Chapter 1 Train Ride

1932 Maine

The Train Ride

The old rickety cottage that sat in the deep green forest stood perfectly quiet just as it usually did each cool fall night. The dim moonlight poured into the five Morris girls bedroom windows for one last time. Four small beds with the orange and floral knitted quilts, would soon be limited to just three. Evelyn, the second born into the family, was to be sent on a trip. A long unknown journey. Far away from the place she called home for her short seventeen years of life. She was to be sent and shipped off to a foreign home, on foreign land, with no recognition of family whatsoever. Her grandmother to be exact. Her train left tomorrow morning bright and early for her undesired trip.

Evelyn packed up her suitcase with only the essentials, trying to keep quiet as bedtime quickly approached. Ma Morris left the train tickets behind just before her untimely death. A cold woman she was. A night nurse working to support her family during the great depression. While Ma slept during the days and worked the nights,that meant  Evelyn and her older sister Victoria had to step up and become the motherly figures their home lacked so poorly, now more so than ever.

“Don’t forget your journal”, Victoria said sarcastically tossing it on the bed. Evelyn kept her composure, placing it on top of the suitcase and slipped it under the bed. She crawled into the bed she so lovingly adored and cuddled up to the youngest, Mary. The touch of her cold little feet against her thighs was the one thing she would miss the most. As the night grew older, the moon was to return to bed once more and the sun to awake for the day. But there was to be no sight of sunshine that misty morning. The light rain pitter pattered against the porch and the siding of the house. The tops of the pine trees appeared in the slight morning fog. “Five in the morning it must be” thought Evelyn. Kissing her sisters young curls, she rose out of bed to catch her train. The ticket sat on the kitchen table just like Ma left it.  She didn’t bother to say her goodbyes considering it was very early in the morning. Evelyn grabbed her umbrella in one hand and the suitcase in the other. Closing the front door behind her, the raindrops gently trickled down her cool checks. About two miles to the train station it was. The money for a taxicab and a train ticket was laughable, so walking it was.

Arriving at the Train Station promptly at 5:45, a bit overwhelming it was. A trip outside of the house was a rare one for Evelyn. Exhilaration filled her veins, watching the trains arrive and departure. Businessmen heading off to work to make a living. The smoke from cigars and pipes collected in the small vestibule where men and women waited for their train to arrive. The sound of the trains body shook the rails and awoken the sleepy souls. The train pulled up to the station and awaited for the passengers to gather on. Evelyn tucked the umbrella under her arm and hiked up her luggage into the upper baggage area. Finding her seat in the private enclosed seating area, she got comfortable and admired the scenery Maine had to offer. The sun rose and the rain turned to shine. As the train began to take off, the anxiety and nausea began to settle in.  To keep her mind off the unsettling sickness and worries, the hills of wildflowers sang her a lullaby to sing her to sleep.

Sitting in the velvet half chewed seats, Evelyn peeked out into the beautiful nature. Such warmth then rested on her skin as she collectively counted the wildflowers. "Would you like something to drink?" A woman appeared, in a black outfit, she was the train attendant. "Why yes, a cup of tea would be nice, make it a Genmaicha." Evelyn said smiling at the attendant, the woman nodded her head and smiled back. "It looks like you have the seats to yourself today, will this be a long ride for you?"

Evelyn  scotched up. "Well you see, all I know is that I'm going to meet my grandmother who I have never seen." "I see, well do you know what this place is called?" Evelyn began to think of what the place was called,  she began to mumble "Mana, Mala, Malo, Moli...mmm... Oh, Malaga Island!" she shouted across the cart in excitement. Everyone looked over... the attendant quickly stepped back with fear.

"Oh, Ma...ma...Malaga. Wow, that's quite a ride. Well, I hope you make it there safe." The nervous attendant  left the cart into the next one. 'What was that about?' Evelyn thought to herself. Evelyn carried on looking outside... an hour went by and a man came over with her beverage. "The Genmaicha Green Tea for you M'lady." Evelyn grabbed the flower designed, white cup, and took a good woof of the Tea. "Smells like home!" She then let the tea sit on her pallet and savored the rice tasting tea. "Ahhh." She said enjoying the taste.

"I'm sorry to ask, but, have you ever been to Malaga M'lady?" Evelyn looked over out of the corner of her eye towards the male attendant. "No, not really, this would be my first go about." The Man clicked his tongue. "See, I don't wish for such a child to be in harm's way, Malaga is a very feared place." Then her eyebrow raised in such excitement. "What do you mean by that? I can defend myself." The man then chuckled "Well, have you not heard about the stories of Witches?" Evelyn then sets her tea cup down on her lap: "You mean the ones that fly on broomsticks?"

The man chuckled again. "They are very real." "Well, I don't fear them, I'm going to see my grandmother. Why don't you fetch me a blanket and end this crazy talk?" The man then smiled and went away. The brave Evelyn was actually very scared of witches but couldn't seem as if she was, she was already alone.

The time flew by and Evelyn fell into a sleep until, a loud bell rang. A  voice came over the monitors. "This is the last stop at Salem, all passengers must get off here." Evelyn looked out the window and saw a dark night waiting outside, she had slept through the whole day. "Why am I not in Malaga?" An attendant  came over to her aid: "We don't travel there, this is the closest it will get you. So goodbye." The attendant smiled and the train began to roll itself away. Evelyn looked around at the empty train stop. The buildings didn't look so upkept in this area.

As the night continued, the girl walked down a path looking for shelter until she saw a fire burning around the corner. She rushed over trying to seek people. But there she found one single dog all alone. "Hi puppy, why are you here all alone?" The dog whimpered but quickly warmed up to her. Evelyn began to pet it. There was something on its collar, it was a message in a bottle. The key to her next adventure.