The Hunt

Part 22

The bus rolled down the street slowly as I looked out of the window.

Beyond the pavement was a river, glittering beautifully under the rare sun. The industrial buildings along the side of the river were authentic, and added to the city's beauty.

I could almost taste the sweet, open air outside. I didn't remember the world to be so beautiful and breath-taking. The sky was clear and blue, with fluffy clouds sitting in it, floating along with the warm breeze.

Evan was a few seats away, sorting some business that was classified, with his job and all. He was on the phone, and he seemed to be stressed. I could tell by the way his brows knitted together when he was listening, and his mouth twisted in confusion.

I stared at his rough hair, that he kept messing up by running a hand through it constantly. He was here to help Lauren, yet he still wanted to help his colleagues.

That was kind of him, and he was kind. And sweet. And noble.

I remember when my father told me that if I ever met someone with humour or money, it would fade. But a man who was noble was a man worth keeping.

I missed my father in that moment, but I didn't think about him. I knew I missed him but I had to get over it. Lauren was missing, that's what I needed to concentrate on.

Not my father and certainly not Evan.

Evan suddenly caught me looking, and a blush crept up to colour my cheeks. He gave me a reassuring smile and I turned away.

Did Lauren love him? Of course, it wouldn't make a difference to me whether or not she did, but I just wonder how she felt around him.

I couldn't hear anything besides the murmur of people's thoughts, but I had long ago learnt how to shut them out.

I was staring at the beautiful scenery when I felt a sudden pain tear through my skull. I winced painfully and held a hand to my head.

What was that?

Just as I brushed it off, another strike of pain soared through my brain, causing me to close my eyes tightly in pain.

You're fine. Just calm down.

I looked out the bus window again, but the scenery was different to moments before. The river seemed duller and higher, too. The buildings on the side of the river were now crowding in around me, suffocating me and invading my space.

I'm crazy.

The air in the bus became heavy and I felt my temperature begin to rise.

My head ached again with the roar of pain and my ears started to buzz. My breathing started to fasten.

I can't breathe.

It felt as if someone was sat on top of my chest, and was choking the air out of me. I shut my eyes only to be greeted with a bright light.

It didn't go away when I opened my eyes, and I started to panic. My vision was suddenly back, but was the bus...swaying?

I felt sick and I needed air.

"Please," I wheezed out, hardly audible. "Stop."

No one noticed me as my vision went white again, leaving me blind for a few moments. I struggled to breathe.

"Stop," I said louder, and I saw Evan glance at me. That wasn't my problem, I didn't care if Evan noticed.

I needed air, I was suffocating.