Anna Griesser

Enigma Express

Pain is the first thing I feel. It lances through my head and down my arms, through my chest all the way to my legs. My eyes feel as though they’re being held shut. Something is rocking under me and I’m unsteady. I stretch out my fingers and wiggle my toes in my shoes in an attempt to wake up further. I force my eyes open and look up at a red velvet ceiling. My vision is fuzzy and I squint in an effort to see more clearly. Whatever I’m lying on is surprisingly comfortable and I brace the palms of my hands on the cushioned fabric and push myself into a sitting position. My vision goes black and my head pounds. It only lasts for a few seconds before I regain my bearings. I’m moving I realize with a start. My vision is still slightly distorted and my body throbs, my head being the worst. I rub my eyes in an attempt to clear my vision, but that only makes it worse. I look around and realize I’m in a train compartment, which explains to the moving sensation. It’s nice and looks as though it’s straight out of the early 1900s. There are two benches facing each other that are covered in a plush red fabric that matches the walls. The whole compartment is red I realize in surprise, down to the shelves above the seats meant to store luggage, even the door and support beams. I try to remember how I got here. It’s blank. I try to remember my name and it comes to the front of my brain, Aiko Hayashi. I try to think of my parents, nothing. I try to remember if I have friends and what my job is but it feels as though I’m grasping for air, as I recall nothing. My heart starts to bear faster. Panic floods through me and I stand up, my vision goes dark and my elbow slams against wall and bounces off. Pain shoots through my arm and I reach out blindly and grab onto the shelf meant for luggage so as not to fall down. It fades after a minutes, but I still feel weak and dizzy. I look for a window, but there isn’t one. I realize the easiest way to find out would be to ask a worker or another passenger. I feel myself start to calm. I probably just fell asleep and hit my head, I’m just disoriented and everything will come back to me in a couple minutes. It’s probably just a concussion or something.