Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

Special Treat – Loren Moore and Clara Westerfer

March30, 2006

Oops, there was one more story in the queue that should have been included in the tribute to for Loren.

SWAMP TRAIN

BY

LOREN MOORE & CLARA WESTERFER

CLARA WRITES;

THE SUN WAS SHINING AND IT LOOKED TO BE A REALLY NICE DAY. EDDIE AND JOE BOB WERE SITTING ON THE FRONT PORCH TALKING AS 12 AND 13 YEAR OLD BOYS WILL DO, ABOUT WHAT EXCITEMENT THEY COULD STIR UP TODAY. EDDIE WAS 13 AND USUALLY HAD THE LAST WORD ON EVERYTHING. JOE BOB COMMENTED THAT MAYBE THEY SHOULD GO DOWN TO THE OLD SWAMP. AFTER THAT HURRICANE THEY HAD
YESTERDAY, MAYBE IT HAD TURNED UP SOME THING GOOD. "YOU KNOW THE WIND AND RAIN WILL WASH THE DIRT AWAY FROM A REAL BURIED TREASURE. OR THE WIND MIGHT HAVE BLOWN SOMETHING IN FROM A HOUSE." OH, OKAY, SAYS EDDIE,

"LET'S GO SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND."

OFF THEY WENT THRU THE TREES AND MUD TOWARD THE OLD SWAMP. THE BOYS WERE IN NO HURRY, STOPPING EVERY TIME THEY SAW A SHINING OBJECT IN THE MUD. IT USUALLY WAS A BEER OR SODA CAN BUT THEY DUG IT OUT TO BE SURE IT WASN'T A TREASURE. THEY WERE NEARING THE SWAMP, WHEN OVER TO THE LEFT JOE BOB SPOTTED SOMETHING REALLY BIG.

"HOLY JEEZUS, EDDIE. WHAT IS THAT THING OVER AMONG THE TREES?"

ASKED JOE BOB.

"LOOKS LIKE A TRAIN CAR TO ME" REPLIED EDDIE.

"UH, OH, EDDIE ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A LOOK AT IT?"

"WHY NOT? WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? LET'S GO SEE WHAT'S IN IT."

EDDIE RAN TOWARD THE TRAIN CAR WHILE JOE BOB HELD BACK, WALKING SLOWLY, AS EDDIE CALLED HIM TO HURRY UP. WHEN EDDIE GOT TO THE TRAIN HE COULD SEE IT WAS A PASSENGER CAR. HE WAITED FOR JOE BOB WHO WAS STILL RELUCTANT TO GO NEAR IT.

"HEY, COME ON YOU WUSS, LET'S SEE WHAT'S INSIDE" YELLED EDDIE.

THE BOYS CLIMBED THE RUSTY OLD STEPS TO THE SMALL OBSERVATION PLATFORM AND TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR. IT WAS WEDGED TIGHT. THEY BOTH PUT ALL THEIR WEIGHT BEHIND IT AND SHOVED. IT OPENED A CRACK LARGE ENOUGH FOR THEM TO GET THRU.

LOREN WRITES;

NATURALLY EDDIE WENT IN FIRST. JOE BOB WAS RIGHT BEHIND HIM HOLDING ON TO EDDIES BELT. AT FIRST IT WAS SO DARK INSIDE THE CAR THEY COULDNT SEE ANYTHING. BUT AS THEIR EYES GOT USE TO THE DIM LIGHT, THEY BEGAN TO MAKE OUT THE OUTLINE OF SEATS.
AS THEY MOVED FURTHER INTO THE CAR, JOE BOB HAD AN UNEASY FEELING ABOUT BEING IN HERE.

"COME ON EDDIE, LETS GET OUT OF THIS THING. I'M AFRAID TO BE IN HERE THERE'S SOMETHING STRANGE ABOUT THIS CAR. DONT YOU FEEL

IT? "

EDDIE WAS BEGINNING TO BE A LITTLE UNEASY, WHAT WITH JOE BOBS TALK AND QUESTIONS. SO HE TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK TO THE DOOR. JOE BOB WAS STILL HANGING ON TO HIS BELT.

WHEN THEY GOT BACK TO THE DOOR, EDDIE AND JOE BOB FOUND IT HAD SWUNG SHUT. WHEN THEY TRIED TO OPEN IT, THEY COULDNT BUDGE IT. JOE BOB AND EDDIE STARTED BANGING ON THE DOOR WITH THEIR FISTS, HOLLERING TO LET THEM OUT. BUT THEY COULDNT GET THE DOOR OPEN AND NO ONE ANSWERED THEIR SHOUTING.

THEN THEY FELT IT. THE CAR BEGAN TO MOVE UNDER THEM, THE CARS LIGHTS CAME ON AND THEY COULD SEE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CAR. THEY BOTH EASED OVER AND SAT DOWN IN ONE OF THE SEATS.

CLARA WRITES;

AS THE BOYS SAT DOWN, THEY HEARD A RUMBLE LIKE THE TRAIN CAR WAS MOVING.

"E-E-EDDIE, DID YOU FEEL T-THAT?" ASKED JOE BOB.

"JUST DON'T MOVE OR ACT SCARED. THERE ARE OTHERS IN HERE. HOW DID THEY GET HERE? WHERE DID THEY COME FROM AND IS THIS TRAIN MOVING?" WHISPERED EDDIE.

"Y-Y-YES IT IS MOVING, REAL SLOW, BUT I FEEL IT. THERE WERE NO
TRACKS, SO HOW CAN IT M-M- MOVE?" JOE BOB WAS ALMOST CRYING NOW.

"WELL, WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT SOME ANSWERS. YOU STOP CRYING AND STUTTERING AND ACT LIKE YOU ARE NOT SCARED. WHEN I GET UP AND WALK DOWN THE AISLE, YOU GET UP TOO, BUT STOP HOLDING ON TO MY BELT. WALK AND ACT LIKE YOU'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, JOE BOB"

THE BOYS GOT OUT OF THE SEAT AND TURNED AROUND. THERE STOOD A WOMAN WITH LONG BLOND HAIR. SHE WAS WEARING A BLUE EVENING GOWN, AND HAD DIAMOND EARRINGS DANGLING FROM HER EARS AND A BIG SHINY NECKLACE.

"HELLO MA'AM. MY NAME IS EDDIE AND THIS IS MY FRIEND JOE BOB. WE GOT LOCKED IN THIS TRAIN AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING AND WE WOULD LIKE TO GET OFF. CAN YOU TELL US ANYTHING?

LIKE WHERE THE NEXT STOP IS."

THE WOMAN GRINNED SHOWING A MOUTH FULL OF BLACK, ROTTEN TEETH THAT LOOKED ODD WITH HER FANCY CLOTHES AND JEWELS. "SO, EDDIE AND JOE BOB, YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING DO YOU?" SHE CACKLED.

"WELL, THAT'S A SECRET YOU'LL FIND OUT IN DUE TIME, BE PATIENT AND ALL WILL BE REVEALED TO YOU, OR MAYBE NOT. WHO KNOWS?" SHE THEN LAUGHED AND SORT OF FLOATED PAST THEM.


LOREN WRITES:

EDDIE AND JOE BOB WERE SO SCARED THEIR LEGS WOULDNT HOLD THEM UP ANY MORE SO THEY SAT DOWN IN THE NEAREST SEAT. JOE BOBS EYES WERE AS BIG AS SAUCERS. EDDIE WAS STARING OUT THE WINDOW AT THE COUNTRY SIDE AS IT FLEW BY. OUT THE WINDOW THE SUN WAS SHINING AND EVERYTHING LOOKED NORMAL.

THATS WHEN JOE BOB AND EDDIE HEARD THE CONDUCTOR COMING DOWN THE AISLE SAYING, TICKETS PLEASE. HAVE YOUR TICKETS READY FOR ME TO PUNCH. EACH PERSON WAS HOLDING UP A TICKET AND THE CONDUCTOR WOULD PUNCH IT AS HE CAME TO THEM.

EDDIE WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WE DONT HAVE A TICKET. SAID JOE
BOB.

"IF WE DONT HAVE A TICKET, MAYBE HE'LL LET US OFF THE TRAIN." EDDIE
ANSWERED.

WHEN THE CONDUCTOR GOT TO JOE BOB AND EDDIE HE ASKED, "WHERE ARE YOUR TICKETS, BOYS?"

WHEN JOE BOB AND EDDIE LOOKED UP AT THE CONDUCTORS FACE, ALL THEY SAW WAS A NAKED SKULL. JOE BOB PUT HIS FACE IN HIS HANDS AND STARTED TO CRY. EDDIE JERKED HIS GAZE BACK TO THE WINDOW
AND REFUSED TO LOOK AT THE CONDUCTOR AGAIN.

"IF YOU HAVE NO TICKETS, IM GOING TO HAVE TO PUT YOU OFF AT THE NEXT STATION,"

THE CONDUCTOR SAID AS HE MOVED ON DOWN THE CAR. ALMOST
IMMEDIATELY THE TRAIN CAME TO A STOP. THE CONDUCTOR CALLED TO JOE BOB AND EDDIE TO COME TO THE BACK OF THE CAR WHERE HE STOOD WITH THE DOOR OPEN.

JOE BOB AND EDDIE JUMPED UP AND RAN TO THE BACK OF THE CAR AND OUT ONTO THE PLATFORM. THEN THEY STEPPED DOWN ONTO THE WOODEN DOCK OF THE STATION AND THE TRAIN PULLED AWAY LEAVING THEM STANDING THERE. WHEN THEY LOOKED AROUND THERE WASNT A SOUL IN SIGHT. EDDIE THIS IS NOT WHERE WE GOT ON THAT CAR. WHERE ARE WE? JOE BOB WANTED TO KNOW.

CLARA WRITES;

"JOE BOB, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE IN A GHOST TOWN. OR MAYBE WE WENT THRU A TIME WARP AND WE ARE IN ANOTHER DIMENSION. YOU KNOW, LIKE THEY HAVE IN THOSE SCIENCE FICTION MOVIES? WE CAN'T ACT AFRAID OR THEY'LL BE ON US FOR SURE. FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS SEE IF THERE ARE ANY LIVING PEOPLE HERE, OR A TELEPHONE WHERE WE CAN CALL OUR MOTHERS TO LET THEM KNOW WHERE WE ARE."

"EDDIE, WHERE ARE WE? HOW CAN WE LET THEM KNOW WHERE WE ARE IF WE DON'T KNOW?" WHINED JOE BOB.

'THERE'S A PLACE OPEN. AT LEAST THERE IS A LIGHT ON AND IT SAYS
SALOON ON THE FRONT. LET'S GO IN AND ASK." SAID EDDIE.

THE BOYS WALKED THE SHORT DISTANCE TO THE BARROOM AND COULD SEE PEOPLE THRU THE OPEN DOOR. WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE WERE THESE? THEY ALL LOOKED LIKE A BAG OF BONES, THIN AS RAILS WITH SKIN SO TIGHT IT ALMOST CRACKED.

THEIR EYES WERE SUNK BACK IN THE SOCKETS AND MOST HAD NO HAIR AT ALL, WHILE OTHERS HAD ONLY WISPS OF GRAY HAIR CLINGING TO THEIR SKULLS. THEIR CLOTHES WERE DIRTY AND DUST FLEW OFF WHEN THEY WALKED ABOUT.

THERE WAS A FOUL ODOR CREEPING THRU THE OPEN DOOR. EDDIE GRABBED JOE BOB BY THE ARM AND PULLED HIM TO ONE SIDE, WHISPERING IN HIS EAR.

"OH MY GAWD, JOE BOB, I THINK WE HAVE FALLEN INTO A NEST OF ZOMBIES. YOU KNOW THEY CALL THEM THE LIVING DEAD. WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY OUT OF HERE AND FAST. IF WE ARE CAUGHT THEY WILL MAKE US INTO ZOMBIES TOO AND WE'LL NEVER SEE OUR FAMILIES AGAIN. WE'LL BE HERE THROUGHOUT ETERNITY. THE WHOLE TOWN MUST BE LIKE THIS. WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHICH WAY TO GO. WE SURE DON'T WANT TO GET BACK ON THAT HAUNTED TRAIN!" THE BOYS LOOKED UP AND DOWN THE STREET, STRAINING FOR A GLIMPSE OF ANYTHING HUMAN.

LOREN WRITES

JOE BOB AND EDDIE COULDNT SEE ANY PLACE ELSE THAT LOOKED LIKE IT HAD ANY ONE IN IT, NOT EVEN ZOMBIES. SO THEY WENT BACK TO THE TRAIN STATION. WHILE THEY WERE STANDING ON THE PLATFORM, THEY HEARD A TELEPHONE RINGING INSIDE THE STATION.

THEY WENT TO THE OPEN DOOR AND LOOKED IN TO SEE IF ANY ONE WAS GOING TO ANSWER THE PHONE. BUT THE STATION WAS EMPTY AND THE PHONE KEPT RINGING. FINALLY EDDIE TOLD JOE BOB HE WAS GOING TO ANSWER THE PHONE.

NO EDDIE DONT DO THAT. WE DONT KNOW WHO MIGHT BE ON THE OTHER END. IT CANT BE FOR US BECAUSE NO ONE KNOWS WE'RE HERE. PLEASE EDDIE, OH PLEASE DONT!

EDDIE BRUSHED ASIDE JOE BOBS PLEA AND PICKED UP THE PHONE AND SAID,

"HELLO, WHO IS THIS?"

A HOLLOW SOUNDING VOICE SAID,YOU CANT RIDE THE TRAIN AGAIN BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO TICKETS. AND THE LINE WENT DEAD.
EDDIE DROPPED THE PHONE AND RAN OUT OF THE STATION. JOE BOB WAS RIGHT BEHIND HIM. WHEN THEY GOT OUT SIDE EDDIE TOLD JOE BOB WHAT THE VOICE HAD SAID. JOE BOB WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO NOW AND AFTER TALKING IT OVER THEY DECIDED THEY WOULD WALK BACK UP THE TRAIN TRACKS IN THE DIRECTION THEY HAD COME FROM.

AS THEY WERE WALKING BESIDE THE TRACKS, JOE BOB WOULD STOP EVER SO OFTEN AND PICK UP A ROCK AND PUT IT IN HIS POCKET. BEFORE LONG IT BEGAN TO GET DARK.

CLARA WRITES;

"EDDIE, I'M HUNGRY AND THIRSTY. DID YOU SEE A DRINK MACHINE ANYWHERE?

SNIFFLED JOE BOB. I WISH I WAS HOME WITH MY DAD AND MOTHER. WHY
DID I EVER THINK IT WOULD BE FUN TO LOOK FOR TREASURE FROM THE
HURRICANE? WAIT A MINUTE, EDDIE DON'T LEAVE ME. I HAVE TO TAKE A
WHIZ"

EDDIE STOPPED BESIDE JOE BOB. HE WAS LOOKING UP AND DOWN THE RAILROAD TRACK WHEN HE SAW SOMETHING SHINING IN THE GRAVEL. HE WALKED OVER AND FOUND A SMALL POCKET KNIFE. EDDIE WAS HAPPY TO HAVE IT. HE FELT BETTER TO BE ARMED.

”JOE BOB, HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A TRAIN WRECK AROUND HERE? HAS
YOUR DAD OR SOMEONE EVER SAID THERE WAS A TRACK HERE? YOU'VE LIVED HERE ALL YOUR LIFE AND I'VE ONLY LIVED HERE 6 YEARS. WE'VE BEEN HERE LOTS OF TIMES AND NEVER SAW IT. WONDER IF IT WAS COVERED OVER AND THE HIGH WIND BLEW THE DIRT AWAY?

"NO, EDDIE. I AIN'T NEVER HEARD ABOUT A TRAIN WRECK OR ANY TRACKS HERE OR NOTHING ELSE" REPLIED JOE BOB AS HE ZIPPED HIS PANTS. I'M STILL WONDERING HOW SOMEONE KNEW WE WERE IN THE TRAIN DEPOT. ARE THEY WATCHING EVERYTHING WE DO?"

BEFORE EDDIE COULD REPLY, THEY HEARD A TRAIN WHISTLE AND A LIGHT THAT LOOKED LIKE THE SINGLE EYE OF A CYCLOPS PIERCED THE DARKNESS. EDDIE GRABBED JOE BOB AND YANKED HIM OFF THE TRACKS AND PULLED HIM FACE DOWN IN THE DIRT, COVERING BOTH THEIR HEADS WITH HIS ARMS. THE TRAIN RUMBLED PAST WITH A NOISE THAT WOULD WAKE THE DEAD. THE BOYS COULD FEEL THE SUCTION AS IT PASSED THEM.


LOREN WRITES;

EDDIE AND JOE BOB SAT UP AND WATCHED THE TRAIN DISAPPEAR UP THE
TRACKS. JOE BOB I DONT THINK WE SHOULD WALK ANY FURTHER TONIGHT. LETS FIND A PLACE WE CAN HIDE UNTIL DAY LIGHT.
THEY WALKED A LITTLE MORE UNTIL THEY CAME TO A RAVINE THAT RAN ALMOST TO THE RAILROAD TRACKS. THE RAVINE WAS CHOKED WITH BUSHES AND SMALL TREES. EDDIE AND JOE BOB GOT DOWN ON THEIR HANDS AND KNEES AND CRAWLED UNDER THE BRUSH.

AFTER THEY HAD GONE UP THE RAVINE FOR A WAYS THEY CAME TO AN OPEN GRASSY SPOT. THERE WAS A POOL OF WATER BESIDE THE GRASS AND BOTH OF THEM DRANK ALL THE WATER THEY WANTED. THEN THEY LAY DOWN ON THE GRASS AND WERE SOON ASLEEP.

EDDIE HEARD A SOUND THAT WOKE HIM UP. WHEN HE OPENED HIS EYES, HE SAW THAT THE SUN WAS SHINING. THEN HE HEARD THE SOUND THAT HAD WOKE HIM UP AGAIN. IT WAS THE FLUTTERING OF A BIRDS WINGS. AS HE SAT UP HE SAW SEVERAL BIRDS IN THE BUSHES AROUND THEM FEEDING ON BERRIES. WHEN HE LOOKED AT THE BERRIES CLOSELY, HE SAW THAT THEY WERE RIPE GOOSE BERRIES.

EDDIE SHOOK JOE BOB AND WOKE HIM UP. WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD. ITS
BREAKFAST TIME. BOTH BOYS ATE ALL THE GOOSE BERRIES THEY COULD HOLD AND GOT ANOTHER DRINK OF WATER. THUS REFRESHED THEY CRAWLED BACK TOWARD THE RAILROAD TRACKS.

EDDIE TOLD JOE BOB BEFORE THEY LEFT THE RAVINE THERE WAS SOMETHING HE WANTED TO DO. EDDIE TOOK OUT THE KNIFE HE HAD FOUND AND CUT TWO SMALL SAPLINGS ABOUT FOUR FEET LONG. THEN HE SHARPENED THE BIG END TO A POINT. WHILE HE WAS DOING THIS JOE BOB WAS PICKING UP SOME MORE ROCKS AND PUTTING THEM IN HIS POCKETS.

EDDIE HANDED JOE BOB ONE OF THE WOODEN SPEARS HE HAD MADE. EDDIE WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO WITH THIS?

EDDIE ANSWERED, I ALWAYS HEARD IF YOU STUCK A WOODEN STAKE INTO A ZOMBIES HEART IT WOULD KILL HIM. OR WAS THAT A VAMPIRE? WELL WHAT WORKS FOR ONE MIGHT WORK FOR THE OTHER. ANYWAY I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO HAVE SOME KIND OF WEAPON. NOW THAT THEIR BELLIES WERE FULL OF GOOSE BERRIES AND THEY HAD DRUNK ALL THE WATER THEY WANTED THEY WERE READY TO CONTINUE THEIR WALK UP THE TRACKS.

CLARA WRITES;

THE BOYS HAD ONLY GONE A FEW STEPS WHEN JOE BOB SAT DOWN. "WHAT ARE YOU SITTING THERE FOR? LET'S GET UP TO THE TRACKS AND SEE IF WE CAN MAKE OUR WAY OUT OF THIS PLACE. I THINK THOSE CREATURES SLEEP DURING THE DAY, SO WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR MOVE WHILE IT IS LIGHT. I WONDER WHAT OUR FOLKS ARE THINKING. MAYBE THEY HAVE GOT THE COPS LOOKING FOR US BY NOW. WE MIGHT HEAR SIRENS AT ANY MINUTE." EDDIE, I'M NOT MAKING A MOVE UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO. WE CAN'T JUST GO WANDERING AROUND LIKE WE DID YESTERDAY. I AIN'T NEVER BEEN SO SCARED IN MY LIFE. WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF PLAN. WHAT IF WE GET SEPARATED? WHAT HAPPENS THEN? EDDIE, DO YOU THINK ALL THIS REALLY HAPPENED? WHAT IF IT WAS A NIGHTMARE? I'M STILL HUNGRY. BERRIES WERENT ENOUGH FOOD AND I WANT A SODA."

JOE BOB GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND GET UP THIS HILL TO THE TRACKS. YOU'RE ACTING LIKE A WUSS AGAIN. MAYBE YOU THINK YOURE THE ONLY ONE THAT'S SCARED AND HUNGRY. HERE'S A FLASH FOR YOU. I'M SCARED TOO. WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME SENSE OUT OF ALL THIS WHILE WE HAVE THE DAYLIGHT. I DON'T WANT TO SPEND ANOTHER NIGHT UNDER THESE
BUSHES SO GET UP.

JOE BOB PICKED UP HIS SPEAR AND GOT TO HIS FEET. THE BOYS CLIMBED TO THE TOP WHERE THE TRACKS WERE LAST NIGHT. TODAY IT WAS JUST A HILL! THE TRACKS WERE GONE AND THE GRASS GROWN UP. IT LOOKED LIKE IT HAD NEVER BEEN USED. W-W-WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TRAIN TRACKS, E-E-E-EDDIE? JOE BOB WAS STUTTERING AGAIN.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO WORRY ABOUT THAT DARNED OLD TRACK, JOE BOB. WE'RE JUST GOING TO KEEP ON WALKING BACK TOWARDS THE WAY WE CAME LAST NIGHT.

THE BOYS HAD WALKED FOR A MILE OR MORE WITHOUT SEEING A LIVING THING. NO BIRDS FLEW OVERHEAD OR RABBITS SCURRIED THRU THE BRUSH. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT ANYTHING LIVED HERE, OR EVER HAD LIVED HERE. NO POWER LINES TO BE SEEN OR DISTANT SOUNDS OF HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. IT WAS LIKE BEING IN A VOID, WHEN SUDDENLY THERE WAS A SCREECH. JOE BOB JUMPED ONTO EDDIE'S BACK AND GABBED HIM AROUND THE NECK.

W-W-WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT EDDIE? S-SOUNDED LIKE A WOMAN SCREAMING.

"OH IT WAS PROBABLY A DUMB OLD HOOTIE OWL," SAID EDDIE.

"STRANGE TO HEAR HIM IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. CAN'T BE MORE THAN NINE O'CLOCK. PLEASE TURN MY NECK LOOSE. I CAN'T BREATHE WITH YOU HOLDING SO TIGHT." AT THAT MOMENT THE SCREAM CAME AGAIN. IT WAS A LOT CLOSER THAN BEFORE.


LOREN WRITES;

JUST THEN JOE BOB AND EDDIE SAW THAT LADY WITH THE LONG BLOND HAIR THAT WAS WEARING THE BLUE EVENING GOWN COME FLOATING BY. SHE WAS GOING ALONG THE AREA WHERE THE TRAIN TRACKS HAD BEEN AND SHE WAS SCREECHING SO LOUD THEY COULD HEAR HER FOR A LONG WAY. WHEN SHE NEARED THE BOYS, SHE BEGAN TO SING "I'VE
GOT A TICKET TO RIDE".

SHE STOPPED AND LOOKED AT THE BOYS AND ASKED IF THEY HAD A TICKET TO RIDE. EDDIE ASKED HER HOW TO GET OUT OF THERE. SHE DIDN'T REPLY AND STARTED WALKING AGAIN.


JOE BOB TURNED AND STARTED WALKING THE OTHER WAY. EDDIE RAN AFTER HIM AND STOPPED HIM. WHERE ARE YOU GOING? YOU KNOW WE HAVE TO FOLLOW HER IF WE'RE EVER GOING TO FIND OUR WAY HOME.
EE-EDDIE I D-D-D-DONT THINK WE'RE EVER GOING TO GO HOME AGAIN. I-I-I THINK THIS IS OUR HOME FROM NOW ON. I'M HUNGRY AND I WANT A SODA. EDDIE PLEASE GET ME A SODA. JOE BOB YOU COME ON WITH ME AND I'LL GET YOU A SODA, I PROMISE. SO THE BOYS WALKED ON ALL DAY, WITHOUT SEEING OR HEARING ANYTHING ELSE. THEY STOPPED TO REST AND DRANK FROM THE STREAM THAT RAN ALONG SIDE THE TRACKS. AS IT BEGAN TO GROW DARK THE RAILROAD TRACKS WERE ONCE AGAIN THERE ON THE TOP OF THE HILL. THIS TIME INSTEAD OF STOPPING FOR THE NIGHT, THEY KEPT ON WALKING.

BEFORE LONG EDDIE AND JOE BOB COULD SEE THE OLD TRAIN CAR IN THE MOON LIGHT. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON INSIDE OF THE CAR. THEY CLIMBED UP ON THE SMALL PLATFORM ON THE END OF THE CAR AND OPENED THE DOOR. THE CAR LOOKED EMPTY. SO EDDIE AND JOE BOB WENT IN AND WALKED DOWN THE AISLE TOWARD THE OTHER END OF THE CAR.

AS EDDIE AND JOE BOB GOT NEAR THE OTHER END OF THE CAR, BY MOONLIGHT, THEY SAW THE CONDUCTOR SITTING ON ONE OF THE SEATS. THERE WAS NO LIGHT IN THE EYE SOCKETS OF HIS SKULL SO EDDIE DECIDED HE WAS STILL ASLEEP.

CLARA WRITES:

EDDIE KNEW THEY HAD TO TAKE A CHANCE. IT WAS NOW OR NEVER.
HE WHISPERED TO JOE BOB,

"WE HAVE TO STAB HIM IN THE HEART" JOE BOB BEGAN TO CRY.

"SHUT UP AND DO AS I SAY. WE BOTH HAVE TO HIT HIM HARD WITH
OUR SPEARS THRU THE HEART. AIM FOR THE MIDDLE OF HIS CHEST.
RIGHT BELOW THAT THIRD BUTTON ON HIS JACKET. NOW DO IT WHEN I
SAY GO."

THE BOYS DREW THEIR ARMS HIGH IN THE AIR AND EDDIE
SAID "GO", THEY BOTH STRUCK AT THE SAME TIME. IT MADE AN AWFUL SOUND LIKE HITTING A BALE OF HAY AND SMOKE POURED FROM THE
MOUTH OF THE CONDUCTOR. HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE "OOOOH"
THE LIGHTS IN HIS EYES FLICKERED ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES AND
WENT OUT. AT THE SAME TIME THE TRAIN CAR GREW BLACK AS NIGHT.
EDDIE FELT HIS WAY TO THE BACK OF THE CAR WITH JOE BOB AGAIN
HANGING ON TO HIS BELT. WHEN THEY FOUND THE DOOR IT WAS
WEDGED TIGHTLY AND THEY COULD NOT OPEN IT. THE BOYS FOUND A
SEAT IN THE DARK AND SAT DOWN.

LOREN WRITES:


IT SEEMED LIKE THEY SAT THERE FOR HOURS AND EVENTUALLY THEY BOTH FELL ASLEEP. THE SUN SHINING IN THE WINDOWS FINALLY WOKE EDDIE AND JOE BOB. THEY WERE ALONE IN THE CAR. THE CONDUCTORS BODY WAS GONE. WHEN THEY LOOKED AT THE DOOR IT WAS AJAR JUST ENOUGH FOR THEM TO SQUEEZE THRU. THEY STEPPED OUT ON THE SMALL PLATFORM AND DOWN INTO THE MUD OF THE SWAMP.

AS EDDIE AND JOE BOB WALKED AWAY FROM THE CAR THEY HEARD
A NOISE. LOOKING BACK THEY SAW THE TRAIN CAR SLOWLY SINKING BACK INTO THE MUD AND IT WAS GONE. AT THE SAME TIME THE RAILROAD TRACKS BEGAN TO SHIMMER AND DISAPPEAR.
LOOKING AROUND NOW THEY KNEW WHERE THEY WERE. GEE JOE BOB, I GUESS IT WAS JUST ALL A BAD DREAM. LETS GO HOME. I DONT THINK I WANT TO LOOK FOR ANY MORE TREASURE. WE DONT HAVE ANYTHING TO PROVE THAT ALL OF THAT WAS REAL SO WE WONT TELL ANYONE ABOUT IT.WE'LL SAY WE WERE LOST IN THE SWAMP.

EDDIE, WHAT ABOUT THESE? AND JOE BOB REACHED INTO HIS POCKETS AND PULLED OUT ALL THE ROCKS THAT HE HAD PICKED UP!

THE END

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