Not What It Seems

It would have been just another day for Chris Schobe, but on this day, Chris had been propelled into a speed-of-light event, not adventure, of which you might get excited, but an event that, for most, would put a chill down your spine.

Maybe it was just another day to start, however, the challenge for Chris was to connect getting out of bed and where he was right now.

Where, you might ask? Or, maybe you'd wish you hadn't.

His head hurt from the vibration against his skull. This irritation was for who knows how long. He rubbed his scalp, little good did that do. As he squinted from the bright light, he tried to get his bearings. No, he wasn't drunk. He may have questioned whether he was.

'I forgot my medication', he thought.

He squinted longer, attempting to make sense of his surroundings.

'What is that noise!?' he thought, irritated.

The sound of the wheels was heavy but rhythmic. It was a sound that seemed out of control. Upon registering this, Chris became alert.

'What the...!' His mind started racing as his senses came to.

He was unfamiliar with the picture his brain fed him. Naturally, panic set in. He didn't know where he was and he felt a sense of urgency about the situation.

'I'm dreaming! That's all! Get a hold of yourself!' he tried to reassure himself. Of course, he was desperately trying not to wet his pants.

Chris adjusted his body in the seat. His body felt like it had been in a contorted, confined position for hours.

'What time is it?', he thought, distracting himself.

'What!? I've completely missed a day at work!'

Chris could not account for 12 hours of his day. Where was he? More to the point, where was he going?

He tried to contain himself. He looked around, trying to make some sense of this nightmare.

'It's a train! What am I doing on this train!? I'm all alone!'

Chris eyed the security camera in the corner of the carriage. He looked around desperately for the emergency cord that you expect to find on a train. Nothing.

He attempted to stand but his body felt like it had gained 200 pounds overnight. With all his strength he stood and made his way to the camera. He studied it closely expecting someone would be watching on the other end. With all the energy he could muster, he started waving frantically at the camera for the anonymous observer.

'What now?', he thought.

He desperately tried to make sense of everything. Again, he looked around for any sign that all is well. He couldn't convince himself.

Chris grabbed at the seat that he had been slouched in for God knows how long. He leaned towards the window to view outside. It was hard to get a visual as the train was travelling at an unfathomable speed.

'Breathe!', he told himself.

'This is a dream! No train can travel at this speed! I did not get on a train! There is no one here! None of it makes sense! It's not real! You're dreaming! Wake up, you fool!'

'Shit, I need my medication!' he realised.

Chris slapped himself on the face in an attempt to wake himself. He started to doubt he was asleep.

In desperation, he stumbled to the front end of the carriage. 'I'll get to the engine, to the driver, and find out what the hell is going on!', he resolved.

He opened the outside carriage door and found there was no connecting carriage or engine ahead. Chris started to hyperventilate. He ran to the rear of the carriage and opened the door. Again, there were no carriages behind him.

He violently turned his head about the carriage he was in trying to determine if he was in a train after all. It surely looked like a train carriage.

His breathing was heavy now. He nearly passed out. Or did he, momentarily? His sense of time was gone.

For some reason, he was inclined to look at his watch again. Time had passed another 12 hours.

He looked up in urgency and saw his reflection in the window. His face had aged more than 24 hours. He had lived another decade although he wouldn't have said he had.

His eyes were transfixed on his reflection. 'This...is...a...dream..', his mental voice quivered. In that moment he passed out.

It would have been just another day for Chris Schobe, but on this day, Chris had been propelled into a speed-of-light event, not adventure, of which you might get excited, but an event that, for most, would put a chill down your spine.

He woke up on a train...