A Bus Ride To Remember
Troy felt the school bus speed up by the second, and he looked over at his classmates, noticing fear wash over their flustered faces. He peeked outside the bus window and he could feel his heartbeat in his throat.
He tried to get the attention of passengers in their cars by banging on the bus window, mouthing the phrase, “help us!”, but they just thought Troy was a silly schoolboy, playing a prank. But this was no prank. Nobody knew what the bus driver had in store for Troy and his classmates.
An Ordinary School Day
It started just like any ordinary day for 10-year-old Troy. He went to school, learned about algebra and biology, and now he was getting ready to get the bus back home.
It was a long day, and his brain felt overloaded with information. All he wanted to do was chill out and play his video game. But Troy, and his fellow classmates, had no idea what was coming to them.
Waiting For The Bus
Outside their elementary school, Troy and his friends eagerly lined up ready for their bus ride home. Bus rides were the highlight of Troy’s day; he and his friends had lots of fun, sat at the back of the bus driving back home.
But this bus ride wouldn’t be the highlight of Troy’s day today. No way.
All Aboard
The bus pulled up and the doors opened. The kids piled inside racing for “best seat of the bus” aka the back seat.
As children’s laughter and giggles filled the bus, Troy hopped on. But when he looked at the driver he had a terrible feeling hit the pit of his stomach.
Not Their Normal Bus Driver
Normally Troy’s bus driver was a man called Richie. He was a silly and goofy man who loved nothing more than making the kiddies laugh while protecting them of course.
But today, Richie wasn't there. Instead, it was a woman - a woman Troy had never seen before.
A Strange Smell
Troy said hello to the new bus driver, but she just ignored him and started the engine. Her eyes seemed bloodshot and she had dirt covering her hands and face with a blank and dazed expression plastered on her face.
Then, as Troy walked past her to get to a seat, he noticed a terrible smell.
Something Was Wrong
Troy sat with his friends and noticed the driver was speeding up through the neighborhood. Straight away, Troy could tell something was wrong.
This driver was going super fast, not to mention Troy had never seen her before. What was going on? He knew he couldn’t take his eyes off the driver, but he had no idea what was coming.
Where Was She Taking Them?
The bus pulled up to their fist stop and a group of children hopped off the bus. But when it came to the second stop, the woman didn’t slow down or stop, she just kept driving.
All the kids looked at each other with confusion. Where was this woman taking them?
Driving Faster And Faster
The woman was driving recklessly as Troy and his friends sat on the edge of their seats. Troy knew he had to do something, but what?
He started to get something out of his bag when he heard the sounds of furious and frantic beeping come from cars around him. He looked out the window and saw the bus was taking up two lanes.
Far Away From Home
Then, without a moment to lose, the bus stopped suddenly, flinging the children forward. Troy felt the leather seat hit him hard as he saw his friends burst into tears.
But suddenly, the bus started moving again. After even more faster this time. Then, Troy looked out of the window and he realized, this driver wasn’t taking them home, she was taking them on the highway.
He Had To Do Something
With his friends and fellow classmates getting more upset and confused by the second, Troy knew he had to do something.
He reached in for his bag but was stopped by his friend. “Stop, you’re going to get us in big trouble!” His friend said, their face as white as a ghost. But as Troy felt the bus get faster and faster, he knew he had no other option. It was a dangerous move but Troy had to do it.
Calling 911
Troy got out his phone and called up 911 as quickly as he could. As he waited for an operator to pick up he watched the driver put her foot down even harsher.
Thankfully, the 911 operator picked up. But as Troy was about to explain everything, suddenly he locked eyes with the bus driver. She saw him through her mirror and she knew exactly what he was up to on the phone.
She Saw Him
Troy quickly dropped the floor in hopes the driver wouldn’t see him. Crouching with his phone stuck to his cheek, he told 911 everything in the hope they would be able to find him and his classmates.
But time was running out for these kids, and this driver had more harsh tricks up her sleeve.
On Their Way
Once the 911 operator got all the details from Troy, she told Troy that they would be there ASAP. But how much longer would this woman drive for?
Troy had no idea where she was taking him and his classmates, and he didn’t want to know. He just wanted to be at home, eating his dinner, and playing his video game. Then the unimaginable happened.
Making Her Way To Troy
Suddenly, the bus stopped. Troy looked up and saw the woman driver was out of her seat and was looking straight at Troy.
With a creepy blank expression plastered on her face, she slowly made her way towards Troy.
Cops Are Here
Just when worry and fear crept up on Troy like the boogeyman in the night, he heard the sound of police sirens pierce the air. The police had arrived.
A cop flung open the bus doors wide open and grabbed the woman. After handcuffing her, they scuffled her off the bus. The smell disappeared too as she was pulled out.
The Truth
While the worried and brave children on the bus never found out the truth behind this strange woman, their parents sure did.
Turned out the regular bus driver Ritchie, didn’t show up for work. Instead, Karolyn Denise Ray was the substitute called in through a subcontractor and was intoxicated when she arrived to start her shift. Her punishment?
A Hero
Karolyn was charged with “driving under the influence of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of children.”
As for Troy, he was hailed a hero. He knew something was up, and he acted on it. If he never did, who knows where the kids would have ended up.