Cheyne Walk Station, would be morning in a slightly more normal world
The first thing he became aware of was a crick in his neck. His hand was the first thing he moved, massaging said crick; a face-splitting yawn came next, and then Shchel finally blinked his gummy eyes open.
The first thing he saw was the back of a train seat, and he started; he hadn't meant to fall asleep, not on the train to Sforzando. Not only did it probably bother the passenger by him, but... the Duchedom of Sforzando was said to be a gorgeous place. What if they had passed by some amazing scenery and missed it?
He pushed that last selfish thought back, turning to his fellow commuter to offer a proper apology, when he found the wagon was completely devoid of life.
For the space of several heartbeats he remained frozen; eventually he had the presence of mind to grasp the rigid leather pouch hanging from his neck with a shaky hand.
"Piroro," he wheezed out. He tried calling her name again, but only a choked squeak came out; still, a pink head peeked out of the pouch's mouth blearily, maybe roused by the fear in his voice.
"What's it, Shchel... where's everyone?"
The last was said in a much more alert tone of voice, and Shchel stumbled up and off his seat at the same time as a butterfly-winged fairy zipped out of the pouch to hover by his head. A more through look at his surroundings revealed that no, there really wasn't anyone else in the wagon. The train creaked on around them, but, other than that, there was no other sound to be heard.
Shchel peeked out of a window, holding his beanie against the wind. It was dark - had he slept that long? The lights in the closer wagons seemed to be off - it was as if they really were the only people onboard.
Piroro zipped past his ear, holding onto his hair so as to not be blown by the wind.
"Aah! We missed the station! Everyone dropped off but us!" she fretted, her small eyes wide. "Where are we going? We'll never get to Sforzando at this rate!"
Shchel stepped back from the window, frowning in thought. That didn't sound right - the main capital of Sforzando was the last station so far as he knew; if they'd arrived while he was asleep, he'd probably feel the stopping motion or hear the screetching of the tracks - and even if he didn't, somebody would try and wake him up, right? Who'd leave a kid sleeping alone in an empty train?
He shook his head with a sigh, walking away from the seats to check the other wagons - but the train suddenly jerked, and he toppled onto the floor with a metallic thud; they were stopping.
And so it came to be that, on the day he was scheduled to arrive at Sforzando, the Kingdom of Magic, he instead clambered off onto an unknwon, completely packed train station in what seemed to be the dead of the night, eyes darting around in confusion even as the empty train behind him jerked back into movement, before he could climb back onboard; and Shchel could only forlornly watch as it gained momentum and moved inexorably out of his reach.
(Character and canon info: http://shchel-kunchik.livejournal.com/611.html)
The first thing he saw was the back of a train seat, and he started; he hadn't meant to fall asleep, not on the train to Sforzando. Not only did it probably bother the passenger by him, but... the Duchedom of Sforzando was said to be a gorgeous place. What if they had passed by some amazing scenery and missed it?
He pushed that last selfish thought back, turning to his fellow commuter to offer a proper apology, when he found the wagon was completely devoid of life.
For the space of several heartbeats he remained frozen; eventually he had the presence of mind to grasp the rigid leather pouch hanging from his neck with a shaky hand.
"Piroro," he wheezed out. He tried calling her name again, but only a choked squeak came out; still, a pink head peeked out of the pouch's mouth blearily, maybe roused by the fear in his voice.
"What's it, Shchel... where's everyone?"
The last was said in a much more alert tone of voice, and Shchel stumbled up and off his seat at the same time as a butterfly-winged fairy zipped out of the pouch to hover by his head. A more through look at his surroundings revealed that no, there really wasn't anyone else in the wagon. The train creaked on around them, but, other than that, there was no other sound to be heard.
Shchel peeked out of a window, holding his beanie against the wind. It was dark - had he slept that long? The lights in the closer wagons seemed to be off - it was as if they really were the only people onboard.
Piroro zipped past his ear, holding onto his hair so as to not be blown by the wind.
"Aah! We missed the station! Everyone dropped off but us!" she fretted, her small eyes wide. "Where are we going? We'll never get to Sforzando at this rate!"
Shchel stepped back from the window, frowning in thought. That didn't sound right - the main capital of Sforzando was the last station so far as he knew; if they'd arrived while he was asleep, he'd probably feel the stopping motion or hear the screetching of the tracks - and even if he didn't, somebody would try and wake him up, right? Who'd leave a kid sleeping alone in an empty train?
He shook his head with a sigh, walking away from the seats to check the other wagons - but the train suddenly jerked, and he toppled onto the floor with a metallic thud; they were stopping.
And so it came to be that, on the day he was scheduled to arrive at Sforzando, the Kingdom of Magic, he instead clambered off onto an unknwon, completely packed train station in what seemed to be the dead of the night, eyes darting around in confusion even as the empty train behind him jerked back into movement, before he could climb back onboard; and Shchel could only forlornly watch as it gained momentum and moved inexorably out of his reach.
(Character and canon info: http://shchel-kunchik.livejournal.com/611.html)