"...and then he asked me to go to the movies!"
"No way! Are you going?"
"I have to go home and check on my webkinz, I can't!"
I tried my best to tune out the obnoxious voices of the girls on the bus in the seat in front of me. I sit alone, thank god, but that didn't help much with the loudmouths in front. Usually I don't mind too much, since I sit in the very back all alone for the entire ride and I can curl up and read my book without feeling judged. Even though I was only in third grade, I was already reading stuff like Love Letters to the Dead and Poison. I closed my book for a moment and looked out the window. I went to reopen my book and then my book flew out of my hands. The bus had hit a massive bump in the road. I looked around at the other kids on the bus, getting confused looks in return, and picked up my book, quizzically returning to the words that provided me solace and safety. Mere seconds later, we hit another huge bump. I held fast to my hardcover but bounced a solid foot in the air. I smiled to myself as one of the talkative girls complained about hitting her head on the ceiling. The bus driver said nothing. I leaned into the aisle just in time to see a tree in front of the bus. Our driver tried to swerve out of the way, but it was too late and the course couldn't be changed. The bus slammed into the tree with a deafening crack. The sound of my head smacking the window matched the pain-inducing sound of the bus crashing, and I blacked out.
I woke up what felt like a few hours later. My bus was filled with other kids that had gotten knocked out or fainted. The front of the bus was crushed, along with my driver. I swallowed back vomit. I could smell her blood. I turned on my heel and kicked open one of the emergency windows. I looked around for some landmark, but everything was trees. Very helpful. I figured I should call 911, but I didn't have a phone, so instead I backtracked and walked down the road that we were traveling on before the crash. As I struggled to stop shaking and put my feet one in front of the other, it started to rain. For a while it was just a drizzle, but it later started really pouring. The trees covered most of it, but when I hit a clearing, I decided to take a break. Dusk was approaching and I panicked. What was I supposed to do? The bus was wrecked and I got myself lost. I looked up as if hoping for a miracle from God. I was just a kid, he had to spare me. What met my eyes when I looked skyward was worn wooden boards in the midst of a number of twisted tree branches. Figuring it was my best shot and that it would provide shelter from the weather, I circled the tree trunk for some sort of ladder. I could only find the first rung, a small board nailed into the tree. From there, I clumsily climbed onto lower branches and eventually into the treehouse.
Pulling myself up and into the small space, I noted that it smelled awfully musty. However dank the space smelled, I was grateful for any source of warmth. I huddled close to a small vent opening at the floor of one wall that was particularly warm. I rested my head against the wooden wall, sighing quietly and hugging my book against my chest. I enjoyed the silence and the pitter-patter of the rain on the leaves for a few seconds before I started hearing voices. I sat straight up. I knew I wasn't crazy, and the voices wouldn't stop. I looked around and crept over to the entrance of the treehouse, but I saw no one. I returned to the warmth of the vent and the voices returned. I widened my eyes and put my face close to the vent. The voices were emanating from the vent opening. I yelled through the vent, "Please help me! Something bad happened!", but no one replied. I figured it led to a house or others from my bus. I broke a few nails prying the rusty grate from the wall and peered through the opening. Crouching and praying for a safe haven awaiting me, I began crawling through the vent. As I got further in, the sounds of rain faded and the voices got louder. After around two minutes of crawling, I saw a light at the end of the vent shaft. I eagerly hastened, excited to get out of the dark, dank vent. I inched closer to the light, still grasping my book, until I finally reached it and pulled myself out the other side.
Author's Note: Sorry this chapter was kinda boring . the next one will be better, I swear! 3 I love you all c: