I successfully boarded the train from Wizard Hallow hills on my way to the north coast. A mean little kid on the train kicks the back of my seat making me mad.
"Please don't do that. It's bothersome," I say to the kid. But he sticks his tongue out at me and continues to bother. Thankfully he gets off the next stop, and I continue on my way in peace.

A few hours later, the train begins to smell of rotten egg. "Damn, It's burned!" I hear someone yell in the front car and everyone turns to see. The train starts to slow down and comes to a startling halt.

"Attention please, everyone stay calm. It seems our steam engine has caught fire and will have to be repaired. Everyone will be refunded passes and must get off at this stop until further notice," The conductor says through the tele-box.

Just my luck...ugh. We all get off in a small village with limited places to visit. What a strange village. It has no people around other than the train passengers wandering about, just empty stores and animal dung all over the place. I see a door with a red X on it and realize the place was ransacked by pirates. But that doesn't explain the animal dung. Some passengers are fearful, and hurriedly walk back to wait by the train. Others are curious, opening doors and calling out hello every few minutes.

An old farmer with a wheel burrow goes past me, scooping up animal dung into it. I walk up to the old farmer to ask him something.

"Excuse me sir, what happened here?" I ask as I approach him, he slowly turns to look at me, the shovel shaking in his hands.
"King Lion," He says, "Leader of demon pirates!" He exclaims, a crazy look in his eyes. "They came and destroyed everything looking for the Red Witch's dream crystal! Even taking my turnip cart," the man shakes his head. "It was dreadful! So dreadful, my turnip cart... They threw their poo all over the place marking us! That's the oddest thing I ever saw! "

I look at him a little weird and start to back away. Clearly this man is not well.
"Beware of King Lion, he'll rip you to shreds with his band of renegades!" He yells at me, making me move even further still.

I continue to investigate, walking around stores, and hear a cracking under my feet. I look down to see I've broken a small mirror. Seven years bad luck is all I need. In it's reflection, I see something moving behind me. I quickly turn around and catch a glimpse of someone following me.

"Hey!" I call out, "I know you're there."
Slowly a man comes out from behind a building and shows himself. Surprisingly it's the huntsman from the inn I had visited not long ago! The sight of him makes me feel a strong sense of safeness. It's embarrassing to explain.
He smiles and walks up to me, laughing heartily at the look on my face.
"Missed me that much?" He says, making me blush and look at my feet.
"Were you stalking me? How creepy!" I say, trying to make him feel bad about embarrassing me.
"Oh, no. I just happened to be on the same train a couple seats down from you. It was strange to see you again and I curiously followed you around here."
"I believe you," I smile, not sure what to think.
"Ah. Good," he laughs.
Near my foot, I see a small tuft of red, curious at the thought of what it is.
"What's that?" I say, pointing down.
"Donno," the huntsman looks down near my feet with a shrug.
I curiously begin to dig the red tuft up, wanting to know what it is. I uncover a large feathered pirate hat, slowly picking it up to study it. "What in the..."
The huntsman slaps the hat from my hand, fearfully looking around. "It's a trap!"
He hurriedly picks me up and runs in the opposite way of the train.
"Hey, wait," I say, not sure what's going on.
"They'll smell you on the hat when they return and know people are here!"
"Oh..." I say, I hadn't thought of that.
"I can run on my own you know."
But the huntsman ignores what I say. He runs through the forest for what seems like a very long ways, and finally stops at a beachfront to put me down and rest. I look around while the huntsman catches his breathe, not sure where he's brought me. But then I recognize the old withered docks immediately.
"The bitter hermit's beach?!" It seems I'm back where I started...

TO BE CONTINUED...