When It's Time to Move On

The Station - Chapter 61 - Time to Move On

Once more he found the hallway. This time he witnessed it materialize before him; the burning radiance bringing shape and form to the environment. He was by himself now, his father nowhere to be seen. Behind him, the fifth door stood shut, but the enormous blast of light that had captured him was still there; rays of light escaped from between the door's edges.

Harris's body was instructed to begin moving and he obeyed that command. The original four doors passed him by. Each was still shrouded in darkness, but the affection with which he looked at them could almost have lit them up. 

A soft rustling reached his ears before he could step into the hallway. Its source was the room where he'd deposited his cherished belongings. Harris twisted the knob to enter it for the final time. He felt his breath taken away, for nothing could have prepared him for what awaited inside.

People. And each one he loved.

There stood Bob Cratchit, the gnarled old hat resting once again on his head, his signature bushy beard through which he smiled. Next to him were his family – his wife, Shiela, their two boys Benjamin and Leonard, and Danny and Jennifer, ever so happy.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Bob was Harris's brother-in-arms. He never thought he would see him again but there Jake was. He was cleaner and happier than Harris had ever seen him. He, too, looked back at him with a broad smile, arm around his wife while the other on his son, the Mickey Mouse watch on his wrist once again. His friend Sergio with his wife, Adra, and son, Salem, reunited once more.

By Jake's side was Harris's oldest friend, Auden, with his fiancé Laarni. Hank and Sylvia, too, were there, laughing along happily. But they weren't by themselves. Roslin beamed at him in the same, wonderful way she had the last time he'd seen her. She was as happy as he had wished to see her; no wrinkles around her eyes, no despair in sight, radiant with joy. The plaque she had bestowed upon him was now in her grasp.

Beside her were the two people he'd seen most recently but was no less glad to be present. Zafina and Huey, who looked to be containing something wonderful to tell him. They grinned as gleefully as ever, still making him wish each moment would last a lifetime. Huey held within his hands the frame that had immortalized Harris's favorite moment.

Among such treasured company, Harris found himself at a complete loss for words. Yet that seemed to be the very idea, for not one person broke the silence. Each one of them simply, and lovingly, looked at him, happy to be there for him at this time.

Harris looked back at them to his heart's content. As far as he was concerned, they all were a part of him; he could never depart without seeing them once again. This was his party, and he was at leisure to enjoy it as much as he wanted. Harris wanted to convey how much they meant to him, but he knew that they felt just what he did.

With the brightest look of confidence he could muster, he nodded at his loved ones and walked away. The hallway, though still glowing, was now visible to look at. The glass ceiling confirmed it was morning. And he was as excited.

A slight screeching sound made him lower his gaze, surprising him once more. The station was not empty. A train had appeared on the once-empty tracks. Harris was amazed by its beauty. The train was magnificent, steam rising from the chimney, the smoke evaporating as soon as it gusted outside. It was vast, with its end hidden inside the tunnel behind. The colors black and red were contrasted in the locomotive's body, a richly elegant and classic appearance. 

The train's compartments were stacked behind, with enough windows for passengers to wave farewell to their loved ones, but the train was empty. There was not a single soul inside. Harris was in awe of the sight. A few steps had been laid out right behind the facade and just in front of the compartments to an empty platform that was meant to be stood upon. He had no questions to ask here -- this was to be his pedestal.