The Black Night Bus

The Black Night Bus is a rumor in the town that would pick up naughty children and take them away, never to be seen again. The author recalls hearing this rumor as a child and staying up at night looking out the window. One night, they woke up with their face plastered to the window as the sun began to rise. The author's friend Justin disappeared, and they all thought he got on the bus.

After being thrown out of college and driven home in an Uber, the author was nervous and did not tell their parents about the astronomical amount of money they had spent on them. They were drunk and didn't want to upset them either. When they saw a bus fly past their car as they entered their street, they fell asleep almost instantly. In the morning, they were awakened by a scream from their parents, who asked what the author was doing now that their life was over.

The next few nights, the author stayed up and watched as Aaron and others got on the bus. They realized that they were going to wait there themselves and see what happened. On Saturday morning, the author crept out of the house, wondering what was wrong. They noticed that the bus was picking up workers for a job, which was Saturday, and they had ten job application forms for them to sign. The last one was for the army, which was a fear of theirs.

Sunday night, the author couldn't sleep and sweated on the bed, staring at the digital clock they had stared at for years as a child. When 3am rolled around, they thought about Aaron and the bus. They gasped when Aaron left his house and thought about waving to him. They did not know if he would recognize them or if they should break the ritual.

As the bus rounded the corner, the author worried Aaron could hear it. He glanced at them and tried to smile and offer a small wave, but he didn't seem to recognize them. The bus stopped in front of him, and when he pulled away, he was no longer on the street. The author watched as the bus disappeared around the corner, feeling deflated. If this was for a job, they would know I wasn't supposed to be on it.

In summary, the Black Night Bus is a legend that has haunted the author for years. The author's fear of the bus and the fear of the bus have led them to question their own identity and the consequences of their actions.

The narrator is on a bus with his father, Aaron, and friend Tom. They are on the bus when they arrive at a farm, where they encounter a group of homeless people who are trying to help slaughter cows. The narrator is scared and panics, but eventually finds a seat on the bus.

Around 5:30am, the narrator hears sounds coming from inside the barn, signaling another dead cow. He realizes that Aaron is odd and that the other passengers are homeless people who paid a pittance to help slaughter the animals.

At 2pm, Aaron and the others leave the barn, and Josh is on the bus. He finds a seat on his own and doesn't look anywhere except out of the window. On Wednesday morning, Josh's father announces that he has a job as a meat inspector. Josh is hesitant to join the army, but his father assures him that he will learn the job in an hour.

On Thursday, Josh is shown a locker and undressed before being put into his uniform. He is shown how to use his newfound skills to help the animals in need. The narrator is left to wonder if he can survive the brutal life he is on the bus.