Port Sea is amazing! There are so many friendly animals here. I made friends with a cat named Kitty, and there's a duck named Pompom who's also been super nice to me. I'm going to write to them when I go back to Aquarine. We can be pen pals.
This past week, I've been staying over at Kitty's house. It's really pretty and full of expensive furniture. It looks like it took forever to decorate. Kitty showed me around town and introduced me to some of her neighbors. I drew a picture of me, Daisy, Bob, and Leopold so she could see what my friends at home look like. Pompom sometimes comes over to play charades with us, and she usually brings cherry cupcakes.
Oh, man. That's another thing! The cherries here are de-lic-ious! I picked a few to bring back to Aquarine and plant. Apple trees are nice, but it would be great to have some cherry trees, too. Bob mentioned something about getting some cherries in the mail from his mom. I know he said they were really tasty, but I never thought they'd be this good.
Kitty and Pompom told me about another human living in this town. Apparently, it's another girl like me. Her name is Sevy, and she's the shy type, since she doesn't come out much.
We all head to the train station together. Kitty and Pompom tell me goodbye and head back to their houses. I step up to the monkey who's in charge of the train station. He looks kinda like Porter. Actually, he looks just like Porter.
I shrug it off. It's no big deal. I'm sure there are lookalikes for everyone. "Hello, miss! Which train are you catching?" Porter's lookalike asks. "I'm going to take the train back to Aquarine, please." I say. He gives me a strange look. "Aquarine? Where would that be located?" He questions. "Well, I don't know. It's got to be on a map somewhere." I reply. "I'm sorry, but Aquarine doesn't exist. Perhaps you are thinking of Nyadreen?" He suggests.
"That's impossible. Aquarine is real, I live there," I argue. The monkey shakes his head. "I'm afraid not. Nyadreen is likely the town you are thinking of," He assumes. I decide to play along. "Alright, when's the next train to Nyadreen?" I ask.
The train suddenly pulls into the station, as if on cue. "There it is! I hope you have a safe trip!" Porter's lookalike smiles and steps out of the way so I can board the train.
As soon as I sit down, the door closes and the train starts rolling. I don't know why, but I feel a little uneasy. Maybe it's nothing. That monkey seemed a little confused. Aquarine is definitely a real town. Maybe it's all just a misunderstanding, and the town he thinks is Nyadreen is actually Aquarine.
But what if it's not a misunderstanding?
Well, I suppose I could extend my vacation for a bit. I could make more friends and find more fruit. I could tell my friends even more stories about my trip, and we'd have a great time.
About three hours go by. I'm ready to get off the train because it will be arriving in town in about five minutes. I'm really glad Daisy got me this jacket. This train is actually rather chilly. It's not the pleasant kind of chilly like on days it snows. On days it snows, the cold only makes things better. The snowball fights, the snow angels, and the snowmen building competitions only feel more special with the cold. After we go inside, Bob makes us hot chocolates, and it melts all the cold away until we feel nice and toasty.
Gosh, I can't wait to see my friends again.
The train pulls into town, and I step off the train expecting to be greeted by my three best friends.
No one is there.
No one except another lookalike of Porter.
"Now arriving in Nyadreen. Watch your step!" He warns, but smiles warmly. I smile back, but only to be polite. Where is Aquarine? Where am I?
When I look around, I notice that the town's greenery isn't green at all, but reddish-orange. Several bright red leaves flutter around in the wind. There's a small gust of wind that runs through my hair. I blink, not believing what I'm seeing. Nyadreen appears to be in the middle of Autumn. I shrug it off and exhale, trying to process what's going on. I'm so absorbed in my thoughts that I bump right into a tree. "Ow," I mumble, rubbing my head. A small, red object plummets from the tree and lands a few feet away from me. I walk over to it and squint. In the darkness before me is a cherry. While I love cherries, I'm a bit disappointed that it's not a new type of fruit that I can take back with me and plant in Aquarine, wherever it may be.
The fruit is the least of my worries right now, though. I need to find out where Aquarine is, and why it's not in any of the train station records. Maybe I could ask some of the locals if they know anything about my town?
I walk back towards the train station and take a look over the map posted on the bulletin board. I scan the map until I find the police station. I should go there first and get a map of my own so I can navigate the town easier. Mom always told me to get a map of a town or find a local before trying to explore on my own. But then again, Leopold always says that it's more fun to figure out how to get through a place by yourself than rely on a map.
Sorry, Leopold, but I should take mom's advice this time. She wants me to be safe, and I should listen to her.
I take another quick glance over at the map and memorize the location of the police station. Maybe I could ask the policemen what they know about Aquarine?
As I walk through the town, I begin to feel uneasy again. I think something has gone wrong, but I just don't know what.