Close Encounters of the Bus Kind

[41]

That wasn’t possible, Erin told herself. She must’ve seen it wrong. Tonya Hill had grayish eyes. In such low light, what she thought she saw obviously couldn’t be real. Tonya’s sclera had appeared jet black like a shiny film of oil smeared across both eyes.

Eva also tried to get a good look but focused on peering between the seats rather than over them. She couldn’t see much, but it seemed safer than poking her head out. Although, considering the things she’d faced down lately, whoever or whatever this was didn’t necessarily intimidate her.

Leslie held herself in a floating position and listened with her mouth clamped shut. Nadia checked on the other girls. And Gina just glared at her ineffectual screen mirror.

Only Erin glimpsed Tonya fully and completely, yet a sense of danger and foreboding wafted between them all. Tonya‘s footfalls at the front of the vehicle sounded more like she was dragging something heavy than simply walking. It was hard to piece her actions together from the sounds. Nadia could deduce that the scraping sound was a search for the hidden key.

Because they had all been there when Nadia slipped in the key to turn on the electrical systems, some sounds were familiar. But the figure at the front didn’t go that route. They went for full ignition. Everyone ducked down a little lower when the dome lights came on and the engine started. Silence followed for several long seconds with just the idling rumble of the engine.

It took an excruciatingly long amount of time before the engine kicked off and shifted to just the electrical.

“…Hello? Is someone there?” Tonya spoke. It was her voice. None of them could deny that. Eva resisted the urge to recoil in horror. Nadia gently pressed her head against the seat and shut her eyes. Gina yanked her phone down and squeezed it against her chest. She also pushed hard on the sleep button, suddenly worried about what would happen if her mom or someone else called. Leslie felt like she was about to cry but smothered her breath. Erin glared angrily at the back of the seat but remained where she was. She desperately wanted to communicate with the others. Tell them not to say anything or move. There was nothing she could do but hope.

Heavy steps shuffled and scuffed over the front of the bus. Tonya had to be standing near where she usually sat with Coach. And she was getting closer. A phone light passed over the tops of the benches. Eva tensed her muscles. None of them dared to breathe. It hurt.

Gina itched. Nadia felt a sneeze coming on. Erin didn’t want to hold back from throwing her telekinetic power at whatever was standing in the bus in the shape of Tonya. She just didn’t know if it would be enough. Leslie shivered. Eva found that her teeth spontaneously ached, and she desperately needed to swallow. Surely, something would give, and Tonya would discover them.

But, she turned away, seemingly spontaneously disinterested in whatever was happening at the back of the bus. She was soon fiddling with the video console in the same way they had mere minutes ago. The light of the screen cast an ominous glow. They had to get out of here.

The way they came in seemed like the only option. Communicating through phones would still be too loud or bright. Tonya was sure to hear the buzzing or see a screen. Erin rummaged around on her person for something to write with. But, despite all the paper in the bathroom, she hadn’t grabbed any. She bent down the aisle and tried to get Nadia‘s attention.

It took a moment, but Nadia noticed her. Silently, Erin mouthed the word ‘PAPER’ and reached around in her slim pockets. Nadia caught on quickly and actually had a few leftover pieces from her flower creation tucked away. But no pen or pencil though. Mercifully, one was nearby, lost from someone’s bag on Friday. The pen rested right in the middle of the aisle though.

Swallowing nervously, Nadia stretched out along the floor of the bus and seized the pen in her hand before sliding back. She caught the briefest glimpse of Tonya turned towards the screen with an overwhelming blackness that made her want to scream. The noises at the front paused for a moment, as though Tonya had noticed what she had done. There was no further question asked towards the back and everything resumed several fluttering heartbeats later.

Leslie became the designated paper passer since she could float around silently. Her face was covered in a sheen of sweat. The paper and pen transferred back to Erin, around, and underneath the bench, as she cautiously scribbled out the plan.

They would send Leslie to the back first and then have each of them grip her hand as she led them to float out the back with her power. Simple plan but so many possibilities for danger. If they waited, they were at the mercy of whoever that was and their full attention on them. Erin resolved that they had to go now.

Leslie clenched her hands into fists and took a guarded breath before sailing between the seats with her legs tucked in. She made it all the way to the back before the sharp shimmer of Tonya’s light came again.

“What was that?…Kitty cat? Greasy hobo? I won’t hurt you, promise…”

Most of that was still Tonya‘s voice, but the last sentence carried a strange quality that didn’t sound like Tonya at all. Gina went back first, gingerly rolling under the seat to get closer to Leslie. Those heavy and menacing footsteps started to move towards the back when something chimed loudly at the front. Tonya rushed towards it.

They couldn’t wait any longer. Each of the girls rolled across the dirty floor as silently as possible. Leslie gripped tightly to Gina as they held the back window open and drifted one by one through the opening. Tonya was hunched over the video console with her ear pressed to a cell phone.

Gina was out. Eva soon followed. But they paused and dashed away when they heard Tonya clear her throat and speak again but not in their direction.

“I’m taking care of it. No evidence. And you’ll get what you want on time. Just have a few loose ends to deal with…”

That was enough of a sign to get out of there. Nadia and Erin gripped one hand each of Leslie as she launched through the window. Nadia didn’t squeeze in on time and it felt like a razor blade sliced her shoulder. Her clothes didn’t tear but the pain almost made her squeak. When they settled to the ground, furious feet creaked the bus with a looming light.

Still holding one another, they sailed together between the narrow bus gap and into the darkness. The twists and turns of parked buses felt like a mind-melting maze without end. Leslie had trouble guiding them without getting turned around but they managed to put some distance between themselves and 6090.

The sound they made when back on their own two feet felt painfully loud. For the first time since she started flying, Leslie appeared wobbly in the air, so she went back to running as well. Nadia stumbled at a turn and pitched forward without anyone to catch her.

When she tried to recover, Nadia discovered she was once more somewhere else. The abandoned Sears.

She was crouched over Erin. Blood stained the old carpet and tile but Erin was cautiously sitting up. She had a dressing on her wound and looked shaky but conscious.

Odessa clung to Nadia and asked, “Are you okay? You passed out for a moment. The blood?”

Back here. Back in this terrible place. Why did she keep coming back here? She had earlier entertained a dismal notion and it returned. This was the real world and the other was her escape. Like some 90s Twilight Zone concept. Only neither place felt like an escape. When she was there, everything felt perfectly vivid and real. When she was here, the same was true. The taste of bile in her throat and the smelly tang of spilled blood. She was bound by the oppression of this forgotten place and soul-sapping aches.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Gina looked rather queasy as well as she muttered, “All right… okay… All right. I have no idea what that was, but I’m good with getting out of here please.” Eva grunted and nodded, hoarsely responding, “Can we? An emergency exit or grab something to break the glass? We need to get Coach some medical care. I don’t know why the bleeding stopped but thank God.”

Nadia felt torn between leading the group in the direction that Luna originally took them or bashing out one of the windows on the door. Gina panned around her phone flashlight as Eva retrieved and gripped her mace out of her purse. She endeavored to find a safety hammer, but Nadia already knew it would be fruitless.

Gina put in a call to 911, but her phone kept disconnecting. The girls tried to pound the nearest glass but just wound up with scratches and bruised shoulders. The tiles weren’t big or heavy enough and anything else they might use was locked down. Nadia supported Erin as they made their way to one of the side hallways. The same route again. Gina kept trying 911.

Nadia knew that eventually the voice of the monster would come through and go after them again. But could she really trust that was going to happen? Things were already different. How would Gina hear the monster if Eva wasn’t sharing Erin‘s perception? Nadia whirled around and cried out to Gina.

She was too far away and her mind was too focused on the call. Erin couldn’t scream, but her eyes told everything. Gina was lifted up by an invisible force. Blood stained her shoulders as she screamed in pain. The most wretched, pained plea of broken agony burst from Eva.

“GINA!!! LET HER G…” Her furious words were cut off by a sudden, bright flash. A spot in her chest flared as though a lamp were attached beneath her sweater. She gurgled and tumble to the ground.

From around the corner, emerged Tonya. Same dark hair as the other night. Same rectangular glasses on her face. Same bright ribbon to keep her curly, dark locks back.

“Down boy. You got them. Well, aren’t you girls glad I was in the neighborhood?“

Her footfalls sounded heavy against the worn tile. “I really am sorry it has to be this way. But I’ll take it from here. Let’s see…”

She held a strange device in her hands and waved it around with a bright, shimmering light. “Oh, Gina. It’s a shame you never got to see all the paranormal things secretly around you. Or experience your powers. Level two energy tapper. And a level three copy maker.“

Eva, spitting and snarling, managed, “Don’t you dare touch her. Gina…GINA!” The blood around Gina was starting to flow. She lay where the monster had dropped her, unmoving.

Tonya sighed. “I always knew you had a thing for her. Pathetic. You’re far better. Level three ability sharer. And a level four whisperer. I’d love to have that voice.” As Tonya manipulated her device, a strange light flowed out of Gina‘s chest and into it. Whatever energy was left in her body vanished with that, and she flopped over like a discarded doll.

Eva struggled to fight back and hurl whatever cursed words she could at the inexplicable visage of the assistant coach. Nadia lamented that if only she knew that her voice had power. She had so many questions buried beneath venomous anger. Tonya didn’t linger, she sucked the energy out of Eva just the same and Eva slumped over, barely breathing and empty like a discarded snake skin.

“You’ve always been nice to me, Odessa. I would’ve let you go. Wrong time, wrong place though. You’re actually a level two perceptionist. That would’ve been fantastic on the court. And a level three illusionist. I’ll take good care of those.”

Even though it didn’t feel like something had struck her, Nadia had a sensation all through her body like electric paralysis. It was different than what Beyond had done to her. It was more like how she imagined a taser to feel. Erin couldn’t move either, but she was struggling while gripping her neck.

“I had hoped to let you all stretch your powers a little bit. That’s how they get ripe. But sometimes you just have to strike when the iron is hot. You may not believe this, Coach, but I actually am rather sorry to do this. You are an uncapped level three telekinetic. And a level four veil watcher. Quite unfortunate because, under different circumstances, you would’ve been so much stronger.

Nadia begged her to let Erin go. But with a flick of her wrist, Tonya silenced her. “I will get to you in a minute. This isn’t personal. Let’s try to keep emotion out of it. Oh, Mister Bus Driver though. If only you knew…”

Tensing, Nadia fought against the restraint. “I do know! I make the powers of other stronger. Beyond told me.“

Tonya froze in place and swiveled around to stare at Nadia. Moments later, she broke down in giggles.

“Hahahahaha! So Beyond got you already. And the old bitch lied to you and said you’re just a power booster? Oh, that is so delightful! How perfectly expected. Oh, my dear, you are so very far from such mediocrity. You are the rarest of the rare. And you’re all mine.”

After sucking the glowing energy out of Erin, Tonya turned her attention to Nadia.

Everyone. She got everyone. They looked dead. They looked worse than that. They looked emptied of everything even though they were still breathing. Rarest of the rare? So, what could she actually do? Could she save them?

Why not try?

Nadia thought back to when her sisters vanished, to when Agent Cross touched her hands and was terrified, every little moment of uncertainty in her life. Her friends were dying. She had to do something. What was her power?

Lies lies lies. What could she actually do? And, in the flash of a moment, the craziest notion came to her.

Whatever she wanted…

But what was that? What kind of power was that? Oh…

It clicked. She focused.

Gina hadn’t been attacked. She was fine. Erin escaped the tile without injury. Eva was fine and so was Odessa. And it was so.

Tonya looked around frantically. “No no no no! It’s too soon! I tested you! You shouldn’t be able to do this yet. It’s been less than 24 hours. You should be weak. Weak enough to harvest…. this is wrong. No!”

Nadia motioned towards her with focused intent. Tonya retreated and snarled. She waved her device in front of her, slowly becoming translucent.

“I’ll get you. One way or another.” And, she was gone.

Slowly, the girls around started to pick themselves up. Even though there was blood on the ground, Gina could find no wound in herself. Erin no longer needed her dressing. They stood on wobbly legs and made sure everyone was alright.

Nadia wanted to be happy. She had saved them. But something felt strange inside her. It was like a metronome, pulsing with her heartbeat. Like the wavy air in a desert with the heat, only emitting from her body. The air and presence around her wavered. It felt like she might fly apart, like excited particles released in an explosion. She squeezed her mouth and resisted the urge to scream.

Suddenly, everything went cold and she was slumped against the side of a bus with Erin pressing her hand to her mouth.

She was back. But she still felt like she might fly apart. What was she? Was it true? Did Beyond lie? What was her true power?