The passenger breathed a sigh of relief, having mustered all his courage to make such a request. He absolutely refused to travel to that damned graveyard station in this bizarre vehicle; he wanted to go home!
This conversation naturally reached the ears of the other passengers, who reacted with various expressions and thoughts.
The attendant leaned close to the driver's ear, ensuring he could hear, "Stop the car, a passenger wants to disembark."
The driver paused, "Are you sure?" The question was directed either at the attendant or the passenger.
The passenger dared not answer. Seeing how calmly the attendant spoke to the driver, he suspected the driver was no ordinary person!
"Of course, I'm sure. The primary rule of service: always absolutely satisfy passenger needs!"
As if a reminder, the driver slammed on the brakes without warning. Unprepared, everyone lurched forward, their bodies colliding with the seatbacks in front of them. The passengers in the front row suffered the most; the tray tables in front of them sent them nearly flying out of their seats. One passenger, half his body hanging out of his seat, turned his head and saw the driver's face.
He remembered the driver to be a kind, middle-aged man with a receding hairline. Now, he was a horrifying monster. Half his face was rotted away, one eyeball dangling precariously by his nose, revealing the bone beneath. His uniform was tattered and stained with dried blood.
The consecutive shocks left the passengers speechless. His dilated pupils silently conveyed his abject fear.
As if oblivious to the terror in the passenger's eyes, the driver stood up and steadied him, guiding him back into his seat. The passenger, petrified, complied with the driver's actions.
The driver turned to the attendant, "The seatbelts have too much slack. Remind passengers to shorten the distance next time."
"Why don't you just give a warning before you brake every time?" the attendant asked, perplexed. She voiced the unspoken thoughts of all the passengers, becoming their spokesperson despite her monstrous appearance.
The driver didn't reply. His job was to drive and stop; the regulations didn't require him to warn passengers before braking. The attendant pouted, and the passengers saw a flicker of impatience on her ghastly face.
With a screech, the car doors opened. The attendant addressed the passenger who had requested to disembark, "You may get off now."
The passenger peered out the window. Though it was still dark, the horde of ghosts they had seen earlier was gone. Mustering his courage, he stood up to get out. As he passed the attendant, she said, "Anyone else who wishes to disembark can join him."
The passenger looked back, his eyes pleading with everyone for company. Then, someone moved. The passengers who had remained seated watched gratefully as someone rose. The attendant reminded him, "Passenger, it's time for you to get off, or you'll block the doorway."
The man glanced outside, swallowed hard, and thinking of the others willing to accompany him, felt a surge of courage. He quickly hopped off the bus, followed by several others.
Once the attendant confirmed no one else would disembark, the driver immediately shut the doors. The car hadn't moved yet, and the passengers inside curiously watched the few who had exited. Suddenly, someone gasped in horror, covering their mouth. In the distance, a pack of ghosts was rapidly approaching the vehicle.
Before the disembarked passengers could react, some were already being dragged away. The remaining few desperately pounded on the car doors, shouting through the transparent glass, "Let me back in!"
The attendant watched with amusement, pressing her face against the glass. Despite her fear, the passenger realized being outside was even more terrifying than the strange bus. But it was too late.
Seeing the attendant's indifference, the passenger yelled, "I'm a passenger! You said you would satisfy passenger needs. I want to get back on, open the door!" He thought he had mastered the rules, only to be outmaneuvered by the attendant.
The attendant gave him a cold, dead-eyed stare. "Only those inside the car are passengers!" In other words, once they left the bus, the attendant was no longer bound by the rules. Those outside were filled with despair.
The bus started moving again. The disembarked passengers ran after it, pursued by the ghosts. Within ten meters, all of them were surrounded by the specters and, in an instant, became their kin, vanishing into the darkness. It seemed disembarking was a death sentence.
This silence fell upon the remaining passengers, who were immensely relieved they hadn't followed. They felt as though they had narrowly escaped death.
The bus continued its journey, the lights inside extinguishing, plunging everything back into darkness. Having been subjected to two violent stops by the driver, everyone instinctively fastened their seatbelts, even without the attendant's reminder. As expected, the bus suddenly stopped just as they had secured themselves.
The attendant, beaming with delight, stood at the front of the aisle and announced to the passengers, "We've finally arrived at our first stop! Please disembark in an orderly fashion. Despite the various incidents along the way, we have officially begun your adventure journey. I can't wait to see you all become like us."
The passengers, enraged but unable to voice their anger, could only lower their heads in silence. The attendant began counting along the aisle. Before anyone could get off, she needed to ascertain the total number of passengers on board. Her voice was low, but everyone listened intently. Several people had died recently, forcing them to stay alert and not miss a single word the attendant uttered.
"There are currently forty passengers. Alright, you may now disembark. A staff member at the station will be responsible for your journey."
As the attendant finished speaking, the driver opened the doors. Starting from the front row, everyone disembarked according to their seat order. Perhaps due to the sheer number of people, they didn't appear particularly timid.
Once everyone had exited, a thick fog immediately enveloped the bus, obscuring it from view until it vanished entirely.
They found themselves at a dilapidated station, furnished with a row of wooden benches that looked rotten and decayed. No one dared to move. Then, a young girl lightly tapped one of the benches, and with a crackle, it shattered into pieces. The sudden noise startled everyone, and they cast annoyed glances at the destructive girl. No one dared to speak, fearing they might disturb the ghosts lurking in the darkness. The girl shrugged, unconcerned, and walked around the station.
Typical bus stations have departure boards and timetables. However, this station only bore a single number, 444, the same as their bus, with no mention of a next destination. At the very top of the station, a prominent sign read: Graveyard Station.