NoSleep SubReddits

There's something wrong with the child on the school bus.

Credits: Username- TheLadInHinding

Last week I became a school bus driver. I know, it's kind of a weird job. But, I needed money and this only takes a couple of hours out of my day. Also, the pay isn't bad. I only had to do an online bus driving course and I was ready to go. I was told I had 3 stops, it was simple, pull up, let the kids on, and drive them to school. I thought it would be an easy income source while I was looking for an actual job. But, after what's happened I'm not sure if I can just leave.

Last week I did my first route. At the first stop I pulled up and 8 kids got on. Next stop, 10 kids got on. At the last stop, 7 kids got on the bus, or at least I thought. There should have been 25 kids on that bus. But for some reason, there were 26. There was a small boy with black eyes staring at the seat in front of him with a black expression, and all the seats around him were empty. I didn't remember seeing him get on and I was pretty confused. But I thought it must've been my imagination and I drove them to school. When we arrived all the children got off, except for that boy. He stayed sitting with the same blank expression. I turned to look at the school and when I turned back, he was gone. I was a little freaked out, but I assumed that I was just tired.

When I came to pick them up after the school day had finished again there were 25 kids, and that boy wasn't there. I looked out the windshield to see if he was walking up but there was no one. When I looked back, there he was, sitting there with the same bored look on his face, all alone. However, this time I noticed all the other kids seemed to be almost afraid of him. They were sitting far away and trying to ignore him and were refusing to look in his direction. I once again assumed I was seeing things and drove all the kids home. At the last stop, 7 kids got off of the bus, and there was only one left, that boy. At this point I didn't know what was going on, I thought he might've been asleep or something. I said to him "Hey buddy, is this your stop?", I got no response. I tried again "Do you know how to get home?", again he didn't acknowledge me. I was starting to get annoyed and told him "Listen kid, I've got to go home, so please just tell me where you live and I'll drop you off.", this time he looked up. 

I don't know how to explain what the feeling was. Terror? Fear? I'm not sure, but those eyes, something about them was very wrong. When he looked in my direction he didn't look at my face, he only looked at my chest. I felt cold instantly, my ears started ringing and the music on the radio stopped. I froze for what felt like an hour, but I was able to sink into my seat. When I looked back, he was gone. I got home and tried to forget about the whole thing.

The next day the same thing happened. When the kid got on he wasn't there, but when I looked back there he was. When it came time to pick the kids up I decided that I would keep my eyes locked on the seat he always sat in, so I could see how he gets on. While looking I felt that same feeling again, I still can't describe it, but it made me look away, when I looked back again, he was there. When we got to the stop I waited for all the kids to get off, then, I turned my head back and forth as fast as possible so I only saw him for a split second. Somehow he still vanished.

When I got home I received an email from my boss.

Dear Simon, We have been receiving calls from parents of the children on your school bus. Reports of a "black-eyed monster" have been frequent. Please inspect your bud for any animals that may have snuck into the bus.

Now I was really starting to freak out. I'm a bus driver, how am I supposed to explain that this child is the thing freighting these children? Anyways, I knew I had to do something to discover what this thing actually was. The next day, when I got on the bus I left my jacket on the seat that the boy always sits in. I then went about business as usual at the first 2 stops. When I got to the third, I watched the kids get on, then I looked back, and there he was. I then drove the kids to the school. All the kids got off except for him. I stood up and made my way to his seat. I looked at the side of his head and said "Hey Buddy, I left my coat here, have you seen it?" As the words left my mouth I knew I was in danger. I felt that same feeling again, cold. The boy turned to look at me, except this time we locked eyes.

Those were not the eyes of a child. I'm not even sure if it was human, whatever it was it clearly didn't have my coat. He said in a voice far too hoarse and deep to be a young boy "It's. Gone." I felt my heart stop beating, my vision was blurry and my ears were ringing. I shut my eyes as hard as I could and threw my arm out to punch the thing. I know punching a child is usually looked down upon but I think this is an exception. My arm felt ice cold and heavy. I fell back and reopened my eyes. My arm was black and frozen. After the adrenaline wore off, I felt the worst pain I've felt in my life.

I ended up just driving home with one arm. I didn't want to go to the hospital and explain what happened because they'd never believe me. I think my arm is mostly healed but it's super itchy and red. I wasn't really sure what to do because it had been two days since my arm got frozen. I had tons of calls and messages from my boss that I ignored. I decided to respond and tell him I got injured and showed him my arm. He understood for the most part and told me to just go back to my old routine.

The next day I went on my route. First stop, no kids. Second stop, no kids. Last stop, nobody was there. Shit, it's Saturday. I looked back, and he was there. But it was different, he was looking right at me. He was standing up, and smiling ear to ear. I tried to stand up and run but that same feeling made me stop. He said in the same demonic voice as 2 days prior "Do you know, why my eyes are like this?" I couldn't speak, I was frozen by fear. He continued "It's because my soul was taken. You see, death is a terrible thing." He began walking towards me. I tried to say something but all I could muster was "are you fucking crazy?" The thing I thought to be a child no longer looked human. It was tall and all of its skin was frozen like mine was. It began to say "When I was alive, I liked this bus. The other kids were so kind. But the bus driver. Well, he was a lot like you. He was quiet and so, so curious. Of course, now he just rides the bus, kind of like me."

I was absolutely terrified, and I didn't know what to say "What are you, why do you look like a child?" The thing snickered and replied "I told you, this is what happens when you lose your soul. However, the reason I look like a child, well, I guess I thought it would give you a false sense of security. But the curious ones always seem to notice." He was now right in front of me, I felt that feeling, which was starting to become familiar. That's when I saw it, the eyes. They were now completely black, like dark coins. He must've seen my alarm because he said "You know, you can have these eyes too. I like to end people's lives and release their souls. Then you will be just like me." This did not sound like something I wanted to happen I spoke "I- No, I want to live."

The monster seemed amused to say "Don't we all. I need souls to exist, Simon." I'm not sure how it knew my name, perhaps it has some sort of omnipotence. "How about this, I take your soul, or, I take all the children's souls. They know what I am. I'm not sure how, but they saw right threw my disguise. So, what will you choose?" 

Today, I'm still alive. But, I carry the guilt of 25 children's lives. But the worst part is that the entire school has black eyes now.