She didn't stop running until she was at least a few streets away. A deep and refreshing breath took some of the pressing, unwanted thoughts away from her mind and let the air carry them to another place. Away from her. She didn't want to feel. To think or reflect. She just wanted to escape it all.
The bus stop was her daily route to somewhere she felt comfortable. Anywhere, somewhere.
She entered the bus and took a seat. Through the window, she could make out the blurry lines of houses. She wondered what was going on inside other houses. What would it feel like to lead a normal life?
She stepped out of the bus and relaxed noticeably in the presence of the normal and exciting buzz of everyday life in the crowded streets around the city centre.
It comforted her that even though her life was so messed up and never changed back to normal like the time before her mother left, nothing really changed outside and that was a constant in her life she heavily relayed on. The fusion of the many faces, the noise, and the hum of activity immediately gave her a burst of energy. She didn't always have a lot of it, so she preserved it well.