Night Train

by David Quantick

  FIVE

  Poppy moved forward, limping slightly.

  “What the fuck is that?” she asked.

  “We were wondering the same thing,” Banks said.

  “Why are you here?” Garland said. “Get out now; it wants us.”

  “I don’t think it’s that fussy,” Poppy said. “It wants to kill all of us. Probably could, too.”

  She made a chucking noise at it.

  “It’s not a puppy,” Garland said.

  “You never know,” Poppy said. “Right,” she added, pulling something out from her pocket.

  The thing stiffened, and sniffed the air.

  “What have you got?” Garland said.

  “Meat,” said Poppy. “Must have hidden it for a snack.”

  “That’s not going to help us,” Banks said.

  “Nope,” Poppy said. “But this will.”

  And she ran at the creature and kicked it hard in the face.

  * * *

  The creature screamed, reared up, and moved across the floor in a loud, grating rush.

  “Poppy!” shouted Garland.

  But Poppy was gone.

  * * *

  “Missed!” she shouted from the hole.

  The creature looked up, snarling.

  Poppy looked back down. She threw something at it.

  “Torch,” she shouted. “I’ve got loads.”

  * * *

  “Get back down here!” Garland shouted.

  “No,” replied Poppy.

  “I hope she’s got a plan,” said Banks.

  * * *

  Slowly, the creature lengthened itself.

  * * *

  “Poppy!” Garland shouted again.

  There was no reply.

  * * *

  The creature almost seeped upwards, its plates rippling as it forced itself up into the hole again. With a great deal of effort, it began to climb up into the ceiling.

  * * *

  “Now what?” Banks said.

  “I am seriously going to fine you every time you say that from now on,” said Garland.

  “Yes, but seriously –”

  “No idea,” said Garland. “No fucking idea whatsofuckingever.”

  * * *

  The creature curved and bent itself until it was once more on top of the roof of the train. It opened a black jelly eye and looked around itself. Glinting ash was beginning to fall again, and the furrows of the tracks it had made earlier were already covered.

  In front of it stood Poppy, wearing skis.

  “Hiya,” she said.

  * * *

  The creature half-lunged, half-slid towards her.

  Poppy kicked down, and skied away along the roof of the train.

  * * *

  “What’s going on up there?” said Banks.

  “Movement,” said Garland. “Let’s get that door open.”

  * * *

  Poppy looked behind her for a moment and saw the creature, moving without grace but determined and fast, towards her. Her skis bumped and almost snagged on the roof, but the smooth ash kept her moving.

  She came to the end of the carriage. There was a sizeable gap between it and the next one.

  This definitely isn’t a simulation, she told herself. Nobody would be that stupid.

  She flew into the air.

  * * *

  The door slammed open.

  “Oh fab,” said Garland. “Now it opens.”

  “I heard another thump,” said Banks.

  They ran into the next carriage.

  * * *

  Poppy landed with a skid on the next carriage, almost twisted her ankle, regained her balance, and skied on. She cast a look over her shoulder and saw the creature slow down, rear back and then – somewhat sloppily, in her opinion – throw itself over the gap between carriages. Once landed, it moved towards her with increasing confidence.

  She felt in her pocket as she raced on. Another torch, a wad of tissue paper…

  The vials.

  She shook her head. Throwing them here would be useless: they would smash on the roof and disperse in the wind.

  Use the available resources, she told herself. And answered herself:

  There aren’t any fucking available resources.

  * * *

  “Wow,” Banks said as they entered the carriage.

  “No time,” said Garland.

  “There’s some really interesting stuff in here.”

  “And our friend is on the roof being attacked by a monster.”

  Banks ran after Garland.

  “I only meant maybe we could come back later.”

  * * *

  Poppy had jumped to another carriage. It was good to be moving, but her lack of a plan was worrying. As was the growing realisation that she had only one option.

  Stand and fight.

  * * *

  “That was extraordinary,” Banks said.

  “Later,” said Garland.

  “I know, I’m just saying,” Banks shouted as they ran.

  “Don’t,” replied Garland.

  * * *

  Trouble is, thought Poppy, it’s hard to stand and fight when what you’re fighting is essentially an armoured lump with teeth, and what you have to fight it with is nothing at all.

  Nevertheless, she stopped.

  * * *

  “I can’t hear anything,” Banks said.

  “Maybe if you shut up talking,” suggested Garland.

  They stood in the middle of an empty carriage, looking up at the ceiling and listening.

  * * *

  The creature lifted its head and showed Poppy its mouth.

  “Lovely,” she said to it. “You can lick me and eat me at the same time. Very useful.”

  As if understanding her, the creature cocked his head.

  “We don’t really have much to talk about,” said Poppy. “But if you kill me, I imagine you’re going to go back and kill my friends. And that isn’t on.”

  She took off her skis, one by one.

  “So I’m going to batter you to fucking death,” she said.

  * * *

  The creature advanced, then stopped. It seemed to be taking her in, like it was seeing her for the first time. It reared up, opened its mouth, revealing teeth, tongue and something else deep in its throat.

  Poppy peered at it.

  “A sting,” she said. “In your own throat. No offence, but you were designed by a committee. Which means you might be a bit more shit than you think.”

  She lunged forward. The creature screamed static, and Poppy shoved a ski into its throat. Poppy pushed harder and the creature screamed more. She levered the ski downwards, trying to force it further and further inside, but then the creature lurched forward, bent its head down and the ski snapped.

  The creature writhed and curled its neck, trying to get the ski out.

  “I hope,” Poppy said, pulling up her other ski, “that chokes you.”

  She lunged forward again, but the creature had learned to anticipate her and, with its limb of bone and metal, smashed down on Poppy’s arm. The ski flew into the air and was blown away into the night.

  Poppy turned. She didn’t want to run – it was pointless – but she needed time to think. Then she saw it.

  * * *

  The next carriage wasn’t a carriage at all. It was a flatbed car, long and wide with no sides, just a base made of planks.

  * * *

  Poppy jumped.

  The creature followed.

  Excellent, she thought. That’s exactly what I wanted you to do.

  Even to herself, she sounded unconvincing.

  * * *

  “There!” Banks shouted. He was pointing towards the door at the end of the carriage.

  Garland turned.

  “Is that the end of the train?” she said.

  “Just look,” Banks said.

  Garland went up to the door and looked through the glass. At first she couldn’t see anything, then
it all came clear.

  Outside the door was a long, flat car. On it were two figures.

  * * *

  The ash was thicker here. Poppy was able to move through it easily, but the creature, propelled by who knows what, was less fortunate. It waded towards her, shrieking like a rocket, its sting now protruding horribly from its mouth.

  “Someone’s awfully cross,” observed Poppy.

  She strode towards it, iron fists clenched.

  * * *

  Banks said, “Is that her?”

  “What do you think?” Garland replied. “Here, help me.”

  “With what?” said Banks.

  * * *

  Poppy continued to stride towards the creature. It reared up, sloughing ash from its body. She jumped, and thrust her arms into its mouth. It screamed and its jaws began to close. At that moment, Poppy’s hands closed round its sting, and wrenched it. The sting came away from the creature’s mouth, and it let out a gurgling roar of anger and pain.

  Poppy fell backwards, the sting convulsing in her hand, and watched as something wet oozed out of its pores, burning her skin. She stood up. She had no idea what she was going to do, but she was going to do it until one of them was dead. Although, she reflected, it was probably going to be her.

  * * *

  “That’s not going to be any use,” Banks said as Garland ripped out a section of luggage rack.

  “What do you suggest we do?” Garland said, handing him a plastic strip.

  “I suppose we could try to attract its attention,” Banks said.

  Garland just looked at him.

  * * *

  Poppy braced herself. The creature’s mouth was leaking venom and it was writhing in pain. She noticed that she was still holding its sting, and threw it over the side of the car, where it sank into the lake.

  “Right, you wanker,” said Poppy, and charged at the creature.

  * * *

  It hit her with the full force of its metal and bone limb. She staggered backwards, her chest heaving. She felt as though something huge had trodden on her ribcage. The creature advanced, shrieking.

  This time Poppy ran at it, then, at the last minute, ran round it and leaped onto its back. Holding onto where its throat should be, she grabbed its lower jaw and began to tug at it. The creature drooled more venom onto her arms and she watched in horror as her skin began to boil and peel.

  Poppy pulled harder, and harder. Then, with a sound like steel being ripped in half, the creature’s jaw began to come loose. It roared now, as she used all her strength to tear whatever it had for muscles apart. The creature, jaw hanging at a crazy angle, tried to dislodge her, but she held on with one hand, battering its head with the other. She managed to get her arm under the plate covering its face, and started to bash the jelly of its eye.

  The creature could not get to her with its limb, writhed and flexed to get her off, and then shrieked in agony as Poppy’s fist burst its eye. She fell off its back, exhausted, trying to get her strength back. And then, as she was about to get up again for one last attack, the creature seemed almost to deflate. It collapsed, its plates shuttering up like a telescope, and it rolled over almost lazily onto her prone body, its enormous weight crushing her limbs.

  Now it was Poppy’s turn to scream.

  * * *

  Garland threw the door open and stepped out.

  “I can’t see a thing,” Banks said as he followed her.

  “There,” said Garland, and they followed the creature’s sunken trail.

  “Is it dead?” Banks said.

  “It isn’t moving,” said Garland.

  “Where’s Poppy?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Oh no. She must have gone over the side.”

  “Or been killed and eaten.”

  * * *

  “I am still here, you know,” said Poppy.

  * * *

  Garland could just see her head, trapped under one of the plates.

  “How are you even talking?” she said.

  “Habit, I expect.”

  Banks crouched down next to her.

  “Are you in pain?” he asked.

  Poppy looked at him.

  “Only when I laugh,” she said.

  * * *

  “We have to get this off her,” Garland said. “It’s crushing her to death.”

  “Still here,” Poppy said. “Also, it’s leaking some kind of acid. I can see my skin melting.”

  Banks looked at Garland. “We’re going to have to push.”

  * * *

  They got behind the creature and shoved. It didn’t move. They shoved again.

  “I think you’ve actually pushed it onto me more,” said Poppy.

  * * *

  Banks looked ahead silently.

  “I think we’re approaching a hill,” he said.

  He went back into the carriage and returned with the metal strips from the luggage rack. He gave one to Garland and stuck the end of the other one into the base of the car.

  “Help me,” he said to Garland, digging the end of the strip harder into the wooden floor.

  * * *

  “Pardon me for asking,” Poppy said weakly, “but what exactly are you doing?”

  Garland stood back. “We’ve removed the planks behind it,” she said.

  “Behind it,” Poppy said.

  “The plan is to balance it just right so that when the train goes up the hill, the creature slides back down the car and into the hole, freeing you,” said Banks. “Assuming, of course, that the gradient of the hill is steep enough, and you aren’t crushed in the process.”

  There was a short silence.

  “You’re fucking kidding me,” said Poppy.

  * * *

  After a while, Banks and Garland had removed most of the planks behind the creature.

  “I think it slipped back a little then,” Banks said.

  Poppy said, “It’s crushing my pelvis a little more too.”

  “Getting a lot steeper ahead,” Garland observed.

  Banks leaned on his piece of luggage rack.

  “All we can do now is wait,” he said.

  * * *

  The train climbed higher.

  * * *

  The creature began to move.

  * * *

  Poppy cried out in pain.

  * * *

  “It’s moving!” Banks shouted.

  They watched as the creature’s body slid backwards.

  “It’s doing it!”

  “Poppy? Poppy!”

  * * *

  Poppy opened her eyes. Instantly she was blinded, so she closed them. When she opened them again, she could see that she was inside a carriage. Garland and Banks stood over her.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “It slid off you,” said Garland.

  “Went straight through the floor,” Banks said. “Rolled right into the lake.”

  “What about me?” Poppy said. “Not to be, you know, selfish.”

  Banks said nothing.

  “I don’t appreciate silence,” Poppy said.

  Garland said. “It’s hard to explain.”

  “Try.”

  Garland breathed in. “OK. First of all, you’re fine.”

  Poppy exhaled. “You might have opened with that,” she said.

  “Your actual body, just some bruises. Your arms and legs, nothing broken that we can see.”

  Poppy sat up. The skin on her hands was holed and scorched. Underneath she could see patches of something colourless.

  “Your legs are the same,” said Banks.

  “Could be worse,” Poppy said. “I’ll just have to wear gloves and long trousers.”

  “No,” said Garland. “Wait. Look.”

  Poppy waited. She looked.

  “Oh my,” she said.

  Slowly, almost invisibly, the skin on her hands was growing. If she closed her eyes for a few seconds she could see it as it returned, shrinking the discoloured ar
ea, becoming flesh-like again.

  They waited for almost an hour until it had grown itself back.

  “Well,” said Poppy. “I didn’t know I could do that.”

  * * *

  “What are we celebrating?” Poppy asked.

  Garland handed her a miniature of vodka.

  “Just that we made it,” she said. “So far, anyway.”

  “And by ‘we’,” Banks added, “I think she means ‘you’.”

  Garland said nothing.

  “Glad to be here,” Poppy said.

  “I’m going to get the food,” said Banks, and shouldered the kitbag.

  * * *

  Poppy watched as Banks made his way to the door and then out across the flat car.

  “What food?” she asked Garland.

  “We ran through a lot of carriages,” said Garland.

  “Yes, but what food? Like cans? Juice boxes? What else did you see back there?”

  Garland narrowed her eyes. “Incredible things,” she said. “One carriage had a live shark in a tank in it.”

  “What? How did you know it was alive? Did it attack you?”

  Garland laughed. “Got you!” she said.

  “Fuck off.”

  “There was a shark, though.”

  “Fuck off.”

  “It just wasn’t alive.”

  Poppy narrowed her eyes.

  “Now I don’t know if you’re lying or not.”

  “There really was a shark.”

  Poppy was about to say something when Banks reappeared. He dumped the kitbag on the table.

  “Have a look,” he invited Poppy.

  * * *

  Poppy almost gasped. Inside the kitbag were apples, bananas, oranges and pears.

  “They’re cold,” she said.

  “Some sort of refrigeration process,” said Banks.

  “Is that fresh juice?”

  “Yep,” Banks said. “I prefer the wine boxes myself.”

  Poppy’s eyes sparkled.

  “Is there cake?”

  “Maybe,” said Banks.

  “I’ll pull your head off.”

  “Yes, there’s cake.”

  * * *

  A few minutes later, her face streaked with chocolate cake and sprayed with orange juice, Poppy sat back in her chair and released a belch of cinematic proportions.

  “Lovely,” said Garland.

  “Fucking hell,” Poppy said. “That was great. Thanks, Banks.” She giggled. “Sorry,” she said.

  “It’s just a name,” Banks said. “It’s not even my name, really.”

  “Should we call you by your real name?” asked Garland.