A Ride On The Eternal Express

Beth started to feel vibration lightly shaking her body, She was moving she thought to herself, and that was what was shaking her awake. She didn't want to open her eyes, the bright light she knew was waiting to blind her as soon as she cracked her eyelid, the unforgiving light that would never let her get back to sleep. Suddenly, it hit her in a flash. The gut wrenching anxiety twisted on her stomach. Beth shot up and screamed. She was utterly terrified and had trouble collecting her thoughts. A sense of doom washed over her. Where was she? Who was she? Everything was so fuzzy. A fog was over her that blocked the concious ability to make sense of what was happening.

She began to look around and couldn't help but scream "Help!"

"Someone please help me! Where am I? What is happening?"

She felt the wetness pool into the corners of her eyes and the flood of mucus in the back of her throat. Her skin was cool and she felt strange. This was not like she had ever felt before.

She called out again, "Please? Is anyone here?"

She started to see that she was in a very fast moving train. This train was going at maximum speed. There was only her seat and nothing but a white light surrounding her and one window. She saw the fast moving scenery and heard the sounds of the train pacing along the track. How did she get here? Where was she was going? Beth didn't understand how she got here and how she would be on a train. This was her first time as a passenger on a train and this was not how she expected a ride to be.

Beth started to realize that her head was throbbing in pain. Beth wanted to look at herself to see if this and herself were actually real and this was happening. Beth looked behind the seat she was slumped in. She saw a large mirror. This mirror was huge and it looked so out of place to be in a train. Beth caught a brief glimpse of herself and then ran over to the mirror in disbelief.

Beth had blood all over her. She was soaked in it. She had large gashes all over her face and a broken bone coming out through her pale leg. If Beth had any terror before, she was petrified now.

"HELP! I NEED HELP!! PLEASE! "

Beth was sobbing and fell back onto the floor. The pain was starting to kick in. It was unbearable. Why was she on this train? What happened to her? What the hell was going on?

Then Beth saw a man. This man came from nowhere and he was beautiful. His skin had a glow that radiated warmth. The man's hair was long and brown, smooth, and sleek. His eyes wide and brown, like golden honey.

Beth stopped her sobbing and immediately felt her own matted blood sweater and felt insecure.

"Who are you? Why am I here? Is this train taking me to the hospital? What is going on? "

The man bent down and looked at Beth. His eyes gazed into hers with such intensity, she felt energy being sucked from her body. Beth fell limp.

The man stood up and said " I'm your guide on this tour aboard the Eternal Express. We make no stops and this is the last and final ride. I'm sure you have many questions but instead of wasting time let me refresh your mind."

The man spun around with such a great speed and immediately grabbed Beth's throat. He forced her to look into his eyes that had turned black. Beth tried to scratch at the man's arm, but he held her up in the air. Beth was dangling and she felt her shoe slip off and hit the floor. Beth couldn't breath. Then she looked into the eyes of this man, the room fekt like it was spinning and she began to see.

The life of Beth McCain began to play in this man's black eyes. She watched intently even though her breath was strained and she could barely gasp. Beth saw her father and mother holding her as a baby. They looked so happy and yet somehow so inauthentic she thought, then Beth begin to see herself walking around as a toddler. Flashes of good and bad memories flooded her. It was like she was there again. The sound of her mom's voice brought back a pain in Beth's heart that she never wanted to feel again. Beth then saw herself riding the bus to school and her friend Taylor. Taylor was her only friend. She remembered how she had betrayed Taylor now. A sense of guilt washed over Beth and she felt tears run down her face. Beth saw herself and Taylor giggling and the feeling of friendship warmed her. Then she seen the thing that was the result of what was taking place now, this unforgettable and unreal train ride. Beth saw the car crash. Taylor was driving and Beth was grabbing at the wheel. Beth had slapped Taylor and then Taylor with such force, grabbed the wheel and tried to straighten the car. They were swerving everywhere. Taylor was crying and yelling at Beth. Then it was over. They crashed head first into a telephone pole at speed that ended them both. Beth tried to scream but lacked the air supply. The last image the man showed her was Beth's soul leaving the body she once called hers. She saw it board this train and then the eyes of the man turned back to golden brown. He dropped Beth and she fell hard on the floor.

"Do you understand now? "

Beth remained quiet. Then the consciousness she had lost came back into her brain, the thoughts raced in her mind. She had betrayed Taylor. Beth remembered she had slept with Taylor's boyfriend and Taylor had caught them in her bed. Taylor had ran out of the house and Beth had chased after her. Taylor was in her car ready to leave, when Beth had opened the door and barely managed to get into the passenger seat before she drove off. They fought. Beth called Taylor awful names, but the thing that hurt her the most was when Beth said that she hated Taylor and she never was a friend to her. Then they crashed after the struggle over the wheel made them lose control. Every single feeling was coming back to her as the train chugged along. This train was not like any other train. It was the train for those who needed to be shown their wrongs and pay the price. Beth knew now.

Beth felt sick. The train was speeding up underneath her. It got dark. The man was gone.

"Please what is this place? I'm so sorry. What is going on? Where are you?! ", Beth screamed.

Suddenly, the man was in her face. This was not the beautiful man, this man was a demon and had only evil in his eyes and the presence was making Beth so cold, it was like she had been froze. The face of this otherworldly entity was so dark. The bright white light in the train only made its eyes that were so black stand out even more. Beth seen that it's eyes showed the trapped and stolen souls from the passengers who rode train before her. The demon laughed and started to help Beth up off the floor.

Beth was trembling. She was so very cold.

The demon, or whatever it was, spoke to her as a whisper. In her ear, Beth heard it's chilling words and that sent shivers down her spine. It said,

"If you want to make things right then you'll have the chance to redo this again. I don't give second chances. I am only doing this for the pure soul of your friend. Go back and treasure her and rid yourself of your lust. I will collect your evil soul if I must. I am the conductor of this train, you are aboard the eternal Express, and I only deliver pain. This is the train to hell, and this is where you will forever remain. "

Beth felt a rush of falling and then she awoke. Beth felt her mouth open, she was so thirsty, and she let out a profound gasp that felt like spikes going down into the lungs from its intensity. She looked at her sweater. It was clean. Beth was blood free and her leg was fine. She touched her skin and face and looked around. Beth was shaken and relieved. She was just in the car and the surrounding area was where she was used to. Beth was not on her way to hell like moments before. No demon. Just Taylor. Taylor looked worried and said,

"Beth, what's wrong? Are you okay? You passed out as soon as you got in the car? Are you okay to go to class today? "

Beth, was filled with anger at herself for all the pain she wanted to inflict on her one true friend. How could her crush betray the friendship she knew and valued most? The demon had imprinted his eyes in Beth's mind and his words on her cold, yet softening heart.

"Taylor I love you. Thank you for being my friend. " Beth grabbed Taylor's hand. She was so happy to not be a passenger in the train that had the destination to nowhere, but was hell itself. She knew it was a test, a ride of death on the Eternal Express.