Devil's Avenue

Chapter 1

It had been four days since I had finally made up my mind to do it. Deep in the heart of the night, I waited for the train to come. It came to our village once a month carrying food and other provisions to sell at market. It usually left relatively empty, but this time it would leave with me.

Before I smelled the burning coal, felt the heat of the engines, or even glimpsed the bright beam of light, I could hear the gears grinding in the distance. I leaned closer to the old oak tree and braced my bag to my shoulder -- the straps dug into fresh, fist-sized bruises. It wasn't long before the magnificent train had pulled up to our small station and men began to unload the cargo from the furthest section. How was I going to get into one of the stalls without them noticing? I really hadn't thought this through. For a second I considered turning back and going home, but the mere thought turned my stomach and I took a step away from the shadows.

I quietly crept up to one of the closest stalls that said 'King's Landing'. The city sounded vaguely familiar, but I didn't care where I was going -- anywhere was better than here. I quickly placed my hand on the door and glanced around to see if anyone was watching. The men were a good distance from me, at the stall that read the name of my village, 'Allensville' and were bickering over where to stack the crates. I quickly popped open the compartment door and slid in.

The stall was absolutely pitch black. I used my outstretched hands to guide my way through odd boxes and tarps. I found what I was assuming was a table that was draped in a tarp and I slid underneath. The floor of the train was uncomfortable and the firm metal jabbed into my spine, but I had slept on worse. I pulled my knees up to my chest and rocked slowly back and forth. Fear was like a spider that had made a nest of my stomach, I could feel its spindly legs creeping up to poison my mind and fill it will terror.

"My name is Diadne." I tried whispering to myself through panic-clenched teeth, "I am a capable woman, fleeing for my own safety. Though I do not know what I will find, or what end I will meet, I have my hands, I have my legs, and I have the strength of spirit." This was about the eighth time I had repeated that to myself, and many more times as I hid quietly in the darkness.

My nerves settled slightly as the train slowly began to lurch forward. As the distance between myself and the town grew, I could feel its burning fingers release their grip. As the wheels turned and reality set it, my skin felt the breeze of freedom for the first time.

There were four stops at what I assumed were other towns before I heard the muffled voices of men surrounding my compartment. What would they do when they found a young stowaway? A woman, at that! I shuddered to think of what the rugged men would do with me. I wished desperately that I could have been born as a boy, rather than a woman. Life shines brighter on men, and it always would. I could feel my tears grow hot as I cursed the gods for not making me a man.

The larger of the two stall doors, intended to fit wide boxes creaked open. The stall was instantly ablaze with sunlight, and I had to shield my eyes with my hands. I would have felt exposed had it not been for the tarp that concealed my presence. I tried to slow my quickened breathing as heavy footsteps weaved through the crates. Before my closed eyes, a spark of deja vu gnawed on my aching conscious. I was much younger and hidden between long skirts in my mother's dressing room. A wicked laugh shattered the room as my little hands clung desperately to the walls. "Diadne... where are you?" She cooed as she dragged and beat her fingertips along the peeling walls. The insistent memory left me dangling between present and past. I squeezed my legs closer to my chest in an attempt to bring myself back to reality -- back the dangers of the present.

"Quite the load this year! Hey, Yersif," a deep voice boomed and echoed off the metal walls, and I was snapped back to reality. The voice continued, "Gonna sell well this year! Maybe you can take a few days off when this is done. Take that pretty new wife to see the Golden Falls."