A Journal created by one Lilliana Luke, being a diary of her journey on the inaugural ride of the Spirit of Calesco. Contained within are things both strange and lovely. Dear reader, do take with a grain of salt.

I disembark from my carriage. Central Station was at a fever pitch with the unviling of the Spirit of Calesco. I had been to the station once before but I had been too excited to notice anything. Except for the Roasted Almond Seller. Now, as a full fledged inspector I took in every detail. Menewshans of every age were gathered there. I consulted my star-shaped pocket watch for the time. The train would arrive in 12 minutes.

The watch was a present from my grandmother. She told me 'I know your head is in the stars, but use this to keep track of things down here.'
I have no clue what she meant by that. I've always had a cool head and keen eye. I appreciated the gift, in spite of that.

There were some kids playing near the train tracks. Children really shouldn't frolic where there are trains. Where were their parents? Every year it seemed parents cared less and less for their brood.

The station was large and bustling with people. Thankfully one of the other trains, The Spirit of Atlantis (a coast to coast express) came and took a good number of passengers.

Then I smelled a familiar scent with my keen nose. Roasted almonds! I politely elbowed people out of my way. In my haste I forgot to say 'excuse me'.

There was a sizeable line so i had to wait. As I did I surveyed the station. The floor was midnight black with flecks of crimson and gold. The blocks were carted from a quarry in the mountains. It was lined with spiral columns in a lovely shade of rose. The roof rose high above me and winged creatures nested in the eaves. Some seemed to live on the ground, eating dropped morsels of food. The track itself was a gold colored metal said to be the absolute best for load-bearing and friction.

Finally I could receive my treat. "Two larges, please." The vendor took a scoop or roasted almonds and placed it on a piece of tissue. He then drizzled it with honey. Then he sprinkled sugar, cinnamon and a touch of salt on top. He rolled the tissue paper into a cone and placed it into a v-shaped paper holder. The paper was black with the mene train logo. Then he repeated for the second one. I handed over 8 gold pieces as pay. The wax-coated tissue paper prevented sticking. Brilliant and delicious.

As I finished up my almonds, licking my fingers delightedly, the train rolled in. I heard it, but found I couldn't tell where it was. The sound echoed around the station. In my haste to obtain almonds I had completely lost sight of the track. The crowd didn't seem to know either. They moved in many different directions. and I was buffeted by their movements. I managed to find it at last,

The Spirit of Calesco was jet black with a fire bird soaring down it's side. Steam curled over the engine in white puffs.
"All aboard!" The engineer shouted. Everyone filed onto the train. The interior was just as gorgeous. Plush dusty rose seats were supported by elegant cherrywood paneling. The seats were wide enough for three to sit in. A table in the middle could be taken down if more of a nuisance than a pleasure. I had two cherry leather suitcases plus a large carry-on.

I decided to explore before I sat down. The dining car had permanent, rimmed tables. They prevented falling dishes in sudden turns. The seats were ppolished brown leather. Then the sleeper car. Each compartment had a navy curtain and pure white mattresses. The pillows looked soft.

In the back of the train were the luggage compartment and the produce and goods for cooking. I got to the caboose and noticed a strange line in front of me. I tugged it and noticed a hook on the end. A man cast the line out again with a disappointed look on his face.

"Excuse me sir. You realise this is a train?"
"Of course I do. I'm fishing for flying fish! The like the heat of the train. Don't think they like this noise though."
"Um, good luck then." I left to secure a seat.

Quite a few seats were left. I ended up across from a woman with a mild expression, much like a cow.
"Hello, I'm Lilliana Luke," I said.
"I'm Gertrude Smythe," the bovine woman said.
"How do you do?"
"As well as once can be on this Earth," she said, going back to a scarf she was knitting. I decided she'd be dangerous if provoked so I wrote this entry and waited for my journey to begin.