The bus climbed on to the tracks, it tilted awkwardly to the left, its rear wheel caught in a deep hole. The regular passengers chattered at this delay while the villagers sat without reacting. The driver stepped hard on the accelerator, the engine whined, and the wheel turned in its spot without traction. He tried again, this time choosing short little bursts, hoping to tease the wheel into some purchase before he attempted a lurch that would get us out. Someone laughed, saying how lucky we were the train wasn't running.
The tracks began vibrating, and everyone fell silent momentarily as they tried to figure out the source of the sound. It was a steady throbbing, rising gradually in intensity, and the passengers began exchanging uneasy glances.