If everyone cared and nobody cried,

If everyone loved and nobody lied

And if everyone shared and swallowed their pride

Then we’d see the day when nobody died.

If Everyone Cared, Nickelback

The whoosh of the bus doors opening in front of Anna Marie hurt her ears and caused her to continue trembling. The nervous trembling had been there before the bus, and she knew it would probably still be there until she reached her destination. Being outside in the world terrified her. Running back home and crawling back into bed appealed to Anna Marie, but her parents needed her right now. So, she had no choice but to take the dreaded three buses and make her way to the small town her parents called home. Anna Marie would have loved to have remained in the small town, but the amount needed for rent was way above her disability income. The only apartments affordable to Anna Marie were situated in the big bustling city she now called home.

Wordlessly, she weakly smiled at the bus driver as she stepped onto the bus and deposited her ticket into the clear plastic bin. The driver never spoke a word either while handing over the small slip of paper for transferring between buses. Holding onto the transfer, Anna Marie ambled down the aisle searching for an empty seat. She couldn’t help but notice the sad and lifeless faces of the other patrons as she passed them towards an empty bench at the back of the bus. Taking a seat, she got lost in gazing out the window. Anna Marie had always been terrified of the moving buses since she was a child. Her first memory of being on the transit system was when her older brother took her to see the premiere of the Batman movie starring Michael Keaton. Anna Marie’s brother made it look easy by getting on and walking balanced while the bus lurched forward. For Anna Marie, it was a different experience as she shook holding onto each railing. Balancing on a moving bus was never quite her strength.

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She remembered very well the day when her view of the outside world abruptly changed. Her life changed on a dirt road out in the country. Her first home was a four-acre patch of land that was a wonderland for a growing girl full of ADHD. Trees beckoned to be climbed, rocks begging to be skipped on ponds, and butterflies whispered to be chased. Then all at once, paradise turned to prison when a young Anna Marie exited the yellow school bus. At first, she only noticed the dust the bright vehicle kicked up after pulling away until she noticed the dark blue van. At the tender age of eleven, she figured the van was someone searching for a neighboring acreage. City visitors always had problems with the confusing range road addresses.

Anna Marie’s first indication this was a different scenario was when she caught the driver’s expression. Brown curly shoulder length hair and a brown mustache framed the man’s anger. While walking, Anna Marie just stared at the man wondering why he was so angry as the van slowly kept pace beside her. It wasn’t until he slammed on the brakes that the voice inside Anna Marie’s head screamed RUN. She did not need any other prodding as Anna Marie bolted as fast as a rabbit down into the ditch and onto her neighbor’s property. Hearing tires squealing and rocks being kicked out on the road only proved what Anna Marie knew instinctively that this van driver was not looking for an acreage but a victim. This was the first time Anna Marie could feel the fear biting at her, but unfortunately the fear would now be a constant companion.

Resting her head on the window, Anna Marie gazed absent-mindedly at the blur of trees, cars and buildings whirred by. From that day forward, fear became an enormous beast in Anna Marie’s life. Locking herself into her own prison, she passed when it came to sporting activities, catching a movie, going out for dinner with friends or going out for a night on the town with her husband. And life did not wait for Anna Marie, it kept on going and passed her by. But as Anna Marie noticed the sorrowful expression of other people on the bus, why did she get the feeling she was not the only one?