The Oak Hotel - Watty Awards 2013 Finalist

Chapter Twenty-eight - Sisters

Chapter Twenty-eight

Sisters

Without knowing quite what was happening or how they had so quickly been pulled into the situation, Lincoln and Kayleigh were sitting across from the one person they most wanted to avoid. In stark contrast their nervousness, Stitch was both calm and filled with obvious joy. He rambled on about BTEL #3 and how this particular train was so special.

“…spared no expense,” he continued, “It looks like the others, but special materials were used during construction. Ship? Oh, pardon me… Train?” he asked aloud. “What was the high stress metal used in your frame and hull?”

“It is a variant of duraFLEX-9, a carbon and aluminum nanocomposite, M. Stitch,” the train spoke smoothly.

The new Mayor smiled. “It will no doubt outlast the others. Yes… I have big plans for this little train.”

They let Stitch do most of the talking, afraid that in making polite conversation they would somehow give themselves away. This came to an end, however, when he leaned forward and looked at each of them in turn.

“Well,” he said, looking at Joe, “I’m going to wager a wild guess that you’re Ben Tompkins’s boy.”

Joe, who had no real reason to be alarmed, smiled slightly and said, “That’s correct, Sir. My father is with M. Tarok at GateHouse as we speak.”

“Splendid!” Truman boomed and clapped Joe on the knee. “Wonderful! I am on my way there as well.” He turned his attention to Kayleigh and Lincoln and narrowed his eyes, “You two, now… have we met before?”

Lincoln froze. They couldn’t tell him their real names, but they couldn’t lie. Lincoln wasn’t sure Joe would understand if they began fabricating names and stories. Kayleigh jumped in before he could think any further on it.

“My name is Kayleigh and this is Lincoln,” she said. Lincoln supposed she sounded calm, but he did notice her rubbing her thumb and index finger nervously together against her knee.

Kayleigh wondered whether or not she should mention Mona, but Joe saved the moment by explaining how they were helping him take care of an errand for his father.

“How responsible of you,” Stitch smiled. “How far will you be taking my wonderful BTEL #3 this morning?”

Joe started to speak, then bit his lip. He looked toward Lincoln, but Lincoln had nothing to save them.

“We’re on our way to the Painted Lighthouse,” Kayleigh blurted out, filling the odd silence between them.

“The Painted… Lighthouse?” Stitch asked, eyes narrowing.

The silence that followed was much more uncomfortable this time.

Stitch’s voice was slow and muddy, as if he’d just waken from a dream, “I didn’t know we had a—”

The train shook slightly, then began to break.

“M. Stitch, we will be stopping at GateHouse in approximately 45 seconds.”

Stitch reached beside his seat and pulled a small, leather satchel onto his lap. Opening it and checking its contents, he glanced nervously over to the strangers. Kayleigh managed a weak, equally troubled smile. Lincoln could barely swallow and felt a sick, solid knot twist just below his ribcage.

The train eased to a stop. A glance outside the window allowed a view both Kayleigh and Lincoln had not seen before in Burnam Tau’roh. Instead of wilderness and woodland to their left, there were crushed-stone paths and roads leading to all manner of small buildings. The largest was a pentagonal, two-story structure surrounded by flowering purple bushes. A beautifully carved wooden sign sat before it: GateHouse.