Chapter Twenty Five:

Elouise grinned as a train arrived at the station, their wanted destination being shouted across the platform to ready anyone boarding.

She jumped up, dragging Laurie with her. He was sill reluctant about her plan, and seeing the train sitting there made him even more worried.

Elouise grabbed his hand and lead him out of the forest, they rushed towards the end of the train to where the cabins ended. A door was just barley open, and she grinned pushing it wider.

"I'm not sure about this." Laurie whispered.

The door slid open, leaving enough space for them to slip in. Footsteps sounded on the gravel on the other end, Elouise pulled herself in onto the deck and motioned for Laurie to follow.

"Get in."

"Elouise—"

The footsteps got louder and she felt a panic spark with in, she was on her knees, trying to grab ahold of him and pull him up.

"Do you want to get arrested?"

"No!"

"Then get on, Laurie." Elouise huffed, peaking out towards the end of the train. "Or we might be."

He followed her gaze, his eyes widened as he nodded and climbed in after her. She pushed the door closed, sighing with relief.

"I told you my plan would work."

Laurie stood up, helping her up with him as he did. They looked around, the smell of the space reminding her of Mrs Gibson's farm.

"Haystacks." He walked around a few, then pointed to the back of the train. "And a lot of them. They're stacked all along the back wall."

"They're only haystacks." Elouise shot him a weird look.

The metal of their cabin shook as it sounded like someone was attempting to open the door. Elouise's eyes widened as she ran to Laurie and pushed him to the back of the train and dropped behind a tower of hay. "What—"

"Shush!" She covered his mouth from over top of him as light filled the area, two men's voice floated around.

"What if they stop the train at the checkpoint before entering the city?" A man questioned.

"It won't. Everything will be fine, Jerry."

There was a pause, "And they won't, perhaps, suffocate?"

She glanced at Laurie who's eyes were as wide as saucers, "Suffocate?" His voice was a muffled whisper under her hand.

The door crashed shut, the light flipping back to darkness. Elouise sighed, moving to Laurie's side. He sat up, staring at her.

"Did he say something about—"

A cluck echoed, and they both shot up. By the door was maybe a dozen chickens just walking about.

"Are those—"

"Chickens?" Elouise pursed her lips, finishing his question. "Yes. At least this is a rather large cabin."

Laurie stepped towards them, glancing back at her. "Do you suppose they'll be okay?"

Elouise nodded, "The train ride shouldn't be long. Perhaps an hour at most."

A chicken wandered towards him, clucking aggressively. Elouise took a step back, "Is it angry?"

Laurie smiled, "I thought you were good with animals."

"Well, yes." She said watching the small thing, "But never in such small quarters. If I needed to run, I had a place to do so."

"It's only a chicken."

Elouise nodded, "I know."

"Are you positive?"

She glared at him, "You're very funny."

Laurie shrugged, walking over to where the chicken was. Surprisingly, it didn't move. It sat in place as he lowered himself to the ground and brushed his hand against the chicken's feathers.

"They're oddly calm." Elouise watched from afar, "Mrs Gibson's chickens are nothing short of nasty."

The train lurched and they stumbled around, "An hour, you say?" Laurie stood back up, making his way towards her. "

"Hopefully, yes." She replied.

"Hopefully?"

She looked at him, "You should have never agreed to one of my plans, Theodore. Most times they don't turn out how I want them too."

Laurie smiled at her, "At first I was very worried, as you could probably tell."

She nodded, "Mhm."

He leaped towards her, grabbing her hands. "But this has been such an exciting experience. I have gotten myself into plenty of mischief before but never hopping on a train filled with chickens!"

"This is quite the experience."

"And it is not over. What shall we do to pass the time?"

She shrugged, "To be fair, last time I did this I was alone and was in no need for entertainment. I believe I passed out and was awoken to an angry man who worked for the docks, as he put it."

Laurie spun her around, hands still clasped in his own. He wore a big smile, "And what else have you done that I would love to know about?"

She rolled her eyes, turning away. Her hands rested on her hips as she glanced back at him.

"What would you like to know?" Elouise raised an eyebrow, "But be prepared, any question you ask I get to ask you one myself."

He nodded, walking towards her and climbing onto a stack of hay. She watched him until he got up three more, the most it would allow without his head hitting the ceiling when he sat down. He patted the spot next to him and she sighed, following him up.

"Who did you leave back home?"

Elouise flopped down next to him, "My parents."

He nudged her arm, "Any... erm, romantic partners?"

Elouise snorted, glancing at him. He was staring at her, and she focused her attention onto her hands in her lap.

"Elliott, was his name." Elouise pursed her lips, "We were supposed to be married."

She could feel Laurie tense next to her, "And what happened?"

"I didn't want too. It was my fathers plan, it didn't matter what I thought. It was a going to be a marriage purely for money, and even before he treated me like a possession and not a person."

"He sounds awful."

"And he was, it just took me enough time to figure it out. When I first met him, I thought I could really love him. He was the nicest man, and very sweet. That went down the toilet quite quickly, and he wanted to do things with me that I wasn't ready for." She mumbled, "Anyways, I got out before he could get his way."

"I'm glad you're safe here."

Elouise nodded, "What about you?"

"Nothing special."

"Mhm."

He chuckled, "We're you expecting something else?"

"I'm not sure." Elouise said truthfully, "But the way Amy talks about you, I thought perhaps you'd been with a—"

"How much does Amy speak about me?"

Elouise hopped off her stack of hay, finding herself back on the ground. She walked to the other side where most of the chickens stayed, "I will not answer. I said nothing."

He only smiled in return, saying nothing as well. "I haven't gotten my foot mould yet."

Elouise snorted, smiling at him through the dark.