Just now on the radio… Did the DJ really just say the name of a certain ghost-story talk show host I know well?
For a moment there, I thought I was hallucinating.
Driving to a cemetery at 2 a.m. with a ghost in the passenger seat while listening to the radio. It felt like a reasonable delusion under the circumstances.
But then, a voice came through the speakers.
[Oh dear, I hardly know what to do with such praise!]
“……”
A familiar voice.
[Truly, it’s a pleasure to be here. Let me share my story with utmost sincerity…]
I need to turn it off.
Especially not when a ghost is sitting right next to me…
‘Wait, no. Hold on.’
If I think about it another way, wouldn’t it actually help distract me?
“Kekekekekekekekekekekeradiofunnykekekekeke”
…the ghost in the passenger seat let out a laugh.
Or, no, it wasn’t really laughing.
It was mimicking the sound of laughter, like onomatopoeia.
Mocking, unsettling, twisted.
A purely instinctive kind of fear.
‘Ha.’
In the end, I froze mid-motion, hand hovering over the radio.
The soft-spoken DJ and the upbeat talk show host were having a friendly exchange.
I focused on that, kept my eyes on the dark road ahead, and drove.
[I heard that the Purgatory Choir recently sent the Late-Night Talk Show band a special instrument. Rumor has it that it was a gift of apology and gratitude. Whether it’s sincere or…]
Typical banter for when a famous talk show host guests on a radio show.
Catching up, current events, inside jokes, fan questions.
All of it followed the usual format, But when you really listened, there was something off, something unsettling.
Nouns that didn’t fit the verbs. Impossible details. Words stitched together to form something grotesque.
[Whether the heart or the brain is the true seat of love—our next guest has taken a delicate look into it. Their skill with dissection was impressive! Definitely please, tune in next time.]
[Oh, absolutely! Thank you. Look forward to it…]
“……”
Cold sweat gathered on my left palm gripping the wheel.
At some point… the ghost started staring at me.
Just staring.
“Um… are you enjoying it?”
“……”
“I asked if it’s fun.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. I was trying to focus on the road, so I only caught bits of it… but the host really is a smooth talker.”
“Heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee.”
I’m going insane.
And the broadcast continued, sweet and calm:
[The Late-Night Talk Show always brings excitement, fear, and joy. But when you’re not running the show, Mr. Braun, what hobbies do you enjoy?]
[Ah! Hobbies… Piano, selecting a fine wine, a good bath—such things are dear companions to life. It’s a chronic affliction of entertainers, choosing only the most inspiring hobbies. And…]
[Chatting with a good friend is always a joy.]
“……”
[A friend of yours, Mr. Braun? Can we hear more? Maybe a call—aaAAAH—or something like that…]
Holy shit.
[Ah, sadly, we’ve fallen out of touch recently. A phone call might be difficult.]
[Oh my, that’s a shame.]
[Ah, my heart aches with the loss! But fortunately…]
[I do happen to know a few details about my friend’s recent activities.]
My throat went dry.
“Excuse me.”
[Apparently he joined a barbecue event at a supermarket. And even bought an ugly plush toy. Can you believe it? So silly, so charming. And…]
“It’s a little loud… Could you please turn it down?”
My hand reached for the radio, trembling.
[He’s using glass in place of an arm now!]
“……”
[Oh dear, glass? Isn’t that far too fragile to function properly? Should I say that? Please tell me that’s what I should say? Isn’t that so?]
[Oh, most certainly. I’m terribly concerned… especially when a foolish and useless creature is stuck to the glass as well!]
A stream of cold sweat ran down my back.
[What a pitiful—]
I finally managed to hit the power button.
Click.
“……”
“……”
A moment of silence.
[—decision indeed! Heavens!]
But the radio came back on by itself.
[How sad that I can’t reach my friend due to unfortunate circumstances. I do wish I could tell him this…]
“Why isn’t the radio turning off? You’re being so rude. Um, if you’re not going to turn it off, could you please let me out…… I need to get out, please open the door…”
Then, the ghost’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“And help me down too I can’t do it alone… I don’t have feet”
“……”
[Can we confirm if it’s possible to reach him?]
I turned my head.
Only then did I see it. The ghost in the passenger seat had no legs.
More precisely, both legs ended in ragged, torn stumps at the ankles.
It was just pretending to walk by dragging those along.
“I can’t walk on my own… I have to go with you”
Drip, drip.
Blood was falling.
Or rather, it must have been trickling down all along.
From beneath the passenger seat, now soaked, blood began to pour out like mad, Spreading across the floor, seeping past the edge of the seat.
It kept flowing all the way to the driver’s side, over my shoes, over the pedals…
[Hmm, just a moment.]
“……”
[I suppose there’s no need to confirm it now. My friend must be doing his best as well.]
The voice deepened.
[Ah, the famous saying comes to mind: ‘Heaven helps those who help themselves.’ Across many cultures, similar phrases persist like a kind of magic. And in that sense…]
[A friend doing his best surely deserves a bit of special help, too.]
That warm, composed voice continued.
[You may turn off the radio now, Friend.]
“……”
[Oh, look. We have a guest.]
SCREEEEECH.
I barely managed to step on the brake in time.
I almost hit something.
‘Haa.’
A hand had appeared against the windshield, like a hitchhiker’s with a thumb raised.
My right arm, the dokkaebi flame, mimicked the same thumbs-up gesture… then lowered it.
No.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
Apparently, I’d accidentally turned the radio off while fumbling for the wheel.
“Oh? A person… It’s a person, right?”
The ghost beside me seemed to have shifted her attention.
…To the potential passenger outside.