The shuttering of the small glass pane windows filled the bustling train car, rushing off to who knows where, the electric lights streaming behind it as it sped along the elevated track, wrapping tightly around a large mountain. The terrain was rugged, and covered in a thick forest of trees, entirely still all except for those below the tracks, forced to bend and rustle forward in the vacuum of the bullet running along steel. The pitch sky outside darkened the windows in contrast with the bright luminescent light running in strips along the ceiling, rows of parallel seats facing one another lined along the aluminum shell of the car, the seats themselves a tight leather, dyed a deep cherry red. It was silent, the only sound being the running of the maglev below, but it wasn’t vacant.

Two people, a boy and a girl, sat beside one another as the train ran along. The boy didn’t know what to do, or where they were going. The girl simply did not care. The two glared at one another, the girls deep red hair matching with the leather, and her lips mimicked it. The boy’s stare, fixated on the rim of her long white dress, dangling just below her knees. He didn’t know what to say, having never seen this girl before in his life and yet, he knew what he had done was for the best. Suddenly, she stood, walking slowly down the pathway.

Clink, clink

Her heels disturbed such beautiful silence, the flat bottoms coming into conflict with the metal flooring. The boy knew not to look upwards, or she would  know his fear. His father always told him,

“Never let them see what you’re thinking, or they will feel as you.”

Those words had never made a lick of sense to him until now, but all of a sudden he knew it too well. The sounds of the clinking slowly came to a stop, and the girl spun back around, her dress rasing into the air gracefully as she stared down at him.

“Why did you do that..?”

She questioned, referring to the events prior.

He did not know whether to speak, or simply sit in silence, petrified of the consequences that would await him when he returned home, if he returned home.

She quickly walked back over and reached downward, grabbing him by the cheek and forcing his frightened stare onto her, making him stare dead into those blue, sparkling eyes, a tear running down her softened cheek, hardening like stone. He took a deep breath, and sighed.

“I didn’t like the way he hit you.”

He’d respond bluntly, and moving his hands up, pointing towards the crimson and purple bruises left on her pale skinny arm, and her blushed cheeks.

She was a victim of misfortune, her world never knowing peace. Her brother a maniac and her step father a criminal, her mother nowhere to be seen. She’d lived a lonely, painful life ever since she’d vanished, and some say it was her step father who dealt with her. The girl was abused, beaten and starved, but forced to cover up under the threat that even worse would happen to her. Her bones were broken and reformed, her body reduced to nothing but a punching bag for her sibling to take his anger and stress out on, forced to live up to the unreasonable standards of her step father, who all but encouraged it.

“I’m used to it, it doesn’t hurt.”

She’d try to cover up her pain, not wanting to seem weak or attention seeking. She was truly used to it at this point, though it was getting obvious that she had had enough, given where he’d found her, and what she was trying to do.

He slowly reached his hand up and felt along her bruse, watching her flinch back and hold it in pain, her hands quickly letting go of his cheeks, but he’d stare so intently.

“You aren’t used to anything.”

He’d quickly respond, pushing himself away from the seat, standing just under her height. She was actually quite tall he thought to himself, slightly intimidated by her stature, but he knew well enough that she was no threat.

She stared downward at her feet, covered in scars of lashes where she’d been whipped, tears running from her eyes as she held her hands over them, crying her eyes out, and sobbing intensely.

“Why did you have to do that! I don’t want to drag anyone else into this, no one else should suffer!”

She screamed to him, before raising her hand to him and threatening to smack him, emotionally distraught and nearing the point of breaking. He stared at her, his fear fading from him as he felt a sense of responsibility and guilt, though nowhere near as much as she was feeling. He’d clench his fists and stare down at his feet in somewhat of an anger, feeling these emotions as well before thrusting his fist to the side and pounding onto the metal dividers between the seats.

“Why can’t I help.. You damn near lost your life there, he was really about to hurt you!”

He’d yell, infuriated

“It wouldn’t be the first time!”

She’d yell back in retaliation, the two staring at one another, emotions leaking
like fumes through their eyes, and they could both sense it. He let out a faint sigh once more, and leaned back against the wall, staring over at her as she sobbed into her hands. He grabbed out a small handkerchief from his back pocket, offering it to her as an apology for being so rude.

“Can you at least tell me where you were trying to go..?”

He’d question as she took it and wiped away her tears and blew her nose clear, her crying slowly coming to a halt.

“Anywhere but here..”

He wasn’t too sure what she meant, though he accepted her response and slowly walked over to the other side of the train, standing next to her. He leaned against the back of the seats, listening to the faint crumble of the leather as it settled.

He’d stare outward into the night sky, able to see through the dark mirrors of glass that leaded the train. Suddenly off into the distance, streams of light shot upward into the sky and burst into fire, fluttering out like a growing flower, suddenly wilting to darkness. This repeated, but larger, and louder, colors filling the sky more and more as the bursts of flames crackled out into the sky.

Pop!, pop!

They were slightly muffled, and drown out by the train, but were definitely noticeable. He’d reach over and tap on her shoulder, tempting her to turn around and look, though once she did she was mesmerized. The beautiful bright display of color’s wowed her, she always liked fireworks, especially the larger ones. He’d watch with her for a while as the burst up along the shoreline, a festival being held just at the foot of the mountain where the land met the sea.

“Tell me, what happened.”

He’d say in a soft, welcoming tone as he stared over at her, and her amazed eyes, watching the explosions reflect off her widened pupils. Her smile faded slowly into a blank stare, and she nodded, though she refused to look away.

“I’ll tell you, but only if you promise me something.”

She said, as she turned toward him.

“That is?”

He’d ask back, turning to face her as well.

“Promise you’ll come with me.”

She’d ask, reaching outward and holding his hands.

“Anywhere but here..?”

He’d repeat her phrase to her.

“Anywhere.”

She’d say back to him, knowing very well now that he understood.

“I promise.”

He’d respond in a serious tone, showing her he meant what he said, and he showed no signs of breaking it.

“It all started, with the blue lights.”

The train, rushed deep into a tunnel, and the lights were drawn away from the window, the fireworks gone, but they remained, and she confessed to him everything.