I was running on the suburban highway, fretting about how to find a ride, when a beat-up van suddenly appeared before me.
Though its arrival was a bit abrupt, I was thrilled to see a vehicle.
However, the driver leaned out and asked if we had called for a ride.
My phone was dead; how could I have called for a ride?
Besides, I was alone here, so who was the "we"?
But at that moment, I couldn't afford to care who had called the car or about fairness and sequence.
I just needed to get in the car and get to Longgang Mountain to save my life.
So, I lied directly:
"Yes, I called it!"
I hurried over and reached for the car door.
I noticed the car was very old, covered in rust, and the door was hard to open.
"My car is quite old, put some muscle into it!"
The driver said with a smile.
I nodded:
"Mhm!"
I gripped the door handle and yanked it backward.
With a few "click-clack" sounds, the sliding door opened, and I squeezed inside.
The car must have been ancient, its interior covered in rust.
Only the driver's cabin had a front lamp, which was rather dim and yellow.
The passenger compartment was pitch black, with a shattered roof and lampshade, exposing several thin wires.
I even suspected if this was a scrapped vehicle.
And what's more, there was a strong, fishy stench inside.
It smelled as if a few dead fish had been left in the car.
I frowned, suppressed the urge to gag, and sat down, struggling to close the door.
It was then that I noticed, besides the driver,
a long-haired woman was sitting in the front passenger seat.
She wore white and a black mask.
I didn't pay much attention, thinking she might be the driver's friend or another passenger.
Getting to Longgang Mountain was the priority.
"Brother, take me to Longgang Mountain, and drive fast, I'm in a hurry."
I said anxiously.
The driver smiled at me in the rearview mirror:
"I'll drive as fast as I can, within the limits of safety."
With that, the driver started the van.
But I felt something odd about this van.
When I'd ridden in vans before, I could hear loud engine noises, "vroom, vroom."
And the car would shake non-stop, quite bumpy.
But this beat-up van, despite its worn appearance,
made barely any engine noise after starting, and it wasn't bumpy at all.
It felt much smoother and quieter than the factory shuttle bus.
Although I worked at a car factory, I didn't know much about cars.
I assumed it was the driver's good driving skills.
And the road outside was flat, so it wasn't bumpy.
Plus, the smell in the car made me not want to focus on anything else.
I just wanted to roll down the window to get some fresh air; it was too smelly...
But the window crank was broken, and the car door was covered in black water stains, and it still smelled.
"Little brother, my window crank is broken, I haven't had time to fix it yet.
If you want some air, I can open the front window."
"Okay, thanks, brother!"
After saying that, I glanced at the rearview mirror.
To my surprise, the masked woman in the passenger seat was looking at me through the mirror.
This was my first chance to see the masked woman's general appearance.
She had her arms crossed, her skin was very fair. Though I couldn't see her whole face,
her phoenix-like eyes were exceptionally beautiful.
Her gaze was like a clear spring, her eyes like autumn water.
They were so clear and spirited, they instantly captivated me.
I just thought, how beautiful this woman's eyes were!
Even with a mask, I could tell she must be a great beauty.
But it was only a glance; she then turned her head to look out the window.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I averted my gaze.
The driver rolled down the front window, and a gust of evening breeze blew into the car.
Although it was a bit chilly, the fishy smell was somewhat reduced.
Sitting in the back seat, I kept checking the time, feeling quite anxious.
Seeing how nervous I was, the driver suddenly asked:
"Little brother, why are you going to Longgang Mountain so late?
I remember that place, it seems to have been demolished, it's just wasteland now."
I froze for a moment and mumbled:
"Oh, some friends are camping there, they invited me to hang out."
"Oh, oh!"
After asking that, the driver started chatting.
He talked to himself,
saying that a few days ago, one of their night-driving cars lost control and plunged into a small river.
The driver couldn't climb out and drowned in the water.
When his body was found, it was already rotten.
His eyes had been pecked out by fish, it was a tragic end...
As he spoke, he seemed to be getting hot and kept wiping his sweat.
My mind was already unsettled, and the story was creepy, so I didn't respond.
The masked woman in the passenger seat also seemed uncomfortable,
coughing lightly.
The driver, feeling that neither of us wanted to hear it, just chuckled a few times and didn't continue.
Silence fell upon the car again.
The car windows were tinted black, making it impossible to see the scenery outside.
Through the windshield, I could only see two beams of light and the dim road.
The vehicle continued to travel, and there were very few vehicles encountered along the way.
I occasionally glanced at the woman in the passenger seat through the rearview mirror.
After looking out the window for a while, she closed her eyes and leaned back on the seat to rest.
I also wanted to rest; I had been really exhausted these past few days.
But leaning back on the seat, I couldn't fall asleep with my eyes closed.
It felt like only a short while before the driver called out to me:
"Little brother, we're here!"
Hearing the driver's sudden announcement, I opened my eyes.
I found the car had stopped.
I hadn't even felt the car decelerate.
I checked the time; it was 9:40 PM.
Faster than I expected, which meant I would have ample time to reach Chenghuang Temple.
Filled with surprise, I hurriedly asked:
"Brother, how much is the fare!"
The driver smiled:
"Night shifts are a bit more expensive, and it's usually an empty return trip. Just give me a hundred and eighty."
One hundred and eighty was indeed a bit expensive; normally, a hundred would suffice.
But I was in a hurry, and my life was at stake.
If I delayed any longer, the female ghost haunting me would appear.
I didn't care about the extra eighty yuan now, so I didn't bother to haggle.
I took out two hundred-yuan bills and handed them over.
The driver smilingly took the 200 yuan.
He then found 20 yuan from his wallet and gave it back to me.
But the money he gave me was damp, very moist.
I didn't pay much attention.
I glanced at it, put it in my pocket, then opened the car door and got out...