“All aboard!” the conductor yelled on the train platform.

A little boy looked up from his book titled Trains and How They Work, and gathered his suitcase. He climbed onto the train and found a seat close to the window. Looking outside, he and saw the plain wooden platform that he was about to leave. Soon, he would be on his way to his grandmother’s house.

The conductor stepped onto the train and saw Johnny scrunched next to the window.

“Well, hello, little boy,” the conductor said. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Johnny,” said the boy.

“Are you ready for a ride, Johnny?”

“I sure am!” Johnny squealed. “I’ve read all about trains and I’m very excited to ride on one!”

“Well, you are in for a treat.” The conductor smiled at him. “But before we go, Johnny, I have to ask you an important question: Can you trust that I will get you to your destination?”

Johnny nodded, eager for the train to start moving. “Of course.”

“Would you like to watch me drive the train?”

Johnny’s face lit up and excitement bubbled inside him. “Yes, yes I would!” He got up from his seat, clutching Trains and How They Work in his hands and followed the conductor. They traveled through the doors of many cars before reaching the engine.

In the engine room, the conductor told Johnny to have a seat next to the window so he could see where they were going. Johnny sat down, his eyes glistening, taking in the gadgets and speedometers around him. Hanging above him was a handle connected to a string that found its way out the window.

“That’s the whistle,” the conductor told him. “Do you want to pull it?”

Johnny’s grin stretched further and he reached his hand up and pulled hard on the handle and immediately the high pitched whistle blew. And suddenly, they were moving forward. Johnny sat down and watched as they picked up speed. Trees passed by slowly at first, but soon it seemed that they whizzed past his window.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” the conductor asked, a bit of excitement in his own eyes.

“Oh yes!” Johnny stuck his head out the window and felt the wind press against his face. He imagined he was flying, soaring along the tracks passing trees, houses, buildings, and people.

Suddenly, the train jerked a little bit and it slowed down. Johnny saw that they were about to go down a hill.