The rough, jutting angles of the train stand out against the natural flow of the forest. Lines of graffiti, once meaningful, trail randomly along its chipped and faded paint. Vines curl around and through the rusted metal, greedily claiming the valuable space. Even after so many years, the remnants of our sins endure, rotting and shattered.
I run a finger along the doorway, resentment and melancholy overpowering the gnawing hunger in my stomach. I grab the handrails and step up the stairs, brittle yellow plastic crunching under my bare feet. I stop again inside the train car. Insects scurry away from me into the shadows. The seats are torn and moldering, the filling turned various unappealing colors by the fungi living inside.
The seats march endlessly into the darkness, inviting me deeper, but the glitter of broken glass cautions against further exploration. Nevertheless, I take a step forward, placing my foot carefully to avoid the scattered shards. Blurred memories flash in my head, filling the seats with people and the windows with light and color. I can almost hear the heavy, rhythmic clicking of the wheels on the track.
The past draws me in slowly but surely as more moments flow from the back of my mind. Memories of a time filled with abundance and ease bring hot tears to my eyes. My jaw clenches as the old anger boils to life. Ease turned to decadence. Decadence turned to rot. Rot turned to ruin.
I stand, seething, my body nearly vibrating with adrenaline. Slowly, the anger burns itself out, leaving me refreshingly empty. I take a deep breath to wash the last of it away.
I take one last look around the train car. Our sins remain, but they’re faded and impotent. The old world is gone. It’s time I return to the new one.
