The train moves at a slow and steady pace on the track. On the outside, it appears thin but the train on the inside is fairly wide. A cool breeze travels through the air where they stand. Kassius and Arnold move through the train, and stop at a four-seater space, two on each side facing each other. Kassius sits on one end, and Arnold the other, across from each other.
Kassius: "If they come to check, maybe we can hide somewhere."
Arnold: "I'm not sure there's enough space in here."
Kassius: "Yeah, maybe you're right... but would they check if I'm in the toilet?"
Arnold: "Let's not worry too much. All we can do now is hope we get to the capital."
Kassius: "I guess... maybe we stop at the next place and earn some money."
Arnold: "Earn, or..."
Kassius: "Whatever opportunity arises first."
As the train blazes through the landscape, they both look out the window, amazed by the view of Maldone. Beautiful trees that stretch for miles. Large, open areas of farms with crops and animals.
Kassius (in head): "It's nothing like Vagis."
Arnold: "Do you know how long the journey is?"
Kassius: "I'm not sure. Let me ask someone."
Kassius turns to his side. Up ahead behind Arnold in the far back sits an old man with a strong goatee. Carelessly, Kassius walks up to him.
Kassius: "Hey, sir. If you don't mind me asking, how long does this train take until the capital?"
Man: "Usually about twenty hours."
Kassius: "Twenty?! Oh, uh, thank you very much."
Man: "Haha, no problem."
Kassius paces back to his seat.
Arnold: "So how long?"
Kassius: "Twenty hours."
Arnold: "Twenty?"
Kassius: "Yeah, but I have an idea to pass some time."
And as such, two hours pass by. Still sat down, Kassius and Arnold both throw a hand down in front of each other, Arnold's hand a thumbs down and Kassius' hand a grip, almost as though he's holding a
Kassius: "Sponge."
Arnold: "Tree."
Kassius: "Wait... sponge is... shit! I lost again."
A loud rumble goes through the air. Kassius holds on to his stomach.
Kassius: "Any food on your by chance?"
Arnold: "No."
Kassius: "You want to go look for some?"
Arnold: "Maybe later. I'm a bit tired now."
Kassius: "Well, you know the only way to settle this, right?"
As they both look at each other, they place their hands behind their backs. They countdown together, and as they stop counting, both their hands come down in front of each other, Kassius' hand a fist, and Arnold's hand open.
Kassius: "Damn..."
As Kassius gets up, Arnold gets on his feet too.
Arnold: "I'll sleep after."
Surprised by Arnold, Kassius smiles. They both get up and wall around the train. Going from carriage to carriage, they find nothing. Passing by others eating, they begin to think about how long twenty hours really is. With nothing else, they slowly head back to their seats.
Kassius: "Maybe a rest isn't such a bad idea. But I don't think we should both sleep. I'll keep watch over you and we'll switch later."
Arnold: "Ok. Thanks."
Arnold shuts his eyes and rests his head on the window. Kassius continues staring out the window looking at the view. Amazed at first, the hunger slowly eats away at him, and his interest of the landscape vanishes. Time continues to pass, and bored out of his mind, his eyes begin to shut. But he opens them back. Refusing to let himself sleep, he tries it all. Pinching himself. Walking around. Even almost hitting himself. But he stops before that one. Some time near dusk, Kassius' eyes, glued to the outside, finally begin to fully succumb to the fatigue and shut.
Jinsoku: "Bored of the view, too?"
Opening his eyes to a familiar voice, he looks around and sees Jinsoku hanging over a seat, arm resting on it.
Kassius: "Oh, Jinsoku. You're here too?"
Jinsoku: "You mind if I sit with you guys?"
Kassius: "Not at all."
Jinsoku sits across from Kassius.
Kassius: "You know what's up with Bonnie?"
Jinsoku: "Bonnie? She started saying something about wanting to get her name out there. But I don't know what she has in mind."
Kassius: "I see. Well, she'll probably be fine. How about you then? What's your plan?"
Jinsoku: "Nothing much. Just sightseeing."
Kassius: "You want to join us?"
Jinsoku: "That's alright. I doubt you're just out here for looking around, like me."
Kassius: "Heh, you're not wrong. Twenty hours, though. I would've thought it would be quicker."
Jinsoku: "This is mostly a freight train. It's not that surprising. Good thing is passengers rarely come on- is everything ok?"
Jinsoku, startled, looks at Kassius as his face is squished against the window.
Kassius: "Was that a kid on the tracks?! What the... Arnold, Arnold!"
Arnold, slowly waking up, turns to his side and sees Jinsoku.
Arnold: "Yo."
Jinsoku: "Yo."
Kassius: "Let's go."
Kassius grabs his bag and runs out through the carriages to the back of the train. Arnold and Jinsoku follow behind him. As he reaches the last carriage, he opens the door to open air. Looking into the distance, he spots what he saw earlier, but struggles to make something of it getting further away.
Kassius: "We gotta jump!"
Arnold: "What?!"
Kassius: "Jump!"
Arnold: "Why?!"
Kassius: "I think I saw someone on the tracks."
Kassius looks around and notices bushes lined up across the edges of the track area.
Kassius: "See you, Jinsoku."
Without thinking, he throws his bag and jumps to the side of the tracks into the bushes. Arnold, with no choice, does the same, following right after him.
Jinsoku: "Good luck guys. See you one day."
He waives them off as the train continues on. Although both landed in the bushes, pain struck them regardless, as they groan getting back on their feet, scratched and dusted up.
Kassius: "Urgh... You good?"
Arnold: "Yeah..."
Kassius: "Sorry, I usually wouldn't do this. But I saw a kid."
Arnold, confused, follows Kassius as they head back across the track. Finally clearly in sight, Kassius picks up the pace.
Kassius: "There!"
As Arnold gets closer, he finally picks out what Kassius had been seeing.
Arnold: "A little girl?! But wait, her skin. It's red..."
Kassius: "Is she bleeding? Is that normal? Wait, forget that, look at her legs."
On the ground in front of them, a little girl with red skin lies on the ground. Burn marks show on her legs, yet she lies still, unconscious. Hearing a loud sound picking up, both of them look to their side in the distance.
Kassius: "The other train is coming. Uhh... pick her up. We'll climb over the fence."
Arnold, scrambling through his bag, removes a jumper. He picks her up and puts her on his back, tying her to himself with the cloth. They both get off the tracks immediately and climb over the fence, avoiding the passing train. The sun begins to set, and the lights on the track area turn on. As dim as they are, they gave enough light for the two to see each other.
Kassius: "Is she alright?"
Arnold: "Yeah. Still asleep."
Kassius: "Is she dead?"
Arnold: "I can feel her breathing, so she's alright for now. But she needs help. Where are we right now?"
Kassius removes the map from his bag.
Kassius: "Well, judging from the surrounding trees, I'd say we are in a forest, so... following the train path... Right here. And the nearest place is-"
Arnold: "Ritetown."
Kassius: "Which we were warned about."
Kassius: "We don't have much of a choice now. Which way do we go?"
Kassius: "Well, the tracks were heading North West, and Ritetown is North beyond the forest, so I guess this way."
Kassius gestures up ahead, but up ahead is unclear, as trees cover the area as far as the eye can see. The light of night helping even less, they both stare into the black emptiness of the forest.
Kassius: "Uhm... maybe we follow the tracks?"
As Kassius walks back towards the fence, Arnold stops him quickly.
Arnold: "Look."
Kassius looks up at were Arnold looks and sees a sign.
Kassius: " 'Keep out, dangerous wildlife, twent-' twenty thousand volts?"
Arnold: "We're trapped in here."
Kassius: "Shit! It hasn't even been a full day... Wait! The fences turned on when it got dark, right? Maybe we wait until morning so the fences turn off?"
Arnold: "We can't wait that long. We dont know how long she's been like this. Or how long she can stay like this. There are no options left."
He marches on into the forest. Kassius, left with no other choice, follows Arnold in, and their night through the unknown forest begins.