Mystery Bus Tour
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“I wonder what the hell is in that building,” said a man’s voice as he rode on the Mystery Bus Tour. The speaker was none other than Rolo, owner of the Mystery Bus Tours, who happened to be sitting across from him. “I’ve never seen it before.”
The bus had just reached its destination: a large building with red brick walls and columns. It looked like something you might see in ancient Greece or Rome—a temple maybe? As if to accentuate the strange nature of the structure, there were white statues all around it; even some small fountains could be found there too.
But despite its beauty, everyone present agreed that they did not feel comfortable being so close to this place, and people began rushing for the exit. Rolo also made his way off the bus at once. He didn’t know why but felt as though he should get away quickly.
Rollo was a short-haired young man wearing black glasses. His round face appeared youthful compared to how old he really was. Though he looked cool, he didn’t act like it at all and rarely spoke. When he did speak, however, his words tended to carry more weight than most.
This was because he had always been in charge of managing the Mystery Bus Tours, which took tourists through various places where their safety might otherwise have been endangered.
This time, Rolo had set up the Mystery Bus Tour in a location he knew well—the city of New York—but it had grown suddenly dangerous upon reaching its destination. Once inside the building, Rolo realized that it wasn’t a temple after all; instead, it seemed like something out of a horror film.
In fact, when he saw what was there, he almost turned back immediately. But his curiosity got the better of him. So, he decided to stay a little longer.
As he approached the entrance, he noticed that the doors were wide open. There was no one around them either. And yet, the air within smelled strangely sweet. He proceeded into the building and soon came upon a staircase leading down. Just when he’d begun making his descent, Rolo heard someone shout, “Help!”
It was coming from below. Rolo hurried down the stairs and discovered an old lady trapped under a table. He moved aside and helped her get free, then went back upstairs to look for the person who’d called out. A woman had passed by right beside Rolo without saying anything, and she remained gone when he returned downstairs.
Now that he thought about it, the old lady had mentioned something similar. She’d said that she had come here alone, only to find herself lost in the middle of nowhere.
“Damn! How many more are we going to lose?” Rolo muttered aloud as he descended yet another flight of stairs, and now, he seemed to hear something else—something faint and far away.
He followed the sound and arrived at a room with a pool of water in the center of it. On top of the pool stood a figure with long hair. It was a girl, and judging from the clothes she wore, Rolo assumed that she must be a tourist on the Mystery Bus Tour. But the girl was floating in the water, kicking feebly as if trying to escape.
Rollo screamed, “Who the hell are you?! You’re—”
But he couldn’t finish his sentence; the next moment, the girl disappeared.
Rollo ran over to the pool and peered into it. All he could see was water. The girl hadn’t sunk beneath the surface, nor had she floated away. Instead, she seemed to have vanished entirely—as though there was nothing left of her whatsoever.
Now, Rolo was really worried. If a member of the Mystery Bus Tour—an experienced traveler—could get lost in such a simple place, what hope did others have? He was thinking of calling the police when he caught sight of something that made his heart skip a beat—a single drop of blood falling to the floor.
Rollo rushed to the balcony overlooking the pool and saw that the girl was still there, lying motionless on the ground. Blood trickled from her mouth. Even though it was dark outside, Rolo could clearly make out her features. She was beautiful and delicate, and there was something familiar about her.
For some reason, Rolo was sure that he’d seen this girl somewhere before. Was she perhaps a former guest of the Mystery Bus Tour?
Suddenly, the girl opened her eyes. They were bright blue, and when she spoke, the words that spilled from her lips startled Rolo.
“You came…I’m glad…”
She was talking to him. She probably could have spoken to anyone else in the world, but she chose to address him.
“What do you mean, I came?” Rolo asked.
The girl replied in a voice that was just a fraction louder than usual. “When the lights went out, I saw your shadow standing behind me. You saved my life.”
Indeed, Rolo had been crouching behind the girl, watching her from a distance. He had not actually done anything to save her life, though. That was simply a coincidence.
And yet, the girl told him that he had.
“No way,” Rolo remarked in disbelief.
A chill ran down his spine. The girl’s face was becoming pale, and her body trembled. She began to sink into the pool, and Rolo jumped in to rescue her. At first, he tried to lift her out, but the girl was too heavy. Then, he remembered the glass doll—the one that was supposed to be there.
So, he grabbed it and heaved the doll toward the girl. But all it did was bounce off her head. The girl sank deeper still.
Then suddenly, the girl started screaming. In a voice that sounded like it belonged to someone else, she said, “Please don’t let me go.”
“I won’t!”
Rolo clung to the girl, desperate to keep her afloat. He didn’t know how much time had passed since the beginning of their struggle, but now, they were both exhausted. When he looked up, the girl was staring straight at him. Rolo was scared to death, certain that he would never survive this encounter.
But the girl smiled at him, and after a brief pause, she said, “My name is Alice.”
Alice. Rolo knew that name.
***
In the center of the town square, the lone tree seemed to whisper, “Beware the darkness.”
As night fell, the town square grew darker, and the last rays of sunlight disappeared. A chill ran through the air, and a few flakes of snow drifted down from above. As the cold wind blew across the empty streets, people hurried home for the evening.
The clock struck eight. Within two hours, the whole town would be asleep. But it wasn’t going to happen tonight, and even though no one realized it, the town itself was now awake.
It was impossible to deny that the town was alive.
For instance, the sign that announced “Town Hall” had become an old man’s torso and legs. It had been nailed to the door, but the nails had rusted, so the old man had to hold the sign up with his hands—and the only sound that could be heard was the creaking as his joints moved.
On a corner near the park, a young couple had emerged from a doorway, and the tall woman was carrying the boy by the hand. There was something strangely erotic about the way they stood side by side, gazing at each other. And the way the boy looked back at them reminded everyone that he was younger than either of them.
Suddenly, the young woman turned around. To Rolo, it appeared that she was trying to speak to the boy, but when he didn’t reply, the girl walked away. Soon afterward, the boy followed her into the dark.
Two blocks further on, a car pulled over, and the driver got out. He had a strange look in his eyes, and his movements were jerky. Now, he was walking slowly towards the entrance of a theater.
And then there was the girl who’d collapsed in front of the hotel. Rolo had seen her before, too, but he couldn’t remember where. Perhaps it was because the girl had looked familiar. Had she been missing for a long time? Or perhaps she had come to the town from somewhere else. If that was true, Rolo wondered what had brought her here.
And finally, there was Alice.
After Rolo had rescued the girl from the water, he had taken her to the hotel. The girl had told him that her name was Alice. She also explained that she needed to rest for a while, and when Rolo asked if she wanted anything, she said she might have some tea. Rolo had gone down to the kitchen alone.
He had found a new maid, and the two of them had talked for a while. The girl had been rather shy, but now that she’d drunk the warm tea, she looked like her old self again.
The girl seemed to be in her early twenties, maybe twenty-four or twenty-five. Her hair was long and brown, and as her eyes were closed, Rolo thought it made her resemble a sleeping cat. The girl had also mentioned that she’d lost her memories, which meant she had probably lived in the town for several years.
Rolo couldn’t imagine living anywhere without knowing why you were there. How could anyone endure such a life? Rolo wished he could help her, and yet he had no idea what to do.
When Rolo returned to the room, the girl thanked him for bringing her tea. They chatted for a little longer and then went to bed.
Now, Rolo sat in his chair beside the fire. After the girl had fallen asleep, Rolo tried to leave the room, but suddenly, the girl opened her eyes and said, “Stay where you are.”
She sounded like she was half asleep, but Rolo stayed right where he was. For a moment, the girl stared at him, and then, with surprising grace, she leaped onto the chair and pushed Rolo down. Instantly, the girl was on top of Rolo, straddling his lap.
There was still plenty of light in the room—the curtains were open, and the moonlight shone through the glass doors onto the porch. Alice looked at Rolo with her soft, dreamy eyes, and the warmth of her breath touched his face.
They kissed.
But the kiss wasn’t quite like any other. When Rolo put his arms around her, the girl felt as if she were melting. Their bodies pressed together, and their lips met.
Rollo began to think it might go on forever.
Finally, the girl’s breathing became irregular. Rolo thought she must have fallen asleep, so he leaned back against the pillows. Then, he saw the girl sitting upright, staring at him. It was as if she were about to say something.
Alice reached out with both of her hands and caressed Rolo’s cheeks. She did this gently, almost tenderly, and Rolo wondered what she was thinking. As he watched her, the girl leaned forward, and Rolo thought she was going to kiss him again. Instead, the girl’s lips brushed lightly against his ear.
“I’m not afraid,” whispered Alice softly in her sleep.
The End