Exhilarating, wouldn’t you agree?

Warmth leaving.

Movement ceasing.

I can still remember my own.

It’s very rare.

Taking your first.

Again.

Anne’s long dirty locks whipped across her face, the wind blowing ceaselessly across her. Shades of green raced past either side and the only thing that stood motionless was the bright blue sky that spread across and over the edge of her vision. The sun hung uncontested at its peak, basking Anne in its hot rays and leaving her body soaked with sweat that made her filthy gown stick to her like a second layer of skin.

She pushed herself up into a sit as she struggled to free her face from her waving hair. Failing miserably, she swung herself around to face the direction the strong gusts were coming from. Winding through the blur of leafy mass in front of her was the dim glow of a train; its coaches were fuzzy because of the heat rising from them as the train sped past trees, just out of reach of any proper shade. Anne found herself looking for a place to hide before any other questions had time to form. She needed shade, and fast. Most of the coaches looked like passenger coaches as they were laden with windows on both sides and had solid roofs. All were identical but the last two coaches. Second-last was a large square storage unit where Anne found herself and the last looked like a maintenance coach filled with large crates, thick steel wires, an assortment of large lights and clamps, and a small two-window roofed cubicle at the end. Anne scrambled onto her hands and knees and headed to the back of the train. The wind was whipping her hair into her face again as she tried to keep her balance with the sway of the train. She reached the end of the coach and threw herself over the edge onto a small ladder that ran down the back. Everything was burning hot and touching anything for more than a few moments had her yelping at the sting. She carefully crossed the gap between the two coaches and hurriedly crawled her way through the crates and tools until she reached the small compartment at the end. The train ended abruptly only a few arms lengths away, and the rhythmic rumble of the train on the tracks was as loud as ever.

She peered through the window. The compartment was empty. Anne tried the single door that lead inside, but the door was locked. While hopping on the scorching steel floor she grabbed the door handle and pulled hard, but it did not budge. Frustrated and panicked she grabbed the door handle tightly and pulled again, and without warning pulled the door off its hinges and sent it soaring off the side of the train. Awestruck and flat on her back, she quickly got up and into the compartment.

It was a small square room with a front and a side-facing window, and a now missing door. A fixed wooden desk stood in front of a chair that had a worn cushion sitting in it. Anne dropped into the chair, rubbing her hands and breathing fast as sweat seeped down her back. Her whole body was a light shade of red from the sun and she welcomed the relief the small cubicle provided. Her thoughts finally caught up to her, and she held her arms up in front of her, examining them thoroughly.

  How? This is insane. But, wait. These feel different. It feels… better. How can these feel better than my own? These arms… are mine. And…just how did I get them? Did they… grow back? Nothing is making sense.

Anne’s thoughts ran around in her mind as she slid two fingers up her arm to feel her soft skin while she gently clenched her tiny fist. They looked like her normal, thin arms, but for the redness and a few blisters. A shiver shook her when the image of the dead brute laying crushed in a pool of blood flashed through her thoughts.

  What were those… claws?

  Wait!

Anne frantically searched up and down her arms again, turning and twisting them to try and see all around.

  They are gone! Those horrible metal sockets that were in my arms… I can’t find them.

Her grin faded when she felt across her ribs, prodding the socket below her breast.

  Well, these are still here.

She started examining herself all over, checking for bruising and wounds.

  Nothing. I feel fine. My ribs aren’t broken. My nose… exactly as it should be.

  But… that fight was real. Wasn’t it?

Anne looked down at the barely recognizable gown she had worn since her measuring. It was covered in bloodstains and had big, gaping holes in the front and back that were still soggy.

  Even where that monster speared me… my skin isn’t even marked.

She sat there, silent and confused, thinking of the one thing that was now driving her to tears more than anything else.

  Tom... where are you? Are you ok? I could not save you. This empty place inside me is horrible. Why did they take you? They should have taken me instead.

Anne laid down on her arms, staring at a teardrop that had rolled down her left cheek and onto the table.

  “I have to find you,” She muttered softly.

But how? I don’t know where to start. I don’t know who took you.

She jumped upright.

  “The helicopter! It had a thing… a, a symbol! On its side,” she said out loud.

  No… I don’t… I don’t remember what it looked like.

She dropped back onto her arms and stared out of the door. Miserable. There was a gnawing emptiness inside her that was becoming more and more prominent. She felt the loneliness creep up on her, swelling up from inside her. The tear on the table was now but a darkened spot on the wood but was soon joined by many other tears as she cried softly, swaying gently as the train moved.

A horrible, burning sensation crashed into her mind and dug into her. She trembled and threw herself upright while frantically searching the small room. Her knuckles whitened as she grabbed onto the table, struggling to keep herself from going mad and letting out a gagging scream. The emptiness inside her was now burning as if a river of molten rock was seeping into her, into the void that had replaced the connection between her and Tom. Her loneliness doubled in intensity.

  I have nothing!

  I am nothing! I am unwanted and my existence is a mistake.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  I’m going to die alone.

  John, Tiffany, and now Tom.

  Gone… forever.

Her emotions ran rampant inside her and her vision had left her completely. The searing fire inside her was twitching and swirling, grabbing at her consciousness as it tried to get a foothold. As if alive, the inferno was attempting to fill the emptiness. It struggled and fought.

Then… nothing. It was gone.

Anne fell off the chair and onto her side, writhing on the floor as a torrent of crimson drenched her face and spread over the steel surface.

Her consciousness failed.

***

The unending sway of the train softly shook her as it followed its tracks to places unknown. She rolled onto her back as she waited for her senses to slowly return. The muscles in her arms and hands were sore and tense, and she was holding two chunks of splintered wood that were ripped out of the small table.

Anne threw the pieces of wood aside and used the chair to pull herself up. She dropped back into the chair and rubbed some stubborn bits of wood from her hands. No splinters had made it through her skin.

  This feels like that night… I wish Tom was here.

She sat there motionless as the confusion made her head spin.

What happened? I only remember… warmth. A horrible and intense warmth. And the loneliness. So lonely.

She wiped her face with the hem of her gown, staining it blood red.

  And this. My face. Full of blood. Just like before. Oh, Tom, I miss you.

Anne shook off the emotion. The sun was setting somewhere behind the train and the air was already starting to cool. She jumped up when she noticed the lack of green around her. The trees and other vegetation had been replaced by the pale remnants of old buildings. Most had only one or two walls still standing between the rubble, but soon the ruins became bigger as broken and forgotten buildings rising several floors tall rushed past. The train was heading towards the center of a large city with large skyscrapers that hid their bulk in the darkness that enveloped them. Deafened by the rumble of the train as it pierced the night, Anne almost slipped in the pool of blood that she left on the floor.

  Light!

Finally, small dots of light were seen on the horizon the train was pointed at, and soon those lights were all around her. Tall buildings were dotted with signs of life and she could see bustling roads coming into view below the train, which was now on an elevated track that ran a few stories above the city streets.

The train was slowing down and she knew they were approaching a station of some kind.

  Oh no. I can’t be seen like this! Should I even be seen at all? The sudden idea of getting lost in a sea of people sent a shiver down Anne’s back. It was too dark to properly look at herself, but she knew she was bloody and dirty and barely had any clothes on.

The station came into view as the train slowed to a crawl. There were lamp posts stretched across a long concrete platform, yet only a few lights were working somewhere near the front of the train. The platform crept past the side of the train until it reached the last coach where Anne was hiding. The train stopped.

Some people were getting off near the front of the train, giving Anne the perfect opportunity to jump off without anyone noticing. She ran toward the station building that stretched the length of the platform a few meters away. The platform floor was still warm from the hot day. The only light in the building came from the door in the middle where all the passengers walked through. It didn’t look like the building was used for much more than a roofed passage. Anne turned away from the light and skirted the end of the building and around the corner, sticking close to the wall until she was on the other side.

An ocean of color and lights stretched out before her. A small path led out the middle of the station building and out into a large street market. People were bustling all over; chatting, bartering, and laughing. She could hear music playing from several places. The tall buildings that were nudged between these busy streets looked like they were being strangled by the makeshift tents and canopies that covered everything from the streets, the pavement, and right up to and against the buildings themselves. These tall structures were strewn with lit windows lively with movement, and banners that were hanging from the walls and down the sides of the building, advertising all manners of goods and services.

  “So many people,” Anne gasped.

  “So many… everything.”

She took a few steps forward, mesmerized by everything off in the distance when her next step found no ground. With a splash, she fell down a short but steep slope into a body of water. She thrashed for a second before realizing the water was shallow enough for her to stand. A bit perplexed, she looks around, trying to make sense of her surroundings in the darkness. She had fallen only a few feet into a small canal that ran past the edge of the station before splitting up into several small pipes that lead out of it in different directions. The water felt surprisingly cool and clean. She was sure she would be able to see her feet on the bottom during the day. Anne relaxed her body and tried to enjoy the water.

  “It’s so good to cool down after… today,” Anne muttered quietly to herself.

She stood still for a few minutes while she struggled to clear her mind, occasionally running her hand across the water's surface.

  My head… I feel so tired. Wait, I haven’t eaten since yesterday morning. I must get food somehow.

Anne used this chance to wash up; cleaning all the way behind her ears and between her toes, feeling the sweat and grime wash away.

  I… I need to get answers, and I’m sure there will be answers here. Be strong Anne. You can do this. You must.

Feeling refreshed, she climbed out of the canal and wrung as much water out of her hair as she could. Still dripping wet and after taking a deep breath, she made her way towards the market.

The outside fringes of the market were quiet compared to the very center. Anne turned into the first street to the right. It was empty except for one or two stragglers who kept to themselves. She used her small size to her advantage, keeping low between the stalls and moving as quietly as possible. Most of the merchants were slouched in their seats making it hard to see if they were still awake. Slowly advancing closer toward the center, she passed a thin woman with very long hair snoring as she slept in her chair. Anne passed quietly.

  Wait…

She turned around and crept back to the sleeping woman. A small light was taped to one of the tent poles that shed enough light on the woman’s wares for Anne to see.

  Clothes! I can’t be seen in these rags and it's starting to get cold. Maybe… maybe there is something that will fit me.

She looked around to make sure nobody saw her, then she quickly looked through the clothes, searching for any children’s sizes. She found it after a bit of searching; a crate full of unsorted clothes was tucked in the corner with a heap of unmatched clothes jumbled inside. Keeping as silent as she can, she rummaged through the clothes.

Several minutes later Anne stalked back through the dark shops and up the road towards the station. Her heart was beating wildly, but she had a small bundle of clothes pressed against her chest and a grin on her face.

  I was right.

The station was abandoned except for the two doors on the front and back of the building. These made up the endpoints of a hall that passed straight through. People would simply walk in through one door and out the other. Stopping next to the entrance she waited and listened. Quiet. She ran in, pushed the one side door open, and entered what seemed like a small office stacked full of filing cabinets. Past that was two small tiled rooms on either side of a smaller corridor, and finally at the end; a storeroom. Anne rushed inside and closed the door behind her. She dropped to the floor with her prize on her lap, taking long shuddering breaths.

  I don’t know how, but I did it.

Light from one of the platform lights was streaming through a small window from the right, gently illuminating half of the room. The room was dusty, and the far wall was lined with bare shelves. The rest of the room was empty with a dry smell that hung in the air.

Anne stumbled to her feet and rid herself of her ruined rags, throwing them into the corner. The nippy air sent a shiver running through her naked body and she grabbed the first piece of clothing that she had attained; a dark pink shirt. It was soft and light, great for this scorching weather. She quickly squeezed into the shirt.

  A perfect fit.

It was a little wrinkled, but she didn’t care. Next, she slid into a pair of undies and then some black shorts, which she thought was an amazing find. In her haste, she had grabbed another shirt, yet she saw now that it was large and would never fit her. She was unable to find anything for her feet, so she would have to walk barefoot for now. She looked at herself and was satisfied with the result, for indeed, anything was better than what she had. She quickly surveyed the room again.

  This looks like the best place to rest.

Anne took the large shirt and laid down in the darker corner for fear of being seen through the window, and folded up the shirt to use as a pillow. Silence soon rang in her ears as her eyelids became heavy.

  I don’t know how… but I will find you. Tom. Please stay alive.

Her body was protesting for rest, and after she forced out her thoughts and worries, she fell asleep.