The train’s brakes gave a last tired squeal, followed by a hiss from further up the train and a little shudder as though the train itself was ready to take a break for the night. Julia copied the other passengers as they began to stand up and gather their belongings. To her disappointment, the young man with the newspaper had already headed to the doors between the two carriages, so perhaps he lived here in Birch Valley. She thought about surreptitiously following him, but the family with children had already bundled into the aisle and were getting their cases down from the luggage rail overhead. The boy opposite with the video game player had also got up and moved into the aisle, where he had decided to go through his rucksack, bent over with his back to Julia, leaving her with a less-than-pleasant view of his creased jeans bottom.
‘All passengers alight here,’ repeated the driver. ‘Please go to the waiting room on the platform. If you’re unsure where that is, look to the left when you get off the train, and look for the blue lettered sign. That’s your one.’
Julia was last off the train, stepping over a pile of snow that had accumulated along the platform edge. A grey-haired man who looked far too old for his station master’s uniform was waving any passenger looking confused up the platform, a pair of orange gardening gloves that looked hastily found flecked with snowflakes. A couple of people tried to ask him about onward buses, but he just chuckled and nodded towards the ticket gates behind him where a few brave people were wading out into a snowy car park through snow drifts up to their knees.
‘Good luck with that,’ he said. ‘Couldn’t get a JCB through this.’
About twenty people had gathered inside the small waiting room, about double its natural capacity. An electric heater was cranked to maximum power, but to supplement it an old paraffin heater had been dragged into the centre, on the top of which stood a large vat of bubbling hot chocolate.
‘Come on in and close the door,’ said a ruddy-faced balding man in a dirty chef’s hat. ‘Keep what little heat there is inside. Right, we’re about ready. Let’s get you lot warmed up.’
Julia found herself squeezed into a corner between an old couple and a family with two young children. While the children seemed to be loving every moment of it—the boy tugging his father’s jacket to demand they make a snowman right now, and the girl stuffing marshmallows into her mouth quicker than she could swallow them so that she resembled a squirrel but with longer hair—the parents appeared less so. The mother was frantically typing messages on her phone while the ashen-faced father nervously deflected his son’s demands.
‘Okay, that one sent,’ the woman said. ‘Mrs. Jenkins said she should be able to slip next door and put Danny out before he pees on the floor. Apparently it’s not even snowing there. A few flakes, but mostly just slush.’
‘I need to do a reading,’ the old woman was saying, leaning against her husband’s shoulder. ‘I need to do one right now. This could be important. This could be the beginning of the apocalypse.’
‘Can I grab a hot chocolate first?’ the old man said. ‘Not right to die without a decent drink in my hand. I see that guy’s lacing the grown-ups’ with brandy.’
‘How can you think about alcohol at a moment like this?’
‘Well, the apocalypse might be round the corner, but so is Christmas,’ he said. ‘One thing at a time, eh?’
‘You’re such an unbeliever.’
‘I believe in Father Christmas.’
The woman sighed. ‘Oh, Reginald. You’re a lost cause.’
‘Have you got one over there?’ the mother of the family asked Julia. ‘He’s asking if you’d like it straight or with spice?’
‘Excuse me?’
The woman gave a tired smile as though she’d asked the question a dozen times before. ‘I think it must be local terminology. With or without brandy?’
‘Oh … without, please,’ Julia said. ‘Although I wouldn’t mind an extra marshmallow.’ She smiled. ‘Got to keep your strength up, haven’t you?’
The woman chuckled as she took a paper cup of hot chocolate and passed it to Julia. ‘That’s right,’ she said. ‘Although I hope they’ll figure something out soon. Quite unexpected, wasn’t it?’
Julia nodded. ‘The forecast said rain, didn’t it?’
‘Rain or sleet at worst. And what do we get? Two feet of snow.’
‘Could be three or four by morning,’ the husband said. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it. Our part of Devon just turned into the Arctic.’
‘It’ll melt off quickly,’ the woman said.
‘And the flood will rise, and drown us all!’ intoned the old woman from nearby, her hands raised towards the waiting room roof.
‘Oh, Edwina, calm down,’ Reginald said. ‘Try some of this hot chocolate.’
‘Are you from round here?’ the woman asked Julia as Reginald took one of Edwina’s hands and closed her fingers around a paper cup of hot chocolate. ‘We’re from Plymouth. There was supposed to be a bus from Olive Hill, but I don’t think we’re going to make it now. My name’s Kelly, by the way. Kelly Wright. My husband is Colin, and the kids are Josh and Caitlin. We were only up in Brentwell for the pantomime matinee, since Theatre Royal is closed for renovations this year. We thought it would be nice to take the train for a change.’
‘It was a good thing you didn’t drive,’ Julia said. ‘It would be a nightmare being stuck in this.’
‘For sure. Are you a local?’
‘Olive Hill. Two more stops and I was home. No idea how I’m going to get home now. I mean, it’s six miles by road. On a nice day I might walk it, but not with my suitcase, and certainly not in this snow.’
‘Best to sit tight, I think,’ Kelly said. ‘I mean, it wouldn’t be nice having to hunker down in here for the night, but at least it’s warm. And I’m sure that by tomorrow, the snow will have cleared and the trains will be running again.’
‘You reckon?’ Colin said, rubbing a circle in the mist on the window and peering out at the platform. ‘It’s still coming down. This room could end up our tomb if we’re not careful. I wonder if they have an upstairs?’
‘The apocalypse is upon us!’ wailed Edwina, as Reginald patted her on the shoulder and offered embarrassed smiles to anyone who looked around.
‘I recognise her from somewhere,’ Kelly said. ‘Isn’t she on the telly?’
Colin leaned close. ‘That’s Edwina O’Fara. She’s the breakfast time horoscopes woman on BestBetter TV.’
‘BestBetter?’
Colin shrugged. ‘It came free with our service but I cancelled it because it was rubbish. Josh was watching it one Saturday after you went to work, and she came on and made him cry.’
‘Well, don’t let him see her—’
‘Mum!’ Josh wailed suddenly, so predictably that even Julia could have foretold it. ‘That’s the scary woman off the telly! She said the whole village was going to fall into a pit of fire!’
‘Quick, get him some hot chocolate!’ Kelly hissed, as Colin steered Josh out of range. ‘But no brandy!’
Luckily, Edwina, who had her eyes closed and was doing some kind of chant, hadn’t appeared to notice. Reginald mouthed, ‘Sorry!’ in a way that suggested it was a common occurrence.
A sudden blown whistle cut off any further conversation, and everyone turned to look at the old station master standing in the waiting room doorway.
‘Attention, please, ladies and gents,’ he said. ‘Me apologies for the snow. First we’ve had like this in thirty years or more so we’re not really that prepared. Just spoke to one of the local farmers and he’s going to come out with his digger and see if we can’t at least clear the car park out there, but it could be a while. Luckily, we’ve got a few locals who’ve agreed to help until you can be on your way again.’
He opened the door and glanced up the platform, then called, ‘Get a move on, lad!’ A moment later, another old man in a duffel coat flecked with snowflakes and a Christmas hat pulled over his head came bundling into the room. The station master waved the assembled passengers back to make a little space, then stepped to the side to allow the newcomer some room. He took a moment to catch his breath, then straightened up and clapped his gloved hands with a dull thud.
‘Well, ah, hello everyone,’ he said. ‘Everyone okay? No one hurt? No? Good, good. Did Stan here point you to the toilet?’
‘Up platform, on left,’ Stan said. ‘Middle cubicle’s blocked in the ladies, left cubicle in the mens.’
‘Yes, that’s right,’ muttered the nervous man. ‘Make sure not to use those.’
‘Excuse me, but who exactly are you?’ came a voice from the back of the group. ‘If you’re from the rail company, you’ve got some explaining to do.’
‘No, no, I’m the chairman of Birch Valley Parish Council,’ the man said. ‘My name is Harry Faulkner. I’m afraid I wasn’t expecting this situation, but the roads are blocked so badly not even the police can get through.’
‘Figured a busybody like you’d be all over a mess like this,’ Stan said, chuckling to himself.
‘I’m not—’
‘Anyone drops a sweet wrapper or forgets to bag a dog turd, you’re dragging out the stocks,’ Stan said, continuing to chuckle, before swigging out of a cup of hot chocolate.
‘I think he’s laced his a little too much,’ Kelly whispered to Julia.
‘Are you going to deal with this or waste our time?’ shouted the same man as before. Julia glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of a tall, dark-haired man in his fifties who looked like a policeman or a school headmaster.
‘Yes, yes,’ Harry stammered. ‘Well, firstly, I’d like to welcome you to Birch Valley. We’ve always been a rather forgotten and secretive little community along the Brentwell Line, but there are many hidden delights to discover—’
‘I need the toilet,’ Josh whined to Kelly, as the man at the back shouted, ‘Could you at least tell us how to get to the pub?’
Harry’s hat fell off as he rubbed at his forehead, nearly landing on the stove burner, its course altered only by a desperate swipe of his hand. Instead, it landed on top of a pet carrier at the feet of an old woman. A brown and black striped paw darted out of a hole and made a swipe for the hat’s pompom as it dangled over the side.
‘Yes, yes, well, if you’d let me finish—’
‘You haven’t started yet!’
Colin rolled his eyes. ‘Can you give it a rest back there?’ he shouted at the tall man.
‘Just trying to get some answers out of this fool.’
‘If you zip it for five minutes he’ll have a chance to.’
The man fell silent. Kelly grabbed Colin’s arm and grinned at Julia. ‘What did I do to deserve such a hero?’ she said. ‘Are you married?’
Julia forced a smile. It had been a while since she had last had a boyfriend, but the most recent two had been memorable. Dave, who she’d met online and dated for six months, had gone home with one of Julia’s male work colleagues after a night at a club, while Tony, a man she had met in the local launderette after her washing machine had broken down, had stolen her car before later being arrested and charged with dealing stolen vehicles. He was currently serving a six-month prison sentence.
‘I’m afraid not,’ she said. ‘I’m … ah, between boyfriends.’
‘Right, well, let me explain what we’ve managed to do,’ Harry said, staring at the hot chocolate in the bowl on top of the stove as though it was the only thing that could save him. ‘I’ve rung around a few local residents, and we’re in the process of arranging you all local accommodation for the next few days—’
‘What do you mean, next few days?’ the man at the back shouted.
‘I’m going to lamp him in a minute,’ Colin said, rolling his eyes at Kelly and Julia.
‘I’m afraid, we’re in a bit of a situation here—’
‘The apocalypse!’ wailed Edwina O’Fara.
‘Mum, I’m going to wet myself!’ Josh whined.
A sudden shrill whistle made everyone fall silent. Stan chuckled as he took it from his mouth and tucked it back into a breast pocket. ‘Always wanted to do that,’ he said. ‘Now, the lot of you, shut up and let this man talk.’
‘Right, so, we can’t stay here,’ Harry said, wiping a hand across his face which came away glistening with sweat. ‘The pub is about a five minute walk up the street, so if you can manage it, we’re going to reconvene there. I’m afraid we’ll have to get through this snow, however, my wife, Barbara, is currently stringing up some lights to show you the way, it being dark and a little snowy and all. We’re not sure how long you’re all going to be stuck here, because all the phone lines have gone down. However, we’re confident we can get the roads cleared in the next two or three days.’ He clapped his hands together and grinned. ‘You should all be home for Christmas. But … just in case you’re not, we’re putting together a few ideas to make a Birch Valley Christmas something you’ll never forget.’
Caitlin cheered. After a moment of silence, everyone began to clap.
‘Okay, now that’s sorted, let’s get everyone over to the pub for a welcome drink and a bit of orientation.’
As Harry headed back out on to the platform, waving at everyone to follow, Kelly leaned close to Julia.
‘Quite exciting, isn’t it? Like going on an adventure.’
Julia could only smile. It wasn’t exactly what she had planned for the evening, but things were starting to look up.