Chapter 2: Unfamiliar Faces
After the surprising encounter with the former train conductor known as Amelia, we decided to invite her inside. We sat in the living room and told each other our stories of the train. Amelia told us that after the loss of her husband she became the conductor of the train and tried to get him back using it's technology, but Tulip showed her that she needed to accept what happened and move forward. Mike and I told her that after he lost his mother, Mike found himself on the train and after he met me, we ran from the flecs together until we escaped through his exit.
"Hold on a moment," Amelia said while sipping some tea, "You managed to come to earth through an exit? How is that possible?"
"I'm not really sure, we think it let me through because I came from Tulip."
"Hmm, it's quite interesting. I figured you got here the same way I did."
"How did you get here?"
"I'm unsure of how, but a couple of months ago I was on the train, and the next moment I saw a blinding green light then I'm standing in an alleyway with no idea where I was."
Mike and I exchanged looks, "Maybe It's the same for the bird and the lizards."
"The what?" asked Amelia with a confused look.
We then took Amelia to the backyard and showed her the rock lizard in the shed. She stared at them deep in thought.
"Faciniating, it appears that I was not the only one of the train sent here."
"We have no idea why this is happening," said Mike, "We're not even sure what to do."
Amelia thought for a moment then looked to us, "Then perhaps I could help."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, I am quite knowledgeable when it comes to the train and its workings. I could find a way to send this one back home."
"You'd do that?"
"Of course, we can't have denizens of the train running amok here. They were made to help passengers, not to be cooped up in a shed."
After that we exchanged our numbers and Amelia took the rock lizard with her to try and make something to get it back to the train. After a day with so much excitement I was ready to sit down and do nothing. Unfortunately sometime after everyone was home we had to explain to Mike's cousin Chris why his bike, that had been stored in the shed, looked like it was half eaten.
Two days go by with little word from Amelia, and Mike and I were in a school lunchroom colored in black, white, and purple with large artwork of a lion sitting above the main exits. We were sitting at a table with two boys eating lunch together.
One had long dark brown hair with a hoodie with the word doom in bold white letters on the front. This was one of Mike's friends Gus. Gus was super into video games so we got along pretty fast. He actually introduced me to one of my favorite game franchises, Kingdom Hearts. Usually if Gus wasn't playing on his nintendo switch, he'd be talking about games.
The other boy had short neat black hair, glasses, and a black tee shirt with a bat logo on the front. This was Mike's other friend Jeremy. He also liked video games but he was more into superheroes. Most of his wardrobe had something to do with either Marvel or DC, usually DC. But out of all the heroes, Batman was his favorite.
"The hell do you mean the Joker movie was just ok?" asked Jeremy annoyed.
"Just what I said," replied Gus. "It was ok, I mean I liked it at the beginning but they made the ending super vague."
"Dude, that ending was perfect. The Joker has hundreds of origins up his sleeve. The movie could be Arthur's actual origin or one he made up. Besides Joaquin Phoenix killed it as the Joker, he might have even surpassed Heath Ledger."
Gus legitimately looked offended after that last comment. "Ok now you've gone too far."
I was not looking forward to the approaching argument, luckily however Mike knew exactly what to say to put an end to it.
"Hey at least we can agree that they're both better than Jared Leto's Joker."
"Well duh."
"Obviously."
Most of the time when there was a disagreement at the table Mike would try to change the subject, or at the very least be the tie breaker.
"That actually reminds me," said Gus, "Mike, Heather, are you two going to the comic book convention in a few weeks."
"I am." said Mike eagar.
"I'm going to go too but I don't think I'm gonna dress up like you guys." I explained.
"But that's one of the best parts Heather," said Jeremy. "Cosplaying as characters you enjoy is so much fun."
"I don't know, I'll think about it."
Just then a couple of girls walked past our table and were talking.
"But it looked so real."
"Are you kidding, that was obviously CGI. Like if those things were real why would they wreck a jewelry store of all things"
"Yeah I guess."
As they walked off, their conversation reminded Gus of something.
"Oh, did you guys see that video that went viral, with the lizard things?"
"What are you talking about?" Mike asked.
"Yesterday someone uploaded some surveillance footage of some weird stone lizards trashing a jewelry store."
Mike and I looked at each other slightly worried.
"Oh yeah I saw that too." said Jeremy, "Man whoever made that has too much time on their hands."
"I know right, although I wish I could edit like that."
"Could we see that video Gus?" I asked.
"Sure." Gus then pulled out his phone and started tapping the screen. "Just let me find it."
After a few minutes of tapping Gus grew a confused expression.
"Huh, that's weird."
"What is it?"
"Well I can't find the video. In fact nothing related to it is showing up either."
"Don't worry man," said Jeremy, "I downloaded it on my phone.
Jeremy pulled out his phone then turned it toward us to watch. On the screen we saw a jewelry store with people browsing the glass displays filled with rare metals and gemstones. Shortly after three lizards made of stone charged through the front windows causing everyone inside to panic. As the people were rushing to the exit, the lizards simply ignored them and made their way to the jewelry, smashing the displays and eating what lay inside. The video ends with the lizards leaving the store, presumably to eat jewelry that people might have dropped in the panic.
"Cool right?" asked Jeremy.
"Huh, yeah… Cool."
After lunch I began to feel anxious. When I watched that video I couldn't help but think that probably millions of people have seen it, but I figured it would be alright because most likely everyone would think it's fake. Unfortunately the very thought of those lizards just made me again stress out over how in the world we're gonna send them back to the train. For the rest of the day I felt like I was on autopilot, focusing mainly on my thoughts and only responding to people when they talked to me. I'm pretty sure Austin was making fun of us at some point but I barely noticed. Eventually Mike and I were walking home from school and we started talking about our odd situation.
"Why is this happening?" I said, "Why after everything we've been through, we still have to deal with the train?"
"I wish I knew." said Mike.
"I thought I could live my life freely, but the train is still haunting me."
"Hey c'mon," Mike put a hand on my shoulder, "We just gotta find those lizards."
"And what happens when something like that crazy monster teacher shows up, god how are we even gonna send them back?"
Immediately after my question, both me and Mike's phones got a new notification. We both got a message from the number Amelia gave us.
'This is Amelia,' It read, 'Come to the following address, I think I've made a breakthrough.'
Underneath the message was an address that was a short detour from our way home.
Later we found ourselves standing in the small parking lot for an apartment complex. When we arrived, Amelia told us to look for door number eleven. After a small amount of searching we found the door and gave it a knock.
Moments later the door opened slightly revealing the face of an older woman. The door was stopped by a chain attached near the top.
"Ah there you are," said Amelia. "Just a moment."
Amelia then closed the door, undid the chain and welcomed us in. Inside we saw what looked like a living room turned tinkering station. There were two brown couches, one on a back wall and a shorter one sitting next to the first facing the left side of the room, but there were weird contraptions and boxes of parts taking up any sitting room. On the left wall sat a black desk and chair with sheets of blank paper, a container for wooden pencils, and a few stray nuts and bolts. There was an opening in the right wall that led to a kitchen/dining area, and finally there was a closed door in the middle of the back wall.
"Nice place." said Mike, not sure what else to say.
"Thank you."
"Anyway you said you made a breakthrough?"
"That's right, follow me."
Amelia led us through the closed door into a bedroom which had two things of note. One, a double bed pushed all the way to the left wall, and two, taking up most of the space in the room, was a large cage housing the rock lizard eating a pile of scrap metal.
Amelia reached into her pocket and pulled out a small round device with a button in the center.
"What is that?" I asked both confused and intrigued.
"This might be the key to sending our friend here back home."
"How?"
"Allow me to explain. You see all of the denizens of the train are created with a special energy that keeps them tied to it, that's why they cannot leave by normal means. That same energy is applied to the passengers upon arriving on the train via their number, and when a certain requirement is fulfilled it activates the energy, amplifying it to create a portal home. So in theory, a denizen's energy could be used to send it back to the train in a similar manner. That's where this comes in." Amelia said as she motioned to the device in her hand again. "This device will amplify the energy and create a portal for the denizen to return to the train."
"That's amazing." said Mike.
"Is it tested?" I asked.
"That is actually why I called you two here." Amelia walked up to the cage and placed a hand through and gently placed the device on the rock lizard's stone back. "I thought you'd like to see if it works too."
Amelia then pushed the button and stepped backwards. Upon activation the inner parts device started to glow green and it then stuck onto the lizard. Suddenly the energy turned blue and a portal just about the size of the lizard appeared and started to wrap itself around the stone creature. Inside the portal looked like a rocky terrain with stone spires and holes in the ground. It was kinda hard to see but I could tell that it was none other than the Rock Lizard Car. The portal traveled down the lizard's body, transporting it to the train. When the lizard was fully through, the portal shrunk and disappeared leaving only the round device on the floor.
As the blue energy faded away Amelia looked proud of what she had accomplished while Mike and I had expressions of wonder and amazement. Later Amelia told us how to work the devices and we made our way home with an actual solution to our problem.
The past couple nights I've been finding myself staying awake thinking of how in the world we'd get the lizards to the train, but for the next few days I was able to sleep soundly. With Amelia's devices in our hands I felt ready to hunt down the remaining lizards as well as anything else from the train. Except, things seemed quiet. A couple days go by with no sign of them anywhere. I actually started to think they left town or something.
Of course, that was until the weekend came by.
It was a Saturday around noon and Heather and I decided to go on a date at an ice cream parlor downtown with some of the money we had left from the train. We sat at a small round table with four cushioned metal stools. We were chatting while enjoying our ice cream. I know Heather enjoyed hers because after she took the first bite, she looked like she had tasted heaven.
"Holy cow, how have you not taken me to get ice cream before?" asked Heather practically with stars in her eyes, "I feel a little betrayed here."
She was eating a bowl of chocolate chip ice cream while I had vanilla with m&ms on top.
"Sorry, but maybe I can ask Lori if we can buy some next time we go grocery shopping."
"I will love you so much more if you do that for me."
I smiled. Seeing Heather try things for the first time is always nice to see. I remember the first time I witnessed her go head over heels for food. It was in a Texas themed restaurant on the train and we were eating steaks and fries. After the first bite Heather's face filled with so much emotion, I think she even cried a little. Seeing Heather enjoy new food so much always made me feel happy, simply because she was too.
I was about to continue the conversation when suddenly we heard screaming outside. I looked towards the front window and saw people running away from something.
"Seriously, now?" asked Heather annoyed. "Our first date in forever and something has to happen?"
"Let's see what's going on," I stood up with a sigh, "Although I have a feeling I know what it is."
Heather and I left the ice cream parlor and sped to the source of the commotion. We arrived at a parking lot in front of a small hardware store and were met with a familiar scene. Out of the store came two stone lizards after eating metal tools from inside. This time both lizards noticed us right away and immediately booked it. One went left of the store and the other went to the right.
"Let's split up." said Heather, already running toward the right lizard.
"Right." I said with a nod.
I chased the left lizard for a couple blocks until it suddenly turned right and burst straight through the doors to a building. It had just gone into a closed general store. I followed behind the lizard.
Inside it was dark and most of the shelves were empty, however some of them still had things on them. I looked over and noticed that the lizard had made a beeline for some aluminum foil on some of the shelves near the back, and that's when I saw my chance.
I pulled Amelia's device out of my pocket and carefully closed the distance between me and the lizard. When I was close enough I jumped onto the lizard's back and placed the device on it. Soon after it threw me off but I managed to press the button before it did. I watched as the lizard disappeared in a blue light. I walked over and grabbed the device and put it back in my pocket.
After leaving the store I pulled out my phone and went to text Heather my success.
I wasn't about to let this lizard get away with interrupting me and Mike's ice cream date. I began to chase it past various other stores until it burst into a barber shop. Almost immediately after, everyone from inside ran out panicking. As the last of them left the building I proceeded inside.
There was a waiting area in the front of the shop and six stations for the barbers with large mirrors over each of them and a door in the back. The lizard was in the center of the room eating a pile of barber's tools on the floor. I couldn't approach it because I knew that it would just run through the backdoor. I was trying to think of what I could do when I noticed a small hand mirror sitting behind the lizard. Then I got an idea.
I snuck toward one of the mirrors on the wall. When I was standing in front of it I looked down at my hand
'I haven't tried this since the train.' I thought.
I then placed my hand on the mirror. As I applied pressure, I was surprised to see that my hand had phased through the mirror. As I looked at my arm on the other side I had noticed that the chrome trimming on my sleeve had turned dark green.
'I can still enter the mirror world.' I thought to myself in disbelief. I wasn't sure if it was actually gonna work. I then stepped over the sink and drawers below the mirror and fully went into the mirror world. I felt that same chill as I entered, and I always hated it.
I walked past the lizard's reflection and knelt down near the hand mirror. I then pulled out Amelia's device from my jacket pocket and quickly punched my arm through the small mirror. Before the lizard could notice I held the device to it's leg and pushed the button.
I pulled my arm back from the prime world as I watched a blue portal start to envelope the lizard's reflection. Before it disappeared I noticed that the device had appeared on the reflection's leg after I placed it on it's prime counterpart. After the lizard was gone I returned to the prime world and retrieved the device. When I left the building I got a text from Mike.
'That's 2 lizards down.'
I smiled as I responded.
'Make that 3.'
Honestly I've been worried about the lizards and whatever else might come here, but with Mike by my side and with Amelia's help, I felt like everything would be okay.
With all that's transpired I couldn't help but curse myself for not finding the answer to this strange occurrence. Creatures only found in one place are now popping up on earth. It should be impossible. I was in my dark paneled office where I stood in front of my desk with several documents, a bottle of wine with glasses, and my black helmet. I stared down at all the reports that lay in front of me.
"Stone lizards, water beings, rainbow lobsters, hell even a boy with chameleon-like skin," I thought aloud to myself, "Why are they here?"
No matter how hard I tried I could only see the one connection, their point of origin.
The train.
I sighed as I sat down and poured myself a drink being careful to not spill any on my custom black suit.
"There must be a reason why this has been happening. Perhaps th-"
My thoughts were cut short when I heard a knock at the door.
"Enter." I ordered.
The door opened and an android with black plating and blue tinted eyes walked inside. It was holding a small screen.
"Sir I have a report on the stone creatures." It said in a synthesized voice.
"I told each of you to not to bother me with sightings, If you have a location then send a team to-"
"Sir, the creatures have returned to the train."
I was surprised by that claim, It would be highly unlikely for them to return on their own, and I should be the only one who would know where to send them back to.
"What? How?"
The android handed me the screen in its hands and a video on it started to play. I watched surveillance footage of what looked like a busy barber shop. Suddenly a creature made of stone burst through the front door and began to eat metal objects causing the patrons and employees to run away in a panic. After everyone had left an orange haired girl with a purple jacket entered.
I was curious of what this girl could be thinking, but soon that curiosity turned into pure confusion as the girl walked over to a nearby mirror. I easily noticed that the girl's reflection was missing, but the most interesting part was that she had phased straight through the mirror. Moments later from behind the creature an arm emerged from a hand mirror on the ground, and placed a small device on the stone beast. After a blinding flash of blue light the creature was gone and the girl passed through the mirror once more to retrieve the device.
I was baffled, how could it be that this girl was able to not only send the creature back, but was also able to go between realities like that. Only someone who has knowledge of the train could possibly... Soon my look of confusion would turn into a grin.
"Well then, it appears that there is a new piece to this puzzle."