[eerie music]
(male narrator) There is a fifth dimension
Beyond that Whichis known to man.
It is a dimension As vast as space
And as timeless as infinity.
It is the middle ground Between light and shadow,
Between science And superstition,
And it lies between The pit of man's fears
And the summit Of his knowledge.
This is the dimension Of imagination.
It is an area which we call The twilight zone.
[metal clinks]
(male narrator) Her name is nan adams.
She's 27 years old.
Her occupation, buyer At a new york Department store.
At present on vacation, Driving cross-country
To los angeles, california, From manhattan.
How fast were You going, miss?
Oh, 60, 65. Something like that.
Blowout, skid marks, Shou lders like pu dding
And going 65 miles an hour.
Lady, you're on the side Of the angels,
By rights, you shouldn't Have called for a mechanic.
Somebody should have Called for a hearse.
Just follow me Into town, miss.
I'll see if I can f ix You up with a new ti re.
Thank you.
(male narrator) M inor incident On highway 1 1 In pennsylvania.
Perhaps to be filed away
Under "Accidents You'd walk away from."
But from this moment on,
Nan adams' companion on a trip To california will be terror.
Her route, fear.
Her destination, Quite unknown.
[suspense music]
That's five bucks For the call,
$22. 1 0 for the ti re. The tax, $2.60.
Whole thing Comes to $29.70.
It's ch eaper than A fu n eral, isn't it?
You can say that again.
[chuckles]
[suspense music]
(mechanic) Here you are, miss.
Chang e from your two 20s.
Checked the oth er Ti res for you. They look okay.
Anything wrong?
No.
No, nothing's wrong.
I was just looking At that, uh,
That h itch h I ker. [suspense music]
(mechanic) What hitchhiker?
He's gone now.
G u ess he got p icked up.
Probably.
It's fu n ny, though. I saw him a little while ago
While you were changing The ti re.
Yeah, he probably Got a li ft right After we passed him.
Probably.
Thank you very much For all your h elp.
It's okay, miss.
Have a n ice, safe tri p.
Thank you.
[suspense music]
(adams, off) I saw him again 50 m iles further on,
And then again on the long,
Straight stretch Through virginia.
Just standing there. Not menacing, really.
If anything, drab, A little mousy.
Just a shabby, Silly-looking, scarecrow man.
I shouldn't even think About him at all, but,
It's the coincidence Of the thing.
The fact that wherever I go, There he is.
Wherever I stop, I see him.
No matter how far I travel Or how fast I go,
He's ahead of me.
I'm on a turnpike now.
I don't know why it is, But I'm frightened.
A fear just about as vague As its object.
Maybe it isn't really a fear.
It's more just A sense of disquiet,
A feeling that things Are a little wrong.
It's vague because that's What that hitchhiker is.
He's vague.
I wonder why it is He's always there.
I wonder why I can't shake him.
Do you get many H itch h I kers around here?
H itch I kers, here? Ooh!
Rare, huh?
It couldn't be no rare.
The guy would be a fool H itching a ri de On a turn p I ke.
Look at it. Miles and m I les Straig ht away,
And practically No speed li m it.
Now, what car is gon na Stop and pick up a guy U n der those con ditions?
Would you?
No. I wou dln't.
Now a guy might get a ri de Before the turn p I ke starts.
You know, maybe By the toll house Or something.
But even then it would be A mighty long ri de.
Most cars wouldn't Wanna pick up a guy For that long a ri de.
And then, you know, It's kind of lon ely Cou ntry around here.
Flat lan d, h I lls, That sort of thing.
You didn't see anyone H itching, did you?
No! No, I didn't see Anyone like that
I was just won dering, That's all.
Is something wrong, miss?
I don't know, I-- [soft suspense music]
I was-- I was just thinking--
I was just thinking How good it's gonna be To be able to stop driving.
It's getting so--
I hate that car.
You'll have to wait A minute, miss.
Construction ahead.
All right.
[suspense music]
H eading west?
No!
No, I'm not h eading west, I'm sorry.
I'm not h eading West, I'm just going up The road a little way!
[sharp acceieration]
Miss, where are you going?
[suspense music]
[warning beii cianging]
[clanging continues]
[suspense music]
[tires squealing]
[train horn blowing]
[warning bell clanging]
[engine grinding]
[train horn blaring]
[engine grinding While train horn blaring]
[beii cianging]
[horn biaring]
[engine turns over]
[horn blaring And bell clanging]
[horn blaring closer]
[beiis cianging]
[horn biaring]
[engine starts]
[horn blaring very loud]
(adams, off) Now the fear Is no longer vague.
The terror isn't formless.
It has a form.
He was beckoning me.
That thin, gray man In the cheap, shabby suit.
He was beckoning me.
He wanted me To start to cross.
He wanted me to die. [suspense music]
I know that now.
I don't know what to do now.
I don't know if I should turn Around and go back to new york
Or go on ahead.
Stabbing little thoughts Gouge my brain.
Ugly, frightened thoughts.
Projections of tomorrow And the next day
Driving through plains, Driving through the desert,
Unspeakably, Nightmarishly alone.
And I know I'll see him.
I'll see him at detours, At railroad crossings.
He'll be looking at me At stoplights.
I don't know what to do now.
I don't know what to do.
I just don't know what to do.
[suspense music]
(adams, off) Three days and three nights Now of driving
Past tennessee into arkansas.
Three days and three nights.
Stop for food and then drive.
Stop for food and then drive, Stop for food--
And the routine goes on.
Towns go by without names, Landscapes without form.
Now it isn't even a trip, It's flight.
Route 80 isn't a highway Anymore, it's an escape route.
So I keep going, Conscious of only one thing,
I've got to get Where I'm going
And I can't let That hitchhiker Close in on me.
(adams, off) On the fourth day, Halfway across new mexico
I took a side road, Hoping to lose the hitchhiker.
[crickets chirping]
At 1 1 :00 at night, The engine stopped,
And I sit there In the front seat
Refrigerated by fear, Out of gas!
[soft suspense music]
[gasps]
[knocking franticaiiy]
Please, somebody!
Please, somebody Help me!
Yeah?
What is it?
What do you want?
I'm out of gas.
My car's down the road
Just a quarter Of a mile or so.
Well, come back In the morning, And we'll f ix you up.
Please! I can't Stay here all night.
I have to have some gas.
Lady, it must be Past m I dnight.
It's only a little B it after 1 1 :00.
Well, we close up Here at 9 :00.
Please!
I've got to have A can of gas.
I just can't stay there By myself.
There's a very Susp icious-looking man there.
What about this man?
What was he doing?
Well,
Oh, nothing, I--
I--
H e-- he just stands there
And I've,
I've been seeing This man all the time.
But he just stands there,
And he doesn't do anything.
That's nothing To wake a man up
In the m I ddle Of his sleep about.
Well, I think h e's Trying to rob me, I--
[sobs]
Well, if he does, Then you come Back here
And I'll call The sh eri ff.
No, please h elp me, please.
[crying]
[suspense music]
[gasps]
Lady?
Yes.
That's what I am.
I'm a lady.
What are you doing Out so late?
You work here? This your place?
No.
I ran out of gas.
I'm just a little bit ways Down the road,
But he won't Give me any gas.
I saw your car.
You know, you left Your keys in it.
Do you live around here?
No, no, I'm on my Way back from leave.
Where you h eaded?
Back to my sh I p.
San diego, that's Where she is.
That's where I'm H eading. San diego.
Do you want a ri de?
Are you ki dding me?
No, I'm not ki dding, I mean it.
I'll take you all The way to san diego.
Will you drive with me?
Lady, you don't Have to ask twice.
You got yourself A ri der, hon est.
I don't have Any gas, though.
We'll f ix that up.
You try the people here?
The man's in bed.
Let's get him Out of bed.
Hey, pop, you got Some custom ers out here!
Say, do you mind If I take off my shoes?
My feet feel like Two hot bricks.
No, go right ahead.
Thanks.
[grunts]
You know, I keep thinking
I'll wake up Or something.
M I ddle of the night, No cars, no nothing.
Who do I meet?
Lady who looks Like a movie star.
When I tell the guys On the sh I p,
Do you know what The odds are for even One guy beli eving me?
I said, "Do you know What the odds are
For one guy to believe me?"
I'll write An aff I davit.
We can get A notary to sign it.
You h itch h I ke much?
Well, back and forth On leave mostly.
It's kind of toug h In this open cou ntry.
Trucks are all right, They'll pick you up.
But you have Trou ble with cars.
You know, Most people in cars
Won't pick up H itch h I kers at night.
Oh, I su ppose not.
I bet if you got a,
Good p icku p And a fast car
You could go places Faster than,
Than, say, anoth er Person in another car.
I su ppose.
Well, take me, for I nstance.
Su ppose I'm driving Across the cou ntry
At a nice steady cli p
Of about, oh, 45 miles an hour.
Couldn't a Fellow like you
Standing beside the road Waiting for a li ft
Beat me to town After town,
Provi ded he got P icked up every time
In a car going about 65 to 70 miles an hour?
Couldn't h e?
Well, I su ppose.
Maybe he could, And maybe he couldn't.
What difference does it make?
No difference, really, I,
Just a silly kind Of idea I had here
S itting in the car.
[iaughs] Yeah.
I gu ess it's A good way
To spend your time, Though, huh?
[chuckies softiy]
[tires squealing]
What's going on? What's the matter?
Did you see that man?
Who?
You must have seen him.
The one standing Beside the road.
Honey, I didn't See anybody. There Was nothing there.
You trying to ru n us Off the road or something?
The th I n, kind of G ray-looking man?
I didn't see anybody.
Lady, you must be Overtired or something.
I didn't see Nobody-- nothing.
I saw him.
[tires screeching]
[tires squealing]
Look, lady, maybe you'd Better let me drive, huh?
You must have Seen him that time.
U h-u h, I didn't see anybody.
What were you trying to do?
I was trying to h it him.
What?
That's right, I was Trying to h it him.
I thought maybe If I could ki ll him,
I could make him stop.
Where you going?
No place in particu lar. Just out of sight.
I'm going to go anyplace That puts distance
Between me And this automob I le.
Please don't go, I j ust--
I don't know What came over me--
Don't go.
Look, baby, I'd like to get Back to my sh I p in one p I ece.
And driving with you-- That is a lousy guarantee I'll ever make it.
Please don't go. I promise I'll drive more carefu lly Now. I promise.
I'm sorry, lady, I'm sorry. But you'll have to excuse me.
You can't go, you U n derstand that? You just can't go.
I'll take you all the way Into san diego.
I'll drive youright To the docks, I promise.
Thanks,
But no thanks.
Look, I like you.
I really like You very much, As a matter of fact
That's why I p icked you up-- Because I liked you.
I thought That we could be friends,
And I'd kind of like for you To take me out.
Really.
Please?
I'm sorry, ma'am.
No, please. Please! Look, I know you think I'm out of my mind,
But I've been Seeing this man.
He's been following me all The way across the cou ntry.
H elp me and just stay with me Till I reach the coast.
Please don't go!
Please?
Just give me my shoes.
Now, you listen, honey.
What you need is A good night's sleep.
You don't need a boyfri en d, Just a good night's sleep.
I'll see you around.
No!
Don't go!
[sobs]
(adams, off) Now I'm outside Of a diner near tucson.
There's a pay phone outside, And I'm going to call home,
Back to new york.
Put in a call to my mother,
So I can speak to someone Fam iliar, someone I love,
Someone to bring back Reality to me.
Just a voice
A warm, fam iliar voice So I won't lose my m ind.
Operator, I'd like to Make a call to my hom e
In new york city.
My name is nan adams.
The telephone number Is trafalgar 4 1 098.
[rings]
[ciick]
Hello, moth er?
(woman) This is mrs. Adams' residence,
Whom do you wish To speak to, please?
Who's this?
This is mrs. Whitney.
M rs. Wh itn ey? I don't know any mrs. Wh itn ey.
Is this trafalgar 4 1 098?
Yes, it is.
Where's my moth er? Where's mrs. Adams?
She's still in the hospital. A nervous breakdown.
A n ervous breakdown? But there's nothing The matter with my moth er.
What do you mean, A n ervous breakdown?
Well, it's all taken place Since the death Of her daughter.
The death of her daug hter?
What do you-- What do you mean, The death of her daug hter?
Who's this?
What number is this?
It's all been very sudden.
Nan was killed Just six days ago
In an automobile accident In pennsylvania.
A tire blew out And her car turned over.
(adams, off) Very odd.
The fear has left me now.
I'm numb, I have no feeling.
It's as if someone had pulled Out some kind of a plug in me
And everything, emotion, Feeling, fear, Has drained out.
And now I'm a cold shell.
I'm conscious of things Around me now--
The vast night of arizona,
The stars that look down From the darkness.
Ahead of me stretch A thousand m iles Of empty mesa--
Mountains, prairies, desert.
Somewhere among them, He's waiting for me.
Somewhere I'll find out Who he is.
I'll find out.
I'll find out what he wants.
But just now, For the first time
Looking out at the night
I think I know.
I believe you're going
Myw ay?
(male narrator) Nan adams, age 27.
She was driving to california, To los angeles.
She didn't make it.
There was a detour
Through the twilight zone.
(male presenter, off) Rod serling, the creator Of twilight zone
Will tell you about next Week's story after this word From our alternate sponsor.
(male presenter, off) And now, mr. Serling.
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