Nightmare Picnic

The bus sped down the narrow winding road, its tires screeching in the gravel below. Inside, a group of teachers were chatting energetic, laughter filling the air. They were on a picnic, a well-deserved break from the stress of the classroom. Little did they know that their day off would soon turn into a nightmare. The bus driver, Mr Manoj, crossed the dangerous road with proven ease. He had been driving for two decades now, transporting students and teachers to various destinations. 

However, today was different. They had decided to go to a lesser known picnic spot in a reserve forest outside the city limits. The drive was fun, while the teachers laughed and chattered, gossiped. Dark clouds gathered above them, casting an eerie shadow over the dense forest around them. 

As the bus climbed a ramp, the engine squealed with tension. The teachers looked at each other nervously, but Mr. Manoj reassured them: " Don't worry, just step back a little. " We will be at our picnic area. Quickly relieved, they returned to their original place, but their discomfort continued. The bus continued to climb higher and higher into the forest, the atmosphere inside becoming heavily tense. The forest seemed to close up around them, the trees growing closer and twisted, like old bony hands reaching out to them. 

A sudden downpour hit and the windshield wipers struggled to keep up. Thunder rumbled menacingly and lightning lit up the darkness outside the bus. Ms. Pooja, the history teacher, could not help but feel that they were being watched. 

"I don't like this, " she whispered to Ms. Priyanka, the math teacher, who sat beside her. 

She nodded in agreement, but before she could say anything, the bus shook violently. Everyone was pushed out of their seats when the bus came to a sudden stop. Panic engulfed the teachers as they tried to regain their composure.  Mr. Manoj got out of the driver's seat and checked the engine. 

" It's just a small problem, " he assured them again. " I'll see if I can fix it." 

As Mr. Manoj disappeared into the rain, the teachers huddled inside the bus, their fear growing with each passing minute. Time seemed to stretch to eternity. Then there was a loud bang in the forest and the rain was getting heavier and heavier. 

Ms. Pooja looked out the window and shouted. The trees had come to life, the branches twisted, twisted, like strange faces. Eyes formed from wooden eyes stared at her, and the trees whispered dark secrets. Strange voices started echoing from the forest, children weeping and crying. Suddenly, they felt that invisible children were all around their bus, but they couldn't see them. They laughed, cried, weeped and moaned and some shrieked. It was evident that there was something supernatural was upon them. 

Suddenly Mr. Manoj reappeared at the door, wet and confused. His face pale as he muttered, " We're trapped. There's something wrong with the engine and I can't fix it in this weather. There is also something strange in this forest. and I don't recognise this place anymore. 

Panic spread like wildfire among the teachers when they realised they were trapped in a haunted forest. The bus was their only refuge, and the strange trees were closing by the minute, the branches brushing against the windows. 

One by one, the teachers started disappearing. Ms. Priyanka was the first to leave, dragged down by a ghost tree branch. Mr Manoj was then dragged through a shattered windshield, his screams echoing throughout the night. Each teacher met a terrible fate, their bodies becoming part of the evil forest. Finally, Ms Pooja was alone on the bus and soon she could feel the ghostly hands grasping her and tree branches all around her. When dawn broke and the rain stopped, the forest returned to a sleeping state. 

The bus was now quiet, standing alone on the empty road. The teachers are gone, their picnic turns into a horrible nightmare. 

Police never found a trace of the missing teachers, and the haunted forest was always kept away by locals. The legend of the bus and the missing teachers still lives on, a chilling tale for anyone who dares to venture into this dark forest.