CHAPTER 4: I Was… Dead

I jumped so hard I nearly dropped dead right there.

My heart slammed against my ribs, and for a second I couldn’t even breathe. The voice was rough, deep, impatient and definitely female.

My eyes flew to the open doorway, but all I saw was darkness. Just shadows shifting against that weak, blinking yellow light.

“W–what?”

Before I could even finish asking, a hand shot out of the darkness and grabbed me.

I didn’t even have time to scream before I was yanked off feet and dragged inside the bus. My shoes scraped the metal steps as I kicked and twisted, panic exploding through me like fire.

“Let me go!” I yelled, thrashing against the grip. Whoever it was, they were strong. My elbow slammed into something solid, and I heard a loud grunt.

“Ow! You little bitch!” her voice snapped, furious.

Before I could even process it, she shoved me. My back hit one of the metal seats so hard that it knocked the air right out of me. I gasped, clutching my ribs, the breath burning in my throat as I tried to take in what was happening.

The bus doors clanged shut behind me with a mechanical hiss that made my stomach drop.

“Don’t touch me…” I croaked, my voice shaking. My eyes darted around, trying to adjust to the dark, blinking light.

That’s when I saw them.

People.

There were others on the bus. A handful of them, all sitting scattered across the rows like weird, mismatched passengers. A guy in a hoodie near the back, a woman with bright red hair and dark circles under her eyes, someone else hunched over and muttering to themselves.

And the one who’d dragged me — a tall woman with hard cheekbones and a mean expression — just plopped down in a seat, crossing her legs like nothing had happened.

“Wasting our fucking time,” she hissed, glaring at me like I was a fly.

My mouth fell open. “What… what is going on?” My voice was shaky, high-pitched. My head was spinning. I looked at the others, but none of them said a word. The guy in the hoodie just stared straight at me with a soft smile.

Was I being kidnapped?

I glanced toward the door — locked shut. Windows fogged over. My heart was racing so hard it hurt. I thought about screaming again, but the woman’s glare stopped me cold. She looked like the type who’d punch me just for making noise.

And then, before I could even think of what to do next, the bus lights flickered violently — once, twice — before a static-filled crackle filled the air.

A screen blinked to life at the front of the bus, right above the driver’s seat where a rearview mirror should’ve been.

Every single person on the bus looked up.

The screen was bright white for a second — then words appeared, bold and glitchy, like something from a broken TV.

‘WELCOME, PASSENGERS’.

A chill ran through me.

The static deepened, morphing into a voice. Smooth. And way too cheerful.

“Well, well, well,” it drawled. “Looks like everyone’s finally here. Took long enough. Some of you,” the voice chuckled, “were a pain to get.”

“What’s the hell…” I whispered under my breath.

The screen blinked again — now showing a faint image of what looked like… a mask? Smiling, expressionless, like a porcelain doll.

“You’re probably wondering what this is,” the voice went on, still smug and snaky. “Short answer? You’re all dead. Long answer? Congratulations — you lucky little corpses have been chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

My blood ran cold.

“Dead?” I echoed, my voice barely a whisper. I could feel my hands trembling.

“Mm-hm,” the voice purred through the speakers. “Car crash, overdose, bullet — doesn’t matter. Point is, you’re toast. Gone. Bye-bye, reality. But don’t pout! Because you’ve been invited to play a game. And not just any game…”

The mask on the screen tilted, smiling wider.

“Win,” it said sweetly, “and you get a second chance at life.”

I stared at the screen, completely frozen.

“And if we lose?” The red-haired woman said dryly, leaning back with her arms crossed.

The voice chuckled — a low, dark sound that made the hairs on my arms stand up.

“Oh, honey,” it said. “You don’t want to lose.”

He paused for a moment and gave a low, mocking laugh.

“Anyway, Welcome to Round One, my little lost souls. Try not to die again.”

Then — click.

The screen went black.

And the bus engine rumbled to life again.

I drew my knees to my chest, still trying to wrap my head around it — the impossible truth pressing in on me.

I was… dead.