The Lost and the Found
Chapter 1: Meager Beginnings
Los Vagabundos (va-ha-BOON-dos), or Vaga, as it was more commonly known, wasn't exactly a place that many made their permanent residence. In fact, many people had never seen the town at all. And who could blame them? The town was located in the Mojave Desert, where it was hot, dry, and desolate for miles. A harsh wasteland by day, and a bitter tundra by night.
The town itself was nothing to speak of either. It held, at most, 400 people, who went about their daily business in the desert heat. In fact, the only way to travel to the town safely was by a train that stopped about 5 miles from the city. But it was unique in one way.
Vaga was the final stop for the lost and deprived.
All who traveled to Vaga, for whatever reason or excuse, generally stayed. After days of little to no food, water, or home, Vaga provided for the wanderers. Many repaid the town by becoming workers and permanent residents. After all, when the broken and weary were lost, Vaga became shelter, and eventually home, for lost souls.
Both literally and figuratively…
*click, click, click, click, click*
Locomotive 4697 skidded and clicked its way down the worn iron tracks left by platelayers decades back. The engineer, an old man with smoke and coal stained overalls and undershirt, leaned out the window to see a decrepit wooden station with peeling paint.
"Well, finally here", muttered the engineer, pulling a lever. "Wonder if we got any surprises in the cars? Least then this trip won't be fer nothing."
As the train threw sparks from its wheels, the train engineer climbed down from the engine car and shuffled through the frigid sand to his old red boxcars. Stopping at one painted with a crude black W on its side, he opened the latch and slid the rusted door open.
The inside was packed with wooden crates, metal scraps, and various assorted bits and bobs from countless deliveries. However, there was one item that caught his attention. It wasn't on his ledger, it was extremely irregular, and it was currently curled up, snoring from fatigue and shivering from the desert cold.
"Would ya lookit that?" whispered the coal stained worker. "Looks like the trip weren't fer nothing after all". Smiling a yellow-stained grin, he slowly climbed into the car and crept toward the sleeping body. With practiced caution, he tapped the figure on, what he presumed to be, its shoulder.
The figure raised its head, moaning with the effort of escaping its dreams. It faced the engineer, messy raven hair covering its facial features. What was most amazing about this person was its build; it couldn't be any older than sixteen. Incredible. Most wanderers that age traveled with adults, or bleached their bones in the sand. Suspending his disbelief, he asked it a question, slowly and clearly.
"Can. You. Understand. Me?"
It nodded its head. Good. At least the language barrier wouldn't be an issue. Last time that happened…shaking the thought from his head, he asked it another question.
"Can ya talk to me?"
"Yes", a female voice replied.
The engineer blinked. A girl. Not just an adolescent, but a girl to boot. Now he was glad he'd made to stop at Vaja Station. It wasn't every day you found a wanderer with such resolve.
"Alright, I'm on a schedule, so I'll keep this quick. Yer tired and hungry. I know a place to stay about five miles west o' here. It's a walk, a long one, but make and ye'll be in good hands. Got it?"
"I got it. Thanks, old man"
"Don't call me that", snapped the engineer brusquely. "I have a name, ya know. Matthew."
"Sorry, sorry. I'm Dani", replied the girl, wearily sitting up and leaning against the boxcar wall. "And thanks again."
"Sure, sure. Now I've got a schedule to keep, so I kin give you three minutes to git yer belongings, if ya got 'em, in order. Then I got places to be".
The world worn engineer turned and shuffled toward the door. He knew that if she survived the desert to get on the train, she could make it to the town. After all, anyone who caught the train could-
A bright flash of white light interrupted his thoughts. He turned his head toward the girl. "Hey miss, is everything-"
She wasn't there. The girl had disappeared.
Matt rubbed his eyes, then shrugged his shoulders and climbed out of the car. He'd seen weirder.
Little did he know that a shadowy form floated above his train, mouthing a silent "Thank You". It then turned and flew toward the town, for reasons only it knew.
Reasons that would come to haunt its new home.