Chapter Three: All Alone, in a Brand New World
Elaine sat on the molding train seats and tried not to think about how ironic it was that she was boarding a train to a brand new place after arriving at her new home – and that she was sitting right next to another talkative animal.
"So, cheerio," the frog said. "What are you on this plane – er, train, eh?"
Elaine forced herself to answer, "I am arriving at a new destination."
"You look lost," he mumbled, in the same chattering way as everyone else in this world did.
I feel lost, she thought, but she said nothing. She wished she could be at some other place – preferably, in her new cottage, dressing up to work for that crazy old Nook. But that seemed miles away now, and she knew she would not be going back any time soon.
"Look for the clues," the old seabird had said. "Once you alight off the train, you will find one of my most recent clues in the map by the train station. It is a new landmark in this region: a tall hill, if you will."
Elaine sighed, frustrated. Not only was this very mysterious, but she was afraid that the old duck was misleading her: that perhaps he had the intention of breaking into her house after she had gone and taking the few possessions she had left there.
"ALL PASSENGERS TO KNOTT TRAIN STATION IN five minutes!" called the attendant, who stood at the front of the train car.
Elaine gulped. She knew that she was rising up and beyond her own limits here. She was afraid, but she had no choice.
And as the train pulled into the station, she knew that she was all alone.