It was smiling.

By DaineOsborn

It was a very dark rainy night. I remember that night, I remember it clearly. I remember it raining heavily as I sit at the bus stop waiting for the rain to clear out. I remember checking my wristwatch, and I remember it being 10:47 PM it was in October, near Halloween. And of course, it creeps me out. Spooks me out. Halloween was never my thing. I felt a numbing feeling behind me but I brushed it off.

The last bus of the night stopped in front of me. I thought twice and boarded the bus.

I paid for my ride hoping I could save it but It would take hours for me to be able to go home because of the heavy rain. I remember walking down the aisle looking at their blank faces.

I remember the face of the bus driver. His eyes widened. I think it was about to pop out. I remember having continuous goosebumps every time I see their faces staring at me. Finally, I sat next to an old man, very tall. I think he was around 6 feet.

With his top hat, I couldn't see his face clearly since it bowed down. I vividly remember his stench. His whole smell.

I remember it being the smell of a thousand corpses of dead-wretching animals.

Like crows. I remember the faces of the people on the bus looking at me, their eyes widening, their sweat dropping to the floor. They all shook their head and stopped staring as they faced forward.

After that, the bus started and is on its way.

I couldn't see the road on the windows because of the rain fogging up and of course, it was dark.

All I could feel is the continuous goosebumps starting to feel awful, I started scratching my back.

I could feel the ragged breath of the Old man near my neck as if it was smelling me like some prey.

I brushed it off and looked out the window. Later on, I heard some clicking in my left ear.

I wanted to look at it but my instincts told me no so I stopped.

And a while later I heard more clicking.

I thought of it as the Old man using his tongue to make a clicking noise to pass the time so I closed my eyes and laid my head next to the window.

I remember waking up to an ambulance siren driving next to the bus. I checked my watch and I felt dizzy and confused.

The watch still says 10:47, as if time has stopped. The goosebumps stopped, but the old man is still clicking his tongue. I just thought that my watch is broken and continued to sleep.

I remember. I remember its hot rotting breath.

I remember it creeping behind me. I was scared. I was scared no one is helping.

I was scared of what he might do to me. I was scared to open my eyes. I was scared. I am scared.

To this day, I am still... Traumatized. I felt the need to stop it, so I opened my eyes. I could still remember their faces.

The faces that were staring at me. It was all blank. No facial features, nothing.

The bus stopped, and the windows were all dark.

And the rain turned red. The old man sitting right next to me is gone, and I was scared. I was pissing my pants out of fear. And I felt it again. The darkness creeps around me, trying to swallow me. I felt the goosebumps engulfing me, a whole presence.

I started crying. I yelled to stop but no one is listening.

I closed my eyes but I heard the clicking sound again. I stopped. I opened my eyes. I saw it. The tall lanky man. It's ruined top hat, its sharp claws... I could hear his footsteps ringing in my ear. His face...

I couldn't see it. But all I hear is the clicking. Next thing I knew the people sitting weren't there.

It was just me, and It.

It stopped.

It chuckled, and there it was.

It revealed to me his face.

It was smiling.