Hell Train

"Hell Train"
by
W. P.Gerace

It has been a month since my trip on Amtrak from the hot desert land of Phoenix to the city that never sleeps, Las Vegas. It certainly is a trip I will never forget as long as I can live. Besides that exciting ride in the middle of nowhere, I learned a great secret about myself that I never knew I had.

This all started on a blazing hot day in mid-July when my dad dropped me off in his red pickup truck at the mechanic shop he owned. He gave me a wink with his steel blue eyes, saying, "Don't let your Uncle Jeff and Aunt Sally talk you into living there, Son. Vegas is no good for a young kid. If it weren't for your mom's nagging me about how strict I am on you, I would never let you go.” I smiled, gave him a big old bear hug, grabbed my black book pack loaded with snacks and my iPad, and boarded.

As soon as I entered the confines of the train, the inside felt weird to me. Now, I have never been on a train, let alone an airplane or bus ride or away from home, so much of these feelings I attributed to nerves. A bright maroon carpet covered the floor, and the seats were relatively high with blue velvet on the backs. I purchased a window seat and wanted to see everything. As I ventured to my seat, it suddenly felt a crisp twenty degrees cooler. Suddenly, I went from sweating to chattering my teeth from the chills.

Nearly five to ten minutes later, I finally found my seat. A man dressed in a coal-black suit wore a black top hat from a different era. His eyes were pitch black. It was like looking at the eyes of outer space minus the stars and moon and all that other stuff. His skin was so ghostly white, almost transparent, as if he had never seen sunlight in ages. Clutched in his dark glove hands was a sturdy leather suitcase.

"Excuse me, sir. Can I get by you? I have the window seat. "Using the good manners my mother taught me.

"Sure, boy. Please have a seat. "The man moved his hand aside, showing me my seat; there was a creepy tone in the stranger's almost robotic voice as if they were some android programmed on what to say.

Shaking my head to be polite, thanking the stranger, my stomach churned. I never knew such a feeling, being I am only eighteen. As I passed the stranger, I swore I felt a brush of frigid air pass me as if the man's body was the doorway to Antarctica.

Thankfully, I was exhausted and knew this would be a ten to twelve-hour ride. I played a bit on my iPad before quickly falling asleep. I was impressed by how quickly sleep approached me and allowed the gentle rocking of the train along the tracks to rock me quietly to dreamland.

I slept this way until darkness hovered over me. I could feel its blazing hot breath radiating and searing my flesh. Suddenly, the train came to an abrupt stop. I heard someone barking orders for people to empty their purses and wallets. This was a robbery. Opening my eyes, I was surprised to see the stranger standing beside me, holding a vast wand made out of fire. His gloves were off, and his hands were burned to the core. There was nothing left but charred bones.

"You boy. Give me that fancy IPAD of yours. Now!!!" He yelled, barring his razor teeth oozing blood that trickled down his throat.

Reluctantly, I handed this demon robber my pride and joy. For a brief moment, I touched his hands. They were so cold, like feeling like an iceberg, yet they were blood red and charred as if they were left to cook on a barbecue pit. This time, his black holes for eyes glared a soft whitish glow in the center. The sight of this had me frightened beyond comprehension.

"I am not afraid of you, man. What can you do to hit the wand and make me evaporate? "A bulky white man of almost three pounds stood toe to toe with the monster.

"Ha. Dumb mortal fool. Be gone. "With a wave of the demon robber's wand, the man burned into a charcoal black mist. The sound of his begging for mercy was horrifying, as none of us could do anything.

The train had stopped in the middle of a black tunnel. The creature raised his burned hands and thanked everyone for all the goodies. It was fun, and then he disappeared into a dark mist.

I discovered I had a gift that exact moment after the Demon left. My late grandmother called to me. She stood on the train in a long blue gown and pearl earrings. Her skin was as soft as snow. She told me to get the creature. I am a Demon Slayer. I have the power to find that creature and kill him. Now, I will say that I have not seen the Demon that stole all those things and killed that man since that day. But I am in school learning my new skills in Las Vegas. Of course, you can imagine how my dad feels. As my Uncle Jeff said in that hearty voice of his Son, it was bound to happen. Welcome to the family.