Time Tracks

Time Tracks Chapter Two, Answering The Call continued

Sophia gasped out loud, scrambling to regain her composure and shaken anew at the thought of actually boarding the train. As she looked around her once more, she could not help but wish again that there were some other passengers! Then mercifully, just as she was starting to panic, she saw a young man heading in her direction! As he got closer, Sophia noticed right away that he was dazed and out of his element. She guessed him to be in his late twenties like herself, his long sandy blonde hair was windblown and he had a deep tan. He came up close to the bench and looked at her with big sea-blue eyes, clearly as surprised to see her as she was to see him! He was tall and lanky in build and wore blue jeans similar to her own. Sophia met his gaze, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw her red jacket draped over his arm! He noticed her staring and sat down tentatively next to her still looking a bit dazed. Sophia could tell though that he was relieved like her to find another person there. He turned toward her and put out his hand for her to shake.

"Hi! My name is Spencer Perry and I hope you won't ask me how I got here because frankly I have no idea!" Sophia shook his hand before speaking.

"It's nice to meet you Spencer. I'm Sophia Miller, and I'm not really sure how I got here either! One minute everything was normal, well at least what I thought was normal and then..."

Spencer piped in and finished her sentence, "So let me guess, the next minute you found yourself somewhere else, I mean in totally different surroundings, am I right?"

Sophia smiled at him and laughed for the first time that day. "Yes! you are right! That is exactly what happened! I still can't believe that only just this morning I thought I was engaged and now... well just to add to the mystery of it all, you show up here with my jacket!"

Sophia had no memory of losing the jacket, she must have left it somewhere earlier in the day and forgotten about it. She was surprised to be feeling a connection so quickly with someone she had just met, but she wondered if it was because he could understand what she was going through, whatever the reason, Sophia already felt as though she had known him for years! Spencer looked at the jacket and then back at her, his eyes widening again.

"Whoa you mean to tell me this is your jacket? I was walking when I found it on the ground and it looked to be in such good shape that I didn't feel right about just leaving it there!"

Sophia shook her head in amazement, "Do you happen to remember where you were when you found it?"

Spencer paused a moment and shifted his position on the bench before answering. Sophia noticed him now looking uncomfortable and she was puzzled. They had been getting along just fine a few seconds ago, but now she could tell something was wrong! Tensing up she recognized the look coming over Spencer's face, it was eerily similar to the same glazed over expression she had seen on Daniels face earlier in the day! Sophia had no good explanation for why Spencer would now have the same expression, but the vague and distant look was unmistakable and Spencer was clearly no longer comfortable being there with her! After a few moments of awkward silence he finally answered her question, and it came as little surprise to Sophia that his tone of voice had changed completely and he was now intentionally avoiding her gaze as he spoke.
"Well I was in California surfing at Aliso Beach Park when I started to walk! I just felt so compelled to keep moving, and then the longer I walked, I could not believe my eyes because..." It was Sophia's turn to finish his sentence,

"Wait, let me guess, you saw a mountain?"
Spencer nodded his head slowly in agreement still not looking at her, then he nearly leapt off the bench abruptly thrusting the jacket in her direction! Glancing sideways at her for only a moment he waved briefly before walking rapidly backwards away from her.

"I... I'm sorry Sophia, but I just can't do this. I have to go. I don't belong here!" Sophia stood up from the bench and shouted after him.

"Wait! Spencer are you sure about this?" He did not answer and within seconds he was out of her line of sight. Shaken and puzzled Sophia looked at her watch again, it was now two twenty-five p.m. only five minutes until the train arrived! She shuddered as a strange thought crossed her mind... what if Daniel and Spencer had both been affected by some kind of outside influence? Sophia had no idea what to make of it all, however she did know one thing, seeing Spencer run away like that had somehow made her forget her own fears and she now felt more ready than ever to board the train! Her heart fluttered as the sudden shrill whistle blast of the oncoming train pierced the air, and breathless with anticipation, Sophia watched as it came into full view. The brakes let out a loud screech as the massive train slowed down until finally coming to a full stop in front of her. Sophia could barely contain her excitement at the sight of the magnificent train up close, and just as she had hoped, T.C. was in the driver's seat!