The Midnight Bus

Then I saw Uncle Tim reach under one of the seats and pull out an old box.It was made of woven wicker, darkened with age and worn smooth around the edges. It looked like something that had been passed down through the family for decades.I was wondering what was inside when he opened the box and pulled out two plain white candles.They weren’t ordinary candles, either.They looked like the kind people used at funerals or graveside services.My grandmother had always said you shouldn’t keep funeral candles around unless you had a reason. They were supposed to bring bad luck.Yet Uncle Tim was carrying them around on the bus.Judging by the size of the box, he had plenty more.That made me even more uneasy.Why would a city bus driver carry stuff like this around?Unless...Unless he kept it specifically for situations like this.Then Uncle Tim took out three sticks of incense.I didn’t dare ask what he was doing. I just watched as he walked to the front of the bus.He mot

Morning finally came.Uncle Tim pulled the bus over and turned off the engine.He reached for his pack of cigarettes, looking completely drained. When he saw there was only one left, he gave a bitter smile, slipped it back into the pack upside down, and tossed the pack beneath a streetlight.“Uncle Tim, what are you doing? And what did you need those scissors for?”He sighed heavily.In the morning light, he looked like he had aged ten years overnight.“It’s just a little payment,” he said quietly. “For getting us through the night.”Then he shook his head.“Forget about that. Just don’t tell anyone what happened last night. And especially don’t mention the scissors. If anyone asks where you got them, say you found them.”Found them?Who would just find a pair of scissors lying around?I had no idea why he wanted me to lie, but Uncle Tim had been there for me my whole life. I knew he’d never do anything to hurt me.So I nodded and promised.I never expected him to be dead

“You need to get married,” the old man said. “Before midnight.”“Married?”For a second, I couldn’t even speak.Then I stared at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Where am I supposed to find someone willing to marry me before midnight?”The old man chuckled.The smile on his face was so creepy that a chill ran down my spine.“Who said you were marrying someone alive?”I froze.“I’m talking about marrying the dead.”“What?”I nearly shouted.“You want me to marry a dead woman?”My voice was loud enough to make several people nearby turn and stare.I had heard stories about people holding weddings for the dead, but I had always treated them like creepy old folklore.I never thought anything like that could actually happen to me.“That’s right,” the old man said. “That woman has already set her sights on you. If you’re going to convince her you’re no longer available, you have to make it convincing. You don’t want to play games with something like her.”I swallowed hard.

The neighbors all shook their heads. Nobody believed Sophie.But my stomach was in knots.I couldn’t stop wondering how she knew.Before things could get any worse, Mr. Carter, one of the most respected men in town, hurried over and took Sophie by the arm.“Easy, Sophie,” he said. “I’ve known Ryan since he was a kid. There’s no way he would’ve done anything to hurt his own uncle.”Mom and my aunt were both furious, especially Mom.As far as she was concerned, Sophie had just accused me of causing Uncle Tim’s death with absolutely no proof. There was no way she was going to let that slide.She grabbed Sophie’s suitcase and was ready to throw her out of the house, but Mr. Carter stopped her.“Sophie lost her parents when she was young. Tim practically raised her. She’s taking his death especially hard. Try not to hold what she said against her.”People around town listened when Mr. Carter spoke.Mom had a temper, but she was softhearted underneath. His words calmed her down a l

The faces in the old photograph had faded so badly that I could barely make them out.But from the way the man and woman were dressed, it was clearly an old wedding photo.The woman wore a vintage bridal gown that looked like it belonged to another era.Something about the picture gave me the creeps. Maybe it was the faded colors or simply how old it looked, but the longer I stared at it, the colder I felt.“Where did you get this?”I looked at Sophie.I didn’t remember Uncle Tim ever having a photo like this.She gave me a cold look.“Turn it over.”I flipped the photo over.Then I froze.My name and birth date were written on the back, along with the name and birth date of a woman named Rachel Wright.Rachel Wright?Who the hell was that?It got even stranger when I opened the notebook.One of the pages looked like some kind of old marriage agreement.And there, listed as the witness, was Uncle Tim’s name.I immediately panicked.“Sophie, you have to believe me. I’v