The sound of the ocean, not very far distant, gave her the courage to open her eyes, though still very gingerly. She saw the curtains, the window of her own room. And then she saw the train-set.
Near the far side of the table, the train she'd seen moving was stopped, the tiny glass figures surrounding it appearing to be holding weapons and aiming them at the train. Leoda raised her hand to strike the train, to shatter its beautiful pieces to bits, but something stopped her. A wave of terror swept through her when she realized that the train might possess her soul in some way, but this feeling soon passed, just as the desire to strike the train had passed. Calming down, she stared at her raised hand instead, considering gratefully the supple and fresh texture of its skin
She realized that it was night, that many hours had passed. It was only after she noted with some relief that the door was slightly ajar that she remembered her earlier fear of being locked in her room forever. It gave her pause to wonder and she looked back at the toy-train, searching inside herself for some hidden tentacles that might still tie her to it. She shook her head, unable to answer that question, or any other, and went out through the door, leaving her bedroom behind, to see if there was any dinner for her.