Chapter 2: To the Country
There was a major frenzy when we got off the tube at the next stop. No one knew exactly what we should do. We decided to stay underground, more for safety than comfort, because some people were starting to lose the shock and we were all becoming extremely claustrophobic. I lost count of how many explosions I heard, but when they finally stopped, I started to cry.
I didn't want to cry in front of my little sister because I knew it would scare her, but I couldn't help myself. I have always been a very sensitive person when it comes to the pain of others, but that's not the only reason why I cried. I cried for the history that I knew had been destroyed, and I felt ashamed of that fact which only made me sob to the point that breathing became difficult. Just then a voice came over the loud speaker on the wall, "We want everyone to remain calm. We have been given instructions from higher authorities, and we will begin an evacuation of the city as soon as possible. We ask that you keep all parties together, and that you form an orderly line to the ticket booth so we can get everyone situated," it said. My mother went to get in line, and she told me to go find a place to sit with my sister where she would still be able to see us if anything went wrong.
"What's happening?" Abby asked. "Well," I said, "There's a bit of a problem, and we're going to leave the city until it's resolved." Even though my sister was 13, she'd always been extremely innocent. I could tell she was frightened, so I held onto her while we sat on a bench waiting for our mother to come back and tell us what would happen next.
When she had gotten our information she walked over and told us that we would make our way on the tube to the Putney Railway Station, and once we got there we would get on a train to the country. After about an hour, we were loaded onto the tube. When we got to the station there were several hundred people already there. When we were finally able to get on a train the group behind us pushed and shoved, and I was left outside the door. I couldn't see either my mother or my sister, and a woman said to me, "No, sorry, you'll have to get on that train instead." "But, I really need to get on this one!" I said. "I'm sorry there just isn't enough room, either you get on the other train or you stay here that's all I can offer," she said in a sad tone. I yelled to my mother and sister telling them I would be right behind them, and that I would see them when I got there. I thought I heard my mother yell back, but I couldn't be sure if it was her or just someone else yelling on her train.
I got on the other train after my mother and sister's had steamed away. I found a seat and waited for it to leave, and then I leaned back and everything went dark. My dreams were at first nothing but blotches of color, but suddenly everything became darker. It was raining and the only light came from the occasional flashes of lightning, but from those brief glimpses of light I could see that I was in a field. The rain coming down soaked and chilled me to the bone, I woke up shivering.
The weather had changed drastically while I had been on the train, and was I assumed the reason for the storm in my dream. I looked around the train, seeing the young and the old sleeping, some under make-shift blankets made from coats while others just lay shivering in the cold train car. It seemed like we had made a few stops, because there were at least three times as many people as there had been when we left. I had no clue where we were, and a look out the window didn't help me much. Then a voice from the dark said, "Excuse me?" "Yes?" I said. There was something familiar about the voice. "I didn't want to wake you when I got on the train, but now that you're awake, would you like to share my coat? You've been shivering for ages." I looked down at my body, how had I not realized I was shivering so violently? I must have just thought it was due to the train's movement. I nodded and said, "Thank you," when he pulled part of it over me. I was immediately enveloped in the warmth that his body provided under the coat. "So," he said, "what's your name?" "Ragan," I said. "That's funny, I sort of knew a girl on Twitter that was called Ragan she was making me a hat." "Wait, Evanz!?" "Yeah!" "Wait, what are you doing here?" "Same as you, going to the country, they hit Wales as well…" "I'm so sorry! I had no idea." "Don't be sorry, it's not like it's your fault… unless it is, then I won't be very happy with you!" "I don't think it is, all of my plans to take over the world have never really come to fruition." Evanz smiled at me. "Well then, looks like we are headed to the country," he said. "Yeah," I said, "it definitely looks that way."