The Beneath by S. C. Ransom Read Free Book Online Page B

favourite hoodie and shoved it on her waiting arms.
    “Hair is the other thing. Quick, turn round.”
    I grabbed a band from my pocket and hastily scraped her hair back into a messy bun. With that, the hoodie and the sunglasses she was all but unrecognisable. I glanced down the pavement and still couldn’t identify the Listener but the bus had arrived.
    “OK, here’s our ride. Walk calmly and let me do the talking, OK?”
    Taking a deep breath I stepped out from the relative safety of the shop entrance. I kept a firm hand on Aria’s arm, pulling her with me, and covered the short distance to the bus stop just as it opened its doors. The woman walked straight on board. I could feel Aria’s arm stiffen as she readied herself to actually step inside one of the scary red vehicles. Holding on to her tightly we followed the woman. I showed the driver the ticket for Aria and swiped my Oyster card. Within about five seconds of leaving the shoe shop we were on the bus. Aria was shaking with fear.
    “Come on,” I said encouragingly. “Let’s go up to the top deck. It’ll be quieter up there.”
    I pushed her ahead of me up the short, narrow staircase, and as we rounded the corner the bus lurched away from the side of the road. Aria stopped dead, clutching therail so tightly her knuckles went completely white.
    “I can’t do this,” she whispered as I tried to persuade her to take the next few steps. Putting my hand over hers I attempted to prise her fingers off the handrail.
    “You have to. People need the stairs. Come on, we’re nearly at the top.”
    I could see that some of the other passengers were beginning to stare. Shoving her hard I finally got her up on to the top deck, manoeuvring round her so that I was leading. I glanced down into the street below and saw a guy in a grey jacket standing on the corner, straining to see above the heads of the crowds as he looked up and down the street. He was about thirty, pale and skinny with hair that was greying and thick, bushy eyebrows.
    “Quick, let’s sit down.”
    I tugged at Aria’s sleeve and she dropped down into the seat next to me, grabbing the rail tightly. I could just see behind the glasses that her eyes were tightly closed and streaks of tears were shining on her face. The bus lurched again as the lights changed and it picked up speed. I sat back, breathing out heavily.
    “We’ve lost him, Aria,” I whispered, taking a quick glance out of the back window. “You can relax. I think that going to the library will have to wait. Now we’re here I can give you a bit of a tour.”
    “Relax? In all this?”
    She lifted one hand briefly but quickly thought better of the gesture.
    “Look, he’s gone. If he did see you he has no idea where you’ve disappeared to, so you’re in no danger.”
    That didn’t seem to have any effect on her and she continued to hold on so hard I could see every tendon in her hands. Finally the penny dropped.
    “Are you worried about being on the bus?” I asked, trying to keep the relief out of my voice, at the same time glancing around to make sure that we weren’t being overheard. “Really, it’s quite safe.”
    “How can it do this? It feels so wrong!”
    “They’re probably not as fast as the Tube trains but you’ll get a better view of the city.” I gave her a quick hug. “Come on, open your eyes and take a look at London.”
    I saw her slowly open one eye and then the other. Sniffing loudly, she looked around, never relaxing her hold on the rail. The bus was coming up to St Pancras Station, the brickwork glowing red in the sunshine. A constant stream of people were coming and going.
    “I knew there were lots of you up here,” she said softly, “but I never thought it would be this big.”
    As we continued past King’s Cross Station I saw her shake her head.
    “There are more than eight million people in London,” I said, remembering a recent geography lesson.
    Aria grabbed me as the bus turned a corner, but