Sunday, January Twentith, 6:00 A.M….

“Rory, sweetheart, we need to leave.” Grey’s voice purred from in front of me. I groaned and held onto his arm, making him stay down. This was one of the best nights of sleep I had gotten in weeks! I didn’t want to give it up now!

“Five more minutes?” I whimpered. Grey’s gravelly voice chuckled. He tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear and shook me gently. “No, we have at least two hours of road ahead of us. I want to get you there with plenty of time.” He coaxed. Grumbling, I sat up. The room was dark and heavy with the snores of the other bikers. I blinked awake slowly and put on my jackets. My fingertips ran through my hair in a desperate attempt to catch it back in a ponytail.

We walked out of the building. Grey handed me a helmet, the one I had used before. I put it on my face. The world was dimmed through the visor and the sleepy town was almost shadows.

Without another word, Grey kicked the bike into life. A stern hum filled the air as the bike slowly began to roll away. I clung behind Grey, my arms tightly hugging his waist. He chuckled again.

“Is it better than the first time?” He asked me. I thought for a moment as we rolled onto the highway.

“A bit.” I responded. My attention wasn’t turned to our conversation, but more to holding on for dear life. Grey’s headlights lit up a bright stream of light along the road, although the sun was just beginning to appear and gnaw away at the eastern edge of the sky.

The ride wasn’t boring, but it was long. I don’t know how the man can keep going for hours on end. The soothing tone of the engine with the long stretches of black asphalt would lull me to sleep. We kept on going for a solid two hours. When we finally stopped in Goldfield, the biker’s watch read eight o’clock sharp.

The town was desolate and small. Even the sun couldn’t bring life to the worn down buildings. There was a small convince store that needed a new paint job. The rolling stretches of brown grass gave way to dirty grey cement that looked like it hadn’t been used in years. Tumbleweeds littered the one sidewalk I could see. A gas station had two men talking outside of it. There was a dinner just down the street. A bus stop was to my right.

I stepped off the bike that still hummed with life. Grey took off his helmet and I handed him mine. He stored it in the back.

“Thanks for the ride, Grey!” I smiled. He nodded and grinned back.

“Do you need me to stay here and wait with you?” He asked nervously. I shook my head.

“No, no, don’t worry. They should be here soon.” I assured, although I had no clue about who would be here at what time. Grey nodded, not completely convinced, but knowing that I could take care of myself.

“Okay, you still have my number, right?” I nodded and felt the little folded up piece of paper in my pocket. I guess it had stayed in there the entire time. I must’ve grabbed it before I had taken off the bus.

“I’ll call you, don’t worry.” I said softly. He leaned forward and kissed my cheek softly. I hugged him tightly. I don’t want Grey to go, but I do need to get back home.

“Goodbye, Grey. I hope to see you soon.”

“We’ll meet again, don’t worry. I’ll see you soon.” He looked sad, but forced a smile on his lips as he turned around and zoomed out of view. I watched as he disappeared from the way we had come.

With sorrow tinging my lips, I slowly walked towards the bus stop. I just needed to sit down for a moment and process my next move. I was in the right town, but I didn’t know where I needed to be. I suppose there had to be a place that had Wanderer on it?

Might as well start there.

I looked around at the brown and grey surroundings. My eyes read every sign, from those hanging on the windows of the greying wood planks on every building. A few cars passed me, but no one stopped to stare at the weird girl sitting out on a bench alone in the early morning.

That’s when I spotted the street sign. Wanderer Street.

Sure enough, when I looked up, I saw a sign that said Wanderer Street bus stop-not in use.

Well, I guess this is the spot.

I curled up on the side of the disused bus stop. I wondered how long I would have to wait. Unfortunately, I was stupid enough that I had forgotten my bag when I escaped Ricky’s house so I had no money, no pocket knives, and no water. I was out of luck.

I wanted to punch something or scream. I needed to rip something apart with my fingers and feel the destruction I could cause. I was pissed at my situation. I’m dead tired of living like this, always on the run, always afraid. I want to be angry and mad and rage. But nooooo. I can’t do that. I’m alone. I’m scared. I just want to get home. I’m exhausted and a mess. I just want to sleep or punch something. My emotions are a wreck.

I lay there, boiling in anger and steaming in sadness. The hours passed by. I became hungrier and hungrier. My tongue was drying out. I panted because of the heat, although this wasn’t as bad as California. Taking off my jacket, I used it as a pillow to rest while I waited.

How late were the boys? I think if they were actually here, waiting for me, they would have seen me by now.

That’s when it occurred to me.

The band that’s supposed to pick me hasn’t come yet. They were late. Great. Just great. They were late and maybe they even forgot about me. What a great start to just a sucky day.

I stopped and paused, taking a few deep breaths and closing my eyes. I should be grateful that someone’s even coming at all. I need to be thankful that there will be at least one stroke of good luck, if not today, then maybe tomorrow.

Trying to be positive was exhausting, but it let me pass out and fall asleep for a little while.

When I opened my eyes from the darkness, I saw that it was equally as dark outside. But I was not alone.

Someone sat on the bench with me. I slowly sat up, blinking away spots as I tried to recognize the familiar shape. When it occurred to me who it was, I yelped and jumped up.

“Ricky!” I nearly yelled. The shape jumped up after me.

“Orion, it’s just me!” He soothed. I took a breath and leaned against the bus stop. The metal creaked unhappily. Ricky walked over to me and held something out to me.

“Where are the others?” I demanded, not taking the shape that dangled from his fingers. Ricky sighed and looked around. I could barely make out his face in the dark.

“Not here. I got away for a little. They’re in the town. They’re keeping an eye on you, Rory. There are some people out there that will take you if they find you or hear of your escape.” Ricky warned. I slowly took the object that he thrust into my chest, but my eyes were still locked on his.

“Bring Me the Horizon?” I asked bitterly. Ricky nodded slowly, as if mulling over a pot of dark thoughts. The moon was dull tonight. It hid behind a cloud, as frightened as I was.

“Yes. There’s…things…that happened. We just want you safe. That’s why I wanted you on the bus. You know this.” Ricky pleaded. A frown formed on my face. I glared at him menacingly.

“Yeah, I know. But you should also remember that I can take care of myself. I’m just trying to get home to my sister. Staying on that bus won’t get me there any quicker and it was hell for me. When someone escapes hell, they don’t make it a priority to get back there.” I snarled. Ricky looked sad as he stared at his feet, shuffling them in the grass and dirt. There was a long pause. The silence swallowed us alive.

“There’s another reason why I wanted you on the bus. Why we all wanted you on the bus. It’s not just about your safety.” Ricky mumbled. I folded my arms together and stared at him.

“Is this your little secret?” I spat, letting some of my pent up anger spill over.

“Yeah. Rory, you have to listen to me-“

“Do I have a choice?”

He fell silent before starting again. “Bring Me the Horizon took your sister. I wasn’t supposed to tell you because we didn’t want you running off to find her. Chris is trying to work out something to get in and buy her or free her somehow. We didn’t want you hurting yourself or getting captured again by trying to rescue her singlehandedly.” Ricky spilled out.

No.

No.

No.

This isn’t happening.

Not Virgo. Please, please tell me I’m dreaming. Not her. She’s too innocent, too sweet. It can’t be her. Don’t tell me it was her. I had to be dreaming.

My hands wrapped around my arms, nails digging into my flesh until I could feel blood well up. I shook harder and harder, mumbling that it couldn’t be her. My mind went numb. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t make out Ricky’s face. It can’t be her.

“No, not my sister. What did those bastards do to her!?” I cried out. Tears streaked my face and I bent my head into my chest. Warm arms surrounded me but all I could feel was the cold enveloping my mind. I sobbed hard into Ricky’s chest, grabbing at something to keep me in reality.

“Shh, Rory. It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be fine. You need to calm down and listen to me for a minute.” Ricky cooed softly. I bit my lip to keep from sobbing out. I wiped my nose and eyes. Thank goodness the night was hiding my ugly crying. My bag was clutched tightly against my back. Everything felt hollow.

“Chris and Balz are working on a way to get Virgo out, okay? They’re going to do everything they can to get Virgo out and they’re going to bring her home. The band that’s supposed to be here is Pierce the Veil. They’re supposed to be here in a few hours, okay? You’re going to stay on their bus for a couple of weeks while we can get this sorted out. It’s only going to be a few more weeks until you’re home. And when you’re home, that’s when Virgo is going to be home too. It’s going to be alright, but you have to give it time.” He whispered, kissing my forehead for reassurance. I clutched at his jacket, holding onto him for just one minute more.

“Okay.” I mumbled. He rubbed my back slowly before letting me go. I didn’t feel as bad as before, but I was still nervous for Virgo. I couldn’t imagine the pain she’s going through. Flashbacks of my nights on BMTH’s bus still haunted me in my dreams.

“Pierce the Veil will be here in about an hour. I have to get back to the bus. All your stuff is in the bag. You have to promise me something, Orion.” Ricky stated firmly. He grabbed my wrists to keep my attention.

“What?”

“You can’t go chasing after Virgo. You have to be safe. The boys will help keep you hidden and safe but please don’t chase after her. I promise that Chris is going to rescue Virgo. Promise me you’ll be safe.” He whispered. I nodded.

“Promise.”

“Good. I love you.” He whispered, kissing me roughly. I barely had time to gasp for air before his lips had been pushed onto mine. Before I could register what was happening, it was over. He was running off, just another shadow in the night. I barely made it to the bench before I sat down and numbly went through my backpack. I saw the little rolls of cash crunched up on the bottom. A few pocketknives were sitting on top. The rest of my stuff was jumbled at the bottom. I couldn’t even really make out much stuff in the pitch black darkness.

I waited. I waited. I waited. No one showed.

An hour later, I still waited. They were three minutes late. Nothing to worry about.

Two hours later, it was midnight. I still waited. They were still late. I wondered where they were. Nothing showed up. I was silent.

It was early in the morning. Two, maybe. I waited. They never showed up. No headlights. No purr of an engine. Nothing. I waited longer. Still nothing showed up. Three hours and six minutes late. Nothing.

At four in the morning, I realized my life was ruled by one word: nothing. Hope? Nothing. Life? Next to nothing. Time? Nothing. Everything was and wasn’t. I cursed loudly and passed out.

Nothing.

When I woke up, it was early in the morning. No one had woken me up. There still was no bus, no Mexican men waiting to pick me up. Still…nothing. I wondered. Are they still coming for me? Maybe.

The afternoon passed by. A lady came to ask if I was alright. She invited me into her store. It was an old Native American antique’s store filled with turquoise beads that glowed brilliantly in the sun. Dream catchers were strung up like streamers. Arrowheads were polished in a display case. It was lovely, but made me feel still empty inside, still numb.

She handed me a coke in a bottle, one of those old kinds that were really sugary and sweet. The soda hissed as the cap was popped. The lady divided out chips in a bowl and handed me some. We talked. She was nice. I was quiet.

“Why are you sitting there?” She asked me. She had to be older than eighty, but she smiled like she was a teenager high on life.

“I am waiting for someone. They are late.” I responded simply, quietly.

“I figured as much. You’ve been out there for twenty six hours.”

“I have nowhere else to go. I’m just supposed to be waiting there.”

“Who are you waiting for?” She asked. I munched on a chip, thinking.

“A band. A band’s bus. They’re supposed to pick me up. They are late.” I repeated. She nodded. We were silent for eleven minutes. I didn’t mind. I had been used to the silence over the past twenty six hours. The bag hung limply behind me. I looked out the window hopefully.

Nothing.

“I’ll watch for a bus. You go sleep on the couch back there.” The lady pointed to a small couch in a corner. I wasn’t up for arguing, so I went and fell asleep on the green cushions. The lady stayed at the window.

She watched.

When I woke up, it was night time. The clock chimed out eleven. The lady was sitting behind the counter reading a magazine. I didn’t speak. I didn’t have anything to say.

“No bus.” She responded as I went to look out the window. The lady didn’t even look up.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing.” She assured. I sighed. It had been a full twenty four hours. Had they forgotten about me?

“Okay.” I mumbled, and went back to sleep. At this point, I was very tempted to start a long walk back to Colorado, but I couldn’t. They still might becoming, although I highly doubt it. I wanted to be angry at the boys, but I couldn’t. I was too tired to be angry.

I looked at the blue beads hanging up all over the store. They seemed to be the only colorful thing in this dull town. They were a sign of hope in the dust that scattered around the streets.

“Need another Coke, sweetie?” The lady asked. I went back to her counter and sat at the stool next to her.

“Please.”

“Are they still coming?” She asked as she handed me another open bottle. This could be another long night.

“Maybe.” I shrugged. I still doubted they were coming.

“Don’t give up hope. They might be running late.”

“Perhaps.” I nodded and sipped at the sweet drink. Perhaps.

Notes