ahs american horror stories

Chapter 1: The Fog Rolls In

It was just after midnight when Emma boarded the Greyhound bus at the crumbling depot in Ravenswood, Ohio. The air smelled of damp earth and gasoline, and a thick fog had rolled in from nowhere, swallowing the town whole. She clutched her duffel bag tightly, grateful to finally be leaving this godforsaken place behind.

The driver barely glanced at her ticket before nodding toward the back. “Last stop’s yours,” he muttered, his voice gravelly and devoid of warmth. His face was hidden beneath the brim of a worn cap, but something about him made Emma uneasy. Maybe it was the way his eyes lingered too long on each passenger—or maybe it was the fact that no other buses were scheduled to leave tonight.

As she settled into the last row, Emma noticed the other passengers. They sat scattered throughout the bus, their faces pale and expressionless. None spoke. None even seemed to breathe. A man in a tattered suit stared blankly out the window, his reflection distorted by streaks of rain. Across the aisle, an elderly woman rocked gently, her lips moving soundlessly as if reciting a prayer.

The engine roared to life, and the bus lurched forward, disappearing into the fog. That’s when Emma realized there was no destination listed on the schedule above the driver’s seat. Just a single word scrawled in faded ink: “Nowhere.”

Emma frowned, leaning closer to inspect it. Was this some kind of joke? She glanced around again, hoping someone might offer an explanation, but the silence was suffocating. No one met her gaze. Even the driver seemed oblivious, his focus fixed solely on the road ahead—or what little of it could be seen through the dense fog.

Her unease grew as the bus rumbled onward. Outside, the world dissolved into a featureless gray void. Trees and streetlights occasionally flickered into view, only to vanish moments later like mirages. It felt as though they weren’t moving at all, as if the bus were suspended in time, trapped in an endless loop.

Emma tried to distract herself by checking her phone, but the signal died almost immediately. No bars, no Wi-Fi, nothing. Panic bubbled up in her chest, but she forced herself to stay calm. Surely, this was just a temporary glitch caused by the storm. She’d reach her destination soon enough—wherever that was.

Chapter 2: Strange Companions

Emma tried to shake off her unease by focusing on her surroundings. The interior of the bus was dimly lit, the overhead bulbs casting long shadows across the cracked vinyl seats. Every so often, the vehicle would hit a bump, causing the lights to flicker ominously. Each jolt sent a fresh wave of dread coursing through her veins.

Finally, the man across the aisle leaned over. “First time?” he asked, his voice low and raspy.

“First time what?” Emma replied, forcing a nervous smile.

“Taking this route,” he said, gesturing vaguely at the bus. “You don’t look like one of them.”

“One of who?”

He didn’t answer, instead leaning back with a cryptic smirk. Before Emma could press further, the bus hit a bump, jolting everyone in their seats. When she looked up, the man was gone—as if he’d never been there at all.

Her heart raced. Was she imagining things? She turned to the elderly woman, hoping for reassurance, but the woman’s rocking had stopped. Her head lolled unnaturally to the side, revealing empty eye sockets staring straight at Emma.

Emma gasped and recoiled, clutching her bag. But when she blinked, the woman was normal again, her milky eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the window.

“What the hell is going on?” Emma whispered to herself, her voice trembling. She considered getting up and demanding answers from the driver, but something held her back. Fear, perhaps—or instinct. Whatever it was, it kept her rooted in her seat, frozen in place.

Chapter 3: The Driver Speaks

Hours passed—or maybe minutes; time felt distorted in the foggy void outside. The bus never stopped, never slowed. Occasionally, the driver would glance into the rearview mirror, his gaze lingering on Emma longer than it should have.

Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, she approached the front of the bus. “Excuse me,” she said hesitantly. “Where are we going?”

The driver didn’t turn around. Instead, he chuckled softly, a sound that sent chills down her spine. “You’ll see soon enough,” he replied. “Everyone gets where they’re meant to go.”

“What does that mean?” she demanded, her voice trembling.

He finally looked at her, his eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. “It means you shouldn’t have gotten on this bus.”

Emma stumbled backward, nearly tripping over her own feet. She returned to her seat, her mind racing. What kind of bus ride was this? And why did she feel like she wasn’t supposed to reach the end?

She glanced around again, noticing subtle changes in the other passengers. Their skin seemed paler now, almost translucent. Some appeared to shimmer faintly, as though they weren’t entirely solid. One by one, they began vanishing.

Chapter 4: The Disappearances Begin

The first to go was the man in the tattered suit. One moment, he was slumped against the window; the next, his seat was empty. Then the elderly woman disappeared, leaving behind only a faint whisper: “Too late…”

Emma tried to convince herself it was exhaustion playing tricks on her mind. But when the teenage boy two rows ahead vanished mid-sentence, she knew something was horribly wrong.

She grabbed her duffel bag and moved closer to the front, hoping proximity to the driver might offer some protection. But the closer she got, the colder the air became. Frost crept along the windows, spelling out words in jagged letters: “GET OFF NOW.”

But how could she? The bus showed no signs of stopping, and the driver refused to acknowledge her pleas.

Chapter 5: The Truth Revealed

Eventually, Emma couldn’t take it anymore. She lunged for the emergency brake lever near the driver’s seat. The bus screeched to a halt, throwing everyone—including the remaining passengers—into chaos.

When the dust settled, Emma found herself standing alone on the deserted road. The bus was gone, along with its driver and passengers. All that remained was the fog, thicker than ever, swirling around her like living shadows.

And then she heard it—a chorus of voices, whispering her name. They came from the woods surrounding the road, beckoning her deeper into the darkness.

Terrified but curious, Emma stepped off the pavement. As she walked, memories flooded back—memories she hadn’t realized she’d forgotten. The car accident. The hospital. The doctor telling her family she wouldn’t make it.

She wasn’t alive. Not really. This bus had been her final journey, ferrying her soul to whatever awaited beyond.

But as the whispers grew louder, Emma realized the truth: she wasn’t ready to move on. And now, trapped between worlds, she might never escape.

Epilogue: The Next Stop

Back at the depot in Ravenswood, another weary traveler boarded the bus. The driver tipped his hat and smiled—a cold, hollow grin.

“Last stop’s yours,” he said, gesturing to the seat Emma had once occupied.

And so the cycle continued, the bus rolling endlessly through the fog, collecting lost souls destined to become… the last passenger.

Have you ever felt an overwhelming sense of unease in a situation that seemed ordinary at first glance? What made you feel like something wasn’t quite right? comment like