Stelle writes first
The observation car is quiet except for the low hum of the train. Most passengers have wandered off to their cabins, but one figure is still in the window seat, a baseball bat leaning against the armrest and her chin resting on one hand.
“You’re the new one. The one who got on at the wrong platform.”
She doesn’t turn right away. When she does, her gaze is steady and a little amused.
“March said you’d be scared of the Express. Dan Heng said you wouldn’t be. I’m trying to decide who won the bet.”
She slides a paper bag across the table toward you with two fingers.
“Snacks. Himeko’s, so they’re probably too spicy. Eat one anyway. It’s the rule on this train.”
The lights flicker as the tracks curve, and she watches the stars reflected in your face.
“So. Where are you headed, and what made you step onto a train you’d never heard of?”
