The Dream Train

A Plan and A Problem

"We need to find a phone." Ana ducked behind a booth. "Do you think we should check our hotel room? I feel like I would have remembered if there was one there but. . . I'm not sure I would have noticed anything."

"Someone has to have a phone," Sam reasoned, "They clearly aren't cut off from the outside world. Maybe we could borrow someone's cell?"

"I think we should borrow it without asking. You know? I'm not sure who we can trust."

"Donnie seems cool. He and I hung out all afternoon, I don't think he's creepy."

Ana stopped and looked at him. "Donnie? The guy who stuck you on stage with no prep and no idea what you were supposed to talk about. You don't think he's a bit sus?"

Even in the growing darkness, Ana could see Sam look sheepish. "Ok, yeah, maybe he is a bit suspicious."

Ana nodded. She and Sam crossed between two more booths. Ana stopped suddenly and put out her hand to stop Sam, too. She turned to him and put her finger to her lips. Sam nodded.

It was the voice of Kelly Brook that had stopped Ana. It sounded like she was in the booth they were passing. Only a layer of tarp separated her from them. Ana knew with absolute certainty that they should not be caught by Kelly Brook. Ana and Sam both strained to hear. Kelly was talking to someone.

". . . here somewhere. I was sure we had her locked. You saw her. The boy was wonderful. They could have been so happy. Why did she run?"

Ana's eyes widened. She looked meaningfully at Sam. Kelly was talking about her. A wave of panic washed over Ana. If she was honest, she'd only been half sure that something was wrong. Part of her had believed that she was imagining things. But this. . .this was a grown woman complaining because Ana hadn't been trapped. It was unbelievable and too real at the same time. Ana grabbed Sam's arm for support. He reached out and squeezed her hand. She looked up at him and he nodded. Ana forced herself to keep listening to the conversation in the booth.

The other voice was speaking now. It was a male voice that Ana didn't recognize. "Donnie didn't see the girl. Are we sure Sam is out too? Maybe he is just enjoying the festival on his own."

Kelly sighed, "It's possible but it seems like an unlikely coincidence that Ana would get out and Sam would happen to disappear moments later."

Sam looked at Ana in confusion. "Out?" he mouthed. Ana shrugged in reply. She wasn't sure what Kelly meant.

Kelly was still talking, "The only way to be sure is to find them."

The male voice sounded excited as it replied, "It's hard to search like this."

Kelly's answering sigh sounded resigned. "Fine. Do what you must."

"Yes!" The voice sounded strained.

There was a sound like joints popping into place. Then the sound of dry skin rubbing against itself. Finally a dry scratching sound--the sound of leaves blowing across the sidewalk.

Ana's stomach tightened and all the hairs on her body stood on end. From inside the booth came a skittering sound. Something big was moving across the ground. It moved against the fabric that separated Ana and Sam from the booth. Ana was not sticking around to see what happened next. She pulled Sam's hand and bolted.

They sprinted down the row of booths. Ana tried to decide if she thought they would be safer away from the crowd or in the middle of it. No one had tried to stop her when she'd run from Josh earlier. Gritting her teeth she turned at the end of the row and plunged into the crowds.

Ana kept a tight hold on her brother's hand as they navigated through the sea of people. She was on the lookout for anyone she recognized. She was also watching for anyone with a cell phone.

Ahead Ana spotted a couple of women that she recognized from the Traum Women Cultural Society. The women scanned the crowd. They were obviously looking for someone. Ana nudged Sam and they turned ninety degrees and headed toward a row of local business booths.

As the women passed behind them, Ana and Sam pretended to be very interested in a booth for an insurance company. The salesman had them spin a promotional wheel. Ana won a pair of sunglasses and Sam got a water bottle. Once the women disappeared into the crowd, they thanked the man and moved on.

Something moved behind the booths on the left. Ana saw a flash of something the size of a dog that was definitely not a dog. Whatever it was was shiny. There! Another glimpse between a private school booth and the booth for a local newspaper.

Carapace. Ana was sure she had never used that word before but it was the word that flashed into her mind when she glimpsed the thing that was not a dog. Ana was 100% sure that she did not want to dwell on why that word came to mind. Just as she was 100% sure she did not want a better view of the thing that was not a dog.

"Did you see it?" Sam murmured in her ear.

Ana wasn't sure her voice would work. She nodded and squeezed his hand. Sam took the lead and pulled them faster down the row of booths.

There! A woman with a couple of kids had set her cell phone down on the edge of a table while she helped her kids with a craft project the local library was doing at their booth. Ana just needed to walk up to the booth, pretend to be interested, grab the phone, and walk away. The woman wasn't paying any attention. She tugged on Sam's hand and tried to lead him to the library booth.

As they passed the tent that had housed the baking and cooking competitions, Sam jerked her arm and pulled her through the open doorway and against the canvas wall. The contests were over and the tent was dark. Ana could only just make out Sam's face but she could see the fear there. "What?" Ana breathed.

Sam put his hand gently over her mouth. His eyes were huge as he looked at her. Then, she heard it. A skittering sound outside the booth. It was coming closer.