The Photos I Didn't Take

(1) The Polaroid

The moonlight dimly lit the concrete sidewalk, making it barely visible. I felt chills crawl down my neck like spiders. I pulled my scarf tighter.

The buzzing of the broken lamppost broke the eerie silence.

I pulled my scarf over my rosy red nose. My cold breath could still be seen in the frozen air.

It's been cold here forever now, I thought as I passed through the quiet city streets. It's been the same cold, wet microclimate in this dull city.

I rubbed my gloved hands together to keep warm. Buildings began to turn off their lights and shut down for the night. A car zoomed past and I winced at the sudden light.

My teeth chattered together and my beanie began to slip off my freezing head. Before it was too late I jolted my hands up to catch my falling hat. If it fell a micron more I, probably, wouldn't have caught it. I pulled my beanie back over my messy brown hair.

I sat on the icy bench in hopes of the bus to come by. A nearby paper struggles to keep flat in the wind. I curiously looked over at the paper to entertain me while I waited for the bus.

The headline read; MISSING. That's the third one this month, I thought as my hair stood on end.

"Name : Buddy King; Age: 10, Gender: Male."

Before I could process the poster a bright light pulled up from behind. A loud splash sounded from behind. I looked up from the poster at the bus.

I trudged up the steps and looked at the driver. I showed him my bus card and he nodded at it in approval. I was a common passenger. I towered over all the sitting people as I looked around for an empty seat. Most sad souls looked up and watched me find a seat while silently hoping it wasn't theirs. Other paid no mind and continued on their phones.

Before I could sit down the bus was thrown forward, knocking me into the nearest seat. Thankfully, I landed in an empty seat. I grumbled an almost inaudible grumble and scooted to the window seat.

City lights and occasional cars flew by. I pushed my ear muffs around my neck. The bus did a relatively good job keeping warm considering the freezing cold climate outside. I looked out the window as I patiently waited for my old apartment building. Dark figures of people walked around in the streets. Those were the people who walked home from parties or those who couldn't afford an uber or bus.

I looked at the window and stayed my usual composed self. A scream emerged abruptly from in front of the bus and I was thrown into the front of my seat. A loud screeching noise went off and everyone else was thrown face first into the seat then back into their seat. My heart kept beating out of my chest. The moment happened so fast no one could process what was happening.

After the bus stopped I jolted up and rushed to the front of the bus. "What happened?" I yelled in a gruff, tired, voice.

The bus driver reached up to his head and scratched it trying to process the situation himself. "A dark figure, like a cat or something, jumped in front of the bus and caused me to veer into this tree here," He motioned to the large trunk of a tree smashed into the windshield.

"Everyone will have to walk home," I say blankly.

"Sorry, bud," The bus driver patted my back and turned to face the rest of the bus.

I held open the door as the whole bus evacuated and began to walk home.

The bus driver stood by the totaled bus and called, probably, the bus barn.