Runaway Train

Epilogue

Though five had made it up to the locomotive, only four were there for that final fight.

Lillian was long gone from that place by the time it all went sideways, but not for anything selfish. In fact, she was being as dumb and selfless as she had ever remembered being. A small part of her didn't even know why she was doing this, but the other part didn't need a reason. She simply wasn't going to let these people—Johnny and his friends—die. She would save them.

She was in the observation car—her room, of sorts, a study that only she and others with some command over the train could access—standing with her fists tightly clenched and her ears shoved back. Tuxy hopped around the floor, oblivious as to everything going on. Similarly oblivious was Death, standing across from Lillian as benignly as ever. It was a confrontation, on her end, but on his, she imagined, he only saw a child acting out. She'd show him. She'd show him once and for all she was more than that.

"I won't let you take them," Lillian said sharply. "You know as well as I do that those passengers are going to die. You told them to go to the Conductor. I'm not letting you allow them to die after that."

Contrary to what Lillian thought the spectre was doing, Death was not looking down his skull-nose at her. He was rather taken aback, actually. Not even a hello? Always straight to business with you, young lady. "Well, good day to you too!" he replied. "You know how busy I am. You children ought to show some respect."

Lillian's glare grew darker. "You may underestimate me," she snapped, "but you made me strong enough to go through demons, maybe the Conductor, maybe even you yourself! And I WILL do so if that's what it takes!! You WON'T take those mortals away." Her anger was serving as a good mask for her rising tears. She hadn't cried in... oh, was it decades? And yet...

For a moment—just a moment—Death stayed still and quiet. What was this all about? "Underestimating" her? Some silly idea that was! He began to chuckle at it.

Lillian's ears went even flatter against her head. "What? What's there to laugh at?!"

"You could have just asked nicely!" Death laughed. "I'm sure that old Conductor wouldn't mind. Besides, you deserve a little favour after all the good work you've done over the years, Lillian."

Now it was Lillian who was shocked. "Good work?" she whispered to herself.

"Of course. I may be getting old, but I'm not blind; I see what you've been doing for the train, and now what you've been doing for its passengers," he said. "I know you've had this power all along—not just in fighting, but other things. I only gave you some of that! You're all the rest, my girl."

Under her mask, Lillian smiled quietly. Who'd have known? Who'd have known all this time Death really did know what she had done? No one had ever known what she had done in life; she'd never gained anything during that time, no recognition, no praise, not that she knew. But maybe that was what had gotten her here, where she finally did have it. Who knows? Maybe she had had it before, just that she didn't realize it.

The rabbit girl sniffled a little. "So," she said. "Will you let them all survive? And free them from the train?"

Death tilted his head sympathetically. "I'm afraid I can't let them go," he sighed, "but I can keep them here in their skins. You'll just have to put up with them!"

It was a shame they couldn't go free, but not unexpected; one couldn't really ever come back from the Runaway Train completely mortal. It was a place of passing, coming and going, after all. Well, the fact that they'd get to stay put in spite of that was certainly better than nothing. Johnny will be happy with that. "Thank you," she murmured.

Death's ghostly hand brushed across her cheek. She didn't shrug away this time. "Those mortals have all come a long way," he said. "So have you. But you know, in a way you've all also always been here. Doesn't life have a funny way of working like that?"

—

It was all nothing, until, slowly, it wasn't.

First there was void, then it became blackness, then it was something else. Something was there. He could feel it, too. There was something.

Johnny sat up with a start. The amber windows were gone, the yellow light was nowhere to be seen. No demons. No Conductor. "What..." He checked his body under the covers of the blanket that was tucked around him—his prosthetics were all there as they should be, nothing was broken, nothing was even sore. He was completely unharmed. How in the world... It seemed this must be some dying dream, and yet, it was real. He had gotten out alive, or something like it.

He was in a little bed cupboard, sort of like a bunk, but furnished in that lush way the Runaway Train always was. When he drew back the curtain, an aisle lined with similar beds met him. It was a sleeper car, one of the kind he had seen many times throughout the endless array. There was something different about this one, though; the beds in the area around him all had their curtains closed. Soft snores came from some, rustling from others. They were all occupied. One, two, three... eleven. All the rest of the mortal passengers. We're all alive.

Johnny couldn't believe it. There was no explanation that made sense in this life or any other. Still, he couldn't help but smile.