Man gives hitchhiker a lift home-and is shocked by the news the next day

 Carter's life has become one of constant back-and-forth anxiety: every ringing phone, every knock on the door, holding his breath, waiting for the unexpected.Even something as simple as answering the phone became a mini-battle against mounting anxiety. What was once part of everyday life now felt alien, replaced by a constant sense of tension where even the faintest sound would make me jump in fear.