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It seems like forever, but Flora knows she has only been in Dropstone for a few days. Ever since she was captured by Don Paolo and bundled into a barn, a gloved hand clamped across her mouth to muffle her screams, time has dragged and dragged.
After a few hours inside the bar (which were some of the worst hours of Flora’s life, full of such terror as she screamed and slammed her hands against the locked door, knowing that, thanks to the festival, no one would be able to hear her), someone finally heard Flora banging on the door and shouting for help, and one of the villagers let her out. She sobbed until it was hard to breathe and people tried to calm her down, but it was no use. Because Flora rushed to the train station… only to find that the train had departed. She had been left behind.
Several of the villagers took pity on her, and someone even let her stay in their house. But Flora couldn’t sleep, staring out of her window all night in the direction the train had left, wondering what had happened. Was Don Paolo dressed up as her, tailing the professor and Luke? But if that was true, then why had the professor not seen through his disguise?
And when were they going to come and get her?
Flora cried a lot, until her eyes were permanently red and swollen. In fact, her eyes are still sore when she hears a familiar chugging sound in the distance, but she doesn’t notice anymore. Because she knows that sound. It is a train. The professor and Luke might be coming back!
She races through the town and runs into the train station. Flora turns her head and looks down the train tracks – and, in the distance, a puff of steam appears in the sky. And the chugging gets louder and louder.
The train turns the corner, and Flora realises that it is the Molentary Express. It is the same train she, the professor and Luke travelled on days ago, so they must be on it. She smiles, a bit wobbly all of a sudden, so happy to know that she is about to see them again.
Wrapping her arms around herself, Flora stands on the platform and watches the train pull into the station. The brakes squeal and the train slowly stops, steam billowing down the platform and clouding her vision.
But then the doors open, and passages exit the train. And Flora only cares about two of them; she just wants to see the professor and Luke again. At the other end of the platform, someone steps off of the train, and there is something wonderfully familiar about their silhouette. Because it is Professor Layton, and there is a smile on his face as he steps onto the platform, his hand holding the brim of his top hat.
And Flora abandons all of her usual decorum, running down the platform as fast as she can.
“Professor!” she cries, and she barrels into him, hugging him around the waist and clinging to him like she can’t let go.
“Hello, Flora, my dear,” the professor says, startled. But he places a comforting hand on her back.
“Flora, it’s so wonderful to see you!” Luke says, joining the hug.
“I missed you so much,” Flora says, pressing the side of her head against the professor’s blazer.
“I missed you too, my dear,” the professor says. “I can’t apologise enough for leaving you behind.”
“Yes, Don Paolo’s disguise was so good we didn’t even notice,” Luke sighs. “We’re so sorry, Flora.”
Flora smiles weakly, even though her eyes prickle with tears. “It’s all right. I’m just… I’m so happy that you’re back.”
“I want you to know that we didn’t mean to leave you,” the professor says, patting her pack. “But we deeply regret what happened.”
“Yeah, we’re really sorry,” Luke says, and he sounds like he might be near tears.
Tears spill down Flora’s face. “I’m just so relieved that you are both safe, and that you’re back.”
“So are we, Flora,” the professor says, and he wipes the tears from her face with a soft white handkerchief. “So are we.”