Chapter Three: Don't Look Back

They smashed through a second-floor advertisement and landed on the bus roof. Through the hatch Cheng saw Mother, Xu Man, and his coworkers, all facing the rear as if watching the pursuer. The driver had no face. Before a giant mirror spanning the street, it opened the doors. Cheng and the girl jumped inside as the glass rushed toward them. Every passenger screamed, “Cheng Du, look back!” He closed his eyes. Disinfectant, rain, and cooking oil replaced Daocuan's odor. They were back in Linchuan. The bus stopped at the west end of Changning Bridge. Four minutes remained. Wind tore away the girl's hood. She was about twenty-eight, with a pale mole near her eyebrow. Cheng Yao had one in the same place.