Overboard

Overboard

The train, like a missile on magnetic tracks, shot through the fog. The wind whistled at its back. The windows crystallizing with ice as the sleek silver passenger car passed through the Appalachian range. On one side the shadows of mountains rose up in the distance, and on the other a lake of water stood glimmering.

The occupants inside, lying on luxurious red velvet, were submerged in darkness as the train moved into a tunnel.

People of all kinds settled into the crisp cabin air. There was plenty of leg room for everyone and spacious aisles where travelers could comfortably pass each other.  The train hurtled forward with everyone was relaxing undisturbed.    

In the next car back, the cabin was dimly lit, but with wide windows that when opened flooded the seats with light. Woman and men of all shapes, sizes and colors huddled closely as they chatted. Grisly people with wrinkles stood glaring at the floor.

In the next car back, the “woohoos” of young girls looking to have a good time were spilling over through the door. One man wearing black polo pants payed no mind with his head phones in each ear.  Booze was being poured like water among everyone’s cups. Their frolic happening amongst pictures of nipples stuck to the walls. The epic love of alcohol overwhelmed them.

There’s a tech convention going on in the other train. An entire train car filled with young boys and girls asleep in their bunks.

In the very back of the caboose, for some reason, a young boy slept in the middle of an empty car. He was awoken as a young woman opened the train car door and entered.

“Excuse me sir.” The woman, nudged the young boy, and continued in a soft whisper, “There seems to be a gas leak.”

The young boy jumped up and opened his wide blue eyes with a blast. “Gas leak?”

She was holding out a clear package with a yellow mask inside. “Jacob if you let me finish-”Jacob slid past her and ran towards the back of the train. “Jacob,” the woman called out following closely behind him. “Take this mask and let’s head towards the front.”

“What about Dad?” He asked.   

She frowned before smiling again. “He is waiting for us at the middle of the train.”

“Well let’s open all the windows since we’re here.” He said as he started jabbing down and pushing random buttons. One glowing red switch began blinking after he flipped it.  

“Oh that’s interesting.” She observed, a disapproving look enduring in her expression. “Only Your Dad has the key that will be able to manually overwrite the locks.”

He jumped out of his seat and flitted out of the room, “okay let’s go find him.” Jacob began running down the hall in the other direction.

“Take this mask Jacob.” The attendant pleaded as she pursued him.

  Jacob was running through the car, like he was on fire. Screaming like he was Paul Reverie. “A Gas Leak is happening.”

The sleeping tech nerds stirred from under their covers and began coughing, while others simply laid back down.

“What Gas Leak?” A young girl asked, rubbing her eyes.

The woman following behind, suddenly stood in the door way. “Please don’t worry, simply remain calm, and follow me. Please take one of these masks, but don’t open the packaging until I say.”

She flicked a switch. With the lights on everyone got out of bed and followed her through the doors, masks in hand.

In the next train car the bachelorette party was totally freaking out. Girls were fainting over each other and weeping. Someone vomiting in one corner, was simultaneously crying out, “Please don’t take me Jesus.”  The room slowly becoming a disheveled mess of nipple paraphernalia began to fill with little kids.  

“Please, follow me and take one of these masks with you.”

As she handed the masks to the ladies, they immediately tore into them and began hyperventilating and holding the yellow rubber against their mouths.

“Follow me,” she instructed.

While on the way to the next car, they ran into Jacob’s father. “Jordan,” the woman declared in awe. Closely behind him Jacob followed his heals.

“This little guy seems to have wanted to help you out.”

“Yes sir although I really didn’t ask for it.”

“It’s okay we’re going to the front to open the windows. He makes a good point.” Jordan explained winking. “I’ll leave you to finish up.”

“Sir it wouldn’t be wise to..”

“We’ll be fine with our masks.”

They waited in between two seats, watching hysterical women fall over each other as the group passed. After, they headed to the back of the train. When they were in the control room they tried to get the windows opened, but failed.

“What’s wrong with it?” Jacob asked.

“Well it’s pretty hard to explain honestly.” Jordan said scratching his head.

He stuck the key into the hole and tried turning it but couldn’ seem to.

“Let me try,” Jacob asks.

Jacob tried to touch the key, but his father pulled his arms back.

“Well we should at least warn them.”

Jacob picked up a microphone and clicked the button to broadcast. “The windows are not going to open. Everyone you have to use the emergency windows on the top car.” Jacob was wrestling the microphone away from his father as he warned. “Run!! Run for your lives.”

The cabin in the center of the train, where everyone who was now standing, was completely still for a moment. Then everyone went crazy. The whole entire train turned into insanity.

A woman in jeans began pulling people down who were crawling over each other. Yet somehow she was surprised when she got squished under a heavy mans butt. Finally, when someone was about to open the emergency exit the attendant screamed, “Stop! This was just a drill!”

Everything froze then the person with their hand around the lever of the emergency hatch asked, “How do we know you’re not just saying that?”  

“Well why would I lie to you?”

“Because you want to kill us for the insurance money.”

“But I’m right here on the train too. Why would I want to kill myself,” she said with her palm against her chest, and her voice high pitched.

“I think you’re lying,” claimed the woman before opening the hatch.

A cool gush of air filled the train car and everyone breathed in a sigh of relief as red flashing lights switched on. An unbearable blaring alarm filled the tiny cabin. The train crawled to a stop and emergency doors opened from each side automatically.

The attendant’s shoulders lowered as she explained, “The system automatically goes into lock down if any of the emergency exits are opened,” but no one heard her.

A great sigh of disagreement swept through the crowd as they piled off the train, and Jacob sat in his father’s lap with a big grin.