April Gale and The Long Short Journey – Part 1

This week's Words for Wednesday are: this sound

And/or: it's going to rain today; chasing storms; umbrellas; charmed; a long journey; trains

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Fiction: April Gale and The Long Short Journey

The rain tap, tap, tap on the train windows. April Gale sighs. The long journey to her grandfather's house is getting tedious. The storm seems to be following her all the way from her house to the train platform and now here. She brushes a finger against the window pane making a streak across the steam. She hears a cough and turns to the boy on the other side of the train. He is bundled in blankets but is still shivering. She snaps her fingers and instantly, he stops shivering. She hears a sigh and turns to her aunt sitting beside her. Aunt Josephine gives April a thin raised eyebrow. April grins at her. Aunt Josephine frowns and returns to her book.

April pulls at her shawl closer around her shoulders. The train has no heating and they have been here for ten hours straight. She turns back to the window. The rain falls in larger droplets. The gray sky swims with half-black clouds. There is nothing to see in the wide grayness. April pulls the curtains closed. She glances over at the boy. He is sleeping while leaning against the train wall. His spikes of blond hair are bent at one corner. April's eyes land on the old woman sitting beside the boy. She stares at April with her lips pursed and large brown eyes almost popping out of their sockets. April gives her a small smile and turns away.

Another ten hours of this and April might just jump out the windows, that is, if she can open them. When she sat down hours ago, she had noted the windows are sealed shut. How is anyone to breathe around here? She starts to stand up but Aunt Josephine presses a hand on April's shoulder and shakes her head. April sits back and leans her head against the seat. She wishes they could just fly to her grandfather's house. She closes her eyes and imagines the train lifting off the tracks and moving forward in a moderate speed so as to have a relaxing trip.

Someone screams and April opens her eyes. The train seems to be lifting. She pushes the curtains open. The sea is getting lower and lower below them. She reaches out to grab her aunt's arm and at the same time, her aunt shoots her a look that warns of daggers and swords. April laughs lightly and drops her hand onto the armrest.

Outside, the rain seems to be moving upward. The train pauses and starts moving forward in a moderate speed. April turns her head slightly to glance at the passengers. They are keeping their heads down except for the sleeping boy who is awake and staring out the window. There are a few shouts and screams but nothing alarming, well, nothing too loud that Aunt Josephine can comment on but Aunt Josephine is busy vomiting into her small bag. Her book lays on the floor in the isles slipping back and forth.

The train speeds up and soon they are moving faster and faster that any screams coming from the passengers are drowned out by other screams. April clings to the armrests and wonders why they are moving so fast. She certainly has not pictured this. She dares a peek at the passing sky but the view moves too swiftly for her to make out any details.

Over two hours later, they begin to slow down. Then they descend back onto the tracks. April can hear the collected sighs of relief. Aunt Josephine leans back in her seat and peers at April with half-opened eyes and in a almost whisper, says, "Your grandfather is going to hear about this." Then she turns and lowers her face into her bag.

April lets out a breath. Well, there's nothing she can do to fix this but they did saved seven hours of tedious train ride. And now she realizes her powers are growing.

--- More Words for Wednesday over here ---