It was now 3.05 pm.

The train continued to surge onwards, making the strange but beautiful whistly, musical sound locomotives make.

I peeked my head out of the train window but Benjamin stopped me.

"I'll do it. You concentrate on driving."

I nodded.

"Fine. Don't want to kill you." I replied. "I have to give you something to do or You'll die of boredom!" I continued.

Benjamin laughed and went to his look-out position, crossing his arms casually.

"Tell me when we the station is in sight." I told him.

We took these positions for several miles - the train was traveling so quickly and I was in charge of so many controls I didn't know the exact number.
All the time the machine moved musically, the rhythm of its gears and complexity coordinated like it's namesake.

I wondered what the Stokers were doing.
"Benjamin, could you check on them please?"

Benjamin disapeered through the interconnecting door leading to the stoking room.

I continued to drive the train, occasionally adjusting the reverser to slow the train down as it went round a corner.

The mossy green drumlins and the endless blue sky, now starting to clear, streaked past me as blurry watercolours. My view out of that train was an ever-changing landscape.

The train was an enigma, but a fascinating one at that. I liked the puzzles that came with it, the endless knowledge and understanding.

Benjamin returned.

I looked behind me as the well-oiled iron door closed behind my friend.

"The Stokers are fine and are working well. They were jolly with me."

I smiled.

"Typical!" Was my response.

Benjamin looked out of the window at that moment and moved his hand up and down.

"Do not blow the whistle, Slow down. The stations coming." Benjamin announced, straight to the point.

"Thanks." I replied.

I stared at the dials on the train and found the three brakes. I pressed the second one, labeled "apply".

A ghastly sound filled my eardrums. It was like fingernails scraping down a blackboard - no, it was worse than that.
A hideous metallic screech came from below my feet, from the bronze-plated wheels. It went on and on and on...

It was as if I'd Murdered the train.

The train juddered to a halt beside the platform of Welhae Station.

Benjamin gave me a round of applause.
"Great entrance!" He applauded jokily.

I shrugged.
"Let's just get this over with."

We hopped out of the train door and locked it behind us. We jumped onto the platform and pushed past the congregation of people who were staring blankly at us like confused street pigeons.

We ran to the door beside the marked 'private - keep out' as I knew naturally that files were always kept in private rooms.

We had to find my files before Mr Aberdain did!

Alas! The door was locked. Benjamin tried the handle and cursed.

A station guard ran over to us angrily, his appearance reminding me of the nutcracker, only he was dressed in Navy, not red, and the buttons were bronze.

"You are under arrest, trespassers!" The Nutcracker shouted.

Benjamin looked furious and tensed up, as if to run. I frowned morosely.

"Would you rather be blown to smithereens or have this train parked for a few minutes?" Benjamin yelled furiously. His curled his hands into fists.

The guard frowned sullenly.
"I have handcuffs. I won't hesitate to use them."

I shook my head.
"This is Mr Olton's train. He has let us use it today. Do you really want him to find out that you have confiscated his very own train?"

The guard blanched.
He opened the door and hurriedly walked away down the platform.

Of course! I thought. Mr Olton must own the entire station as well as the estate!

Benjamin and I darted into the door. Inside, there was no light switch, only a weak paraffin lamp.

"Old fashioned folk." He muttered, his anger still cooling.

"Hey Benjamin, calm down! We need to find these explosives and get them out. Go get the Stokers and get them involved."

Benjamin agreed and soon returned with Gareth and the Stokers. I explained what to do and they went away to search the premises.

I fumbled around the dimly lit room like a blind person with no guide. The smooth wood of the filing draws ran under my fingers. I felt the knots in the wood, until my hand clasped around something smooth and papery.

I twisted my body round to face the object, and put both hands underneath the pile to lift it up.
It was connected with strings, but I knew better than to cut them.

I followed the strings to a central rope at the end of the room and saw it led outside. I grabbed a letter opener off of one of the cabinets. I walked outside, found the three fire extinguishing buckets, and grabbed the one full of sand and the water one.

I cut the ropes, wetted both ends and coated them in sand so they couldn't be set alight.

I returned the buckets to their positions and asked the guard to fetch my files. He said he'd ask the administrator and disapeered.

I walked back to the train, where Gareth, the Stokers and Benjamin were waiting.

The Nutcracker guard returned, carrying two large boxes.
"All train staff ever recorded are here. Your name is too." He explained.

We thanked him and then entered the train once more. Gareth and the Stokers had handed the dynamite to the guards and had cut the fuses.

Benjamin and I hopped back in the train hurriedly and as I got the train going again to Averat, we saw the time.

3.15 pm.

The train moved onwards once again.

I moved the reverser back and the train sped along the track even faster than before. It was moving like a hurricane now.

"Mila! What are you doing?" Benjamin yelled. "This is over the track speed limit!"

"We've already broken the law by being trespassers, what use is there obeying the rest? I'm going faster!" I replied. We needed to reach Averat faster!

The journey would already take an hour and a half, I needed to get there faster if possible! Averat station had the most records of me.

If we didn't grab them and defuse the dynamite, Mr Aberdain would dispose of the material himself - and anyone in the building!

Benjamin didn't relent.
"Mila, you don't understand! If you don't slow down, we might miss the Station or meet the oncoming train too early! You need to slow down or there's a possibility you'll derail it..."

"Shut up." I responded, annoyed.

The train continued onwards.

At 4.10 pm I looked out of the window and saw Averat station approaching. This time I operated the brakes properly, and the train slowed to a smoother halt. It wasn't perfect, but it didn't really matter.

The business of splitting up was the same as before and Benjamin and I disapeered into the room marked 'private - no entry'.

However, once inside, the room was dimly lit with weak gas lamps. The room had black carpet and grey walls. The room smelt musty and delicately woody, the smell of old, yellow-paged books.

Benjamin and I closed the door behind us. It was made of heavy oak: we could see the knots behind the thin layer of black paint.

Benjamin and I searched the room for dynamite, but there was none.

However Benjamin got a stool from the other side of the room. The wood sitting on top of the legs was a gear shape. Benjamin searched through the boxes while I continued to examine the room.

I was searching the cabinet behind the door when the door swung open suddenly.

The heavy oak slammed into my head and I lost consciousness before I knew what had happened.

******

The darkness in front of me lightened, like a tunnel, into a kaleidoscope of colours. It was the kind you get when you are about the fall asleep or have looked at the sun too long.

I felt the uncomfortable fabric scratchiness of the carpet against my paled cheeks. Slowly, I opened my eyes and as the world in front of me stopped shifting, I focused on the empty filing room that surrounded me like a void.

Benjamin.

Where was he?

Where was he?!

I sat up, groaning, before leaping to my feet. I ran out of the filing room and searched the station. I looked everywhere, the ticket office, the cafeteria, the Station hotel. I asked Gareth and the Stokers too. He wasn't there.

I ran back in the filing room.

Alice was there, looking concerned.
"Mr Aberdain..." She trembled frightendly. "He left a note."

I snatched it out of her shaking hand and read it.

"Benjamin is with me." It read, grim in its simplicity.

I looked at Alice worriedly. She held out a box full of my files.

"They left the Station 2 minutes ago." Alice explained. "Should we go after them?"

******

Nothing like a good cliffhanger >:) hehe.
But no, I'm not that evil.

Are you enjoying the story? Please vote if you are! It means a lot to us authors if someone appreciates our works!

Have a great day and the next chapter will not be up soon. See you then!