Brief Summary
Silas Buchanan, a tour bus driver in the Great Smoky Mountains, discovers the hidden, supernatural side of his job. He learns about the "real rules" from a fellow driver, Doy, which involve managing the spirits and entities that inhabit the mountains. Silas encounters various supernatural events, including a man who shouldn't exist on his bus and a group of tourists who walk into the woods in a trance. He teams up with Charlie Swimmer, a Cherokee elder, to combat a powerful entity that threatens to break the ancient boundaries protecting the human world from the supernatural. In the end, Silas becomes a guardian of the balance between the two worlds, training new drivers and working with the Cherokee to contain the entities and maintain the peace.
- Tour bus driver Silas Buchanan discovers the supernatural side of the Great Smoky Mountains.
- He learns the "real rules" from a fellow driver and a Cherokee elder to manage spirits and entities.
- Silas becomes a guardian, maintaining balance between the human and supernatural worlds.
Introduction: Silas's Life as a Tour Bus Driver
Silas Buchanan, a former transmission mechanic turned tour bus driver, recounts his experiences driving through the Tennessee mountains for Blue Ridge Mountain Tours. He details his daily routine, which involves driving tourists through scenic routes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, sharing stories about Cherokee settlements and bootlegger caves, and ensuring everyone has an enjoyable experience. However, Silas reveals a hidden aspect of his job: he constantly counts passengers because sometimes, especially in remote areas near Mount Lante, the count changes, and mysterious figures appear on the bus.
The Laminated Card: Company Policy or Something More?
Silas recalls receiving a laminated card from Ezra Hulkcom, his boss, containing six rules for driver safety. While most rules seemed like common sense, rule number four stood out: if passengers report seeing people walking alongside the bus in remote areas, drivers should not acknowledge these sightings and instead redirect the conversation. Silas reflects on his initial ignorance and how he should have asked more questions about the need for such a rule and Ezra's strange behavior.
Meeting Doy Ramsay and Learning the "Real Rules"
Silas describes meeting Doy Ramsay, a seasoned driver who had been with Blue Ridge Mountain Tours for 15 years. Doy warns Silas that the laminated card only contains the beginning of the rules and that the "real rules" are not written down. Before she can elaborate, a tour group arrives, and Doy drives off, leaving Silas intrigued and slightly unnerved.
The First Encounter: A Man Walking Alongside the Bus
On a Tuesday morning, Silas drives a group from a church in Knoxville. As they climb towards Newfound Gap, one of the twin boys points out a man walking alongside the bus on a steep hillside. Despite the bus moving at 22 mph uphill, the man keeps pace. More passengers begin to see the figure, causing Silas to recall rule number four and attempt to redirect their attention by talking about local wildlife.
The Passenger Count Changes: An Unwanted Guest Appears
Ezra radios Silas to inquire about his location and passenger count, emphasizing the importance of keeping the count at 17. After reaching Cataract Falls, Silas notices an additional passenger in seat 14B, an old man in denim overalls and a plaid shirt, who had not been there before. The man's pale eyes and cold smile frighten Silas, who realizes the significance of Doy's warning and the importance of keeping the passenger count at 17.
Following Doy's Advice: Elkmont and the Voice Behind the Seat
Silas continues the tour, heading towards the historic Elkmont district. Doy radios him, emphasizing that everyone must disembark for the full tour and warning him not to look directly at seat 14B until all passengers are off the bus. As the passengers explore Elkmont, a voice speaks to Silas from behind his seat, revealing that it has been driving these roads since 1847 and that Ezra's rules will not keep him safe. The entity explains that it rides along because it is lonely and drawn to the smell of home and belonging. It then departs, and seat 14B is empty when Silas checks.
The Aftermath: Questions and a New Passenger
Upon the group's return, one of the twins asks why the old man in the back did not get off at the cabins, despite his mother's insistence that no one was there. Silas deflects the question, attributing it to mountain light and imagination. As they load up for the final leg, Silas sees a different figure in seat 14B: a woman in a faded floral dress who mouths the word "Tomorrow." Silas understands why Ezra needs drivers who follow rules without question and why most do not last long.
Dottie's Diner: The Real Rules Notebook
The next morning, Silas meets Doy at Dolly's Diner, where she presents him with a spiral notebook containing the "real rules." The notebook, filled with entries from various drivers over the years, details encounters with supernatural entities, warnings about specific locations, and advice passed down like folklore. Doy explains that these entities are like echoes of people who died in the mountains and that some are harmless while others seek to live again through the living.
A New Route and a Cherokee Blessing
Silas receives a text from Ezra, assigning him a different route to Catalooki Valley, Cherokee land. Doy warns him that the entities there are older and more connected to the land. She gives him a pouch of Cherokee blessing sand from Charlie Swimmer, instructing him to keep it in his pocket and only use it in dire situations.
The Caldwell Place: Meeting Ruth Caldwell
Silas picks up a group of academics led by Dr. Margaret Cornet, who are researching undocumented settlements in the Smoky Mountains. They are searching for the Caldwell Place, a family that disappeared in the late 19th century. At the homestead, the temperature drops dramatically, and a young woman named Ruth Caldwell appears, claiming to be from the family. She tells them where to find the graves of her family members who died of fever.
Interview with a Ghost: Uncovering the Truth
Ruth Caldwell boards the bus and shares details about her family's life and death in the valley, which are later confirmed by historical records. She warns Silas about the dangerous path he is walking and the entities in the mountains that hunger for more than just attention. Ruth then disappears, leaving Dr. Cornet and her team in awe.
The Paranormal Investigation: A Dangerous Discovery
Dr. Cornet's team confirms the existence of the graves using ground-penetrating radar and plans to return with a full paranormal investigation team. Silas is concerned, remembering the notebook's warnings about investigations. As he pulls away, he hears a panicked radio call from another driver, Willie Hemsley, who is being followed by something on foot. Ezra instructs Silas to return to the depot, indicating a growing problem.
The Investigation Team Arrives: Stirring Up Trouble
Three days later, Dr. Cornet arrives at the depot with a team of paranormal investigators and sophisticated equipment. Silas is assigned to drive them along the Roaring Fork motor nature trail, a route known for its preserved homesteads and supernatural activity. Ezra is worried and has been in contact with Charlie Swimmer, a Cherokee contact.
Roaring Fork: The Spirits Appear
As the tour progresses, spirits begin to appear at the various homesteads along the trail. The investigation team documents everything, and the spirits become more solid with each photograph and reading. The retirees on the bus are fascinated and nervous.
The Confederate Soldier: A Warning from Beyond
A Confederate soldier appears on the roof of the bus, warning Silas not to go to the end of the trail because something is feeding on the attention they are giving the spirits. He explains that this entity wants to consume the very act of remembering and become the only thing anyone ever thinks about again.
The Entity: A Terrifying Encounter
All electronic devices on the bus fail, and Silas sees a towering, distorted entity at the end of the trail. The spirits they had been documenting flee in terror. The entity touches the bus, turning the windows black and lifting the bus off the ground. Dr. Vasquez realizes they are being preserved like specimens in a jar, studied by the entity.
The Cherokee Blessing: A Narrow Escape
The Confederate soldier urges Silas to use the Cherokee blessing sand. Silas pours the sand in a circle around the group, causing the bus to drop back to the ground and making them invisible to the entity. The entity retreats, and the bus windows clear. The Confederate soldier warns that the old agreements are being tested and that the entity is calling to others of its kind.
The Aftermath: A Failed Investigation and a Growing Threat
Dr. Cornet's equipment is corrupted, and she cannot publish her findings. She realizes that some knowledge is too dangerous to share. As Silas pulls into the depot, he hears a panicked radio call from Willie Hemsley, who has lost 14 tourists at Cherokee Reservation Overlook. Ezra orders all drivers to report to the depot, indicating that the situation has escalated beyond their control.
Charlie Swimmer: Calling in the Experts
The next morning, Silas is awakened by a call from Willie Hemsley, reporting that 14 tourists have walked into the woods in a trance at Cherokee Reservation Overlook. Ezra calls in Charlie Swimmer, a Cherokee elder, to help. Charlie explains that the entity from Roaring Fork is calling to its kin and trying to break the old boundaries.
The Mission: Rescuing the Tourists
Charlie provides Silas with a piece of carved jade to help him see through illusions and resist the urge to study what he is seeing. They drive to Cherokee Reservation Overlook, where they find Willie Hemsley in a state of shock. They follow a trail into the forest, using carved stones to reveal paths that are otherwise invisible.
The Clearing: Confronting the Entity
They find the tourists in a circle in a clearing, with the entity at the center. The entity is feeding them an illusion of youth and vitality. Charlie throws stones around the clearing, revealing the entity's true form: a void space that pulls at reality.
Breaking the Illusion: Saving the Tourists
Silas and Charlie call to each tourist by name, reminding them of their families and lives. One by one, the tourists choose reality over illusion, weakening the entity's hold. The entity disappears, and the tourists remember very little of their experience.
The Aftermath: New Beginnings and Endings
Willie quits his job, and Doy retires, handing over the duct-taped notebook to Charlie's people. Silas is moved to safer routes but becomes the one who introduces new drivers to the realities of the job. He emphasizes that their job is not to defeat the entities but to maintain the balance between worlds.
The Balance: A Never-Ending Watch
Tourism continues as normal, but Silas and others maintain a watch, following the real rules and working with the Cherokee to contain the entities. They understand that the mountains remember everything and that their job is about more than just getting paid. The balance that has protected both worlds for generations continues, maintained by those who understand the importance of keeping ancient problems from becoming modern disasters.
