The Mysterious Journey

A man finds himself on a train not remembering how he got there.

                                       The Mysterious Journey

David remembered with horror as the explosion tore through everything.  And the cries of despair echoing all around.  Then nothing.

He awoke and found himself sitting down.  Looking about he realised he was on a train.  Outside was pitch-black, and not a single sound could be heard.  A newspaper sat on his lap, and glancing at the main headline, it read.

Trains are statistically the safest way to travel.

A few sentences under this another smaller headline.

Blackbird gives birth to human child.

That’s impossible, he thought.  How could that be true?

From outside a horn blared.  

At the end of the carriage a small shape appeared in the glass of the door, and a child giggling.  He watched eagerly, hoping there were more people on the train, as being on your own wasn’t much fun.  The door opened slightly, then closed.  David decided to say something, “Don’t be nervous.  Show yourself.”

Because it was quite dim it was difficult to see the child when she first entered the carriage.  Then she said brightly, “Oh, hello.”

David was just about to answer when he noticed something very peculiar.  Where her head should be there was only a red and pink stump.  She came closer, and with utter astonishment he saw her head being held in her left arm.

“What’s wrong?” she asked innocently enough.

He was unsure what to say, because this clearly wasn’t normal, and replied unconfidently, “Are you in pain, child?”

A big smile appeared on her face, while saying, “No, I feel great.”

“That’s good,” he said.  At least she wasn’t suffering in anyway.  “Are you the only one on the train?”

The little girl pointed to the door which she’d just come from, and answered, “Mother’s a couple of carriages back.  Also there is an elderly lady that the driver of this train warned me about, as she seems in a very bad mood indeed.”

“So, what brings you down here?” he asked.

The child laughed, before replying, “I wanted to thank the driver, for helping me and my mum earlier.  Have you met him yet?”

“Not yet,” he said.  He couldn’t believe he was having this conversation.  “Do you remember how you came to be here in the first place?”

The girl looked at him with blank eyes, and said sadly, “I honestly don’t remember.  Could I ask you a question.  Are you frightened?”

This was the thing he didn’t really understand.  Finding yourself on a train, not knowing where it was heading?  Not remembering how you got here in the first place?  Yet he didn’t feel distressed at all.  Even though seeing the child for the first time did unsettle him a little.  “Actually I feel quite relaxed.  Very bizarre, in the circumstances I mean.”

The girl moved closer to him, and placed one hand on his shoulder.  “I know what you mean.  I must be off.  Hopefully I’ll see you again.”

David glanced at her, and said, “Good luck.”

Still carrying her head she ran excitedly to the door which was behind him.  Then opened it while giggling.  “Goodbye, mister,” she concluded.

The door was then heard as it shut.

Almost instantly the door that faced him was pushed open, and a woman of great beauty made her way into the carriage.  She had long dark hair, and wore the brightest red lipstick which went well with her pale skin.  Without taking any notice of him she walked down the narrow aisle, heading for the other door.

David then saw with alarm that she had an arm missing, and the blood on her flowery blouse was now a dull red.  He decided to say something, out of politeness more than anything else.  “Good evening.”

The lady looked round startled while putting a hand on her chest, and said, “My god, I didn’t see you there.”

“I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to make you jump.” he answered, feeling guilty for scaring the poor woman.

She gave him a nice smile, before saying, “I forgive you.  So, are you here for business or pleasure?”

David had the perfect answer, and replied, “Well, since seeing you I would say pleasure.”

She laughed, then closer she came so she was only a metre from where he sat.  “Once I have located my darling daughter, I will come back and we can chat for a little while.  Would you like that?”

He looked deep into her dark brown eyes, and he would be lying if he said he didn‘t fancy her.  He answered confidently, “I would like that very much.”  

“I’ll be back shortly,” the woman said.  She gave him a wink before carrying on towards the door.  Then closing it as it made a slight noise which seemed to echo.

He peered at his watch.  The face was blank.  No numbers could be seen.  He found this extremely odd.

On the left of him through the window he could see a small white light.  It looked like a lonely star.  He then felt very tired and drifted off into a heavy sleep.

He couldn’t remember the dream he’d had, but his forehead was covered in sweat, and for the first time on this journey he felt anxious.  Above him he saw someone and looked up startled.

A woman stared back.

One half of her face was pink and red flesh like she had been a victim of a bad fire.  He was too petrified to say anything.  He felt his heart beating some.

She then said angrily, “I don’t like it here.  And I don’t trust you because you remind me of the kids I teach.  Little troublemakers they are.”

He finally got the courage to answer her, “Do you remember what happened, how we got here?”

She smacked the seat in front of him, and shouted, “This place doesn’t feel right.  This place feels me with a dread which I cannot explain.”

David didn’t know what to say, because her behaviour was unpredictable.  “Do you remember anything at all?” he tried again.

She then seemed to calm down a little, like a memory had suddenly come to her.  She stared back at him, her eyes wide and full of fear.  “Yes, I remember something.”

David needed to know.  “So what do you remember?” he asked.

“Well, I do recollect making my way down a street.  Next thing I’m aware of there is this massive noise which made all the glass in the windows shatter into a million pieces.  And then I found myself on this train, and the first thing I did was find a toilet knowing something very bad had happened.  Staring into the mirror I was confronted by my worst nightmare.”

She began to sob.  Then like magic she vanished from sight.

“What the hell is going on?” he muttered under his breath.

The light in the window was now much bigger in size, and the moment he noticed this he felt his eyes closing.  

People screaming everywhere he looked.  He tried to run as far as he could from the danger, but whatever direction he headed in all he saw were dead bodies laying on the street.  Then a terrible pain was felt and his brain lost all consciousness.

He flew up from the seat, realising where he was.  Then he saw an immense light while it shone through the windows.  “What could that be?” he said.  

All of a sudden a hand was felt on his shoulder.  He looked up to see a man with a kind face peering back.  The man wore a black suit and had quite thick glasses which sat at the end of his nose.

“Who are you?” he asked, not needing anymore surprises.

The man who was easily in his sixties, smiled, and answered, “I didn’t get a chance to meet you, as for many days you were sound asleep.  But I have good news, my friend.  We are finally here.”

“What do you mean, here?” David asked confused.

The man chuckled to himself, and replied.  “The amount of people which ask me that question.  Don’t you remember how you got here, David?”

“How do you know my name?”

The man scratched the top of his balding head, before replying, “Your name was on your ticket.  As I said earlier we have arrived at your stop, so if you would move the newspaper onto the seat beside you, then follow me.  I would be extremely grateful.”

David didn’t know what to think, but he wasn’t going to start an argument with this poor gent, as his job was probably quite stressful at times.  “Yes, I’m sorry for the silly questions,” David said a little embarrassed.  He took the paper in his hands and put it onto the seat next to his, looking down he all of a sudden noticed something which terrified his very soul.  “Where’s my legs,” he shrieked.  “What’s happened to my legs?”

He stared up at the man, and he just smiled.

David then tried grabbing the newspaper and putting it back, as the dark red stumps just below where his shorts ended, made him feel sick.

And the man said, “Trust me, David.  I have your best interests at heart.  Take my hand, and forget what you saw.  And together we’ll walk off this train.”

“But how can I walk, when I don’t have any legs?” he said agitated.

The man calmly took both his hands and staring into his eyes lifted David up from the seat.  “Just don’t look down, and I promise you everything will be all right.”

David let the man lead him down the carriage, taking it carefully of course.  Once both were at the door, the man opened it and David followed.  He now found himself in a small compartment.

“We are nearly there.”

“Good, I think,” David answered, not knowing what to expect.

The intense light still shone through the windows, and as David made his way out of the train he saw something which he found quite wonderful.  

The little girl from earlier looked round at him while she stood a metre from the track, and she said, “Look, my head is back on my shoulders.”  She then giggled happy as can be.  

“I can see that, child,” he replied.  He took a couple more steps and noticed the girl’s mother standing a short distance away.  The blood which had stained her blouse had vanished, looking closer he saw she now had two arms.

She turned to him while he got closer, and said, “I can’t believe you fell asleep.  Well, just my luck on such a tedious journey.”  And she laughed and her eyes sparkled.

“I must apologise about that,” he said, not believing his misfortune.

Then in the near distance he heard someone shouting with pure joy.  David glanced over and this is when he saw the older woman, but this time her face was healed. She smiled at him, before saying, “Maybe it’s time to look down, and see the miracle for yourself, young man.”

David didn’t like that idea at all, and replied, “I’m scared, and I still don’t understand what is going on.”  He turned to the man who stood just behind him, and said, “How come they’re healed?”

Then the man answered with a bemused look, “The light made them all better.  Anyway, I must get back on my train, because I have more people like yourself to pick up.  But before I leave I must say one more thing, David.  When the angels come, don’t be scared.”

“Angels?”

“Yes, angels.  You really don’t remember, do you,” he said, rubbing his forehead.  “You were all involved in a terrible accident, where none of you survived.  I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, David.”

David didn’t know what to think, but now it all made sense.  “Am I dead?”

“No, because the soul lives forever.  I wish you luck.”  With that the man made his way back up the three steps which led to the door, and before opening it he turned in David’s direction.  “Where you’re heading is a place full of wonder, and I promise you once you’re there, you’ll never want to leave.”

Then he disappeared through the doorway.

The train moved slowly up the track before disappearing behind a nearby hill.

A strange luminous mist descended onto the land while it floated effortlessly towards them, and with it came the most magnificent being they’d ever seen.

                                                                 The End

Reviews

[Marie]

Excellent Steve. You kept the suspnse going without being overly emotional.

[steve]

Thank you, Marie. Yes, I think it's all about timing, and I've improved a great deal with your help.

[Jules]

Good job in keeping our interest! I kept wondering is this a horror novel. I like the story. Sad in a way

[steve]

Thank you, much appreciated.