The crowd could not contain their excitement as they watched the blurry, faded train car resolve bit by bit into sharp focus, and fill with the bright hues of chrome, rust, and colorful graffiti.

Once the train car was through, the portal collapsed, sealing closed with a pop. The team of haulers dropped their rope, and scattered as the car rolled off onto a side track that no longer existed, rolling toward the last car of the Everlost train.

“Tha’s right,” complained Zin, as the Amtrak car continued to roll. “Just leave me stuck here to get smashed in the coupler again!”

Nick grinned, and yelled, “That’s half the fun, Zin!” Still, he went to free her.

He couldn’t move as quickly as he used to—chocolate dripping onto his feet had made them heavy—but fortunately the train wasn’t rolling all that fast. He caught up with the rolling car, jumped on the coupler, and used his chocolate-covered left hand to grease the coupler. Zin wriggled her arm free just in time, and they both hopped off just as the Amtrak car hit, and coupled with the last car of the Everlost train, sending a shudder through every coupling down to the engine. The newborn passenger car was now a part of their train, and in the engine, Charlie tooted the whistle to mark their success. The crowd of gawking Afterlights cheered.

“How does it feel to be everyone’s hero?” Nick asked Zin.

“I still miss my rocket ship, sir.” But Nick could tell she was enjoying the adoration far more than the isolation she had lived in for so many years.

Their train, which had started with just three cars, now had nine—each added by Zin one at a time over the past few weeks. This did not go unnoticed in the living world— although Nick found out quite by accident.

Johnnie-O, who was attempting to teach Zin how to read, made Zin rip various newspapers and magazines from the living world. Johnnie-O, who was now in perpetual nicotine withdrawal, was the world’s most impatient teacher, and Zin was the world’s most ungrateful student. Every day they would verbally abuse each other for an hour, not much of anything would be learned, and yet the next day, both of them would come back for more.