Niall's Cancer Battle: A 1D Fanfic

Chapter Thirty-Five: Stranger

Chapter Thirty-Five: Stranger

**Niall's POV**

The cold wind bites into me as I walk with my head down towards the hotel. It's night time now, the streets of Las Vegas bright with the lights of casinos and resorts. There's hundreds of people on the streets making their way towards casinos or shows on the Strip. I avoid looking at the sidewalk. A couple minutes ago I passed a section of the sidewalk with nothing but naked women on it. It's slightly disturbing.

After leaving the hospital I had to make a couple stops at a few stores. I couldn't walk around in a hospital gown in Vegas, so I went to a thrift shop and bought some cheap clothes. I don't need anything fancy. I just bought a hoodie and a new pair of jeans. I made sure to stick the note in my new pair of pants before paying the cashier lady. She was really kind and even threw in a free belt.

I pull the hood over my head. The people walking around me are almost completely oblivious to their surroundings. They don't even notice who I am. Or maybe they just don't care. Whatever the reason may be, it's relaxing to know that I can walk the streets like another normal person.

"Watch it will you?!" A hard shoulder bumps into me, knocking the air out of me. A spin on impact and meet the glare of a long, black coated male. He gives me the finger before walking forward again.

But it's not the rude man that captures my attention. Behind him, at a farther distance, is another person. Their outline tall and thin. They stopped walking and are directly pointed in my direction.

"Shit," I mutter under my breath. I think the outline person is a male but I have no interest in really finding out. I turn back around and start walking again.

My heartbeat starts pounding again. I've had people stalk me before but this is different. I can feel the physical threat of this person. It's like they're following me, waiting for me to walk down some dark alley before they suddenly pounce on me and kill me.

I pick up my pace and keep my head down. Maybe if I make myself blend in with those around me then the person will back off.

"Just keep walking Niall," I tell myself. I can't psyche myself out.

"HEY!" A man's scratchy voice, like he hasn't had water in days, screams out behind me.

I take a quick glance behind me and see only the stalker. There are no people between us. No one on the sidewalks or cars in the streets. There's just him and I facing each other. My heart beat picks up. The instinct to run kicks in.

"HEY!" He screams again and starts running toward me. I don't hesitate anymore, I turn and I run.

In front of the sidewalks are bare and deserted. The lights around me start flickering on and off. The wind that has once chilled me stops until there is no wind at all. I gasp at the growing trees, the vines reaching out towards me. I sprint forward, keeping myself to the right of the sidewalk. The vines reach for me, thorns on each branch grow out sharp points, the leaves falling and floating around me.

I take a hard turn left, sprinting into the deserted streets. I hear loud buzzing noises and dodge left to not hit one of the outgrown vines. Why are the plants attacking me? Why are they growing out into the road?

"HEY! STOP!" The stalker screams again, his voice desperate, but I have no plans in stopping. I have to get away from him.

There's another loud blast of horns around me, the cause of which I don't understand. The streets are empty. I get on the other sidewalk and glance over my shoulder again. My stalker is across the street on the other sidewalk, facing me with his hands on his hips. For a stalker he isn't very much in shape.