Packed and ready, settled in our cabin. A middle-class cabin, so we don't call attention. Average, as once life was, routine filled, easy-going and simple. I sat on my top bunk and listened to my music, inpatient about the destination. I can't help thinking of my parents, I can't help but miss them. Are they ok? I wish I could talk to them again. I feel my thoughts slowly morph into the beat of the music. As I get lifted off this bunk and carried off by the melody into the memories, memories of the past. Late evening dinners with parents, doing homework with mom, the little things that I never thought I would miss. Things that so little that I didn't even consider to notice. I was so carried I didn't even notice how we started moving or how I drifted off into a dream. A light, happy little place. A family day out. Oh, I remember, I have been to this park before. The smell of fresh-cut grass, the sound of birds, distant muffle of kids playing and running around, the sizzle of BBQ-ed sausage. My dad busy trying not to burn it, my mom preparing the table and me just sitting and taking it all in. For a slither of a second thought flew through my head, maybe, just maybe, I left too soon, maybe I am not ready for this, maybe I wouldn't mind going back to the normal, won't mind going back to Mrs. Gringer's class, back to having a distant crush. Back to, back to being a kid of it all. While I was having my existential crisis day turned to an evening and today's breakfast turned into an empty loud borborygmus.
"Oooh, it sounds like we need to grab something to eat!" exclaims Jeff while holding his stomach.
"Ugh, YES! I am starving" joined Blair.
"So what are we waiting for then?" says Jeff while giving me a gentle side-eye.
"You guys go, I will join in a minute," I say as I turn my back to them. How could I go now? How do I leave this park? How do I leave my parents again? I just need a little more time, a little more time with them. Just as I close my eyes to return to my little place, I hear the door shut. There I was alone in the room, alone but not really, I was in the park with my mom and dad. I was being a kid again, playing catch with my dad. Helping mom arrange the table. Soon again I found myself drifting into the dream, carried away by gentle notes of the piano carrying me like waves in the sea back and forth. I was so into the dream I didn't even notice how time passed the only indicator of it being my stomach contracting everso more painfully. I feel a little irritation on top of my nose and as I reach to remove the irritant I feel a little bubble explode right under my finger.
"Was I crying all this time? Wow, I should probably get going" I sit on the edge of my bunk and let the darkness of the cabin sink in for a second, let the pressure of unknown future bewilder me for a moment.
"Right..." I say as I get up and slowly leave the cabin. every movement slowed down, every step is heavy, I wonder how long have I been there all alone, probably n hour maybe two. Regardless, I shake myself back and start walking towards the restaurant cart. I walk through a busy little corridor, the only source of light being small ceiling lamps that are placed 3 feet apart, every window is slightly opened allowing wind and sound in. I like traveling by train, it is very therapeutic, the sound of the train passing through the rails, the sound of trees passing by, the gentle wind. The flooring is covered with red carpet, old, kinda dusty carpet. At the end of the corridor was the door to the restaurant cart through a little glass piece on the door I could see the whole room, it was a quite small dining area, most of the cart is occupied by the big bar area and on each side of the cart near the windows, the sitting areas are placed.
The cart was surprisingly empty, I guess most people sleep in this hour or are already down. I open the door and slowly walk in. Giving the room another quick scan I notice Blair's muscular arms in front of which slightly hidden by them I notice jeff filling his face with some soup. Besides them, in the cart, there are 4 other people. The bartender, a man in a black suit sitting and drinking alone at the other end of the room and a couple sitting right next to Jeff and Blair having their own conversation while eating their meal.
I head towards Jeff and Blair, noticing me walk towards them Jeff puts down the inevitable spoon of soup and smiles at me.
"There you are!" Jeff says as he pats the seat right between them.
"How you feeling Bear?" says Blair in her calm confident and caring voice.
"Bear? Why bear? Is it cause I am strong and confident?"
"No cause you slept for whole eternity" Blair replies without losing even a second. A reply that jeff finds so funny that he spits back the spoon of his milky soup.
"Ouch!? Noted. What are we having?"
"Well Blair is having none of your sarcasm and I am enjoying my mushroom soup and waiting for my mushroom pie"
"Isn't that too much mushroom?"
"There can never be too much mushroom"
"Hahaha sure " I say while gesturing no.
We all enjoy our meal and have a nice conversation. Yeah, this is not exactly picnic with mom and dad, yes maybe Jeff is eating disgusting food, yes maybe Blair is savagely destroying all of us but it is still calming nice moment. A moment that I enjoyed. A moment that sadly didn't last long. Next events were sudden quick we didn't even et to realize react how could it happen, all together so fast? Out of the blue a loud noise then everything has stopped. The Mushroom soup flew up in the air just like everything in the room, suddenly we were all thrown in the air then pulled ahead. The whole cart just flew as if suddenly halted. The world cracked. My eyesight blinded by a strong hit my ears disabled by a loud ringing. The only thing I feel is weightlessness followed by a strong impact. There again everything falls apart. I open my eyes as my eyesight slowly comes back I see orange and yellow, slowly followed by black and suddenly white taking over. With my eyes sight, I also gain the realization, we have been attacked, the cart is on fire and I am laying on the floor. I push myself to stand up, slowly managing to get up. Everything is slow, some random people start filling the room some fall as they enter some run. Some dive some hide behind burnt furniture. Both sides shouting and running. Amits it all, admits crazy fire and cold air and snow, and blood everywhere, is me confused, puzzled lost. I take good glance around and I see it clearly now. In the middle of the room sits Blair screaming holding cold, motionless, heavy body off Jeff. She cries, broken sad. Before I could get a chance of coming to her, I was yanked out of the train on to a long fall.
