The Lost Scouts - Part 2

 As John entered the train with his Scout group, he thought that nothing could go wrong now. How very incorrect he was.

In the train, the Scouts had a compartment for themselves. There were many rooms in the compartment, each with six beds, as there were six members in each scout group.

Every room had the name of the group and the members in it written in a paper and stuck on the door. John found his group’s compartment. He read the paper:

The Kangaroo Scout Group

-  Mike (Captain)
-  John
-  Emily
-  Peter
-  Susan
-  Edgar

He gestured Edgar and his elder sister Emily to their compartment, where Mike was already helping Peter with his luggage. A minute later, Susan joined.

‘Hi!’ she said excitedly.

Then a boy, who looked like about four years older than him, entered the room and gave something that looked like an oversized phone. ‘Sir Nick, our teacher-in-charge for this trip, invited the captain for each group to join us in a meeting for this trip now. Please, hurry.”

‘Uh-oh. Got to go. See you, John, Edgar, Emily, Peter and Susan.’ he said.

While Mike was there in the meeting for five minutes or so, we put up a conversation on the upcoming trip.

‘Mind you, I REALLY love French food.’ said Peter

‘Ooh, I’d give anything to extend this trip another week.’ said Emily

‘I don’t know. This is my first scout trip.’ said Susan.

‘Don’t worry, they are really enjoyable, the trips are!’ said John

‘I wonder what the captains are doing there. It’ll be a miracle if they’ve all fit in one room.’ wondered Edgar loudly.

‘Oh, come on, you don’t think there is only one teacher, do you, Edgar?’ asked Emily.

‘As a matter of fact, there is only Sir Nick.’ said Mike, who arrived just at the moment.

‘What did he say?’ asked Emily, who looked up.

‘That we’d need to look after ourselves and that we would land on 4:30 on Friday and that we should leave the train by that time by hook or crook.’ said Mike.

The time flew by like water. Though they were in the train for two days, John was sitting in their room mid-afternoon on the day of their arrival and could recall the first day as though it was a minute ago.

‘Can anyone tell me what the time is? We’ll leave the train at 4:30.’ asked Mike.

‘I have my watch in the bag, sorry.’ said Susan.

The scouts had two bags. One of them had personal and important thing like the passport and all, which they carried with them, and the other one had a name tag and would be moved to their hotel rooms later.

Then John remembered. ‘Oh my wristwatch is here. Oh no...’ wailed John, horrified. The time was 4:32. ‘We need to get out now, immediately, it is 4:32!!! Come on, hur-’ said John. His last words were drowned by an announcement. ‘The train will continue on its journey within a few seconds. If there’s anyone of this station left, please come quickly.’ they heard at the station.

‘THIS IS OUR STATION! COME! COME! COME!’ hissed Mike.

‘Why isn’t there anyone?’ asked Edgar, as they broke into a run.

‘Maybe they have left already!’ replied John.

Thankfully, they were about to leave the train just before the door closed with the bags they were to carry themselves, with the other luggage being brought later.

John touched the ground and panted without seeing anywhere. Then Mike gestured him to look forward with his face paper-white. Not understanding why he was so horrified, John looked up. He nearly froze with shock.

The students were there in the compartment, chatting animatedly and not looking out. As the train left, John remembered with a jolt.

‘My watch had got stuck at 4:32 the day we boarded the train! I am so sorry, guys! It is all my fault!’ wailed John.

‘No! It is mine! I should’ve double-checked’ said Mike.

‘No, how were you supposed to in that panic I created?’ asked John

‘No, no as a cap-’ began Mike.

‘Please! There is no good in deciding whose fault it was. It was all of our fault. None of us checked the station clock. You two aren’t to blame yourselves! Please!’ said Edgar.

‘I’m so sorry.’ sighed John.

‘Oh! Come on! There is no time to be sorry now. We need to think of something.’ said Susan.

John looked at the station clock. It was 2.

‘We are two and a half hours early. Does someone have some money?’ asked Mike.

Everyone shook their heads.

‘Then, it’s a trouble.’ sighed Mike

Suddenly, John felt a massive hit on his face. Someone had creeped from behind and knocked out John.

He fell unconscious, but could sense someone dragging him by his two foot and two hands. He woke up with a start. There stood a toothless shabby guy with an evil-looking smile.

He was in trouble.

A sneak peek of next part:

We have a good news and a bad news. The good news is that we had found this kind person on our way in the woods who is allowing us to stay in his inn for lost campers in the woods free of charge. The bad news is that we are lost in the woods.

-- Atreyo 😀, 

15th December, 2020