Follow the Yellow Line

Following the information given to them by the strange, little man, the trio was finally back on their journey towards Empire City. Sammy, feeling strength from his defeat of Ebling, now walked with a new found air to his step, holding his chest high. Joe walked with certain quickness, troubled by the time lost due to the unexpected turn of events brought on by Ebling. Rosa had situated herself between the two, feeling comfort from being surrounded by her saviors. She especially enjoyed the closeness to Joe as the three walked together.

Finally, Joe, Sammy, and Rosa descended down the stairs into the subway station. Joe checked each map they passed; searching for a trace of Empire City, but it was nowhere to be found. Joe thought anxiously to himself, "What if Empire City doesn't exist? What if the key, the letter, and Rosa are all coincidences? What if this is all a waste of time, as my family waits, suffering, while I'm off on some wild-goose chase??" Joe's thoughts were interrupted when Sammy walked straight up to the ticket booth and hastily asked for three tickets to Empire City. The ticket man silently pulled three golden tickets from below the counter. Sammy accepted them and when he asked how much he owed, the ticket man replied, "free of charge".

Without hesitation, the three friends hopped on the subway labeled as the yellow line and took their seats. The subway train stopped and went; People boarded and people got off at their designated stops, but Empire City never appeared. Finally, the conductor called for last stop, but still, no Empire City. As the last of the passengers made their way off the subway car, Joe stood up in frustration, "What's going on?! Where's our stop?" With that, the subway train jutted forward, knocking Joe off balance. Over the loudspeaker they heard, "Next stop, Empire City."