The School for 'Special' People

The Journey

        Rustling can be heard somewhere in the dormitory, but it quiets down quickly. There is no light save for the silvery moon hanging in the sky like a tear in the blue abyss. Soft snores filter through my ears, persuading me to sleep. I shake my head to stay awake. The only snores I do not hear are those from my sister. She lies next to me on her side, her back facing me. I can only make out the slight rise and fall of her stomach. Everyone else is asleep, so we wait 15 minutes. Then another 30 minutes trickle by. Jitters attack my legs and I can wait no longer. Just as I am about to throw off the covers, Margaret's hand emerges from the blankets and slowly pushes them back. Thats my cue.

        We get up and make our beds before she grabs our stuff from under her bed, and we shuffle towards the window. I jiggle the latch a little and then ease the window pane up, propping it with a stick. Then, working swiftly, I pop the screen from the window frame, allowing it to float gently down to the grass one story below. All this is done with telekinesis, so we don't leave any fingerprints. A bead of sweat runs down my face. Finally, the window is open, our safest escape route. I lower our bags first, and then lift Margaret out the window into the open air. When she is a few feet from me, she gives a thumbs up, and I drop her. Her knees buckle slightly upon impact with the lawn, but is otherwise fine. My turn.

        I remove the stick and toss it down, while holding the window with my mind. It takes all my concentration just to lift myself up off the ground, and out through the window. When I am floating several feet away from the window, I gently ease it down. The frictionn between the metal causes a soft creak, startling me and shattering my concentration. The window slams closed and I fall through the air. A little more warning from my telikinetic powers would be much appreciated. Luckily, Margaret is there to catch me. I open my mouth to apologize but she knows its too late. Putting a finger to her lips, she hands me my bag and we sprint towards the forest. 

        Branches snag my clothes and hair, slowing me down, but we push forward. The icy air tickles my lungs and makes me cough. An owl coos in the distance, giving an almost eerie feel as we run through the moonlit forest, the only light to guide us. When we come to a stop I am out of breath. Margaret's face is flushed pink. I walk around and yank off my sweatshirt, now stinking of sweat. I pull a face and stuff it into my bag. 

        Margaret looks up at the moon, and then the direction we are heading. Her navigation makes no sense to me, but I trust her. She pulls out a compass and turns in a slow circle, tapping it a few times.

        "We'll travel several miles southeast of here to a town called Mendon. From there, we'll catch a train and head west." She says.

        I nod. We grab our bags and and continue through the hushed forest.

        The walk seems to take forever, but after hours of backtracking and redirecting ourselves, we see the town lights ahead of us. The sight fills me with joy, and for a moment I forget our situation.

        "The train yard is just at the bottom of this slope." she says, never failing to awe me with her planning and knowledge of the area. 

        We find the yard easily, and crawl through a small gap in the fencing where it seems an animal must have dug to escape. She leads me through rows and rows of freight trains. Were supposed to leave with our ride at dawn, and the sun is already breaking through the treetops. Finally she pauses beside one. Glancing around, she pulls me inside.

        "Sshh. Just in case were being followed, were going to have to go through several different cars."

        "Why do you think we may be being followed?" 

        "You can never be too certain. Now come on!"

        We slide through numerous train cars, each more boring than the last. After what seems like eternity, and after the sun has finally risen above the trees, we jump inside the last car and settle down. I am about to ask if this is the right one, when the grinding of wheels answers my question. I lay my head down on the swaying floor and drift off almost immediately.