One Midnight (ONC 2024) ✔️

Chapter Fourteen- The Train

I sit by the window on a train, enveloping myself in the stillness of silence. The train continues going down its track, the sound lulling me to a relaxed state.

There is a woman with dark blonde hair and fair skin, sitting directly across from me in my cabin. She is very beautiful, with her rosy cheeks her blue eyes brimming with wonder. I am curious about her, she looks somewhat familiar, but I cannot place where I have seen her. Her clothes are lovely, too, though her empire waist dress and lace up heels brings me back to the 2000s. She is reading a book, and when I get a good look at her, I notice that she is reading something in Spanish. She must notice me studying her, for she looks directly at me and smiles.

"Hello," she says. "Lovely weather today, no?"

She has an accent, probably either Italian or Spanish.

"Lovely weather, yes. Louisiana weather is as fickle as a cat. Does whatever it wants, whenever."

She laughs. "No, we are not in Louisiana."

"Then where are we?" I ask, turning my head to look at the buildings that remind me heavily of New Orleans. Buildings close together with terracotta roofs, balconies.

"You are in Madrid," she says. "In Spain."

"I have never been to Spain before a day in my life."

"Then welcome to Spain, friend," she smiles. "It is so wonderful to see you." There are tears in her eyes. "It pains me to see you like this, though. I see the sadness in your eyes, still that same sadness is there."

Then it happens. A loud sound that rumbles and shakes. People begin screaming as they run around the main corridor of the train. People shouting in Spanish. I can't make out what they are saying. Then, another loud sound.

"It is happening," she says. "Sit down, please. It will be all right."

"No, what is going on? People are screaming, ma'am."

"He is not the one," she says. "The man you desperately cling to. That man is like venom, he is poisoning your soul. I can see it now, the blackness that he has left behind. You always had your head strong back then, but he has swayed you. What did he say to you that wooed you? What was it?"

"I do not understand," I say, bringing myself to the edge of my seat. "Who are you talking about?"

"Francois," she says. "I see it now. He swayed you with his words. Ever since he met this version of you. He's been molding you, crafting you. Using you, leaving you.

Then, you absolutely refused to be his. Now, you are his creation."

"I do not know any Francois. You have the wrong person."

"You call him something else," she says.

"Please stop," I say, feeling my heart racing.

"You bound your soul to a man that you had no business binding yourself to. You cling to him like a person clinging to a sinking ship. We already established what would happen if you were in a sinking ship. You'd swim to shore, no matter what it takes.

"What are you talking about?" I ask. "I have no idea what you're saying."

"You aren't married to him anymore. Let go of him now. Let go of him before it is too late, Marie."

"My name is Corinne," I say. "Not Marie. You have the wrong person."

"All your life, you've been hurt by men or you've been used. You must take back what is yours, what has been stolen from you, Marie!"

"I am not Marie!" I cry out. "My name is Corinne. Not Marie!"

"You must let go of Francois. Before it is too late and you have nothing left."

There is another explosion and then another. Then, this time, it hits our train. My heart races. There is nothing but fire and ash and the stench of death. The acrid smoke tingles at my mouth, the taste of ash makes me vomit. I feel nothing but pain all around me. I barely am able to lift myself up to crawl through the rubble of metal and stone, it weighs on me like an anvil, crushing me further into an abyss. I reach for the woman's hand, feeling the infernal heat from the rubble burn my hand. She squeezes it gently amid the roaring flames and the sound of people wailing.

"My sister," she says, her voice trailing off, growing weaker by the moment. "Oh, how I have missed you, Marie. Go to him, my sweet. He is waiting for you."

And everything turns black as night.