Jen In Four Words

Pray

Jen sat up from her slumber. The night prior brought a whirlwind of sand, resulting in Jen being buried a few inches beneath the ground. She removed her façade. The morning sun brought a refreshing heat to the frigid desert. Her face warmed against the glow of daylight. Not a sound intruded into her peace.

Jen collected herself and stood. In the distance, a structure she had not noticed was becoming visible. The familiar shape caused her eyes to light up. It was a train. The Texas Railroad.

Jen trudged onwards. Nobody worked on the tracks this early, she thought. The opportunity gave her a second wind as she picked up the pace. Before the sun fully rose over the horizon, Jen was face to face with the colossal locomotive.

The Texas Railroad was a fairly new concept. The iron-clad shell of the locomotive towered over her. Jen did not understand how it worked. All she knew is that the train went fast and created black clouds that flooded the skies with its presence. It was a testament to the advancement of society. Yet here Jen stood, the polar opposite. An icon to the most unfavorable side of the world. A leech.

Jen walked to the rear of the locomotive and climbed aboard. Even while standing level with the behemoth, she was still unable to reach the roof. The interior was unlocked and contained various controls protruding from all over. A furnace with piles of coal and discarded shovels crowded the wall connecting to the front. The air held a smoky aroma and was significantly warmer than the surrounding desert.

Jen admired in awe. She did not know what she was looking at, but it caught her attention. She has seen the train in motion a handful of times, never seeing into the main engine. While investigating the interior, her foot stepped onto something. Jen gasped and threw her hands outwards, the coal rolling out from underneath her boot.

Jen's hands caught a chain that hung from above. Her heart sank.

DING

A bell mounted above the locomotive rung violently. The chime echoed and continued throughout the desolate sands. The walls continued to vibrate at the force of the chime.

Jen gathered herself. She punted the lump of coal into the wall and shattered it into small pieces.

Jen exited the locomotive, leaning out and peering into the distance. In the distance, a group of men on horseback rushed towards the engine. Jen looked around and saw nowhere to run to. If she stepped off the train, it would only be a few minutes before she was captured by the congregation of train workers.

Jen stepped back onto the train. She opened the connecting car and stepped inside. Inside, the car was dimly lit. Boxes of coal and various equipment lined the walls and left little room for Jen.

—

The door slid open, and two men entered. "I know I ain't crazy. You heard the bell too?"

"Yeah... make sure nobody's here. We gotta start heatin' up the engine anyhow."

The two men began searching the room. Crates were slid to the side as the two climbed over various items. Piles of coal were toppled, and with each pile, Jen could hear them getting closer. She sat in the darkness, covered in a mountain of coal. Sweat rolled down her face. With each footstep getting closer, her heart began pounding out of her chest. Jen managed to take hold of her revolver, but could not move due to the possibility of the coal toppling over on top of her. The soot infiltrated her nostrils. Her throat irritated, muffled coughs started to escape.

When the footsteps were inches away, Jen prepared to pounce. The two men began removing handfuls of coal from the mountain. Jen saw bits of light start to reveal her face. The world froze for a moment. In that moment, Jen unholstered her revolver and kept it close to her side. Within a few moments, her hand creeped up and pointed the weapon at the pockets of light. Hands trembling, her finger wrapped around the trigger. It was either Jen or the two men. She was cornered.

A loud voice called from outside the car. The two men left with hasted steps. The car door slammed shut. Jen froze. The only noise left was her labored breathing.

Another ring of the bell sounded, and the train roared to life. The wheels screeched into motion. Jen emerged from her pile of coal. She fell over, coughing violently. Her eyes teared up while her arms and legs struggled to keep her weight up.

Jen trembled.

The door opened once again. The light from the  outside illuminated Jen's frail state.  Jen scrambled to her feet only to fall back onto her knees. She gripped the revolver and her eyes met with the man. His eyes radiated a calming glow.

She froze.

David.

David looked down at the Killer Cowboy. He remained in the doorway. The train was moving faster with each passing moment, but David was frozen where he stood. Jen did not utter a single word. The two were in a trance. It had been days since their last interaction. David made his way to Jen, lifting the bandana. Jen's scar was made visible once more. David got on his knees and met her at eye level.

"I... just tell me one thing, please." David whimpered.

Jen nodded.

"Have you taken another life since we last spoke?"

Jen nodded slowly.

"Have you stolen?"

Jen shook her head.

"Alright."

David got back on his feet and walked out of the car. Jen stood up. There it was again, that warm feeling. She stepped towards the door, but could not bring herself to leave. The train was now moving at full speed, the rhythmic chugging of the wheels rumbled the car. She could not hear anything happening through the door.

Jen placed a hand on her own heart and, for the first time in a long time, began asking for help. She prayed. She did not know what help she wanted, or what help she would receive, but she prayed. Her mind ran through many different ideas. What God would want to help such a cancerous person? One that spread evil and death to all she encountered.

Jen kept praying regardless.

Jen plead.