Blackthorn Academy - 1 - In progress

6 - King's Cross Station

6:00 AM was when Aurora's alarm clock beeped loudly. 

She sprung out of bed with a spurge of energy, giving no thought to her bed hair or her appearance. She pranced into her bathroom, washing her face and doing her hair for the day. She stripped out of her ratty t shirt and too-small shorts and slipped on her faded black denim cargo pants, a white t-shirt and her favourite grey-marble  hoodie, applying a light pink bow into her tight pony tail. Her light brown naturally layered bangs fell slightly above her eyes, but she ignored it, fixing her clear-framed glasses on her face.

Aurora placed her hairbrush and alarm clock into her trunk, then skipped merrily down the hall to breakfast, and for once not hating it.

8:45 AM. The black taxi pulled up to the driveway of The Noble House Of The Lost. His moustache quivered in disgust of the name, not understanding who would name it that. Sure, it sounded noble, caring for orphans, but inviting? Not really.

Inside, Headmistress Meredith and the Escort were leading Aurora and her baggage down the corridor to the iron gates outside of the massive concrete orphanage. 

A taxi driver waited down the driveway with the car as the iron gates opened, revealing the 3 figures, as Aurora dragged her trunk to the boot, where the taxi-man then lifted the door and heaved Aurora's trunk into the back.

The driver smiled down at her, and asked, 

"Where to?" In a posh British accent.

"Uh-" But before Aurora could finish off her sentence, the Headmistress interrupted.

"Kings Cross Station. Be there before 9:45." She spoke in an aggressive, sharp tone. She handed a fabric pouch drooping with the weight of some pounds for the journey. She turned on her heel, walked a few steps, then turned to Aurora.

"Goodbye Aurora. Remember, you are only welcome back during end of year holidays. And lastly, each of your consequences have actions. Remember that."  With that, she strode back into the building, the escort following. 

The iron gates closed and the concrete building was again quiet.

A moment of silence passed through as Aurora remembered her taxi driver was there and had just witnessed that scene.

"So, Kings Cross Station." He broke the silence and Aurora nodded in response, then opened the door to the backseat of the Taxi.

"So, Miss Moody-Walker. My names Thomas and I was born in London. What about you?" Aurora was grateful for the conversation which was easing off the building up nerves.

"I was born in a small town near the Gold Coast. Australia." 

They started off a conversation, his posh British voice contrasting to her Australian accent.

After around half an hour or slightly more, the black taxi drove into the carpark outside Kings Cross station.

"So, kid, good luck and did you need help with your trunk?" He pointed his thumb in the direction, as he unloaded it from the boot onto a trolley.

"Nah I'm all good. Thanks again and uh have a good rest of your day." She smiled, then turned away with her trolley, trunk on the bottom and her satchel laying on top.

Aurora stared up in awe at the arched glass canopy of the station. People buzzed around her and trains whistled along the tracks. Announcements were played through the speakers over the top of the other sounds. 

"Move along, don't stop now." A pushy voice of the Station Manager rang out through the entrance path she was at. Trying to avoid getting told to move again, she gently moved her way off to the side of the wall where the maps and routes where.

Platform's 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Aurora ran her finger down the list that was pinned up, stopping at her destination, Platform 1.

Holding the map upside down in her hand and pushing the trolley with the other proved to be more of a struggle than Aurora thought. Occasionally hooking onto the back of someones shoe, bumping into other objects or people, receiving glares from busy people in suits.

After about 20 minutes of quick walking, trying- and failing, to not knock into anyone, Aurora finally saw the Platform 1 sign hanging from the brick platform separator. 

"fif'een minu'es, fif'een minu'es," a gruff voice called out from the edge of the platform.

A huge sign was put up to the side, where Aurora followed to put her trunk away.

It was sorted out with the 5 house colours, then years, as Aurora made her way to the closest red pile, with the number one sign poking out.

Abandoning her trolley in line with many others, she walked away with her satchel over to the wall, where she placed her foot on and leaned backwards against it. She watched people walk past her, some dropping off their trunks, others reconnecting. The platform quickly filled up even more, just as a male voice spoke out through the speaker.

"Train to Academy, Platform 1. The train will be arriving in 5 minutes, so please make yourselves ready. Thank you." Whispers excitedly filled the platform, as Aurora cracked her knuckles nervously.

The wall she was leaning against would be roughly around the middle-back of the train, Aurora noticed, and continued leaning back.

Most people were gathering around the furthest end of the platform, eager to be at the front. Aurora didn't really mind, she just wanted one of the small sized areas that she saw on all the other trains as she made her way to the platform. 

The train whistled down the tracks, brakes screeching against the rails. A shiny black steam train with many windows stopped right in front of the Platform. The train doors opened on their mechanism, as students rushed through them, saying some last goodbyes to their family.

Aurora stepped onto the train, turning to her right and quickly glanced through the small  window of the door leading into the train room area with the seats, enclosed with privacy from the walls separating the seat sets.

Closing the door behind her, Aurora sat down by the window, placing her satchel next to her. She stared out the window, looking at the bare tracks of Platform 1.