The Wheels on the Bus
I opened my eyes and found myself... here. I don't know where "here" is. I'm sitting in what looks like an abandoned bus. Yep. This bus has been claimed by nature. Most of the seats were worn down and covered in moss. I found myself sitting toward the back. But why am I here? One minute, I'm... I'm...
I don't know what I was doing.
Oh no.
Why does this keep happening to me? I don't know how I am doing this. I think I am doing this. I must be. How else would I...?
I looked out the window. I could barely see outside. Those looked like trees out there. Was I in the forest? Why was it so quiet out here? I drew my knees to my chest. I tried to remember something about myself. Anything. I came up with nothing. Why? Why can't I remember anything about myself?
I think I have been on this bus before. And I wasn't alone.
He was about my age. He wore dark glasses and was missing a tooth. He turned to me and grinned. I think I have seen him before. I don't have the rest of his face or know his name. I rubbed my forehead as I tried to think. There was nothing. I leaned back in my chair and sighed.
I got another look around the old bus. Yep, this bus had seen better days. I think the boy and I used to play on here. Why though? I don't have an answer. I looked down at my lap. Huh? I'm in a schoolgirl uniform. So I must be a student then. I think...
I wrinkled up my face. Since when am I a student? I tried to remember how old I was but I had no luck.
I wasn't supposed to be alone here. I think I was waiting for someone in here. Was it the boy with the glasses and missing tooth? I think it was. Why didn't he show up? I tried to remember.
That's when I noticed that there weren't many seats on this bus. Some of them might have been removed. There's so much graffiti on the walls. I think that boy wrote something on it.
"_ Why did do that?"
"To show that we were here." I couldn't forget that laugh if I tried. He had to be the one to stake his claim on anything we were in. I didn't understand why. It was like that boy was desperate to stake his claim in any place that he was in. Almost like he didn't want to be forgotten.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread when another thought crossed my mind.
I wasn't alone that day on that abandoned bus.
It goes blank from there. Almost like I am floating in a void. Something is keeping me from remembering what happened on that bus. That's when I froze.
"Hello?"
The silence made it that much worse. I don't think I should be here. I looked down at my lap. Come on. Move! Why can't I get up? It's been like the last few times that I found myself in places like this. I don't try to move or get up. I can't understand why. It's like my body wants to stay there where it is. I shouldn't be here. I have to get out of here. I want to go home.
Where is home?
My spine felt stiff. I... I...
I don't know!
I huddled over in tears.
Someone shook me on the shoulder. I whipped my head around. The boy with the glasses stared at me with a concerned look on his face. He still has the same glasses. He has all of his teeth now though.
"What's the matter, Tasaki-chan? You were trembling," he said. I looked down at my hands. I guess I had been. I turned back to that boy with the black glasses.
"Heiji-kun, when did we ever hang out on that old bus in the woods?" I asked. He looked so pale when I asked that.
"Why would you ask about our old hideout?" he asked.
"Hideout?" I asked.
"Yeah," Heiji said, nodding. "We stopped going after you..."
"What?" I asked. Now he was the one trembling as he shook his head.
"It's nothing!" he blurted out. "Forget I said anything!" He turned away before I had a chance to ask. I didn't get to ask him what he meant. The bell rang and class began.
