The Infinite Worlds of Ella Jane

Chapter One: The Train

I wake up to the sound of a train running through old tracks mixed with the calming repetition of raindrops against the car roof. My eyes slowly open, eyelids heavy as if pebbles were glued onto their surface. My head pounds like a marching band bass drum and it almost corresponds to the quickened beat of my own heart.

It's like everything is amplified but the room around me is quiet with the exception of the sounds coming from outside.

I push myself up from the small bed at the side of the cabin, attempting to stand up, but my exhausted limbs fail to support my desires, causing my fall back onto the mattress. I hold another hand up to my forehead as a wave of pain pulsates through my skull. My heart continues to pace at an unnatural rhythm, and I feel my palms getting sweatier.

Where am I?

My vision begins to blur at the emerging migraine, and I try to blink away the sight of flashing lights at the corner of my eyes, while watching two raindrops race to the bottom of the windowpane. My breath hitches and suddenly I feel like I'm about to forget how to breathe.

Something is burning at the bottom of my stomach and the acidic feeling begins to rise up my esophagus until it reaches the back of my throat. I start to pant heavily, trying to get as much air as possible but my body is paralyzed with terror.

Where the hell am I?

I finally muster enough strength to hoist my body upwards and forwards, immediately relying on the support of the nearest wall. My feet tingle and I don't know if it's because of a lack of circulation or because of the floor, vibrating as the train runs along its tracks. Either way, my legs will probably give out after a few minutes.

My hand reaches out to the door, feeling alongside it, looking for a knob or a latch or something, yet I find nothing. I push my body weight onto the door, but it doesn't budge. Nearby there's a small rectangular piece with a red light, which I assume allows for access out of the room.

Unfortunately, I don't possess any kind of access card.

Using all of my energy, I knock on the door, pounding my fist against the cold metal. One, two, three. Nothing. I pound both fists this time, struggling to keep the rest of my body balanced as I do so.

I slam my already painful forehead onto the door, frustrated but even more confused. I don't know how I got here, and I don't know why I'm here...

Remembering some techniques from countless therapy sessions, I brush my messy black hair from my face before breathing in for five seconds, holding the breath, then exhaling. My ability to breathe is now a conscious effort and honestly, if I don't think about each breath, I'm afraid I might stop.

Walking over to the window, I rest an elbow along the ledge, watching more raindrops as they trickle down. The sky outside is grey, murky, and anything but comforting. The view isn't terrible, with the mountains filling the landscape and endless greenery. However, everything is shadowed by the darkness and heavy rainfall.

Looking out doesn't help with the anxiety though. Being in the mountains means that I'm far from where I should be. Who knows how far into the Rockies we are, not to mention who put me on this train.

The last place I remember being at was a party, a god-awful party if I'm being specific. It was a house party at Jessica Lee's, one that was way out of control if you ask me. My best friends, Ophelia and Ana were the ones who convinced me into going. Half-an-hour and a couple hundred teenagers later, I desperately wanted to leave but had no ride home. That is the kind of mess you get in when you're seventeen and still have no license.

Upon staying at the party, I'm almost a hundred percent sure that I was drunk or drugged at some point. There are hazy memories of unfamiliar faces and...a pool?