The Figure in the Rain

The old night bus rumbled along the lonely highway, its headlights slicing through the darkness. Outside, the rain had just stopped, leaving the road glistening beneath the pale moonlight.

Inside the nearly empty bus were only five passengers.

Luna, you shift in your seat, your head resting against the window, trying to ignore the rhythmic thud of the tires against the wet pavement.

Arjun sat near the back, dressed in a black hoodie, earphones in, quietly reading a book. He barely looked up at anyone.

A few seats ahead, Min Ho leaned against the window, lazily watching the passing trees. Every now and then, he hummed softly to himself.

Riya, a cheerful college student, scrolled through her phone, occasionally sighing whenever the signal disappeared.

Chris, carrying a hiking backpack, was half asleep with his cap covering his eyes.

At the wheel, the middle-aged driver yawned as the bus continued through the deserted forest road.

Everything was quiet... Until—

SCREECH!

The bus came to an abrupt stop. Everyone jerked forward. Sending a collective jolt through the cabin. People stir from their half-slumber.

Up front, the driver slams his hand against the steering wheel, his face pale in the dim glow of the dashboard.

Riya grabbed the seat in front of her. "Whoa! What happened?"

Chris pulled off his cap. "Flat tire?"

The driver frowned through the windshield, his hands still gripping the steering wheel. "Damn it... Someone's standing in the middle of the road. They're not moving."

The atmosphere instantly turned tense.

Min Ho stood and looked ahead. "At this hour?"

Arjun slowly removed one earbud and glanced toward the front, his expression unreadable.

The figure in the road remains perfectly still, illuminated only by the weak, yellowish glow of the bus headlights.

It looks human, but there is something unnervingly wrong with the way it stands—hunched, motionless, ignoring the blaring horn the driver is now leaning on.

"Why would someone be out here in this weather?" Riya whispers, her voice trembling.

The driver swallowed hard. "I'll go check." He reached for the folding door lever.

The driver's hand is already on the door release, his knuckles white as he prepares to step out into the downpour.

You stand up, your voice firm, cutting through the low murmur of the bus "Wait! Stop".

The driver paused with his hand on the lever and turned toward you. "I have to see if they're hurt, miss! It’s pitch black out there, I can barely—"

Everyone's eyes shifted to you.

The dim cabin lights flickered once as silence settled over the bus.

You command, pointing toward the windshield. "Look at the posture. No human stands like that. It’s... it’s wrong."

The driver hesitates, his hand freezing on the lever. He frowned "What do you mean?"

Arjun stands up, moving toward the front with controlled, silent steps. He leans in, peering through the glass right next to you.

His jaw tightens. "She's right," Arjun murmurs, his voice low and devoid of emotion. "Look at the arms. They're hanging at an impossible angle. They aren't shivering, and they aren't trying to flag us down."

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