The bus ride

“Buck forty nine.” said the man behind the counter. He was dressed in red plaid

and apparently trying to grow a patchy beard.

Steve Hargrove took out his leather wallet from his back pocket and placed two

singles on the metal groove. The man behind the counter dug out two quarters and a

penny from the cash tray and slid them to Steve.

“Headed out huntin’?” asked the cashier.

“What gave it away?” Steve replied with a smile. He was dressed in deep green

camo overalls and a bright orange longsleeve shirt with a camo hat to match.

“They say it’s good huntin’ this year. Just don't shoot anyone!” The cashier spat

out a laugh. “I’ve been seein’ lots of huntin’ folk gettin’ supplies today.”

“I’ll try not to. Thanks.” said Steve grabbing his cherry cola off the counter.

His father in law Terry, and best friend Beau, was waiting in the van already

sipping their recently bought refreshments and refilling their bladders. The hunting spot

was only a few miles away, but it’s been a long drive. The side door was slid back and

Terry was in the back seat polishing his rifle.

“That’s not loaded, right?” asked Steve.

“Think I’m retarded?” Terry said not looking up. He was up there in age, but not

in mind. His glasses were so thick they could probably set a dog on fire it the sun hit

them right.

“Well….” Steve said avoiding eye contact.

“Fuck in the car, lets go.” said Beau from the driver's seat, hanging out of the mini

van. His bright orange beanie looking like a baby bottle nipple on top of his head.

Steve slide the door shut, seeing Beau’s big face on the side and in big letters

“BIG BEAU’S PAINTING SERVICE.” He then walked around and got in. He cracked

open his cherry cola and drank, enjoying the fizzy feeling in his throat. His swallow was

garnished by a small burp.

Most of the drive consisted of oldie rock ‘n’ roll and farts sounding like they were

coming from a ship horn. Shit talk about who was going to bag the biggest buck finally

ended. On the last bit of road, the car was silent. The men daydreamed about the kill.

Pointing their guns at the defenceless creature, aiming for the heart and pulling the

trigger. Kill was inevitable. Deer was said to be plentiful this year.

They arrived at the gaming area at nine in the morning. The three hour drive was

well worth it. Venison would be on the menu at home for weeks! Only a few other trucks

and a couple vans stood in the lot next to the woods. The weather was chilly, but not

cold. Fresh brown leaves littered the lot. Beau brought a flask of bourbon “Just in case

we get really cold.” but he always carried it on him.

Beau opened the back latch of the mini van grabbing the hard plastic case that

held his rifle, and Steve grabbed his. Both were nothing fancy. The three slung their

weapons across their backs and began their trek into the woods. Steve lead the pack.

They walked a path that was well worn, but after about a quarter mile, they made their

way into unmarked soil. The trees were spread apart enough to not lose the main path

and not get too lost.

A thunderous boom went off half a mile north of them. Steve stopped holding up

his right hand to signal the others to follow suite. He gestured left and started in that

direction. Leaves crunched under their boots and the occasional branch snapped. Steve

held up his hand in stop signal to the others. Everything was quiet.

“What?” Terry whispered.

Steve pointed up ahead. In the distance was a beautiful six or eight point buck,

he couldn’t tell from this distance. It was licking a salt lick someone else put up.

“ I’m surprised you didn’t see that thing a mile away with those coke bottle

glasses you’re wearing.” Beau whispered. Terry threw up a middle finger.

Steve waited just a moment before holding up his rifle to aim. He waited another

moment to see if the provider of the salt lick was waiting for his trap to work. No shots

yet. The deer was licking away at the tasty last treat not knowing it’s last moments on

earth were approaching. Steve put his finger on the trigger. One eye was closed and the

other on the sights. The nub was aimed to the heart of the deer. The distance was a bit

far but if they kept approaching, it would likely hear them and take off. It could be their

only chance. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead to his brow. He slowly squeezed

the trigger and his gun went off with a loud bang. Miss.

The deer jumped and ran into the woods.

“You stupid shit. How did you miss that thing?” asked Terry.

“Oh shut it, that thing was far away you old fuck.” said Beau

“I could of hit that thing a mile away you stupid fuck.” said Terry.

“Whatever, let’s just keep going. It’s still early.” said Steve, bummed and a little

embarrassed. They trekked into the wood where the deer hauled ass. Hopefully he

didn’t go too far.

They walked for two hours into to wood and didn’t see one deer. They heard

chattering from another group to their left and went the opposite direction.

“Fucks just getting drunk and wandering in the woods scaring off all the deer.”

said Terry on a low whisper.

It was almost sunset by the time they started to give up.

“I’m starvin, let’s go to that diner we passed up on the way here. Looked pretty

good.” said Terry

“Yeah, let’s go man, we can come back next week.” Said Beau.

“Shhhhhh” Terry pointed up ahead. A deer was eating something off the ground.

It was definitely closer than the one from earlier. An easy target. Steve slowly brought

up his gun.

“I got this one.” said Terry

After that moment, the deer was gone. It didn’t run away, just poof, gone. Steve

turned around and saw that he was alone in the wood. No trace of Beau or Terry. The

sun was no longer setting. It was straight up in the sky, high noon.

Steve turned back to where the deer was in the trees. To his amazement there

were no deer, there was a black school bus. The bus stood in the woods surrounded by

trees, how the hell did it get there? Steve thought. The bus was short like the ones that

picked up special kids in the mornings, but shorter. He saw only two windows on the

side, one for a passenger and one for the driver. Each were blacked out. The bus was

pitch black speckled with what looked like white paint. Dark purple exhaust whipped out

of the back but Steve couldn’t hear the motor run. In fact, he didn’t hear anything. No

rustles from the trees, no crackle of leaves under his boots, the world was muted. He

cleared his throat, he could hear that.

“Hhh..hello?” Steve said into the quietness. There was no reply.

He started to walk towards the bus in a slow cautious pace. He looked into the

trees. No birds cawing, no wind rustling branches, nothing. He finally approached the

bus and looked into its trippy paint job. It was a galaxy of stars that seemed to move on

its own. A comet whizzed by as he put his hand on the side. BONK went the horn on

bus, making Steve jump. It scared him, but he never felt his pulse race.

He walked around the space bus to the door. Steve knocked on the plastic that

was also blacked out. The door swung open to show a beautiful blonde woman in the

driver seat. She was dressed in a black hoodie, black gloves and black jeans. Her look

was goth chic, yet her makeup was colorful. Ruby red lipstick, and light blue eye

shadow perfectly applied.

“Well, Hi Steven Hargrove.” she said with a smile from ear to ear. “My name is

Sharon and I’ll be your driver today.”

“Driver? Driver for wh..”

“Do you have any money on you? Coin would be fantastic.” she said with another

beautiful smile.

Awestruck from her beauty, he dug into his pockets. He felt the ridges of two

quarters deep in his pocket and took them out.

“Perfect! I would of hated leaving you here.” she held out her hand and the

quarters jumped out of Steve’s hand and into Sharon’s. They disappeared as they

touched her palm and she put her hands back on the wheel. “Come on up and take your

seat. Im sure you have a question or two.” she laughed at this as Steve made his way

up the stairs.

Steve took the only seat right behind the driver. Still giggling, she closed the door

and put the car into drive. Steve glanced out the window and saw Terry and Beau

standing twenty yards away. They were standing over a person lying in the leaves and

dirt. The person’s back of the head looked like an exploded party favor. Like the one

where you pull the string and the confetti pops out. Only instead of confetti, brain and

skull was littered around his best friend and father in law. Terry had his hat pulled off

and on his chest while Beau took a few steps away and vomited next to a tree. Steve

now knew what was happening.

“Im dead, huh?” asked Steve still looking at the window.

“Smart one you are.” Sharon said turning around in her seat. “I usually have to

explain it a few times before people finally get it.”

“So, where are we going?” asked steve

“Well that’s not really up to me now is it? It depends on how good you were. I just

drive, then we’ll just end up where you belong.” Sharon turned back around and started

to drive. The bus passed through the trees as if they were nothing. Passing through like

they were a dream. “Where do you think were going to go?” she asked “The shiny

golden palace of Heaven or the stinky sulfur hot miserable place you would call Hell?

Everyone has their own idea of what the afterlife is. Valhalla, Paradise, Moksha,

Nirvana, Heaven, it’s all pretty much the same. Except Hell, that varies from soul to

soul. Depends on how terrible you were.”

Steve thought about that for a moment. He’s done good things his whole life.

Charity during the holidays, giving homeless change when he had it, even once he went

to a hospital to read to kids with cancer. Heaven for sure. But, there was that one thing

that has haunted him for a pretty long time. “I’m not really sure.”

Sharon looked at him from her rear view mirror. “Well we have a little bit before

we get there. Think about it. Let me know. Have anything to get off your chest?”

Steve didn’t answer. Just stared out of the window. Outside started to change.

He saw outside turned into his own view. He was looking at the cashier when he got his

cherry cola just a few hours ago.

“Whats going on?”

“Well we're going to relive your life! One last walk down memory lane before you

make your decision!” Sharon said. She seemed very excited.

Decision? Steve looked out the window again. The memory was a few years ago.

He was at a job site painting a new restaurant. Steve was bent over a toilet in the

bathroom while Beau was fucking him from behind.

“Naughty boys! You cheated on your wife with another man! Being gay isn’t

against the rules, but cheating is a no no with the Big Guy upstairs.” Sharon said. The

smile never leaving her face.

“It was only a few times.” Steve told his lap. He looked out again and saw himself

spooning hot soup into bowls at St. Agatha’s, a local homeless shelter.

“Well that’s mighty kind of you.” Sharon said. As she said it, Steve walked to the

back of the kitchen where the soups were warming up in large pots. He rubbed his

sweaty armpit with a clean ladle he grabbed off a shelf and began to stir the pot.

Sharon turned and gave Steve a “tisk tisk” look and shaking her head.

Steve began to shudder when they got to a new memory. It was a house party.

College kids were everywhere wearing shirts adorned with a picture of a roaring bear

with the name, Alana College, written on the bottom.

“This was my frat. We had a party every weekend. We sometimes had too much

fun.”

The memory showed Steve at the keg in the kitchen pouring foam and gold piss

water into the cup of a girl who was far too drunk to keep drinking. She looked like she

was already asleep standing up. Her red hair was half in her face and her makeup was

smeared. Little Steven was saying something to her and she nodded.

“Her name was Sarah something. I’m so sorry.” Steve placed his hand on his

eyes and began to weep.

He took the pretty redhead's hand and lead her through the party towards the

stairs. Along the way a few jock types slapped him high five and cheered. They climbed

the stairs and into Steve’s bedroom. She collapsed into his bed and instantly passed out

face down, spilling her half filled beer. Her skirt hiked up and Steve could see her pink

panties. He began to take off his belt.

In the bus, Steve began, “She got pregnant and kept the kid. Her parents made

her, some big religious types. She never spoke to me after the fact, I don’t think she

remembered who she was with. I’m going to Hell, huh?”

“Yeah,” Sharon said through her big grin. It was here where she reminded him of

The Joker from the Batman comics he grew up reading. “But I like to remind people of a

third option. It’s no Heaven, but it sure beats the hell out of Hell.”

Steve Hargrove stared into her beautiful blue eyes as she explained the third

option. He wished he could stay on the bus with her a bit longer and just look at her. But

he could see something start to manifest a ways away in front of the bus. It looked like a

doorway to very bright room. He noticed outside was pitch black and speckled with fine

white dots. They were somewhere in what looked like deep space, somewhere where

Earth was long gone.

“So, what do you say? Eternal torture, or eternal isolation?”

The smell of sulfur began to creep into the cab of the bus. He could begin to hear

light yelps of tortured souls.

“Times almost up, you should choose now you little fucking rapist.” That’s when

Sharon’s face began to change. Her beautiful skin, lips and blue eyes began to melt away dripping onto the floor. She pulled up the black hood from her jacket and took off

her gloves to show her bone fingers. She pointed at Steven, an inch from his nose and

said, “Choose.” in a deep hard voice.

Steve heard murmur around him. He looked around the bus and seen it had

grown into a massive carriage. Hundreds of people surrounded him, all were fresh dead

on their way to judgment. He saw people with unnatural crooked necks with rope burns,

old men and women with their jaws slacked, some had half their heads blown away. He

noticed the vision from his left eye was completely gone. He placed his hand to where it

used to be and felt most of the left side of his head was mangled. Steve could feel soft

brain pouring out of his socket. He turned to face forward and found Sharon’s skull

inches from his face.

“They’re all doomed to live in constant suffering forever. Just as you are.” she

said.

Steve stood up from his chair. His feet couldn’t feel the floor, his whole body felt

like it didn’t exist. He walked up to the folding door of the bus and tried to push it open. It

didn’t budged. He turned and faced Sharon in the driver’s seat. She slowly placed her

hand on Steve’s face. Her bones were impossibly cold. The hard, cold hand gave one

slight shove and Steve was pushed into the darkness.

Steve Hargrove found himself in nothingness. There were no sounds and no

sights. Only black. He tried to open his eyes, but they no longer existed. He tried to

open his mouth to scream, but that too no longer existed. He no longer existed. His

conscious mind drifted in the nothingness left alone with only his thoughts.