Stealthily, I snuck out, careful to evade the gardener's watchful eye. It was only 5 AM—shouldn't he be asleep? But perhaps everyone has their own rhythm. I made my way to the train station with a resolve firm in my heart; my parents and brothers would hardly suspect I'd journeyed there. They would likely search for my favourite haunts, thinking I merely needed a place to vent my frustrations. Little do they know, I was orchestrating a surprise of my own. I had always been the quiet, obedient daughter they desired, but that was no longer enough. Now, I was ready to chart my own course.
As I boarded the train, I absorbed my surroundings, noting the mix of weary travelers leaving town. I covered my nose with a mask, careful not to be recognized. Up ahead, I spotted a redhead seated alone.
"Can I sit here?" I asked, my voice a mix of curiosity and hope.
"Umm… sure," she replied, glancing up with a friendly smile that brightened my spirits. I couldn't help but smile back.
"Umm… so where are you headed?" she ventured, her interest genuine.
"I'm off to Sprawl City," I responded, settling into the seat next to her.
"Wow… me too," she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up in surprise. In
"Call me Elara, please," I replied, feeling a connection spark between us.
"Ohh, Elara, like happy and cheerful," she mused, her smile widening.
"And Luna, as in the moon," I added, feeling a sense of camaraderie forming between us.
We chatted easily throughout the journey, discovering shared experiences and aspirations.
"What brought you to Shadow Glen, since you were only here for two months?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"I needed to collect my mum's belongings… and my grandma's too. They meant a lot to me,"
she confessed, her voice trailing off as she gazed out the window. I felt a pang of understanding between us; I could sense she, too, was not being entirely honest.
As the train approached our destination, we spoke about trivial things to distract ourselves from the weight of our circumstances, and when the train finally came to a halt at our destination, I hugged her tightly, a bittersweet farewell lingering in the air. I would miss her, but destiny awaited. Thank goodness I had prepared for this moment; otherwise, I might have found myself stranded. I remembered the small two-room apartment I had secured, complete with a roommate I'd yet to meet. I could only hope she would be kind and easy to live with.