Lost

Lia and Hannah stepped off the broken-down school bus with an air of impatience. The evening sky hung low, the sun dipping behind the horizon, casting long shadows over the barren road. They could feel the day’s heat dissipating, replaced by an unsettling chill. Ahead, a flickering neon sign beckoned—a tea stall perched on the roadside. It looked out of place, with its dim light struggling to fend off the encroaching darkness.

The stall was eerily quiet, save for the murmur of two patrons huddled over their cups and the absent-minded clink of metal as the tea seller prepared their drinks. Lia and Hannah exchanged uneasy glances but decided to indulge in a quick cup of tea before returning to their stranded bus. The tea seller, an old man with a weathered face, barely acknowledged them, his hollow eyes fixed on the teapot. The two customers whispered to each other in low tones, their voices too soft to decipher. A faint, sickly-sweet aroma of over-steeped tea lingered in the air.

They drank hastily, unsettled by the peculiar silence that seemed to hang over the stall like a shroud. As the last dregs of tea slid down their throats, the two patrons stood abruptly and left without a word, disappearing into the gloom. Feeling unnerved, Lia and Hannah paid for their tea and hurried back to the bus.

When they arrived, their breath caught in their throats. The bus was gone. Not broken down, not idling—it had vanished. The barren road where it once stood was empty, the tire tracks barely visible under the dim light of the first stars.

“Did they leave us?” Hannah asked, her voice trembling.

“That can’t be possible,” Lia said, her voice equally uncertain. “The engine was dead... wasn’t it?”

They stood in stunned silence, the realization sinking in. It was getting darker by the minute, the oppressive quiet of the countryside amplifying every rustle of leaves and distant chirp of crickets. The nearest town was miles away, and their phones had no signal.

They began walking along the road, hoping to find a passing car or someone who could help. But the road stretched endlessly into the night, an asphalt ribbon swallowed by shadows. The temperature seemed to drop with each step, and soon the girls found themselves shivering.

Then, faintly, they saw a light in the distance. It flickered and swayed, like a lantern being carried. A figure emerged from the shadows—tall and thin, dressed in something that looked tattered and old-fashioned. They couldn’t make out a face, only the glow of the lantern as it swung closer.

“Excuse me!” Lia called, her voice cracking.

The figure stopped. For a moment, there was no sound, only the creak of the lantern’s handle. Then, without a word, the figure turned and began walking away, deeper into the woods lining the road.

“Should we follow?” Hannah whispered.

“Do we have a choice?” Lia replied, her voice barely audible.

With no other options, they followed the light, their footsteps hesitant and hearts pounding. As they stepped into the woods, the light ahead flickered again and went out. The darkness closed in around them like a vice, and the silence was shattered by the sudden sound of branches snapping somewhere nearby.

They froze, their breaths coming in shallow gasps. Behind them, the road was gone, replaced by an endless sea of trees.

“Where... are we?” Hannah stammered.

Lia opened her mouth to answer, but no sound came out. Low thuds echoed through the darkness, and the girls realized they were no longer alone.