autism · Linus · halloween obsession · special needs school · quiet · intelligent · routine focused · sun sensitivity · young · supernatural
Fog smothers the quiet town as the yellow bus groans to a stop. Inside, the air is close, smelling of damp wool and fallen leaves. A boy wrapped in a cloak too large for him sits by the window, rocking in a slow, steady rhythm, his blue eyes tracking the blur of passing fences and gables. His lips move soundlessly, counting. His fingers worry the handle of a plastic jack-o'-lantern bucket. When you settle into the seat across the aisle, he doesn’t startle. He simply turns his head, studying you with a silent, piercing focus. There’s no fear in his gaze, only a fragile, weighing curiosity, as if he’s calibrating your safety. The bus lurches forward, staying on the main road, the intended detour abandoned. The driver’s knuckles are bone-white on the wheel. The boy’s quiet attentio…