Chapter 5

POV Lori

I had no money but somehow managed to take a small boat to Wales's mainland. The man rowing it had strange glasses that covered his eyes. He dropped me off at little port at around noon time and waved me off. I walked into the nearest town and asked a young boy for directions but was ushered off by his mother who looked at me strangley. I walked along the road until some soilders stopped me. "Where are you headed?" One said in a strong German accent. "To London." I said politely. "Are you a jew?" The other said in the same accent as his friend. I tried in my best English accent," Why would you ask such a thing? I am highly offended by that!" The third soilder looked and my bag and poked it with his gun." What do you have there?" I looked at my bag and opened it up for them to see." Just food and water." I replied. He nodded and the three of them let me at peace. "How rude." I whispered under my breath.

"Exscuse me young man, may you give me directions to the train station?" I asked a boy who I felt I knew. "Lori?" He asked as he turned around and I knew it was Mark." What happened to your hair and eyes?" He asked me. I ignored the question and asked again." Do you know where the train station is?" He nodded and offered to take me there himself. "What are you doing here?" I asked him to pass the time. "Getting a few things for me mum and dad. What are you doing here?" He said to me." Looking for my sister actually." I told him." You have a sister?" I nodded as we neared the train station.

I saw my sister boarding the train and I said goodbye to Mark. I raced to the train and called my sister's name. "Charlotte! Come here, Charlotte!" She saw me and tried to get off the train but the wheels were already rolling on the track. "Oh god!" I said. "Stop there!" A soilder said to me from behind. I looked back and saw him and his dog coming for me.

I was scared and did the only reasonable thing to do. I jumped on the train as soon as the caboose was about to leave me behind. "Stop the train!" The soilder yelled but it was to late. I relaxed myself on the framed gate protecting me from rolling off of it's tail. I was relieved to see that we were heading away from the station,but scared by the thought of someone discovering me here. I tried to lay low but so much it did me.

"Don't worry mum, I'm going out for fresh air!" The door opened and a girl about my age stepped out. She looked around and then her eyes found me. "What are you doing here?" She asked me. "I'm looking for my sister." I told her as I was standing up. "Is your sister on the train?" She asked me. I nodded and she looked at my hair. "I love the color of your hair, but it looks a little matted. I can help you." She took my arm and led me toward the front cars of the train. "I'm Victoria by the way." I smiled at her and said," Lori Crystalation. Plessure meeting you Victoria. But what if the conductor finds me, I have no ticket." She rolled her eyes and took out a ticket from her long dress coat pocket. "Always carry extra" she told me as we ran through the long train.

"Vicky, who is this?" A boy who looked almost like Victoria asked. "Lori." She said matter of factly. She led me to the plush seats and sat me down. "Don't mind Victorian, he's annoying." Victoria told me. "Is he your brother?" I asked her. "She's American?" Victorian asked. "And why is her hair blue?" He walked up to us and sat next to his sister. Victoria took out a golden comb and brushed my hair. "Where are you headed to? And where are your parents? " Victoria asked me. "Maybe to London, depends if my sister will go there. And my parents... they don't want me." I replied. "Well, that's bloody messed up." Victorian tells me. I nod and look at the two braids my hair has become." You're a natural at this. How much do I owe you?" I asked. Victoria laughed and told me," You don't owe me anything."

Then, suddenly the train stoped. "Have we reached the next staition?" Victoria asked me. I shruged and heard the sound of heavy boots. "Soilders!" I gasped in a whisper. "Hide my hair." I pleaded Victoria. She nodded and put a blanket over me, as if my hair were set to dry. The door to the car opened and the soilder who tried to stop me at the last staition stood their with two more soilders at his side. He stepped around the train car and moved furniture. "Where are your parents?!" He asked Victorian. He gulped and responded, " They are... they're putting away our luggage in the other car." He inspected us each and when he got to me he sneered," What is with the blanket?" Some of his saliva landed on my cheeck and I wiped it off. "She, she dyed her hair and it has to dry." Victoria told him. He nodded and he signaled for the lot of them to inspect the other train cars. We all sighed and when he thought the soilders couldn't hear him he said," You have to leave now! You almost got us in trouble!" His pale face looked red and I just sighed." I have no where to go." I took the blanket away from my head to reveal my aqua hair. "Victorian! No, Lori you can stay. My brother is just being a jerk. He's like that, but don't mind him." She smiled at me.

So we sat in the luxary compartment and talked. The siblings were from London and had been on a visiting trip to Wales. They were coming back to London to get their stuff and evacuate London. Victoria was thirteen, making her one year older than me, while her brother was my age, twelve.

"You lived in California? Oh you are so lucky! What's it like there? Is it as beautiful as they describe it here?" Victoria asked with delight. Her eyes were gleaming and she was smileing as if she was too overwhelmed. Victorian on the other hand ignored me completely, which was fine by me. He was snoring too much for my likeing though. "What's your mother and father like? What do they work at?" I asked her. "Well, mum's a home designer and dad's a ... oh yes I forgot. Dad's a laywer. He gets paid bloody good. That's why we have two seperate first class train cars. One for us and another for them." She responded. I nodded, surprised by their wealth.

Of course I had grown up in wealth as well, but it was diffrent for me. My parents had taught me to work for it, earn it. But for them, Victoria was nice and all, but her brother was obviously far more spoiled than her. We also discussed about how we had managed to get wealthy, which was an uninteresting subject for me. For her parents, her mother married into the London Elite. Really long and difficult story if you ask me but, yes.

After minutes of long conversations, Victoria asked me," And why is your sister off to London?" I hesitated, afraid to tell the story but there I found myself.

" Well, a friend gave me advice and he's all like, 'Do what you want, it's your life. You shouldn't be told what to do. Just live it. You're not caged, you're a free bird. Enjoy what you can as long as you live.' And then I said thank you and my sister was there so she took it a little too seriously. And so then she escaped and took a train to London and here I am chasing after her." I told her. She nodded and her brother burst out laughing. " That's bloody stupid!" I rolled my eyes as the train pulled into the London staition.

" Well, how long are you staying in London?" Victoria asked me. I shrugged and awnsered," I don't think I am staying, I don't have any money." Victoria frowned and then her eyes lit up. "You can stay with us!" I was about to politely decline when Victorian spoke up, "What about mum and dad? You have to discuss that with them, and I personally don't want her at the manor." I was done with this boy and wanted to slap him but I just said," Well you sir are the most jerkiest person I have ever met." He looked at me for a few seconds and shook his head and said," That is one of the most wonderful things anyone has told me besides mum." I shrugged and I could see a fair headed couple headed towards us.

"Vicky! Victorian. Come please we must take a cab to the manor." A woman that looked like Victoria said. "Mum, this is Lori. Can she stay with us please?" Victoria begged her mother. Victorian shook his head as their parents discussed this." Is she wealthy?" Their mother asked. "Bloody rich." Victoria replied. "Why would they ask that?" I whisper to myself. "Becasue they don't allow 'mutts' near our home." Victorian awnsered.'' What are 'mutts'?" I asked him. " People who don't match our social rank." He replied as he himself, a spoiled brat, would say.

"Well Miss. Lori, you can stay with us." Victoria's mother said a little too sweetly. I myself never intended to stay, I just had to find my sister...My sister! "Charlotte?!" I yelled throughout the train staion. I called multiple times but was pulled along to a black cab and pushed inside of it. I thrashed around in it, trying to get out but the cab pulled along. I turned around and saw my sister, probably for the last time, standing there looking around for me.

"We have to go back." I told Victoria. "Why? Did we forget your luggage?" She askes." Um no. I brought a small bag but I need to go back for my sister. I need to find her." Victoria seemed to remember my sibling and said," We can't turn back now! We're almost to the manor. If I ask mum or dad they'll cut my allowence to £2,000." I didn't know hom much that was but I do remember my last allowence being $3,000.

And Victoria was right, within minutes we reached a four-story home that reached for miles. The manaion itself was white with the roofing being red. "Wow." Was all I could say. It streched for about two miles and those were only the sides. "I know, it's too small." Victorian sighed. "Small? It's bigger than my suburbain homes in Napa!" I cried, annoyed by this brat. I know I don't say it about anybody, but Victorian was a jerk. "Where's Napa?" He asked while I ignored him.

"Mum, can I show Lori to her room?" Victoria asked. "Sure darling." Her mother said. She took my hand and led me to one of the many rooms, up and down the staircases. "This is your room, hope it isn't too small for you." I stepped inside the walls laced with gold paint. "It's fine, Victoria. I just think it's too big for me." She smiled and said, " You can change into these if you want." And she opened a white wood dresser. Inside there were beautiful dresses. I felt too guilty though, I didn't want this richness. I just wanted to go back to the small island with my sister.

I looked down at my cothes, dress torn up a bit, and wondered how I had come to be this. I had only left just yesterday night and now it was the blazing afternoon.

I reached inside the dresser and pulled out the dress with the most silk, trying to spoil myself a bit but I felt no diffrent. "Money can't buy happiness."I whispered to myself. Victoria left for me to change, but I just sat there, on the bed with silk sheets and covers. I looked inside my little bag but found nothing of use. I sighed and put on the dress and brushed my already combed hair. I looked into the mirror of the vanity and said, " This is'nt me. I will find my sister."