Fate had guided me to taking the last train to Amsterdam. Or as I would narrate it to others, ‘On a sleepless night, I decided to go to Amsterdam for no reason’.  

You might think that’s something an insane person would do, and you’d be right— slightly. I had my own doubts as I cycled to the station, but when the heavens themselves send me a sign, it would be foolish to disregard it.

But maybe it really is foolish, because the ‘sign from the heavens’ was just a slight sinking feeling in my gut, and a vague nagging thought—

‘Amsterdam’

‘Amsterdam’.

There’s still 2 hours left and I’m the only one in the carriage.

I looked out the windows: all I saw was black— vague shapes blinked in and out of the darkness, as if I took a train through some starless void.

The door slid open. I threw a glance, being careful not to look too long. It’s an old man dressed to the nines. He wore a really expensive suit, tie and even a hat which he gracefully took off. I tried not to look in his direction, lest there be some awkward conversation.

But I failed. I ended up staring at him with my brows furrowed.

Because of all the places the man could’ve chosen to sit— he sat directly opposite to me.

I looked around at all the empty seats around us, trying to exaggerate my motions so he gets the point. Hell, there isn’t a single other person in the cabin and he chose to sit across from me? I’ve had my fair share of interesting experiences with people, and I’m sure this is going to be one of them.

So, in the pursuit of a good story, I didn’t get up and leave. I chose to sit.

Who knows? Maybe he had something really interesting to tell… And he did.

“Young man.” He said with a smile.

“Yes?”

“How was your night?”

It was a decent opening question. After all, there weren’t many openings to a conversation with a stranger in an empty midnight train.

“My night’s been good. Just going back home from visiting a friend.” 

I lied through my teeth. It was better to be safe than sorry after all.

“What about you?” I asked.

The years he’d lived spoke through his gentle smile.

“My night is going well. I am on my way to a work meeting in Amsterdam.”

At this hour?

I felt my brows subtly furrow. There was no normal person who worked at this time. So it was either a lie, or…

I gulped. Maybe I was toeing the line to a world I didn’t want to know— a darker, more sinister world. For the first time in my life, I doubted my gut. Maybe I should have moved to a different carriage.

But I was still so curious. Just one innocuous question wouldn’t hurt would it? What was the harm in knowing? So I asked him rather bluntly.

“I’m sorry if this seems rude but, a meeting this late?”

He chuckled and looked outside for a moment— his head turning so gracefully, it was as if confidence lubricated his bones. Nothing was visible outside. But it was still a soothing sight. I like to think it was soothing for everyone.

“Yes. My industry is particularly rough.” He said.

There it is. The first mention of his ‘work’. Maybe it was in ‘waste disposal’ or something similar. A shiver of excitement ran through my spine and I tried my best to hide it. Whatever reason fate had directed me to this train, it was definitely going to be an interesting story!

He looked at me, and folded his hands with a refined grace. 

Every movement of his from the moment he walked in, and no matter how simple, was driven by purpose— as if his body moved to fulfill some higher meaning and not just ‘to live’ or to ‘have a happy life’.

Every part of his being moved as if in service to a higher meaning.

Was it this ‘purpose’ that gave him an aura of confidence? Maybe.

“Do you want to know about my industry?” He asked me with that same smile from before.

Of course, I knew what to say immediately.

“Sorry, I don’t want to pry too much.”

He nodded, and left it at that. But then he reached into his briefcase and without ruffling around, he pulled out something— an envelope— and handed it to me.

I received it, confused.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I think most people would adjust their outfits at least a little bit when they stood up. Smooth out a few wrinkles there, tuck it nicer here, adjust their underwear a bit.

But the man did nothing as he stood up, and there was not a crumple in his outfit.

Elegantly, he picked up his briefcase and with the sounds of his leather shoes clacking on the floor and the rumble of the train between us, he stood at the door.

I was staring at the letter when he addressed me suddenly.

“You have the choice to decline. And if you do, you can go back to your normal life.”

Between him and the letter, I didn’t know what to say.

“If you want to know more, go to the Stokerij bar on Spuistraat at 1:07 am and ask for a ‘Dream Shot’.”

With that, the man left, and I was once again alone in the train. 

The paper rustled as I neatly opened the envelope and a rectangular token of bronze fell to my lap. It was exquisitely designed and had swirling curves and marks of dull blue. In the center was a small blue jewel and engraved on the back—

Was my name.

Enzo Amaris.

----------------------------------------

I never ended up going to that bar. In fact I stayed the night at the train station, too afraid to set foot anywhere else. How could I? A random person had just given me a strange token engraved with my name on it and told me to go to some random bar late at night.

I don’t know what I had done or who I had offended in my 20 years of living to deserve this omen looming behind me. And although I tried to hide it, my worries definitely showed on my face. 

So much so that my two friends— Rian and Yokuttan, would simply glance at me from time to time and then share a concerned look amongst each other. 

The heavy bar Yokuttan lifted banged against the hooks— coming to a stop.

He sat upright on the bench and turned to look at me. Usually Rian would be looking at something else in the gym— either what was new in the vending machine or how many of the treadmills were occupied today. But now, he too looked at me.

And although they were my friends, their combined stares were a bit uncomfortable.

“What.”

I asked.

“Talk to us man. What’s up? Thinking about what happened yesterday?” Yokuttan asked, to which I chuckled. Something extremely humiliating happened to me in a bar we went to yesterday. But that was besides the point. 

If I told them the truth behind my silence, they would die of laughter. Which is why I told them.

“No, I’m not thinking about that. I’m good, don’t worry. It’s just that… See. Yesterday night I went to Amsterdam”

“Huh?” Rian immediately broke out into smiles— almost on the verge of laughter, “You went to Amsterdam?”

“Yes.”

Yokuttan turned to Rian, and then to me.

“You went to Amsterdam?”

“Yes…”

“You’re not shitting us are you?” Rian asked.

“I’m not. Wait.” I pulled out my phone and navigated to the train app where I’d paid for the tickets. “Here’s proof.”

“What the fuck” Rian muttered with an expression of confusion. Yokuttan seemed very amused, but he too was similarly confused.

Completely unlike what I’d predicted, the two of them didn’t laugh.

Yokuttan pulled his face closer to my phone and adjusted his glasses.

“He really did go… 10pm…That was the last train?”

I slipped my phone into my pocket, “Yeah. It was.”

“That’s…” Yokuttan shook his head with a smile of disbelief and turned to Rian.

“Wait. How did you come back if that was the last train?” Rian asked.

“I just stayed in the train station and waited for the first train.”

Yokuttan burst out laughing and said to Rian “I can’t believe we’ve been friends for three years and never once have I been able to understand his thought process.”

“Man I don’t either.” He turned to me and asked, “Bro you spent almost 7 hours and 60 euros. But why?“

“I’m gonna say it… but don’t laugh too much guys.”

The two laughed, “Alright, we won’t”

“Ok. I went to Amsterdam because… I couldn’t sleep… And something in my gut told me to go to Amsterdam…”

The two of them stared at me expectantly.

“And then I did. I went.”

They exchanged glances once more.

“And on the train, this man in a suit and tie sat opposite to me when the entire cabin was empty.

I honestly thought of leaving the cabin right then and there but I stayed ‘cus I thought it’d make for a good story. He told me to go to some bar and order a drink at 1:07am, and said that I had a choice to decline.”

“Also, he knew my name and gave me this metal card.”

I pulled out the metallic token from my pocket and presented it to them. The blue gem in the center caught the light and cast a blue glow on my clothes.

The two looked at it seriously, and then back at me.

“Are you okay?” Yokuttan asked.

“Yes. It was quite the experience.”

“Can I see it?”

“Sure.”

Yokuttan took it from me and the two inspected it, flipping it around and holding it up to the light.

Yokuttan looked at me suspiciously.

“He gave you this?”

“Yeah. Turn it around. It has my name.”

They turned it around. And their suspicious gazes only intensified. For a second it felt like I was in a thriller movie and I was the chief suspect, and they were the detectives interrogating me.

“What.” I asked.

The two burst out laughing, shaking their heads. I couldn’t make heads or tails of what was so funny.

“No it’s just… Your acting was so convincing we almost thought it was metal.” Rian said.

I furrowed my brows and looked at them strangely.

“What the hell are you talking about? What do I need to act about? That’s metal! It’s a metal token! Are you guys blind or what?” I said, a slight irritation creeping into my tone, to which they burst out laughing even more.

I could tell something was wrong. They were completely convinced that I was gaslighting them into thinking it was metal. Something was seriously wrong.

“Guys… Tell me honestly.” I took back the token from Rian and held it in front of them— the metal glinting in the light.

“What is this?”

“It’s cardboard.” The two said.

“Bend it again.” I handed it to Rian, who bent it as easily as cardboard.

“It looks like cardboard, it feels like cardboard and sounds like cardboard. What do you want us to say?”

I snatched the token back from them.

I could feel the cool touch of the bronze. I could rub my fingers over the engraved letters of my name. I could see the glint of the light over the blue crystal on its back. I couldn’t bend it no matter how hard I tried.

But they didn’t experience any of that. 

All they could see and touch— was a piece of cardboard.