--
Yael and Solanne watched the train conductor disappeared from their sight. As if everything that happened was an illusion, the train carriage had become quiet and distance.
Solanne and Yael sat down. Their eyes were on the pamphlet that the train conductor has given them. They were both curious about the rules and all of the things he had said. He spoke nothing but riddles. He seemed to be implying something.
Just thinking back, Solanne feels like that train conductor has seen everything in life. Whether it be sadness, madness, happiness, euphoria, and even perhaps, the gods. She feels like there was something behind his smiles that were hiding something.
Isn't this all ridiculous. Is her mind just making this up? She's over analyzing this! Perhaps, she went insane. This is just a dream, Solanne wanted to dismiss.
This was beyond what the norm was and there was no logical explanation that could ever explain this yet here they were. A place without any touch of science and a place where perhaps, magic exists.
Magic? Solanne wanted to scoff. She's passed that age. Well, but how she'll explain this?
Solanne thought of writing everything this down. She wanted to document what she was experiencing. Perhaps this was what she was waiting. Perhaps, this is her very own grace. She can go back to doing what she wants. Her passion. Her love.
For a moment, Solanne felt an odd feeling rushed through her heart. Solanne was in daze, there's an odd rush of excitement cursing through her. Is this love? Hope, even?
It was just for a moment. It could even be described that such feeling lasted for a few seconds.
But even though it was just a few seconds, she believed that she could start again. An intense feeling of hope and love. It's unbearable. It feels like she'll die if she doesn't commit to this feeling. How can a feeling be this intense? Was this the love those poets had ever felt for them to write those prose and verses?
The prose of love.
The feeling of death.
It's always been on her mind on how those poets describe love as something that can kill them. Each verses were intense and it describe something that Solanne felt like she could never understand.
Yet… right now… she had understand it.
She was familiar to this feeling. It was all new to her back then.
"Solanne?" Yael called her name for the second time. Solanne tried to smile. She chuckled. She felt like she wasn't herself.
"This is the second time you called my name. How I haven't even introduced myself to you."
Solanne can see Yael's ears turned pink. He cleared his throat acting flustered. "The owner was the one who told me. I was with him on the phone before."
"I see," Solanne's attitude changed. A soft smile was on her lips. Her heart stinging and her heart was itching to write. "I wanted to introduce myself again. My name is Solanne. I'm 26 this year. That means I'm older than you."
Yael was speechless. Was there something? Did something happened that he doesn't even know for her to change like this? For a moment, in contrast to what Solanne's attitude before, right now, Yael feels like he was in front of a woman who has vast knowledge and understanding. At the same time, she was like an open blank page of paper ready to document whatever she fancies.
He's just perhaps over thinking things.
"I… uhm," He doesn't know what to say. Still, Solanne was composed enough to add, "Where are we now?"
"The pamphlet," Yael sighed as he leaned on the train's seat. The train continued on it's destination and the passengers were the same. Their eyes glimmered with mysteries and secrets yet they held their mouths shuts as if they were afraid of a retribution.
Rules…
Solanne looked back at the pamphlet. Of course, she was excited to go through and curious to read. Yet, as she opened the pamphlet that was given to her, the page was blank.
"Is he shitting with us?" She couldn't help but mutter.
Yael chuckled. "That's what I thought too. We can't possibly drag him back here to ask right? We just need to wait."
"Waiting?" Solanne repeated. She crossed her arms over her chest as she closed her eyes. Was it possible to feel tired? Or this was the consequences of the feelings she had felt earlier.
"What are you doing?" Yael asked.
Solanne sighed. "I feel tired. Don't know why."
"So, you're resting."
"Yes. There's nothing we can do since we're trap in this dream. We just need to wait for our destination. Let's trust what he said."
"About what?"
"Stop over analyzing things and let it be."
Yael sighed. He kept his mouth shut. Just like that they spent their whole train ride waiting, and anticipating their destination.
--
It's more that two days since they have been here. Well, that's what they can conclude checking the clock from time to time. They even thought that they'll be hungry yet, earlier, there were crews that served them dinner and even breakfast.
That was the first time the pamphlet they have opened and like magic, letters were scribbled on the blank page saying:
"Food inside the train of worlds is safe to eat."
It was just one sentence yet Solanne fell into a conclusion, sharing her thoughts with Yael concluding that in the different worlds they'll be arriving there might be foods that were not safe for them. At the same time, the pamphlet they were holding does not only serve as page full of rules but also a guide. It was given to them as their protection.
Following what the pamphlet had said, Solanne and Yael started eating.
Their food was composed of sandwich and coffee. Yet, the moment they took a bite, the flavors have exploded in their mouth that they were both speechless.
Their train ride continues. After the passenger in that amusement park has ridden the train, the train didn't stop and continued its course.
Through the ride, Solanne and Yael exchanges a few opinions and thoughts. They weren't even sleeping. They don't feel the need to as their body was brimming with energy. They were just like the train passengers whose eyes were wide awake.
--
"This is too much," Yael mumbled. "It's been two days here. What's happening in our body while we are here?"
Solanne blinked sipping her coffee that was given. "Well, I do not know even if you ask me. We can ask the conductor but he's nowhere to be found. I also want to wake up you know. I'm worried about the cats. We have to practice patience, Yael. There's nothing we can do for now."
Yael sighed as he sat back down again. Leaving with no choice but each other's presence for the last two days, Yael and Solanne had grew comfortable to each other. Well, they have no choice from the start. They were stuck there, together.
They can only rely on each other if they wanted to get out of this dream.
"I'm bored," Yael mumbled.
Solanne nodded in agreement. They have nothing to do and they were just sitting there for two days. Even though they do not need sleep, this was too much.
"Should we explore the train?" Yael suggested.
Solanne shook her head. She grabbed a cookie on the cookie basket that was given to them earlier. "I do not think that's a good idea. There are so many passengers here what if they think of as nuisance? The conductor might come and we might miss our stop."
"You're so uptight!" Yael grumbled.
Solanne chuckled. In the two days that they were together, Yael has learned to expressed himself. He wasn't that reserve before but there were certain things that he also keep to himself.
Well to describe it, they have become civil with each other and they're pretty much comfortable with each other's presence.
This was a huge improvement compared to their first day living in that cabin.
Right at the moment they were getting settled down again, both of their attention was drawn to the pamphlet they were holding. It glowed magically and just like before, letters appeared on the blank page.
Additional to that, they heard the familiar sound of the train hitting its brake.
Solanne and Yael looked at the pamphlet curious. Their hearts were pounding of different emotions they were feeling right now.
"This is your stop."
One word. It was just one word but Yael and Solanne felt something rising on their throat. Was it excitement? Fear? Anxiety?
They both do not know.
Just as they were about to stand up, the train conductor magically appeared in front of them. "Congratulations. You both have arrived in your first destination."
He greeted. Solanne's eyes widen, and instantly she turned her head to the window, curious to see where they are Yael has done the same.
The moment her eyes landed on the window, her eyes blinked and when the she had opened her eyes what greeted her was the familiar ceiling of the cabin.
She blinks, trying to process what happened.
"I'm back?" She mumbled. Frustrated at the same time relived.
--