Lauren--Part Twenty-One

Splog # 70

Twenty-One

   Lauren looked at the three friendly faces that were watching her expectantly. A wave of relief washed over her as she realized that she was safe. Then she tried to remember what it was that she was safe from. The man with the funny hat leaning over her, and the dog panting in her left ear, and the man in the conductor's uniform across the aisle from the seat she was curled up on, were all somehow reassuring. But what was it that had caused the feeling of panic that was slowly fading away inside her chest?

   "I must have been having a nightmare," she murmured to herself.

   She looked into the gentle face looming above her. "Splog," she said simply. He smiled. She turned her head to the left and a rough tongue rasped across her cheek and nose. "Austin," she said, as she rubbed her hand over the damp trail printed on her countenance. Then she sat up and said, "Mason." He touched his cap with his hand.

   "We've stopped again." She turned her head to look out the window. It was very bright outside though there didn't seem to be any sunshine to the light of the day. She turned and looked out the window behind Mason and saw a range of mountains in the distance and as she looked at them a feeling began to grow in her that there was something that needed to be done. Something that needed to be done by her. And urgently. But then Austin barked and, when she looked back to her three companions, the compelling feeling quickly disappeared.

   "Well," said Splog. "Here we are." He emerged from the seat behind her and went to the railroad car's door, which had already been opened. Austin followed him and bounded down the ramp onto the marble platform. Lauren got up and followed them both out into the fresh air. Splog was seating himself on a marble bench and, as she sat down next to him, Mason rolled a cart down the ramp and placed it in front of them. On it were a bowl filled with grapefruit which had been cut in half and a platter with bread and cheese and containers of jam and peanut butter. There was also a pitcher of milk and some plates, cups and eating utensils.

   Splog asked Mason to eat with them but he said he had duties to attend to on board and would have his meal once the train started running again.

   "Fifteen minutes, if you're coming with us," he said to Splog as he disappeared back inside.

   Lauren was spooning a piece of grapefruit into her mouth. "Didn't you just say we're here? Is this where we're going? And why are we leaving in fifteen minutes?"

   Splog was spreading peanut butter on a piece of bread as he said, "We're not leaving in fifteen minutes."

   "Oh," said Lauren, watching curiously as he broke off a hunk of cheese and wrapped it in the thickly lathered bread. "So where are we and what are we up to?"

   Splog had just taken a big bite of bread, cheese and peanut butter, so he looked at Lauren and held up a finger to indicate that it would be a minute before he could respond.

   Lauren looked the food over, wondering if anything there would interest Austin. She didn't think it would but she decided to try a small piece of cheese. To her surprise, when she offered it to him, he gulped it down and looked like he would be glad to partake of more. She handed him another piece and then heard,

   "How do you like Austin?"

   She took his head in both hands and ruffled the fur around his ears. "He's scrumptious."

   "Good. I think he's going to take you to the inn."

   "The inn?"

   "Yes. You'll have to go to the inn before you go up there. And Austin knows the way, though even without him you'd have no trouble finding it. Yes. You and Austin can go straight to the inn."

   Lauren looked at Splog as he took another bite of his peanut butter and cheese sandwich.

   "You mean, you're not coming?"

   Splog shook his head in a decided negative and Lauren looked from him to Austin and back again.

   "But...what am I supposed to do at the inn and what is 'up there' and why am I going to an inn anyway and what about Austin's owners and where are you going and..."

   Splog held out his hands in a gesture that told Lauren to hold on for a moment. He gulped down a large swallow and asked Lauren if she wanted to eat any more as Mason would return soon for the cart of food.