Rush

"Sure, Chris, I can lather some suntan lotion on your chest," I said as Captain A smiled. He was so handsome and, omg, single. I was going to make sure he saw me as relationship material. I started to slather suntan lotion all over his chest. He gave me a flirty look and lifted his hand towards my face. He sat up as I leaned in. Yes! This is it! I'm about to kiss Captain A! I was so ready. I pursed my lips, closed my eyes, and slowly went in for the kiss as......Bzzzz, Bzzzz, Bzzzz "Lana! Where are you?!! We were supposed to meet an hour ago. I've been trying to reach you. Please let me know you are ok!!"

My phone slips from my hand and onto the subway car floor. I internally screamed, hoping that my screen was not cracked. Please don't be cracked. Please don't be cracked.

I picked it up from the floor and checked my messages. Raisa. I must have fallen asleep. How long was I out? I turn around and look out the window. I'm on a train? How did I get here?

I noticed that the train was speeding. I squinted to look at the stops, but it was hard to make out inside the dark tunnel. Damn, why is it going so fast? How did I get here??

I sat back down in my seat. I looked around and noticed that there were only 5 of us including me, sitting down. No one seemed to be concerned with the speed that the train was going in. Maybe I'm the only one that is seeing it go fast?

Oh! I remember that I didn't reply to Raisa. "Hey, Raisa! I'm on a train. I think I should be there soon." I tell her, hoping that the train will stop sometime soon, and hoping that I will remember how I got here before it did.

I decided to take my mind off the train. It's fine. We will stop soon. The calmness of the people was worrying me, though. At first glance, they all looked normal.

Passenger 1, sitting perpendicular to me, was reading what looked like a romance novel. I tried to view the title but could only get one word. You. He didn't flinch. The moving train, no, the speeding train, seemed to do nothing to him. He monotonously turned the book pages as his body jerked back and forth from the train's movement. Is it me, or did the train pick up speed?

I tried to keep calm even though all I wanted to do was scream. This can't be happening again.

I placed my hands over my face as though I was removing whatever fear was displaying. I decide to continue focusing on the passengers.

Passenger 2 was sitting across from me. I lower my sunglasses and stare at her. She was going to the beach as I could see the bikini straps around her neck. Tall and beautiful with glowing skin and long flowy hair, she was as calm as Romance novel guy. Why are these people so quiet? I'm trying so hard not to have a panic attack here.

The Bikini girl is looking at her phone, scrolling with her perfectly manicured French tip hands. She daintily swipes on her phone screen as she scrolls through her social media. I can see the reflection in the window behind her. She stops at what looks like a guy. I focus on the reflection behind her and make out the word Will written below the guy's picture. Is that his name?

She starts to giggle as she begins to type on her phone at 120wpm, as though her nails were part of her skin and not a separate accessory. She flips her hair as she continues.

Passenger 3 was on the next bench over, wearing jean shorts and sandals. He was playing on a handheld video game console that wasn't familiar to me, with only the letters Not displaying on the back of it. He also was calm and did not notice the speed at which the train was going.

I was really trying to keep calm. I didn't want to panic if everyone else wasn't. My phone buzzes in my hand again and I check it. It's my sister again. "Ok, how soon? It's been 3hours already. Everyone is getting anxious and ready to leave." Raisa says as my eyes widened reading her message. 3hours? What does she mean?

I respond to Raisa "What do you mean 3 hours? I left the house about a half hour ago." I put my phone back in my pocket. Raisa sends me a picture of the clock in her house. 5 pm. OMG

Now I start to panic. If we have been on this train for 3 hours, why wasn't anyone else worried? Why was everyone so quiet and calm? How did I get here? I don't remember anything! It made no sense! I look at the last passenger that was to the right of me on the bench next to the wall.

Passenger 4 was eating a pint of ice cream. The ice cream did not look melted and he seemed to still have some left. He's eating ice cream and it doesn't look melted. It would have melted if we had been here for 3 hours. Right?

My panic attack starts to fade away as I think that Raisa could have been mistaken about the time. I relax in my seat and continued to stare at the man eat his ice cream.

As he is about to place the spoon inside and take another scoop, I see the word Live across the spoon. I shrug and turn looking at the train continuing to speed past the stops. They all seemed to be the same stops and then it hit me. YOU WILL NOT LIVE.

I bolt from the seat and run to the window. I stare at the stops and count how many there are. 1, 2, 3, 4.....back to 1, 2, 3, 4. We were going in a loop. One continuous loop. I turn around and stare at everyone. No one cared! No one batted one eye! Everyone was engrossed in their thing!

YOU WILL NOT LIVE. That had to be a warning that something was going to happen to us in here. By this time, I am breathing really fast as I look through the middle window at the other cars. It was too dark to see from where I was standing. I let out deep breaths and start to walk towards the door that led to the other train car.

No one moved. No one looked up. No one wondered what I was doing. What is wrong with you people????

I reach for the door handle and swing it to the left to open it. There was a small gap in between the train cars that revealed the tracks below. I could see sparks of electricity as the train continued and turned.

I hold on careful not to slip and open the door to the next car. I close it behind and turn around. I scream as I see the same people that were sitting in the previous car, sitting in this car. They were all doing the same exact thing, sitting in the same directions as before. I walk down the train car to check for the next car as fear starts to fill my body.

How are the same people here as well? Where am I??? I reach the next car and again I hold on careful not to slip as I open the door. Again I close it and turn. The same people that were sitting in the car were sitting in this one as well. The same people!

Omg, I need to get out of here. Tears start to form in my eyes as I decide to talk to them. I start with the girl first as she looked the most inviting. She was texting and giggling as she had done in the last 2 cars. I wave my hand in front of her face.

"Hello? Hi?" I say as I continue to get her attention. She doesn't budge. Doesn't look up. It was as though she didn't see or hear me. I try again this time touching her arm. "Hi. Hello. Do you know when I got on this train? Do you know why this train is going so fast? Why is it not stopping? Why is it going in a loop?" I tell her as I'm shaking her arm as tears start to roll from my eyes.

"Hello! Tell me!!" I say as I'm shaking her entire body. She continues to text and giggle without looking up. My shaking does not even do anything to her. Desperate I begin to run toward everyone that was in the car. I begin to yell and ask them the same questions I asked the girl. I didn't care anymore. I wanted to leave. I wanted answers.

One by one I got no response. None of them looked up. None of them stopped what they were doing. The Ice Cream seemed to have infinite ice cream in that pint of his that didn't melt. I didn't know what else to do.

I decided to continue walking through the train cars and see if I could reach the driver. Train car after train car after train car. Same people. Same poses. Same activities. I must be going crazy. That has to be it. It's the only logical explanation.

After what seemed like 15 cars, I stopped crying. I stopped in the middle of the train car and stared straight ahead at the window. What if there is no driver? Don't be silly, how is the train moving if there is no driver?

I stand in the middle of the train car staring straight ahead and not falling from the speed of the train. It was as though my feet planted themselves on the floor. As though it knew I needed to maintain my balance.

I stare as I'm about to accept my fate.

I wasn't going to know how I got here.

I wasn't going to know when I got here.

I wasn't going to know how to get out alive.

I needed to accept it, close my eyes and maybe I'll be transported back to my house. What do I have to lose?

I slowly close my eyes, just as a bright light starts to shine in front of us. I keep my eyes open as the train continues to speed and slowly enters the bright light. I wanted to see what was at the other end of that light. Were we dead? Is that heaven?

The train passed through the bright light as though it were a tunnel. The light became smaller and smaller as I was able to see what was in front of us. CRASH!

The train collided and everyone swung back and forth including me. I screamed as I landed sitting against one of the doors. The train had flipped on its side as it hit whatever was in front of us. Wait, is that Crunch??? I say staring at what looked like a giant black cat.

It can't be. I say as I get up closer to the front window to get a better look. Peering back at me are green eyes on black fur. Crunch opened its mouth and a large meow sound filled the air. I place my hands over my ears and scrunch my face as I am trying to drown out Crunch. He rolls his eyes and walks away.

How is he 10 feet tall?? I had no clue why Crunch collided with the train. Or how he grew so much. I start to bang on the window trying to get his attention. "Crunch! Crunch!" I say as I notice Crunch stop in his tracks. His ears perk up and he stands as he usually does when he hears something.

"Yes! Crunch it's me! Crunch!" I continue to call my cat knowing he would recognize his faithful master. I bang on the window as I am yelling and he runs back to the train. He starts to sniff it all around and I finally catch his attention.

"Crunch! Yes, it's me. I am in here. I need to get out. Go get Raisa. Or Tommy." I tell him as though he was going to understand anything that I said. He started to touch and lick the window as though doing this would get me out. As he continued to do that, the train kept moving back and forth. Back and forth. I was getting sick from falling from one side to the other.

Wait. I get the idea to open the middle train car door. I can get out of here and see if I can find help. I will wait until Crunch gets distracted.

I slowly go and open the door at the first chance I get. I finally get out of the train leaving behind the people that I know knew had to be dolls or figurines.

Smiling, I am excited that I will get out of here and start to walk faster across my carpeted floor. I almost reach the open door, when BAM!

A glass jar comes flying over me, trapping me inside. I see my nephew squinting at me. He starts to yell "Maaaa! I caught it again. I'm going to put it back inside the train." He happily walks me over back into the train and places me inside. He flips the train back up and then runs towards what looked like a giant switch.

I watch as my nephew lifts the switch and the train speeds back into the dark tunnel again.