In the dark forest Easton waits for the animals to come to him. He was hunting in the cold dark forest for food for his two younger siblings, Mia and JuJue. He needed food for them. His parents long dead by the Night Bus.

There was a sudden movement in the bushes. He knocked arrow into his bow and drew. The rabbit bounced out of the bush. Exactly at that moment a doe sprang out of a bush too. He didn’t shoot. There was a horror in the doe’s eyes. He didn’t move for a few seconds. Memories flashing through his head. He came to his senses, in seconds he was on the ground running toward the village.

Soon he found a tall tree, his heart pounding in his throat. He could hear the horn screeching through the forest. He scaled the tree. He was out of sight. He slowed his breathing and wrapped his cloak around himself. Easton was shivering but not from the cold. In any moment the Night Bus would burst through the trees and spot him as it’s next victim. Seconds later the Night Bus  screeched through the trees rushing past him.

Easton waited before he allowed himself to move down the tree. He quickly ran to the village to alert them. But he couldn’t just let the thing get away with the murders it committed. Easton turned his course. He soon found the bus marks and followed them. He was out of his mind. Twenty minutes later he could tell he was getting close. Nearly out of breath from jogging so long.

Something knocked him into a tree. Knocking the air out of him while carrying him away. He struggled in the grip of his capturer. Soon the thing dropped him

Easton was in the center of a circle pit. Easton tried to climb out but the edges were smooth. He thought they would have taken his weapons but they didn’t. So he used his arrows and tied a rope to one of them and shot it into a tree. It stuck and he pulled hard. It didn’t budge. If he took his time he might fall but if he hurried it could be the same result. He sped up.

Right when he had just barely got to the top the arrow came loose. Hurriedly he grasped for the edge, his hands grabbed it. Easton struggled to get up. Eventually he got up. His relief overwhelmed him. Quickly he leapt to his feet careful to not fall in.

Then a low voice came from the shadows, “Why were you tracking the Night Bus?”

“I hate it, I want it gone,” Easton muttered.

“Who wouldn’t?” The mysterious voice answered with sorrow. Easton bolted running away from the person. He didn’t get far

“Don’t do that again, I’m trying to save you.”

“Doesn’t seem like it,” Easton grunted back. “Let me go. I have to destroy the Night Bus.”

“How would you do that?” The voice asked dangerously.

        “Why don’t you save me my time and tell me how.”

  “And why would I do that? So far you haven’t been trustworthy,” He said. The person pulled Easton to his feet. There where many quiet voices all around him being shushed.

“If you want to destroy it you have to prepare for it. What’s your plan?”

“Well I could just find it’s weakness and take it down, you know,” Easton tried.

He laughed humorlessly. “Ha! That’s funny. Follow me and we can teach you.”

“Teach me what,” Easton questioned

“Enough.” So they walked on. Thousands of questions pursued Easton’s mind but now was not the time. They came to a clearing. “So let’s start on combat,” The guy suggested.

“I shouldn’t need combat. Right?” Easton said.

  “Who knows? You might come along some aliens!” He answered. Easton sighed. This was not how he wanted to spend his night. “So do you know hand to hand combat?”

“A little but could I get your name?” Easton requested.

“I’m Atok. To start would you like to show me your stuff. What can you do?” Easton thought Atok was an interesting name. It also sounded familiar.

“Okay and stay right where you are,” Easton said over his shoulder as he dashed into the undergrowth.

“Are you deserting me or is this part of your strategy? Running away? I think you could at least try.” Easton was certainly trying.

  In the trees Easton ran around Atok so he was behind him. He hoped that Atok wouldn’t hear him. Easton was climbing the tree behind Atok. Just a little higher he thought to himself. Easton was fifteen feet up. He looped the rope around the tree. On his run to the tree he had grabbed a rock and had tied it to the other end of his rope. He did a light toss to the tree across the clearing so that it wrapped around the tree. He started to monkey across the rope to be right behind Atok. He dropped down and did a few quick jabs his back.

“This good?” Easton asked as he spun around and started to give Atok punch after punch. He would sometimes duck to miss a punch. Easton saw a flash of silver and he quickly pulled out his own dagger and move around Atok. He leapt out and Atok turned, too late to stop his attack now so he angled his blade different. Easton slashed down and met Atok’s blade. Atok stabbed and Easton stepped to the side. Atok stumbled forward as Easton drove his elbow into his back driving him to the ground. Easton ripped Atok’s knife from his grip and put his knife to his components throat. “Do I win? Or do you want a rematch?” Easton asked. “You win because I don’t believe in rematches,” Atok grunted. “I also think that I will skip hand to hand combat for now. We have better things to teach you. Now could you please get off me?”

“Yeah yeah of course,” Easton said handing him his hand to help him up.

And that was his first lesson. Easton learned that there were many things that he needed to learn to help defeat the Night Bus. Soon three weeks passed and he found himself in a tree. He wondered what his siblings were doing for the hundredth time. They were probably just scraping by without him. Mia would have certainly taken control. She was older, hardly thirteen. JuJue was eight and likely to follow in Mia’s footsteps. A twig snapped, Atok came out from behind a tree. “Easton!! Where are you? I have something to tell you!! Come out!!!” He silently came down and stood in front of Atok.

“You wanted to tell me something?” Easton asked tired and bored.

“Your going out tonight. You’ll be out alone but there will be someone just behind you if you get into trouble. You leave at ten. Got it?” Easton could only nod. He would be mostly alone and that in its self is a big honor. “You may spend the rest of your day as you choose. Good day.” Later Easton slipped out of the tree camps to hunt. He was just going to drop of the meat at the village for anyone that wanted it. The time pasted fast and so after shooting his fifth rabbit he headed to the village. He sneaked up to the path that lead to a small patch of wild berries. Easton left the meat there. He headed back. Making his face a mask of emotion. “Easton!” Emal shouted. “You excited?!”

“Sure,” Easton said as he walked up to him.

“Well you better be! Let’s get going to our outlook!” He still shouted out even if they were only two feet away. “Let me put this away and we can go,” Easton said motioning to his bow. “Awesome! Meet you here!!” Emal shouted as Easton walked away. Easton glanced at the sun and thought that it was indeed about time to go. “Let’s head out,” Easton said.

“Yeah let’s go!!” Emal always had to shout didn’t he. They left and soon they were in position. To keep up with the Night Bus they had built a zip line thing throughout the forest. The Night Bus screeched into view after a while.

He jumped and off he went, zipping through the trees. He had to change course a few times at the different platforms but it all went smoothly intel he saw the driver was his dad. He crashed into the next platform and the Night Bus heard him. The passengers leapt out and flew toward him. The rope was cut off and he was carried away. Easton tried fighting but his fists flew right through the ghosts. He was in the bus and next to his father. “Welcome to the crew kid! HAHAHAHA!!!” Easton passed out.