The Cab Ride

I stood near the edge of the curb waiting for the next available taxi to come take me back to my hotel. While I was out a little later than I intended to be exploring the sights of the city at night, I've been enjoying my trip to Tokyo, Japan.

I waited anxiously glancing up and down the street. Many people that live in the city take a taxi. It's just a part of everyday life. Not for me. I'm from a more rural area. I think I've only ever taken one taxi ride in my life. The idea alone of visiting such an immense city and the unfamiliarity of it made me nervous.

I continued to wait as car after car passed by and then more headlights approached as they reflected on the buildings behind me. I immediately noticed the illuminated sign on top of the car and released a steady sigh of relief. It was a taxi. I was ready to get back to my hotel and call it a night. I stepped forward and signaled for a ride.

The taxi came to a stop right in front of me so that the back passenger door was directly in front of me at my convenience. I opened the door and was about to greet the driver when something made me stop, chilled. He had the palest complexion. Almost ghostly. With eyes focused straight ahead, his expression showed no emotion as if he were in a trance. For a passing second, I considered waiting for another taxi instead.

The driver didn't say anything. He didn't take one glance towards me. Not even a nod. He only stared straight ahead, relaxed, as if waiting expectantly for me to get in. I debated accepting the ride. Who knows how long the next available taxi would come? I ignored the eerie feeling and got in.

Trying to be polite, I managed to finally acknowledge the cab driver.

“Hello. How has your evening?”

He didn't reply and I couldn't decide if he just didn't hear me or wasn't in the mood to talk.

Shrugging the taxi driver’s strange behavior off, I shifted my attention to my phone and then to the sights outside the window, distracting my mind.

When my wandering eyes fell back on the taxi driver, I blinked and did a double take convinced that they were deceiving me. The driver looked almost transparent.

No. No. That would be ridiculous. You’re tired. It must be the weird lighting.

I returned my attention back to my phone brushing the unsettling sight out of my mind. The more I fought temptation, the more a nagging curiosity told me to look up at the taxi driver again. The moment I did so, an indescribable chill went through me as I noticed that I could see the dashboard and steering wheel straight through the driver!

Something wasn't right. It wasn't right from the moment I opened that taxi door. Now I just wanted to pay my fare and end the ride early. However, I wasn't in the most ideal place to just get out and walk the rest of the way.

I forced what I had just witnessed out of my mind, distracting what must have been my overactive imagination to the scenery outside my window. The people gathered on the streets. The illuminated neon lights.

With only about two blocks away, my destination was soon approaching. I took another daring glance up at the driver and this time, my eyes widened in horrid realization. There was no one behind the wheel!

Even more terrifying, the cab continued to drive on its own taking me the last two blocks the rest of the way.

With no driver at the wheel, the cab came to a smooth stop in front of my destination. Not waiting another second of being inside that taxi, I flung the door open and got out. A huge wave of relief fell over me the second I stepped onto the sidewalk. I turned around to close the door but there was no such taxi.

I think I just caught a ride with a ghost.

***

This short paranormal horror story was inspired by an urban legend in Japan of a phantom taxi driver that picks up unsuspecting passengers late at night.