Off Her Rails

She slowly opened her eyes. In a dream-like state, she could hear a faint song. “Is that ‘Runaway Train’? So odd, I haven’t heard that song in years.” Amelia reflected to herself. Reluctantly opening her eyes, she let the light stream in. To her amazement, she didn’t recognize anything around her.

“Wait, where am I?” She mumbled. She sat up, startled by a sudden tweak of the train. “How did I end up here?” Looking down at her lilac blouse and pleated skirt, she discerned her work clothing at least.

Looking out of the window at the wonderous autumn colors, she was put at ease by her admiration of the beauty before her. The sunshine yellow, the burnt oranges, and the scarlet reds were all in an alluring, speckled ombre. Then, she noticed something peculiar. The train hadn’t made any stops. It seemed to be going way too fast, even in the country. Tranquility soon turned to startle as she was jostled out of her seat by the thunder of the tracks. Was it just her imagination, or was the train speeding up? She bit her quivering lip in a futile attempt to quell her nerves. Now in a panic, she jumped to her feet as quickly as she could to search for any signs of life. Surely someone else was on the train with her, right?

She stumbled to and fro, frantically searching for a living soul. To her amazement, she couldn’t find anyone. Not a single person. How can this be? Her staggering steps turned into a full sprint. She got to the cab of the train, only to find the conductor slumped over in his chair. Racing over to him, she shook him by the shoulders.

“Are you okay?” she nervously asked. Unresponsive, she joggled him faster. “Are you okay?” Startled, he woke up and looked at her in a daze.

“What happened?” Phil asked, disorientated.

“I don’t know, I was going to ask you that!” Amelia snapped. Watching the flicker of fear and uncertainty fall across this stranger’s face, she decided to change her tune. Sighing, she slightly regained her composure. “Sorry, I’m not really sure what’s going on. The last thing I remember, I was at a conference for work. Then, I woke up aboard this train.”

“You don’t remember anything else?” He skeptically asked.

“Not a single thing,” she responded quietly.

“That’s odd,” he murmured. “When I collected your ticket, you were with a woman that I figured was your colleague.”

“A woman? What woman?” Amelia replied, befuddled.

“Yah, some business woman. She was in a white blouse and a pencil skirt. She had blonde hair in a tight bun. She got on board with you. Ring any bells?”

She looked at him bewildered. “I don’t know who you’re talking about. Monica maybe? I saw her at the conference. But I don’t remember speaking to her, let alone going with her anywhere...” she trailed off. “But wait. If she got on with me, why didn’t I see her? I didn’t spot anyone on the train, only you!”

Phil was taken aback. “You didn’t see anyone?”

“No, not a soul.”

“How odd... There were at least a dozen passengers.” He was perplexed.

“Maybe they got off before the train left the station?” she stammered.

“Maybe...” he said warily. “Come to think of it, nobody in this group booked their tickets in advance. They all paid cash. You were the only one who bought their ticket ahead.”

“Wait, really? I don’t remember registering for a trip anywhere! Wait, where is this train even headed-” she fumbled as the train jutted with a fierce jerk. Back to reality, she had forgotten about the runaway train. She was now left with more questions than answers. What was really going on? Where did everyone go suddenly? It was like they all vanished without a trace.

Meanwhile, the conductor was hectically trying everything he could to slow the train down. Pulling lever after lever, trying to adjust the dials. It wouldn’t budge. To no avail, he kept watching the speedometer climb to over 80mph. In the distance of the tracks, he looked at the bridge ahead. To his horror, there was a landslide covering the mountain pass.

“We’re gonna have to jump.”

“Excuse me?” She retorted.

“There’s a blockage up ahead and we can’t slow down. We have to jump.”

“To where?” she responded flabbergasted.

“There’s a small opening up ahead where there’s open water. It’s our only chance,” he said in a chillingly calm voice.

She couldn’t move, she was frozen in her tracks. No matter what she tried, she just wouldn’t budge. She could see his lips moving, but she was just unable to make out any of his words. All she was able to decipher was the disturbed expression forming across his face. Perceiving that none of what he was saying got through to her, he grabbed her by the wrist and started to run. Clambering through the cars, he was astonished that she was telling the truth: he couldn’t detect a single human being.

“In fifteen years, I’ve never experienced anything like this,” he murmured to himself. Rounding the corner to the island track, he manages to pry open the door with pure adrenaline and strength. “Come on, we need to jump off!”

As a rush of the wind whips her in the face, she’s brought to her senses. “I can’t jump, it’s too high!”

“You’re gonna have to! You’ll be alright!”

“But I don’t even know your name, how can I trust you?”

“I’m Phil,” he said softly.

“I’m Amelia,” she said nervously.

Snapping back to reality, the doors started closing with a thud of the tracks. In the blink of an eye, he held open the door with one hand as he shoved her through the exit with the other. She tumbled, barely able to see as the wind rushed past her, stinging her skin and stealing her breath. She couldn’t see him anymore! Did he get off in time? There was no more time allotted as she hit the frigid river. The chaotic ripples slowly turned to a mirror-like shine. The stillness only broken by the whimsical kiss of a fallen leaf. From an explosion beneath the cool waters, Amelia emerges in a thunderous gasp of air. She was free! But only... where to next?