Nirvana Express

A loud, deafening silence filled the area. It was broken by the pounding headache’s loud sound that kept going back and forth. The head felt heavy, and under pressure, rocking left and right, following the headache’s beat. The head moved around like no neck or spine held it in place.

There was no sense fighting this feeling.

Attempting to open the eyes was a feat. On several attempts, the lids opened to a slit and closed back. The light was out there, and it was painful to endure this headache. After a few moments, the eyes fully opened and attempted to focus on something in the environment.

The area was dark, the view of the surroundings was heavily blurred, and shapes could hardly be discerned. There was a particular mental fog that lingered, making things even worse. This mental fog resembled the feeling of drugs leaving the body or when one is hungover.

Everything was as vague as a toddler’s drawing.

Things were as vague as a dream could be.

After several minutes of attempting to focus on the surroundings, shapes and colors defined themselves more crisply and sharply.

The area itself was dark and foggy. Flickering lights were lined up on the walls on both sides of this confining area, 5 feet from each other. Between them were two 2 feet wide double-hung windows, which appeared well shut.

The lights used were oil lamps, which explained the flickering and the persistent scent. The oil used must have been of bad quality. Soot accumulated around the insides of the lamp globes and slightly covered the walls above them, darkening the burgundy walls.

Nothing else could be seen between the lamps and the curved ceiling. Even though lamps were lit, the light they emitted was dim and barely illuminated the area, making it difficult to define the ceiling. It appeared painted in the same burgundy color as the walls.

The floor was covered with dark hardwood and had seen better days. Most of the varnish was peeled off, only covering small areas where no one put their feet and exposed the wood to the ambient elements. The unprotected floor was stained, likely by water.

The area itself was no wider than 9 feet wide. Its length seemed to extend forever, both forward and backward. Banquettes that could seat four people filled the area. They were covered by a worn royal blue textile that had seen better days. A row was on each side of a narrow passage in the middle of the area. It was the only way to move to the front or back of the area.

The ambient air was stale and chilly. There was no heating, and the oil lamps were not strong enough to warm the area. A fog alluding to an ethereal presence floated above the empty banquettes. The area vaguely resembled an old train wagon, dating back to the end of the 19th century.

Nothing could be seen outside the window, as darkness reigned supreme. It was impossible to know where here was.

Out by the window, some lights began to appear. They were approaching fast.

As the lights got closer, shapes appeared around them. Buildings of all sorts and roads began materializing in the darkness. It was an entire village.

Here was a tranquil train, and it was going toward the village. The train's full length came into view as the moon peeked out from behind some clouds. A series of wagons, 10 to the exact, were located to the front. None were located behind, making this wagon the tail of the train. This came as a surprise, as the wagon did not shake at all. It was as stable as if it was immobile.

As the village got closer, the train showed no sign of slowing down.

A train station was in sight, and a train came into full view. The train was on standby at the dock, letting passengers board and disembark. This train was about to hit it.

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

I held my breath as I waited for this catastrophe to happen.

The impact never occurred.

The old train went through the immobilized train. For a few moments, the interior of the other train could be seen and superposed to this one: a well-lit area with people choosing their seats, talking together, reading a newspaper, or looking at the maps.

There was a weird translucent and pale blue hue surrounding us all. We moved through the train as if we were pure energy.

Was this a dream?

As sudden as the other train’s interior appeared and merged with this one, it disappeared. We had gone through it, and no one else noticed.

My headache was persisting.

It occurred to me I was still wearing my pajamas and nothing else. I had no accessories, no jewelry, nor did I wear my glasses. Oddly enough, my vision was perfect. Glancing around, nothing had changed inside the wagon.

How did I get here?

I got up from my seat and began going toward the front of the train. I felt something looking at me as I passed several rows of banquettes. I turned around and was disappointed to see no one behind me. However, I still felt that eerie presence.

This did nothing to appease my growing anxiety.

I resumed my walk, trembling, and taking hold of the banquettes’ back as I passed by them. I knew better than to peep a word and chose to remain quiet. I finally reached the front of the wagon and went into the next one.

As I opened and closed the doors, I could not help but notice they remained quiet. I was expecting a dragging or creaking sound coming from the hinges. There was no clicking sound either when I closed them.

The next wagon was to the image of the first one I was seated. It was identical and as empty. The same presence could still be felt, and I hurried up. As I strolled through the area, I realized I was not carrying a ticket either.

I made my way through the following seven wagons, convinced all I did was walk through the same wagon over and over again.

As I opened the door to the last wagon, I heard some whispers. Looking back and expecting to see nothing but the darkness staring back at me, I gasped in horror as the seats began filling up with ethereal beings. They were humans, or what was left of them. Some were naked, while others were fully clothed. Some were missing body parts or had lethal injuries.

They were wailing, in pain, and afraid of something.

Beings of all ages and genders were staring at me. It took me a moment to realize they were not terrified of me but me having opened the wagon door leading to what would be first-class seating.

I heard a booming voice coming from behind me, from the dreaded first wagon. The voice commanded me to come in and close the door, to leave those souls alone, as their time would eventually come.

I walked into the first wagon and closed the door. I was doing so, unable to fight the command I was given. It was overpowering me, and no matter how much will I had, I could not fight it off.

I froze in my track as I noticed two individuals seated at a table in the center of the wagon. One was clothed in white robes, while the other wore red robes. A particular might emanated from both of them.

They were playing cards.

The individual in the red robes pointed at the cards and told me, “Joker is the name; poker is the game.”

I opened my mouth but remained unable to speak.

The other individual, wearing the white robes, added, “We play for the biggest stake yet, the soul of a dead, your soul.”