The Train of Seven Horizons

Three days and seven horizons of travel — and in Alice's jar a firefly is fading, the one she promised to bring home alive to a little sister. When Spark breaks free, Alice chases her through the whole train and across the carriage roofs, giving up every small thing to reach the seventh horizon in time.

The Train of Seven Horizons is on its third day, and Alice is dying of boredom on the upper bunk. In a jar rides a firefly, Spark — Alice is bringing her to little sister Yuna, and promised to deliver her alive. On a bend the jar tips, Spark breaks free and flies through the cars toward any light and warmth — not from malice, just made that way. Alice slides off the bunk and gives chase: squeezing into roaring gaps between cars, catching her over the dining tables, climbing the luggage net, and when Spark slips into a vent — out onto the roof to run after the firefly across the flying train. All the way Alice gives up small things: a coin for spilled tea, a warm scarf for the chilled firefly, a window seat. Each concession is tiny; together they are the price of a promise. At the seventh horizon Alice carries Spark cupped to the open door — where Yuna is already hopping on the platform.