The world snapped back into motion all at once.
John slammed his foot on the brake.
Tires screeched violently against the road, the sound tearing through the quiet forest like a warning. The steering wheel jerked under his grip as he swerved hard to the left.
“Hold on!” he shouted.
Emilia grabbed onto the dashboard instinctively, her heart leaping into her throat as the car lurched sideways. The shadow that had stepped into the road, too suddenly blurred past them as another car came racing from the opposite direction.
John yanked the wheel again.
The car skidded, narrowly missing the oncoming vehicle by what felt like inches. The other driver honked loudly, the sound sharp and angry as they sped past.
For a moment, everything went still.
The car rolled to a shaky stop by the side
