Fading Echoes of Love

Chapter 4 - A Dream’s Lingering Impression

Sierra jolted awake, her body drenched in sweat. She stared at the untouched ceiling with eyes wide open, feeling the chill at the tip of her nose as she exhaled a puff of white mist. Her alarm clock had gone off, but she couldn’t recall when. There was a burning sensation in her throat, and her body felt sore from her spine to her shoulders, and from her thighs to her forearms. She couldn’t quite pinpoint why she was feeling this way.

Slowly, Sierra sat up, attempting to get out of bed, but her head felt like it was filled with lead - heavy and spinning. As she slipped on her slippers, she suddenly remembered the dream she had last night. A dream? The details of it were hazy, like a thick curtain had covered them up. However, the sounds and smells from the dream left a lingering impression in her mind. It felt stifling in her chest, with an uneasy atmosphere that made her heart race.

While on her way to wash up, Sierra’s little toe accidentally hit the corner of a nearby object, causing her to grin. Luckily, the handle of her toothbrush cup was positioned towards the left, preventing any further mishap. Despite the small relief, Sierra couldn’t shake the feeling of unease from her dream.

As Sierra proceeded to brush her teeth, her mind raced with thoughts. She couldn’t help but wonder why she needed to pay attention to the handle’s orientation. Didn’t it always face towards the left? The unsettling and disturbing events of the past few days had left her feeling uneasy and on edge. They had not only brought about a sense of pressure but also a foreboding of defeat.

Sierra had long coveted the position of General Manager of Quantumware and had worked tirelessly towards that goal. However, her efforts were in vain as she was beaten by her most detested rival, Cheyenne. Sierra had wanted to put on a smile and congratulate her opponent, but she failed to do so. The fact that Cheyenne’s tactics were underhanded only added insult to injury.

Sierra’s mind drifted to her encounter with her ex-girlfriend and her hapless husband, Owen, on her way to work. The morning had already been off to a rough start, and things only got worse when she found herself working under her bitterest enemy. She knew that she was in for a rough ride, and her nemesis had a long way to go before she could pay Sierra back for all the trouble she had caused.

As soon as Sierra assumed her position, she felt as though her head was on fire. Her nemesis had lit three fires on her forehead, and the pressure was overwhelming.

Elaina, Sierra’s assistant, approached her with news that Cheyenne, their business partner, wanted Sierra to go on a two-day, one-night trip to Hudson Valley. Sierra contemplated declining the offer, but she knew that she couldn’t, given the circumstances.

After spending the night at a karaoke bar with Gary, where they drank various wines and sang all night, Cheyenne ultimately secured the order. Sierra planned to take the evening train back to New York City, but to her surprise, her wallet had disappeared. This caused issues with her identification and travel plans, leaving her in a difficult situation.

Sierra was usually very cautious and maintained her composure even after drinking, so the incident came as a shock to her. Cheyenne reassured her that everything would be fine and suggested that she go to the station to obtain a temporary ID card to change her visa.

Sierra changed her plans and boarded the last train of the day back to New York City. However, as soon as she entered the carriage, a careless middle-aged man accidentally hit her on the head with his suitcase. It felt as if a rock had fallen from the sky, jolting her out of her hazy state of mind.

She covered the back of her head and looked around the crowded train carriage, filled with noisy college students, heavily pregnant women, and bright, dazzling lights. Despite it being her first time on a train, a voice inside her told her that she had been there before.

Sierra was suddenly hit with a wave of intense dizziness, causing her to lean back in her seat. It took some time for the black fog in front of her to clear. Her colleague, Cheyenne, noticed her distress and inquired if she was hypoglycemic. Sierra waved her hand to signal that she was fine, and Cheyenne promptly put down his laptop.

Once the train began to move steadily, Cheyenne poured Sierra a cup of hot water from the junction between carriages. “Drink this to warm up,” she suggested. “The train carriage is quite chilly, so don’t remove your clothes too quickly. The rapid change in temperature could cause you to catch a cold.”

Sierra was pleasantly surprised at how caring and considerate Cheyenne was, even at a young age. As a young boss, she didn’t strive for greatness, but her genuine kindness made her stand out. With gratitude, Sierra accepted the paper cup of hot water from Cheyenne and slowly sipped half of it, feeling much better.

During a brief stop, Cheyenne turned on her laptop and focused intently on the screen. Despite the busy business trip, she still had the energy to work overtime on the way back. Sierra leaned back in her seat, attempting to rest her eyes. Falling asleep seemed like the best course of action. However, just as she was dozing off, the train carriage shook violently, the lights flickered, and passengers screamed in terror. Sierra felt as if she was hurtling off a cliff, struggling fiercely and gripping Cheyenne’s fingers tightly.

The pregnant woman standing diagonally in front exclaimed, her face contorted in horror, “What the hell is going on?” Sierra was still in shock herself. When she noticed the woman’s swollen belly, she instinctively tried to console her. “Perhaps there’s a problem with the brakes,” she offered.

A man and woman got up from their seats and headed to the front of the carriage, and Sierra followed suit, still dazed. Suddenly, a cup toppled over and spilled water onto Cheyenne’s leg. Without hesitation, Sierra quickly grabbed some paper to wipe it off for her.

“Sierra,” Cheyenne’s voice was tight, and she seemed to have forgotten about her wet pants. She took Sierra’s hand and looked at her with an intense gaze. “Don’t you find this all a bit…familiar?”

“Familiar?” Sierra repeated, a sense of unease creeping up on her. Before she could dwell on it further, the glass door at the end of the carriage slid open with a sharp swish. After a brief moment of hesitation, a bloodcurdling scream pierced through the air.

Bang! Bang bang! Gunshots rang out, filling the carriage with the sound of rapid fire. Sierra’s face turned ashen, and Cheyenne grabbed her head, pushing her down beneath her seat. The entire carriage shook as passengers began to panic and run amok, their screams echoing through the air. Sierra was petrified with fear.

Cheyenne held her tightly and barked, “Don’t say a word!” Despite her usually gentle and courteous demeanor, Cheyenne’s voice was stern as she shielded Sierra from the stampeding crowd. More than half of the college students who were playing cards had been shot and were slumped in their seats, their clothes stained with blood.

A tall boy sitting in the innermost part of the carriage had been hit in the abdomen, and his face contorted in pain as he writhed in agony. When he looked towards the front of the carriage, he saw chaos and pandemonium, and without a second thought, he jumped up from his seat, stepping on Cheyenne’s arm as he ran for cover between the seats and the luggage rack.

Sierra watched in horror as the college student took a step and was hit by a bullet in the back of his head. His head exploded like a watermelon, and his body slumped back down into his seat. Shaken to her core, she and Cheyenne hugged each other tightly, feeling the tremors of fear running through each other’s body.

“Stay still, don’t make a sound,” Cheyenne whispered urgently in Sierra’s ear, her voice strained with forced composure. She repeated the instructions over and over, each word spoken with a level of intensity only Sierra could hear.

Five men dressed in black jackets and leather boots strode into the carriage, their white masks twisted into eerie, twisted smiles. Their feminine faces were juxtaposed with their chiseled, steel-like physiques, making them an unsettling sight to behold. Each of them held a machine gun, which they pointed down the aisle as they kicked aside the bodies littering the floor.

The pregnant woman, drenched in sweat and blood from a stray bullet wound, cried out for help. Despite her injuries, she clutched her stomach with all her might, desperate to protect her unborn child.

The leader of the masked men heard her cries and halted in his tracks. He turned towards her, his sinister smile widening as he faced the helpless woman.

“Please…let me go,” begged the pregnant woman through her sobs. “I have a baby in my belly…”

The masked man c****d his head to one side and advanced towards her. He pushed aside the two bodies pinning her down and grabbed her by the upper arm.

Cheyenne and Sierra feigned injury as the bullets flew indiscriminately. Sierra could feel Cheyenne’s breathing become shallow and forced as she kept her head facing the window. Sierra’s head was nestled in Cheyenne’s arms, but she couldn’t help but shift her weight to try and reach her hidden stash of cash.

To their surprise, the terrorists showed a glimmer of compassion and pulled the pregnant woman up from the floor. Overwhelmed with emotion, she sobbed and thanked them profusely.

But before she could fully stand up, the pregnant woman felt a hard, cold object pressed against her stomach. Her expression froze in terror as a series of gunshots rang out, tearing through her abdomen and causing her to convulse in agony. Blood and flesh spattered across the carriage as she collapsed, lifeless, onto the ground.

As the gunfire died down, Sierra and Cheyenne clung to each other, their bodies as still as stone, afraid to move any further. The pregnant woman lay motionless on the ground, her eyes open and her body lifeless.

The lead masked man’s face was covered in blood, the result of the pregnant woman’s last moments. His grin remained unnervingly wide and unsettling.

The other four masked men had already moved on to the next carriage, where sounds of gunfire and shouting could be heard.

The lead masked man’s gun hung low in his hand, his boots making a squelching sound as he walked through the blood-soaked carriage. The bodies of the dead were piled in awkward and grotesque positions, blocking the aisles and seats.

Sierra held her breath as she watched the masked man approach. The back of his gun scraped over her shoulder, catching a few strands of hair and pulling them away roughly. Sierra didn’t dare to move or make a sound, praying silently for him to leave them alone.

Sierra and Cheyenne finally breathed a sigh of relief as the masked man left. Their bodies were stiff with fear, and they were too scared to move. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Sierra embraced Cheyenne and sobbed uncontrollably. She owed her life to her friend, who had shown remarkable courage and kept a level head in the face of danger.

Just as Sierra began to relax her tense muscles, she heard a faint metallic sound. Suddenly, she felt a gun pressed against the back of her head. The masked man had returned and was holding her at gunpoint.

For a moment, time stood still. But then, out of nowhere, Cheyenne let out a loud gasp and lunged towards the masked man, grabbing hold of his gun. “Go!” she shouted at Sierra, her voice trembling with bloodlust.

Without thinking, Sierra jumped to her feet and rushed towards the front of the carriage. Gunshots rang out behind her, and she felt a searing pain shoot through her body. Her consciousness faded to black.

~~~

Sierra abruptly jolts upright in her seat, causing Cheyenne to startle. The pregnant woman and several other passengers look over at the commotion. “Cheyenne!” Sierra’s voice trembles as she tightly grips his arm, her eyes wide with fear. Cheyenne remains calm and asks, “What’s wrong, Sierra? Did you have a nightmare?”

Sierra stares at him with terror, her breathing shallow and quick, still in a state of extreme tension. Cheyenne regards her with concern, her voice soft and soothing. Sierra scans the carriage, searching for any sign of danger, but finds nothing out of the ordinary. It was just a dream - no gangsters, no bodies, just another ordinary day.

The other passengers return to their business, and only the pregnant woman offers a kind smile that eases some of the panic in Sierra’s chest. As her heart gradually returns to a normal pace, the tension that had felt like a weight on her chest slowly dissipates. Cheyenne speaks up, handing her a half-filled cup of warm water, “Are you too exhausted from this business trip? Why don’t you take tomorrow off and rest up? You have my permission.”

Sierra drinks her water slowly and doesn’t reply, lost in thought. The train pulls into a small station, and several passengers begin to gather their belongings and exit. Suddenly, Sierra feels a twinge of fear creeping up inside her. She presses her face to the window, compelled by some unknown force.

The station is dimly lit with only one short platform. Four or five weary travelers drag their luggage along as they make their way to the exit. Sierra realizes she has no idea where she is on the journey. The stop sign ahead has the words “Plug the Mouth” in two blue letters on a white background at an awkward angle, making them difficult to read.

Sierra paces back and forth, looking down as she walks and peering out the window. When she finally reads the words on the stop sign, her entire face freezes, and her muscles become rigid. The name of this small station was “Plug the Mouth,” which sounded unfamiliar to Sierra. However, she soon realizes that she had seen those same two words before in a dream, reflected on the stop sign in the exact same font size. It was unnerving to see that scene from her dream come to life before her very eyes.

In her dream, Sierra imagined taking a train that departed from Plug the Mouth while her colleague, Cheyenne, worked on a laptop. Suddenly, the train shook violently, and there were flashing lights and sounds of violence. Gunfire, bloodshed, and death followed, leaving Sierra scared and disoriented. However, she quickly reminded herself that it was just a dream and that reality would be different.

As Cheyenne pulled out a MacBook and placed it in front of her, Sierra was awestruck by its sleek and shiny appearance, just like in her dream. As she stared at the laptop, the carriage shook violently, and the lights flickered. Suddenly, five masked men emerged from the open glass door, and gunfire rang out, leaving the passengers screaming in terror.

Sierra found herself frozen in place, unable to move even as Cheyenne tried to shield her. Blood trickled from Cheyenne’s lips, and she struggled to hold back her words of apology. As Sierra’s consciousness faded, she wondered if she was trapped in an endless cycle of death and whether she could break it by remembering the details of her death.