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]