The Train of Truths

It is a crack of thunder in the distance, perhaps, that awakes Jeremy from his slumber. Opening his eyes, he looks out the window to his right and watches as the landscape glides past him. He perks a little and realizes that he is alone in the train car, or so he thinks.

“Ticket?” Asks a voice from behind him. Jeremy turns around, finding himself face to face with a tall, pale young man clad in black from head to toe. Thrusting his hands into his pockets and looking about, Jeremy discovers that there is no ticket to be found.

“I don’t have one?… To be honest, I don’t remember boarding a train,” Jeremy responds.

“No? Well, I remember you. Name’s Snake. I saw you walking up to the ticket window this morning… Your ticket must have been lost once you boarded; I’m sure you can reclaim it in Car 1. You’re in Car 8 now.”

“Car 1? Alright, thanks for the tip. I’ll get on my way shortly,” Jeremy says, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

“Perfect… Take all the time you need. I’ll see ya later, kid.” Snake responds.

Jeremy closes his eyes and begins to drift back to sleep. Just as he is about to slip away, a terrible hiss comes through the speakers. Startled, the boy sits up quickly, clasping his hands over his ears. A message comes on directly after: “Attention Car 8 passengers, the Conductor will arrive in fifteen minutes. Please have your tickets ready!”

As soon as the announcement is over, Jeremy is startled to find that the once empty car is almost completely filled with other passengers. They all begin to move about, locating their tickets in preparation for the arrival of the Conductor. Standing up, Jeremy sees the door at the front of the car, and makes his way towards it. As he approaches the door, two large-screen televisions come into focus and turn on, filling the car with the sounds of static. Stopping dead in his tracks, he stares for a moment. Clearing his mind, he decides to continue his journey to the next car. After a step forward, a sloth comes into focus on the screens before him.

“The average sloth sleeps up to eighteen hours a day,” the narrator says from the screen. The young man edges closer to the screens and stares as the animal slowly makes its way down a branch.

“Jeremy?” A voice sounds from his left. He turns and looks to the source of the voice. “I’m Snake’s friend, Lilly. Would you care to sit down for a minute and watch?”

She is seated in the second seat from the aisle, so he quickly takes a seat to her right. Lilly offers him a pillow and blanket, and he settles in, mesmerized by what is playing out on the screens in front of him. His eyes become heavy again, and he dozes off for what seems like a second before there is loud bang from the door at the back of the car. He turns around to find a man with navy blue slacks, vest, and hat, shiny black dress shoes, and a white long-sleeved button up.

“Ticket?” He calls. The Conductor makes his way seat by seat verifying the tiny pieces of paper, one by one. Jeremy decides that he will explain that he is about to go to Car 1 to reclaim his ticket when he arrives. After explaining that his ticket was simply lost, the Conductor will be understanding of the mishap. Perhaps they will share a laugh, and all will be well.

About halfway through the car, He stops. “Ticket?” He is addressing a young girl, maybe twenty, with golden curls and cool blue eyes. She shifts uncomfortably in her seat while checking her pockets and bag a final time. Not being able to produce a ticket, she tears up and begins to plead with the Conductor. She asks for the chance to purchase another ticket at the next stop. The Conductor offers his hand and pulls her to her feet.

“I’m sorry, Bridgette. There are no stops on this train,” he says. Without warning, he spins the young girl around, pulls a knife from his side, and slices her throat from left to right. As blood begins to pour from her wound, He spins them both around and snaps His fingers. A door opens in the floor, and He tosses her lifeless body inside. Another snap and it is closed, and He returns to His duty. “Ticket?”

Panic sets in and Jeremy gets out of his seat. As the Conductor is bent over inspecting a ticket, he quietly lets himself through the door. He crosses to the next car and stumbles inside. His eyes widen, and he gasps in disbelief.

While the last car had been rather plain, this one is filled with delicacies and delights almost innumerable. To Jeremy’s immediate left, there is a table filled with lobster, crab, escargot, and other seafood delights. The next table holds the most delectable looking cuts of wagyu, duck, chicken, and goose that could be desired. There is a man next to this table who is making fresh pasta dishes on demand, and a table of greens beside him. Across from these tables sit a table piled high with cakes and pastries, another with breads galore, and yet another spread with the finest snacks and charcuterie items one could hope for.

The door on the other side, to leave the car, is beyond a half door that is placed in the center of a bar that spreads the entire width of the car. It is crafted of gold and embedded with jewels. He approaches quickly, and is about to let himself through, when he is intercepted by Snake, who is behind the bar.

“Where ya going, champ?” He asks.

“I gotta keep going. The Conductor is on his way… He slit a girl’s throat for not having a ticket,” Jeremy explains.

“You were having a nightmare is all,” Lilly’s voice sounds from behind. “C’mon, just have a bite, I made you a plate.”

“Take a seat at the bar, and I’ll make you an Old Fashioned… I’ll tell you what, if ya clear your plate and empty your glass, this here bartender shall let you pass,” Snake says. As Jeremy takes the food and sits down, the other two laugh.

His plate is piled with a generous serving of medium-rare steak, mashed potatoes, two large clover rolls coated in honey butter, collards, and fried okra. As he is presented with not only one Old Fashioned but two, a second plate featuring cake, pie, cookies, and tarts is pushed towards him from his left. His heart sinks until he takes the first bite. The wagyu melts in his mouth, the potatoes are the creamiest he has ever had, the okra is fried perfection, and his cocktail washes it all down quite nicely. Within a few short minutes, he has cleared one plate and emptied a glass and dives into his plate of desserts.

“Ticket?” The word rings through the car as Jeremy finishes his desserts and second drink. Snake slides a glass of green liquid in front of him and places a special strainer on top. He adds a sugar cube and melts it into the green beverage with a clear, hot liquid. Jeremy downs it quickly and turns to look at the Conductor, who now appears to be floating through the car. As He approaches a young man, Jeremy swears he mouths “help me,” before the Conductor slices his throat and throws him through a hole in the floor.

Jeremy’s head is spinning, but he knows he must leave. Turning back to the bar, he finds several doors. Snake is suddenly in his face and Lilly by his side, sliding another plate of food in front of him. “What’s wrong, champ? Need another drink?”

“I gotta go,” Jeremy slurs.

“I think you should stay awhile,” Lilly says.

Jeremy drops to his knees and crawls under the half door while the Conductor’s footsteps draw closer and closer. He finds his escape and lets himself out of the car, slamming the door behind him. It is pitch black now; the train no longer offers any scenery. His head is almost instantly cleared as he breathes for a moment before moving on to Car 6.

The door swings open, revealing a dim room cast in red lighting. Leather couches and beds with crimson silk sheets litter the car. Two-tiered cages line the walls on either side, each cell containing an individual clad only in a mask and maybe a harness or a pair of heels. They dance as Rob Zombie blares in the background. In the middle of the room rests a hot tub that holds a familiar couple deeply buried in each others’ faces. They separate as Jeremy approaches, and Snake stands, and smiles as Jeremy’s jaw drops at the sight of his unclothed flesh. Stepping out of the water, Snake is quickly in front of Jeremy, pulling his shirt from his torso and sucking on his neck.

Moaning slightly, Jeremy inhales sharply as he feels Lilly’s bare chest against his skin. She pulls off his pants, and grabs one hand as Snake takes the other. The couple lead him back to the water, and once he is fully in the tub, they begin to kiss either side of his neck. He first kisses Lilly, but quickly turns to lock lips with Snake. Jeremy climbs on top of him, as the two of them kiss as if life depends on it, Lilly giggling at their side.

“I shouldn’t be here,” Jeremy says suddenly, pulling away and standing up. “I have to get to Car 1.”

“We have a little time to enjoy, haven’t we?” Asks Lilly.

“Please?” Snake offers with a fake pout.

“Ticket?” Calls the Conductor. Jeremy turns toward the door at the back of the car, where he sees Him standing. The boy jumps out of the hot tub and grabs his clothes from the ground as the Conductor busies himself with the tickets of those in the cages. Jeremy runs to the front of the car, and once outside the door, he redresses faster than he ever has before. He straightens himself and stares at the door ahead of him, just barely illuminated by a singular light above it. Taking a deep breath, he enters Car 5.

Immediately Jeremy feels as if he is blinded by the light reflecting off the gold pieces and figurines scattered about the car. He shields his eyes, and as he adjusts, he focuses on a little, old man man behind a desk in the dead center of the he room. A plaque reads ACCOUNTANT, and he wears sunglasses with a white cane propped against the desk’s edge.

“You left us,” Snake’s voice sounds from behind him in a whisper. Jeremy turns to find him securing a robe around his body, tying the band in a bow at his waist. He grabs Jeremy and kisses him passionately before dropping his voice even lower and adding, “He’s as blind as they come. Grab a few pieces and come back with me. I’m sure the Conductor will issue another ticket for the right price.”

Snake strides off, circling the car picking up various pieces, shoving them into his robe pockets, smiling back at Jeremy all the while. While quiet at first, before long he winks and starts knocking over piles of coins. The old man shifts in his seat and clears his throat.

“Who’s there? These are the belongings of the Conductor,” the Accountant says, moving his head from side to side. “You had better leave!”

“Go on, take a little. He’ll never know,” Snake whispers in Jeremy’s ear as he returns to him.

“No! I won’t take…”

“Not even this?” Snake asks, producing a Rolex Milgauss, the watch of Jeremy’s dreams, from his pocket. He drops it into his palm before adding, “He’s got plenty of watches. Surely you can take just one.”

Jeremy stares at the watch in all of its glory lying on his palm. He caresses the face of it and admires its beauty. He places it on his wrist and takes in its perfection. A smile spreads across his face as he looks up, a mirror suddenly in front of him. His reflection shows him proudly sporting a Gucci suit, with the Rolex gleaming upon his wrist. The image winks at him as he stands with his jaw hanging in awe of his appearance.

“Feels nice, doesn’t it?” Snake whispers in his ear while grabbing him by the shoulders.

“It does,” he responds. As Snake whispers a series of sweet compliments and urges him to take the watch, a shiver runs down Jeremy’s spine as he realizes that Snake has no reflection in the mirror. In his place is a second version of Jeremy himself, clad in a similar suit of red. He locks eyes with the second Jeremy, who smiles a devilish grin back at him before saying, “Go on. Take it!”

Jeremy tears his eyes from the reflection and pushes Snake from away. He removes the watch and walks to the Accountant’s desk. Placing it in the old man’s hand, he says: “I was about to take this, and I’m sorry. I’ll be going now.”

“Thank you, Mr. Turner,” the old man responds.

“How do you know my name?” Jeremy whispers.

The Accountant leans forward and motions with his finger for Jeremy to come closer. As he leans in, the old man returns: “I was expecting you… Despite what everyone else thought, I knew you’d come.”

Jeremy straightens himself and looks back at the old man. He takes in his features for a few moments before he makes his way towards the door at the back of the car, and just as he is closing the door behind himself, he hears the familiar “Ticket?”

The young man only hesitates a moment at the door of Car 4 before letting himself inside. The walls are lined with knives, guns, bows and arrows, and any other weapon imaginable. The floor is covered in tarps, seemingly placed for an easy clean up. Jeremy stands frozen in the thoughts of what is to come.

“How was your childhood?” Lilly whispers in his ear, causing the hair on his neck to stand.

“Broken, but I think you know that,” Jeremy offers.

“Filled with pain, from my understanding… How would you like to eradicate some of that pain, Jeremy? We can make it go away together,” Lilly says. She snaps her fingers and a large wooden crate is lowered from the ceiling. When it finally is fully rested upon the floor, Lilly pulls a crowbar from the wall and begins to pry the box open. The walls quickly fall, revealing a man strapped to a chair, a gag in his mouth.

“Dan?” Jeremy says, anger flushing his cheeks. Through his childhood, he had watched his stepfather slap his mother around, kick their dogs, abuse his siblings daily, and he had been at the end of his doubled belt more times than he could possibly count. His fists balled up with his furry and without hesitation, he ran to the wall and pulled a knife from it. After rushing back to the chair, Jeremy presses the blade against the man’s throat whose cries are muffled by the gag in his mouth.

“Do it!” Lilly exclaims. Jeremy takes a step back and turns toward her. He tosses the knife to the side.

“No,” he says. “He’s not worth it, and I have to keep moving.”

He does his best to shake the anger off and walks towards the front of the car. Once outside, he screams loudly and throws his fists in the air. He pauses only for a moment before walking into Car 3.

The door swings open to a sea of people wearing not much more than rags. An elderly woman to his right sways back and forth, appearing to be on the verge of passing out, and a young boy sticks a small piece of something into his mouth before licking his hands free of any crumbs. Jeremy moves through the crowd swiftly before coming to a glass wall that holds clothing and food behind it. In the middle there is a door that is locked, with a hand scanner beside it. He places his hand upon the pad, and it unlocks, letting him inside.

The first thing he does once on the other side of the glass is leaf through the clothing. He is impressed by many items, but despite his feast in Car 7, Jeremy’s stomach begins to rumble. Deciding that he can return to the clothes, he walks to the nearest table with food, and begins to make himself a plate. As he is about to take a bite, he turns around and finds all the other passengers in this car staring at him through the glass. Putting down the plate, he opens the door, propping it open with a shoe. As the others begin to file in to inspect the clothes and eat from the spread, he disappears through the front door that leads him to Car 2.

“I’ve been expecting you,” an unknown voice says before the door is even shut behind him.

“Well, here I am… I guess we should just get to it,” Jeremy responds. He glances around the car, which is vastly different than the other cars in every way imaginable. There are no windows or tables or chairs. The only thing in this car, other than a door at either end, is Jeremy and this man.

“So… You’ve caught on that each car is a test?” The man asks.

“Yep, and I’m ready for it to be over,” the boy responds.

“Very well,” replies the stranger. “Look at me, and tell me why you deserve a ticket. By this point, you know you never bought one.”

Jeremy finally glances up at the man and looks him up and down. His face is kind, yet somehow stern. He sports a handlebar mustache, a monocle, and a crisp black suit. Making eye contact with him, Jeremy clears his throat before answering, “I don’t… I never bought one, and I’m not all that good… I wanted to slit his throat. I never wanted to stop watching the sloths. I wanted to take that watch… I don’t deserve a ticket, and all I can do is be sorry until the Conductor arrives.”

The man is silent for a few moments as he stares back at the boy. He studies him, and before long a smile spreads across his face. Suddenly, he says, “You may pass.”

Once the door closes behind him in Car 1, a single ticket flutters down from the ceiling, landing right in front of him. He picks it up and stares at it in his palm. The door opens and closes behind him. The boy takes a deep breath before turning to face the Conductor.

“Ticket?” He asks. Jeremy hands over the piece of paper. The Conductor looks it over front and back before returning it. “Sometimes, we need a little wake up call… Turn around.”

Jeremy does as he is told and finds himself looking at a screen that shows him in a hospital bed. His face is badly bruised, he has stitches in his left cheek, and both his left arm and leg are in casts. Danielle, his fiancé, sits by his side, and he is hooked up to oxygen and various other machines.

“The train never stops,” says the Conductor. “But I will give you two options. You may stay aboard, filling your days with finding a ticket, or you may walk through that door and have another chance… Here, you cannot feel pain and there is nothing to deceive you. You may indulge when time sees fit, as long as you are not caught without a ticket… Or you may return, knowing you will be judged someday and that the Train of Truths will never be an option to you again.”

There is a silence between the two men for quite some time before Jeremy looks the Conductor deep in the eyes. He hands him the ticket once again and walks to the door at the front of the car, disappearing behind it. The Conductor follows the young man’s steps and opens the door to ensure he is gone, only to find that the train continues on its never-ending journey.