Two Weeks With Chelsea

Chapter 35

Chelsea dragged her suitcase into the St. Charles train station and found her way to the ticketing kiosks. A friendly looking woman had just finished assisting a couple and welcomed her to use the self-serve ticketing machine.

"I can help you, if you like. Where would you like to go?" the woman asked.

"Barcelona, please," Chelsea replied as she pulled her wallet from her purse.

The woman tapped at the screen on the automated kiosk then explained the schedule, "I am afraid there is no train to Barcelona this evening. You may take the train to Narbonne tonight and then take a different train to Barcelona tomorrow morning. Or, if you wish to stay in Marseille tonight, there is a train that will go directly to Barcelona in the morning."

"Tomorrow morning? I have to take a different train?"

"Yes, you take the train and stay overnight in Narbonne. There is a train that will leave at 6:28 in the morning to Barcelona."

"I..." Chelsea started before a feeling of defeat swept through her. "I don't know where that is."

"Narbonne?" the woman replied as she pulled a system map from her pocket, "We are here, Marseille, Narbonne is here."

Chelsea watched the woman's finger glide across the map and asked, "Does the train go to Béziers? Can I stop there and take the train to Barcelona from there?"

"Of course."

"I know Béziers. I'll go there," Chelsea said as she wiped away the tears that had started to flow.

The woman tapped at the machine again, "To Béziers tonight and Barcelona tomorrow morning. Do you wish to leave early in the morning, or would you like to wait for a train later in the day?"

After a moment of contemplation Chelsea replied, "Just to Béziers. I can buy the ticket to Barcelona in Béziers, can't I?"

"Certainly, but you must be sure to go to the station with enough time before the last train to Barcelona leaves. I can tell you when that is in a moment," she said while the machine processed the ticket purchase. "You will miss Marseille? Or, perhaps it is someone in Marseille that you will be missing?"

Chelsea nodded with her eyes closed tightly, "A boy, but he..."

"Come, we must hurry, the train will depart very soon. Follow me," the woman said as she collected the tickets from the machine. "This boy in Marseille, is he your boyfriend?"

The woman hurried Chelsea towards the platform and bypassed the two staff that were checking the tickets of the final few passengers that were heading towards the train.

Trevor dodged and weaved his way around people on the escalator from the Metro towards the station. He scanned the departures display for a train to Barcelona. Nothing. Narbonne. He recognised the name from their journey from Barcelona and rushed to the platform. The doors of the train were closed and there was no sign of Chelsea, but he needed a closer look. Perhaps he might see her through a window. An arm across his chest and some words in French blocked his access to the platform. He pleaded with no success to just have a look.

"Shit!" he cupped his right hand over his eyes when the train started to move.

Trevor turned his back to the platform and scanned the station for her face. He felt hopeless. His head dropped as he turned back towards the empty track. A few staff members milled about on the platform. The men that had stopped him remained at their post and watched him intently. Trevor walked back towards the platform.

"Please, did this girl get on that train?" Trevor asked as he held up his phone, the display filled with a photo zoomed in to Chelsea's smiling face.