**The Last Fare**
Jared's shift as a rideshare driver was almost over when a request popped up - an unusual pickup location deep in the woods outside town. The fare was double the usual rate. Too good to pass up.
As he drove into the darkness, the trees thickened, and the road turned into a narrow dirt path. His phone lost signal. Just as he considered turning back, a figure emerged from the shadows - a woman in a long, tattered dress, her hair wild and unkempt.
She slid into the back seat without a word. Jared swallowed his unease.
"Where to?" he asked.
She whispered an address he didn't recognize, her voice barely audible. As he drove, he checked the rearview mirror. She sat stiffly, eyes locked on the road ahead.
A few miles in, the GPS rerouted - straight toward a cemetery.
His chest tightened. "Uh? are you sure this is the right place?"
She finally met his eyes in the mirror. "I need to go home."
Jared's pulse pounded. "Listen, I don't think - "
A sudden weightlessness filled the car. The woman faded, her form dissolving into mist.
The passenger seat was empty.
Jared slammed the brakes, his breath ragged. His app pinged - a completed ride. Five-star rating.
His phone buzzed again. A message from the rider.
*"Thank you for the ride. I can rest now."*
Jared never drove that late again.
