Rose was abruptly awakened by the blaring sirens of an ambulance. Startled, she quickly rolled down the car window to get a glimpse of the chaotic scene unfolding outside. The flashing lights from the ambulance and police cars flooded her vision, causing her eyes to momentarily sting. Her heart raced as she witnessed the grim sight of two bodies, drenched in blood, lying motionless on the ground. A black motorcycle lay discarded a few meters away, an unfortunate victim of a collision with a massive 10-wheeler dump truck. The accident had caused a traffic jam, with traffic enforcers desperately redirecting vehicles to other lanes.
Unable to tear her eyes away, Rose fixated on the lifeless figure of a man, dressed in a dark blue leather jacket and black slack pants, sprawled on the pavement. His hand grasped a bloody brown rosary, the significance not lost on her. The shattered helmet on the ground revealed a stream of blood flowing from the back of his head. A wave of profound sorrow washed over Rose, prompting her to offer a silent prayer for their souls. With closed eyes, she uttered heartfelt words of comfort and supplication.
When Rose reopened her eyes, her gaze was drawn back to the accident site, where she saw the paramedics delicately lifting the man's lifeless body onto a stretcher. He was now shrouded in a bloodstained white cloth. The realization struck her: the man had tragically lost his life. Turning her attention to the woman still receiving CPR from the diligent paramedics, Rose held onto a glimmer of hope for her survival, silently urging her to fight against the odds.
As the car inched forward towards the adjacent lane, the summer evening heat compounded with the warmth emitted by the surrounding vehicles' engines. A wave of hot wind carried the scent of saltwater, causing Rose to let out an involuntary sneeze. She rummaged through her backpack, retrieving a tissue to delicately wipe her nose. "I can't stand that smell," she muttered to herself, concerned that her allergies might be triggered.
In an attempt to shield herself from the scent, Rose pressed the button on her side to close the car window. However, her attention was suddenly drawn to a man standing outside the car as they slowly moved amidst the traffic flow. A flicker of familiarity swept over her mind. Intrigued, she swiftly reopened the window, straining her eyes to catch another glimpse of the man. Yet, to her surprise, he had vanished into thin air. Puzzled, Rose tried to rationalize the fleeting encounter, considering the possibility that it was merely her imagination playing tricks on her. Perhaps it was just one of those mischievous individuals who enjoyed pranking motorists on that particular highway.
Her thoughts then drifted to her Uncle Tony, who tragically lost his life in a car accident two years prior. It was a senseless act, perpetrated by unidentified teenagers who cruelly hurled rocks from a bridge onto unsuspecting motorists below. Uncle Tony happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, becoming one of their unfortunate victims. He had served as a second father figure to Rose and a younger brother to her mother, and his absence was still acutely felt. Deep down, she held onto the belief that he was watching over and protecting them wherever he may be.
Feeling a chill in the air, Rose decided it was time to close the window on her side of the car. As their vehicle picked up speed on the highway, she bundled up in her jacket but still couldn't shake off the cold. Glancing up at the car's ceiling, she attempted to adjust the air conditioning, only to realize that it had ceased functioning. She shifted her gaze to her father, who seemed oblivious to the chilly atmosphere, his attention fixed on the dark road ahead. Little did she know that he had a fondness for classical music, as evidenced by the haunting melody of Chopin's Nocturne emanating from the car stereo—an unexpected detail that sent shivers down her spine.
Drawing the hood over her head, Rose leaned back in the rear seat, hoping to find solace in the familiar confines. But as she shifted her gaze to the side window, her heart nearly stopped in her chest. There, she saw the woman from the earlier accident, her face mangled and blood-soaked, her left eye grotesquely hanging by a delicate membrane. Tears streaked down her face as she extended a blood-stained hand, pleading for help. Hauntingly, a dark figure stood behind her, forcefully pulling her away into the distance. Overwhelmed with terror, Rose instinctively covered her mouth with her hand, desperate to scream but unable to make a sound. She frantically tried to call out to her father, but her voice failed her entirely.
The hooded figure turned its attention towards her, its fiery red eyes burning with malevolence. Rose, overwhelmed by fear and trembling uncontrollably, buried her face in her bag, desperately attempting to shield herself from the frightening presence. She could still sense the creature's chilling presence and feel the woman's gaze piercing through the car window. Suddenly, a cold hand firmly gripped her shoulder, causing her to jump in her seat, startled beyond words.
"Hey, what's wrong? We're here," a soothing voice spoke from beside her. The sound of her father's voice instantly brought a measure of comfort, but Rose was still shaken by fear, tears streaming down her face. In that moment, she longed to wrap her arms around her father, just as she had when she was a young child seeking solace from the world.
"Rose, we're here. Are you okay?" her father asked once more, his voice filled with concern. His presence brought her a sense of security; she trusted him implicitly. Gradually, she set aside her bag, cautiously opening her eyes to face him, only to be met with an unexpected sight that made her leap back, emitting a sharp, hysterical scream. Standing before her was not her father, but the man from the earlier accident, his shattered helmet still adorning his bloodied face. He smirked at her, his menacing presence mere inches away.
"No, we're here, Rose... We're here..." the man cackled, repeating the words in a haunting manner, his laughter echoing through her ears.