2016 – Day 36

Start writing a story that...

Step 1: begins with this sentence: The train was moving fast

Step 2: include a dialogue that begins with: Are you sure you wanna do this?

Step 3: include this sentence: The bird was not in the cage

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The train was moving fast through the darkness, jostling the passengers asleep in their bunks. Lean, swaying pine trees, lit only by the distant moon, flew past the shaded windows.

Eric gingerly opened the sliding door from inside the sleeping compartment and peeked into the hallway.

"All clear," he whispered.

He stepped into the hallway then waited for Steve to follow before sliding the door shut. Together they tiptoed through the car, pausing each time the train shook to keep their balance. When they reached the door that would connect them to the next car, Eric turned to look over his shoulder at Steve.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" he whispered.

"Yes, dammit. Let's go!" Steve said.

"Shhhhhh." Eric put his finger to his lips then nodded. Turning back to the door, he took hold of the handle and pulled it open.

A cold wind slapped against their faces. The door to the next car was just six inches away, but Eric saw the dark ground rolling quickly beneath them and didn't resist the urge to step back.

"Ow!" Steve yelled. "That was my toe."

"Sorry," Eric whispered. "The train is moving really fast."

Steve rolled his eyes then stepped forward to the doorway. He reached for the handle on the neighboring car and pushed it open.

"Let's go," he said, then stepped into the next car.

Eric gulped in three large breaths, closed his eyes, and flung himself through the door. As soon as he felt the solid car floor beneath his feet again, he reopened his eyes and released his breath.

"Only two more cars to go," said Steve. "Come on."

They resumed their quiet walk through one car, then the other. In the second car, they heard voices coming from one of the compartments. A couple was arguing. Eric hesitated and began to turn back, but Steve pushed him forward into the third, and final, car.

Once inside, they closed the door behind them and took in their surroundings. They were standing in the luggage car, surrounded by suitcases, bags, and boxes.

"Start looking," Steve said.

They began shifting around suitcases and rummaging through boxes, trying not to fall over as the train continued to shake on its high-speed journey. After knocking over two large stacks of crates and standing frozen in fear that they would be discovered, Eric saw something hidden behind the pile of fallen crates.

"Over here!" He shifted a few crates to his left and reached down to pull out a large birdcage. It was two-feet tall and golden, with a loop at the top for hanging.

"This is it," Eric said. "I can't believe we found it!"

Steve walked toward him and inspected the cage. He held it by the loop and let it dangle from his hand as he spun it to the left, then the right.

"Do you notice anything?" Steve said.

"What?"

"Look inside."

Eric leaned in close. The bottom of the cage held pieces of straw and a small bowl of tan-colored pellets. A container of water hung from the side. Eric poked his finger into the straw from different angles, then looked up at Steve in a panic. The bird was not in the cage.