Journey to Elsewhere
A Novel
by
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West Chester, Pennsylvania. They are thrust into the secret Underground Railroad system transporting escaping slaves. Having been suddenly whisked from the Twenty-first Century to a time without electricity, antibiotics, and cars, they struggle to adjust. But fitting in and hiding their time-travel secret are not their hardest tasks. They must meet many challenges alone: drive a wagon with a false bottom to trick the slave catchers; run through midnight streets in search of a doctor; walk in broad daylight on a road with escaping slaves. Through it all, they are determined to work against Nineteenth Century racial prejudice. The kids’ worst fears come true when the TL Express is not available for return to their own century in Alexandria, Virginia. Must they spend the rest of their lives stuck in a difficult and dangerous era, never to see their parents again? The roaring stopped. My heart thumped against my ribs as I opened my eyes and focused on Leon. His eyes blinked behind his glasses. "What happened?” We looked around. People were rolling luggage. Tattoos decorated the arms of one teenager texting. A couple stepped up into a train coach. I wiped my clammy hands on my shorts. Turning around, I saw UNION STATION—WASHINGTON D.C. on a black and yellow sign. "How did we get here?" I took deep breaths trying to slow the beating of my heart. Caleb walked toward the tracks. "Cool! Let's take a ride." He ran past a shiny diesel engine. "Stop!" Leon yelled as we caught up to him. "Don't be rash!" "Right," I said. "What are you thinking? We can't just get on a train and go somewhere without knowing where it's headed." Leon grabbed Caleb's arm and stared at me. "Who says we're supposed to go anywhere at all? Are you two deranged?" He dropped a coin into the velvet bag, which he shoved in a pocket of his cargo shorts. From another pocket, he took his phone. "You texting Mom?" I asked. "I'm calling Dad. This is a catastrophic emergency." Caleb's eyes shone. "What just happened? We did magic stuff like Harry Potter. And we didn't even have a wand. This is the wrong train, though." Caleb seemed to be the only one perfectly fine with having been whisked mysteriously over (or under?) the Potomac River. "What do you mean wrong train?" Leon held the phone to his ear.
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About the Book
Twelve-year-old twins, Leon and DeeAnn, and their little brother, Caleb, are devastated by the mysterious disappearance of their beloved great-uncle Azer. The grieving siblings are determined to be content with cherishing his left-behind mementos. But one evening, those items summon an antique express train into Union Station, Washington DC.
The kids' decision to board strands them on a farm near West Chester, Pennsylvania, where they're thrust into the secret Underground Railroad system transporting escaping in 1854. Removed from the twenty-first century into a time without electricity, antibiotics, and cars, they struggle to adjust. Fitting in and hiding their time-travel secret, however, are not their most difficult tasks. They must drive a wagon with a false bottom to trick the slave catchers and run at midnight on dark streets in search of a doctor. Even worse, DeeAnn must walk in broad daylight on a road with escapees slaves.Through it all, they're determined to work against nineteenth-century racial prejudice.
The kids' worst fears materialize when the Time Line Express is not available for return to their own century in Alexandria, Virginia. Will they spend the rest of their lives stuck in a difficult and dangerous era, never to see their parents and friends again?
About the Author
Marilyn Estes Quigley, for many years a professor of English at Evangel University, loves to travel and to read and write historical stories. She also enjoys lunching with friends, watching movies at home, and visiting with family—two sons and daughters-in-law and three grandchildren. Her non-fiction book, Hell Frozen Over, follows her uncle’s path in The Battle of the Bulge. Marilyn lives in Springfield, Missouri, with her husband, Ed (cover artist). This is her debut novel.