Essence: Book 1 - Septima

by Nick Braker

  There were three other passengers in the car, obviously on board from a previous stop. They were all young women who sat together near the midsection of the car. One of them seemed to be doing all the talking. Her hands moved in quick, animated gestures as she told them a story. The other two young women hardly paused to breathe, laughing at her. Troy knew he would have to strike up a conversation with them before Chance decided to be an ass again and dare Troy to talk to them. Of course, doing it on his own would happen only if he could overcome his fears.

  Fate? Ha, I got this under control. Yeah right...

  The three women sat on the right side of the train, two of them facing the rear. Across from a small table between them was the talkative one. She was the shortest of the three and the thinnest. Her brunette hair was short, cut below her ears. Her smooth and unblemished pixie-like face reminded him of a runway model. Her green eyes darted quickly, looking around as if she didn’t want to miss anything. She caught Troy staring at her several times but he always looked away, pretending to casually glance around and then return to reading the book in his lap. Her dark green top had a high neckline and clung to her lithe, young body. She wore faded blue jeans with sparkles on the front pockets.

  Troy heard bits and pieces of their conversation. His eyebrows raised. They were discussing role playing games. Troy and his friends were also into fantasy gaming so it seemed like a great icebreaker.

  Just get up and go talk with them. Come on, do it.

  Troy had a pick-up line ready to go, but again his fear overrode his desire to meet them.

  They are way out of my league. Why not go find Maria?

  “Hey, bro. You see those three gorgeous women over there?” Chance asked, nudging him. “I dare you to go talk with them.”

  So much for hoping to act before the asshole spoke again.

  Chance’s breath reeked of alcohol and judging by the way he moved, he was already three sheets to the wind.

  “Damn it, you know I’ll do it just because you dared me,” Troy replied, glaring.

  “Bullshit,” Chance said, laughing. “You’re a pansy ass when it comes to talking with the really pretty ladies.”

  “You don’t know me very well. Watch this,” Troy said, poking Chance in the chest.

  Chance’s comments were really pissing Troy off and he wanted Chance to know it. Chance’s eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped.

  Why am I so angry at Chance? I don’t get angry like this. This train ride must be affecting me more than I thought.

  Lakin nodded at him, giving him a thumbs up.

  “You can do it,” Lakin said.

  Hell, this is going to go badly. Chance is right, these three are gorgeous.

  “Save one for me,” Lakin added, grinning.

  Troy set his book down, took a deep breath and walked over to the three women. His hands shook, so he slipped them into his pockets. Troy had his line ready.

  “Excuse me, ladies, but I was curious if this seat was taken. It-” Troy cleared his throat, “-it appears there are no other good seats available in this car.”

  The tallest one responded first. She sat across the table from the empty seat. She was blond with blue eyes, wearing pink lipstick. Her blue jeans looked new and her pink, thin strapped top hugged her body. She had her hair twisted together and it hung down over her shoulder, covering her left breast.

  “Really?” she asked. “Now, as I count it, there are only seven of us in this car which leaves quite a few other choices for you.”

  Troy shuffled his feet. He was nervous, but this was where his planning had paid off. He had already thought of a response.

  “Yes, you are quite right but-” he swallowed hard, “-but the only good seat is the one next to the three of you. Besides, I couldn’t help but hear you three discussing fantasy role playing games.”

  The three exchanged glances with each other. The pixie-faced girl grinned at her friends.

  I should be shaking uncontrollably right now. Why am I not? Strange.

  Troy knew he couldn’t let the silence go on long. Part of a good icebreaker was keeping the conversation moving.

  “My friends and I play as well. May I join you?” Troy asked.

  “My name is Imogen,” the pixie-faced brunette said, giggling. “This seat is not taken.”

  “Awesome,” Troy said, sitting down. “I’m Troy.”

  Relief flooded through him. Troy’s heart still pounded, but it was slowing to normal now that he had met Chance’s challenge. He glanced over at Chance, whose jaw almost came unhinged. Chance flipped him the bird and got up, stumbling by Troy, heading toward the rear cars.

  Erina was the tall blond who sat across from him, with Kara sitting next to her. All three of them were exceedingly beautiful, though Troy thought Kara’s red hair gave her a decided advantage over the others. Kara wore a low cut, neon-green shirt that revealed a large portion of her breasts. She had matching neon-green contacts which gave her eyes a mystical quality. Her black jeans were tight, complementing a very shapely body. Kara’s lips were full, more so than Troy had seen in most young women.

  “Ladies,” Troy said, motioning to the other two.

  “Oh, excuse me. My name is Erina and this is Kara.”

  Troy already knew their names from listening to them talk earlier, but feigned ignorance. He smiled at both of them, shaking their hands lightly.

  “So, you three do some adventure gaming?” Troy asked.

  The girls nodded and he listened to them for several minutes as they relayed some of their previous adventures. They focused primarily on a gaming system based in medieval fantasy.

  “Ladies,” Troy asked. “Have you ever played an adventure based on a zombie apocalypse?”

  “Actually, no, but it sounds intriguing,” Kara said.

  Kara locked eyes with him, staring for several seconds, her gaze unwavering. Troy wasn’t sure, but he felt like she might be smirking at him. He shivered under her intense gaze.

  What the hell? Does she hate me?

  “A zombie apocalypse sounds wild,” Imogen gushed, bringing him back to the conversation. “I gather the idea is to stay alive while the game master tries to find ways to kill you off?”

  Troy laughed, shaking his head.

  “Well,” Troy said. “The good game masters try to make it fun for their players.”

  “Does-”

  A commotion from the car behind them interrupted Erina. Several loud voices could be heard with one very upset female voice screaming over all of them. Troy rose.

  “Ladies, excuse me. I’m going to go see what that’s all about.”

  Troy reached the door connecting the two cars. He heard someone crying. It was Maria. Geoff was there already. Maria had her knees pulled in to her chest, sitting in one of the chairs. She was sobbing. Her eyes met Troy’s. She stood, turned her back to him and walked away. Chance stood near the cabin’s rear section, his back to them all. Maria pushed past him and entered the next car.

  “Geoff, what’s going on?” he asked.

  “Shit. Well, Chance told Maria about your bet with him back at the train station.”

  “My bet?” Troy exclaimed. “That asshat. It was his bet. Maria is a sweet girl. I really like her.”

  Troy started after her.

  “Look, man,” Geoff said, putting his hand out to stop Troy. “I’ll smooth this out. Chance is shit-faced right now and your presence will make things worse for him. You know he doesn’t like to lose at anything. I’ll talk to Maria for you, too.”

  Troy felt his anger rise again. He could tell his face was red now and it wasn’t from embarrassment. Chance had gone too far, but Geoff was right, if he stayed it would piss Chance off further.

  I’ll check on Maria later, make sure she understands. Chance just wanted to make me look bad.

  Chance was a friend but alcohol could swing him from one extreme to another. He never would have done that sober. It still wasn’t much of an excuse. Troy hesitated.
He wanted to get this straightened out now.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Troy said.

  Troy shook his head and then walked back toward his seat. His hands were in his pockets, trying to control his anger.

  I never get angry like this. What is going on with me?

  Maria had a sweet and gentle nature and, whatever had happened to her in life, she didn’t deserve it. They would be on this train for hours. He had time to let Geoff talk to her and then Troy would speak with her again and explain. After all, she wasn’t going to listen to him right now. Maria needed some time.

  Troy found Lakin had returned from the restroom in the car ahead of them and had taken Troy’s seat. Kara was gone and Erina had moved over, taking Kara’s spot. Erina looked at him, smiling, holding his gaze a few seconds before patting the seat next to her. Lakin growled like a zombie, holding his arms towards Erina with his head cocked to the side. He was in the middle of a very animated telling of one of their many zombie adventures. Troy gave Lakin a pat on the back as he passed him. Lakin was a true friend and genuinely one of the nicest people Troy knew. Lakin cared about others and was the stabilizing force in the group’s friendship. If he wanted to sit next to Imogen, Troy was more than happy to sit next to Erina.

  “So, what did I-” Troy started to ask.

  The train shifted sideways, back and forth. Troy instantly grabbed the armrests in a death grip, planting himself hard in the seat. He gulped down several quick breaths, stifling the urge to scream.

  See, it was just a matter of time. It’s over.

  The passenger car groaned as it shook in small waves of vibrations. There had been some shaking of the car earlier, but not like this. Imogen searched the darkness outside, then looked back shrugging her shoulders. The girls were staring at Troy.

  Why are they looking to me?

  As Lakin started to continue his story, the metal groaning was replaced with an equally loud droning tone inside the cabin, like an organist holding down the lowest note on a pipe organ. One of the overhead lights burst, sending sparks showering outward like a mini-fireworks show. The bass note reverberated through the car in waves. It was so strong, Troy felt it in his bones. The light in the cabin changed color, taking on a slightly green hue. Troy tried to look around but he couldn’t move his head. He could only move his eyes.

  What the hell?

  The sensation sent him into an instant panic. Troy tried to bolt out of his chair. He wanted to get away from whatever held him but he couldn’t move.

  Chapter 2

  SEEING GREEN

  Earth - Present Day - 07:06pm

  Until this moment, I never truly believed my vacation might end with my own death.

  An electric-green gas swirled in elongated clouds in the air. Everything seemed normal moments before, but the gas instantly filled the train’s entire passenger car, paralyzing Troy and, he assumed, everyone else in it. Was it a gas? Troy initially hoped it was simply bad lighting, but its immediate effect on him proved otherwise. He had tried to bolt but his body wouldn’t respond. Troy could breathe and he could move his eyes. The paralysis was complete from his neck down and it had been this way for an excruciating and panic-filled minute. A digital clock at the very end of the car, above the doorway, had counted the minute for him. It was now 7:06pm and all he could do was wait. His heart pounded in his chest, trying to free itself from the fear gripping him inside. No one had moved the entire time.

  Lakin still sat across from him. His eyes darted around what little part of the train’s car he could view but then they too would return to stare back at Troy, filled with terror.

  They are all paralyzed. How is this possible?

  A man’s voice broke the silence.

  “Even though we have a little extra time on this one, we still need to pick it up, people,” the man ordered.

  The man’s voice came from the car ahead of them and, since Troy sat facing the rear of this car, the man was behind him. Though Troy couldn’t move his head to see the man, he could hear the man’s voice carried authority and certainty.

  “I’ll move farther down to the other cars,” another male voice said. “Trace, come with me.”

  “On it,” a female voice said.

  Troy didn’t recognize any of their voices. The three were somewhere behind him and, by the sound of it, they must be close to the doors separating the two passenger cars.

  I’ve got to get free--

  Two of them moved past him, sending a heavy feeling deep into his stomach. Troy knew his body should have jerked away by their sudden appearance, but even that autonomic response was dead. Neither of the two reacted to his presence. Why should they? After all, Troy wasn’t a threat. What was there to react to? Was this intentional? Were these three people responsible?

  They caused this or they wouldn’t just run by, unconcerned.

  The two strangers moved with purpose, running in cadence with each other. Military perhaps? Both of them wore full-body, light-gray jumpsuits and each carried a weapon in their hand with a satchel of some sort on their hip. Troy hadn’t noticed them on the train when they boarded.

  “Cienna,” another female voice said. “Get those four and I’ll get the couple in the car ahead and start moving back to meet you.”

  Troy heard steps from behind him again. This time a young woman stopped in the aisle and knelt next to Lakin. A strip of her brown hair dangled in front of her eyes. She tucked it behind her ear.

  “I’ve got this group,” she said, holstering her weapon.

  “Roger that, Cienna,” the female voice said.

  There are more of them? How many? This one is called Cienna.

  Troy tried to speak. He wanted to ask her for help, but Troy could only manage to force a rush of air through his lips. His heart pounded hard in his chest. She didn’t look dangerous. She was dressed like the other two that had run past. Her dark auburn hair was straight and well groomed. Her physique was trim and athletic. Troy tried to speak again but she unstrapped a satchel attached to her hip.

  That doesn’t look good. Is she trying to help us or is she behind all this? Maybe she is dangerous.

  Cienna opened the satchel and laid it on Lakin’s lap. He didn’t react when she pulled out a strange looking syringe-like device, along with several empty vials. The electronic device had a pistol grip with several LEDs on it, one of which flashed yellow. The vials were clear and each were about the size of an elongated shot glass. Cienna attached one of them to the syringe, which now flashed red. Cienna leaned over Lakin toward Imogen sitting immobile next to him. Her movements were sure and measured. The needle pierced deeply into Imogen’s neck. Her eyes were filled with fear, tears flowing down her face. Imogen had been looking out the passenger car’s large window when the gas took hold. If Imogen were affected like Troy, then she couldn’t move either. Could she feel the needle in her neck? Imogen’s eyes stared at the young woman through the reflection in the window. Cienna squeezed the trigger on the device. It extracted something from within Imogen but it wasn’t red like blood. It was a neon green fluid and it glowed.

  That’s crazy. What is going on? Dear God, this doesn’t make sense.

  The fluid was thicker than blood and moved like a melting slushy. Imogen’s eyes grew still, turning completely black. She wasn’t crying anymore. The red LED on the syringe stopped flashing and remained lit as Cienna pulled the needle from Imogen’s neck.

  Did this woman kill Imogen?

  Cienna disengaged the first vial and carefully secured it inside the satchel. The syringe started flashing yellow again. Cienna replaced it with another clear vial and leaned over Troy to reach Erina. He couldn’t see Erina sitting next to him as she was outside his field of view, but the woman named Cienna must have extracted more of that strange fluid because the vial was full as she knelt again. Cienna repeated the process, placing the syringe gingerly into the satchel. She grabbed another empty vial and was about to repeat the process with Lakin. His friend
’s eyes were wild with fear. Whatever this process was, it killed people and Cienna was about to kill again. Troy tried again to force himself to move. Fear fueled his adrenaline and both nearly overwhelmed him. He had to try to stop her and he had to do it now.

  Stop her? Me? I should be overcome with fear. What the hell am I thinking?

  Lakin’s eyes pleaded with Troy but Troy’s arms and legs wouldn’t respond. He could only stare at his friend, anticipating his murder. Troy couldn’t feel anything physically except the chair’s armrest under his right hand.

  Wait... I can feel my right hand? The effect must be wearing off.

  Troy felt his sweat on the vinyl armrest, but still he couldn’t move his hand. He needed more time. He had to buy some time.

  How?

  Cienna stuck the needle into Lakin’s neck. His eyes filled with pure terror now and he labored to breathe as if he’d finished a four-minute mile. Completely immobile and unable to stop her, Troy screamed inside. He tried to will his hand to move as he watched the liquid get extracted. Lakin’s eyes grew dark and then finally, black. Lakin’s life ended, right in front of him. His friend was dead and that bitch had killed him.

  Lakin!

  His finger twitched involuntarily.

  Please, please, please. I just need a little more time...

  His own death drew closer. Troy had to shake off the paralysis. He had to find a way to break free. He needed more time. Fear gripped Troy’s mind and panic nearly consumed his thoughts. He cared deeply for his friends but it was different watching the others. Troy would be next. That knowledge angered him and fueled his fear but still he couldn’t control his body.

  To hell with you, Fate. You will not control me. I’m not going down like this! Did I think that? What is going on?

  Troy didn’t want to listen to the more reasonable side of himself, the side that told him he didn’t have much time left in this world. Fate had decided Troy’s future and it looked like he had lost.

  Cienna grabbed another clear vial and attached it to the syringe a fourth time. It was Troy’s turn. She shifted her weight toward him, placing one hand on his leg. The bitch stuck the needle into his neck. Troy’s inner voice screamed in terror. His death was seconds away and, like Lakin, who was now an empty husk, his life would end.