The World Express (Snippet)

"So..." said Rafe as he ran his slender fingers along the silver lining on one of the carriages, "Where does this train go again?"

Bobbin tucked his hands into his pockets and paced down the tracks, examining the copper coloured wheels. "Well according to the books I’ve read, it travels between our world and theirs. And further on down the line...a place worse than ours." he replied.

"So it's like their world is on one end of the pole, the other on the opposite, and ours right in the middle?"
"Apparently so. The train enters at the Bermuda triangle and exits at the devil's triangle near Japan. Bringing day and night to the lands in its wake or vice versa. Or so the legend says of course."

Bobbin pulled out a box of matches and a cigarette from his pockets and lit it. The orange embers at the end of the stick was clearly visible in the dim lighting of the warehouse. "I suppose this could very well be that train that Orion depicts in his books." he said, tucking the matchbox back into the side pocket of his corduroy trousers.

"I've always wondered why there were tracks leading into this warehouse. Still, how can you be sure?" said Rafe as he continued examining and touching he train's carriages.

"I’m not." he replied as exhaled a fog of smoke into the dry air.

"Well can we ride it to see where it goes then?"

"Unfortunately that is out of the question young man."

“What? Why? We can’t just leave the mystery hanging when it’s right here in our hands.” Rafe questioned as he turned around again.

“You have to consider the dangers Rafe. Let’s say this is the world express. The Bermuda and Devil’s triangle are unexplained phenomena.” Bobbin explained, putting out his cigarette on the ground, “We don’t know what could happen if we enter into either. Those that were believed to have flow or sailed into either disappeared and were never heard of again! Who knows what could happen if we rode it.”

“I have nothing to lose…” said Rafe, his eyes looking downward with a kind of brief sadness, “I have no family. No friends. The last person that ever cared for me has left me for dead. I’m about ready to take chances into the unexplained.”

Bobbin shook his head and sighed, “As your legal guardian I forbid you from stepping onto that train. Besides, it could be just an abandoned train recently moved here. It’s probably not even the fabled world express.”

“Funny. Just a second ago you spoke of it as if you knew the legend was true.” Rafe replied, looking at Bobbin who quickly averted his eyes, “Why would you object to it if you were so sure it was a myth?”

Bobbin quickly lit another cigarette and inhaled another lungful of smoke. “We’re leaving now Rafe. It’s too late for boys your age to be out tampering with the otherworldly.”

“You didn’t answer the question!” Rafe exclaimed in frustration, “You believe that the world express is real too don’t you?”

“I don’t know where you got your questioning mind from. Come on, we’re leaving.” Bobbin grabbed Rafe by the sleeve and pulled him along.

“Stop changing the subject Bobbin!” he retorted, escaping Bobbin’s grip, “You know this is the world express don’t you?”

“I never said I believed in such a fairy tale.”

“But you never said you didn’t”

Bobbin stared at the darkness above one of the windows on a train carriage, “You’re right. I do believe in it. Ever since I was your age. But I never dared to ride it.”

“Why not?” Rafe asked as he started to calm down.

“Just simply because it is difficult to accept something into reality when it has been fantasy for as long as you can remember.” He replied as he took the lamp on the ground beside him, “How old are you Rafe?”

“Seventeen. Thought you would know that by now.” He replied, puzzled by the question.

“I guess it would be fine to show you part of the reality now.”

Bobbin took the lamp and walked up to the train carriage. Holding the oil lamp over his head, he waved it around, looking for an exact spot and then, as if the lamp itself had etched the words into the oak panels of the carriage, golden engravings glinted in the dim glow of the lamp. Old but still exquisite, the gold words read “World Express”.

When we last left off, our heroes were in Agenericmedievalinnstylerestaurant having their lunch with their newfound friend Shane. What they didn't know was that evil was afoot.

Gordon: -so I cast firaga and everything around me exploded into a fireball of death!

Shane: Very interesting. Now shut up and eat your food!

Gordon: Assmonkey.

Shane: What?

Gordon: I said these brass monkeys are awfully intricate.

Shane: What brass monkeys? (Looks back and Gordon had reappeared at the other table.)

Kyle: So Shane what's your story?

Shane: Well I was brought up by my millionaire parents but decided to leave home to make my fortune!

Samuel: No offense dude but you're a shoe shine boy.

Shane: And?

Kurt: And your parents were millionaires.

Shane: So?

Kyle: So you walked away from millions of dollars! To do what? Shine shoes?

Shane: Your point being?

Everyone stares at him for a second and then start eating again.

Kyle: Anyway...how did our adventure start again?

Samuel: Well techincally we weren't doing anything and then Kurt's airship crashed and we're suddenly on a journey to some unknown destination.

Kurt: Meh. Suits me. I'm in for an adventure. Tired of the boring life I lead in the army.

Kyle: The army is for the dogs!

A soldier from the royal army happened to be sitting nearby and heard Kyle's foolish outburst.

SoldierDude: You take that back you young punk!

Kyle: But it's true!

SoldierDude: I've served in this army for 15 years and you're insulting the very service i devote my life to!?

Kyle: Yeah i suppose i am.

SoldierDude: I ought to kick your ass! (Throws a dagger at Kyle.)

The dagger flies through the air and lands in Samuel's soup.

Kyle: Bet the army taught you how to throw knives too eh?

A slam of the table is heard and a hush falls throughout the restaurant. The dagger now sticking into the wooden table and Samuel stands up.

Samuel: You have violated my eating space. You will pay for what you have done!

SoldierDude: Oh? And what are you going to do skeletor?

Samuel: Prepare for the utmost humiliation.

A green light pulsed throughout the restaurant for half a second followed by a sound that was similar to heartbeat.

SoldierDude: Is this the part where I'm supposed to feel some-Oh crap! (Realizes that his pants are down.)

The entire Restaurant bursts into rapturous laughter as the Soldier's pink undergarments are exposed.

Gordon: Wahahahah! Are those issued by the squadron?

Kurt: Have some self respect man!

Shane: That's a crazy looking pair of underpants.

SoldierDude: Shut up! All of you! Who says a man can't wear pink huh?

Kyle: Well, actually it says right here in this book that should a man wear pink he is to be punished by eating of brussel sprouts.

SoldierDude: (Gasps) Not brussel sprouts! (Gets taken away by two burly lawmen.) I'll be back on the streets by dinnertime you pieces of shi-

Gordon: Shitake mushrooms please. Oh and a little more soba.

Kyle: Whoa Samuel that was awesome. Where'd you learn to do that?

Samuel: I dunno. But that way cool. Everything suddenly became slow motion and I was moving in real time and i had the amazing power to pull down his pants even though it was buckled up tight.

Gordon: Coooooool...

Kurt: Okay so we got someone who spits alot and someone who can pull down people's pants. What good is that?

Shane: Who knows? Might come in handy.

Man In black suit: There they are! Get them!

Six men in black suits charge at the five of them. The same heart beat noise is heard and the pulse of green light illuminates the restaurant and in the next instant the six men are knocked out unconscious having tripped on their own trousers.

Kyle: Look out Shane theres one behind you!

A seventh man in a black suit tries to grab shane but he spits at him with such power that he is pinned gto the wall in a webbing of saliva.

Gordon: Reminds me of the alien series. Cool.

Kurt: Well that proves that you guys are worth something. Check please!

They pay for their meal and leave the restaurant,leaving everyone there bewildered with six men unconscious and one trapped in a disgusting sticky trap.

Kyle: So who do you think those guys were?

Samuel: Dunno. Some dudes from the government maybe.

Gordon: You mean the king.

Samuel: Right. I forgot democracy hasn't taken effect yet...

Kurt: But what would the king want with us?

Kyle: Well for one we kinda destroyed the plateau a while ago.

Kurt: Oh yeah. But nahh can't be that simple.

Shane: Oh well. Only one thing to do.

Samuel: What's that?

Shane: Go on a meaningless adventure where we battle unknown bad guys till we find the king!

Kyle: Works for me!

Gordon: I'm a level 60 black mage. It should be fine.

Kurt: Okay but i'm stopping buy lunatic lucy's airship department I'm tired of walking damnit!

To be continued