Train Wreck

10:43 to Essex

As the sounds of the train pull me from my sleep, I open one eye and look around. I haven't seen this countryside before, and it looks nothing like London or my home. I pull out both my headphones and look around. Nobody from earlier is on the train... Maybe I imagined it. "Pull yourself together, Bella!" I mutter as the train slows. Where am I now?! I look outside, and we're pulling into a station I've never seen before. I reach into my bag, and pull out my ticket. It's a return to London, as I booked it. But where the hell am I?

Getting off the train, I think to myself that I shouldn't be this disorientated, I should recognise this place.. Sucking up all my courage, I tap a kind-faced woman on the shoulder. "Excuse me, but what station is this?" She smiles sweetly and points to a big sign. "Why, this is Colchester, in Essex, dear. And if you'll excuse me, I must dash." And she hurries off to a worried-looking man, who is checking his watch. I sigh. "I've never even been to bloody Essex, why the hell am I here?! I must've hit my head damn hard.. I was in Brighton an hour ago!" Looking around, nobody is giving me a second glance. "Huh.. This must be normal up here, then, I guess."

I manage to open the maps on my phone, and find my way out of the station and into the town. I follow The road signs {and the numerous amounts of shoppers} down into the main street until I find a Starbucks and dive in, still looking at my phone and figuring what went wrong. "There is no route from Brighton to Colch- Oh, a large caramel hot chocolate please, with cream.. Yeah there's no way for it to work.." I manage to find a spare table and sit in the corner with my hot chocolate {because, you know, hot chocolates are life}, and watch out the window as the warm, spring rain begins to fall on the unexpected shoppers outside.

Just then, a girl walks in with long, brown hair, miraculously dry from the downpour. She smiles at me, and goes and orders an iced frappé from the counter. Scanning for tables, she eyes mine and heads towards it. I move my stuff over so she can sit opposite me, smiling kindly. "You don't mind, do you? I'm a little bored and have no wish to get wet." I looked up and smile back. We look like complete opposites, me with a crop top, shorts and converse, and her with a cute little top, skirt and ballet pumps. "It's fine.. I'm Bella, by the way." She nods and grins shyly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Molly.. And what brings you here, then? You don't sound local." I laugh.. "Now that's a good story.." And I explain everything that happened this morning, right back to when I woke up.

"Wow.. You're serious?!" Molly stares at me, eyes wide. I grin and nod. "Of course it is.. I just don't know how I left Brighton and ended up here, to be honest." She suddenly pulls out her phone and replies to a text. "My mum said she'd be here to come get me soon.. What are you going to do?" She asks me, clearly worried. I shrug. "I have no idea, Molly.. Probably just hang around here and try to head back on a train soon enough." She grins at me, and then her mother walks into the room, and walks over. "Molly.. Who's your friend?" Molly's mother smiles kindly at me, then Molly asks me if I'd want to come and stay the night, as it's 'too late to get home now'. I grin and nod. "Yes please, if that's okay of course." They'd obviously been planning this since Molly sat down and started talking to me. Her mother smiles. "That's settled then. Molly's got some clothes for you to wear if you need to, and you can get a train back tomorrow." I must've looked stunned, and Molly laughs and links arms with me. "C'mon Bella, we're taking you home!" She says loudly, as we walk out the cafe, laughing.