Chapter 1 of 3
Platform zero
Ari found the ticket in a second-hand atlas. It was blue, thick as a postcard, and stamped with tomorrow's date. The destination was Bellwater. Ari had drawn maps for years, but Bellwater appeared on none of them.
At the railway station, the attendant recognised the ticket immediately. "The old valley service," she said. "We are running it once more before the bridge becomes a walking path. You will want platform zero." Platform zero turned out to be a short stretch of track behind the station garden.
A small carriage waited there. Its passengers carried a surprising collection of luggage: a wooden sign, a box of cups, three rolled drawings and a young apple tree. Ari sat beside the window. As the train moved, the attendant handed over an old map. Bellwater lay exactly where a fold had worn the paper away.