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(Page 1 of 6) All Aboard by Angel Melendez
 (2 ratings)
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Nick kissed his sweetheart, Annie, goodbye and boarded the train. The last boarding whistle blew just as he settled into his cabin. He put his suitcase in an overhead compartment and sat down on the cold, leather-brown seat behind him. He looked out the window and searched for Annie's bright, precious face. He spotted Annie waving at him from atop a bench where she had perched herself to become taller.
Nick slid his window up and waved back. Just then, one more whistle blew and the train began its journey. He poked half his body out to glance at Annie's face once more and to blow her a kiss. She blew one back and Nick pretended to catch it in his hand and put it in his shirt pocket. It would be the last time he ever saw Annie.
The conductor came in interrupting his romantic interlude for the ticket check. Nick pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to the conductor. He had a big nose and shiny, bald, head. When everything was in order, Nick returned to his window of love to take another look at the station. But, when he did, it was gone, completely and utterly. Nothing but grass and trees covered the ground.
Nick felt utterly confused. He looked at his watch. The train hadn't been moving for more than two minutes at the most. Bewildered, he ran out of his cabin and chased the conductor down.
"Excuse me sir. How long have we been moving?"
"Well, by my watch, it's been almost an hour. Why do you ask?"
"An hour?! Are you sure, sir?"
"Yes young man. I'm quite sure. Take a look at my watch if you care to do so."
Nick did. The conductor wasn't lying. Then Nick looked at his own watch. Suddenly, it had jumped fifty or so minutes into the future. It read the same time as the conductors.
"My boy, are you all right?"
"Um, yes, of course I am. Thank you for your help sir."
Nick returned to his cabin and pondered the strange event for a while. The only conclusion he could come up with was that he had fallen asleep and hadn't even realized it. It was the only logical answer, he thought to himself.
Sleep. That sounded like a wonderful idea. He found himself becoming very drowsy. If he had fallen asleep, maybe he should return to the land of dreams. Annie always said he was too jumpy anyway and that he should relax. So that's what Nick decided to do. Relax.
Soon, Nick was fast asleep.
2
Nick was woken up a while later by the sound of his stomach growling fiercely. He made his way to the dinner car and sat at a table near a window. Nick liked to watch the world zoom by. He found that nature was, second to Annie of course, the most beautiful thing in the entire world. He could see that it was night already. The moon had an eerie almost unreal glow. Like it was artificial somehow.
As he peered out into the distance, a waiter placed a menu in front of him.
"Oh. Thank you."
Nick flipped right to the steak section and skimmed down the list for his favorite. Sirloin. When he found it, he beckoned for the waiter to come to his table. He ordered a fat, juicy steak, a baked potato and a side of corn. Nick's mouth watered just thinking about his tasty dinner.
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