My short stories

The Everlasting Train Ride

"Reality is often more annoying than fiction. That's why I love my dreams and stories. Everything turns out well." ~Rose4eva789

Ok, of course, my quote is a lie. Almost everything turns out well in my stories! Anyway, I saw another really funny story prompt. Happy reading!

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It's been so long... weeks, months, maybe even years... and this train still hasn't arrived at its last stop! I still clearly remember the day I ended up here in the first place.

It was a lovely summer morning and I was getting ready to go to work. Then all of a sudden, I felt dizzy. I have never gotten dizzy spells before so I couldn't understand why I was having one at the time. Everything turned black. I couldn't see or feel anything. I didn't hear anyone around me and I couldn't seem to speak.

Then, when I finally woke up, I found myself on a train with around another 100 people. Were we all kidnapped or something? I felt for my phone in my pocket, thinking that I could call into work to let them know I wouldn't be in. However, I don't seem to have it on me. Instead, all I found was a crumpled-up piece of paper. I unfolded it and read "Welcome to Forever Express. Please do not get off this train, no matter what, until it reaches its last stop."

It hasn't reached its last stop yet. I'm starting to get the feeling that it never will, that I, along with everyone else here, will be stuck forever on this train.

"The food has been laid out again, Brendon, come and eat." A soft voice said. I turned to see my travel fellow and new friend, Bella. She's quite pretty, even if she doesn't think so, and so very gentle. She's the reason I haven't tried to get off this train so far at every other stop it has had.

No one knows what happens when you do get off the train. No one is really keen on finding out, especially as we don't hear from those who have gotten off after having enough, so we have never found out. Did they die? Did they survive and realise we've actually been on board for over a century and nothing is the same? No one knows.

"You seem stressed," Bella stated, though her voice was barely more than a whisper. I can feel her come towards me and sit next to me. She wraps her arms around me and presses close to comfort me. She's so very sweet. Even if I believe this train fiasco is a true nuisance, I am so very happy to have met her. "Come, you need to eat or you'll get ill," she said softly into my ear.
I sighed softly, then smiled at her. "All right, Bella. I'm coming," I replied.

~~~

It's been another few hours, I suppose, before the train stopped again. A few more passengers finally decided that they've had enough and left the train. The doors close and the train starts again.

Bella comes back to sit with me after walking up and down the train. She says it helps her to relax, helps to calm her nerves, though it seems she has found something. She holds up what she has found in front of me. A silver pen studded with a few gems. "You realise what this means?" She looks at me expectantly, a glimmer in her eyes, though honestly, I am not sure I follow.
"A pen? What do you mean by this, Bella?" I ask.
"Oh, silly Brendon," she chuckles a little before explaining herself, "Don't you see? I can give you my number and you can give me yours. Then at the next stop, we can get off and finally find out what happens. Then call each other after and we call someone else on the train to let them know if it really is safe to come off."

I was quite sceptical about this. Is it really a good idea? What if we wind up dead? Then we definitely can't call each other to let each other know we are ok.

"I know, it's risky," She started again, then looked at me, "But I'm tired of this, Brendon. I'm tired of not knowing, tired of waiting, and..." Then she speaks so softly that I have trouble hearing her.
"Sorry, Bella, but what was the last bit you were saying?" I asked.
She flushed red and waved her hands as if in defence, "No, no. Nothing. Nothing at all." She seemed... embarrassed?
I have trouble understanding, though the elderly couple not too far from us seem to be trying hard to hide their chuckles. Do they know what's up?