Silent tears

1- Exeter

Thank you for picking up my book. It genuinely means the world and beyond to me <3 Anyways, on with the story :)

(The chapter is in Katherine Howard's point of view)

I pressed my cool forehead against the window of the train, watching the trees and houses zoom past in a mass of greenery and colour. I let my index finger trail effortlessly through my braided hair, finding comfort in something it recognized. 

I let my eyes bid farewell to the place where I had grown up, the place where I had once called home, the place where I used to refer to as heaven. But not anymore. 

The memories that lingered the city of Bristol were both traumatic and unwanted. I remember the nights where I would lie in bed, feeling the tears of misery and anguish trickle down my cheeks, desperately wanting to turn back the clock and redo my childhood. 

I missed it when my parents would take me out for days out around Bristol before they both left me to fend for myself. I remembered how they'd both hold my hand as if I was a delicate butterfly that was to be protected, that was to be loved. I could hear their contagious laughter echo through my eardrums and I could almost visibly see their smiles looking down at me. I missed those good old times. 

"Hello ma'am, may I please see your train ticket?" The conductor commanded, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. I flinched slightly back in response, "Oops, apologies ma'am, I didn't mean to scare you." 

"Oh it's fine," I murmured, reaching a small hand into my coat pocket to retrieve my train ticket. "There it is." 

"That seems to be in order ma'am, you're heading down to Exeter?"

"Yep," I responded, neatly tucking away my train ticket into my small pink handbag that I always carried around with me.

"Doing anything fancy?" He quizzed, giving me the faint glimmer of a smile.

"Kind of. I'm heading down there to live." 

"Oooh, Exeter's a lovely place to live! 

"That's good to hear," I replied gratefully.

"You should be there within the next stop or two. Have a good day ma'am." He finished politely before he went to the row opposite me to check their tickets. I watched him go, smiling.

I sat up in my train seat, excited to catch the first glance of my new home. I hoped it would be just as perfect as the conductor described. 

"The next station is...Exeter. Please mind the gap between the train and the platform." 

I took in a deep breath. 

This was it. 

I'm sorry it's so short. I'm so exhausted I want to roll around like an orange and then get run over by my cats so I'll become a noodle. And I don't even know what I'm writing now but I'm going to keep going because I want to. My eyes are drooping and thank gosh I have Grammarly because if I didn't, this whole chapter would be a mess. I should stop now.