the bus ride ends soon

the bus ride ends soon

fiction
edward w pritchard

another metaphor of where the country is going with no indication of why and with no driver

A bump in the road startles one from sleep sitting on the bus and for a moment or two you have no recollection of where you are going. There's a dull ache in your lower back and your shoulder hurts from being pressed against the dark streaked window.

The couple in the seats ahead of you are fighting again, She is very pretty but her face is in a scowl looking away from him and she won't hold his hand. He is strangely quiet looking sad. You can see their reflections in the window. He supposed to be driving the bus but the bus moves forward through the countryside on auto pilot, bouncing along the dark roads.

Behind you in the seats back there you can hear children murmuring. They are talking about the future. They want the bus to stop so they can look around outside. That would be dangerous you think.

Then the vibrations of your head against the cold damp window puts you back to sleep to unfinished dreams. Unless the bus hits a big bump unexpectedly the journey goes on and on.