Page 29 of Dreaming of His Omega
When I realized we were in Pennsylvania, I went down to the dining car for some coffee. I hadn’t had any in three days and wasn’t sure if my headache was the lack of caffeine, the train, stress, or all of it. I wasn’t sure how many hours I wasted sipping coffee and looking out the window. Each stop in the state made me increasingly nervous. Vale Valley was somewhere around here and I was certain I’d miss it.
I was just considering yet another cup of coffee, when the brakes screeched as we slowed, pulling up to a station much smaller and more non-descript than any previous ones.
“What station is this?” I asked the waitress.
“It’s not really a main station,” she said. “Sometimes we stop here when the line ahead is blocked by another train or if we have cargo to load or unload.”
I looked out the window and saw a couple of people milling around. “Can people get on and off?” If Vale Valley really was a station, this seemed perfect.
“If you want,” she said with a shrug. “Just make sure you have your ticket, and don’t stray too far from the platform or linger, we usually don’t stay long.”
I nodded in thanks and peered out at the platform again, searching for some sign I was really there. And then, I saw it. Well, him. A man I was positive I had seen in some of the photos online.
Luckily, I didn’t have any luggage, so I just hightailed it to the nearest door and disembarked. The man was getting into a car, too far away for me to catch. Before I could reconsider, the train blew its whistle and began to chug away. So much for that.
With uncertainty gnawing at me, I wandered around the platform. I couldn’t find any evidence of where I was. The platform was so small, it didn’t even have a building, just a set of steps leading down to a parking lot. I spotted a couple of taxis, so I headed over.
“Need a cab?” called the first one. “Where you heading?”
“Vale Valley?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Where is that?”
“Never mind.”
I walked slowly to the other cab. Great, I was in the middle of nowhere with no phone, not much cash, and my apartment was 2,000 miles away. The man waiting by the other cab turned my way and I stopped in my tracks. I recognized him! I racked my brains, trying to place him. Was he from my Vale Valley dreams?! If he was, Traviel didn’t know him.
Nervous, I cleared my throat and approached.
“Where can I take you?” he asked as I drew near.
My stomach twisted in a nervous knot. “Vale Valley?”
“You got it, hop in!”
It was all I could do to keep my jaw from dropping. Heart pounding, I climbed into the back seat. The driver started up the cab and we were off.
“Heading home or on vacation?” he asked me.
“Bit of both?” I offered.
He chuckled. “Ah, one of those wandering elves, are you?”
Why did he think I was an elf?! “No… is there any reason you think I’m an elf?”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to offend!”
“No, no,” I said quickly. “I uh… I get that a lot and… I always wonder?” I finished lamely.
He shrugged a shoulder. “Dunno. I feel like I’ve seen you before, but with those pointy elf ears,” he chuckled.
I laughed weakly. My heart felt like it was still pounding. It was all becoming so real. I was in an honest-to-god taxi, on my way to Vale Valley. We weren’t driving for very long, before we turned down a wooded drive.
“Here we are,” my driver said. “Where did you say you were going?”
“Uh… the lake?”
His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, one brow arched in confusion. Nevertheless, he shrugged agreeable. “Okay. The Lake.”
