The Bus

The Bus


Edgar Mollar tried to open the door but he was trapped. They were approaching him and he could not do anything to stop it. Edward opened his mouth, trying to yell at the driver “Open the door. Open the stupid door”, but the sound never got out of his throat. He looked back and they where getting closer each second, and he knew what that meant.
Edgar took the small hammer from the emergency stand and broke down the window to his right, he then woke up, his face soaked wet.
“Another dream”, he thought and he got out of bed and went to work.
“Edgar, don’t leave. Stay here” He looked back. The girl with the blond hair was there again.
“But I must leave” he replied.
“No, you don’t. You belong with us”. Edgar opened his eyes, until his eye balls where about to pop. The girl’s face changed in to something hideous and… that foul smell again, the same every night.

Edgar tried to yell but, again, he could not make any sound. He looked for the hammer but it wasn’t there. Somebody must have taken it. He ran to the front of the bus and, as he got closer, the vehicle got larger and larger.
“No, let me go” Edgar yelled when he felt the grip of a hand grasping his right foot. He looked back and nobody was there, just the empty bus.

He woke up again, all covered in sweat.
“I need to get some help” Edgar picked up the phone, and taking a card out of the little drawer underneath the phone set, he dialed the number.
“Doctor Clean’s office. Dianne speaking. How may I assist you?” It was a nice and sensual voice, Howard thought.
“I need to make an appointment. My name is Edgar Mollar”.
“Doctor Clean is out of town, Mr. Mollar; however, he told me that in case you call, to give you his address and ask you to go and visit him. He is at Villa Maravilla, the address is…”
“Don’t ask me how- Edgar interrupted- but I know the address”.
“Then it’s settled. He is waiting for you. Have a great day”. The woman with the nice and sensuous voice hung up the phone. Edgar remained there, in front of the little table with the phone on his hand.
“I don’t remember ever visiting a doctor Clean. How in the hell do I know the address of his villa?”

Edgar got dressed. He wore a tie and a black suit.
“Mom always told me to dress up for the occasion”. He went out of the apartment and, looked for his car.
“I had my car parked here. I remember.” Since he couldn’t find it, he decided to take the bus. “I’ll have to call the police when I come back. Darn car thieves”.
He waited for a few minutes and the bus just turned around the building’s corner. Edgar raised his hand to make the signal to the driver to stop.
“Good morning- Edgar saluted- I need one for…”
“Villa Maravilla. Here” Edgar took the ticket and, pondering how the driver knew where he was going; he walked to the back of the vehicle and took a seat.

Edgar observed the rest of the passengers. To his right there was a mother, holding her little baby on her arms, they where both sleeping. Two rows in front of him there was a tall young man. He had headphones on, “He must be listening to some sort of crap music.” Edgar thought.
“You got that right, dude” Edgar was surprised when the young man turned his head and answered his thought. He tried to control them from now on, “looks like there are some freaks here that can read minds- Edgar repented immediately of having that thinking and hope nobody would have hear it- sorry, I didn’t mean it”.
The bus didn’t stop on any station while in the city and it was already at the countryside for a while when it made the first stop. Edgar couldn’t see who was getting in the vehicle. The bus doors shut.
“Hello, Edgar” The feminine voice gave him shivers down his neck.
“Who is it? Who called my name?” No answer. Edgar got out of his seat and walked up to the seat row the voice came from. The front of the bus was empty and Edgar walked by the driver and asked, “Where is she seating?”
“Who?” “The person that just got in the bus in the last stop”
“We didn’t make any stop. Nobody came in. You where the last passenger taking the bus” Edgar was about to reply but he decided to go back on his seat.
“I hope this is not another dream- he thought”

The baby woke up and started to cry. Edgar looked at the mother. She still sleeps. When the baby started to cry louder, Edgar hoped his mother would wake up and comfort the baby.
“Madam- he said trying to use a nice tone- madam. Your baby is…” Edgar cut his phrase: the baby suddenly stopped crying.
“Well done, dude”. This time the young man didn’t even turn his head to speak to him.
“This is so weird. I must be dreaming again… but I remember getting out of bed and making that phone call… I can even feel the contact of my chair and hear the noise of the motor running… wait a second. I can’t hear the motor.” Edgar decided to calm down and take a nap. He couldn’t say how long he was sleeping when the bus stopped and the doors opened with the characteristic “sshh” of the air compressor releasing the pressure. Edgar woke up just in time to stand up and look at the door before it closed.
“Hey you- he yelled- by the door, stop right there” he went out of his seat and started to run towards the newcomer. It took a bigger effort than expected for him to get there. The newly arrived, apparently, didn’t notice his presence. Edgar couldn’t see the face, but he knew it was a woman. When he touched her shoulder, trying to get her attention, she just turned her face and smiled at him. Edgar didn’t react. He knew that woman. Her face was so familiar it hurt not to remember who she was. She just walked out of the front of the bus and took a seat. Edgar remained standing there.
“You should go back to your seat”, the driver recommended and Edgar, like an automaton, obeyed.
His seat was taken, actually both seats, his and the one by it side, were taken by a small person, laying down, apparently sleeping. Edgar didn’t mind to change seats, but he needed to take his briefcase.
“It’s, strange, I don’t remember taking my briefcase this morning”. Howard tried to take it without awaking the person’s slumber.
“Sorry” he said when he noticed that, despite all of his efforts, the individual awaked.
“Don’t worry, Edgar” Edgar got frighten. “We are almost there”.
“It’s you,” he said.
“Yes, it is I” the little girl smiled at Edgar. “Why are you running from me?” Edgar took a few steps back.
“I just…” he tried to say something but no more sounds came out of his mouth.
“I am trying to make it easy for you, to help you in the transition… just trust me, Edgar. It’s no so bad”.
“What it’s not so bad?” He dared to ask, while he tried to escape from the bus, using the same methods he used in previous dreams.
“You can’t escape this time, Edgar” He kept trying to break the window, unsuccessfully. “You are just hurting yourself. There is no need for that. Accept it, Edgar”
He turned around and, falling in his knees, he opened his arms and, with a feeble voice, he said, “I accept it”
Edgar then felt relief. All of his fears vanished and he opened his eyes. Standing in front of him there was the little girl, with the blond hair. She was smiling at him. “Do you see, Edgar? I told you: it is not so bad to be dead”.

THE END