"Haunted Night Drive: A Terrifying Encounter on North Third Ring Road"

45 North Third Ring Road, this is an experience I personally went through. At that time, it was my fourth month as a taxi driver. Due to my limited skills, I preferred driving at night when there were fewer cars. Although I didn't earn as much as during the day, safety was the most important thing. Considering this, I felt content. Some colleagues who were more experienced always reminded me to be cautious at night, advising me not to stop if I saw suspicious people or things approaching the car.

I was puzzled about what they meant by "things." I understood that "suspicious people" referred to criminals or drunk individuals, but what about the "things" they mentioned? Well, I found out that these "things" referred to the inexplicable and strange. However, being somewhat educated, I was not superstitious.

One night, around midnight, I dropped off a passenger in the northern suburbs and hoped to pick up a few more on the way back to save on fuel costs. Soon, I saw someone waving urgently ahead. I stopped by the person, a girl with a good figure and long, wet hair. She seemed to be a beautiful girl, but it was strange – she was soaking wet, with water dripping from her disheveled hair onto her delicate face.

Perhaps due to the cold, her face was extremely pale, and she was shivering. Behind her was the usual and what I found particularly strange – she had been playing in the river. I couldn't help but find it amusing; people indeed have diverse interests. I rolled down the car window and asked the girl where she wanted to go. Instead of answering, she opened the door and got into the car. After completing the ride, she softly mentioned the address: 45 North Third Ring Road. This beautiful girl not only looked gorgeous but also had a gentle and refined voice.

Normally, I am a reserved and quiet person, but this time I couldn't help but engage in conversation. I asked her why she was wet, jokingly suggesting she went for a swim in the river. She replied softly after a while, saying she wasn't sure and that she had been like this for a long time. I didn't fully understand her response but didn't press further. Instead, I shifted the conversation to the cold night, advising her to take care of herself as it was easy to catch a cold. She softly thanked me, and we resumed a calm atmosphere.

In about 15 minutes, the sign for North Third Ring Road became visible, and I parked the car by the roadside. Just as I was about to speak to her, she spoke first, saying she had no money and asked if I could wait for her. She promised to return in five to ten minutes after asking her mother for money. Despite my initial reluctance, I agreed, thinking it would be a quick return. The girl nodded and quickly walked towards a door. Although I could see the number 45 on the doorplate, a large date palm tree almost obscured the view of everything else. It quickly became almost invisible.

Is there someone inside? After a while, I heard the voices of two people, a woman asking, "Who's there? It's so late." I immediately responded that their daughter had taken a ride with me and hadn't paid yet. As footsteps approached, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged woman of short stature. She stared at me with surprise for a while before saying, "What are you talking about, sir? You must be mistaken. My daughter passed away two years ago; how could she have taken a ride with you?"

I was shocked. Today is her memorial day, and just a while ago, I burned paper money for her. About half an hour ago, I really saw her enter through this door, and I even brought her back here. The middle-aged woman, with tears streaming down her face, explained that her daughter drowned while playing in the river during a previous incident. The body was recovered two days later, and she had been mourning ever since. My whole body shivered at the realization that I had encountered a ghost.

Feeling uneasy, I tried to console her and quickly got back into the car, hoping to leave that eerie place. As I closed the car door, just as I was about to start the engine, a voice came from behind, apologizing for making me wait and handing me money. I glanced at it and realized it was ghost money. Suddenly, I felt weak, covered in cold sweat. The beautiful girl was already sitting in the back seat, waiting for me to drive. She was still wet, and I couldn't comprehend what had happened behind me.

I don't know what happened after that. When I woke up, it was already the next day, and sunlight filled the surroundings. Recalling the terrifying events of the previous night, I looked around, checked my surroundings, and even looked in the rearview mirror. There were no suspicious clues or any names. Could it have been a nightmare? Exhausted from these recent days of driving, I got out of the car to inspect. Surprisingly, the car was parked on North Third Ring Road. Trying to understand what had happened, I knocked on the door of the building.

As I knocked and called out if anyone was inside, there was no response. A passing elderly woman with white hair approached and informed me that no one had lived there for a long time. There used to be a mother and daughter, but over a decade ago, the daughter drowned while playing in the river. The mother, overcome with grief, died not long after. Confused and in shock, I stood there for a while. Afterward, I dedicated myself to improving my driving skills and never drove at night again.