Saturday, July 2, 2011

magic bus

409 km worth of road to travel along. Really this whole trip has been silly. Travel too and fro just for a singular purpose which could have been completed without having to go the distance.
Travelling along this dark road is causing her mind to wander. Fear of the dark, that unknown factor comes into play.
What if? What would happen? Such horror could await if the opportunity arises. Influences from watching movies is a big contribution to this wild imagination. Set in the same style of scene. Out in the middle of nowhere.
Stop off at a service station, she grabs a few things and back on the bus. Back to the presence of familiar faces. So late at night, who ever decided this plan was acceptable must have been out of their mind. 159 km left to go, still feels so far. A distraction of overhearing conversations that do not want to be heard is a good distraction from the idea of a horror scene arising from the outback.

The bus driver slows and pulls over to the side of the road. The passengers are poking their heads over the seats to see what is going on. Coach goes up to the front to find out what is going on. The bus has broken down, broken down in the middle of nowhere 50km from the nearest service station. The bus driver and coach get off the bus to have a look at the engine to see if it can be easy fixed. Everyone on the bus sits patiently, some sleeping, some listening to their iPods and others still engaging in conversations of explicit encounters. She sits, her mind buzzing, 15 minutes passes and the coach and bus driver have not re-entered the bus. She turns to the people behind her and asks if they want to go and check on the bus driver with her. They impolitely refuse stating there is nothing to worry about. She ponders for another 10 minutes. 25 minutes and no news as to the situation, she decides to take a peek. Popping her head out the door she calls for her coach. No response. Her instincts are telling her to stay inside of the bus, but curiosity gets the better of her. She steps out and walks to the front of the bus. No coach. No bus driver. She does a lap around the bus but no sign of either. An uneasy feeling creeps up inside her, she tells herself its ok, there must be a rational explanation. Maybe she missed them and they are back on the bus. With a fast pace in her step she hops back onto the bus. As her eyes focus and she see's nothing. Everyone is gone. She stands alone on the bus, frozen to the spot. Maybe this is some kind of sick joke. This is not even possible, she would have noticed an entire team getting off the bus. Where have they all gone? Panic. A million possibilities pour through her mind. She needs to do something, she can't just sit in the bus. Or can she. Is that safer? Obviously isn't otherwise the bus would have its passengers aboard still. But outside, where does she go? She checks her phone to ring for help. No reception; typical. Suddenly a noise outside. Someone is calling her name. It's a voice she does not recognise, a man, a dry sinister voice. She turns around to see an elderly man stepping onto the bus. Who is he? Where did he come from? Again he repeats her name. 'Who are you?' 'Where is everyone?' He runs at her, she turns and runs but is blocked in, no where to go. He grabs her, surprisingly strong for a man who looks to be in his 60's. He drags her off the bus and throws her to the curb. This can't be happening. This seriously can't be happening. Her heart is beating out of her chest stricken with the rush of adrenaline. He holds out a knife and mumbles nonsense about sacrificing. This guy is crazy, what on earth does he mean about sacrifice. This can't be happening, it feels so unreal, time seems to slow down. She ponders making a run for it, into the darkness. At least it would be away from this man. She has barely finished considering her next move when he lunges towards her. Scrambling in the dirt she makes it 2 metres before he reaches her. He grabs her shoulder and starts to shake her. What is he doing? He is just stood shaking her shoulder? Panic stricken she feels as if she is going crazy, this whole situation is so surreal. In the back of her mind she hears her name being called, it starts of quiet but grows louder and louder until she is no longer outside on the curb. She is back on the bus, her friend shaking her shoulder calling her name. "We are home, wake up, everyone is getting off the bus.'
Relief washes over her with the realisation that she is safe. It was just a bad dream. Just a bad dream...

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