It turned out that we had been gone much later than three minutes. There I was pulling along a completely inert Harry across compartnts, no longer talking thankfully, no longer annoying either, but as a drawback for so peace of mind, he was now also hopelessly deaf to any orders I tried barking at him.
Hence , pulling at his arm like a leash on a dog that stubbornly planted its butt on the sidewalk. I got three-quarters of the way through before I saw our compartnt door sliding open with both Ash and Sammy funneling out in that respective order.
For a second, they both shared the sa look of worry, then in the next, also in unison, relief quickly took over, spotting heaving and hauling the extra luggage I brought with … then they noticed Harry's glazed vacant face, and then sprouted that worry once more.
Ash was the first to reach , already making motions to aid in any way she could, taking his other arm and draping it around her shoulder, expediting the process in a matter of seconds, and before I knew it, everybody was back in their seats again… all well that ends well.
And that's when the questions arose.
"You're going to explain why you turn him into a vegetable, or would you rather just keep looking out the window?" Sammy asked, unable to keep her eyes off , as well as Ash… but at least she was making an effort to be subtle about it. "You can keep that poker face, but I know when you're trying to act like nothing's wrong, so - seriously, what's wrong?"
If I was honest, if I told them what just unfolded in the little n's room, I'm just gonna wind up the whole train ride playing trauma patient to their therapy sessions. I wasn't in the mood for that, and neither was I up for causing any more friction between familial ties. So yeah, I think I would just rather keep looking out the window, alright.
"He wouldn't keep quiet, so I kept him quiet," I simply said, which was as honest as I was gonna get regarding the whole matter. "Doesn't help my mood that I have to also pull his boxers and pants up for him, you can imagine, can you?"
I expected Sammy to keep on pushing, trying to wrench loose the close zipper on my lips, but it seed even she had her more sensible monts… 'cause for once, she just let be. For now, at least.
Eventually, we all moved on from the incident, and ti followed suit. After a couple of hours, that feeling of wonder and excitent had significantly dwindled, and Ash, just as well as any of us, finally felt the monotony settling in, which ca in a form of a small yawn - plus with how gentle the train rocked and rumbled, it was like the world's longest cradle.
"We still got a couple more hours left to go," I said to her. "I'd tell you to rest, but - "
Ash shook her head, a small smile politely declining. "I could never," and sat properly upright in place.
Sammy, in the anti, had already been gently lulled all the way to dreamland and had already made my lap her personalized pillow. I debated on waking her up, but I think the shock of finding out where she subconsciously chose her bed of rest might actually wind up killing her, so I simply let her be.
"Lady Samantha is greatly fond of her big brother, truly," Ash remarked, her stare affixed at my dear little sister's sleeping face. "I am pleased to see you both share a strong bond, Master."
And for a long while after, Ash just simply stared, in slight amusent, admiration, the look on her face was a tender one… but it didn't feel as innocent as that to . I looked at her, and beyond the soft luster of her erald eyes, harboring betwixt the happiness, I saw sadness.
Y'know, I don't think it was just my sister she was seeing with that longing gaze of hers. It's been quite so ti since I last thought about it, but Ash wasn't an only child… if I rember right, Lenora was her na… Ash's little sister. I wonder, how were they two like? Like Sammy and I? It must have been a pretty strong bond itself for her to carry such fondness over her long, long life alive, and into another world even.
I'd ask, but… even more than my sister, I knew when to let things be. I'm sensitive like that.
Sowhere in the later hours of the day, I received another text - Amanda again, back with another update on her day. This ti, it was a video of Mr. Black scurrying around her apartnt with her in close pursuit with the cara. Very nice.
Then an hour after, Irene chid in with so news about the situation back in the city. Apparently, Nick spontaneously received a ssage from his 'dad', and because of that, he had halted the investigation… at least for now.
Soon the window began to bleed in a warm orange hue, and the view went from srizing to nostalgic. Paddy fields, acres of empty plains, dirt roads outnumbering asphalt, and the cars that could be seen traveling along it's length worn and rusted, each dent and bruise caring a thousand mileage worth of mories.
Our journey was finally coming to an end, and it seems that Ash could sense it too. She looked really tired, honestly. I guess not even she was immune to travel fatigue, huh?
"Once we finally disembark, would it be a short walk after before we reach your ho?" She asked, stifling another yawn as best she could.
"That's a no on the walking," I said, glancing at Harry who had his eyes pointed to the roof all this ti. "Especially with this guy still high. There's a bus station nearby, it'll be about another thirty-minute drive until we reach, until then - "
I stopped… felt another buzz in my hand, another ssage. Normally, ssages don't warrant a pause between sentences, but in this case… when dad's the one buzzing, it's hard to think of anything else.
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