our midnight journey / tears of themis ☁️

The Night Before

Children make up stories all the time, right? They have imaginations ranging from pretend plays of grown-up jobs to old kingdoms with royalties. Our childhood was filled with fun all around, as our creativity knows no bounds! But as we matured, our interests gradually vanished.

Growing up with my childhood friend and her parents, we have been struggling a bit in our lives ever since my parents passed away. Lorelai would say, "Luke, feel free to talk with me if you're feeling sad!"

We lived in a cozy apartment with friendly neighbors. One of those neighbors was Grandma Ruby. She loved coming over to take care of us whenever our parents were busy. Me and Lorelai have seen her now and then, and she was the most interesting person I've ever met.

She's even great at making sure we're following our bedtime routines. Whenever we're tucked in our beds, she will tell us stories about fantasy creatures or oral stories passed down to her. Of course, we would believe them like other kids would.

One night, she had another story for us. As I rubbed my sleepy eyes, her calming voice started the story. "Have you all heard of the Nightfall Express? It's one of the night trains that takes children to the land of dreams, and there's a fantastic story behind it."

"What even is the Nightfall Express?" I asked.

"You're curious as a cat tonight, Luke," Grandma Ruby smiled. "Well, this train only has the magic and the secrets to take you there. Along the way, you get to meet new friends and see new places!"

"It was said that it used to be an old train that existed in my time. But, one day, it disappeared, and no one knows where the train is now. That is, until kids started to spread rumors of a train that exists only at night, every day of the year," Grandma narrated.

She continued, "Yes, I even went on the train before! The food was sugar-free, and there were times I had hot chocolate. The trips were long and relaxing; I even made friends with a spider."

"Do you know the name of that spider?" Lorelai questioned.

"She didn't reveal her name, but she's someone I would trust," said Grandma Ruby. "Then, after that night, I never saw the train again. All that's left is the mysterious ticket in my pocket."

Welooked at each other in wonder but also in disbelief. First off, there's no way a night train like that could exist. And second, how long would it take to travel to the land of dreams?

"But how come we never saw them last year? That sounds like a silly old legend," I complained.

"I agree. Grandma, why does it secretly happen every day instead of the usual trains that we have?" Lorelai asked.

Then, Grandma made a soft chuckle, saying that since it's a magical train, no one should spread its existence to the public. If word came out that it still exists, then its powers would've been misused. Or worse, gone forever through time.

As we exchanged goodnights and Grandma turned off the lights, Lorelai settled into her bed while I cozied up under the blankets. During the night, I had trouble sleeping because there's a mysterious person who appears in my dreams. They looked older and had animal ears.

It always left me with more questions and no answers. If I could ask Grandma, maybe this is connected to her legend from earlier. But maybe this Nightfall Express doesn't exist; it could be just some regular train mistaken to be one.

Slowly getting out of bed, I tip-toed through the hallway. From the stairs, I saw Grandma Ruby staring at the window. There were no clouds in the night sky, just the crescent moon.

She muttered to herself, "My dearest friend, please grant my wish for these children to experience what I have witnessed."

Suddenly, she walked away from the window. I hurriedly tip-toed back to my bed, thinking over that one sentence that she said.

I never got to ask about my dreams that night.

~🌛~

It's morning by the next day, and Grandma Ruby has already left for the day. She still had a job to finish, so she had a habit of waking up earlier than usual.

It's like she had a secret job to keep.

We almost dismissed the legend as some silly tale, but I'm stuck here, replaying the sentence in my head. What does the legend mean in and of itself? My suspicions were raised while I was tidying up my room. There was some silvery dust, which I had never seen before.

It doesn't belong to a group of pixies. The last time I saw them, I was four years old. It couldn't even belong to Fred, our cat. Unlike those accident-prone pixies, he was careful and agile.

As I fed Fred during our breakfast, we decided to head out to the park later. "You're quiet today, Fred. Sometimes, I would love to hear you talk like a human," I chuckled. He nuzzled his head to show affection as I watched him eat his own food.

"Luke, hurry up! I need to fly my kite!" Lorelai called out. I cleaned up our plates and got ready for the day.

In the park, while Lorelai was flying her kite, I took my time finding any lost things. Then, a small ticket flew by, so I grabbed it before it went away.

"Watson, what do you think of this?" I showed it to her.

"That doesn't seem like an ordinary ticket. Do you suppose someone could've lost it?" she said.

But it was deemed impossible as there were fewer people in the park today. I looked at the ticket once more, its intricate blue designs offering little clarity beyond vague details. Thinking about Grandma's words, I pondered whether this could indeed be a ticket for a night train.

Magical things are my favorite, but trains? I would have expected less.

~🌛~

As the night went on, I found myself fully awake again, my gaze locked on the ceiling as I shifted restlessly in bed. Just as I was about to fall asleep, the distinct sound of a steam whistle broke the silence. We were jerked awake, our instincts alerted to the sudden commotion.

We exchanged wide-eyed stares, uncertain about what was going to happen. "Did you hear that?" Lorelai asked, her voice trembling slightly and her eyes showing interest.

"It definitely sounded like a train whistle," I said. "But, where is it coming from??"

My heart raced with a sudden rush of adrenaline, and my mind raced to make the connection between Grandma's bedtime stories and the odd sound echoing through the night. Could it be? Was it possible that the fabled Nightfall Express was there?

With a shared agreement, we got out of our beds and moved together to the window. Against the darkness outside, our eyes strained with curiosity. We looked for any sign of the elusive train.

Then, like a scene from a fairy tale, a faint glow appeared in the distance, getting stronger as it neared. The regular chug of the locomotive filled the night, sending thrills down my spine.

"It's...it's real!" I said, barely able to believe my own words.

Before we could look away, the Nightfall Express appeared from the shadows, its majestic shape highlighted by the moonlight. The train was unlike anything I'd ever seen before, with its dark features and golden-colored letters.

Without saying anything, we quietly ran downstairs, careful not to wake up the adults in the house. Our hearts were hammering with excitement as we pushed open the front door.

Well, the old lady wasn't playing a trick on our minds.