Seret

Chapter 13

Dreams have many meanings. From seriously describing your innermost desires to simply showing how you interpreted a scenario. At times they just show us something to keep us entertained while we sleep. Seret really hoped that the last one was true. The bus was quiet as they drove. Almost everyone was asleep, except for her, the businesswoman, and the bus driver [obviously]. The woman was on her phone, but not relaxing and scrolling, more like working. Seret wondered if that's what it took to be in a good stable job; working constantly and seriously all day, all night. She had never really thought about her future, more like she just knew that she wanted to be rich and independent. She wondered if the reason she yearned for that was because she feared becoming like her mum one day. She tried not to think about it too much. As it is there was already enough going on, she had to focus on their mission. Soon, the sun began to rise. Seret had never looked at the sky more than once before, but now she felt different. After everything that happened to her this served as a reminder that new days will always begin, and life will always continue to move on no matter what happens to you. She made her way to the front of the bus to take in the view. She felt like a new born bird seeing light for the first time, it was only now when she had realised just how beautiful the sky was.

A tissue waved in front of her. She looked to her right and saw Aiden. "It's better than anything you've ever seen, huh?"

She suddenly realised that a tear had trickled down her cheek. She had no clue why she would cry over something like that, but it felt good, somehow.

The bus pulled over for a morning pit stop. "Do whatever ya'll need to folks," said the bus driver, "this is the last stop for the next three hours." Seret checked the time, it was only 6 a.m. that meant they should arrive at 9. Seret proudly marched up to Aiden. "You were wrong brainy boy! We're gonna reach there 3 hours early." she said.

"No, I was right. 'Cause from here on we're cycling there." Aiden waved some cash in his hand and pointed to a bicycle rental shop.

"What! Why in the world would we cycle if we have a bus! Are you even crazier than I thought?"

"I'm sorry if it doesn't meet your standards Miss Princess." he spoke in a medieval accent, "Now would thou mind coming and choosing thy bike?" 

"Hold up" Seret stopped him, "I'm not doing anything till you explain."

"Ah, 'tis true that youth of today are not bright!" he drop the accent and returned to his normal voice, slightly deep, yet soft. "We need to change transportation to make sure we're not followed, or targeted.'

"But wouldn't it be easier to attack us on bikes?"

"True, but bikes will also make for an easier escape. You wouldn't want grandpa over there to be put in danger, would you?" 

Seret reluctantly agreed.

..........................................................

Cycling wasn't bad. It just wasn't the best. Besides, they were getting more strange looks than she was comfortable with. "We should plan how we're gonna approach 001."

"What do you mean. He'll be in school when we get there, all we gotta do is kidnap him and -"

"Woah, you wanna kidnap him!" Seret pulled over.

"Well, it's the easiest option we've got. I don't think he'll willing come with us." Aiden pressed his brakes.

"Firstly, what you want to do is illegal. You can't approach people like that! And what if he's gotten all big and macho? We need to be more strategic."

"Maybe you're right. I'll think of something." he continued cycling.

The journey felt never-ending. The sun was bright and hot without a cloud in the sky. Just as Seret's body was about to break down, the town came into view.

"We'll stop here and rest a bit before heading in." Aiden cycled towards a convenience store. Seret gladly followed and made a bee-line for the bathroom. Aiden said he'd be in the shop stocking up on supplies.

The walls were stained and the floor was crusty. The stuffy air reeked of cigarette smoke and alcohol. The stall door had fallen off it's hinges and the toilet seat was broken. It was not the cleanest but she felt like she was about to die. Thankfully there was running water. She cupped her hands and splashed the cold water on her sweaty face. Her reflection looked different in the cracked mirror. It looked like she had shed off her old self and completely reset. She could clearly see the exhaustion painted over her desperation. Is this what maturing looked like? If not, then she was not so scared to find out anymore. What could be worse than this, she thought.

There was a rapid knocking door. She hurriedly open it. "We need to get moving. Now!" Aiden grabbed her hand without even giving her a chance to speak and started running, using the forest as cover. She followed his lead, cautiously examining her surroundings. In the distance, she saw a woman dressed in a black jumpsuit, her hair in a pony and face hiding under a baseball cap. She took out a firearm and entered the bathroom were Seret was just moments before.

"She's with the Hoatzinites." said Aiden as he twisted through the trees. Seret tried her best to copy his movements but she struggled. Aiden continued, "They've been tracking us down ever since we left Doug's. I shouldn't have contacted Millie. I messed up!" his voice was filled with regret.

Seret looked at him shocked. She tried to stop him from running but he was stronger than her. Eventually she gave it her all and shouted, "Stop!" he quickly came to a halt. "Just listen to me for one minute. He looked ahead, "Make it quick." he said sharply. 

This was just a guess, but Seret was willing to take that risk, "Stop putting the blame on yourself. You could have never known that they were following us the whole time. I'm sure Millie is fine -"

"How do you know that!" Aiden snapped at her, he faced her, tightening his grip on her wrist. She was right, on the spot. "You know nothing! I've already lost Doug because of all of this, if something were to happen to Millie, I - I could never forgive myself ever again!"

His eyes swelled up exposing a part of him Seret hadn't seen before; a broken little boy blaming himself for the worlds problems. She glared straight into his eyes. "But that doesn't mean she would want you to live like that. She knows that you love her, and she loves you too. Trust me, people only stick around for that long when you truly mean something to them. They'll never blame you for something out of your control."

He sniffed, chocking back what was about to escape, "We need to get moving." he let go of her and continued running, heading out of this forest. Seret sighed, "Oh no, don't say anything to me, the person was trying to be kind enough to help you after you saved her life multiple times!". She got moving, pushing herself to catch up. 

Soon, they were jogging through the streets of the town. It wasn't anything special. It was small, crowded and homey. Everyone seemed to know each other, which meant strangers were given more attention than usual. They were stopped several times by grandma's who were out shopping. The old ladies were kind, but inquisitive. Seret and Aiden agreed on one story: They were siblings who came to town to look for a house for their Grammy. 

The high-school they were looking for was on the far side of town. Aiden seemed like he was in a hurry. He kept murmuring to himself on the way there. Seret was getting an idea of just how insecure he could be. If they came across any though situation she would have to prepare herself to be strong because after today she wasn't sure how he'd react. Yeah, it was right to get out of there as soon as possible. But he didn't act as emotionally stable as he should be. Seret found it ironic, most guys are tough and you rarely see them cry but with him a slight tremble in his state of mind and he tears up. It was concerning, but she didn't have time to ponder more. They found themselves standing at the entrance to Blackwood High School, swarmed with hundreds of teenagers, "Any one of them could have an ability that can be powerful enough to destroy this peaceful town." said Aiden. "Yep, this should be a piece of cake."