To Be A Warrior

Chapter 45: Train To New Oban Part 2

What's happening? What's happening? What's happening?

Curses fly through my head as I run, racking my brain for a shred of a memory of where things ended. I'm Catherine, I know that. I'm on the NewOban Express. Things went wrong, people started turning into zombies, the arboretum caught of fire and the snow that was supposed to put it out nearly killed us all. We got out, we kept running, we...

I clench my jaw. It's been a month since I had this dream. Most people can't remember dreams from a few days ago. Why did it have to take so long for me to end back here? Now I can't remember just how far along Halima is and-

Oh. Halima's pregnant. Crap! Shit!

She's pregnant and the train is about to crash!

As my panic brings back what happened, said panic only grows. This is bad in so many ways.

My heart pounds, and my legs burn. Just because I had my break from the dream doesn't mean I'm going to feel it here. I'm right where I was a month ago, only in Catherine's body I didn't receive a break.

"Alright, guys, that's six kilometers down the train. You should be inside the sleep pods now," Sam says, his voice shaking just enough for it to be noticeable. I feel bad for him. He's only like seventeen here. This much pressure on him to help keep us safe must be terrifying.

But he's right. We've reached the sleep pods. There's a faint cedarwood smell, and the blankets in the open pods look soft, extremely soft. I huff, knowing sadly I can't take them with me to the future. I would if I could.

"It's really nice," Ellie breathes out.

"They should offer us some protection," Andreas says nervously. He points to one. "Catherine, you take that one. Halima, you come here. Quickly, get in. We haven't got much time."

His warning kicks me into gear. We only had minutes left when I woke up. I didn't really keep track of how much time had passed with the confusion of my being thrown back into the past. I scramble into a pod and shut it, sinking down into the mattress, which is comfortable even with the mounting anxiety and tension. I raise my arms up to shield my head.

"New Castle station has let me have access to their cameras and speakers, so I can help you, but the train's going to crash in five, four, three, two... one..."

I tense, bracing for impact, but after a second, then another, nothing happens. I blink, the tension leaving my shoulders for a slight second. I hear Hamila sigh from her pod.

"Maybe it won't-"

She never gets to finish her sentence. It's cut off by my scream as my body is slammed into my pod. My pod is thrown, rolls as the sound of screeching metal hits my ears. It's loud, crushing. I grit my teeth so hard I feel my teeth may crack as the train's wheels groan and scream against the track. Pain erupts as I'm thrown one way and another, all sense of cohesion being thrown out as the world becomes a blur and sounds melds together.

Then finally, thankfully, it stops.

I hesitantly pull my arms away from my face, feeling around as I try to figure out which way is up and which way is down.

"Guys?" Sam asks hesitantly. "Guys, are you..."

He trails off, as if he's afraid of the answer.

"I'm definitely going to be sore tomorrow," I slur, a groan of pain slipping past my lips. I manage to grab the handle on my pod and open the door, stumbling out onto the floor.

"I was cushioned by a pillow," Halima says before opening her pod and stepping out. Ellie and Andreas do the same, but I don't pay much attention since I'm still trying to recover from the crash. Catherine's body isn't used to this type of trauma like mine is, and even though my mind has memories of going through this, this body makes everything harder.