[GlacierDragon]

More... I'm so hooked. Maybe not as much as A Tale of Epidemic Proportions but close. More...

Thank you! But Epidemic is way better than this ever will be.

poor chad

great story!

2 things I haven't mentioned yet that I really like at your story:

-It is great that the chapters are short because I haven't much time but I still can read them
-the chapter endings, they always don't let ya know everything and make you wanna read more ^^

Thanks! I was worried the chapters were too short. Whatever I do I can't seem to make them any longer than just over a page in Microsoft Word.

Sorry for not updating this in a while, but life is getting in the way of things. I never seem to have any spare time any more.

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Chapter 5: An Unfamiliar Place

Chad was woken by a sudden jolting sensation, followed by a sharp pain on the side of his head. He grunted and opened his eyes, gripped by confusion. The few seconds it took for him to remember what had happened seemed like a lifetime.

The jolt had been the bus driving over a bump in the road, and the pain Chad felt had been where he’d collided with the window. Nothing to worry about, he told himself as he massaged his temples, stifling a yawn.

The rain had stopped. It was still night time but he couldn’t tell the hour as he’d forgotten to ware his watch. Idiot! How could I leave something as simple as a watch behind? I’ve got to be less careless if I want to get out of this place.

The bus rumbled onwards. The only noise was from the engine, which seemed deafening to Chad. There were no longer any other passengers; he was completely alone. This fact comforted him only slightly.

The Chronicler realised that, for no reason, he felt sick in the gut and his shoulder muscles ached as if they had been cramped for a long time. His first guess was that it was all caused by anxiety, but when his nausea turned into painful stomach cramps he began to have second thoughts. The cramps rapidly grew worse and worse, and Chad found himself gritting his teeth in pain. He clutched his stomach tightly, fearing he’d be sick. For several long minutes he sat thus, praying it would stop. When the pains finally did subside he let out a long shuddering breath and put his head back against his seat, staring into space. He felt sad and helpless; his depression was returning to him like a loyal friend.

The fact that he didn’t know where the bus was heading wormed its way into Chad’s mind. This particular part of the city was unfamiliar to him, but he restrained himself from asking the driver – after all, getting on a bus not knowing where you were going might sound a bit suspicious. He didn’t need to attract any unwanted attention to himself.

After a while he noticed the clouds were beginning to shift, and soon enough patches of the night sky became visible. Moonlight shone through the holes in the clouds like sunlight, only with a silvery-white hue rather than a golden yellow. Everything seemed so peaceful – peaceful enough that Chad almost forgot about his troubles. But this false sense of security only lasted for a second before his worries came back.

When the bus eventually came to its final stop the horizon was glowing with the first faint rays of dawn. The rain hadn’t returned and the sky was clear of clouds, except for a few small puffy ones to the east. Chad, avoiding eye contact with the driver, got off the bus and studied his surroundings. The buildings weren’t as tall in this part of the city and were farther apart. A few small trees were planted at irregular intervals down the street, looking completely out of place.

Wherever he was, Chad knew he had to find somewhere to go. He’d got hardly any sleep on the bus and he felt exhausted. If he could just find a place he could sleep through the day and continue at night. But first, before anything else, he wanted, he needed, to get something to drink. It was likely no shops were open at this time, but if he wondered around for a while he was certain to find something.

The ground was still wet from the downpour, and puddles of rain water dotted the roads, reflecting the sky in their mirror-smooth surfaces. Chad’s coat had dried throughout the night so he wasn’t uncomfortable to ware it. The morning air was cold and crisp, causing the Chronicler’s breath to condense upon contact.

When the sun had crept out from hiding, Chad soon stumbled upon an open shop. Using as little money as possible he brought a bottle of water to quench his thirst, but decided to leave getting food until later when he had more of an appetite. He uttered as little words as possible as the Moolah was exchanged, then rapidly left the shop.

The water was warm and unsatisfying, but he forced himself to drink. When his thirst was quenched he stored the bottle in his suitcase so he didn’t have to carry it, then continued to walk the empty streets. There was very little traffic on the roads and for the first few hours of the sun being up he encountered only several individuals.

However, as time wore on, more and more people began to appear andChad found himself getting increasingly agitated. His pace quickened and, without realising it, he started to look quite suspicious; with his head down, his shoulders hunched, and his eyes constantly darting left and right. Then, when he wasn’t even expecting it, he saw something that made his breath catch and his heart skip a beat.

A group of Sligs across the road were busily talking to pedestrians and putting up posters.

Posters with his face on.