The old man also stand up and walk slowly, very slow. V, realizing that the no one's going to climb down, walk.
His boots hadn't touch the stairs of the bus when suddenly, a cold person spike all over his body. Frozen, all he cold do was stare at the bus driver whose eyes look so big. It felt like it'll vomit the eyeballs out.
It was staring at him straight, and his eyes dart beside. He saw in his peripheral vision the people sitting at the bus in their weird pose. Some have their arms flail in their back, like gymnast, there's also a pair of kids sitting at the very from with their skin color devoid of anything. That's right, devoid.
The whole bus—Felt? no—Is very wrong.
Like somewhere along the way, there's nothing beside it but silence and eyes glued in him.
"Are you…?¿ Going to ride?" The bus driver spoke, destroying every clarity V had. It was commendable that his still able to look straight at it. The voice didn't sit well but at the same time it doesn't feel wrong. Contradiction.
"Re-a Ouy…¿? Rid oing?" This time, this time it's true. The voice was upped by not just one, or two. But more than what he could know.
The voice made him feel dizzy, the whole place look like it's moving. His body took a step–Step, Step–, Step–,Step—One after another.
Just when his about to board at the very inside, he was snatched. His body hit the ground. Mud covered him but it doesn't matter.
The old man look at him and smile. "I had a very good conversation that I never thought I'll have. All my life, I live with nothing but deception and caution."
"My family did the same, and I'm the one who turned them into one. I regret that I never had the chance to have a talk to my son and granddaughter. I love them very much but I never took it on anything but weakness. The only thing that's important to me was money and my business. My empire." The old man look at the sky, his cane played in his right hand.
Only then did V notice it's jagged and rough edges.Like it was use less of a cane and more of a weapon.
He opened it, with a twist in the cane, it reveal a thin but sharp sword, enough to seemingly split a metal into two if one had enough strength. Then, he twist it back closing the blade.
"You said so many things that made me think and once again understand, you walk with your left legs faltering. You don't look like someone who have problem in that area. I don't know what's making you weak but here, the cane I had was something that helped me more than I could remember. It's yours now." The old man said and throw the cane on V.
V instinctively Raised his arms, the cane landed on his hand. Perfectly, but even so. It was heavy for a cane. Doesn't seem useless though.
The old man smile and closed the umbrella his holding. He look at V one last time before stepping at the bus and then.
"I never had that much conversation young man." The old man said, and wave his hand above his head. Even though it was more of a rant than a conversation.
The moment the old man reached the board of the bus, the door closed slowly. A mist of cold air escape down the bus, crawling crazily toward V. V, out of his instinct stood up and step back.
His eyes turned into the window bus. He saw those passenger staring at him straight. Eyes wide. He can't look back, so he glare. Wanting to appear unafraid, he glare at them with his eyes. But soon it change in contempt and coldness when he saw their faces.
Their face and their reaction vary. Some look angry, some smiling with their lips reaching their ears–literally. Some had a neutral expression and there are those whose face you can't recognize anymore because of heavy mutilation.
V's body hair stood up—literally. He felt like those stare transcend space and dimensions. The coldness caressing his whole body, like it was some kind of massage. The silence howling in his ears so loud it feel like his losing his mind.
"Fuck, I need to get out of here." He said and look at the cane. Holding it in his left hand, he turned his whole body toward the shuttle board. The bus stop.
It was old, like ancient as in. The place was covered in over grown grass reaching the wooden plank that covered in mold and moss. It seems so feeble that once someone sit on it, it'll snap uncontrollably.
The board above that sheltered him in the rain was destroy and unrecognizable. Doesn't seem a place reliable enough to ward the rain for a two person.
Then lastly the light, there's none. No yellow light that attract the moth earlier. When he reached the place, he notice moth dancing in the lightbulb. There's no graffiti symbol, that is beside it.
"...Huff–" He want to stride. But his body says otherwise. So he marched.
He marched, in the utter darkness. With nothing but darkness in the side road.
Tap– Tap– Tap–
–Tap –Tap —Tap
The light post that supposed to light the road was nowhere to be seen. Instead the sound of his boots and cane was the only thing reverberating.
The darkness feels endless. No light seems gonna leak out, the sky was the same. Utter darkness.
Tip– Tip– Tip–
Just then he heard another sound, so loud it feels like it was walking Infront of him. The sound in question was like a person walking with his toes only.
—Tip —Tip Tip—
Then the sound change, from the front it now loudly echoing at the back of him. Sweat start running down his forehead, his spine straighten. He feels the need of urgency but because of that he need more to calm. He want to run but his rationality and instinct was telling him to march and ignore the echoes.
So he marched, he fasten but he didn't run. He doesn't know how long has he been marching but what he do know is his finally seeing a light.
Tip– Tip— Tip—
Just then the sound start to become weaker and weaker. And when he realize it he fasten more. He need to be urgent about this. Because something was gonna come if his one second late.
Just as the sound was gonna disappeared, He finally reached the light post. One after another, but he didn't stop there. He continue walking until he heard the sound of car honking.
He notice that cars starts to appear in the road. He sigh in relief but no more than that.
"Fuck that experience. What ever it was, I know that I this isn't over. Not in the least." He murmured. The feeling of being able to get out there was exhilarating.
He turned his attention toward the fast-food restaurant in the place. The was hungry, and sleepy but what he need right now was neither of those.