Merrick was driving down 101 when he saw the girl hitchhiking on the side of the road. She looked like one of those "Hippies" that he heard about in Vietnam.
Merrick pulled over and the girl got in. "Where are you headed?" he asked her. "To a place in the hills outside of L.A." she replied. Merrick nodded. "I can take you part of the way, but I have to be back in San Diego tomorrow"
"Were you in the war?" the girl asked. Merrick was out of uniform and wondered how she knew. "I just got back a few days ago." he said. He waited for the inevitable questions about "what it was like" but the questions didn't come.
The girl touched his arm. "I'm sorry." was all she said. The year Merrick spent in Vietnam went through his head and he longed for a place of peace. The girl seemed to sense his pain. "If you need a place to rest, you can come visit the commune where I live." the girl said.
Merrick automatically felt that this was something he needed. The girl wrote an address on a slip of paper and handed it to him. "I know you'll like it there" she said. "We all help each other and everybody gets along."
"Is there a leader of your group?" Merrick asked. The girl nodded "I call him "the prophet" because he's always talking about the future, but his real name is Charles Manson.
Merrick pulled over and the girl got in. "Where are you headed?" he asked her. "To a place in the hills outside of L.A." she replied. Merrick nodded. "I can take you part of the way, but I have to be back in San Diego tomorrow"
"Were you in the war?" the girl asked. Merrick was out of uniform and wondered how she knew. "I just got back a few days ago." he said. He waited for the inevitable questions about "what it was like" but the questions didn't come.
The girl touched his arm. "I'm sorry." was all she said. The year Merrick spent in Vietnam went through his head and he longed for a place of peace. The girl seemed to sense his pain. "If you need a place to rest, you can come visit the commune where I live." the girl said.
Merrick automatically felt that this was something he needed. The girl wrote an address on a slip of paper and handed it to him. "I know you'll like it there" she said. "We all help each other and everybody gets along."
"Is there a leader of your group?" Merrick asked. The girl nodded "I call him "the prophet" because he's always talking about the future, but his real name is Charles Manson.
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