Cliche

She was like part of my routine- and I'm sure if you'd ask another, they'd tell you the same exact thing.
Standing there all glassy eyed, staring in to some eternal hurricane, as stripes of sun spots peaked through the window.
They flashed like silver in her dirty auburn hair, and all the while, she fiddled with a necklace, stoic faced, and absent minded.
As far as I knew, she hadn't missed a morning yet, and a few times, I nearly decided to follow her myself; if only to see if she ever even got off.
But, of course I never really took the time to bother though. I had school to get to, and people to please. It wasn't as though the idea had faded. I just grew to ignore it, tucking it away in to the corner of my mind devoted to impossible things, like Santa Clause, and becoming Barbara Eden.

But something was different about this morning.

Today, when I stepped on to the Grimy PAT bus, & settled in to an empty seat towards the back, I was surprised to see that on this occasion, the woman was sitting down for once, just across from me, on a tattered seat, who's cushion was visible through rips of fabric.
She was humming to the floor, with a seemingly dead stare, and admittedly, there was a part of me that couldn't help being terrified at her very existence.

Needless to say, terrified was far from the only thing I felt, as curiosity overwhelmed me, and fascination flushed my skin of fear.
I had never been as close to her as I was today, and from the moment I sat down, I found myself unable to easily comprehend anything other than surprise.

Despite her tattered looking monks clothes, and frazzled. wavy, dirty hair, from a distance the woman before me had always looked to be what one might consider quite pretty. But from here, only maybe four feet away, it was certainly fair to say that in truth, she was nothing less than beautiful. Ravishing even, in a way that nearly made break in to bits and cry.

I never did put my finger on what exactly it was that had made me feel that way. but more than likely, I suppose, it was simply knowing that something so stunning was going to waste.
With a heaviness beginning to settle in my chest, holding my gaze upon her startlingly lovely face was starting to almost pain me, and before long, I had to force myself to look away, pulling out a frayed novel from my book bag, whose contents I'd hoped would distract me.

It was a futile effort, I should have already known, when coming to realize that the words could only distract me so well.
Every now and again, I could help but glance upwards a few times, if only to see what she was doing, & on about the 5th glace, I found myself under the eyes of a polished black stare.

Embarassed, I quickly looked away making a promise to myself not to look back again, but it didn't take long for me to break that promise, as I glanced up yet again to see the woman still gazing at me, a faint smile not creeping from the corners of her mouth.

This time, I didn't look away as fast as I had the time befrore.
She was fiddling with her necklance, as it dangled in the middle of her chest, where the gray skin beneath her fingers was stretched thin acorss her bones.

When she spoke, I nearly jumped.

"Would you like to see my necklace?" she asked quietly, clutching the string of beads between her hand.
Part of me was hesitent, but on the other hand, I didn't want to be rude, or discover what happened when you angered somebody who was mentally unwell.
Tentatively, I agreed, nodding as she pulled the necklace from over top her head.
It was only when she placed it in my hands, that I actually realized what the necklace consisted of.

Four teeth, dangling bettween strings of purple and gray beads, warpped around elastic string lay shining in my palm, the pearly white enamel of the crowsn, glistening under yellow bus light.

I didn't know if I should be disgusted or intrigued, so I simply leaned back over & returned the item to its owner.
"Where did those come from?" I asked pointing towards one of the four teeth, as she placed it back around her tiny neck.
"they're my wisdom" she grinned wider, staring back at me yet again.
"I take them whever I go" she continued dreamily, "so I can never be without it".

At this point, the bus slowed toa halt, and three people from in front of us exited the bus, to greet the chilly march air.

"It's very pretty" I offered of her necklace, when the bus began to move.
Although her gaze at me was unyielding, this time, she gave no reply.
After a minute or so, unsure if she heard me or not, Imade a move to speak again, but found myself being cut off before I had the chance to speak.

"Did he tell why it must be now?" she asked suddenly, and her face drooped in concern.
"Did he give you any explanation? Could you tell me? I won't argue. I swear".

Confused, I glanced around to see if something had been missed.
Was she still talking to me, or was it somebody else now;
someone in her head
someone in her ear.

"Sorry?" I asked to make sure I hadn't been mistaken.
"Were you talking to me?"

This time, she leaned foward, grabbing my wrists in her hands with a pleading look in her eyes.
"I know you're a prophet. I can tell by your beauty. But please- give them just another day. Let them say goodbye to their families. I'm begging you. Please" her voice was so hushed, I could hardly make out what she saying.

Taken back by her sudden change in demeanor, my stomach twisted in nervous discomfort, and I vigorousley shook my head.
"I think you've made some kind of mistake" I told her quietly, and tried to move my arms from away from her grip.
When I did this, she only latched on harder. "Please" she said more eager this time. "Don't get off of the this bus"/
As if she had known what my stop was, the bus began slowing to the corner where I exited the bus.
I was beginning to feel panicked, so I stood up before I really needed too, wrenching my arms from the woman's grasp, and rushing towards the front of the bus.

When I turned around to see her behind me, my heart nearly skipped a beat.
"Please" she was whispering in my ear again, now seemingly almost in tears. "You can't do this. You musn't". The doors to the bus opened, and I ignored her, flashing my bus pass at the driver,as I quickly decended the steps to the sidewalk. From behind me, I usddenly heard her screaming
"Get off of the bus! Get off of the bus!" but I knew no body would take her serious. After a few moments of futile screaming, she followed me out of the bus, and collapsed on the sidewalk. I was afraid that she would folllow me. Afraid of what she might do.
So before the walk sign flahsed white across the street, I made a dip in to the street, completley unaware of the tractor trailor about to turn the corner just a street down.

It was a moment I would never forget, and everything went so fast, I could hardly believe it.
The truck was facing my direction, heading quickly towards me, as I tried to reach the other side, before a bus comming the other way destroyed me. Terrified, I lunged foward throwing myself on to the sidewalk and from behind, as terrible noise arose, like a nuclear bomb exploding in the middle of a parking garage.

Heat caressed my back.
my arms, and shoulders, and chin were all bleeding and incrusted with gravel.
But when I turned around to see that both vehicles had swerved to miss me, only to hit each other, the reality came to be too much.

I vomited on to the sidewalk, as the bus and truck went up in to violent clouds of flame and black smoke.

From across the street I could see the woman, sobbing on the sidewalk, admist crowds of wide eyed onlookers, pointing at me, with their mouths all hanging slack.
And from above the flames, and leaking gas, I could hear the poor woman crying
"You could have let them say goodbye!! Why didn't you let them say goodbye?!"





-MIRANDA











So yeah.
I just had this lame little idea.
It's really typical.
And completley Final Destination-esque
which I didn't notice
until after it was done.
but whatever.