A Little Night Terror on the Bus

The door to the school bus closed and the bus driver, Ed, revved up the engine to embark on a two hour long trip back to Hawkins. Hawkins High School sent two fan buses to Indianapolis for the state basketball championship. This was the first time the Hawkins High School basketball team ever made it to state finals and everyone, including Faith, wanted to be there. Faith hardly cared about sports but this event seemed like a once in a lifetime experience. It was the very first basketball game she had ever attended. She could tell by the surprised expression on some of her peers' faces that they were not expecting her to be there nor was she necessarily welcome. She wished her friend Stacy didn’t get sick. She felt weird sitting alone in the stands. 

It was a close game all the way to the very end.  Despite putting forth a great effort, Hawkins High School lost the game by only three points. In contrast to the excitement on the bus enroute to Indy, the bus was quiet. Faith stared out the window into the vast darkness and eventually fell asleep. She woke up to the sound of a railroad crossing bell. She opened her eyes and realized the other fan bus ahead of them must have made it across the tracks. Great, we are going to get there last, she thought to herself. Not that it mattered. Faith just wanted to sleep in her bed. It was already after midnight. The train seemed to have hundreds of rail cars. Twenty minutes passed and Faith heard frustrated utterances from the seats nearest to her. Finally, the train moved through and the railroad arms went up. It would be another  ten minutes before they would get to the high school.

Faith was about to drift back to sleep when the sound of a loud thud crashed onto the top of the bus. Some people screamed around her. Everyone looked up and saw the steel above mangled and indented by something. Ed stopped the bus abruptly.

"What was that?", a student asked.

"Everyone stay in your seats. It was probably a tree branch,” Ed stepped off the bus.

Different students tried to make sense of what just happened.

"A branch? Really?”, a skeptical student stood on his seat to get a closer look.

“I don’t know man, the steel is all mangled like something tried to claw its way in.”

“A branch monster, rrrrrr,” another joked.  

A couple of girls rolled their eyes. Faith looked through the windows of the rear emergency door and saw another bus behind them. It must be the Hawkins High School basketball team. Faith and the other students watched Ed enter the bus and exit after a couple of minutes. 

“Ed, did they see what it was?”, a student yelled from the back of the bus as Ed made his way to the driver seat.

“Was it a branch?”

"It is too dark out here to tell. I will take a closer look when we get back,” Ed pulled the doors shut.

Another five minutes passed and Faith could sense the tension easing around her as they got closer to the high school. The banter resumed on the topic about freak accidents with branches. Faith decided to close her eyes again for a five minute cat nap. No sooner had she shut her eyes again, the bus went over what felt like a huge pothole. The bus immediately pulled to the right and slowed to a halt as Ed tried his best to regain control of the bus. 

“Damn it!”Ed opened the door and exited the bus. Everyone on the right side of the bus opened their windows to get a better look at what Ed was looking at. “This is not your night,” Jim, the driver of the other bus quickly approached Ed looking down at the damaged wheel.

“By golly it looks like you drove through some kind of shredder.” 

“What in the world Jim?” looking at the shredded tires, “What in the world could have done that?”

“ I have a spare that I can put on. You can go on ahead of us.”

“Ed, I am staying behind you in case something else happens,” Jim chuckled, “I will give you a hand with the spare tire.”

“Much appreciated.”

As they went to get the spare tire, everyone on the bus exited to get a look.

“How can a pothole do that?”

“Do you think some kind of animal did that?”

“Come on, an animal?”

“Like seriously, what would do that?”

Faith crossed her arms as she waited. I can’t wait to tell Stacy how lucky she is for not going. After about ten minutes, the students from the other bus came out to get a look.

The team captain, Ben, approached Faith.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

“So what happened?”

“Oh uh, um, I think we hit a pothole or something?”

“Pothole? Damn, talk about unlucky,” Ben put his hands on his waist as he looked at Ed and Jim work.

Another basketball player, Devin, appeared behind him. “Yeah, unlucky, maybe your bad luck caused us to lose,” the other basketball players snickered behind him.

Ben frowned at them and rolled his eyes.

“Don’t take anything they say seriously.”

“Oh no problem, I mean maybe we were bad luck from the looks of things,” Faith gave a slight smile.

Ben chuckled, “Are you new to Hawkins? I have never seen you before.”

“No, I am a sophomore. I have been at Hawkins for a while..”

“Oh, well, I am Ben.”

“I know your name.” Why did I say that?

“Well, what’s yours?,” 

 “Faith.” Of all circumstances, I get to meet my crush now.

“Well, Faith, this will be something to talk about on Monday.”

“I agree,” Faith turned to watch Jim and Ed work. I hope they hurry, this is so awkward. 

“You played well today.”

“Thanks, thanks for coming out and supporting us,” Ben said with a smile.

“Alright everyone, back on your bus,” shouted Jim.

“See you around,” Ben said with a half wave.

“Yeah, uh sure. See you at school,” Faith shuddered inside. I totally screwed this up and what does he mean by that? Like will we be talking at school on a first name basis? If only Stacy was here for clarity.

Faith took her seat to ruminate over what he meant. When the bus began to move forward, everyone cheered. After a couple of minutes, scraping sounds could be heard underneath the bus. Everyone stopped talking to listen. Ed slowed the bus a little and then pressed the gas. They were only five minutes from Hawkins High School. So close yet not close enough to relax. Then the noise got louder at the front of the bus. It sounded like something was in the engine.

“Ed are we going to break down?”

“What’s going on?”

Faith began to worry as she could smell engine smoke from inside the bus.

“We must be having engine trouble now,” Ed appeared frustrated.

The smoke inside the bus was overwhelming. Faith and several students began opening windows to get more air in the bus.

The screeching noise coming from the engine was not a noise a bus makes. Everyone on the bus froze as the screeching intensified. Ed couldn’t keep the bus going any further. Whatever it was had killed the engine.

“Everyone stay inside! I mean it!”, Ed left the bus to open the hood.

“Is it an animal?”

“What kind of animal would destroy the top of the bus, the tire, and now the engine?”

Suddenly there was a blood curdling scream. It was Ed. Everyone froze in terror. Faith forced her body to move out of her seat to the front of the bus for a closer look. She didn’t see him. Her hands trembled as she pulled the door open.

“Faith! Close the door!”

“Stop! We don’t know what is out there!”

“I have to see if he needs our help,” Faith stepped off of the bus and slowly made her way around the front bumper of the bus. There was nothing. No Ed. What? Where did he go? What happened? This makes no sense.

The other bus caught up and stopped several feet behind them.

Jim stepped out and ran over to Faith. “More bad luck?”, Jim sensed something was wrong from the expression on Faith’s face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Something killed the engine and Ed went to go look and I think something got him. We heard him scream.”

Jim looked at Faith incredulously, “What?”

Faith shook her head, “No, I think something got him. He came out to check the engine because something was in the engine and whatever it was took him.”

Jim didn’t quite believe what he heard.

“Ed!”Jim shouted, “Ed, holler if you hear me,” Jim looked to his left and his right and walked around the bus. 

Faith could see the worried look on his face.

By now everyone on Faith’s bus was watching from the windows.

Jim looked up at the students, “Everyone off the bus and onto mine, now!”

Faith could hear the confusion and fear as they gathered their things to get off the bus.

“Where is Ed?”

“Some wild animal got him.”

“It isn’t funny.”

Jim began pacing along the length of the bus.

“Guys, today please!”

Faith just had a small purse with her wallet to retrieve. She hopped on to get it after everyone stepped off the bus.

Jim stopped pacing when he saw Faith and began moving in the direction of the other bus.

“Should we contact the police?”

“I am going to radio it in and the police will have to search the area. Whatever it was must have been strong enough to pull him away without much fight,” Jim looked nervously over his shoulder.

Faith hurried to the other bus and was about to enter when she heard Jim scream. She turned around and he wasn’t there.

Ben ran past her off the bus, “Jim!” and walked around the front of the bus, “Jim!”. Devin and the other basketball players spread out around the bus to look for him.

“Jim! Damn it! Jim!”Devin shouted.

Some of the students began to panic and cry. Faith could feel her teeth chatter from fear.

Ben and his team mates gathered in front of the bus.

“Jim is gone man. Whatever is out there has taken him too,” Devon tried his hardest to not show that he was jittery.

“Guys listen,we need to get back to school. There are people there that can help.”

The others nodded in agreement and got back on the bus. 

“Where is Jim?”

“Did you guys see anything out there?”

Ben raised his arms to quiet the group, “We don’t know what happened to Jim. There are people left at the school waiting for us to get back. I am driving us back now.”

Ben sat down in the driver's seat and the bus screeched forward. 

Faith sat in the first row seat watching for anything or anyone that could be doing this to them.

“Guys we are only a few miles from school.”, Ben accelerated the bus to 60 mph.

Then suddenly the same sensation as before. A huge bump and the bus pulled hard to the right. This time Ben couldn’t regain control of the bus and the bus went off the road into a ditch.

A girl nearby was crying hysterically, “Again! Again! It is happening again!”

Ben stood up to exit the bus, “I am going to check on the tires.”

Devin went to follow him, “Ben, wait, let’s stay on the bus. You saw what happened to Ed and Jim.”

“I have to see how bad the damage is. We might be able to still get back.” Faith followed them but only to the doorway. From what she could see, it was a repeat of the same thing. She tried not to hyperventilate. Ben and Devon ran back on the bus and shut the bus door.

“How bad is it?”

“Yeah, can you still drive the bus?”

Ben hesitated but knew there was no point in delaying the bad news, “No, we can’t drive this bus. Even if we could change the tires, we are a foot deep in mud. We have to decide what we are going to do.”

Devon stepped forward, “We are going to take a vote, stay on the bus and wait for help or we take our chances on the road. We are just 3 miles away.”

“Ben. Devin. This is nuts. We don’t even know what we are dealing with. There is no way I am going to walk in the dark for three miles.”

“Let’s take a vote. All in favor of staying on the bus?”Devin and Ben counted the hands raised. It was almost unanimous.

“Take our chances on the road?”Ben raised his hand as well as Faith.

“Ok it’s been decided then. We stay put until morning or when someone comes looking for us.”

Faith decided to speak up.

“Maybe we should make a run for it,” her suggestion was met with gasps of surprise.

Ben looked at her and then to the others, “You know she has a point. If people don’t come for us soon, it will be back.”

“No, I am not leaving, I am staying here.”

“Until it gets us?”Faith stood up this time.

“Faith take a seat, let the jocks handle this.”

Faith stood her ground.

“You can stay here if you want but I would rather chance it out there.”

“Then go!”

“Yeah go you dork. We are staying here and we won’t be helping you if something happens.”

Faith turned to Ben, “I am going to get help. Stay here.”

“Whoa whoa whoa no, alone? No, not happening. I will come too.”

“Come on Ben let her go on her own. She’s crazy.”

Ben and Faith stepped off the bus and began to run. After a few minutes, they stopped to rest.

“Maybe we should pace ourselves,” Ben took a few laborious deep breaths. 

“Sure.”

“That is a pretty gutsy move to volunteer to go on foot. Are you some kind of thrill junky?”

“What? No. Seemed stupid to just sit there when we know it is coming back.”

“Maybe it wasn’t. I mean we are ok. It didn’t get us like it got Ed and Jim.”

“You want to wait to find out?”

“No, that is why I came too.”

Ben and Faith suddenly heard footsteps quickly approaching from behind.

They turned around to see Devin and a handful of students running towards them.

“Ben! It got them man! It took almost everyone!”

“What? Is there anyone left on the bus?”

A girl crying ,”No it took everyone!”

Another student stepped in front of Ben, “I saw it. I saw what looked like black vines pulling people out of the bus.” 

Devon pushed past the group to get to Ben.

“It is huge dude. It took everyone including the bus. We were able to make it off the bus before it got us.”

Ben and Faith were confused. 

“So you are saying the bus and the kids disappeared like Ed and Jim.”

“I can’t explain it but they are gone. Everyone is gone.”

Faith could tell Devon meant it.

“We need to hurry before it catches up to us.”

The group ran down the road as fast as they could. After running for a couple of miles, the group stopped to rest.

Faith was so out of shape she could hardly catch her breath. The adrenaline she was depending on was running low. 

Faith thought for a moment.

“I am going to grab some large sticks.”

Devon looked at her with ridicule, “Sticks? What are sticks going to do?”

“Well, defense of some sort is better than nothing.”

The group thought about her comment and slowly pulled broken branches and long sticks from the trees near the road. 

Faith chose a long thick branch and put large rocks in her purse. 

“I am not going down without a fight,” Faith stepped back on the road.

The others grabbed rocks as well.

Suddenly they heard the same screeching sound they heard earlier.

“Oh no it is back.”

The group huddled close together.

“If you see it approach, start hitting it,” Ben had his stick raised in the air ready to hit whatever came out.

Devon screamed and fell to the ground. Ben tried to grab him but it dragged him into the woods so fast.

“Oh no! No, I don’t want to die,” cried a girl.

“Stay close! Did you see it? Did anyone make out what it was?”

The girl screamed and was dragged into the woods too. This time Faith and the others were able to see the black vines that gripped the girl’s leg.

Faith realized the sticks and rocks were no match, “Guys we need to move! Run!”.

Everyone made a run for it down the road as fast as they could. Suddenly a pair of headlights showed up in the distance. Ben looked around him at the others, “Guys, someone is coming, they can help us.”

They began jumping in the air and waiving. As the jeep approached, they saw that it was Sheriff Hopper.

“Are you kids from the other buses we have been waiting an eternity for?”

“Yes, we have been attacked.”

“What? Attacked by who?”

“We don’t know but it got everyone else.”

“Please get us out of here.”

“Everyone get in now, I am taking you back to the school.”

Everyone hurried onto the jeep. Hopper made a sharp U turn back in the direction of the school.

“You wouldn’t believe what we saw?”

Hopper looked at Ben with a half smile, “I have seen my fair share of crazy.”