At the end of a shadowy, cobblestone-paved road on the outskirts of a city completely covered in fog, there exists a bus stop. The stop only appears at 3:33 AM, and it's impossible to find unless you are invited there.
The bus itself is very plain. Rows of plush seats, sturdy poles, and worn handles to hold onto seem to go on forever. A sight so uninteresting that most would ignore it without a second thought.
But voices whisper here and there that the bus is much more than it appears. Above the tin roof, there exists an abnormality in the space-time: a gathering place for dead children.
The children there are tied to a bargain; in exchange for being able to remain in the human world, each of them must prove their worth by repeating their ends over and over again, searching for a way that could have saved them from their endless fate of deathless death.
But dying is said to be only one of the grim parts of the Ride. Betrayal, despair, hopelessness...
They all go around and around, like the Wheels on the Bus.
A criminal mastermind makes a bold move against a wealthy client to put himself in a position to retire in comfort. He has no idea what he's up against when a young widow, desperate to make ends meet, sets her eyes on earning the bounty set on his head.
***
Newly widowed housewife Melody Scott needs to earn some major cash, fast. When her bright and busy children learn that a priceless ruby bracelet has been stolen and a six-figure reward is being offered, they convince her to try to do what the police, museum security, and the best private investigators have failed to do. Working against them is a notorious thief who has met people from around the world, but who has never once encountered a woman like Melody Scott. When the sweet innocence of the Scott family clashes against criminal forces more dangerous than they ever imagined, Melody is all too aware that a mom's got to do what a mom's got to do to protect her family.
The Widow, Melody Scott is a 2021 Watty Award Winner!
Content Warning: This story does contain depictions of stalking behavior.