Chapter 3
I woke up with my mom’s voice echoing in my head and her. No (sorry) it is my hairclip dragging against the window, creating a squeal rather like my mom’s speech. I pulled my head of the icy glass and discovered one of my eyes was covered with a layer of blood. I knocked it off with practice and pain. I licked my dry lips and watched morning come through the train window. Pink and gold clouds faded from sight as the sun poked his head cheekily above the endless horizon. Farms with enormous creatures eating grass hurried past my warming window. I heard an early bird called out for its mate and sang its song to the world. Wait a sec, I’m on a train! I am so slow.
“Corny School an’ station. Any off ’ere?” a bloke poked his head in and woke up my dozing brothers.
Mark was first to recover from the loud voice, “Come on, lads. That there is our station!”
“Don’t be stupid, we get off at… Marvole Airport,” I said as I looked at my tag, “See? Marvole Airport in ink.”
Some men came in and got my brother’s luggage, the twins went, not wanting to be there when they would have to drag Mark out.
“Kate, can I see that?” Mark’s voice betrayed fear.
“No, it says DO NOT OPEN on it.”
“Come along boy,” one of the men said. Mark snatched the little wax envelope and wrote something on my hand at the same time. He dropped the pen and it rolled beneath the seat. The man pulled the envelope from Mark’s hand and dragged him out.
“Kate! That is a ticket!” This time I was positive he knew something I didn’t. I was also positive it wasn’t good.
“But I wasn’t speeding!”
“No! Kate, we’re being separated! Your final end is in…”
“MARK! He took my brother!” Truth to be told, I yelled a lot of nasty things that get ruffians a soap bath in the mouth. But I don’t know how to spell them so I can’t write them. The bloke buckled me into the seat so I didn’t jump out the window. I looked at my hand as I wiped my teary face. Mark scribbled on it. Even though I am far-sighted and even though it was smudged I could tell it was an address. Why would he write an address? Crikey, I am so stupid. It’s an ADDRESS! Now I could contact them! I feel so slow.
Hurriedly, I opened the wax envelope to see where my destination was (and to see how much it would cost to mail a letter). Probably the next stop, or summat. Curse the person who made ticket writing small. Curse them with every little curse on Earth! Sorry! I’m gettin’ carried away. Anyway, I concentrated on the little piece of paper with my life. A splotch of water appeared on the waxy surface as the destination cleared for me:

Big Island, Hawaii, USA
No return necessary