The school bell rang signifying the end of the school day. Everyone got out of their chairs and began filing out of the classroom resuming conversations they were having before class and chit-chatting about upcoming tests and school life.
"Remember everyone you've got a test with me tomorrow…Don't be late! Or I'll fail you on the spot!"
Caleb and Lizzy both got up from their desks tucking their school chairs under them and filing out of the door like the other students.
"Hey, Caleb. Can we take the train home instead I don't wanna waaalllk"
Lizzy looked at Caleb with a pouty face and flung her arms down by her side in an exasperated and over-the-top manner in an attempt to convince Caleb.
"But it's like a 20-minute walk are you really that lazy You'd rather pay for the metro then just walking we'd only be on it for 10 minutes anyway"
"Oh, c'mon my legs are tired and I'm sleeepy"
"You really are such a wuss, fine we'll take the metro but you're paying me back for my ticket by buying me lunch tomorrow"
"Wha- fineeee…"
The two exited the school building and were greeted by the glistening glow of the winter sunset. The sky was lit up a light crimson like a neon sign in the window of a restaurant casting a faint red glow on the buildings in the surrounding area as the sun was slowly disappearing past the horizon.
"Man, the sky looks amazing this time of day"
"Wooooah you're right it does!"
The two walked over to the metro station across the street from the school scanning their glossy blue travel cards as they entered through the rotating metal gates.
"Lucky there's no one here I can have this comfy bench all to myself while we wait"
Lizzy plopped herself down on the blue-faded metal bench closest to the platform sprawling
her arms out and sighing as she made herself comfortable.
"The next train to Oakwill place will arrive in 2 minutes"
The announcement echoed throughout the empty train station reverberating off of the cold concrete walls. Caleb decided to take a seat beside Lizzy, and despite calling her a wuss, he had to admit that his feet were also a bit tired.
"…"
"…"
"Caleb?"
"Yeah…?"
"About that thing you told me at lunchtime…D-did your grandma say if only one person was allowed to go?"
"No, actually but…"
"Well then! I-if it turns out that more than one person can go then…C-can I come?
Lizzy turned slightly red as she sat, staring at Caleb with determination in her eyes.
"Well, I don't even know if it's real and wouldn't it be dangerous and-?"
"Please Caleb!"
Lizzy leaned in closer to Caleb she was practically on top of him at his point her eyes being centimetres away from Caleb's. Caleb could feel her breath on the side of his neck as she stared him directly in the eyes with an even more determined expression.
("What is her deal?!")
"O-ok…sure"
Lizzy's face instantly lit up and a smile grew across her face.
"N-now do you mind…Y'know…getting off of me…"
Lizzy snapped back to her senses, and recoiled back away from Caleb and into her original sitting position, her face turning even redder as she looked away out of embarrassment.
"Train 4 to Oakhill has now arrived at Platform 2. Passengers Boarding from the Left side"
"That's us! Let's go"
"Y-yeah"
Lizzy and Caleb boarded the empty metro train and slumped into the faded red leather seats at the left side of the train. A minute later, an announcement sounded.
"Doors are closing please step away from the entrances"
The announcement was followed by the high-pitched whirring and buzzing of the grey metal doors as they clicked into place; and the jolt of the train as its electric whinny motor kicked into action and began accelerating the train along the tracks.
"Huh look it started raining, quite heavily too"
Caleb looked out the window at the serene nighttime town. The waterdrops made vein-like lines down the rattling windows as they fell obscuring and warping the quiet townscape behind them.
"Oh yeah… jeez it really is heavy, bet you're glad I chose the train aren't you!"
Just as Caleb was about to reply, a loud boom reverberated through the sky followed by a flash which was accompanied by the slight flickering of the fluorescent lights inside the train.
"eek!!!!"
Lizzy screamed and covered her ears like a scared kitten curling up in a ball on her seat. Tears started to build in her eyes.
"Jeez Liz, it's only lightning no need to cry or anything"
"I-I wasn't! It just…surprised me is all!"
"Sure, sure. Although it is weird, we don't usually get thunderstorms around here and I didn't hear anything on the news about it…"
"Yeah…Maybe it just rolled in or something like that?"
"Could be..."
"..."
"..."
The momentary silence was interrupted by a faint rumble, followed by a shudder that shook the train carriage. It shook the train car enough to make Caleb lose his balance slightly.
"W-what the heck was that!"
Caleb steadied himself against the wall of the train carriage looking around for the possible cause of the rumble.
"C-Caleb this is…"
Before Lizzy could finish speaking Caleb shouted having found the cause of the disturbance.
"The bridge! Ahead! It's collapsed!"
"T-The bridge h-how?!"
"I don't know a heavy tree must have fell on it or something. Either way, we don't have time to wonder pull the emergency brake!"
Lizzy sprinted over to a red box located at the middle of the train car labelled 'Emergency brake. Break Glass'
"Hyaah!"
Lizzy Elbowed the glass as hard as she could, causing it to shatter into thousands of small shards, which made a *twang* noise as they fell to the ground. She pulled the handle with all her might and almost immediately the train's emergency brake kicked in causing the wheels to make an ear-piercing screeching and grinding noise as they slid on the wet slippery train tracks.
"Woahaaaa!"
Lizzy was launched forward into Caleb as the train jolted from the sudden deceleration. Caleb pulled Lizzy up to her feet as he watched agonisingly as the end of the track was inching ever closer.
("We're not going to stop in time!")
Caleb was paralysed in fear not knowing what to do…when suddenly a thought hit him…
("The soul gem…Is…this the time?")
Even if Caleb still didn't completely believe in it, there was nothing else he could do. He yanked the soul gem out of his pocket and held it tightly to his chest.
"Hold on to me Lizzy! Don't let go!"
Caleb pulled Lizzy by the arm towards him into almost an embrace and made sure that both of them were touching the soul gem.
"I'm sorry Caleb…I'm sorry"
Lizzy sobbed into Caleb's shoulder shaking from fear and regret as Caleb shut his eyes.
("Is this it? Are we going to die here…Please Work Soul Gem I'm begging you, if you don't save me, please at least save Lizzy, please…?")
Suddenly, Caleb felt his stomach drop and his feet leave the ground a sense of weightlessness overcame him…this was it; the train was no longer on the tracks. It fell for what felt like minutes for Caleb and Lizzy, but in reality, it was only a few seconds.
"…"
"…Caleb I…"
Before Lizzy could say anything, the deafening crumpling and screeching of the metal chassis of the train tearing and ripping and windows caving in with a crash; filled the metal cabin. Caleb and Lizzy felt like they were being crushed and impaled from all angles like the world was closing in on them and the earth was swallowing them whole.
Caleb felt a sudden sharp pain on his forehead then…
Nothing, he couldn't feel anything anymore. It was like someone took away all his senses and just left his consciousness behind. Surrounding him was just a black void.
".."
He tried to cry out to Lizzy or say something, but he had no voice. He waited, not knowing what to do or what was happening, it seemed like an eternity, but finally…he felt something, it felt hard but also crumbly, almost like…dirt.
"Nggnh"
Caleb let out a groan, he could feel his body again, but he was in pain, it felt like someone had kicked every inch of his body. He tried opening his eyes and he was met with a blinding light. As his eyes adjusted to his new environment he could make out the outline of trees with pine-like, dark green branches soaring high above what appeared to be a forest floor, above them was a picturesque horizon, the kind you'd only see in video games and movies, with huge fluffy white cloud columns that decorated a sky that was a beautiful light blue the same sort of blue you would find on the feathers of a blue jay.
*W-Where Am I?*
Caleb sat up to better study his new surroundings. In front of him was a clearing, or rather a dirt path that curved around a bend, and behind him was a small grass field surrounded by the interlacing trees of the forest.
("D-did I make it?")
Caleb looked around at his surroundings in amazement and wonder, it was like his childhood fantasy, his dream; came true. He had been reincarnated in Estria, however, his amazement and wonder were short-lived as he began to realise that something…or rather someone was missing.
("Hold on… where's…. Liz!?")