Her Wendigo Chapter 2

Predator

Lia tilted her head back when the bus hit a hard bump. Her eyes gazed out the window with her heavily hooded eyes. On the other side of the window was pure darkness. Her reflection was dimly shown on the window, she could see the red spot on her forehead were it's been pressed up against the cold glass of the window. Up ahead she could glimpse at the brush and dense trees on the side of the road that the bus lights would illuminate. The small bus was moved along slower than it needed to. The windows creaked over bumps.

The bus driver drove on in silence. Two other passengers sat in the bus. Right behind the driver was an old man scribbling in a sudoku book. White hair grew from his beard and balding head. In the back was a young man. He sat curled up playing on some mobile device, Lia could not make out. The noise from the device quietly sounded through the bus. But it was mostly muffled by the bus's engine and creaking.

The bus slowed, then stopped. Lia jolted her head up again to look out the window.

It wasn't her stop.

A man walked on. As he stepped on the bus his weight tilted the bus.

He walked down between the seats and sat in the seat across from Lia. The bus doors shut and the bus lurched forward. The bus picked up speed, she could feel herself being pushed lightly into her seat. Lia sat up, straightening her back. She kept her head tilted to the window. She was barely keeping her eyes open.

The man sat up straight, sitting closer to the window. He would scroll on his phone while occasionally glancing to Lia. The sleeve of his leather jacket slumped back slightly, revealing his tattoo sleeve just below the hand that was scrolling through the phone. The other hand stayed in his pocket. His short brown hair was wet, almost glistening under the passing street lights.

She stared out into the night with drooping eyes oblivious to the man in the other seat that kept glancing to her.

Leaning back she sighed. She should have brought a book with her, or something to keep her busy. Lia took a moment to consider if she should go buy a book when they reached their stop. 

She smiled dreamily looking out the window again. She should try to find Vex's poetry book. Over a thousand times or more she must have read it. Vex has read it countless times to her as well.

The bus stopped again.

She looked out the window. It was her stop.

That was faster than she expected. 

Lazily yet swiftly, she collected her bag and walked off the bus. She thanked the driver before stepping off the last step of the bus. Outside the bus it was raining. Not as hard as before. She slipped her hood over her head before heading down the sidewalk. The streetlights here shined much brighter and stung her eyes.

She wasn't sure how much sleep she got while riding the bus. She had no phone and didn't bother to see the digital clock in the bus to see the time. Lia figured though, that she did not get enough.

As she walked down the street she realized that the bus stop was quite isolated. There seemed to be a large park across the street and thick trees on her side. She was sure there was some inn or hotel she could spend the night in. In not too far distance she saw many lights. Hopefully, she won't leave this one a mess too.

Footsteps splashed in the small puddles on the sidewalk behind her. Turning around she saw it was the man who sat across from her on the bus. His hood of the sweater under his leather jacket that she had not noticed before was over his head.

She couldn't see his face.

Turning back around she smiled. She wondered if he was traveling far. He could be visiting a friend, maybe coming home? Who knows. He didn't seem as tired as she was. She bet he got some good sleep before coming onto the bus. He didn't seem tired at all.