Not Another- 6

Not Another- 6

Feeling extremely woozy, but trying not to show it, Will wobbled a few steps away from the train. “Pae girl…do you really think that we’re that far from home?”

“Keep calling me Pae girl and we’re going to have a problem Willamina,” Pae snarled as she stared up at the train. “I don’t know about you, but I’m getting back on.” She started to climb back onto the train.

Will’s heart almost stopped. “Whoa whoa, no you are not!” She grabbed Pae’s legs and forcefully dragged her along the ground away from the train. “We should go through this together, as partners.”

Pae was shaking her head, her face buried in unfamiliar dirt. “Please just kill me now.”

Will sat on a stump not too far away. “I don’t like the feel of this place. I think we should start moving. Maybe find a town or something.”

Pae sat cross-legged on the slightly wet ground. “First of all, I need an explanation and answers to some questions I have.”

“And you think I can answer them?”

“I would like your opinion if you don’t mind….” Pae said. She looked around. Still very foggy, she could only see a hundred yards in front of her in each direction. And what could be seen was far from reassuring. Flat grass with rocks jutting up at random intervoles. “We defiantly ain’t in New York anymore.”

“Brillant Watson!!”

“But where are we?”

Will shrugged. “Apparently, according to the conductor, which by the way is spying on us, we’re in Notherworld.”

Pae whipped around just to see a hat disappear behind a pole on the train. “Asshole.” She muttered before turning back to her ‘friend’. “I want to know how I’m not crazy first of all.”

Looking around at a sudden rustle of grass, Will stuttered, “W—well, how can t—two people be crazy at the same time, involved in the same scheme of things? I mean, we rode the train from hell together. How could we both make that up?”

The other girl smacked her head, “I could be crazy and in my head it could seem real, and I could be making up this entire thing, this entire conversation.”

“Get a hold of yourself why don’t’cha!”

Pae yelped and looked up. Will leapt off the stump and turned to face the intruder.

It was a man with peppered hair and three days worth of peppered beard. He had a stern look that immediately made Pae swallow and look around for a weapon. His eyes caught her’s and he shook his head.

“More of you? What are you doing? Breeding like goddamn rabbits?” He walked towards them. Will smiled at him tentatively.

“You’re a good guy.”

“I hope so,” He grunted, handing her a pack and throwing a pack at Pae who rolled her eyes.

“What? Aren’t you going to help me up?”

He looked at her for a moment before grabbing her hair and lifting her to her feet. “There you are. Now c’mon. You two are the first one’s I’ve had in many a year and I’ve never had two at the same time. We have a lot of ground to cover before we reach my house.”

Pae, rubbing her head and wincing, shared a glance with Will. Will looked worried. She made a “time out” gesture with her hands. “Can I speak to Pae first? I think we need to consult on a few things.”

Continuing to walk, the man called back, “You can talk and walk at the same time.”

“This is going all too fast for me,” Will whispered to Pae, who nodded. “I want to know what’s going on and maybe this guy can help us.”

“You’re right,” Pae said slowly, “And I want to know why the two of us, when we’ve never met before, have been thrown into this together. That’s what is really getting me. Oh, and I want to know how a train can double as a roller coastar and lead us into a different world.”

“Must you be so sarcastic?” Will growled. “This is very serious. We need to act serious; not treat this like a game with an attitude. And I have a feeling that if you mouth off to that guy,” she pointed to his broad shoulders, “He’ll probably lay you out with one hand. I don’t think he goes for that kind of stuff.”

Pae scoffed but kept her mouth shut. Will did have a point, she mused. This guy looked like a drill instructor without the cameo. She shifted her pack. “So, since this means we’re gonna share a journey together, should I just tell you right now that I’m hooking outta here as soon as I can?”

Will smiled, “Just take me with you and I won’t try to stop you at all.”

Pae groaned.


Crickets chirped new songs in Notherworld and strange beasts seem to pop up everywhere. Twice, what looked like a horse with a snake’s head, cantered across their path; or something would snuffle in the bushes that were now plentiful around the trio.

Pae was starting to fall asleep on her feet. She couldn’t believe it was still night. It seemed like it should’ve been light a couple hours ago. Will looked fine and dandy, which was starting to annoy Pae.

“Dude, when are we gonna rest?” Pae asked a few steps later.

He looked down at her with narrowed eyes without answering.

“SIR?” Will said respectably. He sighed and shook his head.

“Master?” Pae ventured.

They did not receive an answer from him at any of the names they chose.(Though a couple Pae tried ended up getting her cuffed in the ear). The girls were maybe five yards behind him when he did speak. And it wasn’t to answer any questions.

“Are you both 16?” He asked without turning around.

They nodded, remembering, or rather hoping, that he didn’t have eyes in the back of his head, and said in unison, “Sure.”

“And it has been brought to my attention that you two are not very lady like at all. And you must learn in order to become spies.”

Will coughed, hiding her laughter. He sounded so serious!

“I’m tired. My feet hurt. I’m thirsty. I’m hungry,” Pae whined to Will who laughed in spite of herself.

“Same here,” She said just as her stomach gave a low rumble.

“Stop complaining.” The man snarled, for he truly was getting irritated. He was obviously used to traveling in silence.