Harrison DeVries Writing

🎶 You’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off of you. 🎶

A mellow beat rang in Kieran’s ears. His head bounced up and thudded back against the cold window behind him. The drone of the bus’ engine laid down a contrasting roar under Frankie Valli’s voice.

Thoughts of Heath Ledger striding down the bleachers serenading Julia Stiles sprang into his mind. A nostalgic smile crept onto his face. A memory of a more simple time.

🎶 You’d be like Heaven to touch I wanna hold you so much. 🎶

The young man’s eyes wandered around the bus. Across the aisle, a couple sat hand in hand with their two kids asleep in their laps.  A camera was strapped on the man’s neck and bags full of souvenirs were tucked under the mother’s arm. 

A short man in a suit. Sweat beaded down his large forehead as he frantically flipped through a notebook.

Far too many tops of people’s heads who were fixated on their phones.

The face of a beautiful woman staring out the window. She grasped tightly to her satchel. Her brown hair fell past her shoulders, and blue eyes pierced the orange morning light. A silver necklace hugged her neck.

The woman turned and locked eyes with Kieran, who quickly fluttered his gaze away. 

Don’t be a weirdo, he thought to himself.

His eyes returned to look straight out the window in front of him. The shadow of a monstrous beast with two glowing eyes covered the view.

🎶 At long last love has arrived And I thank God I’m alive. 🎶

The bus’s structure gave way to a violent collision. Glass shattered, metal brackets cracked. The couple was tossed off their seats towards the young man, all in an instant until…

Everything slowed to nearly freeze around Kieran. The song in his ears penetrated his brain and surrounded every neuron. A strange power reverberated through his muscles. The jolt stood him up.

While he could move and react at his normal speed, all other objects slowed to almost a halt. The air was thick as he moved his hand in front of his face. He fluttered his fingers as the family of four slowly hurled toward him.

Who hit slow-mo on the world?

🎶 You’re just too good to be true Can’t take my eyes off you. 🎶

Before his mind could wander further, the father’s arms began to slowly push against his chest. Kieran grabbed the man out of the air and held him in his arms. Whether it was a newfound strength or gravity itself disappeared, he did not know, but the man was light as a feather. A muffled creak of metal reminded him of their plight.

I have to get these people out.

He started with the family. Each door was blocked on the right side of the bus, so he elbowed the large glass window behind him. To his surprise, it gave way easily. He pushed past the floating glass and jumped out with the still sleeping children in his arms. His head swirled to find a place to lay them.

As he hesitated, the bus started to push against the back of his legs. He ran out of the catastrophe’s path and placed them down.

One by one, each rider was brought to safety until he came to the woman in the back. The music still rang in regular time within his ears. The crescendoed in blaring brass of the big band as he swept the woman off her feet. He spun determinedly to the broken window and bound out of it. He let her down at her feet.

The young man stepped back with a bow to them all as if the world was cheering him on.

🎶 I love you, baby, and if it’s quite alright, I need you, baby, to warm the lonely night. 🎶

Kieran looked over to the group of riders. The short, stocky man seemed to be starting at him, but he stayed stuck in slow motion, the same as the others. He then glanced at the garbage truck. Time still dragged on in the odd, slow crawl. His lips curled, and fire leapt in his belly as he spied the middle-aged man’s wincing face. 

He deserved it; he caused this disaster, the young man thought.

He turned and saw the sleeping boy at his mother’s feet. He thought of the driver and his heart softened and shoulders dropped. He turned and ran to the side of the truck. The door inside was blocked by the bending bus. Instinct counted to dictate his movements, he leapt ten feet into the air to land on the top of the bus.

Kieran ran over to the windshield and punched the glass. It easily shattered under his newly granted strength. He took both hands and pulled the large man from his chair. Glass harmlessly bounced off of them both as he flung the large man over his slender shoulder. He fell the pavement and stood the driver with the others, out of the chaotic path.

After everyone was finally safe, he surveyed the still-crawling scene. The bus slowly gave way to the bounding truck. Everyone remained frozen, unable to see or move as Kieran did.

With nothing else to try, he removed one of his headphones. All sound and time resumed in a whirling blur.

🎶 I love you, baby, trust in me when I say, Oh, pretty baby, don’t bring me down, I pray. 🎶

The violent mashing of metal and screams pierced Kieran’s ears. In a flash, it was all over.

The bus was crushed and bent in the road. In its U shape, it hugged the unharmed garbage truck. Smoke bellowed from the bus as it gave its final groans in protest.

Cars stopped in every direction of the intersection. Heads popped out to gasp at the sight. Both drivers stood with eyes wide and mouths agape. The passengers  huddled around a few of their injured companions. 

A woman with her phone thrusted out ran into the crowd.

“What happened? How did you all manage to make it out?”

There was a collective silence. Then, the short, stocky man pushed his way toward the woman. He was still trying to catch his breath, but through labored gasps, he spoke.

“The man with the headphones, the music, music man!”

Kieran’s eyes turned toward the man whose shaky finger pointed at him.

🎶 Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you, stay And let me love you, baby, let me love you. 🎶