Maddie

thud

thud

thud

A grimace forms on my face. I start to shift my head away from whatever it’s hitting. I realize my body is stiff and aching and I stretch my arms above my head and my knuckles smash into cold metal.

A yelp escapes my lips and I yank my arms to my chest, rubbing my knuckles into my palms. I start to blink and realize nothing is coming into focus. Just a fuzzy, thick black that seems like it is seeping into every pore.

I gasp softly and rub my eyes. Suddenly, I am blinded by searing light that causes me to shrink back and grip the edge of my seat. I blink rapidly, trying to get my eyes to adjust as my surroundings finally come into focus.

My knuckles are white against the deep green velvet of the seat I am sitting on. The floor is a deeper shade of green that has barely a fleck of dirt on it. The car I am in is nothing short of extravagant with gold trim and lush patterns on every surface.

I glance above me and see a gold luggage rack with a bag that I recognize as mine. I remember the stitching that’s frayed at the handle. I take in the stain on the bottom, remembering it's from a spilled drink. See the soft, worn, leather luggage tag dangling between the bars of the rack.

I reach up and touch the tag, remembering the man who gave it to me. A soft shudder rolls through me as I remember his soft hands on my shoulders - hands so big, a can of soda looked miniature with his fingers wrapped around it.

My hand absently travels to my throat as I imagine his fingertips gripping me gently, his hazel, blue-green eyes, piercing into mine as I trace the freckles that wrap across his eyelid and gently curve around the corner of his left eye. I imagine drawing this eye, the freckles, the lines in his skin, the textures of his eyelashes as I absently reach for my sketchbook.

My fingers find nothing but the velvet of the seat. I turn frantically to my left and see nothing beside me. I look around the car and realize that I am not alone. I slowly realize I am on a train. I look out of the window to my right and gasp again.

A looming mountain quickly becomes more massive as the train nears the rocky cliffs. The tracks so close, I swear I could reach out and grab a handful of rocks if this window were open.

The train passes the mountain quickly and reveals a sprawling emerald lake, mountains curving every side, a small animal drinking from the water.

I blink and realize, the animal is not small. The antlers of this elk are bigger than my entire body and I almost scream when I see that we are not on the ground, but on a trestle that is probably 100 feet in the air!

I feel my sweat breaking across my flesh as I grow cold. Where the hell am I going?

I tear my eyes from the terrifying heights before me and look around the car once again. My eyes meet a pair of hazel, golden-brown eyes with green specks flitting through them and I quickly look away.

Once I’ve gained the courage to look again, I realize the eyes have not left my face. I feel the deep red stains springing to my cheeks as I clear my through and look at the tips of my shoes. The dirtiest Converse you’ve ever seen and silently curse at myself for wearing them. It’s kinda hard to be pissed at myself when I literally have no idea where I’m going and why.

This thought scares me enough to look back into the stranger's eyes and ask: “Where are we?”

His eyes become even more curious and a crooked smile arches the corners of his lips, and an involuntary gulping sound escapes mine as my brain spontaneously wonders how those lips taste.

“You don’t know?” he asks. I shake my head and force my eyes to look away from his lips. He chuckles, “Wow, that must’ve been some nap, huh?”

I rub my temples, trying to remember, “Have you been in the car with me for the entire trip?”

He shrugs, “Yeah, I mean, I moved into this car after mine became too crowded with screaming women, mad at their husbands who won’t help entertain their kids.”

I smile slightly, remembering why I wasn’t married.

“Sometimes men forget that parenting is a two-person job,” I laugh.

He smiles back at me.

“So, this might sound weird, but I honestly have no idea where we are going or how I got on this train.” I tell the man. Concern flashes through his eyes.

“What do you mean?” He asks.

“I mean, I remember who I am and pretty much my entire life, but I don’t remember anything before I woke up just now. I just woke up to pitch black and felt sore. Like my muscles are aching.” I said, rubbing my arms and looking out the window.

He leans forward and says “You don’t remember getting on this train?”

I shake my head nervously and bite my lip. My shoe suddenly becoming the most interesting thing in the room.

His hands clasp in front of him as he rests his elbows on his knees. He starts to ask a string of questions, what’s your name, where are you from, how old are you, do you have a boyfriend.

Maddie

Boston

29

No…

He smiles at this and I blush a deep satin red and curse my genetics for leaving me with the world’s most pale skin. Everyone always knows everything I’m thinking. My skin is porcelain white and my hair is the deepest shade of red, people always joke that I’m a vampire. They even think my name is vampiric. Madeleine. Who is named Madeleine anymore anyway? What are you, like, a vampire princess or something? I remember kids asking me in school. I always shrugged it off. My dad taught me to ignore stupidity.

I felt an intense longing to see his face. Smell the smoky char he wore like cologne. He’s a firefighter and I swear his body just manufactures the smoke smell now. It never leaves, it just mixes with the smell of his soap or deodorant. I think he secretly likes it that way.

I wrap my arms around my waist and pull my knees to my chest.

The stranger's smile vanishes as he asks: “Are you okay?”

I nod, choking on the sudden tension in my throat.

“I just don’t understand why I don’t remember.” I manage to say in a soft, but even voice.

He sighs. “Well, we’re here now, the best we can do is try to figure out where you’re going and hope we’re going to the same place,” he says winking.

I smile a little at this, “And why is that?”

He leans back, linking his arms behind his head and cradling his neck. My eyes are immediately drawn to his biceps, making his shirt look too sizes too small in that position.

My mouth literally waters and I force myself to look back at his face. Thankfully, he is looking at the ceiling.

He contemplates his reply and says “I’d like to get to know you, Maddie. By the way, is that short for something?”

I shrug, “Madeleine.”

This causes his smile to spread across his face as he says, “Oh, I like that. Madeleine.”

My stomach knots as my name falls from his mouth. I could get used to the sound of that… I chide myself for getting so worked up over someone I just met. Besides, aren’t I heartbroken after being left by - I cut myself off. Nope. No thank you.

I sit up abruptly and say “All of these questions and you haven’t told me a thing about yourself.”

The stranger smiles, sits up, and pulls a leg up to place his ankle on his knee, his hands resting comfortably on his ankle.

“What do you wanna know?” He says casually, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“What’s your name? Where are you from? How old are you? Do you have a boyfriend?”

My exact repetition in rapid-fire form causes him to burst into laughter, laughter so deep and strong, I can feel it in my chest. The feeling spreads and soon I am laughing with him.

He catches his breath and says “I like that, you’re funny.”

I smile up at him and he says “My name is Oliver, I’m from Montana, I am 32, and no, unfortunately, I do not have a boyfriend.”

I raise my eyebrow and he chuckles and says “I like women. But I don't have a girlfriend either.”

My fists unfurl, I didn’t even realize I was clenching them. Why do I care so much if he has a girlfriend?? I am literally losing it, what the hell is wrong with me?!

I look up from my inner barrage of questions to see Oliver watching me intently again.

“So, where are you going?” I ask him.

“Oh, I heard about this healing spa up at the top of the mountain.”

I tilt my head, looking at him like I didn’t understand.

He laughs at my expression and says “Wow, I guess you really don’t remember anything.”

Not sure what he means by this, I ask “Well, what is this spa and where did you get onto the train?”

As he is about to answer, frantic movement draws our attention to the car door.

Three trainmen push past, their looks of concern not overlooked by us and several other cars. Some people get up and go into the hallway, looking in the direction the trainmen have gone and sending whispers of concern to each other.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Oliver says, standing and coming towards me.

My heart starts to beat into my throat and he says “May I?” as he motions toward the seat next to me.

I nod and squish into the corner next to the window. Oliver pauses, noticing my reaction and says “I can go back to my side of the car if that makes you more comfortable?” His eyebrows raised as he takes in my reaction.

“Oh!” I gasp, “No, you’re totally fine to sit with me. I’m sorry, I just haven’t had a great week.” Images surface of the freckled eyes and I shove them away again. Burying them deep and focusing on Oliver’s golden gaze.

He smiles, “Okay then.” And he sits with a good 4 feet between us. His arm perched on the top of the seat bench. He stands suddenly and goes back to the bench opposite me.

When my eyes turn questioning, he says “I can stare better from over here.”

I blush again and stare at the floor, biting my lip.

“So, uh, what were you talking about when you mentioned this spa-thing?” I redirect.

He laughs again, “Well, I’m…different.” He says, causing me to crane my neck and scan his body.

He chuckles, “You can’t tell by looking at me, silly.”

What I can tell, this is the biggest man I have ever seen. Tall like a freaking redwood tree and built like an MMA fighter.

I find myself lingering on his hands and literally drooling at the thought of him touching me.

He snaps his fingers, a playful smile on his face as my eyes snap back to his.“Thought I lost you for a second there,” he smirks.

“Shut up,” I grumble, suppressing the urge to blush again.

“So, are we supposed to be making any stops at all, or like, where are we stopping, are people getting off in between…?” I trail off.

He sighs, “Well, we did stop about 16 hours ago, you’ve been asleep for pretty much the entire time, and I thought we were supposed to make another scheduled stop 4 hours ago, but we never did. We haven’t even come close to any civilization, now that I think about it. I don’t remember seeing any cities or villages. You know what,” he says, “come to think of it, maybe I don’t remember everything either.”

His brows furrow and he starts staring at the carpet, trying to remember. “Maybe my timeline isn’t what it’s supposed to be either…”

I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up and the cold sweat starts sweeping across my skin. “You don’t?!” I squeak.

“Just kidding!” He laughs, slapping his knee.

I growl at him and glare through my eyelashes as the blush spreads up to my ears.

“Ah-haha ha!” He continues laughing at my reaction and my blushing.

I fold my arms across my chest and scowl.

He laughs but straightens up in his seat, “No, I remember everything, but I am pretty upset that you don’t remember me or where we’re going.” He says.

“Wait, what do you mean?” I ask him.

He starts to explain that we’ve been together for a few months, backpacking through Europe, always on the same trains, always going to the same places, “And we’re” he clears his throat “involved.”

“Involved…” I say, blushing, “Intimately,” he says, his eyes tracing the curves of my body.

My heart starts to race and my hands grow slick.

“Oh…” I trail off. No wonder I keep having these responses to him! At least part of me remembers something, somehow…

“Why didn't you say something sooner?!" I ask incredulously. "But I swear, I am remembering it like it was, it feels like just this week…” I stutter and trail off.

“It feels like just this week you were dumped.” He states abruptly.

My heart catches in my throat and I feel the shards, prickly, against my ribs.

“Yeah,” I whisper, trying not to let my emotions show too much.

He notices and sits beside me, taking my face in his hands. My breath catches in my throat as his lips press into mine.

Bright flashes of scenes explode in my mind, us, dancing around a fire, swimming the Danube, riding camels in Morrocco, laughter carrying through each memory, I feel my heart tighten in my chest as his lips pull from mine and I gasp for air.

“What the hell…” I gasp.

He pulls away from me, noticing my ragged breathing, “Are you okay?!” He’s brushing my hair out of my face and my vision blurs as I stand, pulling away from him.

“What the hell!” I gasp again as I fade and Oliver catches me before I smash my face into the floor, then, darkness.

This train is never going to stop…

stop

stop

stop it!

STOP IT!

I wake up screaming “STOP!” at the top of my lungs, so hard I can feel blood vessels burst in my eyes. The room is silent and everyone jumps away from me with terrified expressions.

Oliver’s face comes into view, “Maddie, they’re medics, they came to see you because you passed out.”

I gulped air, panic slowly starting to fade as I grip Oliver’s arms.

Everyone tries not to stare at me, but one girl in the back of the car, near the door, locks eyes with me and won’t look away.

Oliver turns to the room, “How about we just give her some air and I’ll call you if she feels like she needs someone to check her out?” Silent nods of agreement, except the girl, she just stares back at me.

People start to shuffle out and she steps toward me.

Seeming to think twice, she hesitates and turns toward the door.

“Wait! You can stay!” I call to her and she stops at the door.

“Are you sure?” She asks.

“Yes, please, please stay.”

She closes the door behind the last person and draws the curtains.

“What is going on here?” I ask her.

She shuffles uncomfortably and looks at her feet.

“Seriously, what the hell is going on?” I yell and she flinches.

She draws a deep breath and says “I think we’re going through the same thing.” She explains everything, how she can’t remember how she got onto the train, where she’s going, why she’s alone, why the train isn’t stopping…

“Wait, did you just say this train isn’t going to stop?” I ask her frantically.

She looks away and bites her lip.

When she looks back at me, her eyes are brimming with tears.

“I don’t think so,” she whispers to me as tears spill down her cheeks.

I stare, dumbfounded.

Silence fills the car and Oliver stands. “What are you talking about?”

She explains that the train hasn’t made any stops, just like Oliver did. She tells us how the trainmen stopped outside of her car. How they were talking in hushed tones and she heard them whispering about the train speeding up. How she could hear the concern in their voices.

“But that doesn’t mean it’s, like, never stopping, right?” Oliver asks, looking between the two of us.

I stare back at the girl, her bright blue eyes framed by dark curls. I can see the fear, I feel the same sense of dread that I felt when I was…dreaming, or whatever the hell that was before I woke up just a second ago.

“I think she’s right,” I say, turning to Oliver.

“This train isn’t going to stop.”

The words barely made it out before the screams erupted.