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Welcome to the realms of mystery, where anything goes. I will be your companion, until you reach your stop that is. There I must leave you, for this is a journey best travelled alone. Take a look around. You are stood on a platform, the slabs beneath your feet cracked, and a small black train stands in front of you, smoke billowing from its chimney. Looking up you can see you are stood under an old stone arch, an inscription still engraved upon it, however now unreadable from the moss that choose to grown upon it. Behind you stretches a long corridor lit by flame torches. You cannot remember walking the narrow stone walled corridor, but you gather you must have. Water falls from the ceiling in small droplets, landing in the same place. Drip, splash. Drip, splash. Drip, splash. The shrill whistling coming from the train alerts you to it’s soon departure. You enter the train, not wanting to be left at the small platform, you also feel compelled to do so by some mysterious force. On the inside it is the same as a normal steam train, but it has only one carriage. You step through to the seating compartment, your feet seem to move of their own accord, and see an elderly man sat there, head leaning against his hand and staring out the window. You greet him – me – politely. I look up from the window and gesture for you to sit with one withered hand. I am silent for a few moments, although it seems longer. My eyes sharp green eyes examine you, taking in every detail, finally I speak. “You have many questions” I say, pushing my round glasses back up my nose. My voice rings clear with authority even though the frailty that comes with age seeps through. “Some you do not yet know you have. I cannot give you your answers, yet, and the answers I can give are better discovered by your own eyes.” You scowl bewildered by the riddles I seem to be speaking in. You do not have long to ponder, the train grinds to a halt. You stand to exit the train, but I shake my head “this is not your stop.” I return to looking out the window. Your eyes follow mine as you return to your seat. There is a collection of people on this platform, or at least you suppose it’s a platform. The women are dressed in elegant dresses of old, the men in tail coats and suits, all wearing masks of varying colours and elegance. The train seems to be stopped in the middle of a grand hall from the past, even the classical music playing is old. I sigh and turn to the door, waving at the woman disembarking. You continue to stare out the window and manage to glimpse a woman in a golden dress running to meet her friends at the ball, her dark brown hair billowing out behind her. “Your stop is next; you’ll note that I changed you out of your ripped jeans and t-shirt to something more appropriate.” For the first time you take a look at what you are wearing. You are wearing a simple long sleeved black robe with a hood; the hood is down, a pair of simple black, smart trousers and plain black shoes, very non-gender specific. “There’s no point looking at what you are wearing now, it won’t be what you will be wearing soon. I am sorry, I was not informed of your gender, you may find yourself in the body of a different gender” I apologise. You smile simply, wondering what is going on, hoping it’s a dream, one you’ll wake up from soon. Once again the train grinds to a halt and you rise to your feet. I smile “Until we meet again, of which I am sure we will.” You disembark the train, take a step forward. All of a sudden you feel like you are falling. The platform goes black. You see nothing. The last thing you hear is my voice “Good luck. You will need it.”