Forest Fiasco!

Storyline
Well, everyone likes a good vacation to the mountains! And lookey here! You've chosen such an iconic spot nestled in the majestic mountains that there are buses (with questionable reliability, but nevertheless a type of transportation) that run routinely through the mountains, bringing sightseers to their dreams on the mountaintops without requiring so much as a touch of the fingernail against a grass blade. Besides, who likes the old fashioned sweaty hikes anyway? You certainly don't! So onto the bus you go to join all the other eager sightseers!

But wait! Was that the engine making that noise? And is that smoke coming out of the hood? Oh, no! The bus broke down! With miles of dusty road between you and civilization and no way to call for help, you must learn to survive on whatever you and your bus companions brought with you! (Hope someone brought some snacks!) Do you have what it takes to survive the incoming chaos and make it back to civilization, all bus riders intact? Let's find out!!

Some quick notes
I intend this to be a highly chaotic, easy-going, and laughable roleplay with low stress and a good amount of ridiculousness. You may use characters with slight elements of fantasy, but please use this very sparingly. Since this is in the Roleplay Realm you may not control other people's characters. (You may use the bus driver at will, though! He belongs to no one!) Posts can be as long or as short as you desire. You are allowed up to two characters. Keep things family friendly and remember to have fun. You are free to leave if you need to, but please let me know if you do! ^^

A draft of hot air from outside blasted from the open windows to the back of the bus, lifting the purple streak in Zybryn's hair from his forehead and drawing it back over his head. The seventeen-year-old turned away from the breeze, his gaze falling to the edge of the gravel road they were traveling on. Far below, he could see the rooftops of the cabins he and his friend, Jed, had been staying in during their stay in the mountains.

The bus hit a irregularly shaped rock and bounced. Zybryn's fingers tightened on the seat in front of him that he had held since the bus had first lurched away from the bus station, bearing with it an excited crowd of sightseers.

His dark eyes moved from the window, the sight of the steep slope they traveled along sending a jittery feeling to his stomach. His eyes moved to his friend.

Jed sat upright, phone in hand, casually playing offline solitaire. Zybryn peered over the cards, but his attention diverted to the glaring "x" over the reception box.

"We...lost reception?" he voiced the words with timid hesitance, his eyes rising fearfully to Jed's face.

Jed's hazel eyes lifted from the phone's screen. "Yeah, about three miles ago. Why?" he asked, gazing into the worried frown accompanying his friend's face.

Zybryn's gaze sank to the dusty floor beneath the edge of the seat in front of him, wondering how Jed could remain so calm. The movement of the bus alone was enough to cause an unsettling feeling in his stomach, and a new surge of anxiety added a touch of nausea to the already uncomfortable situation. His eyes moved back to the window, and he swallowed, somehow hoping to dismiss the sensation, but it only worsened as the bus made a sharp veer to the left to avoid a gapping puddle in the center of the road.

"What if I throw up?" the thought was unavoidable. A flash of heat ran down his back, and he shifted his shoulders against the back of the seat to try to relieve the prickly sensation. His mind flashed through what he had brought. Trail mix, a flashlight, a change of clothes...but an empty bag...that wasn't something he had thought of. Another wave of heat traveled down his spine. He leaned forward and gripped his shoulder, his face paling. "What if I do throw up?" The nausea intensified. "I didn't come prepared for that!"

The image became vivid in his mind. Begging the driver to stop, stumbling out of the bus, finding a suitable spot...everyone staring at him and talking about him when he returned, staring into all of their glares...wasting all of their time they could be enjoying on the mountainside.

"Maybe Jed has something," Zybryn thought, the hope the thought brought easing the sensation somewhat. He sat back against the seat and shut his eyes. The talking around him grew louder but against his thoughts, the sound felt relieving. Someone was talking about the last hike they had went on. Someone else was talking about their kids...They all sounded so calm.

A loud bang coming from the front of the bus instantly shot Zybryn's eyes open, and he felt his heart jump in his chest. He saw Jed put his phone down and lean to the side to gaze down the narrow aisle to the front of the bus. So he hadn't imagined it. Something had really made that sound.

The bus came to an abrupt halt. The talking grew louder.

Zybryn turned to face Jed. "What happened?" he whispered nearly too softly to be heard above the conspiracy murmurings.

Jed lifted his shoulders in a faint shrug. "I don't know yet." He turned back to Zybryn, a questioning frown crossing his face. "You okay? You look pale."

Zybryn frowned. "Yeah..." he responded, his eyes jumping from Jed's face to the front of the vehicle when he noticed the bus driver appear in the center of the bus, his eyes foretelling the bad news he was about to share.

"Well, the bus broke down. I'm going to try to reach out to Central Grounds and see if they can send up another bus, but it'll be at least an hour before it gets here. Until then, sit tight."

Zybryn's eyes moved to Jed's face.

"Dude, why are you giving me that expression?" Jed asked, a teasing smile playing at his lips. "It's going to be fine."

Zybryn watched as the bus driver disappeared behind the driver's seat again and picked up his radio. Zybryn wasn't so sure.

Spoiler

Please like once you have read Now it's your turn! Start by describing your character's reaction to the noise and abrupt halt. Your post will likely not be as long as mine. That's fine! More plans coming in the OOC thread. Looking forward to this!

Idris crossed "Museum" off the list that he had finally found from the word search. He was very glad to have brought this book with him on the bus. Otherwise, he would have spent his time either staring out the window or attempting conversation with his seatmate. And attempted, he tried. But no matter how much he cracked jokes or talked about their interests in the trip, the other person wouldn't budge. He finally stopped when they put earbuds in their ears.

Well, there'd be plenty of time to talk to other people once they actually arrived at their destination.

Sighing, Idris put the pencil down and fidgeted in his seat. "How much longer?" he wondered.

There was a loud bang and he jolted. Multiple heads shot up from their seats, glancing at the front of the bus. Idris craned his head and watched the bus driver get out of his seat and leave the bus. People started murmuring.

"What do you think happened?" he asked his seatmate.

They shrugged. "Probably hit something, I guess." They returned to their phone. "Dammit, no signal."

Idris opened his mouth to say something to them, but his attention was diverted to the bus driver coming back up.

When he told them that the bus had broken down and they had to sit tight for about an hour, people groaned. Idris' seatmate cursed again.

"I'm sure it won't be that long," Idris said, smiling. "Hey guys, we can make a game out of it!" he told everyone on the bus.

They all stared at him in silence. Someone coughed.

Unperturbed, Idris shrugged. "Well, I'm gonna stretch my legs and get fresh air. Wanna come?"

"No, thank you," his seatmate muttered, tapping their phone.

Idris shimmied past them and walked down the aisle, finally planting his feet on natural ground.

Leila leaned the back of her head to her seat and smiled to herself. She watched the scenery from the bus window. The trees with leaves gently swaying in the wind, the sparrows chirping. She sighed deeply, all of these nature smells and sounds were so soothing.

She reached down to her bag and slipped her water bottle out. Twisting the cap open, she caught her seatmate staring at her. She grinned at them, and took a sip of the cool water, relishing its sweetness.

The bus travelled on, over the rocky mohntain roads, the engine purring softly. Then it stopped-

A loud band came from the front of the bus. Leila was sitting in the front seat, she watched the back of the driver’s head. She heard people muttering around her, there was some tension in the bus.

“What do you think happened?”, she heard the passenger behind her asking his seatmate.
“Probably hit something, I guess.” , they replied.

The bus driver came to tell the passengers that the bus was broken and they would have to stop here for an hour.

Leila ran a hand through her curly brown hair and stood up to go outside, following some other people who were doing the same.

Seats started emptying ahead of Zybryn and Jed as the passengers exited the bus. Jed did not notice. His attention had returned to his solitaire game.

Zybryn lifted his hand to his forehead and watched as the crowd gathered under the trees outside. It looked so much cooler out there. Without the movement of the bus to blow refreshing air in through the windows, an uncomfortable stuffiness had crept in.

Zybryn cast Jed a glance. "Are we going to follow them?" he asked hopefully, glancing over the empty seats in front of him.

Jed shrugged. "Yeah, give me a second, though," he muttered, tapping a finger impatiently at his chin as his eyes moved across the screen.

Zybryn frowned. He turned over his hand on his thigh and noted the sweat forming between his fingers. His eyes lifted. "I'll meet you outside then," he voiced.

Jed nodded. "Okay," he responded without looking up from his phone. He pulled his knees back into the bench to allow Zybryn to pass him.

Zybryn stood up and slid out of his seat, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as he cautiously stepped down the center of the bus, keeping his eyes straight ahead of him to avoid making eye contact with the few still sitting on the bus.

He reached the front of the bus and cautiously stepped down to the ground. A refreshing breeze swept over him as he glanced across the groups of people gathered about the shade trees. Suddenly, he wished he hadn't left Jed. He didn't know these people, but he desperately wanted to be out of the sun, but if he made a move in the direction of the forest, someone might want to talk to him.

Zybryn gave the bus behind him an uncertain glance. He would look stupid if he turned around and walked back the way he had come and some of the people beneath the shade were already staring at him.

Brair had been quietly watching out the bus window when the bus broke down with a loud bang, causing her to blink and quickly come to attention as she had been almost dozing off, the twisting mountain roads seeming to want to lull her to sleep. Or maybe she was just tired.

Either way, the sound of a breaking down bus woke Brair up, as it would just about anyone. She glanced around at wherever in the mountains they all happened to be when the driver informed her and the rest of the passengers that the bus had indeed broken down and they would be stuck there for a while.

Brair might have been upset about it since her friends were waiting for her at a cabin farther in the mountains but this would prove to be an exciting story to tell them once she finally arrived so she knew they would understand.

For right now though, what was the point still sitting in the bus? She might as well take the time given and use it to it's full advantage.

Brair was one of the first people off the bus when the passengers started getting off and instantly began exploring the terrain.
The air smelled so fresh compared to the city air she was used to and the sun shone so brightly it was nearly blinding. The whisper of the wind through the trees sounded enchanting compared to the sound of traffic. Brair looked out across the area from where they were, and even with the unfortunate situation, beamed at how beautiful the landscape was. It was certainly much better seeing it from outside the bus then it was from inside it.

They rest of the passengers probably thought her to be insane as she grinned and looked around but Brair didn't care, she found this whole place gorgeous.

After a moment of looking around and exploring a bit but not going too far, Brair began looking for a place to chill and set her things down while they waited. A nice looking pine tree with dappled sunlight falling through the needles caught her attention. She walked over to it and slung her backpack up into the sturdy branches before taking a hold of one of the branches herself. A bit of pine sap stuck to her hand as she hoisted herself into the branches and higher up in the tree until she was almost at the top.

They view of the area fom up there was astounding. Brair could see almost everything from up there, the peaks of distant mountains, the way the trees flowed over the landscape; it was beautiful.

Brair would have stayed up there forever however, her stomach had begun to growl now that she was awake due to having forgotten breakfast and so she climbed down a little ways and fetched her backpack.

She found a nice seat on a thick branch with one behind it in the perfect position to provide a backrest and sat down before tugging on the zipper of her pack and rummaging around inside of it until she pulled out her planned lunch which happened to be one of those portable tuna salad packets with crackers.

She happily tore the packet open and put a bit of the tuna on a cracker before eating it. For some reason it tasted even better in the mountains then it did at home. Or maybe she was just hungry.

Either way, she continued to happily enjoy both her meal and the wonderful mountain atmosphere as she waited for another bus to come pick them up.

When Idris stepped out of the bus, he immediately turned his face up toward the sun. He moved out of the way so other people could get off. Then, he dropped his backpack by his feet. Stretching his arms over his head, Idris breathed in the crisp mountain air. The breeze felt cooling and refreshing on his face. After spending so much time cramped in that bus, it was amazing to finally get out of those small and uncomfortable seats.

But he still felt cramped. Looking around, he saw a small clearing with a couple of medium sized rocks that was out of the way from the other passengers. It looked like a good place to stretch. So, Idris picked up his bag and walked over there.

Once again putting his bag down, this time on one of the rocks, Idris placed his foot up on the bigger rock. Slowly straightening his leg, he set himself into a deep stretch, sighing in relief as his hamstrings received care. Then, he switched to the other leg. Idris stretched his arms, back, and neck, and jumped in place, feeling his blood flow. Once his limbs felt fully relaxed, but still feeling pumped, Idris glanced around at the others. To his amusement, one of the passengers had climbed up a tree eating a snack happily. Most of the others were standing in the shade together, though they looked uncomfortable with each other.

He may have to fix that. Smiling, Idris walked over there.

Keeping his eyes to the ground, Zybryn started toward the group of people gathered in the clearing ahead. He set eyes on the nearest unoccupied rock and swiftly sat down, his eyes scanning the faces near him.

Rustling in the branches above him caught his attention, and he glanced upward. A girl had climbed the tree nearest him and was just settling into a more comfortable position. Zybryn frowned. His eyes drifted across the clearing to a well-built man striding with perfect confidence up to the clearing. Zybryn crept further up on the rock and wrapped his arms around his legs, eying the newcomer suspiciously.

Earlier...

Tara could not believe her mom let her ride the bus alone. Then again, Mom was always so relaxed about her going to dangerous places or talking to strangers. And besides, she looked really pale that morning, so she didn't want to drag her along. But now she could do whatever she wanted!

She pushed her face against the window of the bus while watching the trees and grass whiz by. Tara wondered what kinds of bugs were living in the dirt, and what they were doing right now. Maybe they were having a nice lunch or looking for food.

Tara gazed up at the clear blue sky in awe, and gasped when she saw a bird soaring through the air! Maybe it was a hawk or a falcon or...an eagle! She always thought birds were so cool, because they could fly, make interesting noises, and they made it look so easy. What Tara would give to make flying that easy.

Just as she was admiring the nature of the mountain and its beauty, she suddenly heard a loud bang, and she jolted in her seat. What was that? Maybe the eagle crashed into the bus? Someone found Big Foot? Or...they being tracked down by the FBI??

Tara was severely disappointed when the bus driver said that the bus broke down, followed by some boring things, and the fact that they would have to sit there until it was fixed! She wished the reason was more exciting, but instead it was boring now they all had to wait. She hated waiting.

But everyone seemed to be moving out of the bus, maybe to get some fresh air while waiting. Once the crowd cleared, Tara stepped out of the bus to bask in the blissful outdoors.