Glass Cage

The train ride was a peaceful one. Each bump along the track was like gentle rocking. Every once and a while they would hit a slightly larger dip on the track that would jar him awake, but never her; she was out like a rock. When he would stir, it would only be for a moment to look out the window, which had now grown dark. He'd then try and focus his sleepy eyes on his watch, but usually fell back asleep before he could determine the time. They had been traveling for nearly two days. Isabella's mother was having surgery on some ligament within her hip and would be completely bedridden for the next three weeks. Neither of them necessarily wanted to go, but it was one of those family things that just had to be done.

The soothing cradling of the train was abruptly interrupted by a sharp thrust forward, drowned out by the squeal of the brakes. Isabella jolted awake.

"We're here?"

"Yeah baby, we finally made it." She breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"My father should be waiting on us right outside of the terminal." They collected their bags and bullied their way through the other passengers. Under normal circumstances, they would have been far more courteous, but they were fed up with the confined spaces.

As they both fumbled off the train, they were surprised by a chill of frosty air. There was a light layer of snow upon the ground and the occasional flake would fall, but the rest of the night was still and quiet. Devin couldn't decide if the serenity was peaceful or eerie. The couple looked around for Isabella's father, but aside from the other passengers that exited the train, the station seemed empty.

"He might not be here yet because the roads are bad. Let's find somewhere warm-" she gasped as if she only now realized her hunger, "somewhere with food!" He couldn't help but let out a faint laugh. He strung his bag strap over his shoulder and tried to take her bag as well. She made a grunt communicating to him, in the secret language that only couples with years of experience with each other can understand. Oddly enough, he knew that she meant, "I'll carry my own bag. I want you to hold me by the waist." To which he obliged, and escorted her towards what looked like the main hub of town.

As they walked, they held each other tight to keep warm. They still carried on happily though; laughing, smiling, teasing. Until Devin noticed a man observing them. The man was a good distance away, perhaps 200 feet or so, but it was obvious he was watching them.

"This fucking guy.. thinks we're walking on HIS sidewalk or something. He better not give us any fucking attitude babe, I'm serious. I'm not about to have it." She laughed at his irritability.

"Calm down baby," she said trying to put him at ease. "People aren't used to visitors in this town. He's probably alarmed by us."

"Well, he better mind his own damn business." She chuckled again. The man watched with a stoic gaze, practically unbroken. He was dressed for the cold, mostly in black. He had a long, button-up coat, which was decorated on both sides of his collar by long silver locks of curled hair. A rather antiquated top hat sat upon his head. Isabella herself actually began to feel uneasy but felt better as they passed him. Finally, they had managed to make it out of his view and were just about a mile from the bright lights of the town.

"I just want a beer and some pizza, dude," she said. He nearly busted out laughing.

"That's my little lady!"

"I'm hungry babe!" They finally made it into town, which was almost desolate. The streetlights were lit and bright, illuminating the powder covering all over the ground. They looked in all different directions, trying to find somewhere to eat. The buildings were mostly all run-down looking shops and stores. The paint on the exterior of the buildings looked chipped and dry; the brick loose and damaged. "I remember that they remodel and repair the buildings here in the early spring every year, but the weather is so extreme that it just ruins all these places," Isabella commented, filling the silence that had found them. He had no response, so the crunch of their footsteps was all that could be heard.

"Hey, that place looks open!" He exclaimed, bringing new hope to them both. Snug, right between two weathered and beaten buildings, was a breathtaking wonder. Made almost entirely of glass, the windows of this diner took up the majority of the wall. Framing them, was fresh wood that had been painted deep red and trimmed nearest the windows in gold. The door was center, and matched the rest of the outside in design: scarlet wood, framing a pane of glass that made up the majority of the surface. The handle was a large, ornate pole, plated with gold. The inside of the establishment was just as pristine. The booths were lined with crimson velvet seating. There were tables organized throughout the restaurant, each with two chairs. Above each placement were fine chandeliers, with golden rods holding the bulbs and crystals dangling neatly. The chairs had intricate gold woodwork making the legs and support, with plush cushions matching the booths. The carpet was the same color and seemed deep and fluffy.

"Of freaking course. Babe, we can't afford to eat here."

"Relax babe," she said. "We can just ask to use their phone. We'll ask my mom where my dad is. This place is empty anyway." They peered inside, trying their best to peek around the walls and see if there were any employees present. Fed up, cold, tired, and hungry, Devin knocked on the glass. "Babe!" Isabella shrieked.

"Whatever. I guess they just keep their lights on to show off how nice their restaurant is. What a bunch of douchers." Just then, a middle-aged fellow came darting from around a corner near the back of the restaurant. He was dressed quite well, in a uniform that matched the entire ambiance of the establishment; black, wingtip shoes and slacks, a white, pleated, button-up shirt, and a dapper maroon vest, endowed with intricate black markings that looked to be made of felt.

He unlocked the door and swung it open quickly.

"A thousand pardons! My humblest apologies!" He cried. Devin noticed right away a faint accent that the man seemed to be repressing. He had dark, tan, skin; the kind someone is born with. His hair was jet black and parted perfectly down the middle. "It's very rare for us to get customers this late - please come in - have a seat!" He said, guiding them inside. Just as they were ushered in, out of the corner of his eye Devin spotted someone in dark clothing. He quickly shot the man a glance as he entered, only with enough time to see that it was the same man from earlier. He appeared to be pacing around, eyeing up and down the streets looking for someone. Startled and hoping to go unnoticed, Devin quickly joined Isabella in the diner.

"I wish we could be customers, but we don't have a lot of money and aren't dressed at all for a place like this!" Isabella said, still awestruck as she examined the finer details of the immaculate furniture up close. "We really were just wondering if we could use your phone?"

"Ah, the phone yes ma'am. Uhh our phone ma'am is uhh - it is not of working right now." The man said timidly, almost afraid. "But please - please. Sit. Sit. You are welcome customers here. Our menu is very fair." The couple gave each other a glance, communicating again without speaking. They then decided it would be okay to stay a minute to warm up, even if they only had some drinks.

The waiter sat them at a round booth table in the corner, that could have easily fit about six more people. But, seeing as there was no one else there and it gave them plenty of room to be comfortable, they accepted the seat graciously.

"What can I get you to drink, ma'am?"

"What do you have?"

The waiter flashed a beaming smile and answered, "what would you like ma'am? We have." He seemed entirely confident. Not looking for any kind of challenge she went for something easy.

"Could I get your cheapest beer then?" The waiter actually seemed disappointed; his smile slowly faded. Hoping for something more challenging, he turned to Devin and then asked, "and for you, sir?" Devin wanted to test the place out.

"I'd like a cherry Dr. Pepper please, with a little bit of vanilla added."

Spirited with a more interesting answer, he smiled and said, "yes sir - right away sir." And then hurried to the back.

"Ugh. What are we going to do then babe? Their phone doesn't work. My dad was supposed to be at the station and could be up there right now. Or he could be in the middle of a ditch, upside-down somewhere. He might have forgotten all about picking us up!" She seemed to really panic at the thought of what to do, but he was still soaking in the majesty of their lucky find.

"This restaurant has got to be the nicest place in town. I bet the meals here are going to be between $50-$100 bucks a plate, babe. But maybe we can share something. I'm freaking starving." She wanted to worry but agreed that she too was hungry, and quickly forgot about their stresses.

"One 'cheap' beer, ma'am," he said, with a poorly hidden face of disgust. "And for you sir, a Dr. Pepper with cherry and vanilla." He said with a smug smirk, placing their drinks down. "And what to eat, then?" The couple looked at each other confused for an instant, and then back at the waiter.

"Do you have any menus? I'm not sure what you guys have here." The waiter's smile stretched even bigger now, almost ear to ear.

"We have. Whatever you'd like."

Several minutes later, Devin and Isabella are splitting up their pizza. The couple forgot their troubles. They released all of their pent-up energy from their extensive traveling. His loud storytelling and her booming laughter were easily the loudest things in the entire town. He stretched a slice all the way up as high as his arm would reach, creating an elastic goo of cheese, which she turned her head sideways to chomp on.

"We are such sophisticated members of society," Devin said, sipping his Dr. Pepper with his pinky away from his glass.

"Ah, yes. Quite, Mr. Arnolds. Quite indeed. Sophisticated. Indubitably." Then they both busted out with joyful laughter again.

Once they started to come down from the high of their humor, they tried to get reorganized with a plan on what to do now. Devin checked his watch.

03:13

"Holy shit babe."

"Ughhhhh don't even tell me," she groaned, as she slammed her head into her arm on the table. Devin decided he'd be able to think clearest with some fresh air, and an orientation to his location. He decided to go outside for a moment.

"I'll be right back. I'm gonna see if I can figure out where we are."

Isabella didn't move her head from her arm, but let out a barely audible, "'kay."

Devin opened the grand door, letting in another blast of freezing air. He forgot how cold it was outside but still needed to stretch his legs and determine where they should go. All around him was the blackness of the sky. Utter blackness. Not a star to be seen, the moon wasn't visible.

"Alright, no stars then. How else can I find north?" He peered down one end of the street - perhaps, four or five buildings on either side of the road - and then blackness. In the other direction; three buildings, and then pitch black. It was seriously as if there was nowhere else in the world besides this street.

Behind him, a crunch. The sound of an inch of snow being crushed beneath a boot. Devin's heart skipped a beat as his head spun around. Coming from nowhere, the man in black was standing in the dead middle of the street. Devin was so startled, he flinched backward and almost fell down. "What the - what the fuck man? Why are you still out here? Are you fucking following us?!" The man slowly - achingly slowly - pried his mouth open and spoke.

"Don't. You - can't." Devin was petrified. The sound of his voice was piercing. It wasn't necessarily shrill or unpleasant, but ominous; foreboding.

"Wha-what?" The man broke into a sprint. Within a moment he grabbed Devin by the shoulders of his clothes and was now screeching.

"DON'T GO INTO THE DINER. NEVER GO INTO THE RED DINER." Devin feebly tried to wrestle him off but was too scared to muster any strength; he couldn't even speak. He was terrified. Then, all at once, the excitement left the man entirely, as he gazed into the window of the restaurant.

Devin now in shock, struggled to look away from the man but worried about Isabella. He hurriedly looked inside while trying to keep the man in his sight, until he saw the waiter. Devin's heart sank. His knees all but buckled, as he watched, helplessly, like a dream. Isabella still had her head pressed into her arm on the table.

The waiter stood just inches from her, watching her without a break. Devin slammed his hand on the glass and shouted, "Hey!" The waiter slowly turned his head toward Devin and smiled, then looked back at Isabella. "HEY!" He screamed, pounding his fist on the glass as hard as he could. The waiter slid his arms underneath her arms and dragged her backward out of the booth with her legs limp. "HEY YOU MOTHER FUCKER!" Devin wailed, more afraid than angry. He ran to the door and tried to pull it open, but it wouldn't budge. "PUT HER DOWN GOD DAMN IT! I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD!" The waiter dragged her unconscious body slowly. It took him a great deal of effort. Her body was sinking and drooping out of his grip. But the waiter did not look strained or inconvenienced. He still had a beaming smile and made sure to look at Devin every couple of steps. "I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD MAN, I WILL RIP YOUR ASS IN HALF! DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Tears of panic were now streaming down Devin's face. His deep and booming voice quivered uncontrollably, as if his own voice were crying. He pulled at the door handle so hard that the edges embedded into his skin. The door wouldn't even rattle. It remained perfectly still and unfazed by his struggle. By now, the waiter reached the corner, the last moments before leaving Devin's view. Devin pulled his bloody and partially frozen hands from the door. He ran full force, throwing his shoulder into the glass. The door remained intact. He kicked, he punched, he pulled out his knife and used the butt of it to try and crack through the glass. The waiter paused at the corner, and rested Isabella against him, pausing for a lull in Devin's rage to speak. He patiently waited – with a smile. After Devin expended everything he had, his knuckles dripped with blood. The once flawless glass was now stained and streaked. Through the smudges, Devin could see that the waiter stopped.

During the moment of quiet, he heard him say, "we have, sir! We have!" And he continued to pull her body to the back of the restaurant. Devin screamed and cried and fought. The last he ever saw of her, was the tips of her shoes as they passed behind the wall.