2

She made it to the bus stop just as the first buses were pulling up. It was a small, quaint town. The kind of town where everyone knew everyone and everything was slow and peaceful. Except when it wasn't. There was always something going on. A festival one week, a murder the next. It was the perfect place to raise a family.It was the perfect place to live. Except for the fact that there was never any sunlight in the winter and the summers were scorching. It was when you were late. Then all hell broke loose.

"You're always late," a man said as he stepped off the first bus He was staring at her as she waited. Waiting for what, she didn't know. She had never seen him before. Was he waiting for the next bus? The one after that? What was his deal? Why was he staring at her? It was weird.

"Excuse me, miss," a woman said as she passed her. "Are you going to the market?Because if you are, I suggest you hurry up because the sun is going to rise soon and the birds are going to start singing and the flowers are going to start blooming and it will be too late to buy anything then."

"Yes, I am. Thank you for your advice but I am not in a hurry. I don't need anything right now. I will just wait for the next one."

"Oh, good. I was worried you wouldn't have enough time to get your shopping done before the sun came up. Enjoy your day."

"You too, ma'am."

The woman gave her a smile and continued on her way. Jessica watched her go until she disappeared into the crowd.