Harvest of The Fallen

Chapter 03

Laga slammed into the window, the floor of the bus, and the edge of a seat. He also felt himself collide with another passenger he didn’t recognize.

It was still pitch-black inside the bus.

As everyone struggled to get back on their feet, the bus swayed and shook several times before finally returning to its normal speed.

“Ouch, that really hurt.”

Laga crawled out from under the seat, rubbing his forehead.

“Oh my God! Get me out of this lousy bus! I’ll go completely crazy if I stay here any longer!” the red-haired woman shouted as she felt around in the darkness.

“What am I touching? It’s hard and wet!”

The muscular man swatted her hand away. “Don’t touch me, you tomato-head! That’s harassment!”

“What? I touched you? That’s disgusting!” The red-haired woman hurriedly backed away until her head hit the edge of a seat.

“Oh my God! Stay away from me!”

The lights slowly came back on.

Several passengers returned to their seats, including the muscular man and the red-haired woman.

Silence fell over the bus once again. Worry and fear were clearly visible on everyone’s faces.

Laga looked out the window.

“The fog is starting to lift. That red light is becoming clearer. If those red lights belong to a pack of wild animals, this bus might be driving through the wilderness.”

“You’re right, kid,” the bald man replied.

Several passengers immediately checked the windows. Some tried to open them but failed.

“Something’s been chasing us for a while now,” said the middle-aged man in the front seat. “That’s probably what caused the bus to shake just now.”

Everyone fell silent.

A moment later, the woman with shoulder-length hair began crying in her seat.

The middle-aged woman was so frightened that she gripped the handrail tightly.

“C-could it be a pack of wild animals chasing us, Old Man?” the muscular man asked.

“Yes, that’s possible,” the middle-aged man replied without taking his eyes off the window.

Suddenly, the back of the bus shook violently, nearly throwing the tattooed woman and the overweight man from their seats.

The bespectacled man tapped on the window and wiped away some of the condensation.

“There are a lot of red lights getting closer. Also, I think this bus is slowing down.”

The long-haired man tugged at his hair several times. “I’m starting to hate this situation. I suspect this might be some kind of trap.”

“I feel dizzy and...”

The middle-aged woman suddenly vomited.

“Oh my God! You’re making things even worse!” the red-haired woman snapped, covering her mouth with both hands. “I... suddenly feel nauseous and cold too.”

“You should’ve kept your mouth shut from the start, tomato-head!” the muscular man sneered.

Laga rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes.

“It’s getting colder, and I... feel like my head is spinning.”

The bus jolted several more times.

The atmosphere inside the bus became deathly quiet, even after the long-haired man suddenly threw up.

The tattooed woman started vomiting as well and eventually fell out of her seat.

The bald man behind Laga lay down and massaged his head.

The air grew colder by the minute. The lights dimmed, only to return to normal moments later.

Then it happened again.

And again.

“The fog is definitely getting thinner, and the bus is slowing down.”

Laga touched the window and tried to open it.

“But those red lights suddenly disappeared. I think I can hear something... like the flapping of wings.”

Laga remained in his seat, observing each passenger one by one.

The old man sitting in the front... He looks like a former soldier, bodyguard, or martial arts instructor. He’s been calm from the very beginning. He seems to be the strongest person on this bus.

Then there’s the muscular guy. He looks like an athlete. He seems confident, even though he sometimes has trouble controlling his emotions.

The guy with glasses looks calm and intelligent. He...

That tattooed woman... She’s probably a tattoo artist. Or maybe... a member of a criminal gang.

The long-haired guy is a college student, probably two or three years older than me. He mentioned a campus earlier.

The bald guy behind me... He looks like an ordinary office worker, just like the woman with shoulder-length hair.

That overweight man looks like he’s in his late twenties. Is he a content creator like that red-haired woman?

The middle-aged woman is probably just an ordinary housewife.

I don’t know any of them. They’re probably keeping their identities to themselves to avoid trouble.

I can only rely on myself if things go bad. When people are in danger, they’ll always prioritize their own survival.

The bus continued moving.

The passengers grew increasingly alert and anxious.

Laga felt sleepy, but he knew falling asleep would be tantamount to putting himself in danger. He had no idea what dangers were lurking outside.

“Nobody opens the doors or windows,” the middle-aged man suddenly warned.

Just as he said that, the woman with shoulder-length hair opened the window and began vomiting repeatedly.

A gust of wind immediately swept into the bus, carrying a foul smell of sulfur.

Laga instantly held his breath and coughed.

“It stinks.”

“Close the window! Now!” the middle-aged man shouted as he jumped to his feet.

As the bus jolted, the woman with shoulder-length hair suddenly convulsed.

Then she went completely still.

All the passengers fell silent, though curiosity and confusion were clearly written across their faces.

The middle-aged man cautiously reached out and touched her shoulder.

Suddenly, her body was violently yanked out through the window.

Only her head remained inside the bus, her tongue hanging from her mouth.

“Ah!”

Almost everyone screamed at once and immediately scrambled away from her.

Blood gushed from the severed neck, pooling across the floor and spreading toward the seats in front and behind.

The middle-aged woman fainted instantly.

The overweight man fell and rolled across the floor.

The long-haired man, the bald man, and the bespectacled man immediately jumped backward.

The red-haired woman vomited before collapsing beneath a seat.

The tattooed woman fell to the floor.

The middle-aged man and the muscular man slowly backed away.

And Laga froze.

His heart pounded wildly. His mouth hung open, and sweat instantly drenched his body.

Am I going to die here?