2. The others were already crowding around the windows as they began to roll past the first signs of life they had seen since leaving home. âHave we taken a wrong turn?â âIâll check. Where did you put the maps?â Turner asked, automatically flipping open the glove compartment. âDee? Maps?â âRightâŠmapsâ Dee smiled sheepishly at her cousin âI knew I was forgetting something.â
3. âAre you serious?â Elise, overhearing the conversation was up beside them instantly âYou forgot to bring maps and weâre already lost? How is that even possible! I looked at those directions and thereâs only one road through the desert and itâs totally straight and weâre on that road! We canât conceivably be lost!â âOh man, is this going to turn into a teen horror flick where we end up hopelessly lost being picked off one by one?â Journey grinned settling back into his seat as his sister needlessly paused at the stop sign on completely quiet road, âHey Elise, start worrying, cheerleaders never make it far in situations like these.â
4. âYeah and you definitely have horror movie survival skills Journey.â âWell theyâre better than yours.â âGuys! Weâre not lost and weâre not going to die. I promise. Iâll just pull in here and weâll ask for some directions.â âWell thatâs almost as bad as saying âIâll be right backââ
5. Satisfied sounds accompanied stretching as seven antsy teenagers piled out of the hot bus into the slightly less hot outside. âI am dying for a nice cold drink.â Cayenne sighed as she let a warm spring breeze roll across her bare skin. Journey muttered something under his breath which she decided to ignore âI saw some machines when we were pulling in. Whoâs in?â There was a general noise of assent which was followed by some stiff staggering steps around the bus to fulfill their quest for refreshments.
7. Or rather, stared at. In complete silence. And with obvious curiosity. It was incredibly disconcerting and the only thing they could really do was stare back. Journey voiced what they were all thinking first âWhat is up with their clothes?â Elise jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow in response.
8. âTesting! Testing! 1 2 3! Ladies and Gentlemen this is your captain speaking. Guess who found the speaker system!â Cayenneâs enthusiastic voice echoed around the empty walls where they had set up camp. Night had fallen quickly after the Strangetown teens had left, and the sound of rain beating on the windows made everyone grateful they had somewhere dry to spend the night.
9. âWhatâs more!â Cayenne continued into the microphone, âThanks to this familyâs questionable, priorities, while we donât have any maps we do have about eight billion CDs, soâŠâ Cayenneâs voice crackled out to silence for a moment before being replaced by the blare of loud music. No I donât know where Iâm going, But I sure know where Iâve been Hanging on the promises, In songs of yesterdayAnd I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more timeâŠ