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Story About Being Spirited Away

I started this one summer morning. It's kinda like an excerpt from a bigger story, but what that is I don't know. Maybe I'll make this idea into a full book one day, but I'll see. 

Disclaimer: I know nothing about trains.




The train rattled against the tracks and skidded to a steady halt. I raced to the conductor’s cabin, following the scent of burning coal. The air gradually returned to my lungs, but not before the doors gave me one last scare. 


A great fuzzy shape stepped out in place of the well-dressed man I was expecting. As the steam cleared, his pointed ears and swishing tail were blanketed with clarity. Well, he certainly was man-sized which is unusual for a cat like himself. With a velvet blue vest and well-fitted cap, there was no denying he was my guy. With slit, green eyes he eyed me as though I’d give chase. Under any other circumstances, I would, but when you consider everything that preluded him, suddenly he seemed a bit average. He scowled as though he’d somehow read my thoughts. 


“You’re not Josie,” he hissed.


“Jo-who now?”


“Josie! They said they were sending someone reliable and quick. Not some human.”


I couldn’t help but agree with the sediment that I didn’t meet his criteria, but did he have to make it seem like the problem stemmed from my humanity?


“Pah! Whatever. Just hop on board. Penny will show you where the trouble is.”


Without sparing another glance, he reached for a pipe in his pocket. How he held it to his mouth without thumbs was beyond me. 


On board the first cabin, another man-sized creature fretted with a seat cover draped over the neck of a chair. A large, white lop bunny, wearing a blue vest that matched the cat’s. She squeaked as the cover came untucked and nearly hit her bright pink nose. 


“Um, hello?” I interrupted.


She nearly jumped out of her fur with how much of a fright I gave her.


“Oh, goodness! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just looking for Penny.”


She looked confused. Maybe she didn’t speak English? 


I issued another apology. “Penny. Do you know anyone named Penny?”


Silently, she pointed towards the small tag clipped onto her breast pocket. 


“Oh, um, the conductor told me to meet you? If you could take me to whatever issue the train’s been having, that’d be lovely.”


She simply nodded and turned tail up the carpeted corridor. The enormity of her ears made it so they dragged along the floor like mobile tripwires. I silently cringed as her right one brushed against a pale pink piece of gum some kid must’ve stuck along the base of the seat. We strode out to the front of the train and I began reviewing what Peter had taught me. 


Penny kept a clear distance between herself, the tools, and the parts of the train I was going over. Whenever I turned back to look at her, the curious bunny would simply advert my gaze not so subtly. The conductor loitered against the bright brick station wall behind the locomotive. He seemed content with the sight of the sun through the skylight and his pipe, so I figured this was entirely up to me and the rabbit. 


“Could you hand me my pickaxe?” I asked Penny. 


Instinctually, her head shot to look anywhere but my direction, but upon realizing I must’ve been referring to her, her large worried eyes met mine.


Without so much as an agreeing gesture, she cautiously stepped over to reach for the tool I’d requested. She remained glued to that spot, running her paws over her ears as I tirelessly worked on solving the issue. 


“So, how long have you worked in the train business?” My hopes of getting some sort of conversation out of her were limited, but to my surprise, Penny replied with a spirited swiftness. 


“Oh, for all my life! My father was a conductor and my twelfth brother had an interest in trains as well. We used to play with a model train whenever dinner was late.”


“That sounds lovely,” I grunted as I cracked open the fire hold door, “Do you have any idea why the boiler might not be working?”


She glanced over at the cat before speaking. “I do tell Mr. Wilson that the issue is the water’s purity, but he insists it’s the level.”


“Why might that be?” 


Her anxious expression turned to one of melancholy. I was afraid she might cry which I was much less prepared to deal with than some tricky train water. 


“It’s just,” she began, “the invasive frogs from saltwater creek have made their way down to the damn. Irrigation is doing all they can. I have a sister who works for the city, y’see? And she and the council have sent every pest control officer after them but to no luck. I’ve had to fetch water from the lake for the past month! It’s agony!”


Just as I’d confirmed a leak wasn’t the issue, Penny burst into tears. The poor thing ran her ears over her eyes and I wished I’d warned her about the gum from earlier.

 

“My baby siblings haven’t been able to eat well! My mother can’t boil all the carrots with muddy water. Father has to walk miles just to get enough for supper!”


“I’m sure things will all be sorted,” I reached for a colorimetric paper strip, “If it’s your sister who’s in charge, then I’m sure the problem will get fixed sooner than later."


“You really think so?” She sniffed.


“Yes, I do. Now, if this little strip turns orange, it’s the water purity level that’s the issue.”


“Oh, thank you, mister!” Penny exclaimed, “I’ll let the conductor know you’ve checked out the boiler."


“Thank you, Penny. Now, I’ll be on my way.”


The only problem is, I’m not sure which way is mine. Peter showed me the ins and outs of locomotives, but where I’d get a job outside this one-off is beyond me.




Thank you for reading this weird little piece! Hope you enjoyed it! 


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