The Backpacker's Dream

10. The Queen

Something didn't feel right.

My back was hurting, my legs were pressed to my chest, the buckle of my bag was pressing to the side of my forehead, the cold floor was giving me shivers and my jacket had covered my eyes.

I wanted to open my eyes but was unable to and someone was shaking me wildly and it felt like my name was being called but why the sound felt like an echo?

Something didn't feel right. It felt like an awkward situation.

Where am I?

'Scarlett.....' I could hear my name but my eyes felt too heavy to open it, to respond to my name.

'Hey, open your eyes...' Someone was lightly slapping me.

'Scarlet, wake up, wake up, wake up...' and the shaking continued and then I received a tight slap on my face.

I got up speedily. 'Hey, where am I? What happened? Why am I like this?' I was panicking and lifted my fingers to feel that my cheeks were moist.

'You were crying in your sleep. I was trying to wake you up but you were not listening and you were sleeping on the floor, all balled up like a baby. Are you fine?' I looked at Ruby and her eye was still black.

'Yeah, I am good, just had some memories or a flash, don't know what but I am feeling better now.' I was massaging my head and looked around and saw that the sunlight had entered in her home since there was a giant hole on the sagging ceiling. 'What's the time, I have to go back and I don't even know from where to take the bus.'

'It's around 10 and don't worry. I know ways here. You go and freshen up.'

She was wearing the same clothes from last night and everything about that dreadful night came crashing down upon me.

I got up from my stumbling position and headed towards the door she pointed at. I went inside and looked around. Could it be called a bathroom? It was plain and empty. I found a cracked mirror hanging by the nail, a small bucket and a mug located near the drain hole and a toilet. The walls were decorated with the scribbling stories and a splash of blood. Deep stories were hidden in the four yellow covered walls waiting to be discovered but where were the ears?

Where this journey has taken me?

We started walking silently after eating a granola bar that I had in my bag. On the broad daylight, this place didn't give hibbie jibbies rather looked quite as if the night had erased all the traces of lurking fear and then I remembered something.

'Ruby, I saw the police station near this place. It kind of looked like a haunted house to me but it was seriously a room full of officers. We could go to them.'

And then maybe find that bald leach that would be preying on some other victim.

'Oh! That haunted house? It's not a police station but a theatre house. They must be doing some drama on police force and though it's not a glorifying fact but even real police doesn't care for us since most of them love to have a taste of young girls and even if by mistake they catch the hold of bastards, it's the girls that have to undergo the tortures. The questions they ask to us are humiliating; they look at us like we are born to be humiliated.'

Would it be surprising to say that she had a smile on her face while saying all this? It was just like she had accepted her fate or our system had stepped up on the ladder of miseries.

'Well, I am afraid I can't go beyond this point. From here, you just have to take a left turn, go straight and then on the right-hand side, you will find some city bus that will take you to your destination. Be safe and may we meet again.' She came and hugged me but quickly let me go like she was afraid of some attachment.

'May we meet again but in good circumstances for both of us.' I gave her my little snack packet and headed towards the bus stop.

Throughout my bus journey, one sentence was revolving around my head, "You made me feel like a queen."

So simple but carrying so much weight.

By the time I reached the hostel, the sky was enveloped in yellow and orange colour where the sun was peeking from behind the clouds giving way to the moon and stars to dance in the night sky.

The moment I entered the room it was all covered in piles of clothes. Thankfully, my bed was saved from the catastrophe.

'What's happening?' Everyone seemed in a rush.

'Hey Scarlett, where have you been all night?' I opened my mouth to utter a word when Emma beat me into it. 'Never mind, did you forget that we have bonfire night? It's going to be so much fun.'

Oh yess! Bonfire Night, I totally forgot about that.

I looked at her and she had curlers over her head, some peel mask on her face and then I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair looked like the home for birds, my face was screaming to be washed and my clothes were all wrinkled.

And in that glorious moment, James decided to enter from the door and his eyes automatically met mine.

'Scarlet, where were you all night? I was worried about you. When did you come back?'

He marched towards me and hugged me.

Red alert! Back off, Scarlet, you do not smell nice.

I hesitated but I couldn't take risk of him being too close in my parameters so, I backed away a little bit. 'I came just now and I stayed at my friend's place. Sorry, I couldn't inform you guys.'

Emma was too bothered to be disturbed with the dresses but James had that look on his face that did something to my heart.

'Well, I hope you are fine but freshen up now.' The way he told me and looked at me, it made me feel like I had a wrestling match with a bear. 'It's going to be so much fun in the bonfire. You will love it and I will make sure of that.' He had that twinkle in his eyes.

'I am looking forward to it.'

Definitely I am.

Hope sprinkled inside my head and something about this night made me excited like it was ready to be claimed.

'Yeah, Scarlett get dressed. We will rock the night. We will be queens of the night.' Emma looked super excited than I had seen her these past few days.

Funny though, the word queen lingered in my head making me realise that yes, everyone did want to feel like a queen though it held different meanings to different persons.

But queen nevertheless.

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