Bloodshot: When Nightmare Becomes Reality.....(Part 1)

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Prologue

With the heavy downpour outside, the hall was packed full. People pushed slightly against each other in their bid to get more comfortable. The air was stale and thick with the smell of perspiration and bad breath, even with the windows wide open.

The Art Exhibition had long since been abandoned. No one was paying any particular interest to the different paintings of landscape and self portraits or the sculptures hung for viewing. The crowd, made up of the intended art invitees and the impromptu art lovers, were paying lip service to the exhibition.

The host, eager to still make sales, moved through the throng of guests, greeting and chatting as she tried to rekindle the fast dying interest.

Babine watched this with half interest. Her arms were wrapped softly around her form. She felt cold, despite the jacket she had on. The weather, which had been slightly hot, had suddenly done a one hundred and eighty degree change with the onslaught of the rain.

It was a good thing she had opted for heels today, as against the flat ballet shoes she usually wore. At first feet ten inches, she seemed to go on forever in heels but at least wearing it meant her feet wouldn't get soaked and dirtied today.

The rain finally reduced to light trickles that pattered against the roofing.

Babine glanced at her watch. God! It was 3:00pm. Four hours since the rain started. Where had the time gone so soon. Glancing around, she saw people leaning against the wall, obviously frustrated with the forced inactivity brought about by the rain. A few like herself were glancing outside, trying to judge if they could risk the drizzle.

It was a different scene outside. A slight river had pooled a few feet away and the water rushed on in waves.

Babine frowned and pulled her trouser above her ankle. A bus moved over the kerb and she joined the throng of people that rushed for it.

She got a seat beside a man that was heavily soaked through and seemingly unaware of it. She shrugged and swallowed her sympathy. If he didn't feel cold or embarrassed at being wet, why should she care.

He coughed, then sneezed. Babine turned slightly as the man didn't cover his face. She became uncomfortable when the sneezing continued. It was obvious he was coming down with a cold, but he could cover his nose to keep from spreading it.

"Take care", she muttered.

"Thank you", came the labored response between bouts of sneeze.

"Here", Babine handed him a white handkerchief."You could get some procold when the bus drops you off", she suggested.

The man nodded and turned to smile his appreciation. Babine smiled back, then glanced at her palm. Something struck at her and her eyes flew up.

His eyes were red. Bloodshot. She blinked as the man continued sneezing. He seemed completely unaware of the colour of his eyes.

"Are you okay, sir?" His breath were coming in short bursts now and he seemed....dizzy?"Are you okay?"

"I feel........faint", he said, gripping Babine by her arm. His hold on her arm was strong and she flinched from the force of it. It felt like he was trying to draw the life out of her.

She tried to disentangle the hand, but it seemed to loosen of its own accord and fell limply to the man's side.

"Water", he weazed. "I need.....water."

Babine looked around frantically. This was confusing and her brain had temporarily shut down. She needed to get others involved. Surely they must have noticed the man wasn't feeling too good. This was Lagos where strangers helped each other. They had to help this man.

As she looked around, she noticed that whatever was wrong with the man by her side didn't seem to have gotten just him. There were people coughing and wheezing all around her. Why hadn't she noticed it before.

A woman stood up unsteadily behind, slowly making her way towards the front. Where she was heading to, Babine had no idea. She got to the middle of the aisle and slumped, convulsing vigorously on the floor.

Babine gasped and was on her feet in seconds, rushing to the woman, the man beside her forgotten.

Something was seriously wrong. They had to stop the vehicle.

"Driver, please, I need help!"she yelled, shaking the woman as she continued convulsing."Driver!"

Her eyes flew towards the driver and she saw his figure slumped over the steering. The vehicle suddenly screeched, then swerved haphazardly to the right. It continued to bounce and jerk as it went.

Babine held on tight to a rail, intent on being safe. She was conscious of people being lifted from their seats and tossed about.

The vehicle hit a tree stump and rolled over, continuing its decent.

Babine held on still, muttering a prayer. Never would she have imagined her end would come this way.

The bus came to an abrupt stop and she was conscious of being forcibly pried off the rail and thrown against the side. Her forehead made the first contact and she groaned as sharp pain shot through her. A gash was opened on her forehead and blood flowed freely from it over her face.

The pain! God! The excruciating pain. It clouded her mind, racked her body. That was all she could think of.

A dark maze seemed to descend over her and she welcomed it. A relief; anything but this pain. She reached out to it, passing out.

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