Rolling Stock

Jostled, I was jostled awake. I was very groggy and my mouth tasted like well,... crap. How long have I been asleep and where am I? The movement of my body led me to believe I was on a train. I have been on many a train, so I recognized it, the slow rocking movement like a mother rocking her baby. I opened my eyes and saw I was in a sleeper car. I looked out of the window, but could not tell from the rolling landscape where we were, and how did I even get here? I have no memory of that, what day it is for that matter. I stood up and checked my pockets for a ticket, what did I do with my ticket? How do you get on a train without a ticket? I didn't have my wallet, which seems to have disappeared as well. I went to the door and opened it, looked left and then right, the corridor was empty. I slipped back in "my" room and shut the door. I sat back down and let out a long breath, ran my fingers through my hair, trying to figure out what I should do next. I felt a painful lump on the back of my head, and I thought this is why I can't remember.

The train was chugging along and I had no idea where it was going, I chuckled because I didn't even know where it came from, What was the last thing I remembered? I really needed a cup of coffee for all this. I went into the cramped hopper to splash some water on my face and "brush" my teeth with my finger, I picked up my walking hat and placed it carefully on my finger combed hair as my head did hurt. I had to find the dining car for coffee and something to eat, I felt extremely hungry. My stomach was growling at me like a mean dog and I needed to feed it.

I made my way down the narrow corridor and glimpsed scenes of blurred trees and mountains. I thought I could actually enjoy all this If only I knew why I was here. Looking at the skyline I could tell it was dusk and it was going to be dark soon. No wonder my stomach was growling.

I almost ran into a lady coming out of her room, she looked surprised when she saw me and she said "pardon me" and waited till I passed to come all the way out, I looked behind me and saw she was "following" me. I guessed she was on her way to the dining car too. I felt a little paranoid, suspicious even, I had an uncanny feeling that some one was after me and she seemed very familiar.

The dining car was pretty full, but not crowded. I sat down at an empty table and scanned the room better. I needed to find someone who looked trustworthy to ask questions and try and find out why I was here. First things first though, a steward came to me and handed me a menu. He asked me would I like something to drink? I said "yes, a cup of coffee please." I sounded like I was begging. "Certainly sir" and he walked away. I didn't want to ask the steward anything about where the train was going, I needed to be careful of whom I asked. I looked at the menu and decided on spaghetti and buttered bread. My stomach was shouting at me now, between the delicious smells and knowing my food would be coming soon, I was getting hungrier and hungrier by the minute.

The car was about equal with men and women and everyone seemed to be relaxed and enjoying themselves. I only wish I could. I was calm and collected on the outside but was a mess of jumbled nerves on the inside like a badly wired house.

I looked out of the window and watched the horizon, an orange glow against a powder blue sky. It was pretty breathtaking, and I sat back and was enjoying it when the steward was back with my drink, it smelled heavenly, just like the sunset looked. I took a nice big gulp of straight black coffee. I felt like it woke me up right away! Not really sure if it did, but I felt like it did. Just the mere taste was eye opening. As I waited for my dinner, I started to rack my brain about my last memory.

Was I on a case? I am a private eye, this I knew. What was the last thing I did? Think damn it! My brain seemed to be just mush. My dinner came and I decided to eat and finish this thinking stuff out in a bit, after a full stomach. The spaghetti was delicious and I could eat a whole loaf of buttered bread if you sat it before me. I finished everything and pushed my plate away, asked the steward for a second cup of coffee, this time I will add some cream and sugar, dessert hah!

I was starting to feel sleepy, but knew I could not fall asleep again, I had to find out why I was here on this train.

I saw her walk in, the woman I almost bumped into and as I got a better look at her I thought I know her! I know her!. What is her name? Slowly I was starting to remember more....patchy memories like a dream, but memories none the less. The case I was on was for her or I was following her, ahh finally something! I sat back and drank my coffee, and watched her. She sat alone and ordered something from the steward. She looked nervous as she took out a cigarette from an exquisite cigarette case. She looked like money.

The steward brought her a glass of red wine. she took a sip and puffed away at her cigarette. She looked at her surroundings and she glanced at me and our eyes met.... and locked.

I couldn't look away, she couldn't either. She pretty much said come sit with me with her eyes, so I picked up my coffee and walked over to her table and asked "may I join you? "yes" she said, she had the most beautiful voice and I knew I was falling in love with her and not just from this moment.

I decided to ask her my questions, I felt I could trust her. I said "I think you know my name is Jack and I know I know you.... but I can't remember your name." "Marla" she said. My brain swirled trying to remember. "I need you to tell me what is going on, I truly can't remember much and if you fill me in, I'm hoping it will come back to me."

" Not here" she said. The steward came by again and she asked for a bottle of wine to be delivered to her railcar.

We walked in silence down the corridor. She opened her door and we walked into the small cramped car. She threw her purse on the seat and took off her hat and patted her hair. "You look wonderful" I said. She smiled and we heard a knock at the door, "must be the wine" and she opened it. A different steward said " your wine Ms. Moore" "Thank you" she said and took it from him and slid the door shut.. and locked it.

She handed me the bottle to open and as I did, she found two small glasses, I poured and she lit two cigarettes. I normally don't smoke, but on rare occasions I do, this was a rare occasion, so I took the one she offered me.

We sat down and she said " How much do you remember Jack?" I said not much, I know we know each other and now I know and remember your name. I also know I'm a private eye, and I believe I was on a case for you? or about you?" She said " you were on a case about me, my husband hired you to follow me. He thought I was having an affair of course, typical of him." "and you weren't?" "No" she replied, "I was not.. at that time. Not until I met you. I knew you were following me, my husband has had many private eyes follow me, he doesn't like to use the same one twice, she poured more wine for herself , I have come to know what to look for when someone is following me."... And here I thought I was a pretty good detective and able to follow my marks unknowingly, ha! Her husband was a prominent, wealthy man and he hired me to follow his wife, whom he thought was having an affair, I remember now. This was weeks ago.

" When I cornered you and asked you why you were following me?, You stammered and you were so cute, I had to laugh. You actually laughed with me, and it was at that moment, I knew I had to have you."

"We started off slow, but things moved very quickly the more time we spent together. Do you remember any of that?" she asked with a quiver in her voice. I started to reply when she suddenly grabbed me and pulled me close, and her kiss was magical and at that moment my memory came back to me, slowly, like watching a movie in my head. Picture by picture.

"Yes", I said.

And at that moment, I was so content being with her and the passion and love I felt... it was as if I was to die right then, I would be okay with that.

We were still holding each other in an embrace and it seemed like we couldn't let go, like we were in a trance. I could smell her perfume and it was intoxicating. Just being near her, made the whole world and living in it, right, it was just... right. I have never felt a love so real, so whole.

We suddenly realized the train was moving exceptionally fast. It was dark by now and we couldn't see the landscape blurring by, but we knew it was, you could tell we were flying. A steward was knocking on doors telling people to stay in their cars. He knocked on our door and said much of the same we we heard him telling the others. Only he did say to us "stay in our cars until the situation was under control." I asked him "what situation? why are we moving so fast?" "I am not at liberty to discuss, please just stay in your car."

I got the itch and I wanted to investigate. Marla did not want me to go.

She did not change my mind, after all I am a private eye, it's in my blood to.... snoop.

I was gone for about a half an hour and the train is showing no signs of stopping and is still going fast, I started to panic as I heard my heart beat in my ears.

What I found out was not good. I went back to our car and told Marla, the train was taken over by some thugs and they are demanding a large amount of money that the train has in safekeeping. "How do they know this train is carrying this money?" I said.

Marla looked like she had seen a ghost! "What is wrong" I almost yelled, but managed to keep it down some. Marla said "It's my husband, I know it is." "Oh Jack He thought I was having an affair and had me followed. I wasn't having an affair like I said at first, I was stealing money from him, to get away." "That's why we're on this train!"

"I took a lot, he must have found out!" Marla started crying, "what have I done?" "I didn't mean for this train and everyone on board to be harmed." "How much did you take?" I asked.

"A half million" and she put her face in her hands and sobbed.

A half million, I thought, wow! "It will be okay, let's figure this out." "We need to consider all options, come sit next to me and lets go over them together" and I took out my little notebook and pencil I always carry with me, just like the cops do.

As we were discussing what was the best thing to do and we were leaning towards going to the train guard and telling him to hand over the money to the thugs, the train entered a long dark tunnel and we could not see each other very well anymore. Marla whimpered and I felt her body shake and I knew she was scared. We both heard the door slide open and then someone grabbed me and was trying to chokehold me. I heard Marla scream and the last thing I remember was her scream and my love for her was intensified by my fear of what was happening to her, and then I felt an intense pain on the back of my head and everything went black as black as the tunnel and that was all she wrote.

And then I woke up being jostled, I was jostled awake and I had no memory of how I got on this train.

† † † †

There is man sitting in a dining car reading a newspaper article about the train that crashed last month, October 31, 1944. The story says the train was speeding and going way to fast and after it came out of Jefferson's Tunnel the turn was too much for the speeding train and it went over the cliff. No one on board survived. No one is sure why the train was speeding out of control and most likely no one will. It did mention a large amount of money being found in the wreckage. The article listed all the passengers on board and it included Marla Moore who the money was recorded to belong to, and a Jack Penny.

Something happened in that dark tunnel, not sure if it was because of the day that it was, and even though the train made it out of the tunnel it went over the cliff, and some kind of loop happened in time. Little did I know I did die that day, the happiest of my life, being with my true love!!

The loop I am in along with everyone else on the train will relive the last few hours of our lives unknowingly over and over again.

I will feel true love for the rest of my life.