Part Seven:
Recap: When they discovered a tunnel beneath a loose floorboard beneath
the bed, Riordan and Tweak had no idea that it would lead them on an
adventurous journey all the way to China.  Shortly after starting their
expedition they met Nid, a spider who was an official tunnel guard.
Nid quit his post as tunnel guard and became their guide.  Then the
journey was not so adventurous for a while.  For Tweak, the days were
interesting; Nid told her many stories about the war he was in, his
own kind, and the world in general.  For Riordan, the days grew long,
dragging their feet in passing.  He was bored, and had gotten as much
fun as one ferret alone can get out of all his games.  Finally, they came
to another tunnel entrance, where they met up with another traveling
party.  Kipling (a British garter snake,) was guiding two country hick
opossums, Frank and son Samuel.  Sam and Riordan were fast friends and
their boyish antics made the trip more interesting indeed.  After another
league of walking, the group came to The Wurm Express Station Number 27.
It was a wondrous place filled with foreign and intriguing things.  Both
ferrets and opossums were amazed with the place.  They had supper and
stayed the night in a cozy tavern by the name of Bugly Bug's.  The bug
himself was their server that night and saw that their every need was
fulfilled.  They all enjoyed a fine evening and wonderful nights sleep
before their last day together.  Frank, Sam, Riordan, and Tweak all bid
their farewells to Nid and Kipling the next day as the boarded Express
71.  Charlie the wurm who ran 71 was very friendly, but it was still a
tearful goodbye as they pulled from the station.  We reenter for the
conclusion of their journey.
 
It was the last day of their ride on Charlie's Express.  The past week
had flashed by so fast and they all had enjoyed their high-speed voyage.
The scenery flashed by so quickly that it was just a blur, but the inside
of the Express made up for that.  The carts were luxurious; there was
even a small pool for those who liked water.  The food was exquisite
and Tweak enjoyed trying many different things.  Frank and Sam, who had
stayed with the ferrets, were also enjoying their travel.  Frank was
fond of the simulated shooting range booth, and Sam (not to mention Rio)
absolutely loved the Boy's Only cart.  Tweak had even made a friend.
Glad to finally have some female company she and a spunky little badger
had been almost inseparable since the first day on the Express.  They had
met in the Girls Only cart.  A place filled with everything girly, from
books to a mini fashion runway and karaoke stage.  Slumber parties were
often held, there was one almost every night of the week.  Tweak was
extraordinarily happy, and this last day came all too soon, but there was
one more stop they would make before arriving at Wurm Express Station
Number 305.  They had been making pit stops once a day, so that Charlie
could rest and eat while they explored some of the most beautiful places.
Today they would be stopping in a gem cavern, where they could each
harvest a gem and have it made into any number of keepsakes.  Tweak
thought this was going to be the best stop of all, and she was right.
 
"Okay, Ladies and Gentle Creatures, this is the last refueling stop we'll
be having on this trip.  Today, as you know, we are stopping at Gem
Cavern.  Please return to your seats in Cart Four.  We will be arriving
shortly." came Charlie's voice over the intercom.  It still sounded as
friendly as ever.
 
"Come on Faith!" Tweak called to her badger friend.
 
They ran giggling all the way to Cart four and took two seats behind Rio
and Sam.  Soon after they were seated, they felt the Express start to
slow down.  Slowly they adjusted to the slower speed and everyone had
their land legs again when Charlie came to a complete stop.  What they
saw when they stepped off the Express took their breaths away.  The
cavern was huge, and from every surface grew sparking and shining gems.
It was almost too much for Tweak, but it was so beautiful.  Every color
you could imagine twinkled beautifully, reds, greens, blues, everything.
All the passengers stood in awe, staring at the caverns vast beauty.
 
"Hello All," said a feminine voice, breaking the silence that had so
suddenly fallen upon them.
 
Almost the whole crowd gave a startled jump in response.
 
"I'm Annabell, and I'm going to show you around the cavern today," said
the graceful looking cat standing in front of them.  "If you'd just
follow me."
 
For Tweak and Faith the rest of the afternoon was spent searching for the
perfect gem to harvest.  Thankfully, they weren't allowed to search the
whole cavern.  Apparently harvesting gems was a lot like logging.  You
could only take so much from one section before having to move on.  The
amounts of gems harvested were strictly monitored and once enough had
been taken, they rotated the active harvest sections.  Currently, they
were working in section number 326.  It was in the uppermost left hand
corner of this section that the girls found their gem.  It was a gorgeous
deep red stone.  It's crystals forming long spears shooting out in all
directions.  They both harvested a smaller stem the way they had been
shown, and carried their treasure down to the front of the section where
they had them made into necklaces.  All too soon it was time to load up
again and with one last look, Tweak got back onto the Express.  They were
now in the final hours of their journey, and it was time to get ready to
leave.  Faith and Tweak went their separate ways to pack their
belongings, promising to meet again before leaving.
 
"Rio, are you packed yet?" Tweak asked through the door of their
adjoining rooms.
 
"No"
 
"Well get on it.  There's only an hour left."
 
"Oh alright then."
 
Tweak pulled all her things together and put them into her new pack,
which she had purchased at their last tourist stop.  She even had a
special pocket just for Warty and Fish.  She was excited that they were
almost to China, but nervous because she wasn't quite sure what would
happen when they got there.  Nid had given them the name of an old friend
of his who ran a hotel near the station they would be arriving at.  He'd
said that his friend would help them get settled and prepared for what
ever they wanted to do.  The more tweak thought about it the more excited
she grew.  Finally she couldn't resist doing a war dance before putting
her final belongings into the bag.
 
"Ladies and Gentle Creatures, we will be pulling into the station in 15
minutes.  Please return to your seats and prepare to stop," Charlie said
over the intercom.  "It has been my pleasure to escort you on this leg
of all your journeys.  Good luck to all of you," his obvious sincerity
was very touching.
 
Tweak pulled her pack on and headed to her seat, a few minutes later she
was joined by Rio and Faith.  Frank and Sam came around not long after.
 
The express slowed and surprisingly starting to go up what felt like a
steep hill.  After leveling out again, they came to a stop.  When Charlie
told everyone it was alright to stand, Faith and Tweak traded numbers
and addresses of where they were staying.  They promised to do things
together and see each other as much as they could while they stayed in
China.  Frank and Sam also bid the ferrets a fond farewell, giving them
the address of their cousin in Hong Kong and their home in Alabama.  They
wouldn't be staying in this station, instead they were leaving almost
immediately on the China-Hong Kong express.  Again it was hard to say
goodbye, but Tweak knew they would hear from and each other, and who
knows, one day their paths might cross again.  Rio was anxious to see
what China was like and with one final round of goodbye hugs the ferrets
stepped off the cart and into the daylight.  With a twinkle in each of
their eyes, the ran into the station laughing and dooking, ready to
embrace whatever adventures lay before them in this oriental land.  But
that my friends, is another story.
[Posted in FML issue 4619]