'Just up the steps there,' advised the smiling blue head to a wide-eyed Samora, who glanced what appeared to be a stairwell formed of rope leading up through the ceiling.
Looking to him again, to check that he was serious, Samora surveyed the twine stairwell, stopping just at the first step to remove her shoes—which by now had overstayed their practicality—changing them for a very thin chinese slipper each, unrolled from another diamond-shaped panel in her dress. Attaching her previous footwear to the wooden box by way of its side clasps, specially formed to hold them at its side, Samora stepped onto the stairwell, testing its ability to hold her weight with lacking confidence. She was relieved to find, it would hold 5 of her if needed, and climbed the stairwell with increased speed. In seconds, she passed the ceiling of the box, and soon a freshly removed panel in the train's roof, another small gasp escaping her.
She grabbed tight the rope banister which led further up to what she now recognized to be a giant balloon, accompanied by several smaller balloons, like moons, twirling left and right in a confused-appearing orbit around the mammoth sphere to which the stairs urged her.
The flicker of a grin reached up Samora's cheek, taking the opposing direction at the thought of the broken ear cuff in her pocket. Stairwell indeed, she thought, her eyes taking to rapid blinks at the erratic flashing meeting her, upon finally reaching the balloon's entrance.
'Careful Gus, she'll fall back the way she came with you throwing her off like that,' came a voice at her side ushering her several more steps into the balloon, past the top of the stairwell onto solid flooring, then resting an elbow on her shoulder, pressing a baby soft earthen cheek to hers, wide with the edges of a beaming smile, ' You can go now, Gus. Door's closed,' he managed to push through smile-clenched teeth.
A flurry of blinking *luminants assaulted Samora's eyeballs with his green light, emerged from the boxy camera at the center of a bamboo-legged tripod almost nearly coming up to her throat a foot or so away.
'Don't hog her, Mel,' came a voice of—Samora hoped—rescue, from the right, 'We've got the whole set-up in here. Bring the picture-box,' it finished turning to her with a smile. Samora, blinking away the yellow-orange cones outlined in blue from her vision, managed an overwhelmed smile at the boy extending his hand.
'Mamselle Samora,' he whispered, 'delights await,' and still holding just the tip of her fingers, led her to the right, along a winding hall.
YOU ARE READING
Caterpillar & Red Fish (Halfstreet Archives)- genre: YA steam fantasy/adventure
FantasyA fantastic, paranormal journey into the slow-beating lavender heart of dream, her offspring, and the train ride of undoing upon the secret rails. (In progress)
