How could she have been so stupid to try hitchhiking? She knew the dangers, especially for a young woman alone at night. The full weight of her situation sunk in as Emily continued. She was alone, with no phone, on an isolated road in the middle of the night. What if something happened to her out here? Would anyone even know? Overcome with loneliness and fear, Emily fought back tears. She just wanted to get some answers…
Mile after mile, she walked in solitude. The empty streets and sidewalks only reinforced her anxiety. Where was everyone? Why wasn’t there a single car or person out? The silence and stillness was almost suffocating. Emily’s imagination ran wild with all the things that could go wrong. The unfamiliar panic rose within her again. She tried to stay calm but her pace quickened, urged on by both fear and hope that her family could make sense of this terrifying day.