Wish Train

Evan wakes up to a loud whistle and the rumble of a diesel train. He turns to see 3:04 on the digital clock next to the bed. It takes him some time to realize where he is. Finally, he remembers checking into a motel late last night.

Right. We had our company's annual party last night.

Then the night unfolds in his mind. He arrived a few minutes before 8 PM. As he entered the lounge, he heard whispers and received stares from other employees. He sat alone in a corner booth and drank too much beer. Then, a regular occurrence as of late, he stumbled from the bar to a cab. Alone, of course, as he hasn’t been with anyone since his last relationship ten years ago.

Now awake, he hears the hissing and the squeal of metal on metal as a train comes to a stop somewhere nearby.

He gets up and goes to the window. When he opens the curtain, he is blinded by the intense light shining through the window from the parking lot. He looks away for a moment to let his eyes adjust.

Confused, he steps to the room door and opens it. The cool night air chills his bare feet. He shades his eyes with his hand and looks toward the light. This time he sees it is from the headlight of a train engine.

He has no memory of the railway track when he got out of the taxi the night before. But of course, he was quite drunk.

How is it that the train is facing the motel?

“This is a dream,” he says and smiles.

He takes a deep breath and can smell the heavy fumes of oil and diesel fuel. There is another hiss as the air in the braking system releases.

Everything seems so real.

He continues walking from the motel room's entrance toward the hulking engine. He cannot see any rails, but veers to the left of the train to avoid tripping in the tracks.

He looks into the distance and can see a long line of railcars attached to the black and yellow engine. They are bright yellow with a black streak running under a bank of black-tinted windows. The yellow paint appears to emit light instead of reflecting it.

As he walks beside the engine, he sees his reflection in the glossy black paint. He thinks of the paint on a brand-new vehicle and decides this must be the train's first trip.

How else could it look so shiny and unblemished?

Then he sees someone walking toward him. The man raises his right hand and waves. He removes his tall black hat and tucks it under his left arm. As he gets closer, Evan can see he is wearing a dark navy blue coat with brass buttons. A matching vest and pants with a black stripe down the side complete the uniform. His black hat has a wide brim and a gold color band that matches his buttons.

Still thinking he is dreaming, Evan walks to the man without hesitation.

“Hello, sir. You must be the conductor of this train.”

The stranger smiles. “Hello. I am indeed the conductor. And you are?”

“My name is Evan. Welcome to my dream,” he chuckles.

“Pleasure to meet you, Evan. My name is Eugene. And this is The Iron Empress,” he announces and turns toward the train.

Evan follows the conductor’s gaze. As the conductor says the name of the engine, Evan swears he sees the yellow on the railcars pulse brighter.

“I assure you this is no dream,” the conductor says. “I am here at your request.”

“My request? I don't know what you mean!”

“You have been asking for a change in your life. Wishing you could catch a break is how you put it.” The conductor stares at Evan. “The Empress is that break. She can change your life.”

The train pulses again.

For a moment, Evan stands motionless. He has indeed said those exact words many times in the past few years. Then his head clears.

Of course this guy would know that. This is a dream, after all.

“Alright,” Evan says, “Tell me how The Empress can do that.”

“It is quite simple actually,” the conductor says. “You have already made your wish. Now choose a car and enter. Each car offers a different future. But I assure you, things will be different after you enter!”

“Wait. So each of the railcars can take me to a new world? Is it some sort of portal or gate?”

“Not a new world. You will remain in this one. But The Empress will change your life as you remember it and also what your future will be.”

“Why not? It’s only a dream.”

The conductor furrows his brow and looks at Evan. The look makes Evan shiver.

“This is no dream. You get to make your choice and enter one car. But know that from that point on, you will have no memory of your current past. You will have a new past and a new future.”

For the first time tonight, Evan feels uneasy.

“I — I think I need to wake up now.” He pinches himself.

“You are not dreaming, Evan. As I have said, this is your chance to change your life. You can change whatever haunts you from your past. Everything can be erased. Not only from your memory, but from reality.”

The conductor pulls a pocket watch from his vest and checks the time. “You must decide, Evan. I have a tight schedule to keep, and The Iron Empress has many stops to make this night.”

Another pulse.

“How do I choose? Is there a way I can know what future each car holds?” Evan asks.

“Choose one!” the conductor yells, making Evan jump.

Then, in a much calmer voice, he says, “Each offers a new life. But you must choose now. We have others to help.” He again looks at his pocket watch and starts toward the back of the train.

“OK, OK. I choose this one,” Evan says and turns to the third railcar.

The conductor turns toward Evan. Although he is smiling, the look in the his eyes makes Evan feel uneasy.

“As you wish,” he says. He lowers the step and waves his hand, gesturing for Evan to enter. As he opens the door, a warm glow shines from the opening.

Evan hesitates and looks back toward the motel.

Back to that life, or try a new one?

He turns to the rail car and steps in.

To be continued...