Don't Play Games

21

My foot catches on the small bar of metal underneath my feet. I catch myself and stand up straight, then continue to wherever I was going.

I find myself in the grand dining car, filled with delicacies from everywhere in the country. I turn to the hallway to the right and walk down it.

I open the 2nd door on the right. I find a small bedroom, with mint green bedsheets and a pure white ceiling. On the beside table sits a small square of notebook paper, covered in notes, with a pencil pinning it down.

I walk around the bed, to the small mahogany table, where the paper waits. I pick up the pencil and tuck it behind my ear. Now the table holds only a vase of wilted flowers and a piece of notebook paper, scrawled on by a girl who didn't know she'd survive. The paper holds the names of 23 children, all dead, and 1 Victor, who might as well be.

I fold up the paper and tuck it into the small pocket of my pants. I walk out of the room and quietly shut the door behind me.

Across the hall sits another door. I try the knob, and the door swings open.

The bedsheets have been left unkept in this room. The flowers are on the floor, surrounded by broken shards of a vase. It looks like this room was destroyed in a fit of anger and never cleaned up. Maybe it wasn't.

I close the door, shutting in the wreck.

Claudia is sitting at one of the many tables in the dining car, waiting for me. I sit across from her at the table.

"Congratulations." She says happily. "Are you glad to be going home?"

"Yes." I say. "I've missed it."

She smiles. "We're almost there. Maybe 30 minutes before we reach the station."

I nod. "Thanks."

30 minutes until my life could return to somewhat normal. 30 minutes until I can see home and Maple again.

30 minutes have turned into eternity.

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:) double update! yayy!

-Zane