[eerie music]
(male narrator)
There is a fifth dimension
Beyond that
Which is 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 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, , .
Something like that.
Blowout, skid marks,
Shoulders like pudding
And going 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 fix
You up with a new tire.
Thank you.
(male narrator)
Minor incident
On highway
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,
$ . for the tire.
The tax, $ . .
Whole thing
Comes to $ . .
It's cheaper than
A funeral, isn't it?
You can say that again.
[chuckles]
[suspense music]
(mechanic)
Here you are, miss.
Change from your two s.
Checked the other
Tires for you.
They look okay.
Anything wrong?
No.
No, nothing's wrong.
I was just looking
At that, uh,
That hitchhiker.
[suspense music]
(mechanic)
What hitchhiker?
He's gone now.
Guess he got picked up.
Probably.
It's funny, though.
I saw him a little while ago
While you were changing
The tire.
Yeah, he probably
Got a lift right
After we passed him.
Probably.
Thank you very much
For all your help.
It's okay, miss.
Have a nice, safe trip.
Thank you.
[suspense music]
(Adams, off)
I saw him again
miles 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
Hitchhikers around here?
Hitchikers, here? Ooh!
Rare, huh?
It couldn't be no rarer.
The guy would be a fool
Hitching a ride
On a turnpike.
Look at it.
Miles and miles
Straight away,
And practically
No speed limit.
Now, what car is gonna
Stop and pick up a guy
Under those conditions?
Would you?
No. I woudln't.
Now a guy might get a ride
Before the turnpike starts.
You know, maybe
By the toll house
Or something.
But even then it would be
A mighty long ride.
Most cars wouldn't
Wanna pick up a guy
For that long a ride.
And then, you know,
It's kind of lonely
Country around here.
Flatland, hills,
That sort of thing.
You didn't see anyone
Hitching, did you?
No! No, I didn't see
Anyone like that
I was just wondering,
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]
Heading west?
No!
No, I'm not heading west,
I'm sorry.
I'm not heading
West, I'm just going up
The road a little way!
[sharp acceieration]
Miss, where are you going?
[suspense music]
[warning bell clanging]
[clanging continues]
[suspense music]
[tires squealing]
[train horn blowing]
[warning bell clanging]
[engine grinding]
[train horn blaring]
[engine grinding
While train horn blaring]
[bell clanging]
[horn blaring]
[engine turns over]
[horn blaring
And bell clanging]
[horn blaring closer]
[bells clanging]
[horn blaring]
[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 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 : at night,
The engine stopped,
And I sit there
In the front seat
Refrigerated by fear,
Out of gas!
[soft suspense music]
[gasps]
[knocking frantically]
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 fix you up.
Please! I can't
Stay here all night.
I have to have some gas.
Lady, it must be
Past midnight.
It's only a little
Bit after : .
Well, we close up
Here at : .
Please!
I've got to have
A can of gas.
I just can't stay there
By myself.
There's a very
Suspicious-looking man there.
What about this man?
What was he doing?
Well,
Oh, nothing, I--
I--
He-- 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 middle
Of his sleep about.
Well, I think he's
Trying to rob me, I--
[sobs]
Well, if he does,
Then you come
Back here
And I'll call
The sheriff.
No, please help 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 headed?
Back to my ship.
San Diego, that's
Where she is.
That's where I'm
Heading. San Diego.
Do you want a ride?
Are you kidding me?
No, I'm not kidding,
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 rider, honest.
I don't have
Any gas, though.
We'll fix that up.
You try the people here?
The man's in bed.
Let's get him
Out of bed.
Hey, pop, you got
Some customers 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.
Middle 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 ship,
Do you know what
The odds are for even
One guy believing me?
I said, "Do you know
What the odds are
For one guy to believe me?"
I'll write
An affidavit.
We can get
A notary to sign it.
You hitchhike much?
Well, back and forth
On leave mostly.
It's kind of tough
In this open country.
Trucks are all right,
They'll pick you up.
But you have
Trouble with cars.
You know,
Most people in cars
Won't pick up
Hitchhikers at night.
Oh, I suppose not.
I bet if you got a,
Good pickup
And a fast car
You could go places
Faster than,
Than, say, another
Person in another car.
I suppose.
Well, take me, for instance.
Suppose I'm driving
Across the country
At a nice steady clip
Of about, oh,
miles an hour.
Couldn't a
Fellow like you
Standing beside the road
Waiting for a lift
b*at me to town
After town,
Provided he got
Picked up every time
In a car going about
to miles an hour?
Couldn't he?
Well, I suppose.
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
Sitting in the car.
[laughs]
Yeah.
I guess it's
A good way
To spend your time,
Though, huh?
[chuckles softly]
[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 run us
Off the road or something?
The thin, kind of
Gray-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.
Uh-uh, I didn't see anybody.
What were you trying to do?
I was trying to hit him.
What?
That's right, I was
Trying to hit him.
I thought maybe
If I could k*ll him,
I could make him stop.
Where you going?
No place in particular.
Just out of sight.
I'm going to go anyplace
That puts distance
Between me
And this automobile.
Please don't go, I just--
I don't know
What came over me--
Don't go.
Look, baby, I'd like to get
Back to my ship in one piece.
And driving with you--
That is a lousy guarantee
I'll ever make it.
Please don't go. I promise
I'll drive more carefully
Now. I promise.
I'm sorry, lady, I'm sorry.
But you'll have to excuse me.
You can't go, you
Understand 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 picked 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 country.
Help 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 boyfriend,
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
Familiar, someone I love,
Someone to bring back
Reality to me.
Just a voice
A warm, familiar voice
So I won't lose my mind.
Operator, I'd like to
Make a call to my home
In New York City.
My name is Nan Adams.
The telephone number
Is Trafalgar .
[rings]
[click]
Hello, mother?
(woman)
This is Mrs. Adams' residence,
Whom do you wish
To speak to, please?
Who's this?
This is Mrs. Whitney.
Mrs. Whitney?
I don't know any Mrs. Whitney.
Is this Trafalgar ?
Yes, it is.
Where's my mother?
Where's Mrs. Adams?
She's still in the hospital.
A nervous breakdown.
A nervous breakdown?
But there's nothing
The matter with my mother.
What do you mean,
A nervous breakdown?
Well, it's all taken place
Since the death
Of her daughter.
The death of her daughter?
What do you--
What do you mean,
The death of her daughter?
Who's this?
What number is this?
It's all been very sudden.
Nan was k*lled
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 miles
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
My way?
(male narrator)
Nan Adams, age .
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.
[indistinct] machine known
Variously as slot machine
Or one-armed bandit,
If you've ever played
With one of these
Things for a while
You've probably gotten
The peculiar feeling
That this is a machine
With a mind and will
Of its own.
This is what happened
When Everett Sloan
Contracts a fatal ailment
We call "The Fever."
You'll be
An eyewitness to it next
Week on the twilight zone.
(male presenter, off)
Be sure to see
The fun filled
Family life
Of one of America's
Greatest entertainers
The Danny Thomas show,
Monday nights, over most
Of these stations.