Torment

Darkness

Curtis stood in between Edgar and I as we all looked forward. Before us, on the platform behind the remaining axemen was the man in the dark suit. The same man that had used a mallet to smash Andrew's limb into a thousand pieces. As we all stared at him, he continued to hold a smaller axe in his hand, ready to throw it. However, before he could, the man in the light grey suit came forward, whispering something to him and pulling the dark-suited man off the platform. As he did, Mason came into view. The scrawny looking woman was a voice for Wilford. I knew she had probably been sent to speak with us due to the fact we had actually been making incredible progress. The axemen may have killed many of us, but we had killed many more of them.

Mason stepped forward onto the platform and took the megaphone from one of the train workers. Everything had gone silent; all I could hear was Curtis's heavy breathing. Mason made an awful sounding throaty noise before beginning her speech, she was wearing an ill-fitting white suit, with medals crudely displayed on her left side. I'd love to know what they had been awarded for, nothing suiting really came to mind. "One, two. One, two." She said, testing the microphone. I rolled my eyes; I hated this bitch with a passion. "Happy Yekaterina bridge, you filthy ingrates." Wow, what a way to start a conversation. Curtis, Edgar, and I continued to stare forward. "You people, who if not for the benevolent Wilford, would have frozen solid 18 years ago today." Mason continued. "I fucking wish I did," I mumbled, only loud enough for Curtis and Edgar to hear. "You people, who would suck up the generous titty of Wilford ever since, for food and shelter," Mason said, train workers and the suited men by her side.

"And now, in front of our hallowed water supply section no less,  you repay his kindness with violent hooliganism." I shook my head in disbelief, how did the front not understand that the way they treated us was just so wrong. If they knew there weren't enough spaces on the Snowpiercer for the humane treatment of everyone on board, then they should've just left us to freeze. "You scum." Mason finished before grabbing a piece of paper from the worker beside her, I looked to Edgar as he spat to the side following her words. I loathed her. "Precisely 74% of you shall die." Mason read from the piece of paper. My stomach dropped. But before any more could be said, Curtis tightened his grip on his axe before throwing it towards Mason as she turned her back on us. Curtis's aim was immaculate, but as it was hurtling through the air, the weapon was stopped just before it struck her. The dark-suited man had used his mallet as a shield, saving Mason from the devastating blow.

Mason turned back around before speaking once more. "My friend, you suffer from a misplaced optimism of the doomed." She spoke, taking some sort of binoculars and holding them to her eyes. I looked forward confused. What on earth did that mean? "This is going to be good." She finished as the rest of the workers around her and axemen in front of us pulled military-looking goggles over their eyes. In a panic I looked to Edgar and Curtis, my eyes wide with fear, what was going to be good?

Suddenly Yona and Nam's presence became apparent to me. "Curtis" Nam whispered from behind us. We all looked to the man, his daughter still on his back. Nam said something in his own language. "What? What did he say?" Curtis asked Yona, uncertainty spreading across his face. "He said you guys are fucked," Yona said with a smile, stoned to oblivion. I gripped my axe tighter, still none the wiser about what was going to happen. As the lights above us began to switch off and the axemen in front of us turned on their goggles, it became clear that they must have been some sort of night vision apparatus. Nam continued to speak in his language, Yona translating. "You still beat other tail sectioners. There's a tunnel right after Yekaterina Bridge."

"A tunnel?" I whispered, dread taking over my mind, it was all starting to make sense, Mason's words, the 74%, the goggles and the lights. We really were fucked. "Mmm-hmm, a fucking long one." Yona finished. Curtis looked to me before whipping his head back towards Mason and the axemen. The only light that remained in the carriage was from the windows, and with the new knowledge about the tunnel, I was sure that it wouldn't be lasting for much longer. Nam said something before turning away and taking his daughter. As we continued to look forward at the axemen, darkness began to creep forward, Mason was looking on in glee. As our carriage went into the tunnel a wash of black filtered past the axeman and over us. "Everybody down!" Curtis screamed, grabbing another axe from the floor, and turning around to the rest of the passengers, grabbing my arm, pulling me away from the axemen in front of us.

My heart was beating so fast, every one of my senses had been heightened by my inability to see, all I knew was Curtis had a hold of my arm. I could tell Curtis had pushed me behind him, there was no sound from the attackers, no sight, nothing. I think I could hear Curtis and Edgar swinging their axes in any direction to protect us and themselves. But I knew it was only a matter of time before the axemen struck. Curtis still had hold of me with one hand, but suddenly the sounds of cutting flesh and screams of pain began to fill the carriage. I felt a couple of people fall down from beside me, our crowded position becoming more sparse. Knowing this meant the axemen were near I pulled Curtis closer towards me, away from the possible attackers in front. We still couldn't see anything. It was awful, I had no idea whereabouts we were, where Edgar was and what was going to happen.

So many people were shouting, "Get back!" I suddenly heard Edgar yell, grateful to know he was still alive, but concerned about what had happened to make him shout out.  My breaths were quick, and I was clutching my axe uselessly to my chest, still clinging onto Curtis for dear life. A warm substance suddenly splashed across my face, I flinched, but instantly knew it must have been someone's blood. I was shaking uncontrollably, fighting in the light was one thing, but this was like something out of a nightmare. Suddenly, an occasional stream of light filtered in through the windows. It was coming from seam lines in the tunnel's construction. It wasn't enough to help us fight back. But it did allow us to see the dark distorted figures lunging towards us, and the numerous new dead bodies scattered across the floor.

With the light occasionally illuminating our faces. I caught a glimpse of Curtis's wide eyes. "What are you thinking." I breathed not trusting my voice. "Chan! We need fire!" Curtis suddenly screamed. Then it hit me. Chan, the little boy had stolen Nam's matches earlier when he had smoked that cigarette! "Chan get the fire!" I screamed after Curtis, hoping the message would become clear to the other tail end passengers. Moments later the words Curtis and I had shouted began to travel from person to person through the dark carriage and back towards the tail section. I held my breath, still knowing we weren't out of the woods until we actually had the light source. By this point, Curtis had pushed me up against the carriage wall, protecting me with his own body. I could tell by his movements that he was obviously still swinging his axe in defence, but how long could we last like this.