Press. Release. Wait.

Making Some Noise

The intercom cutoff was followed by silence. I hadn't quite noticed how quiet the train was until that moment. I began to wonder if anyone was even on the other end.

Maybe the phone had simply been dislodged. Maybe I was the only person still here. I closed my eyes tight, trying to rid myself of those thoughts.

"Hello?" The speaker said suddenly.

I opened my eyes, immediately recognizing the voice.

"Ummmmm... Hey Adam..."

"What?" He sounded utterly confused.

"Adam. It's me, Cheyenne."

...

"What?"

IDIOT.

"Cheyenne?"

"Yeah, that's what I said."

...

"Oh my God! Are you... Are you good?" The speaker asked.

"I think so," I answered, "I hit my head on a pole like four times."

"Cheyenne, what day is it?"

"What?"

"What day is it?" He interrogated, "you might have a concussion."

"I don't want to do this right now."

"Please, Cheyenne, just tell me."

I thought for a second.

"June... 14th?" I questioned myself as I said it.

"It's June 16th."

"Whatever! Close enough!" I snapped at him.

"What day of the week is it?" He continued.

"It's a Tuesday, Adam! I'm fine!"

...

"Sorry," he finally said.

"It's okay. Just, you know, sort of a stressful situation."

"A little bit, yeah."

I took a few breaths, checking my surroundings. I could see much more now. The darkness nowhere near as all-encompassing as before. The train car I was in had been, for the most part unaffected by the crash. Or whatever it was. Though towards the other end of the car I could see it slant down into darkness. I wasn't sure what happened there. It looked like it had been swallowed by the earth. A few large rocks lay near me. But no sign of that woman or the dog. I briefly wondered where they could have gone off to. But I did not want to know the answer.

"So I'm guessing you're not the conductor?" I asked.

"Ummm... no."

"How did you answer?"

"I saw a phone," he answered matter-of-factly, "It was ringing."

Between every car there was a conductor seat. He must have managed to make his way in between the cars.

"I'm trying to figure out where you are." I said.

"I... I don't really know. Where are you?"

"I'm at the front."

"I'm at the back." I responded, recalling the vision of him just through the train car.

"W-wait..." he stuttered, "I think that means you're like... right in front of me."

I looked up. I could hear Adam fumble with the phone through the speaker. He was assumedly doing the same.

I saw nothing but darkness. Maybe the hint of a bright spot reflecting a bit of light. I squinted my eyes and approached the window. I put my face right up against the glass and knocked.

"Did you hear that?" I asked.

"Hear what?" his voice was distant.

I swallowed and looked down for a second. Then I let out a piercing scream. I don't think I ever thought I could scream that loud in my life.

"How about that?"

"No." Was the only response. It was muted and distant in the speaker.

Okay... really?

I heard him return to the phone.

"I didn't see you," he said, "can you make a lot of noise?"

I fucking did.

"I did," I answered simply.

"Oh... I think- I think we might be confused."

"Yeah."

"One of us is not where we said we were."

I looked around. There was no way. No way I could be anywhere else. I knew that voice he used. I knew when he said one of us he meant me. I was wrong.

I wasn't wrong. Not this time. Not the other times.

"Cheyenne," he said.

Here it comes

"Cheyenne, are you sure you know where you are? Are you sure you don't have a concussion?"

I brought my hands up and balled them into fists. I waved them in the air and tensed my arms in anger.

"Yes," I said. In the most calm voice I could muster.

"Okay," he answered, "I believe you."

Liar.

"I trust you too." I said.

...

"You don't believe me, do you?" he said. I could tell he was getting a little frustrated too.

"No," I admitted, "I'm sorry."

"That's okay, I was lying too."

"I know," I reassured him, "it's okay."

There was a long silence. I looked deep into the dark window ahead of me. I leaned over and grabbed the handle of the door. It turned easily but the door didn't budge an inch. It was blocked by something. The darkness inside that room was even worse than in the train car. I couldn't make out anything. Not anything. Even an inch in front of my face was a milky blackness.

I felt bad about being angry at Adam. It wasn't his fault. I returned to the speaker. I could hear his ragged breath through it. Something sounded wrong. I hadn't noticed before but his breathing sounded pained and strangled.

"Are you okay?" I finally asked him.

"Mostly, yeah."

"What does mostly mean?" I asked.

"I think my arm is broken."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah. I can feel the bone poking out of my skin."

How can he be so cavalier about this?

I knew he was probably in some sort of shock but I couldn't believe he wouldn't mention it before.

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

"Not really."

"Not yet. It will." I remembered breaking my collar bone while skiing a few years ago. It hadn't hurt at all for the first few minutes. Someone asked me if I was okay when I fell. I insisted I was over and over again. I tried to get up at least six times before the pain started to come.

"I think we might have to do something about that," I insisted.

"Okay."

"Is it bleeding?"

"Yeah." he answered fearfully, knowing what was going to come next.

"You're going to have to set it."

Adam sighed defeatedly.

"Yeah, I guess," he mumbled under his breath.