Once she was off the ground, Kath realized where she really was and why she had bumped into a figure like the one in front of her. In her rush to escape whatever was chasing her or at least wandering very close to her in the woods, Kath seemed to have veered east of her original path, which led her to appear on the road that ran from north to south on the way to London, not before having an intersection to her homeland.
Normally, Kath would never take that route since, from a certain point of view, it was more dangerous to wander alone on a little-traveled road than to do so in the woods; after all, there were more crazies with cars on the roads than crazies in the woods—or at least that's how she reasoned it.
Although somewhat shy and inhibited from interacting with a stranger, Kath still responded with the good manners of a protestant Catholic that had been instilled in her since she was little. "Thanks, and sorry for the bump. I hope I didn't hurt you."
The person in question did not respond to Kath; instead, they shook their heads as if they didn't care and turned around to return to the motorcycle parked behind them. Although uncomfortable with the other party's reaction, Kath still glanced and thought, trying to discover something.
Seeing the intersection ahead and the luxurious and impeccable-looking motorcycle parked in a rest area by the side of the road, Kath assumed that the person on the motorcycle was probably resting or checking their map to make sure they were taking the right route. This wasn't uncommon due to the number of small towns and detours one would find when traveling this particular road to the south.
Although she would have preferred to continue rambling with possible scenarios and deductions—a small bad habit of hers—Kath could not do so when the person on the motorcycle was now looking directly at her (or so it seemed with the helmet on). "Do you need a ride?"
Due to the distance and the helmet's dampening, Kath still couldn't get an idea of the person behind the helmet, but at least the kind offer helped her lower her guard slightly. "Only if you're going to Hertford."
The person with the helmet approached their motorcycle, pointing to the back of the seat where there was enough space for a small person like her to sit. "I figured that would be the case; the only other option would be London, and that's over 30 miles away."
Kath had nothing to say about it, as she hadn't thought too much about it. Sure, 30 miles didn't seem like much when it came to a motorcycle ride, so a lift to London didn't sound implausible, but she overlooked that she was at that moment a lonely girl who for some reason was running through the woods at night. If she didn't live in Hertford, it would be the height of strangeness for her to be out here right at the town's exit.
Too embarrassed to make any further comment or start a conversation, Kath cursed internally at her lack of social skills. Despite the internal monologue, Kath couldn't help but observe the person she had just met more closely. She noticed how that person moved a heavy-looking long travel bag that originally occupied the space where she was going to sit, placing it on top of another backpack on the back over the motorcycle's saddlebags.
"Are you sure I'm not too much of a bother?" Although grateful for the help, a trait too ingrained in Kath made her feel incredibly uncomfortable when she perceived herself as a burden to others.
"Hertford should be just a few minutes away; although it's a bit impromptu, it should be fine." Although she couldn't see the expression on her new companion and driver, Kath still saw them shrug as if they didn't really care about the matter while using straps to secure the bag to the motorcycle's saddlebags.
"Thanks." Kath wanted to say more, but her words died in her throat when she saw an enormous hunting knife strapped to the motorcyclist's right ankle, revealed as they swung their leg over the vehicle to sit.
All sorts of thoughts ran through Kath's mind at that moment; all those documentaries about serial killers and organ traffickers that Mother Superior forbade her from watching came to her head, bringing ominous whispers of her possible fate.
"Are you coming?" Feeling what she assumed was an intense gaze directed at her from inside the dark helmet, Kath could only nod rigidly while praying that nothing would happen to her. "Hold on tight."
The following minutes felt eternal and somehow at the same time brief, blurry, and confusing. All Kath did was sit still in her seat, let the motorcyclist put a spare helmet on her, and cling to the person in front of her as if her life depended on it.
Only when she stood before one of Hertford's many pubs and restaurants did Kath realize she had been overthinking things. For one, what were the chances of encountering a serial killer at that precise moment?
The howls in the forest had long since disappeared from Kath's mind. As for why Olivia left her? Well, the ghost probably saw her meeting another person and thought she would be safe, and since she didn't like being too close to other humans at night, she left.
Kath, of course, had also ruled out that any other supernatural being had scared the ghost away. The reason was very simple: besides the motorcyclist she met, there was nothing else out there to pay attention to.
Additionally, in all the years she had been seeing ghosts, Kath had only found two supernatural things that repelled them: other nastier ghosts and blessed things (which technically counted as supernatural). Sure, Olivia had said that weak ghosts like her felt intimidated by other supernatural beings and thus hid. But she never clarified what kind of beings she was talking about, always avoiding the question when asked.
In her distraction, Kath missed the moment when her travel companions freed themselves from her grip and got off their motorcycle. They approach her, apparently talking to her only to get no response. Realizing that the other person had spoken to her and she had no idea what they had said, Kath quickly arranged an apology and an excuse. "Sorry, I was a bit distracted thinking about something; what were you saying?"