The L∞p (Fiction)
1:44 Wakes up. Explode.
1:43 Wakes up. Ringtone. Explode.
1:42 Wakes up. Panic. Ringtone. Explode.
1:41 Wakes up. Panic. Dash to the door. Ringtone. Explode.
Audrey’s eyes snap open. She pinches her arm with her trembling hand. She winces, feeling the sting of reality. She knows deep in her heart that it is not a dream. The heat that pierces through her body felt too real, too real for a dream. The explosion is telling her that it is repeating itself in an infinite loop. She needs to stop the bus immediately.
"Keep your hands to yourself. You pervert!” Audrey snaps the young man that sits next to her.
“I-I’m sorry, what?” His eyes widened with surprise. He takes a step back, trying to remove himself from the fierce glare of the passengers.
Audrey rushes to the bus driver and begs for the bus to stop. The driver frowns but still pulls over by the sidewalk and opens the door to let Audrey and the puzzled man off. Audrey’s heart racing, she dials 911 with her trembling hand.
“Are you out of your mind?! I wasn’t even anywhere near you. Women today are—” The young man mumbles as he walks away with a bitter glare.
“911, what’s your emergency?”
“There's going to be an explosion. Please, you need to do something to stop this.”
The operator on the other end pauses, clearly taken aback by her declaration.
“Ma’am, I need you to calm down,” the voice says firmly. “Can you please tell me where you are and what’s happening?”
“There’s a bomb on Bus 888. It is now heading toward the Burrard Bridge. It’s going to explode! You have to stop it!
“What’s your name and where are you at?”
“Stop asking questions! There’s no time! Hurr—!”
BOOM—!
Just before Audrey could finish the sentence, the deafening boom echoes through the air, drowning her voice. The ground beneath their feet shakes. Audrey stumbles away from the chaos. She manages to flag down a passing taxi and slumps into the back seat. Reaching home, she locks the door behind her as if trying to block away the lingering terror, the burning bus, the flying passengers, and the shattered windows. Soon the phone rings, cutting through her thoughts.
“Miss, this is Officer Peter from the police department. We need to ask you a few questions about the bus incident today. Can you come down to the station?”
“Sure… I understand.” Audrey replies, trying to keep her voice steady.
Arriving at the station, Audrey is led to a small, dimly lit interview room. Officer Peter sits across from her, his expression unreadable.
“Thank you for coming in,” he begins. “We just need to get a clear picture of what happened today. So… you mentioned in your 911 call that you knew there was a bomb on the bus. Can you tell me what made you think there’s a bomb on the bus?”
Audrey panics. She has not come up with a reasonable excuse that can justify her call. Audrey knows the police would not believe her “loop” theory, but she has no other choice knowing that lying will add more suspicion.
“I know what I’ll be saying next may sound hilarious, but please believe me, I’m telling the truth.”
The officer leans forward, his eyes narrowing slightly. Audrey’s palms began to sweat. She starts to recall how she is experiencing the ongoing loops and assumes the cause for the explosion is a bomb because she heard a countdown.
“That was very specific, do you have any history in mental health?” Officer Peter finally inquires, his voice taking on a sharper edge.
Audrey knows she is screwed as the officer detains her in the room for another 8 hours. She feels her eyelids glued together, her body feels lighter than a feather, her mind slowly drifting into the dreams. Her last conscious thought is a silent vow to find the truth.
===
Audrey wakes up from the bright sunlight shining through the bus window. The familiar hum of the bus engine, the faint odor of the bus, and the distant clinking from the driver’s keychain. Her heart skips a beat as she realizes that she is back on Bus 888. She turns her head around and catches a glance at a boy that sits next to her. A sense of guilt overwhelms Audrey, since she has accused him as a pervert in the last loop. Nevertheless, it is a needed sacrifice for world peace, Audrey tries to convince herself. She knows she can't afford any distractions. She knows what is going to happen and she has to act fast to save everyone on this bus. Romance is the last thing on her mind.
Audrey tears her gaze away from him, determined to stop the explosion.
“Stop the bus!” Audrey shouts, “There is a bomb in this bus—!”
BOOM—!
Even before her words could fully escape her lips, the deafening explosion rips through the air. The force of the blast throws her from her seat. She is engulfed in a blinding light and the surge of despair. She has failed. The loop has ended. Yet she now knows for a fact that someone among the 8 passengers is controlling the bomb.
===
Conscious returns. The scene around her is strangely familiar—the same hum of the engine, the faint odor, the clinking of keys, and the young man next to her. Another loop has begun.
“Have we met before?” The young man, after studying her for a moment as if trying to gauge her reaction, asks Audrey.
His question sends a shiver down her spin. Could it be possible? Could he be experiencing the same loop as her?
She hesitates for a second, unsure of how to respond. But she remembers her mission. There is no time for hesitation, no time for doubt. She pushes the racing questions in her mind aside.
She scans through all the passengers on the bus, they all look ordinary and normal just like any other pedestrian. If she has not gone through the loops, there is no way she would notice the bomb. She excludes the passengers not carrying a bag, and narrows her focus on three passengers, or suspects, each carrying a bag that is big enough to fit the bomb.
But the young man next to her… Audrey couldn’t shake the feeling that he holds the key to unlocking the truth. She leans closer to him and whispers, her voice barely audible over the rumble of the bus, “You are in the loop as well, right?”
Audrey grabs his arm in excitement. She is not alone in this afterall. She can’t wait to share all the information with her new partner to unlock the mysteries of the loop.
Young man’s eyes widened in sudden realization. Memories of the explosion flash into his mind. The young man breaks loose from Audrey’s grip and scrambles to his feet. He rushes to the door and screams just to escape from this bus that is heading towards death.
BOOM—!
Audrey is thrown backward by the force of the blast. She feels the heat searing her skin. Then, darkness consumes her once again.
===
“Hey, wake up, we’re in the next loop.” Audrey gently pats the young man’s shoulder.
The young man is panting for breath. Audrey calms the man down and is eager to tell him all about the infinite loop and the unsolved puzzle. She goes on and starts her presentation with how they have experienced the loops with each time failing to stop the bomb, and together, as a team, they could stop the explosion and save ALL the innocent passengers on the bus and even other passing cars on the bridge.
“WhOa-whOa, stop right there.” The young man is flabbergasted. “Why should I risk my life to save a bunch of strangers I’ve never met?”
“Because—” Audrey’s jaw almost drops.
“Let me off!” The young man walks to the front and tries to take over the steering wheel, forcing the driver to pull over.
As the bus slowly passes the old, rusted sign that reads “Burrard Bridge.” Audrey’s heart thumps with dread. She knows what is coming—the point where there is no return. Audrey knows that she has to figure out who is carrying the bomb before it is too late. Suddenly, the bus makes a sharp turn. The young man is knocked to the ground. The passengers grip to their seats for balance. Audrey notices the elderly woman, sitting a few rows ahead, loses her grip on her purse. It is a large, structured purse made of burgundy leather. It is big enough to carry many items, or to conceal a—. Audrey gasps and she sees the purse fly through the air and tumble to the floor, spilling small, plastic containers—Metformin 500mg. The elderly lady flushes with embarrassment as Audrey tries to help her up. “If she is not the suspect, …” Audrey murmurs.
“Let me off!” The young man continues to scream.
BOOM—!
Without giving Audrey nor the young man time to recover from the turn, the suspect sets the bus on fire once again.
===
Audrey stares at the young man.
“I admit. I shouldn’t act on my impulse, but what’s wrong about wanting to live? We’re not superheroes, sometimes we have to be selfish. This is your ninth loop, so what exactly have you done to save us? Your stupid kindness is only sending us all to the grave!”
Audrey wants to say something, but she goes silent. She knows the young man is right. He is not responsible for saving the lives of these people.
“Because—that’s what makes us different from wild animals.” Audrey finally finishes her line from the last loop.
The young man’s lips pressed into a thin line. “What if I could…” He tries to shake the haunting memories off his mind. He has lived, and that’s what matters to him at this moment. He has made up his mind that he will get off at the next stop.
Audrey turns her attention to a man sitting in the last row, whom she remembers clinging to his large, black, hiking backpack with its heavy-duty zippers closed tight. His eyes are constantly lingering around from one passenger to another. His face pale. His lips pressed into a thin line, and he swallows hard every few moments. Audrey makes her way down the aisle towards the man and tries to unzip the bag, claiming she saw her purse in there. The man violently elbows Audrey away. a pair of glowing eyes emerge through the hole, a fluffy paw with sharp claws reaches out to punch her.
A cat escapes from the backpack and hides underneath the seats. Audrey catches a glance at the signs above the doors—“No Pets Allowed.” She realizes her mistakes. The man is only clinging to his unwelcome guest on the bus.
The young man feels something brush through his legs. He reaches his hands down to stroke its head. “Careful, buddy.” He seems content as if he had found a long-lost treasure. Audrey witnesses something that seems to be a mixture of remorse and joy glistening in his eyes. A relieved smile spreads over her face. “Maybe he is a human,” Audrey mumbles.
BOOM—!
The bus explodes as it passes the old, rusted sign that reads “Burrard Bridge” for the ninth time. Audrey has failed, again, to complete her mission.
===
“Our next stop….”
Audrey and the young man are awakened by the sound of announcement. Audrey wipes away her sweats from her forehead with the back of hand and pushes herself up.
“Are you alright?” The young man hands Audrey a stack of tissues, as Audrey nods.
“I am Alex by the way. I missed the chance to save one of my best friends in a fire four years ago. Maybe I was a coward, but I don’t want to make the same mistake again, so what do we need to do?”
“I had my eye on three suspects, all carrying bags, but now it’s down to…”
Audrey gradually lowers her voice as she points her finger towards the lady in front who has a red plastic bag tucked beneath her seat.
“But it’s a rice cooker!”
“No. Look closer. The timer. It’s on…” Alex’s eyes widen with disbelief. The rice cooker is unplugged, but time is ticking away.
“On the count of three,” Audrey’s voice is barely a whisper. “You go over and distract the lady while I go grab the bomb.”
“One,” Audrey’s voice quivers. Her gaze, locked on the rice cooker by the unsuspecting lady.
“Two,” Alex’s heart thumps, ready to make his move.
“Three!” The two exchange glances and carry out their plan.
Alex grabs the lady by her arms and holds her back against the seat. While Audrey dashes to the ground and picks up the bag.
“Let go of me! It’s all too late.” The lady shouts yet remains strangely calm.
Audrey pushes her way through the commuters. With every step, she feels the weight of the ticking bomb. She reaches the front of the bus, where the bus driver sits, his hands gripped to the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
“Stop the bus,” Audrey pleads. “I need to get off at the Burrard Bridge so I can dump the bomb into the river. Now!”
The driver makes a strange steer upon hearing her plea. Until now, everything has gone as Audrey had planned. The bus slowly makes its way to the bridge and stops.
“Sir, you can open the door now!” Audrey slams the door.
The bus driver stays silent, clutching his hand even tighter to the steering wheel. His foot hovered over the brake pedal, poised for action but frozen with indecision.
“Robert Smith! Don’t you dare open that door if you have not forgotten why Emily ended her own life!” The lady yells. The weight of her words hangs heavy in the air, suffocating the bus with palpable puzzlement.
“Emily… Smith?” Audrey mumbles, “It couldn’t be…”
“I have not forgotten for a single day since she passed away! She died for our sins!. ‘Her dress was too revealing,’ they comment. ‘She was basically asking for it,’ they’d say. She was only 17 when all this happened, and none of you cared enough to help! I will make every single one of you pay! For your indifference!”
The bus driver’s gaze sweeps over everyone on the bus with resentment and disgust.
“I believe she is innocent!” Audrey throws herself forward. “Mr. Smith, I’m Audrey. Emily and I went to Sunnyvale High together. She’s my best friend, and we used to hang out a lot afterschool. She is the sweetest girl I’ve ever met. She was always there for me, but when she needed me… I’m sorry. I was too afraid that I would become his next target if I identified him…” Audrey’s voice trembles as she makes her confession.
“Please, you need to see this,” Audrey unlocks her phone and plays a video tape of Emily on the bus the day everything happened.
“She’s not the one to blame. We are. You can blame me for being a coward, but we have to show this to the police. They can reinvestigate your daughter’s case!” Audrey begs as she fights back her tears.
The bus driver releases the grip on the steering wheel and pulls the handle. The bus door creaks open. A familiar ringtone shatters the silence. Audrey turns in realization as Alex springs to action to pick up the ticking bomb from the ground and shoves it to Audrey.
The tension in the bus rises as everyone watches Audrey run to the side of the bridge and heaves the bomb with all her strength. It flies through the air and plunges into the water.
BOOM—!
The muffled explosion sends a geyser into the air.
Audrey stares at her watch as the minute hand slowly moves to strike nine—1:45. The knot in her stomach untangles, knowing the worst is over. She turns and meets Alex’s gaze, a silent understanding passes between them. Alex wraps his arms around her as the reality begins to sink in. The breeze surrounds them with an acrid odor. The distant sound of sirens, wailing from Burrard Street. The murmurs of the crowd grow louder.
“Does that make us human now?” Alex smirks
“No. Not yet.”
===
“Your honor, I stand before you today to speak for my friend, Emily…”
