It was almost midnight when Subey stepped out of his office, exhausted he missed dinner. Another long day, another missed dinner with his family. The streets of Guma City were quieter now, but the faint hum of the city never truly disappeared. He hurried to the bus stop, hoping to catch the last ride home.
A few others stood waiting—a college student glued to her phone, a middle-aged man looking restless, and an old woman clutching a cloth bag filled with vegetables. The neon glow of a shop sign flickered in the distance.
Minutes passed. The old woman sighed. "Son, do you think the bus will come?" she asked subey
He checked his watch. "It should be here soon, Aunt. Last one runs around 11.40."
Just then, headlights appeared. The bus wheezed to a stop, and they all climbed in. Subey took his usual window seat, watching the city lights blur past as the bus moved through the near-empty roads.
Half an hour later, the bus reached his stop. Subey got off, stretching his arms, when he noticed something odd. The streets were eerily silent. No honking, no stray dogs barking, no distant train whistles—just an unnatural stillness.
He shrugged it off and walked toward his building. The security guard, usually half-asleep in his chair, was missing. The lights flickered.
As he entered the elevator and pressed the button for his floor, something unsettling happened—the button didn't light up. The elevator started moving, but not a single floor indicator changed. The doors opened with a ding, but it wasn't his floor.
And he was in the bus stop.
Subey stepped out, stunned. The same old woman, the same impatient man, the same student were all still there, waiting. His heart pounded. Had he imagined reaching home?
Then the bus arrived again, exactly as before.
Dazed, he climbed in, taking the same seat. The bus started moving, and he looked out the window. This time, as they passed a small tea stall, Subey saw something chilling—his own reflection in the shop's glass. He wasn't sitting inside the bus. He was outside, watching it pass.
His breath caught. He turned to the old woman beside him. "Aunt, what time is it?"
She smiled, her voice eerily calm. "Son, it's always 11.40"
The bus kept moving, and deep inside, Subey knew that....