Escape

Chapter Two

  Anxiously fiddling with my train ticket, I peered around the corner I knew the train would eventually come into the station from. I checked my watch for the gazillionth time - the train was officially late.

Just a few seconds after confirming the train was late, I heard a slight chugga chugga noise that began getting increasingly louder by the second until I had to cover my ears in pain. The train was an old and very rustic one with just a little slither of paint left here and there. Rust covering the most of it, as well as a bit of oil splattering here and there. The train trundled to a halt and the click clacking sound of the wheels on the track slowed to a halt.

Yelling loudly at us, the controller swung off the side of the passenger cart. I trudged up the stepped into the cart and handed the ticket over to the man with the stamp for him to stamp it for me. It was mandatory of course to ensure no one re-used tickets or stayed on the train longer than paid for.

 I held out my ticket to the man who snatched it roughly off me, stamped it and shoved it back into my hand before moving over to the next person in line. I was a little taken aback at his roughness, but continued walking slowly down the line after the person in front of me. Once I reached the front of the line another man took my ticket off me. He looked at it for a second before instructing me to walk down to the third carriage.

Once down at the last carriage I looked around for an empty seat and took one down the far end next to the window, lugging my bag behind me.

The seats weren't the comfiest, but they would do for my ride. What was I expecting anyway? Five star accommodation? Gosh, I really do need to get over myself.

Ten minutes later the train began to move with all the passengers safely on board. The train tooted it's horn and slowly began crawling down the rail track, eventually picking up speed to a moderate pace.

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Awakening, I noticed there weren't many people still in their seats, most were standing fiddling around trying to get their suitcases down from above them.

Confused, I yawned and stretched a little bit.

"ALL OFF NOW, MOVING IN THREE MINUTES" someone, presumably one of the conductors, yelled at us from through the speaker system above my head. Fancy I hadn't noticed before!

Moving quicker now I hopped of my seat and straightened my hair and clothing out. I grabbed my bags down in amongst the process of this and joined the already forming queue to the exit.

As we walked past the man on the way back, he thanked us in a monotone voice for riding with us and pointed continuously down to the exit directly in front of us. A bit rude huh? I thought to myself as I walked quickly past him. i didn't want to be around that man any longer than I needed to be. He was just a stuck up person who should have a job in a factory or somewhere he doesn't need to talk with people or offer customer services.

Stepping down onto the curb of the track, I inhaled the fresh pasture scent and.... gas. Fuel. Poison.

"Oh that's right." I remembered, "We're at an airport, "I mumbled under my breath. How could I forget with the constant noise of the planes taking off and landing less than a few kilometres away.

I positioned my bag in a more comfortable position and then headed out on my mini trek to the airport where I would be required to board my plane in somewhere around five hours. On the positive side I should have a ton of time to visit Starbucks and the little stores in the airport!

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Absolutely parched, I walked up to the entrance of the airport. You know that kind of parched where you're beyond thirsty, you're beyond exhaustion, you're even beyond the whole breathing and swallowing co-ordination thing? Yeah. That's the kind of parched I happen to be experiencing at the moment. The horrific, I-can't-feel-my-throat type of thing.

Walking into the first store I saw, Pack 'n' Save, and I hurried over to the the stand of water bottles near the counter.

"Please, this bottle?" I stuttered while reaching around for the change I had in my pocket. I pulled out $1.80 20c short of the $2 I needed to purchase the bottle of water.

"Sorry dearie, you're going to have to go somewhere else cheaper to get the water because you don't have enough money for it here. "He replied, putting a cigarette into his mouth and taking a few breaths.

"Is there somewhere else cheaper?" I perked up, know I've just saved money.

"No Maim. We're the cheapest for everything around here. Now run along and stop holding up the other people in the line" he stated in an angry tone.

"Please sir, please. I am so very thirsty. I walked from the train station several kilometres that way." I pointed to the way I came from.

"Now Move. Along." It must be somewhere near illegal to not offer water to a dying person right? I cannot believe the cruelty of some people these days. I walked off, highly disappointed in this man. Maybe there's a water fountain somewhere?" I tried to stay in a positive mind-set.

Fully circling the airport and food courts I discovered there was indeed, no water fountain. Suddenly, I saw it. A water fountain on the other side of the food court! It was over there! I pushed several people aside and ran with my bag flopping behind me, whacking into the occasional person coming from the opposite direction Several bystanders gave me sceptical looks but I just kept on running to the fountain. Hauling myself around the fountain I pressed the button down hard and let the water pour into my mouth, sculling as much down as possible, as quickly as possible.

Some stranger walking past gave me a weird look and whispered to her partner "Wow, she looks thirsty." Too right! I was both mentally and physically exhausted as well.

Making my way over to the ticket station I went up to one of ladies who wasn't serving anyone at that moment in time.

"Hello! I want to buy a ticket for the next flight to La Source I believe that is in around 2 hours from now."

"Okay, are you getting into the bookings early so you don't miss out?" she asked me knowingly.

"Yes, it's my first time flying on my own as well so I want to make sure everything is going to go as planned."

"Good luck then! You realise you will be flying to an area that is very close to the city of Sage - a recently evacuated area with constant earthquake warnings?" 

"Yes, I have a reason for doing so as well."

"Okay, that will total to $399 no return, $499 return ticket."

"Return ticket please, with the extra add in of Pet Safe Travel." I asked while handing my cards over for bonuses and all that crazy commercial airline deal-like things.

"That totals to $549 for Pet Safe Travel both ways and a return ticket. Will that be all you're purchasing with us?" She smiled that cheesy sales person smile at me.

"Yes thank you. That will be all." I smiled back at her. This is going to be a heck of a ride!

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Author's Note.

Thank you for all the support I have recently been receiving on this story! Keep it going for more future chapters.

I am in the midst of NaNoWriMo this month so I won't be doing this very much this month, but I will try to keep up with lots of updates next month, December. We won't be going on holiday too much, but I can't promise I won't be too busy. xx