Listen to “The Midnight Train to Nowhere” on Spreaker.
Emily woke up with a start.
She didn’t know why at first. The house was quiet, the moonlight shining through her curtains. Then she heard it—a faint chugga-chugga, chugga-chugga and a soft toot!
Her eyes widened. In the middle of her bedroom floor, right between her bed and the dresser, was a tiny train track glowing silver in the moonlight. And sitting on the tracks was a little toy train, no bigger than her cat. Steam puffed out of its chimney, curling into the air like candy smoke.
Emily rubbed her eyes. “Am I dreaming?” she whispered.
The train’s golden headlight flicked on, and a tiny voice called, “All aboard the Midnight Train to Nowhere!”
Emily gasped. “No way.”
She jumped out of bed, grabbed her flashlight, and tiptoed over. The train’s doors slid open with a ding! Inside, she saw rows of miniature red velvet seats. The whole cabin glowed with a warm, magical light.
“Emily?” came a sleepy voice.
Her little brother, Daniel, padded in, rubbing his eyes and clutching his stuffed giraffe. “Why are you awake? And what’s that sound?”
Emily pointed. “Look! A train! In my room!”
Daniel blinked. “Cool,” he said. Then, without hesitation, he climbed in.
Emily followed quickly. The doors closed with a whoosh, and before she could say anything, the train whistled, “Toot-toot!” The wheels spun faster and faster until—whoosh!—the train zoomed straight through her wall as if it were made of mist.
The First Stop: The Toy Soldiers’ Parade
The train rattled down glowing silver tracks that hung in the night sky. Stars twinkled all around, and the moon seemed so close Emily felt like she could touch it.
The conductor, a tiny clockwork robot with brass buttons and a shiny hat, clanked down the aisle. “Tickets, please!”
“But we don’t have tickets,” Emily said nervously.
The robot tipped his hat. “No worries. First ride is free. But remember—the Midnight Train only runs until sunrise. After that, the tracks disappear.”
Daniel’s eyes went round. “So we have to be back before morning?”
“Exactly!” the robot said. “Now sit tight—we’re arriving at our first stop.”
The train slowed, and outside the windows Emily saw rows of toy soldiers marching in perfect lines. Trumpets blared, and a parade of toy drums thundered. Teddy bears rode atop wind-up cars, and kites danced above them like banners.
“Wow!” Daniel whispered. “It’s a toy parade!”
The train doors opened, and the children stepped out. The soldiers saluted, their painted faces smiling stiffly. One teddy bear handed Daniel a flag made of ribbon. Another gave Emily a candy cane baton.
“Join the parade!” they chanted.
Emily and Daniel marched proudly alongside them. But soon the whistle blew again. The robot conductor called, “All aboard! Time is ticking!”
The siblings waved goodbye to the toy soldiers and hurried back to the train.
The Second Stop: The Puzzle Jungle
The train rushed on, diving through a tunnel made of shimmering puzzle pieces. When they emerged, Emily and Daniel gasped.
They were in a jungle—but instead of trees, giant puzzle pieces stood tall, their branches locking together in strange shapes. The ground was a checkerboard of game boards, and vines of jump ropes dangled from above.
“Look!” Daniel pointed. A troop of monkeys swung from vine to vine, but their bodies were made of jigsaw pieces clicking together with every move.
One monkey landed in front of them. “Help!” it squeaked. “We’ve lost our missing piece!”
The children looked around. Sure enough, the monkey had a big gap right in the middle of its chest.
Emily spotted something shiny in the bushes. She ran over and found a puzzle piece shaped like a heart. Carefully, she pressed it into the monkey’s chest.
Click!
The monkey’s face lit up. “Perfect fit! Thank you, clever girl!”
The other monkeys cheered and tossed Emily and Daniel a necklace made of game tokens. “A gift for your journey!” they said.
But once again, the whistle blew. The glowing tracks shimmered faintly, and Emily felt a tiny tug in her chest, as if time was running out.
“Come on, Daniel!” she urged, pulling him back aboard the train.
The Final Stop: The Kingdom of Lost Toys
The train grew faster and faster, zooming past comets and over moonlit clouds. Then, with a sudden jolt, it slowed.
They arrived at a wide, glowing valley filled with mountains of toys. Broken dolls, forgotten cars, stuffed animals missing ears—all piled high, glowing softly in the starlight.
“This is…” Emily whispered.
“The Kingdom of Lost Toys,” the conductor said solemnly.
Daniel’s mouth fell open. “It’s where all the toys go when kids lose them.”
They wandered down a path lined with blocks. Old dolls waved gently. A one-eyed teddy bear sat on a throne made of building bricks. He wore a paper crown and looked tired but kind.
“Welcome, travelers,” the teddy said. “You ride the Midnight Train. Few children do.”
“Why are all the toys here?” Emily asked.
“Because children forget them,” the teddy sighed. “But every toy still remembers the laughter of play. We wait, hoping to be loved again.”
Emily’s heart squeezed. She thought of her old doll tucked in the back of her closet, gathering dust.
“I promise I’ll never forget my toys again,” she said softly.
The teddy smiled. “That’s all we ask.”
Suddenly, the sky began to lighten with the first glow of dawn. The train whistle shrieked loudly.
“Hurry!” the robot conductor called. “The tracks are fading!”
Emily grabbed Daniel’s hand. “We have to go!”
They ran back onto the train as the kingdom waved goodbye. The one-eyed teddy raised his paw in farewell.
Back Home
The train rocketed through the sky, faster and faster. Emily and Daniel held on tight as the stars blurred into streaks of light. Then, with a final whoosh!, the train screeched to a stop—back in Emily’s bedroom.
The glowing tracks vanished. The train gave one last toot! and shrank smaller and smaller until it was just a tiny toy train sitting on the floor.
Daniel yawned. “Was it real?”
Emily picked up the train. It was warm in her hands, and dangling from her wrist was the necklace of game tokens from the Puzzle Jungle.
She smiled. “Yes. It was real.”
They climbed back into bed just as the sun peeked over the horizon.
And from that night on, whenever Emily saw the toy train in her room, she whispered, “Maybe tonight, we’ll ride again.”
The End
Follow-up Questions:
- If you could visit one stop on the Midnight Train—Toy Soldiers’ Parade, Puzzle Jungle, or Kingdom of Lost Toys—which would you choose and why?
- Why do you think the toys in the Kingdom of Lost Toys still remember their owners?
- If your favorite toy went on the Midnight Train, what message would you want it to leave for you?
