Halley Jordan Aimes and the Silver Tongued Train

Halley Jordan Aimes was a dreamer and a coward.

She stood in front of the train station like she did every Tuesday morning. Coffee in one hand, and a teal blue suitcase in the other.

The tickets are too expensive, I shouldn't take time off work, there will always be another train.

Every Tuesday she turned away.

Walked back to her car.

Teal suitcase sat down on the seat next to her.

Every Tuesday she stood in front of the kiosk, pretending she would board a train.

The train's destination was never planned. Sometimes she'd go to Europe, leaving for months at a time. Other times, it would be just a quick rail across the state. She'd see Chicago, Denver, Arizona, Sacramento. Every time she would imagine the train car, her heart would start to race.

And that's when she'd run.

To go home.

To her second-floor apartment in the middle of Kansas City.

The center of the Country.

Nothing to be seen that hadn't been seen before.

Her carry-on was filled with everything she thought she'd need. Occasionally she would go through it, make sure it still contained what she want to take with her on her grandest adventure.

Railroading her way across North America.

The dream that had stuck in her heart since she was a young girl.

The kind of adventure she had only ever read about in her books, of rolling hills, the Grand Canyon, the Empire State building. Chicago and its wind, San Fransisco and its bridge.

The silver tongue of adventure whispered in her ear,

Come find me.

The railway was always calling, and anywhere would do.

Halley Jordan Aimes stood in the bright and bustling Union Station, on a windy Tuesday morning. The ceilings arched and echos bounced. Kids were chasing each other in circles, couples chatting over coffee at the cafe, a mom juggling a thousand different items and only one of them was hers.

Her heart was pounding.

Halley Jordan Aimes was a dreamer.

Her hands sweating. She felt the urge to fly out of the station like she always had. But instead, she stood at the ticket stand, debit card in hand.

Every Tuesday at 8 am.

This time. She thought, This time.

Halley Jordan Aimes was a coward.

She turned to walk away. Disappointment crept into her sinking heart as it had every Tuesday before, and likely each one to come.

As she walked away, a voice called out.

"Miss!"

Halley turned to see a man, probably in his early thirties, waving his arm trying to get her attention over the crowd.

"Are you referring to me?" Halley asked, pointing to herself. The man ran over to her, holding what appeared to be a train ticket.

"Excuse me for being rude, but you've been here a lot." He said.

His face held things like momentary concern, little sleep, and a look that realized he too wanted something more from life.

"And you've never bought a ticket?" He asked. His silver name tag read Trevor.

Halley's face flushed.

"I didn't think of it as loitering, I'm so sorry. I'll just go home." She waved and started to go.

"No wait, that's not what I was going to say at all." He stopped her. "We have a paid ticket that needs a new home. The man who bought it was a wealthy gentleman, he called to say he couldn't go on his trip but was unconcerned with getting a refund." Trevor's brown eyes were honest.

Halley stared at her feet, eyebrows knit together.

"I don't... I wouldn't want to bother anyone."

"The ticket is free, I can transfer your name to them and you wouldn't have any trouble at the other stations. It's up to you, I just noticed you're always here during my shift on Tuesdays." He said.

"You always look like you're ready to go somewhere."

As he spoke, Halley had watched his caramel-colored eyes.

She swept her red hair over her ear, adjusted her glasses, and said with more confidence than she thought possible.

"You seem very kind, Trevor," she paused.

"I just don't have anywhere to go."

Her short heels clicked loudly as she walked across the station floor.

Back to the entrance.

To her small white car.

Teal suitcase placed carefully on the passenger seat.

Halley Jordan Aimes was a coward.

Come back.

She could practically hear the railway speak.

Her glasses fogged up from her tears. The slow heat from the air vents melted around her, erasing the November cold.

She wished she could board that train, or that maybe she could get up the courage to talk to someone like Trevor.

Maybe that kind of adventure wouldn't be in her cards either.

Come find me.

Something clicked.

Halley Jordan Aimes was a dreamer.

She took up her teal suitcase, determination to go back inside the train station, maybe even board a train, filled her. A sudden surge of adrenaline to take up flight.

But as she took the handle, the old latch popped open.

And once more, her heart sank.

Reality swept over her like a wave.

Crushing.

The weight of it holding her down against her seat.

The teal blue suitcase sat empty on the seat next to her.

She knew, of course, that there was nothing in it.

There never was.

________________________________

If you liked this story, read this next:

Thank you so much for reading! If you liked this article, be sure to click the heart button. Tips are greatly also appreciated! You can find more articles from me here on my Vocal profile.

-Leah H.