• He was doing his regular patrol rounds of the station. The last train had long since left and the staff had all returned home. He rubbed his gloved hands together, trying to get some warmth in the tips of his numb fingers as he walked into the main room of the station after patrolling the platforms. Winter this year was not kind.

    He glanced around, making sure he was the only one left in the station. The ticket booths had all been closed up hours ago, The registers cleaned out. there would be no thieves here. He turned to leave.

    The sound of a sniffle echoed in the large room and caught his attention. as was the duty of his job, he went to find the source of the sound.

    At the far end of the station, seated on a bench with knees tucked into her chest and arms wrapped around them was where she sat, head held high. She was small for her age-- or at least... looked small for her age to his eyes. She was maybe about eight, but... a very little eight-year-old.

    'My dear, you've missed your train.' He sat next to her.

    'I just got off one, actually.' She gave him a small smile. Her cheeks were wet and her eyes were red and puffy and still swimming.

    'Then you're waiting for someone?' He offered her a handkerchief. She accepted it. 'The station's been closed for hours, now. Whoever it is, they won't be coming tonight.'

    'No. I've been left behind.' She lifted her tiny shoulders, let them fall.

    'Is that why you're so sad?' He watched her dry her eyes with curiosity.

    'I had to get off the train.'

    'Oh.'

    . . .

    'Yes. I rather enjoyed the ride.' She sniffled again.

    'Why didn't you stay on, then?'

    'I couldn't. The ride was so much fun that i didn't notice until too late that it was coming back here. I wasn't allowed to stay on.'

    'There will be other trains,' he said softly.

    'I don't have ticket money. I spent it on the last three trains I was on.'

    'Three?' he was surprised. Three trains already?

    'Yes. The first one was okay. I had good company. I didn't cry when the ride was over,' she added. 'The second wasn't that much fun. My company on that train only wanted a free ride. I paid the price of their ticket. I couldn't cry at the end of that ride.'

    'And the third?' he questioned.

    'That ticket was the most expensive, but it was the most fun. I had good company on that train, too. They were my favorite. I was very sad when they had to go. I've cried a lot.' She swiped away a tear with his handkerchief before it could fall.

    The minutes passed in complete silence but for the soft sniffles of the little girl beside him. The rustling of his coat as he dug through his pockets cut through the quiet like a knife through melted butter. When he pulled out his hand he held out what was in it to her.

    She took the train ticket. 'Train four? There's no such thing.'

    'The train comes in tomorrow,' he said with a smile.

    'But I don't know where this platform is.' She looked down at the ticket.

    'You'll find it.' He sounded positive so she decided to believe him.

    'I think... I think I'll stay here a while. I like it here. It's not too cold, not too warm. Just right. It's nice and quiet, too.'

    'It's freezing.'

    'Oh. I can't feel it.'

    'Oh.'

    Silence again.

    'That ticket doesn't have an expiry date and the train won't leave without you, so take your time. Don't wait too long, though.'

    'Why not?' She wanted to wait for forever.

    'Because you'll get sick.' He patted her head.

    'Oh.' She frowned. 'I guess that makes sense.'

    'How old are you really?' he asked suddenly, curious.

    'I don't know,' she replied, a little surprised.

    'You're not small, though, are you?' he gestured towards her.

    'No, I'm not actually little. I'm a big girl. Sort of tall, I think, and not very pretty.'

    'I think you'd be beautiful,' he said, sadness in his tone.

    'Not really.'

    'You'll see.'

    'Maybe.'

    He sighed. 'I have to get back to my rounds now. Will you be alright?'

    'Not for a while, no. Thank-you, though.'

    'My pleasure. Take care, kiddo.' He stood up, patted her head once more and walked away.

    He walked through the doors down to the platforms and looked at the three sets of tracks. The wall on the far side of platform three shimmered a little and seemed to extend, leaving a fourth set of tracks and a fourth platform in its wake.

    He smiled. For some reason he liked watching new tracks appear. He'd watched all three tracks before appear as well, but hadn't seen the girl until tonight. As he began his patrol again, he vaguely wondered why.