The Last Bus Ride - The Dream Void (Part 2)

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James and Max entered the Gray Zone first. Everything looked so plain and dull. "I don't think we will encounter any danger here," said a hopeful Max. "Of course we will," said Ron. "Just because things seem so bland doesn't mean that we are okay." Just then a large, flying monster descended from the sky. It looked prehistoric. It was definitely reptilian. It had large wings and very sharp teeth. "Run," yelled Cindy. Everyone bolted looking for cover. They found a suspicious looking cave. "Quick, enter here," shouted James. The flying monster called a Hazare swiftly approached the children. The last of the children in the group was just about to enter the cave when disaster struck. The Hazare got a hold of Chuck. "No," yelled Wally. "Come back!" The Hazare carried Chuck off to a nesting ground. Chuck became a succulent meal for the Hazare and her babies. The children wept. "How can we survive for another 9 hours?" asked Peter. "Are we even safe in this cave?" As if to answer that question, a loud sound was heard from inside the cave. "Quiet," said James. "Something is inside the cave. I don't think that we are safe." Indeed James was correct, a giant lizard called a Mutte headed toward the children. It was moving fast. "Go, we've got to get out of here," said Sarah. The children headed out of the cave, but a large, sharp rock became detached from the top of the cave. It struck Sarah right in the heart. She was dead! The rest of the children quickly vacated the cave. They sought refuge in a tent that suddenly appeared from nowhere. "My God, what will happen next?" cried Max. The children were cold. They saw food on a table along with a pitcher of cold water. "Part of our dream, I guess," said Peter. Chuck and Sarah were dead. The children were terrified what would come next. They ate and drank rapidly. "We must stick together," said James. Time passed by slowly. Four hours into the dream another terrifying event occurred. "What is that sound outside?" asked a nervous Cindy. "It's getting louder." At first it sounded like rain, but then it became more ominous. "Cold stones," announced Flavoid. He was speaking to them from inside their minds. "If one strikes you, you will turn into stone." "No!" screamed Max. "How do we protect ourselves from these? They are pelting our tent. Pretty soon our tent will be destroyed." James looked around the tent. "Look bubble containers. Quick, inside. Let's hope that they are secure." Indeed they were secure. They also allowed for the children to breathe inside. Two hours later, the tent destroyed, the bubble containers held up. Fortunately, they did not turn into icy tombs. "Three more hours," announced. Lucy. "We've got to find new cover." The children discovered eight sets of Flash Boards as they left their containers. "What are these?" asked Max. "I don't know, but it looks like some form of skateboard. Let's try them out," said James. The Flash Boards were extremely fast. Sparks came out from the back. "Careful where you go," said Wally. The children zoomed across rows of fern trees and stony roads. A half hour into their ride they were suddenly surrounded by a dark gloom. It came so quickly that Cindy's Flash Board struck into a Whirly Bush. Cindy flew off the board and her head struck a Hesper Tree. Blood streamed from her forehead. An instant later, she was dead. The other children just managed to stop before they crashed as well. "Oh no," shouted Max. "I hate you Flavoid. This must end!" Even though there were still two hours to go, the children were whisked out of their dream and returned to the outer edge of the Dream Void. What happened to the other group? Ah, that is to be learned in the next part.