The Smoking Man (Completed)

Chapter 1 - The Departure From London To Paris

The Smoking Man - Chapter 1- The Departure From London To Paris

A short Ghost Story
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It was during the latter days of Autumn in 2003 when I decided to take a journey on "The Orient Express",my destination Venice for a short break.

It had always been a love affair of mine with it's beautiful canals and quaint crumbling buildings which had once seen better days in a time of passion,art,music and gaiety.

I had booked my train ticket at a local travel agent not far from Victoria train station a few days previously and now I would make a short journey from my apartment in Belgravia to the said location.

My accommodation had been booked and I would stay "The Rialto Bridge Hotel" which overlooked this great iconic landmark.

I would arrive in time for "The Venice Carnival Festival" which was always popular with tourists and locals in the early part of the year.

One attended along with distinguished guests parading the streets and wearing whatever party clothes and mask that one should desire for this prestigious occasion.

My train was due at 0930 and would take me as far as Folkestone ,from there I would catch the Sealink boat service to Calais and this is where my adventure would start in earnest.

It was a rather misty morning as I stepped on board the train along with quite a gaggle of people,a group of excited school children accompanied by a rather stuffy looking lady had now entered my carriage.

We sat there as strangers at first but glanced at one another in a rather uncomfortable yet polite way as strangers do.

Eventually the station guard blew his whistle and cried out an order for the train to commence it's journey to the coast.

At first everything seemed fairly uneventful and the children began to chatter amongst themselves,I shared a few jokes with the lady but she didn't seem in the mood for amusement from her surly expression etched on her pale face.

Eventually after a journey of just over an hour we arrived at the port and disembarked for the customs and passport control processing check in.

This could be a laborious ordeal if the port was busy but I was in luck today as fewer passengers were travelling on boats rather utilising the Channel Tunnel which was a more efficient means of travelling to Paris.

I waited patiently in a large queue making their way towards the metal detection department,this was a rigorous but essential procedure to deter would be terrorists and those who wish to harm other passengers en route to the continent.

Once I had undertaken this laborious task I would finally go through to passport control and make my way to the Sealink boat which was now awaiting the passengers having just docked in the port 5 minutes earlier.

The fret or sea mist seemed to have lifted as I left passport control and there was a sharp nip in the air as Autumn was making her presence felt in the cool morning air.

I arrived on board the ship a full hour after arriving at the port and was now making my way around the duty free department.

There was so much choice on display from fine wines to gin,rum,vodka,chocolate,aftershave and tobacco products.

In the end I decided not to buy anything because I preferred to purchase items on the train which was due to leave Gare Du Nord at 1300 BST.

Suddenly I heard the sound of a sharp sea horn which was a signal to everyone on board that we we were ready to embark on our short sea voyage across the English Channel to Calais..