At 4pm, a driver crosses a bridge in Gauley, West Virginia. He drives through a tunnel under a railroad bridge that he has driven numerous times before and nearly gets hit by a truck driver. The driver stops for a second to recollect himself and turns his car on again, only to see an older man standing in front of his headlights, holding his thumb out like a hitchiker. Initially, the driver believes the older man to be a ghost because the driver honks and shouts at the man, but the older man does not respond. The older man begins walking towards him and asks for a ride to a town called Weston 100 miles away. At first, the driver wants to say that he is not driving in that direction, but the older man's soulful eyes and rain-wet clothing convince the driver to let the older man into his car. As they drive down the road, the driver tries to spark conversation between the two, but has difficulty as the older man can't hear the questions he asked. The older man explains that he is not hard of hearing, but didn't hear the honking and shouting from earlier. The older man further explains that he often gets down into his thoughts and doesn't hear the world around him. The driver asks the older man if he is looking for work and the older man explains that he is and that he usually looks for mining-related jobs. The driver tries to get the older man to talk more, but he doesn't. For several hours, neither of them speak. The driver observes the older man as someone who seems to be unaware of his surroundings, rigid, and one with heavy breathing. Suddenly, the older man begins to cough and this fit of coughing lasts for around 3 minutes. The driver feels guilty because he wants to tell the older man to leave his car, but decides against it. The car eventually arrives in Weston and the driver offers to get coffee with the older man who agrees because he doesn't have any money. The two go into a diner and drink coffee together. The driver also buys the older man and sandwich. The older man thanks the driver for his kindness and then asks if the driver will write a letter to the older man's wife. The driver writes down what the older man says. The older man's letter talks about how he is unable to find a job in the mines and that he was diagnosed with a disease called silicosis from the rocks he mines. He explains that the doctors believe he will die in around 4 months, but that he wants to continue to work to send money back home. The older man continues to talk about how his wife can go stay with her grandmother if she needs a place to stay and that she should keep their son away from the mining occupation. He finishes by saying that his wife should go find another husband since he is going to die soon. The driver finishes writing the letter and lets the older man read it, who thanks him. The driver watches the life drain from the older man's face, who begins to settle back into his thoughts. They sat together for a few minutes before the older man slowly gets up and goes back outside to the darkness and the rain.