1976

It started with a bus seat. I stood up for the pregnant woman that got on the full bus. She took the seat, and the man behind her shoved past her and forced me to the back of the bus.

He stood with his back to me, he was tall and wide and not a wall I was willing to fight my way over today. So I grabbed a handle, and let my hand be the only thing anchoring me to the bus.

My stop approached, then I missed it. Because the man had to push past me to get off the bus, and then the pregnant lady needed help standing and disembarking the bus. So I stood back for the man, and I helped the woman. Then, because there was so much going against my normal routine, my brain short circuited. I got back on the bus. Why did I get back on the bus?

I had no idea what the route was after my stop. I’d never taken it this far before. I went to ask the driver what was to come, but one look from him had me sitting in the now vacant seat again.

I got off on the next stop. I was going to just figure it out. Then I saw a large, marble building with Greek architecture. A bank! They should have white pages, then I could call my brother. He could help me get home.

I was in line for one of the payphone, there were only two people ahead of me, it shouldn’t have been long. I heard a car backfire, a big loud pop echoing through the quiet marble hall.

Then the screaming. Why were they screaming? It was just a car that backfired. And was….continuously backfiring? No, that’s not right, that doesn’t sound right.

The people in front of me turn around, and look at me in terror. Not at me, I realized. I turned around, and saw the guns before I saw them. I heard “get on the- *POP*