Even Lovers Drown - GaryCato Mermaid Au

Chapter 4

BEEP BEEP

The bus driver honked again, waking Little Cato up.
The boy groaned loudly, he was tired from sitting in one place with his phone nearly dead. He knew the trip would be long but due to traffic it was already...

"3am?!" Little Cato whispered yelled before groaning louder- it was pretty much already another day! He's spent so long inside the bus it was unbelievable!

When the vehicle began to move again, Little Cato looked out the window with a bored expression, watching the waves crash against the cliff with huff. He always liked the sea, it was nice- but die to the stories many ventraxians told he couldn't help but fear it

Though fear only challenged him more.

Little Cato wanted to be like Mr Newton...a man of the sea- he also wanted to be as brave as his father who worked with Mr Newton. A ventraxian who wasn't afraid to be involved with the sea-
Sure...his dad was still afraid of water like many were but at least he was wise enough to allow Little Cato into the swimming club

"So in case you ever fall in the water you'll be able to swim back" he remembered Avocato lecturing, worried that he wouldn't be able to save his own son from drowning

Little Cato watched the sea carefully, the waves would sometimes make it to the roads and he likes to watch the foam- until a blinding light seemed to come closer, he looked to the other side of the road to find a truck swerving towards the bus, crashing into the front of the bus.

There were barely any passengers but those that were on board were screaming just as loudly as a full bus. Little Cato was caught in such surprise he sat frozen to the spot, watching some people trying to rush out and stay on a single side of the bus-

"Kid!" Someone shouted, snapping Little Cato out of it- it was then the boy realized they were trying to balance the bus so it wouldn't fall off the cliff.

The stranger quickly grabbed Little Cato's bag and put it on his back before grabbing Little Cato himself and pulling him over to the other side.
The boy shivered, trying to find his breath until he caught a glimpse of blood and what looked like someon-

"Don't look" the man covered his eyes , dragging the boy over to a broken window where most had escaped through

Gulping down his fear, Little Cato nodded and crawled out from the wobbly bus, running out to stand besides the rest of the passengers as he watched the man that had helped him crawl out as well.

The boy's ears rang as his eyes remained wide, his legs felt numb but he couldn't care less as he watched the bus tip over and fall down the cliff- giving no chance for anyone to check if the other injured people were still alive.

Mostly everything was a blur, the sirens the crying, but Little Cato could hear the stranger's voice perfectly loud and clear fthrough all the noise

"Are you alright?" He asked, kneeling in front of Little Cato "here...this is yours" he handed him the backpack carefully.

Little Cato only nodded, taking the bag and hugging it tightly to his chest as the realisation hit him all at once. His eyes flooded with tears and he sniffed quietly as his breathing quickened

"Hey- hey- hey" the man came closer with a soft voice "deep breaths ok? In...and out....in...and out" he placed his hands over the boys shoulders as police and ambulances finally arrived

Some people came over and handed them shock blankets, to which both took great fully

"Can you walk?" The man asked Little Cato

"...no..." Little Cato whispered as he realized any step would be sure to make his legs give out

"Hey- its going to be ok" the other tried to comfort him "youre going to be ok, ok?" He smiled though Little Cato kept his eyes on the floor.
"Im going to pick you up...is that ok?" He asked cautiously, pausing a bit to get consent before smiling and picking the boy up when Little Cato nodded.