Train To The Unknown

Chapter 11 - Waiting For Death

(Oliver POV)

Atlas was laying in the middle of the station, looking bored out of his mind as he idly swung a leg over the edge of the bench. Like he didn't notice everyone else's eyes on us. "Ollie... Can you just up and pass on? This place sucks," Atlas complained. "Did you... Did you just seriously just tell me to drop dead?" I asked, shocked. He looks up at me from where he was spread out, smiling, "c'mon, it's not that bad being dead. You probably didn't even go to my funeral," he stated causally. This was seriously not a conversation anyone should be having.

"Atlas... Don't ever say that again." He just laughed as he got up from the bench. "Hey, at least we've got my ticket to tell us if you kick the bucket or not." This got me wondering... Why didn't they want to turn off my machine? I was practically dead as it was, being here just proved that.

"Maybe my mother refuses to turn off my life support," I say, thinking out loud. Atlas tilted his head to the side as he debated it. "Nah, I don't think that's it. She wanted both of us dead after I wrecked her house with the baseball bat and set her yard on fire." Oh god. How could I have forgotten all the things he done once he learned what that woman had said to me? That was the day we'd decided to leave for good.

But he made a point. He did destroy the house, everything that was made of glass had been shattered, it was a riot. Her back yard was covered in black smoke from the fire, and her car had been the worst hit once Atlas had found out she bought it instead of paying for my collage tuition. Boy, Atlas made sure that thing could never drive again, he was amazing when it came to dealing with cars.

Wait... How do I remember this so vividly? I suddenly grab Atlas' arm, which caused him fall from how hard I had pulled on him. "ATLAS! I'M REMEMBERING THINGS!!" I shout at him, jumping up and down in pure excitement. I soon gasped as I slapped his shoulder, "you sly fox! You told me back in the control room you didn't wreck the place that bad!" He smiled sheepishly, "in my defence, to me it wasn't that bad". Did he seriously just say it wasn't that bad? "Atlas... my mother's sofa was on the television's antenna. On the roof." I pointed out. He bursts out laughing as he remembered the event, "oh yeah! That was a fun time. You know, I can't remember if I put the hair removal in her shampoo or her conditioner? Now that I think about it, I hope it was the shampoo." I stared at him in horror, and he just chuckled to himself, clearly proud of his handiwork.

"Atlas... No."

"Are you seriously upset?! Out of all the things I did to your mother to make her life hell, this is what frightens you the most?!?" He called out to me as it was clear he just scarred me for life.

"YOU MADE MY MOTHER GO BALD ATLAS!" I shouted at him, though hearing myself shout it out loud only caused me to laugh so hard that my ribs were in agony. He wasn't far off it too. "Ollie, your mother deserves everything bad that comes to her for how she treated you over the years! Plus, it'll grow back....I think." I shake my head, asking myself how I could have come to love this psychotic boy.

"But isn't it a good thing that I'm remembering things from our past? I haven't even touched my ticket yet. We don't even know where it is." He shakes his head in response. "I don't think so, I could remember small things before I touched my ticket. But when I grabbed it I could remember everything."

I look up at him, my eyes widening with excitement, "could this mean my ticket might be here now?!" He puts his arm around my shoulder to walk faster to our destination. "Only one way to find out, Casper" he sung, causing me to glare at him. "For the record, you're Casper. We don't even know if I'm fully dead yet," I pointed out.

While the thought of being dead should have been terrifying, for some reason it didn't. This place is different, it puts you at ease. Especially once you know that you'll be reunited with your loved ones, leaving no one behind. You'll all move on together, and the most important person in the world is waiting for me. The only one I care to travel anywhere with... Even when I question his sanity sometimes.

I held my breath as we entered the control room, dreading to find the answer to my questions. Was my ticket finally here? Will I remember everything like Atlas does? What's going to happen next? Atlas' back was facing me as he dug around the tickets in the 'waiting' box. He suddenly froze. He straightened his back as he turned to face me, something held within his hand.

"I guess we'll be boarding our train together, sweetheart" he says softy holding up our tickets, that now showed our names on the others ticket.

"T-Together?" I asked, a tear of relief falling down my cheek.

"Like always," Atlas says reassuringly as he takes my hands into his own.

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