Bus 66

Bus 66 is a strange, yet rare sight to be found within the county of Cheshire, most commonly spotted between the areas of Runcorn and Widnes. It is an all red, metallic bus with rust so fierce, it is a wonder the bus is still running at all.

The last known sighting of Bus 66 was last year in 2023, and the person who saw it; she could not believe her eyes. The vehicle looked ancient, not only because of its 1960s design, but because of how deteriorated it appeared. The windows had no glass, the seats inside were metal bars without cushions and the entrances had no doors. The driver looked strange too, he was a ridiculously old man, with a grey beard that brushed the floor. He was starving and depressed, his uniform was nothing but rags. The woman who last witnessed this bus, her name was Emily and she was mortified when the bus driver pulled up at her stop. She did not hail the bus to stop, it just chose to approach her. The old man grinned, turning to face her.

"This is a free service." He said, frowning. Emily didn't dare speak, she instead avoided his eyes and kept her head down.

"Suit yourself." The man cried, before slowly driving the bus off, into the midnight fog. It disappeared entirely, like some spooky ghost.

Emily was wise not to enter, for bus 66 is known to be cursed or haunted by mysterious spirits. The bus arrives at midnight, when no other buses are on schedule. It seems to prey on desperate travellers, who wait at bus stops, just hoping for any old bus or taxi to take them home. The bus hasn't been reported since Emily's encounter, but I can imagine the bus has likely visited some one this year, they just haven't told anyone about it yet. I mean, why would you? Unless you wanted to sound crazy, you'd be likely to take this story to the grave. There are stories of kids running away from home at midnight, never to be seen again, perhaps they took the 66 bus and were taken to only god knows where! Some speculate this myth is a hoax, although I haven't seen it, I believe it to be true. As many others throughout the years, have also claimed to see this mysterious 66 bus for themselves. They all say the same thing. It has a dated design, it is red and unbelievably rusty, the driver looks like some ancient wizard, etc. However, there is one story where a man by the name of Gregg, dared to enter the boss before fighting his way out of it.

Back in 1982, Gregg had been drinking heavily one Saturday night in Runcorn Old Town, during the month of October. The exact date is uncertain, but perhaps this was on Halloween night itself, where supernatural sightings are most common. After his night out; he hailed bus 66 which still looked like a wreck, even forty plus years ago. He liked the old design of the vehicle however, it reminded him of his youth, so he wasn't immediately frightened like most people would've been. In his drunken state, he must not have noticed how creepy the bus appeared. He thought the bus driver looked silly and not eerie, what with his long, grey beard. It was only when Gregg turned to face the seats within this bus, that he saw something so terrifying, he practically sobered up on the spot, as several animated skeletons raced towards him. They pulled the old man down. Fortunately for him, he was an ex army veteran, so he was more than used to threatening situations and knew how to fight back. Encountering the paranormal was a first however, the fear and adrenaline of it all, gave him a strength he did not know he had. He smashed the skeletons to dusty pieces, then he managed to jump out of the glassless windows, as the vehicle had already begun moving. He ran like the wind, the moment he stood up from the ground and never turned to look behind, not until he got home and shut the door tight. When his wife found him, gasping for air, with his back against the door, she couldn't believe how sober he was. For Gregg was known to come home heavily intoxicated and disorderly, so this was a first. Then he began mouthing off about the ghost bus he just saw and she rolled her eyes, and said; "I guess you are drunk after all!" Nobody believed Gregg's story, for he was the town drunk who often spoke nonsense anyway. However, I believe his story without a doubt!

Nobody truly knows the origin of Bus 66, but one can hazard a guess. After some digging; I discovered that an old red bus was driving from Runcorn to Widnes, it crashed and burnt in a horrifying automobile accident during the late 1960s (the specific date is unclear). It was big news at the time, as everyone onboard had died. Most disturbing of all was the bus route number, it was 66. Could this be the real life tragedy, behind the infamous ghost bus of Halton? I think so. Maybe the numbers 66 are what has cursed the bus, for it is only one 6 away from being the devil's number; 666, which believe me, is most definitely a bad omen. So if you live within the county of Cheshire and you see an approaching bus, that is old, red and beyond repair, maybe you're better off waiting for the next one. No matter how desperate you are to get to work or home, it is not worth risking your life, not when bus 66 comes around that bend!