The Colour Of Shadows

The Pit - Part 8

I headed back to where I could remember seeing a diner, following the road in reverse of what I'd already travelled.

On my right stood a row of houses, some with curtains open, some closed, one with a for sale sign, It all seemed... normal enough, yet there was still some... feeling about the place... some little niggle at my consciousness...

Where the hell was everyone?

As I came to the end of the street, the first sign that this wasn't just some ghost town finally drifted to me from afar.

The low steady hum of a motor engine grew steadily louder until I saw a bus round a corner on to the street I had just entered.

I crossed the road as it passed and began to make my way toward it, maybe the driver could give me a few places to check out but mostly I think I just wanted to actually see another person in this town.

Children had already begun to disembark and heading in their own separate ways, a few passed me and I noted they all had the same pale, sallow complexion and all seemed to lack enthusiasm that the school day had ended and they were home free.

There was no jostling, no jeering, no chattering... those that passed me did so without uttering a word and gave me no more than a passing glance.

I got to the door of the bus and put my hand around the frame to lean in.

'Excuse m-'

I got no further. The driver whipped about in his seat at the sound of my voice and wiped the words from my mouth with a look of utmost horror, as if I were holding him at gun point. The man had the same pale skin as that of the children, with dark circles around his eyes and light growth of facial hair, looking like he'd missed two or three shaves more than grown a beard.

He turned and slammed the accelerator to the floor, the bus gave a lurch, and I stumbled back, still dumbstruck at the driver's reaction to my appearance.

I recovered my footing and my senses and tried to give chase, running alongside the bus for a few feet, reaching up and giving the side a good whack with the palm of my hand and shouting 'Hey!' A few times.

The bus steadily increased its speed before it outstripped me completely, I slowed and frowned after it, clueless as to what had just happened.

The sound of a door slam made me jump out of my skin and I spun on my heel to see... an empty street again?

All those children that had gotten off of the bus were already gone.