Sanctuary

“One second, Em. The intercom’s going.”

Erica strained to listen to the garbled, static stream that the conductor spewed into the aged system. This rail had been travelling in and out of NYC for more than half a century now, and given the mess of place names and stations that sounded throughout each of the cars, it was very possible that the intercom system was still that original that came with the train. Combined with the mess of conversation from strangers sitting throughout each compartment, the tones were indecipherable to her unfamiliar ears, and might as well have not sounded in the first place. With a groan, Erica adjusted the Bluetooth in her ear.

“It’s gone now. God, I hate this stupid train.”

“Is it that bad?”

“Worse. Believe me.” She turned her attention back to a pamphlet sprawled out on her knees. In it, a diagram of the train route was illustrated in a confusing mess of golds, blues, and reds. None of it meant anything to Erica. “And I thought train travel was supposed to be romantic…”

On the other end of the line, Monique’s high-pitched laugh sounded loud and clear. “Just don’t think about it. Focus on how incredible the conference is going to be tomorrow.”

“Oh, endless panels and a sea of monotone suits. Should be a blast.”

“Don’t be like that. You know what a big deal this is - Ms. Yates never invites junior partners to TechSource. Be excited for once!”

“Fine, fine.” Grumbling, Erica crumpled up the map and tossed it in her purse. “I think my stop is coming up, Em. I gotta go.”

“Good luck! And remember to have fun, okay? For all of us stuck in the office this week!”

“Will do.” After carefully packing away the Bluetooth, Erica stood up from her stiff cushioned seat, suitcase in hand, and worked her way to the front of the car. The train wasn’t too crowded for a Monday morning, thank goodness, but between her bulky luggage and the narrow aisles running the length of each car, maneuvering to the doors was easier said than done. She took a mental note not to bother with the railway in the future - it was cheap, but she would’ve been better off renting a car after all.

The train slowed to a stop. A shrill tone then sounded, and instantly, the pair of metal doors slid open, a refreshing gust of cool air rustling Erica’s hair. Relieved, Erica stepped onto the platform, dragging her suitcase behind her, glancing around as she took in the sights. The rough concrete underfoot and near-empty stop didn’t phase her too much; as long as she wasn’t on the stuffy, cramped train any longer, she was content.

Noting a kiosk at the far end of the station, Erica strutted towards the exit just as the train sped away beside her, her heels clicking on the solid stone floor. “Good riddance,” she murmured, smirking as the train disappeared into the horizon. And to think she once complained about the city subway.

Erica stepped up to the kiosk. Inside, a stout woman looked up from her crossword and grinned. “Good morning, ma’am. Can I help you?”

“Yes, thanks. Could you point me to the Express-o Rail? I’m supposed to meet someone.”

The woman furrowed her brow. “I’m sorry?”

“Express-o Rail? It’s a coffee shop, here in the station. According to my boss, at least.”

“Express-o... Sorry, ma’am, I’m not sure. This is the whole station here; there’s no coffee shop or-” Suddenly, the woman’s eyes lit up. “Hang on, I might...” She turned to a monitor in her kiosk and began typing rapidly on the keyboard.

“You know the place?”

She nodded hesitantly. “Yes, I think so. But it’s not at this station. Are you possibly looking for Keystones?”

Erica’s stomach dropped. “Is… Is this not the Keystones station?”

“We’re in Warbler’s Nest now. That’s the stop before Keystones, see?” The woman placed a map of the route on the counter, pointing to the stop names with a pen as she explained. “You wanted to get off at the next station.”

Cursing, Erica pulled the map closer, her eyes darting between the two stops. “How can I get to Keystones? Is there another train this morning?”

“I’m so sorry, ma’am, the next train isn’t scheduled until...” Thoughtfully, the woman typed a few more words into her computer. “Just as I thought, the next train isn’t coming until six.”

“Is there any way I can get there sooner?”

“Hm… I could call you a taxi if you really want, but frankly, they won’t be here for at least an hour or two, and their prices are outrageous. Your best bet is to wait for the train. I can even waive the ticket price for you, since you didn’t mean to disembark.”

Rubbing her temples, Erica groaned. “I suppose… I can’t believe this…”

The woman in the kiosk passed a new ticket over the counter, which Erica reluctantly accepted. She gave a sympathetic smile. “There’s worse places to be stuck, I promise. Warbler’s Nest is the middle of nowhere, but that’s just what makes it special.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Erica shoved the new ticket into her pocket before walking out the front entrance. She needed to kill some time, and conversation with an overly-positive station assistant was hardly the entertainment she had in mind. Bitterly, she glanced around Warbler’s Nest for the first time, hoping for a small cafe where she could pull out her laptop and at least get some work done. Instead, she found a decaying parking lot surrounded by forest as far as the eye could see. 

“Figures.” Erica pulled her cell phone from her pocket; naturally, she had no signal so far from civilization. “Who even thought to put a station here?”

A nearby sign caught her attention. Planted at the edge of the forest, the large wooden slate detailed an array of forest trails that travelled the area, stretching as far as the Appalachians to the west and the outermost suburbs of New York to the East. Though Erica had never been one for hiking, what most interested her about the map was a tiny body of water marked nearby the train station, the word Sanctuary etched above it.

Erica was not a sentimental person. She prided herself on independence and focus; she didn’t need distractions interfering with her work. It’s the reason her boss, Ms. Yates, trusted her to join her at TechSource after just a single meeting; it’s the reason she managed to earn the title of junior partner at only 29. In fact, the only scrap of sentimentality that she had ever afforded herself was a small picture stuffed into her wallet; in it, the young, carefree faces of her parents smiled into the camera, the stress of big business not yet weighing on their minds, the expanse of blue water behind them their only present focus. And, on the back of that photo, written in her mother’s curly handwriting, read the word Sanctuary.

She’d never known what Sanctuary referred to. As a child, her parents were rarely around to ask - between obligations for their careers, meetings with clients, and volunteer work that they completed for the community, she barely saw mom and dad at the best of times. Then, of course, they’d passed suddenly in an accident, taken from her at just 24 by the reckless hand of a drunk driver. She’d resigned herself to never finding out then, instead choosing to focus on her own career instead.

A pencil skirt and heels did not make for the best hiking clothes, but fortunately, the trails in Warbler’s Nest were not difficult to navigate and the Sanctuary pond was near. 5 minutes of stumbling along dry, dusty dirt trails, and Erica stood on the sandy shores of a deep blue lake, not even 100-feet across but shimmering beneath a broad, cloudless sky. Sanctuary was the perfect name for the spot, indeed.

Hands shaking, Erica pulled the folded photograph from her wallet and held it against the vista. Side by side, it was clear the image lined up perfectly with the view of the water from where she now stood. This must have been the Sanctuary she’d been wondering about all her life. This was the spot where her parents once stood, long before life had broken them down.

Erica put her suitcase down and rested atop the sturdy luggage. She had no plans to go anywhere, anytime soon.