Secela crept out of the orphanage door. She felt ready to shout with relief! She was almost out of the orphanage without being caught! Now she just had to make it to the gate. Secela ran on the wet grass, careful not to trip and fall on the slight hill that the orphanage stood on. Secela hurried to the gate and tried to unlock it, hoping that Dr. Meomle wasn’t watching her through a window. She tried picking the lock with one of her hair pins, but she wasn’t an expert at that and it did no good. Luckily, she was good at climbing, and climbed over the wall. Last time, she would have been leaving Ina behind if she did that. Secela picked her way down the wall and jumped off of it, then hurried down the grassy stone path from the orphanage. On adoption day, cars and horses would drive up on the path to the gate and be let through. There was also a train station, down at the bottom of the path. Secela was hoping to catch a train in the morning and sleep for the rest of the night at the station. She climbed up the steps to it, then found a bench to lay down on. She covered herself with the blanket she had taken from her orphanage bed and fell asleep. What felt like a few minutes later, Secela felt the heat be stripped away from her. She opened her eyes sleepily and heard a loud voice bark in her ear.

                “What are you thinking, sleeping at the station?” a man said. “You’re pathetic. Find somewhere else to sleep!” Secela sat up.

                “Sorry, sir,” she said. “I was just waiting for the train and must have drifted off,” she lied. The man narrowed his sharp blue eyes.

                “Very well then,” he said slowly. “You’d best go then, quickly, before the train leaves!” He gave her his hand to help her up from the bench, and Secela grabbed her bag and hurried onto the long, blue, steam engine train just as it started to move.

                It doesn’t matter where I go on this train, she thought. At least I’ll be away from the orphanage. Secela picked seat—a wooden bench with a wooden back—on the train, and sat down, staring out the window, wondering what the world outside of the orphanage looked like. Then suddenly she heard a voice, making her jump.

                “Tickets! Tickets please!” the man shouted.

                Oh no! I don’t have a ticket! Secela thought. The man was walking towards her. Secela started sweating. What would he do to her when he learned of her having no ticket? Would he just throw her of the train then and there? He was getting closer. Would he tell her to buy one? She didn’t have one single penny! Finally, the man came over to her bench asking,

                “Ticket please, miss.”

                “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a ticket,” Secela said quietly, looking down.

                “Well then, I’m sorry but you’ll have to get off the train at the next station,” he replied. Secela sighed.

                “Alright then,” she said reluctantly.

                At least I’ll be away from the orphanage, she thought, breathing easier again once the man was gone, and settling back into her seat. And maybe it’s like Garyne said; maybe I will find a good home out there.