Searching the Darkness

Chapter Twenty Three: Careful What You Wish For

I clutched the ticket tighter in my hand, waiting for the bus to arrive. I had snuck out of the apartment once Cas had fallen asleep, leaving behind nothing but a torn photograph. Even if I had lost my sight once again, I knew that picture like I knew the streets of Lawrence; there wasn't a single crack that I wasn't familiar with.

I had picked up the picture, thinking back on it. It was when Sammy turned three, his face covered with blue frosting as he shoved the cake into his mouth. I was laughing next to him, my hands stained the same color as I tried to save the rest of the cake from my baby brother's wrath.

Taking a deep breath, I tore the picture in half, separating Sam and I. I threw it on the floor, not caring where the pieces landed. I shouldered my duffle bag and left. It probably took me an hour to get to the bus station, but it was worth the walk. I made my way to the teller's booth and bought an express ticket to Nowhere.

I finally heard the bus pull up, the doors opening and beckoning me on. With my walking stick leading the way, I climbed aboard. "Need help there, son?" the driver, I assumed, asked.

"No, thank you," I mumbled, feeling along the bus for an empty seat.

"It's just you and me right now, son. Take any seat you'd like."

"Thanks," I said quietly, slumping into a seat on the back of the bus. Sighing, I leaned my head against the window. I must've fallen asleep, because I woke up to a noisy group of women talking.

"Laurie, that is just the most darling purse!" one exclaimed.

"Why, thank you, Gloria," Laurie replied. "You know, I bought it on sale for $45!"

"Did you, now?" a new voice asked. "Well, I'll have to stop and buy one for myself!"

Gloria laughed. "You don't need any more purses, Helen."

I could practically picture Helen sticking her nose into the air. "And you don't need any more men, but here we are-"

That set the trio into battle, each of them complaining about the other two. I groaned and pushed my glasses up so I could rub the bridge of my nose. A few minutes later, another loud group of people stumbled onto the bus. It sounded like they had all been drinking and were in serious need of an AA meeting.

I groaned, lightly smacking my head into the window. Ugh, people, I thought bitterly. There is no end to their stupidity. Closing my eyes again, I attempted to block out all the bickering and drunken storytelling. Somehow, I managed to fall asleep once more, my unconscious mind bringing me nightmares and repressed memories. I woke up covered in a light sweat, my breathing sporadic. I had to take a few deep breaths to calm myself down before I could become aware of my surroundings once again.

I was still on the bus, and it was still moving. That was a good sign. The angry women had all stopped arguing, much to my relief, and had taken opposite seats along the bus. The group of AA dropouts must've passed out. I could still smell the stench of fresh alcohol and cigarettes hanging in the air. A few more people had gotten on while I was asleep, their voices pleasantly soft. I closed my eyes and settled back into the seat, hoping for a few more hours of rest.

We went over a large bump and I frowned, my eyes snapping back open. Something was making a strange noise, and I wasn't liking the sound of it. Something along the lines of metal on metal, a scraping noise that I knew wasn't natural. Carefully standing up and making my way to the front of the bus, I felt for the driver's shoulder. "Something's wrong with the bus. I think an axle-" I was cut off as a rear tire blew off the axle, the entire bus tilting dangerously to the side.

People began screaming, panic spreading like the plague. The driver attempted to slow the bus down, but we hit a patch of ice. The rear of the vehicle spun around, sending me flying to the side. The last thing I remembered was shattering glass and a loud boom.