The young men ran into the school bus one by one, carrying empty cardboard pizza boxes that they discarded by the driver’s seat. They seemed to scamper as quickly as they came, and the bus was left alone for a moment.
A flame ignited by the door. It started small, then glowed larger and larger until heavy smoke rose and surrounded the bus. One of the young men returned and stood a distance away, watching the fire intently before walking away again.
A couple of girls in school uniforms approached the bus and stopped, their hands over their mouths. Another man knelt in front of the bus and peered into the fire. He reached a hand to the windows, as if checking whether anyone was inside.
Soon enough, no one was on the street. The bus was barely visible behind the thick, swirling smoke.
