I leaned against the rough bark of the tree, my back sliding down until I was sitting on the cold ground.
Every breath hurt.
My body ached from the fall, sharp pain spreading through my ribs and shoulder, but I ignored it.
Pain was easier than thinking.
Above me, the night sky stretched wide and endless.
The stars were bright, scattered like tiny pieces of glass across black velvet.
It was quiet out here.
No shouting.
No footsteps.
No doors slamming.
Just the wind moving softly through the leaves.
For a moment, it almost felt peaceful.
My eyelids grew heavier with every passing second.
I tried to stay awake, listening to the distant hum of a road somewhere beyond the trees.
But exhaustion wrapped around me like a heavy blanket.
The last thing I remember was staring at the stars and wondering how something so calm could exist while everything else felt like it was falling apart.
Then sleep took me.
———
Birds woke me.
Their chirping cut through the morning air, bright and loud, pulling me back into consciousness.
My neck hurt.
My shoulder felt stiff.
When I tried to move, pain shot through my body again.
But I pushed myself up anyway.
The sky had turned pale blue, and the early sunlight filtered through the trees.
For a moment I just stood there, trying to gather my thoughts.
My head throbbed painfully, the dull pounding of dehydration pressing behind my eyes.
I didn't react to it.
There was only one thing in my mind.
The gas station.
I stepped onto the road and started walking.
Each step felt mechanical, like my body was moving on its own.
Cars passed occasionally, their engines humming as they disappeared down the long stretch of asphalt.
I didn't look at them.
I ignored every single one.
My eyes stayed forward, focused only on the road ahead.
The only thought repeating in my mind was simple.
Just make sure it isn't his car.
The gas station eventually appeared in the distance, small and quiet beside the empty road.
Relief flickered through me, but it didn't slow my pace.
Inside, the fluorescent lights buzzed softly. The place smelled faintly of coffee and gasoline.
I walked straight to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and brought it to the counter.
My hands trembled slightly as I set the few coins I had beside it.
"Just this."
I said quietly.
The cashier barely looked up.
I twisted the cap open and drank half the bottle immediately, the cold water burning down my dry throat.
Then the radio crackled.
The music cut off abruptly.
A serious voice replaced it.
"Breaking news. Fifteen-year-old boy named Viktor Kardy went missing yesterday. Last location he was seen at school. Appearance: heterochromia, brown hair—"
My heart stopped.
For a split second the entire world felt frozen.
I didn't listen to the rest.
The bottle slipped slightly in my grip as panic surged through me.
Before the announcer could say another word, I turned and ran.
The cashier shouted something behind me, probably about the change or the water, but I didn't stop to listen.
I just ran.
The road blurred beneath my feet as I sprinted away from the gas station, my breathing uneven and sharp.
My chest burned, but I kept going.
Then I saw it.
A bus.
It had just stopped on the side of the road, its doors open.
I didn't think.
I ran straight toward it and climbed inside, quickly handing the driver some coins without looking up.
"Ticket to the last station you stop."
I muttered.
The driver took the money without asking questions.
I moved down the aisle and dropped into an empty seat near the back.
Only then did I finally look around.
The bus was quiet.
People talked softly to each other.
A couple sat together near the middle.
Two children laughed somewhere behind me.
Someone was scrolling on their phone.
Normal life.
Normal people.
My heart was still racing as I stared out the window.
The bus began moving again.
One thought kept repeating in my head.
Why is there a bus stop in the middle of nowhere?
But I didn't care.
Not right now.
Right now, I just needed to get away.