The Dream Train

(I don't have a great title for this one)

Ana and Sam stuck to the tree line but they kept the railroad track in view. They walked quickly and quietly and they listened for sounds. They listened for sounds that they were being followed. They listened for voices. They listened for skittering and the sound of dry leaves over concrete.

As they moved away from the lights of the train station, Ana started to relax. Still, the forest was filled with the sounds of nature and Ana wasn't entirely sure that those sounds weren't masking the sounds of legs and things that were not dogs.

On their left, the buildings of Traum were visible through the trees. Ana had no idea how big the town was. She wondered how long they'd have to walk to get out of Traum. She wondered how long they'd have to walk to get to another town. She tried to remember if they had passed any other small towns when they'd been on the train. She'd slept for most of the ride.

"Sam?" Her voice was too loud in the darkness.

"Yeah?"

"Did you see any other towns when we were on the train?"

Sam was quiet for a minute. "I don't think so. I slept part of the time, though."

"I was just wondering how far we might have to walk to find another town."

"I don't know."

They grew quiet again. Ana could hear their steps. She listened for anything else. The forest was alive with sound. She heard crickets and the wind blowing in the trees. She heard things moving and shifting. She didn't hear anything like the things in the darkness in Traum. She hoped to never hear that sound again.

The buildings on the left were becoming fewer and further between. Soon, Ana only saw the occasional house. The darkness grew deeper.

Ana's body was coming down from the adrenaline rush. She was damp with sweat and now that she wasn't running for her life, she was starting to get cold. She wondered how long at had been since she'd eaten.

Popcorn and almonds with Josh seemed like a really long time ago. Josh. Thinking about him made her sad. She'd really liked him. Granted, some of it, and Ana wasn't sure how much, had been the weird hypnosis of Traum. And, granted, he had been some kind of creepy spy for Kelly Brook, but he hadn't seemed like that when he'd kissed her on top of the Ferris Wheel.

Ana felt her face heat up in the dark. It had been so romantic. Even after everything she still got a warm tingling feeling in the pit of her stomach when she thought about the way he'd put his arm over her shoulder or the way he had grinned happily when they'd been jumping and singing along at the concert.

She'd had this amazing romantic date and it was ruined because the place was some sort of nightmare land and the guy was some sort of evil agent. An evil agent who was a really great actor and a really good kisser.

It struck Ana that maybe there was more to Josh. What if he wasn't evil? What if he and Danielle were stuck in Traum. He said they had been there for ten years. A really strange thought occurred to her. Had Josh and Danielle come to Traum as little kids? Or, was it possible, that they had come just as they were now.

Ana shivered. It wasn't possible that Josh had been sixteen for ten years. They couldn't be trapped, could they, in time as well as in Traum? It was too bizarre to think about, but so was everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. And they had been chased by giant bug things for frick's sake.

Ana felt guilty. She hadn't even thought about trying to save Josh and Danielle. Maybe if they had gone back to the hotel they could have found Danielle. Ana could have convinced her to get away with them. Maybe Danielle could have helped get Josh out. Ana's stomach clenched as she thought about Josh's face. He'd looked so confused and hurt when she had run away.

She hadn't seen a building in a long time. She imagined that they had finally passed the bordered of the town. They had abandoned Josh and Danielle to their fate.

For just a second she thought about turning around. She thought about sneaking back into Traum and finding Josh and Danielle. She wondered what it would take to get them to go with her. But then she remembered the way he'd tilted his head and smiled. The way he'd told her it was his pleasure. She shivered again and picked up her pace. She and Sam needed to get as far away from Traum as possible. When they got to safety they could tell the police or someone about Traum. They could send someone to try to help Josh and Danielle.

Even as she thought it, Ana knew she didn't really believe it though. She suspected that no one would ever find Traum if Traum didn't want them to.

Ahead and to the left she could see a house. A quarter-mile later was another one. Then there were more. They'd been walking just over an hour. Was it possible they had found another town already? Ana felt Sam speed up next to her. It seemed too good to be true but, sure enough, there was a town forming in the distance. They could see buildings through the trees. Ahead, on the railroad tracks, there was a station. Relief flooded Ana's body. They had found another town!

Ana almost sprinted to the train station. Surely someone at the station would have a phone. She heard Sam laugh a little relieved laugh as they reached the station. It took Ana's eyes a few seconds to adjust to the light. There was a sign welcoming them to the town.

It said "Welcome to Traum" and there, on the platform, was a crowd of people. In the front was Kelly Brook.
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Anyone have an idea on a good title for this chapter?