To Madland

I woke up dizzy and confused. A train? A Madland? What was that?

I looked around to see some letters the maid left on my table.

“That’s strange, I thought my brother forbade them from giving me my mail.”

To my surprise, the letters were even sealed.

“That’s even stranger! They didn’t check on my mail! Wait… What if it’s not a maid that got me those letters?”

I held my breath and opened the first letter that was an invitation.

Greetings,

After studying your application under a full scholarship, we are glad to announce your admission to our exclusive school, Madland, where the secrets of the universe are waiting to be uncovered.

At Madland, you will be challenged to think deeply, to question everything you thought you knew, and to explore the depths of your own mind. You will learn the arts of alchemy, divination, and ancient languages, as well as the histories of the arcane and the occult.

But be warned: Madland is not for the faint of heart. It is a place of dark magic, where only the brave and the resourceful will thrive. You will encounter challenges and obstacles that will test your courage and your cunning, and you will need to draw upon all your skills and wits to overcome them.

We invite you to join us in this mysterious journey, where the boundaries of reality are blurred, and the answers to life's most profound questions are waiting to be discovered. We look forward to welcoming you to Madland, where the magic of the universe is waiting to be unlocked.

Sincerely,

The Faculty of Madland.

“Okay, what kind of silly jokes was that?” I thought that it was some kind of prank, till I opened the next letter and found a golden ticket.

“It can’t be…”

I was shocked! It was a train ticket! I am sure! Was it the ticket the man in my dream talked about?

“If that’s the case, then this must be my last chance to save Brother!”

The train was called The Ark, and the station was called The Rabbit Hole.

“Where is that Rabbit Hole for God’s sake?!”

I hit my head in frustration. Who in God’s name calls a station A Rabbit Hole?! There was no indication for a city or even a country. To sum up, I was invited to a school that I have no idea where. That I should get to by a train God only knows where.

I sighed and stood up from my bed to change my clothes and I opened the wardrobe and closed it immediately in shock.

“What?”

I opened the wardrobe again and opened my mouth in astonishment. There was a train station behind my wardrobe’s door!

The station was a grand, ornate building with towering arches and gleaming glass windows. The architecture is a fusion of different styles, with Gothic spires, Victorian turrets, and Art Nouveau flourishes, all blending together in a seamless whole! 

“I can’t believe my eyes…”

But a voice cut my astonishment short. It was Brother’s voice. He was back, “Amira, sweety. I am back! Did you miss me?”

The voice was coming from the corridor. I didn't have a minute left. I wore my slippers in a hurry. Then I took the letters and my teddy bear and went into the wardrobe. Of course, when Brother came in, he found the room empty. And he lost his temper

“Search for the young lady everywhere! Get her back!” He yelled at the guards.

“How dare you run away from me Amira," he groweled "In God's name I swear, the moment I get you back I’ll lock you in a dark basement and you will never see the sun’s light again!”

But, who cares? I’m never going back to him unless I find a treatment to cure his madness. And when I do, I will get my good Brother Kyle back and say bye bye to this mad man with a siscon!

As I stepped inside the station, I got struck by the bustling energy and the sense of excitement that permeated the air. The walls were lined with posters advertising fantastical destinations, from enchanted forests to hidden realms, and the air was thick with the scent of sweet, exotic flowers.

I saw that the platforms themselves were a wonder to behold, stretching out into the distance with the same grandeur and beauty as the station itself. The trains that pull into the station were a dazzling sight, adorned with intricate carvings.

In this magical train station, anything is possible, the only limit is your imagination. 

The voice of the woman doing announcements was enchanting as well. Everything looked like a dream.

“Am I dreaming?!”

No you’re not.

“Wait, Did you just respond to me?!”

Yes, I did.

I stood astonished and looked around me like a fool.

“How did you hear me?!” I asked.

I am the announcer, I hear everything in the station. And everyone hears me. It's only fair.

“How?!”

That’s a bizarre gown to wear in a train station, Miss.

“For God’s sake! My pajamas are the least bizarre thing in this station!”

The train of The Ark will depart in thirty minutes, please catch your train immediately.

“Which one is my train?!”

Please, use your ticket as a guide.

“Wait! How?!”

The announcer said nomore. I took my ticket and saw a flash of light on it, indicating the fanciest train in the station. So I hurried and got in.

As I boarded the magical train, I was greeted by a conductor dressed in a long, flowing robe adorned with mystical symbols. He welcomed me aboard and showed me to my cabin, which was nestled in one of the ornately decorated carriages.

As I stepped inside my cabin, I was immediately struck by the sense of magic and wonder that permeated the space. The walls were draped with rich fabrics in deep, jewel-toned hues, and the ceiling was adorned with twinkling fairy lights that cast a soft, ethereal glow.

I settled into my seat, which was plush and comfortable, and took in the details of the cabin. 

As the train hurtled through the magical landscape, I found myself lost in thought, dreaming of the adventures that awaited me. I felt a sense of contentment and joy, knowing that I was exactly where I was meant to be, traveling towards a destiny that was waiting to unfold. I spend my life being a burden, a nuisance to my family. And today finally I will be helping it! My brother will heal. And he will be very proud of me.

My dreamdays got cut short when someone opened the cabin’s door and got in. She was a woman. Probably a gypsy. She had golden skin and bright azur eyes. She was wearing a smile and a colorful cloth that asked for attention, “First class?” she asked.

“I have no idea," I answered. “But welcome anyway.”

“Thanks sweetheart.”

The woman had a calm and welcoming demeanor that immediately put me at ease as she sat down across from me. She looked at my face for some long time and said, “You are a girl on a mission?”

“Why otherwise would I be on a magical train?” I mocked.

“But you are human. And you are going to the world of monsters!”

I swallowed hard at the word monsters. I ran away from a monster, don’t tell me I’m gonna meet even more monsters!

“I am going to the Madland. It’s an academy.”

“Yes, an academy for monsters.”

“What?!”

“At least, you should be having a protector within. Otherwise, you will be in trouble!” She stood up and left the cabin after nodding her head in sorrow.

“Wait!” I tried to prevent her from going only to discover that I was stuck to my seat!

“Let me go!” I ordered it.

No, no. The seat answered with a deep strange voice. So I started crying out for help.

After a minute, the conductor came into my cabin. My face brightened as I thought I’m finally getting help. 

“Please, be quite Miss. You are disturbing other passengers.” he said, not paying the least attention to my situation.

“I am stuck!” 

“You chose a cabin with a chaining chair.”

“I did not! it must be the person that gave me the ticket!”

“You trusted that person, didn’t you?”

“Yes!”

“So take responsibility for it!”

“I didn’t know I would get stuck in a talking chair!”

“Who cares?”

“You should!”

“No I don’t. And now please, be quiet.”

“Why do you have a talking chair in the first place?!”

The conductor didn’t answer, he just left, leaving me stuck on a talking chair!