By Bus with Vicki - Part 14

Good morning FFFs!

Welcome to September! Wait! Did I just say September? As in the month I always associate with apples, school and the leaves starting to turn colors? Wow!

This has been a busy week. (I think I always say that.) Trying to catch up on things after being gone for a week is always a challenge, but I think I'm caught up. Well, maybe not on all the blog posts because everyone seemed to get the message that I was out of town and decided to post multiple times. :P But, oh well. I 'm trying to get a lot of those little projects done. You know, the ones that really won't take very long, but you never think of them when you have time to do them. Yeah, those.

I have been writing. TCR-6 is now over the 1/2 way mark and I'm finished with the rearranging, adding, changing and stuff. Now I can just write. But . . . before you get all excited, I'm writing "Finding Joy" right now. It took me a little bit to get back into the story as it has been over 2 weeks since I worked on it, but it's moving now. :)

My other big project . . . Is a blog party! Yes, I mentioned Blog and Party in the same sentence. Some of you have probably heard bits about it, but others might not have. It's going to take place the last week of September and it's going to be so much fun! Here is a personal invitation just for YOU!

So, are you coming? Doesn't it sound like fun? If you know of anyone who might like to come, just copy this invitation and send it to them. The more people we have, the more fun the party is going to be!

Now, here is the final part of Vicki's bus trip. I hope you are as ready for her to reach her destination as she is. :) She's had a lot of adventures, but after a while they lose their excitement. So, enjoy this last part and then come back next week for . . . Well, for something different. :)

By Bus with Vicki

Part 14

    At a later stop, a young man in army fatigues climbed on the bus and took a seat right in front of the Greens. Vicki was interested at once. She struck up a conversation almost right away. “My brother, David, is going to join the army when he’s old enough,” she said. “He’s only fifteen now, but he won’t always be that young.”

    The soldier coughed slightly. “No, he won’t.”

    “Are you going to a different camp?”

    “Nope. I’m going to get married.”

    “Oh!” Vicki’s delighted cry could be heard the entire length of the bus, causing many heads to turn in her direction. “That’s so lovely!” She quickly changed her seat to sit next to the soldier. “What is her name?”

    “Victoria.”

    “Why, that’s my name! My full name, not my nickname. Do you call her Vicki? That’s what I’m called unless I’m in trouble. I’ve never known anyone with my name who got married. Of course I know people who got married. My sister did. But nobody with the same name as me. I wish I could meet her.”

    “Where do you get off?”

    “San Jose.”

    “You should be able to at least see her then because I get off before you do.”

    At that bit of news, Vicki clasped her hands together and drew a long breath. Her eyes were starry and she said not a word.

    After waiting a moment and finding she didn’t speak, the soldier, asked, “So, where are you going, Vicki?”

    “What? Oh, to visit my sister. This is my first time to travel on a bus, but it will probably be my last time too.” Then she launched forth into the story of her bus trip so far, ending with, “And I’m so glad you got on because I didn’t have anyone to talk to except the Greens, and they are probably tired of me talking. People get tired of me sometimes.” She shrugged as though that was all a part of life. “But that’s okay because on a bus trip like this, there are always new people to meet. Do you like to meet new people? And would you sign my autograph book?”

    When the bus pulled into the next station for supper, Vicki’s new friend, Andrew, was invited to join her and the Greens at their table.

    Not feeling in the least bit sleepy when they got back on the bus, Vicki decided she would just stay awake until Andrew’s stop came. Seated beside him, she told stories and listened to him tell stories. The next thing she knew, someone was gently shaking her arm.

    “Vicki, this is where I get off. If you want to see my girl, you’ll have to wake up.”

    Bleary eyed, Vicki yawned and sat up. “Huh?” Seeing Andrew pull his pack down from the overhead compartment, she suddenly remembered. “Victoria is here?”

    Andrew grinned. “She should be. She said she’d meet my bus.”

    Quickly she scrambled to her feet and followed the soldier. She only had a few minutes, but she not only got to meet the other Victoria, but was delighted when she agreed to sign her name next to Andrew’s in her autograph book.

    Back on the bus again, Vicki fell asleep and dreamed of soldiers and babies with red balls carrying detour signs which kept her from reaching her sister.

    “Vicki. Wake up, Vicki. We’re in San Jose.”

    It took some time for the words to fully register in Vicki’s slumber filled mind. Yawning, she shifted in her seat and prepared to go back to sleep. But someone pulled her to her feet. “Come on, Vicki, I’m sure your sister will let you sleep once she gets you home, but you can’t sleep here.”

    Forcing her eyes open, Vicki stared up into Mr. Green’s amused eyes. “Did the bus break down?”

    Mr. Green chuckled. “No, but you’ve finally reached San Jose. Don’t you want to get off?”

    San Jose? She was really there? Suddenly all sleep vanished and Vicki was wide awake. “Oh, I didn’t know we had arrived. Where’s my purse, and my sweater and sweatshirt?”

    “They are right here,” Mrs. Green said, holding out the desired items.”

    “Oh, thank you.”

    The bus driver made his way up the aisle. “Come, little lady,” he said. “I’m going to make sure you reach your sister’s care. I don’t want to take you along farther than you wanted to go.”

    The lights of the station were bright, and Vicki blinked. She heard her name called and looked around. “Amber!” Dropping her sweater and sweatshirt, she rushed across the nearly empty room into her sister’s fierce embrace. “I’m here! I’m really here! Did you get my other luggage?” She tipped her head up to see her sister’s face. “It came on ahead of me because it didn’t get on the wrong bus. But it was so exciting!” Her sister’s arms didn’t loosen their hold of her, but Vicki didn’t care. It was good to be with family again.

    A deep voice beside them said, “We’ll pick up your luggage. But it looks like you lost a few things.”

    Vicki looked around. Her laugh bubbled out as she saw her brother-in-law, Richard. “I just couldn’t hang on to everything.” As Amber let go, Vicki hugged Richard before turning around. “I just have to get my things that I dropped.” She darted off before anyone could say a word. When she came back, the bus driver and Mr. and Mrs. Green were talking to her sister and her husband. To Vicki, who was eager to be away from the bus station so she could tell Amber and Richard all the adventures she had experienced on her first bus trip, it felt like hours before the grownups stopped talking, her luggage was retrieved and the three of them were on their way across the dark parking lot to their waiting car.

    Skipping beside her sister, one hand clasped tightly in hers, Vicki said, “It’s a good thing this bus trip was so exciting because I know Mom and Dad will never let me ride on one again.”

Do you think Vicki go to ride a bus again?

Are you going to be back for next week's story?

Does the Blog Party sound fun?

By Bus with Vicki - Part 13

Hello FFFs,
I pray you forgive this shameful delay
In posting this story so late today.

But, it's still Friday morning. :) I'm on vacation, at my grandparents', slept in, have had trouble with my computer, and everything seems to be taking twice as long to do as usual.
No, I haven't written anything this week. I've watched Little League instead. :) We are enjoying the World Series and were thrilled last night when our favorite team (from TN) beat KY. No, we didn't start out with a favorite team when we began watching at the beginning of the week, but TN has just grown on us. We love watching them play, their interaction with each other, the advice and encouragement the coaches give, and well, just everything about them.

I'm also trying to keep on top of planning for a "blog party" next month! :D Very excited about that! Stay tuned to learn more. Plus hanging out with my grandparents, helping with different projects and just taking a break from the usual things.

I also decided last night (I hadn't known about it before) to join my sister and Mom, in memorizing the book of 2 Timothy. Scripture Memory Fellowship has a challenge to memorize the entire book in 4 months. You can win a t-shirt and other things. Do any of you want to join me? Wouldn't it be fun to keep each other accountable, to encourage each other, and press on together in hiding God's Word in our hearts? Join now and let me know if you're in! And remember, I just started too. :)

I was going to tell you all kinds of things, but since it is already late, and I have some emails to reply to, I'm just going to go and let you get to reading.

By Bus with Vicki

Part 13

    As she sat, swinging her feet and wondering if she could find someone new to talk with–for Rose was quiet and the Greens were talking together–she heard crying. It sounded like a young child and Vicki, suddenly missing her younger siblings, leaned out into the aisle to look. It was a little fellow, not much younger than Johnny.

    “The poor mama,” she murmured to herself catching a glimpse of the mother’s face. “It must be hard to keep someone that young happy on a bus.”

    Something came flying over the seats and rolled to a stop at Vicki’s feet. It was a small ball. Instantly Vicki picked it up. Making her way carefully up the aisle, she stopped beside the seat where the young mother was trying to occupy her little son. “Can I play ball with him,” Vicki asked, smiling at the small tot. “We could roll it in the aisle. My name is Vicki. Did you just get on at the last stop?”

    A relieved look crossed the mother’s face. “Yes, we just got on. It’s the first time I’ve tried taking Tommy on a bus. I should have known he wouldn’t do well. But I hoped he would fall asleep.”

    Sitting down in the middle of the aisle, Vicki held out her hands. “Come sit with me, Tommy, and we’ll roll the ball. Rose, can’t you sit down there and play too?”

    Rose’s dark head looked around the seats. For a moment she hesitated, then timidly scooting over, she moved to the aisle.

    Tommy was delighted at the prospect and his tears disappeared. Back and forth the bright red ball rolled. Sometimes it bounced when Tommy threw it instead of rolling it, but the other passengers simply kicked it back into the aisle and the game continued.

    “I have a brother named Johnny,” Vicki confided to Tommy’s mom. “He’s two. But my oldest brother is named Thomas. I think he used to be called Tommy, but I wasn’t around then, so I don’t remember.” She chuckled at the thought. “Do you have other children?”

    Tommy’s mother shook her head. “No. Only Tommy.”

    It was beginning to grow dark when Tommy tired of the game. His young playmates left him sitting in sleepy silence by the window with his thumb in his mouth. The sight made Vicki a bit homesick.

    “I’ve had a lot of fun on this trip,” Vicki confided to Rose after the two girls had resumed their seats. “But I think I’ll be glad when I see my sister. I was supposed to get there in the morning but I tried to visit Montana instead. When do you get off?”

    “At the next stop, I think.”

    “So soon? I was hoping you were going all the way to San Jose.”

    Rose shook her head. “No. But I will be glad to get home again. I’ve missed my family.”

    Quietly the two girls talked as darkness settled over the land and the bus wheels continued to hum over mile after mile of highway.

    When the sun rose the following morning, Vicki sat up, stretched, and looked about. It was quiet. Only a few passengers were awake, but no one talked. Across the aisle, Mr. and Mrs. Green still slept with their seats leaning back. “I didn’t have to do that,” she thought. “I had the whole seat to myself, so I could lie down.” Rose had gotten off last night, and Vicki checked in her purse to make sure her new friend’s address was still there. It was, tucked away safely inside a pocket. “At least I can write to her,” she thought.

    To Vicki, the day dragged by. There were no adventures to delay the bus, for which she was grateful, for, though she didn’t really want to admit it, she was growing tired of traveling. Her active body longed to be out in the fresh air and her feet craved movement. The passengers remained stiff and silent. Only the Greens, who to Vicki’s great delight, were traveling all the way to San Jose, were friendly and tried to amuse the girl.

    “I suppose,” Vicki remarked after an unusually long period of silence, “that no one wants to be friendly with strangers because they don’t know them. On the first bus I was on, no one wanted to talk much until after we had a flat tire. I don’t want another delay, but something should happen to make people friendly.” Thoughtfully she rested her elbow on the arm of the seat and leaned her chin in her hand. “I suppose if we all played a game, it would help the time to go by faster. We do that at home. But what game could we play? We can’t play ball because Tommy and his mother got off earlier. Hmmm.” Absently she shoved back her headband, and her swinging foot nudged her sweatshirt about on the floor.

    It took some time before Vicki was able to think of a suitable game for the scattered passengers on the bus. Then, with a little coaxing, she managed to persuade most of them to move to seats near each other and presented her game. It was a continuing story, but Vicki had torn up a newspaper someone had left and each person was required to include one of the headlines in his or her part of the story.

    That lasted until lunch time. In the afternoon, Vicki decided that taking a nap was the best way to pass the time and joined the rest of the passengers in slumber. In that way a few more hours slipped by.

Have you ever played ball in a vehicle?

Are you ready for Vicki to arrive at her destination?

Are you going to join the challenge to memorize 2 Timothy?

By Bus with Vicki - Part 12

Hello, FFFs,

Did you all have a good week? 

I think I did. It was so crazy and busy that I have to stop and think. Oh, yeah, it was a good week. I have managed to get 5k written already (on TCR-6 in case you were wondering) in spite of hardly getting anything written Monday evening and nothing on Tuesday. I attended the re-organizational meeting of our county's republican central committee of which I am a member. I taught writing class, I worked a little on planning a "virtual party" (stay tuned to learn more of this fun fall party!), I got my "new" short story kindle book ready for pre-order and have been sending out ARC copies these last few days, as well as answering questions for interviews.

Plus I've been working on that Bike Trip book I told you about a while ago.  It's been fun to watch the trips settle into pages with photos and diaries. :) But it takes a long time! One trip I did has 21 pages! It's going to be one long book!

Now, I hope you enjoy this next part of this long story. I did warn you that it was long you know. You probably just didn't expect it to be this long. :)

By Bus with Vicki

Part 12

    “Yup.” The man must have realized that he had a bus full of listeners, for he launched into a story that may not have been entirely true.

    Even Vicki was a little skeptical about a few parts of it, but she only whispered to Rose, “I like the story, even if it is partly fiction.”

    Thanks to the distraction of the storyteller, no one had noticed the passing of time, and when the driver finally returned to the bus, no one grumbled about the delay.

    Pulling into the next station, the driver announced that they would eat there and that some passengers would change buses. That included Vicki and, to her delight, Rose. The driver escorted them to the station and introduced them to their new driver. “Is this the last time I’ll have to change buses now?” Vicki asked.

    The young driver nodded. “Yes. Make sure that you don’t get on any other buses.” He turned to the new driver, an older man with gray hair. “She got on the wrong bus last night and went four hours out of her way.”

    “I’ll make sure both young ladies are on the bus before I pull out of any station,” promised the new driver with a smile at Vicki and Rose. “Now, suppose you both go inside and eat a good dinner. I’ll make sure you get on my bus.

    Vicki was surprised at how hungry she was. “All I’ve done is ride on a bus all day,” she remarked to Rose and Mr. and Mrs. Green. The girls were once again sharing a table with the friendly couple. “I get hungry at home when I’ve been riding my bike or playing with the young ones, but not when I haven’t done anything.” With a shrug, she picked up her breadstick. “Oh, don’t let me forget to call my parents before we leave,” she said. “I should do it tonight so they can let my sister know I’m going to be late.”

    Before anyone rose from their places at the table, the driver came over. “Do either of you, young ladies want to stretch your legs or anything before we leave? We have ten minutes.”

    “I should call my parents if there is a pay phone,” Vicki said. “I tried to call them last night, but the phone was out of order and the line for the other one was too long.”

    When a phone was pointed out to her, she rushed over and was soon waiting for someone to pick up the phone. “Henry!” she squealed when a familiar voice answered. “I didn’t think I’d get to talk to you. Where are Mom and Dad? Is Suzuki all right? Did Clyde call last night? Of course he couldn’t tell you because he didn’t know, but I got on the wrong bus and was going to Montana. But now I’m back on the right road, but the station man at the other stop said I’d be late getting to San Jose. I don’t know Amber’s phone number, so someone is going to have to call and let her know and–”

    “Whoa! Vicki, hold on!” Henry ordered. “I can’t answer anything when you keep rattling on like that. Mom and Dad are at the park with the younger ones. Yes, someone called for you last night, but what is this about a wrong bus? How late are you going to be getting to San Jose?”

     Vicki shrugged, forgetting her brother couldn’t see her. “I don’t remember when the driver said. And it might depend on if we have any more adventures. We’ve had so many already! But I can’t talk long, Henry, because the bus is going to leave and I can’t miss it. I know I went four hours towards Montana before I could get on a different bus. But I’m having so much fun! Oh, I’m going to have to go soon.”

    “Vicki, where are you now?”

    “Um . . .” Vicki looked around and finally said, “Just a minute and I’ll ask. I was too busy playing a game to notice.” Turning around she called to the driver, “Where are we please and when will we get to San Jose?”

    The driver stated the town and gave the estimated time of arrival. Vicki quickly repeated it to her brother. “Now I have to go, Henry. Tell Mom and Dad I’m quite well and having a marvelous time. I’ll call again when I can. And oh, I have so many stories to tell you! Good bye!”

    After she had hung up, Vicki skipped over to the bus where her new driver was standing. “This is the right bus, isn’t it?” she asked, a smile spreading across her face.

    “If you’re heading to San Jose it is.” The driver returned her smile and gave her a wink.

    With a giggle, Vicki climbed aboard after Rose. The bus already had quite a few passengers, but the girls found a seat across the aisle from the Greens. In a few minutes they were again in motion and once again Vicki was on her way farther west. For a time she was content to talk with Rose and the Greens, but after a while she began to wish for something else to do. She couldn’t read because her bag was on another bus, as was everything else she had so carefully packed to help pass the time. 

Have you ever forgotten your bag of things on a trip?

What would you do if you had?

Only 2 more parts of this story. Will you be back?

By Bus with Vicki - Part 11

Hi FFFs!

I'm hungry. Glad it's almost breakfast time!

Well, that was a different way to start this blog post! Anyone else hungry?

This week I've been focusing my writing time on TCR-6. It still has a long ways to go, but it's moving. I did write my 3rd beginning for this book though. I'd written one, didn't like it and it didn't go anywhere, so I started a new way. This one was actually working and I was over a 3rd of the way done, but I felt like something wasn't right. Back I went to reread the entire thing. Ah ha! Ever had those moments? Well, I had one. I was trying to cram too much into too few days. Now things are much better. It's a bit hard to know how to update my progress bar though because I'm taking scenes from later and moving them to a different place. Kind of like working a puzzle.

And there will be a new short story coming out in kindle format soon. Well, actually it is not new. It was originally published in "The Lower Lights" but, since that book is not being made into a kindle book, I decided to pull some of the stories and turn them into kindle books. So, be on the look out for this new story.

 Well, that's it for today. I'll let you join Vicki on her bus again. Tell me, would you like to ride on a bus with Vicki? Or is she just "too much" for you?

By Bus with Vicki

Part 11

    By the time everyone had run out of ideas and each suggestion had been hashed over, the driver was slowing down, ready to turn back onto the highway again. There had been no sign of any kids near the road. Upon seeing a State Patrol car on the side of the highway, the driver stopped the bus and opened the door.
    The patrol officer came over.
    “Can you tell me why the road was blocked?” asked the driver.
    Inside, the passengers waited in breathless silence. “Sure. There was an accident. One semi loaded with cattle lost control and smashed into another from behind. One flipped over and the tailgate of the other came open. There’s a mess of raw chicken and loose cattle everywhere. If there hadn’t been that exit, you’d be sitting there a long time.”
    As the bus turned back onto the highway, many exclamations were heard.
    “I said it was an accident.”
    “Raw chicken? Gross!”
    “Someone should have called the Texas Rangers,” quipped a man wearing a Stenson, “they know about roundin’ up cattle.”
    “But I still like that idea of a prank,” Mr. Green laughed. “It was so original.”

    The rest of the morning passed swiftly for Vicki, who found her new friend an eager listener and the other passengers friendly and social after the detour. When they stopped for lunch, Vicki and Rose made their way to a table with the couple from across the aisle.
    “Does you tongue ever stop spilling words, Vicki?” Mr. Green asked, a twinkle in his eyes.
    Grinning, Vicki nodded, her mouth full of her hamburger. A moment later she replied, “I can listen if others want to talk. The problem this morning has been that no one else seemed to want to talk except when we had the detour, so I did.”
    Mr. Green’s hearty laugh rang out in the dining room and even his wife joined in. “Vicki, you are priceless,” he said when he could speak again. “I wish I had you at some of the meetings I have to go to. No one wants to talk there. either”
    “Well, maybe if you told them about your bus trip, they would be interested and could tell about their own trips.”
    Aside to his wife, Mr. Green remarked, “I wonder what would happen if I did.”

    Not long after, as the bus was traveling onward once again, the conversations inside began to lag and one by one the passengers started to nod off. “I don’t see why everyone wants to take a nap in the afternoon,” Vicki whispered to Rose. “Especially since most of them slept in the morning.” She shook her head as snores in different tones drifted through the bus. “There is too much to see. But I suppose it wouldn’t be very nice to talk a lot since so many want to sleep. Do you like to play tick-tack-toe?”
    Rose nodded and produced the necessary paper and pencil, and the girls began.

    Though Vicki didn’t want to miss a single mountain flower, cattle ranch or small town, the sounds of steady breathing, the light sway of the bus, and the warm afternoon sun, combined with her interrupted night, made her drowsy. After nearly fifty games of tick-tack-toe, Rose had settled herself to look out the window, and not long after, Vicki realized that she was sleeping too. “I don’t want to sleep,” she yawned. “I don’t take naps at home. But maybe I’ll take a really short one.” Leaning her head back, she let her eyes close and was soon dozing as soundly as the rest of the passengers.
    She was roused some time later by a gentle kick. Opening her eyes she saw Rose was also awake. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to kick you,” whispered Rose.
    After a stretch, Vicki smiled. “That’s okay. I didn’t want to sleep anyway.” Scooting up on her knees, she looked around the bus. It seemed that most of the passengers were still sleeping. Across the aisle Mr. Green was snoring while Mrs. Green read her book.
    “Rose, do you hear a funny sound?”
    The dark haired girl tilted her head and listened. “I think so.”
    “Me too. I wonder where it’s coming from?” Vicki began moving in her seat, her ear cocked to try and locate the source of the strange sound. “Hey!” she exclaimed suddenly, “We’re slowing down. But there’s nothing here, no towns I mean. Oh, Rose, we’re pulling to the side of the highway. Do you think we’ve got trouble with the bus?”
    Rose gave a little gasp and her eyes widened at the idea.
    “If we do, I’m sure the driver can take care of it,” Mrs. Green said, looking up from her book.
    Thus assured, Vicki half stood up to look out the front window. “Why do you suppose we stopped?”
    Passengers were waking up all around, but no one volunteered any answer. The driver stood up and turned around. “The engine was making some strange noises,” he explained, “I’ll go check it out. It’s probably just some loose bolt. Everyone please stay where you are. We’ll be going again in no time.”
    As the driver disappeared off the bus, Vicki gazed out the window at the empty landscape around them. There were no houses or buildings of any kind anywhere. “Do you think there are any wildcats or bears around here? Henry said they lived out west, but I don’t think I’d like to meet one.”
    “Oh, I wouldn’t worry,” answered one older man with a grizzled beard. “This highway has got too much traffic fer their likin’. ‘Sides, I don’t ‘spect they’ll be comin’ ta pay us any visit ‘less we take a hike up inta the wilderness an’ search fer ‘em.”
    Vicki leaned over the seat before her to better see the speaker. “Did you ever see any bears or wildcats?”
  

What do you think is going to happen now?

Every seen a semi turned over an it's contents spilled?

Are you interested in reading the new short story?

By Bus with Vicki - Part 10

Hello, Faithful Friday Fiction Fans!
I hope you've been staying cool. This past week or so has been HOT! When it's 80º at 5 AM, and 103º at 6 PM, you kind of get the impression that it's hot. ;) And don't forget to add the humidity to that.

Life has been busy! Tuesday I worked as an election judge for 13 hours (not counting the 30 minutes before the polls opened and the hour 45 min. I spent packing up, taking the ballots to the county courthouse and driving home), so that didn't leave any time to do anything else. On Saturday I spent most of the day out doing lit. drops (leaving literature about a candidate on people's doors) for a man running for State Rep.  (Side note: He won! :) ) And since both of those days were really busy, I've been trying to catch up on everything. And of course during those busy days, either while I was gone or when I was trying to catch up on other things, everyone decided to post at least once, some times more than that! So, sorry if I haven't commented on your blog. I'm trying to catch up still. :P Can't you all just post when I'm not quite so busy? ;)

This hasn't been a very good writing week so far. No writing Saturday evening. I was too tired.
No writing Monday. I was getting ready to leave at 5:15 in the morning.
No writing Tuesday. I didn't get home until almost 9:00 PM.
I did write Wednesday and last night, but both nights were slow! Only 1,000 words each time. Maybe I can get more written tonight. We'll see. The last two nights I have NOT wanted to write at all! You can pray that I want to. :) I jumped back to TCR-6 last night and something unexpected happened. :) I just love it when my stories do that!

Anyway, here's the next part of that long bus trip. :) I really liked this part. :) So enjoy!

By Bus with Vicki

Part 10

    Seated beside each other a few minutes later as the bus rolled along the road, the two girls chattered as though they had been friends for years. Vicki, always the most outgoing in any gathering, told all about the day before, about her brothers and sister and cousins back home, and about anything else she could think of. Her excitement over the mountains she could see, fairly bubbled over, causing smiles among the other passengers. “And to think,” she exclaimed after pointing out a delightful view, “that we had to miss so much of this because it was dark last night!”

    “But if we didn’t travel at night it would make the trip twice as long,” observed Rose.

    Vicki gave a sigh. “I know, but sometime I want to come this way in my own car and only travel when it is light so I can see everything.”

    As the morning passed, many of the passengers fell asleep, or at least dozed in their seats, but Vicki had no intention of joining them. She and her new friend Rose were wide awake, though they tried to keep their voices low so they wouldn’t bother the others..

    Looking up ahead, Vicki saw an orange sign. “Does that say Detour?” she asked Rose.

    Rose nodded slowly. “I think so. Yes,” as the bus neared it. “It does say detour.”

    “Oh, do you think it means us?” In her excitement, Vicki forgot to whisper.

    Glancing up from her book, Mrs. Green, the woman who sat across the aisle with her husband, asked, “What was that?”

    “That sign says Detour and I was wondering if we were going to have to take a detour or if it was for another road.”

    “We’ll soon know. If we follow the arrows, it probably means us.”

    There was no answer from either girl, for they were watching the signs carefully and trying to guess if they would really have to take a detour or not. “It looks like we have to go on the detour!” Forgetting others were still sleeping, Vicki spoke quite loudly.

    “Huh? What was that?” Mr. Green, startled out of a snore, sat up and blinked.

    Vicki gave an excited bounce in her seat. “A detour. See, we are turning just like the sign says to do. Do you think the detour was known to the driver?”

    Mrs. Green exchanged glances with her husband before replying. “I would think so, but I don’t know.”

    The other passengers around them were beginning to sit up and look around, wondering what was going on.

    “Rose, do you want to go up front with me so we can ask the driver?”

    “No, I don’t like to walk when the bus is moving, if I don’t have to.” And the dark haired girl shook her head decidedly. “It makes me feel funny.”

    It took Vicki a moment to get her balance when she stood up, for the road wasn’t as smooth as the one they had just left. Staggering somewhat, and clutching onto the backs of seats, she made her way to the front.

    When she returned a few minutes later, her face was glowing and her eyes sparkled with excitement. “He said he didn’t know anything about this detour! But he doesn’t think it will be much out of the way.” Her face had fallen some over the last words, but then she brightened again. “But it will be something else that wasn’t expected! Oh, I just love having adventures!”

    The entire bus had been fully roused by this time, and there were a few grumbles, but Vicki’s evident excitement over the entire thing seemed to remind them of how a child often sees things and the grumbles soon died.

    “I wonder why there’s a detour and the driver didn’t know about it,” Vicki began. “I know! Let’s all think of a possibility and then we can see who’s right.” Her clear, young voice carried through the bus, and thoughtful faces showed that at least some of the passengers were trying to come up with solutions. Turning to Rose she asked, “Can you write all the ideas down?”

    Quickly Rose shook her head. “I’m not very good at writing.”

    “I’ll do it,” Mr. Green volunteered. “I’ll take it down in short hand for now and then write them out later.”

    “Oh, goody!” Vicki clapped her hands. Standing in front of her seat, hanging on to the back of the one before her, she waited a few more minutes. “Now, who has the first idea?”

    There was a moment of hesitation, but once the ideas started, they came quickly from all over the bus.

    A rock-slide had blocked the road. Construction work but no one had been notified. An avalanche on the mountain peaks had filled a small canyon the highway ran through. Vandals had torn apart a guard rail. There had been a bad accident on the road and it had been closed. They were hunting for a vicious mountain lion and didn’t want anyone traveling the road for fear he might attack.

    The last idea brought a round of laughter from the passengers before they went on.

    It was a fight between the Indians and the US Cavalry on the road. A bridge had collapsed. Highwaymen were having a stand off with the police. There wasn’t enough traffic on the other roads so the government decided to close the highway.

    “No, no,” one man near the back of the bus said, standing up. “You’ve got it all wrong. It was the prank of a few kids who ‘borrowed’ the signs from a friend who works in construction and no one has found it out yet. The kids are probably along the detour selling something. I expect we’ll be seeing them before too long if we keep our eyes open.”

    The bus fairly rocked with laughter over this suggestion, and several people kept their eyes on the windows to see if they would see any kids.

    Rockslides and accidents were the ideas most mentioned, though the suggestion of a prank was seconded by several.

What do you think happened?

Have you ever guessed what caused a detour?

Will you return to find out what really happened?

By Bus with Vicki - Part 9

Good morning FFFs!

Did any of you find any extra days lying around? I'm pretty sure I lost a few and thought they might have blown away. I mean, how can it be Friday again so soon?

It's been a good week. A productive one, but a fast one. I have written 6k words so far this week. And yes, they were mostly on one book. Sorry, but "Finding Joy" is writing itself and leaving TCR-6 behind. Maybe next week I can work on TCR-6. Of course there will be at least two days when I won't be writing. I'm working as an election judge again on Tuesday, so no writing then. And I don't write well the evening before since I try to go to bed a little early since I have to be up by 4:30. But we'll see what I can get done. As you may have noticed on the home page of Read Another Page, "Finding Joy" is now past the half-way mark! We're on the home stretch! (Or something like that. ;) )

I hope you are enjoying this story about Vicki. I told you it was long! I guess traveling with Vicki might take a while. ;)

By Bus with Vicki

Part 9

    The hum of the engine, the gentle swaying of the bus, and the warmth of the heater all combined to make her drowsy and before she had thought of a dozen names, her eyes were closed and she slept.

    Looking back at her, the driver relaxed when he saw she was asleep. “I wonder if she’s the kind of kid who gets upset when things don’t go right,” he mused. “Of course she didn’t seem upset when she got to the bus, but you never can tell.”

    The sun was well up when Vicki awoke. The excitement of the previous day, as well as being up in the night, had made her sleepy. For a moment she lay curled up on the seat, blinking. She was traveling, she knew that much, for when she opened her eyes she could see right out onto the road. But she was up awfully high, and in their van at home she couldn’t sleep lying down. “The bus!”

    Her excited exclamation startled the driver, and he looked in his mirror as she sat up. “Good morning,” he greeted her.

    “Good morning! Oh, isn’t this just so exciting?”

    Venturing another glance in the mirror to make sure the girl was talking to him, the driver said, “What is?”

    “That I’m traveling by bus to California! And I’ve already had so many adventures. If nothing else happens along the way, I’ll still have plenty of things to tell my sister when I get there. Did you get to hear about our trip yesterday?”

    When the driver shook his head, Vicki launched into an account of the blown tire, the walk to town, stopping for the fire to move away, and finally about her getting on the wrong bus. “Of course that wasn’t on purpose,” she explained. “I was just so sleepy and I saw another passenger who had traveled with me all day getting on the bus, and I thought it was the right one. I’ll make sure I get on the right bus if I have to change busses again. Do I?”

    “Yep. Just once though.” The driver didn’t add that he personally was going to make sure she got on the right bus.

    Vicki continued her excited thoughts. “I’ve never been in the mountains before. I wanted to watch as they got closer, but because of all the delays yesterday, I only got to see them in the distance before I fell asleep. I didn’t think I would be able to sleep at all on the bus. Before I left home I told Susie and Chrissy, they’re my sisters, that if I didn’t get to sleep on the bus, I’d be awfully tired when I got to Amber’s. So, I’m glad I can sleep on one. Oh, aren’t these mountains pretty? Do we have a long way to go before we get breakfast?”

    “Not too much farther.”

    Scooting to the aisle side of her seat, Vicki looked back towards the end of the bus, noticing that this one was fuller than the first one had been. “Why, almost every seat is taken,” she remarked to no one in particular. “I wonder where they’re all going? There are several who look interesting.” After watching the other passengers for a few minutes, Vicki turned her attention back to the windows and the front of the bus. There were a few cars passing them on the highway, and Vicki chuckled at how far above them she was.

    When the stop came for breakfast, Vicki was allowed to join the rest of the passengers but was firmly instructed that when she returned, she was to sit in the front seat. “I don’t mind if you sit somewhere else after we have gotten on the road again,” the driver told her. “But I want to make sure you are on the bus before we leave.”

    To this Vicki agreed quickly. She didn’t want to get left behind or get on the wrong bus again. Once was enough for her. As she followed the crowd into the station to the restaurant, she saw a girl about her size. The girl had long dark hair and darker skin. There was something in her manner that made Vicki think she was shy. Hurrying up to her as the girl stood hesitating in the doorway, Vicki said, “Hi!”

    The girl turned. A slight smile lurked in her dark eyes. “Hi.”

    “Are you traveling on the bus?”

    The girl nodded.

    “So am I! Are you alone?” When the girl nodded again, Vicki grabbed her hand and pulled her to a small table near a window. “Come on, let’s sit together. I’m traveling alone too. Is this your first time to travel by bus?”

    Shaking her head, the girl whispered, “Second.”

    “Oh, this is my first and I’ve already had many adventures, including getting on the wrong bus.” She giggled. “My name is Vicki Rogers. What’s yours?”

    “Rose Peterson. I’m eleven.”

    “I just turned twelve, that’s why my parents agreed to let me travel all the way to San Jose, California to visit my sister, Amber. She’s married. Where are you going?”

    “Back home. I visited my grandmother.”

    During their talk, plates with hot breakfasts had been set before them. “I always thank God for my food,” Vicki remarked.

    “Me too,” Rose whispered.

    Together the girls bowed their heads and Vicki whispered a prayer of thanks for their food. When they lifted their heads, they exchanged full smiles. Somehow that little act had united them.

    When the call came to board the bus again, Vicki explained to Rose that she had to sit in the front at first, so the driver would know she was there. “I don’t want to get left behind. But once we start going I can come back and sit with you. If you have an empty seat beside you.”

    Rose nodded but said not a word.

Have you ever found a new friend while traveling?

Do you like traveling in the mountains?

Will you be back next week?

By Bus with Vicki - Part 8

Good morning FFFs,
It's quite right now. All five kiddos have decided to sleep in. :) It's been a busy week. We had people in and out of our house all Monday morning, I had election training that afternoon, and then I wrote in the evening. Then came Tuesday. I was able to get some things done that needed done. The four kids who were going to be staying here during the last homeschool convention (in Woodlands) were over for supper. The following morning (after Nephew #1 got up before 6 AM!!!), we discovered that the trailer loaded with all the Light of Faith stuff had a broken spring. Time for Plan B. My brother had to rent a truck to take things down. But that meant there was no room for Nephew #2. So, Sis-in-law dropped him and Ti-K off over here for breakfast while she helped unload the trailer and pack the truck. Nephew #2 was going to stay here with his siblings but Ti-K was going to the conference. They didn't pick her up until almost 1. And we've been busy ever since. It's too hot to play outside. We have heat warnings and the heat index is at least 106º! So, we're finding things to do inside. And we have the kids until Sunday evening.

And in case you hadn't guessed, I haven't gotten anything written since Monday. I should be able to write next week. (I really hope so because both "Finding Joy" and "TCR-6" are knocking on my brain to be written.)

If you shared your votes, thoughts, and comments about this blog last week, THANK YOU! All the feedback has been very helpful in figuring out what I'm going to do. I haven't decided for sure, but I do know I won't shut the blog down. :) If you haven't voted, go read the last post and let me know what you think.

I hope you all enjoy this next part of Vicki's bus trip. :)

By Bus with Vicki

Part 8

"But don’t worry about when to get off, the driver of each bus will be instructed to make sure you get off and on at the right times and the right places.” The station master wiped his brow.
    “But what about my luggage that’s on the other bus?” queried Vicki.
    “I’ve already called ahead to the next station for that bus and it will be waiting for you at your end stop in California.”
    “You’ve gone to a lot of trouble for me. I didn’t mean to make so many problems. And I truly thought I was getting on the right bus. But then I fell asleep. I’m sorry.”
    The older man smiled and patted her hand. “Now don’t you go fretting none. There’s nothing like little ladies like you taking the wrong bus to add a little excitement in an old man’s life. Why, Child, your hand is like ice!”
    Vicki grinned. “That’s because my warm jacket is on the other bus.”
    “Well, we can’t have that, now can we? You just wait right here. Don’t go anywhere.”
    “I won’t.
    In a short time Mr. Lynwood was back with a sweatshirt. “We have a small gift shop over there,” he nodded his head in the direction he had come from, “and I thought you needed something to remind you of your stop here.”
    Impulsively Vicki flung her arms around the older man and hugged him. “Thank you!” The sweatshirt, though it was too large, was warm, much warmer than her light sweater had been. “I’ll always remember you and this place when I wear it,” she promised.
    A horn sounded outside.
    “That must be your ride. Come along. Don’t forget anything.” And Mr. Lynwood hurried to the door of the station.
    Almost before she knew what was happening, Vicki found herself in the front seat of a sheriff’s car, waving good bye to the station master. Turning to look at the officer driving, she realized that he was an older man. “I’ve never ridden in a sheriff’s car before! But earlier today–no, I suppose it was yesterday–I got to sit in a State Trooper’s car for a little while. We had to wait for a grass fire to move away from the road before we could keep going. Are you the sheriff?”
    The officer shook his head with a chuckle. “No. I used to be the sheriff around here, but then I retired. Found out after six months of doing nothing, that I didn’t like it, so I came back to the force. Now I’m just Deputy Conway.”
    “I’m Vicki; well, really my name is Victoria, but I’m only called that when I’m in trouble.” Before the deputy had a chance to reply, she went on. “How are we going to catch the bus? You don’t have any lights or sirens on.”
    “Well, it’s this way. We know the route the bus has to take. Because the bus is so large, it can only travel on certain roads, but we can take the short cuts. And, one of the other deputies has gone up ahead to find and stop it for us.”
    Leaning one elbow against the window ledge, Vicki rested her cheek against her fist in thoughtful silence. “Am I going to make this bus late?”
    “I don’t think so,” Deputy Conway reassured. “They usually have some extra time in their schedule for little delays.”
    Thus assured, Vicki relaxed. Not feeling in the least bit sleepy, for the cold, the fresh air and the novelty of being awake and riding in a sheriff’s car at three-thirty in the morning had awakened her fully, she began to talk. She told the deputy all about the adventures she had already experienced on her bus trip, about the people she had met, and about how much she was going to enjoy staying with her married sister. “I don’t know if they’ll let me ride a bus back home,” she confided. “They might be afraid I’d end up in Alabama or Wisconsin.” She laughed at the thought. “Have you ever gotten on the wrong bus?”
    “No, can’t say I ever did, but I got lost in my patrol car first day as a policeman in Denver.” Finding that he had an interested listener, Deputy Conway told stories of his early days as an officer for the police department. Long before his supply of stories was ended, the flashing lights of a patrol car could be seen cutting through the darkness with the lights of a bus just ahead. “And it looks like we made it.”
    Vicki thanked Deputy Conway and asked him to sign her autograph book. “I got the State Trooper to sign it too. And the station master.”

    With a long sigh, Vicki pulled her legs up on to her seat and leaned back with her shoulder against the window. It was still too dark to see anything, the other passengers were asleep, and the driver wouldn’t talk to her. “Get some sleep,” he had told her after he had been given his instructions about her and she had been seated right behind him.
    “Maybe he’s just been having a bad night,” she mused, trying to see his face in the mirror, but failing. “I did make him wait for me, and maybe he doesn’t want to be distracted. Daddy doesn’t like us to talk to him all the time when he’s driving.” The warmth of the sweatshirt was relaxing. Scooting down, she spread her sweater over her legs and stared up through the large windows into the starlit heavens. “That’s a lot of stars . . . and God knows each of their names.” She yawned. “I don’t think I could even come up with that many names. Let me see . . .”

Have you ever ridden in a sheriff's car?

Have you ever tried to come up with names for all the stars you see?

Will you be back next week?

By Bus - Part 7 and Help Wanted

Hello FFFs,
Yes, you are still getting the next part of Vicki's travels, but I also needed your help, your input, your advise, your two cents worth.

Here's the situation:
After this story, I don't have any other short stories written. I can post a little more of "Dylan's Story" and another section of "Hymns in the Hills" but that's all the new things I have that can be posted. You see, with trying to write two books (okay 4, but two aren't top priority right now), finish my website, write blog posts for Read Another Page, work on the big project of the Bike Trips, plus adding teaching writing this fall again, I just don't have time to keep trying to fit in short stories just for this blog. I was trying to figure out how I did it before. :P I guess I wasn't so focused on my books. And I didn't have a website, or 33 bike trips to turn into a book. 
So, the question is, what should I do about this blog after this story is finished?

• A.) Keep posting until I run out of new things and then shut the blog down.

• B.) Post until I run out of new things and then leave the blog up but don't do anything with it.

• C.) Finish the new things and then start re-posting the old stories from when I first started. 

• D.) Leave the blog up and post whenever I get a short story written.

• E.) Post any short stories on Read Another Page instead of this blog.

• F.) Forget writing books and only write short stories.

• G.) Open the blog for other writers to "guest post" their short stories.

• H.) Something else.

Please help! Give me your opinion. I don't want to lose my loyal fiction fans because I'm too busy to write short stories all the time. I don't want to completely shut this blog down as I've been posting every Friday for about 7 1/2 years! But I just can't keep it up. My books are calling louder than the short stories. ;) I have too many other things going on right now. Maybe later I could come back with more short stories, but I don't know. So please, tell me what you think!

I have been enjoying both "Finding Joy" and "TCR-6" as they've been moving along. Not racing this week, but moving steadily. Hopefully tonight and tomorrow night will be productive days too because next week we'll have 4 of my nieces and nephews from Tuesday–Sunday. No time for writing then.

Okay, I'm going to be looking forward to your answers. Thanks. And enjoy the next part of this story.

By Bus with Vicki

Part 7

When she reached the very back, she stopped. Now where could they have gone? “Maybe the driver put them in the overhead,” she thought, catching a glimpse of the doors above the seats. “I’ll go ask him.”
    Staggering back up the aisle and trying not to fall on any of the sleeping passengers, Vicki at last made it to the very front. “Excuse me,” she said clearly, yet quietly.
    The driver glanced at her in the mirror. “Yes?”
    “I can’t find my bags. Did you put them in the overhead place above the seats?”
    “No, I don’t touch the things the passengers bring on the bus, just their luggage that goes underneath.” He turned and looked at her momentarily.
    Vicki gave a gasp. “Oh, what happened to the new driver?” She was suddenly wide awake.
    “Huh?”
    “The driver that drove us from where I got on introduced me to the new driver when we got to the station, but it wasn’t you.”
    Again the driver looked at her. “Miss, where are you going?”
    “San Jose, California.”
    The driver drew a long breath almost like a whistle before he spoke. “Well, you’re headed for Montana right now.”
    “Montana? But I don’t want to go to Montana. How can that be?”
    “You got off your other bus, right?”
    “Yes, but only for a few minutes. I was going to call my parents, but–”
    The driver interrupted. “Then you probably got on the wrong one.”
    “But I saw Mr. Newspaperman get on this one, and he was on the bus when I got on this morning.”
    “He probably had to take a different bus at the last station.”
    Vicki sat down in a seat behind the driver. It was strange to have a conversation with a man in a mirror, but she couldn’t see the driver’s face any other way. “Well, can’t you just turn around and take me back to the station? The other bus might not have left yet.”
    “That’s about two hours behind us.”
    “Two hours,” echoed Vicki, disbelief written all over her face. “But I didn’t go to sleep. I’m sure I didn’t. At least . . . I don’t think I did.” For a long time she sat in total silence trying to make herself realize that she, Vicki Rogers, had gotten on the wrong bus and was now going, not to her sister’s in California, but north to Montana. At last she spoke. “Do I have to go all the way to Montana?” She was thinking about the money it was going to cost to get a new ticket to California.
    “No, I’ll see what I can figure out when we get to the next station. You’ll be late getting to your destination, but we’ll make sure you get there.”
    The driver’s words were a welcome relief. “Thank you. But when will the next station be?”
    “Not for a while. You might as well go back to sleep again.” The driver looked at her in the mirror and smiled.
    Vicki smiled back. This was certainly an interesting trip she was taking. After tucking her purse between herself and the back of the seat, she curled up right where she was and closed her eyes. “And Mom and Dad think I’m on the right bus. At least they won’t be worried about me. Well, I wanted adventure. Now I have it. A lot of it. They’ll probably never let me ride another bus again as long as I live.” She yawned widely, and shifted a little. “Then I may as well enjoy this trip.” With those thoughts, she fell asleep.

    When she next awoke, the bus was coming to a stop. All was still dark, but Vicki thought she could detect a faint glow in the east. “But it might be a city,” she decided. Stretching, she remembered that she was on the wrong bus.
    Turning around after parking the bus, the driver looked at Vicki. Her headband was about to slide off the back of her head, she had an impression of her purse handle on her cheek, and she didn’t appear very awake. “Good morning, young lady,” he greeted her. “I want you to promise me you won’t step foot off this bus until I tell you to. I’m going to go see what I can do about getting you to where you are supposed to go.”
    Vicki promised solemnly that she wouldn’t stir from her seat without his permission. While she waited, she adjusted her headband and pulled her sweater closer. The warmer jacket her mother had insisted she take was in the other bus. “And here I am going farther north than Mom had planned. I wonder how I’m to get back to the right bus.”
    At last the driver came back with another man. Quietly he called Vicki off the bus. “This is Mr. Lynwood, the station master. You are to stay with him until transportation can be arranged to get you back on the right route. Please don’t get lost!”
    “I won’t. I’ll stay right with him.”
    Moments later the bus had pulled away and Vicki was sitting in a seat inside the quiet and almost deserted station. Though she had many questions, she didn’t ask any because Mr. Lynwood was busy talking on the telephone. Clutching the handle of her purse, the girl swung her feet and  yawned, letting her eyes wander around the empty room. They rested on a large clock. “I didn’t know it was quarter after three in the morning,” she thought. “No wonder I’m still tired.”
    Mr. Lynwood came over. “All right, young lady, we are going to attempt to catch the bus that left here fifteen minutes ago. A friend of mine who works for the sheriff’s department is going to take you in his car. That bus will take you to the station where you should have been had you not gotten on the wrong bus"

Have you ever gotten in the wrong car, bus, train, or something?

What would you do if you discovered you were heading in the wrong direction?

And what should I do about this blog?

By Bus with Vicki - Part 6

Hello FFFs,
Have you had a busy week? Hot weather? Noisy nights? Lots to do? I did. Still have lots to do and hot weather. Last night was noisy because, around midnight, a fierce wind came up and began lashing the tree branches against our skylight and making the entire house quiver. It was pretty noisy because the leaves were wet and they squeaked on the glass while the branches thudded on the roof. Then the thunder came and the rain. This morning I noticed some good sized branches were down from our maple tree.

I've been writing this week. If you haven't visited Read Another Page this week, you might want to check it out as I have progress bars for all four of my books on my home page. (Just know that there are other things that I haven't gotten fixed yet. :) ) It's been rather fun playing around and learning new things. I designed my social media buttons to match my site, and am hoping to work on everything more today.

Yesterday I didn't write. Instead I spent time listening to the audio of "Through the Tunnel." I can't wait to share it with you all when it is finished! The reader has done such a great job!

There are other things I have been contemplating about this blog, about my Read Another Page blog, my book writing, and other things. I haven't reached any decision yet, but I'm thinking. :)

By Bus with Vicki

Part 6

    Startled by something, Vicki blinked in bewilderment. Where was she and what was going on. A low murmur of voices was around her and dim lights were growing brighter.
    “Vicki?”
    Vicki sat up, her headband sliding down on her forehead. It all came back to her when she saw Kayla’s face. “Where are we? What’s happening now?” Reaching up, she shoved back her headband, not caring what it looked like.
    “We’re at the next station. This is where Clyde and I get off. The driver said there would be a short break before you leave again with a new driver.”
    “Oh, then I can get off and tell you good bye?”
    “Sure can,” Clyde said from behind his sister. “But you might want your sweater as it’s chilly outside.”
    Grabbing her sweater, Vicki slipped it on as she followed Clyde and Kayla towards the front of the bus. There the driver stopped her a minute.
    “Wait a minute, young lady.”
    “Yes, sir?” Vicki turned.
    “I just wanted you to meet your new driver. He’ll make sure you get on to the new bus in the morning when you have to change.”
    “All right.” She gave a sleepy smile and shook hands with the new driver.”
    “You aren’t going far are you?” asked the new driver.
    “No. I just promised I would call my parents when I got here, and I have to say good bye to some of my friends.”
    The new driver nodded and turned to another passenger who was waiting to speak to him.
    Vicki hurried to catch up with Clyde and Kayla who were waiting for her near the station doors. “I have to call my parents,” she told them.
    “There’s a pay phone right there,” Kayla said, pointing.
    Fishing out her coins from her purse, Vicki put in the money and tried to dial, but the phone remained dead. “Oh, dear. It’s out of order.” Her dismayed voice full of sleep, sounded close to tears.
    “What?” Clyde moved over. “Out of order? Hmm, it sure is. Let’s check inside.”
    There were no other phones available. The only one inside had a long line of folks waiting to use it.
    For the first time since her trip had started, Vicki felt discouraged. “Mom and Dad won’t go to bed until they hear from me,” she wailed. “They said they wouldn’t. And now I can’t call them. The bus is going to leave before all these people get a chance to use it. Oh, what am I going to do?”
    Kayla hugged the girl. “Don’t fret. Why don’t you let Clyde call your parents, either when we get home or sooner if we can find a pay phone? He can tell them what happened here and assure them that you will call them tomorrow.”
    The despair vanished. “That would be fine. But make sure you tell them I’m okay. But don’t tell them what delayed us because I want to tell them.”
    “Of course not,” promised Clyde with a laugh. “I wouldn’t dream of it. I’ll just let them know you are fine, that the phones were either in use or out of order and that you’ll call them tomorrow. But,” he added, “you’ll have to give me your phone number.”
    Quickly Vicki dug into her purse and pulled out a piece of paper with a number on it. After reading it, she handed it to her friends. “Susie and I wrote our home number on several pieces of paper for my purse, just in case I couldn’t remember the number and lost one paper, then I’d have others.”
    After promising again to call her parents as soon as they could reach a phone, Kayla gave Vicki a hug. “It’s been fun to travel with you, Vicki,” she said.
    “I enjoyed being with you too.” And Vicki beamed at her friends. “We had such an adventurous day, didn’t we?”
    Clyde chuckled. “We sure did. But we have to leave and you need to get back on the bus.”
    “Oh, I’m going to. Don’t worry. I don’t want to be left behind.” Vicki gave Clyde and Kayla one last hug. “Good bye, don’t forget to call my parents.”
    “We won’t.”
    With a wave, Vicki hurried out of the station and into the dimness of the parking lot. The bus was still there and Vicki saw Mr. Newspaperman climbing on. “Maybe I’ll be able to talk to him later,” she thought happily, glad he wasn’t getting off like Kayla and Clyde were. The driver was busy putting some suitcases in the bottom of the bus, so Vicki just called, “I’m getting on now,” and hurried up the steps.
    Dropping into an empty seat, she leaned her head against the window. She had heard one person in the station say it was almost eleven. It gave her a strange feeling to be awake and on a bus so late at night. She yawned and closed her eyes. Since there wasn’t anything to look at, she could just go to sleep again.
    The movement of the bus moments later made her open her eyes. The lights were dim, and she looked out at the station. “I wish it were light so I could see the mountains,” she thought drowsily. “But I can see them tomorrow.” Reaching down for her bag, she groped around. It wasn’t there. With a yawn, she murmured, “I must have the wrong seat.” Though she had every intention of getting right up and moving to the seat with her bags, she couldn’t make up her mind to do it quite yet.
    Finally, rubbing her eyes, she stretched and sat up. “I’ll go find my seat now,” she told herself. The bus was quiet as she slipped from her seat and, swaying and stumbling, made her way towards the back, stopping at each row to look for her bags. They were not to be found. All she could see were sleeping passengers. Even Mr. Newspaperman was sound asleep and snoring softly.

Have you ever had to use a pay phone? 

Where were her bags?

Will you be back next week to find out what happens next?

By Bus with Vicki - Part 5

Happy Canada Day Canadian readers!
And Happy Independence Day a little early US readers!

Can you believe it's already the middle of the year? And here I thought I was going to have a lot written by now. I guess I have. If I were to put all 4 stories that I'm working on together, I'd have another novel that was longer than the TCR books or Gift from the Storm. It just doesn't seem like as much when it's in four different parts.

I was writing this week, but not as much as I had planned. My brain was on shut down mode last evening. I have an idea for a blog post on Read Another Page once summer's over. Speaking of Read Another Page, I wanted to know if you like it the way it is, if you would like some things changed, have you listened to the audio samples that are now on the Audio page, if you've tried to leave a comment since it all got moved to a new hosting site. You see, I'm trying to figure out if it is harder to leave a comment now or if you just haven't been interested in the posts. I would like to get a few things fixed and changed on the site, but I've been busy.

Oh, I'm expecting to be able to proof listen to Through the Tunnel next week. Or at least start listening to it. :) And the first 15 minutes of TCR-2 and Gift from the Storm should be ready for me in a few weeks. Do you enjoy audio?

Now, I told you from the beginning that this was a long story. I hope you are enjoying traveling with Vicki.

By Bus with Vicki

Part 5

    “Oh, it’s another State Trooper! And he’s coming to the bus!” This last was added in a squeal as Vicki hugged herself, her eyes glowing with eager anticipation. “Maybe there’s been an accident or they’re searching for a robber. Or maybe the road is blocked for construction up ahead.”

    After stopping the bus, the driver opened the doors for the officer. Vicki’s eyes opened wide as the State Trooper mounted the steps to stand inside the bus. Everything about him was to her, impressive, from the hat on his head, to his radio on his shoulder, and the bulge of his gun at his side. She couldn’t hear him as he talked a few moments to the driver, but when he turned and looked at the passengers, she leaned forward to catch every word.

    “I’m sorry for the delay, folks,” the State Trooper began, his voice reaching to the very back of the bus. “There’s a large grass fire up ahead that’s gotten out of hand and jumped the road. We’re not letting anyone through until we know it’s under control.”

    “How long is that going to take?” questioned one of the passengers.

    The State Trooper shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ll hear on my radio as soon as it’s clear, and you’ll be the first to go through. But until that time, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait here. Unless of course your driver wants to turn around and go back.” He turned and glanced at the driver who shook his head.

    The radio crackled, and the State Trooper listened a moment before he spoke again. “So, just wait here, and we’ll let you know as soon as it’s safe to go on.”

    “Can we get off the bus?” another passenger asked.

    The officer shrugged. “It’s okay with me, if you don’t go past my car. The wind is blowing most of the smoke in a different direction, so that shouldn’t be a problem. If the wind does shift, it could cause the smoke to move this direction, as well as the fire. It’s not likely, but to be on the cautious side, if there is a change, I’ll be asking you to all stay on the bus.” His eyes scanned the rest of the passengers as though checking for more questions. When none came, he nodded, turned around and left the bus.

    For a moment silence pervaded. Not surprisingly, Vicki was the first to break it. “A grass fire! That’s what that haze is. And to think it’s all happening right now! And we’re stuck! Oh, this is more exciting than even a flat tire!”

    “Do you want to get off and see what you can see from the ground?” Clyde asked, smiling at her.

    Vicki clasped her hands together. “Oh, can we?” she breathed.

    It was the driver who answered. “Anyone who wants to get off may do so. But please remain near the bus so that there will be no delay when we are allowed to continue.”

    To most of the passengers, the wait was long and vexing, but to Vicki, it was another adventure to store away to retell to her family. Eagerly she had peered ahead towards the setting sun trying to see the fire, but she was never sure she had seen it, for there were many hills. Behind the bus, the traffic was stopped, and several times Vicki saw cars or trucks give up, turn around, and drive back the way they had come. For nearly a quarter of an hour, she had gotten to talk with the State Trooper, who allowed her to sit in his car and had even signed her autograph book. Finally Clyde had said, “I think we’d better get back on the bus now, Vicki. It’s getting late.”

    With a long sigh Vicki climbed the steps back into the bus. “I’m so glad we had to stop,” she told the driver, pausing beside his seat. “I never dreamed my trip was going to be so exciting. Thank you!”

    “Well, we aim to please when we can, Miss,” the driver said, passing his hand over his mouth and giving a slight cough as he exchanged glances with Clyde.

    Back in her seat, Vicki discovered she was hungry and pulled out her pie. “Aren’t you glad we were too hungry to finish our pie,” she laughed to Kayla who was opening her own box.

    “Yes. I’m afraid supper is going to be rather late today.”

    “I don’t mind at all.” And Vicki leaned back in her seat savoring each bite of her pie.

    Finally the State Trooper gave the okay to go ahead and the bus started forward. Vicki kept her eyes to the windows, hoping she would get to see at least some of the fire. The sun had sunk behind the mountains and, with the fading light, she was finally able to see the flicker of flames in the distance. “There it is,” she called gleefully, pointing out her window. “That must be the fire that held us up.”

    As soon as the next town was reached, the driver pulled into a gas station and said, “We’re already behind time, so please get something to eat quickly and we’ll be on our way again. If you’d like, you may all eat on the bus. There are several places right here that offer quick meals.”

    No one had to be told twice, for everyone, except Vicki, was impatient by another delay. Within twenty minutes all the passengers were back on the bus and the driver was pulling back onto the road.

    Sitting in her seat, Vicki enjoyed her hotdog and fries from Dairy Queen. “I just love eating at Dairy Queen,” she remarked to no one in particular as she reached for another hot, salty fry. Traveling by bus was more exciting than she had thought possible.

    At last, with her stomach full, and nothing to see out the windows, Vicki realized she was tired. It had been a long time since she had gotten up that morning. Using her sweater as a pillow, she lay down on the seat and stared up at the stars until her eyes closed.

Have you ever seen a grass fire?

Do you like sleeping while you travel?

What's your favorite kind of pie?

By Bus with Vicki - Part 4

Hi Friday Fiction Fans,
I'm sort of on vacation. Being at my grandparents house is considered vacation, right? Even if I do work on one of my projects. But I don't write. Guess you'll have to wait until I get back home for further exciting updates. :) Oh, and yes, I did write 11,100+ words last week. :) It was such fun to make progress on so many of my stories!

Thanks for signing up to be test readers, those of you who did. It's going to be fun using my list of test readers instead of trying to find some on my own. If you haven't signed up, and want to be a test/beta reader, go sign up on the Opportunities page on Read Another Page. I don't have anything ready to be read yet, but do it now so you won't forget.

Well, I really don't have much to say right now. I hope you enjoy this next part of the story.

By Bus with Vicki

Part 4

    Eagerly her eyes darted here and there, trying to take in every detail, from the birds on a distant fence post to the car of the State Trooper which was driving slowly along with its lights on and his window rolled down. “I’m going to have such a story to tell Amber when I arrive,” she whispered, looking up to Kayla’s face.
    Kayla couldn’t help smiling back.


    Vicki leaned back in her chair and looked around the crowded cafe. The food had been as good as the driver had promised, and Vicki eyed the last half of her piece of pie still on her plate.
    “Think you can finish off that pie?” Clyde teased.
    “I don’t know.” Vicki reached for her fork but didn’t straighten up in her chair.
    “Don’t make yourself sick,” cautioned Kayla. “A few bites left of the meal you’ve eaten isn’t anything to feel bad about. I don’t think I can finish mine. Clyde, you want the rest?” And Kayla pushed over her plate with half her apple pie still intact.
    Clyde shook his head. “No, thanks. I’m having trouble finishing my own.”
    Drawing patterns on her peanut butter pie with her fork, Vicki remarked, “If I don’t have to walk back to the bus, I think I could eat this . . .” She eyed it with longing. Her tongue wanted it, but her stomach protested.
    “We do have carry-out boxes if you want to take the rest of your pie with you.” It was one of the waitresses.
    Instantly requests for them were made around the room. Vicki looked at her pie. It was such a small piece, it seemed a shame to take an entire box for it, yet she wasn’t sure she could eat it now, and it would be a waste if it was thrown away.
    Kayla helped her out by placing the piece in a box for her. “There. I don’t want you getting sick because you ate that when you were already too full. I still don’t see how you could eat all you did eat!”
    “I didn’t eat much breakfast this morning. You see, I was so excited about going on the bus that there just wasn’t room in my stomach for food.” The girl giggled and adjusted her headband. “Mom kept trying to get me to eat something, but I just couldn’t.”
    “Well, I think you probably made up for that now,” Clyde remarked. “And there’s our bus.”
    Carefully holding her box with her pie, Vicki climbed back into the bus. “Well, now I’ll have something to eat later if we should be late for supper.”

    The afternoon proved a drowsy time for all the passengers. Even Vicki’s exuberance seemed dulled by the bright sunshine, the steady hum of wheels, and a stomach stuffed with good food. Leaning against the window, Vicki watched hill after hill slip past her until her eyes closed and her whole body relaxed.

    When she awoke an hour later, all weariness had vanished, and the delight of traveling across the country by bus returned. Quickly looking around, she discovered Kayla reading a book while Clyde slept with folded arms in the seat beside her. To Vicki, he didn’t look very comfortable, but she had seen her own brothers sleep in strange positions before and thought it just must be what boys did. Behind the brother and sister, Mr. Newspaperman was dozing, his paper over his face. Vicki had discovered that he wasn’t as bald as she had first thought. All the other passengers were either sleeping, reading, or talking in such low tones that Vicki couldn’t hear them.
    Scooting to the aisle seat, she looked out the front window. It was strange to be so high up. Suddenly she noticed a strange haze way up ahead. “What is that?” she asked.
    “What?” Kayla asked, looked up from her book.
    Vicki pointed.
    “I’m not sure if that’s mountains, or smoke, or dust.”
    “Smoke? You mean like something might be on fire?” In her excitement, Vicki forgot that others were still sleeping.
    “Eh, huh? What was that?” And Clyde straightened up in his seat, blinking in the bright light of the sun.
    “That hazy stuff in the distance,” Vicki repeated. “Do you think the driver would know?”
    “Why don’t you go ask him?” Clyde yawned.
    Standing up quickly, Vicki started forward, grabbing the backs of seats as she staggered along. It was much harder to walk on the swaying bus than she had expected.
    A few minutes later she came back with a beaming face to drop into her seat. “He said he isn’t sure, but that’s the way we’re going so we should find out! Oh, I do love to have adventures! If Susie were here instead of me, she wouldn’t like it. Susie doesn’t like adventures. At least not like Chrissy, Candy and I do. Greg likes them too. If he had come, he would be trying to get the driver to let him drive the bus.” She giggled.
    “How old is Greg?”
    “Um . . .” Vicki pursed her lips and wrinkled her nose in thought before she replied. “He’s almost eleven. I think. Yes, I’m pretty sure he is because Candy is older than him and she is the same age as Chrissy. They could be twins, except their birthdays aren’t on the same day and they’re cousins instead. Candy and Chrissy are, you understand. But wouldn’t it be so much fun to share a birthday? Oh, look! There are flashing lights up ahead! I wonder what happened? Maybe a fence is broken and the cows are on the road. Dad said that happened to him one time when he was going west.”
    The bus slowed down, and the rest of the passengers who had not been awakened by Vicki earlier, roused themselves and began to look around.
    “Oh, it’s another State Trooper! And he’s coming to the bus!” This last was added in a squeal as Vicki hugged herself, her eyes glowing with eager anticipation.

What do you think is going on?

Have you ever had to stop on a trip because of flashing lights ahead?

Are you going anywhere this summer?

By Bus with Vicki - Part 3

Hello Friday Fiction Fans,
(If you aren't all on vacation.)

What a week this has been! A good week, but still. On Sunday morning I played my violin at church, worked in the nursery and read a story at home that a dear older widow wrote about her own little boy. Wow! I want to fictionalize it into a story. She might let me as she loves my books. That night my Read Another Page blog was transferred from Blogger to a WordPress website. So, if things were rather strange when you went to it, or something, sorry. I'm still working on making everything right now. I have to get used to WP and figure out the hows and where. :) But, now that it's on WP, I actually have a place where you can sign up to be a test reader! So head over and sign up. And, if you have an experience with WP and want to offer your help, I'll take it. :)

On the writing front I've been busy. And I don't just mean writing my thousand words a day busy. Nope. I've been writing at least 2 thousand words except on Wednesday when I had to work nursery and so didn't have as much time. Okay, so I'm writing more, but does that mean the story you want is being worked on? Perhaps. ;) I spent Monday on my new story, Tuesday was split between the new story and TCR-6. Wednesday was the new story. Yesterday was "Hymns in the Hills" and TCR-6. Here's an overview of where each of the stories stands right now.

Dylan's Story: 16 parts
Hymns in the Hills: 12 parts
TCR-6: 12 parts
Finding Joy: 12 parts

As you can tell, they aren't very far along yet, but think of it this way, TCR-6 is about 5 chapters written. Does that sound a little better? And I still have tonight and tomorrow night to write. 

And if that wasn't enough, the first TCR book is almost out in AUDIO! Through the Tunnel should be coming out the in a few weeks and  . . . the audio for Gift from the Storm is going to start production next week and should be done around the end of August! I'm telling you, this has been a week!

Of course I don't know if anyone is taking the time to read this now. After all, it is summer. (That's why Read Another Page doesn't have lots of helpful writing posts right now.)

But, if you are reading this, I hope you enjoy the next part of

By Bus with Vicki

Part 3

    “Did it have electricity?” Vicki had left her seat and now perched on the edge of the seat next to Kayla.
    Clyde shook his head. “Nope. It was pretty rustic. There was a fireplace and we had to cook all our food over that when it was raining outside.”
    The rest of the morning slipped by as Vicki sat, an entranced listener, to the stories her new friends told about ‘their’ mountains.
    Suddenly, into the steady swaying of the bus and humming of the engine, came a bumping and thumping.
    “What is that?” Vicki asked, looking around as the bus began to slow down.
    “Sounds like we may have a flat,” Clyde remarked.
    “A flat tire?” Vicki stood up in her eagerness to see out the windows, lost her balance and almost toppled into Kayla’s lap.
    “Careful there,” Kayla cautioned, steadying Vicki. “We don’t want any injuries on this trip.”
    Others besides Vicki were peering out the windows. There were no houses to be seen on either side, only fields and rolling hills. “Oh, how exciting,” was Vicki’s assessment.
    The noise grew louder and the bus seemed to tip a bit as it came to a stop. The driver stood up and looked back at his passengers. “We seem to have blown a back tire, folks. I’d like everyone to remain in their seats while I take a look at the situation.”
    As the driver stepped from the bus, a low murmur of complaints began, but above them all came Vicki’s excited exclamation. “This is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me in my whole life! I’m going to have a real story to tell my sister when I get there. Oh, do you suppose we’ll be stuck here for a long, long time?”
    “I hope not,” Kayla said, smiling, though she looked slightly concerned. “I was looking forward to my lunch.”
    “Lunch?” This seemed to put a new idea into Vicki’s head, for she drew in her breath quickly and her voice was clearly heard throughout the bus. “Oh, I do hope we are stuck here. Wouldn’t it be such fun to walk to that little town up there,” and she pointed ahead to a small cluster of buildings, “and find a place to eat? I’m a real good walker and it would be so exciting!” The girl gave a bounce in her seat and then stopped. Putting her hand over her mouth she giggled. “I didn’t mean to shake the whole bus.”
    It was a few minutes before the driver came back. “Folks, I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but I’m going to need all of you to get off the bus while the tire is being repaired. Your luggage will be perfectly safe where it is, as I shall lock the door.”
    “What about lunch?”
    “How long is this going to take?”
    “Is there another bus coming along?”
    The driver held up his hands and the passengers grew quiet. “There is a small town just up the road a bit with a small cafe that serves really good pie. The meals are good too,” he added hastily, “but the pies are among the best I’ve ever had. As far as how long it’ll take to change the tire, I’m not sure. And there is no other bus scheduled for–” He glanced down at his watch. “Almost five hours. Now, anyone who would like to–Hold on a minute. Help might be arriving.”
    Every head on the bus turned to look out the windows. Nothing could be seen on the road side, but Vicki had scrambled across to her own seat and was peering out the window there. “It’s a policeman!” she squealed. “Or maybe he’s a State Trooper,” she amended, shivering with half suppressed excitement.
    The driver was outside talking to the State Trooper. Minutes later he came back. “I’m told that it’s about a fifteen minute walk to the town. Is anyone interested in walking there for lunch?”
    Hands went up all over the bus.
    “All right. The State Trooper said that if anyone couldn’t walk that far, he’d take them in his car. He’s also radioed for some help in getting the tire fixed, so by the time you’ve eaten we should be ready to get back on the road and make up for lost time. Now if everyone would quietly make their way up to the front of the bus, the Trooper will escort you all to town while I wait for assistance.”
    Vicki could hardly contain herself. Clasping her purse with both hands, she waited with what patience she could until Clyde and Kayla rose and motioned to her. “I can’t believe we are going to walk to town!” Her stage whisper to Kayla brought amused smiles to many faces, and even some who had grumbled began to relax.
    When she reached the door, the driver frowned slightly. “I forgot about you, Miss. Maybe I should ask the State Trooper to take you with him.”
    Vicki’s heart sank just a little. She had wanted to walk to town with the others, but riding in a State Troopers car–
    “Would it be all right if she stays with my sister and me?” Clyde asked behind her.
    For a moment the driver hesitated. “Are you sure you can walk that far?”
    Eagerly Vicki nodded. “I have really strong legs and I love to walk. I promise to stay with Clyde and Kayla just like they were my brother and sister.”
    After getting a promise from Clyde to keep his eye on her and to stay with the rest of the group, the driver gave in.
    Vicki couldn’t refrain from skipping a little as the group of about a dozen people started off towards the small town. The sky was a soft blue, and here and there piles of white fluffy clouds floated lazily. Whispering softly, a breeze stirred the grasses along the side of the road and caressed Vicki’s flushed face.

Have you ever had a flat tire and have to walk?

Would you be as excited about this "adventure" as Vicki?

Have you signed up to be a test reader on Read Another Page?