Jane's School of Death

The Train- Part 1

"I can't wait for the train! I've heard it's really fancy!" Mary exclaimed, walking down the pavement.

"It is," her older sister Deliah told her, remembering her first year at school and how surprised she was at the train, "It's very fancy, but me and Theresa will be in a different carriage to you as you're a first-year. Hopefully you can find people to talk to though."

"Maybe I can talk to Jane- or does she sit somewhere else?" Mary suggested, although feeling a little stupid immediately after saying it. Of course I won't meet Jane. Jane has better things to be doing, Mary thought.

Theresa scoffed and refused to answer that question. But Mary's embarrassment was only momentary as the train station came into view.

Smoke billowed from the train chimneys, signalling good times ahead (weird symbolism Mary thought was true). There were about five trains, sitting near their respective signs reading out the year of school you had to be in to board each train.

This was it. A wave of excitement hit Mary like a tsunami, but if tsunamis were good. Children flooded in, chatting excitedly in groups.

"Platform number 7046! Platform number 7046!" a train conductor called. Mary looked up nervously.

"What does that mean? There's no way there's 7046 trains here!" Mary said to Deliah.

"There's only five. Five years at school, five trains. 7046 is for fifth-years. 7046 means completion or something. It's a spiritual number," Deliah told Mary.

"Well, what's train 1-" Mary asked, but Deliah and Theresa ran in the other direction to their friends. They hugged their friends and started talking about something. Mary was left on her own. Mary tried to go over to them, but all of a sudden, about a thousand children rushed past her as though there was a flying unicorn ahead.

Mary fell to the ground, but quickly got back up so she could see what was going on. Trying to see above the crowd of people with top hats on, she stood on her tiptoes and found no success. Everyone was cheering now, but she was just confused.

"Platform number 2222! Platform number 2222!" the train conductor shouted. "Second-years, that's you!"

Mary sighed with relief as the second-years reluctantly boarded the train and the crowd thinned. Then she saw what everyone was looking at.

A 12-year-old in sixty-inch high heels stood on a platform. It was Jane. Jane was better than Mary or anyone ever could have imagined. She stood powerfully and towered above everyone. That was enough to send anyone into a dream.

Jane's cheering fans quickly hushed when Jane looked like she was about to speak.

"My adoring fans, and loving heelers. I welcome you once again to He-Le High train station. For all of you first-years, you are fortunate enough to have the pleasure of listening to my speech when we arrive at He-Le High. Older years- if you work hard enough, you can get a special mention from me in the weekly assembly. Anyway, I'm a busy heeler and I really must go now-" Jane announced, before stepping off the stage and turning into a private carriage.

Everyone cheered, and many screamed so loudly Mary thought she might go deaf. Mary cheered too- she couldn't believe she had seen Her Wonder already! The Supreme Leader and Hero of the Heeling World!

But there was one girl (about Mary's age) who wasn't cheering. In fact, she didn't seem happy. She looked on, her expression sad, but extremely disappointed as well. Mary thought she should do the right thing and approach her.

"What's wrong? How can you be sad when Her Wonder is here?" Mary asked innocently.