Where The Tracks End

Chapter 10:

The train was angled upwards, and the bit that we were in was some three metres from the ground. The broken shards from the glass that Suzie had smashed was lying in shatters on the ground. The men below looked up.

"Hello up there!" One of the men called. "Are you three okay?" 

"Yes!" I called back. "But there's a fire, and we can't go anywhere! Help!" Some other men rushed over to us and others ran to the large fire truck they had parked outside the train. "Stay calm! We're going to rescue you!" The first shouted. 

Below, they grabbed a long, white piece of fabric and stretched it out. It was a trampoline! "We need you all to jump, okay?" The man yelled. "Okay!" I shouted back. I looked sternly at Lottie. "But I'm scared of heights." She said, so that only I could hear. "What if they don't catch me?" I put my hand on her shoulder. "They will." I said. "Really?" She looked into my eyes. "Really." I replied. Lottie drew in a deep breath and yelled. "I'm going to jump!" A second later, she had fallen from the train and was bouncing on the trampoline. One of the men grabbed her and lifted her off, cradling her in his arms. I could see that she was crying and squeezing the teddy bear's ear so tightly that it looked fit to burst.

"You and your dog's turn now." One of the men cried. I grabbed Suzie's front legs and gazed into her eyes. "Thank you," I said, "For saving us. You really are a trustworthy dog." Suzie wagged her tail. "But do you trust me now?" Suzie looked down at the trampoline and then barked. Let's go! Her bark clearly said.

Suzie was gathered up in her mistress's warm, comforting arms. The fire was only metres away now, and she didn't want to be here when it reached them. Her mistress' heart was beating furiously. She was scared.

Suzie looked up at her and licked her face lovingly. "You can do it." She said softly. Mistress took a great big breath and fell. Suzie felt the wind rushing past her and closed her eyes. She opened them again as they hit the trampoline. She wriggled out of her mistress' arms and leapt off the trampoline. Her mistress crawled after her, and Suzie grabbed her sleeve and helped her down.

Then, all of a sudden, she and her mistress were gathered up in a big bear hug as her mistress' mother and father grabbed them. Her mother was crying softly and Suzie reached up to lick her face.