Standing Still, Time Lies

Chapter 9: Train Yard

The next morning Sara explains that we have to keep moving, that we have to get to the safe camp.

"I heard about that! Isn't it like, not too far from here?" Cher interrupts.

"I think it's still quite far Cher..." Brandon says, uncertain.

"All they said was that it was in the North, and that we'd know when we were close to the camp... whatever that means." Sara relays the message.

"Ok so we just keep walking North? Great plan..." Cher pipes up sarcastically.

"It's the only clue we have to go on, so I guess that's the plan." B says decisively.

"So we really are leaving?" Cher says, looking slightly scared.

"Yes, pack anything we could need, there's blankets, a few last bits of food, some spare water, and anything else you can carry. Fill your backpacks." Brandon instructs.

"I don't have a backpack..." Cherry points out bluntly.

"I'll get you one." Brandon runs up the stairs and comes back down with two backpacks in his hands. He chucks one at Cher and exclaims, "One spare backpack coming up!" Cher looks disgustedly at the backpack, but begins filling it with supplies, stuffing it with blankets and food.

When we've finally raided every crevice of the treehouse, we head down the fire pole to finish our journey, or (for some of us) to begin it.

"Its rubbing my shoulders!" Cher whines, gesturing at the backpack straps.

"It's a backpack Cher, get over it, you'd be grateful of it if you got lost and had to camp alone." B says in a no nonsense tone.

"Alone?" Her eyes go wide and she runs the short distance between us, careful not to lag behind. Sara smirks and drops her pace to walk beside her.

"You won't lose us, don't worry." She reassures Cherry gently.

"Okay..." Cher dosen't seem convinced.

We walk for hours, stopping every so often to have a rest and snack break. Brandon always leads the pack, Sara by his side, checking his direction.

"There's... train yard... yes... close... the... tracks... grown... abandoned... many times..." I hear them muttering together, Brandon explaining something to Sara, who's looking slightly impressed. It doesn't make much sense to me, but if those two know what we're doing, I'm happy to let them lead. I head over to Cher, who's inspecting a tree stump, before lightly perching on it, looking slightly disgusted in this environment.

The late afternoon sun shines across the forest, the tree leaves wave, casting swaying shadows across the vines and tree roots on the floor.

"Come on, we need to keep moving now, we're not far away." Brandon says as Cherry abruptly stands up and brushes her hands down the back of her legs.

"Were nearly at the camp?" Cherry says, surprised.

"No, we're nearly at the place where we're staying the night." He clarifies. Cher groans and slowly starts walking.

"Where exactly are we staying?" I ask, looking around uneasily at the thick forest we were in.

"An old haunt of mine before I built the treehouse! It's an abandoned train yard." He explains proudly.

"Sounds safe..." Cherry mumbles unconvinced.

"It should be, we can shut ourselves in a carriage for the night. Nothing can get in those unless it has opposable thumbs." He reassured.

As we walk, the forest begins to thin out, and a few old tree stumps I notice have been left dotted around the place. The forest then stops abruptly into some sort of manmade clearing.

We step cautiously into the train yard, our eyes scanning the surroundings as we make our way through the place. Crispy runs to us, staying close by our feet, so Sara picks her up and puts her in her backpack, which seems to make Crispy a lot happier. The moss and plants have taken over the yard, covering every surface and filling every space with a thick, green blanket, coating the sides of the abandoned train carriages, and all across the broken tracks.

As we journey deeper into the train yard, we notice a sudden change. The plants and vines become a little less dense, the moss thinning out to reveal some patches of bare ground beneath. We continue on our way, the eerie quiet of the place punctuated only by the occasional creak of a board or the whisper of the wind. We walk in silence, our senses on high alert for any sign of movement or sound. Each small creak or crack seems to fill the air with a tense uneasiness, the thought of any creature or person nearby causing our minds to race with anxiety.

Yet the quiet of the abandoned space seems to create a feeling of safety, our concerns melting away as we take in the peacefulness of the scene around us. The last of the sunlight filters through the distant trees, illuminating the dust particles floating in the air while we slowly creep through the overgrown yard at dusk.

"What do you think of this carriage?" Brandon points to one of the many carriages on the yard. The door is already open and a pile of leaves and a few slugs are swarming the ground inside.

"Ew, no, I'm not sleeping with no slugs!" Cher squeaks softly, running a short way away from the train car in disgust.

"Ok this one then?" Brandon suggests, pointing at a closed car.

"Hm, I want to see inside." Cher says after a moment of contemplation.

With a loud creak, the group pushes the train car door open, the metal groaning as it opens to reveal the dark interior. I peer inside, taking in the sights and smells of the train car.

The dim light of the last rays of sun filters through the crack in the door, falling into the car and casting its gentle glow upon the walls and floors. Dust floats through the air, the scent of old wood, must and mildew filling our noses.

The floor of the car is covered in dust and leaves, the surfaces coated in a fresh layer of moss and vines.

"It will do..." Cherry sniffs, her nose wrinkling in disgust, but realising it was free of slugs, decided to place her backpack in the corner.

As the rest of the group ducks inside, the air becomes slightly more still than outside, the walls blocking out some of the sound from the world outside.

We lay down on the wooden floor, our eyes surveying the surroundings of the metal walls. As we listen to the sounds of the outside world, we feel the train car gently rock with each gust of wind.

The sunlight eventually fades, leaving us in the darkness of the night. As we pull our blankets out of our backpacks, our ears strain to hear any sounds inside or outside the train car. Crispy curls up on Sara's blanket and falls asleep instantly.

Soon, our exhaustion from the day catches up to us, our breath slowing into a more regular rhythm. The peace and quiet of the train car begins to fill us with a sense of relaxation, the day's worries melting away as we drift into sleep, the the abandoned yard becoming our temporary home.