The LasT PassengeR

“By now, I could have reached my hometown—a place hundreds of miles away from here. Yet here I am, waiting for a taxi, and there isn’t a single person in sight. My friend’s cousin is certainly a peculiar man.”

I glanced around. The lonely road was the only break in an endless stretch of towering trees that enclosed the entire area, as though the forest had swallowed everything else. He could have dropped me back where he had picked me up instead of abandoning me here.

It’s already getting very late, and my paying guest accommodation must be wondering where I’ve disappeared to.

“Ah... someone’s coming.”

A pair of headlights pierced the darkness, slowly emerging along the deserted road.

“Finally... a taxi.”

A wave of relief washed over me as I let out a quiet sigh.

“Thank you, nature. I desperately needed this.”

I shook my head with a faint smile.

“Where on earth has this taxi been all this time?”

Straightening my jacket, I stepped toward the approaching vehicle.

“At last... I’ll reach my destination before it’s too late.”

The taxi rolled to a gentle stop beside me. The driver lowered the front passenger-side window and leaned slightly toward the open frame.

“Where would you like to go?” he asked.

“I need to get to 639 R.N. Street, Lane No. 8, Vinchest,” I replied, relieved that a ride had finally appeared.

“Get in,” the taxi driver said quietly.

Without another word, I climbed into the cab. Before closing the door, I instinctively glanced up at the sky. Thick, dark clouds had begun gathering overhead, swallowing the stars one by one. Moments earlier, the sky had been perfectly clear.

A strange unease settled over me.

What an unsettling place, I thought. Nothing here feels normal.

“Hey! How are you doing?” the taxi driver asked with a faint smile.

“I’m sweating,” I replied, wiping the beads of perspiration from my forehead.

“Are you okay?” the driver asked, his voice carrying a hint of concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, forcing a weary smile. “I’m just exhausted from waiting so long for a taxi, and I’ve gotten terribly late.”

“You know you are here for a reason,” the taxi driver said, his voice low and unsettling.

He turned toward me, his eyes fixed on mine in a strange, unreadable way that sent a chill through the silence of the night.

I forced a nervous smile.

“Sorry, I don’t think I understand,” I replied. “I don’t have any special purpose here. I came to meet a friend, and now that I’ve met him, I’m simply heading back to my room.”

The driver said nothing. He only continued to stare ahead as the taxi rolled along the deserted road, the darkness outside seeming to grow heavier with every passing minute.

“Don’t you think there’s something strangely unsettling about this place?” I asked.

The moment those words left my lips, the sky erupted. Rain crashed down without warning, drumming against the taxi’s roof as though the heavens themselves had been waiting for my question.

The driver kept his eyes fixed on the rain-soaked road, a faint smile appearing on his face.

“It’s all a matter of perspective,” he replied calmly. “To some, this place feels eerie and unnatural. To others, it’s dearer than the place they call home.”

“You must come here quite often,” I said. “I mean, you drive passengers here, drop them off, and... if I’m not mistaken, you probably live around here yourself.”

The taxi driver remained silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the rain-soaked road ahead.

“Perhaps,” he replied in a deep, measured voice. “But I’ve never bothered counting how many passengers I’ve dropped off... or how many I’ve truly delivered home safely. I treat every fare as though it might be my last.”

A strange silence settled inside the cab. His words lingered in the air, carrying a weight that felt far heavier than a casual conversation should have.

A faint laugh escaped my lips.

This taxi driver is unbelievable, I thought. He sounds as though he has just stepped out of a psychological thriller—or perhaps he’s still trapped inside one.

“So,” I said, studying him through the rear-view mirror, “are you telling me that you have no idea how many passengers you’ve safely dropped home over the years?”

The driver remained silent for a moment. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel as the rain whispered against the windshield.

Then, in a voice so quiet it was almost swallowed by the storm, he replied,

“I don’t think I even remember anymore... though perhaps... not a single one.”

“So, should I assume you’re making fun of me?” I asked, forcing a faint smile. “To be honest, I rather enjoy people with a good sense of humor.”

The taxi driver let out a low chuckle, though there was nothing amusing in his eyes.

“No,” he said quietly. “I’m telling you the truth. Once upon a time, I was standing exactly where you are now. Then... something happened. I still don’t know what. And now, here I am—driving you to the very place you were meant to reach.”

A strange, unsettling laugh escaped his lips.

He slowly turned his head toward me, his neck tilting at an unnatural angle, as though moved by invisible strings. His eyes remained fixed on mine, and the grin on his face widened just enough to send a cold shiver crawling down my spine.

For a fleeting moment, the rain outside seemed to fall in complete silence, as though even the storm had stopped to listen.

“Don’t worry. You’re safe,” the taxi driver said with a faint smile. “I’m just a little tired. I need some rest.”

I stared at him in silence.

He’s lost his mind, I thought. One moment he’s saying one thing, and the next he’s talking as though none of it ever happened. Just get me to my destination—that’s all I ask.

I shifted my gaze toward the windshield.

The endless road stretched into the darkness, flanked by a dense forest that refused to end. The taxi wasn’t speeding; the driver maintained a steady, reasonable pace.

Yet something felt disturbingly wrong.

Why is this journey taking so long?

It felt as though the forest had swallowed the road itself, trapping us inside an endless corridor of shadows where every mile looked exactly like the last.

I stared through the windshield, my growing unease reflected in the endless stretch of deserted road ahead.

“Isn’t it strange?” I finally said, my voice laced with suspicion. “We’ve been driving for so long, yet this road never seems to end. My destination isn’t even that far. You’re not trying to mislead me, are you?”

I leaned forward in my seat.

“Look... I need to get back to my PG room as soon as possible. If this route is longer, take a shortcut instead. And don’t even think about driving me around in circles just to charge a higher fare. Don’t try to fool me for a few extra bucks.”

The taxi driver remained silent for a moment.

Then, with a faint smile slowly forming across his face, he let out a quiet chuckle.

“For money?” he repeated softly. “Do you really believe I drive this taxi for money?”

He glanced at me through the rear-view mirror, his eyes carrying an unsettling calm.

“No...”

“I merely take certain passengers on a journey... one that leads them to the truth of their own existence.”

He smiled a little wider.

“The life they believe they’re living...”

“...isn’t their real life at all.”

“Hurry up! I don’t have much time,” I said impatiently. “I need to get back to my PG room as soon as possible. I’m warning you one last time—either stop the taxi and let me out here, or I’ll find another cab. And if I can’t, I’ll walk the rest of the way myself.”

The driver remained silent for a few moments, his eyes fixed on the endless road stretching through the darkness.

“Are you even listening to what I’m saying?” I demanded.

Without taking his hands off the steering wheel, he replied in a sharp, irritated voice.

“Yes... yes, I heard every word.”

A brief silence followed before he spoke again.

“Fine. I’ll take you through a shortcut. Perhaps you’ll see yourself there.”

His tone grew colder, almost resentful.

“And when you do, don’t blame me for showing you what was never meant to be seen.”

The taxi driver tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his expression hardening with restrained anger as the vehicle slowly turned onto a narrow, unfamiliar road disappearing into the darkness.

“Thank you for listening.” A calm voice faded into the silence.

“Hello, welcome, folks. You’re all listening to my mysterious radio universe known as 6398. Yes... I know it’s an unusual name, and I’ve heard people question it countless times. But tonight’s tale is just as strange as the name itself. So sit back, hold on to your hearts and minds, because tonight I present a new fictional story—The Last Passenger.”

Without warning, the taxi driver switched on the radio.

I frowned in irritation.

“Seriously? What kind of ridiculous story title is that? I don’t want to listen to this nonsense.”

I leaned forward, my voice growing sharper.

“Are you enjoying bothering me? First your strange conversations, and now this absurd radio drama? Turn it off.”

The driver remained silent.

“Hey... are you even listening to me?”

After a long pause, the driver finally spoke.

“Look into your side mirror.”

I sighed.

What now? Why should I look at the mirror?

I glanced toward the side mirror.

The reflection froze me.

The driver’s lips hadn’t moved.

Yet a voice continued speaking.

“What’s wrong? It’s only me... still driving. I’ll get you home soon.”

Then the voice changed.

The driver’s expression remained blank, but his thoughts echoed through the silence.

“He’s asleep again.”

“This passenger doesn’t seem serious about going home.”

“He still hasn’t told me where his house is.”

“Home... the place that hasn’t appeared for the past six hours.”

The driver gently shook the passenger.

“Sir... wake up.”

No response.

“Sir... can you tell me where your home is?”

The passenger barely opened his eyes.

“Come on... let me sleep...” he muttered lazily.

The driver sighed.

“This won’t work.”

He reached for the radio once more.

The familiar voice returned.

“Hello, welcome, folks. You’re all listening to my mysterious radio universe known as 6398. Yes... I know it’s an unusual name. But tonight’s story is as disturbing as the universe that gave birth to it. So, prepare yourselves for The Last Passenger.”

“Are you insane?” the passenger snapped, jolting awake. “Turn that radio off!”

The taxi driver tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“Then wake up and tell me where you’re trying to go.”

“We’ve been driving for six hours.”

“Your home never arrives.”

“Am I supposed to drive forever?”

The passenger slowly turned toward him. His sleepy eyes met the driver’s. A faint smile crept across his face. Then, in a calm voice, he whispered, “You have to keep listening...”

“Otherwise...” “You’ll keep driving this taxi forever.” “And you’ll remain trapped inside it...”

“Just like me.”

“What are you thinking about?” the taxi driver asked, glancing at me through the rear-view mirror.

I forced a faint smile.

“No... I’m probably just exhausted.”

“Don’t worry,” he replied calmly, keeping his eyes fixed on the deserted road ahead. “We’re taking the shortcut. We’ll reach Highway NH-639 very soon.”

With those reassuring words, he fell silent and continued driving. The steady hum of the engine filled the taxi as the darkness outside seemed to grow deeper with every passing mile.

“So, by now you’ve probably imagined how the passenger must have felt when the taxi driver quietly said, ‘Take a look in your side mirror.’ I can only imagine the fear that must have gripped him in that moment. Perhaps what he saw was real... or perhaps it was nothing more than a trick of his exhausted mind. Now it’s your turn to decide. Was the horrifying sight in the mirror real, or was it merely an illusion born from fear and fatigue? With that question, we come to the end of Part I of today’s fictional short story. Thank you for staying with me until the very end. Until we meet again, keep your curiosity alive... and stay tuned. Or perhaps... we may never meet again.”

The radio host’s voice suddenly dissolved into heavy static before fading into complete silence.

“Stop the taxi! Right now!” I shouted, my voice trembling with fear.

“Please... I don’t want to go with you anymore. What are you? What are you doing to me? Are you playing with my mind? Tell me the truth. I never want to come back to this place.”

The taxi driver burst into loud laughter, his voice echoing along the deserted road.

“What happened, buddy?” he said between laughs. “Do I look like some kind of magician to you?”

My patience finally snapped.

“Oh, I’ll show you a magician!”

Before I could stop myself, I struck him across the face. The sharp slap echoed inside the cab.

“How was that?” I yelled. “The radio keeps describing everything that’s happening to me—every single thing! Do you think I’m a fool?”

The driver’s laughter faded.

“Now,” I said, breathing heavily, “are you finally going to stop this taxi?”

He looked at me with an unreadable expression.

“Fine,” he replied calmly. “I’ll stop. But first... let go of my collar.”

For a brief moment, we stared at one another.

Then I slowly released my grip.

A strange smile crept across his face.

He chuckled once more.

“Okay... okay,” he murmured. “I’m stopping.”

The taxi gradually rolled to a halt.

Then....

The silence became even more terrifying.

“You don’t deserve my thanks,” I snapped. “You’re nothing more than a fool. And remember this—no one will ever ride in your taxi again.”

Rain pounded relentlessly against the windshield.

The old radio continued to hiss through layers of static before a distorted voice emerged.

“Attention... anyone traveling in Taxi Chassis No. 470-6398... no passenger who has ever entered this taxi has reached their destination. If you wish to avoid Taxi Chassis No. 470-6398, contact me. But don’t expect me to save you...”

The transmission dissolved into a burst of metallic laughter. The voice no longer sounded human. It echoed like rusted machinery speaking through broken speakers. My heartbeat quickened.

Slowly, I lowered my gaze toward the metal identification plate fixed inside the cab.

Chassis No. 470 - 6398.

My blood ran cold.

This... this is the same taxi.

“Hey!” I shouted, pushing frantically against the locked door.

“Open the door!”

Silence.

The driver had vanished.

“Where are you?” I cried into the darkness.

“Please... stop hiding. I won’t hurt you.”

“I just need answers.”

Only the sound of rain and whispering trees replied.

“I don’t want to stay here...”

“Not in this strange forest...”

“Not on this endless road...”

My desperate screams disappeared into the night.

“What’s the plan today, my friend?”

“Oh, nothing special. Let’s get home first. Then we’ll decide where to travel next.”

“This time, you choose the destination,” the other replied with a grin. “Some strange place... somewhere mysterious... somewhere that sends chills down your spine.”

A taxi rolled to a stop beside them. Street 470, Nachshan. The driver leaned toward the open window.

“Come on in.”

Dark clouds gathered unnaturally fast, swallowing the evening sky.

“That’s odd,” Sumit muttered.

“Forget it,” Nikola replied. “Let’s go.”

They climbed into the taxi.

The radio crackled to life.

“Good evening, folks. I’m RJ Shalini, and welcome to the second episode of tonight’s broadcast. Today’s fictional story takes us to Street 470, where two passengers encounter a mysterious taxi driver.”

Sumit’s smile faded.

“...Nikola,” he whispered, “doesn’t this sound exactly like us?”

Nikola stared silently through the windshield.

“Yes...”

“It does.”

The taxi driver smiled without turning around.

“The mistake I made...” he said calmly, “...is one you still have time not to repeat.”

A long silence followed.

“But remember...”

“...this is only the beginning.”

“And some beginnings...”

“...were never meant to have an ending.”

The taxi continued deeper into the darkness. Outside, the rain fell harder, swallowing the road behind them until even the headlights could no longer find the way back.

The radio crackled once more. Then...

Silence....