Darkness Falling by Helena Dahlgren

Author:Helena Dahlgren
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Published: 2021-03-25T20:51:05+00:00

22

Sometimes it felt like time deliberately crept along at a snail’s pace, just to be annoying. That was exactly how it felt the next afternoon when all four Soul Riders were seated on the bus on their way to Jorvik Stables. Usually they walked, but Alex had convinced them that it was a better idea to take public transportation. They sat together in the very back of the bus and sighed audibly every time the bus braked, slowed down slightly, or stopped to pick up new passengers. Outside, the rain beat down on the windowpanes so hard that it felt like it might break them.

Lisa looked out and saw a mother with a baby stroller struggling through the wind and pouring rain. She was carrying a big umbrella that she was struggling to hold on to in the furious wind. The umbrella flipped inside out and started to blow away. The woman ran after it, managing to catch it at the last minute, and tried to flip it back the right way without letting go of her baby stroller. Just as the bus pulled to a stop in front of her, her umbrella blew away, landing across the street in a massive puddle. The woman was left standing there with her baby stroller, shaking her head dejectedly.

“I told you taking the bus was a good idea,” Alex remarked

dryly.

The speakers crackled and then they heard the bus driver’s voice. Normally they liked him. He drove this route every day and always had time for a joke and a kind word. Today his cheerful voice was grating, like fingernails on a blackboard. And when they heard what he had to say, they put their hands to their foreheads and groaned.

“Perhaps you’re wondering why we’re not following our usual route today? Well, listen up! Unfortunately, we need to take a little detour past the hospital because . . . yes, well, you can see all the water in the roadway over there, my friends. This will put us a bit behind schedule as the new route will take slightly longer than usual. I want to make sure you get there, safe and sound. But don’t worry, we’ll get there. Eventually. And don’t forget, the destination makes the journey worth it!”

“Oh, come on,” Alex whined, impatiently drumming on the dirty windowpane.

“I mean, seriously. What are the odds that this would happen today of all days?” Anne exclaimed. “This whole day has been like walking through quicksand, pink Pandorian quicksand. I thought four o’clock would never come. I’m so ready for teleportation to be a thing,” she added. Linda flashed her a warning look. “I know, I know,” Anne continued. “We have to conserve the magic and only use it when absolutely necessary. The last time I teleported us, the big dam nearly broke, so believe me, I am so not going to frivolously teleport us to the stables just because the bus is taking a little longer than usual.”

“Good,” Linda said quickly. “And you’re going to have to tell us more about that Pandorian quicksand sometime.

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