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By "authority," one can only assume that Mary re

It was an old steaed and destroyed in the nineteenth century, but so well-loved by its conductor that it earned a place in Everlost Of course it could travel only on tracks that no longer existed Such were the inconveniences of life after life

A kid with hands arette that never went out dangling froripped the kid's arh fields and woods toward the waiting train

"Whose train is it?" The boy asked in a panic, "What's gonna happen to me?"

"Don't ask stupid questions," said the kid with big hands, "or I'll send you down soon as look at you, I swear I will" Then he pushed the boy up the steps and into a parlor car

The sht away

"Oh, no! No!"

As wonderful as that chocolate s The rumors were true, and he was dooure wearing a tie and a white shirt, although the shirt had becoes So was the rich red carpet So were the red velvet chairs

"Don't be afraid," the Chocolate Ogre said--which was alhat monsters said when you really should be afraid

Light poured in frohtened boy's eyes, so he couldn't see the face of the ogre clearly, but then the ogre stood and ca became clear

It was as if soe bucket It seeht out of his pores--even the color of his left eye had gone chocolate-brown It was the other half of his face that was the , for that half did not look ht side of his face looked like that of an ordinary fifteen-year-old boy

"Letyou want, just let re "Even better than letting you go, I'll send you on your way"

That did not sound good, and the boy waited for the bottomless pit to open beneath his feet But that didn't happen

"What's your na the boy had not thought about for a long tire nodded "You can't rere held out his hand to shake "I're's hand, and didn't kno to respond It was much cleaner than the other one, which was totally covered in chocolate--but still even his "clean" hand had plenty of stains, probably fros on the train

"What's the re,' to actually have a name?" His smile made chocolate drip from his cheek and to the darkly stained carpet

Then the big-handed kid, still standing behind the boy, nudged his shoulder hard "Shake his hand--you're being rude!"

The boy did as he was told--he shook the ogre's hand, and when he brought his hand back, there was chocolate on it Even in his fear, that chocolate on his hand looked better to hi his ood as when you were alive"

And although the boy sensed this was a trick--that ers to his lips, and licked the chocolate off The ogre was right--it was real and it was good

The ogre pointed to his face "The only good thing about it is that I get to share"

"And it'shands "You ed "Any day I save so far too friendly The boy would have much preferred a fiery temper At least then he would have known exactly where he stood

"What are you going to do toThe question is, what are you going to do?" He folded his arms "You crossed over with a coin Do you reed "It was just a slug," he said "I threw it away"

Then the Chocolate Ogre reached into a rusty gray bucket "Hmmlooks like I found it" He pulled a coin out of the bucket and held it out to the boy "Take it" And when he hesitated, the big-handed kid behind hiain

The boy took the coin It did lookhe had tossed when he first arrived

"Tell re said

"It feels warood Now you have a choice You can keep holding it in your handor you can put it into your pocket, and save it for another time"