Torment

Happy New Year

Edgar and I looked to each other with a nod before walking forward and stopping at Curtis's side. I took in a shaky breath as I looked at the many axemen before us. There was no time to think before I knew it the henchmen lunged at us. Their axes raised and ready to kill. Edgar, Curtis and I all raised our axe's, defending ourselves from a devastating blow. With my attacker's axe caught on my own, I took my booted foot and kick the axeman in the chest. As the man tumble backwards, unlinking our weapons, I took my axe and slammed it down into his chest, taking his life. The axemen just continued walking towards us, every man, myself, Edgar and Curtis slew another would instantly take their place. All I could do was lash out with my axe. Man, after man, continued to come for us and each time they got too close, I just continued to swing my axe desperately, slashing at their throat's and aggressively chopping at their chest. It was barbaric, so so barbaric, but it was getting the job done.

Just as I brought my axe down on another axeman's skull, a loud air horn caught our attention. We all stopped fighting and looked towards the front of the carriage. Standing behind the wave of men were the uniformed train personnel that were present when Andrew had his arm frozen off. The man who had read out the altitude was standing in the middle of his team on a raised platform. He had been the one to blow the horn. "Approaching Yekaterina Bridge!" The man shouted before another woman began saying the same sentence in another language. The fighting had momentarily stopped, and I looked to Curtis with wide eyes, why did they feel that announcing this was so important. "We're at the bridge, guys!" Edgar shouted to the tail end passengers behind us.

I continued to stare forward, looking at the axemen's masked faces as they began to count down from 10, raising their axe's in the air at each number. Curtis was looking around wildly, probably trying to think of a plan, but I continued to watch the henchman's mouths as they reached one. I looked out the window, noticing how we now must have been on the bridge due to the great drop outside. "Happy New Year!" The axemen shouted in chorus waving their axe's in the air as if they were at a party. I shook my head in disbelief, what the actual fuck was going on, they just celebrated new years with bodies littered across the floor and no one batted an eyelid. I guess that's what, now 18 years, on this train does to you. I took the back of my gloved hand and wiped it over my mouth, getting rid of the blood that was irritating my lips.

"I hate getting old, I hate it," Edgar said lightly, I looked to him unsure if he was serious or trying to make a joke of the situation. Curtis ignored the boy and walked over to the window, looking forward to see what the train would encounter next. I spun my axe in my hand, still aware that there was a fight at hand. Suddenly, the man with the air horn shouted for everybody to get down. Curtis grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me to him at the side of the carriage. "Hang on!" Curtis shouted as we both crouched lower to the floor. Curtis was gripping on the side of the carriage and I was hanging on to him, his arm around my waist, securing me to his side. Everything went black momentarily, I couldn't see anything through the window due to being so low down. But when I looked up at Curtis and stared through the upper half of the glass, I realised we had travelled through a small ice tunnel. As the light-flooded back into the carriage I looked up to Curtis, he was covered in blood, and his eyes were crazed, darting all over the place as we waited. I wasn't sure what was happening but judging by everything that had been said I assumed that there must have been a blockage on the track.

"Impact!" The airhorn man screamed just as a large crash sounded throughout the train. We must have hit ice on the track. The collision caused everyone in the carriage to jolt backwards or forwards. The standing axemen and other passengers who didn't heed the warnings all either fell flat on their arses or straight on their faces. After the initial hit, the train violently rocked side to side, immobilising many people that were trying to stand. I was very grateful for Curtis's support. He was still clinging onto the side of the carriage but had now lowered himself, so he was cocooning us both from any possibility of falling. I don't think he could've had me pulled any closer to his chest if he tried. As the train stopped rocking and continued to hurtle along the mountainous tracks, Curtis released his grip on me as we both turned around, sitting so our backs were against the carriage wall. I was on the left of Curtis, my arms linked around his, preparing myself for any more impacts. Edgar was on Curtis's right, trying to ground himself.

A woman by the air horn guy shouted once more, telling everyone to stay down as a second impact was coming. I closed my eyes as another horrendous hit caused those in the middle of the carriage to fly forward. I opened my eyes seeing that Curtis was looking at me, silently making sure I was okay. To be honest, I felt quite sick, the last impact had made the train go up onto one side, and as I felt the train falling back towards its normal position I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself as the train hit the tracks on all of its wheels. With the train now travelling more normally, I opened my eyes and looked to the axemen, still well aware that they were still there, still waiting to kill us.

"Oi Nam, what are you doing man? What are you doing?" Edgar suddenly shouted over people's groans. I looked around away from the axeman and towards Edgar, only to see Nam walking through the middle of all the crouched bodies with Yona on his back. The two of them looked absolutely wasted, they were stumbling as it was, and I was worried how far they'd be flung if we hit more ice.

"He's high as a fucking kite," Edgar observed as Nam brought Yona closer to a window so she could look out to the world below the bridge. The train continued to hurtle along the icy track, and we were thrown harshly against the carriage wall once more. A new presence beside me made me look to my left. Sitting next to me was one of the axemen. I let out a surprised gasp causing the masked man to give me a toothy grin, his balaclava meant I couldn't see his eyes, but his smile was hideous, gore was covering his chin and his teeth were stained red from his victim's blood. My gasp caught Curtis's attention. I hadn't taken my eyes off the henchman, I gripped my axe tightly as I continued to stare him down, ready in case he attacked. Curtis grabbed hold of my middle and pulled me closer to him. I didn't object but kept my focus on the dangerous man beside me, who knew what he could do. Another crash jarred us all against the side of the carriage once more, I let out a sharp breath after being winded by the impact. Curtis was still holding me close, but I could feel his axe by my thigh, Curtis was ready to use it.

"Safe passage." The man with the horn shouted. Knowing this meant the fighting would continue, I quickly pushed my self away from Curtis and the wall. I ducked as Curtis lifted his axe to the man beside us, stopping the attacker's blow. I stood to my feet quickly as Curtis punched the man around the head and also stood up taking his axe and hitting the man round the jaw with it. Edgar and Curtis began fighting once more, but suddenly a huge mallet came hurtling towards Curtis. I quickly grabbed hold of Curtis's coat and pulled him towards me, out of the weapons way. Edgar luckily sidestepped out of the firing line as well, leaving the three of us looking forward, wondering where the huge hammer-like object had come from.