Terror Train Pt. 2

The children made their way back to their seats. They turned and looked out at the landscape made visible by the train’s translucent walls. They were far from the city, far from anything that Benny had ever known. Outside everything was still cast in the odd half-light of the full moon. But everything was strangely barren. There seemed to be no green thing out there. To Benny it most resembled a place he had heard about once, Monument Valley. Though this was a twisted caricature of that place. The rocks were all contorted and fashioned into shapes that just seemed wrong, like disturbed optical illusions. A pallid fog hung in the midnight air. Through it vague hints of things which should not exist moved about. The children were filled with dread as they traveled through this cosmically evil place.

Now the walls mercifully reappeared. One of the children let out a loud yawn. The others all turned to him.

“Don’t fall ‘sleep!” Serena cried out. The kid nodded; it was evident in his eyes that he intended to keep himself from sleep and whatever it may bring. He got up and began to walk about in an attempt to keep slumber from his eyes. For a little bit it seemed that he would be able to stay awake. But then he let out an even bigger yawn and leaned against the wall, his eyes fluttering shut. Then they snapped open just as before. This time he tried to get away, but his leg had already fused to the ebony. The other children watched in horror, their faces grown pale. Slowly the boy was absorbed into the wall. He fought against it the entire time. At one point he managed to grab a lamp on the wall in an attempt to slow the process. But he found that his hand fused to the lamp. He screamed as the process quickened. Just like before, his cries were quickly silenced by the joining of his throat to the train. Benny turned and saw a new cherub beginning to form on the wall. He didn’t have to look closer to know what it looked like.

“Unfortunate really,” Melmoth said, “I was really hoping it would be a while longer before this would happen. Oh well, such is as such is, that’s what I always say.” Serena stood up.

“Mistah Blaine?” she asked.

“Yes, sweet?” Melmoth asked.

“What’s goin’ on?” Serena asked, “Why’s the kids who sleep gettin’ et by the train?” A low chuckle escaped Melmoth.

“Why my dear,” he said, “That’s how things work.”

“You said we could ride free!” Benny cried out.

“I said you didn’t have to pay money, little partner,” Melmoth replied, “I didn’t say there wouldn’t be any other payment. You fall asleep, the train’ll take you. Those are the terms, that’s the way things work, it’s tough but it’s life.”

The kids were all now very frightened. Whispers flew amongst them. A few began to cry, their faces contorted in blubbering pleas for mommy or daddy.

But soon Serena stood on a bench and called out, “Shut up now!” Her sudden assertiveness hushed all of the children. “We need to stay awake!” she continued, “Ya fall asleep, the train’ll eat ya. Get it?” The children all nodded in consent. “We can play games, sing, anythin’,” Serena said, “But we can’t start yawnin’ and gettin’ all sleepy.” Again Serena’s suggestion was met with nods.

“But for how long?” a red-faced girl asked.

“Till the ride’s ovah,” Serena said.

“When’s that?” someone else asked.

“Who knows?” the voice of Melmoth interrupted, “The train will stop when the train feels like it, and only then will it stop. Until then, we’ll just keep on coasting through the night. But go on ahead with your plan, my little partners. I like it; it’s the best that any passenger’s ever come up with.”

Melmoth fell to silence. Now the kids all turned to a game of twenty questions. Benny did not fully participate. He was not feeling weary yet, but something nagged at him. He was thinking about what Melmoth had said. “The best that any passenger’s ever come up with.” There had been others before. How many kids had this train eaten?

The game lasted for a very long time. But then one of the girls’ eyes fluttered and she fell against the side of the bench. The same process of joining began again.

“Keep playing!” Serena yelled over the cries of the latest victim, “You pay mind to her, fear creeps in! Fear’ll mess you up! Keep playing.” So the children continued to play even as the girl’s absorption was complete and a new cherub joined the others on the wall, its face upturned in a cry of horror and agony like all the others.

And so the children continued to play as the train ride continued on into the alien night. Though they were able to keep sleep at bay for the most part, one by one they were falling away, and new cherubs were appearing on the walls. Every so often glasses of cold water would wheel out on the little cart, courtesy of Melmoth. They helped a great deal, but it was still not enough.Finally Serena stood up again.

“Mistah Blaine, why won’t you stop this train?” she asked.

“No can do,” Melmoth replied, “The train will stop itself when it feels like it.”

“When’ll that be?” Benny asked.

“I told you, I don’t know,” Melmoth’s voice was sounding agitated, “Why don’t you ask it? Though you won’t learn anything that’ll help you.”

Benny turned to the back of the coach. “Train, when will this ride stop?”

“Never,” came a voice both smooth and sinister.

“Melmoth?” Benny asked.

“Not so much, little one,” this new voice replied, “Melmoth is no better off than you. He’s only alive now because he works for me better as he is. He’s a trustee, if you will.”

“Let us go!” Serena cried out.

“Uh, ah, uh,” the train said, “I’m afraid I can’t let you go. See, the wind out there’s going by so fast, you’ll get torn to shreds. But you saw that already, didn’t you?” The train spoke with evil, his voice was laced with cruelty.

“Why are you doing this?” Benny cried.

“Everybody needs to eat,” the train replied, “But why are you so afraid of it? I thought everyone always spoke of togetherness, of being one. Here we are all one. Just shut your weary eyes and join my timeless chorus.” At that moment the train’s whistle blew. Whereas before Benny only thought he heard voices, now he heard them definitely. But they were not laughing with joy as he had previously surmised. They were crying and screaming in horror.

One of the children stood up.

“I hate you, train!” he screamed out. He ran over and began to pull on a lamp. With a clink he pulled it off of the wall. With impassioned primal screams he began to smash the lamp against the bench. Suddenly near-liquid extensions of the train snaked out to the boy and entangled him. He cried out in horror as he was pulled right into the floor. A new cherub did not appear on the wall this time. Instead, another lamp appeared to replace the one so newly destroyed.

“That was a big no-no,” the train said, “He was a very bad boy.” The children all drew away from the walls now.

“Why are you doing this?” Benny cried out again.

“Because it’s what he’s always done,” Melmoth replied, “He was built for this, and he’ll keep doing it until doomsday.”

The train laughed. “Quite right, Melmoth,” it said to him, “It is my purpose. But you all need not fear it. Sleep, and let me construct your dreams.”

The children sat in silence at this. They had thought Melmoth to be the cause of this horror. The realization that this was no mere machine, that the train itself was alive and that Melmoth was just as much a prisoner there as them, that changed everything. “What do we do now?” Serena asked.

Another kid got up. “Maybe we should do what he says,” he suggested. The others turned to him.

“Who’re you?” Serena demanded.

“I’m Walter O’Donnell,” the kid replied.

“Why?” another kid asked.

“What can we do otherwise?” Walter asked, “He’s obviously much stronger than all of us. We can’t stay awake forever; sooner or later we’re going to fall asleep. And maybe it won’t be so bad.”

“Won’t be so bad?” Serena asked, “Did ya think them other two was havin’ a jolly time? They was screamin’ Walt, screamin’ fearsome. No, that ain’t no way out.”

“How do you know?” Walter asked, “What do you know anyway? You probably haven’t been to school a day in your life. I’m in junior high; I know a lot more than you.” A fire blazed to life in Serena’s eyes.

“There’s some things you don’t need schoolin’ to know,” she said, her voice grown low in anger, “One of those things is what’s good’ n what’s evil. This train is evil and blacker than the night. An’ somethin’ I took as truth a long time ago was that if you threw in with evil, your soul was damned to darkness. You want to be a part of this rushin’ darkness? Then lose your soul.”

Walter shook his head. “I don’t believe you,” he said, “Good and evil are only points of view. Why should we conform to that? Why should we limit ourselves like that? We ought to be able to do things without having to worry about some restriction like good and evil.” There was a sound of squeaking metal from the train.

“Yes, Walter,” it said to him, “Look at Walter, children. He sees the truth. Come to me, and all shall be one in me. You shall have new life in me.” Serena stood before the others.

“NO!” she yelled out, “This ain’t right! This train is darkness! It’s evil! You go with it, you won’t see anyone you love again! You hear me? No one! I’m going to the back of the car, keep myself from sleepin’ somehow. If anyone wants to come, you’re welcome. But if you’re with Walt, I won’t mourn ya.” Serena walked to the back of the car. Benny and five others followed her.

“Let’s sleep,” Walter said to the ten that had thrown their lots in with him. All of them sat on a bench and curled up to sleep.

“Plug your ears,” Serena told the other six, “It’s about to get a little loud.” Once again the train began its macabre joining process. Benny did not follow Serena’s advice. He looked on as Walter and his group discovered that Serena had been right all along. Walter was in fact facing Benny.

“HELP!” he cried out as his legs disappeared into the bench, “HELP ME!” But Benny stood where he was. There was nothing he could do anyway. Soon the screams stopped, and new cherubs joined the others on the wall. The train chuckled.

“We are all happy here,” it said.

So the seven that were left returned to the previous tactics for staying awake. It seemed that the glasses of water arrived more frequently now.

“What if they’ve been drugged?” one of the other kids asked once, “What if the more we drink, the sleepier we get?” Serena shook her head.

“I don’t think the train controls the water,” she says, “I think that’s Mistah Blaine’s department. He wants us to beat the train. He’s doin’ all he can to help us.”

“It will do you all no good,” the train said, “No matter how hard you try sooner or later you will fall asleep. And then you will join all the others in compound bliss. Why postpone the inevitable? Why are you so frightened of a myriad Elysium? I am peace, I am salvation. Join your voice with mine and sing joy everlasting.”

Serena turned to the back of the train. “If you gotta run yo’ mouth,” she said, “Speak truth demon. We ain’t got time for yo’ flowery lying. Unless you tellin’ us how things is, we ain’t listenin’.”

The train was silent then. But Melmoth spoke up.

“Very good, little partners,” he said, “I am proud to tell you that you’ve lasted longer than any other passengers now. But I can’t help you anymore. It won’t let me. It’s getting angry, malicious. It hates defiance.”

“Why are you doing this for it?” Serena asked, “You don’t have to.”

“I do,” Melmoth replied, “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve seen sunlight? Years and years. Ever since I got on this train as a passenger decades ago I’ve been here. I was the last one to last the longest. I couldn’t bear the thought of going through what the others I rode with that night went through. So I made a deal with the train. And we’ve both held true. I drive the train, the train lets me be. I try to help the children however I can. But it’s never enough. Sooner or later they all fall victim. No one has ever escaped this train. Not even me.”

Melmoth fell to silence. No one bothered to ask him anything else. The full hopelessness of the situation was now laid plain and bleak. Benny was now very scared. But they all lasted on. They kept playing their games and singing their songs. But it was not enough. They kept falling off and joining the enemy.

Soon only Benny and Serena were left. Benny was amazed that he had lasted this long. He was still only slightly tired. Yet how many hours had it been since he’d gotten on this thing? He didn’t know, it felt like an eternity. Serena wasn’t doing as well. She was yawning more and more as time dragged on. She had asked Benny to slap her every so often a while ago. He had been complying with this, but it was becoming obvious that even his aid was not going to help much longer.

“Melmoth?” Benny asked, “Why won’t you help us?”

“I can’t, little partner,” Melmoth replied, “The train won’t let me.”

“Why?’ Benny asked.

“I told you already,” Melmoth said, “If I help you, if I help anyone leave this train, I become just like everyone else. My face becomes just another cherub on the wall.”

“So that’s it?” Benny asked, “Just because you are afraid of the train getting you, you’re going to let it get everyone else?”

“It’s not that simple,” Melmoth said, though his voice faltered when he said it.

“I think it is,” Benny said, desperation and anger creeping into his voice, “You’re scared! You’re a coward! People have died because of you, and you’ve done nothing but sit in the driver’s seat of this wreck!”

“Benny!” Serena cried out, her voice filled with a level of pain and horror that could mean only one thing. Benny turned slowly not wanting to see what he knew was happening. His eyes fell upon Serena and he saw that what she had long opposed was even now happening to her. She was slowly becoming part of the bench. It seemed that her integration process was happening at an even slower pace than the other children’s. The train was dragging it out on her, displaying its contempt for the most vocal of its opposition. Benny looked on as Serena’s face contorted in expressions and grimaces of such terror and fright that it made his blood run cold. Soon only her outline could be seen on the seat, and then even that faded. Benny did not have to look to see that a black cherub now flew horrified among the others.

“Now only you are left,” the train said to Benny. Its voice did not have the smug assurance that it had displayed previously. It was filled with hate and malice at this one, the most defiant yet of its victims. “Do not think that you can outlast me,” it declared. Benny turned and saw that the back of the car was opening up. He could see far back into the train now, through the other cars. Upon their walls were millions upon millions of cherubs. Their faces all displayed the same horror that the ones in Benny’s car had. The walls of cherubs seemed to stretch on forever.

Now Benny was aware of a red glow in the back of the train. Now the walls began to rush past him, and he drew nearer to the red glow. The train began to laugh now, a cruel maniacal abuse of laughter that made Benny’s heart stop. The walls were but a blur now as Benny flew through all the cars toward the very rear of the train. Now he drew near to the source of the red glow and saw its horrible origin full and clear. It was an engine, a burnished black engine whose pipes and blocks made a cacophonic symphony as they ground and worked together. Benny’s hands covered his ears and tried to stifle the noise, but it did him no good. And upon the front of the engine was the worst thing of all. Fashioned out of a shiny, sinister, black metal was a skull. Red light shone through every opening in that deathly face. The skull was laughing, the skull was the true brain of the train. Here was the gravemind.

Suddenly Benny felt a pair of strong arms grab him from behind. He felt himself being jerked around and pulled away from the mind engine.

“Hang on,” the voice of Melmoth said. Benny looked up and saw that it was Melmoth himself who was bearing him away.

“What are you doing?” Benny asked him.

“Getting out of the driver’s seat,” Melmoth said as he carried Benny back through the train. The thing screamed in outrage. “Melmoth!” it thundered, “I will feast upon your bones!” “I know!” Melmoth yelled in response, “But mine will be the last!”

Melmoth carried Benny all through the train. It resisted this, fought against the theft of its prey. Tentacles of wood and leather reached out to hinder them. But Melmoth fought them off and ran on.

Finally Melmoth and Benny reached the front of the train. Melmoth kicked open the door to the outside.

“Why are you doing this?” Benny asked him. Melmoth took Benny’s shoulders and looked him in the face.

“You said some things that made a whole lot of sense,” he replied, “I thought about it and realized that I was a coward. I was a stinking scared coward for letting this happen to so many innocent children when I could have had the power to stop it. You are my atonement.” Melmoth picked up Benny. Benny saw more tentacles snaking up behind Melmoth and cried out.

“Goodbye, little partner,” Melmoth said. Then he threw Benny through the door and out of the train.

As Benny sailed out he was greeted with a final glimpse of the train. He caught one final glimpse of Melmoth Blaine as the tentacles ensnared him and joined him to the train that he had served for so long. But this was a bitter victory. For even as the train consumed its betrayer, it screamed in pain and defeat. Its shiny silver exterior was falling off as it sailed through a featureless night. As plates of metal came off, little glowing cherubs flew out of the openings and flew away. Benny saw the faces of his fellow passengers amidst them. He thought that the one with Serena’s face smile especially at him. Then the train gave one final scream and exploded into a thousand cursed shards.

Benny sat up with a start in his bed. He looked around. His sheets were soaked with cold sweat, and his hands were clammy with fear. He heard a whistle and immediately his heart began to race. He ran to the window in fear, but the street below was empty.