Once upon a time I went onto a walk through downtown in our City. First, it was just a stroll around to stretch legs. Like, lets go with this direction to check up that square for no particular reason, or just I feel like to walk in that direction.
Anyway, quite soon, not looking for something specific, I went to local shop (supermarket?)on side road to buy some snack. Jet for some reason, after buying practically one bag-piece of snacks,I do not return the shopping cart that I used, directly to the cart parking area in front of that shop. Instead, I went with that cart from that market around a block. With one item in, I look confident, traveling around. But, the wheels had a problem to pass road crossing, nearly getting stuck in middle there. Plus the traffic police officer has giving me a suspicious eye. Yet it must got into conclusion that I am on my way to return the shopping cart to the shop stand ahead, and the snack is for me to open when the work is done. One one hand, it can look like a smart idea to use the shopping cart, to carry the goods from shop shelf to home, then returning the cart to its place. However, now lightened cart wheels are slipping, so its seems to be a lesson about cones/negatives of this idea.The officer helped to control the traffic so I can push the cart through this obstacle.
Eventually, I reached a shopping carts stand, (or something like that), and parked this one there. Wait a moment! Do this shopping cart belonging to a different shop?… "Upsie~e…" Ah, not my problem anymore. I shrug, leaving that area as if no big deal. Yet it will be funny, if someone eventually notice, that they have a different cart here. Like when there was two rival institutions and its residents prank them by secretly swapping theirs important exhibition display case and it went unnoticed for a months.
.
I continue strolling while snacking, leaving the downtown to peripheral area, supposedly heading in relative direction to back home. Yet, I introducing a little detour, like I take one route more in left direction again and again. Straying from the shortest path to stroll more. We are in city, so strolling next street shall not have a deeper impact. Right? Maybe it was a feeling that I am watched, or the officer was tailing me; I put away the rest of my snack pack as if saving it later, while stuffing it into corners of my cloths. Or it was bag or satchel? Never-mind, it was a stroll.
Then, because the elevation become higher like if I going down from small hill, I just climb up, I start to imitating parkour as if Free-running, yet just walking. Like give an inspection stare to a cliff wall, that was there to protect road carved into a side of hill from land slide. Because it was just the right height, it was on place to hang down from it. Or when another one had the just right angle; slide-walk down from it. Anybody who will see me, will thing that I just having some fun on my stroll. Or just doing a lazy planed exercise.
As I continue further, the road seems to continue in slight bend right curve, yet in corner of my eye I notice the opportunity to chose a different option that the obvious option. But, the moment I turn again more to the left, into an unimpressive passage between some cliffs, a small narrow stairs down, as if it was a secret route know only by local or like that; I stop myself. Still on stairs, I saw a (rail track?) at bottom of the stairs. It was an unexpected to found an actual rail track hidden inside built-up household area as if there was a gutter, ditch or hole for it. Yet, I got confused because it was not an ordinary rail or tram track, it was a coal black metal looking mono rail track.
.
I went down the stairs, feeling like entering an abandoned domain, hidden dungeon, or overlooked garden and got into a well preserved short train stop platform. I heard the story about having in our city a something like a cog railway, but I though its only toward hill forest for lumber jacks, seasonal attraction for summer camp, or something small like that. Yet this platform had an umbrella brim roofing, a single bench and bulletin board, having some info displayed behind the glass panel like a name list of this train stops. Curious about what this is about, I do intent to read whats there, so I step closer...
Then, as if it was a scripted event, that will launch when a player enter a platform, I heard it. It was the iconic tension noise from a rail that give out a hint, that something is approaching. I turn around toward the track. I glance left tracking the monorail into a distance. There, sitting on a cliff/hillside between buildings, the rail track had this long slight curve right, then after one to left it disappear behind a corner. Looping like that, this strip of land seemed, like a forgotten area, that house building developer are unable to touch, so they use every piece around that they can. Like you have a household parcel, then a short garden fence, beyond it railroad, steep grass hill/cliff down, then another short garden fence, and another buildings, houses or so. It give the opportunity to have a relatively nice view from this train stop while waiting for your ride.
Sharpening my senses, I saw a black monorail (steam locomotive?), emerge from that corner making that weak turn left. Hurrying on human running speed it then make the weak turn right toward the train stop. That train dint seem to had any wagon after the tender and if I was correct, I don't saw into the cabin. (Or I did but don't saw anybody there.) Yet that thing dint show any sing to slow or stopping. I watch it pass around me, then continue right on its route. It seemed that the train was not intended to stoop on this train stop, not even showed an intention to slow down. It just past around and continued on its way. (Well it dint seem to have any wagons, so that's why.)
Then, as I returned to look around, my attention was captured by a movement from left. I saw the fluffiest cat wandering the track as if pursuing the train or taking its example to travel. No, already on platform the cat was clearly heading toward me. Or I think it was a cat, because it looked like a bunch of fur, that dint fear me. Then I notice, its followed by another one that was behind and in slight different colors, walk running near the fence.
I got stunned thinking. "Are they on stroll? Or a lost? Are they tamed? Did I getting a two pet cats?"
The first one run to me, stand on back legs, putting front paws onto my leg. At firs glance, it seems that she was trying jumping on me, yet she failing to lift her back legs from the ground. On the second glance it seemed, she pleading for something. Like if she was talking, but I heard none words. The second arrived on platform, so the first fluffy ball decided to puts ifs front paw back on ground and continue forward, as if the cats were pursuing the train. So I glanced after the first one on the right direction.
Yet I was curious if the other cat will do something similar as the first one, so I turn left. That's when I heard, someone to addressing me, yet I dint comprehend the mumbled message. Out of breath, so it must bend over to catch air, as if after an intensive running, on the train stop platform was; a (girl?),-- or a (cat girl?),-- or a (*something* girl?),-- yet it was a train conductor girl.
Finally catching her breath; as she rise her eye, she glanced at me with pleading eyes. "Runaway train, we must catch it!..."
That make me to raise my eyebrow. (Did she trying to catch a train on a foot?)
This really seemed like a start of a hidden side quest, through an encounter, when the conditions to trigger it are meet.
.
After my question "How?", her eyes light up with a hope. Then we went a several of step left, back in direction from where the train has come. Somehow on that first cliff curve to right, there was track switch, showing an unnoticed route. Passing the track switch, (again to left), onto a side track; we went several more meters down like into a cave. Until we reach something like maybe dug up deep ditch, canyon, or a former drain path hidden between tall walls that dividing hills. I nearly expected to walk into a tunnel, or a cave. But on bottom of this land mass, there on side track was stationed; another train. (Why it was there?; when there was absolutely nothing that justification to be her? Dint ask.) Someone can think, that somebody intended to do an underground railroad, but then the digging up part was somehow cut out at some point, yet the train plan stayed. Or somebody buy a strips of land, there and there that connect together and this is what they decided to do with it.
Only on board of that train I understand, what the train conductor girl needed from me; she was not strong enough to run it itself. Neither, to solo catch an another train with this one. She explain that she managed to remotely set the track switches in a way that the loose train will looping around some district of the city, eventually passing again around this part.
So it happened… We went on runaway/strolling train hunting. And this time it seemed that going right, is the correct rightful direction to take.
[End]
[Based on dream from 20.-21.Nov 2024, jet finished on 22th. In curious matter, I was getting a heavy toughs about producing stories that have somehow a dark appeal, theme instead of be a comedy or fun. Then this come and make my day. Yet on this point, another resemble come on my mind, like the conductor girl seem to be short haired blonde like certain Dooby is, who have a train. Or it was just a good color contrasts, that come to mind only when I overthink about it?]