Back at the festival, Ana hoped to get a chance to speak to Sam in private but as soon as they arrived Kelly deposited Sam at an arcade and led Ana away insisting that she had to see the ice sculpture competition.
The sculptures were amazing but Ana couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She wanted to find a phone and call Gran's cell. She was trying to remember if there was a phone in their hotel room. She thought that calls from the hotel were probably expensive but she knew Gran would happily pay whatever the charge was when she got here. If she got here.
After seeing the ice sculptures, Ana told Kelly that she wanted to go back to the arcade. Kelly obliged and took her back, but Sam wasn't there. Ana's heart was pounding now. "I want to find Sam," Ana told Kelly.
Kelly looked at her like she was being a bit crazy. "Honey, don't worry. He hasn't gone far. He's probably just found some other kids to play with. I saw him chatting with Donald Freeman before the opening."
Sam was sixteen. He wasn't a little kid who would wander off and find kids "to play with". Sam had to be around. Ana started to feel a little crazy. Was it possible that Kelly was deliberately keeping them apart?
Ana spotted Danielle and Josh. They were sitting together on a bench eating ice cream cones. Kelly followed her line of sight. "Do you know those kids, Sweetie?"
Ana nodded.
"Why don't you go sit with them and I'll get you some ice cream?"
Kelly smiled at Ana and tilted her head to the side, "Don't be silly. It's my pleasure!" Kelly gestured at Josh and Danielle and went to get the ice cream.
Ana walked over to Josh and Danielle who scooted over to make room for her. "Hey, have you guys seen Sam?"
Josh nodded. "A little while ago. He was with some guy in a green shirt and jeans. Blue ball cap?"
Water bottle guy. He really had just wandered off with another boy. Ana was being crazy. She looked at Danielle. "You found Josh, I see."
Danielle nodded. "That security guy found him."
"I lost her in the crowd," Josh shrugged.
"I didn't ask before," Ana spoke slowly, her mind was sluggish, "where are you guys from?"
"Detroit," Josh answered.
"Oh wow. Are . . . your parents here somewhere?"
"Nah, we came by ourselves," Josh bit his ice cream.
"To the festival?" Ana asked. She had a sinking feeling that though she had asked, she did not want to hear Josh's reply.
"No. To Traum. We came on the train." It was Danielle that answered.
"Yesterday?" Ana's heart was leaping in her chest.
Josh shook his head. "No. We came for the festival. . . "
He looked at Danielle with a question on his face. Danielle nodded. "This festival is our ten-year anniversary."
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Bum bum bum!
Vote if you saw it coming. (Or if you didn't. You are still awesome!)
This was a really short chapter so -- SURPRISE-- I'm posting two today!
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The Dream Train
خيال (فانتازيا)Fourteen-year-old Ana and her sixteen-year-old brother, Sam, are lost in the woods, cold, tired, and hungry. Their only hope is an old train station in the woods. When a train stops at the station, they are sure they are saved. The train seems fa...
