The Worst Train Ride Ever (1/?)

[PaperThings]

A/N: The female stuff will come up later. I finally decided to just abandon my other stories here, since I haven't updated them in a year or more and am not too happy with any of them anyway. Instead, I'm starting this. Hope you guys enjoy, and happy new year!

"But where are they taking us?"

"If you don't keep your voice down, they might come back here Win, and that's not what we want." Helena's nails wailed into Winnie's neck, until at last she stopped her squealing. "Just take deep breaths. Eventually they have to explain don't they?"

The lights flickered again, and the younger sister let out a shriek.

"Can you shut her up?" said the man sitting nearest to them. "We're all scared enough without her - " he made a gesture.

Helena narrowed her eyes at him. She put her arm around Winnie, defensive, and said nothing.

It was like this: the six of them in this car had each boarded at their respective stop and, for nearly four hours, the train had run on normally. It was nicer than the average train, in fact, and they'd been surprised - confused, even. This car had soft, plush seats and a small book case and refrigerator. It resembled someone's living room much more than your average train's car. But then, on the fifth hour, the lights had gone out - and after a moment, the six passengers aboard had all followed their direction. They'd awoken later to find the windows boarded up, the doors on either end locked tight, and the train still in motion.

It had been about two hours since they'd awoken.

"We're lucky," Helena said, patting Winnie's arm. "At least we have each other." She eyed their four companions suspiciously. There was another girl, small and silent, pressed against the window. In addition to the man who had snapped at Winnie - who had in fact had paced up and down the corridor, shouting, after they discovered their predicament - there were two boys about their ages. They were sitting beside one another, across from the girls, but did not appear to know each other.

"They're not going to be able to keep it up," said the boy across from Winnie. He had dark hair, green eyes that Helena found unsettling in their brightness. "Someone has to notice an old, dark train like this, moving along the tracks. Plus, what about the other passengers? There have to be other people on the train, right?"

Helena glanced at Winnie. "I didn't see anyone else at our stop, actually, did you?"

She shook her head. "No, I guess not."

"Huh, well, let me think..." He licked his lips. "No, I guess... I guess I can't think of any. But, funny how we all just ended up in the same car, then, if we're the only ones?"

The boy beside him said something, but it was, at first, unintelligible.

"Come again?" said Helena.

He cleared his throat, rubbing the base of his thumb over a pink-trimmed nose. "I said, they told me to go here. When I got on the train, I tried to sit in one of the other cars, and they said I'd be more comfortable here." He shrugged.

"Oh yeah? What did the other car look like?" The dark-haired boy leaned his head against the useless window.

"Normal," he said. "Nothing like this. I guess I thought they were just trying to be nice."

"Well, anyway, there's no point being afraid now, right? We have food, we have a bathroom... these aren't the world's most uncomfortable seats. And hey, at least we have people to talk to." He winked, which made Helena want to slap him for some unfounded reason, but Winnie giggled. "I'm Adam," he said.

"Helena," Helena replied smoothly, "and this is my sister, Winona."

"Very nice to meet you."

They all looked expectantly at the other boy.

"Uh, Luc," he said, and raised a hand. "Hey."

"And what about you two?"

The silent girl looked up, her mouth a tight round o shape. "Meghan," she said, but Adam asked her to repeat it thrice before they heard.

"This is ridiculous," the man said, and returned to his pacing.

"Is that what I'm supposed to call him?" Adam asked. Winnie giggled again.

Helena reached out her hand and tapped Luc gently on the knee. "Are you okay over there?" Eyes narrow, he was staring at a fixed point in the distance, a frustrated sort of anger furling from his small, apple-like mouth.

"Huh?" His neck swiveled and he looked at her. "Oh," he said. "Yeah."

"I can't believe you're all just sitting there," the man said, returning from the other end of the corridor. "This is kidnapping! They're probably taking to have us killed right now. They're probably asking our families to fork over loads of money for us." Meghan gasped, her eyes wide as if he'd hit her.

"Please, stop it, Sir," Adam said. "You're making it worse for everybody."

"And what if we don't have a family to pay?" Luc asked. His eyes glinted.

The man stopped, breathing hard, and sat down a few seats over from where he'd originally been. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Adam said. "We're all just, you know, a little tense. Of course we are. But maybe - "

"HEH-eHSHHH!" They all jumped. With the attention on Adam, no one had noticed Luc start, his hands wrapped like oven mitts around his nose. His shaggy blond curls flounced forward as he leaned towards his knees. "Uhh-KU'SHHH!" Helena noticed suddenly how large he was - not in terms of weight or height, or even muscles, but just some abstract bigness in his presence. She watched the crease between his brows dip a little further into his face, the space around his eyes wrinkling a third time. "Ehh-ESHHH'SHUH!" He sniffed wetly and rubbed his nose against the red sleeve of his shirt, landing his moist eyes on them all. "Uh, sorry. I actually - I actually have a cold." He sniffed again, this time like it was hard to breathe.

"Gesundheit," Adam said. He smiled. "I think I have tissues, actually, in my suitcase up there. If you need any, bro."

Luc looked away slightly, making a face that only Helena saw. "Thanks a lot."

"I am going to see my dying mother up north," the man said. "If you infect me, and I am unable to visit her - "

The mood grew more somber. "No, I won't, I swear," Luc said. His blue eyes stared unblinking. "I - sorry."

"Hey, why us, do you think? Why the six of us?" Adam said, after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. "What makes us so special?"

"We were just heading up to our summer house," Helena said. "We both had jobs this June, so we're just joining our parents a little later than usual."

"And I'm going to meet my friends, for a little reunion after being apart this year," Adam said. He glanced at the other three, but they already knew the man's reason and neither Luc nor Meghan seemed ready to respond. "Well, I think -

A fuzz of static sounded from the loudspeaker. Winnie shot to her feet. "Sit down, Winnie," Helena said, tugging nervously on her hand. "Please, Win, sit down."

"Attention, passengers. We're sorry for the delay. Unfortunately we are experiencing some... technical difficulty. This is of a confidential nature, and unfortunately we cannot be anymore specific. But we assure you, as soon as possible, we will return to our regular schedule and you will reach your destinations. Thank you."

"Well," Helena said, "that was unhelpful. Technical difficulties? Really? What are these?" Winnie began to cry once more.

"I guess this means we should make ourselves comfortable," Adam said. He stood and lifted the basket of muffins atop the refrigerator. "Who wants dinner?"

[Kshu]

Interesting, please continue!

[sneasons greetings]

Pretty damn interesting.

The intercom voices sound too nice to be kidnappers

But why would they be in that nice train? Confusing.

Continue, please!

I'm damn intrigued.