Prologue

Jennifer suddenly finds herself alone, on a bus shrouded in darkness...

Prologue

 

 

Night had fallen, shrouding everything in darkness.  Guided only by dim headlights, the old bus wheezed and rattled along, slowly making its way down a seemingly deserted road.  The world was otherwise quiet and still, the chilly evening air permeated by an overwhelming feeling of solitude. 

 

Several minutes earlier, this very same bus had left the school parking lot, departing under a cloudy afternoon sky.  Like every day, it was packed with teenagers to take home.  The ancient heating system kept them all warm, emitting an otherworldly roar that was barely audible over their loud, overlapping voices.

 

It was like there were two realities, literally as different as night and day.  One had somehow become the other, so suddenly, that the only remaining passenger hadn’t noticed a thing, until they’d glanced up to find everything had changed.

 

Trapped in the cold, dark confines of a vehicular prison, surrounded by empty seats, seventeen-year-old Jennifer Maxwell had never felt more alone.

 

Could she have fallen asleep at some point?  The girl remembered neither sleeping nor waking, but there didn’t seem to be any other explanation for how so much time could pass in the blink of an eye.  Of course, even that solution failed to explain the absence of her classmates, or why she was still on the bus this late.

 

Jennifer gazed into the darkness that obscured most of the vehicle.  She could just make out the driver’s seat.  Illuminated by what little light was coming through the windshield, it also seemed to be empty.

 

Alone on a bus that was moving, despite not having anyone behind the wheel, and headed towards an unknown destination…  Such a thing should have been terrifying, not to mention impossible, but she didn’t feel scared.  In fact, she didn’t feel anything.  Her expression was completely blank. 

 

Perhaps that was the most unnatural thing of all…

 

Sighing, Jennifer turned to look out the window on her right.  If nothing else, she did want to know where they were.  Given how little time had passed, the bus should have still been making its way through the crowded, narrow streets in town, though it would hardly surprise her if that was no longer the case.

 

A small circle of light surrounded the vehicle, casting a faint glow on their immediate surroundings.  Sure enough, there were no paved streets or dull-colored brick buildings.  Instead, all Jennifer saw was a lonely dirt road, lined with trees.  The starless, pitch-black sky made it impossible to see past them, but she knew they were only a small part of what was actually a vast forest.

 

Relief flooded through her.  This scenery was familiar.  For many years, it had served as a sign that she was almost home.

 

Though glad this strange ride wouldn’t last much longer, it hadn't really been that bad.  In fact, once the initial shock wore off, being all alone actually felt kind of…calming.

 

Usually, this final stretch would be accompanied by an escalation of the daily bullying she had to endure.  Being on this road meant that she would soon be out of her classmates’ reach, while simultaneously reminding them of one of their favorite reasons to torment her.

 

They teased Jennifer for many different ones, but on the bus, it was almost always because she lived in that dense forest just beyond the window.  Her father had bought their simple house there long ago, before she was even born. 

 

To her, it was home�"a perfectly nice one at that, and the source of many happy memories.  But the other kids had only ever seen it as something that could be used to hurt her.

 

Maybe that was why her current circumstances, unusual as they were, didn’t really bother her much.  Sure, over a dozen people had suddenly vanished without a trace, but it was just nice not to have to deal with their harassment for once.

 

Was it terrible that she couldn’t bring herself to care about their uncertain fates?  Maybe.  But then, wasn’t it their own fault she felt that way?

 

In the small town where they all lived, everyone completed their education by attending the same three schools.  She’d been stuck with most of these people�"and their bullying�"for about a decade now, so it was surely only natural that she didn’t care about them.

 

Those years of torment had left many scars on her psyche.  Jennifer could still vividly remember each and every single pain they’d inflicted upon her.  The strongest memory, however, was when it had all began, shortly after she had entered elementary school.  In her youthful naivety, she’d actually been kind of looking forward to it, thanks to her father insisting that it would be a good opportunity to finally make some friends.

 

Having been frail and sickly for most of her childhood, the young girl had never attended preschool or kindergarten.  She’d even started first grade a few months later than the other kids, who, at that point, had already known eachother for over two years. 

 

It had never occurred to the child that a new student with plain clothes and a timid personality might have trouble fitting in.  She had been too shy to approach her new classmates, and they’d always seemed to regard her as an outsider.  Where she lived hadn’t helped that, because who lives in a forest?

 

It wasn’t so bad those first few days.  They would whisper comments to one another whenever they thought she couldn’t hear�"she always could,�"but beyond that, they had ignored her.  Of course, she’d hated it then, unaware how much worse being the focus of their attention would be.

 

Jennifer’s hometown was a little strange, essentially split into two halves.  The eastern one was where everybody lived, while the western was occupied by various businesses.  In the very center were the three school buildings.  It had apparently been this way for a long time. 

 

When school let out in the afternoons, everyone would be in high spirits, eager to get home.  Unlike her classmates, Jennifer lived past the business district, in the complete opposite direction of them.  And unfortunately, the bus garage was one of the few businesses located in the eastern part of town.  To save time and avoid having to double back, the driver had decided to start dropping Jennifer off first.

 

Naturally, this had quickly begun to irritate the other children, and even the driver himself.  Her presence meant they had to take a long detour each day, which caused them all to get home much later than usual.

 

Those first few days were all it took for their frustrations to turn into full-blown anger.  And as is often the case with kids, they hadn’t bothered to hide their contempt. 

 

No, Jennifer’s classmates had let her know just how unhappy her very existence made them, teasing her about whatever they could�"where she lived, what she wore, how she looked… 

 

Too meek to stand up for herself, and with no friends to protect her, she’d made an easy target.  This had only served to encourage them further, and the torment she suffered would get worse as time went on and the kids grew older and crueler.  

 

Just thinking about it made all her hurt and anger come rushing back.  Jennifer’s arms tightened around the object in them, which was definitely not the worn-out black shoulder bag she’d carried to school all those lonely years.  She never let that bag out of her sight�"whenever she couldn’t carry it, she’d at least keep an arm through the strap or sit it on her lap, so that no one would be able to steal it.

 

Looking down, the teenager saw that, like so many other things today, her bag was indeed nowhere to be seen.  Instead, she held a beautiful porcelain doll wearing an old-fashioned red dress and bonnet, both of which were trimmed with white lace.  Waves of long, golden hair fell around its pale face, which was smooth and flawless.  Painted lips formed a small smile, which almost seemed to be mocking her.

 

Suddenly filled with disgust, Jennifer quickly turned away.  She had more important things to focus on right now.  While curious as to where the doll had come from, she was far more interested in finding her missing bag.  In it were notebooks full of various stories she’d written, along with ideas for more.  Each one was very important to her, and the whole reason she always kept her bag close.

 

Writing in those notebooks was the only thing that got her through most days, especially during school hours.  They were an escape, and one of the few things that brought her joy.  Her classmates knew this and had tried many times to snatch them away from her.  If they ever succeeded, she didn’t want to think about what they’d do.  Her vivid imagination could conjure up dozens of possibilities, all equally unpleasant and downright terrifying.

 

She glanced around frantically.  Of course, this was futile.  The bag’s color, combined with the darkness, guaranteed she’d never be able to see it.  Changing tactics, she felt the seat beside her, hoping she’d just put it there by accident.  No such luck.  Could it be on the floor, then?  She kicked around a bit, but her feet didn’t hit anything.  Not there, either. 

 

Jennifer finally felt herself starting to panic.  What would happen if she couldn’t find her bag before the bus stopped? 

 

Desperate for any kind of clue, she looked again at the doll.  It gazed back at her from behind feathery lashes, glassy blue eyes wide and emotionless.

 

There was something creepy about that unblinking stare, yet it was also alluring.  Jennifer gently touched the cool surface of the doll’s face, stroking its hair in an almost affectionate manner.  Her hand moved across the soft fabric of that little red bonnet, until her fingertips brushed the tiny fake rose sewn onto it.

 

A dull ache blossomed in the young girl’s chest.  Roses had been her mom’s favorite flower.  She’d loved them once too, but after the woman’s sudden death thirteen years ago, even looking at them had become painful. 

 

Thinking about the mother she barely remembered, Jennifer felt despair and sorrow twist itself around her heart.  No matter how peaceful it seemed, she realized, solitude had its price.  A place devoid of conflict was also a place without any distractions. 

 

Jennifer had always found it hard to stop thinking.  If she were a normal, happy girl, this wouldn’t be much of a problem.  Since that wasn’t the case, she tended to quickly lose herself in unpleasant thoughts if given the chance, as they far outnumbered any happy ones she might try and focus on instead. 

 

As if influenced by the negativity surrounding her, the darkness started to feel oppressive and suffocating.  Just as Jennifer was actually beginning to long for the familiarity of that terrible reality she’d been so glad to escape, she suddenly became aware of a presence beside her. 

 

The other half of the seat had definitely been empty when she’d touched it a moment ago.  And in these conditions, she surely would have felt or heard someone sitting down, no matter how deep in thought she was…right?

 

Regardless, someone was there now, pressed against her left side.  She could feel the warmth radiating off of them, yet felt colder than ever, an icy chill slowly seeping into her every pore.

 

In less than a minute, Jennifer had gone from finding comfort in being alone to wishing for the distraction of any company, even those bullies she so despised.  Now, stuck beside some unknown entity, fear made her want that solitude back.

 

Swallowing nervously, the teenager steeled herself and glanced over.  Her heart skipped a beat when she glimpsed the small figure sitting there, head bowed.  Long hair fell over this mystery person’s shoulders and, together with the darkness, hid their face from view.

 

A slight relief flooded through Jennifer as she realized her companion was just a little girl.  Bundled up in a heavy winter coat, the child sat there, hands resting on her lap.  She didn’t move or speak.  Her exact age was unclear, but she definitely didn’t belong on the same bus as the high school kids.

 

How had she gotten on board, and why hadn’t Jennifer noticed her until just now?  Was she sitting somewhere else before, hidden by the darkness?  Of course, she must have been.  But…it still didn’t make much sense.

 

The girl was clearly an elementary school student.  Since her presence wouldn’t have gone unnoticed when the bus was still full, she’d probably gotten special permission to ride home with an older sibling or something like that.  The strange part was her continued presence, despite everyone else having vanished into thin air.

 

“Who…are you?”

 

Jennifer’s question went unanswered. 

 

Did she not hear me?

 

Before she could ask again, the little girl suddenly clutched at the fabric of her coat.  She was trembling violently.

 

Guilt washed over Jennifer, who believed she’d frightened the child.  That had certainly not been her intention, but she still felt the need to apologize.  Before she could, the little girl raised her head ever so slightly, and in that moment, Jennifer caught a glimpse of her mouth.

 

Never before had she seen such a vicious snarl.

 

“Give it to me.”

 

Jennifer was now leaning away from the girl, a frightened expression on her face.  It took her a moment to realize she’d been spoken to.  “W-what?” 

 

“The doll…  Give it to me.”  She was just a child, but there was a barely-constrained rage in her voice that made it hard not to be afraid of her. 

 

And yet, Jennifer’s grip on the doll tightened. 

 

“No!  It’s mine!”  The petulant claim had come out of her mouth unbidden, leaving her dumbfounded.  She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d shouted like that.

 

 “Give it to me!” the girl demanded again.

 

“I won’t!”  Jennifer hugged the doll even tighter, aware that she was acting no older than the kid sitting next to her, yet clueless as to why.

 

The doll wasn’t hers.  Despite insisting otherwise, she knew that.  And since there was no one else around but the two of them, it probably did belong to this little girl.  In that case, wouldn’t giving it back be the mature thing to do?

 

Yes, but her arms still refused to relinquish their hold.  Perhaps the little girl realized this as well, as she grit her teeth and did not ask again.

 

“If only…”  She sounded so unhappy now; it made Jennifer feel terrible.  Her small hands were clenched into fists, and she was once again shaking.  This time, however, it seemed to be with more than just anger.

 

Is she…sad?

 

“If only you had given it to me…”

 

The following moment of silence seemed to last for an eternity.

 

“…then none of this would have happened.”

 

In the very next instant, a blinding white light exploded from the front of the bus, forcing Jennifer to shield her eyes.  It was accompanied by a deafening noise, like something being violently crushed.  The windshield cracked and burst inward, shards of glass flying everywhere.

 

As they came towards her, sharp edges glinting, everything seemed to slow down for a brief second, before suddenly speeding up again.  Darkness fell once more, swallowing up her consciousness.

 

The last thing she heard was that little girl’s unforgiving voice.

 

“It’s all your fault.”