Still Sick

I must have eaten something yesterday that really disagreed with me, or I've got something slightly more serious. Around 6pm I was heading to the bus station, wanting to get there before it got too dark. As I was walking down to the station, I started to get a funny feeling in my stomach which wasn't a big deal at first. But by 7pm, I was nauseous and had the chills. Taking respite in the bus, I laid down and tried to get warm with the blanket provided. But I just kept getting colder and colder. My body was shaking uncontrollably to the point that my muscles started to ache. Desperate for warmth, I grabbed a blanket from the seat next to me, wrapped my scarf around my head, and bundled my hands in my gloves. I could feel the warmth building between my skin and the blankets, but the shaking continued, I couldn't get warm on the inside.

The bus started to fill with people and it quickly became apparent that one of the seats was missing its blanket. I said nothing as the driver searched high and low for the missing blanket. He accused locals of stealing the blanket. He searched other buses for the missing blanket. He was becoming frustrated and furious. I pretended to be asleep and unaware of what was going on. There was no way I would give it up. I was simply too cold. Maybe I was being selfish, but in the moment there was no other option.

I woke up smothered by the blankets. I felt like I was suffocating. I frantically tore the blankets off me, pulled and tugged until my head was free of the scarf, my hands free of the gloves. My mouth tasted of metal, I needed water. But there was no water, only the cool condensation from the window to stop the heat. I couldn't escape. And then the shivering, it returned with avengance. Cold, hot, cold, hot. It was the longest night of my life.

The darkness was endless. With each episode I'd look out the window peading with the sun to show its first flimmer. But everytime the stars instead put on a spectacular show. Buckets of stars danced in the sky, their backdrop a midnight black that can only be found in the most remote stretches of the earth.