STories

The Limbo Express

by rakel bryant

My feet hovered above the floor as I sat on a red booth that smelled strongly of leather. The train blazed across the tracks, heading straight towards a jagged mountain. The mountain, like the ground that blurred below, was covered in snow.

Other passengers were in the same train car as me. A few of them gazed out the window in awe of the winter wonderland while others were chatting with the person beside them. One of the passengers—a child who looked like a blown-up beach ball had grown hair and limbs–caught me staring. My lips curled in disgust.

“Hi!” the child exclaimed, waving to me. I grimaced and hoped this kid wouldn't come over and try to sit by me. I was seated by myself, unlike most of the other passengers.

The Beach Ball—I mean, boy—rocked back and forth in his seat, trying to gain momentum to stand. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight! My laughter was cut off when he finally slid off the seat, landing on the ground with a loud THUD.

I was only four booths away from him, but the kid could barely lift a foot without breathing heavily. His gasping for air reminded me of the hiss of a deflating balloon. Unfortunately, he slowly made his way over to my booth. I was just about to leap from my seat and sprint to another booth when SLAM! The door at the front of the train car whooshed open. This outburst quieted all the passengers. Only the clicking of the wheels of the train and the wheezes coming from Beach-Ball Boy were heard.

I strained my neck to try and get a better look. In the doorway stood a tall, lanky man. His skin was porcelain, and his hair was the color of the glowing moon. He wasn’t too old—he couldn’t have been over thirty. He wore a black conductor’s uniform, and his hand stayed plastered on the door as he surveyed us. The conductor’s eyes roamed across the train car, scanning the rows of passengers up and down. His face contorted at the sight of Beach Ball behind me.

“Young man, please take your seat,” the conductor said.

I sighed in relief, happy that the kid wouldn’t sit beside me. But I soon heard the sound of quick, heavy footsteps coming closer to me. Before I registered what was happening, the Beach-Ball boy bounced high in the air and came crashing onto my booth. I heard the kid snickering behind his hand.

“You little—” I snarled. I was about to say something else when I saw the conductor glaring at me with a raised brow. A sheepish smile crossed my face.

The conductor cleared his throat before speaking. “Welcome aboard the Limbo Express! I am sure this will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of you; once you ride on this train, you’ll never return to anything like it.”

The Limbo Express? I wondered. I thought it was something different. I must have forgotten the name of the train.

“I’ll be coming around shortly to collect tickets,” the conductor continued, “please make sure you have them ready.”

The conductor began to walk around the cabin, holding up a hole puncher. I dug around in my pockets, knowing I always placed essential items there. But my fingers only brushed against fabric and lint. My heart leaped in my chest with a nervous jolt at my ticket not being there. No matter, I assured myself, check your other pocket; I’m sure it’s there.

“Ticket?” the kid next to me asked. His sweat fell onto my hand, which I instantly shoved into my empty pocket.

“I’m looking for it,” I grumbled. I reached into my other pocket, but my heart sank as I felt more fabric and lint.

No…no, this couldn’t be! Indeed I had a ticket! My pulse quickened as I rechecked my pockets. Perhaps I looked too quickly last time! The conductor made his way to my booth faster than the boy: click–step, click–step, click–step. I looked in both pockets again, but nothing was there!

“Ticket?!” the kid now shouted.

Click–step, click–step.

“I’m looking!” I repeated. I even pulled off my shoes to see if I had placed them in there somehow, but I only saw bare soles.

I could feel the stares of everyone bore into my back. Ego wounded, I whirled around to face the chubby kid, placed both hands on his shoulders, and shook him. “You probably sat on it and crushed it under your fat–”

“Ahem.”

I stopped shaking the boy and slowly turned to face a displeased man. But he wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at the boy. “Young man, may I please see your ticket?” the conductor asked.

The boy’s face crumpled with fear. “My mommy has it.”

The conductor leaned down so he could hear the quivering boy better.

“Do you know where your mother is? Is she in this train car?” he asked gently.

The boy shook his head. It was then the conductor finally looked at me. His eyes were a dark blue that looked almost purple. I realized too late that I was staring. The conductor asked for my ticket, but I was too busy paying attention to his eyes! I straightened in my seat, prepared to give a million excuses as to why I didn’t have my ticket.

They all left my head when the conductor asked, “Could you please help him find his mother?”

I blinked. I pictured myself holding Beach-Ball’s sweaty hand, sauntering across the cabin as he wailed for his Mommy. I was about to give a full-hearted “no” when a lightbulb lit up in my head. Perhaps doing this good deed would distract the conductor from the fact I didn’t have a ticket!

I mustered a noble-looking expression as I said, “Of course! I’d be more than happy to.” To the boy, I said, “Let’s go.” The boy and I stood hand-in-hand.

The boy gave me a hopeful smile.

“I shall see you two again soon!” the conductor winked at the boy. The boy beamed back. As the boy and I turned to leave, the conductor grabbed hold of my arm. His sudden move made me gasp, and I instinctively tried to move away. The conductor leaned down and spoke to me in a chilling, low voice, “Do not enter the door on the other side of this cabin.”

I gulped. I looked at the forbidden door the conductor warned about. It didn’t look out of the ordinary. In fact, it looked just like the one the conductor came from. But the tone of the man’s voice sent a chill down my spine. I could only nod back at the conductor in reply. The conductor straightened and smiled once again. “Good. Off you go.”

When I faced the kid again, I realized I had tightened my grip on his hand.

“Come on, kid,” I huffed. I tugged him forwards, marching towards the first woman I could spot. She had a big, feathered hat and an elegant red dress that pooled and rippled around her feet.

She was charming, and I soon became embarrassed that she would see me with this slob-of-a-boy. She was talking to a man who was big, round, and had downturned eyes. Around his thick neck was a black bow tie as dark as his hair. My heart leaped with joy–these had to be his parents! I nearly dragged Beach Ball over to the couple, and he let out a little squeal in protest. As I got closer to them, I overheard their conversation.

“I am so jealous of her! She pretends to be innocent and kind, but I know it’s all an act!” The Red Woman complained.

Bow-Tie barked a laugh. “You think that’s a problem? The old man died and won’t give me the company!”

The Red Woman’s lips turned down. “Really?”

Bow-Tie nodded. He opened his mouth to say something else when I intervened.

“I beg your pardon,” I threw my shoulders back and held my head high. The couple looked at me with their brows raised. I saw that their tickets had already been punched, but some design was punched out. I couldn’t quite make out what it was, but it looked like a symbol of something. I cleared my throat. “Is this your kid?” I gently pushed the kid forwards. But the munchkin wouldn’t look this couple in the eye. Odd. Perhaps he was feeling guilty for leaving his parents without them knowing. A strange expression flashed across the Red Woman’s eyes before she sighed with relief.

“Oh, my baby!” she cried, raising her arms to hug the boy. She leaned across the booth and could barely fit her arms around Beach Ball as she embraced him. Her foot sharply kicked Bow-Tie as a result, but he also let out a relieved sigh.

“Son, don’t you run off again!” he scolded. He then ruffled Beach-Ball’s hair affectionately.

“Thank you so much for bringing me back, my little boy,” the Red Woman said. Her eyes watered with tears. Little? I thought before replying, “It was no trouble at all, Miss. Really!”

I turned away from the family to leave but was instantly halted. Beach-Ball still clung to my hand. His whole body quivered as he mouthed the word “no.”

I stared at him. Was he implying that these folks–who looked like they would be his parents–weren’t his parents? Absurd! But the look on his face led me to question if these adults were telling the truth…

“Hot cocoa, everyone! Hot cocoa! Please go back to your seat for a drink!” the conductor’s voice rang out. 

That was when the boy let go of my hand. I saw it was because the Red Woman pulled him onto her delicate, little lap. The booth groaned in protest of the extra weight. My feet felt surprisingly heavy as I returned to my lonely seat. I tried to convince myself it was because I was guilty about having no ticket. A server eventually came around with a steaming mug of cocoa. Plump marshmallows bobbed on the surface like apples in water, and whipped cream swirled around them.

But I couldn’t drink it.

I kept thinking about Beach Ball.

“Why did he look at me like that–with fear? Why did he not let go of my hand when he wanted to look for his mother?” Those thoughts raced through my head as I stared at the steaming cocoa in my hands. I didn’t even say goodbye to the kid–maybe he would like my cocoa. Unease was eating away at me, and I felt too sick to drink anything anyway. I quickly gave the boy my hot cocoa and stood back up. But when I did, I was horrified!

The Red Woman held her hand over Beach Ball’s mouth as Bow-Tie dragged him towards the forbidden door. The door opened, despite no one turning the handle, showing nothing but darkness inside. I could hear the boy’s muffled screams.

A gut-wrenching thought hit me at once: this couple really had lied.

“Stop!” I shouted. I dropped my mug to the floor and sprinted toward the frightened boy. Bow-Tie was the first to be engulfed by the darkness behind the door, and the boy would be next. A look that screamed Help me! It was displayed all over his face.

“I said, stop!” I cried. I was so close to them! The Red Woman began to close the door, and I made a desperate leap to try and grab hold of her foot.

But my hand met nothing but air as I face-planted into the aisle’s carpet. When I looked back up, the Red Woman’s lips twisted into a sickening sneer before she slammed the door shut.

I let out a frustrated yell as I got back on my feet. “Liars! Open this door!”

I tried twisting the handle, but it wouldn’t budge. I placed my foot on the door to give me extra strength, but it was useless.

I raised my fist to pound on the door, but someone caught my wrist mid-motion. I would have recognized those blue-veined hands anywhere. Swiveling my head to the side, I saw the conductor, his mouth in a firm line.

“Let go!” I protested, moving my wrist every way, trying to loosen his hold.

“What are you doing? You can’t go in that door,” the conductor replied.

Frustration filled my very soul at this conductor’s lack of concern. “Those were not his parents! I have to save him!”

“Evil lies behind that door,” the conductor said through clenched teeth.

That statement froze me. “W-what?”

The conductor leaned in close, his eyes wide. “There’s a reason you’re on this train, in this car. There’s a reason you can’t open that door.”

“And why is that?” I could hardly speak.

“The Limbo Express is no natural train. It is supernatural. Designed to carry passengers who will either go up, down, or back around.”

I blinked. “I-I don’t understand. What do you mean by supernatural? Do the other passengers know this?” But when I looked around to try and view the other passengers, no one was to be found. My body trembled in fear. What on Earth was going on?!

The conductor hesitated a moment before speaking. “That train car is for those going down. If you go in there, you may not come back out.”

My free hand curled into a fist. “A scared little boy is in there with two lying strangers. Let. Me. Through.”

The conductor didn’t move. Rage replaced my fear. Without thinking, I lunged toward him to tackle him to the ground. But I didn’t collide with a solid body–instead, I fell through darkness and onto a hard wooden floor. My head hit the ground with a smack, and the sound of a door slammed shut behind me.

My chest heaved as I panted for breath. I rapidly blinked my eyes so I could adjust to the darkness. With every blink, the train cabin started to take shape. More and more passengers appeared, seated in gray booths that were falling apart. Their faces were stern and unfriendly. In their hands, they clutched onto tickets with an arrow pointing down. Outside, the winter wonderland had turned into a landscape of total darkness, and the howling wind was just as piercing and haunting as the train’s whistle.

“Up, down, and back around,” the conductor echoed. These people were going down…where was down? Where was the boy?! A dark laugh emitted from the back of the train car. My eyes snapped to the Red Woman and Bow-Tie. They were by another door that was labeled, Exit. 

Beach-Ball saw me, and his entire face brightened. “You came for me!” His voice was full of relief and excitement. I almost smiled back had I not seen the lying adults before me.

“Leave him alone! You are not his parents!” I cried.

The Red Woman laughed again, eyeing Bow-Tie. “Did you hear, Greed? Pride thinks this isn’t our son, ha!”

Bow-Tie–Greed–chuckled. “Loud and clear, Envy. Isn’t it known that Greed and Envy make Gluttony?”

My jaw dropped. What? Envy? Pride? Gluttony?!

The Red Woman saw my shock and shook her head.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You really don’t know, do you? The people on this train have new names after their old ones have died. Those with names like ours sit in this part of the train. We go down, down, down the mountain.”

“Gluttony here thought he belonged with those going up, up, up when he’s just as bad as us!” Greed forcefully grabbed the boy’s collar, preventing him from running to me. The boy wailed in fear.

Tears formed in my eyes. “Let him go! He’s just a kid! He hasn’t done anything wrong!”

Envy stepped closer to me and grabbed my chin in her hands. Her nails were sharp, digging into my skin. “Why do you care?” she hissed. Her breath was awful and sour. “You were embarrassed to be seen with him from the start. You judge, ridicule, and use others to benefit yourself. You are Pride.”

Envy’s words cut deep into my heart like a knife. She was right- I was not a good person. I felt immense shame and guilt seep into my soul for thinking those awful thoughts about the boy. He didn’t deserve to go down. I did. He deserved to go up.

“Let him go,” my voice rasped as I was on the verge of tears. “Take me instead.”

Envy’s lips formed into a pout as if she was considering. But any hope I had vanished when the woman’s mouth smoothed into an evil smirk. “I think not.”

Greed opened the Exit door that showed a torrent of wind, hail, and darkness. He made it as if he were going to throw the boy out. “NO!” I screamed. I shoved Envy aside and dashed toward the boy, hoping to get to him quickly.

But Greed was already in the process of throwing the boy off the train. The boy’s shrieks pierced my ears, and his candy-coated hands reached out to me in utter desperation. I was so close…so close! I reached out, hoping to snatch the boy back in time…

But I was too late.

Greed tossed the boy into the air with great strength as if he were weightless.

If I did not cushion the boy’s fall, he wouldn’t survive. Greed reached out a fat hand to try and stop me, but he was too late. I leaped out of the train and into the darkness.

I quickly wrapped my body around the boy, holding him close to my chest.

I whispered, “It will be okay. Close your eyes.”

The boy did. The last thing I heard was the whistle of the Limbo Express before everything went black.

***

I woke up in a hospital bed. IV tubes twisted around my arm like tiny, silver snakes. A heart rate monitor steadily went beep, beep, beep, and little mountains were formed with every beat of my heart. My eyes widened in shock. The train! Where was I? What happened? What about the boy? The monitor beeped faster and faster as my pulse raced.

Suddenly, I felt a cool hand on my arm. I turned my head slowly to the side.

A boy of about six lay next to me. His cheeks were rosy and round.

“You’re here!” I smiled, tears flowing freely from my eyes. I placed my hand over his.

“We went back around!” the boy replied.

I blinked. I felt something poking into my back. Disgruntled, I shuffled around in the hospital bed’s sheets until I found the source of the stabbing. I pulled out a golden ticket and punched a looping arrow into it. Not up, not down, but back around.

“Look!” the boy tugged at my arm as he stood. I stood with him, not letting go of his hand as he led me to a window. A black train blazed across the tracks on the horizon, smoke spewing from its chimney. A conductor waved at us before sounding the whistle. The train began to climb up, up, up. As it did, I could have sworn I heard the conductor say, “See you again soon!"