The Hitchhiker

The Hitch Hiker

Jan's Story

I have lived all over the world, traveling for work. I am constantly moving and going. I love to explore and learn about new places. In the late 80s, when I was in my teens, I lived with my parents in Utah. My dad was in the military, and we moved a lot, even when I was young. I'm sure that's where I get my itchy feet and my need to always be moving.

One summer, when I was 18, I drove to a friend's house in Roosevelt, Utah. I spent four days hanging out with Susan and her family and enjoying nature.

On the last day, we went hiking and hung out longer than I had planned. It was Sunday evening, and I had planned to head to Odgen around 3 pm, but it was now closer to 8. Between Roosevelt and Ogden, it was about 3 and a half hours, so I knew I needed to leave soon. KI said my goodbyes and then headed out.

I was traveling on US-40 and headed west. This stretch of road is desolate even now; in the 1980s, it was even more so. It is just a vast desert that stretches into the horizon. I was listening to my music and enjoying the wind. I had an older car with no AC, so I used the wind to cool me off.

As I drove on the sunset, I noticed someone on the shoulder of the road ahead of me. I hadn't seen many cars at all and hadn't seen signs of life in an hour. As I approached the figure, I slowed down. It was a young native woman about my age with long black hair and a native blanket draped over her shoulders. As I pulled up, she had her hand out with her thumb up, indicating she was hitchhiking. My first thought was to pull over. I was told never to pick up hitchhikers, but this young woman looked like she needed help. As I came to about 15 feet, she looked at me, and a huge creepy grin crossed her face. Then I could see she had old rotten teeth, and her grin made my skin crawl. I had a feeling of absolute clarity that hit me with fear. It felt like an ice-cold bucket of water poured over me, and I knew I could not pick this woman up. My heart fought with my fear for about a second, and fear won.

I sped up and pulled into the road. I could hear the girl laughing as I passed, but it sounded like an old man laughing. I sped off and didn't look back. I realized I was going way too fast and almost hyperventilating.

I calmed myself down and slowed the car. After about 10 minutes, I was all but back to normal. The sun had set, and it was now almost dark. My mind raced, wondering what I had seen and if I had just imagined it.

Suddenly, my headlight hit a figure ahead in the road. I slowed, but the fear was now once again raging in my chest. As I approached, my heart stopped. Standing in the road was the same girl I had passed 10 minutes earlier. For reasons I can't fathom, something came over me like a trance, and I was about to stop when something in my ear said, "GO PAST HER, DON'T STOP!"

I jumped, the voice was so loud. I was scared to death but drove quickly around the girl. As I did, she lunged at the door, and I heard the old man laughing again; she had lunged at my door as I drove to her right, and she just missed my door. I hit the gas and drove like hell. It wasn't until later that I could slow down and catch my breath. I was crying and shaking, and I could hardly see the road through my tears.

After about an hour, I came to a small gas station and pulled into the light area. I looked around and then burst into tears. It had been more emotional than you can possibly believe. I went to the pay phone and called my dad. I told him everything, and he made me sit in the station until he and my mom could get to me. An hour and a half later, they showed up, and Mom drove my car, and I drove with Dad in his.

I slept for 2 days. I was so exhausted. It took me a year to drive at night again. To this day, I don't know what I saw or even the loud voice that saved me. I believe it was possibly a Skinwalker or another horrible entity trying to get me.

My years of traveling have taught me there is much more to this world than we think we know or understand.