Chapter 1

FRIDAY.

"In the year 2005, a tourist bus carrying about 25 people including the driver assigned to drive the bus to a tourist attraction in the deepest part of Bear Forest. A place said to be haunted and cursed by death itself. A place no one in their right minds should venture into.

The Bus never made it back and no one was seen again.

Many wondered what had happened, many state securities investigated on the case for close to five years, not even the bus was seen. What had happened to them till date, no one knows." Mr. Jack Daniels told his students who were all interested in his story and when he was done, many hands went up all at ones.

"Joseph McAllister, you have a question for me?." He called acknowledging a nerdy boy who was gawking at him since he began telling the story.

"Yes Mr. Daniels, that had happened like 5 years back right?." He asked trying to get his facts straight.

"Yep Joseph, you are absolutely correct." Mr. Daniels affirms.

"I've heard about this story before, it was said that they were murdered." Joseph commented and Mr. Daniels smirks. Joseph McAllister loves having his facts right and when it comes to history entirely.

"Joe, I like you and you always get your facts right but this time you are wrong. If they were murdered then why didn't the police find their bodies?." Mr. Daniels said and the class murmurs incoherently.

"Well Mr. Daniels I don't really have a knowledge as to why but how did 25 people just vanish?." Joseph replied him with his own question.

"I take it you weren't listening..."

"You know I always listen to your teachings Mr. Daniels." Joseph cuts him halfway.

"Don't interrupt me again Joe, you know I hate that." Mr. Daniels said in a calm and polite manner.

"Am sorry Mr. Daniels." Joseph apologized and a boy suddenly laughs at Joseph.

"Dane Fitzgerald, can you tell the class what is funny?." Mr. Daniels motioned him to stand up.

"Nothing Mr. Daniels. I remembered a funny incident." He tried to lie but he knew well enough that Mr. Daniels will see through his lie but funnily enough, Mr. Daniels chose to ignore him to the surprise of the whole class.

Dane Fitzgerald is the only son of his multi billionaire parents, born with a golden spoon in his mouth, raised and pampered like an egg.

In class, he doesn't care about others, he doesn't acknowledge the school authorities, thanks to his mum. It's no surprising that he would disturb Mr. Daniels class.

"Sit down Dane, and don't even think of disrupting my class again." His voice was calm but his words was cautious of it.

Dane quietly sat back down still smiling.

"So back to what I was saying." He slowly remove his gaze from Dane to Joseph. "I said that the tourists mysteriously disappeared and were never found. I didn't say murdered Joseph but it's okay, they are no surgical explanation for that so we have to assume they were murdered." He continued.

Another hand came up and Mr. Daniels gave her permission.

Claire Nielsen is the golden girl in the picture, just like Joseph McAllister, she loves history and loves investigating a mystery.

"According to you Mr. Daniels, they were twenty five in number and no one was able to inform the cops if they we're actually or should I say presumably murdered? Well my main question is, if it's true that they were murdered then by who or what? I can't just believe one or two or even three men could kill twenty five all at once and still yet, was able to get rid of their bodies and the bus." Claire commented and Mr. Daniels stopped to think.

"I think Claire's right Mr. Daniels." It was Emma Faber that spoke out.

"Yea, me too. I mean, what are the odds of that happening?." Ezra Henderson added and the class once again starts murmuring between themselves.

"Alright Everyone. What do we do now. Any ideas?." Mr. Daniels spoke out killing the noise.

"What do we do as how Mr. Daniels?." Dane asked.

"I mean, they are lot of unanswered questions here so how do we get the answers." He commented looking directly at Joseph.

"We could ask Google." A boy from the back seat suggested.

Everyone burst out laughing.

"Are you insane man? What do you want Google to tell you? That 'Please Google, what happened to the twenty five tourist that mysteriously disappeared in Bear Forest?' And Google will reply 'Geez, I don't know, why don't you ask my dick you high class dummy'." Another boy from the back replied the first boy and the class again erupts into laughter, well except Joseph and Claire.

"At least he made a suggestion unlike you who is the real dummy." A girl spoke out beneath the laughter and everyone gasp shockingly.

"Enough!" Mr. Daniels commands the class and the class went dead silent.

"Like I said before, any ideas?." He said in his calm clear voice.

"How about we take the bull by the horns?" Claire said out of the blue.

"What do you mean Claire?" Mr. Daniels asked her.

"We should take an expedition."

And Everyone turned around to look at her.

"An Expedition?." Ezra commented looking at his history teacher.

"Think about it as more of a school trip, an excursion." She simplified.

"To Bear Forest?." Another Student asked her.

"Well, if we wanna know what happened to the tourists then going to Bear Forest is our best shot at getting answers." She said closing her eyes at the same time.

Joseph liked the idea, Mr. Daniels also.

"Yea, that is true. I concur with Ms. Nielsen. That will help clarify things a lot." Mr. Daniels said to the class.

"Uh! If you guys don't mind, can someone please tell us what we're gonna do again?." Dane had to asked to understand what was going on.

"Well, we're going to a Bear forest Expedition to find out what really happened to the twenty five tourists that got missing, next week. So here's a list of paper, anybody who's interested in this trip should put down their names." Mr. Daniels elaborated.

"Well Mr. Daniels, shouldn't we let Principal Badminton know about our plans?." Helena Landon asked surprising the whole class.

Helena has been the snow white at Kings Academy and it's shocking to know that she was interested in the trip.

"Well that had crossed my mind Ms. Landon. I'm going to inform him of this after I've gotten the names of those interested." He commented quickly. Sensing that not many of his students are interested aside from Claire, Joseph and Helena. "And those that are going will get an A+ in my course in general and in general, I mean history and math, this will be like our final exam in both courses this semester." He handed the paper to Claire and watched her write her name on it before she passes it on to her seatmate who didn't even bother writing her name before passing it on to the next person beside her.

"That's good, out of twenty six students, I got only twelve students who are really interested in the trip. The rest of you should really think of what you are doing in history class." He said looking at the list in his hand.

The school bell rang over the hallway signifying the end of history section.

Mr. Daniels gave his students some advice and told those who'd written down their names to get a letter permit from their parents or guardians.

"So am off to the principal's office. Good luck students." He said taking his bag out of the class.