)
Serial Uncut (book promo)
Pick Me Up (wiki article)