Written for Chiaroscuro's Writing Extravaganza, Again event.

Part 1 by Kaos_Kitten
Part 2 by Overlord_Aqua_2
Part 3 by lyliaa
Part 4 by Crois

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  The bottle disappeared, along with the woman. I was alone in the railroad car. I felt thirsty. If only the bottle of Coke had been real. If only I could have had it, then I wouldn’t be so thirsty. If only… The longing for it filled my mind against my will. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I wondered how long this would last, and if I would be able to stand it-



  The next day, I thought back over what had happened. So that was why they had warned me against taking anything the people of the train offered me. Or maybe each time was different. Maybe something worse could have happened to me. I resolved to never make the same mistake again - if I had the strength to resist it.

  My two journeys on the train had been so different. Was there any meaning to it all, to those strange and terrifying experiences that so many people had in common? I wasn’t the only one on the train; every day it was filled with passengers.

  Why me? I thought back to the ideas I had after my first time on the train. Maybe the train was a product of fear, or maybe it was meant to teach people to overcome their fear. But no, if it was a good thing, then why was there so much misery and danger associated with it? Why did the people there seem to enjoy making the passengers miserable? Why did only some people receive the dreaded metallic ticket? I had so many questions, and no real answers.

  I decided the only thing I could do was wait. I knew more about the train now than I did before. I was less afraid of it now, although my fear hadn’t completely gone away. Who knew, I might be able to help someone else who would have to go through the same thing. Maybe I would find another ticket someday, or maybe not, but in the meantime, my life went on as usual.