Aylia Holmes

7. The Train

Aylia only just got into the train before it began to move again. She waited a moment, looking out the window towards the Tewksburys before she turned to find a compartment. Before she had taken a step, she crashed into someone and with a startled cry began to fall back before two hands caught her at the waist. Aylia released a shuttering breath, looking up to see the dark eyes of Mr Tewksbury. A dark curl had fallen across his forehead which was furrowed with concern.

Before she could continue staring at him, Mr Tewksbury cleared his throat, bringing Aylia back up to a straightened position as he said, "Forgive me, Miss Holmes."

Aylia blushed, quickly letting go of where she had caught the lapels of his coat in her hands.

"No, please, forgive me, Mr Tewksbury," she said, her cheeks flushed. Looking back up at him, she said, "The fault was mine. I should have looked to see what was-"

She broke off, her brows furrowed.

Mr Tewksbury waited a moment, but when she did not speak, he said, "Miss Holmes?"

"I- Sorry," Aylia said quietly, focusing her attention back on him. "I thought I saw something."

She reached for her luggage, but without a word, Mr Tewksbury took it into his hand and the two began walking down the train to find a compartment to put up their things.

"Here," Mr Tewksbury said, opening the compartment door with one hand as Aylia stepped forward to hold it for him.

Before they could step inside, Aylia was jolted forward as someone impatiently pushed past. Glancing over irritably, she caught sight of a man in a brown hat, but as his back was to her, she saw no more. Shrugging it off, she entered the compartment, put up her things, and quickly left again, surprised to see Mr Tewsbury doing the same.

"If you don't mind my asking, what are you-" Mr Tewksbury began, but before he could finish, a sharp yell caught their attention.

They instantly froze, glanced at one another, and rushed towards the sound, pushing past several people with even more apologies until they reached the front of the train. There they saw the door at the front of the final carriage wide open. Against the preceding car, a boy of about seventeen or eighteen was clinging, looking towards a slightly younger girl, but at one look, Aylia started.

"Enola!" she exclaimed.

Enola looked up, her eyes wide as she saw her sister.

"Aylie, run!" she shouted. Then, her eyes becoming even wider, she screamed, "Aylie!"

Then several things happened at once. For one, the boy and Enola jumped, landing on the last patch of grass before it dropped off sharply over the water. Secondly, something hit Aylia from behind, hard. And thirdly, she found herself tumbling downwards. She couldn't stop the terrified scream that left her lips as she crashed down towards the water, water she had no intelligence about the depth of. Then, with a bitingly cold shock, she hit the water. Pain shot across her body as she went under, instinctively gasping for breath and instead taking in water. She coughed and sputtered, attempting to pull herself to the surface, but the air seemed miles away as she was swept away by the current, coughing and swallowing and breathing in more water every moment.

With immense effort, Aylia managed to pull herself against the current to the surface for a brief moment before she fell under again. She struggled another several minutes until suddenly it all stopped. No more water entered her lungs. The current was not dragging her around. Instead, she was on all fours, throwing up water so violently she thought she may never stop. When at last the water was gone, she coughed, lowering her head to rest on her arms as she gasped for breath.

It was only then that she became aware of the sound of another coughing and sputtering. Looking up, she saw Mr Tewksbury also crouched on his knees, soaked through. He glanced up at her, meeting her eyes briefly before he collapsed on the rocks with a pained cough.

"Are you all right?" Aylia asked breathlessly, her voice unnaturally hoarse and weak.

He nodded, too out of breath to speak. Aylia too lay back on the rocks, allowing herself to regain her breath.

When he at last had breath enough, Mr Tewksbury panted, "Who's Enola?"

"My sister," Aylia explained weakly. "She ran away. My brother...I was trying to find her." She hesitated only another moment longer before forcing herself to her feet as she said, "I have to get back to her. She- She doesn't..."

Aylia had to bite the inside of her cheek hard to withhold a pained groan. Looking down and lifting her skirts slightly, she saw cuts and bruises all over her legs. Everything ached and throbbed.

Struggling also to his feet, Mr Tewksbury said, "Miss Holmes, you are in no state to walk to search now. Rest a night, then we can go together."

"Mr Tewksbury, I can't wait that long," Aylia insisted. "I have to get back to her. She has no one else."

"It shall do her no good if you overextend yourself in the attempt," Mr Tewksbury replied. "Please, Miss Holmes, wait the night and get some rest. I give you my word that I will help you find her if you only wait."

Aylia hesitated, looking at him with uncertainty, but he was so eager, she at last said, "All right."