It is a Tuesday in the summer of 2097. I have just signed up for the vacation in the sky. Hopefully it is worth all of the money I paid. I don’t know what to expect because all they said was that I would need three pairs of clothes, including the one I would wear there. They all have to be the same: three white button-up shirts, three blue jeans, three pairs of socks, and black shoes of my choice.
One month later…
Today is the day. I am walking to where the bus is to pick us up when I see someone walking in the same direction as me. The only thing that is different about this man is that he has a lot more things than me. I ask him, “Why do you have so many of your belongings?” The man says, “I don’t know how long I’m going to be here, and I’m not just going to leave my whole life behind me.”
We walk up to the bus. It looks weird. The bus doors open. I ask the woman in the driver’s seat, “Is this the bus for the vacation in the sky?” She does not look at me but nods her head. We board the bus. I see a couple of people in the seats. There is one other man about six feet tall and two young girls sitting side-by-side. I am surprised that they are here alone. The lady in the driver’s seat didn’t seem to be bothered by it. I sit by the two little girls. I ask for their names. The first one sitting on the outside closest to me says, “I’m Lisa,” in a small, sweet voice.
The other child wraps her arms around her legs and squeals out, “Rachel.”
“Where are your parents?” I ask. They look away and don’t say anything. A few other people get on the bus and the doors close right before a man can board. She steps on the pedal and we begin to move. The man runs with the bus and bangs on the side loud enough so the driver can hear, but she doesn’t stop. We start moving very fast, so I buckle my seatbelt. The driver pulls a lever and I hear a loud grumble. Two large boards unfold from the sides of the bus.
To be continued…
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by Djeneba Soumaoro, 826michigan
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