Gwen
"You told her!?"; Gwen asked JJ. She was so upset that she had all she could do to keep her voice at a whisper.[past tense? - in the narrative, not the dialog - is that right?]
[This is a jump, right? I know where I want to go with this but how do I get here? Where are JJ and Gwen? How did they get here? Where's Red? She must be near because Gwen is trying to whisper. ]
"I can hear you, Mom." Red said from the back seat. She had her ear buds in but was between songs. She hit pause and took out the buds. She leaned forward between the front seats and looked at her Mom. "Why didn't you want me to know about this?"
[Okay, I can run with this....]
Gwen gave JJ a helpless look and turned to Red. "Honey, you know how you and Grandpa kind of get carried away with all this talk about supernatural stuff, and weird science and all that, and we - well I - was worried that you might try to go and find this train."
"Ha. So you believe that the train was real." Red said.
"Well, Sweetheart, I don't know what to believe." Gwen said; "Your Father and Grandfather have always maintained that it is a true story so I have to assume that it has some foundation in reality."
"So that means that you believe it." Red insisted. "Why else would you try so hard to keep me from knowing about it?"
Gwen looked at JJ helplessly and said to Red; " I believe that something happened up on those tracks..."
"Thanks a lot."; JJ interrupted.
"What?" Gwen persisted; "I said I believed you."
Gwen looked back at Red; "Something happened, " Gwen continued, "and I believe that whatever it was..." She looked at JJ before he could protest. ".. a train or whatever; I believe your Father and Grandfather (and Billy) were very lucky to have survived the experience."
"What do you mean 'lucky to have survived'?" Red asked. JJ glanced quickly towards Gwen and then turned his attention back to driving.
"Well, I believe that whatever it was, it was not natural - you know." Gwen continued. And I believe it was very dangerous."
"And you think it is still dangerous after all these years?" Red asked.
"I don't know." Gwen protested; "I don't know anything about it. And that makes me afraid, you know. So why risk it? You don't walk into a cave if you think there might be a bear around."
"So you're afraid that Grandpa and I will go walking where those tracks were and find the train."
"No, I don't think you'll find the train - but why take the chance; is all I'm saying."
"So that's why Grandpa always refuses to walk down the snowmobile trail."
"That's probably one reason." JJ said.
"What's the other"; Red asked.
"Well, " JJ glanced at Gwen, "I guess that's the only reason that I know of."
"Is Grandpa afraid of the train?; Red asked.
"You'll have to ask Grandpa." Gwen said.
"Are you sure we can talk about this?" Red asked sarcastically.
"Now Red," JJ scolded, "that tone is a little uncalled for, don't you think?"
"Sorry. "Red said and then leaned back in her seat.
Gwen looked back at her; "Red, sweetheart, we're just concerned for your safety. You have to believe that."
"I know."
"And you know, Grandma has never let your Grandpa or JJ go back on those tracks to this very day. So it's not just you."
"Wow," Red said, "you guys really do believe in the train."
"You're old enough now to know." Gwen said; "And you're responsible enough to take the danger seriously. We just don't want you and Grandpa to try one of your experiments with this thing - whatever it is - or was."
"Thanks Mom." Red said.
[They should be home by now. I'll head home as well. ]
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