A Train to Nowhere

The blaring sound of a train horn was what woke me from my uncomfortable sleep. I lazily opened my dark brown eyes only to find I was in an empty train car, lying on the floor. I forcefully picked myself up, determined to see where I was, I had no memory of how I even got here. I hissed in pain as every bone in my body hurt, feeling like someone set my insides on fire. Finally I stood, and looked around the train car in hopes of finding out why I was there in the first place. The satin seats were blood red, all lined up on the side of the rocking car and the soft carpet was a deep black with a red floral print. I walked over to one of the large windows and carefully pulled the lace curtains to the side and peered out the window hoping to get clues about where I was, but I only saw a suffocating darkness instead.

“Where the hell am I?” I asked to nobody in particular as I adjusted my beanie, foot tapping rapidly as I turned away from the window, letting the curtain fall back into its place. ‘This train car really looks like a funeral home.’ I thought to myself as I walked over to the window, peering out into the darkness once again. As I thought for a moment about how I got here in the first place, I had a horrible realization.

I lost my memory. Well I actually knew what things were, I knew my name was Apollo and what objects were called. But I didn’t know the specifics, I didn’t know my mother’s name, or if I even had one. My mind felt like a broken glass, memories spilling out the cracks with no way to pick them back up. I placed a hand on my head, heaving a sigh as panic surged through my veins. What should I even do? A part of me wanted to jump out the window, another part wanted to cry on the floor.

As I was debating how much it would hurt to jump out of the moving train’s window, a firm hand was placed on my shoulder making my blood run cold. I quickly turned my body around and backed up, only to see a man standing before me. He seemed pretty young, maybe in his early twenties, and he was very tall, a bit over six feet. The stranger wore a navy blue conductor's uniform, his straight black hair peeking out of the cap and a lilly pinned to his pocket. He had a pale face, with coal black eyes

“You seem pretty lost there.” He said in a voice that sounded like crunching leaves, which sent shivers down my spine. I had to calm down from my slight panic for a moment before I spoke, but his eerie gaze made it hard.

“Yeah, I am.” I replied in my usual raspy voice. “Do you mind telling me where we are?” I asked as I gestured to the train car we were in. For some reason, the man found my response funny, and smiled coyly as he let out a chuckle.

“I’ll tell you what,” The man glanced around the car before his eyes fell back onto me. “If you find me in ten minutes, I’ll let you know where we are headed.” He said as he reached in his dark leather satchel, pulling out a scraped up golden pocket watch. I blinked at him, wondering what was wrong with him. Was he serious?

“Are you kidding me?” I sneered at him and narrowed my eyes, instantly hating his guts. Why couldn’t he just tell me why I was here? He didn’t need to play hide and seek with me. The conductor just kept looking at the pocket watch, seemingly unbothered by my question. He then looked back at me, holding the pocket watch in his outstretched hand.

“Take it.” He said as I hesitantly put my hand out, eyeing him suspiciously. The man placed the pocket watch in my hands and I instantly dropped it, shouting as it burnt my hand. I looked down at the pocket watch for a moment wondering why I had been burned by it, but when I looked back up to the mysterious man, he was gone.

“What the actual hell just happened?” I quietly said, unsure how to feel. Was this guy some wizard? I grabbed the pocket watch, more carefully this time only to find it warm instead of hot. I just wanted answers, but now this guy wants me to go and find him? I contemplated just waiting the ten minutes out but I really didn’t know were I was headed. The train ride could last forever, so I was better off finding him. I looked closely at the pocket watch, seeing that the numbers were written in some language I couldn’t understand, nice. It took me a moment but I guessed that I had about eight minutes to find that creep and figure out where on earth I was. After slipping the pocket watch in the pocket of my black baggy jeans, I walked over to the only door in the car. The door was made from some black steel-like material and the handle was a simple red doorknob. When I pushed the heavy door open, there was no gap between the cars like normal trains usually did which I found odd. Although at this point, everything about my current situation was odd.

The car was empty, with no windows or doors, even the one I entered in from had vanished. Weird.  But in the center there was a bouquet of flowers, lying on the floor much like I did when I arrived here. I hesitantly walked over to it, picking them up in my hand. The pocket watch grew hot in my pocket but I didn’t really notice. The flowers were lilies, they were a pure white, save for a bit of dried dirt on them. I noticed that a blue piece of paper was attached to the bouquet, so naturally I read it.

‘Apollo, enjoy your trip.’ Was written on the paper, like whoever wrote it was in a rush. My mind raced as I tried to think of why someone would write this, and the fact I didn’t know any details about my life wasn’t making this easy. I kept the flowers in my hand, wondering what my next move should be. I adjusted my sweater as I walked back to the door, but I remembered how it vanished the minute I walked in, meaning I was trapped here. My breath quickened as I tried to make sense  of the situation, but nothing I could think of checked out.

“How the hell am I supposed to find that idiot!” I shouted in frustration, throwing the bouquet across the car and on que the pocket watch cooled down. The bouquet pathetically hit the wall, falling to the floor as some petals scattered. I didn’t even know what my home was like but I just wanted to go back there. In this stupid train I was trapped, afraid and confused with nowhere else to go. Suddenly, I noticed something that snapped me from my thoughts.

The pocket watch got cold for some reason. I quickly fished it from my pocket noting the minute I had left and held it carefully. It wasn’t ice cold but compared to how it was nearly burning from before the pocket watch was far more cooler. I held it in my hand as I watched the seconds tick down, my mind racing as fast as it could as I tried to think of why the temperature suddenly changed. I paced back and forth throughout the car, my eyes fixated on the watch with only twenty seconds left. As I paced, the temperature of the watch somehow changed from its normal temperature to a much hotter one, making me stop in my tracks. I looked down at the bouquet which was right next to my feet, then a theory occured to me. I decided to test it and crouched down. just like I thought, the pocket watch started to burn my hand even more. I dropped the pocket watch, only four seconds left, and picked up the bouquet.

“You’re disguised as the bouquet aren’t you?” I said, as I stared at it , praying that there would be an answer. And as if on cue, the bouquet seemed to shift. There was a glowing bright light and a loud booming laughter.

“Good work Apollo, I knew you could find me.” The train conductor said as he grinned, the lilly still pinned to his pocket. He lifted his hand and the pocket watch appeared in his palm, but somehow that didn’t surprise me. I just quietly watched him, far too emotionally drained at that point.

“I guess you would like to know where you are?” he asked, leaning his back on the wall as his soulful eyes watched me closely. I simply nodded, and the conductor patted me on the shoulder.

“Apollo you’re dead.” He said, and those words hit me like a brick. I stumbled back and managed to balance myself, unable to speak. “You died only about ten minutes ago because a truck crashed into you as you were on the sidewalk on your way to buy a guitar. You were twenty three, and lived in California. I am the grim reaper, but I go by Grimm.”

“So where am I going?” I said quietly, my brain nearly shutting down from what I had just heard. I wanted answers so badly, and this is what it got me. The worst existential crisis ever.

“Nowhere, your soul is an odd one, you are just meant to serve under me.” Grimm looked at me once again, and I just stood there trying to regain my breath.

“It won’t be an easy task for you to get used to the idea that you’ve died, but I will try and help the best I can. Just let me know when you’re ready for us to pick up our next soul.” He said, with a gentle smile, much more different than the cold one I received when I first arrived. I didn’t really know what to do, I mean I literally just died not too long ago. heaving a shaky sigh, I looked back up at Grimm, gently nodding my head.

“Alright I’m ready.” I said, wondering what could be ahead.