• “We need to go to the emergency room!” A kid screamed from the back of the bus. His voice sounded painful. How they’d managed to make it this far? Who knows? It had started with just a painful ache in their ankle, which led to swelling. Then their stomachs started acting up; everyone’s lunch now splotched all over the bus. And that’s when they all began hearing that strange noise. A loud screeching noise that was almost unbearable and the weird thing is that only the kids seemed to be getting sick. Each and every teenager on that bus started complaining about their ankles at exactly 12:01pm while they were heading back to the school after a short field trip. Then at 12:31pm the lunches came back up all over the bus, almost causing the bus driver to hurl as well. And that was when the kid from the back seat screamed to them; telling them they needed to go to the emergency room. Right then was when the screeching began. Every boy and girl on that bus, excluding the driver and teacher, had their hands pressed tightly to their ears with a painful expression on their faces. The screeching continues as they reached the first hospital; their ankles beginning to swell. The teacher got out of the bus to check them in, but came back with a worried expression on his face. Unfortunately it was full. It seemed like this illness was hitting a lot of children their age; in fact it seemed like it was hitting EVERY child in their age group. The teacher told the driver to hurry along and continue on to the next hospital. That time they were lucky. They got in and were taken to a large room with tables. On each table was a fish aquarium, which was supposed to help the children keep distracted from the pain they were feeling. Along with the children, there were two instructors locked in the room. They kept the kids calm, or tried to. Their condition was obviously getting worse and worse. It was almost their turn to be put into the room; almost their turn.
    “Okay kids, let’s see what fish we have here before-“ Just as the kids looked over the edge of the fish tanks to get a better look at the fish, their faces pinched painfully, a loud crash came. A huge truck the size of the room came smashing through the wall, killing every last child in there as well as the instructors.
    Everything went black. Then a blinding light; it seemed like an eternity when Jason awoke in the same position he had been in before he died. He was staring over the fish tank, a loud screeching in his ears. He looked up at the clock-
    “Okay, kids, let’s see what fish we have here before-“ It happened again. The same truck hit the same room, killing everyone in its path. But this time Jason only saw darkness.
    The light finally came and he was looking over the edge of the fish tank once more. The instructor began to speak-
    “Wait!” Jason called out unexpectedly. His face turned red as the same truck plowed through the room, killing them all yet again. The same thing happened as the last two times, but this time Jason acted. He ran out the back door, which had been forgotten and kept unlocked. The children and the instructors followed him, calling his name. Just then they heard a loud crash, but this time they were alive. The screeching stopped and the swollen ankles got better, though their stomachs were still queasy.

    Jason stood in the door way to the hospital, waiting for the rest of his classmates to get down there so they could go home. He rubbed his head, pictured the truck plowing in and killing them all instantly. It was a scary thought. He shuddered.
    “You knew what was going to happen didn’t you?” He looked up to see a girl who’s usually quiet. In fact he didn’t think he’d ever heard her talk once in his two years of knowing her.
    “Um… not really.” The girl didn’t seem satisfied. She looked at him in the eye and something passed between them. “I, uh, actually just had a feeling.” The girl nodded and turned away walking back towards the bus.
    “Wait! Why do you ask?” Jason caught up with her. His head beaded with drops of sweat.
    She sighed and turned to him. “I saw it too.” She shuddered like he had done only a few minutes before. “But… You were alive.” She looked at him closely. “You and I survived.” Jason stared at her.
    “What do you mean—“
    “I saw what you saw Jason, and we didn’t die!” She lowered her voice and looked around, some children looking at her a little weird. “You ducked, the truck missed you by at least two inches. And I was back against the wall.” She looked up at him. “There was also another boy…” She looked around. “But, I couldn’t tell if he had survived or not.”
    Jason rolled his eyes. “It was-“
    “Don’t you dare say it was just a dream, Jason!” She grabbed his shoulders, her eyes wide. “We both saw it! We both ran for the same door after we saw what was going to happen.”
    “What’s your name?” The girl looked pissed.
    “That doesn’t matter!” She glared at him. “After going through something like that! URG!” She stalked towards the bus door and glared at Jason once more. “My name’s Melanie, and if you’d like to actually discuss what happened I’ll be on the bus.”
    Jason watched as she climbed aboard. He sighed and followed, his hands shaking out of fear. Melanie. It sounded familiar. He sat beside her on the way home, discussing the impossible.