So You've died. Now What?

Chapter 3: Ghost Train!

After we packed everything in Major’s little leather bag, and after they said their goodbyes to their home, we left. Once again I was back on the cramped cobble stone road. Tomm made us all hold hands so we wouldn’t get lost. It was agonizingly embarrassing. I couldn’t help but notice it made them smile immensely. We had to make one last stop at the Dead Widow so Major could stock up on clothes for all of us.

            “Don’t look at me like that Tomm. There might not be another place like this out there! It is high school after all, and we have to fit in. If our death certificates say we just died then we have to look the part, and you could use some new clothes.” He looked him up and down, nodding disapprovingly at his outfit.

            After we shoved all the clothes into the bag, we were off to the train station. It was even more packed then the streets, if that’s even possible. The huge trains that were stationary emitted thick shimmering blue clouds. I stopped to take in the scene of people selling merchandise, kids running in and out of odd openings in the walls, but I was soon pulled away by Major and Tomm. A sleek black train came rolling in to the station.

            “This is our train Maebe, our room number is 99 just in case we get separated for some reason.” Tomm said speeding down the walkway while tightening his grip on my hand. He jumped up onto the high platform and pulled me up along with him, soon after Major was beside us pulling out three shiny silver tickets. The conductor was an old scruffy little man with half of his face missing and his brains exposed. A slender silver watch chain hung from his vest pocket, he looked very sophisticated. He smiled at me and waved us in the right direction of room 99. As we walked down the aisles I noticed that the room numbers weren’t in any particular order. Room 23 was right across from room 709 which was neighbored with room 211. Well I guess the Afterlife should be a little…strange? After going through four different cars we finally made it to our room, and Tomm herded us inside.

            “Let’s try not to leave this compartment for the rest of the trip, there could be some of the King’s men on board traveling to the outer city posts. I’m sure this won’t be that long of a trip.” Major flashed a smile “Sorry we couldn’t get a bigger compartment, this is all they had left on such short notice. But hey, at least we’re together right?” he plopped down on the couch and threw his bag on the luggage rack. The room was small. It had a two person bed, a sagging brown couch, and a tiny bathroom in the corner with a sliding door. The air was stuffy and it smelled like old books, but I felt safe with the two of them looking out for me.

            “There’s only one bed Major…” Tomm said suspiciously.

            “Yeah…well we can’t let Maebe sleep on the couch, and there’s not enough room on there for the both of us…ha.”

            “Fine. Then you can sleep on the couch by yourself. I’ll share the bed with Maebe.” Major’s face turned light pink and he quickly changed the subject.

            “So what is this school like Tomm?”

            “To be honest I don’t really know. This was so sudden that I didn’t really get a chance to learn anything about it. I think there are a couple janitors on the inside that we have working there, but I can’t be sure if they’re still there. All I know is that the school knows we’re coming.”

            “And our names, won’t Maebe be recognized?”

            “Our first names are the same, but I changed our last names. Your name is Major Koki, I’m Tomm Jones, and you,” he faced me “are Maebe Carlyle. I don’t think anyone will recognize it, there should be a few hundred Maebes in After.”