#Marchmadness - Day 3

March Madness, I have to give it a try although I write (and tell) mainly short stories and for sure have a lack of words. In between all the other things I have to do I will try to read more in English.
Who knows I can make a long story out of all the short stories I will write this month?

I learned, thanks to @mariannewest, there is always a story to tell, no matter what the prompt is. If you like to join or like to be a #MMFan (reading the novels written this month) please do so @freewritehouse see HERE.

Because I did not use a prompt for Day 2 I used that prompt log and todays prompt meat with gravy in this part.

Here you can read what I already wrote:
Day 1
Day 2

The picture is a pixabay.com pic.

03-03 - word count 1689

'You ask me to give you a hand?
I wouldn't know how. We are on a train, it's driving fast, there is a windy storm and I doubt there is an easy way to open that crate you are hiding in', the boy said.

'You don't have any tools with you. A pocketknife for example? You could at least give it a try', the giggling voice said.

'How come you are giggling each time you speak. To be honest I don't know if I want to give it a try. I have got the feeling nothing as misery will come out of it. Why are you hiding inside there anyway?'

'What makes you think I am hiding up here?' it giggled. 'Sorry for the giggling, I can't help it. I always start giggling if I am nervous. They caught me 3 nights ago or so as I was on my way back to our safe place. I wasn't even giggling then. I still wonder how they found me.'

'Were you alone? Don't you know it's not safe outside after the sun is down? You need at least one companion otherwise it's wiser to stay where you are.'

'I know, I know, but I lost my companion and I went to look for her. She really is my guardian angel you know. I am afraid somebody took her... she might be lost or worse... killed. What if she forgets about me?'

Whatever was in the crate it cried and giggled in turn and the boy started to get nervous himself as well.
It was true there was less chance anyone could hear them, but there was a strong wind blowing. The wind could carry voices over long distances his brother said.

As the train slowed down he noticed a white spot passing by.
For a second he thought it had dark eyes and a mouth wide open as if it screamed. He was sure it wasn't some of the clouds they called the foggy creatures. Whatever it was, he didn't want it to find out he was hiding. What if it alarmed the ones in charge? He hoped it did not had seen him as it passed by.

His brother made him quiet clear no living soul should know they took the train. He had to hide himself very well till the moment the train arrived at its last stop. Over there it would be easy to leave without being seen. The freight would be unloaded about 6 hours later, just before sunrise.
He didn't know what to do or say next. How far could the wind carry their voices? Was his brother able to hear it, the giggling, the crying, the spoken words?

'Hush, keep quiet! You want the whole world hear you? You want them to find you and kill you as well? As soon as the train arrives I will see if I can find some help. It will take some hours before they will come to unload.'

He didn't dare to mention his brother, since he still wasn't sure if it was telling the truth. Now he sat down with his back against the green crate, just waiting.
After a while he whispered: 'Are you asleep? I wonder... have you ever seen grass?'

'Grass? What does it look like?'

'It is green just like the crate you are in. It grows on the earth, small green flatten sticks they say it looks like. You can walk on it and its colour turns into yellow if there is a lot of sun. Yellow like the sun... that's all I know.'

'I think I saw it... I might have seen it. It is where I came from a long time ago.'

'Why did you leave? Didn't you like it over there.'

'I did, but I needed to see. The world... something new. It is what we do, we travel and see and go on.'

'Don't you ever feel homesick, aren't you afraid? I like my home, it is the house of my mom and dad. It is safe. It is where the good life is, the stories and memories are. Don't you have a mom and dad?'

'Of course I have them, but they are travellers too. We travel and sooner or later we go back and meet all of us again. We know when we have to go back, where we will meet. It is just not now. What is your name?'

'They call me Alain, what's yours?'

It stayed silent. As the answer finally came Alain was surprised.

'To be honest I don't know. It is a long time ago anyone called me by a name. My companion was the only one I had and we never used a name for each other. It was just us. There was no need to have one, using it, to call each other.'

'Would you like to have a name? I could give you one.'
The boy felt excited about the idea he could name something. It always seemed as if everything and everyone already was named by someone.

'… I would like that very much.'

'I will call you Courage then. Because you have the courage to search for your companion all on your own. We just passed 'G's Hill' I read it on a sign. I hope we will be there soon.'

They travelled in silence.
Alain was studying the crates and wondered what kind of freight was hidden inside. Would he be able to open the crate Courage was hidden in and what if he could not? Would his brother give him a hand and help him save Courage? He wasn't sure about it. Big chance his brother would tell him to mind his own business. His brother was for sure the most careful person he knew. He would not allow him to risk his life for a stranger. What did he knew about Courage? Was there a way to make his brother change his mind if he refused to free him?
His head felt heavy and painful. It spun from the ideas and worries.

'You shouldn't worry that much', Courage said, 'you will see we all will be fine at the end of the day. I will find my companion, I know she will be somewhere waiting for me. I just need to find her in time. Where is this train going to?'

'WE, World's End. I really hope it doesn't mean it is the end of the world.'

'If, there is always a way back, so no need to worry about that either. We simply take the train', Courage giggled and Alain couldn't help it, he laughed out loud till, the tears were running down his face.

It was the wind who took their voices over to him, together with many others.
He heard the giggling the crying, the laughing out loud. He knew eavesdropping was not a polite thing to do, but he could not help listening to their stories and chattering. He already did so since he was a little boy. Fascinated by the fact the wind could do that, wondering over the long distances the voices did travel. He didn't remember when he discovered he was one of the less people able to hear and understand them. He could understand all languages although nobody ever teached them to him.

It was good to hear some laughter again in the dark time they were living in. It was an infectious laugh and he couldn't help laughing out loud himself. No matter what, life should be lived and it was up to them to do so.

'Even a bad life is a life. You can't change that, but how you handle it is in your own hands', his dad said and he knew he was right. Life should be lived and that was exactly what he should do.

He thought about what the traveller said. Perhaps he should start travelling himself. See the world or what is left over of it himself. It didn't sound as if the traveller came out of their area. There must be an other world. Other places, things, beings to meet and see with his own eyes.
Before the train arrived he made up his mind. He would give Alain a hand, help to free the traveller. After that they would visit the club. If Alain liked it he might be staying there, if not he would take him home. His companion could take care of him, keep him safe. There was a small chance he was willing to travel since he already felt homesick as soon as he couldn't see their house.

As the train entered the train station of WE it was still dark.
The engines were turned off. Not one single sound was heard. The wind had left them and the boys were still hiding. They hardly dared to breath.

The train operator woke up with a jerk. The train had arrived. Time to fill in the log and leave. He took his old bag out of the corner. It contained everything he needed. The small door opened easily. He was free to go.
At the platform she was standing, waving at him. 'There you are' she said. 'I have been waiting for you. We need to talk. There are things we need to discuss.'

'I am happy to see you. Are you hungry?' She nodded.
'Let's go to the PuB, have a nice meal, some meat with gravy, and a room for two then, so we have some privacy.'
She laughed, was happy so see her 'sleepyhead' awake. He would stay awake, live a normal life, as long as he wouldn't step back into that train. No matter what, she would prevent him to do so, driving that monster. It was time someone else took over his job. He had spend enough years of his life driving up and down. She hold his hand tightly as they left the train station and stepped outside on the street. WE was a good place to be, to start a new life, to make dreams come alive.

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