Bad Dream by anitaleroux1975

Maddie swayed back and forth in time to the music in her ears. She glanced down the road, but all that greeted her was an empty, long and winding dirt path that stretched into nothingness in either direction. She checked her wrist watch lazily. The bus was late again. She shrugged. It didn't really matter to her.
This was the norm. Nothing or no one ever rushed in the valley. Everything was just slow. Slow and boring.

The rumble of a rickety old bus snaked through the dust of the surface and weathered her thoughts away. She lifted a hand, shielding her eyes against the reflecting sun playing in the bus windows as it came to a snail stop in front of her.

She stepped onto the bus and with a nod to the driver she tossed a coin into the plastic jar duct-taped to the dash panel just behind the door. Maddie quickly made her way to her usual seat as the bus jerked into motion. The bus swerved unexpectedly and catapulted her into her seat.

Maddie muttered a silent foul word underneath her breath, shrinking down into her seat and leaning her head tiredly against the back. She cranked up the volume of her earpods and closed her eyes.

She moaned when a pat on her shoulder interrupted her favorite song, and she begrudgingly opened one eye. The other eye shot open when there was no one.

"What the hell?" She jumped up out of her seat, her head bobbing from side to side, trying to find the other passengers.
But the bus was empty.

She turned to peer out the window, but nothing but darkness greeted her. She could hardly discern anything recognizable.
This was not possible. She checked her watch, her eyes widening when she saw it was frozen on the exact time she had climbed onto the bus. Her heart pounded in her chest, threatening to break skin and bone.

She took a deep breath and then slowly moved into the walkway between the rows of seats. She walked with hesitancy with her eyes glued to her red sneakers, doubting whether she should even brave the blackness outside.
"Maddie."

Her head snapped up at the whisper of her name and her heart jumped, her stomach joining in a convulsive clench.
"Sam?" The name fell from her lips in disbelief. "How-how is-what? How-are you here? You-you are dead."

"Maddie."

A tall boy stood in the front of the bus and lifted a hand, stretching it out towards her.
Maddie shook her head, stepping backwards.
He was as he had looked the day he had died. His dark hair was disheveled and his blue jeans and white t-shirt were stained with his blood.

"Maddie."

She stumbled, retreating into the seat at the back of the bus. Her eyes never left, what she could only believe was a ghost.
"Why-why-what-what do you want?"

"Maddie."

The boy glided towards her, his hand reaching for her. Maddie squeezed her eyes shut, her body rigid with anticipation, waiting for the inevitable touch.

The pat on her shoulder released a scream from deep within her throat and she swatted widely.

"Maddie! Wake up!"

Maddie's eyes shot open to look straight into the face of her friend.

"Diane?"

"Hey, are you okay?"

Maddie frantically stood up, her eyes searching the bus. It was as it had been when she had boarded.

"I-I-must have dozed off."

"I have been trying to wake you up for almost 5 minutes now, even since I got on," Diane said. "You are as pale as a ghost. Bad dream?"

"What?" Maddie cupped her face, the bewilderment and confusion heavy on her mind.

"Yeah, just a bad dream."

"Were you painting or something?" Diane asked, pointing to her.

"What?" Maddie frowned, but then her eyes widened in horror at the faint bloody handprint on her shoulder.
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Words: 647