The Midnight Train

Prologue

"Tell us the story again Nana, please!" My granddaughter's friend, Kano, tightly gripped onto my arm. His eyes wide and flowing with curiosity. I curled my lips inwards with glee at his excitement for my tale.

"Yes. Please tell us, Nana." Salem, my granddaughter, looked at me with soft eyes. She spoke with a polite tone as she hugged her puppy plush gently in her small arms.

"Alright now, settle down. I will tell you the tale of the Midnight Train." I spoke with a laugh, oh how I enjoyed the young ones' company. The boy chirped with excitement and bounced into an attentive pose. The children's eyes fixated upon mine to make sure I knew they were ready to behold my vast knowledge of the unknown.

"Once upon a time, long ago. In a town not too different from our own, there lived two children. Anna and Ben. They were siblings and the children of the town's baker. One day, they had decided to get into a bit of mischief around the town. This did not please their father and they were sent to bed without dinner that night as a punishment!"

"Oh no!" Kano gasped and covered his mouth, "they didn't even get to eat dessert!"

"Well they did get into trouble that day, it is only fair that they pay for their wrong doing." Salem looked over at Kano as she spoke like a grown adult, even though the two were both only 6 years of age.

"But the horror of no dessert! I can't even imagine what that would feel like!" Kano cupped his cheeks with his hands, pushing them in closer before he dropped his arms down to his sides and turned to face Salem. "I guess we should count ourselves lucky that Nana doesn't send us to bed without dessert when she watches us, that would just be terrible." The girl nodded in agreement.

"Are you ready to get back to the story?" I butted into their deep conversation of the horrors of missing out on dessert. "Or would you rather finish your discussion on the importance of dessert before bed?"

"Please continue! We're ready. Right Salem?" Kano peered over at the girl and grinned brightly. The child nodded as she looked at me, brimming with the quietest smile.

"Alright, now, where was I?" I tapped my wrinkled chin as my gaze drifted to the ceiling, recalling my place in the story before the great dessert catastrophe erupted. "Oh yes." I pinged, "I remember now. Poor Anna and Ben were sent to bed without dinner. Such a shame indeed." I paused, nodding my head slowly to emphasize the sadness of missing out on the children's beloved meal. "That night, the two children wished that they could never be in trouble again. That way, they would never have to miss out on dinner again."

"Good plan." Kano mumbled softly while he thoughtfully held his chin and leaned in slightly.

"That night, while the children slept, a magical creature fluttered in through their window. This creature sprinkled its magical dust over the children before dancing away. At the stroke of midnight, the sound of a train whistle right outside their window jolted the children from their slumber. In their dazed and confused state, they stumbled to their feet and raced over to their window to look outside. To their surprise, a grand and magnificent train stood outside on their street. Anna and Ben were amazed, for a train was right outside their home. They were curious as to how it got there and wanted to go check it out."

"They must have been very brave to go outside at night time." Salem spoke quietly behind her plush puppy.

"They were indeed very brave, but careful too. For you never know what might lurk in the shadows at night."

"Yeah, there could be big scary monsters hiding outside that want to eat young and delicious children like us!" Kano spoke with a great amount of wisdom behind his statement, "But do not worry, for I shall protect us to make sure no monsters ever harm us!" He then leaned over and gave Salem a comforting hug. "And that is a promise."

"Awwe, aren't you two just the cutest." I smirked and clasped my hands together to hold by my face. "Now Anna and Ben knew of the possible dangers that the night time brought and they decided to pack a bag before investigating the mysterious train. But they forgot to do one thing that you should always do before adventuring into the unknown."

"They forgot to tell their papa." The girl spoke, squeezing her stuffed dog tighter.

"That's right! Before any great adventurer sets out on an exploration, they must first inform someone of where they are going. This way, they can call for help if things get rough." I explained before returning to the story. "With their packs in hand, prepared to face whatever was thrown at them, they set out on their quest to investigate this train. But when they approached the train, they found that all the doors were wide open. Ben was curious and wanted to go in, but Anna was a little nervous and held on to Ben. Together they entered the train and what they found inside shocked them."

"What'd they find!" Kano jumped up to his feet, his eyes as wide as they could be.

"They found it loaded with all the candy they could ever imagine! Their wish had come true. For this train was a magical train that grants one's wish and makes any dreams a reality. And the children lived happily ever after. The end. At least I think that's how it ended, my old memory isn't what it used to be." I exhaled a light laugh, "now I think it is time for you two to head off to bed. Maybe you will be lucky enough to be visited by the Midnight Train that will grant your wishes-"

"Mother, please tell me you're not filling the children's minds with made up stories again." A tired man's voice interrupted my ending and I turned to look upon the man in the doorway. His figure illuminated by the hall light as he pressed his pointer finger and thumb of his right hand into the bridge of his nose. My son, Ryu Takayama, has always been the serious type. Even as a child. I smiled and stood to greet him as he entered.

"They requested a bedtime story and I delivered upon their request. Who could deny such adorable cuties a fairy tale or two?" I turned to the children, Kano looked at Ryu with pleading eyes while Salem looked at her father with no expression.

"It's one thing to fill the boy's mind with such nonsense, but not my daughter's. Please refrain from indulging her in such lies again." Ryu spoke with a stern tone and looked me straight in the eye.

"What are you going to do, fire me?" I teased, "I'm your mother."

"Yes." He replied and then swiftly turned to leave, "Salem, come. We are going home now."

The girl jolted from her seated position and dropped the plush before she rushed over to follow her father out, all with only uttering a single phrase: "yes, father."

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Word Count: 1223