Ep4 . Coal and oil

Hustling down the street he ran, his life flashing fast before his eyes like a projector in class. The dark cold march morning was a brisk 21 degrees, and the sun hasent risen just yet.This poor man has a ticket burned into him, signaling that his life is hers now. He hurried down to find cover, the thick smell of sute and ash fills his lungs and airways. He falls over coughing up some black rot out of his throat , his skin randomly chars and pops .

How … how did he get here, he was in the town a mere moment ago… now he is back on those cursed tracks, and the faint sound of clanking echoes out. The sharp piercing screech of the horn bellows. It is coming, she is coming. He runs and runs holding out hope that god has given him a out, but as he tries to step down off the tracks, flames sizzle up violently haunting him behind their flames. He is stuck on a one way track , both sides covered in flames and a rapidly approaching train, he cowers as the train finally impacts , he for a second say the sight.

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...That morning I awoke to Amber cuddling up, the sweet scent of cinnamon and sugar plagues her soft light brown skin....

She awakes to find some burn marks along her back, but surprisingly to most other than me she doesn’t fret.

“ oh my… seem like I’m so hot.” She teases i simply give her a disapproving look as she smirks and lays back onto the burns. She is a massocist so I am not surprised she relaxes to the pain of her back burns

“ so how do we find out what’s happening? A train, lots of fire? And a burned corpse ? And in general the town acts like npc’s and not normal every day joes?” I ponder to myself as I get dressed noticing my small blue gem neckless fell off due to last night.” Oh shit” I swiftly reconnect it to my neck and sigh.” Don’t worry I have one too so you were safe “ Amber tease, she was smart and has hidden hers in her own body. Due to her tastes she was able to implant it inside herself. As we get dress for today we notice ,” yo matching undies hehe” she teases with a smirk.

We go outside to check out the tracks once more to find another charred remains,” well seems what ever we are dealing with isn’t messing around”. She says without fear, even tho she still has some scars along her back from whatever this is.

“ so trains and fire? What’s the connection? Unless, hell train or something. Hey maybe we should go see old Amelia’s shop for her insight? If we take some clothing from him it should work.” She says patting herself on the back, she did have a point Amelia has some weird ability to see into someone’s past or future.” I’ll have to, alone because someone broken like 40 percent of shit in her house last time”. I grumble but Amber just laughs and says she plans to keep snooping .

A five hour drive later and i finally find my way over to Amelia’s abode , a quant small hut with a clear witch inspiration. A running gag of hers, as I enter she gives me the most annoyed , unimpressed or down right disappointed look to ever be on a pretty woman’s face.

“ she isn’t with me” I say but she retorts,” still I am waiting for the money for , repairs.” She motions to the big hole in the side of her hut,” I will, get it to you in two weeks time…..”

We both know that’s a lie so she sighs,” what you need? What case?” I hand her the torn burned cloth.” Oh boy….. burn victim”

She takes the clothe and waits, after awhile she gains her visions.

” Oh…. Oh god…. I will warn you. This what ever it is. “ she has trouble explaining what she saw

“ it’s hell… it’s simply… hell….. that train is a portal to hell…. And you have a ticket to ride”

He heard these type of tales before, some sorta rip in time or something. It brings a opening of hell to earth, a wormhole or a passage .

“Even tho he has only been dead 10 hours or so, to him he has been in there for hundreds of years.” She said coldly, concern coveringng her face.” He is to far gone, the madness and torturer made him lose his very identity… and I can’t think of a way to stop this …. Gateway, I don’t believe holy items will suffice for how strong this thing is.”

She begged be to not pry further, knowing it’s fuitle and I will anyway. As I go to leave I tell her, “ happy birthday…”

She smiles but there is some pain behind that smile, she has been through so much that another years hurts the already fragile girl.

As I drive back, it starts to get dark, my truck starts to to bump and smoke some as a large light appears behind me. A train horn echoes out. I’m on the tracks somehow, as it charges I drive. Filled by adrenaline and caffeine I go as fast as my poor truck can go but .

As soon ass the train hits I see into the screaming flaming void, all the life wasted to it but I don’t go. My truck flips and I crash.

But I’m alive and alone, no sign of a train or tracks. I survived somehow but I have a sneaking suspicion.

I finally make it to the hotel, to find Amber waiting with a bunch of files she has “borrowed” from the library. About the late 18 hundreds, how this town was heavily reliant on that old locomotive for resources and one day it disappeared, after then a legend appeared about a ghost train.

As we keep finding more little clues such as weird hooded figures stalking about that time and such we find perhaps a way to make sure this train last stop happens soon.

As me and Amb sat together we were being watched, within darkness eyes bloodshot and thirsty all watch , till the gem drops and they are sunken.

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