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Maddie and the Strange Train

Brian Middleton Jr.

Baldr’s Track-Railway StationDay 1
    As the train pulled into the station, the young woman appraised it. She noticed that the locomotive appeared to be a bit rusted, but all in all it seemed to be in good shape. As the train slowed to a stop she continued her appraisal, her piercing blue eyes taking in the locomotive as it came to a full halt. She lifted her one bag of belongings up off of the wooden platform that she had been standing on and paused, waiting for one of the doors to the railroad cars to open. As soon as she heard the rickety old door begin to move she started toward the train, cutting a brisk step as she made her way towards the passenger car. There was a man standing at the doorway, waiting for her. He was rather large, almost as wide as two men, and nearly seven foot tall. He had a thick gray beard, and his body told of a long life of manual labor. His face was grim under his railroader’s cap, but the young woman thought the she saw a glimmer of honor somewhere deep in his recessed eyes. “Can I see your ticket?” the man asked, and his voice boomed in the open air. “I haven’t a ticket,” the young woman responded honestly. A feeling of worry came over her, and she felt her face grow red with an emotion close to embarrassment. She set down her bag and looked at the man with fear in her eyes. “That is strange,” said the man aloud. It sounded to the young woman as if he was speaking to himself, and not to her. He made a small grunt and then said, almost under his breath, “Well, she wouldn’t be at the station if she wasn’t meant for the train.” His head swayed back and forth for a moment as if he was weighing out the statement in his thoughts. Finally he nodded in the affirmative, as if he agreed with himself, and nodded toward the young lady. “Go ahead and grab your bag. You can sit anywhere you like. If you need anything, the steward will be along periodically as he makes his way through each car.” With that the man re-entered the train and headed toward the locomotive at the front of the train. “My name is Maddie,” the young woman said as the large man walked away from her. The man looked at her and grunted in response. “It was nice meeting you,” she called after him. He grunted again and then disappeared behind a door at the front of the railroad car. Maddie entered the train then, with her bag in tow, and looked over the car for a place to sit. Immediately she noticed that the layout of the train was different than most she had seen. The trains that Maddie had been on in the past had the seats facing forward, but on this train the seats were facing inwards, each side’s seating facing towards the middle of the train. Maddie found the the setup to be interesting, and was enamored of the idea that she would be able to see everyone that was in the car with her. She quickly found a seat toward the back of the train, and took in everything around her. There were only a few passengers on the train car with her at the moment, and they all seemed to be of an interesting sort. At the front of the car there was a bulky looking fellow in what appeared to be a superhero costume. The man’s outfit seemed to the young woman to be very grand. The majority of his outfit was colored goldenrod, with his cape, briefs and boots being colored maroon. The costume seemed to carry in it’s design evidence of heroism and truth, but it was covered in dirt and grime, and Maddie found it hard to believe that it would inspire anyone in the condition it was in. The man himself was also covered in dirt, and his posture was one of a man broken. His muscular shoulders were slumped over, and his potentially handsome face was down turned as he hung his head. Maddie thought his facial features showed promise, although the fact that they were covered in dirt and week old stubble did little to increase her desire to investigate further. She likely would have paid him no mind if it weren’t for the incredible sadness that she felt he carried in his eyes. Perhaps he has had some hardship, the young woman thought to herself. Across from the man in the superhero suit was a woman dressed all in black. Her hair was black as well, and her pupils were dark. If there was any color in them at all, Maddie was hard-pressed to see it. The dark woman held a black cat in her lap, and to him she spoke often. Maddie thought it odd that the woman spoke to the cat as if it were her equal instead of her pet, and even stranger still that it seemed the woman was responding to things that the cat had said. She seems a few claws short of a cat’s paw, Maddie thought to herself with an inaudible chuckle. The woman with the dark hair looked at Maddie with fire in her eyes, and Maddie wondered for a moment if she hadn’t said her last thought out loud. The only other passenger on the car at the time was a magician with a kindly face. He certainly was not a handsome fellow, although his bushy mustache and glasses gave him a kindly look, especially as they, along with the rest of his facial features sat beneath a tall top hat. He had beside him a small black bag, and he smiled and waved as Maddie looked him over. He seems a kind enough fellow, she thought to herself as she faced towards the front of the train. I hope he does not think I will be interested in his tricks at all though, I am a little old for magic, she mused. As she looked about the train she noticed one last oddity. At the front of the coach there was a large white sign with bold black letters. “NO FALLING IN LOVE” the sign read. What an odd rule for a train, she thought to herself. Although I am hardly in any danger here. One mangy man in a superhero costume, a goth queen with a feline complex, and a kindly old magician...no, i think I’ll be okay, she thought with a smile. She felt the train begin to move below her, and very soon they were moving along the track.

Baldr’s Track Day 2
    The train moved at an alarming speed, and it had taken a few hours for Maddie to get used to it. For the whole first day no one in the car had said a word to anyone. Maddie had spent her time reading, and writing in a journal. Every so often she would look about the train and take in her surroundings. The woman in black seemed completely caught up in the cat on her lap. She was petting him, combing him, feeding him and always, always talking to him. Maddie could never hear the things the woman said, but it didn’t seem to Maddie that it was typical owner-pet talking. Weirdo, Maddie thought. The man in the superhero costume did not do anything. He did not eat when the steward came through with their dinner, nor did he speak when the steward pressed the issue. The man in the dirty costume merely stared out the window with that eerie sadness in his eyes. The only time that Maddie had seen any other emotion on the man’s face was when the magician waved at Maddie. For some reason it seemed to irritate the man in the superhero costume, although the burly man said nothing. For her part Maddie had thought the old magician was cute, and was rather mystified as to why it should bother the man in the grimy costume whether the kindly man waved to her or not. The young woman was writing in her journal on the morning of the second day when the magician made his way over to her. “Do you mind if I have a sit beside you, young lady?” the magician asked her. “I mind,” came a voice that sounded like thunder. It was the man in the superhero costume, and he was beside Maddie in an instant, faster than Maddie would have thought possible. He seemed even larger than Maddie had thought he was, and he smelled of dust and debris. “This doesn’t concern you,” the magician said. “Besides, I asked the young lady.” “I really don’t see the harm in it,” Maddie told the man in the superhero costume. “He seems rather harmless,” she continued, and the old magician smiled and nodded. “You don’t know him like I do,” the man in the superhero suit said. “I remember...” the man continued, but the magician cut him off. “What you ought to remember is the rule,” the magician said quietly. “Really, it’s okay,” Maddie said, and she made sure her voice was soft, to soothe the burly man. “And you’ll just be right over there right? I’m sure he won’t try any funny business with you sitting so close,” she said, doing her best to reassure the burly man, even though she was not certain of the problem. The man in the superhero costume turned away then and walked back to his seat. He sat with his knees up by his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. He lowered his head onto his knees and looked very sad. “What is the matter with him?” Maddie asked the magician as he took a seat beside her. “He’s always been a rather large pain, that man,” the magician responded. “He feels the weight of the world is his to bear, whether anyone wants him to or not. It’s best to just leave him be, he’s rather a nuisance when he is around anyway.” Maddie nodded but was not entirely sure she agreed. “So, what brings you over to my side of the train?” she asked with a laugh. “I just thought that I would check in with you,” the magician said with a concerned smile. “I know that you probably do not remember, but I knew you once, a very long time ago.” “You did?” Maddie asked, and the surprise was evident in her voice. “I did, although I looked different then,” the magician answered. “You were beautiful, even then, and oh! how you loved the magic I performed.” At this Maddie grew skeptical. “I don’t recall there ever being a time when I enjoyed magic,” she told the man. “You were much younger Maddie. Often times you would ask your parents if you could be my assistant, but they always told you the same thing: Wait a while, just until you’re a little older. But anyway, I just came over to see how you are settling in. Your parents would have wanted me to do that for you,” the magician said. He rubbed at his mustache and smiled. “I’ve missed them terribly, since they passed away” she admitted. Her face was colored with sadness. “Frown not child. Here!” he said, and as he said the word ‘here’ he pulled the most beautiful rose that Maddie had ever seen out of thin air. It was the color of the sky mixed with lilacs, and glittered with an ethereal sparkle. “For you young one, though it’s beauty could never match your own.” He handed her the rose and walked back to his seat.

Baldr’s Track Day 3
    The train continued on it’s way, moving at lightning speed along the metal tracks. Maddie was now growing accustomed to the movement and rhythm of the careening locomotive, and the blazing speed of the train did not bother her as much. She had had a wonderful night’s sleep last night, and saw the world with fresh eyes this morning. She looked around the rail car where she had been spending the last few days and took everything in. The man in the superhero costume was already sitting in his usual corner spot, and the woman with the cat had entered the car just in front of Maddie. The woman seemed a bit less creepy this morning, and the idea of the woman talking to her cat in the way that she had been seemed somewhat charming to Maddie. Perhaps they have been together for sometime, she thought. Or perhaps they have been through some great tragedy. Some people bond with their animals after trying times. Maybe I was too quick to judge. As she took her seat Maddie thought about the day before. The magician had intrigued her yesterday. He seemed kindly enough, although it seemed to Maddie that he had little in the way of good feelings towards the man in the superhero costume. And perhaps he has good reason, she thought. I barely know either of them, although the magician seems very kindly. She had spent the night thinking of the things the man in the tuxedo and top hat had told her. She had no recollection of the events that he had spoken of, but there were things from her youth that her parents had told her that she did not remember, and so it was not so hard for her to believe that these things could have happened. And the rose that he had given her last night was so beautiful! She had no romantic interest in the man at all, but she certainly appreciated the gesture from the older man. As Maddie thought on the events of the day before, the magician came through the door and entered the coach. He smiled at her and made his way directly towards Maddie. “May I sit and talk with you a while?” he asked her with a genuine smile. “You said your piece yesterday,” the man in the superhero costume said. Once again, the speed with which he moved at to be by Maddie’s side was overwhelming. “I think maybe it’d be better if you took your own seat.” The man’s voice was lower than thunder, and Maddie noticed that his jawline was taut behind the stubble that was slowly growing into a beard. “I’m sorry, sir,” Maddie said. “I don’t understand. What’s the matter with my friend, the magician? He seems to be kindly enough.” She looked at him with large eyes and the look on her face, as well as her tone of voice, was not one of irritation, but of honest curiosity. “Maddie, I don’t-,” he stopped speaking as the magician leaned in close and stopped him. “Keep that mouth of yours shut ‘hero’,” the magician said, loud enough that only the man in the superhero costume could hear him. “What are you trying to do? If you tell her the story and she falls in love with you, she’ll be off the train. Is that what you want?” the magician said, his voice quiet and angry. The man in the superhero costume looked at Maddie and there was a deep sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he told her, and his shoulders sagged even lower than they usually were. He hung his head and walked back to his seat. He covered his face as he curled up in his seat, much the same as he had done the day before. “Very good,” the magician said. “May I sit?” he asked her again. Maddie looked again to the man in the muddy superhero costume and then back to the magician. “For a moment or two. I guess that would be okay,” she answered. “Thank you,” the magician said, and tipped his top hat to her. “How did you sleep last night?” he asked her. “Fine, I suppose,” she answered. “You must tell me why it is that you and the man in the superhero costume do not get along,” she said. The magician sighed a heavy sigh and then smiled at the girl. “It’s not a very long story. He’s never liked me really. I think he feels that I wronged him in the last life, or something equally as ridiculous,” he said. “It’s really nothing more than that, and it’s always been the case.” “He seems very sad,” she commented, and her face carried a look that showed at least a small amount of skepticism. If the magician heard the young girl, it didn’t show in his face. Instead his eyes were filled with excitement as the steward entered the room, pushing a few carts into the room ahead of him. One cart was filled with pastries, the next with eggs, and bread and uncooked bacon. The final cart had a small stove top on it. As was his custom every day, the steward had come to cook breakfast for the passengers. “Do you want to see a trick?” the magician asked Maddie. “It’s very new. I made it up just for you,” he said with a smile. This seemed to please Maddie, and though she still felt a note of sadness for the man in the superhero costume, her attention was now turned to the magician. “I should like that very much,” she said with a smile. “Will you assist me then, by asking the steward for two or three of his best chicken eggs?” the magician asked her politely. Maddie nodded and then walked over to the steward to present her request. He smiled and nodded, and then made a decent effort at picking out some truly great eggs. She walked backed to the magician and handed him the eggs. “Here you are sir,” she said with a mock curtsy. “You are an excellent assistant,” he said with a smile as he bowed his head slightly to her. He then took off his hat, revealing a slightly balding head of gray hair. “If you would be so kind,” he asked, handing Maddie his top hat. “Be careful to keep the opening facing upwards,” he instructed. She obliged, and the man smiled. He picked up the first egg and carefully cracked the brown shell on the floor. He poured the liquid contents of the shell into his hat. Maddie gasped, but the man gave her a knowing look and a smile. He proceeded to break the other two eggs and pour them into his hat as well. “If you could gently move the hat around,” the man instructed, “it will help the eggs to mix.” Maddie did as the man asked, and wonder filled her eyes. “Ahh, that should be good,” the man said with a smile. “And now, for some magic,” he said. He held up his gloved hand and pointed to it, making sure that Maddie took notice of how spotlessly white it was. He then reached into the hat without fear, and from it’s opening pulled a baby chicken. Maddie’s eyes grew large and loving at the sight of the chick, and the expression on her face was one of awe. The magician pulled out another two chicks from the hat before taking a large bow and placing his hat back on his head. “Whether or not you remember a time when you enjoyed magic, I think you would agree that perhaps you are beginning to enjoy it now,” he said with a smile. Maddie nodded with an amazed look on her face, and marveled at the man’s abilities.

Baldr’s Track Day 4
    The train moved along at a nice pace, although it seemed a bit sluggish to Maddie this morning. Perhaps I am just getting used to the speed, she thought. As she walked from the sleeping area to the coach where she spent her days, her thoughts were filled with the two tricks that the magician had performed for her thus far. She had put the chicks in a small cage that the steward had provided for her, and had fed them just before making her way to the coach. What a wonderful train ride this has been, she thought happily. As she drew near to the coach she heard a terrible sound. If her ears were not deceived it was the sound of a man sobbing. As she entered the coach she saw the man in the superhero suit, sitting in his usual spot. He was curled up in his seat, and sure enough he was crying. Maddie recognized immediately that the man was overwrought with sadness, she had cried in that same uncontrollable, inconsolable way when her parents had passed away. She set her things down at her seat and then walked over to the man. “Is there anything that I can do for you?” she asked him in a soft voice. He looked into her deep eyes and for a minute it looked as if his tears would cease. And then he lowered his head and covered his face. “There is nothing to be done,” he said. Maddie stood beside him for a while, hopeful that he would say something else. But he did not, and so she started back to her seat. She was nearly halfway there when an idea struck her, and she turned around and hurried back to the man. “You know, once when I was younger, something very bad happened to me. And though I cannot remember who it was that spoke to me that night, he said something to me that I will never forget: ‘There are days when this world will get you down. It’s a mean place, and there aint no mercy in it. Somedays you gotta remember that just standing up is a victory in itself’. I’ve carried those words with me every day of my life now. I hope that they will give you the same strength that they have given me.” The man in the superhero suit’s eyes grew wide for a moment, and for a little while he quited down. But soon enough he started crying again. The rest of the day was uncomfortable for everyone in the rail car. The man’s sobs were loud and caused a large amount of sadness in Maddie’s heart. The magician did not come over to sit with her at all, and the lady with the cat left the coach very early in the day and did not return.

Baldr’s Track Day 5
    The train ran smoothly along the tracks, while inside the coaches the travelers were filled with a bit of excitement. Today was ‘Boarding Day’, and the train would be taking on the last set of passengers before starting the final leg of it’s journey. There was a bit of nervousness among the passengers, for no one knew in advance who would be boarding the train for this last leg. Maddie found herself a little curious as to how things would go. As she looked about she found herself relieved this morning to see that the man in the superhero costume was back to his normal self, and that his crying had finally ceased. Also, the lady in black and her cat were extra chatty this morning, which caused Maddie to smile. I am rather beginning to enjoy myself on this train, she mused to herself. The magician did not show up until a little later in the day, and when Maddie asked him about it he merely smiled and said, “Working on a new trick.” The two of them then engaged in small talk then until the train began to slow. “Hrmm...it must be time,” the magician said quietly. “Are you excited?” Maddie asked the man in the top hat. “A little,” the old man mused. “It’s possible that I shall see some of my old friends,” he said with a chuckle. As the train drew to a stop every one’s eyes moved toward the door. Even the man in the superhero costume, who generally did not react to any of the going-ons of the train, stopped and gave the sliding door his full attention. As the creaky old door slid open, as it did on the day that Maddie boarded, a hush fell over the train. All over the train, doors were sliding open, and men and women from all walks of life poured into railcars. Four men walked into the car where Maddie spent her time, and they were all very burly. Their bodies were well-built, and it was apparent to Maddie that they had worked very hard to attain their figures. The man in front, whom the remaining three men seemed to follow, had dark skin and a shaved head. The men behind him were rather pale, but looked to be nearly as strong as the man in front. All of them had their faces painted like clowns, and their clothing, while cut to maintain the strong attitude that they men portrayed, was circus themed as well. “Do you know them?” Maddie asked the magician, turning to look him in the eye. “I do, but not as well as our burly sad-faced man over there,” he replied, pointing toward the man in the superhero costume. “This could be interesting,” said the old man with a smile. Maddie was not sure what the man found to be amusing.

Baldr’s Track Day 6
    Clickety-clack, the train ran down the track, and Maddie’s excitement grew. The train and it’s passengers were on their way now, and nearing the halfway point of their journey. Maddie had brought her chicks along with her today, and had the rose that the magician had made appear for her stuck in her hair. The rail car seemed a little different today, as it’s occupants got used to the new travelers. They reminded Maddie a little of high school bullies, for they stood in a circle together and pointed at the other occupants, laughing. It seemed to annoy the dark featured lady, as well as her cat, who stared at the men continuously. The man in the superhero costumed glared at them on occasion, but had held his tongue the first night. When the steward came to cook breakfast the men harrassed him. They cut in line and took more than their fair share of food. “Look guys, free food,” one of the goons said goofily, “and a maid to cook it!” The continued to horse around the food cart until the man in the superhero costume stood up. “That’ll be enough boys,” the man said, and once again Maddie was overwhelmed by how deep the man’s voice was. Maddie noticed too that the man seemed to be standing a little taller. “What were we doing?” the goon who had been picking on the steward asked, wearing his best mock-innocent expression. The man in the goldenrod costume just looked at him expectantly. “Are you going to make us?” the lead man in the clown costume asked. He was bigger than the man in the superhero suit, and Maddie grew a little bit frightened. “I hope it won’t come to that,” was the man’s reply. “Let’s go guys,” the large dark-skinned man said. “Wouldn’t want Mr. Cape over here getting riled up.” The goons picked up their over stuffed plates and walked towards the area where they usually stood. They kicked over the cat lady’s bag, and laughed in her face. She looked angry until the man in the superhero costume picked up her belongings. Her expression softened just a little as the man nodded at her. “They seem rather boorish,” said Maddie, her voice almost a whisper. The magician was sitting next to her and replied, “They are. Quite. I never enjoyed working with them when I had to,” he admitted honestly. “You worked with them?” she asked, her brow wrinkling slightly. “Circus work and all you know,” he said with a toothy smile. “But enough of that,” he said, “I have something to show you.” Maddie’s eyes grew wide and the man smiled even wider. “This one took me a very long time to figure out, and I don’t believe I would have had the energy to do it earlier in the journey. But you have re-energized me my dear, and your assistance has inspired me to better things.” “You sir, are very silly. I have done very little to help you,” she said. “You are hands down the best assistant I have ever had,” he said, and Maddie believed him. “Now, if you will hold this wand in the air,” he said, handing her one of his batons, “and do as I do, we shall be under way.” The two of them held their magic wands in the air and began to wave them this way and that. Very soon they were in tandem, and the energy that they were creating felt very tangible. At first Maddie couldn’t tell what was happening, but soon after that she noticed that her feet were no longer touching the ground, and neither were the magician’s. “We’re flying!” she exclaimed, “We are flying!!” The young woman’s excitement was nearly as tangible as the magic in the air. The magician grinned as the young woman hugged him tightly, and the man in the superhero costume gritted his teeth and looked away.

Baldr’s Track Day 7
    The train was at a full stop when Maddie awoke on the seventh day of her journey. She was not surprised to find that she had slept in rather late, as her excitement from the night before had made it quite hard for her to fall asleep. She was still filled with a large amount of euphoria when she awoke, and smiled from ear to ear as she walked to the rail car that she had been spending her last several days in. She was quite surprised to see that no one was in their seats, and that the door to the car was open. She put her stuff down by the seat that she usually occupied and stepped cautiously outside. The weather was quite beautiful, and there were green trees all around, with birds flying in a perfect blue sky. As she looked around she took note of the other passengers from her car, and it seemed to her that they were all enjoying the weather. The man in the superhero costume was sitting underneath a tall oak tree, taking in the shade. Not very far from him were the four men who dressed as clowns, and though they were laughing and engaging in horse-play, they stopped often to make derisive comments about the woman who dressed in black. The woman had made a great show of sitting far away from the men, but they would taunt her cat, and he would chase after them angrilly, causing the woman to follow him and scoop him up before the men could cause any more trouble. Maddie then saw her friend, the magician. He was sitting out in the open and was causing several small pebbles to float into the air. As Maddie made her way over to him, the man in the top hat let each pebble fall to the ground. “Good morning, my sleepy friend,” he said to her with a smile. “How are we today?” he asked. “We are good,” she said, nodding and returning his smile. “Why is it that we are outside?” she asked, rubbing some sleep from her eyes. “The engineer came in today and let us know that we were making good time. He took a survey and checked to see if we wanted the chance to stretch our legs. Everyone voted yes, and here we are.” he explained. Maddie sat down and smiled at him. “Did you enjoy the tri—” he started to ask, but was interupted by a scream from the woman in black. “Leave him alone!” she yelled as once again her black cat barreled at the clown-themed men with fire in it’s eyes. She was running at the men, and Maddie mused that her father would have said that the woman was “fit to be tied”. The men in the clown makeup laughed and threw rocks at the cat as it ran towards them. When the feline was mere seconds away from the men he was scooped up by the man in the golden colored superhero suit. “Gentlemen,” he said, addressing the four men in clown suits. “You are beginning to try my patience,” he continued, and Maddie noticed that his eyes seemed to be tinted ever so slightly red. “No more today, or there will be problems, I promise you,” he said. When the men said nothing in reply he turned to the woman in black and handed her the cat. “Here you go,” he said with a small smile. “Thank you,” she said, and Maddie noticed that there were tears at the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry that it’s been such a rough trip for you,” she said. “It’s okay,” he said, and seemed to genuinely mean it. She took his arm and the two of them walked to an oak tree far away from the clown-themed men and sat down together. Maddie turned to the magician then. “Those men aren’t very nice at all,” she said. “No, my dear, they are not,” he agreed. “Did you enjoy my little trick last night?” he asked her. He looked eager for a reply. “I did very much so,” she said, and she made no effort to hide the excitement in her voice. “You know, I do not believe that I could have done that with any assistant that I have ever had. You are an amazing young woman, and I so wish that I had one as you to be my assistant,” he told her. Maddie smiled at that, although she noted that the man in the superhero costume, clearly out of earshot, was scowling at the magician. She was about to ask the magician a question about the man in the goldenrod suit, but the engineer came out of the train just then and announced it was time to leave. Everyone ambled back to the train, and shortly after they were once again on the move.

Baldr’s Track Day 8
    The train seemed to be moving faster than normal to Maddie as she pulled herself out of bed. Perhaps the engineer is in a hurry, as we are getting close to the end of our run, she thought to herself. She bustled about the business of getting herself ready and then exited her room to walk to the rail car. Almost as soon as she closed the door to her room the four men in clown suits, who shared a room a few doors down from hers, came barreling down the hall. They pushed and shoved each other slightly, but slowed down so that Maddie did not have to hurry her pace. “Sure smells good up there,” one of the big men said as they walked toward the rail car. “It does, it does,” agreed one of the other men. Maddie reached the end of the hall then, pleased to be at the door to the car and away from the men who annoyed her so. As she opened the door to the rail car one of the men behind her let out a gasp and shouted “The Steward!” pushing Maddie down to the floor as he ran to the food cart in the middle of the coach. He never made it there. Before he had taken three steps away from Maddie’s falling body he was hoisted into the air by the man in the superhero costume. There was fury in the face of the man dressed in goldenrod, where once there had only been sadness. “You do not TOUCH HER!” the man in the cape screamed as he slammed the burly man in the clown make-up to the ground. The man in the superhero costumes face grew red as he began swinging his fists into the clown-themed thug’s face. Blood spattered everywhere as the man kept raining his blows down. Once the other clowns realized what was going on they began to dog-pile on the man in the goldenrod costume, but Maddie noticed as she pulled herself off of the floor that the man in the superhero suit did not seem to notice. He threw one of the men through the wall of the train then, wood splintering everywhere as the clown quickly disappeared from sight. The other clowns backed off then, and the conflict once again was only between the once sad-faced man and the clown who had pushed Maddie. “I’ll kill you,” Maddie thought she heard the man say, and his eyes began to glow red as they had the day before. “STOP IT!” came a voice from the other side of the train. It was the engineer, and though he was as wide as two men, and nearly seven foot tall, the man in the superhero costume did not seem one bit intimidated. “I’ll kill you,” he said to the man in the clown suit again, and Maddie heard the fallen man begin to scream. Maddie noticed there was smoke rising from the clown’s forehead. Does he have some sort of heat vision?, Maddie thought to herself in wonder. “STOP IT!” the engineer yelled again and ran over to the man in the superhero costume. “Stop it damn you, or I’ll stop you!” he yelled. He slapped the man in the superhero suit across the face. He then stared into his red eyes until the angry man looked away, ashamed. “I’m sorry Baldr. But they pushed Maddie, and oh my, I don’t know-, I don’t know who I am anymore,” the man in the costume said, and he began to cry. “It’s all right my friend,” the man Maddie now knew to be named Baldr said. He helped the man in goldenrod to his feet and put a large hand on the man’s caped shoulder. “We’ll get this fixed, and we’ll put them in a different car from you all.” “Thank you,” the caped man said. “Thank you,” he repeated. “I should be punished for this,” he said, and looked ashamed. Baldr shook his head. “You did so much in your time, my friend, so much good,” he said. He smiled at the costumed man and reassured him. “Have no worries, we’ll get this fixed. It’s high time someone saved you for a change.” He patted the man on the shoulder once more, and exited the railcar. The room was silent, save for the wind coming in the train from the large opening that used to be a wall. “Who is that man?” Maddie asked the magician quitely. “I don’t think that even he knows anymore,” the man in the top hat responded.

Baldr’s Track Day 9
    The train moved along at it’s normal pace, although to Maddie many things felt very different from the day before. They were in a new rail car now, although Maddie could hardly tell the difference. The seats were arranged in the same way, the carpet was of the same design, and the same “NO FALLING IN LOVE” sign hung at the front of the coach. But it wasn’t the coach that felt different, it was the atmosphere. The clown’s were gone now, and while that was a saving grace, the man in goldenrod was still there, and seemed more irritable than ever. Maddie was aware that he had intervened on her behalf, but at the same time felt that he had taken it much, much too far. Though the man looked well-muscled, she had not expected him to be able to pitch a man through the wall of a train. And with such anger! Moreso, she had not pegged the sad man as one who would threaten death to any one, or even one to cause injury. Stranger still was what had seemed to be beams of heat pouring out from his eyes. The man was even more of a mystery now, and a scary one at that. The train carried on, it’s passengers seeming very somber, until around mid-day. It was then that the magician entered the room. “I wondered if you were going to come in today,” Maddie said with a small smile. “I had thought perhaps that you had gotten lost.” The magician smiled at Maddie and chuckled. “No, my dear. I have been working on something very special,” he said proudly. “You may know that we are growing near to the end of this train ride. I have come up with something truly special for you.” “What is it?” she asked in wonder. She felt her heartbeat quicken just a little, as the magician’s tricks had been so amazing up to this point. “Close your eyes little love, and I will show you,” he said. Maddie did as she was asked and shut her eyes tight. She held them that way for what seemed to be a very long time before asking “Can I open them yet?” “Open what?” came a voice from the darkness that was definitely not the magician’s. “Father!” she shouted and quickly opened her eyes. There in front of her was her father, whom she had lost many years ago. “That’s my name,” he said smiling and hugging his daughter. “What’s gotten into you?” he asked her. She looked around and realized that she was no longer on the train. It took her a few moments, but she was able to place where she was. It was her 14th birthday party, the last time she celebrated anything with her father. “Nothing father,” she said, smiling and with tears in her eyes. “I’ve just missed you,” she said. He held her tightly in his arms and she squeezed him with every bit of strength in her body. He kissed her cheek then and whispered, “I think you’re about to wake up now. Maddie, I love you, always.” “I love you too, Father,” she said. But she was back on the train now, her eyes full of tears. “Thank you,” she said to the magician in between sobs. And Maddie, who had started the train ride with no interest in magic at all was now completely taken with it.

Baldr’s Track Day 10
    The train moved swiftly along the track, as it had for the past nine days, and countless thousands before that. Maddie sat on her bed and combed out her hair. She was smiling from ear to ear, but she didn’t notice it at first. When she did, she was quite pleased, saying, “I do seem very happy today, don’t I?” to the three chicks she kept on her dresser. She then patted them on the head and made her way to the coach. As she entered she took note of the passengers. The woman in black seemed to be even more in love with her cat than usual. She kissed him on the head often and spoke to him in excited whispers. She must have had a good night, she thought to herself with a smile. The man in the superhero costume stood in the corner and something seemed different about him. Eventually Maddie was able to put her finger on it. It looked as if he had made some small effort to clean up his costume, which Maddie thought was cute, although she still regarded him with much trepidation after the incident with the clown-themed goons. The magician was sittting in his usual spot. Maddie walked over to the older man and did her best curtsy. “Kind sir,” she addressed him, “I have a favor to ask.” She smiled at him then, and hope was apparent in her eyes. “I can think of nothing I would refuse you,” the man in the top hat replied. Maddie smiled even bigger than she had been at this. “I should like to be your assistant then, if you don’t mind sir.” “Mind?” he said, laughing. “What a ridiculous idea! I would have begged you to take the job if i thought it proper.” He was smiling from ear to ear. “So I can have the job?!” she asked excitedly. She clapped her hands twice and bounced with an excited energy. “It just so happens,” he said, as he reached into his briefcase, “that I have a contract right here.” He lifted the paperwork up for Maddie to see, but it was gone from his hand in the blink of an eye. “No,” said the man in the superhero suit. He was ripping the contract up as the magician looked at him in outrage. He had bridged the distance between himself and the magician with impossible speed. “What in hell do you think you’re doing?!” the man in the top hat yelled. His face began to grow very red. “I’m putting a stop to this,” the man in the superhero costume said. And though Maddie was unsure as to what was going on, she was even more surprised at the transformation the man had apparently undergone. Where once had stood a hunched over, dirty, sad shell of a man, now stood someone who was strong, and self-assured. She found herself wondering what had changed. “You can’t win, you fool. Don’t interfere,” the magician said. He produced another contract from his briefcase, but again it was pulled from his hands at lighting speed. “Stop it!” the older man yelled. “What do you plan on doing? You can’t tell her what’s going on, you know the rules!” “I’m not worried about it. I’ve given it some thought, and it shouldn’t count as falling in love, because we were in love before this train ride ever began,” the man in the superhero costume explained. Maddie wasn’t sure what he meant, and didn’t think that he sounded completely convinced that it would shake out the way he was explaining it. The magician didn’t think so either. He tipped his head back and laughed very loud. Maddie thought it was almost theatrical. “You’ve always been very stupid. It’s obvious that it doesn’t work that way,” he said snidely. He reached for his briefcase for a third time and was surprised to see the papers inside burst into flame. “You fool!!” the old man crooned, throwing his top hat on the floor and stomping on it. It was clear to everyone in the rail car that he was engaged. “I don’t understand what the problem is,” Maddie said. But no one heard her. “You’re ruining everything!” the magician shouted. “You shouldn’t even be here!!” “What do you mean?” the superhero asked, and he almost seemed pleased at the magician’s frustration. Almost, but not quite. “You know very well,” the magician said. “This is the villain train, on Baldr’s track. Only the very worst souls get put on this train, and it runs straight from Death to Judgement. And we all know where it goes from there.” He took a second to wipe the spittle from his mouth with the back of his hand and then continued with his angry rant. “So how is it that you got here Mister ‘Never done a damn thing wicked in my whole life’?” He stared with red hot anger into the man in the golden costume’s eyes. The burly man trembled, and anger filled his eyes, as well as grief. “I killed people,” he said, his now quiet voice dripping with anger. He shook his head as he continued to speak, “I killed lots of people. I picked up a whole state and pitched it into the sun.” The magician’s face grew full of fear as the man in the superhero costume lifted him into the air by the front of his shirt. “So which of us is the stupid one?” the large man asked, his eyes growing red with heat. “I threw away my whole life and everything that I’d ever worked for to stop you. I gave up my shot at heaven to save this girl.” The man in the superhero costumed gritted his teeth and mentally prepared himself to kill the magician. But Maddie’s sobs cut through the now silent room. He set the magician down and turned to the girl. “What is it Maddie?” he asked, and there was a world of concern in his eyes. “If this is the train that takes very bad people to their judgement,” she began through sobs, “what did I do to get here?” “Oh,” the man said as he wrapped his arms around the girl. “Oh Maddie, you didn’t do anything. I didn’t know baby, I swear I didn’t know,” he said. He patted her head and held her tight to him. “The magician, he hates me. He always has. We were enemies when we we’re alive. He was a villain, and I was there to stop him when he tried to do his nefarious deeds. To get back at me, one day when I wasn’t looking, he used his magic to chain his soul to yours.” He began to cry himself as he continued to explain. “I didn’t know Maddie, not until after he died. And when he passed away, so did you. He got put on this train for every evil he ever committed, and you, my beautiful Maddie, were brought along for the ride. And what’s worse, now he’s trying to get you to sign over your soul to him. That’s why he wanted you to sign a contract. That’s why he’s been using his tricks to lure you in.” The magician began to speak, but the man in the superhero costume silenced him with a stare. Maddie was quiet for a moment, and when she spoke, her voice was a whisper. “And you came for me,” she said as if understanding was dawning on her. “You came for me because you’re Captain Strong,” she continued. “You come for me because you love me.” “More than anything,” said the man called Captain Strong. “I love you too,” Maddie replied, with tears in her eyes. She kissed the man who had given his life to save hers. As their lips touched the trains brakes screeched, and the train stopped hard on it’s tracks. Baldr, the train’s engineer, rushed into the coach. “Who broke the rule?” he asked, sounding much more serious than Maddie had ever heard him. The magician laughed gleefully and pointed at Maddie. The engineer looked to the woman in black, who confirmed with a sad nod that what the magician had said was true. With a heavy sigh Baldr stepped toward Maddie and said, “Then there is nothing for it, love. It’s into the abyss with you.” He looked at her very gravely as he said, “May God protect your soul.”

Baldr’s Track Day 11
    The train was at a standstill as Baldr made his way toward Maddie, to banish her from the train. “Wait,” said Captain Strong. “Please,” he added, and his voice was soft and placating. “Captain, you’ve done more for the world than most folk that I know. Heck, you’ve saved my bacon a time or two at least. But the rule is the rule, and I gotta’ follow through,” the engineer replied. “But Baldr,” Captain Strong pleaded. “She’s not meant to be here.” “That aint for you to decide, my friend. If it’s her time, it’s her time,” Baldr said solemnly. “But it isn’t her time. Can’t you see that her soul is chained to that man’s?” the man in the superhero suit asked. Baldr squinted as he looked at Maddie and the magician. “My glory, you’re right!” he exclaimed. He knelt down, and as he touched the air in front of him, the chain became visible. “What manner of evil is this?” he asked the magician. The magician began to stammer as Captian Strong explained. “He’s the Manic Magician. This is all part of some insane plan for revenge against me.” Baldr shook his head knowingly. “I remember him being quite a thorn in your side,” the engineer said. He heaved with his mighty strength and broke the chain. “But I’m afraid we still have a problem,” he said solemly. “The rule.” “But I don’t understand it,” Maddie said, and she sounded both frightened and frustrated. The Captain held her tight to him as she looked to Baldr for answers. “I will try to explain it to you Maddie,” the engineer said. “I set it a very long time ago. You see, one last train ride is granted to every soul, that they might have one last chance to repent. Each passenger is stripped down to their purest essence, and allowed the 15 days of this train ride to try and find some measure of faith or belief in themselves. On this train, where only the very worst are sent, most folk just stew on their life and misdeeds and feel cheated that they died before accomplishing whatever vain scheme they had in their hearts. Still, a very small percentage take advangtage of this gift they have been given and find their redemption.” He paused a moment to clear his throat, and then continued. “We learned very early on though that there were many bad things that would distract men from their redemption. Many bad things, and one pure thing. Falling in love. It is a wonderful, beautiful thing for the living, but here it only robs people of their focus. So we did away with it, so that those here who may find redemption on this last train ride would not be distracted from it.” “I understand,” she said, and there were tears in her eyes. “I will go along with whatever you see fit,” she said bravely. “I have to kick you off of the train Maddie. You’ll have to find your own way from there,” he said very sadly. “But to where?” asked Captain Strong. “She does not belong at Judgement, for she hasn’t truly died yet,” he said, explaining his question. “I suppose she could go back to Death’s Door. If she could make it, she could go through the door and back to her life,” the engineer suggested. “Can it be done?” Maddie asked hopefully. “I’m afraid not,” Baldr answered truthfully. “There are things outside this train that would eat your soul up without a second thought. There are very few safe places in this realm.” “What if I fly her?” Captain Strong asked. Baldr considered it a moment. “I suppose that would work, although truthfully it is bending the rules. You know what you must do after you get her there, right?” the engineer asked. “I do,” the hero replied solemly. “Then go, and quickly. I will deal with our friend,” Baldr said, nodding his head toward the Manic Magician, who knew that he was in trouble. Captain Strong shook the engineer’s hand and then lifted Maddie into his arms. “Are you ready?” he asked. She nodded yes, and then they exited the train, and took to the sky. The hero flew with great speed, and he held Maddie very close to him as they made their way. It was very windy, and twice she almost slipped from his considerably strong arms. All told it took one hour to reach the door, the majority of it traveled in silence, as the hero required his full concentration to navigate the winds, and avoid the evil things which Baldr had spoken of earlier. When they reached Death’s Door Captain Strong regarded Maddie with a very grave look. “Please take care of yourself Madelien Elizabeth. I love you with every part of me.” She smiled as she heard him confess his love, but the weight of the first sentence finally caught up to her. “Take care of myself?” she asked him. And then realization dawned on her young face. “You’re not coming back...” “I’ve done terrible things Maddie. And I gotta face up to them. But I love you, and I will miss you every day for the rest of my afterlife.” “I don’t want to go then,” she said. “It will be too hard.” She was crying, and she buried her face in his chest. “But you have to Maddie. You gotta live baby. For me,” he said. She didn’t look convinced. “Remember what I told you the day we first met?” She nodded quietly. “There are days when this world will get you down. It’s a mean place, and there aint no mercy in it. Somedays you gotta remember that just standing up is a victory in itself,” she said, repeating the words he had said to her the night that her parents died. She looked at him then, and he smiled at her. She saw in his face everything that she loved about him. “I love you,” she said bravely. “I know you do,” he said smiling. “And what do you always tell me?” he asked her. She put her hand over his heart and said “I’ll always be right here.” He put his hand on her chest and smiled, “You know it’s the same for me, love.” She pulled him close then, and they kissed for a very long time. Finally, he pulled away from her. “I gotta go now,” he said, and flew off into the distance. One last time Maddie whispered into the wind, “I love you,” and walked through Death’s Door and back to life.

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