The Gentleman

__NOTOC__
I stumble into the train carriage, coughing and sputtering as I rip the gas mask off my face. The rusty doors of the train slam shut, and I hear that silver, metallic being slamming its fists into it as those sharp teeth lining the yawning chasm in the centre of its face whirring with anger at the meal it lost. The train picks up speed, and the soothing voice of the Conductor plays on the intercom.
"Welcome back onto the train, sir. I hope you enjoyed the station. Care to tell me how it was? Oh, wait. You can't talk!"
The Conductor cackles as I sit in silence, ignoring him. I stare out into the vast emptiness of the void as my thoughts wander to my wife and daughter, yearning to hold them in my arms once more. Gradually, he stops laughing and doesn't say another word, and we chug along in silence. The rust gives the air a slight metallic smell, but to me, it was arguably as bad as the toxic skies of Bliss Corp. I had skirted the edge of death, saved only by the good timing of the train and my will to survive. 
Bliss Corp had been hell, from the air when felled men to the demons made of steel that consumed any man who dared to claim its horde as their own. I mostly hid in one of the canteens to avoid the air, helping myself to a generous amount of that nutty-tasting liquid. I had only emerged as the Conductor had somehow started talking in my mind, telling me to get to the train station as the train was arriving.
What he failed to mention, however, was that the cloak of darkness had descended on the "level", as I've heard other people call it. Surprisingly, none of the other people here knew what I was talking about when I talked to them about the train and Conductor. I had to sprint like a madman to avoid those things so that I could make it to the train, which was waiting for me.
"By the way, we'll be picking up another passenger before the next stop. I hope you've practiced your good manners; you'll be needing them."
From the shadows, a train station similar to the one I was originally on manifests itself as we decelerate, the doors shrieking open. The tapping of shoes on the floor approaches, my cabin as a man dressed to the nines enters, checking his pocket watch as he does so. Spotting me, he slots his pocket watch back into his pocket, approaches and sticks out his hand, which I grasp and shake firmly.
"Good evening, my good sir." he begins. "How nice to see another gentleman dressed so nicely on this train! May I inquire on your name?"
I try to sign my name out due to the lack of paper and writing materials, but I see the confusion in his eyes turn into a knowing glint.
"...Apologies. The curse of silence, truly a shame. Well, I have no name, but you may call me T, or the gentleman. Well, not that you could, I suppose..."
His face turns slightly red, but I wave it off and pat the seat beside me, inviting him to take a seat. He does so gladly, and smiles at me through his thick moustache. We sit in companionable silence for what feels like ages when he suddenly starts to speak.
"Well, since this train ride is ever so mundane, would you like for me to tell you a little story?"
I nodded my head, eager to pass the time with small talk and to listen to this distinguished gentleman.
"Once upon a time, in a land quite a distance away, there lay a small little village. Within said village, there were many villagers, but amongst them, one boy stood out. What a character he was! He loved to wander off into the woods nearby, much to the chagrin of his mother, who was trying her darnedest to keep him in check.
"One night the boy was restless, his eyes frantically darting around his small, stuffy room. Eventually this boy could bear it no longer and decided to ever-so-silently make his way out of the house, into the dark, looming forest, and to a river within it. As he splashed around, he had taken a wrong step, and his leg plunged down into the deeper water below.
"The boy thrashed and struggled, his breath escaping his tiny body as his life slipped away. Just as it seemed his doom was imminent, he escaped. Not to the nearby riverbank, oh no. Instead, he had somehow wound up gasping for air on a moist, rank carpet! All around him were yellow walls, and the fluorescent lights above temporarily blinded him as they hummed menacingly. The boy, till this day, still wishes that he hadn't gone to that river."
As T finished his story, a single tear escaped his eye and slid down his face. Noticing this, he quickly pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his eyes. The intercom sprang to life, and the Conductor spoke once more.
"Aw, how touching. Little baby wants his momma? Anyway, we're at the next station. Please prepare to alight the train until it arrives again for you to board."
We arose from our seats and prepared to step off. The outside of the train was a blur of white, and I looked at T hesitantly. He simply looked back and smiled. We turned back towards the doors as they opened and walked out, plunging ourselves into a freezing wasteland of death.
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Category:Tales
Category:The Midnight Train