The Tracks of Fate (ASK TO JOIN via PM)

High noon. The sun beats down on a seemingly old-fashioned train station. Posters from God knows when still hang on the walls, promoting "special" ticket deals and prices and mediocre soft drinks. Only one ticket booth appears to be open, where a silent old woman rustles various papers and waits for someone to purchase a ticket.

The platform has a shoddy awning over it to deflect the sun's rays, but it is no match for the humidity in the air. No music plays on this platform, and there is nobody visibly present...yet. The platform begs for some passengers.

There is only one set of train tracks at this station. Looking down the tracks, one can see that they do not curve or bend...they keep going straight as far as the human eye can see. And on these tracks is a train.

The train, like the station where it currently is, also appears to be old-fashioned. Similar to what you would see in a Western Film, it is a coal-powered locomotive. There are six cars, including a few passenger cars with sleeping areas, a dining car, and the Caboose. All are black with red and gold trim around the windows and doors.

Standing in one of the passenger car's doorways is Conductor Mayhews, who smiles as he pulls out a pocket-watch from his left pants pocket and checks the time.

"They should be here any moment now." he says with an almost devilish grin.

[The_Enigma]

Steve sat bored in his seat. A light sunbeam played over his eyes as he stared out of the decrepit window at the empty platform. "Royal Crown Cola, a refreshing taste for only 5 cents a bottle!" he thought to himself as he glanced at the poster he'd been staring at for the past two hours. A strong feeling of lethargy had overtaken him ever since he boarded the train, but a short burst of determination fueled him to finally get up. Groaning, he slouched further into the chair, letting the power of gravity pull him down and onto his knees. Once sufficiently out of the chair, he stood up, his knees protesting with a loud "krack!"

He lazily stared around the cabin, noticing the faded red upholstery and clouds of dust in the air being illuminated by the sun leaking through the windows. It gave the picture an old-timey, sepia-tone sort of look. He caught his reflection in one of the musty windows and noticed that a collar from his shirt got flipped up when he was lounging. Smoothing it into place, he hunkered over to the doorway and peaked his head around the pole on the side.

"Hey, Conductor. I bought my ticket nearly two hours ago. When does this hunk of metal get rolling?"

[Samiel]

Samiel didn't have the faintest idea of how, or even *when* he'd gotten here. The young man remembered falling asleep at a bus stop, and when he awoke, the first thing that greeted his ears was the demanding tones of a man not much younger than he.

"Hey, Conductor. I bought my ticket nearly two hours ago. When does this hunk of metal get rolling?"

The de facto master of Mortlock's House for Wayward Children and Young Adults cursed under his breath as he struggled to his feet. "Where am I? This isn't where I fell asleep! I need to get home! The others will be wondering where I am!" He flailed around in place uselessly until he saw something fall fluttering to the ground.

That stopped him. Curious, he bent to pick the something up. It was...a ticket. Apparently, it was a ticket to the train that had just now entered the station. Samiel had no memory of where or when he got it. However, his car was now missing, and he had no other mode of transportation. On top of that, he was in the middle of nowhere! Surely this train would point him remotely towards home! He grabbed up his backpack, and began marching towards the fellow who had awakened him earlier.

Conductor Mayhews turned his head slightly so to look at Steve from the corner of his eye. He tilted his hat slightly and brushed some dust off of his shoulder.

"All in good time...ahem," Conductor Mayhews quickly took Steve's ticket out of his blazer to look for a name, "Steve! Ah yes! Steve! You know they say that patience is a virtue. Perhaps you could work on that."

Conductor Mayhews chuckled a bit and saw a rather tall man approaching the train. Stepping down from the train and onto the platform's hard concrete, he gave a warm smile and said, "Aha! Another passenger, I presume?"

As the man got closer, Conductor Mayhews could see a confused expression on his face, but that didn't stop him from smiling.

[Samiel]

Samiel stopped a few feet away when he saw a fellow who seemed to be the conductor of this train. "Um, hi. Look, uh, Samiel Mortlock's the name, but...I REALLY need to know where the hell I am. I run a foster home, you see, and I have to get back to the kids and the caretakers there as soon as possible. Can you tell me where I am, and where this ticket I apparently purchased is going to take us?"

He extended a hand to the snappily dressed conductor--which held, of course, the ticket.

Conductor Mayhews clearly saw the worried look on Samiel's face and extended his hand to accept the ticket in which it held.

"Well, Mr. Mortlock, where you are is of little importance."

Conductor Mayhews examined the ticket carefully, holding it up to the sun as if to check that it wasn't a forgery. He then placed the ticket in his blazer and tilted his hat so that it faced perfectly forward on his head.

"Rest assured, where this ticket is going to take you is exactly where you need to be. In a timely fashion, I might add! But, we must hurry if you wish to reach your destination on time! The train should be leaving..." Conductor Mayhews pulled his gold pocket watch out once more and examined it. "...in just four minutes! Why not head into the passenger car and settle your backpack?"

Conductor Mayhews stepped aside to allow Samiel to make his way aboard the train.

[Samiel]

Samiel uneasily glanced past Mayhews to peer within. "Well...anywhere is better than nowhere, I suppose, and that's where the train's going. Maybe I'll figure out where we are when I see something familiar."

He finally took a step into the car after a long pause. "Well...it seems safe enough," he murmured cautiously, as he took a seat on one of the plush seats. He wiggled a bit to get comfortable. "Huh. Wow, authentic. I wonder if this is some sort of old reenactment thingy."

[The_Enigma]

A tad offended by the conductor's "patience" comment, Steve merely shrugged and turned to go back into the car. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he noticed the tall gentlemen approaching the train and silently watched as he conversed with the conductor. Watching the man board the train, he sighed briefly and spun around the pole in the door, using the propulsion to fling himself back into the cab.

Steve lazily strolled up the rather spacious and ancient cab, repeating the catch-phrases of the posters he passed under his breath. Seeing the new man in a seat, Steve decided to take the seat across from him. He appeared bored and aloof, but he was actually glad for the company, effectively breaking the boring stillness of the past two hours.

Falling into his seat, Steve tilted his head and looked across from him at the new man. "Hey," he said casually, giving a brief wave, "what brings you to the train?"

[Samiel]

Samiel slumped forward a bit, rubbing his temples. For reasons not quite explainable, the man's friendly greeting had snapped him back to a painful reality. "Honestly," he mumbled, "I don't know." There was a bitter heaviness to his voice, probably his frustration and sense of powerlessness building up. "I just...woke up here. I fell asleep at a bus stop about eighty miles from home, and woke up here. I'm worried about the kids I watch over, really worried. I just need to get back home as fast as possible, y'know?"

He let out a long sigh, brushing his fingers through his dark mane. "Sorry about the sob story, just needed to vent." He extended his hand to the younger man. "I'm Samiel. Samiel Mortlock."

Conductor Mayhews followed Samiel into the passenger car, sliding the door shut as he entered. He waited for both passengers to get comfortable in their seats, and when he saw that they were starting a conversation, he inspected the other cars to make sure nobody was on board without a ticket.

He made his way back to where his passengers were and smiled as he walked by, satisfied with their interacting with one another. Conductor Mayhews walked up to the first car and pulled a rope, which caused the locomotive's whistle to bellow.

"Allllllll aboard! The train is now departing!" Conductor Mayhews yelled as he gently pushed a lever forward.

The train jerked momentarily, then started to move forward. He blew the whistle a few more times as the train slowly but surely left the station. He looked up to the roof of the first car to see what appeared to be a vent of some kind. Tilting his ear up towards this vent, Conductor Mayhews listened carefully...