It was another normal Friday morning. Everything went in perfect sequence -- I woke up, got out of bed, fixed the sheets, took a bath, dried my hair, put my clothes on and marched down the stairs. Right now, I'm eating cereal while watching the news. Today's featured report lacked realism. The reporter rambled emotionlessly about how two Americans survived the harsh winds and the sandy terrains of the an-Nafud desert. The tall and thin one, Randell, flashed his best smile for the camera while stating the hardships they've been through as they explored the desert by foot. The fat one, Blake, berserked halfway through his interview, claiming that two of his comrades had been eaten alive by a vicious beast. Before he had even started describing the "beast" that so haunted him, I turned off the TV. The last thing I needed is some crap for breakfast.
I finished my cereal and shifted the bowl aside before standing up. I brushed off the invisible dust on my jeans before snatching my bag away from the couch. I paused for a moment, listening to the sound of my father's incessant snores. Looks like he won't wake up any time soon. Mother had already left for work because earlier this morning, I had heard the car roar to life below my bedroom. Probably an emergency.
I directed my glance towards the door, unhinged a few locks and opened it. Everything that characterized the outside world was in the best state they could possibly be in. Everything was normal.
I walked to the bus station, where the school's shuttle will arrive in a moment. Waiting made minutes feel like hours since there's nothing to do during my short time of anticipation. My hot temper began to kick in and I started to curse myself for being too enthusiastic about school. I only stopped for a breath of suburban air. Then my head perked up to the sound of wheels skating along the graphite. The bus was a few meters away. From my point of view, the number of students inside could easily be counted. And that was definitely not normal.
The doors pulled open and I stepped inside the bus, taking in the familiar faces and the not-so-familiar ones. Thankfully, most of the people present were my friends.
"Last as always, Isabelle [A/N: Seriously, I was thinking of a HE at first.]," The driver informed me. "But not least, remember that."
I nodded and took a window seat to the right. I looked at the houses that zoomed by, the trees that obscured the sun and "Grandpa Jenkins", a hunched old man who'd smile at our school bus every time he sees it. I waved at him before he vanished from my sight.
As the bus entered the city, I couldn't help but notice that the number of pedestrians had lessened significantly. Some were being ignoramuses while the others were doing a good job being normal people. I stared at my reflection on the window and noticed that my brown hair had been left uncombed. Billions of strands cascaded past my shoulders and ended in a series of tangles. My black eyes were also tired and cloudy... Tired of seeing normal things, probably.
Then the bus made a turn and stopped so suddenly for no obvious reason. My body was propelled forward and backward in an instant. I gasped and looked at the driver. "What happened?"
The man who looked so brave behind a steering wheel was now shaking violently. He slammed his fist against a red button and scurried towards the door which shifted open in reaction to his desperate gestures. His feet could barely carry his large body as he ran away from the bus.
Then we heard a different sound... The sound of something shifting from below the vehicle. I summoned courage to stand up. Then another thing altogether burst from the ground, devouring the front of our bus, missing my body by inches. I gulped. In front of me was a thick wall of gray skin comparable to a snake's. The noise it made as it emerged was ear-screeching. I fell on my back and crawled away from the opressor. Pain shot my right hand. A sprain, maybe.
"Isabelle!" Someone called from behind in a deep, loud voice. "Isabelle we have to go!'
It was Hale, charming even in the midst of danger, and he had used his fists to smash a window open. The rest of the students were already in a panic-stricken state and it had taken a lot of time for half of them to get out through the makeshift exit. I wanted to make a run for it too. The problem's that the window is located at the left end of the bus and I am currently lying lazily in the foremost part of the aisle. I barely even have the strength to stand up again.
I glanced at what used to be the windshield and the driver's seat. The creature was far from us, digging itself back into the ground. I grabbed the seat beside me while clutching my bag, and tried to stand up. Then the monster went up again. Its ugly face was in complete focus as it neared our bus. It had no eyes... not even the slightest signs of noses and ears... All it had was a huge mouth and several rows of teeth.
Adrenaline got the best of me and I got to the window Hale had smashed faster than I had expected. I jumped out of it and managed to make a perfect landing.
"Come on," he said. He pulled my bag along with myself as we ran back to where we came from. Then we stopped and observed what was happening ahead. Police cars skied across the road in speeds that defied law. I looked back at the empty space where our bus once stood and noticed that a deep pit had taken its place. I paid no attention to Hale as I stared at the chaos that was striking this normal little city.
Every second was slow... detailed... nightmarish. The creature shot out from the ground, devouring an unwary pedestrian as it dove back down. After a few seconds, it appeared again. Debris clouded its misshapen form and hideous appearance. Before it maneuvered back into the ground, an ill-fated driver and his truck crashed into what I observed to be its tail. In a moment, there was an outburst of orange, and fragments of black ashes with golden rims. Then there was me, tired and helpless. Taking in what seemed to be the end of the world.
[Remarks: It's been a long time since I've updated this blog of mine.
Anyway, this story was based off a game called "Death Worm". I couldn't help but be inspired by the way the worm eats people... It's so cute...]
