At first ,Liam was thrilled about the camping.But when he heard about the digital detox; his mood were dampened instantly. The adventure is compulsory for all final year students,so removing himself from the group is not a possibility...
After all preparations were made.There were a total of 64 people which comprises of fifty two students,five security guards ,three drivers and four teachers.All the students were to be conveyed by three buses.
Willows Valley is said to be about 120 miles from the school. It's a good amount of time for the students to pull themselves together for the adventure that awaits.Oliver was in bus 2 which contains eighteen students.
The journey started with a loud chatter, music bleeding from headphones,and general excitement.As they leave the highway and cell service drops, the mood shifts to boredom, then quiet contemplation as the scenery becomes more isolated.
The smell of diesel fumes and cheap air freshener hit Oliver first.He claimed the window seat in the middle of bus two, keeping his backpack on the empty seat beside him like a guard dog.Other students taking brief, strange glances at him every now and then.
He kept his nose in his worn out copy of The Odyssey,using the words as a shield.The plan was simple, survive the three hour bus ride, set up a tent alone if possible, complete the stupid "wellness" tasks and get back to civilization without interacting with the popular crowd.Specifically, staying away from Liam.It was a great thing that Mr Harrison had put Liam's boisterous group in Bus 1.
An hour in, the landscape shifted to rolling hills, then eventually, proper mountains.The road narrowed , twisting through deep green forest.The transition was marked by a collective groan that swept through the bus.Oliver looked up from the book he had buried his face in.
"There it goes" The girl across his seat muttered , shaking her dead phone screen in frustration.
The last bar of cell service vanished entirely.The bus went quiet,a sudden unnatural silence only broken by the hum of the tyres on the uneven ground.The real world was gone.
Oliver allowed himself a small , private smile.For the first time all day, there was peace.He pressed his forehead against the cool glass, watching the scenery transform from generic wilderness into something ancient.The trees grew taller,fender, and then a new,softer green began to appear.Clumps of Willows, their branches sweeping the ground, became dominant as the bus started it's final, steep descent into the valley basin.
The air felt different now- heavy , damp and cool. There was a sense of isolation that was both intimidating and freeing.He could make out a narrow, dusty track leading away from the main road,the only visible sign that humanity had touched this place.
The bus slowed to a crawl, turning down that track.Oliver adjusted in his seat, the subtle tension in his stomach tightening.The silence was over . They were here.
Bus 2 crunched to a halt in a large cleared field carved out of the forest.The doors hissed open , and the wave of students tumbled out, stretching cramped limbs and blinking in the strong afternoon sunlight.The air smelt intensely of pine and wet earth.
Oliver grabbed his heavy pack and stepped off the bus.His heart immediately sank .Bus 1 and 3 were already there , both parked nearly next to each other beside a large,covered pavilion that served as the base of operations.A familiar,loud laugh carried across the clearing -Liam's laugh.
Liam was standing next the pavilion, already looking relaxed ,phone tucked into a pocket of his expensive hiking pants,probably charmed Mr Harrison into letting him keep it a few minutes longer.He was talking animatedly with his friends, gesturing towards the surrounding, ominous looking Willow trees that marked the valley perimeter.
Oliver adjusted his backpack straps and headed towards the designated gear drop- offs, keeping his head down...