THE OLLOPA TRAIN

Piper tried to wake up. She felt her body in the fetal position upon a hard surface, and her conscious mind becoming aware. She knew her body was there, she could feel it, but she couldn't move it no matter how hard she tried. It was like she was sleeping, and knew she was sleeping, but was unable to do anything about it.

Wake up. Wake up. The words repeated in her mind, and panic struck her as she felt a sudden vibration reaching her side, like the rumbling of something beneath her.

Was this paralysis? She thought, and suddenly her body jerked. The vibration around her heightened, followed with a bump that made her body finally leave the ground and miraculously release her to freedom.

Her eye lids flew open, her body opened into an exposed star like position, and then immediately fell into sweats. Catching her breath, she glanced around to find herself on a... train?

"Where am..." Piper said out loud to herself, the words coming out audible this time and slowly pressed herself up using the red velvet seats surrounding her. She got up, her eyes taking in more of her surroundings, and her head grasping the fact that she was awake.

She saw people, or white hooded figures, sitting individually at each set of velvet seats that faced each other. Her hand was still on the seat, its smooth red color as deep as blood, and only inches away from a hooded figure next to her. She felt heat radiating from the figure like she had just put her hand close to a flame.

Piper leaped up, her hands leaving the seat and her body in full standing, alert position. She was the only thing besides the train moving. The figures looked like they had masks across their mouths, no skin being visible. She couldn't see any part of their faces, their hoods so big. Not one figure acted like she was even there.

Out of the crystal glass windows, Piper looked out and saw many things, but only briefly as the train was going faster than she could have even predicted. It was like just seeing blurry flashes of... dark green, blackened trees taller than she could even see the tops of, an oversized red moon on the horizon that seemed to stay perpendicular to the train, and a river in the far distance, whose waters shimmered silver, and flowing parallel to the trains uninvited and undetermined destination.

Looking closer, she noticed specks of dust falling, like flakes moving in what seemed almost slow motion, while the train sped on by. She suddenly got a feeling of deja vu, like she had been here before, but how? She looked around and saw nothing, nothing to give her a clue as to what she was doing here.

Where was she?

Piper stepped back from the soft velvet seat and felt something aggressively hit her foot on the ground. A book. She looked down and picked up the small, brown leather bounded book that rested where she was just laying. She must have had it with her when she... whatever she did to get here now? The brown bounded book was small, with a red velvet piece of string matching the color of the train seats, and etched writing on the cover: The Book of Godspells.

Rubbing her hand over each letter, somehow it too felt... familiar. Like all of this was somehow familiar? Or atleast parts of it, but she had no recollection of anything prior. It was like someone had erased her memories, or perhaps she didn't have any before? Or maybe she was just dreaming. That had to be it, but then why did she feel so aware of everything if it were only a dream?

Scared to actually look in the book just yet, she shoved it in the back of her pocket since it was only the size of an oversized wallet. Keeping her stance, since the train was very shifty, Piper headed her way toward the end of the train compartment. Looking through the floor to ceiling window, she noticed compartment after compartment through each identical window, like a twisted mirror. She could see part of the side of the train, noticing that it was a deep white, with engraved feathers, and carvings of gold infinity spirals and arrows. It looked like a something you would see in a fairy tale movie... something surreal.

Just as she leaned closer to the window, the train shifted again, making Piper fall into the door. Thinking it would catch her fall, instead, it opened by her slightest touch, and Piper found herself falling.

Then as if a shift in time, and before she knew it, she felt a firm hand grab her waist, keeping her from falling out of the train. The minute her body left the door, it automatically closed as if it had never even opened.

"Boo." Piper heard and standing behind her was a tall, brown haired, ocean blue eyed male staring at her, and leaning against one of the red velvet seats. How quick he went from catching her to this casual, crossed arms pose was shocking to her.

Piper caught her breath, and waited for her heart to slow down from its previous million miles a second beating, then met the boys gaze. His blue eyes were mesmerizing, and reminded of ocean waves for how vibrant and prominent they were.

"Thanks..." She said, nervously. She was slightly glad she was no longer the only active figure on this train, having realized no one one else had moved from their seats, still. None had moved but... him. There was an empty seat next to a white hooded figure right by the door, and only feet from where she had found herself wake up from only moments below. How long had he noticed her for?

"No problem. Would have been rude of me to watch you fall out. Atleast need to give you the choice." She looked at him, realizing he too had the same white hooded robe on and a white, silk mask that now lay around his neck.

"So what's that book? The boy asked, and moved his eyes to her waist. Though it was unintentionally promiscuous, Piper felt shy as to where he was looking.

"How'd you..."

"I saw it on the floor next to you. When you appeared."

"You were watching me and didn't say anything? That's borderline creepy." The boy gave a sly smile.

"It would have been creepier to already be looking at you when you woke up. I was giving you sometime." He explained, and Piper shrugged. She felt the book digging into the back of her pants pocket, then slowly took it out. She could tell by the way he was looking at her, he was not going to ease up on his question. Whoever he was.

"I am not actually sure, but it was already next to me. Like it came with me or something." The boy looked at her with questionable eyes. He knew this world, and had never heard of tangible objects from her world to be brought into his. He wondered what that meant. He was just looking at her, making Piper uncomfortable.

"So, where am I? Piper asked, feeling her face heat up, and turned her head as if examining the train for the first time. It was hard not to look at him. He was god-like looking, and she found it hard to not want to stare just to make sure he was real.

"What do you mean?"

"Who are you?" She tried again.

"I am Colik. And you?"

"Piper."

"Like a pipe dream?" He questioned carefully, wondering if she even knew what that was.

"A what dream?"

"Don't worry about it." He paused, but before she could speak, he continued, trying to change the direction of conversation.

"As for your other question, I just looked over and you were randomly lying on the floor. And this is the Ollopa train." Colik said, his statement making Piper feel like she was an idiot for even asking.

"The what train?"

"O-L-L-O-P-A train." He spelled out and Piper noticed her body heat rising. Piper realized then that he was purposefully acting this way.

"Are you always like this?"

"Like what? Witty, irrational and cocky?" He responded, and Piper looked at him stunned.

"That was honest."

"We are like that, what can I say." Colik gave a smile and moved to sit down at one of the empty red, velvet seats. Piper watched him a moment, then decided to sit down next to him. It was better than trying to stay balanced standing up. She noticed, close to him now, that she didn't feel the same heat as she did with the other hooded figures. Not in the same way, atleast.

"We?" She asked, realizing what he said.

"Yes, we are in your head." They sat quiet for a moment, and Piper realized how silent everything was when no one was talking. Inside the train seemed sound proof, though Piper could see the train wizzing by, so there was no way it could just be silent.

"Like dreaming?" Piper asked.

"Yes... like dreaming." Colik didn't want to tell her what it was, what it could be. He wanted to her to figure it out, make it feel more like a dream... It was why he was here. Of course he would never tell her, but he had seen her eyes flash in his mind only moments before she had arrived. Those indescribable green eyes...

"So I will eventually wake up?" Piper felt a sudden calmness knowing that this was, in fact, just a dream. Again, Colik redirected the question, feeling it was the most wise.

"So if you aren't going to tell me about the book, atleast tell me why you are running?" Colik asked randomly. Piper felt another deja vu moment, but still couldn't describe how that could be possible.

"I don't know what this book is, I thought I made that clear. And I am not running..." She snapped, and Colik laughed. He was sitting up- so poised- as poised as the other hooded figures, but definitely not as quiet. Why was he different than the others?

"Well, this train is known as the chariot of the gods, created by Apollo."

"The greek god Apollo?"

"Apollo used the chariot of the gods to protect fugitives, and refugees in the greek ancient times. He was the god who made mortals aware of their own guilt and purified them of it. In other words, it is for those who run. Like you."

"But you said I am dreaming, so none of this is real. The train, greek gods, you..." Piper was still unsure how even she would have had this train in her dream. She had never heard of the chariot of the gods... but then again, she didn't know what she remembered or not. But it also all felt so... real. When was she going to wake up?

Colik stared at her, noticing those green eyes again. What he wanted to know was how he had seen them before, before ever even meeting her. He didn't know if he should tell her what this world really was... the dreamworld. He couldn't tell her that is was a realm separating the heavens and earth, and that dreaming was more than just letting a humans sub-conscious wander. For if a human knew they could walk among dreams, then they would know...

"Just because it is a dream, doesn't mean it isn't real."

"That is exactly what it means."

"What does the word real mean to you then, Piper?" Colik asked.

"Real means..." She shifted in her seat, feeling uncomfortable with the question. It was like she was having a pop quiz and scared to give the wrong answer.

"Real means tangible. Having happened, and I guess, leaves a memory? Something that you can't make up. I don't know." Piper tried to answer.

"So then tell me. Is this not happening right now?"

"Yes... I think so anyway."

"Can you not touch this seat underneath you, or feel my touch against you?" Colik asked, slowly this time, and as the words came off his lips, he pressed his hand against her arm. Shivers ran down Pipers back, and a cool sensation lingered from where he had pressed on her arm when he pulled it away.

"Yes..." Piper answered again, but almost choking on the three letters. Somehow that touch felt familiar, like she had been touched like that before. And yet another deja vu moment hit her.

"And do you believe this will leave a memory?"

"I don't know if it will leave a memory. I don't always remember my dreams." Piper said, but Colik shook his head.

"That wasn't my question. I said do you believe you will remember this?" He put the emphasis on the word believe. Piper took a few seconds before answering, grasping what he meant. Though she didn't want to admit it to him, something made her feel like she knew she would remember this dream. Again... somehow.

"Maybe..." Her voice trailed off, and Colik turned back and faced forward, satisfied. He was playing tricks with her mind, he knew it, but that was the way of the gods. He knew the relationship of the gods and humans. They never got along, not really. Being a dreamer of the gods meant he had only ever lived in this world, the world created by the gods, and so of course, he had to choose the side of the gods.

"So you see how, just because you are dreaming, doesn't mean it is not real... somewhere." He wasn't sure why he was giving her anything. Anything to figure out this world for herself. But something about her made Colik curious. He looked out the window across the way from him, and could see his world. He knew of the real world, of earth, but he wasn't from there. Just as he assumed Piper would do what she could to protect her world, he loved and would do anything to protect his world.

Though it was far away, he could imagine seeing it all as if it were right in front of him: The beautiful silver water of the motif river, the elegant dark greenery of the broken woods, the needle leaves, and the red moon.

"So you said I have to choose. Choose between what?" Piper suddenly asked, and the long silence between them almost made Colik forget she was there. Almost. He suddenly got up and moved away from her, knowing the dust that must be surrounding her. The dust of a human was what was destroying their world, as they had one rule in this world: two worlds cannot live as one.

He went over to the window, wondering how close they were to passing his home, the Citadel. He knew if he tried to look out, he would be able to eventually see the crystal castle, but if they had already passed the Citadel, that meant they weren't far from reaching the fray. The center point was when Piper had to choose.

"You may not have consciously chose this path, Piper..." He stopped as he said her name, like her name was cursed on his lips. "...But somehow you are here. Which means you subconsciously wanted to be here. Dream or not."

"Wanted to be here? I don't even know what here is." Piper argued. Colik stared at her, looking at her dead in the eyes. Her eyes, so unique... and yet so familiar.

"So are you going to do anything with that book?" Colik asked, tearing his eyes away from her now and coming back to where she sat, but stayed standing. They both looked down at it now, still sitting in Pipers lap. She had forgotten about it for a moment, then felt the sensation of the velvet against her fingertips.

"I... don't know."

"Open it." Colik almost demanded, and Piper felt her heart skip a beat. She looked at the book, then back at Colik and sighed. She slowly opened the book, revealing to them pages after pages of random sketches, quotes and phrases, and symbols. It looked as if it were little pieces of random things that someone had come across throughout various time frames. There was different handwritings, old and new sketches of similar images, and quotes from philosophers, artists...

"It looks like a junk drawer of art in a book." Piper said at first glance. Something about the familiarity of the book made Piper feel better, like she wasn't all alone. Something from her world was with her as she managed this new one.

"It looks like..." Colik stopped talking, but continued to stare intently as Piper flipped through the pages. It looked like symbolic items to greek gods, from the mortal world. There were pillars of the gods, the olympic rings, different animals that the gods represented... what was this book?

"I've seen some of this stuff, in my world." Piper said.

"I am sure you have. It is everything to do with the gods, as you must see it in your world." Piper looked up at Colik, confused.

"But how is that of any relevance? Why would there be a whole book about it?" Colik shrugged.

"I don't know. You had the book, not me. I am just telling you all of those symbols and such have to do with the different gods. Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Apollo..."

"What do you mean?" Piper asked, and Colik stopped her on the page with an image of three seas.

"Poseidon. God of sea. Look at those names: Ionian, Aegen, Mediterranean seas. Look at the words."

"What about them?" Piper did not understand.

"I-A-M. I am. The words of your God, or your sole belief, right?" Piper hadn't noticed, but now she did. That was...

"The words I am are from the bible, yes, but the greek gods are not from the bible."

"It is all about relativity of belief. What the word "god" means to you, and what they each symbolize. All I am saying is that somehow it is connecting your world and the gods world, is it not?" Pipers stomach turned into knots. Colik put his hand on the book carefully as if asking permission to touch it, and with Pipers nod, he started turning the pages. He then stopped on a page of sketch of what looked like an animal being sacrificed in fire, or flames.

"Ah ha, the most relative one to you as we sit here. I would assume it has to do with Hestia, the goddess of home and hearth. The fire is a source of light, and must be kept alive to keep the dark out. The Ollopa train is one of those sources." Piper looked around, realizing that it was in fact, super bright in the train. Oddly lighter than anything outside.

"So you're saying this train contains the light within this dreamworld."

"Yes, and no. The light of this world is the train. As long as the Ollopa train doesn't stop, this dream world can stay lit, or rather, stay alive. But it isn't the only source of light, and without more than one source, it is bound to get weaker. As in your world. Do you not have more than one source of light?" Colik said, and Piper thought about it. The correlation of earth, and this world that Colik spoke of... the influence of gods and God in her religious beliefs... their was alot of crossovers.

"I mean we have the sun, a star in our galaxy, and we have the moon. And we have fire too, but rarely use it for light. We have electricity, a new source of light."

"Electricity?" Colik asked, never hearing the word.

"Like a bolt of energy that comes from charged particles and makes light for us." Piper explained.

"Ah. So lightning."

"Well... not so powerful, but I guess."

"And who is the god of lightning..." Colik said with a smile, then shrugged, proud of his continuous effort to show her there was more to life than her own small minded one. He couldn't say it, not to a human, but there was more... so much more to everything that humans were just so oblivious to.

"So the train doesn't stop, but where does it actually go? I mean, doesn't it have to to go somewhere, or towards something?" Piper asked, standing up next to Colik, wanting to look at what he was looking at. They stood there, both looking out the window again.

"Nowhere. And everywhere." He was standing so regal, and proper, like a royal who could not stir at even the shift in gravity or motion. Everything was getting more confusing for her by the second.

"What does that even mean?" Colik smiled, knowing his mysterious response would get her. Colik rolled his eyes. Humans, so easy to entertain.

"Nowhere, because if you don't know where you want to go, how can there be a destination?" Piper stared at him. That wasn't not true.

"And everywhere?"

"That is the fun part." Colik said.

"How so?" Piper asked.

"Everywhere because if you are immortal, where can you not go?" After he said this, he turned and faced out the window again, and Piper could see a slight reflection of his face. He looked as if he had spilled a secret...

"Immortal?" Now he was really talking crazy. She didn't know how she got here, but she knew one thing: immortality was not real. Piper closed her eyes and repeated in her mind: This is all a dream. This is all a dream.

"Infinity. Forever. Never stopping. Just like the Ollopa Train."

"Isn't time infinity?"

"Yeah."

"You said the train, or the gods chariot, follows time."

"Exactly."

"So... it never stops?"

"Exactly." Colik gave a sly smile.

"Then how do I get off?"

"You can't get off. You have to choose to leave."

"Isn't that the same thing? To get off is to leave." Looking closer, he realized they were now passing the outwards. So they were near where Piper would have to choose to leave.

"Come here." He said, and before Piper knew what she was doing, she got up and went over to him. It was like her body forced her to without her head even being given a choice. He walked over to the same spot where she had almost fallen. Piper watched as Colik put his hand on the door, and like with her, with the slightest pressure on it, the door swung open, exposing them both into the outer world, the dreamworld that Piper knew nothing about.

"If you choose to leave, you have to jump." Colik finally said, his words more rushed. He knew what he was doing by exposing her to the Reveries atmosphere. Her dust, a humans dust in the Reverie was only hurting his world. He had to act quick.

"Jump? Hell no. I would die."

"Isn't that how humans wake up from a dream? Do something rash?" Colik found himself laughing, realizing how ridiculous that sounded. Humans had so many fears, fears that were not innate but formed based on their environment as they grew up. He knew all about it, as his purpose was to keep humans from this world, and the gods world.

"I am pretty sure it's a subconscious thing where they- I mean- we just fall, not actually choose to jump." Piper argued, and confused at herself to why she would have put herself in third person. After all, she was a human too.

"What is falling if not a subconscious wish to lose control?" Colik watched her, as she contemplated her next move. He had to make sure she continued to think this was a dream and that she should wake up. Piper just stared out at this dreamworld, everything flashing before her eyes. Impatience getting to him, he added, "Or, I can push you."

"Isn't that like cheating?"

"Cheating what? Death? Dreams? How?"

"I mean.. if you push me then it becomes not my choice, but yours."

"Not if you tell me I can push you." Colik shrugged. He knew how this train worked, but a little nudge wouldn't hurt. Especially not for the sake of the Reverie.

"But I won't know when I will actually start falling."

"You would count it down, of course. I can't do all of the work." Piper eyed him.

"How do I know that I can trust you?"

"You don't."

"Then..." Piper started, but Colik interrupted. He knew they were getting very close to the fray now, and he couldn't have a human go around the infinity line again. If anyone else knew she was here...

"Look. You have three choices. You either jump on your own, let me push you and trust me, or..." He persisted, then paused.

"Or what?" Piper asked, and Colik smiled. Here he went with the tricks again.

"You stay on the chariot forever." He shrugged and leaned against the side of the train. On the exterior he acted cool and collected, but inside, he was even getting antsy, knowing what he was risking the longer the door stayed open.

"Forever? You don't know that. I will have to wake up eventually, unless I miraculously die in my dream. Though this would be quite a heaven."

"Nah. The train has a purpose. Like I said, it is to protect the only good left in this world, so it'll never stop. These hooded figures..." He glanced behind him and Piper mirrored him. "...They are here because they are the original dreamers here, who have not been tainted with. They choose to be protected by the gods, and stay in the light, rather than risk the world as it is darkening."

"You can't keep doing that. You can't tell me one minute it is all a dream and then another minute it is real. It doesn't work like that. Life does not work like that. Dreams aren't real. This isn't happening. Earth is real. Gods are not. Stop messing with my head, Colik." Piper went off, annoyed by him playing tricks on her mind. She just wanted to get off his damn train, or wake up... or whatever she had to do to be done with this all.

"I told you already. Just because it is a dream, doesn't mean it isn't happening somewhere else. That is all I can tell you, but you saying that means you have made your choice. Your world over mine. "

"World? See there you go again. You said this was a dream and now you are calling it a world." Piper snapped again. Colik did not have time for this banter anymore.

"World, dream... same thing. Dreamworld, but now it is time for you to make your choice."

"What if I chose the third option, and did stay forever?" Piper was just trying to annoy him, as he annoyed her.

Seemingly unfazed, he quickly answered. "You would prefer to stay safe in a lonely world rather than alive and free in a chaotic one? Doesn't sound like you, Piper." Colik said, lingering on her name, like saying it had meaning. Piper looked out of the door again. Feeling light headed just watching the speed of this so called dreamworld go by. If it really were a dream, why did she feel so... alive? All of her senses felt so heightened here.

"You don't know me."

"I do, enough." They made eye contact, and even her feelings now somehow felt heightened. She tore her eyes away again, reminding herself this was all a dream.

"Fine. Push me." She turned around and waited. Colik relaxed, and pleased.

"So, you trust me then?" Colik said, standing behind her, his mouth inches from her ear.

"I do, enough." Her eyes tightly shut, she swore she could sense a smile cross his face as his fingertips slowly pressed in her lower back.

"You have to count down, Piper, and I promise I will follow through on my end." He whispered, still so close to Piper she could hear his breathing.

"Can you answer me one more thing?" She whispered back, not sure why she was whispering though.

"Fine."

"If you know that I am supposedly running, then you must know what it is that I am running from?" Colik took a deep breath. They were so close, he could see the edge of the fray, approaching.

"I know you are running because the Ollopa train protects those who run. I don't know why you are running, but the question you really need to be asking yourself is: are you running from something, or perhaps, towards something?" Piper didn't say anything.

"I answered your question. Now count." He demanded, and again, Piper obliged like it was an innate response in her body.

"3... 2... 1..."

"If it is good for you, you will never see me again." Colik whispered and before Piper knew it, she felt his fingers lift. It wasn't even an actual push, but she fell forward, and her body went completely relaxed. For a moment she felt light as a feather, then nothing.

...

Colik only gently nudged her, keeping his promise, but knowing the train would do its job. It was done. She made her choice right as they had entered the fray. He stepped back and returned to the same seat he had been before she had entered the dreamworld.

Colik put his hood on, hiding his sea blue eyes, and covered his mouth with the silk, white mask. Before returning to the Citadel, out there where the darkness was stirring, he wanted a few more moments here. Where he felt safe. Lonely, yes, but atleast safe.