Adam and Elise were honeymooners. Their funds were limited, so they took a “staycation” and did day trips that were inexpensive. They’d had a wonderful time.
They spotted the carousel, and decided to take a ride. As they walked, talking and laughing, a flower-painted bus drove between them and their destination. The doors swished open, and a handsome man with a sparking white smile invited them to “take a trip with the tour bus.”
Forgetting about the carousel, they climbed in.
No one ever saw them–or the flower-painted bus–again.
Just Writing! 
I think the warning should read: beware of the ‘sparkling white smile.’ There are a few people I know who would like such a trip: I wonder if Adam and Elise are in a magical world and having such a good time they just have forgot about coming home. A honeymoon trip for a lifetime, so to speak.
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That would be wonderful, but somehow I don’t think that’s quite what happened 🙂
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Danger lurks where you lease expect it, particularly in the inner city. Nice one.
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So true. We’re only 45 minutes or so from inner-city Philadelphia, but it’s a whole different world up here!
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Never trust a stranger, or a bus that’s not on the regular line in that neighborhood. As James McEwan said, there’s always the chance they went on an exotic Magic Bus ride but the droll ordinary reality of danger unfortunately is what happens in real life.
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You left us on the edge.
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Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
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🙂
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Good grief! That got dark at the end. Nice one, Linda.
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Thanks 🙂
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Eeek! The opening of a great thriller?
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Well, that was a tight twist of plot, now, wasn’t it? Well done, Linda.
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Oh no! Beware strangers and their free rides! Great take on the prompt, Linda.
pax,
dora
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Spooky weird, well done!
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The CCTVs didn’t capture the mystery bus?
Was it from outer space?
Hope the couple are well. Staycation in your own city isn’t safe 😦
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Never thought about the Big Brother cameras all over the place 🙂
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Flowered bus, magic carpet ride. Desitination: Twilight Zone. And, as has been suggested: never trust strangers with blinding-white teeth. Blinding you to the truth.
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Thanks, Lorraine 🙂
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Dear Linda,
Roll up for the mystery tour. Step right this way. Next stop: The Twilight Zone. They should have stayed on the Merry-Go-Round. Good one.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Indeed 🙂
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This almost feels like a metaphor. Something out of The Matrix, where the man with bus being like Morpheus and his pills. I hope they got to a good place and not somewhere sinister.
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Ah, but we’ll never know!
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They’ve left on the magical mystery tour – and no-one expects their return! Nice story.
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This reminded me of the tale Pied Piper of Hamelin, I enjoyed the ride
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I did have the Pied Piper in mind, Michael 🙂
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I can almost smell weed and other substances coming from that bus. Loved the twist.
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Thanks, Tanille. A little LSD thrown in for good measure 🙂
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Ah, it sarted out so happy, and then that dark ending. That was so well done, I love it.
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Thanks 🙂
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it was a trip to la la land where nobody ever comes back. 🙂
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Kind of like the Good Ship Lollipop 🙂
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Oh no, beware of strangers with big sparkling white smiles. Great last line! Loved it.
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Thanks, Brenda. I thought maybe it was too abrupt, but I couldn’t think of anything else 🙂
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A magical mystery tour to who knows where. Well done Linda.
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I didn’t trust that smile from the moment it sparkled!
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Isn’t it interesting how we can usually tell the difference between a genuine smile and a “sale’s pitch” smile? I’ve never trusted the oh-so-charming kind. They make my skin itch.
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Oh it just oozes insincerity! Don’t trust ’em as far as I can throw ’em!
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Oh dear. Off to a sinister “Wonderland”, maybe?
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Could be. We’ll never know 🙂
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I like your line, “take a trip with the tour bus.” with its hint that it might be a drug-fuelled trip rather than just a tour.
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Exactly:)
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Ooh ! Chilling, Thank you Granolnine.
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Oooooo fascinating ! I’m totally sucked in. I wonder where they went. I hope it was a good place… I’m a bit worried though. Fabulously done!
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We’ll never know 🙂
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Okay, Linda. I caught you. Adam and Elise, huh? A flowered bus, huh? Never returned to the garden/carousel, huh? Even threw in the serpent. You are good.
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So are you. As far as I know, you’re the only one who figured it out 🙂
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What a sinister twist. Too bad they didn’t refuse the bus tour and go for a ride on the merry-go-round.
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