A Change in Plans

 Emma felt calmer as she handed the conductor her ticket and boarded the train. She was carrying her valise, as well as her small terrier dog, Kick. Her trunk would be put with the luggage of the other passengers. She also had a small reticle hanging from her wrist. She would be glad when they departed Kansas City. It would be one more step between her and Louisiana. More specifically, between her and the insane asylum in Louisiana. She shuddered, thinking of that horrible place that her family had put her in, intending to leave her there the rest of her life.

She wasn't crazy! But she and Kick seemed to be the only ones who knew it.

She sat down in her assigned seat, which she was pleased to discover was a window seat, then settled Kick on her lap, and rubbed the small dog's head lovingly. She arranged the skirts of her blue gown around her in the seat.

She tried to think of herself as Emma now, and not by her old name, Rosemary. She decided it was best, on the outside chance that her family actually did look for her, once they were notified that she was missing from the asylum. Of course, that wouldn't happen right off......supervision of the inmates had been minimal.

"We'll be leaving in just a few minutes, Miss.", an attendant informed her as he passed by. She was glad. The snow coming down was more than just flurries now.

Travel would be much harder very soon. She wanted to get to San Francisco as soon as she could. She had enough money to get settled in a new home with Kick, and for them to eat for awhile, before she had to look for work.

They traveled for an hour or two, and Emma and Kick both grew restless, so they walked to the dinner car on the train. Emma had a cup of hot tea with lemon and sugar in it. The waiter brought a bowl of water for Kick.

They went back to their seat, and Emma read a novel while Kick curled up on her lap and slept. Emma soon grew sleepy herself, so she closed her book, laid her head back, and went to sleep.

During the night or the early hours of  the next morning, Emma was jarred awake by a sudden stopping of the train. She hugged Kick to her, but sat still with the other passengers at the request of the conductor.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated. We have been forced to stop at this time, due to the weather conditions. We are hoping to be able to resume travel very soon, but if we are not able to, we will have you disembark, walk to the nearest town, and stay there until conditions improve. Please stay seated until I return with an update.", the conductor had told them.

At around 6 that morning, they were on their way again, to Emma's intense relief. Once they were started again. Emma went to the dinner car for some breakfast. She ordered a pot of hot tea, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, and some bacon. She shared the eggs and bacon with Kick.

The rest of the morning, Emma petted Kick, and read in her novel.

Lunch was a bowl of vegetable soup and a slice of buttered bread.

That afternoon was spent looking out the window with Kick.

Three more days passed uneventfully. and then around noon on the fourth day, they pulled into the station in San Francisco. Emma picked up Kick, her valise, and her reticule, and got off the train. She arranged for her trunk to be delivered to the hotel that she saw across the street from the station.

Emma checked in, and was shown to her room; her trunk followed shortly. She let Kick down, and the little terrier explored their room carefully.

Emma enjoyed a hot bath. When she was done, she rubbed the hotel's scented lotion on her body, then slipped on a soft yellow dressing gown out of her trunk.

"Well, Kick, what should we do next? Our new life is starting.", , she told the dog as she cuddled her. She knew then that she hadn't left anything behind, anything at all.