I had received at least fifty messages in the last half an hour; my now ex-girlfriend was repeatedly informing me what an 'arsehole' I am. You would think I had been the one who had cheated. Banging her 'friend' was a mistake she wanted to come back from. There was no coming back from cheating on me nor was she coming on the family trip that had been arranged. It might have only been on a stupid train that my grandfather had built a long time ago, which, incidentally, soon after he got on that train and was never seen again. His whereabouts are as much a mystery as the location of my ex-girlfriend's loyalty!

My phone pinged again, and another message called me an 'insecure prick'. I couldn't believe it, nor could I when she informed me I wouldn't find anyone else like her! Laughing out loud, I slid my phone across the kitchen counter; the girl needed a reality check. She was not the only attractive one in the relationship. I am six foot, or six foot one, in good shoes. I box three times a week, so physically, I am in good shape too! With my thick dark hair and beard, not to mention my brown eyes, I do hit the tall, dark and handsome description. Not to be arrogant, but I'd rate myself a solid eight out of ten, which, depending on how you feel about my scouse accent, that number could go up or down.
Shaking my head once more at my ex's audacity, I busied myself preparing for the day ahead. Not that I was looking forward to it; however, I didn't want to let my parents down, especially since my grandfather helped build the train that we were getting on.

I arrived at Lime Street train station at 1 pm like I promised my mum I would and spotted her and dad standing near the entrance, standing uncomfortably close to the drug addict, with one leg of trouser leg of his tracksuit pulled up to his knee, it was all blue apart from the bits covered in dirt, classic.

My mother looks nice, with a nice yellow summer dress to match the weather, and a giant bag that looks like it's made out of straw, but I know it's not. My dad had shorts on and a blue polo on, and my mum had dressed him; dark hair is a distinctive feature in our family; the boys had brown eyes, and the girls had green eyes; I am jealous of them. I'd love green eyes.

"Ronald" my mum's mother yelled when she saw me, scaring the shit out of the drug head. She is the only person on the planet to call me Ronald, everybody else calls me Ronnie, but sometimes my brother calls me Ronald to annoy me "What is with the tracksuit?".

"It's designer mum," I said, as I got close and heard the drug mumbling, "Shall we go in? Hey dad"

"Son", my dad nodded; he is a man of very few words, always has been. I once saw a pit bull chase him up a tree, and he didn't scream; my sister did, and she was across the road and in a window.

"Where are the other two?" I asked, and by that, I mean my younger brother and sister.

"They are grabbing a coffee," Mum said rolling her eyes, "apparently you have to have one to take a photo it next to the window, or no one will believe that you are doing something, kids these days fucking idiots" I laughed, and like clockwork my little sister, with her flowing dark hair came strolling through the crowd with a coffee in one hand and her phone in the other, she has put on sunglasses and thinking she is the fucking shit, she is 15 going on 20. While I'm 20 going on barely 21.

My younger brother, on the other hand, is quietly walking behind her, his head on his phone, definitely playing a game; he is a cool kid and doesn't cause anyone any trouble. He is 14

"Ronnie," my sister Audrey said, "hold this" She handed me her coffee and then slowly took off her sunglasses and pushed them up her head. "Thanks," she said, taking her coffee back.

"Hey Ronnie," my brother Archie said.

"Hey bud, what you playing?"

"Some random game, you have to gather money and form teams to invade other towns, it's alright"

"Tickets," Dad said, handing each other out red envelopes and walking off.

"I guess it is this way then," Mum said, and we followed Dad through the crowd and towards the platforms; exiting us was a massive sign.

REVIVAL! IT'S BACK!

I guess they meant the big fuck off stream train behind the sign how big is this bad boy, like something from a movie, smoke bellowed out of it, and the black crown was so shiny it allowed my sister to check her reflection in it, we were escorted onto the train and into a compartment just for the family, nothing too over the top, a table in the middle and Bench's either side of it

A nice train conductor told everyone to keep our tickets on our person at all times. He left, and we got comfy; my mum and Archie took the right-hand side, Archie nearest the window, and my dad and Audrey the left-hand side, with Audrey nearest the window. I sat next to Dad.

"This is nice," mum said, "so what happened with your ex? You said last night on the phone that you would tell me"

"Oh yeah, she banged someone else"

"No way," Audrey said. "I never liked her, her makeup was always off, and neck and face were always two different colours".

"It's her loss," Archie said lifting his head from his phone, "you are nice".

"Thanks, bud," I said, god, I love these two. "where's the bathroom?"

"down the hall, on the left," Dad said,

"be quick; we should be arriving soon", Mum added. I stood up and checked I still had my ticket in my pocket.

"where is it that we are going? I never asked before?" I asked, I completely forgot this train was going somewhere.

"someplace I have never heard of," Mum said.

I left for the bathroom, and the second I closed the door behind me everything went black, all noise fell off the face of the planet, if my hand was in front of my face, with a flash, everything came back into view and I took a deep breath in, I think I forget to breathe somehow during that mini blackout. After stumbling to the bathroom and pissing, on the floor, the seat and the side of my shoes, this train is not a smooth ride.

After one awkward walk back to the compartment, my family wasn't there, are they hiding or something? I quickly ran to each compartment, throwing open the door, expecting to find random people or, hopefully, my family laughing like idiots. But door, after door, no one was there. I charged through the train, into the different carriages and I couldn't find a single living soul. I can't breathe, and ironically my mum's heart is going to pound through my chest! Suddenly the train hit on the brake and slid down the train like a bowling ball clattering at the end. I jumped up quickly and looked out the window and saw a small train station it looked like something from an old Western.

My phone, I'm a fucking idiot, I emptied my pockets looking for it but the only thing to fall out was my ticket.

Bang! Bang! Some old fella is knocking on the window; what in the dress-up is going on? He looked like he was from an old western; he waved at me and then pointed down the carriage to open the door. I jumped forward to the door, the thought of my family being outside waving at me and giggling like diffs. I get there and step out of the train, looking furiously from side to side, nothing but train tracks and the train station in sight

"Hi! Have you seen my family?" I frantically asked the confused conductor,

"You were the only person on the train" he said in a strange accent I had never heard before, like a country western mixed with a side character from a fantasy show.

"That can't be! I was with my family, on this train, my mum, dad, brother and sister"

"We checked the train son, only you, in a heap on the floor"

Clank! The doors behind me slammed shut and the train took off. Oh fuck! I banged on the door and ran with it. Eventually, I ran out of room to run and the train was gone.

"Where am I?" I asked, if I know where I am, I can find a way home. 

"This is a train station, just outside the city of Hillcrest in the kingdom of Athena".

"What? Where the fuck is Hillcrest?"

"In the kingdom of Athena, I just told you".

"I don't know what you mean, but I need to get a train back to Liverpool"

"I have never heard of a place called Liverpool, and we don't have trains that go to that place"

"Are you sure?"

"I have worked here for 30 years, I know where the trains go to and come from"

"Where did that train that I was on come from?"

"I don't know, that's why we searched for it, and my co-worker has taken it away"

"Taken it where? I might need it to get home"

"Can you operate a train? If not, how would you use it? I have things to do, if you need help, go into the city," the old man who was getting angry with me. He pointed to a door. And I guess I can't ask any more questions. I walked off to the door; it smelled like old wood; I walked through the door and out of the train station. In front of me was a field of yellow on one side and red on the other, in the middle was a long path that led up to a high wall. I guess that is Hillcrest.