Chapter Six

Susan had always enjoyed bus rides. Sometimes when she was younger she would just buy a ticket and ride all day, stopping at nice looking places to go for walks. It was so much better than in a cramped car with people she knew wanting to just talk to her all the time. She had never understood why people found it so important to make general small talk rather than just sit back and enjoy life and the planet. Just as she was thinking how peaceful it all was, Jake started to ask her questions and ruined it.

‘So you said you’ve dreamt about Harris. What happens in the dreams?’

‘It started just after my left my old job. I picked up a book about dreams and how to control them. My condition always meant I suffered from nightmares especially when I’m depressed. After I lost my job I started having them every single night. The book helped me to control it and then I started meeting Ryan Harris in the dreams’.

‘What happened in the dreams?’ Harris asked.

‘We just hang out. You understand my condition and are very comforting and reassuring’

‘But I have no idea what POT…’

‘PDD-NOS’ Jake interrupted.’ It stands for Pervasive Development Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified. It’s a type of autism’ he whispered as Harris looked rather puzzled.

‘Oh, ok. So how long ago did you start having these dreams?’

‘Let me see. I lost my job about two months ago now, so just over a month’

‘Two months ago? Where did you work?’ Jake murmured half knowing the answer already.

‘I was the receptionist for a fuel company called Kelithfuel. But they went bust after a rather hideous accident and as I’d only been with the company for less than 6 months I got no redundancy package’.

‘That sucks’ sympathised Jake deciding not to tell her about his own connection with Kelithfuel. It would only seem like rubbing it in as he had got quite a generous redundancy. Plus she still could only look at Harris in the eyes still so he thought he would bide his time. Instead he changed the subject.

‘So where are you taking us?’

‘Nowhere, we’re already here’

‘You’re taking us on a bus?’ asked Harris looking at Jake and arching his eyebrows in a ‘lets get the hell off this bus as quickly as possible’ way.

‘No silly. We stay on the bus until The Writer gets on board and takes us where we need to go’

‘The Writer?’ Jake asked. But it was clear that Susan did not wish to talk anymore and went back to looking out of the window with a contented smile.

Jack pulled out the shopping list and crossed off speed dating. He added the notes ‘Writer’ and ‘Kelithfuel?’ on there followed by ‘Text the Pixie’. He got his phone out and spent the next 15 minutes staring at it trying to work out what to write. He had got as far as ‘Hey’ when a text came through. ‘The Pixie!’ He thought before realising it was from Harris. He looked up at Harris who was staring at him intently and nodding towards the phone. The text said

GOT BAD VIBE FROM THIS GRL. THINK WE SHOULD GT OFF AT NXT STOP.

Jake hated people who couldn’t write a message in normal English with appropriate grammar and spelling. He was about to tell Harris so when he heard a voice behind him.

‘Grl, Gt and Nxt are not words my friend. I strongly suggest you change that message straight away if you still want my help’

Jake turned in his seat to see who had spoken. It was a man in his early forty’s in a tweed suit. He had a pencil behind his ear, a black ponytail and a dictionary under his arm. Jake sighed.

‘Let me guess. You’re The Writer’

‘’How did you guess’ The Writer said disappointedly.

‘Just a hunch. I assume you know who Susan is’

‘Well naturally. I know who all of you are. Now if we could get off at the next stop I’ll take you back to my house for tea and biscuits and we can try and work out which one of you it is shall we.’

Jake nudged Susan but she didn’t budge. He jabbed her sharply in the arm but she still didn’t move.

‘Perhaps if Mr Harris tries?’ The Writer suggested. Harris leaned into her ear and spoke softly.

‘Come on you little weirdo it’s time to go.’ Susan sat up sharply and caught sight of The Writer.

‘Percy’ she exclaimed jumping up and hugging him.

‘Please dear, call me The Writer. I’m trying to sound enigmatic.’ The Writer looked visibly embarrassed. Harris and Jake got to there feet.

‘So, PERCY,’ Harris smirked. ‘About what you said earlier’

‘Yes, Yes. Tea and biscuits will be provided,’ The Writer waved his hand back as they began to exit the bus.

‘I think he meant more about ‘which one of us it is?’ said Jake.

‘Hmmm?’

‘You said we’d find out which one of us it was. I’m sure we would all like to know what you mean by that.’

‘Well its simple my drunken friend. We need to find out which one of you is dreaming.’