Awakening on the Deserted Road

The Tale Of A Fallen Love Chapter 3 I slumped into the cracked vinyl seat,

alone on the bus, its windows streaked with dust and sunlight. The engine’s growl vibrated through

my bones, a dull thrum against the hollow ache in my side. I glanced around:

empty rows of mustard-stained cushions, silent save for the shuddering hum of the tires on

pavement. Relief and exhaustion mingled in my chest—I just wanted to lie down at home and

let the world blur into oblivion. Behind the wheel was the same driver from this morning:

a hulking man whose broad shoulders strained the seat belt, his arms coiled

like steel cables. He ate up the road with a leadfoot, the scenery whipping past in fluttering