The Silver King

King On The Bus 4

"Hey champ, what's your name?"

The man asked when he was a step or two away from us. The boy didn't look up at him though. He only flickered his eyes over towards me.

"You can scream as much as you want, but do not look behind us."

The boy's statement was so weird no one answered him. The driver raised his head and finally seemed to look around the rest of the bus. Out of my sight he spotted the other passenger. The tall figured dressed in black I hadn't paid any attention.

"When did you get on? Do you-"

The driver's words were cut short. In a blur of motion, he was grabbed by long black arms and pulled back towards the rear of the bus so quickly my brain didn't even realize what had happened. What I saw was impossible. The arms just had been far too long. Long black tubes with great clawed hands attached. On reflex I almost looked behind me. Then I remembered how the boy had warned me about looking. I forced my head forwards as I heard it. The kind bus driver who had just been worried about a small child was screaming and begging for his life. Screaming that stopped suddenly with a wet crunch I wish I had never heard.

Once I smelled a metallic odor, I was certain was blood I started to scream as well. I clutched the side of my head and hunched down in my seat hoping it would keep me safe from those hands. I screamed and had to force myself to stop fearing they would make whatever just happened to the driver happen to myself.

"You can keep screaming. Once it's out of your system I can tell you how to stay alive."

The boy's voice had changed. I still knew it was his but it sounded much more confident and much more like an adult. Far different than moments ago. I blinked away tears and looked at him. My body shaking but I had to trust him.

"What is going on?" I pleaded praying to get an answer.

"If the last bust stops at a crossroad at midnight, a dark figure may enter the bus and sit at the back. Until it sits, you may look. But once it sits down, do not look at it. Do not turn your head. No matter what you hear. No matter anything else you experience. The moment you look, you become its target. The figure shall not leave until the bus finishes the route and is inside the depo."

My entire body was screaming to just make a run for it. Even after the boy explained the situation, I just couldn't believe him. I wanted to just leave but I could still smell the blood at the back of the bus. Still hunched over I tried to think of a different way out.

"What are you talking about, and who even are you?"

I finally asked that question. I hadn't asked for his name yet. Odd as it should have been one of my first questions. Better late than never.

"You may call me Elly. I am here to find out of this figure was the reason for the disappearances. I am not here to save you. I can only give you information. You must act and get yourself safely home."

"Now how am I going to do that?! That thing killed the driver!"

I hissed and tears started to come back. I forced them down not wanting to look weak in front of the boy. I was the adult and he was the calm one. But after what I had just seen, I couldn't be blamed for losing my cool for a few seconds.

"I know how to drive a bus however... You need to be the one to do it. I'm... I'm too short to reach the pedals."

Under his white hair I saw a flash of red on his cheeks. It faded as he straighten up and stood. Completely fearless he walked towards the front of the bus not looking back at me. He just stood right next to the driver seat and waited for me to join him. It took everything I had to finally stand up. I walked over on shaking legs, clutching my bag. Every step I was certain I was going to be grabbed and ripped apart by those dark hands. Somehow though, I made it to the front. I closed my eyes so I didn't look in any of the mirrors and blindly stumbled around until I found my way into the driver seat.

"I don't know if I can do this. Those mirrors... I might accidentally look at them."

After I spoke, I heard a sound that could only be described as those worrisome mirrors being ripped down and tossed aside. I opened my eyes just enough to confirm that the mirrors were in fact, torn off and gone from sight.

"I did not remove them to save you. They also bothered me. Understand?"

Elly sounded suddenly very serious. I risked a dumbfounded side glance at him. He couldn't even reach the mirrors. How in the hell did he rip them off? He had no plan to explain it to me.