Unstoppable

I am bone tired. That’s what I get for thinking I could stay up all night drinking with my friends after working a 12 hour shift. There was a dinner party at the country club last night and it was all hands on deck. Being on my feet all day setting up for a party just to have to have to work said party too is, well, just long. Usually, these shifts are broken up, but I leave in a couple weeks for college and I need as many shifts as possible, so I told the shift manager to schedule it. Big. Mistake. Oh well.

I could have just gone home after work, but my one of my best friends, Callie, is leaving for college tomorrow. Wait, actually today. We all went to Ava’s house for what started out as a small get together and turned into about half of our old Green Bridge High School class sitting on picnic blankets in the field behind her house talking, drinking, watching for stars, and waiting for the sky to change color back to blue.

It was amazing but now I feel like death. Thankfully, I don’t have to work for another 8 hours before I have to work another evening shift.

I flop down on my bed. Immediately, my eyes start to close. I need to brush my teeth and wash my face, but I can rest my eyes for a couple stolen moments.

I wake up with a start. Was that a horn? Green Bridge isn’t near any major water ways. My grandparents live in Seattle and ship horns can sometimes be heard from their house.

There it is again! Was that a train? Slowly, my eyes come into focus as I rub the sleep out of my eyes. Shit. Shit. Shit. It’s dark when I final feel awake. I must have missed my shift. My breathing starts to speed up. Shit. I can’t loose this job! It’s the best paying in town for my minimal, just graduated high school, leaving soon qualifications. Shit. How am I going to find another one for only a couple weeks?

Ok, ok. Bean calm down. Breathe. Say your list. My name is Sabine Wilson. I am 18 years old. My parents are Christy and Scott. I have a little sister named Ivy. I live in Green Bridge. My house is by the river.

Wait.

Why can’t I hear the river? Now that I think about it, the only think I can hear now that the horn has stopped blaring is a gentle, ‘chug, chug, chug.’

Oh FUCK!

I jump out of my bed and scramble towards the overhead light. This must be a dream. Right?! I immediately trip over something long and fall over.

Oh no. What. Was. That.

I feel along the unfamiliar wall of what I now believe is no where near my actual Green Bridge bedroom, and get to the light switch. I turn the knob. Light floods the small space and I fall helplessly back against the seat I just tripped over across from the one I sleepily thought was my bed.

This looks like an old timer train car. I have never actually been on a train except for once when my parents took me and my little sister on a road trip to New York. This looks nothing like the subway. I scoot closer to the window. Cupping my hands against the glass and pressing my face against my hands I can’t see even a flicker of light from the outside world.

What happened last night? Did I drink more than I thought? Did I not actually get home?

I pinch myself. Hard.

Yeah, ok. That hurt.

My phone! I scramble about looking for my phone which I dropped on my bed when I fell asleep this morning. Standing up I come to the realization that it’s not there. And if it’s not there, and I never go anywhere without my phone, then I am not somewhere I chose to be. Even drunk me holds on to her phone for reasons exactly like this actually. Apparently asleep me does not have the same consideration for her future self.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I sit back down. Did someone move me to this train? Does that mean someone broke into my house? Are my parents ok? Is my sister?

My eyes flutter closed and I can feel the hot tears start to make a slow track down my cheeks. What does this mean?

There’s a crash at the door to my compartment. I look up and see the face of a boy that looks to be about my age. He looks rushed as he quickly opens the door and falls onto the seat across from me.

“Hi,” he says.

I examine his face. He has glasses and a shaggy blonde hair that doesn’t look like it’s been cut in a while.

“I saw your light. I’m from two compartments over.”

“Ok. Hi,” I respond cautiously.

“My name is Clark.”

“What is th…”

“Do you kno…”

He chuckles, soft and self-deprecating, and shakes his head. “I don’t know what this is either. I was hoping you did.”

“Nope.” I quietly confirm. “But, um, my name is Bean, or Sabine.”

He gives me a quick, lift of his lips in response, but there are questions and sadness in the tilt of his eyes. I probably look the same.

We are quiet for several minutes. Staring at the ground.

“What should we do?” I ask with trepidation. If he has any ideas that would be amazing, because I am lost.

“I’m not sure. We could explore.”

I feel the fear slowly build inside of me. He’s probably right. We are going to have to leave the compartment and look around soon. But not yet.

I look at him. He is looking at me searching my face for a response. “How long have you been here?” I ask.

“I woke up about 2 hours ago lay on the seat of my compartment. I was waiting for a sign of life before I came out. When I saw your light I rushed over here.”

He looks slightly terrified. He probably has been awake for an hour and a half longer than me, except he didn’t get a crazy person crashing into their door soon after they woke up.

I respond quickly, “I only woke up a couple minutes ago. Where are you from?” I know he is not from my town.

Clark’s wide eyes stare at me as he says, “Esme.” That is not a place I have heard of before.

“I’ve never heard of it.” I tell him. Confusion builds on his face. “I’m from Green Bridge.” The confusion etched into the lines of his face grows and I can tell he hasn’t heard of my home either.

I glance out the window. Dawn is blooming on the horizon. I look back over at Clark. “Ok. I think it is time for us to explore I tell him. We go together.” I tell him. There is strength in my voice and I hope in my eyes, but I do not feel it. This would be the part of the horror movie that the dumb girl gets slaughtered.

Doubt and fear are in Clarks eyes, but I also see that he has resigned himself to see this through, just as I have. He gives a quick nod and stands.

He moves to the door and slowly opens it. I get up and go towards him. Together we go out into the hall. It is vacant. There is no sign of life, I think to myself as I remember what Clark said earlier.

We cautiously start to walk in the direction the train is moving. Clark looks back at me a jesters quickly to the compartment next to mine. I look in the window. There is a boy asleep on the bench. We move to the next. A girl is asleep on the bench. Then another girl. All of these kids about our age are asleep in these compartments and it doesn’t look like they know what has happened yet. We move on.

Walking down the hall we reach the end on the car with our compartments in them and move to the next. These compartments each have a kid in them as well. We move on until we reach a dinning car. There are several tables latched to the ground and a full bar. I glance over my shoulder. Everything is eerily still despite the fact that we are all contained in an unknown train, barreling down an unknown track, in an unknown area, for an unknown reason.

Beyond the dining car is a room with control panels that look like they are manipulating the train in some way. Except they are in a different language. All the symbols look the same. There is a large window at the front of the train that shows the long line of track we have yet to ride. The horizon shows grass for endless miles with grass hills surrounding us. There is not a tree in sight.

“Bean.” A harsh whisper from my right. I glance over at Clark who is staring at a screen of a map.

I walk over to him. The corner of the map holds a key containing the only English writing in the compartment. Left as if this was meant to be found. Our location is marked as a green dot hurtling along a series of lines that symbolize the track. The key shows that red dots are for stops along the way. I zoom out on the screen with the map. Searching for the next stop. I can’t see one. I follow the tracks on the screen for what has to be miles and miles. There are no red dots. Frantically, I begin to scroll through the map faster and faster.

“Bean.” I hear Clark whisper.

There are no red dots. I’m scrolling with two hands now. And still there are no red dots.

“Bean.” He says in a louder tone to get my attention. “I don’t think there are going to be any stops.” He says morosely. Out of the corner of my eye I see him move towards where I was standing earlier looking out the front window. I turn to him. He absently says, “I think we’re stuck.”

My eyes go unfocused. What does all of this mean?

There is a loud sound coming from the intercom and movement on one of the screens that I see flash in the corner. Clark and I both turn to watch and listen. An older man with gelled back blonde hair is on the screen. Words spoken by this man start to pour over the intercom.

“By now, most of you have woken up, those who haven’t will need to be filled in on what I am about to say. Each of you had desolated weakness in your lives. We have watched you and found you lacking conviction, leadership, and pride. You can change that here. We are giving you that chance. If you fail… well, let’s just say, don’t fail.” He gives a conniving grin to the camera. It’s as if he knows we can see him.

There were no screens in the compartments. They resembled something very old. It was only until we reached this room that anything resembled modern. So he must know someone is in this room, even if not who. But as I continue to watch his face with his sly smile. I know I have seen him before. He was at the country club party I worked.

As I turn to look at Clark, “Uncle Mallory,” comes out with his exhale. All the strength I saw in him leaves in an instant and he looks as if he is sterling himself for what comes next. As if he has a hint, may have already experienced a small bit of what follows