Kayla kicked the driver’s seat back, scolding, “Delete that shit! Who told you to have the dashcam on?”
Even though there was a seat between them, the driver was jolted by the kick and quickly lowered his head in submission. “Yes, Ms. Kayla.”
Under Kayla’s watchful gaze, the driver deleted the footage from the dashcam.
Kayla asked, “Is it all gone?”
The driver’s eyes flickered, but he replied honestly, “Yes, Ms. Kayla.”
“Alright then, let’s go!”
Kayla settled back comfortably into her seat, putting on the air of a rich young lady. She closed her eyes to catch a nap, completely unaware of the driver’s annoyed expression. Taking advantage of Kayla’s distraction, the driver discreetly reset the dashcam and quickly pocketed the memory card.
The vehicle soon set off, navigating toward Alverton.
…
“Everyone, we’re reaching! After we cross this mountain, we’ll be at Alverton. When we arrive, please gather your belongings and exit the bus in an orderly fashion!”
After an eight-hour bumpy ride, the bus finally arrived near Alverton as dusk approached.
The area was picturesque, with lush mountains and clear waters. The endless mountain range created a beautiful landscape, especially in the misty winter. The scene looked like it came right out of a painting. While the students were intrigued by the scenery, they all groaned at the thought of hiking up the mountain.
“Goodness, why doesn’t this place have proper roads?” one complained.
There was no cement road in front of the bus, only a rocky path riddled with holes. Every so often, they’d encounter hard clumps of cow dung.
Nearby, fields stretched out, and since vehicles could not pass, they had to walk.
“Sir, how far do we have to walk? We have so much luggage. We’re going to die from exhaustion!” another whined.
“Seriously, what’s the difference between this and staying back at the college for training? It’s just going to wear us out!”
Amid the complaints, Felicia
shrugged her backpack onto her shoulder and strode forward. Every blade of grass, every tree, every mountain, and every stream here felt familiar to her. This was Felicia’s hometown.
When she was a child, Howell and Tabitha had dumped her here. This was where she endured a childhood of beatings and coldness. But she had also experienced the kindness and care of the villagers. It had been a long time since she last visited.
She wondered about the village’s development, whether it had progressed as she had envisioned, and if the villagers would be surprised to see her return.
After walking a short distance, she
turned back to the vice principal, who was trying to calm the students Sir, there’s another path we can take to reach the village. If we head that way, we can access the main road after about half a
mile.”
In addition to the students burdened with luggage, there were also delivery trucks filled with donated supplies that needed access to the village. It wouldn’t do to rely solely on manpower to carry everything. After Felicia spoke, the vice principal hesitated. He sounded doubtful as he asked, “That path is overgrown with weeds. Is it really passable? What if there are pits and the trucks get stuck?”
While this concern was valid, Felicia simply laughed lightly. “The local villagers can lead the way. They’re familiar with the terrain but not you.”
At that moment, Arnold, who had just disembarked from the bus, glared at her with a tense expression. He suddenly asked, “You seem quite familiar with this place?”
Felicia shot him a glance and said in a dismissive tone, “No comment.”
With that, she shouldered her backpack and continued along the rocky path.