The Petrifies Forest
By Robert Sherwood

Gabby Maple is a young woman with aspirations to explore the world, but her circumstances require her to work as a waitress in the remote Arizona desert.

Alan Squier, a disillusioned intellectual en-route to the Petrified Forest; representing self-destruction, his perceived solution to a meaningless existence; arrives at the restaurant. He empathizes with Gabby’s ambitions and resolves to support her by bequeathing her his life insurance policy.

As the restaurant clears out, a group of gangsters seeking refuge enters and takes control. Alan engages in philosophical discussions with the criminals, who ultimately fulfil his wish.