Hollow Hearts

The Initiation

I don't know why I took the dare. It was some kind of cruel initiation ritual to welcome a freshman in a new high school into a group that seemed pretty cool to hang with. I was told I had to spend the night in an old, broken down school bus deep in the outside forest surrounding the school, without anyone there with you. Calling on cell phones weren't allowed, in fact, cell phones were banned in this activity, but iPods and MP3 players were okay. That's exactly what I brought with me, along with a flashlight, a book, sleeping bag, bug spray and some food from my fridge.
I stood outside of the green painted bus door and let out a sigh. The bus was a pathetic mess of rust and broken glass; the tires were gone, engine hood open to expose the empty skeleton underneath. Even with extensive care and parts, this bus was too far gone to drive out of here anyways, as the forest was too dense and protected by nature and wildlife reserves.
Now I know what you are thinking: if this place is protected, then why are we allowed here? Well the answer is simple: no one gives a fuck. This place may be under watch, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't corrupted sons and daughters of bitches.
The door to the bus was gone, and the steps covered in pines. I took one look inside a shattered window and saw some tarp covering a seat where they said I would be sleeping at. I saw no noticeable bugs or animals and walked into the bus. It had this foul smell in it, similar to that of rubber burning or shit-on-fire. It wasn't unbearable, thankfully, and like the stupid-ass teenager I am, I thought that this would be totally worth getting grounded over.
I stepped over glass and vegetation to get to the tarp that was laid out for me. Without a tent, I had no idea how to keep my head covered from bug bites but I figured that I could manage just fine. I laid out my sleeping bag and pulled out Oliver Twist, a classic that I loved. The time on my iPod read 6:30 pm, and I knew that my parents could find out that I'm not really spending the night at a friends house.
It took a little bit to notice the sounds outside the bus: twigs breaking, leaves rustling. My heartbeat spiked a few notches as my adrenaline kicked in, and I turned off the light a little too fast. The twigs snapping under small feet didn't stop, but seemed to be coming closer to the bus.