Danger and Confusion.

The Lemon Tree īīī

The Lemon Tree

Chapter Five: The Road That Changed

The laughter inside the bus continued for a long time.

Songs rose from the back seats. Snacks moved from hand to hand. Kelvin had now started a competition to see who could tell the worst joke, and somehow he was winning.

Even the teachers seemed more relaxed.

Mrs. Dada removed her glasses and smiled as she watched the students enjoy themselves. For once, nobody was thinking about tests, deadlines, or school rules.

It felt like freedom.

Nora had recovered from the humiliation of Kael’s bag incident—at least on the outside.

She was now sitting with Regina, Becca, and Seraphina, loudly insisting that she had moved on.

“I’m serious,” she said, crossing her legs dramatically. “That chapter of my life has ended.”

Becca nodded. “Of course.”

“I have peace now.”

“Definitely.”

“I no longer care what he does.”

Seraphina glanced past her. “Then why have you looked at him six times in the last two minutes?”

Nora turned sharply. “Traitor.”

The girls burst into laughter.

At the front of the bus, Jeremy had joined the teachers to help read directions from a folded paper map.

“Take the next turn,” he said.

The driver frowned. “This road?”

“Yes, that’s what it says.”

The bus turned.

At first, nothing seemed wrong.

The road became narrower, but still manageable. Trees lined both sides. Sunlight flickered through the branches.

Then the houses disappeared.

Then the streetlights disappeared.

Then the paved road ended completely.

The bus began bouncing over rough ground.

Students groaned as bags slid and bottles rolled beneath seats.

“Can this bus relax?” Kelvin shouted as he grabbed the seat in front of him.

“This is your joke reward,” Max replied.

More laughter followed, but it was thinner now.

Outside, the scenery had changed.

The trees were taller here, their branches twisted strangely overhead. Thick grass swallowed the edges of the path. No farms. No people. No signboards.

Only road.

And silence.

Nora looked out the window.

“Where are we?”

Regina frowned. “This doesn’t look like a tourist center.”

Even Seraphina, who was usually fearless, sat up straighter.

At the front, Mrs. Dada adjusted her glasses.

“Driver, are you sure this is correct?”

The driver didn’t answer immediately.

His hands tightened on the steering wheel.

Then he said quietly, “This road wasn’t here before.”

A chill moved through the bus.

“What do you mean?” Jeremy asked.

“I’ve driven this route once,” the driver said. “Years ago. There was no split road.”

Students who had been laughing moments ago grew silent.

The bus continued forward.

No one suggested turning back.

No one knew why.

It was as if the road itself was pulling them deeper.

Then, after another ten minutes, the forest opened.

A settlement appeared ahead.

Stone houses stood in rows beneath a pale sky. Smoke rose from chimneys. Narrow pathways crossed between buildings. Men and women stood still in the open, already watching the bus as if they had been expecting it.

No children played.

No animals moved.

No sound carried from the village.

The bus slowed.

Every student pressed closer to the windows.

Kelvin spoke first, though his voice had lost its usual confidence.

“Please tell me this is not where we’re going.”

No one laughed.

The bus came to a stop at the center of the settlement.

For one long moment, nobody moved.

Then an elderly woman stepped forward with a warm smile and a basket of fruit in her hands.

“Welcome,” she said gently. “You must be tired travelers.”

Behind her, more villagers emerged carrying water, bread, and stools.

Their smiles were kind.

Their eyes were not.

Nora felt something tighten in her chest.

Beside the window, Kael was no longer pretending not to care.

He was staring at the villagers with the same unease she felt.

And for the first time that day, nobody in the bus wanted to get down.

The Lemon Tree

Chapter Six: Smiles With Teeth

For several seconds after the bus stopped, no one moved.

The students remained frozen in their seats, bags in their laps, eyes fixed on the strange village outside. The laughter from earlier had completely vanished.

The silence felt unnatural.

Then the elderly woman stepped closer to the bus door, still carrying her basket of fruit.

Her smile was warm enough to calm a room.

“Why are you hiding in there?” she called kindly. “You are our guests.”

Behind her, more villagers appeared.

Some carried clay cups filled with water. Others brought trays of bread and roasted corn. A few waved cheerfully as if welcoming family members home.

They looked ordinary.

Too ordinary.

Mrs. Dada stood from her seat and forced a polite smile.

“Everyone remain calm,” she said. “We may simply be early.”

Kelvin whispered, “Early to where? The afterlife?”

Max elbowed him sharply.

The driver opened the bus door.

Warm air drifted inside.

The elderly woman moved aside and gestured to the ground below.

“Come,” she said. “Stretch your legs. Eat. Rest.”

Some students exchanged uncertain glances.

Others were already convincing themselves everything was fine.

“It’s probably part of the cultural experience.”

“Maybe they’re just traditional people.”

“You people watch too many scary movies.”

That last comment loosened the tension.

One by one, students began standing.

Nora stayed seated.

Her eyes moved across the villagers.

They were smiling.

But none of them were speaking to one another.

None were laughing.

None looked curious about the visitors.

They were only watching.

Kael rose from his seat.

As he passed her row, he said quietly, “Stay alert.”

Then he stepped off the bus.

Nora blinked.

It was the first time he had spoken to her without being cold.

She immediately stood.

“I was already alert,” she muttered, then followed.

Outside, the village air smelled of dust, smoke, and something bitter she couldn’t name.

Students slowly spread out.

Some accepted food.

Some took pictures.

Becca was whispering, “This place is creepy.”

Regina nodded. “Very.”

Seraphina crossed her arms. “If anyone jumps out of a hut, I’m fighting.”

Nora almost laughed.

The old woman offered her a yellow fruit.

“Eat, child.”

Nora smiled politely but did not take it.

“Thank you, but my stomach is loyal to food from home.”

The woman’s smile held.

Her eyes hardened for one flicker of a second.

Then softened again.

Across the square, Kelvin was already drinking water.

“See?” he announced. “Nothing is wrong with these peop—”

He never finished.

A rope dropped around his shoulders from behind and yanked him backward.

The cup shattered on the ground.

For one stunned second, no one understood what they had seen.

Then everything happened at once.

The smiling villagers moved.

Bread trays fell and became weapons.

Friendly hands became fists.

Men rushed forward with ropes and clubs.

Women grabbed screaming girls by the arms.

Students scattered in every direction.

Mrs. Dada shouted for everyone to run.

Max tackled one attacker.

Jeremy dragged two younger students toward the bus.

Becca screamed Nora’s name.

Nora spun just in time to dodge a man reaching for her.

She ran.

Dust flew beneath her feet as she sprinted between stone houses, heart slamming against her ribs.

Behind her came shouting.

Ahead, she saw Kael fighting two men near the bus door.

He threw one aside and grabbed the railing.

“Get in!” he shouted.

Nora ran toward him—

Something crashed into the side of her head.

The world tilted.

She fell hard to the ground.

Voices became muffled.

Shapes blurred above her.

The last thing she saw before darkness swallowed everything was Kael turning as if he had heard her fall.

Then nothing.