The Runaway Train

As the sun shone through the window of the train car, the man groggily rubbed his eyes and looked around. He was on a train, but he had no memory of how he got there. He searched his pockets, but found nothing except for a few coins and a crumpled up piece of paper with an address on it.

He looked around the car, but it was empty except for a few discarded newspapers and an empty soda can rolling back and forth with the motion of the train. Panic began to set in as he realized he had no ticket and no idea where the train was heading.

As he tried to piece together his memories, the train continued to speed along the tracks with no signs of slowing down. He searched his mind for any clue as to how he got here, but his thoughts were clouded and his head throbbed with a dull ache.

The man tried to open the door of the train car, but it was locked tight. He pounded on it with his fists, but to no avail. He then noticed a small intercom system in the corner of the car and pressed the button.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" he said, his voice shaky with fear.

There was no response, only the sound of the train's wheels on the tracks and the hum of the engine. The man sat down on one of the seats, feeling hopeless and alone.

He tried to calm himself down and think logically. Maybe he had simply fallen asleep and missed his stop. But as he looked out the window, he saw that the scenery passing by was unfamiliar, and the train was traveling at a speed that made him doubt they were anywhere near his intended destination.

As the hours passed, the man's hunger and thirst began to grow. He searched through the empty train car and found a vending machine, but it was out of order. He then tried to pry open the door of the next car, but it too was locked tight.

The man was beginning to lose hope. He had no idea where he was going, and the train showed no signs of stopping. He was trapped, a prisoner on a speeding metal behemoth hurtling through the countryside with no end in sight.

Just as he was about to give up all hope, the man heard a faint sound coming from the intercom system. He rushed over and pressed the button.

"Hello? Can you hear me? Is anyone there?" he said urgently.

"Hello," a crackly voice responded. "This is the train conductor. We have detected that there is someone on board without a ticket. Please identify yourself and make your way to the front of the train."

The man breathed a sigh of relief. At least someone had finally heard him. He made his way through the empty train cars, feeling his way along in the dim light.

As he approached the front of the train, he saw a stern-looking conductor waiting for him.

"You're the one without a ticket, I presume?" the conductor said, eyeing him suspiciously.

The man nodded, too relieved to speak.

"Well, you're going to have to pay for your fare then. And we'll have to call the authorities to sort out how you got on board without a ticket."

The man explained that he had no memory of how he got on the train, and showed the conductor the crumpled piece of paper with the address on it.

The conductor took the paper and examined it closely. "This is strange," he said. "This address is for a mental institution. Are you sure this is where you were supposed to go?"

The man was taken aback. A mental institution? He had no idea what was going on.