Michelle ran and ran. How was she supposed to react? She wasn't herself. The only thing she could do now was leave. She needed to catch the next train. She couldn't stay. What would her dad say? What would her mom say? What would her neighbors think? She wasn't Michelle anymore. She was something totally different.
As she approached the train station she noticed that very few people were around it. Maybe one or two people, but luckily she didn't know them.
"Hello sir, how may I help you?" asked the man at the front desk.
"J-just one ticket to some random place please," she replied in a deep voice that startled her at first. Oh, right. She was in a guy's body. How? Who knew. When? Maybe thirty minutes or an hour ago. Why? Well, that was unknown too.
The man tapped his fingers on the keyboard and calculated a random ticket and handed it to Michelle through the small hole. "Okay. Is that destination alright with you?"
A small nod was all he received. She didn't want to speak at the moment. It was only a reminder of the tragedy. She left the window hurriedly with only one suitcase clutched in her right hand. It was small because that's all she needed. All her clothes were girls' clothes so there was no point in bringing them. The only things she could bring were her plain t-shirts, luckily a pair of jeans, and the P.E. shorts she wore to bed. The rest consisted of necessities like her toothbrush a towel
She boarded the train and found a lonely corner seat in the back. The whole train was pretty empty but that corner showed total isolation. It was probably around three in the morning which was why the city was empty. The bustling city was mostly asleep, but it never truly became dark. She was tired but her head was too worried to sleep. In a few hours she'd be in... Loria.
She still forced her eyes closed. The words she wrote on the blank piece of paper burned in her head.
"Mom and Dad, I'm so sorry for leaving so suddenly but there's some things I must do. I took some money and I'll write often. I don't know when I'll be back but don't worry. I'm fine. Love you."
All she could do was leave her parents a note. She couldn't face them the way she was. They had raised a daughter, not a son.
Suddenly, a black cat walked up and sat in the seat in front of her slightly startling her. "Hi, mind if I sit here?" he asked. She nodded. The cat felt somewhat tense but his friendly smile failed to fade away. "So, what's your name? Mine is Rover," he continued.
Name. Crap! Michelle had not come up with a name to use. Think. Think. Think! Wait! Maybe she could use her father's name,"Chris!" The girl, well boy, used too much enthusiasm in her desperation. "You know, umm, short for Christopher," she said trying to save herself.
Rover hardly reacted to Michelle's mistake and just smiled the same. "Ooh, cool name! Where are you headed?" he asked.
"Oh, umm, Loria." She answered though she was a bit peeved. She just hoped he'd leave her alone eventually.
"Never heard of it..." replied the cat. Her attitude was finally intensifying him. It was more than obvious that she wanted to be alone. It was three in the morning after all. "Okay, well, I wish you luck. See ya'," Rover said happily turning to sit correctly on his seat.
A guilty pain poked at Michelle's heart, but it was too small to make much notice. She was too tired and confused to react like how she normally would. She didn't even pay mind that she was talking to an animal. There were a few cities with only people in them, but she had heard of cities that animals inhabited alongside humans. She never visited one, but the stories were amazing.
She analyzed her ticket. At the side of the town's name was the outline of a dog's head. This evidently symbolized that she would be going to one of these towns. Too bad her mind would be too involved in becoming a woman again to enjoy it. Maybe if she liked it she would go back after she fixed herself, if she did ever fix herself.
She rested her hands on her lap and leaned against the frosty window. It was almost autumn and for some reason she loved that season. It always gave her some sort of hope. It could have had something to do with her past though. The part she had forgotten that is. When she was younger, she lost many memories in an accident. Every now and then she had epiphanies, but a great deal of those years before the accident were still lost.
In the far off horizon a faint light faded the dark blue sky signifying that the sun was coming. Time seemed to fly but she still had a long trip in front of her and an even longer adventure. Oh well. She'd make it through. But instead she'd live as Chris. She would have to deal with it. After all, there was that possibility that she'd never be a girl again so she might as well get used to it. Michelle did rash things sometimes, but she was pretty sensible.
She took one last look outside and her eyelids shut firmly. For now, she'd rest and escape the dreamlike reality.
