The boy looked out of the window, watching the bright rays of sunlight pierce the clouds like white needles. The train he rode swayed back and forth in a regular rhythm, slowing as it approached a curve. He followed the shadows of the drooping electrical wires as they undulated back and forth.

It was as though the small, square train car had been specifically reserved for escaping the hustle and bustle of summer vacation. There were no voices to be heard, only the continual sound of the wheels clacking on the rails, which served to heighten the sense of tranquility and stillness. The train rode past walls of emerald green trees underneath the roof of the bright blue sky, accentuated by the pure white clouds. It was easily the quietest location the youth had been all summer.

Suddenly, a small voice broke through the silence.

“Pardon me.”

The boy turned his head, looking back inside the car. A man stood in front of him. He looked to be in his early twenties or so. The black suit he wore was the most distinct characteristic about him.

“May I sit next to you?” the man asked.

There weren’t many passengers on the train, and empty seats abounded. There was no need to sit next to anybody.

Keeping himself alert, the boy smiled and nodded. “Of course, go ahead.” Such was one of his many habits. Just like the reflex to flinch if something was flying at his face, if a stranger started talking to him, he would simply smile and nod. Such a habit came with a deeply ingrained wariness for those around him.

Remaining expressionless, the man replied, “Thank you,” and sat down next to the boy. He wasn’t so close as to be uncomfortable, but was still close enough to hold a conversation. At the very least, the boy was glad that their knees weren’t touching.

As the boy pulled his gaze back out the window, the man suddenly called his name. The boy whipped his eyes back to the man’s face. From what he could recall, this was their first meeting. After some slight hesitation, the boy asked his question.

“How do you know my name?”

The man didn’t reply. Instead, he pulled a white cell phone out of his breast pocket and handed it to the boy.

“Someone’s calling you. Go ahead, answer it.”

Just what on Earth was going on? The phone wasn’t even ringing.

The man repeated himself with the same drab monotone. “Go ahead, answer it.”

With no other options, the boy took the cell phone. Almost immediately, the phone began ringing. A simple electronic melody, likely the default ringtone, echoed throughout the car.

As the boy stared at the phone, the man beside him spoke up. “Answer it quickly. The use of mobile phones is prohibited on trains.”

“I don’t need you to tell me that.” The boy sighed, utterly baffled. The whole situation was strange, and made him quite uncomfortable. But no matter how much he wanted to escape, he was stuck in a single train car. The next stop wouldn’t come for quite some time, either.

The man was still staring at the boy. Reluctantly, the boy pressed the answer button, and put the phone to his ear. The person on the other side spoke first.

“Good evening. It’s so nice to finally make your acquaintance.”

The voice was soft, feminine, and unfamiliar.

“Who are you?”

“Who am I, indeed? Why, I’m a witch.”

The boy may have been young, but he wasn’t so young as to believe in the existence of witches. Evidently, someone was trying to prank him. “Sure, you’re a witch, whatever. Just tell me your name.”

“I must apologize. I don’t have one of those.”

She didn’t have a name? Was she just trying to hide it?

The boy decided not to worry about it, and focused on ending the call as soon as possible. “What do you want with me?”

“Only to chat. It would have been nicer to meet you in person, but unfortunately that won’t be possible.”

The boy turned to look at the man next to him. “Who are you people?”

“Your conversation is with her.”

And what exactly was he supposed to talk about with some complete stranger?

“It’s been absolutely sweltering these last few days.”

The boy gave an offhanded, “Yeah, you’re right.”

“How old are you?”

“I’m in my sixth year of elementary school.”

“So you are. Are you traveling alone?”

“Yes.”

“How grown-up of you. Where are you going?”

“I’m going to visit my grandparents. My parents both work, and they’ll be coming to get me later today.”

At face value, their conversation was rather tepid. It wouldn’t seem entirely out of place between a young boy and an elderly lady who happened to meet on the train. But these people had called him by name and given him an uninvited phone call.

A slight chuckle emitted from the phone the boy held.

“That was a lie.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not going to visit your grandparents at all. Your parents aren’t coming after you, either.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Oh, I don’t need to provide a reason. You know that I’m telling the truth.”

The boy frowned. It was true that he had lied about visiting his grandparents. In fact, he had gotten on the train with no destination in mind. He didn’t care where he ended up. He just wanted to go somewhere far away.

“What could you possibly know about me?”

“Oh, I don’t know you. Not all that much, anyway. However, I do know that you’re dissatisfied with the way this world operates.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Why, because I’m a witch.”

“I don’t believe in witches. And besides, I’m not dissatisfied about anything.”

“Really? That’s good, then.”

Just when it seemed the woman was done talking, she continued. “But, if that’s the case, then why did you get on this train?”

There really wasn’t any definitive reason. Every now and then, the boy simply wanted to go far away. When he couldn’t stand staying in one place any longer, he would hop on the train. He would ride it till the sunset, going in a new direction. He always planned on returning home, so he didn’t think of it as running away.

The woman spoke. “You’re looking for the place where you belong.”

The boy shook his head. He couldn’t stop it, even though he knew she couldn’t see it. The place where I belong. “I don’t think a place like that exists.”

“I know you don’t. But it does, all the same.” The woman chuckled, ever so softly. “This train is heading right for the place where you belong. But if you take just one step inside, you won’t be able to go back. That’s what it means to go to the place where you belong. It will grab hold of you, and not let go.”

This was all making less and less sense. The boy sighed, making sure it was loud enough to be heard on the phone. “Are you from some kind of religious cult?”

“No. That would be nice in its own way, though.” Her voice was steady and composed. “It sounds too good to be true, but it is indeed the truth. If you keep going, you will never be able to go back to where you were. Just take a look out the window, towards where the train is headed.”

The boy had no reason to go along with the woman, but he looked out the window anyway. The bright summer light gleamed on the window. The train tracks headed towards the base of a low mountain.

“If you want to return home, then don’t go beyond that mountain. The city that lies beyond is the place I’ve been speaking of.”

The boy closed his eyes, sifting through knowledge. He was fairly confident in his memory. “Sakurada.”

He was certain that the town beyond that mountain was called Sakurada.

“Indeed. Sakurada will grab hold of you, and not let go. You will never be able to go back to the place you now call home.”

The boy knew nothing of the town called Sakurada.

The woman called the boy’s name. “Asai Kei. If you love the world as you know it, then do not depart the train when it arrives at Sakurada.”

“Why do you know my name?”

“Why, indeed. What do you think?”

He didn’t know in the slightest, but he knew what she would say. “Because you’re a witch.”

The woman on the other side of the phone call laughed. “Exactly. You’re quite right.”

That phone call had taken place four years ago.

That very summer marked Asai Kei’s first visit to the town of Sakurada.