Kogagoshi - Train Wreck

Prologue

The rain steadily beats on the train as it chugs forwards. Everyone in the train clutches onto each other, because the rain is no longer just rain, it's tiny daggers of water clanging and banging onto the window with each plop. Two boys sit together, hands intertwined, hearts beating as one.

"Kanji," the smaller, dark blue haired one says. "Why is the rain so heavy and mean today? There's no rain like this in Miyagi. Not where I live."

"Don't worry, Tsu Tsu, I'm sure it's just passing rain. We'd better stay away from the windows, though, just in case it's not," says the one with yellow hair and three brown spikes sticking up.

Both of them stand up and clutch the pole in front of them. The rain beats down even more heavily. A heavy man's voice suddenly rings through the entire train.

"If we are lucky, we will get to stop at a nearby station and evacuate. This is no normal rain. It was wrong to drive today. This is the beginning of a hail. We urge all passengers to stay calm as our crew members board up the windows." There is a small note of music as the speakers fall silent. Immediately some younger children begin to scream, but are shushed by their parents, who are white-faced.

Goshiki and Koganegawa lean into each other. There is a flushed crew member running past them, but they don't notice her. They want to know that although there is disaster outside, they're together. Hands together. Do not release your grip. Hands stick together. A bear and an eagle must stick together. Keep holding hands. We are lucky to be alive even for one more second...

Bam! The windows are suddenly blasted open by the rain which has turned into heavy blocks of stone. The crew member gets stabbed by pieces of glass, and falls to the ground in a pool of blood. So do the others who have sat by the window. The other windows break, killing more. Goshiki and Koganegawa raise their hands to shield themselves from the oncoming blizzard. People scream as children are sucked away into the white hurricane outside.

Goshiki grabs onto Koganegawa's coat with his free hand, partially sobbing and screaming at the same time. Koganegawa wraps a hand around the pole and Goshiki, whispering to him that they'll be okay... someone will come to them eventually....

But no one does. The train suddenly stops, tilts to one side, and the other, until it suddenly tumbles off the track into the snowy mountain below. More people scream. This time more than half the people in the carriage fall out of the window and die. Only around ten people have the sense to cling onto what remains of a stable pole or a chair.

Goshiki and Koganegawa scream into each other, hoping that they'll last. Bags and things tumble down from the racks, crushing those who are smaller and slighter. Everyone is thrown around the carriage, except for those like Goshiki and Koganegawa. Things whack them all at once. Time slows down. More people fly out of the window. There are only three people left other than Goshiki and Koganegawa.

"Please," rasps Goshiki, "don't let go, Kanji, please."

"I promise I won't," chokes Koganegawa back, "I promise I won't. Don't let go either, Tsu Tsu."

They cling onto each other helplessly as one more person crashes out. There is a canyon where they're going to land. Goshiki and Koganegawa close their eyes, tilt their heads up to meet the other's and close the gap between their lips.

The train crashes into the canyon below.