The morning of day five started fantastic right off the bat. I was hungover; the tram was overcrowded, and the collective noise of all the passengers cut through my head like a searing knife.
Eventually, I just didn’t care anymore. I pulled out bottle number two and decided to have a few sips, hoping it would ease my hangover and allow me to get back to sleep. Needless to say, people weren’t too happy about it. No one cares to enforce the ‘no drinking on the tram’ rule, but that didn’t mean people wanted to see someone drinking in the early morning hours. After a single sip, I could already feel the pain in my brain receding. I leaned back, took a deep breath, and then another sip. This behavior didn’t go unnoticed, of course. I saw the stares, and I could almost hear the whisper, but honestly, I didn’t give a shit. I was just too damn exhausted.
It wasn’t long before I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder. When I turned around, I saw an older man. His attire screamed blue collar. He was staring me down, waiting for me to take out my headphones. The moment I did, he spoke up.
“Drinking first thing in the morning, eh, but not even making room for others to sit down?”
I just looked at him and was about to give him a ‘fuck you,’ but he wasn’t the only one laying into me.
“There are children here, you know? Can’t you at least think about what an example you’re setting for them?” an old woman chimed in.
“How about you just move the damned backpack and get up? Maybe standing for a bit might sober you up,” Mr. Blue Collar spat at me.
Without waiting for an answer, he got a hold of my backpack and was about to pull it off the seat. I was quick to hold it in place with my free hand. This time, I said it out loud.
“Fuck off, okay?”
He didn’t like me mouthing off one bit, and this time, he pulled the backpack with all the force he could muster. The backpack slid off the seat, and I was promptly pulled after it. In the process, I spilled a good part of the vodka all over myself. I cursed, only to be greeted by snickering and more whispers all around me.
“Already drunk at this time of the day,” a middle-aged lady said, shaking her head in disgust.
“Probably homeless and slept on the tram,” someone else added.
“They should just kick him off,” a teenager said to his friends, who enthusiastically agreed with his idea.
“Fucking hell, all right,” I finally said, and got up from my seat.
Then I got a hold of my backpack and pushed myself through the more than annoyed crowd of passengers to find myself some room. As I did, it felt like every single person on the tram was staring at me. Occasionally, people moved out of the way, their disgust at my drunken self visible on their faces. Others, however, weren’t shy about elbowing me or pushing me aside, trying to provoke another scene.
Eventually, I made it to a spot near the doors, pushed myself against the side of the tram, and began massaging my temples. I still heard people’s whispers and still felt their glances. Yeah, you can all go fuck yourself.
Yet some weren’t just satisfied with that. When the group of teenagers from before got off the tram, they all bumped into me, one so hard, I almost lost my footing. In an instant, I jerked around and pushed the fucker. He tumbled off the tram and promptly crashed to the floor. He got up a second later, was about to throw a punch, but then froze. His eyes grew wide, fear distorted his face, and he cringed back, staring at me. He opened his mouth, but then closed it again. His friends asked him why he didn’t ‘punch the fucker,’ but he wasn’t able to say anything.
I’m sure I looked like shit, probably like a homeless person, but that reaction, that fear… It wasn’t normal. Then, for the blink of an eye, I caught a glimpse of something strange, something distorted in my reflection, but it was gone before I could focus on it. I just stood there, deeply unsettled, as the tram doors closed again. Could it actually be true? Was I somehow changing because of the otherworldly influences I’d been subjected to?
Before I could think about it any longer, I found myself face to face with Mr. Blue Collar. He was pissed, and in an instant, he grabbed me by the collar.
“If you do anything like that again, I’ve got no problem kicking your drunk ass off the tram!” he snapped at me.
Too surprised to do anything else, I merely nodded.
“Piece of shit,” he mumbled as he returned to his seat.
Before long, more and more people left the tram, Mr. Blue Collar amongst them. Before he did, he sent a final, angry stare my way.
Eventually, only a handful of people remained, and I could return to my trusty row of seats. I considered taking a few more sips, but I could tell the driver had it out for me after the earlier commotion. Unless I didn’t want to get kicked off for real, I’d better lie low for a bit. I settled down, close my eyes, and got ready to catch some sleep.
In the late afternoon, the sound of someone knocking against the tram’s window awoke me. I jerked up, but saw no one. Great, I thought, probably a bunch of kids who’d played a trick on me.
Then I saw him. A guy, standing on the other side of the road, staring at me. His face showed a slightly cheeky smile, as if he’d just played a trick on me. As if to make it even clearer, he made a little knocking motion. So it had been him, but… how? How’d he be able to knock against the glass from over there? I mean, there was no way he’d be fast enough to knock and cross the street. My eyes continued to rest on him until the tram drove off. The moment it did, his smile grew a tad bit wider, more amused, and he slowly raised his hand to wave at me.
I don’t know why, but the entire encounter crept me out. The hell was wrong with him? I shook my head. No, don’t think about it, just let it go. It’s probably some idiot who saw me jerk up and decided to fuck with me.
At least, that’s what I thought until I’d arrived at the next station. The moment we pulled in, I saw a person waving. I thought it was someone’s friend, but then I recognized him. It was the same guy, the same freaking guy from the last station. How he’d gotten here was anyone’s guess. His smile was still friendly, still amused, but he seemed to have gotten a tad bit closer to the tram.
By now, I should’ve been used to all these strange events, and should’ve ignored him. Hell, seen it as a normal part of my day, but I just… couldn’t. I don’t even know why, but him looking entirely normal, and his smile being nonthreatening, was much worse than any of the ghastly grins I’d seen so far. I told myself once more to look away, to ignore him and to focus on my music, but I still found myself staring at him. Finally, we drove off, and once more, he waved at me, his eyes trailing after me.
When we pulled into the next station, I knew he’d be there. We were still a good hundred meters away, but I could already see him waiting for me. The moment the tram pulled in, he waved at me again, and once more he’d gotten closer. I couldn’t help but squirm in my seat. That freaking smile!
Every time, the tram pulled into a new station, that guy was there, and every time, he was doing the same thing, smile, waving and getting closer. By this point, I’d seen a lot of weird shit, but this was just too damn bizarre. With each station, I grew more nervous, and felt strangely trapped, as if the tram around me was shrinking.
And then, I did it. After more than a dozen stations, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I raised my hand, and waved back at him, just to see if anything would happen, if anything would change. Things did. Instantly, his hand went down. His eyes grew wider, and his smile grew bigger, ever bigger. It felt as if time stretched on endlessly, while the whites of his teeth became more and more visible. Everything else about him seemed frozen in time. He didn’t move, didn’t blink, didn’t even seem to breathe. The only thing moving was his mouth. And then he just turned around and left.
A wave of fear washed over me, and I started trembling. I didn’t know what I’d just done, but I knew I’d just made a mistake, a huge fucking mistake. As I sat there, shaking in my seat, my eyes wandered to the internal departure display to see when we’d pull into the next station. Three minutes. What if he was there again? What if he was waiting for me? Hell, what if he was going to come for me? Just because I’d… reacted to him.
Then the announcement of the next station was broadcast over the internal speaker by a friendly, yet monotonous, voice. I froze. There he was. My heart was pounding in my chest, my palms were sweaty, and I’d already pulled my arm through my backpack’s strap, ready to run.
Then I realized I’d been wrong. It was another person, another man, just waiting for the tram. The waving guy wasn’t there. I slumped down in my seat and a sigh of relief escaped me. Yet I knew this wasn’t over. I knew I’d done… something, and I knew it would’ve repercussions.
Slowly, ever so slowly, afternoon turned to evening, Friday evening. It meant the tram would be packed all night. I watched as teenagers and older people alike flooded into the tram. I saw a group of guys dressed up in suits, girls in skits and knee highs, older ladies in classy dresses, and even a pair of guys in sweatpants, carrying two caskets of beer. Almost the entire city seemed to be out to party tonight.
The later it got, and the more alcohol people seemed to have consumed, the more excitable they became. Here a group of drunks was bellowing a raunchy song through half the tram. Over there a couple was making out, and further ahead were two older gentleman sharing a bottle of disgustingly strong herb liquor.
For hours, I watched the various people entering the tram and their interactions. To be honest, it was interesting, and for the first time, I ignored the outside of the tram, and didn’t look for any new un-locations. Instead, I’d returned to people watching.
One hour blurred into another. Evening turned to night, but the buzz and noise of the tram never ebbed away.
That is until she entered.
For a second, all sound died down. Heads turned. Conversations stopped mid-word. Everyone’s eyes fixed on her alone. She was the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen. Warm hazel eyes drifted over the crowd in search of a seat, her lips curling into a cheeky smile. A rebellious strand of hair slipped loose, and I watched as she brushed it aside. It was a gesture both casual and studied, as if made to linger in one’s memory.
Then, slowly, normalcy returned, or at least, a sense of normalcy, for she was still the center of attention. The strangest thing was how plainly she was dressed. Instead of a fancy evening dress, she wore a pair of roughed up jeans and a white tank top. As her well-measured steps lead her through the tram, I couldn’t tear my eyes off her. I told myself to look away, to stop being a freaking creep, but I couldn’t. This girl, whoever she was, was exactly my type, a fantasy become flesh.
Then she noticed me. In an instant, and without knowing what I was doing, I averted my eyes. Shit, you freaking dumbass. I did my best to just turn away and stare out the window, but then, only a few moments later, she was right there, standing next to my row of seats.
“I’m sorry, is this seat available, or is it reserved for your backpack?” she asked, giving me the hint of a smile.
Jesus Christ, I can die happy.
“Oh yeah, it is, I mean, it’s reserved… not reserved, available, I mean. Just let me get this out of the way.”
With that, I heaved the heavy backpack over to my side, and then, with all the force I could muster, pushed it down between my legs. It barely fit, and I was damned sure I’d just ruined a fair bit of the food still inside, but I didn’t care. I’d have thrown the damned thing out of the tram if it meant having a shot with this girl.
She watched my efforts, giggling, before she sat down next to me.
“So, are you out to party?” she asked.
Her voice was pure seduction and made the blood rush through my veins.
“Ah, no, I’m…”
Shit, what do I tell her? If I told her what I was doing, she’d probably think I was the biggest freaking idiot on Planet Earth. Which, honestly, wasn’t too far from the truth.
“No, I’m going somewhere,” I eventually said.
“Hmmmm,” she mused. “Why don’t the two of us go somewhere together? To be honest, I’m really bored tonight, and I’m looking for a bit of fun, you know?”
After she said this, she gave me a little wink. Instantly, my head was full of conflicting ideas. I wanted to, I so fucking wanted to, but I couldn’t just give up like that, could I? Not on day freaking five!
Then she put her hand on my leg, caressing it slightly.
“Why not take a chance for once?”
At that moment, I was done. Fuck the Long Ride, fuck the tram, and fuck my friends who’d most likely call me out for giving up. I didn’t care anymore.
The tram rumbled on, then came to a stop. At that moment, she got off her seat and held out her hand for me. Without even thinking, I took it and got up myself. Yet before I could leave my row of seats behind, something unexpected happened. Some idiot who must’ve sat nearby bumped right into her. Her hand was torn from mine, and she stumbled a few steps forward. I was about to yell at the fucker, but at that moment, the girl changed.
For the shortest of moments, the beautiful girl in front of me… wavered, for lack of a better word, and the air was filled with a sweet, otherworldly smell. Brown hair and hazel eyes vanished. Her beautiful face sagged, the skin pooling like wax before it slid away, revealing a crude mixture of scar tissue and bone beneath. I cringed back, almost toppled over my seat, and crashed hard against the tram’s side.
“Sorry ‘bout that,” I heard from beside me, and saw a scruffy-looking older dude.
When I turned back to the girl, she was all hazel eyes and brown hair again.
“Are you okay? Still coming?” she asked, but this time, the illusion wasn’t perfect.
For a moment, her face was replaced by what I now recognized as a giant, sharp break, and her small delicate hand changed into a set of twisted claws, clicking in anticipation. Once more, I pushed myself against the side of the tram. When she saw my reaction, her entire act fell apart. Her smile was gone, her eyes turned hard, and a mixture of rage and frustration came over her face. For a second, I thought she might throw herself at me and tear me apart right there, but then she just walked off. I couldn’t help but stare after her, after… it.
“Wouldn’t look too long, or you’ll fall for it again,” the scruff guy said. “Care if I take a seat?”
I measured him up for a moment, wondering if this was another trick, another ploy by some strange creature to get close to me, but when I saw no sign of ill will on his face, I nodded.
“Thanks, I guess,” I eventually said.
The dude gave me a shrug. When he did, a rain of dandruffs descended from his head, and I couldn’t help but inch a tad bit away from him. Now that I had time to get a better look at him, I saw he wasn’t just scruffy. He was dirty, his clothes nothing but rags, and he smelled way worse than I did after five days on the goddamn tram. He had to be a freaking hobo and was probably on the tram for the night to catch some sleep in a warm place.
“How did you know about that… thing?”
The guy chuckled, but then started to talk. When he did, I could smell disgustingly strong liquor on his breath.
“When you live where I do, you catch on to a thing or two. Seen it all before. Almost fell for it myself once.”
“What is it?”
“Haven’t gotten the slightest clue. All I know is that it’s nothing good!”
As I stared ahead, I saw that the woman had already found another guy, and was seductively talking to him. A moment later, I watched as she pressed her mouth against his. When I remembered the beak and scar tissue, I almost gagged.
“What’s it you see?” the guy asked.
“What do you mean?”
“The thing. What’s it look like to you?”
“Brown hair, hazel eyes, wearing jeans and a tank top.”
The guy next to me laughed.
“See, that’s how it gets you. Knows the type of women you like, then shows ‘em to us!”
“What’s she looking like to you, then?” I asked, giving him a slight grin.
“A blond with a pair of killer knockers!”
I almost burst out laughing when I heard that.
At the next station, I watched as the woman got off her seat, the guy she’d sat with trailing after her. I was about to get up, to do something, but right then her head jerked in my direction.
For a moment, I saw a threatening expression before it warped into an open break, revealing rows upon rows of sharp, needle-like teeth. I backed down instantly. Then she dragged the guy from the tram.
My eyes wandered toward the station, toward the two of them. The guy was still grinning like an idiot, enamored by what he assumed to be the girl of his dreams. As they went away, I could see their shadows. His was normal, hers entirely different. It was a giant, lurking, bird-like thing, a bird of prey. The image of a vulture appeared on my mind, one ready to devour its prey.
The tram drove off, leaving the two of them behind, and the guy to whatever terrible fate awaited him.
“So, what’s your deal?” the guy ended the silence.
“What do you-?”
“Been sitting here with no intention of getting off, carrying that damned thing with you. You sure don’t look like no party people to me.”
Guess I really did stick out. In a few words, I told him about the Long Ride, and that I was already on day five. When he heard this, his face grew dark.
“Doing a stupid thing like that,” he mumbled, shaking his head. “Staying on here for so long, even overnight.”
“Aren’t you doing the same thing? I mean, you’re here to catch some sleep, aren’t you?”
“Fuck no! I might live in the streets, but I ain’t stupid! I’m just on here to get away from those damned party people. Can’t sleep with all that shouting and what not. Stayed on here for the night, but it’s not worth it. Not with all the crazy shit happening.”
“Like what?”
He stared at me for a moment, probing me.
“Sure, you must’ve noticed by now. Them people who just up and vanish, strange creatures like that thing before, and those places who shouldn’t be there, but somehow are. Like that one!”
With that, he pointed outside, and I saw we were passing another un-location. This time, it was a scrapyard. It was a huge, constricted place, looking almost labyrinthine.
As I focused on it, I saw its giant heaps comprised nothing but old, rusty toys stacked upon one another. I shuddered when I saw figures shuffling around between them. Their movements: jerky, mechanical. Sparks were flying here and there, and distant clanging sounds reached my ear.
Eventually, I gave the guy a nod and began telling him what I’d seen over the past days. When I told him about the waving man, he cut me off.
“You did what?!” he asked in shock.
“Like I said, I waved back.”
“Goddammit! Tell you what,” he started, leaning over towards me, and staring me deep in the eyes. “You better get off this damned thing right here, right now!”
“Why? I mean… I know I made a mistake, but-“
“You sure did! Seen it before, people getting marked,” he muttered, scratching his neck. “Saw them get on, but never get off again.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off right away.
“That thing, it’s marked you, and now others know you’re here, too!”
“What others?”
“God if I know. Might be ghosts. Might be demons. Don’t care either way. All I know is they’re trouble. If I were you, I’d call it quits on this entire stupid thing you’re doing and get off while you still can!”
“Wish I could, but to tell you the truth, I’m more than prepared to sit this one out.”
Once more, the guy shook his head.
“Wouldn’t do it if I were you.”
After he’d said this, he got off his seat.
“Well, time to get going. I sure don’t like taking my chances.”
I gave him a nod.
“Well, thanks for the warning! Ah, hold on. Here, for saving me!”
With that, I handed him the still half-full second bottle of vodka. The guy’s face lit up the moment he saw it. He almost tore it from my hands, and it vanished in one of the many pockets of his jacket.
“Tell you again. Get off while you still can.”
Then he made his way toward the tram’s doors, and once it came to a halt, he left me behind. Outside, I found him looking at me once more, giving me a nod before he walked off.
As I watched him go, his words reverberated inside my head. Marked.
I’d thought he was just some crazy hobo, rambling and talking nonsense. After everything I’d seen, though, everything that had happened, I couldn’t dismiss it.
For the next hour, his warnings came back to me. All the stuff I’d seen, all the insanity, but nothing had happened to me, at least not yet. Two more days. Just two more days. That’s all there was to it. I wouldn’t give up! No, I’d stay!
Deep down, however, I wondered why. Why was I going that far? Was it curiosity? My stupid pride? Or was it something else? Some sort of… connection to all of this?
Marked, the guy had said, I thought, shuddering. What the hell did that even mean?
