A small thud against the back of his seat. Not loud. Not even hard. Just… there. Like a knock that had no business being there at all. He froze. Waited. Was that— Another tap. Firmer this time. A jolt that rattled his spine. Daniel opened his eyes and sat up. Slowly, deliberately, he turned to glance behind him.
A little boy sat there, his short legs not quite reaching the floor. His sneakers swung freely in the narrow gap between his seat and Daniel’s. With each bounce, the soles smacked into the back of Daniel’s seat like a metronome with bad intentions.