Ever been on a school field trip?
Most likely you have.
Well, you know those wacko bus drivers that when you step into the vehicle with your classmates, right before you take off for that lovely trip you've all been looking forward to, you think, "Oh, ****. Why the Board of Transportation trusts this psycho with a bus full of kids, I'll never know."
That's the kind of dude or dudette, gender doesn't really matter here, who's behind the wheel for your school trip. That's right, you're attending Pearline Academy, a school for the exceptionally talented, and you were selected along with a few others to travel to the national Arts and Sciences Fair to compete in Pearline's name.
It seems, however that your bus driver took a wrong turn on the highway, whether by accident or not, and when you look out the windows all you can see are trees. Lots and lots of trees. Some of the bolder students confront the driver, as the group seems to be getting farther and farther away from civilization, but the driver says repeatedly "This is the right way" and ignores all other protestations.
Out of nowhere, there is a tremendous crashing sound and to everyone's horror the bus tips over and begins sliding and churning down a steep slope. Razor shards of glass are raining down on your heads, bodies are tumbling head over heels and hands are scrambling wildly for a hold. Screams fill the air and panic overwhelms you.
Then, just as abruptly as it started, the bus comes careening to a halt. You all tumble to the floor of the vehicle, bruised, bleeding, and possibly even broken, but miraculously no one was killed.
Once you've all regained your senses and mustered up the courage to go up to the front of the bus, you find to your bewilderment that the driver has mysteriously disappeared. Having no other clue as to what to do, the whole group heads outside, and what they see leaves them utterly astonished.
A small village lies in front of you-- but whatever this place was, it's no ordinary village. Neon, phosphorescent flowers pad the ground and climb up the swaying trees that fill the forest. Music that resonates from both nowhere and everywhere pulses quietly but profoundly in your ears. The walls of the houses are made of solid diamond, and yet they are still broken-- something very powerful has swept through this wondrous place, rendering nearly a ghost town.
And yet, you hear the pitter-patter of running feet, the whisper of agitated voices, the creak of a tree branch.
People are here. They just aren't showing themselves.
~~~
Most likely you have.
Well, you know those wacko bus drivers that when you step into the vehicle with your classmates, right before you take off for that lovely trip you've all been looking forward to, you think, "Oh, ****. Why the Board of Transportation trusts this psycho with a bus full of kids, I'll never know."
That's the kind of dude or dudette, gender doesn't really matter here, who's behind the wheel for your school trip. That's right, you're attending Pearline Academy, a school for the exceptionally talented, and you were selected along with a few others to travel to the national Arts and Sciences Fair to compete in Pearline's name.
It seems, however that your bus driver took a wrong turn on the highway, whether by accident or not, and when you look out the windows all you can see are trees. Lots and lots of trees. Some of the bolder students confront the driver, as the group seems to be getting farther and farther away from civilization, but the driver says repeatedly "This is the right way" and ignores all other protestations.
Out of nowhere, there is a tremendous crashing sound and to everyone's horror the bus tips over and begins sliding and churning down a steep slope. Razor shards of glass are raining down on your heads, bodies are tumbling head over heels and hands are scrambling wildly for a hold. Screams fill the air and panic overwhelms you.
Then, just as abruptly as it started, the bus comes careening to a halt. You all tumble to the floor of the vehicle, bruised, bleeding, and possibly even broken, but miraculously no one was killed.
Once you've all regained your senses and mustered up the courage to go up to the front of the bus, you find to your bewilderment that the driver has mysteriously disappeared. Having no other clue as to what to do, the whole group heads outside, and what they see leaves them utterly astonished.
A small village lies in front of you-- but whatever this place was, it's no ordinary village. Neon, phosphorescent flowers pad the ground and climb up the swaying trees that fill the forest. Music that resonates from both nowhere and everywhere pulses quietly but profoundly in your ears. The walls of the houses are made of solid diamond, and yet they are still broken-- something very powerful has swept through this wondrous place, rendering nearly a ghost town.
And yet, you hear the pitter-patter of running feet, the whisper of agitated voices, the creak of a tree branch.
People are here. They just aren't showing themselves.
~~~
OPEN AND ACCEPTING AS OF 3/20/10
