The students cluttered the hallway in anticipation of the buses, backpacks and duffle bags in hand, accompanied by ongoing conversations. Footsteps bolted through the hall and annoyed groans followed as energetic teenagers shoved and pushed, each desperate to secure the best seats on the bus.
Josh Orwell fumbled at his locker, his hands shaking as he yanked at the jammed handle. It was no surprise. Harden had made sure of it countless times before, stuffing gum into the lock or jamming it shut with broken pencils. Every morning was the same cruel ritual. Today, though, he had no time to waste. The buses were already loading, and if he missed this trip, he would never hear the end of it.
He yanked harder, teeth clenched, until finally the metal creaked open. With frantic haste he pulled out his duct tape–wrapped notebook and the few important items he always kept hidden. Shoving them into his bag, he slammed the locker shut and took off down the hall, weaving through the crowd while clutching the strap of his backpack.
He kept glancing over his shoulder, heart pounding as though Harden might be right behind him. The bully wouldn't think twice about tripping him or shoving him into a trash can just for laughs, even with less than five minutes before departure.
Josh's sprint echoed against the tiled floor until at last he burst through the exit doors. The buses hissed, engines rumbling, but he managed to squeeze in line before the last of the students boarded. His chest heaved with relief as he climbed aboard, thankful that he wasn't the last one left behind.
His shoulders loosened when he sank into a seat, the morning breeze brushing against his ears through the open window. For a moment, the comfort of it made him forget the chaos of the hallway.
"Awwn, the dork is all set for a school trip." The boy in the black jacket standing in front of him grinned mockingly.
Harden grabbed him by the arm. "You're in my seat, dork. Why don't you get another place to drool for the next three hours?"
The kids around them broke into laughter, fueling the bully's ego. Harden's smirk widened as he squeezed Josh's collar tighter.
Josh flinched, his trembling hands betraying him. "There aren't any other seats here, Harden, but there are some at the back, it's kinda..."
"What!" Harden cut him off. "You can't be serious, Orwell. You want me to sit on that trash seat for the whole ride?"
"I didn't say you should, but the other buses..."
"Nice try, wise guy, but that's not my problem." He pressed Josh deeper into the seat, daring him to resist.
Josh didn't need anyone to tell him to move. Any more time spent there was like keeping a rabbit in a lion's den. The boy beside him slid away to find another seat, unwilling to share Harden's target zone.
"You shouldn't let yourself get pushed around all the time." Anna said softly as she made space beside her.
Josh and Anna had been friends since they were fifteen, though she had only moved into his neighborhood a year ago. Despite the fact that he was a bullied six-foot nerd with average looks, she always gave him the time of day. Josh wasn't ugly, just overlooked because of his bold glasses and awkward haircut. If he changed his style and gained some confidence, he could probably turn heads, but he had stopped trying. His dopamine has dwindled actively due to excessive pornography consumption. He had once been a soccer enthusiast when his father was around, but ever since the man walked out, Josh felt like a part of his spirit had gone with him.
Josh sighed in defeat. "I know I shouldn't, but it's much easier not to react." His shoulders sagged as he sat down.
"The easy things are not always worth it." Her words pressed against his chest, but before he could reply, the ignition of the bus drowned out his thoughts. The trip had begun.
In less than four hours, they had arrived and set up camp. A brief sightseeing walk with a small batch of students was already underway.
"My source says the crater a hundred meters ahead is an endangered zone," Anna reported from her phone screen.
"The guides and teachers said nothing. I can see some people are there already," Josh replied as he quickened his pace.
"Hey guys, we came to see the cave. I don't think we should stay here." Josh's voice was barely audible over the chatter.
"Josh is an expert in geography. I think we should all listen to him." Harden's voice cut through the air, his mocking tone drawing attention.
Anna stepped in. "It's true. It says here on my phone that an explosion created this crater. The surface you're standing on is unstable, so if you've taken enough pictures, we can all go back and join the rest of the group." She took long strides backward.
"Hey dork, your girlfriend is pretty smart," one of the other boys sneered. "Too bad you haven't even."
Crack! Crash!
The sound came at the same time the ground split open, leaving everyone within three meters of the crater tumbling toward their doom.
Someone shrieked, maybe Anna.
Josh could have easily ran to safety, but his first instinct was to save someone, anyone, even his tormenter.
Reaching for his fiend, he shouted, "Just grab my hand!"
"The rope is behind you!" Harden cried out in desperation.
But the landslide escalated fast, and Josh found himself plunging into darkness. A heavy thud to his head was the last thing he felt before everything went black.
…
The cloaked figure by the door suspended a sleeping human soul with his staff.
"That's the one," a voluptuous woman said as she directed the cloaked man to a table. The mounds on her chest rippled as she moved.
Her gentle strides swayed her hips and made the two fleshy cheeks behind her jiggle as she approached the visitor.
"You delivered this soul, so as promised," she said with a mischievous grin, yanking his head hard and burying his face into her huge ripe breasts. POMF. The warm swell and softness swallowed him whole. His erection stiffened so suddenly it made him shudder. With a helpless groan, he collapsed on the floor, cheeks flushed and eyes rolling back. He was completely consumed by that electrifying experience.
"Let's see here…" she flipped open a large arcane book.
"Okay, let's see. Life record, uhh, kind to pets."
"Meow!" her three-foot cat blurted out.
"That's right. Okay, eighteen years on Earth, loves PB and J, blah blah…
"Died a virgin!!!"