Chapter 4: Returning to Bolsa Avenue

👉 Previous Decision: You chose Option B – Slam on the brakes, turn off the radio knob, and jerk the wheel sharply to the right.

Liem’s foot stomped on the brake pedal, pressing it with every ounce of his strength. The Camry shuddered, its worn tires protesting with a shrill screech that tore through the eerie applause. He clawed at the radio knob, twisting it counter-clockwise with a violent wrench. The 00.0 MHz static died, replaced by a sudden, jarring silence.

He yanked the steering wheel hard to the right, feeling the immediate resistance in the power steering. The world outside the windows spun, a kaleidoscopic blur of blood-orange and grey. The phantom clapping stopped abruptly, replaced by the blare of a distant car horn and the familiar drone of night traffic.

The Camry jolted, its front bumper grazing something solid. Liem’s chest slammed against the steering wheel, knocking the wind out of him. When his vision cleared, he found himself panting, sprawled across the driver’s seat. The car was angled sharply towards the curb, inches from a fire hydrant, its red paint gleaming under the harsh glow of a modern streetlamp.

He was back. The neon signs of Bolsa Avenue hummed, the scent of exhaust and distant pho broth filled the air. He fumbled with the gear stick, pulling it into park. His hands trembled as he pushed open the driver’s door, stepping onto the solid, familiar concrete.

He walked around the car, inspecting the front. No damage to the bumper, just a faint scuff. He peered under the hood, then into the interior, his eyes tracing every curve and seam of the old sedan. Nothing seemed out of place until he reached under the dashboard, near the back of the stereo.

A thin, copper-colored wire, unlike any standard audio cable, snaked from the back of the radio unit. It was tightly secured, disappearing down past the passenger footwell, burrowing into a small gap where the floorboards met the chassis. It ran deeper, towards some unknown connection beneath the car.

Liem pulled at it, but it held fast. The wire was thick, almost like an antenna, but it carried no recognizable label or connector. It was an anomaly, a strange, metallic artery linking his cheap rideshare car to something deeply unsettling. The thought of the parallel street, the clapping figures, and the impossible odometer sent a chill down his spine.

This wasn’t just a car problem. This was something else entirely.

➡️ Read CHAPTER 5 to continue the story