Somewhere on a pale blue dot, somewhere in China, a bus is driving through the countryside. Inside the bus is a group of teenagers excited about a day at the beach. For many this was the first time they would see the beach, always living too far inland. Some of them just wanted to show off their swimsuits or flirt.

Like every bus ride filled with teenagers, kids are being loud, unruly, pushing the boundaries, of the teachers watching. The teachers understand that is just being a teenager that is until they begin to go overboard.

"Sit back down." A middle-aged woman yelled towards a group of teens standing in the back.

At the front of the bus sits a young woman driving the bus, shaking her head, "Why did I ask to drive the bus?"

A girl sits in the back of the bus looking out the window. Trying to ignore all of the noise, and enjoy the view. She was excited, only ever seeing the beach as a little girl, now she would be able to see the waves and enjoy them with her friends. Although they had brought umbrellas to keep the sun off them, trying to stay pale. The girl planned to have as much fun in the water as she could, even building a sandcastle.

Her musing was interrupted by the boy sitting in the seat in front of her, "Are you excited"

The girl smiled rolling her eyes, “Yeah, who does want to see tourist attractions.” She was trying to downplay her excitement.

“Aww, don't be like that, admit it it's exciting.”

The girl rolled her eyes again but couldn't keep herself from smiling.

“Ha,” The boy triumphed, “It will be something to see. Also, they say if you are there on the right day you can get a wish.”

“Is that how they get the tourists?” The girl hadn’t heard that before but the sea always seemed magical to her so why wouldn’t it be true?

“Nope, that's just something the vendors try and sell there.”

“So you've been here before. Why come on the trip then?” The girl asked confused.

“Come on. A day off and I can hang with my friends who wouldn't want to go on this trip.”

The girl looked thoughtfully at the boy thinking 'that does sound nice.'

The conversation between the two teens was suddenly interrupted when the bus turns too hard almost lifting on two wheels, as the bus turned entirely too fast. Everyone on the bus screamed and was thrown around the interior of the bus. The girl found herself in the center aisle holding onto the seat.

The driver was desperately trying to straighten the bus constantly over correcting causing everyone to continue to jerk around. After a long tense battle with the bus, the driver was finally able to straighten out the bus, and almost hit a car coming the other way. "Ahhhhhhh" the bus driver is panicking, screaming jerking the wheel back and forth, causing the whole situation to happen again. She is terrified, this is the first time she's driven a bus, and it was not going well.

"Straighten out." One of the teachers yelled.

“I'm trying.” The driver yelled back.

The woman fought against the bus dodge cars and straightening the bus back to normal. The entire bus was shaking and scared at the near-death experience. The teachers were not quick in getting out of their seats afraid she would do it again. Instead, they were yelling at her to pull over.

“Fine but it will have to be after the tunnel.” The woman said as they were quickly approaching a small mountain tunnel.

“No now.” One of the male teachers yelled as he started to get out of his seat.

The driver looked uncertain before pleading, “Look there is a spot after the tunnel.”

The teacher got in her face pointing to the side of the road.

“Fine!” She huffed. But didn't even slow down.

The man stared at her noticing she wasn’t slowing, “Stop.”

“We will.”

“Now!” The man Yelled.

The tunnel was just ahead and the teachers were starting to feel something was wrong, other than the driver’s driving. They were already suspicious of the girl when she showed up in place of the regular driver who happened to have taken the day off. A thought ran through all their heads, 'What is going on?' The feeling only grew the closer they got to the tunnel. They didn’t know why, but they knew they shouldn't go into that tunnel.

“Stop the bus.” The teacher leaned over to take the wheel but was easily shoved away by the small girl.

She was now smiling, in her mirror, she could see the kids staring ahead knowing something was wrong.

She looked down at the teacher and said two words "Too late."

——

In a place surrounded by trees, and mountains. A bus stops and a woman jumps out of a bus. She lands on her hands and knees catching her breath on the ground. She is followed by a lot of irate teachers and students, who suddenly can’t find her. They look around realizing there was no longer a road or a tunnel.

The woman stood there unseen as a man steps off the bus walking up to the woman.

"That was more intense than I thought it would be." The woman said

“Did you have to go all crazy kidnapper at the end?” A man asked.

The woman laughed, “It just came to me.”

The man shook his head, “You catch your breath yet?”

“Why did you let me drive?” The woman said ignoring his question.

“It was hilarious.”

“You suck.” The woman said playfully, punching the man's shoulder.

“Hey, you had fun.” The man said rubbing the spot she hit.

“I almost killed them.” She said oddly calmly.

“Yeah, that was pretty close, have you ever heard of slowing down?”

“...” The woman mumbled something

“What was that?”

“I don't know how.” The woman said reluctantly.

“You...did you not know where the brake was?” The man was horrified, “Oh my god, you lucked out...by a lot.”

“Where was the break.” She asked.

“It was the other pedal.”

She looked at the man accusingly, “Why didn't you show me before?”

“How was I supposed to know you didn't know?” The man was embarrassed he had thought she knew how to drive so he didn’t bother teaching her.

“Can we just go?” The woman said looking at the group not wanting to see what might happen to the group in this new world.

The man saw where she was looking, “Yeah.”

The man reaches a hand that was still shaking as they began to walk away, leaving the people to their new world.