I write for the love of expressing my inner-self. Perhaps that’s because it allows me to remain confident, acknowledging privately that I’m not a ...astrel. Christ, listen to me, why am I telling you this?’ ‘Because I’m encouraging you to talk.’ Staring at the kind face opposite him, Nash realised that was the truth. Loners and folk with a penchant for keeping their private life and deeper thoughts bottled up tend to loosen up under persuasive and friendly interfacing, and Nash accepted he was. "This here's my bed. I paid for it. Where are you going to lay your pretty head? I 'spect there's room in the stall with the mule, out back there, if he don't mind. Don't reckon anybody'd bother you much."She jumped to her feet and spun to face me, fists at her side. "How dare you," she squealed and then she saw my grin. "Oh, you were just funning me, weren't you, teasing?"Noises from below got the attention of both of us, and we stopped to listen. From the small, shuttered window I could see. .."Louise interrupted, "Nah, I don't think so because she kicked ass and took names..."I began to cry and confessed, "Louise, I know that she was terrified, because I am the woman on the news."Linda saw me crying so she began to cry. Louise rushed over to me (with Linda in her arms) hugged me and said, "Masha! Stop crying, I am so proud of you. Some of my friends on a different bus were attacked by those teenagers..."I interrupted, " ... Louise, we need to discuss this because my foolishness. The exit had already been opened by Gabir. He could hear the last of Gabir's group going up the stairs. Cody urged the man behind him to hurry up the stairs, and to keep praying. By the third man, Cody's urging included mental instructions. By the tenth, Cody was no longer speaking, because his thoughts were much clearer, and carried much more information.Jabari was the last man in line, and he paused beside Cody."Someone is behind me. I can hear someone walking back there. I didn't think they.