Toru Honda looked down the isle of the train for a place to sit. She had packed light and was clutching her bag to her chest due to the train's cramped atmosphere. The person behind her gave an impatient cough, urging her down the idle in search of a seat. It was late evening and most people in the seats were asleep. She spied one seat free but an old woman was asleep in the spot by the isle; not wanting to wake the woman up, Toru continued into the next car where she found a similar situation. She glanced behind her and was surprised to see that she was alone in her quest to find a place to sit. Everyone behind her had apparently found a place somehow.

She continued forward for a few more cars when the train started to move. Glancing around frantically, she saw an open seat on the isle side next to an odd looking man. Stuffing her bag in the slot above the seat she sat down as the train picked up speed. The man looked to be a priest of some sort. She could see the white collar sticking out above the large dark grey trench coat he wore. Toru felt a strange chill as she sat next to him. He hadn't stirred or done anything to acknowledge her presence; he merely sat still staring straight ahead through his glasses. He looked as though he hadn't shaved in a few days but the thing that kept drawing Toru's eye was the large scar running across his cheek. Where did a priest get such a horrible looking mark? An accident maybe?

She did her best to relax and prepare for the long train ride to the airport. Her trip to England had been fun but she was glad to be on her way home. She missed the Somas and wondered how Yuki and Kyo were getting along without her. Suddenly the strange priest seemed to snap out of the world he had been in and turned to her with a surprisingly warm smile.

"Where are my manners?" he said with a thick Irish accent. "I must have dozed off."

Toru smiled. Her English wasn't the best and his accent made understanding him difficult, but she was sure he had said sleeping. He hadn't been sleeping, that was for sure. "Oh it's okay." She said happily. "I can see why you would be tired."

The priest smiled. "Bless you child. Father Anderson." He said extending a gloved hand. Toru took it, finding it odd that he was wearing gloves in this sort of weather. Something was written on the glove but she couldn't make it out.

"Toru Honda." She said letting go of his hand. She felt like she should say something else but decided not to. She felt bad about not being able to be friendlier, but the man gave her the creeps.

"What brings you out this way?" he asked.

She pondered for a moment what he said. When she thought she understood it she searched for the right words; the man's accent was throwing her off. "A school trip." She said hesitantly. "Only a few of us got to go." She thought of her classmates who she hadn't seen since getting to the train station. They had gone off to get food and use the restrooms while waiting. The train pulled in while they were still gone and Toru had boarded thinking they would soon follow. She hadn't seen any of them on the train and was worried they had missed it.

"Did you have a good time?" he asked, his accent seemingly getting thicker.

"Oh yes. England is very nice."

The man's features seemed to darken slightly but the friendly look never left his face. "Yes, I suppose it has its fine points. The people are a bit wayward but I suppose that's true all over."

Toru wasn't sure what to say to that. She simply smiled and nodded. The priest seemed friendly enough but she sensed something about him that made her worry. She didn't want to judge the man to harshly; maybe he had a hard life and it wasn't his fault he was so…creepy.

End Chapter One.