SWNOVELS Nocticadia: Chapter 9
“Are you sure this is the place?” Jayda asked beside me, as both of us stared through the windshield of her car toward the train station.
At least, I thought it was a train station.
Heat-withered weeds stuck up through the cracked concrete, and the dilapidated building, where a ticket sign hung half-cocked, didn’t even look open. The place looked abandoned, with garbage scattered over the parking lot and colorful words graffitied across one of the stationary train cars.
After another glance down at the invitation sitting in my lap, I nodded. “It’s the address on the invitation.”
“How ‘bout I stay a bit, just in case?”
“You have to be up in four hours to work. I’ll be fine.”
“Girl, it’s work. It’ll be there tomorrow and the day after that. I can’t say the same for you, if I leave.”
“I’ve got my blade and my pepper spray. That should at least get me a head start, right? Besides, it’s quarter-to midnight. The train should theoretically be here in fifteen minutes.”
“If it’s theoretically coming, at all.” Jayda leaned forward, and I had a pretty good idea that we both saw the same guy in threadbare clothes leaning up against the building, when she shook her head and said, “I’m just gonna stay. That way, if it doesn’t come, I’m already here to take you back.”
Smiling, I eased back in my seat, secretly relieved that she wasn’t going. I’d always taken care of myself, but sometimes it was nice having someone look out for you. “I know you don’t like sappy, but–”
She threw up a hand between us. “Don’t do it.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you in my life.”
“Stop it. Okay? Stop it.” The same hand she used to blockade came to a rest on my knuckles and gave a gentle squeeze. “You’re stronger than you realize, Lilia. You just need to start believing it.”
“I will, when you start accepting compliments and gratitude.”
She snorted and turned away, retracting her hand as I chuckled.
Ten minutes passed. The anxiety knotted my stomach, while I gnawed on my bottom lip. I’d never been outside of Massachusetts before. Had never traveled by train, or plane. We’d taken camping trips sometimes when my mom was still alive, but never farther than a few counties over. To say that I was nervous was a bit of an understatement.
“Maybe we should just go,” I said to Jayda at two minutes past midnight.
No sooner had the words tumbled past my lips than a rattling of my water bottle in its cup holder drew my attention there. I glanced down to see the surface rippling.
Jayda turned toward me, wearing a quizzical expression.
Not a second later, light cut through the misty fog. A loud hum rose from the distance, white noise beneath the screech of metal on metal. A horn sounded, pounding in my chest, and I jolted forward to see the homeless guy startle awake.
The two of us climbed out of the vehicle, and after grabbing my suitcase and backpack from the backseat, I walked cautiously ahead of the car to see an enormous shadowy form slice through the overhang of trees. A monstrous vehicle ground down its pace, and on an angry squeal, it let out one final chug and rolled to a stop.
My mouth hung wide as I took in the magnificence of it. A shiny black surface, over which gold details gave it a luxurious appearance. The side of it read Dracadian Express in glittery gold font, with the head of a gold dragon curved over the lettering.
It idled while I marveled the exterior, and through darkened windows, I noticed obscure figures moving about–what I presumed to be other passengers inside.
From the right, a man clad in an black suit and hat, with gold embroidery on his lapel, strode toward me. It was only based on a handful of movies I’d watched that led me to believe he might’ve been the train conductor.
“Boarding pass?” he asked, and I rifled through the envelope I held. The shiny black ticket matched the train, with its gold dragon and beautiful, metallic gold font, and I handed it off to him.
“The university has its own train?”
“It’s owned by the university, but it serves all of Dracadia and Maine.” The conductor pointed toward an entrance where a ramp slowly retracted down. “You’re in car two. Lounge and observation are toward the front. I’ve a few more stops, and we should arrive to the port city by five in the morning.”
With a nod, I smiled, the excitement buzzing inside of me. “Okay.”
“Welcome aboard, Miss Vespertine.” He lifted my suitcase, and my muscles lurched to take it back. That single bag held everything I owned. My whole life, essentially.
I had to remind myself it wasn’t Covington public transportation. What I owned was probably considered junk in the world I was about to enter.
“Well, this is it,” Jayda said beside me.
I turned to see the pride-filled smile on her face, as she stared toward the train. “I’ll be back to visit.”
“You better.” She wrapped her arms around me, squeezing the air out of my lungs. “You take care of yourself, Dr. Lilia.”
“Thank you for everything,” I whispered, and with that, she released me, stepping back so I could see a shine in her eyes.
“Go on. Your future is waiting.”
At the first sting of tears, I double-blinked them away and turned toward the train. Willing myself not to cry, I sucked in a deep breath and strode up the ramp after the conductor, past the luggage rack, and through the automated door that opened to car two.
The seats within flaunted a plush black velvet with gold lettering, arranged in rows of two at either side of the long aisle I traversed toward my seat. The handful of passengers I passed peered down at their cellphones. Clad in designer clothes, blazers and blouses, with bags that probably cost as much as I made in a month, they fit the part of an ivy league student.
I’d taken some of the money Jayda had given me to go thrifting for something decent to wear. I had an appreciation for vintage dresses, thanks to my mother, who’d always told me that dresses and skirts were a woman’s rebellion against the world’s ruthless nature. Soft and vulnerable and bold at the same time. I’d never been brave enough to wear them on the subway late at night, only to classes during the day. For the train ride, I’d opted for a pale butter, ruffled sundress with my mom’s faded leather jacket and my combat boots. While I didn’t look homeless, I certainly wasn’t as put together as the other passengers–those whose jewelry dangled from their wrists and necks like extravagant tinsel. Sprawled in their seats with their phones, they looked completely at ease, perhaps even bored and unimpressed.
Meanwhile, I sat humming like a bee, with so much pent-up anxiety, it was a wonder they couldn’t hear me vibrating in my seat.
My knees bounced incessantly as the train trundled forward. I turned toward the window, and waved as I watched Jayda pass me, like I was watching my old life slip away for the new one. I hadn’t even had time to let it sink into my head that I’d be attending an ivy league school. A respected university. Clawing at my own arm failed to break me out of the strange dream.
Things weren’t entirely worked out with Conner and Bee, either. I’d sent along two months of my half of payment to Bee’s school account, but I’d need to find a job right away to begin saving up and staying ahead, in addition to work-study.
My load would be heavy, but hadn’t it always been that way,?
Focus on the now, Lilia. The words of my mother who’d always managed to calm my anxiety when I was a kid.
I closed my eyes, resting my head against the cushiony seat—a far cry from the hard plastic I was accustomed to on the subway. I needed some sleep. Even just a few hours, so I wouldn’t look like a zombie when I arrived on campus.
As I stole the moment to take a quick snooze, my thoughts grew distant.