I check my watch. The hands disappointingly show me 10:15. Wait, we only have fifteen minutes to get to the train. Unfortunately, I was forced to break the fragile silence. "Fuck. Jae. I hate to ruin this, but we need to go. Now. Like, running. We don't have time." I hesitate, admiring the beauty one last time. Looking over to Jae, she nodded, indicating that she was ready.
"Ready? Set? Go!" I screamed and took off sprinting back from where we came from. The fireflies rushed out of our path, probably wondering why the hell we were running. There was too much running about, but perhaps it's to prepare for Purple. Maybe this is practice for running for our lives. I shake away the silly thought, and move slightly faster.
Anxious excitement rushes over me as I follow close behind Candy, my feet carrying me faster than I ever thought I could run. Maybe it was the adrenaline pushing me to go quicker. With 6 minutes left, we arrive at the train.
"I have everything, right?" I ask as I habitually check my bag for anything missing. As far as I can remember, everything is in there. I sigh in relief as I plop myself onto the train seat, the adrenaline fading as the exhaustion hits me like a wave. I look over at Candy as the noticeably empty train begins to start towards Purple.
As soon as I stepped onto the train, I noticed the incredible void of human voices. We had been the only people left on the train. It was very eerie, causing me to shudder. I knew that even if we arrived at Purple, there was always the option of backing out. I wondered if we should. Maybe we have been overestimating ourselves. Maybe there wasn't a chance for us, nothing good to come, and just a stupid death for stupid people. Was the potential of risking our lives to prove a point really worth it? Is that what we're doing? Proving a point? I wanted to prove to the world, to my sister, that I could live where I wanted to, even in a death wish place like Purple.
Jae looked at me, and the train moved forward, leaving behind the blue city. The moon shone directly in my face. I pulled up the photo I had captured and leaned over to show Jae.
"Look how pretty you are!" I smiled. The conductor interrupted us with a message over the intercom.
I gasp at the photo Candy took. "Oh my gosh! That's so neat! I didn't even realize you took that photo!"
Suddenly the conductor's voice echoes across the room.
"On our way to Purple. For the few that are on this train, I'll pray for you."
I look over at Candy after hearing his eerie voice. It was usually friendly, in fact I considered talking to the conductor myself just to get to know him, but his voice just then was…different. It sent chills down my back.
I pull my knees up to my chest, almost wanting to cry. The conductor added piles of anxiety onto me. It occurred to me, he probably knew most about Purple, seeing as he goes to their station every week.
"Well… that was… maybe he knows something? The truth? Think we could sneak up there?" I said. It was a hollow suggestion, I doubted he would be willing to talk to us, but perhaps we were special circumstances. I rubbed my arms, the air suddenly thin and cold.
I watch Candy intently. Her uneasiness only fueled mine as we sat there in a state of discomfort. Candy starts murmuring. "Well…that was…maybe he knows something? The truth? Think we could sneak up there?" I perk up, remembering I considered doing that beforehand.
"Maybe we should try, just to ask a few questions." It suddenly occurred to me that I have no idea what kind of questions I'd ask him. I look at Candy, awaiting a response from her. Maybe he's just trying to scare everyone. It is a commonly known rumor after all, and he has made a few jokes along the train ride. Maybe that was one of them.
I nod to Jae in agreement. We both sit up and move to the next car. As I step outside, the wind immediately hits my face. It blows my hair in all different directions. Carefully, we jump across the gap. This should be the conductor's carriage, since we were in the front. I reach for the door and step inside to see an old man sitting behind multiple screens and buttons. He has shabby white hair and a plethora of freckles. The man jumped slightly, startled by our presence.
"Hi, I'm Candy. This is Jae. Apologies for barging in, are we allowed to be in here? We have… questions."
"Oh," The man starts, pressing a few buttons and turning his entire chair to face us. He leans forward onto his knees and puts his hands together. He does all this slowly, as if he himself is a form of machinery and each movement sends every working part into action. "it's very nice to meet you two. I assume you have questions about what Purple is like?"
I hesitate with words, I'm almost too fascinated by this man to even react. His eyes hold a thousand years in them, but that's impossible. He's got to be at least 60 or so. I look at Candy, praying that she'll know what sort of question she's going to ask him.
Jae glances over at me. Yet again, I was forced to think up questions. I look back to the man. "Uh, first, what's your name? My main question is if the train station… is actually a station.
"Any information on Purple would be great, actually. I'm sure you know we don't want the mysterious I-won't-tell-you-anything-but-don't-go-there talk," I waited anxiously for his answer. His eyes flickered back between us, then placed his hands on his knees as if preparing.
"I am Lenny."
I watch the man, Lenny, inhale deeply, the fumes of the burning coals filling his lungs as his hoarse breath gives away his many years near the smokes resonating from the train. He clears his throat, possibly from all the tar that caked the walls of his lungs, as his eyebrows raise up to look at the two of us. I can feel Candy awaiting intensely, as if she's prepared for this moment her entire life.
"Purple is…" He pauses, as his thousand-year-old eyes search for a word to describe Purple. "…fascinating, to say the least. It captivates you. It deceives you. I think only the strongest of souls could live there without succumbing to Purple's attractive hell."
He leans back in his chair, the legs squeaking just slightly as he tilts his head forward.
"You two," he began, putting a hand on his chin in deep thought, "you two have got some spirit, I'll tell you that. I can already confirm that you two may survive longer than many others." He pauses for a moment, allowing us to take this in.
"But…I need you to make me a promise." I look over at Candy curiously, to see how she's processing all this.
The conductor's raspy choice of words shocked me. My expectations of Purple were immediately crushed, and I was left with more questions than I had before. However, Lenny's words of encouragement made me smile.
"But… I need you to make me a promise," he says slowly. I shift my balance to my left foot, slightly leaning in. Lenny eyes the two of us for several seconds. "Since you two have been the only ones to even look to my advice, I want you to check in with me every time the train comes back to Purple, okay? I am curious to see what will happen. Promise?"
A cage in myself had been opened. Fear let loose, barking at every organ in my body, wrapping my mind up in its spiky fur. What if one day, we won't be able to meet with the conductor? What if we don't last a week, and we let this stranger down? More importantly, why do I feel such a strange vibe - no - 'connection' with this man?
Mindlessly, I spoke. "We will."
I look over at Candy in shock to her unexpected commitment to this man. At first I think about asking her if she's sure about what she's doing, but I hesitate. What's the harm in talking to this man once a week? We both would go there, so it's not like he can't do anything. In fact, I've seen how aggressive Candy can get, I know she can fight for herself. Plus, he's not wrong. If we don't succumb to whatever is there, we're still capable of making the decision to leave without ending our lives. That was something else I've heard. Some people believe that the only means of escape is suicide. That's what led me to believe that there is no escape. As if you can't get out of Purple…legally. Suddenly, the question seeps out of my lips before I process that I'm speaking.
"Does that mean no one's ever entered the train from Purple? Does Purple…let you leave?
Jae glances at me uncertainly. I cover my mouth, wondering where those words came from. Out of nowhere, Jae spoke.
"Does that mean no one's ever entered the train from Purple? Does Purple… let you leave?"
Lenny looked at us, furrowing his brows, "I'm not sure. My theory is that Purple does allow it, however, most people don't survive long enough to get back to the train station." His ominous words send chills down my bones. I nervously shifted my balance, my left leg getting tired. A silence filled the space as we pondered over questions. Lenny swiveled around to press a couple more buttons.
"Why do you believe we can survive longer? Where and when did you see potential in us? Have we… met before?" I wondered how he knew anything about us, seeing as he only stayed in control of the train. The other employees were in charge of the riders.
I sigh heavily, but try my best to keep my breathing quiet, as I await an answer from Mr. Lenny. He raises his eyebrows at Candy's questions.
"I believe that you two have a spark in your soul that will never go out, no matter what. I saw it the moment you two stepped on the train. It's just something about this train, it reveals character." He looks at us for a moment, eagerly waiting for our responses to his cryptic answer. I could see in his eyes that he wanted us to react. I'm not sure I could explain it, but in a way, it made me trust him a little more.
I opened my mouth to talk, when I looked outside for the first time. My eyes were so fixated on this strange old man, that the thought of what Purple's outskirts looked like hadn't crossed my mind. Or how much time had passed. It was almost impossible for that much time to pass so quickly.
A tint of a pink-purple color painted the sky, inviting me in just to notice specks of floating colors - hot air balloons. A few were floating around with different shades of purple. A small city sat in the far distance, and felt almost normal. Next to us were looming mountains, the tips covered in a thin layer of snow. The violet landscape was mystical, drawing me in. I unconsciously stepped towards the glass, taking in the sight.
"Woah."
My eyes fixate on the wonders that fell before me.
"Whoa." Candy breathed, just as amazed as I am. I'm unable to piece together words as the colors dance around the sky to form a new kind of beauty.
Mr. Lenny is eerily quiet.
It makes me wonder if he doesn't want to ruin the moment for us, but wants to remind us not to trust it. Instead, he inhales slowly and murmurs, "truly is something to behold, isn't it?"
I chuckle at the understatement and wait for Candy to find words, as I am still struggling.
Jae didn't reply, but I had no words either. I wanted to appreciate the dancing hues, but a voice in the back of my head told me it was only a mirage. I winced slightly, not wanting the view to go away, to reveal some hidden darkness. The conductor is expressionless - no - there was a glint of something, remorse, maybe?
Lenny talked for us, "Well, girls, you better get back to the seats. Get more sleep, you will need it. I need to get back to manning the train. When we arrive, I'll come talk to you." I nod my head in agreement, anxiety welling up in my chest. I look to Jae for a reaction.
I feel Candy's eyes on me, and pull myself from the trance that I fell into to follow Candy to the back of the train. As the door closed, I immediately turn to Candy.
"Do you believe him?" I ask expectantly. His heavy words weighed on my shoulders and I wasn't sure if I could understand what he means by Purple being deceiving. Maybe it was the people of Purple that Mr. Lenny is talking about, but after getting a taste of the sights, I may be willing to risk it just to live in such a beautiful and breathtaking place like Purple. Right?
"Do you believe him?" Jae says suddenly. I bite my lip, pondering over the question. My instinct is to trust the man who may have an idea of this mystery place, but just as much doubt clouds my mind. I stretch before sitting down.
"To be honest with you, I don't know anymore. Everything feels so… surreal. My mind can't keep up." I yawn, trying to avoid looking outside. "I want to have full energy when we get there, so I'm going to take a nap. You should too."
I lay on my pack. Thousands of thoughts try to enter my head, and I struggle keeping them out. Somehow, my eyes end up shutting anyways and the world fades to black as I dream of how Purple might be.
I nod at Candy's response as she relaxes in her seat and shortly falls asleep. I suppose after everyone's constant warnings; the man at the bar, people at home, people in the train station, and even the worried eyes throughout the journey. Is everyone under some sort of influence that compels them to say that? Is it all just one big coincidence of some sort? How could anyone hate such a wonderful place? Am I being deceived? The thoughts made me shudder, so I allowed them to run through my mind until they became a cloud, slowly seeping into my cloudy dreams, easing me into a deep sleep.
The train suddenly skids to a stop. I jolt awake. My lungs are struggling to catch up, and my hands are drenched in sweat. I look over to Jae, who somehow is sound asleep. I wonder if I should wake her up. My eyes wander to the station.
It is completely empty. Not a soul in sight. However, it is not dirty, nor bloody, nor overgrown, nor anything close to horrific. Purple station was unnervingly normal. A few benches scattered the place, along with lilac signs with directions. Royal purple colored flowers accompanied the benches. There was a very quiet melody coming from some type of speaker outside the train.
No announcement indicated our arrival, because Mr. Lenny had decided to wish us good luck himself. As he stepped in, I gently shook Jae awake.
"We're here."
I slowly and gently grow awake, until I hear Candy's voice. "We're here."
Alarm filled my chest as I struggle to focus my vision, standing up and losing my balance.
Purple. We're here. We're actually here. There's no backing out now. I quietly pick up my bags as Candy and I head out of the train. Mr. Lenny waves us off as he goes to the front of the train. I wonder if he plans on staying the whole 50 minutes. We enter the train station to see no one boarding the train. In fact, the train station was practically empty except for a clerk and a janitor. Noticing the lack in several job positions for this building, I turn to Candy and whisper, "Do you think the security guards are on break?" Every other train station I've been to has had a few security guards patrolling the building, but this one had no guards in sight. In fact, I didn't even see any security cameras. It suddenly dawned on me that maybe they didn't need security.
I spaced out for a bit, lost in my thoughts and anxiety. Jae's small voice pulled me back, "Do you think the security guards are on break?" The look on her face showed me she already knew the answer.
I took in a deep breath, realizing I forgot to breathe.
"What the hell do we do now?"
I started to walk towards the clerk. If we were going to live here, we needed to get some help. Perhaps someone who worked in Purple wouldn't be as cryptic.
"Uh, hi," I waved towards the woman. "I'm C-" I blink, about to say my real name. No, be cautious. "Christine. And this is Grace. We were wondering if you had any suggestions for where to rent a place?" I attempted a wink at Jae.
The woman eyed us for a bit, then smiled gently. "I'm Violet. I would be happy to help you!"
My heartbeat quickens upon hearing Candy lie about both of our names. I tried to hide the fact that my legs were shaking, but my shifty eyes may have given it away. I hoped the lady interpreted it as my nervousness to being in Purple.
"I'm Violet. I would be happy to help you!" Violet was quite a peculiar character. She wasn't wearing any sort of work uniform, in fact she was wearing quite the opposite. She wore a white crop top with spaghetti straps and, as she stood up to grab something, I saw her shorts. They were a dark, deep purple. On top of that, her hair had a choppy style to it and was dyed lilac. Tattoos covered her left arm in a sleeve. Definitely not someone I'd find working at a train station. She turns back to us and hands Candy a map.
"Alright babes, I'm gonna give you some strange directions to my favorite apartment complex but once you head that way you'll understand what I'm getting at. You ready?"
I look over at Candy and quietly nod to Violet.
"Okay, so when you first exit you're going to have three options; left, straight, or right. You're going to go straight. You're gonna pass a really nice pizza place and whatever you do, don't go in. You'll never get out, trust me, that food is heavenly. As soon as you pass the pizza place, you're gonna go left, which will lead you to the 'Crystal Garage' where some sick ass music is playing, you pass that and right around the corner, a couple blocks ahead, is your apartment. The kid at the desk is a sweet boy, he'll show you to your place. Did you get all that?"
"Okay, wait, so straight, left, right, avoid pizza…" I recite, not wanting to get lost at all. I hadn't even thought about how strangely friendly Violet was. Or why we had to avoid the pizza place. Perhaps it was something like the casino in Percy Jackson.
After quickly thanking the clerk, I started towards the exit of the train station. I placed a hand on Jae's shoulder, hoping it would maybe comfort her. Except, the only sentence I could form was nowhere near comforting.
"Should we trust her?" From watching tv shows, to just life experience, it's best not to trust anyone. Especially since we were in the most untrustworthy city ever. Violet could have sent us to a murder house for all we know. Maybe the pizza place wasn't all that bad. Maybe the apartments would be dangerous.
Not one second from this trip, had I ever stopped thinking of the "maybe's…"
