Frozen Apparatus

A seemingly normal train ride goes very cold when horror strikes

FROZEN APPARATUS

"Pardon me, sorry."  I rushed down the train station. "My bad, sorry miss." Pushing through the dense crowd I slipped into my train. I waltzed in with the last of the passengers. I was immediately blinded by the darkness of the interior of the train. The cedarwood smell was reigning in the air, along with cries of small children. The green afterimage glares of the sun held me blind as I handed my papers to the uniformed personnel. "Back this way sir," instructed the kind man. "Any valuable luggage?" S**t. "Umm no, nothing."

            "I see you don't have anything on you?"

            "Nah, it would only get lost, misplaced, stolen."

            "That's a fine ideology."

Finally we winded our way to the back of the snake, a nice insulated chamber awaiting me. Second to last on the train. I waved him off and took comfort in the small suite. Inside there was a puffy bed, a retro armchair with a matching footrest, and a small coffee table, all locked behind a sleek jet-black sliding door. I sat in the chair and kicked my feet onto the rest and opened the small circular window by my face. The wind sang a mellow tune as a pollen cloud danced above the green grass. I jumped as the horn screamed aloud. The view from my window slowly turned into a green blur and we were rolling.

            An hour later tea was brought around. I slid open the door and a bald man with a thin mustache stuck his face in.

            "Chamomile or black tea?"

            "Black tea please."

            "Here you are Mr. Smith," I accepted the mug of hot tea. I kept the door open to get a peek at my neighbor directly behind.

            "Which tea miss?"

            "Oh, chamomile for sure," her eyes darted forward and shot at mine "Unlike that man up there I'm hoping to get some sleep tonight."

            As I prudently set my mug down onto the small table, I felt a swift blow of air carrying the smell of lavenders by my right; opposite the window. Turning my head I saw the lady from the chamber behind.

"Hello Miss!"

"Hello Mr. Smith, what are you up to?"

"Absolutely nothing!"

            She had thick curly blonde hair and the kind of eyes that would sliver the darkness into thin slices of marinated nothingness.

"So you travel without a suitcase?"

"I left it at home�""

"�"Next to the other navy blue and the other black sock?"

I looked down. Oh jolly. I rolled my head back. Today just keeps getting better doesn't it?

"What's your first name Mr. Smith?"

"Jeffery. Yours?"

"Alice."

I nodded my head. "It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Smith, but I'm afraid my tea will go cold if I stay too long."

            She slid the door shut behind her and left.

            I found it to be dark sooner than I expected. For a long time I was just sitting there half awake. My left hand was perched on the window and my body lay numb in the chair. I rapidly blinked my eyes and took a gasp of air into my dried mouth. My eyes slowly relaxed as my vision set itself onto the thin pink descending behind the mountains. The sky was dark blue and I was back to being temporarily brain-dead.

            I was startled by the sound of plates and silverware passing down the aisle. Knock knock. I reached for the door and slid it open. A shiny head handed a bowl of stew into my chamber. I took a glance at the tag hooked into his shirt. Riscott.

"Thank you Mr. Riscott." He forced a wide smile and nodded quickly. He looked at me and at the window behind me.

            "It's supposedly going to be a cold couple of nights. We recommend to all passengers to keep their windows and doors shut through the night."

            "Blizzard's coming?"

            "That's what they say. Plus there are rumors around these areas."

            "Of what kind? If I may ask."

            "Infamous stories have arisen of a criminal lurking in the cities along our route."

            "Oh."

            By the time I finished with dinner, it was getting especially cold. I closed the window only halfway, still leaving room for fresh gelid air to breathe in. The night sky was covered in fog and dark clouds and it was all too late not to sleep. Before the thought of sleep could fully manifest itself in my mind, I heard shouting coming from the aisle. Two male voices contested, one of them Riscott's. As I stepped out of my chamber, the two men were already gone. When I looked back, I saw Alice standing by her door. One of her hands was on her knee and the other was going through her messy blonde curled hair.

"Hey Alice, can't sleep?"

She looked up at me

"Yeah, I have trouble sleeping on trains."

"Not so innocent now is it?"

"What?"

"The chamomile tea," I said with a sly smile."

She shook her head slowly and fought the growing smile on her face.

"Come, I've got nothing to do tonight. Not while my suitcase is sick at home."

She walked in and sat down on the little bed. I shut the door and the window.

            "The 'spooky' man warns us to keep these shut during the night."

            "It is a bit chilly here, I must say." She said in a raspy voice.

            I spread myself onto the bed next to her and looked up into her vibrant blue eyes. She reclined back and landed her soft hands onto mine.

            "What brings you to Montgomery Bay?" She asked.

            "I have some family there. I'm visiting my sister who takes care of our grandparents in their small beach house."

            "That sounds nice."

            "There are just so many memories from that place. And the worst part is that I don't even visit very often."

            "It's a bit of a ride after all. At least only two more days remain. We're already a third through."

            I nodded and flicked off the light.

            "When I was a young boy I would spend a lot of time with them. Then it was easier, while they still walked on their own. We would go down to the beach nearly every day."

            She made a soft murmur and pressed her face into the pillow. Everything was silent but her heartbeat which matched with the lugging of the train across the tracks.

            Morning came with an unpleasant surprise. I awoke first to hear the sound of men chatting furiously. Then I noticed another thing. We weren't moving. I slid the door open to see what was going on as many other have done too. Four policemen were standing inside our train car. Alice rubbed her eyes and lifted herself to see.

            "We just want to let everyone know, it could've easily been a product of hail as it was very stormy last night. Falling rocks from the mountainside are also very likely. A running animal is also a possibility."

            An older woman in the suite in front looked at one of the policemen, "Excuse me officer, what is going on?"

            "The window in the first room of this car has been broken last night. Almost all the glass has been broken off�""

"�"We don't mean to scare anyone." Another officer interrupted him, "But the hole has been made large enough for a human to pass through per se."

Gasps were heard throughout.

            "Once again, it could've very likely been an act by nature. But knowing one of our most notorious targets frequents this route, I insist we exercise caution.”

            As if two servings of caffeinated tea weren't enough already, here was another thing to keep us up through the night. The officers came around to search the train. Alice stood up, "I'll go back now, we don't want to confuse anyone." "I'll see you later," I replied. After an hour the policemen left the train and we were back in motion. No intruders were found onboard. The rest of the day was spent in bitter paranoia. Everyone was at unease. One of Riscott's guys produced some cardboard panels which they fixed onto the broken window with masking tape. There was left an uncomfortable low rumble as the cardboard vibrated against the frame. Evening came around soon and so did Riscott.

            "Broccoli or chicken stew sir?" I looked at him blankly. Then at the trays.

            "I've really lost my appetite, but broccoli I guess."

            "You should eat. You need to get a good night's sleep on a night like this."

            I looked at him puzzled, but nevertheless took my soup�" or stew�" whatever it was and set it onto the small table. The air was significantly colder this night; apparently the cardboard was letting some through. I kept my door and window shut. Still the anxiety pressed hard, the chilly air wasn't much of a relief either. It was pitch black outside. The only visibility was from the lamp in my room. Silence held the air in its jaws. It slowly maneuvered through the cold interior of the train. The only sounds were those of the train, the wailing wind and the sound of the cardboard thudding against the wall.

            To my deep disappointment, my bladder wasn't supporting me anymore. I had to stand up, stretch my limbs and wander over to the restroom. From the moment I slid open the door the frosty air billowed into my room. Keeping a sharp eye for anything peculiar, I made my way to the back bathroom, directly across from Alice's chamber. As I walked in I felt around for the light switch. The lights turned bright. Good, no one was hiding in here. Walking back out, I saw Alice in front of her door again.

            "Hey, I can't bear sitting in there, in the very back alone."

            I smiled at her. "Come with me. I'll keep you safe. Or at least we'll die together if that means anything."

            Getting into the bed she said, "I brought us blankets. I assume you don't have any with you."

            We crept in together underneath the warm sheets. We faced each other and our soft breaths battled the cold air from sliding between us. My hand tangled through her soft hair. I felt her move closer to me and her head rested on my shoulder. The cardboard made another loud sound as it thumped up ahead. We were nestled in a cocoon, a soft warm cloud in a sea of coldness. Thud thud thud.  

            "Are you afraid?" Her soft voice asked.

            Nervously, but almost heroically I answered

            "The boogey man never frightened me."

            "I will go to my room early in the morning in case of another checkup Jeffery."

We tightly clung onto each other for warmth, both physically and mentally. For the hundredth time, all was silent but the tracks and the wind.

            When morning spilled its rays of light over me I noticed she was gone. I also noticed we weren't moving again. Rolling over I became aware that I was covered in sweat. It was a hot morning and the blankets were still draped over me. In this moment a gasp was heard from the crowd of people by my room. I really wasn't in mood to expose myself to the officers who induced fear and paranoia. Yes, I was aware that we were in a sticky situation, but did they really need to tell us stories and emphasize that the window was large enough for a human to pass through?

            Since we weren't moving for a long time now, I decided that it was of no use to ignore the situation at hand. I slid the door open only to find the crowds all clustered in front of my room. And behind. Nearly everyone was there�" except for Riscott. I walked back through the groups of passengers and the half dozen of policemen to see what was taking place. This led me to Alice's room. I quickly pushed through the people at her door and looked inside. On her bed, Alice lay. She was covered in blood and there was a gaping gash across her neck and throat from which it all seemed to have streamed. The white sheets were oversaturated with the rich red color which would soon rust. My stomach turned and I nearly puked as my head turned into a ripe tomato. I pulled out from the crowd and escaped into the bathroom where I splashed cold water against my face.

            The rest of that day was sickening. I just sat at the foot of my bed while the policemen passed from room to room questioning. Finally, a short plump officer gave a loud knock and came in. He sat down on the armchair and held his notepad in his hands.

"Were you awake between midnight and eight?"

"No sir, I was sleeping."

"Have you heard any strange sounds last night?"

"No."

            "I don't know how you can answer this question, but would you by any chance know if anyone here would have anything 'against' the miss?"

"No I would not."

            "I know this is hard for you, but can you give us anything that we can work with? Is there any one person in this train car that strikes you odd in some way?"

            "The personnel member, Mr. Riscott was a little strange perhaps."

            He wrote the name down on his notepad.

            "Alright, I'll see what I can do."

            When he left, the train started to move again. Throughout the rest of the day we were all closely monitored by the police crew. I waited impatiently for news. By evening another officer can into my quarters. He walked in boisterously and sat down across from me.

            "So we've looked at Riscott and he is covered entirely with an alibi. The crew can confirm everything he's done and where he's been last night. You see, people tell me of a killer who can't be caught, one that always gets away. I don't believe in this. I've never seen him. No one has. Do you know why I think that is? Unlike that Riscott of yours, I don't believe he exists. He would've surfaced somewhere by now."

            "Ok."

            "No, you don't understand. Riscott is well armed with an alibi. You say you've been sleeping all night. What good does that do me?"

            "But it's true sir."

            "Do you have anyone that can back that up for you?"

            S**t, not anymore.

            "No, I guess not."

            "I'm after the facts and the facts say that you have a flimsy alibi, haven't heard anything last night, and are the passenger closest to Miss Reeds."

            Even late into the night he still sat there, studying me closely. It was impossible to sleep. I started murmuring my noisy thoughts out loud. Finally I looked at him.

            "Who would do such a thing?"

              "Someone who had access. Someone who could've made a quick entrance and a quick exit."

            "But what kind of monster, what motive would they have? Like gunning down a wild dove right in its own waters."

            "Poetry doesn't do me any good son."

            Dawn came slowly. Through the window the clouds bled in Alice's blood that morning. The greens were slowly becoming less and less, in their place houses and cobble walls. We had finally made it into the more urban parts of Montgomery Bay. The horrendous train ride, one which will always stay apparent in the minds of its victims was finally concluded. No more nights, no more cold. Just a couple more hours. The officer stood up.

            "We searched everyone's luggage too, but I'm told you don't carry any around. What kind of man doesn't carry luggage around?"

            "A forgetful one I suppose." I lowly said.

            "No one heard anything that night. Yes, I understand people slept, but still not one person claims to have heard or seen anything."

            After a long pause he continued, "I don't know. I really don't anymore."

            The train came into the station.

            "Do you know who she was? Who her father is?"

            "Mr. Reeds? No, I'm afraid I don't."

            "He is a very important lawyer in this state. He is currently fighting a serious case- ugh why even bother?"

            I nodded acknowledging.

            When the train stopped, police cars were waiting at the door. One by one we were all cautiously escorted into them. We were all led down to the Montgomery Bay police station. I sat in the back of that car in fear. How horrible it would be if I were accused of this monstrosity based on my geography in the train car.

            When we arrived I was taken first to the interrogation room. It was a small room with minimal lighting. In the room were only two metal folding chairs and a table between. Into the room walked an older white-haired man. He wore a long white collared shirt and blue pants similar to those of the police. He sat down and looked right at me.

            "Mr. Smith?"

            "Yes sir."

            "I'm Davidson. I understand you met Randy earlier? Gave you a rough time didn't he? Anyway, unlike him, I am aware of the serial killer on the run. I've been after him for a long time now."

            My palms became wet and my knees became shaky.

 "Here's the breakdown, the murder weapon hasn't been found as of yet, and I highly doubt it ever will be. Everything points to an intrusion through the broken window. I've heard you even managed to forget your luggage."

            Why does everyone have to mention that?

            "You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." He stated.

            "In the wrong place at the wrong time," I repeated.

            He sighed and shook his head to the side.

            "I'm sorry for the inconveniences and I hope you can take time to heal from that disturbing experience. You are free to go. I have appointed an officer to drive you to wherever it is you're going."

            "Thank you," I said, relief rushing through me.

            "While we wait, tell me, what brings you here to Montgomery Bay?"

            "I have friends in the fishing business. We run a fishery together here. It's all about the life on the docks and at sea I tell you."

            "Ah, I guess so."

            In a few minutes the door opened and in walked a younger officer.

            "Deputy, show this man the way, thank you both for your cooperation."

            We went through the maze that was the police station and over to his cruiser. I showed him the way and we rode into the urban areas of Montgomery Bay. As we were pulling into a parking between a motel and the street he looked over at me and asked,

            "Do you have anyone expecting you here at this time?"

            "Yes yes, my coach is here already in one of the rooms. Maybe he went out for a cigarette. I know where to find him. Wherever you see a TV with basketball on you can be well assured he's nearby."

            The young officer chuckled, "Alright, have a good night."

            "Take care," I said, stepping out onto the lot. I watched him closely drive off and when he had turned passed the corner I strolled away from the lot and over to the bus stop. At the bus stop sat a young lady on the bench. I walked over to her.

            "Lauren, what's up?"

            She bounced up.

            "Alright good, great, the house is a few blocks down, a nice short walk."

            "I suppose, let's get going."

            "I still don't get it. What strength it must take. No emotion or sympathy for your targets. Only perfection. Nerves of steel practically. Look, you haven't even broken a sweat yet. It's a real gift."

            "To be heartless? I never saw it to be a gift."

            "That and changing emotion on demand. It's like magic. It's what puts you above the rest of us. It’s why you were perfect for this job."

            "Yeah, I guess."

            "Nevertheless, the boss is gonna be real happy. Real happy."