TavernTales 22: The Express Train

[BreakABone]

Well, I started thinking about a new name and that just got me down a path where I started thinking more and more about the story, and well here we are. Same name for now, but a brand new day.

This is technically the start of book 2, but still shares the same name because I honestly am too picky.

so if anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear it. With that said...
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1
He slowly navigated his way through the tightly packed corridors of the train’s interior. He greeted each of the employees he passed with a glowing but mysterious smile which only motivated his employees to work harder.

None of his employees really understood how it worked. There was some mystical power or was it just his charm. As far as any of them could make out, there existed no reason to fear him. In all the years he has been in charge of the organization, there was not a single record of anyone being fired or yelled at. They could never come up with a single occasion in which he actually disciplined an employee.

Still there was an aura around him that just made his employees want to try harder. The aura was the same reason none of them attempted to cross his path. Not a single employee had ever tried to steal from him. Then there was the smile, that damn smile. On the surface it appeared calming and charming, but each employee feared some sinister motive behind it, and everyday since he had been in charge there was a cloud of uncertainty that just drove them to their best.
-_-_-
As he walked through the train corridors, his body filled with joy as he watched each of his workers so dedicated to their job. As he passed each, he flashed them a personal smile that he hoped would brighten their day. While he had the best intentions in the world, he could not help himself to sneak a very subtle suggestion with his smile for each of his workers to try just a little harder and so they did. They always did as he said.

He passed by one employee who was taking in a sample in great details. It almost bought a tear to his eyes the way his men were so dedicated.

As he took in his entire operation, he began to ask himself why. He had found himself asking this question on several occasions. He was not… as some would say “hard up for cash.” As a matter of fact, he was pretty wealthy. Not that he was born into wealth like so many assumed nor did he have to pull himself up by his bootstraps. It was all thanks to a pair of hasty rookie cops that made a mistake that probably ruined their careers, but made him rich beyond his wildest dreams.

He now admired himself in the mirror, lady luck was on his side that day, and why shouldn’t she be after leaving him for so long to get by on his own.

After he fixed himself in the mirror, he entered the rear conductor’s car, his own private sanctuary. He opened a picture book, one that he always kept with him on his travels.

The very first picture showed him on that faithful night when his entire life changed. The ironic thing about it was he was too young to remember.
-_-_-_

And there you have it, I have no idea how the schedule is going to work with this, but I hope to get it done before year's end. :p

[Teuthida]

Penguin has me trying to guess the mysterious man's business. Stumped at the moment...I will get it...I must...

[thatmariolover]

Great start! My puzzlement as to who it was about was a huge source of amusement for BaB today.

[GameMaster]

I asked a couple of friends to give it a read during lunch. When I came back from the bathroom they were gone. And so was the print out. FML.

[Nighthawk]

Richard Alpert

[Acebot44]

Teeeennnndeeerrr

[BreakABone]

Teeeennnndeeerrr

If that's a Recess reference, your stock just went up in my book. :D

[thatmariolover]

*Cough Part Two Here*

Sorry, something in my throat...

[BreakABone]

*Cough Part Two Here*

Sorry, something in my throat...
This one is for you. :p
-=---

2

“Listen… you have got to listen before you make any judgments on me!” This was the 7th doctor she had seen in so many months. Most of them had dismissed it as a simple case of postpartum depression, but she knew there was more to it. There had to be more to it.

It had been no coincidence that she started hearing this voice in her head the day her son was born. It had given her commands that had help please the baby, but the voice… it never went away.

The first doctor had suggested it was a minor case of postpartum depression that her psyche was manifesting itself into a child’s voice in order to soothe her own anxieties. He had prescribed some pills to alleviate the stress, but it did not help. If anything the voice became more pronounced, and more disturbing.

It haunted her even in her sleeping hours.

This procedure went on and on for seven months as each new doctor prescribed her something different, but none of it made the voice go away.

This was her final attempt… her lucky number seven she hoped.

After she finished explaining her story to the doctor, he put down his notepad and stared squarely at her, “Miss…”

Before he could get any further, she went on the defensive. She knew the tone he took all too well. He would say it was a simple case of postpartum depression and he would prescribe her some medication that could clear it all up.

She wondered if there was a stigma attached to her because she did not nor did she care to find out who the father was. It was not that she had been with many guys, but she had been with a ton of losers, and really felt it would be better if the son grew up without a deadbeat in his life.

Now she was beginning to second guess herself, did she really have some deep seeded hatred towards this child? No, it was not possible. She loved and cared for him as much as any parent would… especially under these circumstances.

She left the doctor’s office without taking up her prescription as much as she loved her son, she had to deal with her own sanity.

She wiped a single tear from her eye as she drove with the baby seat in the back of the car.
--_--_--_-
The setting at the beach was hard to make out from a distance. The party scene was covered in a thick haze of smoke.

The only distinct sound one could make out was the sound of music. If you listened closely, one might even be able to note the different instruments that were on hand. Some guitars were being jammed on. Bongos were being banged. Even a harmonica could be heard emitting from the group.

It was indeed a festive scene if you were down on the shore with the party goers.

As she grew closer to the mass of people, she wondered if she was making the right call. She could see naked bodies entangled on towels. Sometimes, she swore she saw more than two sets of feet dangling from the mass of bodies.

There were those who were shoving needles up their arms. She would most likely not leave her child with them… she might as well have dropped him off at one of his potential father’s house.

Then at the far end of the beach, she saw what appeared to be a rather normal group given the conditions. They were fully clothed and appeared to only be jamming to the music.

She made her way over to the crowd without drawing any attention to herself. When she was close enough, she laid the basket with her son near enough for them to locate him, but far enough so that he would not be discovered before she was gone.

She kissed him on the forehead gently, “Farewell my sweet prince.”

As she turned to run, she heard the voice again, “Mommy don’t leave me!” She broke into a run as tears began to build in her eyes. She had to distance herself as fast as her legs could carry her.

--_--_--_
The group of six friends rocked into the wee hours of the night. It was only when they decided to call it a night that they realized they had a 7th instrument amongst them. This one continued the song way past their final performance.

They searched for the origins of the sound until they located the lone baby left alone in his basket.

“Please take care of my child, he is all I have in the world, but I need to preserve my own sanity if I am ever to take care of him.”

That was it… there was no name nor address or any form of contact information. The 6 combed the basket in hopes of finding something that would help them.

The only hint they got was the initials stitched into his shirt, “T.M.L”
-----

This came out a bit differently than imagined, but be happy that I got time to write it.

[thatmariolover]

Really liked it. Fantastic start, if I do say so myself. >_>

And it's not like I have a personal stake in it or anything.

[Fyacin]

needs moar clockwork ;)

The train was interesting though.

[BreakABone]

This is one of those sections where I need to get to a place, not quite sure that place yet.
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3
A little more than a decade later, the mother still found herself haunted by that singular voice. As the years went by, the demands changed but it always picked at her. When she worked, when she slept even when she tried to have sex.

To this voice, nothing proved sacred.


The clock read quarter past 7 when she returned to her tiny loft. It was not much, but at this point it was the only stable thing in her life. Hearing voices proved to be a huge detriment to landing a job and even after getting one, it was near impossible to hide her problems so sooner rather than later she was let go of.

The mail rose high above the ground behind the door. It had gone unread for weeks now. No good news could be in those letters she believed.

When the fridge door opened, nothing but a bright light shined in her eyes. She had forgotten to go food shopping, but it made no difference now she thought. Reaching for the phone, she would make a call that would solve all her problems.

Bypassing the imaginary dogs, she entered her room and began to undress. She did so in such a casual manner, it also seemed like she was getting ready for bed. Instead she reached into her closet, and pulled out her nicest gown. She had purchased it just this past weekend for this occasion.

After she finished dressing, she placed a bottle of pills on the nightstand by her bed. She had made her decision a long time ago, now she just needed to summon the courage to go through with the act.

She slowly unscrewed the bottle, the cops would be here any minute now she thought. She smiled a sad little smile.
-_-_-_
TML could feel the bond weakening, and then he heard it disappear altogether. He hardly knew the woman, but he knew what the silence now meant.

As he sat at his chair, his emotions froze. Part of him wanted to rejoice at being free, but another part of him now mourned the loss of his special relationship with this mysterious person.

While he never confirmed it, he always had a feeling that this special woman was his mother. In his heart, he knew she never wanted to abandon him, and had found some way to remain in contact.

Sadly, the connection only worked one way it seemed. Each time, he tried to reach out to her; he never received a response, but could tell the message was delivered.

He shut off the computer and left his room.
While most people would find talking to their mother only through a mental one way tunnel weird, that proved to be one of the more normal aspects of TML’s life.

As he made his way down to the dinner table, he stood at the bottom stair to admire the family he had left. While most people in this day and age were lucky to find two loving parents, TML had the distinct honor of having 6 parents who loved and cared for him.

The trade-off was of course that none of the six were married nor were they romantically entangled with anyone else at the table.

He had heard the story so many times with so many variations, but the gist of it was that he was found at the beach after a night of heavy partying. Each and every one of them instantly fell in love with the poor kid, and from that moment on they formed a ragtag family to raise him.

At times, he felt awful that they had each sacrificed their own happiness to raise him, but in some ways he knew that being in their life was more than enough for most of them.

Before he made it down to dinner though, the police came bursting through the door.
------
Hopefully get time to add to it at work tomorrow.

[BreakABone]

This is the final part, and one of my favorite chapters so far.
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4
The day the cops came bursting through the door of his home was the day the entire world changed for TML. It would prove to be the day, he lost two families. It also proved to be the day that opened up a world of possibility for him.

He felt an interesting sensation the moment, the first officer put his hands on him. The officer was so close that TML could read off the name on his badge. Officer Johnson. As Officer Johnson attempted to wrestle TML to the ground, he could feel this sensation grow. It became stronger.

Part of him knew what he had to do; the rest of him was surprised that it worked. All he did was suggest that Officer Johnson unhand him. Shortly after making the suggestion, he found himself free of the officer’s grasp. When the physical connection was broken, he felt the sensation die down, but still felt a special connection with this officer.

As the officer straightened himself up, TML knew what to do. He suggested that the officer go help his family out. TML was happy to see that there was no resistance to this suggestion as the officer went over and knocked one of his partners to the ground. The other officer bearing witness to this jumped to her feet and readied her hand to draw her weapon if the situation worsened.

TML could see that the situation would soon escalate so he rushed over to the officers to see if he could control the situation. He offered his hand to the officer who had been shoved on the ground and when he grabbed TML, he felt that sensation again. It was just as strong as the first officer.

Before TML could completely help the officer to his feet though, he felt a gun pointed at his head. “I don’t know what is going on here, but if you don’t get your hands off my partner I will not hesitate to blow your brains out!” The voice was able to convey doubt, worry and fear all at once. The one thing the voice did not sound like however was confident.

The two officers who had come into physical contact with TML now heard a soft voice in their head that nagged them to disarm her. This time TML could feel resistance coming from Officer Johnson, his will, or whatever you want to call it was fighting his suggestion. This only forced the voice to grow louder and more pronounced. Sooner rather than later, Officer Johnson gave into the demands. He flew across the room tackling the female officer hard to the ground. Her gun slipped out of her hand and slid across the floor.

The female officer wrestled her way from underneath Officer Johnson, and TML could not control a slight chuckle as it seemed like she had some experience in this department.

“What the hell is the matter with you, Johnson?” she shouted with even more fear in her voice.

There came a loud banging sound that sent everyone into frenzy. The officers looked at each other to see who fired the gun, but none were drawn. Then they recognized the source was coming from outside. In all this confusion, no one had noticed that TML’s family had snuck out through the backdoor and hopped into the family van.

While the officers were still confused by the sound, TML made a bee-line for the door only to be stopped by the female officer who grabbed him by the collar. There was no sensation this time. He felt no special connection. He attempted to wrangle his way free of his shirt, but only found the area of his neck grow tighter with the lining of his shirt.

“Listen someone is coming down to the sta…” BANG! This time it was a gun shot. BANG! And then there was another. Two bullets ripped through the female officer’s head.

When TML was free, he surveyed the scene to find that both officers had their guns drawn. In his panic, he suggested something a bit too extreme.

TML could not bear the scene anymore, and made a mad dash for the door. He was greeted by applause when he reached the door of the van.

It struck him as odd that none of his parents had lifted a hand in order to aide him, he would remember that lesson.
_-__--
TML’s trip down memory lane was broken up when he heard a soft landing on the roof of the train car.

The landing was too calculated to be mistaken. He pressed a button on his cane and heard the gears begin to move.
-----

Let's see how long it takes before the next part is up. :p

[thatmariolover]

So good! I realize it's my own chapter and I'm bound to be somewhat prejudiced but really, I hope those reading the first set of chapters are still following this.

[Combine 017]

Im following it, im just not writing a response is all.