Train Hunters

Backstory

"Do you ever miss your parents Grace?" Simon asked her. Grace's expression darkened at the question and she thought for a moment before giving her answer.

"No." she said though it came out more like she was trying to convince him of something. Maybe she was. Maybe she was trying to convince herself. "Do you?"

"A little sometimes." he said. Grace could tell that he meant it and she felt bad though she didn't know if she felt bad for herself or for him.

"How did you end up on the train Simon?" Grace asked him.The two had been trudging through waist deep mud and at that question Simon stopped. Grace turned around to look at him and seeing it upset him she backed off. "You don't have to answer." she said. Simon did anyway.

"I lost a spelling bee. It was an easy word and I messed it up so I was really upset. When my mom picked me up I was still upset and I was complaining about it." Simon took a pause after that and Grace wondered if that was the whole story. She wasn't going to press him for more but he continued anyway. "Early she saw a picture of dad with his new girlfriend in Florida. So she was already upset. And I was complaining and making her even more upset so when we were driving she just turned around and yelled at me. She said; Simon shut up! All you ever do is complain and that's why your dad left, because you complain too much!" Grace felt awful about asking to hear the story.

"Simon I'm sorry." she said. The two left the mud and walked out onto the bridge connecting the cars. They sat there for a while and Simon continued the story.

"The rest of the ride was silent and then she pulled into a gas station and went inside to go pay for the gas. And I saw this train. It was like an old coal train, the kind that my dad used to make models of. And I didn't want to be in the car anymore, I wanted to see the train. So while she was inside getting gas I got out of the car and started walking towards the train. I just kept walking and I never looked back. That's how I ended up on the train." he said. Simon started crying at that moment and Grace wasn't sure what to do. What happened after was a blur. The car shaking and splitting and sending them flying. Simon crying out for her and Grace being unable to reach him. And then he was gone. And Grace was all alone.

Simon had been her first friend, her only friend. They'd met on this train only a little after Grace had gotten on and all they'd had was each other. And now Simon was gone in an instant. She mindlessly walked forward into the next car. The best way Grace could think to describe it was a Hello Kitty fever dream. Everything was pink and soft and the inhabitants were talking stuffed animals. Grace didn't even care; she walked in and fell to the ground, which happened to be made of bedding, in tears. Grace laid there and she cried because she'd just lost her only friend and now she was going to be alone forever. A giant stuffed rabbit approached her and spoke.

"Are you okay honey?" she asked in a southern accent. Grace looked up at the talking stuffed rabbit and cried more.

"I lost Simon." she choked out in between sobs. The rabbit gave her a gentle pat on the head which was made particularly soothing thanks to how soft she was.

"Well, I don't know who Simon is, but I do know that you're both going to be okay." Grace looked up and shook her head.

"No, he's gonna get hurt and it's my fault." she said, still crying.

"It's okay. I know it's scary to be separated but that was what's supposed to happen. And I assure you he will be fine." the rabbit reassured in that soothing accent.

"How do you know?" Grace asked as she began to wipe her tears.

"Everything on the train happens for a reason and that reason is to help everyone here. The train wanted the two of you to meet so it made you meet, and the train wanted you two to be separated so it separated you. Even right now, us talking, the train wanted that to happen too." the rabbit explained. Grace distrusted this logic.