The monster presented its ticket to a conductor, who validated it and gave it back.

The monster looked behind the window, they were on a reef planet, below a shallow sea.

Shoals of colorful fishes, a variety of algae, pink jellyfishes. It all allowed soothing the monster's feelings of anxiety and stress. The monster looked behind the window and sighed, how it would wish for all its worries to be gone, to be happy.

The monster didn't recall any day in its life where it didn't struggle, but lately, it became worse. It lost all passion, was living in constant boredom or despair, and most of all – couldn't find anyone to talk to or share its troubles with.

The steady journey through the universe was the monster's hope for at least something resembling a rest for its soul.

Opposite of the monster, sat an arctic bear in glasses, prepared to read a book.

"Hello." - The monster friendlily welcomed, hoping that an animal would return kindness.

"Greetings, monster."

The monster, hearing its nickname, turned sad.

"Oh, sorry, but I don't know any other name for you." - The bear replied, sensing what's bothering the monster.

"Oh, no, no need to apologize. It's who I am, after all."

"Were you sleeping well lately, monster?"

The monster smiled sadly. - "I'm taking my medicine. No dreams or nightmares happen to me."

"I'm glad. Keep up the good work."

Tears welled up in the monster's eyes. It began to cry. - "Thank you... thank you..."

"Oh..." - The bear was lost. - "Are you okay, monster?"

The monster wiped its tears and smiled. - "Yes, yes."

"If you don't mind, perhaps, can I ask you, just out of pure curiosity, what is your destination, monster?"

"Nowhere."

"Nowhere? Never heard of it."

The monster giggled. - "It's because it's not a place. I will just travel as long as it takes for me to feel better."

"You deserve a vacation."

"You're too kind... to someone who is just a monster. I've never met a person like you."

"Well, here, you're a passenger. Like all of us. You deserve the same, kind treatment. No nightmares get out of this place, so there is no reason to get angry anymore. It was not your fault."

The monster saddened again.

"Did I say anything wrong?"

"It's not that... it's just... you know it's not true. I did many terrible things."

"We all make mistakes."

"But my mistakes..." - The monster started crying again. - "They're... beyond redemption."

The bear closed its book and put it to his side, then looked monster deep into the eyes. - "Don't say that. No mistakes are beyond redemption."

"I... I..."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Do you want a hug?"

The monster nodded and the bear hugged it. - "Everything will be okay. Just remember to take your medicine."

The monster and bear didn't move for hours, until the landscape turned to a foggy, arctic region with frozen, ice trees. They were already on the bear's home planet.

"Goodbye." - The bear replied.

"Goodbye."

The monster happily swung its legs and looked behind the window, it was already in gradient space, where violet, red and blue nebulas mingled with each other like a beautiful, but formless painting.

"Is it your book?" - Someone asked a monster.

The monster lifted its starry eyes and checked the stranger, it was a middle-aged gazelle.

The monster looked at the book. - "No. I think the bear forgot it."

"Eh." - The gazelle sighed. - "Couldn't you remind him, monster?"

The monster got anxious, it didn't like how gazelle was speaking to it. - "I... I didn't notice it."

"Whatever, is this seat free?" - The gazelle asked.

"Y... yes."

The gazelle occupied her place and the duo traveled in silence, both looking at landscapes behind the window.

"Monster, tell me, was the bear kind to you?" - The gazelle asked.

"Yes. Very kind."

"Don't consider it as an act of my friendliness, but I want to educate you. For good of us all. He wasn't kind, because he felt empathy. It was a ploy."

"A ploy?" - The monster clenched its robe, it didn't feel well.

"Yes. We don't know how to deal with you, monster. That's why we have tried medicine and kindness. We don't hope for nightmares not to happen, because one day, they surely will. We just reduce the damage. It's all calculated action. All until we learn how to get rid of you."

"Why... why are you telling me this?"

"Because If you learned the truth the hard way, you would have nightmares again, monster."

The monster started having a panic attack.

"That's what I'm talking about, monster. Breathe in, breathe out. For good of us all."

The monster calmed down. - "I... I am still thankful to him."

"Why?"

"He gave me a hug. I needed it... and I'm thankful to you too."

The gazelle lifted her eyebrow.

"You made sure I won't have nightmares in the future. You have my gratitude."

"You were always a weird monster. Why aren't you angry? We're lying to you, we are not kind, we try to get rid of you. Can't monsters feel anger?"

"I am angry. I just hide it and try not to direct it at others, just try." - The monster smiled kindly. - "I already showed enough of my anger."

"Oh, we all know that too well." - The gazelle looked behind the window again, it was a look of someone who lost everything, who was defeated by fate. She wanted to let it all out, but she couldn't. If the monster knew, it would only hurt others.

"I think... it's my time to move, monster." - The gazelle said and left.

The train stopped at the endless fields of white wheat. The gazelle was outside, she turned and waved for the last time to the monster.

The monster looked at the seat where gazelle was sitting, there was a letter and a white teddy bear. The letter said it was a parting gift, for the nights where it gets worse.

The train traveled for more months, but it was through the region where skies were set ablaze. The monster didn't like those areas, so it took its medicine, drank tea, and went to sleep.

Many years passed, the monster slept untroubled until it was awakened by a passenger.

"Excuse me, excuse me!" - A pink entity made of light lightly moved the monster's arm.

The monster wiped its eyes. - "Yes?"

"Do you know when does the train stops at the skies of salvation?"

The monster looked worried. - "It doesn't stop there. You took the wrong train."

"Oh, no! How will I get to the skies of salvation now!?"

"I'm afraid you can't. We're too far gone. You missed your chance."

The pink entity was visibly distressed. - "I can't... I can't be lost! Please don't tell me that!"

"I'm sorry, the only way I know is through the boundary of the unknown, but you know how dangerous it is."

The pink entity began sobbing. - "My family... what I've done... they are waiting for me."

"You will find a new home."

"I don't want a new home! I want my family!"

"I... I'm sorry..."

The pink entity looked at the passenger in front of her – "You... you are a monster... you... you surely can do something!"

"I... I can't."

"I know you can! Use your magic!"

"I can't. I will have nightmares."

"You know how important it is to get to skies of salvation! A few billion grays don't matter."

There was fury showing on the monster's face, but it only silently uttered through teeth. – "They matter, to me. More than your skies."

"I knew I should've never asked you, monster!" - The pink entity was furious, it looked around and noticed a jar with monster's medicine. It quickly took it and tossed it outside of the window.

"No!" - The monster screamed and instantly started crying.

"Hope you've learned your lessons on how important the skies of salvation are!" - The pink entity cried out loud, then left.