A Silhouette and Maybe More

Who's on the Bus?

The pitter patter of the rain hitting the leaves was rather soothing as I sat and waited. I didn't know what I was waiting for, I guess I was just waiting for when the time was right to leave. Something about that discussion made me feel uncomfortable just as much as it made me confused. Why would Dan ask Kyle to deliver the letter when he felt the time was right? What if he didn't know when the time was right? What if Dan hadn't died, when would he have given it to me then?

I could feel a throbbing pain pulsate through my head, all the thinking was giving me a headache. Maybe now is the time to leave. I stood up rather too quickly and had made myself feel dizzy but however I ignored it thinking it would just disappear. I started to walk on the pathway that I once walked along on my first day here in London just after I moved away from my parents' house. Over the past year I began to map out London by myself and knew it like the back of my hand, but like Dan in a way, there was still so much more to discover. My feet had a mind of their own as they guided me back to my flat. I didn't really think about the direction I had to go in, I didn't think about the coldness that was beginning to spread from my fingertips and up and I didn't think that something was wrong when I collapsed to the ground. My conscious had been ripped away from me by the darkness and I lay there, feeling the icy temperature radiating off the ground.

What had happened; I didn't know, but whatever did happen I found myself waking up in my own bed. My body turned itself on like flicking the switch to a machine. I felt fine. No headache, no drowsiness or feeling faint, I felt completely fine. I arose from my bed and wondered through the dark hallway following the light that came from the kitchen. There was no sign of Abigail anywhere, but it was late so she would be out partying somewhere.

It took me two minutes to realise that there was a posted note on the fridge from Abigail explaining where she was, but no explanation of how I got home. Like I usually would when I'm in the kitchen I would make myself a cup of strong coffee and sit. Someone must've brought me home, and whoever it was must've known who I was and if they didn't, how would they of known where I lived? I stopped thinking about it, last time I thought too much I collapsed so it was better to leave it aside.

I reached for my laptop and decided to find a film to watch, but when I opened my lid the first thing that popped up onto the screen was a small paragraph, written on a word document.

I found you lying on the ground unconscious, you didn't seem too well. I knew who you were, I see you on the bus every time you go to work but you never pay attention to my face. Maybe you should start to, then you could maybe thank me one day. You're welcome.

This bizarre letter had me baffled, this anonymous person watched me while I sat on the bus - not paying attention to anyone's face never mind theirs - and studied me. Why would it matter if I didn't pay attention to their face? If it mattered that much to them then why won't they just talk to me? I tried to imagine myself sitting on the bus and the regulars that would take the same bus, but I couldn't or no face in particular came to mind. I decided to solve this mystery tomorrow as I was due to work. For now, I had pushed that aside and went to bed, with my warm mug of coffee in hand.

The vibration of my phone against the hard wooden desk was so loud that I almost jolted out of my bed in a hurry, but then stopped myself when I saw that I had plenty of time to get ready. Once I was changed and washed I left my flat to find this mysterious person who had taken me home last night. I was slightly nervous but I wasn't entirely sure why.

The usual bus arrived at my stop and I sat in my normal seat. Usually I would be listening to my music and stare out the window, but I remembered what that person said: 'but you never pay attention to my face'. I discreetly studied everybody's face trying to spot if there was someone looking suspicious but they were a just normal people getting on with their lives. Having found nothing I went back to my usual routine of staring out the window for the next 3 stops.

One stop before mine I decided to take another scan of everyone on the bus. Everything and everyone was still here...except the guy at the front. It was something about him that made his seem to mysterious: the inexplicable reason for his hood to be up, he kept to himself like there was an imaginary box closing in on him and I wondered why a person would act in a such a weird and confusing way.

This was my stop, time to leave. I could feel my heart pounding hard in my chest. As I nearing him I wasn't sure whether to ignore or him or take a look at him, but I guess I had to ignore him as he hid his face from me. Why ask to pay attention to his face and not show me it? I was determined that this was the guy and I had to look at him. I jumped of the bus and I immediately turned round before the bus doors closed, and through the same gap I saw him. Just a tiny fracture of his face illuminated against the dark blue jumper that he wore. I could see his smirk creeping up the side of his cheek, but it was nothing compared to those eyes.

Those eyes. Those blue, blue eyes. I could tell straight away. He stared at me while the bus began to pull away from the bus bay. I knew that this wasn't just a fragment from my imagination and there was no doubt in what I saw.

It was him.