The Train: Part Two Page 2

did not seem to want to leave her side for a minute.

  “Well, thank you very much,” Stephanie said politely, finishing her tea. “But I really must be going now …”

  She stood to go. But he leaped up and barred the doorway.

  Stephanie stared down at her shoes. This is a dream, this is a dream, she told herself.

  “No, it’s not,” he said bluntly. “And Miss Stephanie you had better get a grip. This IS reality.”

  He opened up his jacket and showed its red patterned lining. It looked like a map.

  “Look a little closer,” he said softly.

  She leaned in and examined the design. It was, indeed, some kind of map.

  “Come a little bit closer,” he whispered, almost in her ear.

  She stared. The map had a road leading through a forest and there was someone riding a bicycle. A spotted dog ran behind. Birds chirped in the overhanging trees. Suddenly, she was inside. She was in the map!

  “Oh!” Stephanie exclaimed.

  She looked all around her. It was lovely here, very peaceful. The sun was shining and it seemed like springtime. This was definitely not Raddington!

  A river ran beside the road and several rowboats were out on it. She called out to them.

  “Hello there!”

  They waved back, merrily. It was a perfect day in June.

  Then she looked up at the tall tree overhanging the road. Something was sitting on the lowest branch. She stepped closer. It was him!

  “Good day,” he grinned.

  “Oh my gosh!” she declared. “It’s you!”

  “Of course, it’s me,” he said. “Who else? It was my jacket, after all.”

  He leaped down from the tree and stood beside her. If he hadn’t been so freaky she might have even liked him. He was a bit overbearing though. If he would only back off a bit …

  “Ah yes,” he sighed. “I do have that problem.”

  Oops! Stephanie realized he had read her thoughts again.

  Okay, this time she would make it work for her. She deliberately thought that she wished he would just leave her alone and let her go home. He leaped up into the tree. She continued on the road and he did not follow.

  “Well, that worked!” she laughed, uneasily. “But still, where am I? And how do I get home from here?”

  She walked and walked but the road did not seem to lead anywhere, just wound around and round. At one point, she was sure she was back where she started.

  Stephanie sat down on the grass under a large tree. She began to cry. This day was all too much!

  Then it began to rain. It started out with tiny drops on her nose. The drops got bigger and soon it was pouring. She huddled under the tree and looked around for shelter but there was nothing. Except that old shack on the other side of the meadow. She made a dash for it. When she got there, she discovered it wasn’t such a bad place after all. The inside was dry, and that was the main thing.

  She curled up in an old soft chair and pulled a blanket over her. In a minute she was fast asleep.

  Suddenly, she awoke to a loud banging on the door. She jumped up and opened it. He was there, smiling, as usual.

  “Oh come in,” she said wearily, getting quite used to him now.

  They both sat at the table and stared at each other.

  “Do you love me?” he asked, quite unexpectedly.

  “What?” Stephanie was shocked. “Love you? I hardly know you!”

  “Oh but you do,” he whimpered. “Do you love me?”

  He opened up his jacket and showed the map again. Stephanie leaped up and stared hard at it. The map had changed. It now showed a train track that looked vaguely familiar to her. It looked like the way home.

  “Yes! I do love you!” she laughed. “You are the way home. Let me go!”

  And he smiled and opened his coat wider and wider. She nestled inside and before she knew it she was on the train home.

  “Next stop, Addington, five minutes,” the conductor called.

  Addington, that’s my stop! Stephanie was delighted. This would all be over soon.

  But when the train came to her station it did not stop. She stood up and waited for it to slow down but it never did. It just kept going.

  “Oh no! What now?” she shrieked and looked everywhere to pull the emergency cord but there was none. The other passengers stared at her with disinterest. Then they all looked out the window. No one seemed to care.

  Stephanie let out a loud yell.

  “STOP! STOP!”

  And that’s when the train began to careen sideways on the track. Suddenly, it had crashed into the side of a hill and everyone was jumping out the windows.

  Stephanie leaped out and found herself back on the road that led beside the river. And looking up at the tall tree, she saw him peering down at her.

  “There is no escape, Stephanie,” he said sadly. “You must face your destiny.”

  Stephanie did not know what to say. She collapsed into a heap.

  Then he pulled out his scroll of names and showed it to her again. He pointed to her name.

  “Look, Stephanie, your name has moved up. You are getting closer to the top.”

  She sobbed quietly but looked at the scroll. It did seem like her name was getting larger and more prominent.

  “What… what does it mean?” she begged him. “Please, just tell me.”

  He leaned closer.

  “There is a clue in your backpack,” he said. “Take a look.”

  She opened it up and searched for whatever might lead her to some sense of reality. There was nothing different there. Just a few items, a handkerchief, a hairbrush and a tube of lipstick.

  “Put on the lipstick,” he said

  She did. As soon as it touched her lips, it began to glow bright red. The aura of brilliant red spread out from the lipstick and enveloped her whole body.

  “This is you,” he smiled. “This is who you are.”

  “Red?” she asked, bewildered.

  “Powerful,” he answered. “More powerful than you have ever realized.”

  And suddenly, she knew it. She felt the power. She was something. She was someone significant. Inside plain Stephanie was a most powerful Being that was just waiting to be recognized.

  “Ah, now you are Home,” he said.

  He released the spell, and Stephanie was back on the platform of the train station, standing there looking down at her blue runners with the pink shoelaces.

  “I am powerful,” she smiled.

  And everywhere she went after that, she was accompanied by an invisible helper, guiding her through the paths of life, showing her how to be who she truly was.

  “Thank you,” she thought.

  “You’re welcome,” came the words on the wind. “You’re welcome Queen Stephanie.”

  The End

  Read more about Stephanie’s adventures on The Train and The Train: Part 3.