It has been two days since Anne rode the train.
The majority of the ride was a blur for her - one of the only things she remembered was the eerie calm surrounding the train station compared to the anxiety she anticipated she would feel when she was standing near a train, let alone riding one.
Diana and Gilbert had quite literally bumped into each other when she and Anne stepped onto the train, which was the start of a lively conversation between the three of them on the train ride. Anne wasn't quite sure what happened after that, and so thought back to it and tried to remember what happened.
The train had come to a stop, and Gilbert and Diana got up to go to the front of the train and find out what was going on. Anne was left blissfully unaware of any issues while she looked at the window towards the beautiful scenery they'd come upon.
Diana had walked back into their train car, she and Gilbert speaking in hushed voices and pointing outside.
At this point, the train conductor walked into the train car, and spoke the words Anne could not believe were true.
"Attention please passengers. We have encountered a fault in the tracks up ahead." This inspired a series of gasps from those riding the train, and the conductor, allowing a moment for the passengers to process this, then continued. "Thankfully, those inspecting the tracks discovered the fault and alerted us of it. However, this news came after we had ridden the train quite a ways, and unfortunately, there is no form of lodging or other places to stay in the vicinity. You may either walk to the nearest one, which is approximately seven miles away, or you may wait inside the train until this dilemma can be resolved. My deepest apologies for the inconvenience."
Now Anne sat frozen in her seat, staring at the conductor and only slowly registering what his words meant. The sky outside was growing dark already, and the stars began to peek out from behind the curtain of darkness washing over the world.
"You cannot expect me to walk seven miles just to have a decent bed for the night!" One woman exclaimed. Her husband looked just as outraged as she was, and he held one of her hands as if in a supporting manner. A few other passengers agreed or made similar remarks, but most just looked shocked or confused as if they could not process that information. The conductor shrugged sympathetically and said "I wish I could do something, but we cannot move forward on damaged tracks. I am also not returning to a comfortable bed tonight Miss. If there were something I could do, I would."
The woman scoffed, but quieted, slumping further into her seat and keeping her expression one of utter disgust.
Beyond her outburst no one said anything. Everyone was simply processing the unexpected news.
Anne, who had been perfectly fine at first in the train, suddenly found the very fact that she was inside one suffocating. She knew she wouldn't be able to stay inside, so she got up, picking up her suitcases and preparing to leave.
"Diana," Anne said. "You really shouldn't walk that far. You can't, not with the baby. But I can't stay here. I'll follow the tracks and meet you there tomorrow." Diana opened her mouth to protest, but the determined look on Anne's face told her that there was no changing her mind.
"I'll go with you," Gilbert offered. Diana seemed relieved, and Anne had no qualms with the prospect. So, off they went, headed for the small town near the train, sun setting with them.
A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so so sorry this chapter came so late, I finished writing this a while ago but forgot to update it. I admit I'd been putting off this chapter for a while anyways, because I didn't really know how to continue, but I really value this story and it isn't finished any time soon. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me this long. I value your reviews and messages so please don't hesitate to reach out with any suggestions, feedback, ideas, criticism, etc. I'm not totally happy with this chapter, but the next one will be better and sooner. Thank you to all my readers, stay safe and healthy!