The Train to Nowhere

Chapter 6 - The Wish

The sound of steel wheels on rail could be heard once more as Breanna stared absently out at the endless forest on the other side of the thin glass. The previous night, despite her best efforts, had ended in utter failure. She was beginning to think that the door was impregnable.

After a while, Breanna turned her gaze to the other passengers. Some made their way toward the front of the coach; other Pilgrims. Some stared out the window absently like Breanna had been a moment before. Most sat in their seats or milled around the coach as if unsure of what to do. They seemed lost. Except for one. A young man with sandy-blond hair and piercing golden-caramel eyes sat staring right at her.

Breanna met the man's gaze with confusion for a moment before deciding to go see why he was looking at her. As she made to stand, another passenger passed in front of her, blocking her view of the mysterious man. When she was able to see again, the man was gone, his seat now empty.

Thinking back, Breanna remembered that the man had been the same one from before, the one that had taken notice of her when they bumped into each other. Breanna shook her head, her curls bouncing slightly. He was probably just a lucid dreamer like her and just woke up, hence his sudden disappearance. She had to focus on the task at hand. She had to get through that door in order to get to the engine so that her wish could be granted.

Breanna wanted, no needed her wish to be granted more than anything. She thought back to when she started her quest, when she first became a Pilgrim. Her Dad had gotten sick almost a year ago, brain cancer. It had come out of nowhere, starting with dizzy spells and headaches, then one day he collapsed. It was already late stage and there was very little if anything that could be done. Breanna had gone to see him once, she didn't get past the door. His face was pale, eyes sunken. He looked to be at deaths door. She ran away, unable to stand seeing him in such a state. That night was the first time she found herself on the Train.

She was confused at first, it seemed so real. Looking around, she saw other passengers. She didn't recognize anyone. For the first several nights, Breanna simply rode the Train, unsure of what to do. One day, she overheard some kids at school talking about the Train, seeming excited about something. That evening, before she went to bed, Breanna did some internet research and discovered that there were people all over the world having the same dream. Rumors were circulating in whispers about how you could get your wish granted by making it to the engine.

At first, Breanna dismissed these rumors, but the possibility, however small, seemed too good to pass up. She could heal her Dad. He could come home, they could be a family again. So, after deciding it was at least worth a try, Breanna made her way to her first car. In front of her stood a giant vault door, though unusual in its design. It was covered in all manner of locks and locking mechanisms. She groaned at the daunting task ahead. She was going to have to figure which of the locks fortified the door, and which ones were simply there to confuse her. Beyond that, she had to figure out how to unlock the ones that held the door in place. After staring at the door for a while, Breanna tried simply rotating the handle just in case.

Breanna shook the memories from her head and made her way to the front of the coach for yet another attempt to unlock the door, this time having prepared by watching numerous tutorials and videos that probably got her on some FBI watchlist. She approached the door with new found determination, having shaken off the previous night's defeat. She spent the rest of the night utilizing the handful of techniques she had learned, only to discover that observation can only go so far when learning new skills. Breanna turned out to be very bad at safecracking despite her best efforts and all her research. She made a mental note to inform the FBI later, just in case.

Waking with a start, Breanna found herself standing in front the bathroom door, hand rapped around the handle. She gazed blearily down at the rogue appendage in confusion. A few seconds later, her tired brain began to catch up, and she began to wonder how she got there in the first place. On the bright side, she didn't have to wonder where her slippers were that morning, as she was already wearing them.

On the Train yet again, Breanna let her head fall into her hands. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she began to consider that maybe her wish just wasn't meant to come true. Sobs began wracking her body. She didn't want to give up, but there didn't seem to be a choice. Breanna jerked up suddenly at the feeling of a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw the mystery man from before staring into her eyes once again.

"What's the matter?" He asked gently, his soothing voice as smooth as silk. Breanna stared back, eyes widened in alarm. "Is there anything I can do to help?" The man spoke once more.

"Um," Breanna paused, shaking her head to clear her mind, "I'm just very discouraged is all, I don't think there's anything you can do to help."

"I can listen," the man said. Breanna gave him an awkward smile, unsure how to reply. On one hand, she didn't know this strange man. On the other hand, this was just a dream, right? "May I?" Breanna was startled from her thoughts and stared at the man in confusion for a moment before zeroing in on the hand he held in a gesture toward the seat next to her. She hesitated briefly before giving a small nod. The man sat down gracefully next to her and turned to face her. "What's your name?" He asked quietly.

After a moment, she replied, "Breanna Morgan, and you?"

He moved to speak before pausing in thought. "Call me Rider."