The shrill screech of the air brakes tore through the silence of the road.
The bus came to a stop just a few meters from a massive fallen tree blocking the way.
Bakta, the dark-skinned driver with her hair tied in a bun, let out a long sigh, betraying all the frustration that had built up during an exhausting trip.
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She turned to face the passengers, who were beginning to rise from their seats.
"Sit back down. All of you. I'm going outside to check it out," she ordered in a tone that left no room for argument.
She pulled the lever to open the door and stepped outside.
"Just what I needed..." Bakta muttered to herself as she walked toward the fallen trunk.
Just to be sure, she delivered a hard kick to the rough bark. The wood didn't even budge.
That was when her gaze drifted upward.
Dozens of crows circled silently above the tree, forming a swirling black vortex. The sight was unsettling enough to make the hairs on her arms stand on end.
Not waiting to find out what was behind it, Bakta hurried back to the bus, yanked the door shut, and returned to the driver's seat.
"I'm taking a detour." She shifted into gear before anyone had the chance to ask questions.
In the middle of the bus, Kelly couldn't take her eyes off the flock outside the window. She gripped the arm of her boyfriend sitting beside her.
"Have you ever seen anything like that? It's creepy."
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Brian gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. I grew up on a farm. Animals act strangely sometimes."
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The bus awkwardly maneuvered and continued down the road.
A few minutes later, the town's first houses appeared beyond the windows.
There was nothing charming about the place.
Only weathered facades, windows boarded up with planks, and abandoned cars scattered throughout the streets.
"What the fuck kind of weird ass place is this?" Randall commented, resting an arm on the window as he frowned at the atmosphere straight out of a horror movie.
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Behind the wheel, Bakta felt a chill run down her spine. Every instinct she had was screaming at her to get out of there as fast as possible.
The moment she spotted a dirt road ahead that looked like an alternate route, she didn't hesitate and stepped on the gas.
Sara stepped out of the diner beside Tian-Chen and watched the bus drive past the main street with a mixture of recognition and pity.
From the elevated grounds of Colony House, Donna also spotted the vehicle.
"What the hell..." she muttered, narrowing her eyes.
She turned to the nearest resident.
"Get the weapons ready."
Without waiting for a response, she hurried down toward the town with quick, determined strides.
Kenny froze for a brief moment, his mouth hanging open as he watched the bus disappear around the bend.
Less than two seconds later, he snapped out of it and sprinted after Boyd.
He found the sheriff already on the move, walking briskly with a grim expression.
"Go get Father Khatri," he ordered before Kenny could even speak. "Meet me at the workshop."
The deputy simply nodded and ran off to carry out the order.
...
The instant Julie saw the bus crossing her field of vision through the motorhome window, she immediately understood what Daniel had meant when he'd mentioned the arrival of new customers.
"Let's go take a look," she said, already pulling on her boots.
Daniel simply nodded.
The joint was still resting between his fingers as lazy spirals of smoke drifted upward.
When they stepped outside, they found the Matthews family gathered in front of the motorhome, most likely drawn by the same engine noise.
Jim frowned when he noticed the cigarette.
"Do you really think it's a good idea to smoke that inside a confined space with my daughter?"
Daniel didn't even blink.
He took a long drag, slowly exhaled the smoke, and casually waved his free hand.
"Don't sweat it. The motorhome's ventilation system is excellent. Her lungs are perfectly fine, I guarantee it."
Realizing her father was nowhere near accepting that explanation, Julie quickly stepped in before the argument could begin.
"A bus just drove by," she said, gesturing toward the street with her chin. "Did you see how many people were inside?"
The distraction worked.
Jim's attention shifted away from the joint to the chaos that was about to unfold.
"I did," he murmured with a dark expression. "It's going to be a nightmare trying to house all of them."
"All I saw were frightened faces," Tabitha said, wrapping her arms around herself. "They have no idea where they are."
"Do you think there are any other kids?" Ethan asked, his eyes shining with a mixture of curiosity and excitement.
Daniel slowly shook his head.
As they talked, the battered pickup truck drove down the main street.
Father Khatri was behind the wheel, Boyd sat in the passenger seat, and Kenny was squeezed between them, all three wearing stern expressions.
Jim tracked the vehicle until it vanished around the corner.
"What do you think they're going to do? It'll be dark soon."
"I can already guess." Daniel flicked the cigarette butt onto the gravel and crushed it beneath the sole of his boot. "Come on, Julie. Let's go have a look."
He held out his hand to her, and Julie took it without hesitation.
Jim and Tabitha exchanged a quick glance before deciding to follow them, unable to resist their own curiosity.
They reached the town entrance just in time to see the pickup truck parked on the side of the road.
Boyd and Kenny were crouched down, burying a long strip lined with metal spikes beneath the dirt.
"What's that?" Ethan asked, stepping closer and tilting his head for a better look.
"A spike strip," Father Khatri replied, his voice as calm as ever. "It's meant to blow out the bus's tires."
"Isn't that a little too extreme?" Tabitha asked in surprise.
Boyd set the shovel aside and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand; his face carried the sternness of a man bearing the weight of an entire town on his shoulders.
"It's better than letting an out-of-control bus tear through town," he said firmly. "I've dealt with situations like this before. You should head back. It'll be dark soon."
Jim realized the sheriff was dismissing them as politely as he could. He gently squeezed his wife's shoulder.
"We should head home."
Daniel, on the other hand, didn't move an inch, completely at ease. He draped an arm around Julie's shoulders, pulling her comfortably against his side as he watched the preparations with the interest of someone rewatching a familiar episode while still curious enough to notice the small differences.
The Matthews family said their goodbyes.
"Don't take too long getting back," Jim called back to them before leaving with Tabitha and Ethan toward the house.
As soon as the three of them disappeared around the corner, Donna's imposing figure came into view, striding toward them with determined steps.
"Boyd," she called. "Do you want me to bring the others with guns over here?"
"No," the sheriff refused without hesitation. "That'll only cause even more panic."
Julie glanced at Daniel, wanting to ask dozens of questions about the people on that bus.
He had only mentioned the event in passing, and her curiosity was practically overflowing.
Even so, she stopped herself in time. Conversations like that were only safe inside a place protected by a talisman.
The minutes dragged by.
The bus simply didn't appear.
Boyd and Khatri exchanged a glance before their attention returned to the young couple.
"I'd advise you two to leave," the priest said.
Daniel merely raised a hand in a carefree gesture.
"It's fine."
Boyd shot Julie a meaningful look, and Khatri quickly did the same. It was practically a silent plea for her to convince her boyfriend to go home.
Julie pretended not to understand and kept her attention on the road.
...
"We can't wait any longer." Boyd studied the empty road for a few seconds, then made a decision. "Let's move the spike strip and set it up near the sheriff's station."
"All right." He turned to Donna. "I'm going to need armed people."
"Understood."
That was her only reply. She immediately marched back toward Colony House .
After digging up the spike strip and tossing it into the truck bed, Boyd climbed into the pickup alongside Kenny and Father Khatri.
"We'll catch a ride, if you don't mind," Daniel said with shameless confidence.
Without waiting for an answer, he hopped into the truck bed with ease, then held out a hand to help Julie climb up. Laughing, she accepted it, amused by his audacity.
Boyd just snorted. He no longer saw any point in arguing.
Through the rear window, Kenny caught the whole exchange. The trust Julie placed in Daniel sent an unpleasant stab through his chest.
He quickly looked away, swallowing his frustration and silently wishing he had something like that with Kristi.
The pickup pulled away and headed back to the city center.
From the porch of their house, Jim and Tabitha visibly relaxed when they saw Daniel and Julie riding back with the pickup.
In front of the sheriff's station, Boyd and Kenny positioned the spike strip across the road.
Realizing the young man had absolutely no intention of going back to the motorhome, and that insisting would be a complete waste of time, Boyd decided to make use of the extra manpower.
"Since you're so determined to stay," he said without much enthusiasm, "you can help."
"Do what, exactly?" Daniel raised an eyebrow.
"Once they get off that bus, things are bound to get messy," Boyd said, crossing his arms. "I'll need help getting everyone into the sheriff's station. I'll explain everything once we're inside."
Daniel turned to Julie, a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"So, Jules? What do you think?" He turned to the sheriff. "The final decision is hers. She's the one in charge."
Playing along, Julie lifted her chin with an exaggerated air of authority.
"Of course we're going to help."
Standing behind Boyd, Kenny clicked his tongue in annoyance, reaching the end of his patience.
"Could you two take this a little more seriously?"
Boyd and Father Khatri simply shook their heads in resignation.
Daniel studied Kenny. "Did something happen? You don't look like you're in a friendly mood today."
"Nothing happened." The reply came out far too curt to convince anyone.
Daniel shrugged. If Kenny didn't want to talk, he had no interest in pressing the issue.
A few minutes later, Donna returned with three men armed with shotguns. The heavy strides of the four of them spoke volumes about the urgency of the situation.
"What do you want us to do?" she asked, adjusting the shotgun by her side.
"Stay hidden." Boyd pointed toward both sides of the street. "Once everyone gets off the bus, surround the area and don't let anyone scatter. The plan is to get them all inside the sheriff's station before panic takes over."
Donna nodded and positioned the men exactly as planned with her usual efficiency.
Silence settled over the main street once more.
Only the wind stirred small clouds of dust across the cracked asphalt.
The minutes continued to pass as the sky grew darker by the moment.
Boyd glanced toward the horizon, already considering ordering everyone to run for shelter before nightfall.
Then the outline of the bus appeared in the distance, its engine growing louder by the second.
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