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There was no returning, I thought, and when the
train came rumbling in, I got up immediately to enter
as soon as the doors opened. I found my car quickly
and took a seat by the window. Then I put my suitcase
overhead, set Angel beside me snugly and waited
anxiously. There was room for at least three other
people, but only an elderly gentleman came into my
car. He nodded, smiled, took his seat and immediately
began reading his newspaper.
Finally, the train began to pull away. My heart
thumped in rhythm with the thump of the train's
wheels as they turned on the tracks. The station
disappeared behind us and we shot out into the
twilight, heading south, heading away from the only
world I had ever known.
"Ticket, miss?" the conductor said. I had it
clutched in my hand and handed it to him quickly. He
punched it and smiled. I sat back and looked out the
window as the train snaked on, carrying me into tunnels of darkness and over hills toward new horizons. We seemed to be riding into the
approaching night, the darkness crawling toward us. I caught glimpses of stars peeping down between clouds. They never seemed farther away than they did
now.
The train rocked on. From time to time, I saw
the lights of other cities or houses out in the distance,
their windows a warm yellow. Within those houses,
families sat together having dinner. Those children
felt safe and secure with parents who loved them.
They weren't as rich as I was, and their homes could
fit in one corner of Farthinggale Manor and be lost,
but they would be going to sleep in their own beds
tonight and their parents would kiss them good night.
