I had already sensed what was coming, so I wasn't surprised when the headlights went out and everything around us plunged into darkness. Nor was I surprised when they came back on and the people were once again inside the intact car.
Of the four adults, Mr. and Mrs. Zhao looked as though they'd just jolted awake from a nightmare. Up front, Mr. and Mrs. Shen had both jerked in alarm. Mr. Shen slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a stop in the middle of the road.
The van that had terrified them was gone. But that didn't calm them down.
The girl was still asleep, her head resting against the car door. Her peaceful expression hadn't been disturbed by the eerie atmosphere.
"I mean, just now, I think I..." Mrs. Zhao began, but after a couple of dry laughs, she saw the look on her husband's face and fell silent.
Another long silence followed.
"Let's... let's get going," Mrs. Shen said uneasily.
That reminded the others in the car.
Mr. Shen started the engine and immediately sped up as much as he could.
Mrs. Shen spoke up anxiously beside him. "Don't drive so fast. Slow down."
Mr. Zhao spoke from the back as well. "Yeah. It's dark, so take it slow. What if we run into something again..."
"Knock on wood! Don't jinx us!" Mrs. Zhao snapped, slapping him.
Mr. Zhao protested, "I meant if we run into other people or cars, we'll have time to react."
"Mm..." Their voices had grown louder, and the little girl woke up. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at the adults in the car.
All four adults fell silent at once.
Still groggy, the little girl asked, "Mom, are we there yet?"
Mrs. Shen didn't answer. She was practically holding her