The Grave Digger

Chapter 2: The Lady on the Train

"Hello, may I help you?" The little girl was so surprised, she stood in stunned silence for a few seconds. "Sorry, you're the first to open the door for me." The lady noted that the little girl had a very strong southern accent. But she was surprised. No one would open the door for this ragged child, who clearly needed some help? "Please, can I sit in here? My feet hurt." The little girl shook the lady out of her stupor. "Of course. Please rest. You look tired." The lady was very worried about this child. She was on her own on a train from Trenton, New Jersey, from God knows where, going to God knows where else. "What's your name?" The lady asked. The little girl took a sharp breath. "I don't know. But it starts with a -ne- sound." The lady was even more worried. This little girl didn't even know the alphabet. "An N, you mean?" The little girl furrowed her brow. "A what?" "It's a letter. Do you know how to read?" The little girl shook her head. The lady just wanted to comfort her. She must have been through a lot. "My name is Lucille. How old are you?" The little girl shrugged. Lucille nearly started to cry. "You look to be about 7." And that was being generous. If Lucille were completely honest, the girl looked about as tall as a five year old, but she didn't think a five year old would run away. And she didn't think this girl would run away without good reason. "Lucy, do you have some paper and a pencil? Or something?" Lucille guessed the girl had only caught on to the first part of her name. "I do. Let me grab it." She reached over her head to the shelf for carry on luggage. She handed it to the little girl.
After a few hours of Lucille watching the little girl draw, she looked up. "Lucy, I drawed you." Lucille was amazed. She had never seen such an amazing drawing, especially not from a young child. "It's beautiful. Would you like another sheet of paper?" But before the girl could answer, she disappeared under the table in between the two, as the door slid open. "Excuse me, miss, I hate to interrupt you, but I was just wondering if you had seen a little girl wandering around the train." It was the conductor. Lucille hastily covered the drawing with her arm. "No, sir, I have not, but I will let you know if I do. And what is your business with a little girl, anyway?" The conductor's eyes settled on the picture under Lucille's arm. "She did not buy a ticket, and I must rid this train of vermin like her. Are you sure you haven't seen her?" Lucille glared her eyes. "I am very sure. Now good day." But the conductor didn't leave. He bent down and looked under the table. The girl's eyes widened. "There you are, you little rat." He grabbed her by the ear and started to pull her out before Lucille said, "stop! I will pay for her ticket." The conductor turned to face her. "Are you sure?" Lucille kept her icy glare at him. "Yes." The conductor pushed the child back in the compartment, and said, "it's all yours," before collecting her money and leaving. "Thank you, Lucy. He scared me." "I know, dear. Do you know where you are going?" Lucille did not think to ask before, and she did not want to leave this child when she got to New York. "No." The girl replied, shaking her mane of red hair along with the single syllable that escaped her lips. "Well, I am getting off in Manhattan. My husband is a doctor in Brooklyn, but the train only goes to Manhattan. I'm sure he can give you a checkup, if you come with me." The little girl eagerly nodded, again, her red hair with it. Lucille smiled. "Now, I'll let you get back to drawing, if you'd like." The little girl smiled and picked up the pencil.
A few hours later, she was finished. It was another drawing of Lucy. But she was really tired, and she thought she should get some sleep. She hadn't slept in a long time. They were still a few hours from Manhattan, and she was getting anxious about going with Lucy. She was excited, but what if Lucy was like Him? But she couldn't worry about it, she was slowly falling into the realm of unconsciousness, as she laid her head back and closed her eyes.

A/N: The drawings are not mine, I found them online, but they represent her drawings of Lucy