There's an air of nervous excitement as you hand the conductor your hard-earned ticket to Hadestown. He takes it after a moment's hesitation, as if confirming your answer, and when you nod resolutely so does he, inviting you onto the waiting train with a wave. You sit down and look out the window, eager for the next stage of your journey to begin.
Soon others trickle in; some look confident and eager to get going, while others look deeply uncertain. Either way, you're all in the same car, and you give friendly waves to the other riders. It's exciting to think you're all headed to the same place, and you briefly wonder what brought them here before two people nearby begin talking.
The man on the left is sure his cousin Jax will be fine without him; he has a good head on his shoulders and a beanie to keep it warm, and you vaguely recall seeing a happy-go-lucky bar patron in the summer months. The woman on the right laughs and says if he isn't fine, they'll have a word with Mr. Hades and things will sort themselves out.
They continue talking, as do the others around you, and you hear snippets of conversation and names—Afra, John, Kimberly, and Dwayne. You don't quite catch the tall man's name, but he smiles all the same at the thought of where you're headed. All of them boarded the lonely train to Hadestown for whatever reasons they care to share, and the stories overlap in your mind.
As for yourself, you know it was…
The promise of money: Go to Part IA.
The passion of love: Go to Part IB.
A well-kept secret: Go to Part IC.