Blind

Chapter 5: Bloody Hell

I was having nightmares again.
It's been a while since that happened...
I looked up as the bus pulled up next to the stop.
The door opening, leading to a small flight of steps to board it. I pushed the quarters I had into the small stand next to the entrance and began to make my way to the back.
The doors closed behind me and the bus gave a small jerk l before it began to move.
I felt an odd feeling grow in my stomach.
Something wasn't right.
I shuffled to the back of the bus, but for some reason, a few passengers gave me a weird look. The bus was packed with people, I guess they felt annoyed by the movement.
I excused myself as I bumped into a man. He was tall with broad shoulders, standing right by the end in a two-piece suit.
"Oh, no issues." He smiled at me. Our eyes met for a second and he seemed to be a bit out of the edge.
"Wait... You ..." He squinted at me. As if trying to find something.
The bus gave a jerk and I fell forward.
"Hey, stop hoarding the space, people want to get through you know, missy." The driver called out.
"Sorry!" Apologizing. I moved past the man and finally place myself at the window seat at the very back.
My home was pretty far, most probably the last stop. Hopefully, the bus will clear out by then.
I rested my head against the window glass. It vibrated against it, but somehow I always felt relaxing.
I felt a slight tap on my shoulder. Looking over, I saw an elderly woman, calmly placed beside me.
Her eyes were the deepest blue I had ever seen.
"Now tell me, sweetie, what brings you here so quickly? At such a young age all alone ?" She asked, her voice fringed with sympathy.
I felt a bit confused.
"Well... My parents are always busy picking me up from school so I just take the bus." I answered with a smile.
She shook her head.
"My, they shouldn't have done that! But I guess you'll never know how important something is till it's gone, isn't it." She gave me a graved look before gesturing to all the people on the bus.
"All of us are the same as you."
I couldn't help but feel my stomach twist into a knot.
I shouldn't ask her this question.
"Say, Granny, where is this bus going?"
The man in the suit looked over at me as if he found what he was searching for.
"You shouldn't be here, should you?" He smiled sadly.
I blinked before turning to the old woman.
"Far, far away from this world. " She chuckled in a frail, cracked tone.
Her wrinkled skin pushed to the sides of her face as her lips pressed into a thin line.
"I need to get off." I stood up but a hand wrapped around my wrist.
"Why? Aren't you tired of this world, Chelsea? Aren't you sleepy?" She said in a calm, coaxing tone.
"Don't you want to be... Free?"
I felt myself waver.
Free.
Slapping myself on my cheek, I pushed forward.
"Stop, you don't know what you're doing! " A deep voice called out from behind me as I felt a hand claw at my back.
"No, I need to get off," I repeated, firmly.
You need to or I'll be dead.
I pushed farther and farther through the crowd. The people seemed to multiply in numbers, it was stuffed to the point I was pulling myself through the crowd.
"Come back!" A demonic voice shrieked.
I pressed my palms against my ears, blocking out all and any sound.
I saw the emergency stop button right near the door.
Almost there.
I reached my hand out and brought it down, slamming it as the bus gave a sudden jerk and came to a stop.
I raised my head and breathing, mouthfuls of air as if I resurfaced from underwater.
The bus was nearly empty.
And none of the faces on it was recognisable. They were all different.
"Girl, if you weren't going to ride the bus why'd you get on? " The driver yelled out. The voice was different, I held onto the small poll next to the open doors.
I shook my head.
"Sorry," I called out, before getting off. I felt the bus doors close behind me. I realized I was at the same bus stop. Not even a foot ahead. I felt guilty for disturbing the passengers.
"You okay?" A silky voice addressed me from my left.
I snapped in its direction. A leanly muscular teen, just around my age stood, hands in pockets a few meters away from me.
"Yeah," I replied shortly.
I can't trust him, I've learnt looks are deceiving.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." He joked.
Ignorance is bliss, ain't it.
I gave him a half-smile before I began walking ahead.

That's not the first time I encountered that incident. The people on the bus, I was sure they weren't alive, but they weren't dead either. They were souls of the living trapped in a nest.
I knew this, I saw this. But somehow, I felt shaken. If I hadn't realized sooner .....

I felt my legs buckle underneath my knees. Falling to the pavement I held my upper body up with my hands out-stretched in front of me. My stomach churned.
I'm going to be sick.
"Thought soo looks like you enjoyed your ride." A hand caressed the space between my shoulders. I looked up, eyeing the boy from the bus stop.
"I ain't a mugger, swear I'm a child of God." He smiled. "Let's get you something to drink." He helped me up but my legs wobbled beneath me.
I forced myself to moved forward but ended up tripping.
"Stephen, just by the way." He said, catching me mid-fall before he slid his arm around my waist, giving me enough support to stand.
"Well, Stephen," I glanced at him," I'll be fine. Just help me to the bus stop."
He shook his head, his dark hair falling over his left eye.
"I'm the only living thing keeping them from taking you, I ain't taking my chances, I like my night's sleep." He chuckled before helping me up.
This will be fun...