Page 137 of Lush

The car’s dark, metallic sheen seemed to absorb the dimming light made it ominous. I leaned closer to the window, trying to see who was in it, but the tinted windows made it impossible to see the driver.

She flicked on her turn signal, moving into the opposite lane. But the car slowed too, hovering behind us.

We drove on, the engine’s hum swallowed by the pounding in my ears. The car behind us didn’t fall back. Didn’t turn. Didn’t stop. I glanced back again, pulse hammering. The driver was leaning forward now, like they were watching us, but I still couldn’t make out a face.

“I think they’re getting closer,” I said.

Jennie’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel, and car jerked slightly as she adjusted her grip. “Are you sure?”

Our car sped up and she moved back into the opposite lane, the car merged right along with us and sped up until they were right on our bumper.

“Maybe we should turn off somewhere?” I suggested, glancing down the road.

“There should be a gas station up ahead. Let’s just get there.”

Jennie turned right at the bend in the road, and the car followed.

“Shit,” I muttered.

Jennie glanced back, and she just nodded anxiously. “Just stay calm, okay?”

But the car behind us didn’t back off. Instead, it surged forward, pulling alongside us. My heart leaped as Jennie swerved trying to put distance between us, but the car pressed in, unyielding. Jennie laid on the horn, and my hand shot out, grabbing the armrest as the car beside us surged forward, its engine roaring louder.

“Just get us out of here,” I told her.

She sped up, but the road seemed to narrow to one lane and both cars edged dangerously close to one another.

Then—

The roar was deafening as the car shot forward, veering into our lane and slamming on its brakes.

I screamed. Jennie slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding a collision as she jerked us back into the opposite, oncoming lane.

“I’m calling the police!” I said.

There was another curve in the road, and Jennie slammed her foot down on the gas, trying to get back over. From the fog and rain early this morning, I could feel the tires screeching, fighting for grip on the slick asphalt. My fingers scrambled for my phone, my breath coming in ragged bursts.

Then, without warning, the black car lunged forward, its front end ramming into us with a stomach-turningthud.

My body was thrown to the left, and the car’s metal groaned. Jennie screamed, we swerved. The tires shrieked, fighting to hold on.

The car roared, its engine screaming, before slamming into us a second time.

We lurched, bouncing over the uneven ground as we veered onto the gravel shoulder. Ahead, the road split—our chance to lose them. But my phone slipped from my hand from the bouncing, falling to the floor with aclink.

“Just keep us on the damn road!” I gasped, forcing myself up and reaching blindly under the seat, my fingers scrambling for the phone.

Jennie made a sharp snap to the right, tires screeching as we barely missed the guardrail, the metal flashing by just inches from our side. The other car pulled back for a moment, but it didn’t slow down—it roared forward again.

“Why aren’t they slowing down?” Jennie’s voice cracked, herhands shaking as she glanced back, panic flooding her eyes. “What the hell are they doing?”

Before I could answer, my fingers found my phone, the black car surged forward, crashing into us, ramming the back of the car with a force that threw us violently forward. The whiplash knocked the breath from my lungs, and I screamed, my heart racing as I clutched my phone tightly.

Bam!

We took another hit, and Jennie was crying and screaming loudly. “They won’t stop!”

Jennie swerved, left, then right, but the black car stayed with us, ramming us again, harder this time, throwing us sideways. I could make out only the silhouette of the person.

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