It’s 5 am
At last, she sleeps soundly.
But as draining as that emotionally filled talk was, it was necessary.
Sadly, the night is still young.
Out she goes in her new adventure, retrieving Vivi’s photo.
Hopefully the kids won’t be too disappointed if she ends up sleeping all of tomorrow in the hotel…
She enters and looks through the different little places a small piece of paper could’ve slipped into.
At some point she hears some steps behind her.
But is too tired and busy to care, moving on.
She gets in the dinner wagon and looks around. Things look clean.
Seems like the detective messed with the evidence, how ironic.
She finds a flashlight on the floor, must be Vivi’s
It’s not broken thankfully, seems like whatever happened with her made it fall and open the battery case.
She puts them back in a tries it. It works fine. Way too fine, in fact. It’s almost blinding. Must be her getting too used to the dark train. Maybe it’s better to leave it turned off.
She looks at the wall of the small kitchen area.
Two knives are missing.
Which could mean nothing, really. If it wasn’t because she knows her friends.
If it was Oliver in his attempt to fix up his cat’s mess, he would never leave a gap like that. He loves categorizing and organizing, this simply would not be done by his hand.
But it could remain unorganized if he wanted to leave evidence untouched.
And of course, there’s also Vivi’s cryptic claims about this train.
She realizes she doesn’t know where the emergency brake is.
After a quick look around for the missing picture, Marigold decides to go as far as the train goes, in the direction she hasn’t explored. The division of classes.
Ironic, really.
She’s about to reach the last wagon available to cross when she hears something.
It’s Ángel. He’s talking… to himself?
Did he somehow find signal? Is he on the phone? Maybe recording something for that internet content of his?
Before she can go on and ask, she sees something on the window to the other wagon.
She recognizes that blue-hair shadow.
Ignoring whatever Tiktok Ángel is probably making, she goes back to the dinner saloon.
There’re still two knives missing.
And now three.
Marigold knows about ghosts; she’s been haunted by one for so long.
The ghost of herself.
A strange apparition at first, slowly taking form before her, taking strength. Until it finally took over the husk that was her body.
She knows ghosts are real, she knows hauntings are real.
And she knows that people are far more dangerous than any of that.
There are times when she wishes to buy flowers and cry for days at the grave of her lost youth. Sometimes she does.
But if there’s something she’s glad her parents taught her, albeit not consciously, is to be resilient.
A spirit can easily dissipate in the wind of responsibilities and masked faces, but it never stopped haunting.
Marigold refuses to let time go pass her anymore.
She is going to cherish what she has; she will keep her eyes wide open, and live.
No paranormal activity is going to stop that.
She has a mission.
Something that she hasn’t let go of is her ability to see other people’s potential. For good purposes this time.
She knows exatly who she needs.
She goes back to her bedroom and wakes up Nina.
“Wh…What? Is it 7 already…?”
“No, but I need you now.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“Wanna go on an adventure?”
“What…?”
“I’ll be right back, put on something warmer”
“I…. Okay?”
As she leaves the room, she sees the figure of none other than Mr. Beebo walking across the wagons.
Seems like he’s heading there as well.
She enters Vivi’s room.
Softly, as to not wake up Nadia, she shakes Vivi around.
“Whaa noo I’m not a wobbly sheet of metal ehehe…”
“Wake up”
“Awhuwe… Mari! Did you find the picture?”
“No, sorry, but I got you this”
“Oh! it’s not broken, is it? I actually paid a lot for it…”
“No, no, it works perfectly, but I need you to take it and come with me and Nina.”
“…For girls’ night?”
“You could call it that”
“I need something from you, actually. Your strange breaking and entering skills.”
“No one ever wants me for my ballon animal’s skills but go on?”
“How can you get to the normal seats wagon?”
It’s 6 am
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Something feels…