Riya boarded the bus, her steps echoing in the near-empty vehicle. The driver, an old man with a face weathered by years, nodded at her with a solemn expression. The engine's rumble was the only sound as they left the village behind, the dense forest closing in around them.
Riya settled into her seat, her gaze wandering to the back of the bus. There, she saw a shadowy figure, seated with an unnatural stillness. Confused, she recalled being the only passenger to board. "Excuse me, who is that sitting in the back?" she whispered to the driver.
The driver's face turned ashen, his voice barely a whisper. "Don’t look back," he urged. "Why?" Riya asked, her heart pounding. "I’ve been driving this route for 30 years, and no one ever sits in the back at night. That’s where she sits."
Unable to resist, Riya glanced in the rearview mirror. The figure now stood, its face ghostly pale, eyes hollow and fixed on her. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized the spectral nature of the passenger.
The driver shouted with urgency. "Run!" Riya sprang from her seat, launching herself off the bus and into the forest. Her feet pounded the earth as she sprinted, a scream echoing through the trees behind her.
Riya turned, breathless, to see the bus standing silent, the driver and the ghostly figure nowhere to be found. From that day, she avoided late-night rides, haunted by the mystery of the silent passenger and the secrets the forest held.