Case 3.1 - The Beginning of One's Journey

Soot, smoke and fog.

Platforms filled with people, anxiously waiting for the trains to come.

"Ticket for train 6, please." Victor requested from the booking clerk.

He then walks to the platform after getting his ticket.

There's only a few people waiting for the same train, not even more than the number of 10.

The cold and freezing evening winds gushed across their faces as the train slowly comes to a halt at the station.

It had 4 carriages behind it's cockpit, making it a total of 5.

The train was beautifully pitch-black, lined with glamorous gold paint, giving it such a elegant and classy appearance.

However, the ambience that came with it was antithetical to how it looked.

Ghastly, abhorrent and grim. Uncomfortably elegant is the word that comes to mind.

And on this train, he would have to spend 48 hours on it.

On the train, there weren't any beds nor was the seats separate in its own rooms.

Victor's seat was in the last carriage, at the end of the train.

He sits down on the cushioned bench seat made to fit 2 to 3 passengers, accommodated with sparingly large room for the legs.

A venerable man, ripe of age, enters and seats himself in front of Victor.

"Good day, sir." Starting a conversation as he greets the old man.

"A good day to you too." "My name is Victor Hills, and you are?"

"Stanford Hanks." "Nice to meet you Mr. Hanks. By any chance, are you familiar with Train 6?"

"Yes, I've rode on it quite a few times."

"Would you happen to know why there is so little people on it?"

"You are not from around here, are you?"

"Indeed I am not."

"Train 6 is pretty famous around here. Carrying the name of Suicide Train.

There have been continuous cases of suicide on the train in the past, rumors of ghosts and curses immediately spread across the area leaving the train with only a few passengers left to spare.

By the way, would it be okay if I ask what brings you here?"

"I am a private detective, I was called in to investigate the train."

"Ah, I've heard that they were going to call in a professional to do something about the situation.

But why a detective and not some celebrity to fix it's reputation?"

"My client seemed convinced that ghosts and curses couldn't be ruled out.

So he needed to make sure, but his believe of superstition was only to a certain degree, where he wouldn't believe in so called 'exorcists'."

"So, is it safe to presume that you're here to question me?" "If I may."

"Very well. Ask away." "Thank you Mr. Hanks, first off, do the suicides on the train not keep you from riding on it?"

"It doesn't, besides somewhere around the end of the tracks, the scenery there is just spectacular. You could say I am addicted to it."

"Any thoughts regarding the suicides that occurred on this train?"

"Not really." "I see... Mr. Hanks, thank you for your time, that's all for now."

Victor ends the conversation there and gazes out the window absent-mindedly.

The time of hunger arrives as it becomes dinner time.

The intercom then turns on to announce, "the cafe is now open."

Being hungry himself, Victor goes to the cafe which would be the carriage in the middle of the train.

In the cafe, Victor takes a seat as he glances at the passengers and waits for a waiter or waitress to come.

He waits and waits, the waiting itself would've killed him before he died from hunger.

And finally, a man comes to ask for his order as well as offering his apologies.

"Sorry for the wait, there's just too much for one person to do."

"One? Where are the other waiters?"

"The thing is... there aren't any. I am the only one here, I am in charge of the food as well as waiting.

It may only be a few of them, but having to serve even one of them is already hard enough."

"What happened to the other attendants?"

"Due to past incidents and rumors, no one wants to work on the train anymore."

"I see..." Victor utters under his breath followed by giving his order.

When he was finishing his last few bites, a bloke in his locomotive uniform walks in and takes a seat on the bar.

Much intrigued, Victor changes his seat next to him at the bar and strikes a conversation up.

"Good evening, could it be that you're a crew member of this train?"

"Oh, erm... hello. Yes, I am the secondman of this train."

"Really? Then would it mean that the captain is alone in the cockpit? If so, wouldn't it be against regulations?"

"Since he is the only one in the cockpit, I guess it is?

But we need to eat, and the only attendant on the train is Jim, but his busy with the passengers.

Besides, it'll only take while to get the food and bring it back to the cockpit. You didn't need to complain about it."

Without another word he grabs the food and leaves.

"Don't mind Tanner." A voice approaches Victor as he sees a girl settling herself on the seat next to him.

The girl had blonde hair that seemed as if made by silk, eyes bright and filled with great might, a face that seemed plainly beautiful.

The type of person that you would only be able to remember her silhouette, the type that would be undeniably hard to be fully remembered, yet impossible to fully forget.

She then continues with what she was saying, "His just bad with words, contrary to his tone, he's a nice guy."

"You are...?" "Jenny Watterson, and what would your name be?"

"Victor Hills, as to what you we're saying, could it be that you're close to that fellow?"

"Not really, but I've been on this train quite a few times, but I can tell that he's a nice guy. Now that I've answered your question, you have to answer mine."

"And what would could I possibly need to answer?"

"Hmm... I guess you could tell me a little bit about yourself." Sitting herself down as she asks.

"Very well, but since I don't have much of a hobby or anything similar, the only thing I can tell you is that I am a private detective here to investigate the train about the past suicides."

"You're a private detective? But wait, wouldn't it have been bad for you to tell me that?"

"Not at all, of course I don't announce it wherever I go, but it's not that I can't tell anyone, it's just that no one asks about it."

"Oh, that makes sense i guess. Hmmm... I've decided then. I am going to help with the case!"

"Huh, what do you mean? Why would you want to?"

"Because it would be fun. Besides it wouldn't hurt, would it?"

"I prefer doing it by myself whenever I can. And since I can just turn you down, I will."

"Is that so? You didn't have to put it that way. I will just do it by myself then." She puffs irritated as she stands to leave.

After Jenny left, somehow it just felt awkward for Victor.

Trying to forget about it, he thinks of where he should start the investigation.

Eventually, all the dinning passengers except Victor leave the cafe.

At last Jim sighs in relief for his battle against hungry passengers has finally ended.

Finally done waiting, he talks to him. "Jim right? Would it be a bother if I chatted with you now?"

"I wouldn't mind if it was just a little chat, in fact it would be more relaxing to spend my down time with someone."

"Would it be fine if the topic of our conversation was about the train?"

"Fine with me since it's quite interesting."

"Before that, when did you start working on this train?"

"I've been here since the train was put into action."

"If so, would it mean that you were an eyewitness to all the past suicide cases?"

"Eyewitness? Not all of the time I guess. I was and still am a full-time worker on the train, but I am always stuck in this little carriage of mine as well as when the suicides happen elsewhere on the train."

"I see... but even if so, you would still know a few details about them, right?"

"To a certain extent." "Great! A detailed description wouldn't be likely, so we'll start off with... can you think of any similarities among the suicides?"

"Starting off with a hard one huh? Hmm... they all wore fancy clothes that seemed expensive if I remember correctly...

And... er... oh yeah, the suicides almost always happen near the end of the journey."

"Anything else that seems suspicious to you?"

"Nothing comes to mind, from what I've heard, they all had the right reasons to commit suicide."

"I see... why don't we change the topic?"

"I don't see why not." The two of them continue chatting through the night as the moon hangs up in the night sky, shining and glimmering.

Sunlight flashes in through the windows as the morning sun gently wakes Victor up.

Picking himself up, he goes to the dining carriage to have breakfast.

Toast and coffee, simple and yet soothing, but instead of soothing, a twist, then a knot in Victors stomach.

Hurrying up as he walks towards the carriage in front of the diner, his feet carrying him forward.

Unknowingly he passes the toilet and continues to walk.

"Wasn't the toilet back there?" pondering as to what he was doing.

"Something's not quite right, something's wrong."

Forward and forward, as if he was trying to go somewhere, trying to find something or find someone, one that exists partially in his mind and yet he cannot be remembered.

After reaching the front of the train, his heads turned left and right, left and right, as if he could not find what he was looking for.

He turned and started to walk the other direction. His legs turned from walking to sprinting.

His head, spinning from right to left, left to right, again and again. Until he reached the other side of the train, stopping as he came to realization.

"Where's Jenny?"