The runaway train

People say that we have been living in a dream, and I always refused to believe in it, but not today, not now.

I woke up, fresh, as a passenger on a train, without remembering who I am, and how I got here. It was just like living in a dream.

I sat right next to a window, with a table in front of me. On the other side, a beautiful princess with long, dyed hair, was facing towards me, which I could not help to get her out of my mind.

“Hello, steven.” The princess nodded, and spoke, “How are you feeling right now?”

“Me?” I asked, “Sorry, Miss, I just don’t know who I am, and forgot how I got here.”

“Come on Steven.” says the girl, “Stop calling me Miss, alright? I am your wife, Laura, remember?”

“Your name is Laura?” my voice shook, as I spoke, “and you are my wife?”

“Yes, OK, listen Steven.” Laura put down her cup of coffee, and spoke, “You have frequent memory loss issues. Which means you constantly forget who you really are, and how you end up in your present moment. But don’t worry, I am always here to help you.”

“Really? Wow, I must be having too many questions to ask, everytime I wake up like this.” I said, “Here comes the first question, how did we end up here?”

“Well that is a very good question.” said Laura, “It is a long story…”

“Excuse me,” A waitress interrupted our conversation, “Here is our menu for today’s lunch, please make your pick.”

The waitress then handed the menu directly to me, “Just alert me when you are done, I will be right over there.”

“OK, thank you Miss.”

After the waitress was gone, I slowly opened the menu.

“Wow, look at the sandwiches and drinks,” I was shocked while I went through the items in the menu, “They look so expensive!”

“I guess it’s just how they make their money.” Laura said.

As I carefully flips over the pages, I suddenly discovered a note that was held in between the pages, and it said:

“Your memory was wiped away by drugs. You are not who they say you are, and so is the woman sitting right in front of you. Your life might be in danger. Be careful.”

“Anything wrong?” asked Laura, “Your face doesn't look so right to me.”

“Ah, everything is fine.” I answered, “I felt scared when I looked at those foods like peanut butter, maybe I’ve got some food allergies which I don’t remember.”

“You know what, honey,” said Laura, “Why don’t you take this case into our couchette room?”

“Couchette room?” I asked.

“Yes, this train takes about a week to go between its departure and its destination.” said Laura, “And sleeping beds are provided in the couchette rooms for travelers.”

“That’s cool.”

“This train has about 32 carriages.” Laura kept on explaining, “Carriage 1 is right after the locomotive, and carriage 32 is located at the tail of the train. We are currently at carriage 19, which is for dining. And our couchette room is located at carriage 21.”

“So, I would just take this case, to the train section that is 2 blocks behind?” I asked.

“Yes, and the room number is 201.” said Laura.

“Alright. I will be right back.”

The train suddenly rushed into a long tunnel, as I walked into the junctions between the carriages. Light suddenly turns dark, and an eeriness feeling creeped out of my throat, making me feel that something is just not right.

I could not help myself to take an abrupt turn into an empty washroom nearby. I got in, locked myself up. I then turned on the lights, and opened the case which I was supposed to deliver. And I saw some tubes with radiation warning signs, and the labels stating that they were plutonium.

I stuned, did not know what to do. But I had got a quick survival instinct which warned me, that someone may be watching over me. I then quickly turned off the lights, got out of the washroom. And seconds later, the train drove out of the tunnel, and the darkness had turned into light again.

I wavered through the corridor as the train shook below my feet. My heart was beating so hard that I had to constantly lean against walls for comfort.

Thank God that I finally made it to room 201. The tiny, mini bedroom was very clean, like new. I dropped the case, and myself onto the bed. For a brief moment, I never felt so comfortable just for laying over a bed that did not even have a spring mattress on it.

I breathed hard, and slowly collected back my consciousness. I felt my mind was slated all over again. I did not know what to think, what to ask, except knowing everything around here was wrong.

Out of fear, I wasted no time. I stood up fast, and went back to Laura.

“Is everything fine?” Laura asked.

“Yes, everything was fine.” I answered.

“Hmm OK.” Laura answered as she kept putting food into her mouth, pretending there was no big businesses here at all, “Sit Steven, and have some lunch.”

And so I sat down, with a table full of tasty meals, which were the very few things that I had actually enjoyed so far.

Suddenly, her phone rang. Laura quickly checked the message on her phone, and spoke, “You know what honey, I think I left a big brown case in the closet of room 201, can you help me get it? Please?”

“Sure, my pleasure.” I spoke, like reading and following through a script.

I stood up and headed back to room 201 again, grabbed the case from the closet. I really wanted to open this case, and see what was in it. But I feared there may be hidden cameras nearby watching over me, so I just quickly left the room.

As I walked through the train junction again, I couldn't help but rush into the nearby washroom to check what was in there. And I did. The case was filled with cash.

I quickly walked back into the junction, and looked front and back. Thank God, I did not see anyone following me.

I then took the case directly back to Laura. After I sat back down facing towards her, she opened the case and quickly closed it back.

“Thanks Steven.” said Laura, while wearing a smile all over her face.

She then put the case right next to her feet, and started texting. And after a while, she looked relaxed, and resumed her lunch, while wearing a smile and confidence.

“This meal is so delicious, isn’t it?” asked Laura.

“Yes, of course.” I spoke, “I like the salad, it is so tasty. Definitely worth every penny stated on its menu.”

“Well, as long as you like it,” said Laura, “I am happy.”

I then kept enjoying my lunch, until suddenly I heard a gunshot that broke the silence on this train.

“Everyone! Hands up! And start putting money in my bag!” as one of the gunmen shouted out.

Most people rushed themselves into fear, some even started screaming. Very few people remained calm and silent. Some even grew curious over this situation, like Laura.

“Money in the bag, now!” gunmen with their faces covered in masks, walking along the train, as people threw their cash and wallet into gunmen’s bag.

It did not take them long to reach me and Laura. Laura remained very calm. She simply picked up the case that was full of cash which I grabbed from room 201. And she gently handed the case over to the gunmen.

The gunmen simply took the case, and walked past me and Laura.

A few minutes later, as the train was passing through a horseshoe shaped railway, where you could see other sections of the train while the train took its turn over the horseshoe.

The train suddenly picked up its speed, as the later sections of the train, including room 201, were detached. It seemed that someone went to the junctions between the carriages, and separated this train.

The carriage that I was sitting in, became the new tail of the train.

A few moments later, the train splitted again, throwing my carriage out of the train’s main body. After a small amount of time, my carriage slowed down and eventually stopped in the middle of nowhere. The gunmen then escaped from my carriage and ran away on bare foot.

“So, what now?” I asked Laura.

“Well, we just wait until the police and rescue team to come.” Laura said, “The cell phone signal is still active, people can still call for help. And I believe the help will be here very soon. So do not worry.”

“Alright.” I answered while breathing deeply.

“Come take this, have a cup of water.”

I then took and drank the water Laura gave me, and soon after that, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and eventually I couldn't help myself to fall into a deep sleep.

“Sir? Are you OK? Have you been injured?” A police officer shook me and woke me up as I slowly opened and kneaded my eyes. And after my eyes were finally open, Laura was already gone.

Several officers took me out of the train, along with many other on board passengers. And we headed towards a local police station for inquiries of what had just happened.

“Remember me? Steven?” a female police officer walked into the room where I was put into.

“Oh, you were the waitress, who gave me the menu along with the note, right?” I asked.

“That’s right.” The female officer said, “My name is Mary Johnson, a police officer who went undercover on that train you just boarded.”

“Oh, that explains a lot. ” I asked, “What was really going on, and who am I?”

“We did some homework on you.” said Mary, “Your name is Steven Williams. We don’t know everything yet, but what we think is going on is that two parties are trading dangerous nuclear materials for money. One party is selling, while the other party is buying.”

“So they did their exchange on that train I just rode.”

“Yes.” Mary kept on explaining, “According to our investigation, we think that, due to so much risk and money involved, they had trusting issues when it came down to trade. So what they decided, was to put up a man with his memory wiped out, to participate in the exchange.”

“And that man was me.”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Mary said, “That drug which wiped out your memory, its effect is not permanent. You will have your memory back within weeks. We have a file on you, it contains some information about you. You can read it, and learn some information about who you are, while you are still trying to recover your memory.”

“Thanks.” I appreciated her, while taking over my file from Mary.

“Just read the file for now, and have a good rest.” said Mary, “We will be asking and discussing what happened on the train in the next few days. And when we want your help, we will be contacting you, so be ready, OK?”

“Sure.”

Soon after, I walked out the interrogation room, and headed towards a nearby chamber for resting.

I opened the TV, and saw Laura was on the most wanted list in the news.

I still did not know who I was yet. But maybe for now, I would like to be a private detective, and start investigating the plutonium trade that just took place over the train.

Maybe one day, I could help solve the case, or even catch some of the people on the most wanted list, like Laura, as she kept re-appearing frequently in my dreams these days.

I will meet her again one day, I will, and I am still believing in it.