In this unsettling episode of Speculative Fiction Tales, Jon Cronshaw delivers a masterful slow-burn horror story set in the seemingly mundane world of public transportation.

"I'm Not Allowed Past Dudley" follows a veteran bus driver who has spent twenty-two years piloting the number 12 route between Wolverhampton and West Bromwich. When management suddenly truncates his route to end at Dudley, he begins noticing subtle but disturbing anomalies. His attempts to venture beyond the new boundary—whether in his bus, car, or on foot—are met with increasingly bizarre and frightening consequences.

As our narrator's investigations deepen, the very fabric of reality begins to unravel, revealing a terrifying truth about the nature of his world and his place within it. What begins as a simple route change spirals into an existential nightmare that challenges everything he thought he knew about his familiar Midlands surroundings.

Themes & Topics

• Reality simulation and boundary enforcement

• The unsettling nature of the familiar made strange

• Working-class routine disrupted by cosmic horror

• The psychological impact of lost autonomy

• The Black Country as a setting for existential dread

• The surreal horror of bureaucratic control

Listener Discretion

This episode contains themes of existential horror and psychological distress that some listeners may find disturbing.

About the Author

Jon Cronshaw crafts speculative fiction that transforms everyday settings into landscapes of subtle terror. His stories often feature ordinary people confronting extraordinary circumstances, revealing the fragility of what we perceive as reality.

Support the Show

If you enjoyed this story, please consider supporting Jon Cronshaw by becoming a patron. Your support helps bring these stories to life and gives you early access to audio stories plus exclusive text versions of every episode. Visit patreon.com/joncronshawauthor to learn more.

Keywords

Simulation theory, Black Country, bus routes, existential horror, reality glitches, boundary enforcement, West Midlands, cosmic horror, Jon Cronshaw, speculative fiction, Dudley, Wolverhampton