If Mitchell hadn't been forced into the joy-ride, he would have died in the fire. When they get there, they are shocked to see that that the house is ablaze because of a wire accident caused by his father being a wannabe handyman. Mitchell demands she take him home and she agrees, because she can kill just as easily by crashing into the house. She reveals she died in this car when she was fourteen, and now she wants to kill Mitchell so she can have someone to join her. It doesn't take long for the ghostly force to compel him to sit in the car, and soon a ghostly image of a girl appears next to him. They're being driven there by someone, leaving him home alone with the haunted car. His parents and Todd leave to visit his cousin Ella, and leave him home so he can cool off, as he has been babbling about a ghost for the past few days. That night, she calls him and he tells her he knows the truth, and she asks him what he's going to do now. Before Douglas sends him away, Mitchell notices a framed picture of Marissa, with words under it reading 'IN LOVING MEMORY'. Douglas to ask him about the car, but he refuses to tell him anything. They go to the house she claimed to live in, but discover that is completely run down and empty. Mitchell finds this claim to be absurd and he calls the operator to find out where her family lives to prove to Todd she is real and alive, but he is told there is no Meddin family in town. Todd assumes Marisa is the ghost, as she appears every time the ghost strikes. He tells them what happened but they don't believe him and promptly ground him. After almost getting him killed by a train, she takes him home where his parents are outside and furious that he took the car. The car sends Mitchell on a wild joy ride, as he hears a girl's voice mocking him. Suddenly, the car starts getting out of the driveway on its own. Later, Mitchell goes out to the car to see if anything is off and finds himself getting in, almost like some force is making him do it. Todd has been sure their house is haunted ever since they moved, and assumes ghosts are everywhere, so Mitchell is quick to write off his claims but is still curious. Mitchell's brother Todd hears about this and becomes convinced the car is haunted. The doors lock but once again, Marissa appears to save them. It starts to feel freezing cold in the car, even though the AC is off. Mitchell looks in the glove compartment and finds a piece of paper reading ' I’M EVIL.' The following night, Mitchell's friends Allan and Steve drop by to look at the new car and convince him to sit in the car. The next day, Mitchell and his dad take a ride in the car. Mitchell finds himself having dreams about the car, including one where Marissa is driving a car that crashes into him. She introduces herself as Marissa Meddin, and says she just moved in. The car doors lock themselves, when a girl appears and helps him out.

That night, Mitchell is so excited about their new car that he sneaks out to get in it, with a mysterious voice telling him to climb in. Douglas who is willing to sell it for a cheap price, and asks them to take it right away, almost like he really wants to get rid of it. Mitchell finds an ad for a new car in the newspaper, from someone on the other side of town. One day, they get into a car crash and survive, but dad has to buy a new car. He's upset that his father refuses to replace his current broken down car. Mitchell Moinian is obsessed with cars, to the point where he has various models of them in his room. 5.1 References in other Goosebumps media.

A cry in the night book summary