Blake POV
I walk all night but finally make it to the bus stop. My feet are killing me. I ditched the heels and put on my converse, but the running in heels wrecked my feet. I walk up to the ticket counter to get a ticket. I have no idea where I am going.
"May I help you?" the lady asks.
"What is the next bus leaving?" I ask her.
She pulls up the schedule. "I have two buses leaving in the next thirty minutes. One is going to Birmingham, Alabama, and the other is going to New Orleans, Louisiana. Would you like to purchase a ticket?" the lady behind the counter asks.
I nod my head. I am shaking. "Are you okay, Miss?" she asks me. Her concern is genuine. I can feel it.
"I will be as soon as I get out of here," I say.
"Which city do you want?" she asks.
"It does not matter anywhere but here," I say.
She punches a few keys on her computer and then prints me a ticket. "That is One hundred Twenty-Seven dollars," she says. I reach into my bag to get out the money. I grab two one hundred dollar bills out of the false bottom and hand it to her. She takes the money and gives me my ticket and my change. I look at it, but it does not say Birmingham or New Orleans.
"Where is this?" I ask here.
She smiles. "It is a little north of New Orleans. It is a small town. I grew up there, and I think it would be perfect for someone starting over. It is a train ticket instead of the bus, and it leaves in thirty-five minutes. I hope things work out for you," she says.
I look at the ticket again. Wolf Creek, I have never heard of this place. I get my bags and head toward the train. By the time I grab a snack and something to drink, it will be time to get on the train. I hate riding the bus so maybe riding the train will be better for me.
I grab a coke and a bag of chips. I walk over to the bus to get on. There are not many people getting on the train, but all of them look similar. It is like they all belong together.
"Did you buy the correct ticket?" the ticket checker asks.
"Yes, I am going to Wolf Creek," I answer him.
"Why?" he asks. I step close to him.
"Why not?" I snap at him.
"Okay, fair enough," he says. I get onto the train with my backpack and take my seat. There are several really large men with long dark hair and the most beautiful hair I have ever seen on a man. It is unbelievable. I wish my hair looked like that.
The men do not bother me; they talk to themselves. They are occasionally loud but not overly loud. Right before the train is to leave, the men get a little anxious. They are looking out the window and getting pissed off. What the hell is going on with me?
Right as I think the group is about to riot, a bubbly blonde jumps on the train. All of the men are immediately at ease. "Sorry, guys," she says. She looks at me and spots me right off the bat. She walks over and sits down beside me. She smiles.
"Hey, I am Sam. Are you going to Wolf Creek, or are you on the wrong train?" she asks.
"Look, I am just trying to get the hell away from here," I say, tears beginning to well up in my eyes. I am mentally exhausted.
Sam puts her arms around me like we are long-lost friends. "No worries, I just do not usually see people going to Wolf Creek that I do not know," she answers. I look back at the men that were so upset when she did not get to the train on time.
"Bodyguards for you?" I ask. Sam laughs and looks back at the men.
"I guess you could say that. I love riding the train and sometimes the bus. I come out here to see friends, and my dad makes me bring these guys to keep an eye on me," Sam says.
"I see," I answer. I wonder if her dad is the mayor or city councilman or something like that. He must be important.
"He is real overprotective since my mother died. I could drive, but why drive when I can ride the train or the bus. I can sleep when I want, and I find it relaxing," Sam says.
"I do not like the bus, and this is my first time on a train. I would rather drive," I say.
"Maybe next time I take a trip, you can drive me. I have a car," Sam says.
I look out the window as the train pulls away from the station. I am so scared that Thomas or Robert will find out where I am going. I do not see them.
"Are you running from someone?" Sam asks.
How can I tell someone I just met that there are weird people in this town and that one of them bit me? It sounds like I need to be in the hospital. Ordinary people do not bite people, but whatever is going on here is not normal.
"You do not have to tell me anything. I am sorry I asked," Sam says when I take too long to respond.
I look at her as she leans back in her seat. "I am sorry. I have a lot going on in my life, and I am honestly about to have a mental breakdown," I say.
Sam leans up in her seat. She looks me in the eyes and smiles. "Look, I know you do not know anything about Wolf Creek, and I have no idea why you are going there. It is the perfect place to hide from someone, and that is for sure, but what I do know is you have nowhere to go once you get there. You can stay with me and my dad. He is a bit of an asshole, but he is a fair, compassionate man," Sam says.
I sit looking at her, completely freaked out and happy at the same time. "Why would you offer to help me when you do not even know me?" I ask her.
"I guess us women need to stick together, and you look like you could use a friend. I do not have many because of who my father is, if I am honest. I could use a friend myself," Sam says.
I lean over and hug her. "Thank you," I say.