Runaway Train

Act III - Scene 5

Who'd have known reminiscing with a reaper would be some of the most peaceful time spent on this train so far?

The day had hurried by once they'd gotten on the subject of Disney. With each fact Johnny had recounted of his time there, Lillian gave him some new revelation of the studio's future innovations and progress. More feature-length animations, sprawling amusement parks, even making animations without paper and ink—well, it was just incredible. It was like seeing your niece or nephew grow up; sure, you weren't the one responsible for it, but you had helped it along, you had been with it on that path to where it was today. He'd done that. That much good had come of him: the joy the studio still made today, whenever that was.

But a day had gone by, and, in the cool light of the next morning, the necessity to get on their feet was shown. After all, they'd said they would come and get both scavenging parties in two days, and there was no telling how long it'd take to find either of them. At least, not that Johnny knew. Lillian, however, seemed pretty relaxed about the whole thing; she still lay dozing in her seat, even at this hour. He had tried to let her sleep, but now the new morning was solidly a new day—they didn't have the time to wait any longer.

He couldn't exactly get up off the seat he was in and he wasn't close enough to tap her awake, so he could only call her. "Lillian," he murmured. She didn't stir. "Lillian," he repeated a little louder. Still nothing. Johnny swallowed his preemptive guilt. "Lillian, wake up!" he said at an assertive volume.

The rabbit girl started awake. The way her ears flicked around and her face turned slightly every which-way was outright startled, almost scared. When she saw it was only Johnny, though, she breathed a quiet sigh and settled down. "What is it now?" she asked, raising a hand to rub her eyes but instead meeting the ivory of her mask.

"I'm awfully sorry," Johnny squeaked. "I-I just needed to wake you. It's about time we left for the others, I thought, and I can't... well, I can't really leave on my own."

"Well yeah, you'd get lost," she grumbled sleepily as she stood. With each movement, some part of her stretched out; she felt her own legs, her arms, all the way down to her fingers. What must've been a yawn followed, and when that was done, she returned to a regular way of standing. "Fine, we can go."

When Johnny still didn't—couldn't—move, she seemed to remember his condition. To his sudden horror, she raised her hand and twisted her fingers in a snap. The pink storm of petals flew from her to him, but instead of catching him in its awful embrace, it whirled down to his broken prosthetic and gathered at the joint. "Well? Stand. Let's see if that works for now," Lillian said. After a moment of hesitation, Johnny tried as she said. Surprisingly, everything was held together in working order. He took a couple steps—all was good.

He looked up and his eyes met Lillian's eyeholes. "Thank you," he said somewhat shakily.

Lillian shrugged. "It's nothing." Before anything else could be said, she started walking away. All Johnny could do was follow as quickly as he could.

It was a good thing they'd left fast, too, because, as Johnny had guessed, it took them quite some time to get where they were going. The light grew steadier and steadier still, until it was at its very brightest—noon. At this pace, Johnny would've expected the chaffing on his leg-stumps to get pretty unbearable. Strangely, though, the leg Lillian had bewitched seemed... lighter, like it was holding itself up. It didn't hurt nearly as much as normal. It was so much so that he'd taken to almost limping with the other leg, so as to keep it from getting too much pressure. It was a nice help for the time being, anyway.

Just when the midday light was starting to turn was when they finally came to their destination; Johnny knew it was what they were looking for the moment Lillian opened the door. Out from it, like water pushing through opening floodgates, poured sweet brass and strings, running in waves over each other. The melody was flowing through the whole band, loud and clear. Cresting above it all, like sparkling crystal-white foam, was a smooth voice he knew right away to be Sally.

"Oh, my woman is mean as she can be!

My woman, she makes a fool of me!

Never treats me good,

Don't know why I should love her."

It was another bar car, and everything was in full swing. In the corner was where the stage was set, Sally up front on it and working her magic. Demons sat around the place, enthralled by her song. Off to the side, Orla sat at the bar. She didn't have any kind of drink or food taking up her attention; her eyes were only on Sally, a dreamy look in them.

"She's lying when she says 'I love you.'

I know it, but what am I to do?

Though she makes me cry

I don't care for I love her!"

None of that, though, was what caught Johnny's attention; no, what did was BB and what she was doing a few paces down the bar from where Orla sat. She loomed over the counter, one hand planted on the dark wood surface, the other balled in a fist. Her dead eyes seemed to glow with fury as she stared over at what was behind the bar—and what it was was the most shocking thing of all, the reason why Johnny was so captivated. It was another person. A human, scowling at one of their companions, sure, but nonetheless a human! They weren't even the only new one in there! Seemingly mediating the confrontation, another person was close at hand: "Now now, please!" they cried. "Let's not take to blows."

"What's your damage, dude?!" BB yelled, ignoring them. "It's just a few spoons! Don't be such a spaz!"

"A few spoons you can't have, pal!" the human behind the bar shouted back. "You'll get metal if you want metal, you got it? Scram out, or you will!"

"Please, please!" the mediator said. "Nick, we can always get more spoons—if this child needs them, she can have them. There's no need to exchange threats. Do behave in a more civilized manner!"

Lillian, surprisingly, was as dumbfounded as Johnny. "Well," she said, "I didn't think she'd look for parts like that."

Johnny was about to say something, but he was interrupted by a sudden voice from his left: "May I assist either of you with anything?" He nearly jumped out of his skin. He stumbled to the side and turned enough to see yet another human standing there. Three of them, now. This one was very sharp; their clothes were spiffy, their hands were crossed behind them, and their posture was perfect. Why, they looked like one of those old-fashioned butlers or maids. That thought should have been reassuring—a housekeeper wasn't a threat, after all—but still, something about them kept him on edge. He tried to calm his pounding heart.

"Ugh!" Lillian groaned. "Where do you people keep coming from?!"

"I, at least, have been here for some time," the stranger said matter-of-factly. "Louise and I have been here at Nick's bar for a few weeks now. Its much safer in here than it is without." Their moustache sort of pursed and they leaned forward. "Where have you all come from?"

Lillian was furious. "Nick's bar? A HUMAN'S BAR?!" She turned on her heel, stomping over to where BB and who was apparently Nick were locked in their spat. Taking no notice of the fight that was brewing, she shoved BB aside and pointed a finger right in the bartender's face. "GET OUT!" she roared. "This isn't your bar, it's a demon's, and that demon will be slacking off now that you've gone and stolen its job! You're RUINING EVERYTHING!!"

"Oh yeah?!" Nick said. "OH YEAH?!" The moment his hand went below the counter, Johnny knew he should be afraid. He knew he should hide for his life when the thing he brought back up and pointed at Lillian was a fully loaded tommy gun. "I'm ruining everything, huh? I'll GIVE YOU RUINING EVERYTHING!"

"My woman, she has a heart of stone.

Not human, but she might be my own.

Till the day I die

I'll be loving my woman!"