WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:19.800
Chapter 8 of the Jack Moore Chronicles The man

00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:23.399
in the hoodie slowly approached the bus. His

00:00:23.399 --> 00:00:26.820
arm remained erect as he walked, an orange glow

00:00:26.820 --> 00:00:31.390
radiated from his hand. increasing as he drew

00:00:31.390 --> 00:00:35.210
closer. I did what any sane person would do in

00:00:35.210 --> 00:00:39.530
this situation. I froze. My shoes felt glued

00:00:39.530 --> 00:00:43.049
to the bus. After this moment of cowardliness,

00:00:43.170 --> 00:00:46.329
I remembered my testicles and ran to the back

00:00:46.329 --> 00:00:49.109
of the bus, trying to gain some distance between

00:00:49.109 --> 00:00:52.990
myself and the hooded man. As I reached the back,

00:00:53.070 --> 00:00:55.990
I could hear the door at the front fly off its

00:00:55.990 --> 00:01:00.200
hinges. I looked at the emergency exit and thought

00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:03.079
about running away. But what good would that

00:01:03.079 --> 00:01:06.079
do? This asshole already did something to the

00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:08.700
driver, and I had a feeling he was connected

00:01:08.700 --> 00:01:12.019
to Steven's death. I took cover behind a row

00:01:12.019 --> 00:01:15.700
of seats near the emergency exit. Slow footsteps

00:01:15.700 --> 00:01:19.420
approached. A whistle echoed through the bus.

00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:23.540
It was as if this was just another day for the

00:01:23.540 --> 00:01:28.480
man. I know you're here, Jack. I know you've

00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:32.000
been snooping around. This confirmed my theory

00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:35.379
he was involved. I got up from hiding and pointed

00:01:35.379 --> 00:01:39.140
the gun. The man was past the driver, but still

00:01:39.140 --> 00:01:42.760
a distance from me. My hand shook as I gripped

00:01:42.760 --> 00:01:46.219
the gun. I pulled the trigger. The bullet struck

00:01:46.219 --> 00:01:49.760
his shoulder. Despite the shot, he kept walking

00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:53.519
down the aisle, his hand pulsating bright. He

00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:56.420
whispered something under his breath, and then...

00:01:56.680 --> 00:02:01.200
It happened. Fire came soaring at me, red and

00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:05.900
angry. The heat caused instant sweat. I dove

00:02:05.900 --> 00:02:09.139
into the nearby row of seats. The emergency exit

00:02:09.139 --> 00:02:13.400
now had a hole burned through it. I am royally

00:02:13.400 --> 00:02:17.599
fucked, I thought. Death was knocking at my door,

00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:21.099
laughing at the stupidity. There was no escape.

00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:25.409
Another round of fire was on its way. The man's

00:02:25.409 --> 00:02:29.050
hand pulsated. It was as if he had to build up

00:02:29.050 --> 00:02:32.069
the energy. This gave me enough time to put my

00:02:32.069 --> 00:02:35.949
hands up, my eyes closed, accepting my fate.

00:02:36.330 --> 00:02:39.110
I always thought the Grim Reaper would come through

00:02:39.110 --> 00:02:41.870
the bottleneck of a liquor bottle. I didn't expect

00:02:41.870 --> 00:02:45.930
it to come from a hobo with flaming hands. As

00:02:45.930 --> 00:02:49.210
that thought faded, the pain on my forehead increased

00:02:49.210 --> 00:02:54.240
tenfold. My vision began to blur. Like the static

00:02:54.240 --> 00:02:58.960
of an old TV, the antenna's signal weak. I could

00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:02.419
see the blurry outline of the hooded man now

00:03:02.419 --> 00:03:07.020
before me. What the hell is that? The man said

00:03:07.020 --> 00:03:09.460
as he looked at me crunched behind the seat.

00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:15.379
In that moment, I think we both felt fear. I

00:03:15.379 --> 00:03:17.759
blacked out and woke up to find the hooded man

00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:21.020
on the floor of the aisle. My forehead pulsated.

00:03:21.550 --> 00:03:25.289
I was hovering over him. He had blood gushing

00:03:25.289 --> 00:03:28.509
from his face, turning his unkept beard red.

00:03:28.710 --> 00:03:32.870
His face was busted up. My fists were bloody.

00:03:33.250 --> 00:03:36.870
My knuckles ached. I can't tell you how I kicked

00:03:36.870 --> 00:03:40.050
this guy's ass, but I sure in hell did. Was it

00:03:40.050 --> 00:03:43.270
the Viridian Golding spoke of? The questions

00:03:43.270 --> 00:03:46.830
had to wait. The man who lay beaten in the aisle

00:03:46.830 --> 00:03:50.319
was older. It was hard to tell his exact age,

00:03:50.439 --> 00:03:53.639
considering the recent pounding. He looked like

00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:57.639
Gandalf the hobo. His gray hoodie was stained

00:03:57.639 --> 00:04:01.400
and worn from years of use. Could this be the

00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:04.379
guy that killed Steven? My anger was starting

00:04:04.379 --> 00:04:07.860
to cloud my judgment. I couldn't just assume,

00:04:07.939 --> 00:04:11.400
though. Despite the obvious evidence, I took

00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:14.060
my graphic tee and wrapped it around the wound

00:04:14.060 --> 00:04:16.680
on his shoulder, helping this piece of shit.

00:04:17.100 --> 00:04:20.579
Made me sick. It was either that or the body

00:04:20.579 --> 00:04:24.240
odor and liquor dripping from his pores. His

00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:28.120
pockets were empty. No cash. No phone. Nothing.

00:04:28.279 --> 00:04:30.740
The only thing I found was on the palm of his

00:04:30.740 --> 00:04:34.480
hand. The same one that, just minutes earlier,

00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:38.040
had called for my death. Within the age -spotted,

00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:41.680
wrinkled skin was a branded symbol. The same

00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:44.360
one found at the crime scenes. I wish that was

00:04:44.360 --> 00:04:47.639
the strangest thing to happen. I then heard a

00:04:47.639 --> 00:04:50.720
loud crack. I looked up front to see the driver.

00:04:50.939 --> 00:04:54.920
His head was turning slowly on a swivel. The

00:04:54.920 --> 00:04:57.600
crack of his neck grew louder as it rotated.

00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:01.939
His head finally settled. The brim of his hat

00:05:01.939 --> 00:05:06.899
now faced his back. His eyes were soulless. He

00:05:06.899 --> 00:05:11.939
was beyond dead. His mouth slowly opened, as

00:05:11.939 --> 00:05:15.800
if being possessed by a demon. The soft voice

00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:19.800
of a woman exited the man. Well, this is an interesting

00:05:19.800 --> 00:05:23.699
turn of events. I assumed you to just be a nuisance,

00:05:23.959 --> 00:05:27.899
a pest infesting her with your ignorance. You

00:05:27.899 --> 00:05:30.579
should stay out of this. We are doing it for

00:05:30.579 --> 00:05:34.300
her. She will be displeased with you. What is

00:05:34.300 --> 00:05:38.459
this? The woman's voice laughed. A simple spell,

00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:43.120
don't you know? Or are you just a newborn? Still

00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:46.259
sucking at Mother's teat. We will cleanse her

00:05:46.259 --> 00:05:49.680
of every virus that threatens her. Including

00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:53.800
you. The driver's body fell limp. My body dropped

00:05:53.800 --> 00:05:56.319
into the nearest seat. I sat in the middle of

00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:58.779
the bus. I looked down at my hands to see the

00:05:58.779 --> 00:06:02.459
blood. I didn't have long to think. I could hear

00:06:02.459 --> 00:06:05.279
honking behind the bus. There was a car behind

00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:09.079
me. I couldn't call the cops. They were already

00:06:09.079 --> 00:06:12.750
suspicious of me. I had to get moving. Walking

00:06:12.750 --> 00:06:15.750
to the front, I grabbed the dead driver's hat.

00:06:16.329 --> 00:06:19.889
Stepping over his body, I walked off the bus,

00:06:20.110 --> 00:06:24.550
the door no longer on its frame. My bloody fists

00:06:24.550 --> 00:06:28.970
were hidden in my pockets. An old bug sat honking.

00:06:29.430 --> 00:06:32.990
I forced a smile and moved to the driver's side

00:06:32.990 --> 00:06:36.730
of the vehicle. Hey, sorry about this. Looks

00:06:36.730 --> 00:06:38.860
like this old piece of shit just stalled. I almost

00:06:38.860 --> 00:06:40.699
got it going again, though, so just give me a

00:06:40.699 --> 00:06:43.339
few and I'll be out of your hair, okay? That

00:06:43.339 --> 00:06:47.000
looks a little worse than that. She pointed to

00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:50.160
the hole scorched in the back of the bus. Oh,

00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:53.740
yeah, that. Just some kid playing with fireworks.

00:06:54.180 --> 00:06:57.300
You know how it goes. I shrugged my shoulders,

00:06:57.560 --> 00:07:00.819
trying to sell the lie. The young girl behind

00:07:00.819 --> 00:07:04.639
the wheel rolled her eyes. I ran back onto the

00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:08.180
bus, passing the driver, and then... I sought.

00:07:08.459 --> 00:07:13.259
The bearded man was gone. The gunshot wound's

00:07:13.259 --> 00:07:16.860
blood trail marked his escape path. I ran back

00:07:16.860 --> 00:07:19.920
out the bus to see if I could find him. A small

00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:23.120
trail of blood soaked in the snow. It stopped

00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:26.379
only a few feet from the bus. The best lead I

00:07:26.379 --> 00:07:31.779
had was now gone. Fuck. I screamed, my breath

00:07:31.779 --> 00:07:35.339
visible in the cold air. Unforgiving weather.

00:07:36.110 --> 00:07:39.250
I could have maybe gotten some answers. The only

00:07:39.250 --> 00:07:43.310
hope I had was gone. He fucking vanished like

00:07:43.310 --> 00:07:47.810
Houdini. The only path I had was forward. My

00:07:47.810 --> 00:07:51.370
dad's place was a few hours away. The engine

00:07:51.370 --> 00:07:54.410
rattled and the smell of burning oil overwhelmed

00:07:54.410 --> 00:07:58.569
the remaining scent of blood and death as I drove

00:07:58.569 --> 00:08:04.240
off into the night. Hey you. Yeah you. Thanks

00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:06.540
for listening to this episode of the Jack Moore

00:08:06.540 --> 00:08:09.620
Chronicles. Curious to see how the story unfolds?

00:08:09.620 --> 00:08:12.040
Make sure to follow the show so you don't miss

00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:14.959
what's next. If you enjoyed this episode, please

00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:17.860
consider leaving a review. It really helps us

00:08:17.860 --> 00:08:20.220
out. Want more podcasts from Wolfshield Media?

00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:23.939
Check out our website at wolfshield .media. Until

00:08:23.939 --> 00:08:26.519
next time, thanks for listening to this Wolfshield

00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:27.160
Media production.