HIDDEN TREASURES 

By Tessa Harvey


    It was a long overnight journey by bus as Jess leaned her head against her hoodie next to the cold window. Slowly they moved through the suburbs as night came and brought scudding snow. The earlier bus had gone straight by her though she was clearly visible, leaving her to lug heavy luggage to some kind of shelter from the worst of the cold.
    It had taken two hours before the next bus came and this driver stopped for her. She was beyond weary, but still told the elderly man what had happened.
    The driver reminded her of her now deceased grandfather and Jess, remembering his gentle kindness and strength, held back tears. But Terry Hubert saw and his face softened.
    The young woman fell asleep, feeling safe behind this driver, who quietly vowed to report Ted Pratchett. He had deliberately driven by others, but leaving a girl alone in bitter weather in a notorious area was beyond the pale....
    Snow gathered in beauty on broken walls. Jess woke hearing familiar accents of locals boarding the bus and knew, Mops was waiting with her warm smile and the skunk- former boyfriend, Simon the Terrible, vanished from her thoughts.


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