"The Train Never Stopped" (341-words)

I was sitting on my couch, back resting against the soft cushions, when I felt the floor tremble beneath my feet.<br><br>"What in the hell?" I thought to myself.<br><br>After another few seconds of earth-shaking rumbling, I moved towards the window and pulled back the curtains. That's when I saw it. A massive steam train chugged down the road, smoke billowing from its stack and its whistle blowing.<br><br>"Fuck," I cursed.<br><br>We used to have a train track behind our house with the track and everything. But one day, the city decided to close that train down without any warning. It was left abandoned for years and the only thing that remained was a dirt road and a dead train track.<br><br>I moved out decades ago, but the mere sight of a train racing down the road in front of my childhood home was enough for me to pack my bags and hop on it.<br><br>I tossed my bag onto the floor of the passenger car and collapsed onto the nearest seat. The whistle blew again, and without anymore waiting, the train throttled down the road out of my childhood neighborhood and into the countryside.<br><br>"Weird shit," I thought.<br><br>"What the hell was the train doing? All the tracks are gone!"<br><br>Before I knew it, we reached the countryside and the buildings didn't seem to be as organized. Trees on either side of the road surrounded me and in the distance, I could see the sun setting over the mountains.<br><br>"Alright," I thought, "No big deal. It'll stop at the next town and I can get off."<br><br>The whistle blew again and the train sped through that town. I felt a rush of fear as we stomped over the concrete road, and the people in the town watched as the train whizzed past without a warning.<br><br>"Shit!" I shouted and clutched onto the armrests of my seat.<br><br>"What the fuck?"<br><br>We pierced through city after city, and with each stop there were screams onlookers and honking cars. I yelled out curses as we sped past everything, and I could feel my blood pumping in my veins.<br><br>As night began to fall, I thought to myself, "There are no lights on this road. It's gonna crash." I shut my eyes for only a moment, but when I opened them, we had already flown through two cities.<br><br>"Okay," I thought, "Not gonna stop. But how are there no lights? Why isn't it slowing? Alright, let's get some fucking answers!"<br><br>I picked up my bag and walked towards the door to the engineer's room. When I entered, a man with a kettle hat and a white beard was busy working the controls.<br><br>"What the hell is going on here?!" I screamed at him, waving my hands in the air.<br><br>He turned around, smiled, and said, "Hello! Welcome aboard!"<br><br>"The train never stops!" I shouted. "It's been a day and a half! How are you gonna stop this thing?"<br><br>The old man waved his hand, "It goes on forever."<br><br>"What? Not possible!" I shouted, "The tracks are gone! There used to be a track near my house and you tore right through all of it without slowing!"<br><br>The man chuckled. "The world is a confusing place boy."<br><br>I was fuming. "You need to stop this train! Alright? Before it crashes!" I could feel myself shaking with anger and confusion.<br><br>"Alright," he said. "I'm gonna stop it."<br><br>"Thank the lord," I thought.<br><br>The steam train throttled down the street at full speed, without lights, until the old man shot a lever into the down position. Instantly, I felt the brakes push against the wheels.<br><br>But it didn't slow. It didn't slow and I felt like I was floating out of my seat and into the air. I cried out in fear as the train went through cities and countries without lights, speeding at top speed without slowing.<br><br>But the brakes were on. I saw it. The levers were down and the man was sitting in his seat without a sign of concern. I felt like I was dreaming. I pinched myself and it hurt. I was awake.<br><br>This train was never going to stop.<br><br>I never got off.