Sidetracked

Ardell: Searching... Again

- Between Cologne and Brussels -

God damn it.

Ardell steps out of the doorway quickly.

Penelope. Where is she? I've got to find her. Come on, where are you?

Ardell trots through a gangway, looking around at a horde of people who are milling about. No, not here. He stops and grabs the door to the restroom, yanking it open and looking inside. Empty.

His face furrows in anger. Anger with himself.

You've fucked up again, Ardell. You fuck up everything.

He briskly walks through the gangway doors and into the dining car, glancing around at all of the seated people. They're all eating and laughing. Mocking him, it feels. He looks disheveled and saddened as he keeps walking.

This is why everyone hates you. You're a shitty father and an even shittier husband.

Absentmindedly, Ardell has somehow made it to the passenger cabins and walks up to his seat, looking around frantically. His stuff is still stashed in the stowaway compartment overhead, but the area next to it is empty.

His internal thoughts spout from his mouth before he can stop it. "Bloody fucking Jewish Christ. Penelope!"

He takes off running, though he isn't even sure where he's going.

You were even a shitty son. That's why your mother left you and your father beat you.

Ardell steps into another gangway where there's a line of people, seemingly waiting on something. Ardell slows and looks amongst them, still holding out hope. But none of them are her.

They all hate you, Ardell. And now Penelope does, too.

He runs his hands through his hair and a small whimper escapes from his throat.

A stewardess nearby takes notice, her brow knitting together in concern. She walks over to him, but Ardell can't understand what she's asked him. He turns to her, wiping tears from his eyes that he didn't even know he had shed. "What was that?"

"Are you okay, sir?" she says, fumbling for English.

Ardell tries for a nod, but it gives way to his head shaking. "No. No, I..." He looks past her, just now seeing that the doors to outside have been opened, allowing passengers to step outside. "What's going on? What's everyone doing?"

"People are leaving the train. We aren't far from city. Many decided to walk."

Ardell looks panicked, and pushes past the line, leaning out the doorway of the train and casting his gaze out over the field outside.

Many people are scattered over the field, carrying luggage, walking away from the train in a scattered pattern of disarray. None of them look like Penelope.

Ardell puts his hands around his mouth and calls out. "Penelope!" He looks distraught, trying his best to see out over the people. He's losing hope. "Penelope!"

He breathes heavily as he hangs his head and steps back from the doorway, allowing another passenger to exit.

The stewardess gives him a worried look. "You're looking for someone?"

"Yeah. I..." he can't bring himself to look at her, "I did something wrong and now... I don't know where she's gone."

She looks pitifully at Ardell as he dabs his eyes. "Are you both Business Select?"