pickup on mean street - 11. back to the bus station

by bofa xesjum

part eleven of 16

for previous chapter, click here

to begin at the beginning, click here

gabriel began walking back to the bus station. as he did, his situation began to truly dawn on him. he had placed all his hope on reaching annie or cleo with aunt amelia’s letter. but it had not worked out, and now he had nowhere to go, and he was out of money. could he steal money? or steal anything? he had never engaged in such activity and did not think he had the nerve to begin. maybe he should just go back to the building, and take his chances on dealing with the “security” the woman at the door had threatened him with. he did not know what kind of “security” she had been referring to. the kind that would arrest you and throw in a cell but at least feed you? or the kind of “security” that would kill you. and maybe “have some fun” with you before finishing you off. gabriel had heard many stories about such behavior in his long and terrifying journey across the continent. he decided to keep walking to the bus station. and then suddenly it hit him, like the bricks from a blown up city rolling down the tallest mountain in the world… the woman who had closed the door in his face and threatened him with security - she had never said who she was! was she annie or cleo? she might not have been either one! and he had not seen any sign of the threatened “security”. he turned and looked back. nobody seemed to be following him. he had just about made up his mind to go back when he realized he had arrived back at the bus station. which seemed to be closed, or at least deserted. gabriel pushed at the front door. it opened. he did not see anybody inside. either passengers, or employees. a single small light was on behind the ticket counter, but there was no person behind it. it was warm inside the station. not roaring fire warm, but not cold like it was outside, where the temperature had dropped steadily as he had made his way back from the building. he sat down on one of the benches, just to rest his feet before starting back. he leaned back against the high back of the bench. suddenly he was tired… very tired… next