The Carriage

‘Follow me, your room is just this way.’ The Motel’s owner gestured behind a shadowy corpse of trees.

We followed closely behind him the gentle breeze serving to only make me colder despite the sun being out. He led us down a twisting path which cut its way around the corpse of trees.

‘Hopefully this is better than the last one.’ Edmund stated grumpily, we’d been friends since childhood yet if I picked one more dodgy motel this trip I feared that would come to an end.

‘Oh this is but the finest room we have to offer! Just you wait and see!’ Chimed in the owner. ‘Speaking of your room, here we are.’

I stopped before our room, a lone train carriage. Its wooden exterior, dotted with windows gleamed in the sun. Though something about the red paint, faded yet untouched, almost felt unnatural. Beside the carriage was a simple wooden deck with steps leading up to it. Atop the deck lay a table with four metal chairs looking out over the perfectly green fields and forest which looked to be no more than five hundred meters away. From outside our room had a rather spectacular appearance and I could only hope for the sake of my friendships that the interior was just as nice.

‘Woah.’ Exclaimed Timothy, the youngest of our group. ‘This is wonderful! Look at the view!’ He said, bounding up the steps to the deck and throwing his arms out wide. ‘I could get used to this!’

‘Calm down Timmy.’ Said Brian, the eldest and most down to earth of us. ‘Yes it’s beautiful but we still haven’t been inside, for all we know it could be in a worse state than Finch’s bed after he’d spent the night in it.’

The three let out a haughty laugh and I could hardly contain myself and chuckled slightly.

‘Hah!’ I said. ‘My bed wasn’t that bad.’

‘Yes it was!’ Laughed Timothy. ‘It looked like someone had exploded!’ He said imitating an explosion with his hands.

‘Ha, well maybe it was, but it doesn’t matter now.’ I replied hoping they’d leave my bed in the past.

‘Alright. I know you guys are excited.’ The motel owner said. ‘But I’ll hand you the key now, it’s yours for the next two nights.’ He said, placing the key in my hand and turning to leave.

‘Hang on.’ Edmund called impatiently. ‘You haven’t told us anything about this carriage? When was it made? How’d you come by it?’

The owner paused a shadow passing over his face. ‘Why it was built in the fine year of 1876, still the original timber, paint and everything, save for the internal walls and doors, put them in myself.’ He said proudly holding his chin slightly higher than before. ‘As for how I came by it?’ He paused his tone darkening, unable to meet our gaze, he said. ‘It- well, It had some issues with the wheels, so it was brought here and gifted to me about fifty years ago.’

‘Oh isn’t that lucky!’ Timothy proclaimed.

‘Somewhat .’ He said. ‘It’s been an expensive bugger to turn into a room but at least I won’t have to go through that again. Anyway I really must go, my wife’s waiting for me to begin dinner. Now you fine lads survive the night.’

‘Thank you for your hospitality.’ I said.

‘Hang on. What does he mean survive the night?’ Brian asked suspiciously.

‘Uh, did I say survive? Sorry I meant enjoy, survival was playing over my mind for if I don’t get back to my wife soon I fear I won’t survive.’ He quickly corrected. ‘Again enjoy yourselves… it won’t last forever.’ He said before hurrying off back up the path mumbling to himself the whole time.

‘What a strange man.’ Brian stated.

‘Indeed.’ I nodded. ‘By the sounds of it his wife must be pretty scary, I hope I never wind up with someone like her.’

The others nodded in agreement and Edmund said ‘Well, enough standing around, let’s get inside.’

As we stepped up onto the deck I heard the faint whistle of a train in the distance.

‘Did you guys hear that train whistle?’ I asked.

‘Don’t be stupid.’ Brian said. ‘There are no train lines around here and haven’t been for decades. It was probably just the wind, or your mind fantasising about getting to sleep on a train.’

‘Ha, your right Brian!’ Chimed Timothy. ‘He’s been dreaming about this since he first started school!’

‘Hm, maybe you're right. It’s just odd.’

‘Enough stalling, let's go inside so I can put my feet up!’ Edmund grumbled.

‘Yeah let’s see if it’s as cool in there as out here!’ Timothy exclaimed excitedly.

I moved to the door at the end of the carriage and put the key in the lock, struggling to turn it.

‘It feels a bit stuck.’ I said turning the key more frantically. ‘Ah ha! Got it!’ I said as the lock gave a comforting click.

I twisted the wobbly aging door knob and walked inside, immediately I was hit with a warm blast of air and a musty smell. Inside however, the room was just as nice as the exterior. Wooden panels lined the lower half of the walls above which sat windows and a white coat of paint up to the ceiling. The ceiling itself was a combination of wood and metal pockmarked with twistable air vents. The metal had been painted white and covered with a grid pattern which inside of each was a simple flour pattern. On the right hand side sat four beachlike chairs coated in pristine leather and constructed from simple wood. In the right corner lay our small kitchen with multiple cupboards, a stovetop and a toaster. On the left hand side, was a wooden breakfast bar which ran most of the length of the first room at which sat four wooden chairs with backs and seats created from woven reeds. At the back of the room was a single doorway with a low top beam. I'd have to be careful of that at night. I thought otherwise a quick hospital trip might be in order.

‘Come in guys! It’s awesome here! Lots of space and it’s only the first room!’ I called out, sticking my head out the door behind me. I heard the sound of creaking wood which seemed to come from the other side of the carriage approaching me. Then silence.

‘Guys?’ I asked once more stepping out of the carriage. ‘Are you coming?’

‘Sorry Finchy, Timmy forgot to get his suitcase from the car.’ Brian shrugged. ‘He’s coming now.’

Behind him Timothy dragged his suitcase with both up the path towards walking backwards almost tripping several times.

‘Sorry everyone!’ He said quickly, turning to look at us. ‘Couldn’t go in without it.’

Behind him Edmund quietly grumbled, clearly annoyed by the delay before he could rest, regardless he helped Timothy carry his suitcase up the few steps to the deck.

‘Thanks Edmund. You know you really didn’t have to do that.’

‘Well I wish you had told me I didn’t have to help you five minutes ago. I could have been inside having a nap by now.’ Edmund grumbled once more. His mood was fair enough, I thought, he’d had to drive the last few hours and it had been tough, people drove like maniacs around here.

‘Ha, don’t be so grumpy!’ Timothy jested. ‘Besides I would have just woken you up anyway!’

Once more I stepped inside the carriage, yet this time no warm blast hit me, instead a cold draft sent shivers down my spine, chilling me to the bone, yet the musty smell remained.

‘Far out it’s cold.’ I said shock evident on my face. ‘I could have sworn it was hot in here five minutes ago.’

‘Woah! This is awesome!’ I heard Timothy call from just behind me. ‘I think I might move here!’ He said, dumping his suitcase beside the door.

Edmund grunted in agreement, unable to hide his exhaustion anymore he slumped onto one of the leather chairs.

‘Again.’ Brian said. ‘Your mind’s playing tricks on you, Finchy. Besides, it's not that cold here. Not as cold as Edmund at least.’

‘Hmm.’ I said. ‘Well at least you got one thing right.’

‘I did?’ He said unable to hide his surprise. ‘What’s that?’

‘That Edmund’s mood is pretty cold at the moment.’ I chuckled gently.

‘Ha, well one from two ain’t bad.’ He laughed back. ‘Anyway, let’s see what the other rooms have to offer.

‘Indeed.’ I replied walking towards the next door. I was quickly bumped out of the way by an excited Timothy who was eager to explore the rest of the carriage.

‘Wow!’ He said as he entered the next room. ‘This is roomy. I’ll be sleep here tonight! And look there’s still two more rooms!’ I could here his footsteps racing around loudly in the next room.

I entered the bedroom shortly after him. Indeed it was spacious, in the right corner just next to me was a fourth of those leather seats I’d seen in the first room. In the centre lay two single beds, the left hand ones sheets had already been disrupted by Timothy and his grey green bag lay on top of it marking his claim. In the back right corner were two doors, one leading to the left into a bathroom built onto the exterior of the train almost as an after thought and the second to the final room. I strolled past the bathroom quickly peering inside, it was huge. Almost as big as the bedroom itself. It contained a simple shower surrounded by a curtain for privacy and beside it sat the toilet, and opposite the sink.

‘Woah.’ I said to myself. ‘This keeps getting better and better!’

‘I know right!’ Said Timothy sticking his head out the final bedroom door.

Behind me I heard Edmund call. ‘I’m taking the bed next to Timothy, that way I don’t have to move much.’

‘Fine.’ Brian said. ‘I was gonna take it but you can have it. Looks like we’re together in this end room Finchy.’

‘Indeed we are.’ I said entering the room.

As I walked through the small doorway, something felt different about the room, almost off. The door at the other end, marking the edge of the carriage, had an unstable bunkbed placed in front, yet this did nothing to hide the large crack in the door directly below the window which was covered by a single piece of cloth to keep the morning sun out. I turned around to face the left side where a single bed lay pressed up against the wall. Once again it did little to hide the hole in the wall that started as a simple drag mark before cutting into the plasterboard just before the bed head. The room was mostly decorated in the same manner save for a strange stain dripping from the roof above the doorway with the faintest of red tints which I instantly dismissed as paint stain from where water seeped in from the external roof.

I sat down on the single bed unslinging my backpack from my shoulders and placing it gently on the floor, which despite my effort still echoed loudly down the carriage.

‘I hope you don’t mind me taking this bed Brian… you know how I get with bunk beds.’ I said shuddering as an old pain resurged within my arm from when a bunk fell on me as a child. Thankfully it had only been a small, light one but the damage remained nonetheless.

‘Yeah, no problem.’ He said sitting down on the lower bed on the bunk, shaking the pole slightly to test its stability. ‘Thankfully no one’s above me, for I don’t trust it to hold.’

‘I don’t blame you.’ I said my mind racing with possibilities of what could happen if someone was there.

I glanced down at my phone to check the time. Seven thirty on the dot. We’d all been up for more than twelve hours already and my body was feeling it.

‘I’m going to head outside to the deck, get some fresh air. Otherwise between this and the car, I fear I might suffocate.’ Brian simply stated.

‘Fair enough.’ I said. ‘I might have a lie down, perhaps call it a day. Enjoy your air.’ I said yawning.

‘Enjoy your nana nap.’ He mocked before leaving our room.

I sat there consumed in thought of May, the girl I’d loved since childhood but never told. I wondered how she was, what she was doing and when I’d see her. I quickly picked up my phone and went to the notes where I’d written what I’d say to her to confess my feelings for her, mostly it was just a collection of lines from my favourite songs. Right before the final line I created a new addition where I wrote; if only you could live my life, you’d see the difference you made to me. I promised myself that upon my return home I’d tell her how I felt, it was a simple promise I’d made myself hundreds of times yet never made good on. Yet this time would be different.

A loud sound disturbed my thoughts. It sounded much like the scream of a cow in pain, if cows can scream. Again, there was that sound, this time slightly higher in pitch, perhaps coming from a different cow. The sound rang out a third time, and I listened closely cupping my ear to try to judge its position, yet the tin roof messed with my senses and unfortunately I couldn't figure where it was coming from. I stood up, starting down the hallway to exit the carriage and speak to the others, who presumably all sat outside taking advantage of the clear weather. I walked down the carriage the whole way I could hear the sound of footsteps on creeping timber always just one step behind me, despite the floor being carpet. I spin around quickly to see what had caused the noise, yet no one and nothing was there yet the footsteps continued without fault eying the sound passed me, and as it did I felt that same. Hill from the second time I had entered sent shivers down my spine once more. Once more I put it up to the wind and animals crawling under the carriage nothing more nothing less, yet a constant niggle in the back of my mind told me otherwise.

I continued walking towards the door passing the bathroom, which door was slightly ajar yet no one was inside, or for that matter even been in there. I exited the second bedroom and paused, almost dropping my phone in shock, for by the door I saw a shadowed figure of a man. It lingered for but a second before disappearing into the setting sun. I quickly exited the carriage, unnerved by what I’d seen mere moments before.

‘Did you guys hear that noise?’ I asked the three sitting outside.

‘No,’ said Edmund. ‘I haven’t been able to hear much though over Timothy’s constant yammering.’ He finished shooting a vicious glance at Timothy.

‘What did it sound like?’ Asked Brian.

‘It may sound like I’m mad but, it sounded oddly like a cow screaming, if they do such a thing.’ I told him truthfully.

‘Ah, I heard that.’ Brian said. ‘I thought it was you watching some weird video off your phone since it sounded to me like it came from inside.’

‘I heard that also.’ Agreed Edmund.

‘Me too!’ Yelp Timothy as he trod on a particularly large pebble.

A blanket of silence settled over us as the sun fully set. The sound of a train whistle pierced my ears and the silence broke faster than it had settled.

‘What was that?’ Timothy asked.

‘A train whistle.’ Brian quickly answered. ‘But there hasn’t been a train in these parts for centuries… well not since the disasters.’

‘What disaster?’ I asked.

‘It was about fifty years ago, so in 1980 and was just nearby here in fact.’ He paused trying to recall the tale and I could see pure horror slide across his face despite the darkness which now surrounded us.

‘A train carriage was having issues with its wheels, a chip had been taken out of the front left wheel of the carriage. The car then hit a rock on the track luckily it had been the last carriage so the coupling split and the carriage flew through the air trapping the occupants inside as it came to a rest in a steep valley which was almost impossible to access. It took rescuers three weeks to get to and then inside to the occupants and only one had survived, his face covered in blood. Inside there were no bodies, just bones of men, women and children of all ages, the youngest having believed to be only four. Police quickly grew suspicious of the man, yet he claimed he’d survived on killing wild animals who found there way through narrow gaps in the carriage, yet detectives found no such gaps. He had also claimed the others had starved to death, their bodies eaten by maggots. Yet people would have only just died from starvation two days before the rescue crews arrived and most unusual of all.’

He paused making a cross pattern across his chest with his hand. ‘The bones had scratch marks and some of the skulls had knife holes and signs of fracturing.’ He shuddered as he spoke. ‘Some say the man murdered them to survive, others say he ate them. But that’s just a hoax, they must have died from landing on sharp objects during the crash, or from a good hard knock.’

‘That’s terrible!’ Timothy said. ‘Those poor people, and the man who survived! Imagine how traumatic it would be sitting in there for three weeks with dead bodies!’

‘Indeed.’ I agreed. ‘He’d be haunted for life anyways, who wants to check out the rest of the outside of the carriage?’

‘Me! Oh I do! I do!’ Timothy excitedly answered.

‘Meh, I’m good.’ Said Edmund. ‘I’m ready for bed, it's getting late.’

‘Me to.’ Said Brian. ‘Enjoy you two, don’t stay for too long, we've got a long day tomorrow.’

‘Stop treating us like children Brian I’m only a year younger than you.’ I replied.

‘Year and a half.’ He corrected. ‘Anyway good night lads.’ He finished before disappearing back into the carriage.

I pulled my phone from my pocket, switching its torch on. ‘Here let’s have some light.’

‘Good idea, won’t see muc without it.’ Timothy said approvingly.

We walked through the lush green grass towards the end of the carriage.

‘Hey it still has its wheels look!’ Timothy stated pointing a single long fingers towards the base of the carriage where the wheels were firmly situated in the ground. The wheel I noticed, had a single chip taken out of the thick metal.

‘The front left wheel.’ I mumbled to myself.

‘What did you say?’ Timothy asked.

‘Nothing, just how did the owner say he got it again?’ I asked, trying to recall our earlier discussion.

‘Something about wheel damage and it was given to him fifty years ago…’ Timothy trailed off and realisation shone on his face clearer than the sun. ‘Is this the carriage that Brian said about?’

‘Perhaps it is.’ I replied. ‘If so that’s pretty cool ‘cause it means we’d be staying in a peace of history.’

‘Oh i like that.’ Timothy bubbled jumping up onto the rear platform of the carriage which the cracked door in my room lead to.

We continued around to the other side of the train, which had mostly been the same as the other side except for the bathroom extension which blocked us from going further.

‘I think I’m ready for bed.’ I yawned.

‘What! Already? It’s only 9 pm!’ He asked, confused.

‘Oh well, I’m tired either way.’ I yawned again. ‘Good night Timothy.’ I said before creeping back inside and returning to my bed.

I lay there, tossing and turning for what felt like centuries, my mind unable to rest plagued by the thoughts of May. After what felt like years, my mind finally settled down and sleep claimed me.

I awoke roughly to the shaking of our carriage, the lights around me flickering madly.

‘Timothy what are you doing!?’ I yelled. He’d done this sort of thing many times as he considered himself quite the prankster yet I wasn’t going to have it.

My thoughts were blocked out by a chorus of screams coming from all directions as shadowy figures of men women and children were thrown against the ceiling. I quickly stood up from my bed, heart hammering in my chest threatening to burst out. I walked towards the doorway, struggling to keep my sense of direction amidst the flashing lights and dancing shadows which surrounded me.

‘Timothy!’ I yelled once more walking through the doorway to his room. ‘This really isn’t funny!’

What I saw before me scared me half to death. Slumped in the corner against the wall lay Timothy, Edmund and Brian all in a heap.

‘Guys?’ I called out. ‘Guys quit it, it’s not funny!’ I said moving towards Timothy, slapping his face gently.

‘Guys?’ I asked once more, slapping his face harder. I knelt down before him, listening for his breath, yet no sound came. Brian. Edmund and dear Timothy were all dead. Tears began rolling down my cheeks uncontrollably.

‘Stay here.’ I said to their corpses amidst the falling tears.’ I’ll go get help.’

I stood up and quickly sprinted for the door at the end of the carriage furiously trying to open the door. Yet it would not budge, something was blocking it from the outside I thought. I pulled aside the curtain which covered the door’s window and peered out. There was nothing there. Nothing blocked the door. Confused, I tried the door again. It unlocked but refused to move outward as it had when I first entered the carriage.

I heard footsteps approaching from behind and I spun quickly hoping for it to be Edmund, for he never put up with Timothy’s nonsense. Yet through the tears all I could see was a figure made of darkness itself, vanishing each time the lights flickered.

Between the flickers something glinted in its hand. A knife, slick and dripping with shadow.

I pressed my back against the door, my body trembling. I told myself it was a bad dream, yet the cold press of the timber behind me, and the memory of slapping Timothy’s cold face told me otherwise.

The figure drew closer. I closed my eyes. All I could think of was May, her laugh, her voice and the words I never said.

‘I’m sorry.’ I whispered even though I knew none could hear me.

The whistle screamed and the lights went out.

***

Morning sunlight rolled over the pristine hills as the motel owner made his rounds, steaming mug in hand. A simple blend of green tea and honey which warmed his very soul. He wandered down the path towards the carriage and frowned when he saw the carriage door hung slightly ajar.

‘Boys?’ He called. No answer came.

Inside the air was still. He stepped inside. Their suitcases untouched beside the door along with their shoes. Four pairs he counted one for each. He walked the length of the carriage checking each room. At the base of each bed sat the boys' bags untouched, however each bed’s blankets were slightly disturbed. In the final room he found a phone on the bed open to a note title for May. He tossed the phone aside, turning to leave.

‘Always leaving a mess.’ He muttered, shaking his head.

As he exited the carriage, behind him, somewhere in the distance a faint whistle sounded. Low, distant and wrong.