TSFS: The Return Of Xavier

Buses At 7:15

Ashley

The six of us woke up early the next morning. The night before, the entire HQ was crowding around, running from place to place, desperately trying to pack all of their stuff into a series of bags of all sorts. Beach bags, duffles, even plastic bags.

It was chaotic to say the least, but what did you expect? You'd be running for your life too if you found out a powerful witch was out to get your ass, all of ours.

"Is it Valentine's day yet?" Madeline groans, walking out of the bathroom.

"Sadly, it's only January 6th." I reply.

Another groans escapes her mouth as she collapses into the seat across from me, slumping her head down. "Can tell shes not a morning person." Maya jokes walking out the hall with Delilah. They were both cleaned up, makeup already plastered on.

"What time are the buses coming?" Delilah asks.

I check the time on my watch, the numbers only reading;

6:42 am.

"Supposed to come at 7:15 am."

"Is Kira up?"

I drop the spoon in my cereal. "Shit, KIRA." I jumped up racing to her dorm room.

"KIRA get up we have to be on the road in a little while." I said, knocking loudly on Kira's door.

I could hear a low thud erupt from the other side of the room, giving me a signal that she was up. "Ugh, do I have to?" she whines.

"Yes. Do you want Xavier to hurt you?" I paused for a second before saying, "didn't think so get your ass up and eat." Another groan escaped her mouth, but she gave in as she opened her door, and stumbled down the hall to the kitchen.

"Morning sleepyhead." Delilah says with a smile to both Madeline and Kira who looked dead to the world.

"Fight me," Madeline simply says.

Delilah laughs, putting her arms up,  surrendering.

"So what bus are we taking?" Maya asks, changing the subject.

I stood in the kitchen, making an over-easy egg for Kira and Madeline and the rest of them sat at the kitchen, patiently waiting. "Hazel and everyone else are taking bus #175, so we'll try to stay next to them as much as possible just in case something happens to them, or us."

Maya nods her head in agreement. She finished the rest of the yellow white egg, taking her plate to the sink and washing her hands.

Once I finished making Madeline and Kira an egg, Hazel and the rest of them burst into the room with their bags. "We come bearing gifts," William says loudly.

Delilah walks out of the kitchen, a cup of tea in her hand, and a paper towel in the other.

"Gifts?" Kira repeats.

Hazel moves past Will, taking a seat on the couch, sorting through her things in her suitcase.

William freezes, clearing his throat. "Not actually."
Kira and him stare intently at each other. The entire room was silent, and half dead as we watched the two of them have a stare down.

"Damnit,"

"I WIN!"

Crystal and Luna shake their heads in disappointment, taking a seat by Hazel, doing their own search party.

"So we're all agreeing to go on the same bus?" I ask, clearing off the last of the yellow egg yolk off the clear white plate, and into the dishwasher.

Luna nods her head. "That's the plan. I don't think the buses will be too crowded. There'll be a total of four buses, each bus holds around 70 people."
"I bet the receipts for those buses were a lot." Will jokes, getting himself a cup of green tea, that was still hot and steaming.

Crystal picks up a pillow from the couch, harshly throwing it at Will who had no time to reaction. The pillow hit him, bouncing off his tea mug, some tea splattering onto his black shirt.

"Crystal, you son of a bitch--"
"ENOUGH!" Hazel randomly screams.

The two of them stare at Hazel, pausing in their tracks.

"Does everyone have their stuff packed? Like clean clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc?"
Kira nods.

"Alright. Then let's head out soon."

Everyone hummed in agreement.

-

Once the buses got here, the group and I packed all of our stuff up, and walked out the door with our baggage in each of our hands.

The blue and yellow buses surrounded the entrance of the HQ. They were a couple feet off the ground, and very noisy. It was also long.

Crystal and Luna helped everyone find the bus that they were designed to, helping everyone on their bus, and making sure no one was left behind.

"I think that's everyone," Crystal thinks out loud. She turns to Luna, who looked like she was practically going to collapse.

"Alright, Hazel, lead the way." Crystal ensures.

With that, Hazel walked down the curb, entering one of the blue and yellow buses, that wasn't as packed as the others. There was enough room for all of us to stack together.

Kira and I were in one row, Delilah and Maya in another, Hazel and Will, Madeline and Dorothy, and Crystal and Luna.

Dorothy had finally appeared last second at the bus loop, waiting for us to get on the bus as we rushed to get everyone else on a bus.

"Good thing these buses have AC. Had to run what seemed a mile to make it here on time." I hear Dorothy say to Madeline. She laughed, "a mile, more like a block."

I looked to my right, Kira was already passed out on my shoulder, and the buses haven't even left.

Same with Luna and Crystal, they both were tired as hell, directing everyone to their destination.

William and Hazel were viewing a map together of Campsite Becker. Spotting out each lake, pair of dorm rooms, etc. They talked back and forth, inspecting each and every word that was printed lightly onto the paper.

Soon, the buses took off. Each of them rode off smoothly, the engine rattled throughout the bus, a light buzzing of noise vibrating off of each corner of the white metal walls.

I glanced out the window, watching as the smaller cars washed past me, and the bright series of trees passing by swiftly. The blue sky sparked out in the early January sun as it was just barely coming up.

It was a sight to see.

It seemed like nothing was happening in the world, just a town full of respectful citizens who minded their own business.

What the people in the their cars didn't know was that we were in these buses, riding away from one hell of a monster, Xavier. Someone who was chasing us down, trying to not only kill Luna, but also the whole tribe of Masquerade Striders.

The clear glass windows reflected off of the sun.

In the background, low music from the radio played from the speakers quietly.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

You make me happy, when skies are gray.

The lyrics morphed together as my eyelids suddenly become more heavy. As if someone was taking the time to use their fingers to lightly tap my eyes closed. Though, their fingers were coated in a graceful dust that made everything and everyone disappear as I fall deeper into this specific sleep.

All noises soon dissolve. The radio, the rattle of the AC, and the sounds of the tires hitting the black concernte road below us, supporting us all as a whole.

It was peaceful, seeming as if all of my troubles went away in an instant.

Soon, I was one.

Falling into a deep sleep.