The Lilac Tunnel: My Journey with Samantha

Within an instant, I know what this means. No locket means no way home. No way home means I’m stuck on this train that’s about to leave the station. I jump up and run to the front of the train, but Mrs. Davis steps into the aisle to stop me. She forces me to sit down in one of the front row seats. I scan the windows for Elsa, but I know she’s gone. Panicking, I wonder if the windows are big enough for me to crawl through. That’s when I see a face through the window. Samantha. She’s waving to me from the platform.

I force the window open before Mrs. Davis can stop me and I call out her name. She runs to the window. I quickly tell her my locket is in the bathroom at her house, near the bathtub. I have to get it. Samantha nods, determination taking over her face, and then she’s running.

I try to picture Samantha’s path to her home. It’s not far, just down the street. It took Elsa and me ten minutes to walk here. How long will it take Samantha to run? Will she make it back before the train leaves? If she doesn’t, I’ll go forward into the future with only the few possessions in my cardboard suitcase at my feet. No laptop, no cell phone, no way to call home. No family. I really will be alone.

My heart pounds in my ears and I count the seconds. One, two, three… When I get to 202, I stop. I’m so nervous.

When the train whistle blows, I jump out of my seat. I stare out the window, wishing Samantha to appear. Please, please, please.

And then I see her. Samantha’s racing along the platform toward me, something dangling from her hand. My locket! I lean through the open window, my hand outstretched. When Samantha reaches me, she forces the necklace into my hand, pressing her palm against mine to make sure nobody drops it. I grasp it with my fingers and hold Samantha’s hand close, too. She’s out of breath, and I’m having trouble catching mine, so we don’t say anything. But we lock eyes and I squeeze her hand until the train starts to move forward. When it’s a few yards away from her, I finally shout out a thank you.

Samantha nods and waves until I can’t see her anymore. Then I turn around on my seat and clutch the necklace to my chest. Just before I open the locket, I take one last look behind me at the little blonde-haired boy who’s staring out the window. I’m going home, but what about the boy? I swallow an overwhelming wave of sadness, sink down in my seat, and pry the locket open.

I’m falling downward, gripping the locket. I land on my bed and open my eyes to see I’m dressed in my capris and t-shirt. I bury my face in my pillow and let the tears come. Just then, someone knocks on my door and asks to come in. It’s Gracie. She doesn’t wait for an answer, but I don’t think I could speak right now even if she did. When she sees me crying, she pats me on the back as if she was the big sister, not me. That makes me want to cry harder, but I’m afraid I’ll scare Gracie, so I pull it together. She asks me if I’m feeling sad. I shake my head and tell her that I was before. I was homesick. But I feel better now.

Gracie’s eyes lights up. Do I want to play with her? I tell her yes. It feels like days since I’ve seen her, and I realize that if Samantha had been even a minute late, it might have been a lifetime. I hang on to Gracie’s hand, and let her lead me out of the room.