Simon Barker

The way he said Sonny reminded Simon of his grandfather, a man very much like himself in both looks and personality.

He'd been gone for over ten years now, but Simon still missed him.

Maybe that's why he replied, rather than ignoring the man.

I just can't believe how rude people are these days," he explained.

I thought it was common courtesy to let people off the bus before getting on.

Right you are, sonny, came the man's gruff reply.

Simon did a double take.

The man sounded exactly like his grandfather.

And when he looked at him, Simon nearly fell out of his seat.

It was his grandfather.

It couldn't be, yet it was.

He had the same hair and eye color, the same slightly tilted nose, one ear bigger than the other, and even a mole on his wrinkled chin.

"'What are you looking at?'

Simon blushed and looked away."

Sorry, you just remind me a lot of my grandfather.

The man grunted and Simon glanced at him again.

This time he recoiled, falling into the aisle.

The man's flesh suddenly peeled from his face.

His eyes drooped almost out of their sockets.

And when he smiled, his teeth were black and rotten.