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The droplets coursed down the windowpane while a few street lights made my eyes squirm. My shirt had been soaked due to rain. I walked in the bus noticing a few people dozed with their mouths open. A man in his fifties had held a book in his hand, letting the words absorb in his soul. A girl, who seemed to be in her mid-twenties had stuffed her ears with earphones, staring at the hazy scenery. Taking up a single seat, I made myself comfortable. I didn't know where my life was heading. I wasn't sure if running away from my house was the right choice. 

"Remember, this is the only way you could avoid the prophecies from turning into reality. You have to be the strongest seventeen-year-old boy." The words of Kai looped in my inward mind as I closed my eyes. My heart warmed up thinking about the friends I had left behind in Ash Ville. I only realised that the rain is cold. My skin carries the heat of my blood because my inner fires burn strong. My friends weren't a bunch of people but just two in number. Kai accompanied me since I was four. People used to say that after my father left my family, my mother started behaving weird. Which is true. She behaves weird even to this day. I did try to make changes within myself when I was young thinking that she behaved that way because I didn't reach her expectations. But all my efforts declined, resulting in our bond worsen and reaching a point where we did not care about each other anymore. My memories of my father consisted of just his warm touch and strong cologne. I know that's strange, but it's the only intangible thing he left behind as a memory. I have never met him nor do I know the way he looks. Even his name is a mystery to me. 

My second friend, Ryan, was a twelve-year-old boy. We first met in a local library where he worked arranging the piles of books according to genres on the huge shelves. Kind at heart holding innocence which I lost too early, made me pull towards his personality. Ryan was like a younger brother for me, who I wished to protect from this cruel world. 

To shove all the memories, I started staring back at the sprinting trees. I feel the movement of the wheels over the road, following the curves and greeting each slope in its smooth way. I cannot remember the last time I took a bus ride, maybe when I hung out with Ryan at a 'Reader's Exhibition' three years ago. Never mind, all I know is these bus rides are my meditation, a chance that lets me ponder over any random thoughts and let them flow into the thin air. 

"A place with mirrors. That's the place you need to find."

I nodded, agreeing to what Kai whispered next to my ear. The vibrations of his voice were engraved deep in my brain. The future is unpredictable, the choices I make now will surely haunt me in the future. I cannot focus on anything more, just wanting to let myself be soaked in the calmness of nature. Escaping from your house is surely a tiring thing to do. 
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