The Train of Trapped Souls and Stolen Fates

Chapter 2

Glancing outside one of the windows, I saw familiar silver-lined everest green trees and heaps of shimmering snow. I knew I must still be near my mountaintop village, but racing further away every second that passed. I quietly pushed the door open and shut it behind me, every note of music falling from the air and landing on my shawl as ice and snow, leaving only silence. Again, I jumped the gap between carriages and decided to peer into the carriage in front of me before opening the door, taking heed of the toad's warnings. The light was dimmer than that of the previous carriage, I imagined it was akin to a normal train carriage's light. Craning my neck and standing precariously on the tops of my toes, I saw what seemed to be regular people filling the seats, all dressed smartly, reminding me of the suit my father loved but never wore, too afraid to damage it in any way possible. This painful reminder of my family - how many miles away would they be by now? - pushed me onwards as I thrust open the door, surely ready for what awaited me. I was wrong.

I saw the people change as the glass was removed from my vision, morph into ghastly creatures more fearsome than those from before. Where once I had towered over everyone I now found myself at eye level with every passenger, some of them being even a head taller than me. There were fauns with deadly sharp hooves pointing outwards towards the walkway menacingly. Beautiful maidens that I knew were hiding jagged teeth and malicious intent behind their perfect smiles. A monkey with shaggy fur covering most of the bench but not concealing its bright orange fish tail. Even a ghostly figure with luminous skin like snowflakes and huge feet. While I was not as surprised as I few minutes earlier, I was more tense and nervous, as every passenger glanced at me in a way that sent shivers down my spine. Shivers that told me they were assessing the situation and considering how to lure, enchant or simply kill me as I shuffled down the aisle.

"What brings you here on this fine night?" his eerie smile glinted as a huge wolf bared its teeth, seemingly enjoying starting a conversation with me. I tried a nervous smile to excuse my lack of an answer, but I hurried away too quickly to see a reaction. By now a whisper had snaked its way through the carriage and wrapped itself around me, choking me and causing me to tear up. I knew they were all just trying to make me feel uncomfortable, but I couldn't help it, I was scared. I jumped out of my skin when I felt a cold, clammy hand, or what seemed like a fin, grip my shoulder.
"Won't you buy something, child? Everything's good and cheap! Special Christmas deal! It's an important night after all..."
All I remember seeing was a seat adorned with charms and amulets before I broke out into an all out sprint, tears streaming and arms flailing. To this day I do not know if there was some terrifying aura in that carriage that caused me to react in such a way or that I was less brave than I like to remember. Nevertheless, I did not slow down until I reached the end of the carriage, the monsters relishing in my fear. The howls of their laughter drowned out my panicked, short breaths, and I was about to open the door and frantically slam it shut behind me when I heard one last whisper from somewhere in the carriage.
"Careful of the final carriage dearie. The monsters there are a lot less forgiving than us..."

It was advice, sound advice. But it was not encouraging advice. And as I stood there between carriages, I pondered my fate. This was the Train of Trapped Souls and Stolen Fates after all. Should I trust this mysterious voice like I did with the toad? The stark contrast in atmosphere and spirit between the two carriages forced me to reconsider what I was to walk into imminently. Both the toad and the voice had warned me about the monsters in the next carriage. But I knew to get back to everything I know and love, my family, friends and my village, I would have to face whatever horrors awaited me. I did not hesitate to open the door. I was not fearless, but rather accepting of whatever was to become of me. I entered the next carriage.