The TombStone 31 Express (Prologue & Chapter 1)

 Prologue: The Black Ticket

The Station was Desolate save for a Few Passengers Awaiting for the Arrival of the Next Train that would Take Them to Places Far and Near.

On Benches Made out of Red Onyx that gave off the Appearance of Bleeding Stone They Sat and Waited Never Making any Sound except that of a Whisper Barely Heard.

The Rustle of  Newspaper and the Moaning of the Morning Breeze seemed to be the Only Other Sounds that One could Hear in this Station as well as the Patrolling Foot Steps of a Constable.

On One Bench Far from the other Passengers and looking quite Perplexed was a Girl of the Age of 19 and each time She Looked Around at the Station and the other Passengers, Her Eyes would Grow Wide in Disbelief and a Creeping Sense of Dread would begin to Envelop Her Causing her Entire Body to Shake Violently as if she was Plunged into  a Tank full of Frigid Water.

She Wore Dark Clothing that Bore the Colors of Late Fall... A Jacket that was Pale Yellow Complete with a Scarf of Burnt Orange. Her Pants were Black as a Starless Night and keeping her Hands Warm were Gloves that Matched the Color of her Scarf. Her Hair was Silver Blonde and Braided up in a PonyTail. 

Her Eyes were Venomous Green Hidden Behind Shades of White Rims and Orange Lens.

In her Hands, She Held a Single Black Ticket and illustrated on the Black Paper was a Silent Screaming Skull with the Number 31 Branded on its Pale White ForeHead. It Eyes were also Venomous Green but seemed to Pulsate with an Unnatural Glow as if the Skull was somehow Alive. Above the Skull in a Curved Font were the Words: 

TOMBSTONE 31 Express

and Below:

Admittance for the Recently Departed

Party of 1

She had Read over and over these Words Hardly Believing what She Saw Printed on the Black Ticket but yet even after Reading the Ticket for the 15th Time the Words did not Change nor Disappear.

So...She was Dead?  No No No That can't be Right....She shook her Head in Denial and Attempted to Remember what she was last Doing before she Woke up and Found Herself in this Macabre Place. But No Memories came to the Surface and she was Left with her Questions and Denial.

The Only thing that would come to her Mind were Thoughts of Bird Song and Sun Light Streaming through a Open Window with a Light Breeze parting Soft Silk Curtains.

She Lost Herself in these Thoughts for awhile paying the Station and its Passengers No Mind until a Raspy Voice Interrupted her Ruminations...

"Pardon Young Miss....The Train will Arriving Shortly and it is time for Tickets to be Collected."

She had her eyes Closed during her Ruminations and when She Opened them and Beheld the Individual Speaking to her, She nearly Screamed out in Fright and Fainted...but She Managed to keep herself Silent and Conscious. The Speaker was the Constable and he was Dead in Appearance. His Skin was Pale and Shrunken and She could See that he had no Eyes but only Pitch Black Hollow Emptiness where they should have been. There was a Faint Reddish Glow Emanating from within the Hollows of the Constables Eye Sockets  but it Vanished before she could Catch another Glimpse of it. His Mouth was Filled with Wooden Teeth which made a Grating Sound whenever the Constable spoke to her and a Slurping Sound was added as his Jaw Struggled to keep Intact as it Appeared to be Almost Rotted and Close to Falling off.

This was the Closest she had ever been to one of the Inhabitants of this Train Station and She Realized in Grim Fascination and Shock that the Passengers were Walking and Talking Corpses even when they only Spoke very Little and Only in Hushed Whispers that Reminded her of Scenes from a Ghost Flick. 

"Ma'am? Are you Feeling Well? You look a little Pale?"

At this, She almost Laughed Out loud but She Nodded her Head and Managed a High Pitch "Yes"

'Very Well then Young Miss. As I Said Before...The Train is nearly here so May I Please See your Ticket."

She looked down at the Black Ticket and then all around the Station then back at the Constable who had one Outstretched Hand Held out to Receive Her Ticket.

"Excuse Me...But Where am I?" 

the Constable looked at her in Silence then Answered 

"You are at the N.R.D Train Station Young Miss."

"N.R.D."

"Yes... Newly and Recently Departed."

"Newly and Recently Departed...." She Repeated to herself in a Numb Tone

"Yes...It Says so on Your Ticket along with the Name and Number of your Train which I have Informed you Earlier should be Arriving any time now."

"Excuse Me...But I think there has been some Mistake."

"Mistake? Whatever do you mean Miss?"

"I'm not Dead....I Know I'm not Dead....I Can't be Dead....I Won't be Dead....How can I be Dead?"

The Constable did not Reply but looked at her as if in both Pity and Curiosity.

"I Can't Remember Anything before I found Myself Waking up here in this Strange Station Sitting on this Bench and Holding on to this Damn Black Ticket!"

At the Mention of the Tickets Color, the Constable took a Step Back and Looked around Quickly then Leaned in to Whisper into one of her Ears.

"I would not go Shouting out that you have a Black Ticket Young Miss...It might Attract Unwanted Attention."

"Unwanted Attention?"

"Yes Young Miss. The Unwanted usually come here to the Station whenever a Black Ticket is Revealed to the rest of the Passengers who do not Possess one themselves except the White Tickets. The Passengers themselves do not really Care that you might have a Black Ticket but the Unwanted have ways of Seeing through the Passenger's Eyes and Hearing through their Ears....There is even Rumour that they can Speak through their Mouths in their Twisted Language."

"Who are the Unwanted?"

"The Unwanted Young Miss are those who have gotten themselves the Punishment of Receiving no Tickets... White nor Black and they  most Desire the Black Ticket."

"What is the difference between the White Tickets and the Black Tickets?"

"Young Miss.... The White Tickets Gives Passengers a Seat on just the Angel's Vigil Express but the Black Ticket Gives you and any other Passenger a Seating on the TombStone 31 Express."

"Angels Vigil? TombStone 31 Express? What are you Talking about? What makes this TombStone 31 Express more Important than the Angel's Vigil Express?'

"The Angel Vigil Express is Reserved to those  Passengers who Possess White Tickets and have no more Business in their Lives to Take Care of so they can Ride in Peace and Solitude to their Final Destination. But the TombStone 31 Express is Reserved for those Passengers Possessing the Black Tickets And have Unfinished Business to Take Care Off."

"But why do the Unwanted want the Black Ticket Most of All and Not the White Ticket?"

"Because the Unwanted are those who have Squandered their Lives away in Meaningless Excess of Violence,Greed and Lust and if they Gain a Black Ticket then they are able to Cause Chaos amongst the World Outside the Silent Necropolis. And we can't have that Young Miss. No We Cannot."

"We?"

"I refer to Constables such as Myself as well as the Bone Librarians of the Skeletal Library."

"The Skeletal Library?"

Before the Constable could Answer her Question, a Shrill and Hollow Sounding Whistle Pierced the Silence of the Train Station.

"That is your Train Young Miss...Now May I See Your Ticket Please."

After a bit of Hesitation She Handed the Black Ticket over to the Constable who Took it and Pulling out a Ticket Puncher Punched the Black Ticket then Handed it Back to Her.

"Thank You Young Miss. Now Hurry Along and Board your Train before it Departs without You."

"Wait! One Last Question."

"Yes Young Miss?"

"Where will this Train Take me to?"

"The TombStone 31 Express has Nine Stops in Total but I'm afraid that we both do Not have enough Time to go over them all. I can only tell you this... The First Stop is at the Port of Love Turn.  Now Please Young Miss... Catch your Train and Please do keep the Fact that you Possess a Black Ticket to yourself or Suffer the Unwanted Hunting you."

The Constable then turned and Walked off towards the other Passengers who Gave Him their  White Tickets for the Train Arriving after the TombStone 31 Express.

Taking One last Look around the Station then Down at the Black Ticket in her Hands, She Headed in the Direction of the TombStone 31 Express which Gave out one Last Whistle.

 Chapter 1: The Macabre Menagarie 

The Landscape Looked Cold and Malevolent Outside the Train's Windows and She could See some of the Denizens that Inhabited the Area and they Watched as the Train Rushed by on the Tracks with Wild and Crazed Eyes. She could Not Describe their Appearance to any Living Soul if She ever Found her Way Out of the Silent Necropolis if that was the Name of the World She was Currently Trapped in because the Creatures Forms were so Twisted and Malformed Beyond any Sane and Rational Belief....The Closest she could come up with was A Combination of a Mammal crossbred with a Reptile. The Entire Bodies of the Creatures were Sickly Scales the Color of a Faded Sapphire with a Mane of Dirty and Matted Hair across the Back of the Creatures Spine and Leading to the Head like a Twisted Version of a Mohawk. Their Eyes were of 6 Pupils, Three to the Left and Three to the Right and they were a Dull Pink and as they Watched the Train, they Opened their Jaws Wide, Revealing 10 Rows of Jagged and Sharp Teeth and from their Throats there came a Gurgled but Loud Howling that Seemed to Pierce Deep into Her Eardrums and Cause Nausea. she Gagged and Turned away from the Window in Alarm and Fright. 

"Feeling the Effects of a Dilinexill Howl for the First  Time...eh?" A Voice Beside Her Asked, taking her Gaze away from the Window and the LandScape Outside. Sitting a few Inches Beside Her was another of the "Passengers". This one Wore a Heavy Trench Coat Complete with a Fedora and He had Half of a Cigarette between his Teeth.  He had Remnants of Short Brown Hair that was Slowly Turning to White but He Did not pay it any Notice. 

"Dilinexill?" She Asked still trying to keep Herself from Hurling onto the Floor of the Train.

"The Creatures Outside Howling and Giving You the Feeling of Emptying out your Stomach onto the Nice Carpet Floor of this Train. They are Scavengers Mostly and Use their Howling as some sort of Attack on their Prey Immobilizing it as it Cannot Move Since it too Busy Seeing the Digested Remains of Its Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner all in one Brownish looking Puddle..."

At this Comment, She Finally Threw Up. After a Few Minutes of this Unpleasantness She Sat back up and Glared at the "Passenger" Momentarily Forgetting her Fear and Shock of them when She First Arrived at the Station and Boarded the TombStone 31 Express.

"You did that on Purpose...."

"Yes I did because if You Kept Trying to Fight Against the Nausea then it would have been a lot more Worse and Since you in here and not Outside with those Damnable Creatures, You can Easily Overcome the Illness which is Temporary here on Board this Train. But the only thing you have to Worry about now is the Some of the Staff Complaining about the Mess you made."

She Glared at Him still, but seeing the Screwed Up Logic of this "Passenger" She Muttered a Brief and Short "Thank You"

"You  are most Welcome. The Name is Richard Olston, and Yours...?"

She did not Answer for something had Occurred to Her after He Asked this one Simple but for Some Reason Fateful Question

" I Don't know.... It like my Memories of my Name have also left me....."

Richard gave Her one Long look of Curiosity almost the same as the one the Constable from the Station gave Her than Shrugged.

"Ah...Who Cares about a Name anyway these Days...its not like you will have a Name that anyone will Care to Remember or be in Awe of."

"But I Care...A Name is Part of Us and it what Makes Us Who We are in Life."

"I must Disagree. From Where I came from....Names were as Important as a Puddle of Dirty Water in an Alleyway. Actions and Deeds were the thing to make you into Somebody to be Remembered by all Who Heard of your Exploits."

"Where did you Come from?"

"A City known for its Crime and Corruption but also for its  Rare Few Citizens who Dare Stand Up Against the Filthy and the Degenerate."

She took another look at Him and His Garments getting a Sense of Familiarity, Thinking of Old Black and White Films with Jazz Playing in the BackGround as Men in the same Garb as this "Passenger" Walked with the Trail of Smoke Following them either Accompanied by a Dame in a Provocative Dress or  by a Tommy Gun in their Hands. She saw a Name Floating around in the BackRooms of her Mind...Noir. She Knew that She had Understood what this Word Meant but while in the Silent Necropolis, her Memories were like Curtains Attacked by Moths Leaving Holes in the Once Whole Fabric.

"So I told you Where I came from... Now it your Turn unless you Don't know that either."

She shook her head.

" My My My... you are a Curious one. There are so many Passengers other than you  that I Met and Talked to on this Train that know Who they Are and Where they came from that I could Tell You Stories all about them. but you are the First Passenger I Met that does not even know Her Own Story... That is Curious indeed. But you must have a Story that has Yet to Begin because it has not even Ended."

"What do you mean by that?" She asked

"Well you here on this Train aren't you? The Ticket you have in your Pocket is Black same as Mine and all the other Passengers on this Train. So that means you have Unfinished Business to Attend to."

she kept Silent Remembering the Constable's Warning of Keeping the Black Ticket She Carried a Secret. Richard seemed to have guessed at the Reasoning behind Her Silence and gave her a Harmless Smile.

"Do Not Worry... Everyone here knows that Everyone has a Black Ticket but it the people you meet at the Stops that you should be Careful around."

"But if they See us get off this Train then they will know we have a Black Ticket."

"No because No one is Allowed inside the Train Stations except other Passengers so it Completely Safe and away from the Prying Eyes of the UnWanted."

He Stopped and pulled out His Ticket and Handed it to Her.

"Now you have Seen my Ticket and now you are Holding my Ticket in your Hand. Nothing is going to Happen Because you have done these two things on board the Train. Do you Understand now?"

"I think... A Little."

"Good...But once you off this Train for any of the Nine Stops and you Choose to go Exploring then you keep your Damn Mouth Shut and you have that Black Ticket Hidden in your Pockets."

She nodded and he Smiled again as if he was a Teacher Finishing Teaching One of his Students a Difficult Lesson. He took his Black Ticket back and Secured it in a Pocket within his Trench Coat Revealing a White Shirt Underneath with Multiple Bullet Holes with Dried Blood Surrounding them. She gave out a Small Gasp and he merely covered his Shirt with the Trench Coat and Smiled Sadly.

"That Part of the Reason I'm here on this Train with my Own Black Ticket...I have some Debts to Collect from those who Gave me these and there is a Promise I must Keep to a Young Boy and his Mother.  I have been Traveling around this World Searching for the Train Station to Redeem this Ticket and now that I Finally Found the Station and I'm now on Board the Train, I can Begin the Journey Back to that City and Finish my Business there Once and For All." 

He took a Puff from his Cigarette and went to Sleep or She thought He was Sleeping...it was Difficult to tell if His Eyes were Opened or Closed due to them being Hollow Sockets.

"Richard?"

"Yes?"

"If Names are not Important where you Come from then why did you Tell me Yours?"

Richard was Silent before He Replied Blowing out a Thin Layer of Smoke.

"I was just being Polite....Even if Names are not Important where I came from...It still Polite to Introduce Yourself."

Richard then went back to Sleep...Or Not.

She gave Him one last look then Feeling Bored Sitting down on her Assigned Seat, She got up and went to the Dining Car Hoping that there was at least some Food Normal enough for Her to Eat since She had Nothing to Eat Since She Awoke up in the Station.

Opening the Door to the Dining Car and Stepping in, She saw that there were some of the Passengers there already Eating or Placing an Order with the Waiters and Waitresses who Glided past Her without taking any Notice of Her at all. 

She found a Table near a Family of Four and began Browsing through the Menu that was on the Table.  Finding something that was at least Normal was  Difficult but She Relented and Chose a Random Meal and Watched as the Waiter Wrote it down then Glided to the Kitchens.

She Passed the Time Looking around the Dining Car at the Many Passengers and Found that each was Different in their own way and as She Looked more Closely at each of the Passengers Garments and Listened to their Accents, She Began to have a Sense of Familiarity and Knowledge but yet again there were Holes in her Memories that Prevented Her from Fully Understanding what She had Discovered about this Macabre Menagerie. 

...

The Food was Different but at Least Edible  and when She Finished Eating, She left the Dining Car to Explore more of the Train. She walked into one of the Train Cars and Found Herself Face to Face with a Strange Humanoid.

"Ohw era uoy?"

She Stared at the Humanoid "Passenger" Unsure of what to Say since She had no Idea what it was Saying and to Her it sounded like Gibberish. 

"Ohw era uoy??"

It Said again and it Blinked in Curiosity and when She still didn't Answer, it gave out a Gruff "HHMM!" and Pushed her Aside and Walked out of the Car with a Spiked Tail Swishing back and Forth Behind it.

She Watched the Humanoid go and Thought of Cats and Elves Mixed Together with Lizards then all of a Sudden the Humanoid Whipped back around and Thrust it Face towards Her own Glaring at her and Speaking Angrily.

"Peek Ruoy Sthgouht Ni Kechc!! M'I A Umasdekit Ton A Tac, Fle, Dna   Ylniatrec Ton A Drazil!"

The Humanoid's Tail was Swishing Violently as it Glared down at Her with Orange Eyes and Began to Reach for Her with Fearsome looking Claws until one of the "Passengers in the TrainCar Stepped out of His Seat and Got Between them and Spoke to the Humanoid in its Language.

"Eht Lirg Soed Ton DnatsRednu Rouy Eguagnal Ron Seod Ehs Wnok Touba Ruoy Yhtapelet. Ehs Olsa Sah Ton Tem A Umasdekit Erofeb"

The Humanoid looked at the Passenger then at Her then Seeming to Reach an Understanding of the Situation Bowed Apologetically.

"I Ees. Ssap Ym Tosm Erecnis Seigolopa Ot Reh."

"I Llhas."

The Humanoid once again gave a Bow of Apology then Continued its way out of the TrainCar. As soon as it was Gone, The "Passenger" turned to her and gave her a Small Relieved Smile.

"Well Now... That could have been Messy and Violent."

"What did I do to Upset it so?"

" "It" is not a It but a Umasdekit. A Inhabitant of the Jungles that Lives either Underground near The Jungle Trees Roots or Up Above in the Cover of the Jungle Trees. They are Feline Reptillian and Elvish in Appearance Yes but  Never Think  nor Say that Near them Because they take Great Offense to that."

"Why Can't I Think near them?"

"Because all Umasdekits are Telepathic."

"Telepathic?"

"Yes... and When you Thought that the Umasdekit You Met Looked like those Three Species...Well you Saw and Heard what Happened."

"What Language was it Speaking? I could not Understand it at all."

"Its no Language at all... All Umasdekits Speak Backwards."

"BackWards?"

"You Repeat things people say to you Some of the time did you ever Notice that?"

She Clamped her mouth Shut in Embarrassment and the "Passenger" Continued.

"the Umasdekit when You First came Face to Face was Asking Who You were and when You did not Answer, He Asked again and when You still didn't Answer, He gave up and Began to Leave until You Made the Foolish Choice of Thinking that Thought near Him as He was Leaving. He Rushed towards You and said this:"

Translation: "Keep Your Thoughts in Check! I'm a Umasdekit not a Cat Elf and Certainly not a Lizard!"

"It was at this time, He was thinking about Giving you a Scratch on the Face to Teach you a Lesson but I Quickly Stepped in and Intervened since I Understand the Languge of the Umasdekit and enough about them. I Spoke to him  in His Language to show Respect and Understanding... This is what I Told Him..."

Translation: " The Girl does Not Understand your Langauage nor does She Know about your Telepathy. She has also not Met a Umasdekit before."

"As soon as I Explained this to Him...He Found that some of the Fault was on Him due to his Outburst and Attempt to do you Harm. He gave you a Bow in Apology and Told me to Pass on his Most Sincere Apologies to you. I Told Him I Shall."

She looked at where the Umasdekit exited then turned back to the "Passenger"

"Thank You. I'm a Stranger in this Land So I do not Fully Know my Way around this Place nor do I fully Understand the People or Things that Inhabit this World."

"Do not Fret yourself about that...It a long Journey to where you Headed and there are Nine Stops till then so You will have Plenty of time to Learn all about the Silent Necropolis and its many Passengers and Citizens. You already Learned something already about the Umasdekits so that One thing that going for you. My Name is Pervoli Dastin by the way. I am a Explorer and I actually had a Recent Expedition in the Jungles where the Umasdekits Live and Thrive so I was able to meet some of them in one of their Villages where they Allowed me to Observe them and Learn all about their Culture and History."

"Sounds Fascinating."

"It was! My Next Expedition will be even More Amazing! I'm Planning on Discovering the Lost Ruins of  Ghativili!"

She then Decided to Sit and Listen to Pervoli's Tales about his Adventures and Discoveries and when he Finished his Tenth Tale She called a Break and got up from the Seat She took in Front of Him. 

"Well it was nice to Meet you Mr. Dastin and listen to all your Amazing Adventures."

"It was my Pleasure and Please... It Just Pervoli."

"Ok Pervoli."

She Smiled and walked away leaving the Adventurer to his own Thoughts and Devices. She Secretly called for a Break not only Because She was being Overwhelmed by Pervolis's many and Endless Tales but because a Jungle Insect was Burrowing its way out of Pervolis Cheek and Beginning to Scuttle towards his Brain...no doubt for a Snack. But Pervoli seemed to be A Gentleman and because of Her Meeting him, She began to feel more at Ease around the Other "Passengers" but still they Freaked her out a bit. 

"Oh by the Way..."

Pervoli called out to Her.

"Yes?"

"If you come across that Umasdekit again...His Name is Hazabah."

"Ok. Thanks."

He gave her a Thumbs up and to Her Surprise and Slight Disgust Found the Insect Nearing his Forehead and Grabbed it and took a big Crunching Bite out of it.

"Ah.... Tastes like Chicken."

She Quickly Left Before She had the Urge to Throw up Again.

As she was Walking by other "Passengers", She took a Mental Note of what they Wore and what Accent they Spoke in and She Reviewed this as She Explored the Train Further.

First was the Noir "Passenger" She met 

Second was the Umasdekit 

Third was the Explorer who had a Bit of an English Accent to his Voice and His Appearance was very Rugged as if coming from a Recent Trek in the Jungles but Still Groomed. She especially Admired his Blonde Hair and Curly Mustache which he Occasionally Twirled around with the Tip of his Fingers.

The Other "Passengers" She made Quick Observations and Notes:

There was a Woman Dressed in the Style of the Victiorian Era who Kept Looking back and Around Her as if Someone was Stalking her and Hiding in the Shadows.

There were Two Soldiers in Old Military Uniforms with Helmets on their heads that looked like Bowls made into a Hat. They each had a Cigarette between their Lips and they were Playing Cards but looked Tense as if Waiting for a Particular Sound to Suddenly Happen.

In one of the Corners where the Shadows Congregated was a Lone Man Peering at Her as She Passed by, His Eyes almost Hidden  Underneath a Wide Brimmed Cowboy Hat. He had Two Pistols in Holsters at each Hip and his Hands where Resting upon the Butts of the Two Deadly Weapons.

And there was a Set of Twins who looked at her with Mania in their Eyes and they Sang to themselves Rocking back and Forth.

"Ashes to Ashes

Dust to Dust

Ashes to Ashes

Dust to Dust...."

She Found Herself Feeling that Sense of Familiarity Once More and Struggled to come up with a Reasonable Explanation as to Why. Then in the Back Corners of her Mind a Vague Image of a Book with many Pictures of Several Different Places and Times appeared Before Her and a Voice Whispered to her Ear...

"Doomed to Repeat..."

She Blinked and Lost the Thought becoming Lost once Again with Unanswered Questions that were Joined by Newer Questions of what She had Found Out just by Walking Amongst the "Passengers" and taking the Slightest Notice of Each Slightest Detail of Each and Every one of the Macabre Menagerie. She Groaned in Frustration but Walked on Determined to Explore Further more of the TombStone 31 Express and its many "Passengers" and if any...  Their Secrets.

The TombStone 31 Express Rushed ever Forward throughout the Day but now It Speeded into the Darkness of the Night allowing itself to be Consumed by Total and Lifeless Blackness. 

...

Blackness at First then a Light at the Bottom 

Rushing Wind Whipped Past Him as he Fell ever Downwards

He was Asleep until He was not and Discovering His FreeFall Screamed for what Seemed to him an Eternity

As He Fell, He saw Distant Shapes that Flew Past him Shrieking and Moaning  and Reaching out for Him with Claws made out of Mist 

Something hit him on the Shoulder and when he Discovered what Descending Projectile Hit him, He knew he was Losing his Mind or Worse

It was a Skull followed by More Skulls which were Falling down with Him in an Endless Number

They were Laughing.... Laughing? Skulls Don't Laugh.....What is Going on?

He tried to close His Eyes and Cover his Ears to Block out the Terrifying  Ordeal but to no Avail and he continued his Descent

One of the Skulls Slowed it Descent and Pushed itself to Him Smiling it Dead Smile and looking at him with Hollow Eye Sockets that Glowed a Faint Green.

It Stared at Him for awhile and He Stared back in Disbelief then it Laughed and started Speaking to Him.

"Hey Buddy-Boy! Want to Hear a Joke?"

He did not Answer but the Skull went ahead away.

"Why did the Chicken Cross the Road?"

The Hell? A Skull just Asked him one of the most Cheesiest and Lamest Jokes ever... This had to be a Nightmare...Had to be but to his Surprise he Found Himself Asking "Why?"

"To Get to the Chicken Stip Club and to check out all those Chicks Waving their Nuggets!"

The Skull Burst out Laughing and he Fainted Enveloped by Blackness within Blackness

...

The Game was Nearing a Conclusion when a Pretty Young Lass Passed by them taking them out of their Focus on the Cards as they Watched Her Walk by with Mild but Awoken Interest. 

"Hey Gerald. Look at that Fine French Piece of Art.... She Beautiful!"

"You Say that about all the French Girls we Met while we Were Marching along or when we are Off Duty and Away from the Trenches. "

"But I mean it! This Girl is Different from all the others....She is even Wearing some sort of Strange Clothing but it still Shows all the Right "Curves" and "Angles"..."

"Hey! Remember what our Commanding Officer Ordered! No Fraternization with any more of the French Women!"

"Oh Come on Gerald! You were Staring at the Same "Places" I was so cut the Cr##!" 

"Thomas. Listen to me.... if we Disobey Orders then we are most likely to be Court-Martialed and Imprisoned."

"HMMM! Seems Worth the Risk and Better than Waiting for that Damn Whistle to Blow and Lead us to our Deaths Above the Trenches and Across that Desolate No-Man's Land and Die at the Hands of those Damn Huns!"

"I Understand but we Must Follow Orders if not for our Commanding Officer then at least for Mum back Home waiting for us."

Thomas sighed and laid a Card down on the Table.

"Your Move."

Gerald made a Sad Smile then looked back at the Cards in his Hands.

...

She looked at the Stranger in the Corner then Pretended that She was looking out of the Window next to the Stranger before Returning Her Eyes to the Newspaper Laid across her Lap. The Newspaper was Opened to one Specific Page and Headline but Even as She Read it, She could not and Refused to Believe it.  A Young Girl Suddenly Passed by Attracting Her Attention.  She looked Beautiful despite the Strange Clothing She Wore and Her Hair was a Odd Color that Reminded the Woman of a Precious Metal. If the HeadLine was Truly Accurate then this Beautiful Young Girl who looked like she had never had to deal with the Struggles of Poverty and the Advances of Lecherous Men that She Herself had to Sell Herself and Her Body to was Lucky. But if the HeadLine was False and the Man known as Jack was Still Prowling the Darkened Streets then the Beauty of this Young Girl would Vanish and be Replace by Skin Horribly Carved and Mutilated as Her Body would then be Left on the Dirty Streets Laying in a Puddle of Mud and Sh** as well as Her own Blood and Spilling Entrails to be Found by the Constables that Night. She Prayed that the HeadLine was True and that the Stalker who had Murdered the Women of White Chapel was Truly Dead and Rotting. But even as She Prayed and Hoped, She Could not Help Herself as She turned to look at all the Men in the Train Car Wondering in Silent Fear if one of them was Jack just Waiting for the Time where She and Perhaps that Young Girl to be Alone so he Could have his way with the both of them and Rip into them. She began to Shake and Sob quietly as the Unconscious Image of Jack leered at her and Twirled a Bleeding Knife around his Fingers. 

She Prayed and Hoped the Headline was True.

...

The Woman looked his Way again but kept Pretending to be looking out the Window beside Him. At first He thought She was "Interested" in Him and was making Sensual Glances His way but when he Looked Closer at the Woman's Face, He saw that it was Pale with Fear and Paranoia and He also Noticed that She looked at Him and the other Men who were on this Specific Train Car with the Same Mistrust and Fear. He Wondered Who or what could have put that much Fear into a Woman even a Woman who was a Prositute because of all the Prositutes He had Shared a Bed with  in the Upper Rooms of all the Saloons He Visited, They were Fierce and never let no Man Abuse them Physically or Verbally. He Remembered some of the Men who were Foolish enough to Try to have their way with some of the Prositutes he had met and Ended up having a Bullet enter their Stomachs or much more Crueler but much Deserved...two Bullets in their Crotch. He even helped Deliver some of the Punishment Earning him a Free Night every time he Visited and that was with any Woman he chose because  He had Earned their Respect and Trust and all of their Womanly "Gifts". He looked at the Woman who Once more Stared Behind her as if Some Monster was Creeping up on Her then Noticed a Young Girl who Walked by looking at Each of the "Passengers" with Curiosity in her Eyes and when She looked at Him, He Stared back at Her Placing His two hands on the Butt of His Pistols. He did this not as a Threat to her but almost an "Invitation" saying to Her without Speaking that He had the Pistols to Protect Her if She needed Him to do so and that he also had the "Gun" to Pleasure Her if She Desired. But She did not Spare Him a Second Glance and Walked on. He Stared after Her then went back to looking at the Woman of Paranoia and Fear of a Unknown Man. His Life was one of making Women Safe and Pleasured  because for most Cowboys where he Came from that was just another part of their Life that came with Herding Cattle and Protecting them or the Towns People from the Various Outlaws and Injuns. He caught the Woman looking his Way again and Sighed. Whoever had put that much Fear and Terror into Her better Hoped that they will never Cross his path or they will have to Deal with Him and His Pistols that He Trained with Every Night and Day becoming Ever more Quicker and Deadly with every Duel he had Fought and Survived. 

...

They Hummed to themselves and even though it looked like they Paid the Girl who Passed them by no Attention, their Eyes followed Her even when they were Staring Straight ahead as She Passed. She looked Strange to them but they Didn't Really care for the "Matron" Promised them a new Toy...A Doll and that all they Saw as this Girl passed by. Oh they Couldn't wait to Sneak up and Grab onto their new Toy and have their Playtime for they have had so long to Wait for their Playtime to Start up again after that Stupid little Bird Flew in from the Window....Damn whoever Opened that Window and Caused their Playtime to be Ruined. They Raged within but showed nothing on the Outside but Childish Smiles and Hidden Madness in the Glint of their Eyes. Yes Yes Yes Soon Soon Soon... They Crooned to themselves Silently as they watched the "Doll" wander off.... When the Time was Right....PlayTime will Return and they will thank the "Matron" for their New Toy....

...

She Walked on almost to the Door leading to the Next Train Car when the Twins Started to Sing to themselves

Dolly Dolly 

Don't Leave Us For Long

For Playtime is About to Come Around Again

And No Open Window and No Bird Shall Stop our Playtime This Time

And When you Here with Us as We have our Fun you Shall Be Loved and Consumed.