The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 285
Street performers played guitar and sang pop songs, drawing occasional cheers from the onlookers.
The narrow sidewalks were packed with people getting off work-office workers with briefcases, couples holding hands, and students laughing and joking.
Cars wove through the streets like fabric; taxi drivers honked impatiently, and delivery drivers zipped through the gaps between vehicles.
Yvonne linked arms with Leilani, excitedly pointing to a small stall on the side of the road.
“Leilani! I remember the roasted chestnuts from that place are delicious. Let’s go buy some!”
Leilani smiled and nodded. “Okay.”
They reached a crosswalk and waited for the light to change so they could cross the street to the stall opposite.
Suddenly, a massive force slammed into them from behind!
Leilani felt a hard shove against her lower back, and her body pitched forward uncontrollably. Her pupils constricted, and her body tensed instinctively, but it was too late to dodge!
“Watch out!”
She only had time to grab Yvonne’s wrist before they were both shoved violently into the middle of the road! The screech of brakes pierced the air!
A construction truck loaded with materials was roaring toward them, its blinding high beams turning their figures ghastly white.
The driver’s eyes went wide with terror as he slammed on the brakes. The heavy vehicle dragged two long, dark tire marks across the asphalt. But the massive inertia meant the truck couldn’t stop instantly!
In that split second of life and death, Leilani grabbed Yvonne and rolled violently to the side!
“Bang!”
The two of them hit the edge of the road hard. The truck’s tires brushed past the hem of Leilani’s clothes, the wind from the vehicle stinging her cheeks.
“Hss…”
Leilani’s arms and knees were scraped raw against the rough pavement, leaving large bloody abrasions that burned with pain. But she ignored herself and immediately checked on Yvonne.
Yvonne’s forehead had slammed into the curb. She had passed out, and a shocking streak of blood was seeping down her pale skin.
“Yvonne!” Leilani’s face changed color. She quickly checked her breathing and pulse, letting out a breath of relief only after confirming it was just a temporary faint.
She snapped her head up, her sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd. Who pushed them?
17:48
The downtown area remained noisy. People were coming and going; some gathered around in panic to check the situation, while others hurried away, wanting nothing to do with it. The perpetrator had already vanished without a trace.
Leilani clenched her fists, her eyes cold as ice. She knew very well that this was no accident. It was attempted murder!
They had been standing perfectly fine, a safe distance from the curb. Using that much force meant the person intended to use the traffic chaos to kill them both and make it look like an accident. And
this familiar method…
The screech of tires against the ground silenced the surrounding crowd for a second. Then, the entire street exploded into chaos!
“Oh my god! Was that a car accident?”
“It wasn’t an accident! Someone was pushed into the road!”
“Jesus, who is so vicious? They actually tried to push people into traffic!”
“Look! Those two girls almost got hit!”
Passersby stopped in their tracks. Some backed away in fear, while others quickly pulled out their phones, aiming their cameras at Leilani and Yvonne in the middle of the road, filming and debating excitedly.
“That was terrifying! That truck almost ran them over!”
“I saw it! They were pushed!”
!
17:48
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