Late Bus

You’re sitting on the bench, anxiously waiting. Your bus is late, and it’s been ages. You have places to be, planes to catch. Your leg bounces up and down at an increasing speed. What do you do? [[Check the bus times]] [[Wait some more]] [[Check your surroundings]] [[Leave and go back home]]

You check your phone for the bus schedules but it seems like connection is spotty. You should have gone to the other stop; it’s a farther walk but at least there’s connection. You head over to the bus schedules on the pole, find the bus number, and read the poster: (align:"<==")+(box:"==XXXXX===")+(text-color: (rgb: 156,11,25))[5:46 AM 6:46 AM 7:46 AM 8:46 AM 9:46 AM 10:46 AM 11:46 AM 12:46 PM]…It seems like it’s going every hour until 11:00pm. You look at your phone. The clock reads 11:30am. You’ve been here for an hour. Hopefully the next bus will come soon. [[Wait a little longer.]] [[Get up and leave, hopefully the next bus stop will be better.]] [[Leave and go back home|Leave and go back home]]

You’re twiddling your thumbs as you look down the road. The bus station is quiet today, not surprising, it usually is. Do you think the bus forgot about you? Do you think something happened? Hopefully the bus will come soon. [[Wait a little longer|Wait a little longer.]] [[Get up and leave, hopefully the next bus stop will be better|Get up and leave, hopefully the next bus stop will be better.]] [[Leave and go back home|Leave and go back home]]

You look around you, hoping this will ease your worried mind. The sky is gray and overcast, you hope it won’t rain. The street is quiet and the dull thumping of your leg bouncing drives you more insane. Hopefully the bus comes soon. [[Wait a little longer|Wait a little longer.]] [[Get up and leave, hopefully the next bus stop will be better|Get up and leave, hopefully the next bus stop will be better.]] [[Leave and go back home|Leave and go back home]]

As you start getting up, you hear a screech from around the corner. Your head whips towards the direction of the sound. You see the bus speed towards the stop. Finally, it’s here! [[Head over to the bus|Head over to the bus]]

You hear a screech from around the corner and whip your head towards the direction. You see the bus speed towards the stop. Finally, it’s here! [[Head over to the bus]]

The bus stops abruptly with a shriek from the wheels and the doors open. That was weird, the drivers aren’t usually like this. You have a gut feeling that something is off but you are running really late. [[You brush the feeling aside and step into the bus]] [[Something feels a little too off and you decide to leave and go home|ALT LEAVE]]

Your day is ruined by the late bus. Rain starts falling down and you didn't bring an umbrella. Great, just what you need. The rain keeps coming down, worse and worse. You're running at this point to just get home and you cross the street, not looking both ways. A bus speeds down the road and you watch helplessly as it comes towards you, like a deer in the headlights. You really have no chance to get out of the way as the bus hits you, flinging your body onto the ground and effectively crushing your sad lump of a body. It screeches to a stop. You feel pain soaring through you as you feel your consciousness slowly start fading. Is this the end? You never thought it would be so soon. You hear someone approach you. It sounds like four heavy footsteps ..almost.. Clopping? Your neck creaks as you try to turn towards the sound. A horse stands where your last hope once stood. It’s wearing a torn button up shirt and cap. It comes closer and stares at you. It's as the face of death is staring back at you, and in it is your reflection. Your end is near. It lifts up it's hoof towards your face. (text-color: (rgb: 156,11,25))[[In one fell swoop, it comes crashing down.]]

(text-color: (rgb: 156,11,25))[DEATH BE UPON YOU, MORTAL] <img src= "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/10/27/1414429068905_wps_7_PIC_FROM_CATERS_NEWS_PICT.jpg"\> (text-color: (rgb: 156,11,25))[[GAME OVER, COWARD|start]]

The bus looks empty, you could have sworn there were more stops than this. Weird. You shift through your pocket for the proper change and go over to the coin slot. In a soft, gruff voice the driver stops you and says “nay.” You don’t need to be told twice not to pay. I guess they felt bad about their late arrival. Maybe this day is getting a little better. [[You walk down the row]]

As soon as you step down from the platform, the doors slam shut on you. That was rude. Your mood sours. You start walking away from the bus but it just stays there. What a weirdo. Your day is ruined by the bus. Rain starts falling down and you didn't bring an umbrella. Great, just what you need. The rain keeps coming down, worse and worse. You're running at this point to just get home and you cross the street, not looking both ways. You hear the engine start up. In just a few seconds, the gas pedal is accelerated, heading towards you at an alarming speed. You really have no chance to get out of the way as the bus hits you, flinging your body onto the ground and effectively crushing your sad lump of a body. It screeches to a stop. You feel pain soaring through you as you feel your consciousness slowly start fading. Is this the end? You never thought it would be so soon. You hear someone approach you. It sounds like four heavy footsteps ..almost.. Clopping? Your neck creaks as you try to turn towards the sound. A horse stands where your last hope once stood. It’s wearing a torn button up shirt and cap. It comes closer and stares at you. It's as the face of death is staring back at you, and in it is your reflection. Your end is near. It lifts up it's hoof towards your face. (text-color: (rgb: 156,11,25))[[In one fell swoop, it comes crashing down.]]

You walk down and take a seat. It's a little while until your destination so you relax. The bus smells a little weird, kind of like a barn. You look up and see something on the dashboard and the floor. [[Investigate it]] [[Ignore it]]

You look a little closer and notice it looks like hay. You look up and notice it's all over the driver too. That must break some kind of health code. Their work clothes are ill-fitting and are torn. The driver seems a little strange, but you can't put your finger on it. Maybe you're just a mean person. [[Think about your life choices and how your actions have made you the person you are|Ignore it]]

You try to go on your phone, but your connection isn't great. You hear something strange coming from the back of the bus but when you turn, nothing is there. The sound is become a constant and it's becoming increasingly concerning. [[Go and investigate]] [[It's none of your concern, just try to ignore it]]

While the driver seems preoccupied with the road, you go to the back where the noise is getting louder. You discover a man laying down on one of the seats, groaning in pain. He is obviously beaten and bruised and seems to be in a pretty bad shape. He's only in his underwear and socks. He seems familar. He's one of the regular bus drivers. [[But who is driving?]] [[Call 911]]

The groaning sounds get louder and it's getting concerning. [[Go and investigate]]

At closer inspection, the driver is much bigger than anyone you have ever seen and my god, their driving is awful! You start to feel sick. You look at the wheel and notice the driver has such strange gloves, where are their fingers? <img src= "https://cdn.britannica.com/28/226528-050-C8B714F9/Close-up-the-hoof-of-a-horse.jpg"\> You hear a huff. You see in the rear window that they are looking at you. Uh oh. You slowly sit down. Things are starting to click. This is no ordinary bus driver. What do you do? [[Ask the driver politely to get off]] [[Distract the driver]] [[Attack the driver]]

You have no connection. [[But who is driving?]]

You pull the string and get up to politely ask the driver to make a quick stop. The horse looks at you slowly up and down. "Nay." [[Attack the driver]] [[Distract the driver]] [[Punch the horse]]

You look through your pockets and find a convinient sugar cube in there. You don't know how it appeared in there but there's no time to question it now. You shout: (align:"<==")+(box:"==XXXXX===")+(text-color: (rgb: 11,156,45))[Hey horsie!] The horse turns in shock, how did you figure out their great disguise?? The horse suddenly turns into a industrial part of town and stops the bus. [[Talk things out]] [[Get ready to fight]]

You decide the best method to safety is attacking the horse. It's the most foolproof. [[Punch the horse]]

You run up to the horse and sock it straight in the face. This stuns the horse but in your adrenaline, you forgot that the bus is still running. The bus swerves down the busy road. Things aren't looking good. The bus rolls over and you fall. [[You black out.]]

The horse is shocked, how could you figure out it's excellent disguise?! The horse starts to tear up and sob. "I just wanted to feel special! I've always wanted to be a bus driver but no matter how many times I try, I always fail!" You comfort the horse and tell it to be themselves, and that the best version is the most authentic version. The horse realizes that the way they have handled things haven't been good, and leaves the bus. You change the horse's outlook in life and have changed a life for the better. The bus driver weakly gives you a highfive. [[You should be proud of yourself!]]

The horse slowly rises out of their seat and shows how massive they really are. The horse gets up on two hooves and raises its other hooves up, as fist-like as they can get. Things are tense in the ring. One hit from the horse and you are done for. But what you may lack in strength, you have in bipedalism. The horse pulls back and gives it their all but you are swift and slide to their left. The horse stumbles and falls with a giant thud. Adrenaline is pumping through you. You run past the horse, get to the bus driver, and escape. [[At last, you are free from your equine prison]]

You open your eyes, still dizzy. You try to move but you can't. The bus is in flames near you but you made it out of the bus. You don't know where the horse is. You manage to slowly drag your bloody body away from the fire when you hear something in the distance. [["It would be-hoof you to not run away, it will make this easier."]]

You feel pain soaring through you as you feel your consciousness slowly start fading. Is this the end? You never thought it would be so soon. "Why the long face?" The horse stands where your last hope once stood. It’s wearing a torn button up shirt and cap. It comes closer and stares at you. It's as the face of death is staring back at you, and in it is your reflection. Your end is near. It lifts up it's hoof towards your face. [[In one fell swoop, it comes crashing down.|PUNCH ENDING]]

(text-color: (rgb: 11,156,45))[YOU WON!!!] (text-color: (rgb: 11,156,45))[CONGRATS, YOU CRAZY FOOL!] <img src= "https://blog.sevenponds.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/sunset-beach-animals-shore-horses-running-1280x800-wallpaper_www.wallpaperhi.com_33.jpg"\> (text-color: (rgb: 11,156,45))[[GAME OVER|start]]

[[At last, you are free from your equine prison]]