The Runaway Train

Colors of green, grey and more mixed together past the window of a dripping window pane. The water droplets seemed to defy the laws of nature as they held still on the moving train. Inside the cart, lay a woman whose body slumped comfortably over a small bag. The bump of the moving train, gently awoke the girl, causing her to sit herself up. She blinked and stared at the window. A multitude of emotions washed over her almost as fast as the train car she sat in.

"Hello?" She quickly called out, looking around the train car. It was big enough to seat four. The wallpaper bore red with hints of dark timely stains peeling it back in parts. The seats, leather and matching. The privacy door to her left rattled slightly, an opaque glass that gave no real spoiler to what lay outside of it. She called out again, "hello? Anyone there?". But yet again, no reply.

The woman stood slowly and braced herself on the door, feeling the movement of this giant machine she found herself in. A small jiggle of the door was found to reveal it had been locked. She furrowed her eyebrows and felt the click of the door unlocking, letting the door slowly slide away to reveal a dark and small hallway. The narrow corridor was lined with doors matching the one she stood in. All closed and all quiet. Not a sound to match the pouring rain and click of the tracks.

A couple of steps down the corridor, another small thump from the train, pushing her into a glass privacy door. She waited quietly, expecting and hoping for a response to the noise. Nothing. Her heart began to pound as she realized that she may be alone. In a train. With no memory of how she ended up here. With more haste and panic, she began trying all the doors down the hallway. Most were also locked but some swung open to reveal nothing but empty seats and foggy windows. The same vintage and moldy walls, and vacant leather seats all began to repeat as each door revealed their existences.

Between the rush of emotions, pounding heart and the movement underneath her feet, the woman finally stopped at the end. Defeated, she slowly leaned her back against the cold hall, and slid her body down onto the ground. The light grey seeping in from a nearby window, cast a low light onto her, creating a dull shade over her copper toned hair. The quiet sounds of her breath exiting her lips was now the only familiar sound she could hear.

"What is happening..." She whispered to herself. There was no one around to answer. She knew that now. It was not long until the woman took a slow stand and looked over to her right. 1 last door, and it was not like the others. All the others, opaque and glass in texture, lined the sides of the hall but this one was metal and remained at the end, as if leading to the next cable car. There was no hesitation in the woman's attempt to reach out and try for the handle.

A deep groan from the door as it opened, revealed a gust of cold air. It ran along her skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps and shivers behind. She could see the other cable car, just a few feet away. Before taking those steps, she noticed a gap in the floor. A foot long space between each car, revealing a blurry gray backdrop of passing metal tracks. She carefully peered out and assessed the situation she was in.

With a deep breath, small leap and partially closed eyes, the woman found herself on the second platform. The wind played her with her red and white polka dot dress, pulling it from one way to the other. The air was wet from the fog and possible nearby rain, and it touched her skin, leaving a lasting feeling.

She quickly found herself, pushing her way through the next door and letting it slam shut behind her. Darkness was the greeting that came from the new car. She looked beyond the room to see that it was not a hallway like the last one. A larger cable car, lined with seats of various sizes, tables and a built in bar. A lounge. Minutes passed as she stood there, adjusting her eyes to the darkness. It felt useless to try but she let out another shout.

"Anyone here? Please...I'm terrified and lost" She called out, giving a small sigh of frustration. There was no real hope but she had to attempt. As she moved to take her first real step into the room, something stopped her in her tracks. THUD. She froze as if the crisp air forced its way in and held her there. THUD. Another unexpected sound emerged from the dark. THUD.

What could this be? Some cruel joke to scare her? Who would do such a thing? What was this all about? She began to open her mouth to speak when suddenly the door on the other end swung open. A dark and vague shape revealed itself in the silhouette of the frame before stepping inside and merging with the shadows of the room as the door slammed shut.

THUD.