New SS: Starlight Express CLOSED Indefinitely

The train began moving slowly dragging its heavy wheels reluctantly on the rails, just as she was about going back home. The loud, shrill horn was to lead the way back to San Francisco where the familiar sights would do nothing to alleviate the dull ache inside her. Her stay in Seattle - at her parents' place - had been the much needed reprieve after the incident that'd broken her into pieces - so small that she felt like a bag of sand all the time. Her parents were going away for an Alaskan cruise for the upcoming holidays and she was forcing her return back to the city where a frightening empty world stricken with loneliness awaited her. Taking a flight had been her first option, but the idea of delaying reaching San Francisco by a whole twenty two hours seemed inviting.

It was one thing to stare at the empty space of her childhood home without holiday cheer and it was a whole another thing to spend Christmas in the place he'd left her. Both had its generous share of emptiness to deal with. Although, nothing could buck up to the heightened sense of awareness she would feel in the city apartment. There, her memories with him would leave her naked in its attack; raw and impenitent, making this journey back a test of her fortitude.

To her, the irony was as clear as the day light that traveled with the speeding train. There hadn't been a single holiday season - in all of her twenty six years - when she hadn't wished for the holidays to be spent in absolute isolation, indulging in a favorite read while staying indoors on a couch when plumes of white snow would waft past the window. Instead, she'd only done her time chained to unwelcomed holiday parties, fake cheer, mountains of food and the sharp bitterness she felt from family gossip. But today, she would give anything to take back that string of thoughtless wishes when it was on the verge of being granted. Only she didn't know how to take it back, or could help feeling the vast space she had around her. To add to her misery the train was depressingly empty for a holiday ride.

As she gazed out the window, the passing view that she was leaving behind seemed to take with it an invisible stream of her energy. The book in her hand fell onto the tray table she'd pulled across her lap and she stayed limp and unmoving for a while. Pressing on the button in the inside of her arm rest, she thrust herself backwards and the chair reclined to extend her feet in front of her, the sweeping swift movement bringing an unexpected comfort to her body as it contoured to the surprisingly plush seat.

After aimlessly looking out for a few minutes, she drifted her gaze back to the book. Though the book carried a broken spine that was ready to give away into two halves from having read too many times, the blocks of black letters was far from making any sense to her. She waited for sleep to consume her. But it was too soon for a nap that early in the morning. When her options to rescue herself from the dullness that was swallowing her were exhausted, she decided to buy a coffee from the lounge car.

It took her three cars to reach the food car and she ordered for a pumpkin spice latte hoping for the flavored coffee to magically induce the spirit that she was missing in her actions. If not anything, it would at least warm her cold palms. In anticipation of the warmth that would soon seep through her skin, she watched engrossed at the steaming brown liquid filling a styrofoam cup.

"How many cream and sugars?" The vendor asked and she took a moment to respond.

"Two creams and three sugars please" She spoke; her voice appearing distant to her own ears.

Pre-occupied, she handed him a fifty dollar bill after picking up her coffee and the vendor's insistence for a change, brought her back to the instant.

She was too drained to tell him, she would come back with the money in some time and so with a strained smile and a brief response, she left for her coach seat.

As the lounge door closed behind her, she heard a man order the same coffee she'd just asked for and felt a pang of jealousy sting her, imagining the instant he would be picking up the coffee she'd left behind. Resigned, she walked back to her reserved car.

She was about to shift back into the same lazy stance as before, when she saw someone approach towards her with two coffee cups in their hands.

"I hope you didn't mind that I got it for you" He said, his voice affable with a trace of doubt.

She lifted her eyes to him after looking down at the steaming cup and struggled to find the words to thank him, while at the same time she was wary of his move to buy coffee to a stranger in a deserted train.

He must have seen her lips move, caught between a confused smile and words that were making its way through her throat, for he instantly uttered a quick "You're welcome". And before a clear sound could escape her mouth, he once again interrupted her, reliving her of her fears.

"Happy holidays and have a good ride", he said with the same welcoming expression and moved past her seat to walk to another car, disappearing just as fast as he'd appeared.

It was strange she sensed awkwardness in the passing moments, even a tinge of anger at his abrupt leaving, without letting her thank him properly, before she could recover from his unexpected arrival with her coffee. Whatever, she whispered sulkily, although his kind act merited just the opposite.

Forgetting how much she'd needed the hot coffee only minutes ago, she absently cupped the cup with both her hands and stared at it, lost in the unexpected buzz that was rising in her thoughts. She bit her lip and waited out for the impromptu energy to fade. When the unsettling feeling expanded like a cloud of smoke inside her body, she got up to her feet in a hurry and left to find him.

What in the hell was that impulse? It certainly had broken her ever contained reserve to keep to her business...

nice start.. can i get the pm