Hitch Hike to Hell

No! no!

No!

Hey, thanks a lot.

Well, sure. Now, where are you headed?

As far away from this town as I can get.

Actually, I'm trying to make it up to San Francisco.

San Francisco?

I don't expect you to take me that far but you're headed in the right direction.

- Oh, sure. Jump in. - Great.

You don't seem to like this town much. What do you got against it?

Just two people: my parents.

Are you running away?

I'm over 18. I can do whatever I like.

I guess you could say I'm running away.

You shouldn't do that.

Look, you don't know my parents, especially my mother.

"Where are you going? Who are you going with?

"What time did you come home? What did you do?"

She sticks her nose into everything I do.

Well, that's because she loves you.

No, she don't. She hates me.

Oh, you sound just like Judy.

- Who's Judy? - Oh, that's my sister.

She ran away too, six years ago.

- And never came back? - No. No, never came back.

Mama never got over it.

Maybe your mama should have treated her a little bit better.

What do you mean, treated her better?

Mama treated Judy like gold.

Judy never had to lift a finger, Mama was always there.

Mama done everything for that girl.

Then she went and ran away.

Look, I don't know Judy and I don't know what went on.

All I know is what goes on in my house and I gotta get away.

Yeah, but... but look what you're doing to your mama.

Are you trying to talk me out of this?

- Yeah. - Why?

You don't even know me.

- What's your name? - Sharon.

Look, Sharon, you don't know what you're doing.

You don't know what happens to girls who run away.

They start running around with no-good guys and smoking dope

and when that happens, it's too late.

They can't go and talk to their mamas because they're ashamed to.

That's not gonna happen in my case.

Well, if it happened to Judy, it's gonna happen to you.

Now, listen, why don't you just let me turn around

and take you back home?

No way.

Oh. You're making a mistake.

Then let me make it.

You just don't care, do you?

You just don't care what hell you put your mama through.

No, I don't care. And look, I asked you for a ride, not a lecture.

- Maybe I oughta just get out right here. - No. No, that's OK.

Listen, uh... I'll take you down a little further.

OK.

Where are we going?

Oh, I gotta make a delivery at a farmhouse up here.

It won't take long.

What did we stop here for?

Um...

I'm gonna do Mama a favor.

- That's why. - No!

- Let me go! - Do you know what you've...?

Do you know what you've done to Mama, Judy?

I told you, I'm not Judy. I told you!

- Tramp! I did that for Mama's sake. - Let me go!

You tramp! You tramp!

Run away from Mama, will you?

You tramp! You tramp!

Run away from Mama!

- I'm gonna do something to you, Judy! - No, I'm not Judy!

Like Mama said those other boys are doing to you, Judy.

No! I'm not Judy!

I'm gonna punish you, Judy,

punish you for what you've done to Mama.

No! No!

No!

You'll never run away again, Judy!

Oh, Howard. Your customers have been calling up all afternoon,

complaining about you being late. Where have you been?

I got lost, Mr Baldwin.

You got lost?

You've lived around here all of your life. How could you get lost?

I don't know, I just... did.

You just did?

Let's see that you don't get lost again. I don't like my customers to complain.

- Now, have you unloaded the truck? - Oh, no, not yet.

Then I suggest you unload it right away.

We should have been closed and out of here by now. Go.

OK, Mr Baldwin.

Hm!

Maybe it wasn't his fault, Mr Baldwin.

So, who's fault was it?

I mean, anybody can get lost once in a while.

And he's generally a good worker. Isn't he?

Generally, yes.

Something's gotten into him these past few weeks.

Something's happened to him.

He's always been slow, but, er...

lately he walks around like he was in a daze.

I just don't understand it. I can't figure it out.

Well, I hope he gets over it pretty soon.

- You got your counter cleared off, Phyllis? - Yes, Mr Baldwin.

Then, you might as well run on home.

- OK, thank you. - We'll be through here in a minute.

Howie? You're late.

My goodness, I've been worried sick about you, honey. What took you?

- I got lost on my route. - How could you get lost?

Doesn't Mr Baldwin give you a map to use?

- No. - Well, I'll speak to him about that.

Oh, no, that's OK, Mama.

You don't have to. I don't think it will happen again.

Then how did it happen this time?

I don't know.

All I know is I found myself way out on a country road.

I don't know how I got there.

Well, your mind wandered, that's all. Happens to the best of us.

Howie, I've got your favorite soup. Homemade split pea.

I've been keeping it nice and hot for you.

You're not finished, are you? You haven't eaten half of that.

I'm just not hungry, Mama.

Well, what about dessert?

I've made your favorite, pineapple upside-down cake.

Oh, no. Maybe I'll have it tomorrow, Mama.

Tomorrow? Tomorrow it will be cold and soggy.

Nah, I just don't feel like it, Mama.

I think I'll go down to Swenson's for a root beer.

Well, there's lots of root beer in the refrigerator.

I don't know what it is, Mama. I just feel funny.

I think I'll go down to Swenson's for a root beer.

I really wish you wouldn't, Howie.

I don't want you on the streets alone at night. It isn't safe.

After all, since your sister ran away you're all I got.

You don't wanna worry me, do you, honey?

No, Mama.

Why don't you take a root beer out of the refrigerator?

Then you can take it into your room and work on your hobby.

OK, Mama.

You're not eating your cereal, Howie. What's the matter?

I haven't got any appetite, Mama.

My goodness, you didn't eat any supper and now you're not eating any breakfast.

- Don't you feel good? - I feel OK.

Well, if you don't feel good, you better not go to work today.

No, I feel OK, Mama. I'll be OK.

All right, honey. OK.

- Hi. - Hi. Going into town?

Yeah. There where you wanna be dropped off?

- Yeah, I'll show you where. - OK, come on.

Are you, uh... you a high-school girl?

Yeah. What did you think?

Oh, I don't know.

I thought maybe you was running away from home or something.

Me? No way. Why should I do that?

Oh, I don't know. Some girls do, though.

Well, not me. I love my home.

Do you, uh...? Do you love your mother?

Sure I love my mother. She's the greatest mom in the world.

- Why the questions? - Huh?

Oh, I was just talking, that's all.

Make a right here. This is 5406.

Oh, OK.

Thanks. Bye, thanks again.

Bye-bye.

Oh, Howie, you're home early. How did everything go today?

OK, Mama.

Go on, honey, go on in and rest a while.

OK.

Howie, did you eat your lunch today?

- Did you eat your lunch? - Yeah.

- All of it? - Yes, Mama.

Did you get that little surprise I put in for you?

Oh, that apple turnover? Yeah, thanks, Mama. That was good.

Oh, I knew you'd like it.

Honey, dinner is not quite ready. Just be a minute or two.

Oh, that's OK.

Here. Well, start with your juice, honey. There you go.

Oh, wasn't that terrible, Howie?

Well, what can girls like that expect?

I often wonder if that's what happened to Judy.

I don't know.

But if it did, she had it coming.

I hate to say that, but...

...she had it coming.

Did you hear what I said, Howie?

Howie? Did you hear what I said?

Yes, Mama, I heard what you said.

It's that report on Sharon Parker, Captain, that runaway homicide.

Right.

Yeah, it only confirms what I learned from her mother.