The Phantom Ride of the 375: A Beijing Bus Haunting

The city of Beijing, with its ancient walls and modern skyscrapers, is a place where the past and the present coexist in a unique blend. Among its many secrets lies the legend of the 375 bus route, a story whispered among the city’s inhabitants, one that has been told and retold for generations. It is said that the 375 bus is haunted by the spirits of those who never reached their destinations, forever trapped in the night.

The night was cold, and the rain was relentless. It was one such night when a young woman named Li decided to take the 375 bus home. Li was a graphic designer by day, and her job often kept her late into the night. The 375 was her usual route, but tonight, it felt different.

As the bus rolled through the empty streets, Li noticed that the driver, an elderly man with a kind smile, seemed particularly preoccupied. He would occasionally glance at the rearview mirror, his eyes darting back to the road with a start. Li, however, was too absorbed in her thoughts to pay much attention. She was thinking about a project that had been haunting her, a concept that felt as elusive as the ghost stories she had heard about the 375.

The bus was almost empty, save for a few other passengers, all of whom seemed to be lost in their own worlds. Suddenly, the bus came to a halt. The driver turned to the passengers, his voice tinged with an urgency that was uncharacteristic.

"Sorry for the delay, everyone. There's been a... technical issue with the brakes. I'm going to have to pull over and fix it," he explained, his eyes still flicking to the rearview mirror.

The passengers murmured their agreement, and the bus rolled to a stop. The driver stepped out, and Li saw him fiddling with the brakes. She watched as he worked, his hands trembling slightly in the cold night air.

After what felt like an eternity, the driver reentered the bus, his face pale but his expression one of relief.

"Alright, everyone, we're on our way again. Thank you for your patience," he said, and the bus lurched forward.

It was then that Li noticed the rearview mirror was cracked. She couldn't help but think that it was strange for the driver to be so fixated on it, but she dismissed the thought and returned to her own thoughts.

As the bus continued to weave through the streets, Li felt a chill run down her spine. She turned to look out the window, expecting to see the familiar sights of the city, but instead, she was greeted by a hauntingly empty road. The streetlights were still there, but the buildings seemed to have vanished, leaving only darkness.

"Is this normal?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The driver glanced back at her, his eyes wide with fear. "No, it's not normal. I've never seen this before," he stammered.

The bus stopped again, and the driver leaped out, his hands grasping at the air as if trying to find something. Li followed him out, and together, they searched the bus, looking for any sign of the missing streetlights or buildings.

It was then that Li noticed the mirror in the driver's compartment. She walked over to it and saw her reflection, but something was off. The reflection was blurred, and the image of the streetlights and buildings seemed to flicker and shift.

"Driver, what's happening to the mirror?" she asked, her voice trembling.

The driver turned, his eyes wide with terror. "I don't know, but it's not right. It's like the mirror is showing us something we're not supposed to see," he whispered.

Li's heart raced as she looked at the mirror. She could see the reflection of the bus, but the reflection was distorted, and the bus was no longer moving. It was as if the mirror was showing them a parallel world, one where the bus was stationary, and the road was empty.

Suddenly, the driver's voice cut through the silence. "We need to get out of here!" he shouted, and without another word, he pushed her out of the bus.

Li stumbled onto the road, her breath coming in short gasps. She looked back at the bus, and to her horror, it was now moving backward, the rearview mirror still showing the distorted image of the stationary bus.

Li's mind raced. She had to get help. She ran towards the nearest streetlight, her feet pounding against the wet pavement. As she reached the light, she saw a group of people gathered, their faces lit by the flickering glow of the streetlight.

"Help! The bus is haunted! We need to stop it!" she cried out, her voice breaking.

The group looked at her, their expressions one of confusion and skepticism. "What are you talking about?" one of them asked.

Li didn't have time to explain. She pointed towards the bus, and as she did, the group saw the distorted image in the rearview mirror. Their expressions turned to fear, and they ran towards the bus.

Together, they worked to stop the bus, pushing and pulling until it finally came to a halt. The driver, now pale and trembling, stepped out of the bus. Li rushed to him, her hands gripping his arms.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The driver looked at her, his eyes filled with sorrow. "I don't know, but it was like the bus was under a spell. We were being taken somewhere we didn't want to go," he said, his voice breaking.

Li nodded, her mind racing. She had to find a way to break the spell. She turned to the group of people and asked, "Do any of you know how to break a spell?"

One of the men stepped forward. "I might know a way. Follow me," he said, and he led them to a small, abandoned building at the end of the street.

Inside the building, they found an old, dusty book. The man opened it and began to read aloud, his voice filled with intensity. Li watched as the bus began to slow, and eventually, it came to a stop.

The group rushed to the bus, and as they opened the door, they were greeted by a sight that made their hearts sink. The driver was lying on the floor, his eyes wide with terror. He had been trapped in the bus, just as they had been.

Li knelt beside him, her hands shaking as she checked his pulse. "You're okay, driver. We got you out," she said, her voice trembling.

The driver nodded, his eyes closing as he exhaled a sigh of relief. "Thank you," he whispered.

Li looked at the group of people, her eyes filled with gratitude. "You saved us," she said, her voice breaking.

The group nodded, their expressions one of relief and determination. "We won't let anything else happen to you," one of them said.

As the night wore on, Li and the driver were taken to a nearby hospital. They were treated for shock and exhaustion, but they were lucky to be alive. The group of people had followed them to the hospital, and they stayed with them until morning.

In the light of day, Li and the driver were able to piece together what had happened. The mirror in the bus had shown them a parallel world, a world where the bus was stationary, and the road was empty. It was as if the bus had been taken over by a supernatural force, one that had been trying to transport them to a place they didn't want to go.

The group of people had helped them break the spell, and they had saved their lives. Li knew that she would never take the 375 bus again, but she was grateful for the experience. It had shown her that there are things in this world that we can't explain, things that go beyond the realm of the ordinary.

As she lay in her hospital bed, Li thought about the driver and the group of people who had saved them. She knew that their lives would never be the same, but she was also grateful for the new friendships that had been formed. They had faced a terrifying experience together, and they had come out stronger.

In the end, the 375 bus haunted by spirits was just a legend, a story told to scare children. But for Li and the driver, it was a reality that they would never forget. It was a reminder that there are things in this world that we can't control, and that sometimes, the only thing we can do is face them head-on.