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Doom Train

Part One: The Offer

By Justin ContrerasPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 25 min read
1

Doom Train

“Buh-bump……Buh-bump.”

Two loud thumps echo throughout the weary man’s skull awakening him in disarray. Swaying from side to side he suddenly grasped onto the seat in front of him to gain balance.

A fowl stench wafts from the seat in front of him instantly burning his nostrils. He turns and gags wiping the tears from his eyes. A red stain on the seat catches his eye. His eyes draw focus on the writing as footsteps are heard approaching.

“Ticket Sir?” The Ticket Master asks standing upright in his ironed blue suit holding a serpent-oriented cane.

The man covers his nose with his dirty shirt and rubs his eyes clear.

“Help me.” The man says reading the stain on the seat.

“You need help, Sir?” The Ticket Master questions as he kneels to the disoriented man.

The Ticket Master examines thoroughly the man’s attire. Torn blue jeans, a white tank top, and a leather vest with an emblem of a volcano with the name Dante embroidered in flames.

“Are you that singer fellow? From that loud band? Dante and the....” The Ticket Master asked.

Dante cutting him off replied waving his hand side to side. "Yeah and please no autographs. I am done with that life."

The Ticket Master tried his best to hide the smirk on his face by briefly bringing his hand over his mouth and giving off a chuckle.

“Indeed you are Dante." The Ticket Master said with a slight grin.

"Did my manager ditch me in this cesspool because I quit the band? That ungrateful bastard is gonna regret this." Dante said slamming his fists together.

"I am unaware Sir, but I am here to claim your ticket." The Ticket Master said bringing out a black book from his inside pocket.

“Does it look like I have a ticket to you? I was abducted and thrown on this train to... to...Where the hell am I?” Dante asks as he pats down for his wallet.

"I see." The Ticket Master pauses to brush his mustache with his thumb and forefinger. He pulls out a pair of handcuffs and reaches out for Dante's arm.

Dante places his hands up in the air in a panic.

"Wait! I can pay for my ticket another way. I can get you my signature ax guitar and even pay for whatever this ride costs when we arrive! You have my word." Dante pleaded.

The Ticket Master places his handcuffs away and reaches his hand out to Dante.

"The name is Virgil and I think we can make an arrangement. Follow me." Virgil tells Dante helping him to his feet.

As Dante follows Virgil up through the passenger cart he notices the other passengers in a daze. Everyone with their eyes locked on their phones with horrible images appearing before them. Plates of rotten food sit on their lap with maggots pouring off the edges and onto their bodies.

Dante quickly turns away gagging once again. Virgil opens up a curtain to a private room and ushers Dante inside.

"You never said where I was." Dante turns around toward Virgil as he begins to feel more uneased by the passenger cart.

Virgil pulls out his pocket watch and grits his teeth.

"I have little time to explain so let's hit the fast forward button shall we?" Virgil urgently said as he tapped his serpents cane and placed it in front of Dante.

The eyes of the serpent glowed drawing Dante into its gaze. Dante fell backward onto the floor to find himself floating above a large arena stage.

“I am Dante, and we are the Inferno! Thank you all for coming to our show my legion!” Dante shouts as he begins to scope out the crowd.

“We are many, and we all are here to rock the souls of the world to the great abyss!” Dante screeches into the mic as he sings aloud.

The Spectral Dante observes hovering beside his physical self.

"Is this a memory?" The Spectral Dante said as his words laid mute to the world around him.

“Which one of you shall be the chosen one to lay with the Demons Head!” Dante says as he makes obscene gestures as he scopes out the crowd for a groupie to take backstage.

"You are such a tool. I should have never listened to my manager playing this music. This was never me." The Spectral Dante said to his other self.

The bandmates of the Inferno continue to play a steady low bass as Dante continues to rial up the crowd.

Several women up front begin to take off their shirts and plead to get on stage. Dante winks at his bass player and shrugs.

“So many choices! How about we just take them all!” The bassist says nudging Dante in the arm.

“I need someone with a passion like no other. Someone so beautiful that Lucifer himself will be jealous of me having …” Dante shouts into the microphone causing his fans to scream even louder.

Dante pauses as he twirls his fingers at the women in the front row. Looking past the nude woman a familiar face is seen wearing his first solo album. "Angels Shadow."

“Beatrice?” The Spectral Dante says as he watches his stunned self drop the microphone to the floor.

The Spectral Dante’s eyes recoil back and return back onto the train. He trembles as he stands to his feet.

“What the hell is going on? Where is Beatrice? I remember now! I was with her before I found myself on this doomed train.” Dante began to breathe deeply.

“I understand that you are distraught, and confused Dante. You must realize by now where you are." Virgil tells Dante.

Dante stands and looks out past Virgil toward the other passengers looking in pain as they stare at the screens before them.

"Peek out that window.” Virgil told Dante pointing over at it.

As Dante lifts the blind he witnesses a hellish landscape. The sky was tarnished and stained in blood. The desert appeared to be an endless fiery abyss with bodies buried in the sand.

Dante fell back in horror as a ghostly figure latched onto the window and screeched before being pulled away by the speed of the train.

“Is this Hell? What are you?” Dante recoiled into a corner eyes locked onto Virgil.

Virgil tapped his serpent's cane onto the ground once again as a golden token came out of its mouth.

"You died Dante and now you are on your way to your final destination." Virgil explained.

"I don't belong here! I lived a good life!" Dante shouted back.

Virgil began to spin the golden token between his thumb and forefinger as he approached Dante tapping his cane along the way.

"You did turn your back on worshipping God in order for fame and fortune. Your music corrupted many who also began to give worship to the Morningstar all because of you." Virgil replied as he continued toward Dante.

Dante falls to his knees and stares at the ground recalling doing just that. He gave up who he was and fell to sin.

"I do deserve this." Dante said humbly.

Virgil lifted Dante's chin and placed his hand on top of his head.

"Maybe not. You did not arrive with a ticket meaning your fate is still undecided. Yet there is no escape from this doomed train as you described it unless you face Lucifer yourself." Virgil replied as he leans over to help Dante to his feet.

"What can I do? I need to get back to Beatrice!" Dante begged Virgil.

“In a few moments, a very large angry brute will be coming from the cart ahead of us and ask for the passenger’s tickets. If yours is not present, then you will be tossed out into the abyssal desert.” Virgil explained in a panic.

"Think we both can take him?" Dante asked gripping his fists.

Virgil rolls his eyes at Dante and shakes his head.

"No, he would crush your skull with one hand. Listen up! This will benefit both of us. We have less than a minute before he arrives." Virgil continued.

“This token allows as your ticket and will grant you passage to the fourth cart. There will be a poker game that you will attend. Charon, the large brute I told you about will do you no harm if you present this to them.” Virgil explained.

“Virgil! Where are you, you bloody pagan?” A deep voice shouts.

“All I ask of you is upon winning the game that the reward is mine. It is a small pine box that I acquire. I shall aid you along the way the best I can to get to the ninth cart.” Virgil tells Dante as he hears Charon approach.

“Where are the tickets worm?” Charon snarled as he approaches the door.

"How will I defeat Lucifer when I reach the ninth cart?" Dante turns and asks as loud thumps begin to get closer.

"Use your true passion against his and you shall be triumphant." Virgil replied.

A large calloused leathery hand clasps onto the inside of the room. A glossy dead eye peers around into the entrance and stares at Virgil.

"I asked where are the tickets worm? It is time to account for the souls." Charon demanded. Green saliva drips to the floor and begins to sizzle upon impact.

Dante's eyes widen and he tries to stand very still in the shadow of the room. He holds his breath as Charon begins to stick his entire head into the room.

“They are all here and accounted for Charon.” Virgil nodded reaching inside his jacket pocket revealing the passenger’s ticket stubs.

Charon sniffed the tickets and his eyes rolled to the back of his skull for a moment then returned to lock his gaze on Dante.

“What about his? It’s not here.” Charon stomped angrily and takes a swipe toward Virgil.

Virgil ducks down dodging the giant's attack. Dante steps out of the shadow and reveals the golden token.

“No. No ticket, but is this good enough for you?” Dante asked nervously as he looks at the hanging skull around Charon's neck.

Charon squints at the golden token and then back at Virgil.

“Come” Charon grunts.

“Charon will escort you to the next cart with no harm.” Virgil assures Dante.

Charon pounds on the side of the room. “Hurry up I got a woman calling my name.”

Dante jumps nervously and begins to head out of the room. As he steps out of the room he turns toward Virgil one last time.

“I will return with that prize.” Dante says as he adjusts his vest leaving the room.

“Finally! We can get our freak on!” Charon says as his demeanor begins to change.

Dante is grabbed closely by Charon as he begins to draw a sigil on the door in front of him to the next cart.

“You get to play with the big boys! You are one lucky son of…...!” Charon briefly stops.

Charon scratches his head and repeats the pattern once again on the door.

“Damn it! I forgot the code for the next cart. Argh…” Charon mumbles to himself.

Virgil approaches from behind and gently pushes aside the large Ogre and begins to assign the next cart.

“How did you know? You shouldn’t have known?” Charon questions Virgil.

Virgil scoffs. “Does it matter your pathway is now open for you to enter?”

“But?” Charon cocks his head looking at Virgil suspiciously.

“I never knew, you didn’t forget,” Virgil winked at Charon.

The ogre looked at Virgil and showed his sharp rotten teeth.

“Hurry up the game will start soon, and you still need to revel in the perks of being accepted into Mammon’s game" Charon calls out to Dante.

As Dante moves toward the exit Virgil whispers into his ear as he passes by. “Remember her eyes and you shall never be lost.”

Upon entering the second cart all of the foul smells diminished. A sweet aroma filled the room. Red and orange lights flashed from spotlights overhead. The room vibrated as dubstep echoed loudly.

“Charon you are wanted in the fifth cart.” A deep voice shouts from the DJ's booth waving their hand in the air. Dante felt a cold chill upon hearing the voice and tried to see the face through the crowd.

“You have a good hour before the game. Get laid, have some food then have fun.” Charon says as he pats Dante on the head. The giant towers over the sea of sweaty bodies as he lowers his head making his way into the next cart.

Dante knows this lifestyle all too well. The parties, the drugs, the women. Yet it was all left behind after meeting Beatrice. He had enough partying to last a lifetime and he was ready to move on to the next cart.

A sea of perfectly toned bodies move to the rhythm of the beat as the music becomes more intense upon getting further into the cart. A large muscular man at the DJ's booth with the name Asmodeus tattooed on his chest steps down toward Dante.

"I know who you are." The deep voice of Asmodeus sends a chill down Dante's spine.

Dante looks around the crowded room for a way to escape but is trapped by the dancers.

"Relax and enjoy Dante!" Asmodeus said to Dante bringing him in for a hug.

"Your music inspired my greatest remix." Asmodeus continued to say as he walked back up to his boot.

The music stopped suddenly drawing a halt to all of the dancers. They all turn toward Dante with their bodies shimmering from their sweat.

"We have a celebrity in the room tonight! This goes out to Dante! The Demons Head!" Asmodeus shouts as he begins to play his remix of Dante's song.

The music begins to play causing everyone to grind upon one another with desire. A woman in a tight leather black dress approaches from behind Dante.

“Look at this handsome devil.” The woman grabs Dante by the arm bringing him close to her chest. “Dance with me.” She whispered in his ear.

Dante leans over to her and replies. “Sorry I am in a bit of a rush, but there are plenty of beautiful people to keep you company.”

“You smell different than the others. You are fresh!” The woman says with pupils dilated then begins to slightly bite her lip.

With the strobing light hitting her face Dante begins to see someone familiar and lowers his defense.

“Just one dance” Dante smiles back.

“Yes! You won’t regret it!” The woman replies.

“What is your name?” Dante asks leaning into her ear as the music overwhelms the room.

The woman takes Dante by the hand and brings him into her private booth blocking out the noise of the music.

“My name is Glasya. My father runs this club.” She replies as she sits down on a velvet couch.

"I am Dante." Dante says softly as his eyes begin to examine the beauty of the woman before him.

“I know. Sit down and get comfortable.” Glasya suggested as she began to tap the seat beside her.

Dante sits down beside Glasya and begins to breathe deeply. His desire to be with her intensifies as she begins to look more and more like his beloved Beatrice.

Dante looks up at Glasya and speaks. “You have her eyes, her face, her everything, but you are not her.”

"Oh, but I can be! I can be anyone you want Dante." Glasya replies as she began to stand up and unzip her dress.

“I would want nothing more than to be with you right now. To hold you in my arms once again, but it is a lie." Dante said turning away from Glasya.

As Dante turns away the succubus reveals her true form. Horns begin to thrust out of her long black hair and her serpent tongue begins to lick the air. She grows taller upon walking toward Dante and places her hands on his shoulders.

“Even though I seduce souls for my father I still have a soft spot for those who are actually in love and not just wanting sex.” Glasya replied.

The succubus had fallen in love with Dante after hearing his music. She dreamt of the night that she would seduce him into being with her but something changed within. She returns swiftly back into the form of his beloved Beatrice.

"You are right I am not your beloved." Glasya said with sadness.

Glasya wiped a tear from her eye and smiled at Dante.

"I can never share my life truly with another but maybe I can help you share yours with the one you love." Glasya told Dante as she placed her hands on his face.

“How can I repay you?” Dante asks looking deeply into Glasya’s eyes.

“Find her and never let her go.” Glasya said giving Dante a hug.

Taking Dante by the hand she leads them through the crowd to the next cart. Asmodeus peers down the card from his DJ booth and spots his daughter leading Dante out.

"What do you think you are doing girl? You were to lay with him and give me a grandchild!" Asmodeus says gripping onto Glasya's arm.

"Let her go!" Dante shouted striking the arm of Asmodeus.

Dante's fist repels off the muscles of Asmodeus's arm.

"See the weakling has courage! He stands up for his woman! Now get back in that room and get to it!" Asmodeus demanded.

Glasya touches the door toward the fourth cart unlocking it with her freed arm. She brings Dante in close and kisses him with her black lipstick.

"Go!" She said pushing him into the next pathway.

As Dante falls back into the next cart he watches as Asmodeus raises his fist to Glasya. The door shuts right as the brute strikes.

"Glasya!" Dante says to himself in sorrow as he realizes even in Hell the feeling of love can still torment.

As Dante turns around a stool chair slides underneath him bringing him straight to the bar. A glass of mead is slid down from afar sliding down the bar top weaving around the other passengers’ hands straight into Dante’s.

“Drink up. It is on the house.” The bartender speaks as another voice echoes from behind him in a higher pitch. “Drink up. It is on the house.”

“Thank you I am a bit parched.” Dante greets the barkeep and raises his glass.

The passengers shout out cheers and begin to chug their drinks and laugh aloud. The bartender turns around to grab another glass for Dante as another bartender appears before him with a side of onion rings and a stack of ribs.

“You can’t resist these. They are my special treat for you!” The bartender giggles before the first one appears once again.

“Much appreciated.” Dante replies.

Dante looks above the bar and spots a sign that reads “Beelzebub’s Barbeque. Once you have a taste you can never stop."

Dante looks around at the other passengers who are covered in barbeque stains and spilled beer. Dante's stomach growls as he instantly becomes more hungry.

“This is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Sit and enjoy!” Beelzebub says revealing his true form of a grotesque obese demon.

Dante takes a single bite that satisfies his hunger. Taking a napkin off the counter Dante steps up and heads out to the next cart.

“Sorry, Beelzebub I have a poker game to attend to,” Dante said standing up and wiping the lipstick from his lips from Glasya.

“What this cannot be! How is this possible?” Beelzebub shouts slamming four fists onto the bar top and smashing the plates of the other passengers.

Dante realizes that Glasya saved him from an endless glutton fest and says a silent prayer in her name.

"You sicken me." Dante says to Beelzebub upon reaching the door.

Virgil appears like a phantom behind Dante and haves his hand opening the fourth cart.

“This is it. You win this game, and I shall assure you safely off this train.” Virgil confirms with Dante tapping him on the back. “Good luck.”

Entering the fourth cart Dante enters into a pitch-black room with only a spotlight shining down on the card table with three others who all turn toward Dante as he enters. A spotlight shines down in front of Dante revealing a small man wearing a derby hat. He twirls a toothpick between his grilled sharpened teeth.

“You the fourth?” The man asks slouched slightly forward.

Dante reveals the gold token and hands it over to the gremlin of a man. The spotlight disappears and as Dante looks forward at the table, he appears behind the dealer seat.

As Dante walks, he looks down to see his reflection in the darkness of his former self. Wearing formal clothes and a tattoo of his band Angel’s Shadow on his left wrist which is now covered up with the Inferno logo.

“Mammon is the prize what you claimed it to be?” One of the players asked.

The Derby-hatted man nodded as he brings out a pine box revealing what is inside.

"You all obtained my golden token upon your death as a tribute to all of the sinners you brought me. The winner shall obtain a thorn of Christ redeeming your soul. Its power can resurrect you to any point in time before your death.” Mammon stated to the four sinners of greed.

Dante reflects upon his past as a Christian singer and how he gave it up after his manager offered him money and fame to join a new band called the Inferno. Struggling to pay rent Dante accepted spiraling down a darker path of drugs, women, and greed.

Dante accepts that he is here by his own doing and that he will do anything in his power to find redemption.

"Let us start the game!" Mammon says as he deals out each player a playing card face up. Dante receives the King of Spades revealing an image of Lucifer.

“Looks like you get the dealer button,” Mammon smirks.

Mammon deals each player two cards. Ten chips appear on the table in front of each player. A player calls all in before looking at their cards and the other two quickly follow. They all turn toward Dante.

“I thought we were actually going to play cards. Going all in blind firsthand what kind of crap is that?” Dante says frustrated.

Mammon takes off his derby hat revealing golden horns protruding out of his skull. Placing both hands on the table he looks at Dante. “Stop stalling the game.” Are you in or not?”

Dante begins to lift his cards, but his hand is grabbed. “No looking.” The player says beside him.

Tossing his cards Dante leans back in frustration.

The cards are revealed, and the cards are dealt. The player who grabbed Dante’s hand had four aces upon the final card dealt.

“You cheating little bastard!” I’ll kill you!” One man stood up to take a swing at the winner.

Mammon snapped his fingers as the losers turned into gold coins falling to the floor.

“Remember you can take these with you upon returning.” Mammon smiled.

Only two remain at the table as Mammon deals the final hand at the table.

“No looking.” The intimidating man states as he covers up Dante’s hand.

Dante raises his head in frustration as he can see that the player beside him has pocket aces once again. Ace of Spades and Ace of Clubs. Looking over at his cards they are still blank. Dante has an idea and asks if Mammon can lay out the hand face down before he calls.

“Is that alright with you Avarice?” Mammon asked the other player.

“I have a good feeling about this hand. Let’s do it.” Avarice nodded.

As Mammon revealed the cards down on the table Dante looked up toward the ceiling once again. The cards on the table revealed an Ace of hearts, an Ace of diamonds, Three of Spades, Five of Spades, and Six of Spades.

“I call. All in.” Dante says without looking at his hand.

Avarice reveals his aces and laughs allowed as Mammon turns two aces right from the flop.

“Looks like I won again!” Avarice laughs allowed reaching over for the pine box near Mammon.

Dante grabs his arm and shakes his head. “It is not over yet.”

Mammon reveals the Three of Spades, Five of Spades, and Six of Spades. Dante looks above to see his cards still are blank. He closes his eyes and says, “Straight flush.”

As Dante turns his cards over, he reveals he has the Two and four of Spades.

“What? How is this possible?” Avarice shouted pulling out a knife and lunging it at Dante.

Mammon snaps his fingers and Avarice turns to gold dust.

“Looks like you have won, yet it seems you made a deal with someone else!” Mammon told Dante as he snaps his fingers. The darkness of the room is lit up revealing Virgil beside Mammon.

“Our plan worked just like I said it would!” Virgil said with a smile.

“This box belongs to you, Virgil. Now our game is concluded.” Mammon said as he snaps his fingers sending Virgil and Dante into the fifth cart.

“Why?” Dante asks.

“I needed a soul to play the game with Mammon. Azazel the Angel of Death would come to your concerts often and spoke of you to me. Revealing that he knew in your heart you did not accept the words that you sang. That you are a soul that is divided.” Virgil revealed.

“You bastard! You killed me just so I can play poker?” Dante shouted taking a swing at Virgil.

Upon striking Virgil Dante’s hand breaks. Wincing in pain Dante swings again but Virgil steps backward away from Dante’s second swing.

“I needed someone who was not doomed to just serve under the Morningstar but someone who can still be redeemed. You once sang for God but let your manager put you on another path that led you here. You fell to Greed, Lust, and other sins but when you saw Beatrice, you gave it all up. That is true love.” Virgil explained.

Dante looked at Virgil betrayed wincing as he cradles his broken hand.

“I am stuck here now because of you!” Dante said as he collapsed to one knee.

Virgil kneels down before Dante and whispers in his ear.

“You can still return to Beatrice. You just make it to Lucifer in the ninth cart and challenge him to a challenge that he can not turn away from. He prides himself in his music and once so did you. Challenge him and you shall be triumphant.”

Dante laughs and turns toward Virgil looking at him with disgust.

“So, you think I can defeat the devil himself in a showdown?” Dante scoffs.

Virgil reveals a vial that is in a secret chamber of his cane and hands it over to Dante.

“I had you poisoned by one of your fans in order to get you here. Right now, you are in a hospital fighting for your life as you are in a coma. Take this vial and drink it. Upon defeating Lucifer, you shall return back to your body where your soul will purify the toxin.” Virgil revealed to Dante.

Dante grabbed the vial from Virgil and drank it without thought.

“You wanted freedom. I get that. You needed a hero to go to a place where you could not go. I get that too, but did it have to be me?” Dante asked.

Virgil winked at Dante. “I would have not risked the life of another if I did not know he could not succeed. This journey you have faced will only make you stronger in times to come. You shall see Beatrice again and defeat Satan in his own home.” Virgil told Dante holding out his hand.

As Dante takes Virgil’s hand the sigil on Virgil’s hand is transferred over to Dante.

“You may open all pathways from now on upon completing each task that lies in front of you. I know you shall overcome.” Virgil tells Dante wholeheartedly.

Virgil opens the pine box and pricks his thumb upon the thorn of Christ. His spirit begins to glow and fade away before Dante and the demon Mammon.

The voice of Mammon is heard up ahead speaking with a pale man in a dark cloak.

"This chump cannot make it to the ninth cart. If he does we are all done for! Got it! Including you! Turn this kid into a human tunic for me huh? I got big money riding on this fight." Mammon says to Azazel.

Dante reaches a caged arena with dozens of others sitting in chairs around it. Dante stares at Mammon and Azazel as he enters the arena. A hand reaches out to Dante grabbing his forearm.

"If you do this you will die." Glasya says revealing her face from a shroud.

To be continued…..

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  • Alfredo Rodriguezabout a year ago

    I really liked this story! I thought it was really cool, but it’s too short! Would definitely like to see a continuation of it!

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